The Secret of the Veda

The Seventeenth Hymn to Agni

A Hymn of Enlargement and Ultimate Aspiration

[A state arrives in which man goes beyond the mere subtlety and fineness of the intelligence and reaches to a rich and manifold largeness of soul. Even then though he has now the wide law of his being which is our right foundation, he needs a force greater than his to lead him; for largeness and multiplicity of soul-force and knowledge are not enough, there must be the divine truth in thought, word and act. For we have to attain beyond the enlarged mental being to the beatitude of a state beyond mind. Agni has the light and the force, the Word and the true impulsion, the embracing knowledge and the achieving power. He shall bring the divine wealth in his chariot and carry us towards the blissful state and the supreme good.]

आ यज्ञैर्देव मर्त्य इत्था तव्यांसमूतये ।
अग्निं कृते स्वध्वरे पुरुरीळीतावसे ॥१॥

1) I am mortal who call thee, O godhead, for thy strength is greater than mine and it is righteous in its acts. Let the man of multiple soul when he has made perfect his sacrifice, adore the Will for his increasing.

अस्य हि स्वयशस्तर आसा विधर्मन् मन्यसे ।
तं नाकं चित्रशोचिषं मन्द्रं परो मनीषया ॥२॥

2) Man, thou who hast won to the wide law of thy being,¹ by

Page 444

the mouth of this flame thou shalt be self-mightier to attain and shalt mentalise the paradise of his richest flamings, the paradise of rapture beyond the thought of the mind.²

अस्य वासा उ अर्चिषा य आयुक्त तुजा गिरा ।
दिवो न यस्य रेतसा बृहच्छोचन्त्यर्चयः ॥३॥

3) For by the mouth and radiance of his flame he has yoked himself with the impelling force and the word, and vast as if with the seed of heaven blazes out the purity of his rays.

अस्य कत्वा विचेतसो दस्मस्य वसु रथ आ ।
अधा विश्वासु हव्योऽग्निर्विक्षु प्र शस्यते ॥४॥

4) Because by the force of his workings he has the embracing knowledge and the achieving power, his chariot carries a divine wealth; therefore in all creatures he is the godhead to be expressed and the helper to whom men call.

नू न इद्धि वार्यमासा सचन्त सूरयः ।
ऊर्जो नपादभिष्टये पाहि शग्धि स्वस्तय उतैधि पृत्सु नो वृधे ॥५॥

5) Even now and even for us may the luminous masters of knowledge be firm by the mouth of the flame to our supreme good.³ O Sun of Energy, guard us so that we may enter in, be mighty to attain our blissful state. March with us in our battles that we may grow.

Page 445