The Secret of the Veda

The Fifth Hymn to Agni

A Hymn of the Summoning of the Gods

[The hymn calls to the sacrifice by the summons of the divine Flame the principal godheads. Each is described or invoked in that capacity and functioning in which he is needed and helpful to the perfection of the soul and its divine growth and attaining.]

सुसमिद़्धाय शोचिषे घृतं तीव्रं जुहोतन ।
अग्नये जातवेदसे ॥१॥

1) To the Will that knoweth all the births, to the Flame highly kindled, purely luminous offer a poignant clarity.

नराशंसः सुषूदतीमं यज्ञमदाभ्यः ।
कविर्हि मधुहस्त्यः ॥२॥

2) This is he that expresses the powers of the gods, the untameable who speeds on its way this our sacrifice, this is the seer who comes with the wine of sweetness in his hands.

ईळितो अग्न आ वहेन्द्रं चित्रमिह प्रियम् ।
सुखै रथेभिरुतये ॥३॥

3) O Strength, we have sought thee with our adoration, bring hither the God-Mind¹ bright and dear in his happy chariots² for our increasing.

Page 409

ऊर्णम्रदा वि प्रथस्वाऽभ्यर्का अनूषत ।
भवा नः शुभ्र सातये ॥४॥

4) Widely spread thyself,³ softly, thickly covering; towards thee lighten the voices of our illumination. Be white and bright in us that we may conquer.

देवीर्द्वारो वि श्रयध्वं सुप्रायणा न ऊतये ।
प्रप्र यज्ञं पृणीतन ॥५॥

5) Swing open, O ye Doors divine,⁴ And give us easy passage for our expanding; farther, farther lead and fill our sacrifice.

सुप्रतीके वयोवृधा यह्वी ऋतस्य मातरा ।
दोषामुषासमीमहे ॥६॥

6) Darkness and Dawn⁵ we desire, two mighty Mothers of the Truth, fairly fronting us, increasers of our spacious being.

वातस्य पत्मन्नीळिता दैव्या होतारा मनुषः ।
इमं नो यज्ञमा गतम् ॥७॥

7) And O ye divine Priests of our humanity, O worshipped Twain, approach on the paths of the Life-breath to this our sacrifice.

Page 410

इळा सरस्वती मही तिस्रो देवीर्मयोभुवः ।
बर्हिः सीदन्त्वस्रिधः ॥८॥

8) She of the vision of knowledge, she of its flowing inspiration, she of its vastness, three goddesses⁶ who give birth to the Bliss, they who stumble not,⁷ may they take their seats at the altar strewn of the sacrifice.

शिवस्त्वष्टरिहा गहि विभुः पोष उत त्मना ।
यज्ञेयज्ञे न उदव ॥९॥

9) O Fashioner of things,⁸ beneficent hither come to us; pervader of all in thy being, in thy nourishing of all and with thyself,⁹ in sacrifice after sacrifice foster our ascension.

यत्र वेथ वनस्पते देवानां गुह्या नामानि ।
तत्र हव्यानि गामय ॥१०॥

10) O Master of Delight,¹⁰ to that goal¹¹ where thou knowest the secret Names of the gods, thither lead our offerings.

स्वाहाग्नये वरुणाय स्वाहेन्द्राय मरुद्भः ।
स्वाहा देवेभ्यो हविः ॥११॥

Page 411

11) Swaha to the Will and to the Lord of Wideness,¹² Swaha to the God-Mind and to the Thought-Power,¹³ Swaha to the godheads be the food of our oblation.¹⁴

Page 412