Hymns to the Mystic Fire

Vimada Aindra or Prajapatya or Vasukrit Vasukra

SUKTA 20

भद्रं नो अपि वातय मनः ॥१॥

1) Bring to us a happy mind.

अग्निमीळे भुजां यविष्ठं शासा मित्रं दुर्धरीतुम् ।
यस्य धर्मन्त्स्वरेनीः सपर्यन्ति मातुरुधः ॥२॥

2) I pray the Fire, the friend who is irresistible in his own command, in whose law the white rays attend on the Sun-world, serve the teat of the mother.

यमासा कृपनीळं भासाकेतुं वर्धयन्ति ।
भ्राजते श्रेणिदन् ॥३॥

3) Fire whom face to face a home of light, one who brings the ray of intuition by his lustre they increase; he blazes with his row of flaming tusks.

अर्यो विशां गातुरेति प्र यदानड् दिवो अन्तान् ।
कविरभ्रं दीद्यानः ॥४॥

4) He comes to us as a noble path for men when he travels to the ends of heaven; he is the seer and he lights up the sky.¹

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जुषद्धव्या मानुषस्योर्ध्वस्तस्थावृभ्वा यज्ञे ।
मिन्वन्त्सद्म पुर एति ॥५॥

5) Accepting the oblation of man he stands high exalted in the sacrifice, a skilful craftsman; he goes in our front building our home.

स हि क्षेमो हविर्यज्ञः श्रुष्टीदस्य गातुरेति ।
अग्निं देवा वाशीमन्तम् ॥६॥

6) He is our secure foundation, he is our offering, he is the sacrifice; his path goes swiftly to its goal: the gods call Fire with its adze.

यज्ञासाहं दुव इषेऽग्निं पूर्वस्य शेवस्य ।
अद्रेः सूनुमायुमाहुः ॥७॥

7) I desire from the Fire, powerful for the sacrifice the work of the supreme bliss;² they speak of him as the living son of the stone.³

नरो ये के चास्मदा विश्वेत् ते वाम आ स्युः ।
अग्निं हविषा वर्धन्तः ॥८॥

8) Whatever men are with us may they in all ways abide in happiness making the Fire to grow by the offerings.

कृष्णः श्वेतोऽरुषो यामो अस्य ब्रघ्न ऋज्र उत शोणो यशस्वान् ।
हिरण्यरुपं जनिता जजान ॥९॥

9) Black is his movement and white and luminous and crimson-red, it is large and straight and glorious; golden of form the father brought into being.

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एवा ते अग्ने विमदो मनीषामूर्जो नपादमृतेभिः सजोषाः ।
गिर आ वक्षत् सुमतीरियान इषमूर्वं सुक्षितिं विश्वमाभाः ॥१०॥

10) So, O Fire, rapturous thou bearest thy thinking mind, O son of energy, companioning the immortals, coming to us thou bearest thy words and thy right thinkings, thou bringest impelling force, energy, happy worlds of habitation, all.⁴

SUKTA 21

आग्निं न स्ववृक्तिभिर्होतारं त्वा वृणीमहे ।
यज्ञाय स्तीर्णबर्हिषे वि वो मदे शीरं पावकशोचिषं विवक्षसे ॥१॥

1) By our self-purifications we elect thee, the Fire as our Priest of the call, for the sacrifice where strewn is the grass—in the intoxication of your rapture—intense with thy purifying light of flame—and thou growest to greatness.

त्वामु ते स्वाभुवः शुम्भन्त्यश्वराघसः ।
वेति त्वामुपसेचनी वि वो मद ऋजीतिरग्न आहुतिर्विवक्षसे ॥२॥

2) Those who have achieved possession of the Horse, are very close to thee and glorify thee; the ladle goes to thee—in the intoxication of your rapture—direct, carrying the oblation, O Fire—and thou growest to greatness.

त्वे धर्माण आसते जुहूभिः सिञ्चतीरिव ।
कृष्णा रुपाण्यर्जुना वि वो मदे विश्वा अधि श्रियो धिषे विवक्षसे ॥३॥

3) In thee the upholding laws reside; sprinkling out their contents as with ladle black forms and white—in the intoxication of your rapture—all glories thou holdest—and thou growest to greatness.

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यमग्ने मन्यसे रयिं सहसावन्नमर्त्य ।
तमा नो वाजसातये वि वो मदे यज्ञेषु चित्रमा भरा विवक्षसे ॥४॥

4) O forceful and immortal Fire, whatever wealth thou deemest fit, that for the winning of the plenitudes—in the intoxication of your rapture—bring to us a wealth of various lights in the sacrifices—and thou growest to greatness.

अग्निर्जातो अथर्वणा विदद् विश्वानि काव्या ।
भुवद् दूतो विवस्वतो वि वो मदे प्रियो यमस्य काम्यो विवक्षसे ॥५॥

5) The Fire born from Atharvan knows all seer-wisdoms, he becomes the messenger of the luminous sun—in the intoxication of your rapture—dear and desirable to the lord of the law—and thou growest to greatness.

त्वां यज्ञेष्वीळतेऽग्ने प्रयत्यध्वरे ।
त्वं वसूनि काम्या वि वो मदे विश्वा दधासि दाशुषे विवक्षसे ॥६॥

6) Thee they pray in the sacrifices, O Fire, as the pilgrim-sacrifice goes on its way; all desirable treasures—in the intoxication of your rapture—thou foundest for the giver, and thou growest to greatness.

त्वां यज्ञेष्वृत्विजं चारुमग्ने नि षेदिरे ।
घृतप्रतीकं मनुषो वि वो मदे शुकं चेतिष्ठमक्षभिर्विवक्षसे ॥७॥

7) Thee as the Priest of the rite in the sacrifices men have seated, O Fire, beautiful, luminous of front—in the intoxication of your rapture—bright and, with thy eyes, most conscious of knowledge—and thou growest to greatness.

अग्ने शुकेण शोचिषोरु प्रथयसे बृहत् ।
अभिकन्दन् वृषायसे वि वो मदे गर्भं वधासि जामिषु विवक्षसे ॥८॥

8) O Fire, with thy bright light of flame thou spreadest the wide Vast, clamouring thou becomest the bull—in the intoxication of your rapture—and settest the child of the womb in

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the sisters—and thou growest to greatness.