Hymns to the Mystic Fire

Sumitra Vadhryashwa

SUKTA 69

भद्रा अग्नेर्वध्रयश्वस्य संदृशो वामी प्रणीतिः सुरणा उपेतयः ।
यदीं सुमित्रा विशो अग्र इन्धते घृतेनाहुतो जरते दविद्युतत् ॥१॥

1) Happy are the seeings of the Fire of the gelded Horse, pleasurable his guidance, delightful his approaches; when the friendly peoples set him ablaze in their front, fed with the oblations of the Light he flames up for his worshipper.

घृतमग्नेर्वध्र्यश्वस्य वर्धनं घृतमन्नं घृतम्वस्य मेदनम् ।
घृतेनाहुत उर्विया वि पप्रथे सूर्य इव रोचते सर्पिरासुतिः ॥२॥

2) The Light is the increasing of the Fire of the gelded Horse, Light is his food. Light is his fattening: fed with the oblation of the Light wide he spread; he shines as the Sun when there is poured on him its running stream.

यत् ते मनुर्यदनीकं सुमित्रः समीधे अग्ने तदिदं नवीयः ।
स रेवच्छोच स गिरो जुषस्व स वाजं दर्षि स इह श्रवो धाः ॥३॥

3) The force of flame which thinking man, which the friendly one, set ablaze, this is that new force, O Fire; so opulently shine, so accept our words, so take the plenitude by violence, so found here the inspired knowledge.

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यं त्वा पूर्वमीळितो वघ्रयश्वः समीधे अग्ने स इदं जुषस्व ।
स नः स्तिपा उत भवा तनूपा दात्रं रक्षस्व यदिदं ते अस्मे ॥४॥

4) That flame of thine of old which the gelded Horse, when prayed, set blazing high, O Fire who art that flame, this too accept; as that flame, become the protector of our stable erections and the protector of our bodies, guard this giving of thine which is here in us.

भवा द्युम्नी वाध्रयश्वोत गोपा मा त्वा तारीदभिमातिर्जनानाम् ।
शूर इव धृष्णुश्च्यवनः सुमित्रः प्र नु वोचं वाघ्रयश्वस्य नाम ॥५॥

5) Become full of light, O gelded Horse, and become our protector, let not the assault of men pierce thee; thou art like a hero, a violent overthrower and the good Friend: lo, I have uttered the names of the Fire of the gelded Horse.

समज्रया पर्वत्या वसूनि दासा वृत्राण्यार्या जिगेथ ।
शूर इव धृष्णुश्च्यवनो जनानां त्वमग्ने पृतनायूँरभि ष्याः ॥६॥

6) Thou hast conquered the riches of the plains and the riches of the mountain, the destroyer foemen, and the Aryan freemen: like a hero art thou, a violent overthrower of men, O Fire, mayst thou overcome those who battle against us.

दीर्घतन्तुर्बृहदुक्षायमग्निः सहस्त्रस्तरीः शतनीथ ऋभ्वा ।
द्युमान् द्युमत्सु नृभिर्मृज्यमानः सुमित्रेषु दीदयो देवयत्सु ॥७॥

7) This Fire is the long Thread, the vast Bull, one with a thousand layers and a hundred leadings, he is the Craftsman; luminous in men luminous, made bright by the hands of men, may he flame out in the strivers after godhead, in the friendly people.¹

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त्वे धेनुः सुदुधा जातवेदोऽसश्चतेव समना सबर्धुक् ।
त्वं नृभिर्दक्षिणावद्भिरग्ने सुमित्रेभिरिध्यसे देवयद्भिः ॥८॥

8) In thee is the good milch-cow, O knower of all things born, as if unstayingly equal in its yield, giving its nectar-milk. O Fire, thou art set alight by men who have the intuitive judgment, strivers after godhead, the friendly people.

देवाश्चित् ते अमृता जातवेदो महिमानं वाध्रयश्व प्र वोचन् ।
यत् संपृच्छं मानुषीर्विश आयन् त्वं नृभिरजयस्त्वावृधेभिः ॥९॥

9) Even the immortal gods proclaim thy greatness, O knower of all things born, O Fire of the gelded Horse. That which I sought by questioning, coming to the human peoples, thou hast conquered by men who grow by thee.²

पितेव पुत्रमबिभरुपस्थे त्वामग्ने वध्रयश्वः सपर्यन् ।
जुषाणो अस्य समिधं यविष्ठोत पूर्वानवनोर्व्राधतश्चित् ॥१०॥

10) Thee, as the father carries his son in his lap so the gelded Horse carried and tended thee, O Fire; O youthful god, accepting his fuel thou didst conquer even the supreme and mighty.

शश्वदग्निर्वध्रयश्वस्य शत्रून् नृभिर्जिगाय सुतसोमवद्भिः ।
समनं चिददहश्चित्रभानोऽव व्राधन्तमभिनद् वृधश्चित् ॥११॥

11) Fire has ever conquered the enemies of the gelded Horse by men who have pressed the Soma wine; O thou of the bright diverse lights, thou hast broken and cast down the foe that was equal and the foe that was mighty and thou hast given him increase.

