CWTVKS Volume 6

HYMN 26

This is the hymn to Agni, of ten Riks, third in the sixth Section.

This is the first Rik.

1. vasişvā hi miyedhya vastrāņ yūrjām pate, semam no adhvaram yaja.
   vasişva hi miyedhya vastrāņi ūrjām pate saḥ imam naḥ adhvaram yaja.

miyedhya worthy of sacrifice, (miye in the place of me is the Vedic substitution of iya); ūrjām pate protector of strengths (ūrja in the sense of strength and life. The noun form to denote quality of the roots like bhraj, ürk is 1st pers singular); vastrāņi robes; vasişva put on (vas to cover, the i in imperative is Vedic); lustres are the robes of Agni; hence it means become aflame; hi for purposes of metre; saḥ naḥ imam adhavaram yaja has been commented upon in 1.14.11.

Tr. O worthy of sacrifice, guardian of powers, wear the robes and manage this our sacrifice.

This is the second Rik.

2. ni no hotā vareņyaḥ sadā yaviştha manmabhiḥ, agne divitmatā vacah.
   ni naḥ hotā varenyaḥ adā yaviştha manma’bhiḥ. agne divitmatā vacaḥ.

sadā always; yaviştha youthful, efficient in what is to be done for the sacrificer; this adjective is to denote the nourishing of Agni who is born in the sacrifice and increases day by day; varenyaḥ choiceworthy, the best; manmabhiḥ endowed with wise wise thoughts; agne O Agni; naḥ our; hotā becoming our priest of call; ni be seated (ni is connected with the appropriate action of sitting); then he speaks in inducement of the seating of Agni; divitmatā brilliant (the appendage of ta when matup is affixed to the word divi is Vedic); vacaḥ with words (the disappearance of the affix in third case singular) endeared by our bright laud, sit.

Tr. Ever youthful, the best, with wise thoughts, O Agni, be our priest of call and sit with our flaming word.

This is the third Rik.

3. ā hi șmā sūnave pitāpiryajatyāpaye, sakhā sakhye varenyah.
   ā hi șma sūnave pitā āpiủ yajati āpaye sakhā sakhye varenyaḥ.

sma for metrical purposes; ă related to the action of sacrifice; he well-known; sūnave for the son; pitā father; āyajati sacrifices in all ways-when the son is the sacrificer, his father conducts the sacrifice, in affection, as if he himself were the sacrificer; similarly āpaye for the kinsman; āpiḥ kinsman; sakhye for friend; varenyah the best; sakhā friend, sacrifices Thus for me, thou lord art like the father, kinsman, friend, therefore, sacrifice—this is the prayer.

Tr. Indeed the father sacrifices for his son, the kinsman for kinsman, the best friend for friend.

This is the fourth Rik.

4. ā no barhi riśādaso varuņo mitro aryamā, sidantu manușo’yathā.
   ā naḥ barhiḥ riśādasaḥ varuṇaḥ mitraḥ aryamā sidantu manush yathā.

O Agni, called and impelled by thee, may the gods, riśādasaḥ swallowers of hurters; mitraḥ varunaḥ aryamā ca Mitra, Varuna and Aryaman; naḥ our; barhiḥ the seat spread over the inner altar; āsidantu come and sit upon; like whom? manușo yathā like men, that is, may the gods become directly perceivable and dealable.

manuṣaḥ is men, says Skandasvamin; of Prajapati, says Sayana—had not the gods come to the sacrifice of Prajapati! He explains that Manu is Prajapati and just as the gods came to his sacrifice, may they come here also.

Tr. May the destroyers of hurters, Mitra, Varuna and Aryaman, come and sit upon our altarseat, like men.

This is the fifth Rik.

5. pūrvya hotarasya no mandasva sakhyasya ca, imā ușu śrudi giraḥ.
   pūrvya hotaḥ asya naḥ mandasva sakhyasya ca imāḥ ūm iti su śrudhi giraḥ.

pūrvya born before all of us; hotaḥO Agni; naḥ our; asya of the sacrifice; sakhyasya ca and for the achievement of friendship possible by thy grace; mandasva be pleased; u and again; imāḥ these; giraḥ lauds; su well, with patience; śrudhi listen.

