03.212
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca॥
Mārkaṇḍeya said;
āpasya muditā bhāryā sahasya paramā priyā। bhūpatir bhuva-bhartā ca janayat pāvakaṃ param॥03-212-1॥
The joyful wife of Āpa, the supreme beloved of Sahas, and the king, the sustainer of the world, generated the supreme fire. (03-212-1)
bhūtānāṃ cāpi sarveṣāṃ yaṃ prāhuḥ pāvakaṃ patim। ātmā bhuvanabharteti sānvayeṣu dvijātiṣu ॥03-212-2॥
They call the purifier, the lord and soul, the sustainer of all beings and of everything, thus among the twice-born in the households. (03-212-2)
mahatāṃ caiva bhūtānāṃ sarveṣām iha yaḥ patiḥ. bhagavān sa mahātejā nityaṃ carati pāvakaḥ ॥03-212-3॥
Agni, the glorious one of great brilliance, who is the lord of all beings and the great ones here, always moves. (03-212-3)
agnirgṛhapatirnāma nityaṃ yajñeṣu pūjyate। hutaṃ vahati yo havyamasya lokasya pāvakaḥ ॥03-212-4॥
The fire, called the lord of the house, is always worshipped in sacrifices. The purifier, who carries the oblation, is the receiver of offerings for this world. (03-212-4)
apāṃ garbho mahābhāgaḥ sahaputro mahādbhutaḥ। bhūpatirbhuvabhartā ca mahataḥ patirucyate ॥03-212-5॥
He who is the embryo of the waters, greatly fortunate, wondrous with his sons, lord of the earth, sustainer of the world, and lord of the great, is called thus. (03-212-5)
dahan mṛtāni bhūtāni tasyāgnir bharato’bhavat। agniṣṭome ca niyataḥ kratuśreṣṭho bharasya tu ॥03-212-6॥
Burning the dead creatures, his fire became Bharata. And in the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice, it was Bharata who performed the best among regulated sacrifices. (03-212-6)
āyāntaṃ niyataṃ dṛṣṭvā praviveśārṇavaṃ bhayāt। devās taṃ nādhigacchanti mārgamāṇā yathādiśam ॥03-212-7॥
Seeing the inevitable approaching, he entered the ocean out of fear. The gods, searching for him as directed, could not find him. (03-212-7)
dṛṣṭvā tv agnir atharvāṇaṃ tato vacanam abravīt। devānāṃ vaha havyaṃ tvam ahaṃ vīra sudurbalaḥ ॥ atharvan gaccha madhvakṣaṃ priyam etat kuruṣva me ॥03-212-8॥
Seeing you, Agni then spoke to Atharvan: 'You carry the offering for the gods; I am very weak, O hero. O Atharvan, go to the honey-offering and do this favor for me.' (03-212-8)
preṣya cāgnir atharvāṇam anyaṃ deśaṃ tato'gamāt। matsyās tasya samācakhyuḥ kruddhas tān agnir abravīt॥03-212-9॥
After sending Atharvan, Agni went to another region. The fishes reported this to him; angered, Agni addressed them. (03-212-9)
bhakṣyā vai vividhairbhāvairbhaviṣyatha śarīriṇām। atharvāṇaṃ tathā cāpi havyavāho'bravīd vacaḥ ॥03-212-10॥
You will become food of various kinds for embodied beings, indeed. Likewise, Havyavaha (Agni) spoke these words also to Atharvan. (03-212-10)
anunīyamāno'pi bhṛśaṁ devavākyāddhi tena saḥ। naicchadvoḍhuṁ haviḥ sarvaṁ śarīraṁ ca samatyajat॥03-212-11॥
Although greatly urged by the god's words, he did not wish to accept the whole offering and entirely gave up his body. (03-212-11)
sa taccharīraṃ santyajya praviveśa dharāṃ tadā। bhūmiṃ spṛṣṭvā asṛjat dhātūn pṛthak pṛthag atīva hi॥03-212-12॥
He, having given up that body, then entered the earth. After touching the ground, he emitted the elements separately, indeed. (3-212-12)
āsyāt sugandhi tejaś ca asthibhyo devadāru ca| śleṣmaṇaḥ sphaṭikaṃ tasya pittān marakataṃ tathā ॥03-212-13॥
From the mouth arise fragrance and radiance; from the bones, Himalayan cedar. Crystal comes from phlegm, and from bile, likewise, emerald. (03-212-13)
yakṛt-kṛṣṇāyasaṃ tasya tribhir-eva babhuḥ prajāḥ। nakhās-tasyābhra-paṭalaṃ śirā-jālāni vidrumam ॥ śarīrād vividhāś cānye dhātavo 'syābhavan nṛpa ॥03-212-14॥
His liver became black iron; from the three (elements) indeed, creatures arose. His nails became the covering of clouds; the networks of his veins became coral. From his body, various and other minerals arose, O king. (03-212-14)
evaṃ tyaktvā śarīraṃ tu parame tapasi sthitaḥ। bhṛgvaṅgirādibhirbhūyastapasotthāpitastadā ॥03-212-15॥
