Hymns to the Mystic Fire

Nabhaka Kanwa

SUKTA 39

अग्निमस्तोष्यृग्मियमग्निमीळा यजध्यै ।
अग्निर्देवाँ अनक्तु न उभे हि विदेथे कविरन्तश्चरति दूत्यं नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥१॥

1) To Fire I give laud, the possessor of the illumined word, to worship the Fire with the speech of revelation; let the Fire reveal the gods to us, for he is the seer who goes on his embassy between the two worlds in the knowledge,—let all that are hostile be rent asunder.

न्यग्ने नव्यसा वचस्तनूषु शंसमेषाम् ।
न्यराती रराव्णां विश्वा अर्यो अरातीरितो युच्छन्त्वामुरो नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥२॥

2) O Fire, destroy with a new word the expression of these within in the bodies, destroy within us the beings hostile to those who give thee, let all the enemy forces, the hostile spirits depart from here who would do hurt to us,—let all that are hostile be rent asunder.

अग्ने मन्मानि तुभ्यं कं घृतं न जुह्व आसनि ।
स देवेषु प्र चिकिद्धि त्वं ह्यसि पूर्व्यः शिवो दूतो विवस्वतो नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥३॥

3) O Fire, to thee I offer my thoughts as if an offering of light¹ cast into thy mouth; so do thou awake to knowledge in the gods, for thou art the ancient and benign messenger of the Sun,—let all that are alien be rent asunder.

तत्तदग्निर्वयो दधे यथायथा कृपण्यति ।
ऊर्जाहुतिर्वसूनां शं च योश्च मयो दधे विश्वस्यै देवहूत्यै नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥४॥

4) He founds growth upon growth of the being even as one² desires; offered the oblation of offered energy for every call to the gods he founds both the peace and the movement of the Shining Ones, he founds the bliss,—let all that are alien be rent asunder.

स चिकेत सहीयसाऽग्निश्चित्रेण कर्मणा ।
स होता शश्वतीनां दक्षिणाभिरभीवृत इनोति च प्रतीव्यं नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥५॥

5) He awakes to knowledge by his forceful and many-sided works; he is the Priest of the call of many powers surrounded

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by lights of discernment and he takes possession of all that faces him,—let all that are alien be rent asunder.

अग्निर्जाता देवानामग्निर्वेद मर्तानामपीच्यम् ।
अग्निः स द्रविणोदा अग्निदर्वारा व्यूर्णुते स्वाहुतो नवीयसा नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥६॥

6) The Fire knows the births of the gods and the secret thing of mortals; this is the Fire that gives the treasures, the Fire when there is cast into him as offering that is new uncovers the hidden doors,—let all that are alien be rent asunder.

अग्निर्देवेषु संवसुः स विक्षु यज्ञियास्वा ।
स मुदा काव्या पुरु विश्वं भूमेव पुष्यति देवो देवेषु यज्ञियो नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥७॥

7) Fire is the companion dwelling in the gods, dwelling in the beings who are masters of sacrifice; he increases by his rapture many seer-wisdoms, even as all that is large, he is a god in the gods and a lord of sacrifice,—let all that are alien be rent asunder.

यो अग्निः सप्तमानुषः श्रितो विश्वेषु सिन्धुषु ।
तमागन्म त्रिपस्त्यं मन्धातुर्दस्युहन्तममग्निं यज्ञेषु पूर्व्यं नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥८॥

8) Fire is the sevenfold human, he is lodged in all the rivers; to him we have come, the dweller in the triple abode, the Fire of the thinker, slayer of the Destroyers, ancient and supreme in the sacrifices,—let all that are alien be rent asunder.

अग्निस्त्रीणि त्रिधातून्या क्षेति विदथा कविः ।
स त्रीँरेकादशाँ इह यक्षच्च पिप्रयच्च नो
विप्रो दूतः परिष्कृतो नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥९॥

9) Fire is the seer who takes up his dwelling in his three abodes

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of knowledge of three kinds; may he sacrifice to the Three and Thirty and satisfy us, perfected, the illumined thinker and messenger,—let all that are alien be rent asunder.

त्वं नो अग्न आयुषु त्वं देवेषु पूर्व्य वस्व एक इरज्यसि ।
त्वामापः परिस्त्रुतः परि यन्ति स्वसेतवो नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥१०॥

10) O ancient and supreme Fire, thou art in us who are mortals, thou in the gods, one and sole thou rulest over the Treasures; around thee the wide-flowing waters go each with its own bridge,—let all that are alien be rent asunder.

SUKTA 40

इन्द्राग्नी युवं सु नः सहन्ता दासथो रयिम् ।
येन दृळ्हा समत्स्वा वीळु चित् साहिषीमह्यग्निर्वनेव वात इन् नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥१॥

1) O Indra, O Fire, forceful you give to us the treasure by which we shall overcome in our battles even all that is firm and strong, as Fire the trees in a wind,—let all that are alien be rent asunder.

