Verses 1, 2
मथी॒द्यदीं॑ वि॒ष्टो मा॑त॒रिश्वा॒ होता॑रं वि॒श्वाप्सुं॑ वि॒श्वदे॑व्यं । नि यं द॒धुर्म॑नु॒ष्या॑सु वि॒क्षु स्व१॒॑र्ण चि॒त्रं वपु॑षे वि॒भावं॑ ॥
máthīdyádīm viṣṭó mātaríśvā hótāram viśvā́psum viśvádevyam ǀ ní yám dadhúrmanuṣyā́su vikṣú svárṇá citrám vápuṣe vibhā́vam ǁ
द॒दा॒नमिन्न द॑दभंत॒ मन्मा॒ग्निर्वरू॑थं॒ मम॒ तस्य॑ चाकन् । जु॒षंत॒ विश्वा॑न्यस्य॒ कर्मोप॑स्तुतिं॒ भर॑माणस्य का॒रोः ॥
dadānámínná dadabhanta mánmāgnírvárūtham máma tásya cākan ǀ juṣánta víśvānyasya kármópastutim bháramāṇasya kāróḥ ǁ
In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi introduces the dramatic manifestation of Agni, brought down and kindled by Mātariśvan, the divine messenger akin to Prometheus in Western lore. Agni is described as the Hotṛ, the priest of the sacrifice, possessing all-encompassing waters and belonging universally to all divine forces, yet intimately placed within human dwellings as a radiant, sun-like splendor for all to behold. He shines resplendent, designed for noble beauty. The Ṛṣi then declares a profound bond between the worshipper and the divine fire. The prayer-songs (manmā) offered to Agni are completely unfailing; they are never deceived or rendered useless. Agni accepts them as his own protective mantle and delights in all the sacred acts and the devoted, overflowing praises of the inspired singer.
Verse 1: Mātariśvan brought forth and enkindled Him who is the universal priest, possessing all waters and all divine attributes, whom humans have established within their settlements as a radiant sun of wondrous beauty.
Verse 2: These unfailing prayers to Agni never falter; He embraces them as His own shelter, and takes delight in all the sacred works and the heartfelt praises of the singer.
Sāyaṇa interprets Mātariśvan as Vāyu operating in the sky and bringing down Agni hidden in the clouds. Sri Aurobindo views Agni here not merely as physical fire, but as the divine Will and inner Flame of aspiration kindled within human consciousness by the breath of the cosmic life-force.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| मातरिश्वा | mātariśvā | The wind-god or divine messenger who brings Agni to earth |
| होतारम् | hotāram | The invoking priest |
| विश्वप्सुम् | viśvāpsum | Possessing all forms or all waters |
| विभावम् | vibhāvam | Radiant, shining far and wide |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ददानम् | dadānam | Yielding, bestowing |
| ददभन्त | dadabhanta | They deceive, they fail (negated here) |
| वरूथम् | varūtham | Shelter, defense, protector |
| कारोः | kāroḥ | Of the singer, of the poet-priest |
Picture a cosmic spark brought down from the heavens by the wind like a falling star, carefully caught in the hearth of human hearts where every sincere song wraps around it like a protective garment.
