Hymns to the Mystic Fire

Kata Vaishwamitra

SUKTA 17

समिध्यमानः प्रथमानु धर्मा समक्तुभिरज्यते विश्ववारः ।
शोचिष्केशो घृतनिर्णिक् पावकः सुयज्ञो अग्निर्यजथाय देवान् ॥१॥

1) He is kindled and blazes out according to the first and supreme laws and is united with the Rays, he in whom are all desirable things. Fire with his tresses of flame and his raiment of light, the purifier, perfect in sacrifice, for sacrifice to the gods.

यथायजो होत्रमग्ने पृथिव्या यथा दिवो जातवेदश्चिकित्वान् ।
एवानेन हविषा यक्षि देवान् मनुष्वद् यज्ञं प्र तिरेममद्य ॥२॥

2) O Fire, as thou hast accomplished in sacrifice thy priesthood for the earth,¹ awaking to knowledge, O knower of the births, as thou hast accomplished it for heaven,² so with this oblation do sacrifice to the gods, carry yet further beyond the sacrifice with the human being today.

त्रीण्यायूंषि तव जातवेदस्तिस्त्र आजानीरुषसस्ते अग्ने ।
ताभिर्देवानामवो यक्षि विद्वानथा भव यजमानाय शं योः ॥३॥

3) Three are thy lives, O knower of all things born, three are the dawns that are thy births, O Fire;³ by them win through sacrifice the protection of the gods, thou as the knower become for the doer of sacrifice the peace and the movement.

अग्निं सुदीतिं सुदृशं गृणन्तो नमस्यामस्त्वेडद्यं जातवेदः ।
त्वां दूतमरतिं हव्यवाहं देवा अकृण्वन्नमृतस्य नाभिम् ॥४॥

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4) We hymn thee by our words, O knower of all things born, as the Fire perfect in light, perfect in vision, the object of our prayer and offer to thee our obeisance; thee the gods made the Messenger, the Traveller, the carrier of offerings, the navel-centre of Immortality.

यस्त्वद्धोता पूर्वो अग्ने यजीयान् द्विता च सत्ता स्वधया च शंभुः ।
तस्यानु धर्म प्र यजा चिकित्वोऽथा नो धा अध्वरं देववीतौ ॥५॥

5) O Fire, he who was before thee and was the Priest of the call and mighty for sacrifice and was dual entity and by the law of his nature the creator of the Bliss, by his law of action carry on the sacrifice, thou who art awake to knowledge, thou establish our pilgrim-rite in the advent of the gods.

SUKTA 18

भवा नो अग्ने सुमना उपेतौ सखेव सख्ये पितरेव साधुः ।
पुरुद्रुहो हि क्षितयो जनानां प्रति प्रतीचीर्दहतादरातीः ॥१॥

1) O Fire, in our coming to thee become right-minded accomplishing our aim as a friend to a friend, as father and mother to their child; for these worlds of beings born are full of harm: burn to ashes the hostile forces that come against us.

तपो ष्वग्ने अन्तराँ अमित्रान् तपा शंसमररुषः परस्य ।
तपो वसो चिकितानो अचित्तान् वि ते तिष्ठन्तामजरा अयासः ॥२॥

2) Wholly consume our inner foes, consume the self-expression of the enemy who would war against us, O lord of the riches, consume, conscious in knowledge, the powers of ignorance; let them range wide thy ageless marching fires.

इध्मेनाग्न इच्छमानो घृतेन जुहोमि हव्यं तरसे बलाय ।
यावदीशे ब्रह्मणा वन्दमान इमां धियं शतसेयाय देवीम् ॥३॥

3) I desire and offer the oblation, O Fire, with the fuel, with

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the pouring of the clarity, for speed, for strength. Until I have the mastery,⁴ adoring with the Word I lift to thee for the conquest of the hundreds this thought divine.

उच्छोचिषा सहसस्पुत्र स्तुतो बृहद् वयः शशमानेषु धेहि ।
रेवदग्ने विश्वामित्रेषु शं योर्मर्मृज्मा ते तन्वं भूरि कृत्वः ॥४॥

4) Affirmed by our lauds rise up with thy flame of light, O son of force, found the vast expansion in us who labour at the work, found opulently in the Vishwamitras the peace and the movement, O Fire. We make bright many times over thy body.

कृधि रत्नं सुसवितर्धनानां स घेदग्ने भवसि यत् समिद्धः ।
स्तोतुर्दुरोणे सुभगस्य रेवत् सृप्रा करस्ना दधिषे वपूंषि ॥५॥

5) O conqueror of the riches, create for us the ecstasy, such thou becomest when thou art high kindled. Opulently in the gated house of thy felicitous adorer thou upholdest thy gliding bodies streaming their radiance.