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

HYMN 73

Rishi : PARASHARA Deity: AGNI

1. He is like treasure ancestral founding our strength; his superb lead is like the instruction of the wise. Happily restful, pleased, a welcome guest, he is like a priest of call, he increases the home of his worshipper.

2. Like the Sun-God, true-thoughted, by his mere will, he protects all our strong places. He is Truth like a splendour manifest manifold. As a blissful self he is our support.

3. Like a God upholding the universe, he dwells on earth like a friendly king. He is as if a host of heroes in front dwelling in our home. He is like the blameless wife dear to her husband.

4. Such as thou art, men resort to thee, O Agni, ever lit in thy home in thy abiding worlds. They have founded a great light in thee. Bearer of riches, become the life of the universe.

Be the one universal life in the individual Yajamana and the collectivity

5. May the opulent attain thy satisfactions, O Agni, the wise ones giving their whole life (to the Gods). Bearing our portions in the Gods for inspired knowledge, may we attain prosperity from the enemy in the battles.

6. The Cows of Truth enjoyed in Heaven³⁰

Cows of Truth are the nourishing mothers. They yield the milk of Truth.

Hill denotes the universal existence.

The powers of Light flow to the earth of the Yajamana.

7. O Agni, praying for right thought from thee, the Gods set inspired Knowledge in heaven, they made night and dawn of different forms, connected the dark hue with the red.

Dawn i.e. Day and Night signify states of light and obscurity.

Red is of Dawn.

Agni functions differently in the night and the dawn by reason of his inspired Knowledge.

8. O Agni, may we be among the mortals thou speedest to the treasure. Filling the Earth, Heaven and the Mid-region, thou clingest to the whole world like a shadow.

9. Protected by thee, O Agni, may we conquer steeds with steeds, strong men with strong men, heroes with heroes. May our wise ones own the ancestral treasure and live for a hundred winters.

10. O Agni, ordainer, may these hymns be pleasing to thy mind and heart. Holding in thee the inspired knowledge enjoyed³¹

Sri Aurobindo’s rendering of this hymn:

1. He is like an ancestral wealth that founds our strength, perfect in his leading like the command³²

2. He is like the divine Sun true in his thoughts and guards by his will all our strong places; he is like a splendour manifoldly expressed, he is like a blissful self and our support.³³

3. He is like a God upholding the world and he inhabits earth like a good and friendly king: he is like a company of heroes sitting in our front, dwelling in our house; he is as if a blameless wife beloved of her lord.

4. Such art thou, O Fire, to whom men cleave, kindled eternal in the house in the abiding worlds of thy habitation. They have founded within upon thee a great light; become a universal life holder of the riches.

5. O Fire, may the masters of wealth enjoy thy satisfactions, the illumined wise Ones givers of the whole of life: may we conquer the plenitude from the foe in our battles³⁴

6. The milch-cows of the Truth, enjoyed in heaven,³⁵

7. O Fire, in thee praying for right-thinking, the masters of sacrifice set inspired knowledge in heaven: they made night and dawn of different forms and joined together the black and the rosy hue.

8. The mortals whom thou speedest to the Treasure, may we be of them, the lords of riches and we. Filling earth and heaven and mid-air thou clingest to the whole world like a shadow.

9. O Fire, safeguarded³⁶

10. O ordainer of things, O Fire, may these utterances be acceptable to thee, to the mind and to the heart; may we have strength to control with firm yoke thy riches, holding in thee the inspired knowledge enjoyed by the gods.³⁷