MANDALA III, HYMN 14.

ASHTAKA III, ADHYAYA 1, VARGA 14.

1. The joy-giving Hotri has taken his place at the sacrifices , He the true, the sacrificer, the highest sage, the worshipper. Agni whose chariot is lightning, the son of strength, whose hair is flame, has spread forth his light over the earth.

2. It has been offered to thee--be pleased with the adoring speech --to thee who is observant of it, O righteous, strong one. Bring hither thou who art wise, the wise (gods). Sit down on the sacrificial grass in the middle (of it) for bliss, O worshipful one!

3. To thee, Agni, Night and Dawn who further thy strength , shall hasten on the paths of the wind. When (the mortals) anoint the ancient one with offerings, they stand in the house as on a chariot-seat .

4. Mitra and Varuna, O strong Agni, and all the Maruts shall sing to thee a pleasant song, when thou, O son of strength, standest with thy flames, a sun spreading out men over the (terrestrial) dwellings.

5. We have given thee thy desire to-day, sitting down near thee adoringly with outstretched hands : sacrifice thou to the gods as a priest with thy mind most skilled in sacrifice, with unerring thoughts, O Agni!

6. From thee indeed, O son of strength, proceed manifold divine blessings and gains . Give us thousandfold true wealth according to thy guileless word, O Agni!

7. What we have done here for thee at this sacrifice, we mortals, O skilful and thoughtful god, take thou notice of all that, O (god) with the good chariot ; make all this (sacrificial food) here savoury, immortal Agni!

NOTES.

The same Rishi. The metre is Trishtubh.--Verse 5 = VS. XVIII, 75.

Verse 1.

Note [3:14:1:1]1. On vidatha, comp. I, 31, 6, note 2.

Verse 2.

Note [3:14:2:1]1. The subject to be supplied seems to be namah-uktih.

Note [3:14:2:2]2. The words namah-uktim gushasva form a parenthesis, as Ludwig has seen.

Verse 3.

Note [3:14:3:1]1. It is possible that here, as in several other passages, a confusion between the two verbs vagayati and vagayati has taken place. If the reading were vagayanti, we should have to translate, 'Night and Dawn who are striving together (as if running a race against each other?).'

Note [3:14:3:2]2. The ancient one is Agni.

Note [3:14:3:3]3. The two goddesses, Night and Dawn.

Note [3:14:3:4]4. The Padapatha has vandhura-iva, which may be the dual of vandhur (I, 34, 9). But more probably it should be vandhure-iva (nom. dual, neuter or loc. sing.), comp. I, 64, 9. a' vandhureshu ... tasthau; I, 139, 4. adhi vam stha'ma vandhure; III, 43, 1. vandhureshtha'h, and see III, 6, 10. adhvareva. On contracted Pragrihya vowels, see H. O., Die Hymnen des Rig-veda, I, p. 456.

Verse 4.

Note [3:14:4:1]1. On nri'n and the different theories proposed for this word, see above, I, 146, 4, note 5.

Verse 5.