Hymns to the Mystic Fire

[22]

RV IV.1

1. Hymn to Agni.

Subject. The final siddhi and liberation by true knowledge into the triple fullness of Sachchidananda.

1) Thee verily, O Agni, have the gods, thee too a god, ever & always (सदमित्) in their activity of mind sent down into the world (ni) as the worker (in man), by the force of their will they have sent thee down; immortal in mortal men & everywhere divine they gave thee being, O sacrificer, as the god who perceives consciously in the mind (prachetasam), they gave being to the universal, the utterly divine perceiver in the mind.

Text.

Twám hyagne sadam it samanyavo, deváso devam aratim nyerire, iti kratwá nyerire;
Amartyam yajata martyeshu á, devam ádevam janata prachetasam, vishvam ádevam janata prachetasam.

Sy. अरतिं—शीघ्रं गंतारं. Arati from ar to fight, to labour, to drive on (Ashti)—Agni is the divine worker & fighter who pushes

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man on in his journey. इतिशब्दो हेत्वर्थः—therefore men too send thee by the work (hymn). नि = नितरां according to Sy.; rather = in = into the strife & labour of the lower world. आदेवं—नानादेशवर्तिषु यज्ञेषु व्याप्तं.

2) So do thou, O Agni, by right thinking turn towards the gods Varuna thy brother who delights in the sacrifice, thy eldest who delights in the sacrifice, Varuna who has the Truth, the son of the Infinite who upholds our works, the King who sustains our works.

Text.

Sa bhrátaram Varuṇam Agna á vavṛitswa deván achchhá sumatí yajnavanasam jyeshṭham yajnavanasam;
Ṛitávánam Ádityam charshaṇídhṛitam rájánam charshaṇídhṛitam.

Sayana takes deván = देवनशीलान्स्तोतृन्, सुमती with चर्षणीधृतं, ṛitávánam = अदकवंतं and explains charshaṇídhṛitam as मनुष्याणा - मुदकप्रदानेन धारकं. सुमती can by its order in the sentence belong either to vavṛitswa or to yajnavanasam, but it is against all the laws of style and decent literary structure to take it with so distant a word as charshaṇídhṛitam.

3) O friend, turn thy friend hither for us, O creative actor, even as two impetuous coursers speed forward a swift wheel. Agni, thou in company with Varuna win (for us) a gracious mood in the Maruts, they who are the play of light in all existences; O burning pure for the protection of that which we create, do thou make for us peace, O maker, do thou make for us peace.

Text.

Sakhe sakháyam abhyá vavṛitswa áshum na chakram rathyeva ranhyá, asmabhyam dasma ranhyá;
Agne mṛiḷíkam Varuṇe sachá vido Marutsu vishvabhánushu;
Tokáya tuje shushuchána sham kṛidhi, asmabhyam dasma sham kṛidhi.

Sy. दस्म—दर्शनीय. This rendering has no appropriateness in the context and brings in an otiose epithet. दस्म may be either "bounteous" or "active, formative", cf दंस् in दंसना, दंसः etc.

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Sy. मृळीकं—सुखकरं हविः. There is no mention of any havir. Sayana gets it from verse 5, मृळीकं वीहि. The prayer for a gracious mood in the gods, मृळीकं or मार्डीकं and not wrath, हेळः, is a common feature of the Veda.

Sy. तोकाय—तुज्यते पीड्यते माता गर्भवासेनेति तोकं पुत्रः. An absurd derivation. तोक is from obsolete root तुच् to cut, shape, form, create, cf तिच् & तच् in Greek τóχος, τίχτω; it may mean anything formed or created or formation or creation. The image is that of the putra or apatyam, the creation of our works.

तुजे—गच्छत्यनेनानृण्यं पितेति तुक् पौत्रः—a still more wildly impossible derivation. तुज् (also तुंज्) means to strike, hurt, push, drive, also to screen, guard, protect. I take तोकाय तुजे as the ordinary Vedic construction of the double dative, one dependent on the other, तोक being in the dative because it is the beneficiary of the action expressed in तुज्.

4) Thou, O Agni, know and put away from us by thy workings the wrath of Varuna, the god; mightiest in the act of the sacrifice and in its upholding, burning bright, do thou deliver us from all hostile powers.

Text.

Twam no Agne Varuṇasya vidván, devasya heḍo ava yásisíshṭháh;
Yajishṭho vahnitamah shoshucháno, vishvá dweshánsi pra mumugdhi asmat.

5) So, O Agni, do thou with protection (or with growth in us) down in this lowest world become very close to us in the wideshining of this dawn; taking thy delight in us, work away from us Varuna, manifest his grace, increase as our good helper.

Text.

Sa twam no Agne avamo bhavotí, nedishṭho asyá ushaso vyushṭau;
Ava yakshva no Varuṇam raráṇo víhi mṛiḷíkam suhavo na edhi.

