Canto 38Vishwamanas Vaiyashwa · Sukta 23
Book 2. Part Two: Other Hymns to Agni
1. Pray the Fire as he fronts you, worship with sacrifice the
knower of all things born, Fire with his driving smoke and
his unseizable light, —
2. Fire who is like the string of speeding chariots to a competi-
5tor in the race; O all-seeing universal mind, laud him with
the word.
3. Those on whom he presses, possessor of the word of illumi-
nation and seizes on their impulsions and their satisfactions,
by their approach to knowledge the Fire finds the Treasure.
10Mandala Eight
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4. Up stands his ageless light as he flames out with his burn-
ing tusks, in his beautiful splendour, in the glory of his
companies.
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405. Even so, stand up as they laud thee, O doer of the pilgrim-
rite, shining out with thy divine light, with thy vast all-
regarding lustre.
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606. Go, O Fire, with perfect utterances of the word offering
uninterruptedly the oblations, since thou hast become the
messenger and the carrier of the offerings.
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7. I call for you the ancient Fire, the priest of the call of seeing
men; him with this word I declare, him for you I laud.
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8. Fire whom with the sacrifices, with the light verily they speed
100like a friend firmly established in the man who possesses the
Truth.
Other Hymns to Agni
-tAvAnm
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1159. To Fire the possessor of the Truth, the accomplisher of the
sacrifice, the seekers of the Truth have come with the word
and cleave to him in the seat of the adoration.
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10. Let our sacrifices go towards him united in their effort, to
him most fiery-wise of the Angirasas who is the priest of the
call in men and most glorious.
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11. O ageless Fire, those lights of thine kindling the Vast are like
male and mighty horses;
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12. So do thou, O Lord of Energies, give us the wealth, hero-
might; protect us in our battles, in the Son of our begetting.
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13. Since, indeed, the lord of the peoples, keen and glad in the
185house of man, wards off all demon-powers, —
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14. O Fire, with thy hearing of my new laud, with thy burning
flame, consume utterly the demon magicians, O hero, O
200lord of the peoples.
Mandala Eight
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15. Not even by magic can the mortal foe master the man who
offers worship to the Fire with his gifts of the oblation.
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16. [Not translated.]
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17. Thee Ushana of the inspired wisdom set within for men as
the priest of the call, the doer of sacrifice, the knower of all
things born.
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18. For all the gods with one mind made thee the messenger;
O godhead, thou becamest by inspired knowledge supreme
and a lord of sacrifice.
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19. Him immortal let the mortal hero make his envoy, the
purifying Fire with his black path, vast in his wideness.
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20. Him let us call putting forth the ladle, the luminous, the
brilliant in light, one to be prayed by men, the ancient and
unaging Fire.
295Other Hymns to Agni
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21. For the mortal who performs sacrifice to him by his gifts
of the offering he founds much increase and a glory of his
hero-strengths.
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22. To the Fire, the ancient, the first and supreme, the knower
330of all things born in the sacrifices with the obeisance comes
the ladle full of the oblation.
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23. May we offer sacrifice as did Vyashwa with these greatest
and richest thinkings to Fire, the brilliant in light.
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24. O Rishi, son of Vyashwa, now sing the word of illumination
as did Sthurayupa, to the Fire, vast in his wideness, the
dweller in the house.
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25. The guest of men, the son of the Trees, the illumined seers
375praise for his protection, the ancient Fire.
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26. Turned towards all the great beings, turned towards our
human offerings, by our obeisance, O Fire, thou takest thy
seat on the sacred grass.
Mandala Eight
39527. Conquer for us many desirable things, take possession of the
wealth that brings us our many longings and hero-energy
and the offspring and the glory.
28. [Not translated.]
29. Thou art he who breaks through,3 thou openest to us the
400luminous impulsions; open to us the conquest of the great
Riches, O Fire.
30. O Fire, thou art the glorious one; bring to us Varuna and
Mitra, the all-rulers who possess the Truth and have the
purified judgment.
405SHYAVASHWA ATREYA