All translations of hymns to Agni from the Rig Veda and other Vedic hymns; and related writings.
On Veda
All translations of Vedic hymns to Agni; and related writings. The material includes all the contents of Hymns to the Mystic Fire (translations of hymns to Agni from the Rig Veda, with a Foreword by Sri Aurobindo) as well as translations of many other hymns to Agni, some of which are published here for the first time.
THEME/S
The translations in this part are reproduced from manuscripts, typescripts and transcripts of dictation representing work done by Sri Aurobindo at different times between around 1912 and the 1940s. Except for the translations of Suktas 59, 77, 94 and 97 of the first Mandala (see below), they were not published during his lifetime.
The editors have arranged these hymns by Mandala and Sukta, following the order in the standard text of the Rig Veda. Translations of many of the hymns to Agni in Mandala One and almost all of those in Mandalas Three, Four, Five, Seven, Eight and Ten appear in this part of the present volume. (Translations of the Agni hymns in Mandalas Two and Six and some of those in the first Mandala appear in Part One. There are no hymns to Agni in the ninth Mandala.) The editors have followed tradition by grouping the hymns under the Rishis to whom they are attributed. Sri Aurobindo often put the Rishis' names as part of the headings of his translations. He sometimes wrote the text in Devanagari before each verse of the translation. Where he did not do so, the editors have supplied it.
Sri Aurobindo sometimes translated a given hymn more than once. In such cases the editors have reproduced the last translation only, ignoring the earlier ones unless they contained significant annotations or discussions. Such translations with commentaries or notes have been included in Part Three. However, in the Appendix to Part Two the editors have reproduced Sri Aurobindo's complete translations of the first hymn of the Rig Veda as an illustration of how his approach to translating the Veda developed over the years.
अग्निमीळे पुरोहितं यज्ञस्य देवमृत्विजम् । होतारं रत्नघातमम् ॥१॥
1) The Fire I pray, the divine vicar of the sacrifice and ordinant of the rite, the Summoner (or, priest of the offering) who most founds the ecstasy.
अग्निः पूर्वेभिर्ऋषिभिरीड्यो नूतनैरुत । स देवाँ एह वक्षति ॥२॥
2) The Fire, desirable to the ancient seers, so even to the new,—may he come to us with the gods.
अग्निना रयिमश्नवत् पोषमेव दिवेदिवे । यशसं वीरवत्तमम् ॥३॥
3) By the Fire one obtains a wealth that increases day by day, glorious and full of hero-powers.
अग्ने यं यज्ञमध्वरं विश्वतः परिभूरसि । स इद् देवेषु गच्छति ॥४॥
4) O Fire, the pilgrim sacrifice which thou encompassest on every side, reaches the gods.
अग्निर्होता कविकतुः सत्यश्चित्रश्रवस्तमः । देवो देवेभिरा गमत् ॥५॥
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5) Fire, priest of the call, the seer-will rich in brilliant inspirations, may he come to us, a god with the gods.
यदङ्ग दाशुषे त्वमग्ने भद्रं करिष्यसि । तवेत् तत् सत्यमङ्गिरः ॥६॥
6) O Fire, the happy good that thou wilt create for the giver, is That Truth of thee, O Angiras.
उप त्वाग्ने दिवेदिवे दोषावस्तर्धिया वयम् । नमो भरन्त एमसि ॥७॥
7) To thee, O Fire, day by day, in the dawn and in the dusk, we come bringing to thee by the thought our obeisance,
राजन्तमध्वराणां गोपामृतस्य दीदिविम् । वर्धमानं स्वे दमे ॥८॥
8) To thee, who rulest the sacrifices of the Way, the shining Guardian of the Truth, growing in thy own home.
स नः पितेव सूनवेऽग्ने सूपायनो भव । सचस्वा नः स्वस्तये ॥९॥
9) O Fire, be easy of access to us like a father to his son; cleave to us for our weal.
Madhuchchhandas Vaishwamitra. Sukta 1. Early 1940s. This is the last of the many translations of the first hymn of the Rig Veda made by Sri Aurobindo between 1912 and the 1940s. The complete set is reproduced in the Appendix to Part Two (pages 451-61).
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