Say. takes avamo bhavotí as either come down to us with protection or become our protector by thy coming (útyá). He explains ava yakshva varuṇam as "get rid of the dropsy Varuna has

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given me" and víhi mṛiḷíkam as "eat this pleasant oblation". I see no mention of dropsy anywhere. Varuṇam ava yakshva obviously means "work off from us by the sacrifice Varuna in his anger" and víhi mṛiḷíkam, manifest his gracious form in place of the angry Varuna. I take ví in its ancient sense of "coming or bringing into being, manifestation, widening, outspreading" as in vayas, vayunam etc.

6) Best and most richly varied in mortals is the vision of this god who is perfect in delight, desirable even as the pure & warm ghee (ghritam) of the Cow indestructible, yea, as the thick fullness of the Cow of God.

Text.

Asya shreshṭhá subhagasya sandṛig, devasya chitratamá martyeshu;
Shuchi ghṛitam na taptam aghnyáyáh, spárhá devasya manhaneva dhenoh.

Sy. chitratamá. पूजनीया. मंहना. दानं । मंहतिर्दानकर्मा With sandṛig chitra must surely mean bright, rich or curious. मंह् means to be great, full or to greaten; there is no reason why we should take it in the sense of giving; the gift of the cow would be at least a strange expression.

7) Three are those supreme, true and desirable births of the god Agni; manifested pervasively within the Infinite may he come pure and bright and noble and shining.

Trir asya tá paramá santi satyá, spárhá devasya janimáni Agneh;
Anante antah parivíta ágách, chhuchih shukro aryo roruchánah.

त्रिः. अग्निवायुसूर्यात्मना. परिवीतः. स्वतेजसा परिवेष्टितः. I find nothing in the text suggesting स्वतेजसा; and "surrounded within the infinite may he come" makes no intelligible sense. वी in the sense of "manifestation" or परिवीतः in the sense of pervading, from ví, to go, suits best with the phrase anante antah. अर्यः as in अरति = one fit to do the work of अरणं, the fight, journey or ascension from mortality to the divine existence.

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8) He, the messenger, controlleth all habitations, the priest of the offering with his chariot of gold, with his tongue of delight; red are his steeds, full of body is he and wide-shining and ever rapturous like an assembly-hall where the wine faileth not.

Sy. takes raṉsu and raṇva in the sense of beautiful, but they are rather "delightful, rapturous, joyful". पितु may mean either food or drink.

9) He is the builder of the sacrifice (or the friend in the sacrifice) and awakens the minds of men; him with a great cord they lead forward, he dwells perfecting in the houses of this being, a god he has become the means of perfection to the mortal.

Martasya must be taken, obviously, with sadhanitwam; asya with duryásu means simply this being here on earth. Sadh & sádh, sadhan & sádhana are different forms of one word, cf bhavati & bhaváti, charatha & charátha, rati & ráti.

Text. 8-9.

Sa dúto vishved abhi vashṭi sadmá, hotá hiraṇyaratho ransujihvah;
Rohidashwo vapushyo vibhává sadá raṇvah pitumatíva sansat.
Sa chetayan manusho yajnabandhuh, pra tam mahyá rashanayá nayanti;
Sa ksheti asya duryásu sádhan, devo martasya sadhanitwam ápa.

10) So may that Agni lead us on in his knowledge to that bliss of his which is enjoyed by the gods, which all the Immortals made by Thought and father Dyaus begot it increasing Truth.

Sa tú no Agnir nayatu prajánann, achchhá ratnam devabhaktam yad asya;
Dhiyá yad vishve amṛitá akṛiṇvan, Dyaushpitá janitá satyam ukshan.

Sy. takes यद् = यमग्निं. But the neuter can only refer to ratnam. Sy. also takes satyam = true Agni and उक्षन् = the adhwaryu sprinkled the true Agni (with ghee & other oblations).

11) He was born the first in the waters in the foundation of

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the kingdom of the vastness, in the womb of the Truth (asya); without head or feet, concealing his ends, setting himself to his works in the lair of the Bull of Heaven (vṛishabhasya).

Text.

Sa jáyata prathamah pastyásu, maho budhne rajaso asya yonau;
Apádashírshá guhamáno antá, áyoyuváno vṛishabhasya níḷe.

Sy. पस्त्यासु—गृहेषु or नदीषु. रजस् either "kingdom" or from A.R. रज् to shine = रोचन & दिव्, in the sense of heavenly world, Sy. रजसः = तेजसः. वृषभस्य—Sy. वर्षणसमर्थस्य मेघस्य. Rather Bull, Male, Mighty One, Master, a common epithet, like उक्षन्, नृ, of the gods, but specially applicable to Indra or to the Purusha. Cf वृष्ण्यानि = mights, masteries, mighty actions, वृषन्, वृषभ = वीर strong, mighty, heroic; both from A.R. वृ to be strong, luxuriant, abundant. नीळ, nest, means probably in Veda no more than lair, stall, home.

