Canto 3Hymns of Gritsamada · Mandala Two — Suktas 1–10

Book 1. Part One: Hymns to the Mystic Fire

1. O Fire, thou art born with thy lights, flaming out on us in

thy effulgence; thou art born from the waters and around

the stone, thou art born from the forests and born from the

plants of the earth. Pure art thou in thy birth, O Master of

5man and his race.

2. O Fire, thine are the call and the offering, thine the purifi-

cation and the order of the sacrifice, thine the lustration;

thou art the fire-bringer for the seeker of the Truth. The

annunciation is thine, thou becomest the pilgrim-rite:1 thou

10art the priest of the Word and the master of the house in our

home.

3. O Fire, thou art Indra the Bull of all that are and thou art

wide-moving2 Vishnu, one to be worshipped with obeisance.

O Master of the Word, thou art Brahma, the finder of the

151 Or, thou art the priest of the pilgrim-rite:

2 Or, wide-sung

Riches: O Fire who sustainest each and all, closely thou

companionest the Goddess of the many thoughts.3

vmn

20rAjA

vzZo

25Emo

BvEs

30vmy

spEty

35B

EvdT

40d

BAjy

4. O Fire, thou art Varuna the king who holds in his hands the

law of all workings and thou art Mitra the potent and de-

45sirable Godhead. Thou art Aryaman, master of beings, with

whom is complete enjoying; O Godhead, thou art Ansha

who gives us our portion in the winning of the knowledge.

vmn

50EvDt

vFy

nAvo

55Emmh

sjAym

vmAf

60rErq

nrA

65fDo

aEs

!vs

5. O Fire, thou art Twashtri and fashionest fullness of force

70for thy worshipper; thine, O friendly Light, are the goddess-

Energies and all oneness of natural kind. Thou art the swift

galloper and lavishest good power of the Horse; thou art

the host of the gods and great is the multitude of thy riches.

vmn

75zd

mho

80Edvv

fDo

mAzt

IEfq

85v

vAt

#rzZ

#yA

90f

gyv

95EvDt

pAEs

mnA

6. O Fire, thou art Rudra, the mighty one of the great Heaven

100and thou art the army of the Life-Gods and hast power over

all that fills desire. Thou journeyest with dawn-red winds

to bear thee and thine is the house of bliss; thou art Pushan

and thou guardest with thyself thy worshippers.

vmn

105d

EvZodA

110v

sEvtA

r&DA

115aEs

Bgo

120vv

IEfq

pAy

125m

'EvDt

7. O Fire, to one who makes ready and sufficient his works

thou art the giver of the treasure; thou art divine Savitri and

130a founder of the ecstasy. O Master of man, thou art Bhaga

3 Or, the Goddess tenant of the city.

Hymns of Gritsamada

and hast power for the riches; thou art the guardian in the

house for one who worships thee with his works.

135vAmn

pEt

140EvfvA

rAjAn

Evdm

)jt

145v

vAEn

vnFk

pys

150v

sh*AEZ

ftA

1558. O Fire, men turn to thee the master of the human being in

his house; thee they crown, the king perfect in knowledge. O

strong force of Fire, thou masterest all things; thou movest

to the thousands and the hundreds and the tens.

vAmn

160EptrEmEEBn

rvA

AAy

fMyA

165tn

zcm

170o

BvEs

'EvDt

175sKA

pAyAD

180q

9. O Fire, men worship thee with their sacrifices as a father and

thee that thou mayst be their brother by their achievement

of works when thou illuminest the body with thy light. Thou

becomest a son to the man who worships thee; thou art his

185blissful friend and guardest him from the violence of the

adversary.

vmn

-B

rAk

190nmyv

vAjy

mto

rAy

IEfq

195v

BAyn

dAvn

200v

EvEf

rEs

y.mAtEn

20510. O Fire, thou art the craftsman Ribhu, near to us and to be

worshipped with obeisance of surrender; thou hast mastery

over the store of the plenitude and the riches. All thy wide

shining of light and onward burning is for the gift of the

treasure; thou art our instructor in wisdom and our builder

210of sacrifice.

vmn

aEdEtd

dAf

215q

hoA

BArtF

220s

EgrA

vEm0A

ftEhmAEs

225v

230srvtF

11. O Divine Fire, thou art Aditi, the indivisible Mother to the

giver of the sacrifice; thou art Bharati, voice of the offering,

and thou growest by the word. Thou art Ila of the hundred

winters wise to discern; O Master of the Treasure, thou art

235Saraswati who slays the python adversary.

