हिरण्यरेतास्त्वरितो जलन्नायाति नः क्षयम्। सप्तजिह्वाननः क्रूरो लिहानो विसर्पति
Hiranyareta, swift and blazing, comes toward our abode; fierce, with seven tongues, he licks and spreads.
एवं संभाष्य तेऽन्योन्यं मन्दपालस्य पुत्रकाः। तुष्टुवुः प्रयता भूत्वा यथाऽग्निं शृणु पार्थिव
Thus, speaking to each other, Mandapala's sons became devoted and praised Agni; hear, O king, as they addressed the fire.
आत्माऽसि वायोर्ज्वलन शरीरमसि वीरुधाम्। योनिरापश्च ते शुक्रं योनिस्त्वमसि चाम्भसः
You are the soul of the wind, O blazing one, you are the body of plants; water is your source, and you are the seed of water.
ऊर्ध्वं चाधश्च सर्पन्ति पृष्ठतः पार्श्वतस्तथा। अर्चिषस्ते महावीर्य रश्यमः सवितुर्यथा
Your flames, O mighty one, move upward and downward, behind and to the sides, just like the rays of the sun.
माता प्रणष्टा पितरं न विद्मः पक्षा जाता नै नो धूमकेतो। न नस्त्राता विद्यते वै त्वदन्य- स्तस्मादस्मांस्त्राहि बालांस्त्वमग्ने
Our mother is lost, we do not know our father; our wings have grown, O smokebanner, but you are not our destroyer. There is no protector for us but you—therefore, O Agni, protect us children.
यदग्ने ते शिवं रूपं ये च ते सप्त हेतयः। तेन नः परिपाहि त्वमार्तान्नः शरणैषिणः
Whatever auspicious form is yours, O Agni, and your seven sources—by that, protect us who are afflicted and seek your refuge.
त्वमेवैकस्तपसे जप्तवेदो नान्यस्तप्ता विद्यते गोषु देव। ऋषीनस्मान्बालकान्पालयस्व परेणास्मान्प्रेहि वै हव्यवाह
You alone, O knower of sacrifice, are heated by austerity; no other is heated among the cows, O god. Protect us sages and children; carry us across, O bearer of offerings.
सर्वमग्ने त्वमेवैकस्त्वयि सर्वमिदं जगत्। त्वं धारयसि भूतानि भुवनं त्वं बिभर्षि च
You alone are everything, O Agni; in you is this entire world. You support all beings, you bear the universe.
त्वमग्निर्हव्यवाहस्त्वं त्वमेव परमं हविः। मनीषिणस्त्वां जानन्ति बहुधा चैकधापि च
You are Agni, the bearer of offerings; you are indeed the supreme oblation. The wise know you as manifold and also as one.
सृष्ट्वा लोकांस्त्रीनिमान्हव्यवाह काले प्राप्ते पचसि पुनः समिद्धः। त्वं सर्वस्य भुवनस्य प्रसूति- स्त्वमेवाग्ने भवसि पुनः प्रतिष्ठा
Having created these three worlds, O bearer of offerings, when the time comes, you burn them again, blazing forth. You are the origin of all the worlds; you alone, O Agni, are again their foundation.
त्वमन्नं प्राणिभिर्भुक्तमन्तर्भूतो जगत्पते। नित्यप्रवृद्धः पचसि त्वयि सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम्
You are the food eaten by living beings, O lord of the world, entering within. Ever growing, you cook; in you all is established.
सूर्यो भूत्वा रश्मिभिर्जातवेदो भूमेरम्भो भूमिजातान्रसांश्च। विश्वानादाय पुनरुत्सृज्य काले दृष्ट्वा वृष्ट्या भावयसीह शुक्र
Becoming the sun with rays, O knower of all births, you draw up the waters of the earth and the juices born of the earth; having taken all, you release them again in due time, and, seeing, you nourish here with rain, O bright one.
त्वत्त एताः पुनः शुक्र वीरुधो हरितच्छदाः। जायन्ते पुष्करिण्यश्च सुभद्रश्च महोदधिः
From you again, O bright one, these green-leaved plants are born; the lotus ponds and the auspicious great ocean too arise from you.
इदं वै सद्म तिग्मांशो वरुणस्य परायणम्। शिवस्त्राता भवास्माकं माऽस्मानद्य विनाशय
This indeed is the abode, O blazing one, the refuge of Varuṇa. Be our auspicious protector; do not destroy us today.
