Rig Veda · 373 of 1027
Mandala 5: HYMN XIX. Agni.
1.ONE state begets another state: husk is made visible from husk: Within his Mother’s side he speaks.
2.Discerning, have they offered gifts: they guard the strength that never wastes. To a strong fort have they pressed in.
3.Śvaitreya’s people, all his men, have gloriously increased in might. A gold chain Bṛhaduktha wears, as, through this Soma, seeking spoil.
4.I bring, as ’twere, the longed-for milk, the dear milk of the Sister-Pair. Like to a caldron filled with food is he, unconquered, conquering all.
5.Beam of light, come to us in sportive fashion, finding thyself close to the wind that fans thee. These flames of his are wasting flames, like arrows keen-pointed, sharpened, on his breast.
Asked of Guide
Why does this hymn call Agni a 'beam of light' and compare his flames to 'arrows keen-pointed'?
The hymn describes Agni as a visible, active force — “Beam of light” captures his sudden presence and the way he moves with the wind, entering and animating the ritual. The simile ties his brilliance to motion and contact: light that comes in “sportive fashion” and meets the fan of wind emphasizes Agni’s arrival and liveliness in the sacrifice.
Comparing flames to “arrows keen-pointed” stresses Agni’s efficacy and direction: his fire pierces, defends, and conquers, just as the hymn says he is “unconquered, conquering all.” This imagery matches the Rig Veda’s broader habit (see other hymns to Agni) of treating the fire as both nourishing and warlike, a mediator who brings gifts and power to the worshippers.
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