Angiras Takes the Place of Agni

Verse 1 (3.220.1)

श्रुत्वेमां धर्मसंयुक्तां धर्मराजः कथां शुभाम् । पुनः पप्रच्छ तमृषिं मार्कण्डेयमिदं तदा ॥

śrutvemāṃ dharmasaṃyuktāṃ dharmarājaḥ kathāṃ śubhām | punaḥ papraccha tamṛṣiṃ mārkaṇḍeyamidaṃ tadā

Having heard this auspicious tale bound up with dharma, the King of Dharma then questioned the seer Markandeya once more:

Note on the text: मार्कण्डेयमिदं तदा is a recension variant of mārkaṇḍeyaṃ tapasvinam and is kept.

Verse 2 (3.220.2)

कथमग्निर्वनं यातः कथं चाप्यङ्गिराः पुरा । नष्टेऽग्नौ हव्यमवहदग्निर्भूत्वा महाद्युतिः ॥

kathamagnirvanaṃ yātaḥ kathaṃ cāpyaṅgirāḥ purā | naṣṭe'gnau havyamavahadagnirbhūtvā mahādyutiḥ

"How did Agni go away to the forest? And how was it that long ago, when the fire was lost, Angiras himself became fire, great in splendour, and carried the oblations?

Note on the text: Corrected हव्यमहवद् → हव्यमवहद् (misprint in Wikisource; transposed aksharas, the critical edition reads havyam avahad). Speaker: Yudhishthira's question fills verses 2–5 without a printed heading; assigned to him (Wikisource carries वैशंपायन on).

Verse 3 (3.220.3)

अग्निर्यदा चैक एव बहुत्वं चास्य कर्मसु । दृश्यते भगवन्सर्वमेतदिच्छामि वेदितुम् ॥

agniryadā caika eva bahutvaṃ cāsya karmasu | dṛśyate bhagavansarvametadicchāmi veditum

Though Agni is one, he is seen to be many in his works. Blessed one, I wish to understand all this,

Verse 4 (3.220.4)

कुमारश्च यथोत्पन्नो यथा चाग्नेः सुतोऽभवत् । यथा रुद्राच्च संभूतो गङ्गायां कृत्तिकासु च ॥

kumāraśca yathotpanno yathā cāgneḥ suto'bhavat | yathā rudrācca saṃbhūto gaṅgāyāṃ kṛttikāsu ca

and how Kumara was born, how he came to be the son of Agni, and how he sprang from Rudra, in the Ganga and among the Krittikas.

Verse 5 (3.220.5)

एतदिच्छाम्यहं त्वत्तः श्रोतुं भार्गवसत्तम । कौतूहलसमाविष्टो याथातथ्यं महामुने ॥

etadicchāmyahaṃ tvattaḥ śrotuṃ bhārgavasattama | kautūhalasamāviṣṭo yāthātathyaṃ mahāmune

This I wish to hear from you, best of the Bhrigus, just as it happened, great sage, for I am filled with curiosity."

Verse 6 (3.220.6)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । यथा क्रुद्धो हुतवहस्तपस्तप्तुं वनं गतः ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | yathā kruddho hutavahastapastaptuṃ vanaṃ gataḥ

"On this, too, people relate an ancient story: how the bearer of oblations, in anger, went to the forest to practise austerities,

Verse 7 (3.220.7)

यथा च भगवानग्निः स्वयमेवाङ्गिराऽभवत् । संतापयंश्च प्रभया नाशयंस्तिमिरावलिम् ॥

yathā ca bhagavānagniḥ svayamevāṅgirā'bhavat | saṃtāpayaṃśca prabhayā nāśayaṃstimirāvalim

and how the blessed Angiras himself became Agni, scorching with his radiance and destroying the masses of darkness.

Note on the text: Corrected अङ्गेरा → अङ्गिरा (misprint in Wikisource; wrong vowel sign, the critical edition reads aṅgirā). प्रभया … तिमिरावलिम् is a recension variant and is kept.

Verse 8 (3.220.8)

पुराङ्गिरा महाबाहो चचार तप उत्तमम् । आश्रमस्थो महाभागो हव्यवाहं विशेषयन् । यथाग्निर्भूत्वा तु तदा जगत्सर्वं व्यकाशयत् ॥

purāṅgirā mahābāho cacāra tapa uttamam | āśramastho mahābhāgo havyavāhaṃ viśeṣayan | yathāgnirbhūtvā tu tadā jagatsarvaṃ vyakāśayat

Long ago, mighty-armed one, Angiras practised supreme austerity. Dwelling in his hermitage, that illustrious sage surpassed the bearer of oblations, and, having become fire, he then lit up the whole world.

