12. Thou, O Agni, well kept, art the highest vital power. In thy lovely colour and in thy appearance (dwell all) beauties. Thou art great strength that carries us forward. Thou art abundant wealth, extending on all sides.

13. The Adityas have made thee, O Agni, their mouth; the bright ones have made thee their tongue, O Sage. The Rati-sak gods (i. e. the 'bounteous' gods) accompany thee at the sacrifices. In thee the gods eat the offering which is offered to them.

14. In thee, O Agni, with (thy) mouth all the guileless immortal gods eat the offering which is offered to them. Through thee the mortals taste their drink. Thou hast been born, the bright one, as the child of the plants.

15 . Thou art united with them and equal to them in strength, O well-born Agni, nay, thou surpassest them, O god, when thy power has expanded here in its greatness over Heaven and Earth, over both worlds.

16. The liberal lords who pour out, O Agni, over thy praisers gifts at the head of which there are cows , the ornament of which are horses: lead both ourselves and them to welfare. May we speak loud in the assembly , rich in valiant men.

NOTES.

The Rishi is Gritsamada, the metre Gagati.--Verse 1 = VS. XI, 27; TS. IV, 1, 2, 5; TA. X, 76, 1; MS. II, 7, 2. Verse 2 = RV. X, 91, 10. Verse 6 = TS. I, 3, 14, 1; TB. III, 12, 2, 1. Verse 13 = TB. II, 7, 12, 6.

Verse 1.

Note [2:1:1:1]1. Among the numerous texts which treat of the different origins of Agni (see Bergaigne, I, 20 seq.), especially the following two verses may be compared with this passage: VI, 48, 5. yam a'pah adrayah vana garbham ritasya piprati sahasa yah mathitah ga'yate nribhih prithivya'h adhi sa'navi; X, 45, 1. divah pari prathamam gagne agnih asmat dviti'yam pari gatavedah triti'yam apsu nrimanah agasram indhana enam garate svadhi'h.

Note [2:1:1:2]2. The text (dyubhih tvam asusukshanih) seems to be corrupt. I believe that tvam, which is so frequently repeated through this verse and through the next verses, has been put here in the wrong place, and that we should read, dyubhyah a' susukshanih.

Note [2:1:1:3]3. With the last words of this verse, comp. the conclusion of verse 24.

Verse 2.

Note [2:1:2:1]1. This whole verse is repeated, X, 91, 10.

Note [2:1:2:2]2. In my opinion there is no doubt that instead of the traditional reading, agnit, the correct form is agni't. The word is a compound of agni and idh and means 'the inflamer of the fire.' Cf. M. M., Hist. of A. S. L., 1859, pp. 450, 469.