Hymns to the Mystic Fire

Vishwamitra Gathina

SUKTA 24

अग्ने सहस्व पृतना अभिमातीरपास्य ।
दुष्टरस्तरन्नरातीर्वर्चो धा यज्ञवाहसे ॥१॥

1) O Fire, overpower the hostile armies, hurl them from us; hard to pierce, pierce the enemy-powers, found thy splendour in him who carries through the sacrifice.

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अग्न इळा समिध्यसे वीतिहोत्रो अमर्त्यः ।
जुषस्व सू नो अघ्वरम् ॥२॥

2) O Fire, thou art kindled by the word of revelation, the immortal who comes to the offering, accept wholly our pilgrim-sacrifice.

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अग्ने द्युम्नेन जागृवे सहसः सूनवाहुत ।
एवं बर्हिः सदो मम ॥३॥

3) O Fire, ever-wakeful with thy light, O son of force, invoked sit on my seat of sacrifice.

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अग्ने विश्वेभिरग्निभिर्देवेभिर्महया गिरः ।
यज्ञेषु य उ चायवः ॥४॥

4) O Fire, with all thy divine fires greaten in our sacrifices the word that has sight.

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अग्ने दा दाशुषे रयिं वीरवन्तं परीणसम् ।
शिशीहि नः सूनुमतः ॥५॥

5) O Fire, give to the giver a wealth full of hero-strengths enclosing us; intensify the force in us having with us the Son.

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SUKTA 25

अग्ने दिवः सूनुरसि प्रचेतास्तना पृथिव्या उत विश्ववेदाः ।
ऋधग्देवाँ इह यजा चिकित्वः ॥१॥

1) O Fire, thou art the son of heaven by the body of the earth, the conscious knower, even the omniscient. Sacrifice to each god in turn, O thou who knowest.

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अग्निः सनोति वीर्याणि विद्वान्त्सनोति वाजममृताय भूषन् ।
स नो देवाँ एह वह पुरुक्षो ॥२॥

2) Fire the knower wins the hero-energies, wins the plenitudes striving towards immortality. So do thou bring to us the gods, O giver of the manifold plenty.

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अग्निर्द्यावापृथिवी विश्वजन्ये आ भाति देवी अमृते अमूरः ।
क्षयन् वाजैः पुरुश्चन्द्रो नमोभिः ॥३॥

3) The Fire, free from all ignorance, illumines Earth and Heaven the divine and immortal mothers of all things; possessing all he is manifold in his delights by his plenitudes and his dispensations.

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अग्न इन्द्रश्च दाशुषो दुरोणे सुतावतो यज्ञमिहोप यातम् ।
अमर्धन्ता सोमपेयाय देवा ॥४॥

4) O Fire, and O Indra, here in the gated house of the giver who offers the wine, come to the sacrifice, gods unforgetting, for the drinking of the Soma-wine.

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अग्ने अपां समिध्यसे दुरोणे नित्यः सूनो सहसो जातवेदः ।
सधस्थानि महयमान ऊती ॥५॥

5) O Fire, thou shinest high, eternal in the house of the waters, O son of force, O knower of all things born, greatening under thy guard the worlds of thy session.

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SUKTA 26

वैश्वानरं मनसाग्निं निचाय्या हविष्मन्तो अनुषत्यं स्वर्विदम् ।
सुदानुं देवं रथिरं वसूयवो गीर्भी रण्वं कुशिकासो हवामहे ॥१॥

1) We the Kushikas, bringing the offering, desiring the Treasure, call by our words Fire, the universal godhead, discerning him by the mind, as the follower of the truth, who finds the world of the sun, the great giver, the divine and rapturous charioteer.

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तं शुभ्रमग्निमवसे हवामहे वैश्वानरं मातरिश्वानमुक्थ्यम् ।
बृहस्पतिं मनुषो देवतातये विप्रं श्रोतारमतिथिं रघुष्यदम् ॥२॥

2) We call to guard us that brilliant Fire, the universal godhead, who grows in the mother, the master of the word, the speaker and the hearer, for the human being's forming of the godhead, the illumined Seer, the Guest, the swift Traveller.

