The Secret of the Veda

The Sixth Hymn to Agni

The Galloping Flame-Powers of the Journey

[The flames of Agni the divine Will, home and meeting-place of all our increasing and advancing life-powers, are imaged as galloping on our human journey to the supreme good. Divine Will creates in us the divine strength of impulsion, an illumined and undecaying force and flame described as the steed of the plenitude, which brings us that good and carries us to that goal. His flames are coursers on the path who increase by the sacrifice; they hasten uninterruptedly, and race always more swiftly; they bring in the penned-up illuminations of the hidden knowledge. Their entire force and rapidity are accorded when the divine Strength is filled and satisfied with the sacrificial offerings.]

अग्निं तं मन्ये यो वसुरस्तं यं यन्ति धेनवः ।
अस्तमर्वन्त आशवोऽस्तं नित्यासो वाजिन इषं स्तोतृभ्य आ भर ॥१॥

1) On Strength I meditate who is the dweller in substance and to him as their home go our fostering herds, to him as their home our swift war-steeds,¹ to him as their home our powers of the plenitude.

Bring to those who affirm thee thy force of the impulsion.²

सो अग्निर्यो वसुर्गृणे सं यमायन्ति धेनवः ।
समर्वन्तो रघुद्रुवः सं सुजातासः सूरय इषं स्तोतृभ्य आ भर ॥२॥

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2) He is that Strength who is the dweller in substance; him I express in whom come together³ our fostering herds, in whom meet our swiftly galloping war-steeds, in whom our luminous seers that come to perfect birth in us.

Bring to those who affirm thee thy force of the impulsion.

अग्निर्हि वाजिनं विशे ददाति विश्वचर्षणिः ।
अग्नी राये स्वाभुवं स प्रीतो याति वार्यमिषं स्तोतृभ्य आ भर ॥३॥

3) Will, the universal toiler, gives to the creature his steed of the plenitude. Will gives that which comes into entire being in us for the felicity and, satisfied, it journeys to the desirable good.

Bring to those who affirm thee thy force of the impulsion.

आ ते अग्न इधीमहि द्युमन्तं देवाजरम् ।
यद़्ध स्या ते पनीयसी समिद् दीदयति द्यवीषं स्तोतृभ्य आ भर ॥४॥

4) That fire of thee we kindle O God, O Flame, luminous, unaging, when that more effective force of thy labour blazes in our heavens.

Bring to those who affirm thee thy force of the impulsion.

आ ते अग्न ऋचा हविः शुकस्य शोचिषस्पते ।
सुश्चन्द्र दस्म विश्पते हव्यवाट् तुभ्यं हूयत इषं स्तोतृभ्य आ भर ॥५॥

5) Will, master of the pure-bright flame, thine is the offering cast by the illumining word; bearer of the oblation, to thee it is cast, O master of the creature, achiever of works, perfect in delight.

Bring to those who affirm thee thy force of the impulsion.

प्रो त्ये अग्नयोऽग्निषु विश्वं पुष्यन्ति वार्यम् ।
ते हिन्विरे त इन्विरे त इषण्यन्त्यानुषगिषं स्तोतृभ्य आ भर ॥६॥

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6) Those are thy flames that in these thy other flames nourish and advance every desirable good; they, they race! they, they run! they drive on in their impulsions without a break.

Bring to those who affirm thee thy force of the impulsion.

तव त्ये अग्ने अर्चयो महि ब्राधन्त वाजिनः ।
ये पत्वभिः शफानां व्रजा भुरन्त गोनामिषं स्तोतृभ्य आ भर ॥७॥

7) Those are thy fiery rays, O Will, steeds of the plenitude, and they increase into the largeness and with tramplings of their hooves they bring in the pens of the luminous kine.⁴

Bring to those who affirm thee thy force of the impulsion.

नवा नो अग्न आ भर स्तोतृभ्यः सुक्षितीरिषः ।
ते स्याम य आनृचुस्त्वादूतासो दमेदम इषं स्तोतृभ्य आ भर ॥८॥

8) Bring, O Will, to those who affirm thee new strengths of impulsion that find aright their dwelling-place;⁵ may we be they who because they have thee for their messenger, sing the hymn of illumination in home and home.

Bring to those who affirm thee thy force of the impulsion.

उभे सुश्चन्द्र सर्पिषो दर्वी श्रीणीष आसनि ।
उतो न उत् पुपूर्या उक्थेषु शवसस्पत इषं स्तोतृभ्य आ भर ॥९॥

9) Both⁶ ladles of the running richness thou approachest to thy mouth, O perfect in delight; mayst thou in our speakings utterly fill thyself, O master of shining strength.

Bring to those who affirm thee thy force of the impulsion.

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एवाँ अग्निमजुर्यमुर्गीर्भिर्यज्ञेभिरानुषक् ।
दधदस्मे सुवीर्यमुत त्यदाश्वश्व्यमिषं स्तोतृभ्य आ भर ॥१०॥

10) So by our words and our sacrifices they without any break drive and control the Strength. May he establish in us an utter energy⁷ and that swift galloping force.⁸

Bring to those who affirm thee thy force of the impulsion.

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