Sukta 82
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (as per anukramaṇī for 7.82)
Devata: Agni (primary), with ‘devatāḥ’ as attending gods
Chandas: Mixed/irregular (appears triṣṭubh-like in cadence; requires metrical verification against padapāṭha edition)
AV 7.82 ist ein wohlstandsmehrender Agni-Hymnus, der das Opfer selbst stärkt, damit Reichtum — besonders Vieh, Siegesbeute aus Wettkämpfen und „glückverheißender Besitz“ — beim Opferherrn festen Bestand gewinnt. Er verknüpft rituellen Erfolg mit kosmischer Regelmäßigkeit (Morgenröte → Sonne → Tag) und ruft die Götter auf, das Yajña zu „führen“, während reichlich Ghee-Ströme zu Agni fließen, dem Überbringer und Stifter der Ordnung.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
अग्निः। अ॒भ्यऽर्चत सुष्टु॒तिं गव्य॑मा॒जिम॒स्मासु॑ भ॒द्रा द्रवि॑णानि धत्त । इ॒मं य॒ज्ञं न॑यत दे॒वता॑ नो घृ॒तस्य॒ धारा॒ मधु॑मत् पवन्ताम्
Agni. Singt ihm ein wohlgefügtes Lob; legt in uns den Rinderpreis, den Gewinn des Wettlaufs; setzt in uns heilsamen Reichtum. Führt unser Opfer, o Götter; es mögen honigsüße Ströme von Ghee (ghṛta) fließen.
Mantra 2
मय्यग्रे॑ अ॒ग्निं गृ॑ह्णामि स॒ह क्ष॒त्रेण॒ वर्च॑सा॒ बले॑न । मयि॑ प्र॒जां मय्यायु॑र्दधामि॒ स्वाहा॒ मय्य॒ग्निम्
In mir zuerst ergreife ich Agni – zusammen mit kṣatra (Herrschermacht), mit Glanz, mit Kraft. In mir setze ich Nachkommenschaft fest, in mir setze ich Lebensdauer fest: svāhā! in mir sei Agni.
Mantra 3
इ॒हैवाग्ने॒ अधि॑ धारया र॒यिं मा त्वा॒ नि क्र॒न् पूर्व॑चित्ता निका॒रिणः॑ । क्ष॒त्रेणा॑ग्ने सु॒यम॑मस्तु॒ तुभ्य॑मुपस॒त्ता व॑र्धतां ते॒ अनि॑ष्टृतः
Hier, ja hier, o Agni, halte den Schatz fest; die vorausplanenden Betrüger sollen dich nicht niederstrecken. Mit kṣatra, o Agni, sei für dich gute Zügelung; deine Diener mögen wachsen, unverletzt.
Mantra 4
अन्व॒ग्निरु॒षसा॒मग्र॑मख्य॒दन्वहा॑नि प्रथ॒मो जा॒तवे॑दाः । अनु॒ सूर्य॑ उ॒षसो॒ अनु॑ र॒श्मीननु॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी आ वि॑वेश
Den Morgenröten folgend zeigte Agni zuerst sein vorderstes Antlitz; den Tagen folgend stand Jātavedas, der Erstgeborene an Kraft. Der Sonne folgend, den Morgenröten folgend, seinen Strahlen folgend trat er ein – ja, in Himmel und Erde ging er ein.
Mantra 5
प्रत्य॒ग्निरु॒षसा॒मग्र॑मख्य॒त् प्रत्यहा॑नि प्रथ॒मो जा॒तवे॑दाः । प्रति॒ सूर्य॑स्य पुरु॒धा च॑ र॒श्मीन् प्रति॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी आ त॑तान
Den Morgenröten zu wandte Agni sein vorderstes Antlitz; den Tagen zu stand Jātavedas als Erster an Macht. Zu den Strahlen der Sonne, vielfach ausgebreitet, reichte er hin; zu Himmel und Erde dehnte er sich weithin aus.
Mantra 6
घृ॒तं ते॑ अग्ने दि॒व्ये स॒धस्थे॑ घृ॒तेन॒ त्वां मनु॑र॒द्या समि॑न्धे । घृ॒तं ते॑ दे॒वीर्न॒प्त्य॑१आ व॑हन्तु घृ॒तं तुभ्यं॑ दुह्रतां॒ गावो॑ अग्ने
Für dich, o Agni, ist Ghee (ghṛta) im himmlischen Sitz; mit Ghee entzündet Manu dich heute. Mögen die göttlichen Jungfrauen, die Nachkommen, dir Ghee herbeitragen; mögen die Kühe, o Agni, dir Ghee ausmelken.
