Sukta 88

Mantra 1

हविष्पान्तमजरं स्वर्विदि दिविस्पृश्याहुतं जुष्टमग्नौ । तस्य भर्मणे भुवनाय देवा धर्मणे कं स्वधया पप्रथन्त ॥

The Fire that drinks the offering, unaging, the finder of the luminous world, touching heaven—invoked and made glad in Agni: for his upholding, for the world’s becoming, the gods by their own power widened the work and the law.

Mantra 2

गीर्णं भुवनं तमसापगूळ्हमाविः स्वरभवज्जाते अग्नौ । तस्य देवाः पृथिवी द्यौरुतापोऽरणयन्नोषधीः सख्ये अस्य ॥

The world, swallowed and hidden by darkness, became manifest—the luminous realm appeared—when Agni was born. For his companionship the gods—Earth and Heaven and the Waters—brought forth the plants.

Mantra 3

देवेभिर्न्विषितो यज्ञियेभिरग्निं स्तोषाण्यजरं बृहन्तम् । यो भानुना पृथिवीं द्यामुतेमामाततान रोदसी अन्तरिक्षम् ॥

Moved by the gods worthy of sacrifice, I would praise Agni, unaging and vast—he who by his radiance stretched out Earth and Heaven and this mid-world between the two worlds.

Mantra 4

यो होतासीत्प्रथमो देवजुष्टो यं समाञ्जन्नाज्येना वृणानाः । स पतत्रीत्वरं स्था जगद्यच्छ्वात्रमग्निरकृणोज्जातवेदाः ॥

He who was the first priest of offering, dear to the gods, whom they anointed with clarified butter as they chose him—he stood as the winged mover, swift for the work; when Agni, Jātavedas, made the world a habitation fit for the luminous journey.

Mantra 5

यज्जातवेदो भुवनस्य मूर्धन्नतिष्ठो अग्ने सह रोचनेन । तं त्वाहेम मतिभिर्गीर्भिरुक्थैः स यज्ञियो अभवो रोदसिप्राः ॥

When, O Jātavedas, you stood upon the head of the worlds, O Agni, together with the luminous radiance, then we sought you with our thought-forces, with our inspired speech and with our hymns of affirmation; thus you became the power fit for sacrifice, filling and widening Heaven and Earth.

Mantra 6

मूर्धा भुवो भवति नक्तमग्निस्ततः सूर्यो जायते प्रातरुद्यन् । मायामू तु यज्ञियानामेतामपो यत्तूर्णिश्चरति प्रजानन् ॥

Agni becomes the summit of our becoming in the night; from him the Sun is born, rising at dawn. This is indeed the wondrous working of the yajñiya powers: when the Waters swiftly move, knowing the births and bringing them to manifestation.

Mantra 7

दृशेन्यो यो महिना समिद्धोऽरोचत दिवियोनिर्विभावा । तस्मिन्नग्नौ सूक्तवाकेन देवा हविर्विश्व आजुहवुस्तनूपाः ॥

He who is fair to behold, kindled by his greatness, shone forth—having his womb in heaven, wide-radiant. Into that Agni the gods, guarding their own being, poured the whole offering by the power of the well-spoken word.

Mantra 8

सूक्तवाकं प्रथममादिदग्निमादिद्धविरजनयन्त देवाः । स एषां यज्ञो अभवत्तनूपास्तं द्यौर्वेद तं पृथिवी तमापः ॥

The well-spoken word first; from that indeed the gods brought forth Agni, and from that indeed they brought forth the offering. That became their yajña, guarding the being; him Heaven knows, him Earth knows, him the Waters know.

Mantra 9

यं देवासोऽजनयन्ताग्निं यस्मिन्नाजुहवुर्भुवनानि विश्वा । सो अर्चिषा पृथिवीं द्यामुतेमामृजूयमानो अतपन्महित्वा ॥

That Agni whom the gods brought forth, into whom all the worlds poured their offering—he with his flame-energies heated Earth and Heaven and this (lower realm), moving straight on in his course, by the greatness of his power.