vmn

240u1m

vytv

pAh

245s

E2y

250vAj

trZo

h3Es

255rEyb

vtp

260T

12. O Fire, when thou art well borne by us thou becomest the

supreme growth and expansion of our being, all glory and

beauty are in thy desirable hue and thy perfect vision. O

Vastness, thou art the plenitude that carries us to the end of

265our way; thou art a multitude of riches spread out on every

side.

vAmn

aAEdyAs

aAy

270vA

Ej4A

cE5r

275kv

rAEtqAco

avr

280sE

285hEvrdyAh

13. O Fire, the sons of the indivisible Mother made thee their

mouth, the pure Gods made thee their tongue; O Seer, they

who are ever close to our giving are constant to thee in the

290rites of the Path; the Gods eat in thee the offering cast before

them.

295v

tAso

300aAsA

hEvrdyAh

305vyA

mtA

vdt

aAs

310Et

gBo

vFzDA

jE.q

315f

14. O Fire, all the Gods, the Immortals unhurtful to man, eat

in thee and by thy mouth the offering cast before them; by

thee mortal men taste of the libation. Pure art thou born, a

320child of the growths of the earth.

tAs

325cAEs

m6mnA'n

jAt

330d

ErQys

335yd

mEhnA

340vdn

AvAp

ETvF

rodsF

34515. O Fire that hast come to perfect birth, thou art with the

Gods and thou frontest them in thy might and thou ex-

ceedest them too, O God, when here the satisfying fullness

of thee becomes all-pervading in its greatness along both the

continents, Earth and Heaven.

350Hymns of Gritsamada

tot

goag

355Am

fsmn

rAEtm

360jEt

amA)c

365tA

370vy

h7d

375EvdT

vFrA

16. When to those who chant thee, the luminous Wise Ones

set free thy gift, O Fire, the wealth in whose front the Ray-

380Cow walks and its form is the Horse, thou leadest us on and

leadest them to a world of greater riches. Strong with the

strength of the heroes, may we voice the Vast in the coming

of knowledge.

SUKTA 2

385y.

jAtv

390dsmEn

yjv

hEvqA

tnA

EgrA

395sEmDAn

400hotAr

405$

1. Make the Fire that knows all things born to grow by your

sacrifice; worship him with thy offering and thy body and

410thy speech. Worship in his kindling Fire with whom are his

strong delights, the male of the sun-world, the Priest of the

Call, the inhabitant of Heaven4 who sits at the chariot yoke

in our battles.

aEB

415vA

n8tFzqso

vvAEfr

420n

vsr

425Edv

drEtmA

430y

BAEs

435zvAr

2. The Nights and the Dawns have lowed to thee as the milch-

cows low towards a calf in their lairs of rest. O Fire of many

440blessings, thou art the traveller of Heaven through the ages

of man and thou shinest self-gathered through his nights.5

445b

rjs

450Edvp

ET yorrEt

Err

rTEmv

455v

5foEcqmEn

460EEtq

3. The Gods have sent into the foundation of the middle world

this great worker and pilgrim of earth and of heaven, whom

4654 Or, who dwells in the Light,

5 Or, self-gathered thou illuminest his nights.

we must know, like our chariot of white-flaming light, Fire

whom we must voice with our lauds like a friend in the

peoples.

470tm

mAZ

rjEs

475dm

Emv

4804Ar

485ptr

EctytmEB

pATo

pAy

490jnsF

4. They have set in the crookedness, set pouring his rain like

gold in the beauty of his light,6 in the middle world and in his

495own home, the guardian of the dappled mother who awak-

ens us to knowledge with his eyes of vision, the protector of

our path along either birth.

hotA

500Ev

pEr

505vvr

h y

510q

-)jt

EgrA

EhErEfo

515DsAnAs

520EBE

ctyd

odsF

5. Let Fire be the priest of your call, let his presence be around

525every pilgrim-rite; this is he whom men crown with the word

and the offering. He shall play in his growing fires wearing

his tiara of golden light; like heaven with its stars he shall

give us knowledge of our steps along both the continent-

worlds.

530s

sEmDAn

535vty

ddvAn

rEymmAs

dFEdEh

540aA

545s

EvtAy

rodsF

h yA

550mn

vvFty

6. O Fire, opulently kindling for our peace, let thy light arise

555in us and bring its gift of riches. Make Earth and Heaven

ways for our happy journeying and the offerings of man a

means for the coming of the Gods.

