चितोऽग्निरुद्वहन्यज्ञं पक्षाभ्यां तान्प्रबाधते। मन्त्रै प्रशमिताह्येते नेष्टं मुष्णन्ति यज्ञियम्
The fire built on the altar carries the sacrifice and repels them with its wings; when calmed by mantras, they do not seize the desired sacrificial portion.
तपस्ये बृदुक्थस्य पुत्रो भूमिमुपाश्रितः। अग्निहोत्रे हूयमाने पृथिव्यां सद्भिरीड्यते
The son of Bṛduktha, devoted to asceticism, has taken refuge on earth; when the Agnihotra is offered, he is praised by the virtuous upon the earth.
रथन्तरश्चतपसः पुत्रोऽग्निः परिपठ्यते। मित्रविन्दा तथा भार्या हविरध्वर्यवो विदुः ।।*
Rathantara is said to be the son of Tapas; Agni is renowned as such. Mitravindā is his wife, and the priests know the oblation.
एतैः सह महाभाग तपस्तेजस्विभिर्नृप'। मुमुदे परमप्रीतः सह पुत्रैर्महायशाः
Together with these great and radiant ascetics, O King, he rejoiced greatly, supremely delighted, along with his illustrious sons.
आपस्य मुदिता भार्या सा चास्य परमाप्रिया। भूपतिं भूतकर्तारं जनयामास पावकम्
Āpas, joyful, was his wife, and she was his dearest; she gave birth to Pāvaka, the lord of beings and creator of creatures.
भूतानां साऽपि सर्वेषां यं प्राहुः पावकं पतिम्। आत्मा भुवनकर्ता च सोऽध्वरेषु द्विजातिभिः
She is said to be the wife of Pāvaka, the lord of all beings; he is the self, the creator of the worlds, and among sacrifices, he is honored by the twice-born.
महतां चैव भूतानां सर्वेषामिह यः पतिः। भगवान्स महातेजा नित्यं चरति पावकः
He, the lord of all great beings here, the illustrious and radiant one, Pāvaka, always moves about.
अग्निर्गृहपतिर्नाम नित्यं यज्ञेषु पूज्यते। आज्यं वहतियो हव्यं सर्वलोकस् पावकः
Agni, known as the lord of the household, is always worshipped in sacrifices; Pāvaka carries the clarified butter and the oblation for all the worlds.
अपांगर्भो महाभागः सत्वभुग्यो महाद्भुतः। भूपतिर्भूतकर्ता च महतः पतिरुच्यते
He, the illustrious one, is the embryo of the waters, the enjoyer of the essence, wondrous and mighty; he is called the lord of the earth, the creator of beings, and the master of the great.
मता वहन्तो हव्यानि तस्याग्नेरप्रजाऽभवन्। अग्निष्टोमस्तु नियतः क्रतुश्रेष्ठो भवत्युत
The carriers of offerings, considering him, ceased to have offspring for that Agni; yet the Agniṣṭoma, the best of sacrifices, remained established.
[स वह्निः प्रथमो नित्यं देवैरन्विष्यते प्रभुः]। आयान्तं नियतं दृष्ट्वाप्रविवेशार्णवं भयात्
That fire, the foremost and eternal, sought after by the gods, seeing him approaching with resolve, out of fear entered the ocean.
देवास्तं नाधिगच्छन्ति मार्गमाणा यथातथम्। दृष्ट्वा त्वग्निरथर्वाणं ततो वचनमब्रवीत्
The gods, searching in every way, could not find him; but seeing Atharvan, Agni then spoke these words.
देवानां वह हव्यं त्वमहं वीर सुदुर्बलः। अथ त्वं गच्छ मध्वक्षं प्रियमेतत्कुरुष्व मे
"O hero, I am very weak to carry the offering of the gods; therefore, you go to the place of honey and do this favor for me."
प्रेष्य चाग्निरथर्वाणमन्यं देशं ततोऽगमत्। मत्स्यास्तस्य समाचख्युः क्रुद्धस्तानग्निरब्रवीत्। भक्ष्या वै विविधैर्भावैर्भविष्यथ शरीरिणाम्
Having sent Atharvan, Agni went to another place; there, the fishes informed on him, and Agni, angered, spoke to them: "You shall become food of various kinds for embodied beings."
अथर्वाणं तथा चापि हव्यवाहोऽब्रवीद्वचः
And thus also did the carrier of offerings speak to Atharvan.
