Commentary on the Rig Veda

HYMN 12

Now begins the Fourth Section. It has six hymns. The Rishi is Medhatithi, son of Kanva. The first one of twelve Riks beginning with agnim dūtam, in gāyatri metre, is devoted to Agni.

This is the first Rik.

1. agnim dūtam vrņimahe hotāram viſvavedasam, asya yajñasya sukratum.
   agnim dūtam všņimahe hotāram viśva’vedasam asya yajñasya su’kratum.

agnim Agni; vļņimahe we beseech, says Skan-daswamin; it is more apposite to take we wait upon Agni to be our messenger to the gods; of what kind ? dūtam messenger — by signification the adjective has to be taken-hotāram who calls; again visvavedasam knower of All; asya of this current; yajñasya sacrifice; sukratum the auspicious doer; the word kratu is current both in action and in intellect; note the other adjective used, endowed with the knowledge of all; hence it is more appropriate to take in the sense of action.

Tr. We wait upon Agni who knows All, as our messenger, our caller who performs well this our sacrifice.

This is the second Rik.

2. agnimagnim havimabhiḥ sadā havanta vispatim, havyavāham purupriyam.
   agnim’agnim havima’bhiḥ sadā havanta viſpatim havya’vāham puru’ priyam.

agnimagnim (repetition for stressing) Agni himself, everywhere the sacrificing Rishis; havimabhiḥ by hymns of call (the root is hve, the termination is Vedic); sadā always; havanta call (imperfect in the sense of present tense-Vedic); of what kind ? vis patim guardian of the peoples; havyavāham who carries, reaches to the gods the oblations that are being offered by the Yajamana; purupriyam loved of many. In the inner sacrifice, material substances like ghee-oblations, etc. relate in essence to the body, and are to be taken as part or complete offerings. By this offering, the body is made over to the gods. All the rest is easy to understand in the inner context.

Tr. They constantly invoke Agni by hymns of call, Agni, guardian of the people, carrier of the oblation, much beloved.

This is the third Rik.

3. agne devān ihā vaha jajñāno vặktabarhişe, asi hotā na idyaḥ.
   agne devān iha ā vaha jajñānah vrkta’barhişe asi hotā naḥ idyaḥ.

agne O Agni; thou jajñānaḥ being born, that is manifesting in me the inner sacrificer (participle termination on jan perfect tense or jñā, says Skandaswamin); vşktabarhișe to the sacrificer who has spread the seat of grass; devān gods; iha to this my sacrifice; āvaha bring; naḥ our; idyaḥ laudable in adoration; thou hotā summoner of the gods; asi art.

vṛktabarhișe-commented. The readying of the seat at the approach of the gods in the inner sacrifice, etc. have been spoken of while considering the Rik dasrā yuvā kavaḥ (1.3.3.).

Tr. Agni who art born, bring hither the gods for him who has spread the seat of grass; thou art our adored summoner.

This is the fourth Rik.

4. tān usato vi bodhaya yadagne yāsi dütyam, devairā satsi barhiși.
   tān usataḥ vi bodhaya yat agne yāsi dūtyam devaiḥ ā satsi barhiși.

agne O Agni; yat since; whose or for whom dūtyam embassy; yāsi goest, bearest, therefore; tān them; usataḥ the lovers of sacrifice, the gods; vibodhaya awaken; awakening them, with those devaiḥ gods; barhiși in this appropriate and perfect seat; āsatsi sittest, sit (present tense of sid, Vedic).

Tr. Since thou goest on embassy, O Agni, awaken the desirous gods; sit on the altar-seat with the gods.

This is the fifth Rik.

5. ghṛtāhavana didivaḥ prati ṣma rișato daha, agne tvam rakṣasvinah.
   ghṛta’āvahana didi’vaḥ prati sma rișataḥ daha agne tvam raksasvinah.

agne O Agni; ghṛtāhavana who art called by ghee-in the inner sacrifice, Agni is invoked by illumined thought (vide commentary on dhiyam ghștācim, 1.2.7, where ghṛta has been commented upon); didivaḥ luminous (derived from div to shine, perfect tense, the rest is Vedic); prati active contrarily; rișataḥ the foes (present participle of riṣ to torment); tvam daha sma burn them (or sma for metrical exigencies); foes of what kind? raksasvinaḥ demon-possessed (termination vin in the possessive sense upon the word rakṣa.)

Tr. Invoked by the ghee of luminous thought, O bright Agni, burn up the foes that are contrary and demoniac.

This is the sixth Rik.

6. agnināgniḥ samidhyate kavirgshapatiryuvā, havyavād juvhā syaḥ.
   agninā agnih sam idhyate kavi” gsha’patiḥ yuvā havya’vāt juhu’āsyaḥ.

agniḥ the Agni who is to be invoked, called for the accomplishment of the inner sacrifice, the radiant one of the home of Truth-Consciousness; agninā by the Agni who is churned within the sacrificer by his force of askesis; samidhyate is well enkindled; Agni is to be obtained by Agni in the manner of “Tapas is Brahman, seek to know it by Tapas’; he is difficult to get for the idle; the sacrifice to Agni comes naturally to the Aryan Rishi who is striving; Agni of what kind ? kaviḥ seer beyond the senses; gṛhapati lord of the house; when the sacrificer effects a total surrender of himself to Lord Agni by all means, Agni becomes the master of his dwelling, protector of his house ; yuvā eternally young; havyavāț carrier of the offerings (already explained) ; juhvāsyaḥ his tongue is his mouth, the tongue being the flame; for Agni that itself is the mouth ( juhu írom hu); flames that is tongues, says Sayana (1.58.4); he drank by his flames spreading above (5.1.3).

Tr. Agni is enkindled by Agni, Seer, lord of the house, youthful, carrier of the offering, the flame-tongue for his mouth.

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

This is the seventh Rik in this hymn.

7. kavimagnimupa stuhi satyadharmāṇamadhvare, devamamivacātanam.
   kavim agnim upa stuhi satya’dharmā ņam adhvare devam amiva’cā tanam.

agnim Agni; upa approach; stuhi praise; the Rishi calls and speaks to his comrade performing the inner sacrifice or to his own inner being ; Agni of what kind ? kavim seer of things beyond the senses; adhvare in the sacrifice that yields the divine path to the performer ; satyadharmāņam him whose law is the Truth, the Right alone; (more is not said in explanation for fear of length, but this is to be noted; the law of Truth alone is the supreme good; it is for that only that all the practices of the Rishi are gone through; the saying in the Upanishad ’for the law of Truth, for sight’ is to be pondered over in this connection); devam bright; amivacātanam the destroyer of those that afflict or of the diseases (termination va and i on am disease); they say it is the causal form of cat to beg, but Sayana says cātayate destroys in He destroys the coverers’ (4.17.9). Elsewhere also it is likewise.

Tr. Approach and laud Agni, Seer, of Truth-Law, bright in sacrifice, destroyer of afflictions.

This is the eighth Rik.

8. yastvāmagne havişpatirdūtam deva saparyati, tasya sma prāvitā bhava.
   yaḥ tvām agne haviḥ patiḥ dūtam deva saparyati tasya sma pra’avitā bhava.

agne O Agni ; deva god; yaḥ havispatiḥ the sacrificer who owns the oblation; the oblation is the substance fit to be offered to Agni; the symbolism has been explained before; dūtam the envoy to the gods, for our sake; tvām thee; saparyati worships, tasya of the sacrificer who offers the oblation; prāvitā increaser par excellence; bhava sma thou art; or sma is used for metrical exigencies.

Tr. O God, Agni, to the owner of oblation who worships thee the envoy, thou art the increaser in excelsis.

This is the ninth Rik.

9. yo agnim devavitaye havişmān āvivā sati, tasmai pāvaka mṛlaya.
   yaḥ agnim deva’vitaye havişmān ā’vivāsati tasmai pāvaka mṛļaya.

yaḥ he who; haviṣmān with oblation, the sacrificer; devavitaye to the sacrifice in which the gods arrive (bahuvrihi compound; so adjective of sacrifice’ understood); agnim Agni; āvivāsati attends on (the causal sense is implied, the root vā is in the sense of movement, hence the root meaning is he wishes to make him come, and such a desire itself culminates in attendance; therefore it is so explained in the Nighantu); tasmai to that sacrificer; pāvaka O purifier Agni; mīļaya make for happiness.

The viti (advent) of the gods to the sacrifice becomes verily for their manifestation in the sacrifices. (pāvaka from pu to purify, conventionally used for Agni.) The significance of havis, the substance of offering has been said before.

Tr. To the sacrificer with oblation who waits upon Agni in the sacrifice where the gods arrive, O purifier make for his happiness.

This is the tenth Rik.

10. sa naḥ pāvaka didivo’gne devān ihā vaha, upa yajñam havisca naḥ.
    saḥ naḥ pāvaka didi’vaḥ agne’ devān iha ā vaha upa vajñam haviḥ ca naḥ.

pāvaka O purifier; didivaḥ luminous one; agne Agni; saḥ that thou; naḥ for us (dative in the sense of ‘for the sake of’); devān gods; iha here to our place of sacrifice; āvaha bring; naḥ our; yajñam sacrifice; haviśca and offering; upa near to them, reach.

Tr. Purifier, luminous, O Agni such as thou art, bring the gods here, our sacrifice and offerings to their proximity.

This is the eleventh Rik.

11. sa naḥ stavāna ā bhara gāyatreņa naviyasā, rayim viravatimişam.
    saḥ naḥ stavānaḥ ā bhara gāyatreņa naviyasā rayim vira’vatim işam.

saḥ such thou; navivasā by very new; gāyatrena song of praise (made of gāyatri); stavānaḥ lauded; naḥ for us; ābhara bring, acquire; what is it that is to be brought? rayim treasure; viravatim with hero-strength; işam impelling power.

işam is food according to the gross meaning. But in the subtle it is always impelling strength, power of impulsion. Mere impulsion may be powerless too, hence the adjective viravati, with hero-strength. It is to be noted that by the word vira, vigour is indicated.

rayi, treasure, is primarily, for the inner sacrificer, divine treasure alone. (stavānaḥ present participle of stu to praise, Vedic form.) naviyasā gāyatrera – hymn of praise, not acquired even by the ancients, says Sayana. "Not composed by others before,’ says Skandasvamin.

Tr. So lauded by fresh stanzas of praise, do bring for us wealth, power of impulsion with hero-strength.

This is the twelfth Rik.

12. agne sukreņa sociņā visvābhirdevahūtibhiḥ, imam stomam jușasva naḥ.
    agne śukreņa socişā visvābhiḥ devahūti’bhiḥ imam stomam juşasva naḥ.

agne O Agni; sukreņa with pure sociņā with flame; visvābhiḥ with all devahūtibhiḥ with all lauds for the invocation of the gods (bahuvri hi compound, praises in which are the invocations of the gods); naḥ our; imam this; stomam word of affirmation; jușasva accept, take delight in.

Tr. O Agni with pure white flame, with all the lauds invoking the gods, take delight in this our word of affirmation.

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