Rig Veda · 255 of 1027
Mandala 3: HYMN XXI. Agni.
1.SET this our sacrifice among the Immortals: be pleased with these our presents, Jātavedas. O Priest, O Agni, sit thee down before us, and first enjoy the drops of oil and fatness.
2.For thee, O Purifier, flow the drops of fatness rich in oil. After thy wont vouchsafe to us the choicest boon that Gods may feast.
3.Agni, Most Excellent! for thee the Sage are drops that drip with oil. Thou art enkindled as the best of Seers. Help thou the sacrifice.
4.To thee, O Agni, mighty and resistless, to thee stream forth the drops of oil and fatness. With great light art thou come, O praised by poets! Accept our offering, O thou Sage.
5.Fatness exceeding rich, extracted from the midst,—this as our gift we offer thee. Excellent God, the drops run down upon thy skin. Deal them to each among the Gods.
Asked of Guide
Why does the hymn keep offering Agni oily drops and fatness?
The hymn presents Agni as Jātavedas and Purifier who consumes the oily drops so the sacrifice reaches the Gods; lines repeat “drops of oil and fatness” to show the offering’s material and ritual importance. The poet treats Agni as mediator and seer—“Thou art enkindled as the best of Seers”—so feeding him is feeding the channel through which the Gods receive choicest boon.
This chapter insists on abundance and light: fatness “rich in oil” and Agni’s “great light” are paired images of nourishment and sacred clarity; the ritual offering enacts that pairing. Compare Hymn I.1 where Agni’s role as priest and messenger is likewise emphasized; both hymns make the act of pouring oil a way to distribute blessings among the Gods.
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