CWTVKS Volume 6

HYMN 27

Beginning with aśvam na tvā is the hymn of thirteen Riks; fourth in the sixth Section. The Rishi, etc., are as before. The metre of all the thirteen is triştup, the deities are the All-Gods.

This is the first Rik.

1. asvam na tvā vāravantam vandadhyā agnim namobhiḥ, samrājantamadhvarāņām.
   aśvam na tvā vāra’vantam vandadhyai agnim namaḥ’bhiḥ sam’rājantam adhvarāņām.

vāravantam tailed (ra for la as belonging to kapila group) aśvam na like steed; tvā thee; agnim Agni; namobhiḥ with obeisances (by the usage of plural number, an obeisance which is denoted by the word surrender, a bowing down with all the instruments of the being, has to be understood); vandadhyai we begin to bow (adhyai is affixed in the sense of tum); of what kind? adhvarāņām of the sacrifices; samrājantam sovereign ruler (rajati has the sense of sovereignty).

The flames of Agni are themselves the tails, just as the tailed horse removes insects, flies, etc., with its tail, so does Agni with his flames of divine powers remove the hurting enemies of God, destroyers of sacrifice, in the journey of sacrifice. The word adhvara here means the pilgrim-sacrifice.

Tr. With obeisances we bow to thee, Agni, tailed like the steed, sovereign ruler of sacrifices.

This is the second Rik.

2. sa ghā naḥ sūnuḥ śavasā pṛthupragāmā suśevaḥ, midhvän asmākam babhūvāt.
   sa gha naḥ sūnuḥ śavasā pṛthu’pragāmā su’sevaḥ midhyān asmākam babhūyāt.

saḥ gha the same Agni; naḥ our; sūnuḥ son, having obtained birth in us; savasā with his own luminous strength; prțhupragāmā of superb extensive gait (one who has superb extensive gait; the a in pragāmā is Vedic); suśevaḥ of felicitous happiness; asmākam midhvān our showerer, of the light, power, etc., needed for the divine state to be attained; bhabhūyāt may be (the substitution of Potential in the place of the Vedic Perfect of bhu):

Tr. May he himself, our son, superbly farstriding with his luminous strength, of felicitous happiness, be the showerer for us.

This is the third Rik.

3. sa no dūraccāsācca ni martyādaghāyoḥ, pāhi sadamidviśvāyuḥ.
   saḥ naḥ dūrat ca āsāt ca ni martyāt agha’yoḥ pāhi sadam it visva’āyuḥ.

O Agni, visvāyuḥ all life in the universe is thine alone (the word à yu has the same meaning as the word āyuş; or the elision of șis Vedic. In the same way aghāyoh also has to be understood. Sayana explains in a different way); such thou dūrācca even far; āsācca even near; aghayoḥ from the sin-loving, the sinful; martyāt from man; sadamit always indeed; nipāhi protect well; naḥ us.

āsāt : word for proximity.

sadam : synonym of sadā, always.

Tr. All-life, protect us always from the sinful man, afar and near.

This is the fourth Rik.

4. imamū șu tvamasmākam sanim gāyatram navyāmsam, agne deveșu pra vocaḥ.
   imam ūm iti su tvam asmākam sanim gāyatram navyāmsam agne deveșu pra vocaḥ.

agne O God Agni; imam this commenced today; sanim ūșu the gift also, the self-giving in the form of sacrifice that is being performed by us (ūșu lengthening in the Samhita text, ș for s); navyāmsam new-fresh (affix iyas on the word nava; elision of i is Vedic); gāyatram word of praise set in Gayatri metre, that too; deveșu in front of the gods; tvam pra vocaḥ thou speak well.

vocaḥ : In the Veda Aorist in the sense of imperative to denote prayer.

Tr. O Agni, this our giving, and too our fresh laud in Gayatri, do though announce to the gods.

This is the fifth Rik.

5. ā no bhaja parameșvā vājeșu madhyameșu, śikṣā vasvo antamasya.
   ā naḥ bhaja parameșu ā vājeșu madhyameşu śikṣa vasvaḥ antamasya.

O Agni, parameșu above, in the highest of the heaven-worlds; vājeșu in the opulence of lustre, power and the like; naḥ ā bhaja make us attain, according to Sayana; make us sharers, is the purport; the sense of the root bhaj has to be noted; similarly, madhyameșu in those of the mid-regions; antamasya in the riches of the earth-world most close-make us participate; and also vasvaḥ riches of the three worlds; śikṣa impart or make us conscious; siks to impart learning; causal is implied here.

