अहं क्रतुरहं यज्ञः स्वधाऽहमहमौषधम् ।
मन्त्रोऽहमहमेवाज्यमहमाग्निरहं हुतम् ॥ १६ ॥
मन्त्रोऽहमहमेवाज्यमहमाग्निरहं हुतम् ॥ १६ ॥
ahaṃ kraturahaṃ yajñaḥ svadhā’hamahamauṣadham .
mantro’hamahamevājyamahamāgnirahaṃ hutam .. 16 ..
I am kratu, I am yajna, I am svadha, I am aushadha, I am mantra, Myself the butter, I am fire, I the act of offering.
Read the commentary
Kratu is a class of Vedic sacrifices. Yajña is the worship enjoined in the smriti. Svadha is the food offered to ancestors (Pitṛs). The aushadha means plants in general, including rice and barley, eaten by all living beings. Or, svadha is food in general, and aushadha is the medical (food) serving to alleviate sickness.—I am the mantra, the chant with which the oblation is offerd to the Pitṛs and the Devatās. I am the fire into which the offering is poured.