लक्ष्मीवान् मतिमाञ् शूरः पुत्रपौत्रविवर्धनः तत्र पिण्डादिदानेन पितरो मुक्तिम् आप्नुयुः मनोवाक्कायजात् पापात् स्नानान् मुक्तो भवेन् नरः
He will be wealthy, wise, and brave, increasing sons and grandsons; there, by offering rice-balls and other gifts, the ancestors attain liberation; and by bathing, a man is freed from sins of mind, speech, and body.
यमवाक्याद् अनु तथा हव्यवाड् आह पक्षिणौ
Then, following Yama’s words, the fire-god spoke to the two birds.
मत्स्तोत्रं दक्षिणे तीरे ये पठन्ति यतव्रताः तेषाम् आरोग्यम् ऐश्वर्यं लक्ष्मीं रूपं ददाम्य् अहम्
Those who, with disciplined vows, recite my hymn on the southern bank—I grant them health, wealth, fortune, and beauty.
इदं स्तोत्रं तु यः कश्चिद् यत्र क्वापि पठेन् नरः नैवाग्नितो भयं तस्य लिखिते ऽपि गृहे स्थिते
Whoever recites this hymn anywhere, even if it is merely written and kept in the house, will have no fear from fire.
स्नानं दानं च यः कुर्याद् अग्नितीर्थे शुचिर् नरः अग्निष्टोमफलं तस्य भवेद् एव न संशयः
Whoever, pure in body, performs bathing and giving at the fire’s bank attains the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice, without doubt.
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं याम्यम् आग्नेयम् एव च कपोतं च तथोलूकं हेत्युलूकं विदुर् बुधाः
From that time, that holy place is known as Yāmyam and Āgneyam; and the wise know the pigeon and the owl, and the fierce owl, as well.
तत्र त्रीणि सहस्राणि तावन्त्य् एव शतानि च पुनर् नवतितीर्थानि प्रत्येकं मुक्तिभाजनम्
There are three thousand, and just as many hundreds, and again ninety holy places there; each is a vessel of liberation.
तेषु स्नानेन दानेन प्रेतीभूताश् च ये नराः पूतास् ते पुत्रवित्ताढ्या आक्रमेयुर् दिवं शुभाः
By bathing and giving there, even those who have become departed spirits are purified; they attain heaven, blessed with sons and wealth.
तपस्तीर्थम् इति ख्यातं तपोवृद्धिकरं महत् सर्वकामप्रदं पुण्यं पितॄणां प्रीतिवर्धनम्
It is known as the Tapas Tīrtha, the great place that increases austerity, grants all desires, brings merit, and increases the satisfaction of the ancestors.
तस्मिंस् तीर्थे तु यद् वृत्तं शृणु पापप्रणाशनम् अपाम् अग्नेश् च संवादम् ऋषीणां च परस्परम्
Now hear what happened at that holy place, which destroys sin—the conversation between the waters and the fire, and the mutual discourse of the sages.
अपो ज्येष्ठतमाः केचिन् मेनिरे ऽग्निं तथापरे एवं ब्रुवन्तो मुनयः संवादं चाग्निवारिणोः
Some considered the waters to be the greatest, others thought fire was; thus the sages spoke, discussing the merits of fire and water.
विनाग्निं जीवनं क्व स्याज् जीवभूतो यतो ऽनलः आत्मभूतो हव्यभूतश् चाग्निना जायते ऽखिलम्
Where would life be without fire? For fire is the very essence of life; all things are born from fire, which is both self and the recipient of offerings.
अग्निना ध्रियते लोको ह्य् अग्निर् ज्योतिर्मयं जगत् तस्माद् अग्नेः परं नास्ति पावनं दैवतं महत्
The world is sustained by fire; indeed, fire is the light of the universe. Therefore, there is no purifier, no great deity, superior to fire.
अन्तर्ज्योतिः स एवोक्तः परं ज्योतिः स एव हि विनाग्निना किंचिद् अस्ति यस्य धाम जगत्त्रयम्
That very one is called the inner light; he alone is the supreme light. Without fire, nothing exists whose radiance encompasses the three worlds.
