Agni Stotram (Markandeya Puranam)

śāntiruvāca |

oṃ namaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ sādhanāya mahātmane |

ekadvipañcadhiṣṭyāya rājasūye ṣadātmane || 1 ||

namaḥ samastadevānāṃ vṛttidāya suvarcase |

śukrarūpāya jagatāmaśeṣāṇāṃ sthitipradaḥ || 2 ||

tvaṃ mukhaṃ sarvadevānāṃ tvayātumaṃ bhagavanhaviḥ |

prīṇayatyakhilān devān tvatprāṇāḥ sarvadevatāḥ || 3 ||

hutaṃ havistvayyamamedhatvamupagacchati |

tataśca jarūpeṇa parṇāmupāiti yat || 4 ||

tenākhilauṣadhījanma bhavatyaniṣārathē |

auṣadhībhiramebhīḥ sukhaṃ jīvanti jantavaḥ || 5 ||

vitanvate narā yajñān tvatsṛṣṭāsvauṣadhīṣu ca |

yajñairdevāstathā daitāstatvarakṣāṃsi pāvaka || 6 ||

āpyāyyante ca te yajñāstvādhārā hutāśana |

ataḥ sarvasya yoniṃstvaṃ vahne sarvamayastathā || 7 ||

devatā dānavā yakṣa daitā gandharvarākṣasāḥ |

mānuṣāḥ paśavo vṛkṣā mṛgapakṣisarīsṛpāḥ || 8 ||

āpyāyyante tvayā sarve saṃvardhyante ca pāvaka |

tvattēvōdbhavaṃ yānti tvayyante ca tathā layam || 9 ||

apaḥ sṛjasi deva tvaṃ tvamatsi punareva tāḥ |

pacyamānāstvayā tāśca prāṇināṃ puṣṭikāraṇam || 10 ||

deveṣu tejarūpeṇa kāntyā siddheṣvavasthitaḥ |

viṣarūpeṇa nāgeṣu vāyurūpaḥ patattṛṣu || 11 ||

manujeṣu bhavān krodho mohaḥ pakṣimṛgādiṣu |

avaṣṭambho'si taruṣu kāthiṅyaṃ tvaṃ mahīṃ prati || 12 ||

jale dravatvaṃ bhagavān jarūpī tathā'nile |

vyāpitvena tathaivāgne nabhasyātmā vyavasthitaḥ || 13 ||

tvamagne sarvabhūtānāmantaḥ carasi pālayan |

tvāmekamāhuḥ kavayastvāmahustṛvidhanyaḥ punaḥ || 14 ||

tvāṣṭadhā kalpayityajñavāhamakalpayan |

tvayā sṛṣṭamidaṃ viśvaṃ vadanti paramarṣayaḥ || 15 ||

tvāmṛte hi jagatsarvaṃ sadyo naśyedhutāśana |

tubhyaṃ kṛtvā dvijaḥ pūjāṃ svakarmavihitāṃ gatim || 16 ||

prāyati havyakavyādaiḥ svadhāsvāhābhyudīrṇāt |

pariṇāmātmavīryā hi prāṇināmamadarccit || 17 ||

dahanti sarvabhūtāni tato niṣkramya hetayaḥ |

jātavedastavaiveyaṃ viśvasṛṣṭimahādyutē || 18 ||

tavaiva vaidikaṃ karma sarvabhūtātmakaṃ jagat |

namaste'nala piṅgākṣa namaste'stu hutāśana || 19 ||

pāvakādy namaste'stu namaste havyavāhana |

tvameva bhuktapītānāṃ pācanādviśvapāvakaḥ || 20 ||

śasyānāṃ pācakartā tvaṃ poṣṭā tvaṃ jagatastathā |

tvameva meghastvaṃ vāyustvaṃ bījaṃ śasyahetukam || 21 ||

poṣāya sarvabhūtānāṃ bhūtabhavyabhavo hyasi |

tvaṃ jyotiḥ sarvabhūteṣu tvamādityo vibhāvasuḥ || 22 ||

tvamahastvaṃ tathā rātrirubhē sandhyē tathā bhavān |

hiraṇyaretāstvaṃ vahne hiraṇyodbhavakāraṇam || 23 ||

hiraṇagarbhaśca bhavān hiraṇyasadṛśaprabhaḥ |

tvaṃ mūhūrtaṃ kṣaṇaśca tvaṃ tvaṃ tṛṭistvaṃ tathā lavaḥ || 24 ||

kalākāṣṭhānimēṣādirūpeṇāsi jagatprabho |

tvametadakhilaṃ kālaḥ pariṇāmātmako bhavān || 25 ||

yā jihvā bhavataḥ kālī kālaniṣṭhākarī prabhō |

bhayānnaḥ pāhi pāpebhyaḥ aiḥikācca mahābhayāt || 26 ||

karālī nāmā yā jihvā mahāpralayakāraṇam |

tayā naḥ pāhi pāpebhyaḥ aiḥikācca mahābhayāt || 27 ||

manojavā ca yā jihvā laghimāguṇalakṣaṇā |

