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Rig Veda · 999 of 1027
Mandala 10: HYMN CLXII. Agni.
1.MAY Agni, yielding to our prayer, the Rakṣas-slayer, drive away The malady of evil name that hath beset thy labouring womb.
2.Agni, concurring in the prayer, drive off the eater of the flesh, The malady of evil name that hath attacked thy babe and womb.
3.That which destroys the sinking germ, the settled, moving embryo, That which will kill the babe at birth,—even this will we drive far away.
4.That which divides thy legs that it may lie between the married pair, That penetrates and licks thy side,—even this will we exterminate.
5.What rests by thee in borrowed form of brother, lover, or of lord, And would destroy thy Progeny,—even this will we exterminate.
6.That which through sleep or darkness hath deceived thee and lies down by thee, And will destroy thy progeny,—even this will we exterminate.
Asked of Guide
Why does this hymn ask Agni to drive away things that 'lie down by thee' and 'divide thy legs'?
The hymn describes Agni as protector of childbirth and lineage, invoked to expel invisible destructive forces that attack womb and embryo. It treats those forces as intimate intruders — appearing as a brother, lover, or in sleep and darkness — whose closeness lets them “divide thy legs” or “lie down by thee.”
Calling Agni to “exterminate” these threats makes the ritual role concrete: sacrifice and speech remove whatever falsely appears as kin or consort and so preserve progeny. This practical focus on safeguarding birth echoes similar concerns in the Atharva Veda, where rites aim to repel harmful spirits and secure fertility.
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