Sukta 88

हविष्पान्तमजरं स्वर्विदि दिविस्पृश्याहुतं जुष्टमग्नौ। तस्य भर्मणे भुवनाय देवा धर्मणे कं स्वधया पप्रथन्त॥

haviṣpāntamajaraṁ svarvidi divispṛśyāhutaṁ juṣṭamagnau | tasya bharmaṇe bhuvanāya devā dharmaṇe kaṁ svadhayā paprathanta ||

DEAR, ageless sacrificial drink is offered in light-discovering, heaven-pervading Agni. The Gods spread forth through his Celestial Nature, that he might bear the world up and sustain it.

गीर्णं भुवनं तमसापगूळ्हमाविः स्वरभवज्जाते अग्नौ। तस्य देवाः पृथिवी द्यौरुतापोऽरणयन्नोषधीः सख्ये अस्य॥

gīrṇaṁ bhuvanaṁ tamasāpagūḻhamāviḥ svarabhavajjāte agnau | tasya devāḥ pṛthivī dyaurutāpo'raṇayannoṣadhīḥ sakhye asya ||

The world was swallowed and concealed in darkness: Agni was born, and light became apparent. The Deities, the broad earth, and the heavens, and plants, and waters gloried in his friendship.

देवेभिर्न्विषितो यज्ञियेभिरग्निं स्तोषाण्यजरं बृहन्तम्। यो भानुना पृथिवीं द्यामुतेमामाततान रोदसी अन्तरिक्षम्॥

devebhirnviṣito yajñiyebhiragniṁ stoṣāṇyajaraṁ bṛhantam | yo bhānunā pṛthivīṁ dyāmutemāmātatāna rodasī antarikṣam ||

Inspired by Gods who claim our adoration, I now will laud Eternal Lofty Agni, Him who hath spread abroad the earth with lustre, this heaven, and both the worlds, and air's mid- region.

यो होतासीत्प्रथमो देवजुष्टो यं समाञ्जन्नाज्येना वृणानाः। स पतत्रीत्वरं स्था जगद्यच्छ्वात्रमग्निरकृणोज्जातवेदाः॥

yo hotāsītprathamo devajuṣṭo yaṁ samāñjannājyenā vṛṇānāḥ | sa patatrītvaraṁ sthā jagadyacchvātramagnirakṛṇojjātavedāḥ ||

Earliest Priest whom all the Gods accepted, and chose him, and anointed him with butter, He swiftly made all things that fly, stand, travel, all that hath motion, Agni Jatavedas.

यज्जातवेदो भुवनस्य मूर्धन्नतिष्ठो अग्ने सह रोचनेन। तं त्वाहेम मतिभिर्गीर्भिरुक्थैः स यज्ञियो अभवो रोदसिप्राः॥

yajjātavedo bhuvanasya mūrdhannatiṣṭho agne saha rocanena | taṁ tvāhema matibhirgīrbhirukthaiḥ sa yajñiyo abhavo rodasiprāḥ ||

Because thou, Agni, Jatavedas, stoodest at the world's head with thy refulgent splendour, We sent thee forth with hymns and songs and praises: thou filledst heaven and earth, God meet for worship.

मूर्धा भुवो भवति नक्तमग्निस्ततः सूर्यो जायते प्रातरुद्यन्। मायामू तु यज्ञियानामेतामपो यत्तूर्णिश्चरति प्रजानन्॥

mūrdhā bhuvo bhavati naktamagnistataḥ sūryo jāyate prātarudyan | māyāmū tu yajñiyānāmetāmapo yattūrṇiścarati prajānan ||

Head of the world is Agni in the night-time; then, as the Sun, at morn springs up and rises. Then to his task goes the prompt Priest foreknowing the wondrous power of Gods who must be honoured.

दृशेन्यो यो महिना समिद्धोऽरोचत दिवियोनिर्विभावा। तस्मिन्नग्नौ सूक्तवाकेन देवा हविर्विश्व आजुहवुस्तनूपाः॥

dṛśenyo yo mahinā samiddho'rocata diviyonirvibhāvā | tasminnagnau sūktavākena devā havirviśva ājuhavustanūpāḥ ||

Lovely is he who, kindled in his greatness, hath shone forth, seated in the heavens, refulgent. With resonant hymns all Gods who guard our bodies have offered up oblation in this Agni.

सूक्तवाकं प्रथममादिदग्निमादिद्धविरजनयन्त देवाः। स एषां यज्ञो अभवत्तनूपास्तं द्यौर्वेद तं पृथिवी तमापः॥

sūktavākaṁ prathamamādidagnimādiddhavirajanayanta devāḥ | sa eṣāṁ yajño abhavattanūpāstaṁ dyaurveda taṁ pṛthivī tamāpaḥ ||

First the Gods brought the hymnal into being; then they engendered Agni, then oblation. He was their satrifice that guards our bodies: him the heavens know, the earth, the waters know him.

यं देवासोऽजनयन्ताग्निं यस्मिन्नाजुहवुर्भुवनानि विश्वा। सो अर्चिषा पृथिवीं द्यामुतेमामृजूयमानो अतपन्महित्वा॥

yaṁ devāso'janayantāgniṁ yasminnājuhavurbhuvanāni viśvā | so arciṣā pṛthivīṁ dyāmutemāmṛjūyamāno atapanmahitvā ||

He, Agni, whom the Gods have generated, in whom they offered up all worlds and creatures, He with his bright glow heated earth and heaven, urging himself right onward in his grandeur.