अयमग्निर्वघ्रयश्वस्य वृत्रहा सनकात् प्रेद्धो नमसोपवाक्यः ।
स नो अजामीँरुत वा विजामीनभि तिष्ठ शर्धतो वाघ्रयश्व ॥१२॥

12) This Fire is the slayer of the enemies of the gelded Horse, lit

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from of old and to be invoked with obeisance; so do thou assail those who attack him, both the uncompanioned and the one with many companions, O Fire of the gelded Horse.

SUKTA 70

इमां मे अग्ने समिधं जुषस्वेळस्पदे प्रति हर्या घृताचीम् ।
वर्ष्मन् पृथिव्याः सुदिनत्वे अह्नामूर्ध्वो भव सुकतो देवयज्या ॥१॥

1) O Fire, accept the fuel I give thee; in the seat of revelation take joy in the luminous Thought: on the high top of earth, in the brightness of the days, become high uplifted by worship of sacrifice to the gods, O strong of will!

आ देवानामग्रयावेह यातु नराशंसो विश्वरुपेभिरश्वैः ।
ऋतस्य पथा नमसा मियेधो देवेभ्यो देवतमः सुषूदत् ॥२॥

2) May he who travels in front of the gods, he who voices the godhead, come here with his horses of universal forms; pure and most divine, may he hasten with our obeisance on the path of the Truth to the gods.

शश्वत्तममीळते दूत्याय हविष्मन्तो मनुष्यासो अग्निम् ।
वहिष्ठैरश्वैः सुवृता रथेनाऽऽ देवान् वक्षि नि षदेह होता ॥३॥

3) Men bringing their offerings ask for the Fire everlasting to be their envoy: so do thou with thy horses strong to bear and thy swiftly moving car bring to us the gods; take here thy seat as the Priest of the call.

वि प्रथतां देवजुष्टं तिरश्चा दीर्घं द्राघ्मा सुरभि भूत्वस्मे ।
अहेळता मनसा देव बर्हिरिन्द्रज्येष्ठाँ उशतो यक्षि देवान् ॥४॥

4) May the seat acceptable to the gods spread wide in us and all its long horizontal length become fragrant. Occupy that seat, O god, with a mind not inclining to wrath, and to the gods with Indra for their greatest offer sacrifice.

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दिवो वा सानु स्पृशता वरीयः पृथिव्या वा मात्रया वि श्रयध्वम् ।
उशतीर्द्धारो महिना महद्भिर्देवं रथं रथयुर्धारयध्वम् ॥५॥

5) Touch either heaven's superior peak or swing wide open with all the extent of earth, O doors of aspiration, who desire the chariot of the gods, hold in your greatness and by the great the divine car.

देवी दिवो दुहितरा सुशिल्पे उषासानक्ता सदतां नि योनौ ।
आ वां देवास उशती उशन्त उरौ सीदन्तु सुभगे उपस्थे ॥६॥

6) Let the two divine daughters of heaven, formed beautifully, dawn and night, sit in their native seat; O dawn and night, O you who aspire, may the gods aspiring sit on your wide lap, O blissful ones.

ऊर्ध्वो ग्रावा बृहदग्निः समिद्धः प्रिया धामान्यदितेरुपस्थे ।
पुरोहितावृत्विजा यज्ञे अस्मिन् विदुष्टरा द्रविणमा यजेथाम् ॥७॥

7) High stands up the stone of the pressing, high the Fire is kindled, may it touch the vast and the seats dear to us in the lap of the infinite mother; O you who are vicars and ordinants of the rite in this sacrifice, you twain who have greater knowledge, may you win for us by sacrifice the Treasure.

तिस्त्रो देवीर्बर्हिरिदं वरीय आ सीदत चकृमा वः स्योनम् ।
मनुष्यद् यज्ञं सुधिता हवींषीळा देवी घृतपदी जुषन्त ॥८॥

8) O ye three goddesses, sit on the superior seat which we have made delightful for you; may the mother of Revelation and the two goddesses with the luminous feet accept our firmly placed offerings and our human worship of sacrifice.

देव त्वष्टर्यद्ध चारुत्वमानड् यदङगिरसामभवः सचाभूः ।
स देवानां पाथ उप प्र विद्वानुशन् यक्षि द्रविणोदः सुरत्नः ॥९॥

9) O divine maker of forms, since thou hast reached beauty in

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thy works, since thou hast become companion in thy being to the Angiras seers, forward then to the goal of the journeyings of the gods, for thou knowest it! Aspiring, perfect in ecstasy, sacrifice to the gods, O giver of the treasure.

वनस्पते रशनया नियूया देवानां पाथ उप वक्षि विद्वान् ।
स्वदाति देवः कृणवद्धवींष्यवतां द्यावापृथिवी हवं मे ॥१०॥

10) O Tree, knowing the goal of the journeying of the gods, bear us to it binding with the radiant cord. May the godhead fashion the offerings in which he takes pleasure: may heaven and earth protect our call.

आग्ने वह वरुणमिष्टये न इन्द्रं दिवो मरुतो अन्तरिक्षात् ।
सीदन्तु बर्हिर्विश्व आ यजत्राः स्वाहा देवा अमृता मादयन्ताम् ॥११॥

11) O Fire, bring Varuna to our sacrifice, Indra from heaven, the Life-Gods from mid-air; may all the lords of sacrifice sit on our sacred seat, may the immortal gods take rapture in the svāhā.