1.31.1
त्वम॑ग्ने प्रथ॒मो अङ्गि॑रा॒ ऋषि॑र्दे॒वो दे॒वाना॑मभवः शि॒वः सखा॑ |
तव॑ व्र॒ते क॒वयो॑ विद्म॒नाप॒सोऽजा॑यन्त म॒रुतो॒ भ्राज॑दृष्टयः ||
Thou, Agni, wast the earliest Aṅgiras, a Seer; thou wast, a God thyself, the Gods’ auspicious Friend. After thy holy ordinance the Maruts, sage, active through wisdom, with their glittering spears, were born.
You, Agni, were the first Angiras, a Rishi; a Deva yourself, you became the auspicious friend of the Devas. Under your sacred ordinance the wise Maruts, active through knowledge, were born with glittering spears.
Agni as 'Prathamo Angira Rishi' and 'Shivah Sakha' of the gods establishes the Angiras fire-lineage. Maruts arise in his 'Vrata'—storm-powers born from fire-order. Shiva here is auspicious friendliness, linking Agni's grace to later Shaiva resonance within Sanatana continuity.
Foundational culture creates secondary energies. Clear core principles (your 'vrata') give rise to vigorous teams and movements that carry glittering capability.
1.31.2
त्वम॑ग्ने प्रथ॒मो अङ्गि॑रस्तमः क॒विर्दे॒वानां॒ परि॑ भूषसि व्र॒तम् |
वि॒भुर्विश्व॑स्मै॒ भुव॑नाय॒ मेधि॑रो द्विमा॒ता श॒युः क॑ति॒धा चि॑दा॒यवे॑ ||
O Agni, thou, the best and earliest Aṅgiras, fulfillest as a Sage the holy law of Gods. Sprung from two mothers, wise, through all existence spread, resting in many a place for sake of living man.
O Agni, foremost and best of Angirases, as sage you adorn the gods' ordinance; pervasive, wise for all worlds, twin-mothered, you rest in many places for the sake of humankind.
'Dvimaata'—born of two mothers (often the kindling sticks, or Heaven-Earth)—Agni is 'Medhira' and 'Vibhu' for all bhuvana, 'Shayu' in many loci for 'Ayave' (living man). Multiplicity of fire's dwellings serves human life; one principle, many altars.
Distribute a vital principle across contexts. The same clarifying energy should rest in home, work, and community—adapted, not diluted.
1.31.3
त्वम॑ग्ने प्रथ॒मो मा॑त॒रिश्व॑न आ॒विर्भ॑व सुक्रतू॒या वि॒वस्व॑ते |
अरे॑जेतां॒ रोद॑सी होतृ॒वूर्ये ऽस॑घ्नोर्भा॒रमय॑जो म॒हो व॑सो ||
To Mātariśvan first thou, Agni, wast disclosed, and to Vivasvān through thy noble inward power. Heaven and Earth, Vasu! shook at the choosing of the Priest: the burthen thou didst bear, didst worship mighty Gods.
You first became manifest to Matarishvan, and through noble power to Vivasvan; Heaven and Earth trembled at the Hotar's election, O Vasu—you bore the burden and worshiped the great gods.
Mythic disclosure: Matarishvan (divine fire-bringer) and Vivasvan receive Agni's avirbhava. Rodasi shake at 'Hotrvurya'—choosing the priest. Agni bears the 'Bhara' of cosmic mediation. Prometheus-like only within Indic frame: fire's arrival is Vedic seer-history, not foreign myth.
True capability, once revealed, reshapes the field. When a mediating 'priestly' function—honest facilitation—is chosen, institutions feel the tremor and the load is finally carried.
1.31.4
त्वम॑ग्ने॒ मन॑वे॒ द्याम॑वाशयः पुरू॒रव॑से सु॒कृते॑ सु॒कृत्त॑रः |
श्वा॒त्रेण॒ यत् पि॒त्रोर्मुच्य॑से॒ पर्या त्वा॒ पूर्व॑मनय॒न्नाप॑रं॒ पुन॑: ||
Agni thou madest heaven to thunder for mankind; thou, yet more pious, for pious Purūravas. When thou art rapidly freed from thy parents, first eastward they bear thee round, and, after, to the west.