स्तोमेन हि दिवि देवासो अग्निमजीजनञ्छक्तिभी रोदसिप्राम्। तमू अकृण्वन्त्रेधा भुवे कं स ओषधीः पचति विश्वरूपाः॥

stomena hi divi devāso agnimajījanañchaktibhī rodasiprām | tamū akṛṇvantredhā bhuve kaṁ sa oṣadhīḥ pacati viśvarūpāḥ ||

Then by the laud the Gods engendered Agni in heaven, who fills both worlds through strength and vigour. They made him to appear in threefold essence: he ripens plants of every form and nature.

यदेदेनमदधुर्यज्ञियासो दिवि देवाः सूर्यमादितेयम्। यदा चरिष्णू मिथुनावभूतामादित्प्रापश्यन्भुवनानि विश्वा॥

yadedenamadadhuryajñiyāso divi devāḥ sūryamāditeyam | yadā cariṣṇū mithunāvabhūtāmāditprāpaśyanbhuvanāni viśvā ||

What time the Gods, whose due is worship, set him as Surya, Son of Aditi, in heaven, When the Pair, ever wandering, sprang to being, all creatures that existed looked upon them.

विश्वस्मा अग्निं भुवनाय देवा वैश्वानरं केतुमह्नामकृण्वन्। आ यस्ततानोषसो विभातीरपो ऊर्णोति तमो अर्चिषा यन्॥

viśvasmā agniṁ bhuvanāya devā vaiśvānaraṁ ketumahnāmakṛṇvan | ā yastatānoṣaso vibhātīrapo ūrṇoti tamo arciṣā yan ||

For all the world of life the Gods made Agni Vaisvanara to be the days' bright Banner,- Him who hath spread abroad the radiant Mornings, and, coming with his light, unveils the darkness.

वैश्वानरं कवयो यज्ञियासोऽग्निं देवा अजनयन्नजुर्यम्। नक्षत्रं प्रत्नममिनच्चरिष्णु यक्षस्याध्यक्षं तविषं बृहन्तम्॥

vaiśvānaraṁ kavayo yajñiyāso'gniṁ devā ajanayannajuryam | nakṣatraṁ pratnamaminaccariṣṇu yakṣasyādhyakṣaṁ taviṣaṁ bṛhantam ||

The wise and holy Deities engendered Agni Vaisvanara whom age ne'er touches. The Ancient Star that wanders on for ever, lofty and. strong, Lord of the Living Being.

वैश्वानरं विश्वहा दीदिवांसं मन्त्रैरग्निं कविमच्छा वदामः। यो महिम्ना परिबभूवोर्वी उतावस्तादुत देवः परस्तात्॥

vaiśvānaraṁ viśvahā dīdivāṁsaṁ mantrairagniṁ kavimacchā vadāmaḥ | yo mahimnā paribabhūvorvī utāvastāduta devaḥ parastāt ||

We call upon the Sage with holy verses, Agni Vaisvanara the ever-beaming, Who hath surpassed both heaven and earth in greatness: lie is a God below, a God above us.

द्वे स्रुती अशृणवं पितॄणामहं देवानामुत मर्त्यानाम्। ताभ्यामिदं विश्वमेजत्समेति यदन्तरा पितरं मातरं च॥

dve srutī aśṛṇavaṁ pitṝṇāmahaṁ devānāmuta martyānām | tābhyāmidaṁ viśvamejatsameti yadantarā pitaraṁ mātaraṁ ca ||

I have heard mention of two several pathways, ways of the Fathers and of Gods and mortals. On these two paths each moving creature travels, each thing between the Father and the Mother.

द्वे समीची बिभृतश्चरन्तं शीर्षतो जातं मनसा विमृष्टम्। स प्रत्यङ्विश्वा भुवनानि तस्थावप्रयुच्छन्तरणिर्भ्राजमानः॥

dve samīcī bibhṛtaścarantaṁ śīrṣato jātaṁ manasā vimṛṣṭam | sa pratyaṅviśvā bhuvanāni tasthāvaprayucchantaraṇirbhrājamānaḥ ||

These two united paths bear him who journeys born from the head and pondered with the spirit He stands directed to all things existing, hasting, unresting in his fiery splendour.

यत्रा वदेते अवरः परश्च यज्ञन्योः कतरो नौ वि वेद। आ शेकुरित्सधमादं सखायो नक्षन्त यज्ञं क इदं वि वोचत्॥

yatrā vadete avaraḥ paraśca yajñanyoḥ kataro nau vi veda | ā śekuritsadhamādaṁ sakhāyo nakṣanta yajñaṁ ka idaṁ vi vocat ||

Which of us twain knows where they speak together, upper and lower of the two rite-leaders? Our friends have helped to gather our assembly. They came to sacrifice; who will announce it?

कत्यग्नयः कति सूर्यासः कत्युषासः कत्यु स्विदापः। नोपस्पिजं वः पितरो वदामि पृच्छामि वः कवयो विद्मने कम्॥

katyagnayaḥ kati sūryāsaḥ katyuṣāsaḥ katyu svidāpaḥ | nopaspijaṁ vaḥ pitaro vadāmi pṛcchāmi vaḥ kavayo vidmane kam ||

How many are the Fires and Suns in number? What is the number of the Dawns and Waters? Not jestingly I speak to you, O Fathers. Sages, I ask you this for information.

यावन्मात्रमुषसो न प्रतीकं सुपर्ण्यो वसते मातरिश्वः। तावद्दधात्युप यज्ञमायन्ब्राह्मणो होतुरवरो निषीदन्॥

yāvanmātramuṣaso na pratīkaṁ suparṇyo vasate mātariśvaḥ | tāvaddadhātyupa yajñamāyanbrāhmaṇo hoturavaro niṣīdan ||

As great as is the fair-winged Morning's presence to him who dwells beside us, matarisvan! Is what the Brahman does when he approaches to sacrifice and sits below the Hotar.