Inside Sukta 82
How it unfolds
- How it opens
The hymn opens by calling for strong praise to Agni and immediately ties that praise to concrete rewards—cattle-prize, race-gain, and auspicious riches—while urging the gods to guide the yajña.
- What it asks
That the sacrifice be properly led and made fruitful: ghṛta should flow in sweet streams to Agni, and wealth (draviṇa), cattle (gavya), and gains (āji) should be deposited ‘in us’.
- Where its power lies
Agni is portrayed as the first manifest power after the Dawns/days and in step with the Sun and rays—therefore he can enter and pervade heaven-and-earth and make the rite cosmically aligned and effective.
- How it closes
The hymn culminates in ghṛta abundance: Manu kindles Agni with ghee, divine maidens bring ghee, and cows ‘milk forth’ ghee—sealing prosperity by making dairy plenty the very fuel of ritual success.
Famous verses
ghṛtasya dhārā madhumat pavantām
ghṛtaṃ tubhyaṃ duhratāṃ gāvo agne
Kind of hymn
Paustika (Prosperity) / Śrauta-leaning yajña augmentation
What it is for
Successful, well-led sacrifice with abundant ghṛta offerings that results in cattle-increase, prize/victory gains, and secure, auspicious riches settling in the household/patron.
Who it is for
Householders and ritual patrons (yajamāna) seeking prosperity; priests/reciters supporting offerings and fire-kindling in domestic or śrauta-style settings.
Also used as
- Śāntika (rite-stabilizing / auspicious ordering)
- Śrauta-leaning yajña augmentation
- Gṛhya-adjacent prosperity-kindling (Agni strengthening)
The deity
Agni is the ritual fire and divine messenger (Jātavedas), the first manifest power that rises with dawn and aligns the rite with the daily cosmic order; he carries offerings and returns prosperity as tangible goods.
Powers of the deity
- Kindles and stabilizes the sacrificial fire (samīdh)
- Conveys offerings to the gods and “leads” the yajña
- Transforms oblations (especially ghṛta) into efficacious results
- Grants draviṇa (wealth), cattle (gavya), and victory/prize gains (āji)
- Establishes ṛta through dawn–sun–day sequencing and cosmic “entry” into heaven and earth
Why the deity is called
Invoked to conduct and empower the sacrifice so that ghee-libations become honeyed, wealth-bearing streams, yielding cattle-wealth, competitive gains, and auspicious prosperity for the patron.
The seer
- Atharvanic (anukramaṇī attribution; late Atharvanic tradition)Atharvan. Paustika and śrauta-leaning yajña-support charms: kindling/strengthening Agni, securing draviṇa (wealth), cattle-increase, and smooth conduct of offerings through ghṛta-centered rites.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 7.81
- AV 7.83
- AV 7.84
Preparing for the rite
- Establish or refresh the sacred fire; clean the altar space and arrange fuel (samidh) and ghṛta.
- Prepare a ghṛta vessel (ladle/spoon) and ensure the offering area is orderly and quiet.
- Mentally dedicate the rite to prosperity (draviṇa, gavya) and successful conduct of yajña.
The rite
- Kindle/brighten Agni while reciting, treating the hymn as an accompaniment to ghṛta-offering.
- Offer ghṛta in measured libations, emphasizing “honeyed streams” and asking the devatāḥ to ‘lead’ the sacrifice.
- Contemplate the dawn–sun–day sequence (Uṣas–Sūrya–ahāni) as a sign that Agni rightly ‘enters’ heaven and earth, i.e., the whole ritual sphere.
What it needs
- Agni (established fire)
- Ghṛta (ghee)
- Samidh (kindling sticks/fuel)
- Optional: milk/curds as ancillary dairy prosperity-symbols (contextual, not required by the verses)
When
Preferably at dawn or early morning, aligning with Uṣas and Sūrya imagery; also suitable at the start of an offering sequence when Agni is being strengthened.
The main substance
Ghṛta (ghee)
How it is prepared
Use fresh, clean ghṛta in an offering vessel; warm if needed so it pours smoothly. Offer into a steady, well-kindled Agni alongside recitation, keeping the flow imagery (‘dhārāḥ madhumat’) as the guiding intention.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is primarily a prosperity (paustika) hymn: it strengthens Agni and the sacrifice so that cattle-wealth, prize/victory gains, and auspicious riches accrue to the patron.
Ghṛta is the central oblation that feeds Agni; the hymn treats abundant, sweet-flowing ghee as the mechanism by which the yajña becomes effective and prosperity—especially dairy and cattle increase—manifests.
Dawn or early morning is especially fitting because the hymn links Agni with Uṣas and Sūrya; it is also appropriate at the beginning of an offering sequence when kindling and stabilizing the fire.
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