Agnih Purvebhihi – Rigveda Mantra Explained
The second mantra of Rigveda Samhita, after agnimeele purohitam:
अग्निः पूर्वेभिरृषिभिरीड्यो नूतनैरूत । स देवां एह वक्षति
अग्निः । पूर्वेभिः । ऋषिऽभिः । ईड्यः । नूतनैः । उत । सः । देवान् । आ । इह । वक्षति ।
In the first mantra agnimeele, we saw various characteristics of Agni Deva – he is the purohita, he assumes the role of Rigvedic priest called hota whenever Devas conduct yajnas, and among those who give wealth – those divinities who bless us with wealth – he is the foremost, ratnadhatamaha.
In this mantra, it is said that Lord Agni used to be praised by the rishis of olden times – पूर्वेभिः ऋषिभिः.
नूतनैरुत – and also by us, the present ones.
The rishi of this mantra is Madhuchhanda. This mantra is revealed to the rishi by name Madhuchhanda. Madhuchhanda is not the author of this mantra. He didn’t sit down and write this mantra like how someone would write a poem. This mantra was revealed to him. It just appeared in his consciousness. He didn’t claim authorship of this mantra. He knew that he didn’t create this mantra. It just came to him from somewhere. He saw it or he heard it.
This difference we should understand.
When Kalidasa wrote Shakuntalam, it did not exist before. The kavya called Shakuntalam was created by Kalidasa. So we say, the author of Shakuntalam is Kalidasa.
But Madhuchhanda was not the author of this mantra.
This mantra existed even before Madhuchhanda was born, as shabda brahma. The mantras pre-existed the rishis. This should be clear in the mind.
We say that the universe was created from Veda mantras.
How?
The universe or creation has time in it. The universe consists of space and time.
When your computer engineer installs an operating system in your computer – before that, only the hardware is there. Then when he installs the operating system, the directory structure is created. He brings a CD, puts it in the CD drive, something goes inside, and suddenly everything gets rearranged into directories and folders and subfolders. The structure is created. After that, you can create folders and files as you want.
Like that, in this mantra we see purva and nutana – two terms are there: old and new.
Old and new are based on what – time.
So, if you want to introduce time into something in which time is not there, then the keywords are old and new. When these keywords are introduced, then it is as good as time is introduced. The system of kaala, the time, comes into existence.
When this mantra is chanted for the first time ever at the time of creation, then time comes into existence because the keywords old and new – purva and nutana – are there in this mantra.
I am just narrating a principle. This is not everything. Just saying how Veda mantras work. There may be other mantras involved in creating time.
स देवां एह वक्षति – May that God Agni invite all the Devas here to take part in this yajna.
In the previous mantra, we saw that Agni is agranee of Devatas – he is the leader, he walks in front, he shows the way. So, Agni is prayed to, to show the way to Devas and bring Devas here.
He calls out to Devas. His presence shows that yajna is going to be conducted.
Whenever the other Devas see yagagni being enkindled, they know that yajna is going to take place. Agni calls their attention, and they come.
That is why Agni is prayed to – to bring Devas to take part in the yajna.
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