Hymns to the Mystic Fire

Agni Sauchika or Vaishwanara or Sapti Vajambhara

Sukta 79

अपश्यमस्य महतो महित्वममर्त्यस्य मर्त्यासु विक्षु ।
नाना हनू विभृते सं भरेते असिन्वती बप्सती भूर्यत्तः ॥१॥

1) I have seen the greatness of this great one, the Immortal in the mortal peoples. The jaws of this abundant eater, separate and held apart, are brought close together, devouring, insatiable.

गुहा शिरो निहितमृधगक्षी असिन्वन्नत्ति जिह्वया वनानि ।
अत्राण्यस्मै पड्भिः सं भरन्त्युत्तानहस्ता नमसाधि विक्षु ॥२॥

2) His head is in the secrecy, his eyes wide apart, insatiable he eats up the forest with his tongue of flame. They bring together his foods for him with the pacings of their feet, their hands of obeisance are outstretched in the peoples.

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प्र मातुः प्रतरं गुह्यमिच्छन् कुमारो न वीरुधः सर्पदुर्वीः ।
ससं न पक्वमविदच्छुचन्तं रिरिह्वांसं रिप उपस्थे अन्तः ॥३॥

3) Desiring the secret place of the mother farther beyond he crawls like a child over the wide growths of earth. One finds him shining like ripe corn, licking away the hurts, within in her lap.

तद्वामृतं रोदसी प्र व्रवीमि जायमानो मातरा गर्भो अत्ति ।
नाहं देवस्य मर्त्यश्चिकेताऽग्निरङ्ग विचेताः स प्रचेताः ॥४॥

4) O heaven and earth, I declare to you that Truth of you,—in his very birth the child of your womb devours his parents. I am mortal and know not of the godhead; Fire is the all-conscious knower and he is the thinker.

यो अस्मा अन्नं तृष्वादधात्याज्यैर्घृतैर्जुहोति पुष्यति ।
तस्मै सहस्त्रमक्षभिर्वि चक्षेऽग्ने विश्वतः प्रत्यङङसि त्वम् ॥५॥

5) He who sets swiftly for him his food casts on him the outpourings of light by which he is nourished, for him he sees with a thousand eyes: O Fire, thou frontest us on every side.

किं देवेषु त्यज एनश्चकर्थाऽग्ने पृच्छामि नु त्वामविद्वान् ।
अकीळन् कीळन् हरिरत्तवेऽदन् वि पर्वशश्चकर्त गामिवासिः ॥६॥

6) What omission or sin hast thou done before the gods, I ask thee, O Fire, for I know not. In his play unplaying a tawny lion, eating only to devour, he has cut all asunder limb by limb, as a knife cuts the cow.

विषूचो अश्वान् युयुजे वनेजा ऋजीतिभी रशनाभिर्गृभीतान् ।
चक्षदे मित्रो वसुभिः सुजातः समानृधे पर्वभिर्वावृधानः ॥७॥

7) He who is born in the forests has yoked his horses tending all ways but caught back by straight-held reins. Mitra, well-born, has distributed to him the treasures and he has grown to completeness increasing in every member.

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Sukta 80

अग्निः सप्तिं वाजंभरं ददात्यग्निर्वीरं श्रुत्यं कर्मनिःष्ठाम् ।
अग्नी रोदसी वि चरत् समञ्जन्नग्निर्नारीं वीरकुक्षिं पुरंषिम् ॥१॥

1) Fire gives to us the Horse that carries the plenitude, Fire gives the Hero who has the inspired hearing and stands firm in the work; Fire ranges through earth and heaven revealing all things, Fire gives the Woman, the tenant of the city,¹ from whose womb is born the hero.

अग्नेरप्नसः समिदस्तु भद्राऽग्निर्मही रोदसी आ विवेश ।
अग्निरेकं चोदयत् समत्स्वग्निर्वृत्राणि दयते पुरुणि ॥२॥

2) May there be a happy fuel for Fire at his labour, Fire enters into the great earth and heaven: Fire urges on one who is all alone in his battles, Fire cleaves asunder the multitude of the enemy.

अग्निर्ह त्यं जरतः कर्णमावाऽग्निरद्भयो निरदहज्जरुथम् ।
अग्निरत्रिं घर्म उरुष्यदन्तरग्निर्नृमेघं प्रजयासृजत् सम् ॥३॥

3) Fire has protected the ear² of the worshipper,³ Fire burnt out the Waster⁴ from the waters; Fire delivered Atri within the blaze,⁵ Fire united man's sacrifice with its progeny.⁶

अग्निर्दाद् द्रविणं वीरपेशा अग्निऋषिं यः सहस्त्रा सनोति ।
अग्निर्दिवि हव्यमा ततानाऽग्नेर्धामानि विभृता पुरुत्रा ॥४॥

4) May Fire in the hero's shape give us the Treasure, may Fire give us the sage who wins the thousands; Fire has extended the offering in heaven, his are the planes upheld separately in many spaces.

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अग्निमुक्थैर्ऋषयो वि ह्वयन्तेऽग्निं नरो यामनि बाधितासः ।
अग्निं वयो अन्तरिक्षे पतन्तोऽग्निः सहस्त्रा परि याति गोनाम् ॥५॥

5) Fire the sages with their utterances call to every side, to Fire men call who are opposed in their march, to Fire the Birds flying in mid-air; Fire encircles the thousands of the Ray-Cows.

अग्निं विश ईळते मानुषीर्या अग्निं मनुषो नहुषो वि जाताः ।
अग्निर्गान्धर्वीं पथ्यामृतस्याऽग्नेर्गव्यूतिर्घृत आ निषत्ता ॥६॥

6) Fire the peoples pray who are human, Fire men of different birth who dwell as neighbours, Fire brings the Gandharvi to the path of the Truth, the Fire's path of the ray-cows is settled in the Light.

अग्नये ब्रह्म ऋभवस्ततक्षुरग्निं महामवोचामा सुवृक्तिम् ।
अग्ने प्राव जरितारं यविष्ठाऽग्ने महि द्रविणमा यजस्व ॥७॥

7) The divine craftsmen have fashioned the Wisdom-Word for the Fire, the Fire we have declared as a vast purification. O ever-youthful Fire, protect thy worshipper; O Fire, win for him by sacrifice the great Treasure.