03.211
Markandeya said.
Endowed with disciplines by the teachers, the purifier called Bharata, that is, Agni named Puṣṭimati, when pleased, bestows nourishment. He supports all beings; therefore, he is called Bharata. (03-211-1)
He who is Fire, named Śiva, and is intent on the worship of Śakti—that one, for all who are afflicted by suffering, is always beneficent and truly Śiva. (03-211-2)
But seeing the great fruit of the penance greatly increased, Indra (Purandara), an intelligent son who wished to deliver (them), was born. (03-211-3)
Heat, and indeed from heat, was born — he is Agni, perceived among beings. And Agni, as Manu named, caused the prājāpatya rite to be performed. (03-211-4)
The Brāhmaṇas, proficient in the Vedas, called Śambhu as Agni; the twice-born declared the household (āvasathya) fire to be the brilliant, greatly radiant Agni. (03-211-5)
Here, Agni, through his austerity, generated five sons of the sacrifice, who are producers of energy, carriers of oblations, and have a lustre like gold. (03-211-6)
When Agni, O greatly fortunate one, became calm after exhaustion, the lord of cows generated terrible Asuras and also mortals of various kinds. (03-211-7)
Aṅgirās, by his austerity, created Bhānu, the son of Manu. But the Brāhmaṇas well-versed in the Vedas call him Bṛhadbhānu. (03-211-8)
Bhānu's wife, Su-prajā, and also Bṛhadbhāsā and Somajā, indeed produced six sons; listen to the manner of the progeny of those. (03-211-9)
They call Agni, who gives bodies to the powerless beings, the first son of the Sun and the giver of strength. (03-211-10)
He whose fierce anger arises even among pacified beings—he is Agni, the wrathful one, named the second son of Bhānu. (03-211-11)
At the new and full moon sacrifices, the offering here is said to belong to him; here, Agni called Viṣṇu by name, who is steadfast, he is Aṅgiras. (03-211-12)
He, known as Agni-āgrayaṇa, whose first oblation is said to be associated with Indra, is indeed of the lineage of Bhānu. (03-211-13)
He who, in the cāturmāsya sacrifices of the obligatory offerings, is unrestricted and accompanied by his four sons, is indeed a descendant of Bhānu. (03-211-14)
However, Agni and Soma both begot Niśā (Night) as their daughter. She became the wife of Manu and gave birth to five fire-deities. (03-211-15)
In the four-month rites, the purifier Agni is worshipped with the finest oblation; together with Parjanya, that resplendent Agni is Vaiśvānara himself. (03-211-16)
He who is declared as the lord of all this world is Agni, called the lord of all, the second son of Manu. Then, the well-offered oblation must be clarified butter; the maker of the well-offered is remembered as the supreme. (03-211-17)
That maiden, Rohiṇī by name, the daughter of Hiraṇyakaśipu, by her action became a wife; he was Agni, he was Prajāpati. (03-211-18)
He who, depending on the vital breath, moves the body of embodied beings—his instrument, called 'the means of sound', is ever present. (03-211-19)
He, the god with both the white and black paths, who bears fire, is himself sinless, the creator of the sinful, and yet is resorted to by anger. (03-211-20)
Kapila, whom the ascetics always call the supreme sage, is none other than Agni; he is known as Kapila, the originator of Sāṅkhya-Yoga. (03-211-21)
He by whom beings are always sustained—that fire, the leader, is called the fire in various actions here. (03-211-22)
He created these other fires, renowned on earth, powerful ones for the expiation of the corrupted agnihotra. (03-211-23)
If, by wind, the fires happen to touch each other in any way, then an eight-vessel oblation should certainly be performed to purify the fire. (3-211-24)
When the southern fire is joined by two (sacrificers or things), then indeed an offering with eight potsherds should be made to Agni for propitiation. (03-211-25)
If indeed the domestic fires are touched by wildfire, a ritual with the eight-cap vessel should be performed for Agni for purposes of purification. (03-211-26)
If a menstruating woman touches the Agnihotra fire, a sacrificial offering with eight bowls should be performed for Agni considered as one polluted. (03-211-27)
A person who, while still alive, is regarded as dead because he leaves (like animals), should have an offering of eight kapāla performed for Agni according to wish. (03-211-28)
A distressed man should not offer oblations to fire for three nights. But a Brāhmaṇa should perform an offering with eight bowls for the Northern Fire. (03-211-29)
The offering to Agni, the maker of the path, should be performed with an eight-cap vessel from what remains of the established new and full moon sacrifices. (03-211-30)
When the fire from a woman after childbirth comes in contact with the sacrificer's fire, an eight-potsherd offering should be made for the owner of the fire, to Agni. (03-211-31)