Note on the text: The first line is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension; star passage 1048, after 3.207.7d, in the apparatus); the other two lines are 3.207.8 (unaligned automatically). यथाग्निर्भूत्वा … व्यकाशयत् is a recension variant of tathā sa bhūtvā … prakāśayan and is kept.

Verse 9 (3.220.9)

तपश्चरंस्तु हुतभुक्संतप्तस्तस्य तेजसा । भृशं ग्लानश्च तेजस्वी न च किंचित्प्रजज्ञिवान् ॥

tapaścaraṃstu hutabhuksaṃtaptastasya tejasā | bhṛśaṃ glānaśca tejasvī na ca kiṃcitprajajñivān

While the eater of oblations was practising austerity, he was scorched by Angiras's brilliance; the radiant god grew utterly weary and did not know what to do.

Note on the text: Separated ग्लानश्चतेजस्वी → ग्लानश्च तेजस्वी (word-spacing slip in Wikisource).

Verse 10 (3.220.10)

अथ संचिन्तयामास भगवान्हव्यवाहनः । अन्योऽग्निरिव लोकानां ब्रह्मणा संप्रकल्पितः ॥

atha saṃcintayāmāsa bhagavānhavyavāhanaḥ | anyo'gniriva lokānāṃ brahmaṇā saṃprakalpitaḥ

Then the blessed bearer of oblations reflected: 'It is as if another Agni had been fashioned by Brahma for the worlds.

Note on the text: Verses 10–13 are the critical edition's 3.207.10–12, divided differently (unaligned automatically); अन्योऽग्निरिव … संप्रकल्पितः is a recension variant of anyo 'gnir iha … saṃpravartitaḥ.

Verse 11 (3.220.11)

अग्नित्वं विप्रनष्टं हि तप्यमानस्य मे तपः । कथमग्निः पुनरहं भवेयमिति चिन्त्य सः ॥

agnitvaṃ vipranaṣṭaṃ hi tapyamānasya me tapaḥ | kathamagniḥ punarahaṃ bhaveyamiti cintya saḥ

My fire-nature has been lost while I practise austerity. How can I become Agni again?' Thinking this,

Note on the text: Corrected तप्यमानस् → तप्यमानस्य (misprint in Wikisource; dropped akshara, the critical edition reads tapyamānasya).

Verse 12 (3.220.12)

अपश्यदग्निवल्लोकांस्तापयन्तं महामुनिम् । सोपासर्पच्छनैर्भीतस्तमुवाच तदाङ्गिराः ॥

apaśyadagnivallokāṃstāpayantaṃ mahāmunim | sopāsarpacchanairbhītastamuvāca tadāṅgirāḥ

he saw the great sage warming the worlds like a fire, and he approached him slowly, afraid. Then Angiras said to him:

Verse 13 (3.220.13)

शीघ्रमेव भवस्वाग्निस्त्वं पुनर्लोकभावनः । विज्ञातश्चासि लोकेषु त्रिषु संस्थानचारिषु ॥

śīghrameva bhavasvāgnistvaṃ punarlokabhāvanaḥ | vijñātaścāsi lokeṣu triṣu saṃsthānacāriṣu

"Quickly become Agni again, you who sustain the worlds. You are known in the three worlds, among all that stands still and all that moves.

Note on the text: Speaker: Angiras's words (introduced at the end of verse 12) fill verses 13–14 without a printed heading; assigned to him.

Verse 14 (3.220.14)

त्वमग्ने प्रथमः सृष्टो ब्रह्मणा तिमिरापहः । स्वस्थानं प्रतिपद्यस्व शीघ्रमेव तमो नुद ॥

tvamagne prathamaḥ sṛṣṭo brahmaṇā timirāpahaḥ | svasthānaṃ pratipadyasva śīghrameva tamo nuda

You, Agni, were created first by Brahma to dispel darkness. Take up your own place again and quickly drive away the darkness."

Note on the text: Corrected ब्र्हमणा → ब्रह्मणा and तिमिरापर्हः → तिमिरापहः (misprints in Wikisource; misplaced conjunct and stray repha, the critical edition reads brahmaṇā timirāpahaḥ).