560an

hto

shE*Zo

565d

vAj

570apA

AcF

AvAp

575ETvF

580vZ

qso

585Ed

7. O Fire, give us the vast possessions, the thousandfold riches;

open to inspiration like gates the plenitude; make Earth and

6 Or, like a thing of delight in his shining beauty,

590Hymns of Gritsamada

Heaven turned to the Beyond by the Word. The Dawns have

broken into splendour as if there shone the brilliant world

of the Sun.

595iDAn

uqso

rAMyA

600dFd

dzq

BAn

605hoAEBrEnm

vvro

rAjA

610EvfAmEtET

cAzrAyv

8. Kindled in the procession of the beautiful Dawns, he shall

break into roseate splendour like the world of the Sun. O

Fire, making effective the pilgrim-rite by man’s voices of

615offering, thou art the King of the peoples and the Guest

delightful to the human being.

evA

620am

625 y

DFpFpAy

hE:v

630mAn

hAnA

635n

kArv

640mnA

fEtn

z!pEmqEZ

9. O pristine Fire, even thus the Thought has nourished our

645human things in the immortals, in the great Heavens. The

Thought is our milch-cow, of herself she milks for the doer

of works in his battles and in his speed to the journey the

many forms and the hundreds of the Treasure.

vymn

650av

vFy

655b

Ecty

660jnA

;

aEt

amAk

<mED

665p)c

QcA

670vZ

cFt

675rm

10. O Fire, let us conquer a hero-strength by the War-Horse, or

let us awake to knowledge beyond men by the Word;7 let

our light shine out in the Five Nations high and inviolable

680like the world of the Sun.

boED

shy

685f

yEms

jAtA

iqyt

690s

ymn

y.m

695pyEt

vAEjno

Eny

tok

dFEdvA

700s

11. Awake, O forceful Fire, one to be voiced by our lauds; for

thou art he in whom the luminous seers come to perfect

7057 Or, wake in ourselves a strength of heroes beyond men’s scope by the power of the

War-Horse or by the Word;

birth and speed on their way. O Fire, thou art the sacrifice

and to thee the Horses of swiftness come there where thou

shinest with light in the eternal son and in thy own home.

710uByAso

jAtv

yAm

715totAro

720c

vvo

rAy

725p

730$

jAvt

vpyy

fED

735n

12. O Fire, O God who knowest all things born, may we both

abide in thy peace, those who hymn thee and the luminous

seers. Be forceful for the opulence of the Treasure with the

multitude of its riches and its many delights and its issue

740and the offspring of the Treasure.

tot

goag

745Am

fsmn

rAEtm

750jEt

amA)c

755tA

760vy

h7d

765EvdT

vFrA

13. When to those who hymn thee the luminous Wise set free,

O Fire, the gift in whose front the Ray-Cow walks and

770whose form is the Horse, thou leadest us on and leadest

them to a world of greater riches. Strong with the strength

of the Heroes, may we voice the Vast in the coming of the

knowledge.

SUKTA 3

775sEm=o

aEnEn

Eht

ET yA

780yR

vAEn

vnAyTAt

785hotA

pAvk

Edv

790DA

vAn

795yjvEnrh

1. The Fire that was set inward in the earth is kindled and has

arisen fronting all the worlds. He has arisen, the purifying

Flame, the priest of the call, the wise of understanding, the

800Ancient of Days. Today let the Fire in the fullness of his

powers, a god to the gods do sacrifice.

Hymns of Gritsamada

nrAf

805Et

DAmAy)jn

Et*o

Edv

810m>A

vEc

815mnsA

h ym

820D

y.y

smn8t

825vAn

2. Fire who voices the godhead, shines revealing the planes,

each and each; high of ray he reveals, each and each, the

triple heavens by his greatness. Let him flood the oblation

with a mind that diffuses the light and manifest the gods on

830the head of the sacrifice.

