In this chapter forty-nine ritualistic functions of Fire are represented as so many Fire-gods and the correlation of these is arranged in a genealogical form. In fact, it is a Vedic conception presented here in a popular form. Probably this formed a part of the original Puraņa as it is found in the Mbh. Vana chs. 217-222, Bd. P. I. 2.12, Mt, P. 51, VP. I. 10. 14-17 to mention a few. V. S. Agrawal regards Va. P. account as the original (Mt. P.: A study, p. 155). Pargiter did not know the Vedic back ground when he condemned it as ‘imaginary genealogy’ (AIHT, p. 122) for it is no ‘genealogy’ at all.
1-2. A mental son of Brahma was the deity identifying himself with Agni (the Fire-god) in the Svayambhuva Manvantara. Svähà bore to him three sons:2 Påvaka, Pāvamana and Shuchi or Shaura (solar-fire).
2. The relations of the following fires will be clear from the following genealogical table:
3. Pavamana is the fire which is obtained after churning (the Arani). Shuchi is remembered as the solar fire. Påvaka is the fire originating from the lightning. These are their (specific) abodes.
4. Pavamana’s son is called Kavya-vähana. From Păvaka was born Saharaksha. Havyaváha was the son of Shuchi.
5. Havyaväha is the fire of Devas. Kavyavāha is the fire of Pitris. Saharakṣha is the fire of Asuras. These are (thus) the three fires pertaining to the three (viz. Devas, Pitris and Asuras).
6. Their sons and grandsons are forty-nine in number. I shall mention their divisions separately by (stating their) names.
7. Vaidyuta1, the secular the fire, was the first son of Brahma. His son Brahmaudanägni was famous (by the name) Bharata.
1. The group from Vaidyuta fire is arranged as follows:
Vaidyuta (Fire)
Brahmaudana or Bharata
Vaiśhvānara Kavya Apam-rasa
Agni is called Bharata as he supplies Havya to gods. As Shat. Br. (I.4.2.2) explains:
esha agnir hi devebhyo bharati tasmad bharatagnir ityāhuh.
This genealogy thus identifies:
Brahmaudana=Bharata=Vaišhvånara (For details, sec V.S. Agrawa ibid p. 158).
8. Vaišhvånara and others were his sons. They were Mahar, Kävya and Apam-rasa. Amruta was first churned in the Pushkara2 ocean by Atharvan. That Atharvan is the terrestrial fire. Dadhyan3 was Atharvan’s son.
2. This is a reference to RVvi. 16. 12 where Agni is said to have been churned out of Pushkara. Thus Pushkara=Waters (Apo vai Puşhkaram Shat. Br. VI. 4.2.2). Shat. Br. VII. 4.1-13 further explains that when Indra became frightened after killing Vrutra, he resorted to waters. They (waters) offered their sap (abām rasah) to him and created a city (pur) for him. Hence water came to be called Pushkara (asmai buram akurvans tasmad pushkaram ha vai tat puşhkaram āchakşhate parokşham.
3. Dadhyan is etymologically related with dadhi which according to Shat. Br. 7.5-1 is a symbol of the earth or Matter (dadhi haivāshya lokasya rūpam). Probably it is related to Dakşhiņagni.
9. Atharvan shall be known as Bhrugu and Angiras as the son of Atharvan. Hence it is that the worldly fire Dadhyan was Atharvan’s son.
10. Now the fire Pavamāna1 which is remembered by the wise as Nirmantha (one generated by churning) should be known as Gārhapatya fire from whom were born two sons.
1. Pavamana (=Garhapatya Agni)
Shamsya Shukra
[Ahavaniya fire
=Havyavāhana]
Sabhya Avasathya
Sabhya is the fire kept burning in the recreation hall for diffusing warmth to people assembled (Medhatithi on Manu III. 185). Like the Garhapatya fire, it is produced by friction (Katyāyana Shrauta Sutra IV. 9. 20).
Avasathya is the fire to be kept in the guest-room.
11. Shaṁsya is the Ahavaniya fire which is known as Havyavāhana. His second son is named as Shukra who is consecrated by reciting sacred Mantras.