नहि वां वव्रयामहेऽथेन्द्रमिद् यजामहे शविष्ठं नृणां नरम् ।
स नः कदा चिदर्वता गमदा वाजसातये गमदा मेघसातये नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥२॥

2) May we not shut you away from us, then may we truly worship Indra with sacrifice, the god most potent of the gods; may he sometime come to us with the war-horse, may he come to us for the winning of the plenitudes, for the winning of the purity,³—let all that are alien be rent asunder.

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ता हि मध्यं भराणामिन्द्राग्नी अधिक्षितः ।
ता उ कवित्वना कवी पृच्छयमाना सखीयते ।
सं धीतमश्नुतं नरा नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥३॥

3) For they, Indra and Fire, dwell in the midst of mellays; gods, seers, questioned, they by their seerhood gain for one who seeks their friendship the knowledge won by the thought,—let all that are alien be rent asunder.

अभ्यर्च नभाकवदिन्द्राग्नी यजसा गिरा ।
ययोर्विश्वमिदं जगदियं द्यौः पृथिवी महयुपस्थे बिभृतो वसु नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥४॥

4) To Indra and the Fire sing the illumined chant even as Nabhaka, doing them homage with sacrifice and speech, whose is all this world and this heaven and great earth bear for them in their lap the treasures,—let all that are alien be rent asunder.

प्र ब्रह्माणि नभाकवदिन्द्राग्निभ्यामिरज्यत ।
या सप्तबुध्नमर्णवं जिह्मबारमपोर्णुत इन्द्र ईशान ओजसा नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥५॥

5) Even as Nabhaka direct towards Indra and Fire the Words who uncovered the sea of the seven foundations with its dim⁴ doors,—even Indra ruling all by his might,—let all that are alien be rent asunder.

अपि वृश्च पुराणवद् व्रततेरिव गुष्पितमोजो दासस्य दम्भय ।
वयं तदस्य संभृतं वस्विन्द्रेण वि भजेमहि नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥६॥

6) Even as of old cleave like clustering mass of a creeper, crush the might of the demon; that wealth amassed by him may we by Indra share,—let all that are alien be rent asunder.

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यदिन्द्राग्नी जना इमे विह्वयन्ते तना गिरा ।
अस्माकेभिर्नृभिर्वयं सासह्याम पृतन्यतो वनुयाम वनुष्यतो नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥७॥

7) When, O Indra, O Fire, these who are here call you with speech and act, may we overcome by our men those who battle against us, may we conquer those who would conquer us,—let all that are alien be rent asunder.

या नु श्वेताववो दिव उच्चरात उप द्युभिः ।
इन्द्राग्न्योरनु व्रतमुहाना यन्ति सिन्धवो
यान्त्सीं बन्धादमुञ्चतां नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥८॥

8) White gods are they who from below ascend to the heavens by their lights; according to the law of the working of Indra and Fire, flowing move the Rivers whom they loosed from bondage to every side,—let all that are alien be rent asunder.

पूर्वीष्ट इन्द्रोपमातयः पूर्वीरुत प्रशस्तयः सूनो हिन्वस्य हरिवः ।
वस्वो वीरस्यापृचो या नु साधन्त नो धियो नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥९॥

9) O Indra, O thou of the bright horses, O begetter of the shining hero, the shooter who strikes into his mark, many are thy measurings of things, many thy expressions of the truth which accomplish⁵ our thoughts,—let all that are alien be rent asunder.

तं शिशीता सुवृक्तिभिस्त्वेषं सत्वानमृग्मियम् ।
उतो नु चिद् य ओजसा शुष्णस्याण्डानि भेदति ।
जेषत् स्वर्वतीरपो नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥१०॥

10) Intensify him by your purifications, the brilliant warrior with the illumined word, even him who with might breaks

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the serpent-eggs of Shushna, may he conquer the waters that bear the light of the Sun-world,—let all that are alien be rent asunder.

तं शिशीता स्वध्वरं सत्यं सत्वानमृत्वियम् ।
उतो नु चिद् य ओहत आण्डा शुष्णस्य भेद-
त्यजैः स्वर्वतीरपो नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥११॥

11) Intensify him who is perfect in the rite of the path, the true warrior who follows the law of the Truth; it is he who observes, who breaks the serpent-eggs of Shushna, conquers the waters that bear the light of the Sun-world,—let all that are alien be rent asunder.

एवेन्द्राग्निभ्यां पितृवन्नवीयो मन्धातृवदङगिरस्वदवाचि ।
त्रिधातुना शर्मणा पातमस्मान् वयं स्याम पतयो रयीणाम् ॥१२॥

12) So has the new word been spoken to Indra and to Fire, even as by my father, by Mandhata, by the Angiras; protect us with triple peace, may we be masters of the riches.