Canto 18Kumara Atreya or Vrisha Jana · Sukta 2
Book 2. Part Two: Other Hymns to Agni
1. The young Mother carries the boy suppressed in the secret
cavern and she gives him not to the father; his force is undi-
minished, men see him in front established inwardly in the
movement.
52. Who is this boy, O young mother, whom thou carriest in
thyself when thou art compressed into form, but when thou
art vast thou hast given him birth? Through many years
grew the child in the womb, I saw him born when the mother
brought him forth.
103. I saw him in a distant field, one golden-tusked and pure-
bright of hue shaping his weapons: to him I am giving
immortality in my several parts and what shall they do to
me who possess not Indra and have not the word?
Other Hymns to Agni
15Adp
y
sn
t
crt
20s
md
y
$
T
25n
p
z
foBmAnm
n
30tA
ag
B
3jEn
Eh
35q
pEl
FErd
y
vtyo
40BvEt
4. In that field I saw ranging apart what seemed a happy herd
in its many forms of beauty; none could seize on them, for
he was born, even those of them who were grey with age
became young again.
45k
m
my
k
Ev
50yvt
goEBn
y
qA
gopA
55arZE
cdAs
y
_
jg
60B
rv
t
s
jvAjAEt
65p
v
up
nE
cEkvAn
705. Who were they that divorced my strength from the herds of
light? Against them there was no protector nor any fighter
in this war. Let those who seized them release them back
to me, he has become aware and is driving back to me my
herds of vision.
75vsA
rAjAn
vsEt
jnAnAmrAtyo
En
80dD
m
y
q
b
85A@y
rv
t
s
jt
90EnEdtAro
EnAso
Bvt
6. The hostile powers have hidden within in mortals the king of
those who dwell in creatures in whom all creatures dwell;
95let the wisdom-words of Atri release him, let the binders
themselves become the bound.
f
nE
cQC
100p
EnEdt
sh*Ad
y
$
105pAdm
)co
afEm
Eh
q
110evAmdn
Ev
m
m
ED
115pAfAn
hotE
cEkv
ih
t
120$
Enq
7. Shunahshepa too was bound to the thousandfold post of
sacrifice, him didst thou release and he attained to calm;2
so do thou take thy seat here in us, O conscious knower,
125O priest of the call, and loose from us the cords of our
bondage.
2 Or, he achieved the work;
Mandala Five
}ZFymAno
130ap
Eh
md
#y
m
135d
vAnA
v
tpA
uvAc
140id
o
Ev7A
;
an
145Eh
vA
cc
t
nAhmn
150an
Ef
aAgAm
8. Mayst thou not grow wroth and depart from me: he who
guards the law of working of the gods declared it to me;
155Indra knew and sought after and saw thee and taught by
him, O Fire, I have come to thee.
Ev
6yoEtqA
b
160htA
BAyEnrAEvEv
vAEn
k
Z
165t
mEhvA
Ad
vFmA
yA
170sht
d
r
vA
EffFt
175f
H
rs
EvEn
9. This Fire shines with the Vast Light and makes all things
180manifest by his greatness. He overpowers the workings of
knowledge that are undivine and evil in their impulse, he
sharpens his horns to gore the Rakshasa.
ut
vAnAso
185EdEv
qvn
EtmAy
DA
rs
190htvA
u
md
Ecdy
zjEt
195BAmA
n
vrt
pErbADo
ad
200vF
/
10. May the voices of the Fire be sharp weapons to slay the Rak-
shasa. In his ecstasy his angers break down, all the undivine
obstructions that besiege us cannot hem him in.
205et
t
tom
t
EvjAt
210Evo
rT
n
DFr
vpA
215atm
ydFdn
Et
v
d
220v
hyA
vv
tFrp
enA
225jy
m
11. O thou of the many births, I the sage, the thinker, the man
of perfect works have fashioned for thee this laud like a
chariot. If, indeed, O god, thou shouldst take an answering
230joy in it, by this we could conquer the waters that carry the
light of the sun-world.
t
Evg
Fvo
235v
qBo
vAv
DAno'fWvy
smjAEt
240v
d
itFmmEnmm
tA
avocn
245bEh
mt
mnv
fm
y
250s -
=Evmt
mnv
fm
y
255st
12. The bull with the neck of might, whom no enemy can