Hymns to the Mystic Fire

Vatsa Kanwa

SUKTA 11

त्वमग्ने व्रतपा असि देवे आ मर्त्येष्वा ।
त्वं यज्ञेष्वीड्यः ॥१॥

1) O Fire, thou art the guardian of the law of all workings, thou art the divine in mortals; thou art one to be prayed in the sacrifices.

त्वमसि प्रशस्यो विदथेषु सहन्त्य ।
अग्ने रथीरध्वराणाम् ॥२॥

2) O forceful one, it is thou who art to be expressed in the findings of knowledge; O Fire, thou art the charioteer of the pilgrim-sacrifices.

स त्वमस्मदप द्विषो युयोधि जातवेदः ।
अदेवीरग्ने अरातीः ॥३॥

3) So do thou remove away from us the enemies, O knower of all things born, even the undivine and hostile forces, O Fire.

अन्ति चित् सन्तमह यज्ञं मर्तस्य रिपोः ।
नोप वेषि जातवेदः ॥४॥

4) Even when it is near, O surely thou comest not to the sacrifice of our mortal foe, O knower of all things born.

Page 329

मर्ता अमर्त्यस्य ते भूरि नाम मनामहे ।
विप्रासो जातवेदसः ॥५॥

5) Mortals illumined we meditate on the many names of thee the immortal, the knower of all things born.

विप्रं विप्रासोऽवसे देवं मर्तास ऊतये ।
अग्निं गीर्भिर्हवामहे ॥६॥

6) We call the Fire with our words, illumined we call the illumined for our guard, mortals we call the god for our protection.

आ ते वत्सो मनो यमत् परमाच्चित् सघस्थात् ।
अग्ने त्वांकामया गिरा ॥७॥

7) Vatsa compels thy mind even from the supreme world of thy session, O Fire, by his Word that longs for thee.

पुरुत्रा हि सदृङ्ङसि विशो विश्वा अनु प्रभुः ।
समत्सु त्वा हवामहे ॥८॥

8) Thou art the equal lord of all peoples in many lands; we call to thee in the battles.

समत्स्वग्निमवसे वाजयन्तो हवामहे ।
वाजेषु चित्रराधसम् ॥९॥

9) We call to the Fire to guard us in our battles, we who seek the plenitudes; in the plenitudes richly manifold is his achievement.

प्रत्नो हि कमीड्यो अध्वरेषु सनाच्च होता नव्यश्च सत्सि ।
स्वां चाग्ने तन्वं पिप्रयस्वाऽस्मभ्यं च सौभगमा यजस्व ॥१०॥

10) For thou art of old one to be prayed in the pilgrim-sacrifices, and from time eternal thou sittest as the ever-new Priest of the call; O Fire, gladden thy own body and bring happiness to us by the sacrifice.

Page 330