O Agni, born of heaven and earth! Thy father is the infinite sky that stretcheth beyond all measure. Thy mother is the eternal earth that beareth all creatures upon her breast. From this union—from the embracing of the boundless above and the solid below—thou didst spring forth.

In thee are married the opposites. Thou art both ethereal and material. Thou art spirit and substance. Thou risest upward in smoke toward the heavens from whence thy father cometh, yet thy roots are planted deep within the earth where thy mother dwelleth. Thou art the mediating principle, the bridge between the celestial and the terrestrial realms.

The heavens rejoice at thy presence, O Fire! The immortal gods gather round thy altar. They feast upon thy offerings. They are nourished and strengthened by the smoke that riseth from thy flames. Without thee, they would have no means of receiving the sacrifices of mortals. Without thee, they would be cut off from all communion with the world below.

And the earth also rejoiceth in thee! Thou warmest her bosom in winter. Thou givest light to all the creatures that crawl and walk and fly upon her surface. Thou art present in all the processes of growth and transformation that occur within her domain. Without thee, she would be a cold and lifeless sphere, devoid of all animation.

Thus art thou loved by both thy parents! Thus art thou honored in all the realms! Thou art the child of the highest union, the offspring of the marriage of opposites, the fruit of the eternal embrace between sky and earth.

Come now, and be kindled upon our altars! Rise from the wood in flames of glory! Ascend to thy father in the heavens while thy roots remain deep within thy mother's breast! Be thou our link between all worlds, our mediator between all states of being!