The Secret of the Veda

The Sixth Hymn to Mitra-Varuna

The Twin Upholders and Protectors

[Mitra and Varuna perfect the vastness of the superconscient being which is the object of sacrifice; they possess the full abundance of its force. When they reach that luminous origin and home, they give men, labourers in the sacrificial work, its peace and bliss; on the way to it they protect the mortal from his spiritual enemies who would stand in the way of his immortality; for they keep firm to their higher workings and to the seats of the higher consciousness to which those workings belong and to which man rises in his ascent; universal and all-knowing they destroy these enemies who are the forces of egoism and limiting ignorance. True in their being, they are the powers that possess and touch the Truth in each individual being; leaders of the journey and the battle they create the wideness of that higher consciousness even out of our narrow and distressed mortality. It is that highest which the thought in the Atris desires and reaches to by affirming Mitra, Varuna and Aryaman, the god-heads, in the "bodies" inhabited by the human soul.]

बळित्था देव निष्कृतमादित्या यजतं बृहत् ।
वरुण मित्रार्यमन्वर्षिष्ठं क्षत्रमाशाथे ॥११॥

1) In truth, O godheads, ye two sons of the infinite Mother, rightly perfected by you is the Vastness for which we sacrifice. O Varuna, Mitra, Aryaman, you possess its most abundant force.

आ यद्योनिं हिरण्ययं वरुण मित्र सदथः ।
घर्तारा चर्षणीनां यन्तं सुम्नं रिशादसा ॥२॥

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2) When you enter into your original home of golden light, O Varuna, O Mitra, upholders of men in their labour, destroyers of the enemy, reach for them the bliss.

विश्वे हि विश्ववेदसो वरुणो मित्रो अर्यमा ।
व्रता पदेव सश्चिरे पान्ति मर्त्यं रिषः ॥३॥

3) Universal and all-knowing are Varuna and Mitra and Aryaman; they keep firm to the law of their workings, even as to the seats to which they arrive, and guard mortal man from his foes.

ते हि सत्या ऋतस्पृश ऋतावानो जनेजने ।
सुनीथासः सुदानवोंऽहोश्चिदुरुचकयः ॥४॥

4) For because they are true in their being, they touch the Truth and hold the Truth in creature and creature; perfect leaders in the journey, perfect in force for the battle, they create the wideness even out of this narrow being.

को नु वां मित्रास्तुतो वरुणो वा तनूनाम् ।
तत्सु वामेषते मतिरत्रिभ्य एषते मतिः ॥५॥

5) Which of you, O Mitra, is unaffirmed, thou or Varuna, in our bodies?¹ Wholly our thought seeks That from you, That for the Enjoyers² our Thought desires.

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