You made the sky resound for Manu; for pious Pururavas you were yet more pious. When swiftly freed from your parents, they lead you first around to the east, then again to the west.
Agni serves Manu and Pururavas—civilizational ancestors. Ritual pradakshina: freed from parent-sticks, fire is borne east then west. Spatial liturgy maps consciousness onto directions (dig-vinyasa), embedding cosmology in hand-motion.
Orient new energy deliberately. After ignition, move through ordered phases—beginning, expansion, completion—rather than chaotic scatter.
1.31.5
त्वम॑ग्ने वृष॒भः पु॑ष्टि॒वर्ध॑न॒ उद्य॑तस्रुचे भवसि श्र॒वाय्य॑: |
य आहु॑तिं॒ परि॒ वेदा॒ वष॑ट्कृति॒मेका॑यु॒रग्रे॒ विश॑ आ॒विवा॑ससि ||
Thou, Agni, art a Bull who makes our store increase, to be invoked by him who lifts the ladle up. Well knowing the oblation with the hallowing word, uniting all who live, thou lightenest first our folk
You are the bull who increases nourishment, praiseworthy to the one who raises the offering-ladle; knowing the ahuti and the vashat-call, you shine first for the people as their one life.
Agni as 'Vrishabha Pushtivardhana' knows ahuti and 'Vashatkriti.' As 'Ekayu' he is the unifying life-span of the vish. Technical competence in mantra-act meets bullish generative power—ritual precision serving collective vitality.
Combine generative leadership with procedural literacy. Growth without knowing 'how offerings work' becomes waste; technique without generative force becomes empty form.
1.31.6
त्वम॑ग्ने वृजि॒नव॑र्तनिं॒ नरं॒ सक्म॑न् पिपर्षि वि॒दथे॑ विचर्षणे |
यः शूर॑साता॒ परि॑तक्म्ये॒ धने॑ द॒भ्रेभि॑श्चि॒त् समृ॑ता॒ हंसि॒ भूय॑सः ||
Agni, thou savest in the synod when pursued e’en him, farseeing One! who walks in evil ways. Thou, when the heroes fight for spoil which men rush, round, slayest in war the many by the hands of few.
O far-seeing Agni, in the assembly you ferry even the man of crooked path to safety in the struggle; in the heroes' contest for wealth you slay the many through the few.
Complex ethics: Agni can 'piparshi' even 'vrijinavartanim naram' in the vidatha—suggesting purifying rescue, not endorsement of adharma. In shurasata he enables the few to overcome the many—quality of ṛta-aligned force over sheer numbers.
Rehabilitation and asymmetric excellence: systems should allow course-correction for the erring, while small high-integrity teams can outmatch larger disordered ones.
1.31.7
त्वं तम॑ग्ने अमृत॒त्व उ॑त्त॒मे मर्तं॑ दधासि॒ श्रव॑से दि॒वेदि॑वे |
यस्ता॑तृषा॒ण उ॒भया॑य॒ जन्म॑ने॒ मय॑: कृ॒णोषि॒ प्रय॒ आ च॑ सू॒रये॑ ||
For glory, Agni, day by day, thou liftest up the mortal man to highest immortality, Even thou who yearning for both races givest them great bliss, and to the prince grantest abundant food.
Day by day for renown you place the mortal in highest immortality; yearning for both births, you make delight and offer abundant food to the wise patron.
Agni lifts the martya toward 'Uttame Amritatve' dive-dive—daily ascent toward immortality (not one-time escape). 'Ubhaya janman'—human and divine races—receive mayas. Continuity of sadhana converts mortality toward amrita while sustaining suri (wise giver) with prayas.
Daily practice compounds toward lasting excellence. Serve both 'worlds' you inhabit—inner growth and outer provision—for patrons and communities who sustain wisdom.