12. Sabhya and Avasathya were the two sons of the fire Shamsya. Shamsya Havyavāhana which is known as the Ahavaniya fire by the Brāhmaṇas loved sixteen rivers.2
2. This is a poetic way of describing the spread of Yajña-cult. It covers the geographical area from Central Asia from the river Sitā or the Tarim (AGP 100-102) down to the Käveri in South India. Modern political maps of India do not show India as known to Purāņas.
13-14. They were Kåverī, Krişhnaveņi, Narmada, Yamunā, Godāvarī, Vitastā, Chandrabhāgā, Irāvati, Vipāśhā, Kaushiki, Shatadru, Sarayü, Sīta, Sarasvati, Hrādini and Påvani.3
3. The following are the modern names in the above list of rivers given in vv. 13-14: Krishņā-Veni (the Krishna), Vitastă (the Jhelum), Chandrabhāgā (the Chinab), Iravati (the Rāvi), Vipäśha (the Bias), Shatadru (the Sutlej), Kaushiki (the Kosi), Sità (the Tarim-Yarkand), Hrådini (the Brahmaputra?), Iāvani (the Ghaggar).
15. He divided himself into separate sixteen parts among them and deposited himself in those dhişhņis.
16. Dhişhnis move about in the sky. Those that are born in them are called Dhishnis. They are proclaimed as Dhishnis as they are born in Dhişhnis.
17. Hence these sons of the rivers were born in Dhishnis. Out of them some fires are Viharaniya (portable) and some
are Upastheya (to be worshipped at their places or spots)1 Listen, I shall explain them succinctly and precisely.
1. The author classifies Dhişhnya fires into (1) Viharanīya and (2) Upastheya. The Dhishnya was a side-altar of a heap of earth covered with sand. Fire was placed on the altar. In soma sacrifices, these fires were placed between the altar (Vedi) of the Shrauta Yajña and the Uttara-Vedi meant for soma sacrifice. The designation Upastheya is given to these fires as they were to he approached at their fixed places on the Uttara Vedi. The Viharaniya fires were so called as they could be taken to any spot considered necessary on the day of the Yajña.
18. Rutu, Pravāhana and Agnidhra arc the Dhişhnis in front. Others are ordained in accordance with their seats in the order of sacrifice on the day when Soma juice is extracted.
19. Listen to the order of fires, the names of which are not mentioned before.2 The fire Samrat is the fire stationed on the second Uttara-vedi.
2. Verses 19-24 give the list of Upastheya fires as follows:
1. Samrād agni also called Krushānu.
2. Parşhad (but Mt. P. names it Parjanya) [Mt. P. mentions Samūhya fires but our text omits it].
3. Brahma-jyotih (called Vasudhāma in Mt. P.) If the reading Vasudhaman of Mt. P. 51-21 for Vasurnāma in our text be accepted, it would mean “The fire Brahma-jyotih another name of which is - Vasudhaman is in the place of the Brahman”).
4. Shāmitra: The reading in Mt. P. (ibid) means, “The fire Havyasūda is also called Shamitra and Assamrujjya.
5. Ajaikapāda also called Shalamukhiya.
6. Ahirbudhnya also called Anuddeshya.
The fire Sata-dhāmā alias Shvarjyoti in the list of Mt. P. is not found in our text.
20. The Samrāt fire is proclaimed as eight (fold in form?). Brāhmaṇas worship them. Beneath it is the second Parşhad fire.
21. When the mantras “Pra tadvoche nabhaḥ (VS. 33.9?) etc, are repeated four times that fire is conceived. The fire named Brahma-Jyoti-Vasu3 is spoken to have its abode in Brahma’s region.
3. Variations from Mt. P are noted in the notes.
22-23. A fire having no association with the celestial or the sacrificial fires has an abode in the cremation ground. The terrestrial fire of the ocean is said to abide in Brahma’s region. The lustrous fire Rutudhāmā lives in the Udumbara wood. (Line repeated the fire called Brahma-jyoti Vasu is said to be abiding in Brahma’s region.
24. Ajaikapāt is the Upastheya fire. Its place is in front of the sacrificial hall. Ahirbudhnya is the Anuddeshya (not kindled?). That fire is proclaimed as Gruhhapati.
