Hymns to the Mystic Fire

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RV IV.5

5. Vamadeva's fifth hymn to Agni.

1) वैश्वानराय मीळ्हुषे सजोषाः
कथा दाशेम अग्नये बृहद्भाः ।
अनृनेन बृहता वक्षथेन
उप स्तभायदुपमित्र रोधः ॥

Together how shall we give to Agni Vaishvanara in his bounty, who have gained the wide light (of the Truth); with a vast & illimitable upbearing he supporteth verily the firmament from below like a pillar.

बृहद्भाः Sy. महते भासमानायाग्नये! वक्षथेन. Sy. वोढव्येन स्वशरीरेण.

2) मा निंदत य इमां मह्यं रातिं
देवो ददौ मर्त्याय स्वधावान् ।
पाकाय गृत्सो अमृतो विचेता
वैश्वानरो नृतमो यह्वो अग्निः ॥

Confine not (or blame not) the god who in his self-fixity has given to me, to a mortal this felicity, seizer of things immortal & wise in knowledge he has given it to my ripeness—the lord of universal strength, the mighty & mastering Agni.

Sy. मा निंदत । स्तुतेत्यर्थः! पाकाय—परिपक्वज्ञानाय. गृत्सो. Sy. मेधाविनामैतत्.

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3) साम द्विबर्हा महि तिग्मभृष्टिः
सहस्ररेता वृषभस्तुविष्मान् ।
पदं न गोरपगृळ्हं विविद्वा-
नग्निर्मह्यं प्रेदु वोचन्मनीषाम् ॥

May the Bull of Force with his thousandfold seed of delight, fiery in his burning strength, express in me, he who has fullness of the two worlds, mighty Sama; may Agni express in me in speech the Intelligence as it were finding perfectly in knowledge the hidden place of the Cow of Light.

दविबर्हा. Sy. द्वयोः स्थानयोः परिवृढः. तुविष्मान्. Sy. बहुधनः—तुविः, तवस्, तविषी etc have all one meaning, strength, force.

4) प्र तानग्निर्बभसत्तिग्मजंभ-
स्तपिष्ठेन शोचिषा यः सुराधाः ।
प्र ये मिनंति वरुणस्य धाम
प्रिया मित्रस्य चेततो ध्रुवाणि ॥

Them may he sharp-tusked (or fiery-weaponed) burn with his most afflicting lustre (or most energetic), he who is perfect in delight, who awaken in consciousness to the glad & enduring seats of Varuna, of Mitra, & then seek to limit them.

प्र मिनंति. Sy. प्रकर्षेण हिंसंति. मि like मा (cf मन् & also मु in murus, muh etc) means literally to confine, comprehend, limit, diminish, measure, embrace, contain, hold. It may also mean to injure.

5) अभ्रातरो न योषणो व्यंतः
पतिरिपो न जनयो दुरेवाः ।
पापासः संतो अनृता असत्या
इदं पदमजनता गभीरं ॥

Moving about like women who have no protector, like women of evil impulses who do hurt to their husbands, they, though themselves evil & wandering from the truth & the right have brought to birth (in our consciousness) this deep world of knowledge.

पदं. Sy. नरकस्थानं but see 6. रिपो. Sy. द्वेषिण्यः.

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6) इदं मे अग्ने कियते पावक
अमिनते गुरुं भारं न मन्म ।
बृहद् दधाथ धृषता गभीरं
यह्वं पृष्ठं प्रयसा सप्तधातु ॥

When, O Agni, I who am so little, O purifier, could not contain my thought as one who cannot hold a heavy load, this vast & deep & controlling level thou didst establish for me violently by thy endeavour in all its seven principles.

Sy. अमिनते—अहिंसतेऽत्यजते. This is merely a scholastic ingenuity. मन्म—मननीयं धनं! Another.

7) तमिन्न्वेव समना समान-
मभि कत्वा पुनती धीतिरश्याः ।
ससस्य चर्मन्नधि चारु पृश्ने-
रग्रे रुप आरुपितं जबारु ॥

Him indeed in his pervading equality may my thought too purifying and pervadingly equal even now by its power (or the will) attain; in the action of the bliss is reflected on high, bright and firm(?), the form of the dappled Cow of Light.

रूपः. Sy. takes as 6th case of रुप् = earth. आरोपयति स्वात्मनि सस्यादीनि रुबिति भूमिरुच्यते, पृश्रि = द्युलोक, आरुपितं = आरोपितं, जबारु = जवमानरोहि (Yaska). All these are forced derivations & forced senses. चर्मन्—Sy. चर्मणे चरणाय & ससस्य = निश्चलस्य.

