Rig Veda · 262 of 1027
Mandala 3: HYMN XXVIII. Agni.
1.AGNI who knowest all, accept our offering and the cake of meal, At dawn’s libation, rich in prayer!
2.Agni, the sacrificial cake hath been prepared and dressed for thee: Accept it, O Most Youthful God.
3.Agni, enjoy the cake of meal and our oblation three days old: Thou, Son of Strength, art stablished at our sacrifice.
4.Here at the midday sacrifice enjoy thou the sacrificial cake, wise, Jātavedas! Agni, the sages in assemblies never minish the portion due to thee the Mighty.
5.O Agni, at the third libation take with joy the offered cake of sacrifice, thou, Son of Strength. Through skill in song bear to the Gods our sacrifice, watchful and fraught with riches, to Immortal God.
6.O waxing Agni, knower, thou, of all, accept our gifts, the cake, And that prepared ere yesterday.
Asked of Guide
Why does every verse ask Agni to accept cakes of meal over multiple days?
The hymn treats Agni as a continuous ritual presence who carries offerings to the other gods; asking him to accept cakes “three days old,” “ere yesterday,” or “at the third libation” keeps the sacrifice active across time and rites. The repeated timing—dawn, midday, third libation—maps the human schedule of worship onto Agni’s role as the ever‑watchful mediator, called here “Jātavedas” and “Son of Strength.”
This pattern matches other Vedic hymns that emphasize sacrificial procedure and Agni’s mobility, for example parts of Mandala 1 where Agni’s carrying of offerings is technical and habitual. The chapter’s insistence on specific cakes and libations secures the ritual bond: precise offerings across days ensure the gift reaches the Immortals through Agni’s custody.
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