9.16 I am the rite and the fire Krishna speaks
अहं क्रतुरहं यज्ञः स्वधाऽहमहमौषधम्
मंत्रोऽहमहमेवाज्यमहमग्निरहं हुतम्
ahaṁ kratur ahaṁ yajñaḥ svadhāham aham auṣhadham
mantro ’ham aham evājyam aham agnir ahaṁ hutam
I am the rite, I am the offering, I am the oblation to the ancestors, I am the herb, I am the sacred word, I am the clarified butter, I am the fire, and I am the pouring.
Explanation
I am the rite, and every part of it.
The offering, the oblation, the herb, the sacred word, the butter, the fire, and the pouring.
Not the recipient of the ritual — its components, one by one, down to the act of pouring. Nothing is left over for the worshipper to have supplied, which is what makes 9.26's leaf and flower enough.
Word by word
- aham
- I
- kratuḥ
- Vedic ritual
- aham
- I
- yajñaḥ
- sacrifice
- svadhā
- oblation
- aham
- I
- aham
- I
- auṣhadham
- medicinal herb
- mantraḥ
- Vedic mantra
- aham
- I
- aham
- I
- eva
- also
- ājyam
- clarified butter
- aham
- I
- agniḥ
- fire
- aham
- I
- hutam
- the act offering
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