MANDALA III, HYMN 26.

ASHTAKA III, ADHYAYA 1, VARGA 26-27.

1. With our offerings revering in our mind Agni Vaisvanara, the follower of truth, the finder of the sun--we, the Kusikas , desirous of goods, call with our prayers the god who gives rain, the charioteer, the, cheerful.

2. We call that beautiful Agni to help us, Vaisvanara, Matarisvan the praiseworthy ; we the men (call) Brihaspati for (the worship) of the divine host, the priest who hears us, the. guest who swiftly glides along.

3. Vaisvanara, neighing like a horse, is kindled by the women , by the Kusikas, from age to age; may this Agni give us abundance in valiant men and in horses and treasures, he who wakes among the immortals.

4. May the Vagas come forward, the Agnis with their powers. United they have harnessed the spotted deer for their triumphal procession . The Maruts, mightily growing, the all-wealthy, make the mountains tremble, the unbeguiled ones.

5. The Maruts who possess the beauty of Agni , belong to all races of men. We implore their fierce, strong help. They are tumultuous, the sons of Rudra, clothed in rain, hot-spirited like lions , givers of rain.

6. We implore with our best praises every host, every troop (of the Maruts) , the splendour of Agni,

the power of the Maruts. With the spotted deer as horses , with gifts that cannot be taken away, they go to the sacrifice wise in the (sacrificial) ordinances .

7. Agni am I, by birth Gatavedas. Ghee is my eye; (the drink of) immortality is in my mouth. The threefold song traversing the aerial space, the imperishable Gharma , the sacrificial food am I by name.

8. With three purifying strainers he (Agni) purified the song, with his heart the thought, discovering the light. The mightiest treasure he produced by the powers of his own nature, and then he looked over heaven and earth.

9. Carry him who is the inexhaustible spring with a hundred rills, who has knowledge of prayers (?), the father of (every speech) that should be uttered, the roaring one , gladly excited in the lap of his parents--carry him the truth-speaking across (all dangers), O ye two worlds!

NOTES.

Visvamitra is the Rishi of this Sukta with the exception of the seventh verse of which the Atman or Brahman is the Rishi. The metre is Gagati verses 1-6, Trishtubh verses 7-9.--Verse 5 = TB. II, 7, 12, 3. Verse 7 = VS. XVIII, 66; MS. IV, 12, 5.

The position of this Sukta in the collection shows that it is to be divided into three independent hymns. This is confirmed by the metre, the first and second of these three hymns being in Gagati, the third in Trishtubh, and also by the contents: the first hymn is addressed to Agni Vaisvanara, the second to Agni accompanied by the Maruts, the third contains mystical speculations about the nature and the deeds of Agni.

Verse 1.