Mantra 8
Agni as the sacrificial forerunner who opens the rite, framed by cosmic illumination and Indra’s paradigm of releasing prosperity
प्रक्षस्य वृष्णो अरुषस्य नू महः प्र नो वचो विदथा जातवेदसे वैश्वानराय मतिर्नव्यसे शुचिः सोम इव पवते चारुरग्नये
prakṣasya vṛṣṇo aruṣasya nū mahaḥ pra no vaco vidathā jātavedase vaiśvānarāya matirnavyase śuciḥ soma iva pavate cāruragnaye
prakṣasya vṛṣṇo aruṣasya nū mahaḥ pra no vaco vidathā jātavedase vaiśvānarāya matir navyase śuciḥ soma iva pavate cārur agnaye
Now, for the great ruddy and vigorous (Agni), let our speech go forth at the rites unto Jātavedas; unto Vaiśvānara let the new and pure devotion flow, like Soma clarified, pleasant to Agni.
prakṣasya | vṛṣṇaḥ | aruṣasya | nū | mahaḥ | pra | naḥ | vacaḥ | vidathā | jātavedase | vaiśvānarāya | matiḥ | navyase | śuciḥ | somaḥ | iva | pavate | cāruḥ | agnaye
Rathantara (generic assignment; exact gāna requires Sāmavedic gāna-pāṭha)
{ "prastava": "o hā / hā-i (bright onset)", "udgitha": "prakṣasya vṛṣṇo aruṣasya nū mahaḥ ...", "pratihara": "ho-i (firm)", "upadrava": "... vaiśvānarāya matir navyase śuciḥ ...", "nidhana": "... soma iva pavate cārur agnaye (long resolve on agnaye)", "structure_notes": "Keep semantic pairing: vacas→vidathā→jātavedas; mati→vaiśvānara; soma-analogy→agnaye as final seal.", "singer_assignments": "Standard fivefold with communal nidhana emphasizing agnaye." }
{ "gloss_summary": "Jātavedas and Vaiśvānara are functional aspects of Agni in sacrifice; ‘pavate’ (clarifies/flows) is used by analogy with Soma to indicate purification of hymn-intent (mati) and speech (vacas).", "ritual_interpretation": "The hymn is offered as purified substance; correct, pure recitation is itself a sacrificial act pleasing to Agni.", "theological_insight": "Agni is both cosmic and internal: the universal fire receives and refines human devotion into divine reach.", "etymology_highlights": "Jātavedas ‘knower of all births/creatures’; Vaiśvānara ‘common to all men’; pavate from √pū ‘to purify/clarify’." }