श्रुत्वेमां धर्मसंयुक्तां धर्मराजः कथां शुभाम्। पुनः पप्रच्छ तमृषिं मार्कण्डेयमिदं तदा
Having heard this auspicious story filled with righteousness, King Yudhishthira again asked the sage Markandeya this:
कथमग्निर्वनं यातः कथं चाप्यङ्गिराः पुरा। नष्टेऽग्नौ हव्यमहवदग्निर्भूत्वा महाद्युतिः
How did Agni go to the forest, and how did Angiras do so in ancient times? When the fire was lost, how did Agni, of great brilliance, become the sacrificial fire?
अग्निर्यदा चैक एव बहुत्वं चास्य कर्मसु। दृश्यते भगवन्सर्वमेतदिच्छामि वेदितुम्
O venerable one, when Agni is one, how does he become many in his functions? I wish to know all this.
कुमारश्च यथोत्पन्नो यथा चाग्नेः सुतोऽभवत्। यथा रुद्राच्च संभूतो गङ्गायां कृत्तिकासु च
How was the boy born, and how did he become the son of Agni? How was he produced from Rudra, from Ganga, and from the Krittikas?
एतदिच्छाम्यहं त्वत्तः श्रोतुं भार्गवसत्तम। कौतूहलसमाविष्टो याथातथ्यं महामुने
O best of the Bhargavas, I wish to hear all this from you, O great sage, exactly as it happened, for I am filled with curiosity.
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। यथा क्रुद्धो हुतवहस्तपस्तप्तुं वनं गतः
Here too, they recite an ancient legend: how, being angry, the fire-god went to the forest to perform austerities.
यथा च भगवानग्निः स्वयमेवाङ्गेराऽभवत्। संतापयंश्च प्रभया नाशयंस्तिमिरावलिम्
Just as the venerable Agni arose by himself from Angiras, burning with his radiance and dispelling the mass of darkness,
पुराङ्गिरा महाबाहो चचार तप उत्तमम्। आश्रमस्थो महाभागो हव्यवाहं विशेषयन्। यथाग्निर्भूत्वा तु तदा जगत्सर्वं व्यकाशयत्
Long ago, O mighty-armed one, Angiras performed supreme austerity, dwelling in his hermitage, the illustrious one distinguishing the fire-offerer; then, having become Agni, he illuminated the entire world.
तपश्चरंस्तु हुतभुक्संतप्तस्तस्य तेजसा। भृशं ग्लानश्चतेजस्वी न च किंचित्प्रजज्ञिवान्
While the fire-god was engaged in austerity, scorched by his own energy, he became greatly weakened, his brilliance diminished, and he was no longer aware of anything.
अथ संचिन्तयामास भगवान्हव्यवाहनः। अन्योऽग्निरिव लोकानां ब्रह्मणा संप्रकल्पितः
Then the venerable fire-offerer began to reflect: 'Another fire, it seems, has been established by Brahma for the worlds.'
अग्नित्वं विप्रनष्टं हि तप्यमानस् मे तपः। कथमग्निः पुनरहं भवेयमिति चिन्त्य सः
'My status as Agni has been lost, for my austerity has consumed me; how might I become Agni again?'—thus he pondered.
अपश्यदग्निवल्लोकांस्तापयन्तं महामुनिम्। सोपासर्पच्छनैर्भीतस्तमुवाच तदाङ्गिराः
He saw the worlds, like fire, tormenting the great sage; approaching him quietly and in fear, he was then addressed by Angiras.
शीघ्रमेव भवस्वाग्निस्त्वं पुनर्लोकभावनः। विज्ञातश्चासि लोकेषु त्रिषु संस्थानचारिषु
'Quickly become Agni again, the nourisher of the worlds; you are known among the three realms that move through the stations.'
त्वमग्ने प्रथमः सृष्टो ब्र्हमणा तिमिरापर्हः। स्वस्थानं प्रतिपद्यस्व शीघ्रमेव तमो नुद
'You, Agni, were first created by Brahma, destroyer of darkness; return swiftly to your own place and drive away the darkness.'
नष्टकीर्तिरहं लोके भवाञ्जातो हुताशनः। भवन्तमेव ज्ञास्यन्ति पावकं न तु मां जनाः
'I have lost my fame in the world, while you have arisen as the fire-consumer; people will know you as Pāvaka, not me.'
निक्षिपम्यहमग्नित्वं त्वमग्निः प्रथमो भव। भविष्यामि द्वितीयोऽहं प्राजापत्यक एव च
'I relinquish my status as Agni; you become the first Agni. I shall be the second, belonging to the progeny of Prajapati.'
