Hymns to the Mystic Fire

Nodhas Gautama

SUKTA 58

A hymn to Agni of the woodlands, the Flame that feeds on and enjoys the pleasant things of the earthly being and when the emotional and vital being is offered to the gods becomes a creator of the divine birth and a giver of the supreme bliss and the immortal rapture.

नू चित्सहोजा अमृतो नि तुन्दते होता यद् दूतो अभवद् विवस्वतः ।
वि साधिष्ठेभिः पथिभी रजो मम आ देवताता हविषा विवासति ॥१॥

1) Now again he has become the envoy of the illumined one; the Immortal born of force tramples on his way and by most effective paths, the middle world has measured out into form. He illumines by the power of the food-offering in the creation of the gods.

आ स्वमद्म युवमानो अजरस्तृष्वविष्यन्नतसेषु तिष्ठति ।
अत्यो न पृष्ठं प्रुषितस्य रोचते दिवो न सानु स्तनयन्नचिकदत् ॥२॥

2) The ageless Flame is embracing his own proper food. When he means to give increase, he stands up swiftly on the fuel. The back of the burning god shines like a galloping horse. He shouts aloud as if making to thunder the peak of heaven.

काणा रुद्रेभिर्वसुभिः पुरोहितो होता निषत्तो रयिषाळमर्त्यः ।
रथो न विक्ष्वृञ्जसान आयुषु व्यानुषग् वार्या देव ऋण्वति ॥३॥

3) He is the doer of the work with the Rudras and the Vasus, the vicar of sacrifice and seated offering priest, the Immortal, the conqueror of treasures. The godhead shining among the peoples of these living beings is like our chariot and moves uninterruptedly to desirable things.

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वि वातजूतो अतसेषु तिष्ठते वृथा जुहूभिः सृण्या तुविष्वणिः ।
तृषु यदग्ने वनिनो वृषायसे कृष्णं त एम रुशदूर्मे अजर ॥४॥

4) Many-voiced, urged by the breath of the wind, he stands abroad easily among the trunks with the series of his mouths of flame. Black is thy trail, O ageless Flame, when swiftly thou puttest forth thy male might upon the woodlands, O wave of lustrous fire.

तपुर्जम्भो वन आ वातचोदितो यूथे न साव्हाँ अव वाति वंसगः ।
अभिव्रजन्नक्षितं पाजसा रजः स्थातुश्चरथं भयते पतत्रिणः ॥५॥

5) He ranges like a conquering bull ranges among the herd. Impelled by the blast he is blowing like a storm down in the wood with his burning jaws even while he travels with the mass of his might the unwasted middle world. Then the winged things of heaven are afraid and all that stands and all that moves.

दधुष्ट्वा भृगवो मानुषेष्वा रयिं न चारुं सुहवं जनेभ्यः ।
होतारमग्ने अतिथिं वरेण्यं मित्रं न शेवं दिव्याय जन्मने ॥६॥

6) The Bhrigus set thee, O Fire, among human beings like a beautiful treasure, one swift to the call of men, an offering priest and desirable guest, like a happy friend for the divine birth.

होतारं सप्त जुह्वो यजिष्ठं यं वाघतो वृणते अध्वरेषु ।
अग्निं विश्वेषामरतिं वसूनां सपर्यामि प्रयसा यामि रत्नम् ॥७॥

7) The Flame is a priest strong for sacrifice and the seven offering energies choose him in the rites of the path for the singer of the word. He is one who wins by battle all riches. I serve him with my delight and travel to the ecstasy.

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अच्छिद्रा सूनो सहसो नो अद्य स्तोतृभ्यो मित्रमहः शर्म यच्छ ।
अग्ने गृणन्तमंहस उरुष्योर्जो नपात् पूर्भिरायसीभिः ॥८॥

8) O Son of Force, O friendly greatness, give on this day to men who hymn thee, the joys of a bliss in which there is no wound or fissure. O Flame, Child of Might, keep thy singer far from evil with thy iron walls.

भवा वरुथं गृणते विभावो भवा मघवन् मघवद्भ्यः शर्म ।
उरुष्याग्ने अंहसो गृणन्तं प्रातर्मक्षू धियावसुर्जगम्यात् ॥९॥

9) O wide-lustrous Flame, become an armour to thy singer. King of Riches, become that bliss to the lords of the riches. Keep far from evil thy singer, O Fire. At dawn may he quickly come rich with thought.

SUKTA 59

A hymn to Agni Vaisvanara, the universal Force in all the worlds and in all beings who conducts the action of the universe and getting rid of the powers of darkness manifests to men the supreme heavenly world of light and truth and true being.

वया इदग्ने अग्नयस्ते अन्ये त्वे विश्वे अमृता मादयन्ते ।
वैश्वानर नाभिरसि क्षितीनां ह्थूणेव जनाँ उपमिद् ययन्थ ॥१॥

1) Other flames are only branches of thy stock, O Fire. All the immortals take in thee their rapturous joy. O universal Godhead, thou art the navel-knot of the earths and their inhabitants; all men born thou controllest and supportest like a pillar.

