मार्कण्डेय उवाच आपस्य मुदिता भार्या सहस्य परमा प्रिया। भूपतिर्भुवभर्ता च जनयत् पावकं परम्॥ भूतानां चापि सर्वेषां यं प्राहुः पावकं पतिम्। आत्मा भुवनभर्तेति सान्वयेषु द्विजातिषु॥
Markandeya said : Mudita, the favourite wife of the fire named Svaha, live in water. Svaha who was the lord of the sky, begot on his that wife a greatly sacred fire named Adbhuta. There is a tradition among the Brahmanas, namely that this fire is the ruler and the inner soul of all creatures.
महतां चैव भूतानां सर्वेषामिह यः पतिः। भगवान् स महातेजा नित्यं चरति पावकः॥ अग्निहपति म नित्यं यज्ञेषु पूज्यते। हुतं वहति यो हव्यमस्य लोकस्य पावकः॥
That fire is adorable and effulgent, he is the lord of all the Bhutas here. And that fire under the name of Grihapati is always worshipped at all sacrifices and conveys all the oblations that are made in this world.
अपां गर्भो महाभागः सत्त्वभुग् यो महाद्भुतः। भूपतिर्भुवभर्ता च महतः पतिरुच्यते॥
That great son of Svaha, the great Adbhuta fire, is the soul of the waters and the prince and the regent of the sky and the lord of everything great.
दहन् मृतानि भूतानी तस्याग्निर्भरतोऽभवत्। अग्निष्टोमे च नियतः क्रतुश्रेष्ठो भरस्य तु॥
His son, the Bharata fire, consumes the dead bodies of all creatures. His first Kratu is known as Niyata at the performance of Agnishtoma.
स वह्निः प्रथमो नित्यं देवैरन्विष्यते प्रभुः। आयान्तं नियतं दृष्ट्वा प्रविवेशार्णवं भयात्॥
That mighty chief fire (Svaha) is always missed by the celestials, for when he sees Niyata coming towards him, he hides himself in the sea for fear.
देवास्तत्रापि गच्छन्ति मार्गमाणा यथादिशम्। दृष्ट्वा त्वग्निरथर्वाणं ततो वचनमब्रवीत्॥
Seeing him in every direction, the celestials could not find him out and seeing Atharvan, the fire thus spoke to him.
देवानां वह हव्यं त्वमहं वीर सुदुर्बलः। अथ त्वं गच्छ मध्वक्षं प्रियमेतत् कुरुष्व मे॥
"O hero, carry the oblations for the celestials. I am unable to do it for the want of strength. Becoming the red-eyed fire, be good enough to do me this favour."
प्रेष्य चाग्निरथर्वाणमन्यं देशं ततोऽगमत्। मत्स्यास्तस्य समाचख्युः क्रुद्धस्तानग्निरब्रवीत्। भक्ष्या वै विविधैर्भावैर्भविष्यथ शरीरिणाम्॥
Having thus spoken to Atharvan, the fire went away to some other place. But his place of concealment was divulged by the fish, Upon them he passed this course in anger.
अथर्वाणं तथा चापि हव्यवाहोऽब्रवीद् वचः।११।।
You shall be the food of all creatures in various ways." Then the fire spoke to Atharvan (again as he did before).
अनुनीयमानो हि भृशं देववाक्याद्धि तेन सः। नैच्छद् वोढुं हविः सोढुं शरीरं चापि सोऽत्यजत्॥
Though entreated by the celestials, he did not agree to continue to carry the oblations. He then became insensible and abandoned his body.
स तच्छरीरं संत्यज्य प्रविवेश धरां तदा। भूमिं स्पृष्टासृजद् धातून पृथक् पृथगतीव हि॥ पूयात् स गन्धं तेजश्च अस्थिभ्यो देवदारु च। श्लेष्मणः स्फाटिकं तस्य पित्तान्मारकतं तथा॥ यकृत् कृष्णायसं तस्य त्रिभिरेव वभुः प्रजाः। नखास्तस्याभ्रपटलं शिराजलानि विदुमम्॥
Leaving his material body, he entered into the nether world. Coming in contact with the earth, he created different force and perfume arose from his puss, the Deodar tree from his bones, grass from this phlegm, the Marakata jewel from his bile and the black iron from his liver. All the worlds have been established with these three substances. The clouds were made from his nails and corals from his arteries,
शरीराद् विविधाश्चान्ये धातवोऽस्याभवन् नृप। एवं त्यक्त्वा शरीरं च परमे तपसि स्थितः॥
O King, various other metals were produced from his body. Thus leaving his material body, he lay absorbed in meditation.
भृग्वङ्गिरादिभिर्भूयस्तपसोत्थापितस्तदा। भृशं जज्वाल तेजस्वी तपसाऽऽप्यायित: शिखी।॥
He was roused by the penance of Bhrigu and Angirasa. The mighty Agni, thus gratified by their penance, blazed forth in great effulgence.
