Canto 22Sutambhara · Suktas 11–14
Book 2. Part Two: Other Hymns to Agni
5. These are those flaming rays of thine, O Fire, and they go
blazing and violent, like lightnings that run over all quarters,
like the voice of a chariot seeking the plenitude.
6. Soon, O Fire, may alike those of us who are opposed and ob-
5structed attain to protection and the giving of the riches and
our illuminates break through all directions and beyond.
7. Thou, O Fire, O Angiras, after and during the laud bring
to us riches of a far-reaching force, O priest of the call, for
those who laud thee and for our further laud. Be with us in
10our battles that we may grow.
SUTAMBHARA
SUKTA 11
1. Fire the guardian of men has been born, wakeful and dis-
cerning for a new happy journey; luminous is his front and
15with his heaven-touching vast he shines out full of light and
brilliant in his purity for the Bringers.
Mandala Five
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402. Fire the supreme intuition of the sacrifice, the representative
priest, men have kindled high in the triple world of his
session; let him come in one chariot with Indra and the gods
and take his seat on the sacred grass, the priest of the call,
strong in will to sacrifice.
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703. Unoppressed thou art born brilliant-pure from the mothers
twain, a rapturous priest of the call thou hast risen up from
the sun; they have increased thee with the offering of light,
O Fire, fed with the oblation and thy smoke has become a
ray of intuition lodged in heaven.
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4. May the Fire come to our sacrifice with power to accom-
100plish, men carry the Fire severally in house and house; the
Fire has become the messenger and carrier of our offering;
when men accept the Fire it is the seer-will that they accept.
t
y
105dmn
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1255. For thee, O Fire, this word most full of the honey-sweetness,
for thee this Thinking, let it be a happiness to thy heart; thee
our words fill with force as the great rivers fill the sea and
make thee grow.
Other Hymns to Agni
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135vn
vn
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140sho
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1456. Thee, O Fire, the Angiras sought and found hidden in the
secrecy lodging in tree and tree; by our pressure on thee thou
art born a mighty force, the Son of Force they call thee, O
Angiras!
SUKTA 12
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1. To Fire, the vast sacrificial flame, to the Bull of the Truth,
175to the mighty lord I bring my thought as if the offering of
light in the sacrifice, purified in the mouth; I bring the word
turned to meet him for the master of the herds.
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ty
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an
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2002. O thou conscious of the Truth, of the Truth alone be con-
scious, cut out in succession many streams of the Truth; I
know not how to travel by force or by division to the Truth
of the shining lord.
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an
-ty3
t
n
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ucTy
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3. By what thought of ours seeking the Truth by the Truth
shalt thou become for us, O Fire, a new discoverer of the
word? The god who is guardian of the order and laws of
the Truth knows me but I know him not, the master of the
235conquering riches.
Mandala Five
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t
an
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ty
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4. O Fire, who are these that are binders of the Adversary,
who are the guardians, the luminous ones that shall possess
and conquer? who keep the foundation of the Falsehood, O
Fire? who are the guardians of the untrue Word?
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2855. These were thy comrades, O Fire, who have turned away
from thee, they were benignant and have become malign;
they have done violence to themselves by their words speak-
ing crooked things to the seeker after straightness.
yt
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ty
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6. But he, O Fire, who desires with obeisance the sacrifice,
guards the Truth of the luminous lord; let there come to
him his wide and perfect habitation, the last state of man as
315he advances on his journey.
SUKTA 13
ac
tvA
hvAmh
320'c
t
sEmDFmEh
an
ac
325t
Uty
1. Singing the word of illumination we call to thee, singing
the word of illumination we kindle, singing the word of
illumination, O Fire, that thou mayst be our guard.
330an
tom
mnAmh
EsD
m
335EdEvp
f
d
vy
d
340EvZyv
2. Seekers of the riches we meditate today the all-achieving
laud of the divine, heaven-touching Fire.
Other Hymns to Agni
aEnj
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no
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hotA
yo
350mAn
q
vA
s
yd
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# y
jnm
3. May Fire accept our words, he who is the priest of the call
in men; may he sacrifice to the divine kind.
360vmn
sTA
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j
o
365hotA
vr
@y
vyA
y.
370Ev
tvt
4. Great is thy wideness, O Fire, our priest of the call, beloved
and supremely desirable; by thee men carry out the sacrifice.
vAmn
375vAjsAtm
EvA
vD
Et
s
380tm
s
no
rAv
s
385vFy
m
5. Thee high-lauded, O Fire, the strong conqueror of the plen-
itudes, the illumined wise increase; so do thou give us the
gift of a complete hero-might.
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4056. As the rim of a wheel the spokes, so dost thou encompass
the gods; thou shalt arrange for us our rich achievement.
SUKTA 14
aEn
tom
410n
boDy
sEmDAno
amy
m
415h yA
d
v
q
no
420dDt
1. Awake by the laud the Fire, let the immortal be kindled and
let him set our offerings in the godheads.
tmvr
vF0t
425d
v
mtA
amy
m
430yEjS
mAn
q
jn
2. Him they pray in the pilgrim-sacrifices, mortals the divine
435and immortal who is strong for sacrifice in human kind.
Mandala Five
3. Him, the divine Fire, the perpetual generations pray with the
ladle dripping the clarity for the carrying of their offerings.
4. Fire at his birth has shone out slaying the destroyers, dark-
440ness by the light, he found the Ray-Cows, the Waters, the
Sun-World.
5. Serve Fire the supremely desirable, the seer with his back of
Light; may he come, may he hear my call.
6. The Fire they have made to grow by the light, the all-seeing
445by their lauds that place rightly the thought, that seek for
the word.
DHARUNA ANGIRASA