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अश्वो न कन्दञ्जनिभिः समिध्यते वैश्वानरः कुशिकेभिर्युगेयुगे ।
स नो अग्निः सुवीर्यं स्वश्व्यं दधातु रत्नममृतेषु जागृविः ॥३॥

3) As if the neighing Horse by the mothers, the universal godhead is kindled high by the Kushikas from generation to generation; may that Fire wakeful in the Immortals give to us the hero-strength and good power of the Horse and the ecstasy.

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प्र यन्तु वाजास्तविषीभिरग्नयः शुभे संमिश्लाः पृषतीरयुक्षत ।
बृहदुक्षो मरुतो विश्ववेदसः प्र वेपयन्ति पर्वताँ अदाभ्याः ॥४॥

4) Let them go forward, the plenitudes with the strengths, thy Fires; they have yoked the dappled mares mingled together to reach bliss and make the mountains tremble, before them the life-gods, omniscient, pouring the Vast, inviolable.

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अग्निश्रियो मरुतो विश्वकृष्टय आ त्वेषमुग्रमव ईमहे वयम् ।
ते स्वानिनो रुद्रिया वर्षनिर्णिजः सिंहा न हेषकतवः सुदानवः ॥५॥

5) The life-gods with their glory of fire, universal in the peoples,¹ we desire as our brilliant and forceful guard; great givers are they, thunderous and terrible, clothed as if in raiment of rain, they are like roaring lions.

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व्रातंव्रातं गणंगणं सुशस्तिभिरग्नेर्भामं मरुतामोज ईमहे ।
पृषदश्वासो अनवभ्रराधसो गन्तारो यज्ञं विदथेषु धीराः ॥६॥

6) Host upon host, troop upon troop with their proclaimings of the Fire we desire the luminous energy of the life-gods; they come to the sacrifice driving their dappled horses, their achievement cannot be taken from them, they are wise thinkers in the discoveries of knowledge.

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अग्निरस्मि जन्मना जातवेदा घृतं मे चक्षुरमृतं म आसन् ।
अर्कस्त्रिधातू रजसो विमानोऽजस्त्रो घर्मो हविरस्मि नाम ॥७॥

7) I am the Fire, I am from my birth the knower of all things born; light is my eye, in my mouth is immortality; I am the triple Ray, I am the measurer of the mid-world, I am the unceasing illumination, I am the offering.

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त्रिभिः पवित्रैरपुपोद्ध्यकँ हृदा मतिं ज्योतिरनु प्रजानन् ।
वर्षिष्ठं रत्नमकृत स्वधाभिरादिद् द्यावापृथिवी पर्यपश्यत् ॥८॥

8) He has purified through the three filters the Ray, following the thought with the heart he has reached knowledge of the light; he has created by the self-laws of his nature the supreme ecstasy and his sight has embraced earth and heaven.

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शतधारमुत्समक्षीयमाणं विपश्चितं पितरं वक्त्वानाम् ।
मेळिं मदन्तं पित्रोरुपस्थे तं रोदसी पिपृतं सत्यवाचम् ॥९॥

9) He is a fountain with a hundred streams that is never exhausted, with his illumined consciousness he is the father and accorder of all that must be spoken; he takes his rapture in the lap of the Father and Mother and earth and heaven fill him full, the speaker of truth.

SUKTA 27

प्र वो वाजा अभिद्यवो हविष्मन्तो घृताच्या ।
देवाञ्जिगाति सुम्नयुः ॥१॥

1) Forward move the luminous plenitudes bearing the offering with the ladle of light; the seeker of bliss travels to the gods.

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ईळे अग्निं विपश्चितं गिरा यज्ञस्य साधनम् ।
श्रुष्टीवानं धितावानम् ॥२॥

2) I pray by the word the Fire with its illumined consciousness, who accomplishes the sacrifice, who has the inspiration, who has the firm holding.

