The Secret of the Veda

The Twenty-Sixth Hymn to Agni

A Hymn of the Priest and Sacrificial Flame

[The Rishi invokes the Divine Flame in all its usual attributes as the sacrificer, the luminous seer who has the vision of the luminous world, the bringer of the gods, the carrier of the offering, the envoy, conqueror, increaser of the divine workings in man, the knower of the Births, the leader of the march of the sacrifice with its progressive epiphany of the godheads.]

अग्ने पावक रोचिषा मन्द्रया देव जिह्वया ।
आ देवान् वक्षि यक्षि च ॥१॥

1) O Flame, O purifier, bring to us by thy tongue of rapture, O god, the gods and offer to them sacrifice.

तं त्वा घृतस्नवीमहे चित्रभानो स्वर्दृशम् ।
देवाँ आ वीतये वह ॥२॥

2) Thou who drippest the clarity, thou of the rich and varied luminousness, we desire thee because thou hast the vision of our world of the Truth. Bring to us the gods for their manifesting.¹

वीतिहोत्रं त्वा कवे द्युमन्तं समिधीमहि ।
अग्ने बृहन्तमध्वरे ॥३॥

3) O Seer, we kindle thee in thy light and thy vastness in the march of our sacrifice who carriest the offerings on their journey.

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अग्ने विश्वेभिरा गहि देवेभिर्हव्यदातये ।
होतारं त्वा वृणीमहे ॥४॥

4) Come, O Will, with all the godheads for the giving of the oblation; thee we accept as the priest of the offering.

यजमानाय सुन्वत आग्ने सुवीर्यं वह ।
देवैरा सत्सि बर्हिषि ॥५॥

5) For the sacrificer who presses the wine of his delight, bring, O Flame, a perfect energy. Sit with the gods on the seat of the soul's fullness.

समिधानः सहस्रजिदग्ने धर्माणि पुष्यसि ।
देवानाँ द्रुत उक्थ्यः ॥६॥

6) O Flame, thou burnest high and increasest the divine laws and art the conqueror of a thousandfold riches; thou art the messenger of the gods who hast the word.

न्यग्निं जातवेदसं होत्रवाहं यविष्ठ्यम् ।
दधाता देवमृत्विजम् ॥७॥

7) Set within you the Flame who knows the births, bearer of the offering, youngest vigour, divine sacrificer in the seasons of the Truth.

प्र यज्ञ एत्वानुषगद्या देवव्यचस्तमः ।
स्तृणीत बर्हिरासदे ॥८॥

8) Today let thy sacrifice march forward unceasingly, thy sacrifice that shall bring the whole epiphany of the godheads. Strew the seat of thy soul that there they may sit.

एदं मरुतो अश्विना मित्रः सीदन्तु वरुणः ।
देवासः सर्वया विशा ॥९॥

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9) There let the Life-powers² take their seat and the Riders of the Horse³ and the Lord of Love⁴ and the Lord of Wideness,⁵ even the gods with all their nation.

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