Hymns to the Mystic Fire

Somahuti Bhargava

Sukta 4

हुवे वः सुद्योत्मानं सुवृक्तिं विशामग्निमतिथिं सुप्रयसम् ।
मित्र इव यो दिधिषाय्यो भूद्देव आदेवे जने जातवेदाः ॥१॥

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1) I call to you the Fire with his strong delights and his splendours of light, Fire who strips all sin from us, the guest of the peoples. He becomes like a supporting friend, he becomes the God who knows all things born in the man with whom are the Gods.¹

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इमं विधन्तो अपां सधस्थे द्वितादधुर्भृगवो विक्ष्वायोः ।
एष विश्वान्यभ्यस्तु भूमा देवानामग्निररतिर्जीराश्वः ॥२॥

2) The Bhrigus worshipping in the session of the Waters set him a twofold Light in the peoples of Man. May he master all planes prevailing vastly, Fire the traveller of the Gods with his rapid horses.

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अग्नि देवासो मानुषीषु विक्षु प्रियं षुः क्षेष्यन्तो न मित्रम् ।
स दीदयदुशतीरुर्म्या आ दक्षाम्यो यो दास्वते दम आ ॥३॥

3) As men who would settle in a home bring into it a beloved friend, the Gods have set the Fire in these human peoples. Let him illumine the desire of the billowing nights, let him be one full of discerning mind in the house for the giver of sacrifice.

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अस्य रञ्वा स्वस्येव पुष्टिः संदृष्टिरस्य हियानस्य दक्षोः ।
वि यो भरिभ्रदोषवीषु जिह्वामत्यो न रथ्यो दोषवीति वारान् ॥४॥

4) Delightful is his growth as if one's own increase, rapturous is his vision as he gallops burning on his way. He darts about his tongue mid the growths of the forest and tosses his mane like a chariot courser.

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आ यन्मे अभ्यं वनदः पनन्तोशिग्भ्यो नामिमीत वर्णम् ।
स चित्रेण चिकिते रंसु भासा जुजुर्वाँ यो मुहुरा युवा भूत् ॥५॥

5) When my thoughts enjoying him chant his mightiness, he shapes hue of kind as if to our desire. He awakes to knowledge in men that have the ecstasy by the rich diversity of his

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light; old and outworn he grows young again and again.

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आ यो वना तातृषाणो न भाति वार्ण पथा रभ्येव स्वानीत् ।
कृष्णाध्या तपू रञ्वश्चिकेत द्यौरिव स्मयमानो नमोभिः ॥६॥

6) Like one who thirsts he lifts his light on the forests; his roar is like the cry of waters on their path, he neighs like a chariot war-horse. Black is his trail, burning his heat; he is full of rapture and awakes to knowledge: he is like Father Heaven smiling with his starry spaces.

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स यो व्यस्थादभि दक्षदुर्वी पशुर्नेति स्वयुरगोपाः ।
अग्निः शोचिष्माँ अतसान्युष्णन् कृष्णव्यथिरस्वदयन्न भूम ॥७॥

7) He starts on his journey to burn through all wide earth and moves like a beast that wanders at will and has no keeper; Fire with his blazing light and his black affliction assails the dry trunks with his heat as if he tasted the vastness.

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नू ते पूर्वस्यावसो अश्रीतौ तृतीये विदथे मन्म शंसि ।
अस्मे अग्ने संयद्वीरं बृहन्तं क्षुमन्तं वाजं स्वपत्यं रयिं दाः ॥८॥

8) Now in our mind's return on thy former safe-guarding, our thought has been spoken in the third session of the knowledge. O Fire, give us the treasure with its children; give us a vast and opulent plenitude where the heroes assemble.

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त्वया यथा गृत्समदासो अग्ने गुहा वन्वन्त उपरौ अभि ष्युः ।
सुबीरासो अभिमातिषाहः स्मत्सूरिभ्यो गृणते तद्वयो षाः ॥९॥

9) To the luminous Wise Ones and to him who voices thee, O Fire, be the founder of their growth and expansion, that the Gritsamadas strong with the strength of the Heroes and overcoming the hostile forces may conquer the higher worlds by thy force and take delight of² the secret inner spaces.

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Sukta 5

होताजनिष्ट चेतनः पिता पितृभ्य ऊतये ।
प्रयक्षञ्जेन्यं वसु शकेम वाजिनो यमम् ॥१॥

1) A conscious Priest of the call is born to us; a father is born to his fathers for their safeguard. May we avail to achieve by sacrifice the wealth that is for the victor,³ and to rein the Horse of swiftness.

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आ यस्मिन्त्सप्त रश्मयस्तता यज्ञस्य नेतरि ।
मनुष्यद्दैव्यमष्टमं पोता विश्वं तदिन्वति ॥२॥

2) The seven rays are extended in this leader of sacrifice; there is a divine eighth that carries with it the human. The Priest of the purification takes possession of⁴ That All.

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दधन्वे वा यदीमनु वोचद् ब्रह्माणि वेरु तत् ।
परि विश्वानि काव्या नेमिश्चकमिवाभवत् ॥३॥

3) When a man has firmly established this Fire, he echoes the Words of knowledge and comes to⁵ That: for he embraces all seer-wisdoms as the rim surrounds a wheel.

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साकं हि शुचिना शुचिः प्रशास्ता कतुनाजनि ।
विद्वौ अस्य व्रता ध्रुवा वया इवानु रोहते ॥४॥

4) Pure, the Priest of the annunciation is born along with the pure will. The man who knows the laws of his workings that are steadfast for ever, climbs them one by one like branches.