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अग्ने शकेम ते वयं यमं देवस्य वाजिनः ।
अति द्वेषांसि तरेम ॥३॥

3) O Fire, may we have the power to rein thee, the divine steed of swiftness, may we cross through the hostile forces.

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समिध्यमानो अध्वरेऽग्निः पावक ईड्यः ।
शोचिष्केशस्तमीमहे ॥४॥

4) Fire high-blazing in the rite of the path. Fire whom we must pray, who purifies, with his tresses of flame—him we desire.

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पृथुपाजा अमर्त्यो घृतनिर्णिक् स्वाहुतः ।
अग्निर्यज्ञस्य हव्यवाट् ॥५॥

5) He is the immortal, wide in might, clothed in raiment of light; well-fed with the oblation. Fire is the carrier of the offerings in the sacrifice.

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तं सबाधो यतस्त्रुच इत्था धिया यज्ञवन्तः ।
आ चकुरग्निमूतये ॥६॥

6) Assailed by the opponent the doers of sacrifice, setting to work the ladle, keeping the true thought, have made the Fire to guard them.

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होता देवो अमर्त्यः पुरस्तादेति मायया ।
विदथानि प्रचोदयन् ॥७॥

7) The immortal, the godhead, the Priest of the call goes in our front with his mage-wisdom, impelling the discoveries of knowledge.

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वाजी वाजेषु धीयतेऽध्वरेषु प्र णीयते ।
विप्रो यज्ञस्य साधनः ॥८॥

8) He is held as the Horse in the plenitudes, he is led along in the rites of the path, he is the illumined Seer who accomplishes the sacrifice.

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धिया चके वरेण्यो भूतानां गर्भमा दधे ।
दक्षस्य पितरं तना ॥९॥

9) He was made by the Thought, one Supreme;² it held the child of beings, the father of the Understanding in the body.³

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नि त्वा दधे वरेण्यं दक्षस्येळा सहस्कृत ।
अग्ने सुदीतिमुशिजम् ॥१०॥

10) The word of revelation born from the understanding sets thee within, one supreme, O thou forcefully created, O Fire, the perfect thinker and the aspirant.

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अग्निं यन्तुरमप्तुरमृतस्य योगे वनुषः ।
विप्रा वाजैः समिन्धते ॥११॥

11) Fire the swift in motion, who crosses through the waters, the illumined seers desiring to conquer in the union with the Truth set ablaze by the plenitudes.

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ऊर्जो नपातमघ्वरे दीदिवांसमुप द्यवि ।
अग्निमीळे कविकतुम् ॥१२॥

12) I pray Fire, the Seer-Will, the Son of Energy flaming out in heaven in the rite of the path.

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ईळेन्यो नमस्यस्तिरस्तमांसि दर्शतः ।
समग्निरिध्यते वृषा ॥१३॥

13) One to be prayed, to be worshipped with obeisance, one who sees⁴ through the darkness, the Fire is kindled high, the male of the herd.

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वृषो अग्निः समिध्यतेऽश्वो न देववाहनः ।
तं हविष्मन्त ईळते ॥१४॥

14) Mighty and male the Fire is kindled high, he is like a horse that carries the gods, him they pray who bring the offerings.

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वृषणं त्वा वयं वृषन् वृषणः समिधीमहि ।
अग्ने दीद्यतं बृहत् ॥१५॥

15) Thee, mighty and male, we male and mighty kindle high, O Bull of the herds, O Fire, and thou illuminest the Vast.

SUKTA 28

अग्ने जुषस्व नो हविः पुरोळाशं जातवेदः ।
प्रातःसावे धियावसो ॥१॥

1) O Fire, accept our offering, the frontal oblation in the dawn pressing of the wine, O knower of the births, O rich in thought.

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पुरोळा अग्ने पचतस्तुभ्यं वा धा परिष्कृतः ।
तं जुषस्व यविष्ठ्य ॥२॥

2) O Fire, for thee is the frontal offering prepared and dressed, that accept, O youthful god.