IE0to

mnsA

835ah

vAn

840mAn

qAt

845a

mztA

850fDo

aQy

tEmd

nro

bEh

855qd

yjvm

3. O Fire, aspired to by our mind, putting forth today thy

power do sacrifice to the gods, O thou who wast of old

before aught that is human. Bring to us the unfallen host of

860the Life-Gods; and you, O Powers, sacrifice to Indra where

he sits on the seat of our altar.

bEh

865v

mAn

vFr

870tFZ

rAy

875yAm

nA8t

vsv

880sFdt

885vA

aAEdyA

yE.yAs

4. O Godhead, strewn is the seat on this altar, the hero-guarded

seat that ever grows, the seat well-packed for the riches,8

890anointed with the Light. O all Gods, sit on this altar-seat,

sons of the indivisible Mother, princes of the treasure, kings

of sacrifice.

2ytAm

895Ev

ymAnA

9007Aro

AyZA

905nmoEB

ycvtFEv

TtAmj

910p

nAnA

yfs

vFrm

9155. May the divine Doors swing open, wide to our call, easy of

approach with our prostrations of surrender; may they

stretch wide opening into vastnesses, the imperishable

Doors purifying the glorious and heroic kind.

8 Or, made strong to bear for the riches,

920sAvpA

sntA

uEt

925uqAsAn8tA

v?y

rE@vt

930tt

vytF

smFcF

y.y

935p

940pyvtF

6. Milch-cows, good milkers, pouring out on us may Night

and Dawn, the eternal and equal sisters, come like weaving

women full of gladness, weaving out the weft that is spun,

the weft of our perfected works into a shape of sacrifice.

945d

# yA

hotArA

TmA

Evd

950r

-j

955vp

vAyjtAv

960TA

sm)jto

nABA

ET yA

965aED

sAn

7. The two divine Priests of the call, the first, the full in wisdom

970and stature, offer by the illumining Word the straight things

in us; sacrificing to the Gods in season, they reveal them

in light in the navel of the Earth and on the three peaks of

Heaven.

srvtF

975sADytF

EDy

i0A

980vF

BArtF

985Et

Et*o

vDyA

990bEh

dmEQCd

pAt

frZ

995Enq

8. May Saraswati effecting our thought and goddess Ila and

Bharati who carries all to their goal, the three goddesses,

sit on our altar-seat and guard by the self-law of things our

gapless house of refuge.

1000EpfH!p

Bro

vyoDA

1005vFro

jAyt

vkAm

1010vA

nAEBmm

aTA

1015d

vAnAmJy

pAT

9. Soon there is born a Hero of golden-red form, an aspirant

1020to the Godheads, a mighty bringer of riches and founder

of our growth to wideness. Let the Maker of forms loosen

the knot of the navel in us, let him set free the issue of our

works; then let him walk on the way of the Gods.9

9 Or, let the way of the Gods come to us.

1025Hymns of Gritsamada

vnpEtrvs

TAdEnh

1030Ev

dyAEt

DFEB

1035EDA

sm8t

nyt

jAnn

1040v

# y

fEmtop

1045h ym

10. The Plant is with us streaming out the Wine. Fire speeds the

oblation by our thoughts. Let the divine Achiever of works,

understanding, lead the offering triply revealed10 in his light

1050on its way to the Godheads.

EmEm

1055tmy

yoEnG

E2to

1060tMvy

DAm

vDmA

1065mAdyv

vAhAk

1070vE

h ym

11. I pour on him the running light; for the light is his native

lair, he is lodged in the light, the light is his plane. According

to thy self-nature, bring the Gods and fill them with rapture.

1075O Male of the herd, carry to them our offering blessed with

sv¯ah¯a.11

SUKTA 4

1080v

omAn

1085E8t

EvfAmEnmEtET

ysm

1090iv

EdEDqA?yo

1095d

aAd

1100jn

jAtv

1. I call to you the Fire with his strong delights and his splen-

dours of light, Fire who strips all sin from us, the guest of the

1105peoples. He becomes like a supporting friend, he becomes

the God who knows all things born in the man with whom

are the Gods.12

EvDto

1110apA

sDT

E7tAdD

gvo

1115EvLvAyo

vAy yt

1120$

vAnAmEnrrEtjF

1125v

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.

113010 Or, triply anointed

11 Or, made into sv¯ah¯a.

12 Or, in all from men to the Gods.

aEn

1135vAso

mAn

qFq

1140D

yto

Emm

1145dFdyd

ftF!MyA

dA?yo

1150dAvt

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.

