sprung for ministering unto thee, and, therefore, thou art called Jataveda.
Chief of the gods as thou art, thou art called Chitrabhanu, Anala,
Vibhavasu, Hutasana, Jvalana, Sikhi, Vaiswanara, Pingesa, Plavanga,
Bhuritejah. Thou art he from whom Kumara (Kartikeya) had his origin; thou
art holy; thou art called Rudragarva and Hiranyakrit. Let thee, O Agni,
grant me energy, let Vayu grant me life, let Earth grant me nourishment
and strength, and let Water grant me prosperity. O Agni, thou who art the
first cause of the waters, thou who art of great purity, thou for
ministering unto whom the Vedas have sprung, thou who art the foremost of
the deities, thou who art their mouth, O purify me by thy truth. Rishis
and Brahmanas, Deities and Asuras pour clarified butter every day,
according to the ordinance into thee during sacrifices. Let the rays of
truth emanating from thee, while thou exhibitest thyself in those
sacrifices, purify me. Smoke-bannered as thou art and possessed of flames,
thou great purifier from all sins born of Vayu and ever present as thou
art in all creatures, O purify me by the rays of thy truth. Having
cleansed myself thus cheerfully, O exalted one, do I pray unto thee. O
Agni, grant me now contentment and prosperity, and knowledge and
gladness.'"

Vaisampayana continued.--"He that will pour clarified butter into Agni
reciting these mantras, will ever be blessed with prosperity, and having
his soul under complete control will also be cleansed from all his sins.

"Sahadeva, addressing Agni again, said,--'O carrier of the sacrificial
libations, it behoveth thee not to obstruct a sacrifice!' Having said this,
that tiger among men--the son of Madri--spreading some kusa grass on earth
sat down in expectation of the (approaching) fire and in front of those
terrified and anxious troops of his. And Agni, too, like the ocean that
never transgresseth its continents, did not pass over his head. On the