1.31.8
त्वं नो॑ अग्ने स॒नये॒ धना॑नां य॒शसं॑ का॒रुं कृ॑णुहि॒ स्तवा॑नः |
ऋ॒ध्याम॒ कर्मा॒पसा॒ नवे॑ना दे॒वैर्द्या॑वापृथिवी॒ प्राव॑तं नः ||
O Agni, highly lauded, make our singer famous that he may win us store of riches: May we improve the rite with new performance. O Earth and Heaven, with all the Gods, protect us.
O Agni, praised, make our poet famous for the winning of wealth; may we prosper the work with new skilled action. O Heaven and Earth, with the gods, protect us.
Stuti should make the 'Karu' yashas-bearing for 'Sanaye dhananam.' Innovation—'Apasa navena'—renews karma without abandoning yajna. Closing appeal to Dyava-Prithivi and Devas embeds human creativity in cosmic guardianship.
Renew method while seeking rightful recognition and resources. Innovation inside a protected ethical frame—heaven-earth balance—beats reckless disruption.
1.31.9
त्वं नो॑ अग्ने पि॒त्रोरु॒पस्थ॒ आ दे॒वो दे॒वेष्व॑नवद्य॒ जागृ॑विः |
त॒नू॒कृद् बो॑धि॒ प्रम॑तिश्च का॒रवे॒ त्वं क॑ल्याण॒ वसु॒ विश्व॒मोपि॑षु ||
O blameless Agni lying in thy Parents' lap, a God among the Gods, be watchful for our good. Former of bodies, be the singer's Providence: all good things hast thou sown for him, auspicious One!
O blameless Agni, in your parents' lap, a god among gods, stay awake for us; as body-maker and providence for the poet, O auspicious one, you have sown all treasures for him.
Agni 'Pitror upastha'—in the lap of the two parents—yet 'Jagrivi' among Devas. As 'Tanukrit' (fashioner of bodies) and 'Pramati' (guiding wisdom) for the karu, he is kalyaana Vasu who has 'opisha' all vasu. Creative fire shapes both physique and destiny of the inspired worker.
Stay vigilantly kind to creators. Mentorship that shapes both craft ('body') and guidance ('providence') plants comprehensive flourishing.
1.31.10
त्वम॑ग्ने॒ प्रम॑ति॒स्त्वं पि॒तासि॑ न॒स्त्वं व॑य॒स्कृत् तव॑ जा॒मयो॑ व॒यम् |
सं त्वा॒ राय॑: श॒तिन॒: सं स॑ह॒स्रिण॑: सु॒वीरं॑ यन्ति व्रत॒पाम॑दाभ्य ||
Agni, thou art our Providence, our Father thou: we are thy brethren and thou art our spring of life. In thee, rich in good heroes, guard of high decrees, meet hundred, thousand treasures, O infallible!
You are our guiding wisdom, our father; you make our vitality, and we are your kin. Into you, O infallible vow-guardian rich in heroes, hundreds and thousands of riches stream.
Familial theology: Agni as pramati, pita, vayaskrit; humans as 'Jamayah' (kinsfolk). 'Vratapa adabhya' gathers shatina and sahasrina rayi with suvira. The hearth is family center where wealth and heroism converge under unbroken vow.
Treat your core principle as family. When values are kin—not slogans—resources and capable people naturally gather around them.
1.31.11
त्वाम॑ग्ने प्रथ॒ममा॒युमा॒यवे॑ दे॒वा अ॑कृण्व॒न् नहु॑षस्य वि॒श्पति॑म् |
इळा॑मकृण्व॒न् मनु॑षस्य॒ शास॑नीं पि॒तुर्यत् पु॒त्रो मम॑कस्य॒ जाय॑ते ||
Thee, Agni, have the Gods made the first living One for living man, Lord of the house of Nahuṣa. Iḷā they made the teacher of the sons of men, what time a Son was born to the father of my race.
The gods made you first life for living man, household lord of Nahusha; they made Ila the instructress of humankind when the son of my father was born.
Civilizational charter: Agni as first ayu for ayu, Vishpati of Nahusha; Ila as 'Shasani' (teacher/guide) of Manushya. Birth of the lineage-son and establishment of speech-nourishing Ila mark the human order under Agni's lordship—Vedic anthropology of culture.