1155Let him illumine the desire of the billowing nights, let him

be one full of discerning mind in the house for the giver of

sacrifice.

r@vA

1160vy

1165d

Ery

EhyAny

1170yo

BErB

doqDFq

Ej4Amyo

1175rLyo

doDvFEt

vArAn

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

1180his tongue mid the growths of the forest and tosses his mane

like a chariot courser.

a v

1185vnd

pntoEf yo

nAEmmFt

EcEkt

BAsA

12105. When my thoughts enjoying him chant his mightiness, he

shapes hue of kind as if to our desire. He awakes to knowl-

edge in men that have the ecstasy by the rich diversity of his

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

1215yo

vnA

tAt

qAZo

1220BAEt

vAZ

pTA

rLy

1225vAnFt

ZAvA

1230r@vE

OErv

mymAno

1235nBoEB

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

1240smiling with his starry spaces.

Hymns of Gritsamada

yTAdEB

1245dd

1250Et

rgopA

aEn

foEcmA

1255;

atsAy

Z yETrvdy3

1260B

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;

1265Fire with his blazing light and his black affliction assails the

dry trunks with his heat as if he tasted the vastness.

1270p

yAvso

aDFtO

1275t

tFy

EvdT

1280Es

y7Fr

1285b

vAj

vpy

1290rEy

8. Now in our mind’s return on thy former safeguarding, our

thought has been spoken in the third session of the knowl-

edge. O Fire, give us the treasure with its children; give us a

1295vast and opulent plenitude where the heroes assemble.

vyA

yTA

smdAso

1300an

vvt

uprA

1305;

aEB

vFrAso

1310aEBmAEtqAh

Er yo

1315g

vyo

13209. 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 of13 the secret inner

1325spaces.

SUKTA 5

hotAjEn

1330EptA

Ept

Uty

y)j

1335y

vAEjno

1340ymm

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,14 and to rein the

Horse of swiftness.

134513 Or, win

14 Or, the wealth that has to be conquered,

yEmsP

1350myttA

y.y

tEr

1355vd

# ymm

potA

1360v

tEdvEt

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 of15 That All.

1365dDv

ydFmn

vocd

1370AEZ

pEr

1375Ev

vAEn

kA yA

1380c5EmvABvt

3. When a man has firmly established this Fire, he echoes the

Words of knowledge and comes to16 That: for he embraces

all seer-wisdoms as the rim surrounds a wheel.

sAk

1385Eh

EcnA

1390fAtA

nAjEn

Ev7A

;

1395ay

1400vyA

ivAn

roht

4. Pure, the Priest of the annunciation is born along with the

pure will. The man who knows the laws of his workings that

1405are steadfast for ever, climbs them one by one like branches.

mAy

1410vo

sct

1415k

Evt

Ets

1420vr

vsAro

14255. The milch-cows come to and cleave to the hue of Light17 of

this Priest of the lustration, the Sisters who have gone once

and again to that Supreme over the three.18

ydF

mAt

1430zp

vsA

BryETt

1435tAsAmvy

rAgtO

yvo

1440modt

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.

15 Or, travels to (reaches)

144516 Or, and comes to know

17 Or, the hue of kind

18 The fourth world, Turiyam above the three, so called in the Rigveda, tur¯ıya ˙m svid.

Hymns of Gritsamada

1450vAy

DAys

tAm

1455Evg

Evjm

tom

cAdr

1460vn

rErmA

vym

7. Himself for his own confirming let the Priest of the rite

1465create the priest; let us take joy of the laud and the sacrifice,

for then it is complete, what we have given.19

yTA

Ev7A

;

1470ar

krd

1475yjt

aymn

aEp

1480y

vym

14858. 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

imA

1490m

sEmDEmmAm

psd

1495imA

Egr

15001. O Fire, mayst thou rejoice in the fuel I bring thee, rejoice in

my session of sacrifice. Deeply lend ear to my words.

ayA

1505EvD

mojo

npAd

vEm

enA

1510s

1515jAt

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

Impeller of the Horse, we would worship thee with this obla-

tion, we would worship thee with this Word well-spoken.

1520vA

gFEB

1525d

EvZy

EvZod

spy

1530m

spy

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.

1535Let us serve thee, all whose desire is thy service.

19 Or, for then it is complete, we have moved (on the way). Or, let us take full joy of

the laud and the sacrifice; for we have given.

boED

1540s

Erm

GvA

1545pt

dAvn

yoymd

1550qA

4. O Wealth-Lord, Wealth-giver, awake, a seer and a Master

of Treasures; put away from us the things that are hostile.

1555no

EdvpEr

1560no

vAjmnvA

1565shE*ZFErq

5. For us, O Fire, the Rain of Heaven around us! for us, O

Fire, the wealth immovable,20 for us, O Fire, the impulsions

that bring their thousands.

