Savitri
A Legend and a Symbol

Canto 2Medhatithi Kanwa · Suktas 12–14

Book 2. Part Two: Other Hymns to Agni

5. Fire, priest of the call, the seer-will rich in brilliant inspira-
tions, may he come to us, a god with the gods.
6. O Fire, the happy good that thou wilt create for the giver, is
That Truth of thee, O Angiras.
57. To thee, O Fire, day by day, in the dawn and in the dusk,
we come bringing to thee by the thought our obeisance,
8. To thee, who rulest the sacrifices of the Way, the shining
Guardian of the Truth, growing in thy own home.
9. O Fire, be easy of access to us like a father to his son; cleave
10to us for our weal.
MEDHATITHI KANWA
SUKTA 12
1. We choose Agni, the summoner, the all-knowing, the mes-
senger, the will effective of this sacrifice.
15Mandala One
aEnmEn
hvFmEB
sdA
hvt
20Ev
pEtm
h yvAh
p
zEym
252. To the Lord of the creatures, the bearer of our offerings, the
beloved of Many, to every flame the sacrificers ever call with
hymns that summon the Gods, One in whom are many dear
things.
an
vA
;
ihA
vh
35j.Ano
v
8tbEh
q
aEs
40hotA
n
IX
y
3. O Fire, thou being born hither bear the Gods for the sac-
45rificer who spreads the holy seat, thou art our desirable
summoning priest.
tA
;
ufto
50Ev
boDy
ydn
yAEs
d
ym
d
v
#rA
60sEs
bEh
Eq
4. O Fire, when thou goest as our envoy, awaken them up who
desire our offerings. Take thy seat with the Gods on the holy
65grass.
G
tAhvn
dFEdv
Et
Erqto
dh
an
v
75rEvn
5. O Fire, thou who art called by the offerings of clarity, thou
shining one, do thou oppose and burn down the haters that
confine.
aEnnAEn
80sEmyt
kEvg
hpEty
vA
h yvAX
4Ay
6. By the fire is the fire perfectly kindled, the seer, the lord of
the house, the youth, the bearer of offering whose mouth
receives the offerings.
90Other Hymns to Agni
kEvmEnm
p
t
Eh
95syDmA
Zmvr
d
vmmFvcAtnm
7. To the divine flame, the seer, him whose law of being is the
100Truth, the shining one, the destroyer of all evils, approach
and chant the hymn of praise.
yvAmn
hEvpEtd
$
d
v
spy
Et
110ty
m
AEvtA
Bv
8. O Flame, O divine messenger, the lord of the offerings who
115waits on thee, of him become the protector.
yo
aEn
d
vvFty
120hEvmA
;
aAEvvAsEt
tm
#
125pAvk
m
0y
9. He who with the offerings approaches the divine force, for
the Birth of the Gods, O Purifier, on him have grace.
n
pAvk
dFEdvo'n
d
135vA
;
ihA
vh
up
140y.
hEv
c
n
/
14510. O shining flame, thou who purifiest, hither bear the Gods
to our offerings and to our sacrifice.
s
n
tvAn
150aA
Br
gAy
Z
nvFysA
155rEy
vFrvtFEmqm
11. Thou adored by our fresh Gayatri rhythms bring for us the
felicity and force full of hero’s strength.
an
Z
foEcqA
Ev
vAEBd
165vh
$
EtEB
im
tom
qv
n
12. O Fire, with thy lustres white, and all thy divine hymns
that summon the Gods, come and accept this hymn that we
175affirm.
Mandala One
SUKTA 13
s
sEm=o
aA
vh
d
vA
an
hEvmt
hot
pAvk
190yE
c
1. O Fire! perfectly kindled, bear the gods to him who has the
offerings, O Thou who purifiest! Thou summoner! sacrifice
to the gods.
195mD
mt
tn
$
npAd
200y.
d
v
q
n
205kv
aA
k
Z
Eh
210vFty
2. O son of the body! Now make the sacrifice honied for the
gods (or full of honey among the gods) for their enjoyment,
O seer.
nrAf
215sEmh
EymEmn
y.
up
4y
220mD
Ej4
hEvk
tm
3. Him, the beloved, I call hither to this sacrifice, he who
225creates the offerings, possessed of honied tongue.
an
s
Ktm
rT
vA
;
IE0t
aA
235vh
aEs
hotA
mn
Eh
4. O Fire! Thou who art adored, bring here the gods in thy
happiest car; (for) thou art the summoner established by
man.
t
245ZFt
bEh
rAn
qg
G
250tp
S
mnFEqZ
yAm
ty
255cZm
5. O Thinkers! spread you the holy seat continuous and true
in order, sprinkled with clear offerings (of clarified butter),
to where is the vision of immortality.
[Incomplete]
260Other Hymns to Agni
SUKTA 14
e
EBrn
d
265vo
Egro
Ev
v
EB
270sompFty
d
v
EByA
Eh
275yE
c
1. With all these gods, O Agni, thou who art the activity of
speech, arrive and do thy work.
aA
280vA
k@vA
ah
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qt
ZEt
Ev
t
EDy
v
EBrn
aA
gEh
2952. On thee, O Agni, the Kanwas have called, for thee, O mas-
ter of wisdom, their movements of understanding become
articulate; arrive, O Agni, with the gods.
id
vAy
b
hpEt
EmAEn
p
qZ
Bgm
aAEdyAn
mAzt
310gZm
3. On Indra and Vayu, Brihaspati, on Mitra and Agni, Pushan,
Bhaga, the Adityas and the Marut host.
vo
EB
315yt
idvo
msrA
mAdEyZv
d
320JsA
mv
cm
$
qd
3254. For you the nectar streams are filled in, rapturous and
maddening, dripping sweetness, into their vessel they settle
down.
I0t
vAmvyv
330k@vAso
v
8tbEh
q
hEvmto
335ar
k
t
5. Thee the Kanwas protected adore, when they have mani-
fested the flame, hold the offering and have set their array.
tp
SA
mnoy
jo
vA
vhEt
v>y
aA
vAsompFty
6. Shining of flank, yoked to the mind are the bearers that bear
thee and bear to us the gods to drink the Soma-wine.
Mandala One
355tAn
yjA
;
-tAv
Do'n
360p&Fvtk
ED
mv
s
Ej4
365pAyy
7. Make them active to the Yajna, O Agni, they increase by
truth, they have with them their female powers; make them
drink the sweetnesses, O keen of tongue.
y
370yjA
y
IX
yAt
t
375Epbt
Ej4yA
mDorn
vqV
k
380Et
8. Those that are active to Yajna, those that are adorable, let
both of them drink with thy tongue, O Agni, the heady
sweetness of the wine.
aAkF
$
y
y
rocnAd
390Ev
vAn
d
vA
;
395uqb
D
Evo
hot
h
400vEt
9. From the world of the lustre of the sun the seer, the priest
of the offering bringeth the gods that wake to the dawn.
Ev
v
405EB
soMy
mvn
id
Z
410vAy
nA
EpbA
Emy
DAmEB
10. With all of them, O Agni, drink thou the sweetness of the
Soma-wine, with Indra and Vayu and Mitra’s lustres.
v
hotA
420mn
Eh
to'n
y.
q
425sFdEs
s
m
no
avr
430yj
11. Thou, the priest of the oblation, thinker and friend, O Agni,
sittest at the Yajnas, therefore do thou set thyself to this
action of sacrifice of ours.
y
435LvA
VzqF
rT
hErto
d
roEht
tAEBd
vA
;
445ihA
vh
12. Yoking, O God, in thy chariot the rosy and the green and
the crimson, by these bear hither the gods.