Hymns to the Mystic Fire

Gotama Rahugana

SUKTA 74

उपप्रयन्तो अध्वरं मन्त्रं वोचेमाग्नये ।
आरे अस्मे च शृण्वते ॥१॥

1) As we move forward to the path of the sacrifice let us speak out the word of our thought to Agni who hears us from afar and from within.

यः स्नीहितीषु पूर्व्यः संजग्मानासु कृष्टिषु ।
अरक्षद् दाशुषे गयम् ॥२॥

2) He who supreme (ancient, first) in the worlds of our action that pour forth the clarity meeting together (or, when our labours that drip their fruit combine together), protects for the giver his attaining (or movement).

उत ब्रुवन्तु जन्तव उदग्निर्वृत्रहाजनि ।
धनंजयो रणेरणे ॥३॥

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3) Yea, let all creatures born (be able to) say, "Up Agni comes into being, slayer of Vritras, conqueror of our wealth in battle after battle."

यस्य दूतो असि क्षये वेषि हव्यानि वीतये ।
दस्मत् कृणोष्यध्वरम् ॥४॥

4) He whose messenger thou art to his home, thou takest his offerings on their journey (or, takest his offerings on thy journey to be eaten by the gods, or comest to the offerings); thou makest effective his path of sacrifice.

तमित् सुहव्यमंगिरः सुदेवं सहसो यहो ।
जना आहुः सुबर्हिषम् ॥५॥

5) Him men call the man complete in his offering, complete in his gods, complete in his base of sacrifice, O Angiras, O Son of Force.

आ च वहासि ताँ इह देवाँ उप प्रशस्तये ।
हव्या सुश्चन्द्र वीतये ॥६॥

6) Thou bringest both those gods here that we may express them and bearest, O rich in delight, the offerings on their journey (or, to be expressed and to eat the offerings).

न योरुपब्दिरश्व्यः शृण्वे रथस्य कच्चन ।
यदग्ने यासि दूत्यम् ॥७॥

7) No tramp is heard of the horses of thy chariot in its going when thou goest on thy embassy, O Agni.

त्वोतो वाज्यह्रयोऽभि पूर्वस्मादपरः ।
प्र दाश्वाँ अग्ने अस्थात् ॥८॥

8) By thee fostered the horse of life goes undeviating, each one after that which preceded it, and the giver of sacrifices progresses, O Agni.

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उत द्युमत् सुवीर्यं बृहदग्ने विवाससि ।
देवेभ्यो देव दाशुषे ॥९॥

9) Yea, and thou lodgest throughout his being for the giver and his gods, O God, Agni, a vast and luminous completeness of energy.

SUKTA 77

कथा दाशेमाग्नये कास्मै देवजुष्टोच्यते भामिने गीः ।
यो मर्त्येष्वमृत ऋतावा होता यजिष्ठ इत् कृणोति देवान् ॥१॥

1) How shall we give to Agni? For him what Word accepted by the Gods is spoken, for the lord of the brilliant flame? for him who in mortals, immortal, possessed of the Truth, priest of the oblation strongest for sacrifice, creates the gods?

यो अध्वरेषु शंतम ऋतावा होता तमू नमोभिरा कृणुध्वम् ।
अग्निर्यद् वेर्मर्ताय देवान्त्स चा बोधाति मनसा यजाति ॥२॥

2) He who in the sacrifices is the priest of the offering, full of peace, full of the Truth, him verily form in you by your surrenderings; when Agni manifests¹ for the mortals the gods, he also has perception of them and by the mind offers to them the sacrifice.

स हि कतुः स मर्यः स साधुर्मित्रो न भूदद्भुतस्य रथीः ।
तं मेधेषु प्रथमं देवयन्तीर्विश उप ब्रुवते दस्ममारीः ॥३॥

3) For he is the will, he is the strength, he is the effecter of perfection, even as Mitra he becomes the charioteer of the Supreme. To him, the first, in the rich-offerings the people seeking the godhead utter the word, the Aryan people to the fulfiller.

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स नो नृणां नृतमो रिशादा अग्निर्गिरोऽवसा वेतु धीतिम् ।
तना च ये मघवानः शविष्ठा वाजप्रसूता इषयन्त मन्म ॥४॥

4) May this strongest of the Powers and devourer of the destroyers manifest² by his presence the Words and their understanding, and may they who in their extension are lords of plenitude brightest in energy pour forth their plenty and give their impulsion to the thought.

एवाग्निर्गोतमेभिर्ऋतावा विप्रेभिरस्तोष्ट जातवेदाः ।
स एषु द्युम्नं पीपयत्स वाजं स पुष्टिं याति जोषमा चिकित्वान् ॥५॥

5) Thus has Agni possessed of the Truth been affirmed by the masters of light,³ the knower of the worlds by clarified minds. He shall foster in them the force of illumination, he too the plenty; he shall attain to increase and to harmony by his perceptions.