12) Forward he moved, a supreme force, by illumined knowledge, in the womb of Truth, in the lair of the Bull, desirable and young and great of body and widely shining. Seven Masters of Love gave him being for the Mighty One.

Pra shardha árta prathamam vipanyan, ṛitasya yoná vṛishabhasya níḷe;
Spárho yuvá vapushyo vibhává, sapta priyáso 'janayanta vṛishne.

विपन्यँ;. P.P. विपन्या = विपन्यया by the illumination, by knowledge. Say. स्तुत्या—but Sy. interprets even अजनयंत = स्तोत्रमकुर्वन्! ऋतस्य he takes = उदकस्य.

13) Here our human fathers attained (अभि प्र) & have their seat enjoying the Truth. The bright kine of plenteous milk were shut within in a strong pen; the Dawns drove them upward at the call.

वव्रे I take to be a verbal form from वृ, the passive correspondent to the active वव्रुः. Sy. says वृणोत्याच्छादयतीति वव्रं पर्वतविलांतर्वर्ति तमः, and explains, "The Angirasas surrounded by the mountains in the cavern darkness drove up out of the cleft

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the cows of plenteous milk, calling the Dawns who destroy the darkness." It is not clear why the Dawns should or how they could destroy the natural darkness in the bowels of the hills. हुवानाः means called by the fathers.

Text.

Asmákam atra pitaro manushyá, abhi pra sedur ṛitam áshusháṇáh;
Ashmavrajáh sudughá vavre antar, ud usrá ájann ushaso huvánáh.

14) Cleaving the hill asunder they put forth their strength (or shone in brightness); to that knowledge of theirs others all around gave expression; with the vision for their engine (or, driving the Cow of Light or controlling the Animal) they sang the hymn of realisation to the master of the action, they found the light, they fulfilled the fruit of the sacrifice by their thoughts.

Text.

Te marmṛijata dadṛivánso adrim, tad eshám anye abhito vi vochan;
Pashwayantráso abhi káram archan, vidanta jyotish chakṛipanta dhíbhih.

मर्मृजत. Sy. अग्निं पर्यचरन्, the idea apparently being that they shampooed Agni. मृ & its derivatives mean to put out force, as in मृ to strike, kill, मृद् to crush, मृज् to rub, मृण् to kill, slay, मृध् battle, मृश् to touch, rub, मृष् to bear, suffer, cf सह्. Cf also म्रक्ष्, म्रद्, मर्य (which does not mean mortal, but male). मर्मृजत means therefore to put forth strength in action &, in sense, prepares the कार & चकृपंत that immediately follow. On the other hand मृ also means to shine intensely, glitter etc, eg मरीचिः a ray, Gr. marmairo, to shine, marmareos, shining, Lat. marmor, marble, & the sense may possibly extend to मृज्.

चकृपंत. कृप् to do completely, fulfil, succeed, get or bear fruit, cf Grk. χαρπóς fruit.

पश्वयंत्रासः Sy. पशुनिर्गमनार्थानि यंत्राण्युपायो येषां ते. If यंत्र = engine or means of action then पश्व cannot mean animal = पशु, but must = विपन्या, दृष्टि from पश् to see; if पशु means the cow, the animal, then यंत्र must mean either driving or controlling as in गा येमानं in the next rik.

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15) Te gavyatá manasá dṛidhram ubdham, gá yemánam pari shantam adrim;
Dṛiḍham naro vachasá daivyena, vrajam gomantam ushijo vi vavruh.

They with the light-seeking mind the firm-closed & massive hill surrounding and keeping in by force the cows opened, men with the word divine opened for their joy the firm pen full of the herds of light.

उशिजः कामयमानाः. But it is doubtful if उशिज् & उश् in Veda always mean precisely desire. The word is used = देव, & "the desirers" has hardly sufficient force by itself to be equivalent to the idea of godhead. उश् may mean also to shine or burn like वश् (in the consension of the grammarians उश् is only a form of vash), like उष् & उस् (eg उस्र, उषः) and that is its sense in उशिज् fire & उशिज् ghee (cf घृत from घृ to shine); then उशिज् & देव become equivalent in sense; or उश् = enjoy & उशिज् may mean "joyous, rapturous". Cf उशना, joyfully, willingly, वशा a woman, wife, daughter, sister (cf जाया, जनि, वनिता which all originally mean an object of enjoyment or companion in enjoyment, so woman, the general words for woman being afterwards applied to particular feminine relationships).

16) Te manvata prathamam náma dhenos, trih sapta mátuh paramáṇi vindan;
Taj jánatír abhyanúshata vrá,ávir bhuvad aruṇír yashasá goh.

