Hymns to the Mystic Fire

Sobhari Kanwa

SUKTA 19

तं गूर्धया स्वर्णरं देवासो देवमरतिं दधन्विरे ।
देवत्रा हव्यमोहिरे ॥१॥

1) Affirm that godhead of the sun-world, the gods set the divine traveller to his race, they brought the offering to the world of the gods.

विभूतरातिं विप्र चित्रशोचिषमग्निमीळिष्व यन्तुरम् ।
अस्य मेधस्य सोम्यस्य सोभरे प्रेमध्वराय पूर्व्यम् ॥२॥

2) O illumined seer, pray the Fire opulent in his gifts, rich in his lustres; the guide of this Soma-sacrifice pray, O Sobhari, for the rite of the path, the Ancient One.

यजिष्ठं त्वा ववृमहे देवं देवत्रा होतारममर्त्यम् ।
अस्य यज्ञस्य सुकतुम् ॥३॥

3) We have chosen thee the mightiest for sacrifice, the divine in the divine, the immortal as the Priest of call of this sacrifice, the strong of will,—

ऊर्जो नपातं सुभगं सुदीदितिमग्निं श्रेष्ठशोचिषम् ।
स नो मित्रस्य वरुणस्य सो अपामा सुम्नं यक्षते दिवि ॥४॥

4) The Son of Energy, the Fire, happy and radiant and most glorious in his light; may he win for us by sacrifice the bliss in heaven of Mitra and Varuna and the bliss of the waters.

यः समिधा य आहुती यो वेदेन ददाश मर्तो अग्नये ।
यो नमसा स्वघ्वरः ॥५॥

5) The mortal who with the fuel and the oblation, with knowledge and with surrender has given to the Fire, who is perfect in the pilgrim-rite,—

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तस्येदर्वन्तो रंहयन्त आशवस्तस्य द्युम्नितमं यशः ।
न तमंहो देवकृतं कुतश्चन न मर्त्यकृतं नशत् ॥६॥

6) Swift gallop his war-horses, most luminous is his glory, neither calamity wrought by the gods nor evil wrought of men can come to him from any part.

स्वग्नयो वो अग्निभिः स्याम सूनो सहस ऊर्जां पते ।
सुवीरस्त्वमस्मयुः ॥७॥

7) High of fire may we be with your fires, O son of force, O lord of Energies! for thou hast the hero-strength and thy desire is towards us.

प्रशंसमानो अतिथिर्न मित्रियोऽग्नी रथो न वेद्यः ।
त्वे क्षेमासो अपि सन्ति साधवस्त्वं राजा रयीणाम् ॥८॥

8) As our friendly guest finding our expression for us, Fire must be known, and as our chariot; in thee are all-accomplishing foundations of ease, thou art the king of the Treasures.

सो अद्धा दाश्वध्वरीऽग्ने मर्तः सुभग स प्रशंस्यः ।
स धीभिरस्तु सनिता ॥९॥

9) That mortal is sure in the giving of his pilgrim-sacrifice, O happy Fire, he is one to be proclaimed, may he be a conqueror by his thoughts,—

यस्य त्वमूर्ध्वो अध्वराय तिष्ठसि क्षयद्वीरः स साधते ।
सो अर्वद्भिः सनिता स विपन्युभिः स शूरैः सनिता कृतम् ॥१०॥

10) One for whom thou standest high exalted over his pilgrim-sacrifice, he is a master and hero and accomplishes,—he conquers by the war-horses, by the luminous seers, by the heroes, wins his work achieved.

यस्याग्निर्वपुर्गृहे स्तोमं चनो दधीत विश्ववार्यः ।
हव्या वा वेविषद् विषः ॥११॥

11) He in whose house Fire, in whom are all desirable things, maintains his body and his affirming laud and his delight and the offerings, he occupies the field of his occupancy.

विप्रस्य वा स्तुवतः सहसो यहो मक्षूतमस्य रातिषु ।
अवोदेवमुपरिमर्त्यं कृछि वसो विविदुषो वचः ॥१२॥

12) O son of force, for the illumined seer who lauds thee and is most swift in his givings, create for that seeker of knowledge, O Shining One,¹ the word in which the mortal is above the godhead below.

