Hymns to the Mystic Fire

Kutsa Angirasa

SUKTA 94

इमं स्तोममर्हते जातवेदसे रथमिव सं महेमा मनीषया ।
भद्रा हि नः प्रमतिरस्य संसद्यग्ने सख्ये मा रिषामा वयं तव ॥१॥

1) This is the omniscient who knows the law of our being and is sufficient to his works; let us build the song of his truth by our thought and make it as if a chariot on which he shall mount. When he dwells with us, then a happy wisdom becomes ours. With him for friend we cannot come to harm.

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यस्मै त्वमायजसे स साधत्यनर्वा क्षेति दधते सुवीर्यम् ।
स तूताव नैनमश्नोत्यंहतिरग्ने सख्ये मा रिषामा वयं तव ॥२॥

2) Whosoever makes him his priest of the sacrifice, reaches the perfection that is the fruit of his striving, a home on a height of being where there is no warring and no enemies; he confirms in himself an ample energy; he is safe in his strength, evil cannot lay its hand upon him.

शकेम त्वा समिधं साधया धियस्त्वे देवा हविरदन्त्याहुतम् ।
त्वमादित्यँ आ वह तान् हद्युश्मस्यग्ने सख्ये मा रिषामा वयं तव ॥३॥

3) This is the fire of our sacrifice! May we have strength to kindle it to its height, may it perfect our thoughts. In this all that we give must be thrown that it may become a food for the gods; this shall bring to us the godheads of the infinite consciousness who are our desire.

भरामेध्मं कृणवामा हवींषि ते चितयन्तः पर्वणापर्वणा वयम् ।
जीवातवे प्रतरं साधया धियोऽग्ने सख्ये मा रिषामा वयं तव ॥४॥

4) Let us gather fuel for it, let us prepare for it offerings, let us make ourselves conscious of the jointings of its times and its seasons. It shall so perfect our thoughts that they shall extend our being and create for us a larger life.

विशां गोपा अस्य चरन्ति जन्तवो द्विपच्च यदुत चतुष्पदक्तुभिः ।
चित्रः प्रकेत उषसो महाँ अस्यग्ने सख्ये मा रिषामा वयं तव ॥५॥

5) This is the guardian of the world and its peoples, the shepherd of all these herds; all that is born moves by his rays and is compelled by his flame, both the two-footed and the four-footed creatures. This is the rich and great thought-awakening of the Dawn within.

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त्वमध्वर्युरुत होतासि पूर्ष्यः प्रशास्ता पोता जनुषा पुरोहितः ।
विश्वा विद्वँ आर्त्विज्या धीर पुष्यस्यग्ने सख्ये मा रिषामा वयं तव ॥६॥

6) This is the priest who guides the march of the sacrifice, the first and ancient who calls to the gods and gives the offerings; his is the command and his the purification; from his birth he stands in front the vicar of our sacrifice. He knows all the works of this divine priesthood, for he is the Thinker who increases in us.

यो विश्वतः सुप्रतीकः सदृङ्ङसि दूरे चित् सन् तळिदिवाति रोचसे ।
रात्र्याश्चिदन्धो अति देव पश्यस्यग्ने सख्ये मा रिषामा वयं तव ॥७॥

7) The faces of this God are everywhere and he fronts all things perfectly; he has the eye and the vision: when we see him from afar, yet he seems near to us, so brilliantly he shines across the gulfs. He sees beyond the darkness of our night, for his vision is divine.

पूर्वो देवा भवतु सुन्वतो रथोऽस्माकं शंसो अभ्यस्तु दूद्यः ।
तदा जानीतोत पुष्यता वचोऽग्ने सख्ये मा रिषामा वयं तव ॥८॥

8) O you godheads, let our chariot be always in front, let our clear and strong word overcome all that thinks the falsehood. O you godheads, know for us, know in us that Truth, increase the speech that finds and utters it.

वधैर्दुःशंसँ अप दूढ्घो जहि दूरे वा ये अन्ति वा के चिदत्रिणः ।
अथा यज्ञाय गृणते सुगं कृघ्यग्ने सख्ये मा रिषामा वयं तव ॥९॥

9) With blows that slay cast from our path, O thou Flame, the powers that stammer in the speech and stumble in the thought, the devourers of our power and our knowledge who leap at us from near and shoot at us from afar. Make the path of the sacrifice a clear and happy journeying.

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यदयुक्था अरुषा रोहिता रथे वातजूता वृषभस्येव ते रवः ।
आदिन्वसि वनिनो धूमकेतुनाऽग्ने सख्ये मा रिषामा वयं तव ॥१०॥

10) Thou hast bright red horses for thy chariot, O Will divine, who are driven by the storm-wind of thy passion; thou roarest like a bull, thou rushest upon the forests of life, on its pleasant trees that encumber thy path, with the smoke of thy passion in which there is the thought and the sight.

