Sama Veda — Pūrvārcika, Mantra 1
Agni as the sustaining and protecting sacrificial fire who grants prosperity and defends the rite
अबोध्यग्निः समिधा जनानां प्रति धेनुमिवायतीमुषासम् यह्वा इव प्र वयामुज्जिहानाः प्र भानवः सस्रते नाकमच्छ
abodhyagniḥ samidhā janānāṃ prati dhenumivāyatīmuṣāsam yahvā iva pra vayāmujjihānāḥ pra bhānavaḥ sasrate nākamaccha
abodhi agniḥ samidhā janānāṃ | prati dhenum iva āyatīm uṣāsam1 | yahvā iva pra vayām ujjihānāḥ | pra bhānavaḥ sasrate nākam2 accha3 ||
阿耆尼（Agni）因人之柴薪而觉醒，应和曙光（Uṣas）如母牛趋向犊子般前来；如疾驰骏马，奋伸向前，他的光辉奔流，直趋天界。
abodhi | agniḥ | samidhā | janānām | prati | dhenum-iva | āyatīm | uṣāsam | yahvāḥ | iva | pra | vayām | ujjihānāḥ | pra | bhānavaḥ | sasrate | nākam | accha
Uṣas-prati Agni sāman (morning awakening)
o; hāyi; hau
{ "prastava": "o", "udgitha": "abodhyagniḥ samidhā janānāṃ | prati dhenumivāyatīmuṣāsam", "pratihara": "hāyi", "upadrava": "yahvā iva pra vayām ujjihānāḥ | pra bhānavaḥ sasrate", "nidhana": "nākam accha (with hau cadence)", "structure_notes": "Use hāyi to mark the turn from dawn-response to upward surge; the final ‘nākam accha’ is a natural nidhana—short, luminous, conclusive.", "singer_assignments": "Prastotṛ: o; Udgātṛ: main text; Pratihartṛ: hāyi; Udgātṛ: upadrava surge; all: nidhana with unified bright close." }
{ "gloss_summary": "Agni is ‘awakened’ by men’s fuel; he responds to Dawn approaching like a cow. Like swift horses stretching forward, his flames/rays stream toward heaven.", "ritual_interpretation": "Connects abodhi with kindling (samidh) at the proper morning time; uṣas marks prātaḥ-kāla prompting ignition and stotra performance.", "theological_insight": "Divine response is lawful: when the rite supplies fuel and timing, Agni rises and carries offerings upward—cosmic order mirrored in ritual order.", "etymology_highlights": "samidh ‘fuel’; bhānu/bhānavaḥ ‘shine’; ujjihānāḥ ‘stretching upward’; nāka ‘heaven/firmament’." }