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यो अग्निं हव्यदातिभिर्नमोभिर्वा सुदक्षमाविवासति ।
गिरा वाजिरशोचिषम् ॥१३॥

13) He who by his gifts of the oblations or by prostrations of surrender, or by his word illumines the Fire, who brings his right judgment, and the swift action of his light,—

समिधा यो निशिती दाशददितिं धामभिरस्य मर्त्यः ।
विश्वेत् स धीभिः सुभगो जनाँ अति द्युम्नैरुदन इव तारिषत् ॥१४॥

14) He who with his stimulation by the fuel serves with the seats of the session of the Fire, the Boundless, that happy mortal exceeding men by his thoughts and by his lights passes beyond all things as one who crosses over waters.

तदग्ने द्युम्नमा भर यत् सासहत् सदने कं चिदत्रिणम् ।
मन्युं जनस्य दूढ्यः ॥१५॥

15) Bring, O Fire, that light which overcomes in the house whatever devourer or wrath of any being with evil thoughts.

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येन चष्टे वरुणो मित्रो अर्यमा येन नासत्या भगः ।
वयं तत् ते शवसा गातुवित्तमा इन्द्रत्वोता विधेमहि ॥१६॥

16) The light by which Mitra sees and Varuna and Aryaman, by which lords of the journey and Bhaga, that light may we worship, we made by thy force perfect knowers of the path guarded by the lordship of the Puissant.

ते घेदग्ने स्वाध्यो ये त्वा विप्र निदधिरे नृचक्षसम् ।
विप्रासो देव सुकतुम् ॥१७॥

17) O Fire, those are perfect in their thought who, themselves illumined, have set thee within them, O illumined seer, thee, O godhead, divine in vision and strong in will.

त इद् वेदिं सुभग त आहुतिं ते सोतुं चकिरे दिवि ।
त इद् वाजेभिर्जिग्युर्महद् धनं ये त्वे कामं न्येरिरे ॥१८॥

18) They have made their altar and their offering, O happy Fire, and their libation of the wine in heaven, they have conquered by their plenitudes a mighty wealth who have cast into thee their desire.

भद्रो नो अग्निराहुतो भद्रा रातिः सुभग भद्रो अध्वरः ।
भद्रा उत प्रशस्तयः॥१९।

19) O felicitous god, happy to us art thou fed with the offerings, happy thy giving, happy the pilgrim-sacrifice, happy our utterances.

भद्रं मनः कृणुष्व वृत्रतूर्ये येना समत्सु सासहः ।
अव स्थिरा तनुहि भूरि शर्घतां वनेमा ते अभिष्टिभिः ॥२०॥

20) Create for us a happy mind in the piercing of the Coverers by which thou mayst overcome in the battles; lay prostrate many firm positions of those who challenge us, may we conquer them by thy attacks.

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ईळे गिरा मनुर्हितं यं देवा दूतमरतिं न्येरिरे ।
यजिष्ठं हव्यवाहनम् ॥२१॥

21) I pray with the word the Fire set in man whom the god sent in as the messenger and traveller, the carrier of offerings, strong to sacrifice.

तिग्मजम्भाय तरुणाय राजते प्रयो गायस्यग्नये ।
यः पिंशते सूनृताभिः सुवीर्यमग्निर्धृतेभिराहुतः ॥२२॥

22) To the ever-young Fire shining with his sharp tusks of flame, thou singest delight, Fire who fed with the offerings of light forms by true words a great strength.

यदी घृतेभिराहुतो वाशीमग्निर्भरत उच्चाव च ।
असुर इव निर्णिजम् ॥२३॥

23) When he is fed with the offerings of light the Fire like one full of might, works his blade upwards and downwards and carves for himself a shape.

यो हव्यान्यैरयता मनुर्हितो देव आसा सुगन्धिना ।
विवासते वार्याणि स्वध्वरो होता देवो अमर्त्यः ॥२४॥

24) The godhead set in man who speeds the offerings in its fragrant mouth, perfect in the pilgrim-sacrifice illumines all desirable things, the divine and immortal Priest of the call.