दृष्ट्वा ऋषि भयाच्चापि प्रविवेश महार्णवम्। तस्मिन् नष्टे जगद् भीतमथर्वाणमथाश्रितम्। अर्चयामासुरेवैनमथर्वाणं सुरादयः॥
But seeing the Rishi, he in fear again entered the great ocean. When he thus disappeared, all the worlds were filled with fear and came to Atharvan for protection. The celestials and others then began to adore Atharvan.
अथर्वा त्वसृजल्लोकानात्मनाऽऽलोक्य पावकम्। मिषतां सर्वभूतानामुन्ममाथ महार्णवम्॥ एवमग्निर्भगवता नष्टः पूर्वमथर्वणा। आहूतः सर्वभूतानां हव्यं वहति सर्वदा॥
Atharvan overhauled the whole sea and (at last) finding Agni, he himself (then) began the creation. Thus the fire was destroyed and rescued from the sea. thus was he revived by the exalted Atharvan; and thus from that time he always carries the oblations of all creatures.
एवं त्वजनयद् धिष्ण्यान् वेदोक्तान् विबुधान् बहून्। विचरन् विविधान् देशान् भ्रममाणस्तु तत्र वै॥
Living in the sea and travelling in various countries, he produced the various fires mentioned in the Shastras.
सिन्धुनदं पञ्चनदं देविकाथ सरस्वती। गङ्गा च शतकुम्भा च सरयूर्गण्डसाह्वया॥ चर्मग्वती मही चैव मेध्या मेधातिथिस्तदा। ताम्रवती वेत्रवती नद्यस्तिस्रोऽथ कौशिकी॥ तमसा नर्मदा चैव नदी गोदावरी तथा। वेणोपवेणा भीमा च वडवा चैव भारत॥ भारती सुप्रयोगा च कावेरी मुर्मुरा तथा। तुड़वेणा कृष्णवेणा कपिला शोण एव च॥ एता नद्यस्तु धिष्ण्यानां मातरो याः प्रकीर्तिताः।
The river Sindhu, the five rivers, the Devika, the Sarasvati, the Ganga, the Shatakumbha, the Sarayu, the Gandaki, the Charmnavati, the Mahi, the Medhya, the Medhatithi, the three rivers Tamravati, the Vetravati, the Kaushiki, the Tamasa, the Narmada, the Godavari, the Vena, the Upavena, the Bhima, the Vadava, the Bharati, the Suprayoga, the Kaveri, the Murmura, the Tungavena, the Krishnavena, the Kapila and the Sonabhadra, these rivers are said to be the mothers of the fires.
अद्भुतस्य प्रिया भार्या तस्य पुत्रो विभूरसिः॥ यावन्तः पावकाः प्रोक्ताः सोमास्तावन्त एव तु। अत्रेचाप्यन्वये जाता ब्रह्मणो मानसाः प्रजाः॥
Adbhuta had a wife named Priya and Vibhurasi was his eldest son. There are as many kinds of Soma sacrifices as the number of fires mentioned. All these fires were first born from the spirit of Brahma, but they also sprung from the race of Atri.
अत्रिः पुत्रान् स्रष्टुकामस्तानेवात्मन्यधारयत्।२८॥ तस्य तद्ब्रह्मणः कार्यान्निर्हरन्ति हुताशनाः।
He in his own mind conceived these sons in order to extend the creation. These fires all sprung from his Brahmic body.
एवमेते महात्मानः कीर्तितास्तेऽग्नयो मया।॥ अप्रमेया यथोत्पन्नाः श्रीमन्तस्तिमिरापहाः।
I have thus narrated to you the history of the origin of the (different) fires. They are great, effulgent and matchless in prowess; and they are the destroyer of darkness.
अद्भुतस्य तु माहात्म्यं यथा वेदेषु कीर्तितम्॥ तादृशं विद्धि सर्वेषामेको ह्येषु हुताशनः।
Know that the prowess of all fires is the same as that of the Adbhuta fire as described in the Vedas. All these fires are one and the same.
एक एवैष भगवान् विज्ञेयः प्रथमोऽङ्गिराः॥ बहुधा निःसृतः कायाज्ज्योतिष्टोमः क्रतुर्यथा।
This adorable and exalted being, the firstborn fire, must be considered as all the fires, for like the Jyotishtoma sacrifice, he came out of Angira's body in various forms.
इत्येष वंशः सुमहानग्नीनां कीर्तितो मया। योऽर्चितो विविधैर्मन्त्रैर्हव्यं वहति देहिनाम्॥
I have thus told you the history of the great Agni race. When duly worshipped with hymns they carry the oblations of all creatures to the celestials.