अध स्वनादुत बिभ्युः पतत्रिणो द्रप्सा यत् ते यवसादो व्यस्थिरन् ।
सुगं तत् ते तावकेभ्यो रथेभ्योऽग्ने सख्ये मा रिषामा वयं तव ॥११॥

11) At the noise of thy coming even they that wing in the skies are afraid, when thy eaters of the pasture go abroad in their haste. So thou makest clear thy path to thy kingdom that thy chariots may run towards it easily.

अयं मित्रस्य वरुणस्य धायसेऽवयातां मरुतां हेळो अद्भुतः ।
मृळा सु नो भूत्वेषां मनः पुनरग्ने सख्ये मा रिषामा वयं तव ॥१२॥

12) This dread and tumult of thee, is it not the wonderful and exceeding wrath of the gods of the Life rushing down on us to found here the purity of the Infinite, the harmony of the Lover? Be gracious, O thou fierce Fire, let their minds be again sweet to us and pleasant.

देवो देवानामसि मित्रो अद्भुतो वसुर्वसूनामसि चारुरध्वरे ।
शर्मन्त्स्याम तव सप्रथस्तेमेऽग्ने सख्ये मा रिषामा वयं तव ॥१३॥

13) God art thou of the gods, for thou art the lover and friend; richest art thou of the masters of the Treasure, the founders of the home, for thou art very bright and pleasant in the pilgrimage and the sacrifice. Very wide and far-extending is the peace of thy beatitude; may that be the home of our abiding!

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तत् ते भद्रं यत् समिद्धः स्वे दमे सोमाहुतो जरसे मूळयत्तमः ।
दधासि रत्नं द्रविणं च दाशुषेऽग्ने सख्ये मा रिषामा वयं तव ॥१४॥

14) That is the bliss of him and the happiness; for then is this Will very gracious and joy-giving when in its own divine house, lit into its high and perfect flame, it is adored by our thoughts and satisfied with the wine of our delight. Then it lavishes its deliciousness, then it returns in treasure and substance all that we have given into its hands.

यस्मै त्वं सुद्रवित्रो ददाशोऽनागास्त्वमदिते सर्वताता ।
यं भद्रेण शवसा चोदयासि प्रजाव्ता राघसा ते स्याम ॥१५॥

15) O thou infinite and indivisible Being, it is thou ever that formest the sinless universalities of the spirit by our sacrifice; thou compellest and inspirest thy favourites by thy happy and luminous forcefulness, by the fruitful riches of thy joy. Among them may we be numbered.

स त्वमग्ने सौभगत्वस्य विद्वानस्माकमायुः प्र तिरेह देव ।
तन्नो मित्रो वरुणो मामहन्तामदितिः सिन्धुः पृथिवी उत द्यौः ॥१६॥

16) Thou art the knower of felicity and the increaser here of our life and advancer of our being! Thou art the godhead!

SUKTA 95

द्वे विरुपे चरतः स्वर्थे अन्यान्या वत्समुप धापयेते ।
हरिरन्यस्यां भवति स्वधावाञ्छुको अन्यस्या ददृशे सुवर्चाः ॥१॥

1) Day and Night have different forms, but are travellers to one perfect goal; they suckle alternately the divine Child. In our day he becomes the brilliant Sun and is master of the law of his nature; through our night he is visible in the purity of his brightness and the energy of his lustres.

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दशेमं त्वष्टुर्जनयन्त गर्भमतन्द्रासो युवतयो विभृत्रम् ।
तिरमानीकं स्वयशसं जनेषु विरोचमानं परि षीं नयन्ति ॥२॥

2) Ten powers of the Thought, young and sleepless goddesses, gave birth to this child of theMaker who is carried very variously and widely. They lead him abroad through the world in a flaming splendour, his keen power of light self-lustrous in all things born.

त्रीणि जाना परि भूषन्त्यस्य समुद्र एकं दिव्येकमप्सु ।
पूर्वामनु प्र दिशं पार्थिवानामृतृन् प्रशासद् वि दधावनुष्ठु ॥३॥

3) There are three births of him that seek to come into being around us, one is in the ocean of the infinite, one is in the heavens, one is in the waters that descend from the heavens. In the supreme region of mind, the eastern direction of earthly beings, he declares the seasons of their sacrifice and ordains them in their succession.

क इमं वो निण्यमा चिकेत वत्सो मातृर्जनयत स्वधाभिः ।
वह्वीनां गर्भो अपसामुपस्थान्महान् कविर्निश्चरति स्वधावान् ॥४॥

4) Which of you has awakened to the knowledge of this secret thing, that it is the Child who gives birth to his own mothers by the right workings of the law of his nature? Born in the womb of many waters, he comes forth from their lap a vast Seer, possessed of the law of his being.

