Hymns to the Mystic Fire

Mandala One

SUKTA 127

अग्निं होतारं मन्ये दास्वन्तं वसुं सूनुं सहसो जातवेदसं विप्रं न जातवेदसम् ।
य ऊर्ध्वया स्वध्वरो देवो देवाच्या कृपा ।
घृतस्य विभ्राष्टिमनु वष्टि शोचिषाऽऽजुह्वानस्य सर्पिषः ॥१॥

1) I meditate on the Fire, the priest of the call, the giver of the Treasure, the son of force, who knows all things born, the Fire who is like one illumined and knowing all things born.

The Fire who perfect in the pilgrim-sacrifice, a God with his high-lifted longing¹ hungers with his flame for the blaze of the offering of light, for its current poured on him as an oblation.

यजिष्ठं त्वा यजमाना हुवेम ज्येष्ठमङ्गिरसां विप्र मन्मभि र्विप्रेभिः शुक मन्मभिः ।
परिज्मानमिव द्यां होतारं चर्षणीनाम् ।
शोचिष्केशं वृषणं यमिमा विशः प्रावन्तु जूतये विशः ॥२॥

2) Thee most powerful for sacrifice, as givers of sacrifice may we call, the eldest of the Angirases, the Illumined One, call thee with our thoughts, O Brilliant Fire, with our illumined thoughts, men's priest of the call,² who encircles all like heaven, the Male with hair of flaming-light whom may these peoples cherish for his urge.

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स हि पुरु चिदोजसा विरुक्मता
दीद्यानो भवति द्रुहन्तरः परशुर्न द्रुहन्तरः ।
वीळु चिद् यस्य समृतौ श्रुवद् वनेव यत् स्थिरम् ।
निष्षहमाणो यमते नायते धन्वासहा नायते ॥३॥

3) Many things illumining with his wide-shining energy he becomes one who cleaves through those who would hurt us, like a battle-axe he cleaves through those who would hurt us, he in whose shock even that which is strong falls asunder, even what is firmly fixed falls like trees; overwhelming with his force he toils on and goes not back, like warriors with the bow from the battle he goes not back.

दृळ्हा चिदस्मा अनु दुर्यथा विदे
तेजिष्ठाभिररणिभिर्दाष्टयवसेऽग्नये दाष्टभवसे ।
प्र यः पुरुणि गाहते तक्षद् वनेव शोचिषा ।
स्थिरा चिदन्ना नि रिणात्योजसा नि स्थिराणि चिदोजसा ॥४॥

4) Even things strongly built they give to him as to one who knows: one gives for safeguarding by his movements of flaming-power, gives to the Fire that he may guard us. Into many things he enters and hews them with his flaming light like trees, even things firmly fixed he tears by his energy and makes his food by his energy even things firmly fixed.

तमस्य पृक्षमुपरासु धीमहि
नक्तं यः सुदर्शतरो दिवातरादप्रायुषे दिवातरात् ।
आदस्यायुर्ग्रभणवद् वीळु शर्म न सूनवे ।
भक्तमभक्तमवो व्यन्तो अजरा अग्नयो व्यन्तो अजराः ॥५॥

5) We meditate on³ that fullness of him on the upper levels, this Fire the vision of whom is brighter in the night than in the day, for his undeparting life brighter than in the day. Then does his life grasp and support us like a strong house

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of refuge for the Son,—ageless fires moving towards the happiness enjoyed and that not yet enjoyed, moving his ageless fires.

स हि शर्धो न मारुतं तुविष्वणि-
रप्नस्वतीषूर्वरास्विष्टनिरार्तनास्विष्टनिः ।
आदद्धव्यान्याददिर्यज्ञस्य केतुरर्हणा ।
अध स्मास्य हर्षतो
हृषीवतो विश्वे जुषन्त पन्थां नरः शुभे न पन्थाम् ॥६॥

6) He is many-noised like the army of the storm-winds hurrying over the fertile lands full of our labour, hurrying over the waste lands.⁴ He takes and devours the offerings, he is the eye of intuition of the sacrifice in its due action; so all men follow with pleasure the path of this joyful and joy-giving Fire, as on a path leading to happiness.

द्विता यदीं कीस्तासो अभिद्यवो
नमस्यन्त उपवोचन्त भृगवो मथ्नन्तो दाशा भृगवः ।
अग्निरीशे वसूनां शुचिर्यो धर्णिरेषाम् ।
प्रियाँ अपिधीँर्वनिषीष्ट मेधिर आ वनिषीष्ट मेधिरः ॥७॥

7) When in his twofold strength, bards with illumination upon them, the Bhrigu-flame-seers have made obeisance and spoken to him the word, when they have churned him out by their worship,—the Flame-Seers, the Fire becomes master of the riches, he who in his purity holds them within him, wise he enjoys the things laid upon him and they are pleasant to him, he takes joy of them in his wisdom.

विश्वासां त्वा विशां पतिं हवामहे
सर्वासां समानं दम्पतिं भुजे सत्यगिर्वाहसं भुजे ।
अतिथिं मानुषाणां पितुर्न यस्यासया ।
अमी च विश्वे अमृतास आ वयो हव्या देवेष्वा वयः ॥८॥

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8) We call to thee, the Lord of all creatures, the master of the house common to them all for the enjoying, the carrier of the true words for the enjoying,—to the Guest of men in whose presence stand as in the presence of a father, all these Immortals and make our offerings their food—in the Gods they become their food.

त्वमग्ने सहसा सहन्तमः
शुष्मिन्तमो जायसे देवतातये रयिर्न देवतातये ।
शुष्मिन्तमो हि ते मदो द्युम्निन्तम उत कतुः ।
अध स्मा ते परि चरन्त्यजर श्रृष्टीवानो नाजर ॥९॥

9) O Fire, thou art overwhelming in thy strength, thou art born most forceful for the forming of the Gods, as if a wealth for the forming of the Gods; most forceful is thy rapture, most luminous thy will. So they serve thee, O Ageless Fire, who hear thy word serve thee, O Ageless Fire!

प्र वो महे सहसा सहस्वत
उषर्बुधे पशुषे नाग्नये स्तोमो बभूत्वग्नये ।
प्रति यदीं हविष्मान् विश्वासु क्षासु जोगुवे ।
अग्रे रेभो न जरत ऋषूणां जूर्णिर्होत ऋषूणाम् ॥१०॥

10) To the Great One, the Strong in his force, the waker in the Dawn, to Fire as to one who has vision, let your hymn arise. When the giver of the offering cries towards him in all the planes, in the front of the wise he chants our adoration, the priest of the call of the wise who chants their adoration.

स नो नेदिष्ठं ददृशान आ भराऽग्ने देवेभिः सचनाः सुचेतुना
महो रायः सुचेतुना ।
महि शविष्ठ नस्कृधि संचक्षे भुजे अस्यै ।
महि स्तोतृभ्यो मधवन्त्सुवीर्यं मथीरुग्रो न शवसा ॥११॥

11) So, becoming visible, most near to us bring, O Fire, by thy perfect consciousness, the Riches that ever accompany the Gods, by thy perfect consciousness the Great Riches. O most

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strong Fire, create for us that which is great for vision, for the enjoying; for those who hymn thee, O Lord of plenty, churn out a great hero-strength as one puissant by his force.

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