Mahabharata · 1.220.26–27
॥
Devanāgarī
त्वाम् अग्ने जलदान् आहुः खे विषक्तान् सविद्युतः ॥
दहन्ति सर्वभूतानि त्वत्तो निष्क्रम्य हायनाः ॥
जातवेदस् तवैवेयं विश्वसृष्टिर् महाद्युते ॥
तवैव कर्म विहितं भूतं सर्वं चराचरम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tvām agne jaladān āhuḥ khe viṣaktān savidyutaḥ ||
dahanti sarvabhūtāni tvatto niṣkramya hāyanāḥ ||
jātavedas tavaiveyaṃ viśvasṛṣṭir mahādyute ||
tavaiva karma vihitaṃ bhūtaṃ sarvaṃ carācaram ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
त्वाम् अग्ने जलदान् आहुः खे विषक्तान् सविद्युतःtvām agne jaladān āhuḥ khe viṣaktān savidyutaḥyou, Agni, they call the rain-clouds, hanging in the sky, with lightning;
दहन्ति सर्वभूतानि त्वत्तः निष्क्रम्य हायनाःdahanti sarvabhūtāni tvattaḥ niṣkramya hāyanāḥ[flames] issuing forth from you burn all beings;
जातवेदः तव एव इयं विश्वसृष्टिः महाद्युतेjātavedaḥ tava eva iyaṃ viśvasṛṣṭiḥ mahādyuteO Jatavedas, this creation of the universe is yours indeed, O greatly radiant one;
तव एव कर्म विहितं भूतं सर्वं चराचरम्tava eva karma vihitaṃ bhūtaṃ sarvaṃ carācaramby you alone all that exists, moving and unmoving, has been ordained;
त्वत्तोtvattooriginal form "tvatto", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जातवेदस्jātavedasoriginal form "jātavedas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तवैवेयंtavaiveyaṃoriginal form "tavaiveyaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विश्वसृष्टिर्viśvasṛṣṭiroriginal form "viśvasṛṣṭir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तवैवtavaivaoriginal form "tavaiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"You, Agni, they call the rain-clouds, hanging in the sky, with lightning; flames issuing forth from you burn all beings; O Jatavedas, this creation of the universe is yours indeed, O greatly radiant one; by you alone all that exists, moving and unmoving, has been ordained."
Version
c50ccbaf6ef5 · published Jul 12, 2026, 6:11:49 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here Agni is discerned in the cloud, in the lightning, and in all creation. It is telling that the one who praises him sees a single fiery principle in everything: both clouds and lightning are its manifestations. Here is the mind's ascent from many phenomena to a single source. So the scripture reveals Agni's all-pervasiveness; and this is itself a step toward the knowledge of the one Lord within everything.