Institutions need both vital energy (Agni) and formative teaching (Ila) at the birth of each new generation. Ignition plus instruction founds culture.
1.31.12
त्वं नो॑ अग्ने॒ तव॑ देव पा॒युभि॑र्म॒घोनो॑ रक्ष त॒न्व॑श्च वन्द्य |
त्रा॒ता तो॒कस्य॒ तन॑ये॒ गवा॑म॒स्यनि॑मेषं॒ रक्ष॑माण॒स्तव॑ व्र॒ते ||
Worthy to be revered, O Agni, God, preserve our wealthy patrons with thy succours, and ourselves. Guard of our seed art thou, aiding our cows to bear, incessantly protecting in thy holy way.
O venerable god Agni, with your protections guard our patrons and our bodies; savior of offspring and of cattle-increase, protect without blinking in your sacred ordinance.
Agni as 'Trata' of toka-tanaya and go, 'Animisham' protecting in his vrata. Continuity of lineage and herd—biological and economic dharma—rests under unblinking fire-guardianship of maghavans and yajamanas alike.
Protect both sponsors and practitioners, both next generation and productive assets. Sustainable missions guard people and the resources that feed them—continuously.
1.31.13
त्वम॑ग्ने॒ यज्य॑वे पा॒युरन्त॑रो ऽनिष॒ङ्गाय॑ चतुर॒क्ष इ॑ध्यसे |
यो रा॒तह॑व्यो ऽवृ॒काय॒ धाय॑से की॒रेश्चि॒न् मन्त्रं॒ मन॑सा व॒नोषि॒ तम् ||
Agni, thou art a guard close to the pious man; kindled art thou, four-eyed! for him who is unarmed. With fond heart thou acceptest e’en the poor man's prayer, when he hath brought his gift to gain security.
You are the inner guardian for the worshiper; four-eyed, you are kindled for the unarmed. You lovingly accept even the poor singer's mantra when he has given for the sake of refuge.
Agni 'Antarah Payuh,' 'Caturaksha' (four-eyed—all-seeing), burns for 'Anishanga' (weaponless). Even the 'Kiri' (humble bard) finds mantra accepted when offered for 'Avrkaya dhayase' (non-violent refuge). Democratic grace within Vedic fire: not only the armed maghavan is heard.
Protect the vulnerable and hear the under-resourced voice. Systems of power that only listen to the armed and wealthy fail their sacred function.
1.31.14
त्वम॑ग्न उरु॒शंसा॑य वा॒घते॑ स्पा॒र्हं यद् रेक्ण॑: पर॒मं व॒नोषि॒ तत् |
आ॒ध्रस्य॑ चि॒त् प्रम॑तिरुच्यसे पि॒ता प्र पाकं॒ शास्सि॒ प्र दिशो॑ वि॒दुष्ट॑रः ||
Thou, Agni gainest for the loudly-praising priest the highest wealth, the object of a man's desire. Thou art called Father, caring even for the weak, and wisest, to the simple one thou teachest lore.
For the wide-praising priest you win the coveted highest treasure; you are called father-providence even of the weak, and wiser, you teach the simple one the directions of knowledge.
Agni wins 'Paramam Reknah' for the vaghat; as 'Pramati' of the 'Adhra' (weak) and teacher of the 'Paka' (simple/immature), he 'pra shassi pra dishah.' Pedagogy is divine: fire as father-teacher guiding the unripe toward vidya—guru-function of Agni.
Excellence should lift both high performers and beginners. Mentorship that wins top outcomes while patiently teaching the inexperienced builds real civilization.
1.31.15
त्वम॑ग्ने॒ प्रय॑तदक्षिणं॒ नरं॒ वर्मे॑व स्यू॒तं परि॑ पासि वि॒श्वत॑: |
स्वा॒दु॒क्षद्मा॒ यो व॑स॒तौ स्यो॑न॒कृज् जी॑वया॒जं यज॑ते॒ सोप॒मा दि॒वः ||
Agni, the man who giveth guerdon to the priests, like well-sewn armour thou guardest on every side. He who with grateful food shows kindness in his house, an offerer to the living, is the type of heaven.
