Agnihotra mantras — Devanāgarī, transliteration, meaning, audio
All the mantras of Agnihotra: the fire invocations, the four Vyāhṛti offerings, Sūryāya svāhā and Agnaye svāhā, Prajāpataye svāhā — with meaning and recorded audio.
The mantras below are the ones the live clock speaks, in the order of the ceremony. Devanāgarī first, then a transliteration, the meaning, and what the hand does. Press the button to hear each one read aloud.
1 · Invoking the fire
Said while the ghee-smeared cow-dung cake catches and the flame rises, two minutes before zero.
1.ॐ अग्निमीळे पुरोहितं यज्ञस्य देवमृत्विजम् । होतारं रत्नधातमम् ॥
Oṃ agnim īḷe purohitaṃ yajñasya devam ṛtvijam · hotāraṃ ratnadhātamam
I praise Agni, the priest set in front, the shining one of the yajña, the invoker who bestows treasures.
→ Light the ghee-smeared cow-dung cake in the copper kuṇḍa.
Ṛgveda 1.1.1
2.ॐ महाज्वालाय विद्महे अग्निमध्याय धीमहि । तन्नो अग्निः प्रचोदयात् ॥
Oṃ mahājvālāya vidmahe agnimadhyāya dhīmahi · tanno agniḥ pracodayāt
We know the great flame; we meditate on the heart of the fire. May Agni inspire us.
→ Let the flame rise; fan gently if needed, never blow with the mouth.
Agni Gāyatrī (popular form)
3.ॐ वैश्वानराय विद्महे लालीलाय धीमहि । तन्नो अग्निः प्रचोदयात् ॥
Oṃ vaiśvānarāya vidmahe lālīlāya dhīmahi · tanno agniḥ pracodayāt
We know Vaiśvānara, the fire in all beings; we meditate on the playing flame. May Agni inspire us.
→ Keep the copper spoon and the ghee ready at your right hand.
Mahānārāyaṇa Upaniṣad (Taittirīya Āraṇyaka 10)
2 · The Vyāhṛti offerings
Four offerings of ghee by the copper spoon, one at each svāhā. The set of four is repeated 3 times.
1.भूः स्वाहा । अग्नये इदं न मम ॥
Bhūḥ svāhā · Agnaye idaṃ na mama
Earth — svāhā. This is for Agni, not mine.
→ Offer one spoon of ghee into the fire at svāhā.
2.भुवः स्वाहा । वायवे इदं न मम ॥
Bhuvaḥ svāhā · Vāyave idaṃ na mama
Atmosphere — svāhā. This is for Vāyu, not mine.
→ Offer one spoon of ghee at svāhā.
3.स्वः स्वाहा । सूर्याय इदं न मम ॥
Svaḥ svāhā · Sūryāya idaṃ na mama
Heaven — svāhā. This is for Sūrya, not mine.
→ Offer one spoon of ghee at svāhā.
4.भूर्भुवः स्वः स्वाहा । प्रजापतये इदं न मम ॥
Bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ svāhā · Prajāpataye idaṃ na mama
Earth, atmosphere, heaven — svāhā. This is for Prajāpati, not mine.
→ Offer one spoon of ghee at svāhā. This completes one round.
3 · The two āhutis at zero time
Rice with a little ghee, offered with the fingers of the right hand, inside the 24 seconds after zero.
At sunrise
1.सूर्याय स्वाहा । सूर्याय इदं न मम ॥
Sūryāya svāhā · Sūryāya idaṃ na mama
To Sūrya — svāhā. This is for Sūrya, not mine.
→ Offer the first pinch of rice + ghee at svāhā.
2.प्रजापतये स्वाहा । प्रजापतये इदं न मम ॥
Prajāpataye svāhā · Prajāpataye idaṃ na mama
To Prajāpati — svāhā. This is for Prajāpati, not mine.
→ Offer the second pinch at svāhā. Then sit still.
At sunset
1.अग्नये स्वाहा । अग्नये इदं न मम ॥
Agnaye svāhā · Agnaye idaṃ na mama
To Agni — svāhā. This is for Agni, not mine.
→ Offer the first pinch of rice + ghee at svāhā.
2.प्रजापतये स्वाहा । प्रजापतये इदं न मम ॥
Prajāpataye svāhā · Prajāpataye idaṃ na mama
To Prajāpati — svāhā. This is for Prajāpati, not mine.
→ Offer the second pinch at svāhā. Then sit still.
Separate mantras
Recited while sitting with the settled fire. They are not part of the timed process.
1.ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः । तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि । धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥
Oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ · tat savitur vareṇyaṃ bhargo devasya dhīmahi · dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt
We meditate on the adorable light of Savitṛ; may it inspire our thoughts.
Ṛgveda 3.62.10 (with the vyāhṛti prefix)
2.ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् । उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात् ॥
Oṃ tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭivardhanam · urvārukam iva bandhanān mṛtyor mukṣīya mā'mṛtāt
We worship the three-eyed one, fragrant, increaser of nourishment; as a cucumber from its stem, may we be freed from death, not from immortality.
Ṛgveda 7.59.12