The Secret of the Veda

The Tenth Hymn to Agni

A Hymn of the Splendid Souls Who Attain

[The Rishi prays to the divine Flame to work in him by the triple force of Power, Knowledge and Delight. He speaks of the splendid souls of knowledge in our humanity who attain to the Truth and Vastness; they are the burning and overpowering flame-rays of this transcendent Conscious-Force of the Divine that is at work in us to climb to divine mastery. Some have become such souls, others are still hampered but growing. He desires the increasing affirmation of Agni so that all may advance to a rich and all-comprehending universality.]

1) O Flame, O Ray in our limited existence, bring for us an illumination full of utter energy, by an all-encompassing felicity cleave forward our path towards the plenitude.

2) O Flame, thou supreme and wonderful thing, it is thou who by force of will becomest in us the greatness of discerning power; in thee the all-harmonising Friend¹ in the sacrifice accomplishes the work and climbs to divine mastery.²

3) Thou, O Strength, increase the advancing³ and the growth of these who are splendid souls of knowledge that by their affirmations of thee attain to our fullnesses.

4) These are they, O Strength, O Delight, who have a happy richness of the swift forces of life and turn to a happy light the words of the thought, souls puissant with hero-puissances, for whom even in heaven⁴ is the Vastness; of itself

Page 388

its perfect working awakes to knowledge for these.

5) These are thy flaming rays, O Strength, that go blazing violently and are like lightnings that run over all the quarters and are like a resonant chariot that speeds towards the plenitude.

6) Now, O Strength, alike may those that are beset and hampered attain to expansion and the soul's riches and may these our splendid souls of knowledge traverse all the regions⁵ and beyond.

7) O Strength, O Soul of Puissance, when thou art affirmed and in thy affirming, bring to us, O priest of the offering, felicity,⁶ of an all-pervading forcefulness for all that affirm thee and for thy affirmation again. March with us in our battles that we may grow.

Page 389