Thus, having abandoned his body, yet remaining in the highest penance, he was then raised up again by the penance of Bhṛgu, Aṅgiras, and others. (03-212-15)
bhṛśaṃ jajvāla tejasvī tapasāpyāyitaḥ śikhī। dṛṣṭvā ṛṣīn bhayāc cāpi praviveśa mahārṇavam॥ 03-212-16॥
The brilliant flame, greatly blazing and strengthened by asceticism, upon seeing the sages, out of fear, entered the great ocean. (03-212-16)
tasminnaṣṭe jagadbhītam atharvāṇam athāśritam। arcayāmāsur evainam atharvāṇaṃ surarṣayaḥ ॥03-212-17॥
When it was lost and the world was terrified, the divine sages then took refuge in Atharvan and indeed worshipped him, Atharvan. (03-212-17)
atharvā tvasṛjallokānātmanālokya pāvakam। miṣatāṃ sarvabhūtānāmunmamātha mahārṇavam ॥03-212-18॥
Atharvā, observing the fire by his own Self, created the worlds. As all living beings looked on, he churned the great ocean. (03-212-18)
evam agnir bhagavatā naṣṭaḥ pūrvam atharvaṇā। āhūtaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ havyaṃ vahati sarvadā ॥03-212-19॥
Thus, Agni, having been purified by the venerable Atharvan in the past, when invoked, always carries the oblations of all beings. (03-212-19)
evaṃ tv ajanayad dhiṣṇyān vedoktān vibudhān bahūn | vicarann vividhān deśān bhramamāṇas tu tatra vai ॥03-212-20॥
Thus, he produced many wise sacrificial seats as prescribed by the Veda; wandering through various regions, he roamed about there indeed. (03-212-20)
sindhu-varjaṃ pañca nadyo devikātha Sarasvatī। gaṅgā ca śatakumbhā ca śarayūr-gaṇḍasāhvayā ॥03-212-21॥
Apart from the Sindhu, the five rivers are Devikā, Sarasvatī, Gaṅgā, Śatakumbhā, and the Sarayū called Gaṇḍasāhvayā. (03-212-21)
carmaṇvatī mahī caiva medhyā medhātithis tathā। tāmrāvatī vetravatī nadyas tisro 'tha kauśikī॥03-212-22॥
Carmaṇvatī, Mahī, and also Medhyā and Medhātithi, as well as Tāmrāvatī and Vetravatī—three rivers—and then Kauśikī. (03-212-22)
tamasā narmadā caiva nadī godāvarī tathā। veṇṇā praveṇī bhīmā ca medrathā caiva bhārata ॥03-212-23॥
O Bhārata, [there are] the Tamasā, Narmadā, river Godāvarī as well as Veṇṇā, Praveṇī, Bhīmā, and Medrathā. (03-212-23)
bhāratī suprayogā ca kāverī murmurā tathā। kṛṣṇā ca kṛṣṇaveṇṇā ca kapilā śoṇa eva ca॥ etā nadyastu dhiṣṇyānāṃ mātaroyāḥ prakīrtitāḥ॥03-212-24॥
Bharati, Suprayoga, Kaveri, Murmura, Krishna, Krishnavenna, Kapila, and Shona—these rivers are spoken of as the mothers of the sacred seats. (03-212-24)
adbhutasya priyā bhāryā tasyāḥ putro viḍūrathaḥ। yāvantaḥ pāvakāḥ proktāḥ somās tāvanta eva ca ॥03-212-25॥
The beloved wife of Adbhuta had a son named Viḍūratha. As many fires as have been mentioned, just so many Somas also are there. (03-212-25)
atreścāpyanvaye jātā brahmaṇo manasāḥ prajāḥ। atriḥ putrān sraṣṭukāmas tān eva ātmany adhārayat। tasya tad brahmaṇaḥ kāyān nirharanti hutāśanāḥ॥03-212-26॥
In the lineage of Atri also, the mental offspring of Brahmā were born. When Atri desired to create sons, he kept them within himself. Then, from the body of that Brahmā, the fires bring them forth. (3-212-26)
evam ete mahātmānaḥ kīrtitās te'gnayo mayā। aprameyā yathotpannāḥ śrīmantas timirāpahāḥ ॥03-212-27॥
Thus I have described these great-souled fires, immeasurable as they have arisen, resplendent and dispelling darkness. (03-212-27)
adbhutasya tu māhātmyaṃ yathā vedeṣu kīrtitam। tādṛśaṃ viddhi sarveṣām eko hyeṣa hutāśanaḥ ॥03-212-28॥
But know that the greatness of the marvelous, as is celebrated in the Vedas, such is this very one Fire (Agni) alone among all. (03-212-28)
eka evaiṣa bhagavān vijñeyaḥ prathamo'ṅgirāḥ। bahudhā niḥsṛtaḥ kāyāj jyotiṣṭomaḥ kratur yathā॥03-212-29॥
This revered one, the first Aṅgirās, is to be understood as one alone, who, just as the Jyotiṣṭoma sacrifice emerges in many forms from the body, has emerged in manifold ways. (03-212-29)
ity eṣa vaṃśaḥ sumahān agnīnām kīrtito mayā । pāvito vividhaiḥ mantraiḥ havyaṃ vahati dehinām ॥03-212-30॥
Thus, I have recounted this very great lineage of fires. Purified by various mantras, the offering of embodied beings is carried (to the gods). (03-212-30)
