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Dhammapada · narration sample

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Rig Veda · 188 of 1027

Mandala 1: HYMN CLXXXVIII. Āprīs.

1.WINNER of thousands, kindled, thou shinest a God with Gods to-day. Bear out oblations, envoy, Sage.

2.Child of Thyself the sacrifice is for the righteous blent with meath, Presenting viands thousandfold.

3.Invoked and worthy of our praise bring Gods whose due is sacrifice: Thou, Agni, givest countless gifts.

4.To seat a thousand Heroes they eastward have strewn the grass with might, Whereon, Ādityas, ye shine forth.

5.The sovran all-imperial Doors, wide, good, many and manifold, Have poured their streams of holy oil.

6.With gay adornment, fair to see, in glorious beauty shine they forth: Let Night and Morning rest them here.

7.Let these two Sages first of all, heralds divine and eloquent, Perform for us this sacrifice.

8.You I address, Sarasvatī, and Bhāratī, and Iḷā, all: Urge ye us on to glorious fame.

9.Tvaṣṭar the Lord hath made all forms and all the cattle of the field Cause them to multiply for us.

10.Send to the Gods, Vanaspati, thyself, the sacrificial draught: Let Agni make the oblations sweet.

11.Agni, preceder of the Gods, is honoured with the sacred song: He glows at offerings blest with Hail!

Asked of Guide

Why are multiple deities like Sarasvatī, Tvaṣṭar, and Vanaspati all invoked to serve Agni here?

The hymn treats Agni as the sacrificial envoy who receives and transmits offerings, so the other deities are called to supply forms, speech, draught, and support for the rite: Sarasvatī and Bhāratī and Iḷā are asked to “urge ye us on to glorious fame,” Tvaṣṭar to “make all forms and all the cattle,” and Vanaspati to “send… thyself, the sacrificial draught.” This clusters divine roles around the functioning of the sacrifice, each deity contributing a necessary quality to make Agni’s service effective.

This fits the Rig Veda’s pattern where specialization among gods produces a complete ritual action; see Hymn 1.1 where Agni is similarly the “envoy” and others prepare the means and praise. The hymn lists gifts and offices—oil, grass, herald-sages, viands—so invoking several gods composes the sacrificial world that Agni animates.

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