1.66.1
र॒यिर्न चि॒त्रा, सूरो॒ न सं॒दृगायु॒र्न प्रा॒णो, नित्यो॒ न सू॒नुः १
तक्वा॒ न भूर्णि॒र्वना॑ सिषक्ति॒ पयो॒ न धे॒नुः, शुचि॑र्वि॒भावा॑ ||
LIKE the Sun's glance, like wealth of varied sort, like breath which is the life, like one's own son, Like a swift bird, a cow who yields her milk, pure and refulgent to the wood he speeds.
Agni is like wondrous wealth, like the all-seeing Sun, like the breath of life, like one's own son; like a swift creature he clings to the woods, like milk from a cow—pure, radiant, shining.
Parashara's mystic Agni is not only altar-fire but prana (vital breath) and nitya sunu (the intimate son of the heart). Speeding into vana (the forest of matter and of mind), he remains shuci-vibhava—pure illumination dwelling as the life-sap of plants and the warmth of consciousness.
Honor the vital spark in body and purpose: treat focus, breath, and creative energy as living wealth—cultivated daily like a child, not burned out like unmanaged wildfire.
1.66.2
२
दा॒धार॒ क्षेम॒मोको॒ न र॒ण्वो यवो॒ न प॒क्वो, जेता॒ जना॑नाम् ३
ऋषि॒र्न स्तुभ्वा॑, वि॒क्षु प्र॑श॒स्तो वा॒जी न प्री॒तो, वयो॑ दधाति ||
He offers safety like a pleasant home, like ripened corn, the Conqueror of men. Like a Seer lauding, famed among the folk; like a steed friendly he vouchsafes us power.
He upholds safety like a pleasant home, like ripened grain, conqueror of peoples; like a seer chanting praise, famed among the clans; like a well-tended steed he grants us vigor.
Agni as kshema (secure refuge) and pakva yava (ripened nourishment) joins outer prosperity with inner ripening. As rishi among the vishah (clans) and friendly vaji, he is both spiritual laud and bodily strength—Hotar of the household Rita.
Build security through patient ripening—skills, savings, and health that mature like grain—rather than fragile conquest. Friendly discipline ('well-cared steed') yields lasting power.
1.66.3
४
दु॒रोक॑शोचि॒:, क्रतु॒र्न नित्यो॑ जा॒येव॒ योना॒वरं॒ विश्व॑स्मै ५
चि॒त्रो यदभ्रा॑ट्, छ्वे॒तो न वि॒क्षु रथो॒ न रु॒क्मी, त्वे॒षः स॒मत्सु॑ ||
With flame insatiate, like eternal might; caring for each one like a dame at home; Bright when he shines forth, whitish mid the folk, like a car, gold-decked, thundering to the fight.
With flame hard to endure, like everlasting will; caring for each like a wife at home; bright when he blazes forth, whitish among the folk, like a gold-decked chariot thundering to battle.
Duroka-shoci (flame one cannot casually grow used to) and nitya kratu (eternal sacred resolve) name Agni's purifying intensity. Yet he is also jayā iva yonau—intimate care in the domestic womb of life—showing that tapas and tender household presence are one fire.
Hold a standard that does not dull with familiarity, while still caring for those in your 'home' circle. Intensity without intimacy scorches; intimacy without resolve stagnates.
1.66.4
६
सेने॑व सृ॒ष्टामं॑ दधा॒त्यस्तु॒र्न दि॒द्युत्, त्वे॒षप्र॑तीका ७
य॒मो ह॑ जा॒तो, य॒मो जनि॑त्वं जा॒रः क॒नीनां॒, पति॒र्जनी॑नाम् ||
He strikes with terror like a dart shot forth, e’en like an archer's arrow tipped with flame; Master of present and of future life, the maidens’ lover and the matrons’ Lord.
He strikes terror like a loosed army or a flame-tipped arrow; twin of what is born and of what will be born—lover of maidens, lord of wives.
Yama jata / yama janitva evokes Agni as twin across present and future manifestation—the same flame in this dawn and the next. As jara of kanya and pati of jani, he is the mystic bridegroom of offerings, dawns, and consciousness awakening into bhakti's madhura nearness.
Respect transformative force: change can feel like an arrow. Hold continuity between who you are and who you are becoming—'twins' of present and future self—without denying either.
1.66.5
८
तं व॑श्च॒राथा॑, व॒यं व॑स॒त्यास्तं॒ न गावो॒, नक्ष॑न्त इ॒द्धम् ९
सिन्धु॒र्न क्षोद॒:, प्र नीची॑रैनो॒न्नव॑न्त॒ गाव॒:, स्व १ र्दृशी॑के ||
To him lead all your ways: may we attain the kindled God as cows their home at eve. He drives the flames below as floods their swell: the rays rise up to the fair place of heaven.
May all paths lead us to him; may we reach the kindled God as cows return home at evening. He drives flames downward as floods their surge; rays rise toward the fair vision of heaven.
Cattle returning to stall at dusk is classic Vedic image of the senses and pranas returning to the kindled antaryamin. Agni sends shikha below and rays to svar-darshika—the mystic circuit of descending grace and ascending vision in the sadhaka's own dam.
End the day by returning attention 'home'—to breath, values, and quiet kindling—rather than scattering. Let effort ground downward while aspiration still rises.