tayā naḥ pāhi pāpebhyaḥ aiḥikācca mahābhayāt || 28 ||

karoti kāmaṃ bhūtebhyaḥ yā tē jihvā sulohitā |

tayā naḥ pāhi pāpebhyaḥ aiḥikācca mahābhayāt || 29 ||

sudhūmravarṇā yā jihvā prāṇināṃ rogadāhikā |

tayā naḥ pāhi pāpebhyaḥ aiḥikācca mahābhayāt || 30 ||

sphuliṅginī ca yā jihvā yataḥ sakalapudgalāḥ |

tayā naḥ pāhi pāpebhyaḥ aiḥikācca mahābhayāt || 31 ||

yā tē viśvā sadā jihvā prāṇināṃ śarmadāyinī |

tayā naḥ pāhi pāpebhyaḥ aiḥikācca mahābhayāt || 32 ||

piṅgākṣa lohitagrīva kṛṣṇavarṇa hutāśana |

trāhi māṃ sarvadoṣebhyaḥ saṃsārāddharēh mām || 33 ||

prasīda vahne saptārciḥ kṛśāno havyavāhana |

agnipāvaśukrādi nāmāṣṭabhirudīritāḥ || 34 ||

aginē'gre sarvabhūtānāṃ samudbhūta vibhāvasō |

prasīda havyavāhākhya abhiṣṭuta mayāvyaya || 35 ||

tvamakṣayo vahniracintyarūpaḥ

samṛddhiman duṣpṛsahō'titīvraḥ |

tvamavyayaṃ bhīmamaśeṣalōkaṃ

samūrṭikō hantyathāvativīryaḥ || 36 ||

tvamuttamaṃ sattvamameṣasattva-

-hṛtpuṇḍarīkastvānantamīḍyam |

tvayā tataṃ viśvamidaṃ carācaraṃ

hutāśanaēkaḥ bahu dhā tvamatra || 37 ||

tvamakṣayaḥ sagiravanā vasundharā

nabhaḥ sasōmārkamahardivākhilam |

mahōdadhērjaṭharagatañca vāḍavō

bhavānvibhūtyā parayā karē sthitaḥ || 38 ||

hutāśanastvamiti sadābhīpūjyasē

mahākrautau niyamaparairmaharṣibhiḥ |

abhiṣṭutaḥ pivasī ca somaṃ madhvarē

vaṣaṭkṛtānyapi ca havīṃṣi bhūtayē || 39 ||

tvaṃ vipraiḥ satatamihaējyasē phalārthaṃ

vēdāṅgēṣvath sakaleṣu gīyasē tvaṃ |

tvaddhētōryajanaparāyaṇā dvijēndrā

vēdāṅgānyadhigamayanti sarvakālē || 40 ||

tvaṃ brahmā yajanaparastathēva viṣṇuḥ

bhūtēśaḥ surapaturyamā jalēśaḥ |

sūrēndu sakalasurāsurāśca havyaiḥ

santōṣyābhimataphalānyathāpruvanti || 41 ||

arcirbhīḥ paramamahō'paghātduṣṭaṃ

saṃspṛṣṭaṃ tava śuci jāyatē samastaṃ |

snānānāṃ paramamativā bhāsmanā sat

sandhyāyāṃ munibhirativē sēvyasē tat || 42 ||

prasīda vahne śucināmadhēya

prasīda vāyō vimalātidīptē |

prasīda mē pāvaka vaidyutādyā

prasīda havyāśana pāhi māṃ tvaṃ || 43 ||

yattē vahne śivaṃ rūpaṃ yē ca tē sapta hētayaḥ |

taḥ pāhi naḥ stutō dēva pitā putramivātmajam || 44 ||

English Translation

Verse 1: Śānti said: Salutations to the great soul who is the means for all beings, who is established in the one-two-five existence, who is the master of the Rajasuya sacrifice and of the sixfold soul.

Verse 2: Salutations to the source of all gods, the giver of livelihood, of great splendor, who in the form of śukra (planet Venus) provides stability to all endless worlds.

Verse 3: You are the face of all gods. Through you, O Lord, the offerings (haviḥ) are brought. You please all the gods, and your life-breaths are all the deities.

Verse 4: The offering that is offered, having been purified, goes to you. From that, through the form of water (jarū), it attains the transformation (parṇāma).

Verse 5: From that, the birth of all herbs occurs, through the essence of water. Beings live comfortably from all those herbs.