यदग्ने मर्त्यस्त्वं स्यामहं मित्रमहो अमर्त्यः ।
सहसः सूनवाहुत ॥२५॥

25) O Fire, fed with the offerings, O son of force, O friendly light, if thou wert the mortal and I the immortal,—

न त्वा रासीयाभिशस्तये वसो न पापत्वाय सन्त्य ।
न मे स्तोतामतीवा न दुर्हितः स्यादग्ने न पापया ॥२६॥

26) I would not give thee over to the Assailant or to sinfulness, O benignant, O shining one; he who lauded me would not

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be one without understanding or miserable nor one plagued by guilt, O Fire.

पितुर्नः पुत्रः सुभृतो दुरोण आ देवाँ एतु प्र णो हविः ॥२७॥

27) He is like a son well nourished in the house of his father; may our offerings reach the gods.

तवाहमग्न ऊतिभिर्नेदिष्ठाभिः सचेय जोषमा वसो ।
सदा देवस्य मर्त्यः ॥२८॥

28) O Fire, O shining one, by thy closest guardings may I, the mortal, be ever companioned by the favour of the god.

तव कत्वा सनेयं तव रातिभिरग्ने तव प्रशस्तिभिः ।
त्वामिदाहुः प्रमतिं वसो ममाऽग्ने हर्षस्व दातवे ॥२९॥

29) By thy will may I conquer, O Fire, by thy gifts, by thy revealing utterances; for of thee they speak as the guiding Thought in me. O Fire, have joy for the giving.

प्र सो अग्ने तवोतिभिः सुवीराभिस्तिरते वाजभर्मभिः ।
यस्य त्वं सख्यमावरः ॥३०॥

30) By thy guardings in which is the strength of the heroes and the bringing of the plenitudes, he drives forward on his way with whom thou hast chosen friendship, O shining one.

तव द्रप्सो नीलवान् वाश ऋत्विय इन्घानः सिष्णवा ददे ।
त्वं महीनामुषसामसि प्रियः क्षपो वस्तुषु राजसि ॥३१॥

31) The blue stream of thee with its cry is faithful to the law of its Truth, even as it is kindled it takes what is cast in it; thou art beloved of the great Dawns and thou shinest in the dwelling places of the night.

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तमागन्म सोभरयः सहस्त्रमुष्कं स्वभिष्टिमवसे ।
सम्राजं त्रासदस्यवम् ॥३२॥

32) We the sons of Sobhari have come to the Fire with its thousandfold mass of flame, strong in its approach for protection, imperial, the Fire of the Terror of the Destroyer.²

यस्य ते अग्ने अन्ये अग्नय उपक्षितो वया इव ।
विपो न द्युम्ना नि युवे जनानां तव क्षत्राणि वर्धयन् ॥३३॥

33) O Fire, other fires dwell dependent on thee as on a tree its branches; I annex to me the illuminations of men and their lights, increasing so thy warrior forces.

यमादित्यासो अद्रुहः पारं नयथ मर्त्यम् ।
मघोनां विश्वेषां सुदानवः ॥३४॥

34) O sons of the boundless mother, you who betray not, great givers, the mortal whom out of all possessors of riches you lead to the other shore,—

यूयं राजानः कं चिच्चर्षणीसहः क्षयन्तं मानुषाँ अनु ।
वयं ते वो वरुण मित्रार्यमन्त्स्यामेदृतस्य रथ्यः ॥३५॥

35) For you, the kings, who have power over seeing men, choose one or another to have mastery in the human ways,—such may we be, O Varuna, O Mitra, O Aryaman, charioteers, indeed, of the Truth.

अदान्मे पौरुकुत्स्यः पञ्चाशतं त्रसदस्युर्वधूनाम् ।
मंहिष्ठो अर्यः सत्पतिः ॥३६॥

36) The Terror of the Destroyers, son of the master of wide vision, has given me the brides five hundred, he is a bounteous giver, the noble, a lord of beings.

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उत मे प्रयियोर्वयियोः सुवास्त्वा अधि तुग्वनि ।
तिसृणां सप्ततीनां श्यावः प्रणेता भुवद् वसुर्दियानां पतिः ॥३७॥

37) And so, for me at the ford of the river Suvastu, wide-flowing and forward streaming river of the happy dwelling places, came the bay horse, leader of the three seventies. May he become an opulent master of the things that are to be given.