8) प्रवाच्यं वचसः किं मे अस्य
गुहा हितमुप निणिग्वदंति ।
यदुस्रियाणामप वारिव व्रन्
पाति प्रियं रुपो अग्रं पदं वेः ॥

What of this word must I declare in speech? That which is established in the hidden places they speak of secretly (or as a secret) and that which they unveil as the sea of the bright ones, yet one guardeth its form of bliss & the supreme place of the manifest being.

निणिक्. नितरां नेनेक्ति शोधयतीति निणिक् क्षीरमुच्यते. Sy. ignores the murdhanya nasal. It is from निण्—cf निण्यं. प्रियं रूपः. भूम्याः प्रियं स्थानं.

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9) इदमु त्यन्महि महामनीकं
यदुस्रिया सचत पूर्व्यं गौः ।
ऋतस्य पदे अधि दीद्यानं
गुहा रघुष्यद्रधुयद्विवेद ॥

This verily is that mighty & pristine force of the great ones to which cleaveth the Cow of brightness; shining in the seat of Truth I knew it whether turning to swift motion towards the hidden places or thither swiftly moving.

रघुष्यद् is clearly a desiderative form of the nominal रघुयद्.

10) अध द्युतानः पित्रोः सचासा
अमनुत गुह्यं चारु पृश्नेः
मातुष्पदे परमे अंति षद्गो-
र्वृष्णः शोचिषः प्रयतस्य जिह्वा ॥

Now he shines with the Father & Mother & near to them and has knowledge in mind of the bright & secret thing of the dappled Cow; opposite us (or near) in the highest place of the Mother, of the Cow of Being, is the tongue of the flaming-bright Lord in His activity.

आसामनुत Sy. आस्येन पानायाबुध्यत!

11) ऋतं वोचे नमसा पृच्छ्यमान-
स्तवाशसा जातवेदो यदीदं ।
त्वमस्य क्षयसि यद्ध विश्वं
दिवि यदु द्रविणं यत्पृथिव्याम् ॥

With obeisance of submission & by thy command, O Knower of the worlds, I declare to the questioner this truth that I have; thou art its inhabitant, yea, of all this that is substance in heaven and all that is substance on the earth.

नमसा. Sy. takes with पृच्छं, I take with वोचे. आशसा. Sy. स्तुत्या. क्षयसि. ईश्वरो भवसि.

12) किं नो अस्य द्रविणं कद्ध रत्नं
वि नो वोचो जातवेदश्चिकित्वान् ।
गुहाध्वनः परमं यन्नो अस्य
रेकु पदं न निदाना अगन्म ॥

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What is the substance of this Truth, what its delight, perceive & declare to us, O Knower of all births; that which is its last secret seat at the farthest end of the path, over & above all other, may we reach & avoid (or refuse) all bondage & limitation.

रेकु. रिक्तं ie अतिरिक्तं beyond the four other padas.

13) का मर्यादा वयुना कद्ध वाम-
मच्छा गमेम रघवो न वाजं ।
कदा नो देवीरमृतस्य पत्नीः
सृरो वर्णेन ततनन्नुषासः ॥

What are its confines, what its wideness, what its delightfulness towards which we must go like swift steeds to their goal? What for us have the divine wives of the Immortal One, the Dawns, extended by the light of the Sun?

कदा I take = कद् आ contrary to Padapatha. वाजं from वाज् to go, वाजी a horse, goer (goal or perhaps stable). वर्णेन. Sy. प्रकाशेन.

14) अनिरेण वचसा फल्ग्वेन
प्रतीत्येन कृधुनातृपासः ।
अधा ते अग्ने किमिहा वदंति
अनायुधास आसता सचंताम् ॥

Unsatisfied any longer with a Word that is unadvancing & slight and easily assailed and petty what now may men express of thee here, O Agni; unweaponed let them cleave to thy seated being.

अनिरेण. इरात्रं तद्रहितेन! I take "without impetus or force" = unable to carry man forward. फल्गवेन. Sy. उक्थेन. Simply फल्गु. कृधुना. कृध्विति ह्रस्वनाम कृधुको वम्रक इति तन्नामसुक्तत्वात्. आसता. P.P. असता Sy. दुःखेन. It may mean, if from आस् either "seated" or "near", if from अ = आ + सता, then "near" or in sense of आभू.

15) अस्य श्रिये समिधानस्य वृष्णो
वसोरनीकं दम आ रुरोच ।
रुशद्वसानः सुदृशीकरुपः
क्षितिर्न राया पुरुवारो अद्यौत् ॥

For opulence of our being shineth out in its home (or in this our house) the force of this Lord & king of substance blazing high;

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he wears his robe of redness and with a form gloriously visible (or of perfect vision) as one who has made his home with the felicity he shines out rich in blessings.

श्रिये. श्रेयसे.    पुरुवारः. बहुभिर्ऋत्विगिभर्वरणीयः.    क्षितिः. राजादिः
क्षितिरिति मनुष्यनाम.