Tr. Make us participate in the riches of the highest, of the middle, of the near; impart the riches.

Thus ends the twenty-second Group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth.

This is the sixth Rik.

6. vibhaktāsi citrabhāno sindhorūrmă upāka ā, sadyo dāśușe kşarasi.
   vi’bhaktā asi citrabhāno iti citra’bhāno sindhoḥ ūrmau upāke ā sadyaḥ dāśușe kșarasi.

citrabhāno O Agni of variegated rays; vibhaktā asi thou doest distribute; and dāśușe to the giver; sadyaḥ without delay; kșarasi flowest thyself; illustration–ā in the sense of simile; just as sindhoh of the rivers,; upāke near; ūrmau when there is the wave, the flow denoted by the wave; even as the river itself flows out to fill canals and such tanks, thou flowest towards the sacrificer to fill according to his share.

Tr. O one of varied rays, thou art the distributor; thou flowest forth with to the giver like the tide of the river to environs.

This is the seventh Rik.

7. yamagne pitsu martyamavā vājeșu yañjunāh, sa yantā sasvatiriṣaḥ.
   yam agne prt’su martyam avāḥ vājeșu yam junāḥ saḥ yantā sasvatīḥ işaḥ.

agne O Agni : yam martyam prtsu the man whom in the armies—in the battle denoted by them- (substitution of prt for the word prtanā); avāh thou doest protect (interchange of ā to a in āvah or the appearance of a in Vedic present); yam him whom; vājeșu in the opulences of lustre, strength, etc., to be secured; junāḥ thou doest urge (ju the sutra root, 9th conjugation, Imperfect 2nd person singular, absence of a); saḥ he; śśvatiḥ though plentiful; işaḥ impulses, swift impulsions; yantā he is able to control.

He who is protected by the warding off of danger and urged to acquire wealth, by the divine Grace of Agni, is not the subject of his own impulses, is not swept off by the speed of the thousand-fold impulsions; but protected in the battle by God, impelled by God to opulences, he becomes self-controlled.

Tr. O Agni, the man who thou protectest in the armies, whom thou urgest to the opulences, he is able to control impulsions plentiful.

This is the eighth Rik.

8. nakirasya sahantya paryetā kayasya cit, vājo asti śrávāyyaḥ.
   nakiḥ asya sahantya pari’etā kayasya cit vājaḥ asti śravāyyaḥ.

sahantya O resister, Agni who overcomest the enemies; asya of him who resorts to thee; kayasya cit of any person whatsoever; paryetā invader; nakiḥ there is none; why? of him śravāyyah well-heard, famous; vājaḥ all-opulence; asti is; hence there is no invasion from anywhere.

kayasya : the appendage of ya is Vedic.

Tr. O overcomer, of such a person, whoever, there is no overpowerer; his is the famed opulence.

This is the ninth Rik.

9. sa vājam viſvacarşaņirarvadbhirastu tarutā, viprebhirastu sanitā.
   sa vājam viſva’carṣaṇiḥ arvatbhiḥ astu tarutā viprebhiḥ astu sanitā.

visvacarṣaṇiḥ seer of all; saḥ Agni; arvadbhiḥ with horses (that the horse is a symbol of speeding Life-force is to be kept in mind); vājam opulence; tarutā ferries, reaches to attain; astu may he be; viprebhiḥ through the wise ones, these endowed with luminous consciousness; sanitā enjoyer; astu may he be.

May lord Agni, stationed in the sacrificer, win the plentitude of light, strength and the like by the conquering infusions of divine life-force and enjoy the plenitude so described by means of luminous knowings. This is the subtle purport.

Tr. May the All-Seer attain for us the plentitude with the steeds; may he be the enjoyer with the illumined knowings.

This is the tenth Rik.

10. jarābodha tadvividdhi viševise yajñiyāya, stomam rudrāya dụsīkam.
    jarā’bhoda tat vividdhi više’vise yajñiyāya stomam rudrāya dụsīkam.

Jarābodha he who becomes aware by lauds, aware with inner light, Agni—or addressed to one- self; tat that place; vividdhi enter (hi on the root vis in Imperative. In the Veda 3rd conjugation is well- known); by the mention of the term that, the term which is to be inferred ahead; were viſevise for the weal of all peoples (Dative case to denote purpose); yajñiyāya becoming in the sacrifice or worthy of sacrifice; rudrāya for Agni of severe strength; dľsīkam visible (the affix ika for ani and drsî) directly perceptible; stomam laud—that the sacrifice does.