अनुनीयमानो हि भृशं देववाक्यान्वितेन सः। नैच्छद्वोढुं हवि सर्वं शरीरं चापि सोऽत्यजत्
Though earnestly entreated with divine words, he did not wish to bear all the offering, and so he abandoned his body.
स तच्छरीरं संत्यज्य प्रविवेश धरां तदा। भूमिं स्पृष्ट्वाऽसृजद्भ्रातून्पृथक्पृथगतीव हि
Then, leaving that body, he entered the earth; touching the ground, he produced brothers, each with their own path.
आस्यात्सुगन्धं तेजश्च अस्थिभ्यो देवदारु च। श्लेष्मणः स्फाटिकं तस् पित्तान्मारकतं तथा
From his mouth came fragrance and brilliance; from his bones, sandalwood for the gods; from his phlegm, crystal; and from his bile, emerald.
वातात्कृष्णायसं तस्य त्रिभिरेतैर्बहु प्रजाः। त्वचस्तस्याभ्रपटलं स्नायुजं चापि विद्रुमम्
From his wind, black iron; from these three, many beings; from his skin, a mass of clouds; and from his sinews, coral.
शरीरास्थिविधाश्चान्ये धातवोऽस्याभवन्नृप। एवं कृत्वा शरीरं च परमे तपसि स्थितः
Other bodily substances of his became various elements, O king; thus, having abandoned his body, he remained in supreme austerity.
भृग्वङ्गिरादिभिर्भूयस्तपसोत्थापितस्तदा। भृशं जज्वाल तेजस्वी तपसाऽऽप्याधितः शिखी
Then, roused by the austerities of Bhṛgu, Aṅgiras, and others, he blazed forth intensely, radiant and kindled by penance, with flames.
दृष्ट्वा ऋषीनभयाच्चापि प्रविवेश महार्णवम्। तस्मिन्नष्टे जगद्भीतमथर्वाणमथाश्रितम्। अर्चयामासुरेवैनमथर्वाणं सुरादयः
Seeing the sages and out of fear, he entered the great ocean; when he was lost, the world was afraid, and the gods, led by Atharvan, worshipped him.
अथर्वाणं श्रिताँल्लोकानात्मन्यालोच्य पावकः। मिषतां सर्वभूतानामुन्ममज्ज महार्णवात्
Pāvaka, reflecting on the worlds that had taken refuge in Atharvan, rose up from the great ocean before the eyes of all beings.
एवमग्निर्भगवता नष्टः पूर्वमथर्वणा। आहूतः सर्वूतानां हव्यं वहति सर्वदा
Thus, Agni, who had formerly vanished through Atharvan, now, when invoked by all beings, always carries the offering.
एवं त्वजनयद्धिष्ण्यान्वेदोक्तान्विबुधान्बहून्। विचरन्विविधान्देशान्भ्रममाणस्तु तत्र वै
In this way, he generated many hearth-fires as declared in the Vedas, wandering through various regions, ever moving there.
सिन्धुवर्ज्याः पञ्च नद्यो देविकाऽथ सरस्वती। गङ्गा च शतकुम्भा च सरयू गण्डसाह्वया
Except for the Sindhu, five rivers are named: Devikā, Sarasvatī, Gaṅgā, Śatakumbhā, and Sarayū called Gaṇḍasāhvayā.
चर्मण्वती मही चैव मेध्या मेधासृतिस्तदा। इरावती वेत्रवती नद्यतिस्रोऽथ कौशिकी
The rivers Carmaṇvatī, Mahī, Medhyā, Medhāsṛti, Irāvatī, and Vetravatī—these three rivers, and also the Kauśikī—
तमसा नर्मदा चैव नदी गोदावरी तथा। वेण्णा प्रवेणी भीमा च मरुदा चैव भारत
The Tamasā, Narmadā, and likewise the river Godāvarī; Veṇṇā, Praveṇī, Bhīmā, and also Marudā, O Bhārata—
भारती सुप्रयोगा च कावेरी मज्जुरा तथा। तुङ्गवेणा कृष्णवेणा कपिला शोण एव च
Bhāratī, Suprayogā, Kāverī, and also Majjurā; Tuṅgaveṇā, Kṛṣṇaveṇā, Kapilā, and likewise Śoṇa—
एता नद्यस्तु धिष्ण्यानां मातरो याः प्रकीर्तिताः
These rivers are proclaimed as the mothers of the dhiṣṇyas (sacrificial altars).