Verses 3, 4
नित्ये॑ चि॒न्नु यं सद॑ने जगृ॒भ्रे प्रश॑स्तिभिर्दधि॒रे य॒ज्ञिया॑सः । प्र सू न॑यंत गृ॒भयं॑त इ॒ष्टावश्वा॑सो॒ न र॒थ्यो॑ रारहा॒णाः ॥
nítye cinnú yám sádane jagṛbhré práśastibhirdadhiré yajñíyāsaḥ ǀ prá sū́ nayanta gṛbháyanta iṣṭā́váśvāso ná rathyó rārahāṇā́ḥ ǁ
पु॒रूणि॑ द॒स्मो नि रि॑णाति॒ जंभै॒राद्रो॑चते॒ वन॒ आ वि॒भावा॑ । आद॑स्य॒ वातो॒ अनु॑ वाति शो॒चिरस्तु॒र्न शर्या॑मस॒नामनु॒ द्यून् ॥
purū́ṇi dasmó ní riṇāti jámbhairā́drocate vána ā́ vibhā́vā ǀ ā́dasya vā́to ánu vāti śocírásturná śáryāmasanā́mánu dyū́n ǁ
The Ṛṣi continues by describing how the enlightened sages (yajñiyāsaḥ) hold fast to Agni within his eternal abode through laudatory hymns. They guide Him forward skillfully during sacred rites, comparing this dynamic movement to well-driven chariot horses racing eagerly toward the goal, tossing their manes in spirited joy. In the fourth verse, Agni’s destructive yet purifying power is unleashed against falsehood and obstacles. He is the Dasma—the wondrous doer—who crushes multitudes of barriers with his blazing teeth. When he blazes brightly in the forest, the wind fans his glowing flame, sending his arrows of light straight to their targets across the days.
Verse 3: Even now, the ritualists have seized Him in His eternal home through praises; they guide Him forward in the sacred rite like vigorous chariot horses straining eagerly at the reins.
Verse 4: The wondrous Agni devours multitudes with his jaws and shines brightly in the forest; the wind fans his glowing flame, which flies like an arrow straight to the mark across the days.
The comparison of Agni to racing horses (aśvāso na rathyo rarahāṇāḥ) is a classic Vedic simile illustrating how the dynamic spiritual force must be skillfully handled and driven forward by the mind of the sacrificer, much like a charioteer controls powerful steeds.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| नित्ये | nitye | Eternal, perpetual |
| सदने | sadane | In the seat, abode |
| जगृभ्रे | jagṛbhre | They have grasped, held fast |
| अश्वासः | aśvāsaḥ | Horses |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| दस्मः | dasmaḥ | The wondrous, wonderful one |
| जम्भैः | jambhaiḥ | With jaws, with teeth |
| विभावा | vibhāvā | Radiant, shining brilliantly |
| शर्या | śaryā | Arrow, missile |
Imagine a magnificent chariot pulled by fiery, high-spirited horses racing across the forest while golden arrows of light shoot from the blazing wheels, clearing every obstruction in their path.
Verses 5
न यं रि॒पवो॒ न रि॑ष॒ण्यवो॒ गर्भे॒ संतं॑ रेष॒णा रे॒षयं॑ति । अं॒धा अ॑प॒श्या न द॑भन्नभि॒ख्या नित्या॑स ईं प्रे॒तारो॑ अरक्षन् ॥
ná yám ripávo ná riṣaṇyávo gárbhe sántam reṣaṇā́ reṣáyanti ǀ andhā́ apaśyā́ ná dabhannabhikhyā́ nítyāsa īm pretā́ro arakṣan ǁ
In this final verse, the Ṛṣi invokes absolute security under Agni's protection. Neither hostile rivals (ripavaḥ) nor malicious aggressors (riṣaṇyavaḥ) can harm Agni while he dwells within the womb of creation or the ritual fire-pit. Blind and sightless to his true splendor, malevolent forces fail to injure him. Instead, the eternal guardians and watchful protectors (nityāsaḥ pretāraḥ) surround and defend him completely.
Verse 5: Neither foes nor hostile plotters can injure Him while He rests within the womb; blind and sightless, they cannot strike Him down, for eternal guardians ever protect Him.
Yāska and later commentators explain 'andhāḥ apasyāḥ' as those who lack inner spiritual vision, rendering them completely incapable of understanding, let alone harming, the divine spark operating within the realized seeker.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| रिपवः | ripavaḥ | Foes, deceivers |
| रिषण्यवः | riṣaṇyavaḥ | Malicious aggressors, harmers |
| अन्धाः | andhāḥ | Blind, sightless |
| नित्यासः | nityāsaḥ | Eternal, constant ones |
Envision a fortress of pure white light deep within a mountain cave; external darkness and thieves approach, but they are utterly blinded by the radiance and turned away by immortal sentinels.