The man who offers appointed dakshina you guard on all sides like well-sewn armor; he who makes the dwelling pleasant with sweet food and offers the living sacrifice—he is the likeness of heaven.
Dakshina-giver is 'paripasi vishvatah' like sewn 'Varma.' Household hospitality—'svadukshadma,' 'syonakrit'—and 'jivayaja' make one 'upama divah' (simile of heaven). Griha-dharma as earthly svarga: generosity and kindness are celestial pattern.
Pay people fairly and make your house kindly. Fair compensation plus hospitable culture is the closest workplace or home comes to 'heaven.'
1.31.16
इ॒माम॑ग्ने श॒रणिं॑ मीमृषो न इ॒ममध्वा॑नं॒ यमगा॑म दू॒रात् |
आ॒पिः पि॒ता प्रम॑तिः सो॒म्यानां॒ भृमि॑रस्यृषि॒कृन् मर्त्या॑नाम् ||
Pardon, we pray, this sin of ours, O Agni,—the path which we have trodden, widely straying, Dear Friend and Father, caring for the pious, who speedest nigh and who inspirest mortals.
O Agni, forgive us this fault—this path we have walked far astray. You are kin, father, and guide of the Soma-devotees, the stirring inspirer who makes mortals into seers.
Kshama-prayer: 'Mimrisho' for 'Sharani' and the 'Adhvan' wandered 'Durat.' Agni as api-pita-pramati of Somya, 'Bhrimi' and 'Rishikrit' of mortals—he who turns martya toward rishi-hood. Error is confessed; the same fire that judges also re-inspires.
Own the stray path and ask for reset from a trusted source of clarity. Mentors who both pardon and re-inspire turn failures into deeper insight.
1.31.17
म॒नु॒ष्वद॑ग्ने अङ्गिर॒स्वद॑ङ्गिरो ययाति॒वत् सद॑ने पूर्व॒वच्छु॑चे |
अच्छ॑ या॒ह्या व॑हा॒ दैव्यं॒ जन॒मा सा॑दय ब॒र्हिषि॒ यक्षि॑ च प्रि॒यम् ||
As erst to Manus, to Yayāti, Aṅgiras, so Aṅgiras! pure Agni! come thou to our hall. Bring hither the celestial host and seat them here upon the sacred grass, and offer what they love.
As for Manu, as for Angiras, as for Yayati, O pure Angiras Agni, come to our seat as of old; bring the divine folk, seat them on the barhis, and offer what is dear.
Historical rhyme of yajna: Manusvat, Angirasvat, Yayativat, purvavat. Agni is asked to recreate ancestral liturgy—bring 'Daivyam janam,' seat on barhis, offer 'Priyam.' Parampara is performative reenactment that makes the past present.
Reenact what worked for exemplars—adapted to your hall. Continuity with proven patterns, plus warm hospitality for the 'best guests' (highest standards), renews excellence.
1.31.18
ए॒तेना॑ग्ने॒ ब्रह्म॑णा वावृधस्व॒ शक्ती॑ वा॒ यत्ते॑ चकृ॒मा वि॒दा वा॑ |
उ॒त प्र णे॑ष्य॒भि वस्यो॑ अ॒स्मान् त्सं न॑: सृज सुम॒त्या वाज॑वत्या ||
By this our prayer be thou, O Agni, strengthened, prayer made by us after our power and knowledge. Lead thou us, therefore, to increasing riches; endow us with thy strength-bestowing favour.
Grow strong by this brahman-prayer which we have made according to our power or knowledge; lead us toward greater wealth and join us with strength-giving good will.
Closing compact: Agni 'vavrdhasva' by brahman offered 'Shakti va... vida va'—within human limits. He should 'pra neshya' toward vasya and 'sam srja' with 'Sumatya vajavatya.' Honest finite offering meets divine leading toward abundance—classical yajna reciprocity.
Offer what you can with the skill you have; then ask to be led further. Growth compounds when sincere limited effort meets guiding favor that multiplies capacity.