25. All the sons of Shamsya fire are regarded as Upastheya by Brāhmaṇas.
I shall now explain the Viharaniyas and their eight sons.1
1. Viharaniya fires are eight in number. But their lists in our text and in the Mt. P. are different. These portable (viharaniya) fires are regarded as the sons of the stationary fires. The list of Viharanīya fires in our text is as follows:
1. Pravāhana, 2. Shanti or Prachetas or Satya, 3. Viśhvadeva, 4. Avakşhu, 5. Uśhīra, 6. Vyaratti. Two more names are missing in this list, but Mt. P. 51 gives only four names and cannot supply the missing names.
26. Kratu, Pravāhana and Agnidhra are the Dhişhnis there. On the day when Soma juice is extracted, they are carried to their spots.
27. The fire which is remembered as the son of Pautra, that Havya-bearer is called fire shanti or Prachetas or Satya. It is the second fire.
28. The fire Viśhvadeva is said to be at Brahma-sthāna. Avakşhu, the son of Acchávāka, is conceived to be at the position of the earth (Bhu).
29. The powerful fire Uśhīra is regarded as the son of Neşhthiya. The eighth fire Vyaratti is proclaimed as the son of Märjāli (?).
30. Dhişhnyās are Viharaniyas (portable?) by Saumya (?) and another. Out of them that which is called Påvaka is the foetus of waters.2
2. Verses 30-35 give the following descendants of the fire Pāvaka:
Pāvaka→Avabhrutha→Hrucchaya→Manyuman
→Samvartaka Saharakşha →Kşhāma→Kravyäd.
The list of Agnis (Sons of Bruhaspati) in Mbh Vana 219 though similar to this list is unsystematic and probably later. The same can be said of the list in the Mt. P. 51.
31. That fire shall be known as “Avabhrutha” which is worshipped properly by oblations in the waters. The fire Hrucchaya is his son, it is the fire stationed in the belly of men.
32. Manyuman, the scholarly fire, is the son of Jathara (Gastric) fire. Mutually kindled that fire is the lord of living beings.
33. The son of the fire Manyumān is the terrible Samvartaka fire. That mare-faced fire stays in the ocean consuming its waters.
34. Saharakṣha is the son of the submarine fire. Saharaksha’s son Kşhama burns human habitations.
35. The fire Kravyāda is his son. It consumes the dead. These are the sons i.e. descendants of the fire Påvaka.
36. The fire Shuchi, son of the Sun, was kindled by Gandharvas and Asuras by churning the Arani wood.1
1. Verses 36-41 give the following descendants’ of Shuchi (the Son of the Sun-god):
Shuchi→Ayus→Mahiman→Säväna (cooking as well as sacrificial fire) →Adbhuta→Vivichi → Arka.
Anikavan Asrujavān Rakshobha Pitrikrut Surabhi
Rukmavan
Mt. P. adds Vira as the Son of Adbhuta.
37. Lord Ayus is the fire consecrated in the animal. Mahiman was the son of Ayus and his son was Shāvana by name.
38. The fire that identifies (itself with it) in cooking and sacrifices is known as Savana. The son of the fire Savana was the famous Adbhuta.
39. Vivichi is known as the great son of Adbhuta. It always swallows the offerings in expiatory rites of sinners.
40. Vivichi’s son was Arka and his sons are Anīkavän, Asrujavăn, Rakşhohā, Pitrukrut, Surabhi and Rukmavān. The latter abides in gold, jewels and other shining materials.
41. The fourteen fires are the progeny of the fire Shuchi. These are called Vahnis. They are consecrated by reciting mantras in sacrifices.
42. In the Manvantara called Svayambhuva, in the first Sarga (creation), these fires who were Abhimānins, had passed away along with the Yamas, the best of Devas.
43. In the previous Manvantara, these fires were those who identified themselves with their abodes called Viharaniyas, both sentient and non-sentient.
44. These (fires) were assigned to the three types of Karmas, viz. Kāmya (those depending on desire), Naimittika (occasional) and constant (Nitya). In the previous Manvantara they passed away along with the fair sons.
45-46. Thus the abodes and the abiders have been explained by me. Through them alone, the characteristics of the fires of the past and future Manvantaras have been enumerated. All of them are remembered as ascetics, those who performed Avabhrutha bath, lords of subjects and luminous.
47. In the seven Manvantaras from Svārochisha to Savarni, they shall be known through their different forms and purposes in all the Manvantaras.
48. The present fires exist with the present Devas and the future fires with the future Devas.
49. Thus the instruction about Fire-god has been imparted to you precisely. Now the account of Pitris (manes) will be told in detail and in due order.