Hymns to the Mystic Fire

Rishabha Vaishwamitra

SUKTA 13

प्र वो देवायाग्नये बर्हिष्ठमर्चास्मै ।
गमद् देवेभिरा स नो वजिष्ठो बर्हिरा सदत् ॥१॥

1) Sing out some mightiest hymn to this divine Fire; may he come to us with the gods and, strong to sacrifice, sit upon the sacred grass.

Page 185

ऋतावा यस्य रोदसी दक्षं सचन्त ऊतयः ।
हविष्मन्तस्तमीळते तं सनिष्यन्तोऽवसे ॥२॥

2) He is the possessor of the Truth to whom belong earth and heaven and their guardings accompany his mind of discernment; for him the givers of the oblation pray, for him for their protection when they would win the riches.

स यन्ता विप्र एषां स यज्ञानामथा हि षः ।
अग्निं तं वो दुवस्यत दाता यो वनिता मघम् ॥३॥

3) He is the illumined seer and regent of these sacrifices, he and always he; that Fire set to his work who shall win and give the plenitude.

स नः शर्माणि वीतयेऽग्निर्यच्छतु शन्तमा ।
यतो नः प्रुष्णवद् वसु दिवि क्षितिभ्यो अप्स्वा ॥४॥

4) May he, the Fire, give us all happy peace for our journeying there whence are rained the riches in heaven, from all the planes, in the Waters.

दीदिवांसमपूर्व्यं वस्वीभिरस्य धीतिभिः ।
ऋक्वाणो अग्निमिन्धते होतारं विश्पतिं विशाम् ॥५॥

5) Men who have the light kindle into his flaming, incomparable, by the opulent thinkings of this being Fire, the Priest of the call, the lord of all the peoples.

उत नो ब्रह्मन्नविष उक्थेषु देवहूतमः ।
शं नः शोचा मरुद्रुधोऽग्ने सहस्त्रसातमः ॥६॥

6) Do thou, strong to call the gods, protect us in the Word, in all our utterances; increasing the life-powers powerful to win the thousands. Flame out blissfully for us, O Fire.

Page 186

नू नो रास्व सहस्त्रवत् तोकवत् पुष्टिमद् वसु ।
द्युमदग्ने सुवीर्यं वर्षिष्ठमनुपक्षितम् ॥७॥

7) Now give us a thousandfold riches bringing the Son, bringing our growth, luminous, a hero-strength, abundant, inexhaustible.

SUKTA 14

आ होता मन्द्रो विदथान्यस्थात् सत्यो यज्वा कवितमः स वेधाः ।
विद्युद्रथः सहसस्पुत्रो अग्निः शोचिष्केशः पृथिव्यां पाजो अश्रेत् ॥१॥

1) The rapturous Priest of the call has reached the things of knowledge; he is the true, doer of sacrifice, a great seer, a creator. Fire the son of force, with his chariot of lightning and his hair of flaming light, has attained to a massive strength on the earth.

अयामि ते नमउक्तिं जुषस्व ऋतावस्तुभ्यं चेतते सहस्वः ।
विद्वाँ आ वक्षि विदषो नि षत्सि मध्य आ बर्हिरुतये यजत्र ॥२॥

2) I come to thee, accept my word of obeisance, O master of Truth and strength, to thee who givest knowledge. As the knower, bring those who know and sit in the midst on the sacred grass, O lord of sacrifice.

द्रवतां त उषसा वाजयन्ती अग्ने वातस्य पथ्याभिरच्छ ।
यत् सीमञ्जन्ति पूर्व्यं हविर्भिरा वन्धुरेव तस्थतुर्दुरोणे ॥३॥

3) Let dawn and night full of their plenitude come running towards thee on paths of the wind, O Fire, when all around they anoint with oblation thee the first and supreme, as if two sides of a chariot-front they enter into the gated house.

मित्रश्च तुभ्यं वरुणः सहस्वोऽग्ने विश्वे मरुतः सुम्नमर्चन् ।
यच्छोचिषा सहसस्पुत्र तिष्ठा अभि क्षितीः प्रथयन्त्सूर्यो नृन् ॥४॥

4) To thee, O Forceful Fire, Mitra and Varuna and all the life-powers

Page 187

chant a hymn of bliss, when with thy flame of light, O son of Force, thou standest as the sun above the peoples shining wide upon men.

वयं ते अद्य ररिमा हि काममुत्तानहस्ता नमसोपसद्य ।
यजिष्ठेन मनसा यक्षि देवानस्त्रेधता मन्मना विप्रो अग्ने ॥५॥

5) Today we give to thee thy desire, approaching thee with outstretched hands and with obeisance; worship the gods with a mind strong for sacrifice, an illumined seer, with thy unerring thought, O Fire.

त्वद्धि पुत्र सहसो वि पूर्वीर्देवस्य यन्त्यूतयो वि वाजाः ।
त्वं देहि सहस्त्रिणं रयिं नोऽद्रोघेण वचसा सत्यमग्ने ॥६॥

6) For, from thee, O son of Force, go forth the many protections of the godhead, and his plenitudes. Do thou give us the thousandfold treasure, give by the word that betrays not the truth, O Fire.

तुभ्यं दक्ष कविकतो यानीमा देव मर्तासो अध्वरे अकर्म ।
त्वं विश्वस्य सुरथस्य बोधि सर्वं तदग्ने अमृत स्वदेह ॥७॥

7) O understanding mind, O Seer-Will! now that all these things we who are mortals have done for thee, O god, in the pilgrim-sacrifice, do thou awake to the whole well-charioted action and taste, all That here, O immortal Fire.