Hymns to the Mystic Fire

Vishwamanas Vaiyashwa

[note] - situations requiring textual explication; all such information is printed in italics.

SUKTA 23

ईळिष्वा हि प्रतीव्यं यजस्व जातवेदसम् ।
चरिष्णुघूममगृभीतशोचिषम् ॥१॥

1) Pray the Fire as he fronts you, worship with sacrifice the knower of all things born. Fire with his driving smoke and his unseizable light,—

दामानं विश्वचर्षणेऽग्निं विश्वमनो गिरा ।
उत स्तुषे विष्पर्धसो रथानाम् ॥२॥

2) Fire who is like the string of speeding chariots to a competitor in the race; O all-seeing universal mind, laud him with the word.

येषामाबाध ऋग्मिय इषः पृक्षश्च निग्रभे ।
उपविदा वह्निर्विन्दते वसु ॥३॥

3) Those on whom he presses, possessor of the word of illumination and seizes on their impulsions and their satisfactions, by their approach to knowledge the Fire finds the Treasure.

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उदस्य शोचिरस्थाद् दीदियुषो व्यजरम् ।
तपुर्जम्भस्य सुद्युतो गणश्रियः ॥४॥

4) Up stands his ageless light as he flames out with his burning tusks, in his beautiful splendour, in the glory of his companies.

उदु तिष्ठ स्वध्वर स्तवानो देव्या कृपा ।
अभिख्या भासा बृहता शुशुक्वनिः ॥५॥

5) Even so, stand up as they laud thee, O doer of the pilgrim-rite, shining out with thy divine light, with thy vast all-regarding lustre.

अग्ने याहि सुशस्तिभिर्हव्या जुह्वान आनुषक् ।
यथा दूतो बभूथ हव्यवाहनः ॥६॥

6) Go, O Fire, with perfect utterances of the word offering uninterruptedly the oblations, since thou hast become the messenger and the carrier of the offerings.

अग्निं वः पूर्व्यं हुवे होतारं चर्षणीनाम् ।
तमया वाचा गृणे तमु वः स्तुषे ॥७॥

7) I call for you the ancient Fire, the Priest of the call of seeing men; him with this word I declare, him for you I laud.

यज्ञेभिरद्भुतकतुं यं कृपा सूदयन्त इत् ।
मित्रं न जने सुधितमृतावनि ॥८॥

8) Fire whom with the sacrifices, with the light verily they speed like a friend firmly established in the man who possesses the Truth.

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ऋतावानमृतायवो यज्ञस्य साधनं गिरा ।
उपो एनं जुजुषुर्नमसस्पदे ॥९॥

9) To Fire the possessor of the Truth, the accomplisher of the sacrifice, the seekers of the Truth have come with the word and cleave to him in the seat of the adoration.

अच्छा नो अङगिरस्तमं यज्ञासो यन्तु संयतः ।
होता यो अस्ति विक्ष्वा यशस्तमः ॥१०॥

10) Let our sacrifices go towards him united in their effort, to him most fiery-wise of the Angirasas who is the Priest of the call in men and most glorious.

अग्ने तव त्ये अजरेन्धानासो बृहद् भाः ।
अश्वा इव वृषणस्तविषीयवः ॥११॥

11) O ageless Fire, those lights of thine kindling the Vast are like male and mighty horses;

स त्वं न ऊर्जां पते रयिं रास्व सुवीर्यम् ।
प्राव नस्तोके तनये समत्स्वा ॥१२॥

12) So do thou, O Lord of Energies, give us the wealth, hero-might; protect us in our battles, in the Son of our begetting.

यद् वा उ विश्पतिः शितः सुप्रीतो मनुषो विशि ।
विश्वेदग्निः प्रति रक्षांसि सेघति ॥१३॥

13) Since, indeed, the lord of the peoples, keen and glad in the house of man, wards off all demon-powers,—

श्रुष्टयग्ने नवस्य मे स्तोमस्य वीर विश्पते ।
नि मायिनस्तपुषा रक्षसो दह ॥१४॥

14) O Fire, with thy hearing of my new laud, with thy burning flame, consume utterly the demon magicians, O hero, O lord of the peoples.