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अग्ने वीहि पुरोळाशमाहुतं तिरोअन्ह्यम् ।
सहसः सूनुरस्यध्वरे हितः ॥३॥

3) O Fire, come to⁵ the frontal offering that is cast to thee with the disappearance of day; O son of force, thou art established in the rite of the path.

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माध्यंदिने सवने जातवेदः पुरोळाशमिह कवे जुषस्व ।
अग्ने यह्वस्य तव भागधेयं न प्र मिनन्ति विदथेषु धीराः ॥४॥

4) In the noonday pressing of the wine, O seer, knower of all things born, accept the frontal offering. O Fire, the wise thinkers in their discoveries of knowledge impair not thy portion, who art the mighty one.

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अग्ने तृतीये सवने हि कानिषः पुरोळाशं सहसः सूनवाहुतम् ।
अथा देवष्वध्वरं विपन्यया धा रत्नवन्तममृतेषु जागृविम् ॥५॥

5) O Fire, in the third pressing also thou hast desire of the frontal offering cast to thee, O son of force; do thou by the illumination establish in the gods the pilgrim-sacrifice full of ecstasy and wakeful in the immortals.

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अग्ने वृधान आहुतिं पुरोळाशं जातवेदः ।
जुषस्व तिरोअह्नद्यम् ॥६॥

6) O Fire, increasing accept the frontal offering, the oblation cast with the disappearance of the day, O knower of all things born.

SUKTA 29

अस्तीदमधिमन्थनमस्ति प्रजननं कृतम् ।
एतां विश्पत्नीमा भराऽग्निं मन्थाम पूर्वथा ॥१॥

1) This is the churning out, this the bringing to birth that is done; bring the Queen of the peoples, let us churn out the Fire as of old.

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अरण्योर्निहितो जातवेदा गर्भ इव सुधितो गर्भिणीषु ।
दिदेदिव ईड्यो जागृवद्भिर्हविष्मद्भिर्मनुष्येभिरग्निः ॥२॥

2) The knower of all births is set in the two tinders, like an unborn child well-placed in the womb of the mothers, Fire who is to be prayed from day to day by men wakeful and bearing their offering.

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उत्तानायामव भरा चिकित्वान्त्सद्यः प्रवीता वृषणं जजान ।
अरुषस्तूपो रुशदस्य पाज इळायास्पुत्रो वयुनेऽजनिष्ट ॥३॥

3) Waking to knowledge bring him down in her lying supine; at once penetrated she has brought to birth the male of the

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herd: a ruddy pile of strength his might shines forth, the son of the Word of revelation is born in the manifestation of knowledge.

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इळायास्त्वा पदे वयं नाभा पृथिव्या अधि ।
जातवेदो नि धीमह्यग्ने हव्याय बोळ्हवे ॥४॥

4) We in the seat of the Word of revelation, on the navel-centre of the earth, set thee within, O knower of all things born, for the carrying of the oblations.

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मन्थता नरः कविमद्वयन्तं प्रचेतसममृतं सुप्रतीकम् ।
यज्ञस्य केतुं प्रथमं पुरस्तादग्निं नरो जनयता सुशेवम् ॥५॥

5) Churn out, O men, the seer who creates no duality, the immortal thinker and knower with his fair front; Fire who is the supreme intuition in the sacrifice, the blissful one, bring to birth in your front, O men.

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यदी मन्थन्ति बाहुभिर्वि रोचतेऽश्वो न वाज्यरुषो वनेष्वा ।
चित्रो न यामन्नश्विनोरनिवृतः परि वृणक्त्यश्मनस्तृणा दहन् ॥६॥

6) When they churn him out by the strength of their arms wide he shines, he is like a horse of swiftness, he is luminous in the woodlands; he is like a richly hued chariot in the journeying of the two riders, none can impede him; burning around the rocks he tears the grasses.