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ता अस्य वर्णमायुवो नेष्टुः सचन्त धेनवः ।
कुवित्तिसृभ्य आ वरं स्वसारो या इदं ययुः ॥५॥

5) The milch-cows come to and cleave to the hue of Light⁶ of this Priest of the lustration, the Sisters who have gone once

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and again to that Supreme over the three.⁷

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यदी मातुरुप स्वसा घृतं भरन्त्यस्थित ।
तासामध्वर्युरागतौ यथो वृष्टीव मोदते ॥६॥

6) When the sister of the Mother comes to him bringing the yield of the Light, the Priest of the pilgrim-sacrifice rejoices in her advent as a field of barley revels in the rain.

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स्वः स्वाय धायसे कृणुतामृत्विगृत्विजम् ।
स्तोमं यज्ञं चादरं वनेमा ररिमा वयम् ॥७॥

7) Himself for his own confirming let the Priest of the rite create the Priest; let us take joy of the laud and the sacrifice, for then it is complete,⁸ what we have given.⁹

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यथा विद्वौ अरं करद्विश्वेभ्यो यजतेभ्यः ।
अयमग्ने त्वे अपि यं यज्ञं चकृमा वयम् ॥८॥

8) Even as one who has the knowledge let him work out the rite for all the lords of the sacrifice. On thee, O Fire, is this sacrifice that we have made.

Sukta 6

इमां मे अग्ने समिधमिमामुपसदं वनेः ।
इमा उ धु श्रुधी गिरः ॥१॥

1) O Fire, mayst thou rejoice in the fuel I bring thee, rejoice in my session of sacrifice. Deeply lend ear to my words.

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अया ते अग्ने धिधेमोर्जो नपादश्वमिष्टे ।
एना सूक्तेन सुजात ॥२॥

2) O Fire, who art brought to perfect birth, Child of Energy,

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Impeller of the Horse, we would worship thee with this oblation, we would worship thee with this Word well-spoken.

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तं त्वा गीर्भिर्गिर्वणसं द्रविणस्युं द्रविणोदः ।
सपर्येम सपर्यवः ॥३॥

3) We would wait with our Words on thy joy in the Word; O Treasure-giver, we would wait on the seeker of the Treasure. Let us serve thee, all whose desire is thy service.

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स बोधि सूरिर्मघवा वसुपते वसुदावन् ।
युयोध्यस्मद् द्वेषांसि ॥४॥

4) O Wealth-Lord, Wealth-giver, awake, a seer and a Master of Treasures; put away from us the things that are hostile.

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स नो वृष्टिं दिवस्परि स नो वाजमनर्वाणम् ।
स नः सहस्त्रिणीरिषः ॥५॥

5) For us, O Fire, the Rain of Heaven around us; for us, O Fire, the wealth immovable;¹⁰ for us, O Fire, the impulsions that bring their thousands!

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ईळानायावस्यवे यविष्ठ दूत नो गिरा ।
यजिष्ठ होतरा गहि ॥६॥

6) O Messenger, O youngest Power, come at our word for him who aspires to thee and craves for thy safeguard; arrive, O Priest of the call, strong for sacrifice.

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अन्तर्ह्यग्न ईयसे विद्वान् जन्मोभया कवे ।
दूतो जन्येव मित्र्यः ॥७॥

7) O Fire, O seer, thou movest within having knowledge of both the Births;¹¹ thou art like a messenger from a friendly people.¹²

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स विद्वाँ आ च पिप्रयो यक्षि चिकित्व आनुषक् ।
आ चास्मिन्त्सत्सि बर्हिषि ॥८॥

8) Come with thy knowledge, O Conscious Fire, and fill us; perform the unbroken order of the sacrifice. Take thy seat on the sacred grass of our altar.

Sukta 7

श्रेष्ठं यविष्ठ भारताऽग्ने द्युमन्तमा भर ।
वसो पुरुस्पृहं रयिम् ॥१॥

1) O Fire, O Youngest Power! Fire of the Bringers, Prince of the Treasure, bring to us a wealth, the best, made all of light and packed with our many desires.

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मा नो अरातिरीशत देवस्य मर्त्यस्य च ।
पर्षि तस्या उत द्विषः ॥२॥

2) Let not the Force that wars against us master the God and the mortal;¹³ carry us beyond that hostile power.

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विश्वा उत त्वया वयं धारा उदन्या इव ।
अति गाहेमहि द्विषः ॥३॥

3) And so by thee may we plunge and pass beyond all hostile forces as through streams of rushing water.

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शुचिः पावक वन्धोऽग्ने बृहद्वि रोचसे ।
त्वं घृतेभिराहुतः ॥४॥

4) O cleansing Fire, thou art pure and adorable; vast is the beauty of thy light fed with the clarities.

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त्वं नो असि भारताऽग्ने वशाभिरुक्षभिः ।
अष्टापदीभिराहुतः ॥५॥

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5) O Fire of the Bringers, thou art called by¹⁴ our bulls and our heifers and by our eight-footed Kine.¹⁵

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द्रृग्नः सर्पिरासुतिः प्रत्नो होता वरेण्यः ।
सहसस्पुत्रो अद़्भुतः ॥६॥

6) This is the eater of the Tree for whom is poured the running butter of the Light; this is the Desirable, the ancient, the Priest of the call, the Wonderful, the son of Force.