कुरु पुण्यं प्रजास्वर्ग्यं भवाग्निस्तिमिरापहः। मां च देव कुरुष्वाग्ने प्रथमं पुत्रमञ्जसा
'Perform meritorious acts for the people, leading them to heaven; be Agni, the dispeller of darkness. And, O god Agni, make me your first son without delay.'
तच्छ्रुत्वाङ्गिरसो वाक्यं जातवेदास्तथाऽकरोत्। राजन्वृहस्पतिर्नाम तस्याप्यङ्गिरसः सुतः
Hearing Angiras's words, Jātavedas did accordingly; O king, and Bṛhaspati was the name of Angiras's son.
ज्ञात्वा प्रथमजं तं तु वह्नेरङ्गिरसं सुतम्। उपेत्य देवाः पप्रच्छुः कारणं तत्र भारत
Recognizing Angiras, the firstborn son of the fire-god, the gods approached and questioned him about the reason, O Bhārata.
स तु पृष्टस्तदा देवैस्तत कारणमब्रवीत्। प्रत्यगृह्णन्त देवाश्च तद्वचोऽङ्गिरसस्तदा
When questioned by the gods, he explained the reason; and the gods then accepted the words of Angiras.
तत्रनानाविधानग्नीन्प्रवक्ष्यामि महाप्रभान्। कर्मभिर्वहुभिः ख्याताननानार्थान्ब्राह्मणेष्विह
There I shall describe the various kinds of fires, of great splendor, renowned for many acts and purposes among the Brahmins here.
ब्रह्मणो यस्तृतीयस्तु पुत्रः कुरुकुलोद्वह। तस्यापि वसुदाभार्या प्रजास्तस्यां च मे शृणु
O scion of the Kuru line, now hear of the third son of Brahma; his wife was Vasudā, and their offspring I shall recount to you.
बृहत्कीर्तिर्बृहज्ज्योतिर्बृहद्ब्रह्मा बृहन्मनाः। बृहन्मन्त्रो बृहद्भासस्तथा राजन्बृहस्पतिः
Bṛhatkīrti, Bṛhajjyotis, Bṛhadbrahma, Bṛhanmanas, Bṛhanmantra, Bṛhadbhāsa, and, O king, Bṛhaspati as well.
प्रजासु तासु सर्वासु रूपेणाप्रतिमाऽभवत्। देवी भानुमती नाम प्रथमाऽङ्गिरसः सुता
Among all those offspring, there appeared, in incomparable form, the goddess named Bhānumatī, the first daughter of Angiras.
भूतानामेव सर्वेषां यस्यां रागस्तदाऽभवत्। रागाद्रागेति यामाहुर्द्वितीयाऽङ्गिरसः सुता
That one in whom attachment arose among all beings, she is called Rāgā; they say she is the second daughter of Angiras, born from attachment.
यां कपर्दिसुतामाहुर्दृश्यादृश्येति देहिनः। तनुत्वात्सा सिनीवाली तुतीयाऽङ्गिरसः सुता
She whom they call the daughter of Kaparda, visible and invisible to embodied beings, due to her slenderness she is Sinīvālī, the third daughter of Angiras.
यां तु दृष्ट्वा भगवतीं जनः कुहकुहायते। एकानकेति यामाहुश्चतुर्थ्यङ्गिरसः सुता
She whom, upon seeing, people become deluded, she is called Ekānakā; they say she is the fourth daughter of Angiras.
पञ्चम्यर्चिष्मती नाम्ना हविर्भिश्च हविष्मती। षष्ठीम्गिरसः कन्यां पुण्यामाहुर्महिष्मतीम्
The fifth, named Arciṣmatī, and also called Haviṣmatī due to her offerings, is the virtuous daughter of Angiras whom they call Mahiṣmatī.
महामखेष्वाङ्गिरसी दीप्तिमत्सु महीयती। महामतीति विख्याता सप्तमी कथ्यते सुता
In the great sacrifices, the illustrious daughter of Angiras shines among the radiant ones; she is renowned as Mahāmatī, the seventh daughter, as is told.
बृहस्पतेश्चान्द्रमसी भार्याऽऽसीद्या यशस्विनी। अग्नीन्साऽजनयत्पुण्यान्षडेकां चापि पुत्रिकाम्
The illustrious Chāndramasī became the wife of Bṛhaspati; she gave birth to six virtuous fires and also to one daughter.