Hymns to the Mystic Fire

Kanwa Ghaura

Sukta 36

प्र वो यह्वं पुरुणां विशां देवयतीनाम् ।
अग्निं सूक्तेभिर्वचोभिरीमहे यं सीमिदन्य ईळते ॥१॥

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1) The master of many peoples who labour towards the godhead, we seek for you with words of perfect expression, Agni whom others also everywhere desire.

जनासो अग्निं दधिरे सहोवृधं हविष्मन्तो विधेम ते ।
स त्वं नो अद्य सुमना इहाविता भवा वाजेषु सन्त्य ॥२॥

2) Men hold Agni in them as the increaser of strength. With offerings we dispose the sacrifice for thee, do thou then become today to us perfect-minded and our keeper here in our havings, O thou who art of the truth of being.

प्र त्वा दूतं वृणीमहे होतारं विश्ववेदसम् ।
महस्ते सतो दि चरन्त्यर्चयो दिवि स्पृशन्ति भानवः ॥३॥

3) Thee we choose out for our messenger, the priest of offering who hast universal knowledge; when thou art greatened in thy being thy flames range wide, thy lustres touch the heavens.

देवासस्त्वा वरुणो मित्रो अर्यमा सं दूतं प्रत्नमिन्धते ।
विश्वं सो अग्ने जयति त्वया घनं यस्ते ददाश मर्त्यः ॥४॥

4) The gods even Varuna and Mitra and Aryaman light thee utterly, the ancient messenger; all wealth that mortal conquers by thee, O Agni, who to thee has given.

मन्द्रो होता गृहपतिरग्ने दूतो विशामसि ।
त्वे विश्वा संगतानि व्रता ध्रुवा यानि देवा अकृण्वत ॥५॥

5) Thou art the rapturous priest of the sacrifice and master of this house and the envoy of creatures; in thee are met together all the steadfast laws of action which the gods have made.

त्वे इदग्ने सुभगे यविष्ठय विश्वमा हूयते हविः ।
स त्वं नो अद्य सुमना उतापरं यक्षि देवान्त्सुवीर्या ॥६॥

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6) It is in thee, O Agni, young and mighty, because thou art rich in joy that every offering is cast, therefore do thou today and hereafter, perfect of mind, offer to the gods perfected energies.

तं घेमित्या नमस्विन उप स्वराजमासते ।
होत्राभिरग्निं मनुषः समिन्धते तितिर्वांसो अति स्त्रिधः ॥७॥

7) He it is, whom as the self-ruler men who have attained submission adore; by the greatness of the oblation men light entirely Agni when they have broken through their opposers.

ध्नन्तो वृत्रमतरन् रोदसी अप उरु क्षयाय चकिरे ।
भुवत् कण्वे वृषा द्युम्न्याहुतः कन्ददश्वो गविष्टिषु ॥८॥

8) They smite Vritra the coverer and pass beyond the two firmaments, and they make the wide kingdom their home. May the mighty One become in Kanwa a luminous energy fed with the offerings, the Steed of Life neighing in the pastures (stations) of the kine.

सं सीदस्व महाँ असि शोचस्य देववीतमः ।
वि घूममग्ने अरुवं मियेध्य सृज प्रशस्त दर्शतम् ॥९॥

9) Take thy established seat; wide art thou, shine in thy purity revealing utterly the godhead; pour forth, O thou of the sacrifice, thy red active smoke of passion, thou wide-manifested, that full of vision.

यं त्वा देवासो मनवे दधुरिह यजिष्ठं हव्यवाहन ।
यं कञ्वो मेध्यातिथिर्घनस्पृतं यं वृषा यमुपस्तुतः ॥१०॥

10) Even thou whom the gods have set here for man most strong for the sacrifice, O bearer of the offering, whom Kanwa Medhyatithi has established as a seizer for him of his desired wealth, whom the mighty Indra and all who establish him by the song of praise;

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यमग्नि मेध्यातिथिः कण्व ईध ऋतादधि ।
तस्य प्रेषो दीदियुस्तमिमा ऋचस्तमग्निं वर्धयामसि ॥११॥

11) even that Agni whom Medhyatithi Kanwa has kindled high upon the Truth, may his impulses blaze forth, him may these fulfilling Words, him, even Agni, may we increase.

