Hymns to the Mystic Fire

Devas and Agni Sauchika

SUKTA 51

महत् तदुल्बं स्थविरं तदासीद्येनाविष्टितः प्रविवेशिथापः ।
विश्वा अपश्यद् बहुधा ते अग्ने जातवेदस्तन्वो देव एकः ॥१॥

1) Large was the covering and it was dense in which thou wert wrapped when thou didst enter into the waters; one was the god who saw thee but many and manifold were thy bodies which he saw, O Fire, O knower of all things born.

को मा ददर्श कतमः स देवो यो मे तन्वो बहुधा पर्यपश्यत् ।
क्वाह मित्रावरुणा क्षियन्त्यग्नेर्विश्वाः समिधो देवयानीः ॥२॥

2) Which of the gods was he who saw everywhere my bodies in many forms ? O Mitra and Varuna, where then dwell all the blazings of the Fire which are paths of the gods ?

ऐच्छाम त्वा बहुधा जातवेदः प्रविष्टमग्ने अप्स्वोषधीषु ।
तं त्वा यमो अचिकेच्चित्रभानो दशान्तरुष्यादतिरोचमानम् ॥३॥

3) We desire thee, O Fire, O knower of all things born, when thou hast entered manifoldly into the growths of the earth and into the waters; there the lord of the law grew aware of thee, O thou of the many diverse lights, shining luminous beyond the ten inner dwelling-places.

Page 415

होत्रादहं वरुण बिभ्यदायं नेदेव मा युनजन्नत्र देवाः ।
तस्य मे तन्वो बहुधा निविष्टा एतमथँ न चिकेताहमग्निः ॥४॥

4) O Varuna, fearing the sacrificants' office that so the gods might not yoke me to that work; so my bodies entered manifoldly, for I, Fire, was not conscious of this goal of the movement.

एहि मनुर्देवयुर्यज्ञकामोऽरंकृत्या तमसि क्षेष्यग्ने ।
सुगान् पथः कृणुहि देवयानान् वह हव्यानि सुमनस्यमानः ॥५॥

5) Come to us; the human being, god-seeking, is desirous of sacrifice, he has made all ready but thou dwellest in the darkness, O Fire. Make the paths of the journeying of the gods easy to travel, let thy mind be at ease, carry the offerings.

अग्नेः पूर्वे भ्रातरो अर्थमेतं रथीवाध्वानमन्वावरीवुः ।
तस्माद् भिया वरुण दूरमायं गौरो न क्षेप्नोरविजे ज्यायाः ॥६॥

6) The ancient brothers of the Fire chose this goal to be reached as charioteers follow a path; therefore in fear I came far away, O Varuna. I started back as a gaur from the bowstring of the archer.

कुर्मस्त आयुरजरं यदग्ने यथा युक्तो जातवेदो न रिष्याः ।
अथा वहासि सुमनस्यमानो भागं देवेभ्यो हविषः सुजात ॥७॥

7) Since we make thy life imperishable, O Fire, O knower of all things born, so that yoked with it thou shalt not come to harm, then with thy mind at ease thou canst carry their share of the offering to the gods, O high-born Fire.

प्रयाजान् मे अनुयाजाँश्च केवलानूर्जस्वन्तं हविषो दत्त भागम् ।
घृतं चापां पुरुषं चौषधीनामग्नेश्च दीर्घमायुरस्तु देवाः ॥८॥

8) Give me the absolutes that precede and follow the sacrifice as my share of the oblation packed with the energy; give me the light from the waters and the soul from the plants and let there be long life for the Fire, O gods.

Page 416

तव प्रयाजा अनुयाजाश्च केवल ऊर्जस्वन्तो हविषः सन्तु भागाः ।
तवाग्ने यज्ञोऽयमस्तु सर्वस्तुभ्यं नमन्तां प्रदिशश्चतस्त्रः ॥९॥

9) Thine be the absolute precedents and consequents of the sacrifice, the portions packed with energy of the oblation; thine, O Fire, be all this sacrifice; may the four regions bow down to thee.