Canto 40Nabhaka Kanwa · Suktas 39–40
Book 2. Part Two: Other Hymns to Agni
8. Hear the call of the Atris, of Shyavashwa5 pressing the wine,
come for the drinking of the Soma, O Indra, O Fire.
9. Thus have I called you for protection as the wise have ever
called you, for the drinking of the Soma (wine), O Indra, O
5Fire.
10. I choose the protection of Indra and the Fire with Saraswati
at their side, for whom the sacred song breaks into light.6
NABHAKA KANWA
SUKTA 39
101. To Fire I give laud, the possessor of the illumined word, to
worship the Fire with the speech of revelation; let the Fire
reveal the gods to us, for he is the seer who goes on his
embassy between the two worlds in the knowledge, — let
all that are hostile be rent asunder.
155 He who has the bay-horse.
6 Or, is chanted.
Other Hymns to Agni
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2. O Fire, destroy with a new word the expression of these
within in the bodies, destroy within us the beings hostile
to those who give thee, let all the enemy forces, the hostile
40spirits depart from here who would do hurt to us, — let all
that are hostile be rent asunder.
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3. O Fire, to thee I offer my thoughts as if an offering of light7
70cast into thy mouth; so do thou awake to knowledge in the
gods, for thou art the ancient and benign messenger of the
Sun, — let all that are alien be rent asunder.
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4. He founds growth upon growth of the being even as one8
desires; offered the oblation of offered energy for every call
to the gods he founds both the peace and the movement of
the Shining Ones, he founds the bliss, — let all that are alien
105be rent asunder.
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1255. He awakes to knowledge by his forceful and many-sided
works; he is the priest of the call of many powers surrounded
7 Ghr.tam, clarified butter or light.
8 Or, he
Mandala Eight
130by lights of discernment and he takes possession of all that
faces him, — let all that are alien be rent asunder.
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6. The Fire knows the births of the gods and the secret thing
155of mortals; this is the Fire that gives the treasures, the Fire
when there is cast into him as offering that which is new
uncovers the hidden doors, — let all that are alien be rent
asunder.
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7. Fire is the companion dwelling in the gods, dwelling in the
190beings who are masters of sacrifice; he increases by his rap-
ture many seer-wisdoms, even as all that is large, he is a god
in the gods and a lord of sacrifice, — let all that are alien be
rent asunder.
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8. Fire is the sevenfold human, he is lodged in all the rivers; to
him we have come, the dweller in the triple abode, the Fire
of the thinker, slayer of the Destroyers, ancient and supreme
220in the sacrifices, — let all that are alien be rent asunder.
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2459. Fire is the seer who takes up his dwelling in his three abodes
Other Hymns to Agni
of knowledge of three kinds; may he sacrifice to the Three
and Thirty and satisfy us, perfected, the illumined thinker
and messenger, — let all that are alien be rent asunder.
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27510. O ancient and supreme Fire, thou art in us who are mortals,
thou in the gods, one and sole thou rulest over the Treasures;
around thee the wide-flowing waters go each with its own
bridge, — let all that are alien be rent asunder.
SUKTA 40
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1. O Indra, O Fire, forceful you give to us the treasure by
which we shall overcome in our battles even all that is firm
305and strong, as Fire the trees in a wind, — let all that are alien
be rent asunder.
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2. May we not shut you away from us, then may we truly
worship Indra with sacrifice, the god most potent of the
gods; may he sometime come to us with the war-horse,
may he come to us for the winning of the plenitudes, for
335the winning of the purity,9 — let all that are alien be rent
asunder.
9 Or, for the getting of sacrifice,
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3. For they, Indra and Fire, dwell in the midst of mellays; gods,
360seers, questioned, they by their seerhood gain for one who
seeks their friendship the knowledge won by the thought,
— let all that are alien be rent asunder.
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4. To Indra and the Fire sing the illumined chant even as Na-
bhaka, doing them homage with sacrifice and speech, whose
is all this world and this heaven and great earth bear for
them in their lap the treasures, — let all that are alien be
385rent asunder.
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5. Even as Nabhaka direct towards Indra and Fire the Words
who uncovered the sea of the seven foundations with its
dim10 doors, — even Indra ruling all by his might, — let all
that are alien be rent asunder.
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6. Even as of old cleave like clustering mass of a creeper, crush
430the might of the demon; that wealth amassed by him may
we by Indra share, — let all that are alien be rent asunder.
10 Or, oblique
Other Hymns to Agni
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7. When, O Indra, O Fire, these who are here call you with
455speech and act, may we overcome by our men those who
battle against us, may we conquer those who would conquer
us, — let all that are alien be rent asunder.
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8. White gods are they who from below ascend to the heav-
ens by their lights; according to the law of the working of
480Indra and Fire, flowing move the Rivers whom they loosed
from bondage to every side, — let all that are alien be rent
asunder.
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9. O Indra, O thou of the bright horses, O begetter of the
shining hero, the shooter who strikes into his mark, many
510are thy measurings of things, many thy expressions of the
truth which accomplish11 our thoughts, — let all that are
alien be rent asunder.
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10. Intensify him by your purifications, the brilliant warrior
with the illumined word, even him who with might breaks
11 Or, bring to perfection