Translations of Rig Veda Suktas 33-121 by M.P. Pandit

HYMN 71

Rishi: PARASHARA Deity: AGNI

1. The mothers dwelling in one home, loving the loving one came and pleased him as to their eternal spouse. So have the sisters taken joy in him as the Cows in the Dawn, dark, reddening, bright with varied hues.

Mothers denote nourishing powers.

Sisters denote companionships.

The hues of the Dawn change: first darkish, then reddish, then bright with variegated colours. This change of hues takes place in the inner Dawn as well.

2. With mantras our fathers broke the places though hard. With their cry the Angirasas shattered the hill. For us they laid the path to the great Heaven. They found the Day, the Sun-world, the Ray and the radiant beams.

Along with Indra, following Sarama, the Angirasas reach and break the hill of the Panis and recover the stolen cows. By that action they first sight the path to the Truth-Home, Mahas, and open it to man.

They make the path; they only come to know the world of Swar etc.

3. They held the Truth, made man’s thought fruitful. Then alone, masters with understanding, they became capable of widely bearing Agni. Unthirsting for aught, the powers in action move towards the Gods, increasing the birth by delight.

When the Angirasas bear the Truth and increase the thought of man, they become capable of carrying the vast Agni. As a result the active powers advance towards the Gods and the divine Truth is joyfully furthered.

4. When in house and house the pervading Prana churns him out, he is the white conqueror. Then, indeed, he becomes the luminous seer and as our friend becomes the envoy as to a powerful king.

The indwelling Prana stirs the yoga-Agni into action. Many are the bodies of the practitioner. Full of sattva (white), Agni conquers the enemies born of tamas. When he attains the solar brightness, he is competent for an embassy to the Sun of Truth.

5. When he offered the sap to the Father-Heaven, Agni gained his touch and knowledge and slipped downward. The archer boldly threw his lightning arrow at him. But the God established the luminous Power in his Daughter (to come).

Agni distills the sap from the Yajamana and offers it to the great Father. On doing so, he obtains the touch and knowledge of Father-Heaven. And he comes down for the Yajamana from that plane of higher Consciousness. As he comes down, the enemy throws a missile from afar but Agni reaches the earth with the strength and knowledge of Father-Heaven and implants the luminous power in the Yajamana to ensure the Dawn (of Consciousness) to come.

6. Him who kindles thee in thy own home, gives his obeisance day by day to thee who desirest, do thou, increased twofold, augment his growth. O Agni, he with whom thou speedest in the same car, may he travel wealth-endowed.

Twofold: in the human and in the divine stations.

7. All pleasings cleave to Agni, as the seven great rivers flow into the ocean. Our growth is not noticed by thy companions. Do thou who knowest, make it known to the Gods for obtain for us knowledge of the Gods).

8. When lustre for increase filled the Lord of men, when in their encounter the Heaven was cast in him as pure seed, then did he create and impel the host, faultless, youthful, perfect in thought.

9. The Sun who travels alone the paths instantly like the mind, is at once the lord of all treasures. The Kings, Mitra and Varuna, with charming hands guard the delight and nectar in the Rays.

The Sun is mentioned as the journey of the Yajamana led by Agni endowed with all Knowlege and Power culminates in the high solar station.

10. O Agni, do thou not forget our ancient friendship, thou who art disposed towards us as the knower and seer. Age impairs us as mist dims the form. Before that befalls us, give heed.

Sri Aurobindo’s rendering of this hymn:

1. The Mothers who dwell in one abode, desiring came to him who desired them and gave him pleasure as to their eternal spouse: the sisters took joy in him as the Ray-Cows in the Dawn when she comes dusky, flushing red, then shining out in rich hues.

2. Our fathers by their words broke the strong and stubborn places, the Angiras scers shattered the mountain rock with their cry; they made in us a path to the Great Heaven, they discovered the Day and the sun-world and the intuitive ray and the shining herds.

3. They held the Truth, they enriched the thought of this human being; then, indeed, had they mastery and understanding bearing wide the Flame, the powers at work go towards the gods making the Birth to grow by delight.

4. When the Life-Breath borne pervadingly within has churned him out in house and house he becomes white and a conqueror. Then, indeed, he becomes the Flaming Seer and companioning us goes on an embassy as for a powerful king.

5. When he had made this sap of essence for the great Father Heaven, he came slipping downward, one close in touch, having knowledge. The Archer loosed violently on him his arrow of light, ning, but the god set the flaming energy in his own daughter.

6. He who kindles the light for thee in thy own home and offers obeisance of surrender day by day and thy desire is towards him, mayst thou in thy twofold mass, increase his growth, he whom thou speedest in one car with thee, may he travel with the riches.

7. All satisfactions cleave to the Fire as the seven mighty rivers join the ocean. Our growth of being has not been perceived by thy companions, but thou who hast perceived, impart to the gods thy knowledge.²⁰

8. When a flame of energy came to this King of men for impelling force, when in their meeting Heaven was cast in him like pure seed, the Fire gave birth to a might,²¹

9. He who travels the paths suddenly like the mind, the Sun, ever sole is the master of the treasure: Mitra and Varuna, the Kings with beautiful hands, are there guarding in the Rays²²

10. O Fire, mayst thou not forget²³