I0AnAyAvyv

1570yEvS

1575EgrA

yEjS

hotrA

gEh

6. O Messenger, O youngest Power, come at our word for him

1580who aspires to thee and craves for thy safeguard; arrive, O

Priest of the call, strong for sacrifice.

atV

Iys

1585Ev7A)jmoByA

1590jy

EmWy

7. O Fire, O seer, thou movest within having knowledge of

both the Births;21 thou art like a messenger from a friendly

1595people.22

Ev7A

;

1600c

Epyo

EcEkv

aAn

1605qk

cAEmsEs

bEh

16108. 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.

20 Or, free from all littleness,

21 Or, as one who has knowledge between both births;

161522 Or, like a friendly universal messenger.

Hymns of Gritsamada

SUKTA 7

yEvS

1620BArtA'n

mtmA

vso

1625zp

rEym

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

1630and packed with our many desires.

arAEtrFft

1635vy

pEq

1640tyA

E7q

2. Let not the Force that wars against us master the God and

the mortal;23 carry us beyond that hostile power.

1645Ev

vyA

1650DArA

udyA

aEt

gAh

1655mEh

E7q

3. And so by thee may we plunge and pass beyond all hostile

forces as through streams of rushing water.

1660Ec

pAvk

vo'n

1665Ev

rocs

1670EBrAh

4. O cleansing Fire, thou art pure and adorable; vast is the

beauty of thy light fed with the clarities.

1675no

aEs

BArtA'n

vfAEBzEB

aApdFEBrAh

1680t

5. O Fire of the Bringers, thou art called by24 our bulls and our

heifers and by our eight-footed Kine.25

23 Or, against us, God and mortal, overmaster us;

24 Or, fed with

168525 Or, by our bulls and by our barren and pregnant kine. As.t.¯apad¯ı, literally eight-footed.

sEp

rAs

1690Et

hotA

1695shsp

6. This is the eater of the Tree for whom is poured the running

1700butter of the Light; this is the Desirable, the ancient Priest

of the call, the Wonderful, the son of Force.

SUKTA 8

vAjyE3v

1705$

rTAn

yogA

;

1710zp

yftmy

mF[h

1715q

1. As if to replenish him26 chant now the chariots of Fire and

his yokings, Fire the lavish and glorious Godhead.

1720nFTo

ddAf

1725jry3Erm

cAztFk

aAh

2. He brings his perfect leading to the man who has given; he

1730is invulnerable and wears out with wounds the foe. Fair is

the front of him fed with the offerings.

E2yA

1735dm

doqoqEs

fyt

1740v

mFyt

3. He is voiced in his glory and beauty at dusk and dawn in

1745our homes. Never impaired is the law of his working.

BAn

1750nA

Eco

EvBAyEc

a)jAno

1755ajr

#rEB

4. He shines rich with diverse lustres like the heavens of the

Sun27 in his illumining splendour, shines wide with his ray,

putting forth on us a revealing light with his ageless fires.

176026 Or, as one seeking for plenitude

27 Or, like the Sun

Hymns of Gritsamada

aEmn

vrA6ymEnm

17658TAEn

vAv

1770aED

E2yo

5. Our words have made the Fire to grow, made the Traveller

to grow in the way of self-empire; he holds in himself all

1775glory and beauty.

Erd

somy

1780d

vAnAm

EtEBv

1785aEryt

mVEB

yAm

1790tyt

6. May we cleave to the safeguardings of the Fire and Soma

and Indra and of the Gods, meeting with no hurt overcome

those that are embattled against us.

SUKTA 9

1795En

hotA

hot

qdn

EvdAnv

1800qo

dFEdvA

;

asdt

1805d

adNDv

tmEtv

EsS

sh*

1810Br

EcEj4o

aEn

1. The Priest of the call has taken his seat in the house of his

1815priesthood; he is ablaze with light and vivid in radiance, he

is full of knowledge and perfect in judgment. He has a mind

of wisdom whose workings are invincible and is most rich

in treasures: Fire with his tongue of purity is a bringer of

the thousand.

1820v

tvm

1825prpAv

1830Z

toky

ntn

1835tn

nAmy

QCn

dFd

1840boED

gopA

2. Thou art the Messenger, thou art our protector who takest

us to the other side; O Bull of the herds, thou art our leader

on the way to a world of greater riches. For the shaping of

1845the Son and the building of the bodies28 awake in thy light,

a guardian, and turn not from thy work, O Fire.