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जातो अग्नी रोचते चेकितानो वाजी विप्रः कविशस्तः सुदानुः ।
यं देवास ईड्यं विश्वविदं हव्यवाहमदधुरध्वरेषु ॥७॥

7) Agni when he is born shines waking to knowledge, he is the Horse, the illumined who is declared by the seers, the great giver, whom the gods have set in the pilgrim-sacrifices as the carrier of the offerings, the one to be prayed, the omniscient.

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सीद होतः स्व उ लोके चिकित्वान्त्सादया यज्ञं सुकृतस्य योनौ ।
देवावीर्देवान् हविषा यजास्यग्ने बृहद् यजमाने वयो धाः ॥८॥

8) Sit, O Priest of the call, in that world which is thy own waking to knowledge, accomplish the sacrifice in the native seat of deeds well done; manifesting the godheads⁶ thou sacrifices to the gods with the offering,—O Fire, found in the sacrificer the vast expansion.

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कृणोत धूमं वृषणं सखायोऽस्त्रेधन्त इतन वाजमच्छ ।
अयमग्निः पृतनाषाट् सुवीरो येन देवासो असहन्त दस्यून् ॥९॥

9) O Friends, create his mighty smoke, go with unerring steps towards the plenitude; this is the Fire conqueror in the battle, by whom the gods overcame the destroyers.

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अयं ते योनिर्ऋत्वियो यतो जातो अरोचथाः ।
तं जानन्नग्न आ सीदाऽथा नो वर्धया गिरः ॥१०॥

10) This is thy native seat where is the order of the Truth whence born thou shonest forth, know it and take there thy session, then give increase to our words.

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तनूनपादुच्यते गर्भ आसुरो नराशंसो भवति यद् विजायते ।
मातरिश्वा यदमिमीत मातरि वातस्य सर्गो अभवत् सरीमणि ॥११॥

11) A mighty child in the womb he is called the son of the body; when he is born he becomes one who voices the godhead: when as life who grows in the mother he has been fashioned in the mother he becomes a gallop of wind in his movement.

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सुनिर्मथा निर्मथितः सुनिधा निहितः कविः ।
अग्ने स्वध्वरा कृणु देवान् देवयते यज ॥१२॥

12) Churned out with the good churning the seer set Within with a perfect placing,—O Fire, make easy the paths of the sacrifice, offer sacrifice to the gods for the seeker of godhead.

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अजीजनन्नमृतं मर्त्यासोऽस्त्रेमाणं तरणिं वीळुजम्भम् ।
दश स्वसारो अग्रुवः समीचीः पुमांसं जातमभि सं रभन्ते ॥१३॥

13) Mortals have brought to birth the Immortal, Fire with his strong tusk, the unfailing deliverer.⁷ The ten sisters who move as companions passion over the male that is born.

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प्र सप्तहोता सनकादरोचत मातुरुपस्थे यदशोचदूघनि ।
न नि मिषति सुरणो दिवेदिवे यदसुरस्य जठरादजायत ॥१४॥

14) He shone out from the eternal with his seven priests of the call when he blazed on the lap of the mother, in her bosom of plenty. He is full of joy and closes not his eyes from day to day, once he has been born from the belly of the Almighty One.

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अमित्रायुधो मरुतामिव प्रयाः प्रथमजा ब्रह्मणो विश्वमिद् विदुः ।
द्युम्नवद् ब्रह्म कुशिकास एरिर एकएको दमे अग्निं समीधिरे ॥१५॥

15) Fighting down the unfriendly powers like the marching hosts of the life-gods the first-born of the Word come to know all that is: the Kushikas have sent forth the luminous word, one by one they have kindled the Fire in the house.

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यदद्य त्वा प्रयति यज्ञे अस्मिन् होतश्चिकित्वोऽवृणीमहीह ।
ध्रुवमया ध्रुवमुताशमिष्ठाः प्रजानन् विद्वाँ उप याहि सोमम् ॥१६॥

16) Because here today in the going forward of this sacrifice we have chosen thee, O Priest of the call, O thou who wakest to knowledge, thou hast moved to the Permanent, thou hast achieved by thy toil the Permanent; knowing, come as one possessed of knowledge to the Soma-wine.

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