Verse 6: People perform sacrifices. In the herbs created by you, through sacrifices, the gods, and thus the demons—so protect us, O Purifier (Pāvaka).

Verse 7: Those sacrifices are nourished by you as their support. You are the womb for all things, O fire. You are all-pervading, thus.

Verse 8: Gods, demons, Yakṣas, demons, Gandharvas and Rākṣasas, humans, animals, trees, animals, birds, and snakes—all are nourished by you and grow, O Purifier.

Verse 9: From you alone they are born, in you alone they come to rest. Thus, you alone are the creator, sustainer, and destroyer of all.

Verse 10: You, O god, create the waters. You are the waters again. When cooked by you, those waters become the nourishment for living beings.

Verse 11: In gods, you exist in the form of brilliance; in the perfected ones, you exist in the form of beauty. In snakes, you exist in the form of poison. You exist as the wind in the three regions.

Verse 12: In humans, you exist as anger. In birds and animals, you exist as delusion. You are the support in trees. You are hardness toward the earth.

Verse 13: In water, you exist as fluidity. In water, you exist as the Lord (Bhagavān). In the form of pervasiveness, thus in the sky (anila), and in the form of the soul of the sky, you are established, O Agni.

Verse 14: O Agni, you move within all beings, protecting them. The sages call you alone. You are called threefold again.

Verse 15: Having arranged in eight ways, the sacrifice-vessel arranged. The sages say that this universe is created by you.

Verse 16: Without you, indeed, the whole world would immediately perish, O incinerator (Hutāśana). Having performed worship to you, the twice-born attains the meritorious state indicated by their own duty.

Verse 17: You are offered with clarified butter and food offerings, through Svadhā and Svāhā, extended. By the transformation of your own power, you are worshipped by immortals.

Verse 18: You burn all beings. From that, the causes emerge. Jātaveda, this is your great resplendent creation of the universe.

Verse 19: Your Vedic duty alone is this world of all beings. Salutations to you, O Anala (fire), O red-eyed one. Salutations to you, O Hutāśana (incinerator).

Verse 20: Salutations to you, O Purifier (Pāvaka) and foremost. Salutations to you, O Havyavāhana (bearer of offerings). You alone are the digester of the eaten and drunk—from digestion, you are the purifier of the world.

Verse 21: You are the maker of cooking grains. You are the nourisher of the world likewise. You alone are the cloud, you alone are the wind, you are the seed, the cause of grains.

Verse 22: For the nourishment of all beings, you are the becoming of the past, future, and present. You are the light in all beings. You are Āditya, the resplendent one.