28 Or, in the offspring of the son of our bodies

EvD

1850t

prm

jm3n

EvD

1855tom

#rvr

sDT

ymAd

yon

1860zdAErTA

hvF

1865Eq

sEm=

18703. May we worship thee in thy supreme Birth, O Fire; may

we worship thee with our chants in the world of thy lower

session: I adore with sacrifice thy native lair from which

thou hast arisen. The offerings have been cast into thee

when thou wert kindled and ablaze.

1875an

yjv

hEvqA

yjFyA)C

1880d

ZmEB

ZFEh

rAD

1885v

VEs

rEyptF

ryFZA

1890f

vcso

mnotA

4. O Fire, be strong for sacrifice, do worship with my oblation;

1895swiftly voice my thought towards the gift of the Treasure.

For thou art the wealth-master who hast power over the

riches, thou art the thinker of the brilliant Word.

uBy

1900n

Fyt

vs y

Edv

1905jAymAny

1910jErtArmn

pEt

vpyy

1915rAy

5. Both kinds of wealth are thine, O potent Godhead and be-

cause thou art born from day to day, neither can waste

and perish. O Fire, make thy adorer one full of possessions;

make him a master of the Treasure and of wealth rich in

1920progeny.

#nAnFk

1925Evdo

1930;

aAyEjS

vEt

adNDo

gopA

1935ut

prpA

1940t

EddFEh

6. O Fire, shine forth with this force29 of thine in us, one perfect

1945in knowledge, one who worships the Gods and is strong for

sacrifice. Be our indomitable guardian and our protector to

take us to the other side; flame in us with thy light, flame in

us with thy opulence.

29 Or, form

1950Hymns of Gritsamada

SUKTA 10

joh

1955aEn

Ept

0pd

1960mn

sEm=

E2y

1965vsAno

Evc

1970mm

2vy

1975vAjF

1. Fire is to us as our first father and to him must rise our call

when he is kindled by man in the seat of his aspiration. He

puts on glory and beauty like a robe; he is our Horse of

swiftness full of inspiration to be groomed by us, he is the

1980immortal wide in knowledge.

aEnE

cBAn

1985h

vAEBgF

1990EB

Evc

1995yAvA

vhto

roEhtA

votAzqAh

2000c5

EvB

2. May Fire in the rich diversity of his lights, the immortal

wide in knowledge, hearken to my cry in all its words. Two

tawny horses bear him or two that are red or ruddy in glow.

2005Oh, one widely borne has been created.

u1AnAyAmjnys

2010B

vdEn

fAs

2015gB

EfErZAyA

Ecd8t

mhoEBrprFv

2020to

vsEt

3. They have given him birth in one laid supine who with

2025happy delivery bore him; the Fire became a child in mothers

of many forms. This thinker and knower by the greatness of

his lights dwells30 even in the destroying Night unenveloped

by the darkness.

EjGMy

2030En

hEvqA

2035EtEyt

vnAEn

2040p

Etr

vysA

2045b

yEcSm3

rBs

2050d

fAnm

4. I anoint the Fire with my oblation of light, where he dwells

fronting all the worlds; wide in his horizontal expansion

and vast, he is most open and manifest by all he has fed on,

2055seen in the impetuosity of his force.31

30 Or, shines

31 Or, in the violence of his rapture.

2060vt

y)c

EjGMy

rsA

mnsA

2065t6j

2070p

hy7Zo

aEnnA

EBm

2075tvA

rAZ

5. I anoint him where he moves fronting all things on every

side; let him rejoice in That with a mind that withholds not

2080the riches.32 None can touch the body of the Fire where he

plays in his desire of the hues of light,33 in his strong and

glorious beauty.

2085BAg

shsAno

vAd

2090$

tAso

2095m

nmEn

21004A

vcyA

2105DnsA

johvFEm

6. Mayst thou take knowledge of thy portion putting forth

thy force with thy supreme flame; may we speak as the

thinking human being with thee for Messenger. I am one

2110who would conquer the Treasure and I call to the Fire with

my power of speech and my flame of offering, Fire in whom

is no insufficiency and he brings to us the touch of the

sweetness.34

32 Or, with a mind without the will to injure.

211533 Or, with his desire-waking hue,

34 Or, he fills us with the wine of sweetness.