Hymns to the Mystic Fire

Vasuyus

Sukta 25

अच्छा वो अग्निमवसे देवं गासि स नो वसुः ।
रासत् पुत्र ऋषूणामृतावा पर्षति द्विषः ॥१॥

1) Raise thy song towards the Will, towards the divine for thy increasing, for he is our lord of substance and he lavishes; he is the son of the seekers of knowledge; he is the keeper of the Truth who ferries us beyond the surge of our destroyers.

स हि सत्यो यं पूर्वे चिद् देवासश्चिद् यमीधिरे ।
होतारं मन्द्रजिह्वमित् सुदीतिभिर्दिभावसुम् ॥२॥

2) This is the true in his being whom the seers of old kindled, yea, the gods too kindled him with perfect outshinings into his wide substance of the light, the Priest of the oblation with his tongue of ecstasy.

स नो धीती वरिष्ठया श्रेष्ठया च सुमत्या ।
अग्ने रायो दिदीह नः सुवृक्तिभिर्वरेण्य ॥३॥

3) O Flame supremely desirable, so by our supreme thinking, by our brightest perfected mentality, by its utter cleaving away of all evil, let thy light give unto us the bliss.

अग्निर्देवेषु राजत्यग्निर्मर्तेष्वाविशन् ।
अग्निर्नो हव्यवाहनोऽग्नि धीभिः सपर्यत ॥४॥

4) The Will is that which shines out in the gods, the Will is that which enters with its light into mortals, the Will is the carrier of our oblation; the Will seek and serve in all your thoughts.

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अग्निस्तुविश्रवस्तमं तुविब्रह्माणमुत्तमम् ।
अतूर्तं श्रावयत्पतिं पुत्रं ददाति दाशुषे ॥५॥

5) The Will gives to the giver of sacrifice the Son¹ born of his works who teems with the many inspirations and many voices of the soul, the highest, the unassailable, the Master of things who opens our ears to the knowledge.

अग्निर्ददाति सत्पतिं सासाह यो युधा नृभिः ।
अग्निरत्यं रघुष्यवं जेतारमपराजितम् ॥६॥

6) Yea, 'tis the Will that gives to us the Lord of existences who conquers in the battle by souls of power; Will gives to us our swift-galloping steed of battle ever conquering, never conquered.

यद् वाहिष्ठं तदग्नये बृहवर्च विभावसो ।
महिषीव त्वद् रयिस्त्वद् वाजा उदीरते ॥७॥

7) That which is strongest in us to upbear, we give it to the Will. Sing out the Vast, O thou whose wide substance is its light. Thy opulence is as if the largeness of the Goddess² herself; upward is the rush of thy plenitudes.

तव द्युमन्तो अर्चयो ग्रावेवोच्यते बृहत् ।
उतो ते तन्यतुर्यथा स्वानो अर्त त्मना दिवः ॥८॥

8) Luminous are thy flaming radiances; there rises from thee a vast utterance like the voice of the pressing-stone of delight; yea, thy cry of itself rises up like a thunder-chant from the heavens.

एवाँ अग्निं वसुयवः सहसानं ववन्दिम ।
स नो विश्वा अति द्विषः पर्वन्नावेव सुकतुः ॥९॥

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9) Thus, desiring substance, we adore the Will who is forceful to conquer. May he who has the perfect power of his workings, carry us beyond all the forces that seek to destroy us, like a ship over the waters.

Sukta 26

अग्ने पावक रोचिवा 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 ।
वेवाँ आ बीतये 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.³

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.

अग्ने विश्वेभिरा वहि 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.

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यजमानाय सुन्वत आग्ने सुवीर्यं वह ।
वेवैरा 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 सहस्त्रजिदग्ने धर्माणि पुष्यसि ।
देवानां दूत उक्च्यः ॥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 यविष्ठयम् ।
वधाता 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॥

9) There let the Life-powers⁴ take their seat and the Riders of the Horse⁵ and the Lord of Love⁶ and the Lord of Wideness,⁷ even the gods with all their nation.

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