मूर्धा दिवो नाभिरग्निः पृथिव्या अथाभवदरती रोदस्योः ।
तं त्वा देवासोऽजनयन्त देवं वैश्वानर ज्योतिरिदार्याय ॥२॥

2) The Flame is the head of heaven and the navel of the earth

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and he is the power that moves at work in the two worlds. O Vaishwanara, the gods brought thee to birth a god to be a light to Aryan man.

आ सूर्ये न रश्मयो ध्रुवासो वैश्वानरे दधिरेऽग्ना वसूनि ।
या पर्वतेष्वोषधीष्वप्सु या मानुषेष्वसि तस्य राजा ॥३॥

3) As the firm rays sit steadfast in the Sun, all treasures have been placed in the universal godhead and flame. King art thou of all the riches that are in the growths of the earth and the hills and the waters and all the riches that are in men.

बृहती इव सूनवे रोदसी गिरो होता मनुष्यो न दक्षः ।
स्वर्वते सत्यशुष्माय पूर्वीर्वेश्वानराय नृतमाय यह्वीः ॥४॥

4) Heaven and Earth grow as if vaster worlds to the Son. He is the priest of our sacrifice and sings our words even as might a man of discerning skill. To Vaishwanara, for this most strong god who brings with him the light of the sun-world, its many mighty waters because his strength is of the truth.

दिवश्चित् ते बृहतो जातवेदो वैश्वानर प्र रिरिचे महित्वम् ।
राजा कृष्टीनामसि मानुषीणां युधा देवेभ्यो वरिवश्चकर्थ ॥५॥

5) O universal godhead, O knower of all things born, thy excess of greatness overflows even the Great Heaven. Thou art the king of the toiling human peoples and by battle, madest the supreme good for the gods.

प्र नू महुत्वं वृषभस्य वोचं यं पूरवो वृत्रहणं सचन्ते ।
वौशानरो दस्युमग्निर्जधन्वाँ अधूनोत् काष्ठा अव शम्बरं भेत् ॥६॥

6) I have spoken the greatness of the Bull to whom the Purus cling and he slays for us the covering Vritras. The universal Godhead and Flame has slain the Destroyers and hastened the waters on the way and broken down Shambara.

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वैश्वानरो महिम्ना विश्वकृष्टिर्भरद्वाजेषु यजतो विभावा ।
शातवनेये शतिनीभिरग्निः पुरुणीथे जरते सुनृतावान् ॥७॥

7) This is the universal godhead who by his greatness labours in all the peoples, the lustrous master of sacrifice, the Flame with his hundred treasures. This is he who has the word of the Truth.

SUKTA 60

वह्निं यशसं विदथस्य केतुं सुप्राव्यं दूतं सद्योअर्थम् ।
द्विजन्मानं रयिमिव प्रशस्तं रातिं भरद् भृगवे मातरिश्वा ॥१॥

1) The Lord of Life who breathes in the Mother brought to the Bhrigu like a treasure expressed by the word, a lavish felicity, a twice-born god, a glorious upholder, a thought-vision of the knowledge, a messenger who makes good advance and comes in a moment to the object of his journey.

अस्य शासुरुभयासः सचन्ते हविष्मन्त उशिजो ये च मर्ताः ।
दिवश्चित् पूर्वो न्यसादि होताऽऽपृच्छ्यो विश्पतिर्विक्षु वेधाः ॥२॥

2) Two are the races who cling to this teacher; the gods who desire in heaven and men who are mortals bring him the food-offering. One who was before heaven has sat down as the priest of sacrifice, one to be questioned, a lord of the peoples among the peoples, a creator.

तं नव्यसी हृद आ जायमानमस्मत् सुकीर्तिर्मधुजिह्वमश्याः ।
यमृत्विजो वृजने मानुषासः प्रयस्वन्त आयवो जीजनन्त ॥३॥

3) Our new glory-song of him enjoys the honey-tongued god in his birth from the heart of man, whom human living beings beget in the strength, delight for their offering, sacrificers in the seasons.

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उशिक् पावको वसुर्मानुषेषु वरेण्यो होताधायि विक्षु ।
दमूना गृहपतिर्दम आँ अग्निर्भुवद् रयिपती रयीणाम् ॥४॥

4) A desirable priest was set in the peoples, a desiring god, a purifying Vasu in men, a dweller in the home, a master of the house in the mansion; the Flame becomes a lord of many treasures.

तं त्वा वयं पतिमग्ने रयीणां प्र शंसामो मतिभिर्गोतमासः ।
आशुं न वाजंभरं मर्जयन्तः प्रातर्मक्षू धियावसुर्जगम्यात् ॥५॥

5) O Flame, we the Gotamas making thee clear and bright like a swift horse who brings our plenty give expression to thee by our thoughts, to the lord of treasures. At dawn may he quickly come rich with thought.