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Dhammapada · narration sample

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Rig Veda · 363 of 1027

Mandala 5: HYMN IX. Agni.

1.BEARING; oblations mortal men, O Agni, worship thee the God. I deem thee Jātavedas: bear our offerings, thou, unceasingly.

2.In the man’s home who offers gifts, where grass is trimmed, Agni is Priest, To whom all sacrifices come and strengthenings that win renown.

3.Whom, as an infant newly-born, the kindling-sticks have brought to life, Sustainer of the tribes of men, skilled in well-ordered sacrifice.

4.Yea, very hard art thou to grasp, like offspring of the wriggling snakes, When thou consumest many woods like an ox, Agni, in the mead.

5.Whose flames, when thou art sending forth the smoke, completely reach the mark, When Tṛta in the height of heaven, like as a smelter fanneth thee, e’en as a smelter sharpeneth thee.

6.O Agni, by thy succour and by Mitra’s friendly furtherance, May we, averting hate, subdue the wickedness of mortal men.

7.O Agni, to our heroes bring such riches, thou victorious God. May he protect and nourish us, and help in gaining strength: be thou near us in fight for our success.

Asked of Guide

Why does the hymn call Agni “Jātavedas” and a priest in the home?

The hymn names Agni “Jātavedas” to mark him as the all-knowing fire who makes offerings visible and effective; verse 1 asks him to “bear our offerings, thou, unceasingly,” linking knowledge with the priestly task of carrying gifts to the gods. Verse 2 makes that role domestic: Agni is the house’s Priest where sacrifices are made and “all sacrifices come,” so he is both sacred mediator and the household officiant.

Calling Agni priest in the home ties cosmic function to daily ritual—he bridges human and divine in ordinary hearth practice. This domestic priesthood echoes themes in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, where the hearth-fire is central to rightly ordered sacrifice and social stability.

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