आविष्टयो वर्धते चारुरासु जिह्मानामूर्ध्वः स्वयशा उपस्थे ।
उभे त्वष्टुर्बिभ्यतुर्जायमानात् प्रतीची सिंहं प्रति जोषयेते ॥५॥

5) Very bright and pleasant he increases in them and is made manifest; in the lap of their crooked windings, he is straight-exalted and self-lustrous. Heaven and earth both had fear of their Maker in his birth; they are driven trembling towards the young lion and woo him to their love.

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उभे भद्रे जोषयेते न मेने गावो न वाश्रा उप तस्थुरेवैः ।
स दक्षाणां दक्षपतिर्बभृवाऽञ्जन्ति यं दक्षिणतो हविर्भिः ॥६॥

6) They woo him to their love like women and both grow full of happiness. The thoughts of the Light come voiceful to him in all their movements like lowing cows and he becomes the master of all judgments and discernings whom men anoint with their offerings on the right hand of the altar.

उद्यंयमीति सवितेव बाहृ उभे सिचौ यतते भीम ऋञ्जन् ।
उच्छुकमत्कमजते सिमस्मान्नवा मातृभ्यो वसना जहाति ॥७॥

7) Like the creating Sun he lifts up his arms to heaven and terrible in his force, adorning both his wives, he labours working into brightness both these fields of his outpouring; he drives upward the shining veil of thought from all that is; he plucks off their new robes from his mothers.

त्वेषं रुपं कृणुत उत्तरं यत् संपृञ्चानः सदने गोभिरद्भिः ।
कविर्बुन्धं परि मर्मृज्यते धीः सा देवताता समितिर्बभूव ॥८॥

8) When he joins himself in his seat and home to the rays of the Truth and to its streams, when he makes for himself that higher flaming form of his, then as the seer and thinker he delivers into a bright clearness that divine foundation. In our forming of the godheads, it is he that is their union and coming together.

उरु ते ज्रयः पर्येति बुन्धं विरोचमानं महिषस्य धाम ।
विश्वेभिरग्ने स्वयशोभिरिद्धोऽदब्धेभिः पायुभिः पाह्यस्मान् ॥९॥

9) The speed of thee encompasses the wideness, the foundation, the far-shining abode of the vast Godhead. O Flame, lit into thy full height guard us with all thy universal self-illuminings, guards invincible.

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धन्वन्त्स्रोतः कृणुते गातुमृर्मिं शुकैरुर्मिभिरभि नक्षति क्षाम् ।
विश्वा सनानि जठरेषु धत्तेऽन्तर्नवासु चरति प्रसृषु ॥१०॥

10) He creates on our desert earth the stream, the moving billow, and by its shining waves of light he ascends to the heavens; he holds all old and lasting things in his bellies and moves in all new births.

एवा नो अग्ने समिधा वृधानो रेवत् पावक श्रवसे वि भाहि ।
तन्नो मित्रो वरुणो मामहन्तामदितिः सिन्धुः पृथिवी उत द्यौः ॥११॥

11) So, O Flame, increase by the fuel that we heap for thee; and, O purifier, shine wide and opulently that we may possess inspired knowledge. That may the Lords of Harmony and Wideness increase in us, the Mother infinite and the great ocean and earth and heaven.

SUKTA 96

स प्रत्नथा सहसा जायमानः सद्यः काव्यानि बळधत्त विश्वा ।
आपश्च मित्रं धिषणा च साधन्देवा अग्निं धारयन् द्रविणोदाम् ॥१॥

1) As of old by force he is born and in his very birth infallibly he lays his hands on all seer-seeings and wisdoms; the Thought and the heavenly waters bring to perfection this friend of beings. The godheads hold the Flame that gives the treasure.

स पूर्वया निविदा कव्यतायोरिमाः प्रजा अजनयन्मनृनाम् ।
विवस्वता चक्षसा द्यामपश्च देवा अग्निं धारयन् द्रविणोदाम् ॥२॥

2) By the supreme and original inmost knowledge of the being, the knowledge that does the works of the seer, he brought into being these children of men, the thinkers, and by his wide-shining eye of vision created heaven and its waters. The godheads hold the Flame that gives the treasure.

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तमीळत प्रथमं यज्ञसाधं विश आरीराहुतमृञ्जसानम् ।
ऊर्जः पुत्रं भरतं सृप्रदानुं देवा अग्निं धारयन् द्रविणोदाम् ॥३॥

3) Him desire and adore, for he is the first and chief who brings to perfect accomplishment your sacrifice, since he takes all offering of the Aryan peoples and makes them to shine with light; he is the son of Energy, the bringer of boons, the flood of strength. The godheads hold the Flame that gives the treasure.