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न तस्य मायया चन रिपुरीशीत मर्त्यः ।
यो अग्नये ददाश हव्यदातिभिः ॥१५॥

15) Not even by magic can the mortal foe master the man who offers worship to the Fire with his gifts of the oblation.

व्यश्वस्त्वा वसुविदमुक्षण्युरप्रीणादृषिः ।
महो राये तमु त्वा समिधीमहि ॥१६॥

16) [Not translated.]

उशना काव्यस्त्वा नि होतारमसादयत् ।
आयजिं त्वा मनवे जातवेदसम्॥१७॥

17) Thee Ushana of the inspired wisdom set within for men as the Priest of the call, the doer of sacrifice, the knower of all things born.

विश्वे हि त्वा सजोषसो देवासो दूतमकत ।
श्रुष्टी देव प्रथमो यज्ञियो भुवः ॥१८॥

18) For all the gods with one mind made thee the messenger; O godhead, thou becamest by inspired knowledge supreme and a lord of sacrifice.

इमं घा वीरो अमृतं दूतं कृण्वीत मर्त्यः ।
पावकं कृष्णवर्तनिं विहायसम् ॥१९॥

19) Him immortal let the mortal hero make his envoy, the purifying Fire with his black path, vast in his wideness.

तं हुवेम यतस्त्रुचः सुभासं शुकशोचिषम् ।
विशामग्निमजरं प्रत्नमीड्यम् ॥२०॥

20) Him let us call putting forth the ladle, the luminous, the brilliant in light, one to be prayed by men, the ancient and unaging Fire.

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यो अस्मै हव्यदातिभिराहुतिं मर्तोऽविधत् ।
भूरि पोषं स धत्ते वीरवद् यशः ॥२१॥

21) For the mortal who performs sacrifice to him by his gifts of the offering he founds much increase and a glory of his hero-strengths.

प्रथमं जातवेदसमग्निं यज्ञेषु पूर्व्यम् ।
प्रति स्त्रुगेति नमसा हविष्मती ॥२२॥

22) To the Fire, the ancient, the first and supreme, the knower of all things born in the sacrifices with the obeisance comes the ladle full of the oblation.

आभिर्विधेमाग्नये ज्येष्ठाभिर्व्यश्ववत् ।
मंहिष्ठाभिर्मतिभिः शुकशोचिषे ॥२३॥

23) May we offer sacrifice as did Vyashwa with these greatest and richest thinkings to Fire, the brilliant in light.

नूनमर्च विहायसे स्तोमेभिः स्थूरयूपवत् ।
ऋषे वैयश्व दम्यायाग्नये ॥२४॥

24) O Rishi, son of Vyashwa, now sing the word of illumination as did Sthurayupa, to the Fire, vast in his wideness, the dweller in the house.

अतिथिं मानुषाणां सूनुं वनस्पतीनाम् ।
विप्रा अग्निमवसे प्रत्नमीळते ॥२५॥

25) The guest of men, the son of the Trees, the illumined seers praise for his protection, the ancient Fire.

महो विश्वाँ अभि वतोऽभि हव्यानि मानुषा ।
अग्ने नि षत्सि नमसाधि बर्हिषि ॥२६॥

26) Turned towards all the great beings, turned towards our human offerings, by our obeisance, O Fire, thou takest thy seat on the sacred grass.

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वंस्वा नो वार्या पुरु वंस्व रायः पुरुस्पृहः ।
सुवीर्यस्य प्रजावतो यशस्वतः ॥२७॥

27) Conquer for us many desirable things, take possession of the wealth that brings us our many longings and hero-energy and the offspring and the glory.

त्वं वरो सुषाम्णेऽग्ने जनाय चोदय ।
सदा वसो रातिं यविष्ठ शश्वते ॥२८॥

28) [Not translated.]

त्वं हि सुप्रतूरसि त्वं नो गोमतीरिषः ।
महो रायः सातिमग्ने अपा वृधि ॥२९॥

29) Thou art he who breaks through,¹ thou openest to us the luminous impulsions; open to us the conquest of the great Riches, O Fire.

अग्ने त्वं यशा अस्या मित्रावरुणा वह ।
ऋतावना सम्राजा पूतदक्षसा ॥३०॥

30) O Fire, thou art the glorious one; bring to us Varuna and Mitra, the all-rulers who possess the Truth and have the purified judgment.