They conceived the first (supreme) name of the Cow, yea, they found the thrice seven highest seats (or names) of the Mother; that knowing the Brides dawned towards it, the rosy Morn was manifested by the victorious arrival of the Cow of Light.

Sy. takes प्रथमं = first; but प्रथम here means rather first in the sense of supreme, chief or original & qualifies nama. परमाणि he explains as the 21 metres. I do not see in the Vedic text any warrant for this gloss; परमाणि must mean either परमाणि पदानि (धामानि) or परमाणि नामानि, referring back to नाम in the first pada, but it is usually the पदं or धाम to which the word विंदन् is applied.

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उष् in अनूषत I take to have the same sense as in the word उषः; वरा, the bride, refers often to उषः or to the sisters उषासः or to the rays of light themselves otherwise imaged as the cows of Usha. यशः means literally arrival, attaining, winning, so success, victory, glory, splendour or the results of winning, things won, wealth, etc. I take it here to mean by a sort of double association the victory & arrival of the herd driven by the Fathers to the thrice seven seats of the Mother, the seats of Sachchidananda.

17) Neshat tamo dudhitam rochata dyaur, ud devyá ushaso bhánur arta;
Á Súryo bṛihatas tishṭhad ajrán, ṛiju marteshu vṛijiná cha pashyan.

Vanished darkness oppressed, Heaven shone out, up the lustre of the divine Dawn arose; the Sun entered the fields of vastness beholding in mortals their straight things & their crooked.

दुधितं Sayana takes in the sense of "driven; propelled". The sense of the दु roots is, more often, to press, hurt, crush, compress, push; eg du, to hurt, torment, afflict, burn; also to grieve; दुःख pain; दुध् to kill, hurt; or to push, drive; दुर्व् to hurt, kill; दुल् to swing; दुष् to damage, spoil; दुह् to squeeze out, milk. Darkness disappears under the conquering pressure of Dawn, but it is not clear that the precise sense of the pressure is that of driving.

अज्र I take to be akin in sense to अजिर a court, open space, field of exercise or action, and equivalent to the Greek agros, Lat. ager, a field.

18) Ád it pashchá bubudháná vyakhyann, ád id ratnam dhárayanta dyubhaktam;
Vishve vishvásu duryásu devá Mitra dhiye Varuṇa satyam astu.

Then indeed they were awakened in mind to the beyond and saw perfectly, then indeed they held the bliss that is enjoyed in Heaven. May all the gods be in all the gated homes, may there be, O Mitra, Truth, and thou, O Varuna, for the thought.

पश्चा. Sy. पृष्ठ्यदेशेषु. रत्नं. If ratnam does not mean delight, it is curious that it should be so frequently associated with the word

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भक्तं especially in such phrases as द्युभक्तं; the wealth enjoyed in heaven or enjoyed by the gods, रत्नं यदस्य देवभक्तं, has no meaning; it is a bizarre & senseless phrase; bliss enjoyed in heaven or by the gods is natural and makes a good and simple sense.

19) Achchhá vocheya shushuchánam Agnim, hotáram vishvabharasam yajishṭham;
Shuchi údho atṛiṇan na gavám, andho na pútam parishiktam anshoh.

I would speak the mantra towards Agni as he burneth pure, the offerer strong in sacrifice who bringeth us all boons; he presses out as if the pure udder of the cows, as if the pure & wide-poured liquid of the Soma-creeper.

Sy. takes na = not, & explains, "he did not milk the cows, the Soma was not purified nor sprinkled; the yajaman only offered praise." I see no sense or appropriateness to the context in this rendering. Na simply conveys, as in other passages, that the cows & the Soma are symbolic figures not material cows or the intoxicating juice of a material plant.

20) Vishveshám aditir yajniyánám, vishveshám atithir mánusháṇám;
Agnir devánám ava ávṛiṇánah, sumṛiḷíko bhavatu játavedáh.

The infinite being of all the sacrificial Powers, the guest of all human beings, may Agni, taking to himself the being of the gods, become gracious to us, the knower of all births.

अवः = अन्नं says Sayana, & देवानाम् = स्तोतृणाम्. अवः certainly here does not mean protection and this passage throws doubt upon the sense of protection ascribed to the word in other passages where we have the phrase अव आवृणे and it is rendered "I choose the protection". अव् or ऊ means to bring into being, increase, keep in being, be, have; to protect, to cover etc, eg अवि, originally, a creature, beast, afterwards particularised as bird or sheep; even, a rat, also a master (to have); avis, an extender, enlarger; avas, wealth, provision (to have). Latin avus, forefather. Avas may, therefore, mean the birth & presence of

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the gods in man all drawn into the totality of the divine Tapas, Agni, who is the aditir yajniyánám, that infinite from which they took their birth.