V.27

✦ ─── ⟐ ─── ✦

O Agni, accept this hymn of praise for the generosity of Tryaruna and Trasadasyu, the great patrons of the Atri clan! These men have poured forth their wealth upon the altar of the gods with hands as open as the sky. Their offerings rise like mountains heaped with treasure.

Tryaruna hath given cattle without number. His herds stretch across the plains like clouds gathering before the storm. Each beast is perfect, unblemished, chosen with care to honor the sacred fire. The wealth that he hath surrendered unto thee, O Agni, would suffice to feed a thousand families for a thousand years.

Trasadasyu, his companion in generosity, hath given gold and precious stones. From his coffers floweth treasure like water from the source of a river. He hath given horses swift as the wind. He hath given chariots decorated with gold. He hath given garments woven with the finest thread. All of this doth he place upon thy altar with gladness and without grudging.

These men understand a truth that escapeth the comprehension of lesser mortals: that to give unto the gods is to invest in one's own eternity. Every rupee that they sacrifice, every head of cattle that they surrender, every precious stone that they place at thy feet shall return to them a thousandfold in the realms beyond death.

O Agni, remember these names! Tryaruna and Trasadasyu—remember them in the heavens! Let the gods know of their magnificence and their worthiness. Let their descendants prosper through all generations. Let their names be sung in praise through all the ages of the world.

For those who serve the sacred fire with such devotion and such generosity deserve a blessing beyond measure. May they dwell in happiness. May their families flourish. May their memory be honored forever among the righteous. This is our prayer for them, O Agni, spoken in gratitude for their example of perfect sacrifice.