रायस्पूर्धि स्वधावोऽस्ति हि तेऽग्ने देवेष्वाप्यम् ।
त्वं वाजस्य श्रुत्यस्य राजसि स नो मूळ महाँ असि ॥१२॥

12) Complete our felicities, O thou who hast the self-fixity; for with thee, O Agni, is effectivity in the gods; thou rulest over the wealth of inspired knowledge. Show thou then favour to us, great art thou.

ऊर्ध्व ऊ षु ण ऊतये तिष्ठा देवो न सविता ।
ऊर्ध्वो वाजस्य सनिता यदञ्चिभिर्वाघद्भिर्विह्वयामहे ॥१३॥

13) Utterly high uplifted stand for our growth, like the god Savitri; it is from these heights that thou becomest the saviour of our store when we call on thee...

ऊर्ध्वो नः पाह्यंहसो नि केतुना विश्वं समत्रिणं दह ।
कृधी न ऊर्ध्वाञ्चरथाय जीवसे विदा देवेषु नो दुयः ॥१४॥

14) High-raised protect us from the evil by the perceiving mind, burn utterly every eater of our being; raise us too on high for action, for life; distribute among the gods our activity.

पाहि नो अग्ने रक्षसः पाहि धूर्तेरराक्ष्णः ।
पाहि रीषत उत वा जिघांसतो बृहद्भानो यविष्ठच ॥१५॥

15) Protect us, O Agni, from the Rakshasa, protect us from the harm of the undelighting, protect us from him who assails and him who would slay us, O Vast of lustres, O mighty and young.

घनेव विष्वग्वि जह्यराक्ष्णवस्तपुर्जम्भ यो अस्मध्रुक् ।
यो मर्त्यः शिशीते अत्यक्तुभिर्मा नः स रिपुरीशत ॥१६॥

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16) As with thick falling blows scatter utterly (or scatter like clouds to every side) all the powers of undelight, O devourer of their force (or destroyer of affliction), and him who would do us harm; whatsoever mortal being exceeds us by the keenness of his actions, may he not as our enemy have mastery over us.

अग्निर्वघ्ने सुवीर्यमग्निः कञ्वाय सौभगम् ।
अग्निः प्रावन् मित्रोत मेध्यातिथिमग्निः साता उपस्तुतम् ॥१७॥

17) Agni has won perfected energy for Kanwa and has won perfected enjoyment; Agni protects for him all friendly things, Agni keeps ever in safe being Medhyatithi who has confirmed him by the song of praise.

अग्निना तुर्वशं यदुं परावत उग्रादेवं हवामहे ।
अग्निर्नयन्नववास्त्वं वृहद्रथं तुर्वितिं दस्यवे सहः ॥१८॥

18) By Agni we call Turvasha and Yadu from the upper kingdoms; Agni has led to a new dwelling Brihadratha and Turviti (or Turviti of wide delight), a power against the foe.

नि त्वामग्ने मनुर्दधे ज्योतिर्जनाय शश्वते ।
दीदेथ कञ्व ऋतजात उक्षितो यं नमस्यन्ति कृष्टयः ॥१९॥

19) Man establisheth thee within, O Agni, as a light for the eternal birth; mayest thou burn brightly in Kanwa manifested in the Truth and increased in being, thou to whom the doers of action bow down.

त्वेषासो अग्नेरमवन्तो अर्चयो भीमासो न प्रतीतये ।
रक्षस्विनः सदमिद् यातुमावतो विश्वं समत्रिणं दह ॥२०॥

20) Impetuous, O Agni, and forceful are thy flames, terrible and not to be approached; always thou do burn utterly the powers who detain and the powers who are vessels of suffering, yea, every devourer.

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