The Secret of the Veda

The Sixteenth Hymn to Agni

A Hymn to the Bringer of All Desirable Good

[The Rishi affirms the Divine Will in man as the offering and representative priest who brings light and strength and inspired knowledge and every desirable good; for he is the aspirer by works in whom is the puissance of all the gods and the full plenitude of their force.]

बृहद् वयो हि भानवेऽर्चा देवायाग्नये ।
यं मित्रं न प्रशस्तिभिर्मर्तासो दधिरे पुरः ॥१॥

1) Sing thou out by the word a vast manifestation for the shining Light, for the divine, for the Will whom mortals by their expressions of his godhead as the Friend¹ put in their front.

स हि द्युभिर्जनानां होता दक्षस्य बाह्वोः ।
वि हव्यमग्निरानुषग्भगो न वारमृण्वति ॥२॥

2) The Will is the priest of offering of the peoples; by the illuminations of the discerning mind he bears abroad in both his arms the continuous order² of their offerings and as the divine enjoyer³ he moves to his good.

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अस्य स्तोमे मघोनः सख्ये वृद़्धशोचिषः ।
विश्वा यस्मिन् तुविष्वणि समर्ये शुष्ममादधुः ॥३॥

3) In the affirmation of him and in his comradeship when he has increased his flame of purity are all the lords of the plenitude;⁴ for all things are in the sound of his many voices and on him, the aspirer in his works, they have laid the burden of their strength.

अधा ह्यग्न एषां सुवीर्यस्य मंहना ।
तमिद् यह्वं न रोदसी परि श्रवो बभूवतुः ॥४॥

4) Even now, O Will, may there be the full plenitude of their utter force. Around this mighty Will earth and heaven have become as if one voice of inspired knowledge.⁵

नू न एहि वार्यमग्ने गृणान आ भर ।
ये वयं ये च सूरयः स्वस्ति धामहे सचोतैधि पृत्सु नो वृधे ॥५॥

5) Even now come to us, O Will, hymned by our words and bring to us our desirable good. May we who are here and those luminous masters of knowledge together found that blissful state of our being. March with us in our battles that we may grow.

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