पिङ्गाक्ष लोहितग्रीव कृष्णवर्त्मन्हुताशन। परेण प्रेहि मुञ्चास्मान्सागरस्य गृहानिव
O tawny-eyed, red-necked, dark-path, consumer of offerings, go beyond and release us, as from the houses of the ocean.
एवमुक्तो जातवेदा द्रोणेन ब्रह्मवादिना। द्रोणमाह प्रतीतात्मा मन्दपालप्रतिज्ञया
Thus addressed, O knower of all births, by Droṇa, the speaker of Brahman, Agni replied to Droṇa, pleased in his heart by the vow of Maṇḍapāla.
ऋषिर्द्रोणस्त्वमसि वै ब्रह्मैतद्व्याहृतं ईप्सितं ते करिष्यामि न च ते
You are indeed the sage Droṇa; this Brahman has been spoken. I will do what you desire, and not—
मन्दपालेन वै यूयं मम पूर्वं निवेदिताः। वर्जयेः पुत्रकान्मह्यं दहन्दावमिति स्म ह
You were previously introduced to me by Maṇḍapāla, saying, 'Spare my sons when you burn the forest.'
तस्य तद्वचनं द्रोण त्वया यच्चेह भाषितम्। उभयं मे गरीयस्तु ब्रूहि किं करवाणि ते। भृशं प्रीतोऽस्मि भद्रं ते ब्रह्मंस्तोत्रेण सत्तम
That word of his, O Droṇa, and what you have now spoken here—both are weighty for me. Tell me, what shall I do for you? I am greatly pleased; blessings to you, O best of Brahmins, for your hymn.
इमे मार्जारकाः शुक्र नित्यमुद्वेजयन्ति नः। एतान्कुरुष्व दग्धांस्त्वं हुताशन सबान्धवान्
These cats, O bright one, constantly trouble us; burn them, O consumer of offerings, along with their kin.
तथा तत्कृतवानग्निरभ्यनुज्ञाय शार्ङ्गकान्। ददाह खाण्डवं दावं समिद्धो जनमेजय
Thus, having received permission from the Sharngakas, Agni acted accordingly and, blazing, burned the Khandava forest, O Janamejaya.
मन्दपालोऽञपि कौरव्यं चिन्तयामास पुत्रकान्। उक्त्वाऽपि च स तिग्मांशुं नैव शर्माधिगच्छति
Mandapala, too, O descendant of Kuru, began to worry about his sons; even after speaking to the radiant one, he found no peace.
स तप्यमानः पुत्रार्थे लपितामिदमब्रवीत्। कथं नु शक्ताः शरणे लपिते मम पुत्रकाः
Tormented for the sake of his sons, he spoke these words to Lapita: 'How will my sons, who are in your care, be able to survive?'
वर्धमाने हुतवहे वाते चाशु प्रवायति। असमर्था विमोक्षाय भविष्यन्ति ममात्मजाः
As the fire grows and the wind blows swiftly, my sons will be unable to escape and will not survive.
कथं त्वशक्ता त्राणाय माता तेषां तपस्विनी। भविष्यति हि शोकार्ता पुत्रत्राणमपश्यती
How will their ascetic mother, distressed and unable to see a way to protect her sons, be powerless to save them?
कथमुड्डीयनेऽशक्तान्पतने च ममात्मजान्। सन्तप्यमाना बहुधा वाशमाना प्रधावती
How, in flight or in falling, will my sons, suffering in many ways, be able to escape as their mother cries out and runs?
जरितारिः कथं पुत्रः सारिसृक्कः कथं च मे। स्तम्बमित्रः कथं द्रोणः कथं सा च तपस्विनी
How will Jaritari, my son, how will Sarisrikka, how will Stambamitra, how will Drona, and how will their ascetic mother fare?
लालप्यमानं तमृषइं मन्दपालं तथा वने। लपिता प्रत्युवाचेदं सासूयमिव भारत
As Mandapala lamented thus in the forest, Lapita replied to him, O Bharata, with a touch of resentment.
न ते पुत्रेष्ववेक्षाऽस्ति यानृषीनुक्तवानसि। तेजस्विनो वीर्यवन्तो न तेषां ज्वलनाद्भयम्
You show no concern for your sons, though you have spoken to the sages; they are powerful and valiant, and have no fear of the fire.
त्वयाऽग्नौ ते परीताश्च स्वयं हि मम सन्निधौ। श्रुतं तथा चेति ज्वलनेन महात्मना
They have been protected by you in the fire, and I am present with them; this has been heard from the great soul, the blazing one.