Verse 15 (3.220.15)

नष्टकीर्तिरहं लोके भवाञ्जातो हुताशनः । भवन्तमेव ज्ञास्यन्ति पावकं न तु मां जनाः ॥

naṣṭakīrtirahaṃ loke bhavāñjāto hutāśanaḥ | bhavantameva jñāsyanti pāvakaṃ na tu māṃ janāḥ

"My fame in the world is lost; you have become the eater of oblations. People will know you as Pavaka, not me.

Verse 16 (3.220.16)

निक्षिपाम्यहमग्नित्वं त्वमग्निः प्रथमो भव । भविष्यामि द्वितीयोऽहं प्राजापत्यक एव च ॥

nikṣipāmyahamagnitvaṃ tvamagniḥ prathamo bhava | bhaviṣyāmi dvitīyo'haṃ prājāpatyaka eva ca

I lay down my fire-nature; you be the first Agni. I shall be the second, the one that belongs to Prajapati."

Note on the text: Corrected निक्षिपम्यहम् → निक्षिपाम्यहम् (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign, the critical edition reads nikṣipāmy aham).

Verse 17 (3.220.17)

कुरु पुण्यं प्रजास्वर्ग्यं भवाग्निस्तिमिरापहः । मां च देव कुरुष्वाग्ने प्रथमं पुत्रमञ्जसा ॥

kuru puṇyaṃ prajāsvargyaṃ bhavāgnistimirāpahaḥ | māṃ ca deva kuruṣvāgne prathamaṃ putramañjasā

"Do the holy work that brings heaven to living beings; be Agni, the dispeller of darkness. And make me at once your first son, divine Agni."

Verse 18 (3.220.18)

तच्छ्रुत्वाङ्गिरसो वाक्यं जातवेदास्तथाऽकरोत् । राजन्बृहस्पतिर्नाम तस्याप्यङ्गिरसः सुतः ॥

tacchrutvāṅgiraso vākyaṃ jātavedāstathā'karot | rājanbṛhaspatirnāma tasyāpyaṅgirasaḥ sutaḥ

"Hearing these words of Angiras, Jatavedas did as he asked. And that Angiras had a son named Brihaspati, O king.

Note on the text: Corrected वृहस्पतिः → बृहस्पतिः (misprint in Wikisource; व for ब, the critical edition reads bṛhaspatir).

Verse 19 (3.220.19)

ज्ञात्वा प्रथमजं तं तु वह्नेरङ्गिरसं सुतम् । उपेत्य देवाः पप्रच्छुः कारणं तत्र भारत ॥

jñātvā prathamajaṃ taṃ tu vahneraṅgirasaṃ sutam | upetya devāḥ papracchuḥ kāraṇaṃ tatra bhārata

When the gods learned that Angiras had become the first-born son of Fire, they came to him and asked the reason, O Bharata.

Verse 20 (3.220.20)

स तु पृष्टस्तदा देवैस्ततः कारणमब्रवीत् । प्रत्यगृह्णन्त देवाश्च तद्वचोऽङ्गिरसस्तदा ॥

sa tu pṛṣṭastadā devaistataḥ kāraṇamabravīt | pratyagṛhṇanta devāśca tadvaco'ṅgirasastadā

Questioned by the gods, he then told them the reason, and the gods accepted the word of Angiras.

Note on the text: Corrected तत → ततः (misprint in Wikisource; dropped visarga, the critical edition reads tataḥ).

Verse 21 (3.220.21)

तत्र नानाविधानग्नीन्प्रवक्ष्यामि महाप्रभान् । कर्मभिर्बहुभिः ख्यातान्नानार्थान्ब्राह्मणेष्विह ॥

tatra nānāvidhānagnīnpravakṣyāmi mahāprabhān | karmabhirbahubhiḥ khyātānnānārthānbrāhmaṇeṣviha

Now I shall tell you of the various fires of great radiance, renowned for their many works, with their different purposes among the brahmins."

Note on the text: Corrected वहुभिः → बहुभिः (व for ब; the critical edition reads bahubhiḥ) and ख्याताननानार्थान् → ख्यातान्नानार्थान् (misprint in Wikisource; the stray vowel makes अनानार्थान्, 'without various purposes'; read ख्यातान् नानार्थान्), and separated तत्रनानाविधान् → तत्र नानाविधान् (word-spacing slip). नानार्थान् is a recension variant of nānātvaṃ and is kept.