[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).
अद्भुतस्य प्रिया भार्या तस्याः पुत्रो विडूरथः। यावन्तः पावकाः प्रोक्ताः सोमास्तावन्त एव तु
Adbhutā is the beloved wife, and her son is Viḍūratha; as many as the fires are mentioned, so many are the Somās as well.
अत्रेश्चाप्यन्वये जाता ब्रह्मणो मानसाः प्रजाः। अग्निः पुत्रान्स्रष्टुकामस्तानेवात्मन्यधारयत्
And in the lineage of Atri, the mind-born offspring of Brahmā were also born; desiring to create sons, Agni held them within himself.
तस्य तद्ब्रह्मणः कायान्निर्हरन्ति हुताशनाः। एवमेते महात्मानः कीर्तितास्तेऽग्नयो यथा
From the body of that Brahman, the fires emerge; thus these great souls, these fires, have been described as they are.
अप्रमेया यथोत्पन्नाः श्रीमन्तस्तिमिरापहाः। अद्भुतस्त तु माहात्म्यं यथा वेदेषु कीर्तितम्
Immeasurable, born as they were, splendid and dispellers of darkness; and the greatness of Adbhuta is as celebrated in the Vedas.
तादृशं विद्धि सर्वेषामेको ह्येषु हुताशनः। एक एवैष भगवान्विज्ञेयः प्रथमोऽङ्गिराः
Know that among all these, there is truly one Fire; he alone is to be understood as the blessed, the first Aṅgirā.
बहुधा निःसृतः कायाज्ज्योतिष्टोमः क्रतुर्वथा। इत्येष वंशः सुमहानग्नीनां कीर्तितो मया। पावको विविधैर्मन्त्रैर्हव्यं वहति देहिनाम्
Though manifested in many forms from his body, like the Jyotiṣṭoma and other sacrifices; thus I have recounted the great lineage of the fires; Pāvaka carries the offerings of embodied beings with various mantras.
अग्नीनां विविधा वंशाः कीर्तितास्ते मयाऽनघ। शुणु जन्म तु कौरव्य कार्तिकेयस् धीमतः
I have described to you, O sinless one, the various lineages of the fires; now hear, O Kauravya, the birth of the wise Kārtikeya.
अद्भुतस्याद्भुतं पुत्रं प्रवक्ष्याम्यमितौजसम्। जातं सप्तर्षिभार्याभिर्ब्रह्मण्यं कीर्तिवर्धनम्
I will tell you of the wondrous son of Adbhuta, of immeasurable energy, born from the wives of the Seven Sages, devoted to Brahman and increaser of fame.
देवासुराः पुरा यत्ता विनिघ्नन्तः परस्परम्। तत्राजयन्सदा देवान्दानवा घोररूपिणः
Long ago, when the gods and asuras were intent on destroying each other, the fierce Dānavas always defeated the gods.
वध्यमानं बलं दृष्ट्वा बहुशस्तैः पुरंदरः। स सैन्यनायकार्थाय चिन्तयामास वासवः
Seeing his army repeatedly slaughtered by them, Purandara (Indra) began to ponder deeply about appointing a commander for his forces.