तस्माद् अग्नेः परं नास्ति भूतानां ज्यैष्ठ्यभाजनम् योषित्क्षेत्रे ऽर्पितं बीजं पुरुषेण यथा तथा
Therefore, there is nothing greater than fire, the vessel of preeminence among beings. Just as a seed is placed by a man in the field of a woman, so it is.
तस्य देहादिका शक्तिः कृशानोर् एव नान्यथा देवानां हि मुखं वह्निस् तस्मान् नातः परं विदुः
His power, beginning with the body, belongs only to fire and not otherwise. Fire is indeed the mouth of the gods; thus, nothing is known beyond this.
अपरे तु ह्य् अपां ज्यैष्ठ्यं मेनिरे वेदवादिनः अद्भिः संपत्स्यते ह्य् अन्नं शुचिर् अद्भिः प्रजायते
But others, versed in the Vedas, have considered water to be preeminent. Food is produced by water, and purity is born from water.
अद्भिर् एव धृतं सर्वम् आपो वै मातरः स्मृताः त्रैलोक्यजीवनं वारि वदन्तीति पुराविदः
Everything is indeed sustained by water; waters are remembered as mothers. Those who know ancient lore say that water is the life of the three worlds.
उत्पन्नम् अमृतं ह्य् अद्भ्यस् ताभ्यश् चौषधिसंभवः अग्निर् ज्येष्ठ इति प्राहुर् आपो ज्येष्ठतमाः परे
Immortality has arisen from water, and from them comes the origin of plants. Some declare fire to be the eldest, while others say water is the most ancient.
एवं मीमांसमानास् ते ऋषयो वेदवादिनः विरुद्धवादिनो मां च समभ्येत्येदम् अब्रुवन्
Thus, those seers, versed in the Vedas and holding opposing views, approached me and spoke these words.
अग्नेर् अपां वद ज्यैष्ठ्यं त्रैलोक्यस्य भवान् प्रभुः
Tell us, O lord of the three worlds, whether fire or water is superior.
अहम् अप्य् अब्रवं प्राप्तान् ऋषीन् सर्वान् यतव्रतान् उभौ पूज्यतमौ लोक उभाभ्यां जायते जगत्
I too spoke to all the assembled seers, steadfast in their vows: Both are most worthy of reverence in the world; from both, the universe arises.
उभाभ्यां जायते हव्यं कव्यं चामृतम् एव च उभाभ्यां जीवनं लोके शरीरस्य च धारणम्
From both are born offerings to the gods and to the ancestors, as well as immortality itself. From both comes life in the world and the support of the body.
नानयोश् च विशेषो ऽस्ति ततो ज्यैष्ठ्यं समं मतम् ततो मद्वचनाज् ज्यैष्ठ्यम् उभयोर् नैव कस्यचित्
There is no distinction between the two; therefore, their preeminence is considered equal. Thus, by my words, preeminence belongs to neither of the two.
ज्यैष्ठ्यम् अन्यतरस्येति मेनिरे ऋषिसत्तमाः न तृप्ता मम वाक्येन जग्मुर् वायुं तपस्विनः
But the eminent seers thought preeminence belonged to one or the other. Unsatisfied with my answer, those ascetics went to Vāyu.
कस्य ज्यैष्ठ्यं भवान् प्राणो वायो सत्यं त्वयि स्थितम्
Whose preeminence is it, O Vāyu? Life-breath, the truth abides in you.
वायुर् आहानलो ज्येष्ठः सर्वम् अग्नौ प्रतिष्ठितम् नेत्य् उक्त्वान्योन्यम् ऋषयो जग्मुस् ते ऽपि वसुंधराम्
Vāyu said: Fire is the eldest; everything is established in fire. Having said 'not so,' the seers went to the earth.
सत्यं भूमे वद ज्यैष्ठ्यम् आधारासि चराचरे
O Earth, speak the truth: whose preeminence is it? You are the support of all that moves and does not move.
भूमिर् अप्य् आह विनयाद् आगतांस् तान् ऋषीन् इदम्
The earth too, with humility, spoke these words to the assembled seers.
ममाप्य् आधारभूताः स्युर् आपो देव्यः सनातनाः अद्भ्यस् तु जायते सर्वं ज्यैष्ठ्यम् अप्सु प्रतिष्ठितम्
Even I have the eternal goddesses, the waters, as my support. Everything is born from water; preeminence is established in water.