Taking jarā bodhaḥ as Agni, it is commented upon; but to take it as addressing one’s inner self would be more fitting. Here the significance of the term tat, that, is to be noted. In which luminous inner house of sacrifice the sacrificer hymns Agni with direct perception—not to Agni in absentia—as the extrovert average man does—, and by which is obtained the Grace of Agni effecting the weal of the whole mankind, that place—the sacrificial house of the gods—do thou enter. This is the purport.

Tr. Awake by laud, enter there where is the laud direct to be formidable Agni, becoming in sacrifice, for the good of all peoples.

Thus ends the twenty-third Group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth.

This is the eleventh Rik.

11. sa no mahān animāno dhūmaketuḥ puruścandraḥ, dhiye vājāya hinvatu.
    saḥ naḥ mahān ani’mānaḥ dhūmaʼketuḥ puru’candraḥ dhiye vājāya hinvatu.

saḥ Agni; naḥ us; dhiye for the sustaining superb understanding; vājāya and for the opulent strength; hinvatu may impel; of what kind is he? mahān great in prowess; animānaḥ he who has no limit, limitless; dhūmaketuḥ he whose banner is smoke—the external physical Agni; the smoke is the tremor, akin to the movement of the water vapour caused by the speed of strength or force; one who has this ketu, knowledge, is dhūmaketuḥ, that is to say, Agni is known by this kind of vibrating feeling of strength and speed; puruścandraḥ many-splendoured; he is many, as well as splendour; puru is the name of the many, candraḥ is the pleasing light or spendour; the ś in the middle of puru and candra is according to the formation of such compounds occuring in the Mantras.

Tr. May Agni great, unlimited, smoke- bannered, of manifold delights, impel us to understanding and plenitude.

This is the twelfth Rik.

12. sa revān iva vispatirdaivyaḥ ketuḥ śṛuņotu naḥ, ukthairagnibſhadbhānuḥ.
    saḥ revān’iva vispatiḥ daivyaḥ ketuḥ śṛunotu naḥ ukthaiḥ agniḥ bịhat’bhānuḥ.

saḥ agniḥ naḥ that Agni us who applicate; śruņotu may he hear; like whom? revan iva like the wealthy man, just as the wealthy master hears the submissions of the needy and does what is desired, similarly (ray become re in Veda and the affix vat to denote possession); Agni of what kind? vispatiḥ guardian of the peoples; daivyaḥ ketuh banner of the gods, messenger of the gods-daivya belonging to the gods, ketuḥ form derived from kita to know; ukthaiḥ by our lauds; bịhadbhānuḥ of large rays, he whose radiances are large; by the lauds, the radiances of Agni grow mighty in us—this is the point to be noted.

Tr. May he Agni hear us, like the affluent, guardian of the people, banner of the gods, wide- rayed by the lauds.

This is the thirteenth Rik.

13. namo mahadhbhyo namo arbhakebhyo namo yuvabhyo nama āśinebhyaḥ; yajāma devān yadi saknavāma mā jyāyasaḥ śamsamā vřkși devāḥ.
    namaḥ mahat’bhyaḥ namaḥ arbhakebhyaḥ namaḥ yuva’bhyaḥ namaḥ āśinebhyaḥ yajáma devān yadi saknavāma mā jyāyasaḥ samsam ā vrkși devāḥ.

mahadbhyaḥ to the great in experience; namaḥ salutation; arbhakebhyaḥ to the infants in age; namaḥ salutation; yuvabhyaḥ to the young; namaḥ salutation : āśinebhyaḥ to those extended in age, the olde (aś to extend, the affix ina belonging to uņādi class); namah salutation; salutation to these four kinds of living beings or gods; as the Supreme God exists in all, the salutation is made to the All-God; yadi saknavāma if we are capable; devān all gods; yajāma we worship, adore with sacrifice; devāḥ O gods; jyāyasaḥ of the oldest of all, of the eldest Supreme God; ā samsam all pervading praise, laud; mă vrkși may I not cut asunder.

vṛkși : é-vraśru to cut; by transmutation Atmanepada first person singular; absence of a due to usage with mā.

In this Rik worship is spoken of threefold e.g., salutation, sacrifice, praise. By words like mahadbhyaḥ it is better to take humans alone as signified, because the gods are remembered separately as the various peoples are limbs of the One Person endowed with limbs.

All that has been said before in the context of Purusha Medha is to be recollected.

Tr. Salutation to the great, salutation to the infants, salutation to the old; if capable, may we worship the gods; O gods, may I not cut asunder the pervading praise of the Supreme.

Thus ends the twenty-fourth Group in the second Chapter of the first Eight.