Verse 23: You are the day, you are the night. You are in the twilight, thus. You are of golden seed (Hiraṇyaretā), O fire. You are the golden cause of creation.

Verse 24: You are the golden womb (Hiraṇagarbha) and of golden-like splendor. You are the moment, you are the second, you are the third, you are the minute, you are the particle likewise.

Verse 25: In the form of digit, joint, flash, wink, and the like, you are the lord of the world. You alone are all time. You are of the nature of transformation.

Verse 26: That tongue of yours, O Lord, called Kālī, who brings about destruction in time—save us from fear, from sins, and from worldly and great fear.

Verse 27: That tongue of yours named Karālī, the cause of great dissolution—by that, save us from sins and from worldly and great fear.

Verse 28: That tongue of yours named Manojavā, characterized by the quality of lightness (laghimā)—by that, save us from sins and from worldly and great fear.

Verse 29: That tongue of yours named Sulohita, which grants desires to beings—by that, save us from sins and from worldly and great fear.

Verse 30: That tongue of yours named Sudhūmravarṇā, causing disease and burning in creatures—by that, save us from sins and from worldly and great fear.

Verse 31: That tongue of yours named Sphuliṅginī, from whom all sparks fly—by that, save us from sins and from worldly and great fear.

Verse 32: That tongue of yours, the universal one, which always grants comfort to creatures—by that, save us from sins and from worldly and great fear.

Verse 33: O red-eyed one, red-necked one, dark-colored one, O incinerator—save me from all faults, from worldly existence. Deliver me from the ocean of existence.

Verse 34: Be pleased, O fire, of seven flames, O thin one, O bearer of offerings. The names Agni, Pāvaka, Śukra and others are declared in eight.

Verse 35: At the beginning, Agni, of all beings, the resplendent one (Vibhāvasu) arose. Be pleased, O bearer of offerings (Havyavāhana), praised by me, the imperishable one.

Verse 36: You are the imperishable fire, of inconceivable form, prosperous, difficult to conquer, very intense. You are imperishable, terrifying, consuming all worlds, solid, and of surpassing valor.

Verse 37: You are the highest goodness, beyond all goodness, the lotus of the heart, the endless and abundant one. By you alone, this whole moving and unmoving universe is established. O incinerator, you are one, here in many forms.

Verse 38: You are the imperishable earth with mountains. You are the sky along with the moon, sun, and entire higher realm. You are the fire in the ocean's stomach. Standing in the supreme hand, you are in existence.

Verse 39: You, the incinerator (Hutāśana), are thus always worshipped in the great sacrifice by the great sages who follow the vows. Praised, you drink the soma in the sacrifice. The offerings of oblations are for your existence.

Verse 40: You are by Brahmins always worshipped here for the sake of fruit. You are sung in all the Vedāṅgas. For your sake, the twice-born who are devoted to the study of sacrifice understand the Vedāṅgas at all times.

Verse 41: You are Brahma, you are Vishnu, devoted to sacrifice. You are the lord of beings, the lord of gods, Aryama, the lord of waters. With offerings, Sūrya, Soma, all gods and demons are pleased and thus obtain desired fruits.

Verse 42: With the flames of light, the supremely effulgent one is touched. All of you, O pure one, is generated. The supreme among baths is indeed with ashes. Thus, in the evening prayer by sages, that is highly served.

Verse 43: Be pleased, O fire, praised by the good. Be pleased, O wind, O very pure and radiant one. Be pleased with me, O purifier, with lightning and the like. Be pleased, O consumer of offerings. Protect me.

Verse 44: That form of yours, O fire, which is auspicious, and those seven causes of yours—may those, praised, O god, protect us as a father protects his son.

Notes

This hymn to Agni (Fire) appears in the Markandeya Purana. It contains 44 verses praising Agni as the supreme being, describing his various forms, his role in creation, and his different tongues (flames) known as Kālī, Karālī, Manojavā, Sulohita, Sudhūmravarṇā, and Sphuliṅginī. Agni is described as the mouth of the gods, the acceptor of sacrifices, and the embodiment of all deities.