स मातरिश्वा पुरुवारपुष्टिर्विदद् गातुं तनयाय स्वर्वित् ।
विशां गोपा जनिता रोदस्योर्देवा अग्निं धारयन् द्रविणोदाम् ॥४॥

4) He is Life that swells in the mother of things, the Life-god who nurses in his bosom many blessings, finds the path for the Son of men and discovers the country of Light, protector of the peoples, father of earth and heaven. The godheads hold the Flame that gives the treasure.

नक्तोषासा वर्णमामेम्याने धापयेते शिशुमेकं समीची ।
द्यावाक्षामा रुक्मो अन्तर्वि भाति देवा अग्निं धारयन्द्रविणोदाम् ॥५॥

5) Night and Dawn are working to shape that highest hue of things, different, they suckle one child, they are united equals; between our earth and heavens are born the widenesses of his golden light. The godheads hold the Flame that gives the treasure.

रायो बुध्नः संगमनो वसृनां यज्ञस्य केतुर्मन्मसाधनो वेः ।
अमृतत्वं रक्षमाणास एनं देवा अग्निं धारयन् द्रविणोदाम् ॥६॥

6) He is the foundation of the opulence of the beatitude, the bringer together of its treasures; he is the conscious eye of our sacrifice who accomplishes and perfects the thought in the word of man. The godheads, guarding immortality, hold the Flame that gives the treasure.

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नृ च पुरा च सदनं रयीणां जातस्य च जायमानस्य च क्षाम् ।
सतश्च गोपां भवतश्च भूरेर्देवा अग्निं धारयन् द्रविणोदाम् ॥७॥

7) Now and of old he is the seat of all felicities, continent of all that is born and all that is coming into birth, guardian of that which is and the much that becomes,—the godheads hold the Flame that gives the treasure.

द्रविणोदा द्रविणसस्तुरस्य द्रविणोदाः सनरस्य प्र यंसत् ।
द्रविणोदा वीरवतीमिषं नो द्रविणोदा रासते दीर्घमायुः ॥८॥

8) May this giver of treasure extend to us treasure which hastens to its home, and the treasure which is lasting and eternal; he is the giver of treasure and he shall give to us heroic energy of impulsion and lavish on us long existence.

एवा नो अग्ने समिधा वृधानो रेवत् पावक श्रवसे वि भाहि ।
तन्नो मित्रो वरुणो मामहन्तामदितिः सिन्धुः पृथिवी उत द्यौः ॥९॥

9) So, O Flame, increase by the fuel that we heap for thee; and, O purifier, shine wide and opulently that we may possess inspired knowledge. That may the Lords of Harmony and Wideness increase in us, the Mother infinite and the great ocean and earth and heaven.

SUKTA 97

अप नः शोशुचदधमग्ने शुशुग्ध्या रयिम् ।
अप नः शोशुचदधम् ॥१॥

1) Burn away from us the sin, flame out on us the bliss. Burn away from us the sin!

सुक्षेत्रिया सुगातुया वसूया च यजामहे ।
अप नः शोशुचदधम् ॥२॥

2) For the perfect path to the happy field, for the exceeding

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treasure when we would do sacrifice,—burn away from us the sin!

प्र यद् भन्दिष्ठ एषां प्रास्माकासश्च सूरयः ।
अप नः शोशुचदधम् ॥३॥

3) That the happiest of all these many godheads may be born in us, that the seers who see in our thought may multiply,—burn away from us the sin!

प्र यत् ते अग्ने सूरयो जायेमहि प्र ते वयम् ।
अप नः शोशुचदधम् ॥४॥

4) That thy seers, O Flame divine, may multiply and we be new-born as thine,—burn away from us the sin!

प्र यदग्नेः सहस्वतो विश्वतो यन्ति भानवः ।
अप नः शोशुचदधम् ॥५॥

5) When the naming rays of thy might rush abroad on every side violently,—burn away from us the sin!

त्वं हि विश्वतोमुख विश्वतः परिभूरसि ।
अप नः शोशुचदधम् ॥६॥

6) God, thy faces are everywhere! thou besiegest us on every side with thy being. Burn away from us the sin!

द्विषो नो विश्वतोमुखाऽति नावेव पारय ।
अप नः शोशुचदधम् ॥७॥

7) Let thy face front the Enemy wherever he turns; bear us in thy ship over the dangerous waters. Burn away from us the sin!

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स नः सिन्धुमिव नावयाऽति पर्षा स्वस्तये ।
अप नः शोशुचदधम् ॥८॥

8) As in a ship over the ocean, bear us over into thy felicity. Burn away from us the sin!