Mantra 10

स्तोमेन हि दिवि देवासो अग्निमजीजनञ्छक्तिभी रोदसिप्राम् । तमू अकृण्वन्त्रेधा भुवे कं स ओषधीः पचति विश्वरूपाः ॥

For by the hymn of affirmation in heaven the gods generated Agni, by their powers making him one who fills the two worlds. Him they formed threefold for the planes of becoming; he ripens the plants of many forms.

Mantra 11

यदेदेनमदधुर्यज्ञियासो दिवि देवाः सूर्यमादितेयम् । यदा चरिष्णू मिथुनावभूतामादित्प्रापश्यन्भुवनानि विश्वा ॥

When the yajñiya gods set him in heaven as the Sun, the son of Aditi, then, when the two moving ones became a pair, from that moment they beheld forth all the worlds.

Mantra 12

विश्वस्मा अग्निं भुवनाय देवा वैश्वानरं केतुमह्नामकृण्वन् । आ यस्ततानोषसो विभातीरपो ऊर्णोति तमो अर्चिषा यन् ॥

For the whole world the gods made Agni, Vaiśvānara, a banner of the days. He it is who has stretched out the shining Dawns; he wraps away the darkness with his flame as he moves.

Mantra 13

वैश्वानरं कवयो यज्ञियासोऽग्निं देवा अजनयन्नजुर्यम् । नक्षत्रं प्रत्नममिनच्चरिष्णु यक्षस्याध्यक्षं तविषं बृहन्तम् ॥

The seers, the yajñiya ones, and the gods brought forth Agni Vaiśvānara, undecaying. A primordial star, moving, he does not diminish—overseer of the mystery-power, vast in might and great.

Mantra 15

द्वे स्रुती अशृणवं पितॄणामहं देवानामुत मर्त्यानाम् । ताभ्यामिदं विश्वमेजत्समेति यदन्तरा पितरं मातरं च ॥

Two streams of hearing I have heard—of the Fathers, and of the gods and also of mortals. By those two this whole moving world comes together, for it is between the Father and the Mother.

Mantra 16

द्वे समीची बिभृतश्चरन्तं शीर्षतो जातं मनसा विमृष्टम् । स प्रत्यङ्विश्वा भुवनानि तस्थावप्रयुच्छन्तरणिर्भ्राजमानः ॥

Two powers moving in harmony uphold and bear him—he who moves, born from the head, and inwardly discerned by the mind. Turning within, he takes his stand in all the worlds; the luminous Overcomer shines, never failing, never letting go.

Mantra 17

यत्रा वदेते अवरः परश्च यज्ञन्योः कतरो नौ वि वेद । आ शेकुरित्सधमादं सखायो नक्षन्त यज्ञं क इदं वि वोचत् ॥

Where the lower and the higher speak together, which of the two sacrificial powers truly knows for us? Yet the comrades are able to enter the common delight; they reach the sacrifice—who will declare this clearly?

Mantra 18

कत्यग्नयः कति सूर्यासः कत्युषासः कत्यु स्विदापः । नोपस्पिजं वः पितरो वदामि पृच्छामि वः कवयो विद्मने कम् ॥

How many are the fires, how many the suns, how many the dawns, and how many indeed the waters? I do not speak to you, Fathers, with a shallow nibbling at knowledge; I ask you, O seers, so that we may know the One behind the many.

Mantra 19

यावन्मात्रमुषसो न प्रतीकं सुपर्ण्यो वसते मातरिश्वः । तावद्दधात्युप यज्ञमायन्ब्राह्मणो होतुरवरो निषीदन् ॥

As far as the measure of Dawn’s appearing reaches, so far the fair-winged Mātariśvan dwells and moves. So much he establishes when he comes near to the sacrifice; then the Brahman, the lower (servant) of the Hotar, sits down in the rite—ready for the ordered work.