Tr. Ancient priest of call, be pleased of our sacrifice and friendship; and listen well to these lauds.

Thus ends the twentieth Group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth.

This is the sixth Rik.

6. yacciddhi śasvatā tanā devamdevam yajāmahe, tve iddhūyate haviḥ.
   yat cit hi śasvatā tanā devam’devam yajāmahe tve iti it hūyate haviḥ.

O Agni, yacciddhi although; sasvatā eternally, incessatly; tanā by the sacrifice spread out; devam devam host of many gods (duplication for repetition); yajāmahe we sacrifice; even so, haviḥ our substance of offering; tve it, ri offered in you alone.

Sacrifice to Indra and other gods is effected only through the medium of Agni.

tanā; tan to spread; with nominal base tana is the nominative case singular.

tve : substitution of e in the locative singular of the word yușmat.

Tr. Whatever we incessantly offer by sacrifice to God and God, that oblation is offered in thee only.

This is the seventh Rik.

7. priyo no astu vispatirhotā mandro varenyaḥ, priyāḥ svagnayo vayam.
   priyaḥ naḥ astu viſpatiḥ hotā mandraḥ varenyaḥ priyāḥ su’agnayaḥ vayam.

vispatiḥ lord of the peoples, their guardian; hotā priest of call; mandraḥ delighted; varenyaḥ worthy of choice, Agni; naḥ our; priyaḥ dear; astu be, may he be always dear; vayam we too of him; priyāḥ dear; svagnayaḥ they of whom is the auspicious Agni, endowed with auspicious Agni, may be.

Tr. May the lord of peoples, priest of call, delighted, worthy of choice be dear to us; may we, endowed with auspicious Agni, be dear to him.

This is the eighth Rik.

8. svagnayo hi vāryam devāso dadhire ca naḥ, svagnayo manāmahe.
   su’agnayaḥ hi vāryam devāsaḥ dadhire ca naḥ su’agnayaḥ manāmahe.

svagnayaḥ with auspicious Agni, devāsaḥ ca the gods (and); naḥ for us; vāryam choice (a divine, enjoyable object in the form of delight); hi because; dadhire borne, therefore we too; svagnayaḥ with auspicious Agni, manāmahe laud. (manyati in the sense of worship, 1st conj. by transmutation.)

It is only by the grace of the gods along with Agni who bear for us choice, divine enjoyments like strength, that we with Agni are able to laud, think or know—this is the purport.

Tr. Along with auspicious Agni the gods have borne for us the cherished; and with auspicious Agni we laud.

This is the ninth Rik.

9. athā na ubhayeșāmamặta martyānām, mithaḥ santu prasastayaḥ.
   atha naḥ ubhayeșām amṛta martyānām mithaḥ santu pra’śastayaḥ.

atha thus as said before, after our attainment of the riches of contemplation as a result of getting endowed with auspicious agni; amſta O Agni immortal; martyānām naḥ of us mortals; ubhayeşām of thee immortal and us mortals; mithaḥ mutual; prasastayaḥ praises, secret words in confidence; santu be.

Note that direct dealings of the Rishis with the gods is common

Tr. And, O immortal, may intimate words be mutual to both, to you and us mortals.

This is the tenth Rik.

10. viśvebhiragne agnibhirimam yajñamidam vacaḥ, cano dhāḥ sahaso yaho.
    viśvebhiḥ agne agni’bhiḥ imam yajñam idam vacaḥ canaḥ dhāḥ sahasaḥ yaho iti.

sahaḥ of strength; yaho son (yahu is among the synonyms of son); agne lord viśvebhiḥ with all (plurality Vedic); agnibhiḥ other special fires of thee—though he is one, he becomes manifold due to difference in station; imam yajñam this our sacrifice; idam vacaḥ this our laud, accepting; canaḥ happiness (canaḥ food, also the thing to be enjoyed; the sense of the root is also happiness—commented in 1.3.1.); dhāḥ hold (aorist in the sense of imperative, absence of a). Accepting our sacrifice and praise, bearing happiness thyself, establish it in us.

Tr. O son of strength, Agni, with all fires accept this sacrifice, this laud, found happiness.

Thus ends the twenty-first Group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth.