Verses 1, 2
एति॒ प्र होता॑ व्र॒तम॑स्य मा॒ययो॒र्ध्वां दधा॑नः॒ शुचि॑पेशसं॒ धियं॑ । अ॒भि स्रुचः॑ क्रमते दक्षिणा॒वृतो॒ या अ॑स्य॒ धाम॑ प्रथ॒मं ह॒ निंस॑ते ॥
éti prá hótā vratámasya māyáyordhvā́m dádhānaḥ śúcipeśasam dhíyam ǀ abhí srúcaḥ kramate dakṣiṇāvṛ́to yā́ asya dhā́ma prathamám ha níṃsate ǁ
अ॒भीमृ॒तस्य॑ दो॒हना॑ अनूषत॒ योनौ॑ दे॒वस्य॒ सद॑ने॒ परी॑वृताः । अ॒पामु॒पस्थे॒ विभृ॑तो॒ यदाव॑स॒दध॑ स्व॒धा अ॑धय॒द्याभि॒रीय॑ते ॥
abhī́mṛtásya dohánā anūṣata yónau devásya sádane párīvṛtāḥ ǀ apā́mupásthe víbhṛto yádā́vasadádha svadhā́ adhayadyā́bhirī́yate ǁ
In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi introduces Agni not merely as the physical flame on the altar, but as the divine Hotṛ priest who moves upward by his own innate magic, clad in radiant beauty. He steps forward toward the sacrificial ladles, which turn back toward him, reaching toward his primal and supreme abode. The imagery shifts effortlessly between the ritual arena and the cosmic theater. In the second verse, we dive deeper into the mystical origin of Agni. The streams of Ṛta (cosmic truth and order)—often understood as the waters or the cows of light—converge and low around him in the sacred seat of the divine. Embraced by the waters, Agni dwells in their lap, drinking the nourishing sap of existence from which all his active manifestations flow. It is a profound meditation on how fire is born from water and sustains the cosmic order.
Verse 1: The divine priest advances by his secret creative power, bearing upward his pure-radiant thought; he steps forth toward the turning ladles where his primal abode is truly reached.
Verse 2: The milkings of the cosmic truth murmured around him in the secret fold of the deity; cradled in the waters' lap, he settled and drank the self-nourishing sap by which he moves.
Sāyaṇa interprets 'dohanāḥ' as the streams of oblations or waters, while Sri Aurobindo and esoteric commentators see them as the psychological 'milkings' or illuminations of Ṛta descending into the human consciousness.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| होता | hotā | the invoking priest |
| मायया | māyayā | by wondrous creative power |
| शुचिपेचसम् | śucipeśasam | pure-adorned, bright in form |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ऋतस्य | ṛtasya | of truth or cosmic order |
| अपाम् | apām | of the waters |
| स्वधाः | svadhāḥ | self-nourishments, native powers |
Picture a blazing flame rising from the river depths like a master priest climbing a staircase, drawing milk from invisible cosmic cows to feed the universe.
Verses 3, 4
युयू॑षतः॒ सव॑यसा॒ तदिद्वपुः॑ समा॒नमर्थं॑ वि॒तरि॑त्रता मि॒थः । आदीं॒ भगो॒ न हव्यः॒ सम॒स्मदा वोळ्हु॒र्न र॒श्मीन्त्सम॑यंस्त॒ सार॑थिः ॥
yúyūṣataḥ sávayasā tádídvápuḥ samānámártham vitáritratā mitháḥ ǀ ā́dīm bhágo ná hávyaḥ sámasmádā́ vóḷhurná raśmī́ntsámayaṃsta sā́rathiḥ ǁ
यमीं॒ द्वा सव॑यसा सप॒र्यतः॑ समा॒ने योना॑ मिथु॒ना समो॑कसा । दिवा॒ न नक्तं॑ पलि॒तो युवा॑जनि पु॒रू चर॑न्न॒जरो॒ मानु॑षा यु॒गा ॥
yámīm dvā́ sávayasā saparyátaḥ samāné yónā mithunā́ sámokasā ǀ dívā ná náktam palitó yúvājani purū́ cárannajáro mā́nuṣā yugā́ ǁ
Verses three and four delve into the mysterious duality and eternal youth of Agni. Two forces of equal age strive toward a common goal, distributing their efforts between them like twin paths or twin flames. Then, like Bhaga, the divine dispenser of fortune, Agni is invoked and held by humanity, gathering his reins together just as a skilled charioteer gathers the horses. Verse four clarifies this dynamic: two powers of equal age, sharing the same dwelling place and womb, attend upon him as a mutual pair. Day and night together witness his marvelous birth—though ancient and timeless, he is born ever-young, traversing countless human generations without ever aging. He is the eternal constant in the flux of mortal time.
Verse 3: The two of equal age strive together for the same goal, distributing their shining form; then like Bhaga he is invoked, and the charioteer draws together the reins from us.
Verse 4: Two of equal age attend upon him in the same womb, a dual pair sharing one home; by day and by night the grey-haired yet youthful god is born, traversing unaging through many mortal generations.
The 'two of equal age' are traditionally explained by ritualists as the two friction-sticks (araṇis) used to generate fire, while spiritual commentators view them as the upper and lower mental faculties or divine and human consciousness harmonized.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| सवयसा | savayasā | of equal age, twin powers |
| सारथिः | sārathiḥ | charioteer |
| रश्मीन् | raśmīn | reins or rays of light |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| मिथुना | mithunā | a pair, male-female or dual complementary forces |
| अजरः | ajaraḥ | unaging, ageless |
| पालितः | palitaḥ | grey-haired or hoary with ancient wisdom |
Imagine a master charioteer holding two glowing, identical horses representing Day and Night, driving forward an eternally youthful child who never grows old.
Verses 5, 6, 7
तमीं॑ हिन्वंति धी॒तयो॒ दश॒ व्रिशो॑ दे॒वं मर्ता॑स ऊ॒तये॑ हवामहे । धनो॒रधि॑ प्र॒वत॒ आ स ऋ॑ण्वत्यभि॒व्रज॑द्भिर्व॒युना॒ नवा॑धित ॥
támīm hinvanti dhītáyo dáśa vríśo devám mártāsa ūtáye havāmahe ǀ dhánorádhi praváta ā́ sá ṛṇvatyabhivrájadbhirvayúnā návādhita ǁ
त्वं ह्य॑ग्ने दि॒व्यस्य॒ राज॑सि॒ त्वं पार्थि॑वस्य पशु॒पा इ॑व॒ त्मना॑ । एनी॑ त ए॒ते बृ॑ह॒ती अ॑भि॒श्रिया॑ हिर॒ण्ययी॒ वक्व॑री ब॒र्हिरा॑शाते ॥
tvám hyágne divyásya rā́jasi tvám pā́rthivasya paśupā́ iva tmánā ǀ énī ta eté bṛhatī́ abhiśríyā hiraṇyáyī vákvarī barhírāśāte ǁ
अग्ने॑ जु॒षस्व॒ प्रति॑ हर्य॒ तद्वचो॒ मंद्र॒ स्वधा॑व॒ ऋत॑जात॒ सुक्र॑तो । यो वि॒श्वतः॑ प्र॒त्यङ्ङसि॑ दर्श॒तो र॒ण्वः संदृ॑ष्टौ पितु॒माँ इ॑व॒ क्षयः॑ ॥
ágne juṣásva práti harya tádváco mándra svádhāva ṛ́tajāta súkrato ǀ yó viśvátaḥ pratyáṅṅási darśató raṇváḥ sáṃdṛṣṭau pitumā́m̐ iva kṣáyaḥ ǁ
In the final movement of the Sūkta, the Ṛṣi broadens our perspective to the collective invocation. Ten fingers—symbolized as ten creative dhītis or mothers (the ten directions or fingers kindling the fire)—quicken Agni. Mortals call upon him from the heights of attainment, and he rushes forth, laying down new pathways of divine knowledge for those who march toward the truth. Verse six elevates Agni to supreme sovereignty: he rules over both the celestial and earthly realms like a watchful herdsman guarding his cattle by his own innate power. Two vast, golden, beautiful female energies (often the Dawn and Night or Heaven and Earth) embrace his altar seat. Finally, verse seven is a tender, personal plea. The Ṛṣi asks Agni to accept this sweet hymn of praise, calling him Mander (the gladdener), Svadhāvan (possessor of native self-power), and Ṛtajāta (born of truth), a welcoming sanctuary like a home well-stocked with food.
Verse 5: Him the ten insightful thoughts quicken; mortals call upon the god for refuge. From the height of the steep slope he speeds forth, establishing new pathways of knowledge for those who march forward.
Verse 6: Truly you rule over the celestial world, O Agni, and by your own nature over the earthly realm like a herdsman of cattle; two vast, golden, brilliant moving splendors reach toward your sacrificial grass.
Verse 7: O Agni, accept with pleasure and welcome this song of ours, gladdener, possessor of native power, born of truth, and of right will! You who face all ways, visible, delightful at the sight, like a home filled with nourishment.
The 'ten fingers' (daśa vriśaḥ or dhītayaḥ) are interpreted literally by ritualists as the priest's hands rubbing the fire-sticks, while psychological commentators see them as the ten senses or psychological instruments refined through meditation to ignite the inner flame of awareness.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| धीतयः | dhītayaḥ | devotions, prayers, or fingers of the hand |
| दश व्रिशः | daśa vriśaḥ | the ten active forces or fingers |
| वयुना | vayunā | paths of knowledge, patterns |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| पशुपाः | paśupāḥ | protector of cattle, herdsman |
| दिव्यस्य | divyasya | of the celestial/heavenly realm |
| हिरण्ययी | hiraṇyayī | golden, made of light |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ऋतजात | ṛtajāta | born of cosmic order/truth |
| सुक्रतो | sukrato | of excellent will or sharp wisdom |
| पितुमान् | pitumān | abounding in food, rich in sustenance |
Picture ten fingers lighting a campfire on a hilltop while a golden shepherd watches over his luminous cattle, welcoming travelers into a warm, well-stocked home.