SRI AUROBINDO
Hymns to the Mystic Fire
Mandala Four
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Vāmadeva Gautama |
Sukta 1
4.1.1
त्वां ह्य॑ग्ने॒ सद॒मित्स॑म॒न्यवो॑ दे॒वासो॑ दे॒वम॑र॒तिं न्ये॑रि॒र इति॒ क्रत्वा॑ न्येरि॒रे ।
अम॑र्त्यं यजत॒ मर्त्ये॒ष्वा दे॒वमादे॑वं जनत॒ प्रचे॑तसं॒ विश्व॒मादे॑वं जनत॒ प्रचे॑तसं ॥
tvā́m hí agne sádam ít sa-manyávaḥ devā́saḥ devám aratím ni-eriré íti krátvā ni-eriré ǀ
ámartyam yajata mártyeṣu ā́ devám ā́-devam janata prá-cetasam víśvam ā́-devam janata prá-cetasam ǁ
Thee, O Fire, ever with one passion the gods have sent inwards, the divine Traveller1; with the will they sent thee in; O master of sacrifice, they brought to birth the immortal in mortals, the divine who brings in the divinity, the conscious thinker, they brought to birth the universal who brings in the divinity, the conscious thinker.
4.1.2
स भ्रात॑रं॒ वरु॑णमग्न॒ आ व॑वृत्स्व दे॒वाँ अच्छा॑ सुम॒ती य॒ज्ञव॑नसं॒ ज्येष्ठं॑ य॒ज्ञव॑नसं ।
ऋ॒तावा॑नमादि॒त्यं च॑र्षणी॒धृतं॒ राजा॑नं चर्षणी॒धृतं॑ ॥
sáḥ bhrā́taram váruṇam agne ā́ vavṛtsva devā́n áccha su-matī́ yajñá-vanasam jyéṣṭham yajñá-vanasam ǀ
ṛtá-vānam ādityám carṣaṇi-dhṛ́tam rā́jānam carṣaṇi-dhṛ́tam ǁ
Then do thou, O Fire, turn towards the godheads with the right thinking Varuna, thy brother who delights in the sacrifice, the eldest who delights in the sacrifice, — even him who keeps the truth, son of the infinite Mother who upholds seeing-men, the king who upholds seeing-men.
4.1.3
सखे॒ सखा॑यम॒भ्या व॑वृत्स्वा॒शुं न च॒क्रं रथ्ये॑व॒ रंह्या॒स्मभ्यं॑ दस्म॒ रंह्या॑ ।
अग्ने॑ मृळी॒कं वरु॑णे॒ सचा॑ विदो म॒रुत्सु॑ वि॒श्वभा॑नुषु ।
तो॒काय॑ तु॒जे शु॑शुचान॒ शं कृ॑ध्य॒स्मभ्यं॑ दस्म॒ शं कृ॑धि ॥
sákhe sákhāyam abhí ā́ vavṛtsva āśúm ná cakrám ráthyā-iva ráṃhyā asmábhyam dasma ráṃhyā ǀ
ágne mṛḷīkám váruṇe sácā vidaḥ marút-su viśvá-bhānuṣu ǀ
tokā́ya tujé śuśucāna śám kṛdhi asmábhyam dasma śám kṛdhi ǁ
O Friend, turn towards and to us in his motion the Friend as two rapid chariot-horses turn a swift wheel, for us, O strong worker, like galloping horses; O Fire, mayst thou be with us and find for us bliss in Varuna and in the Life-powers who carry the universal light; for the begetting of the Son, O thou flaming into lustre, create for us peace, for us, O strong worker, create the peace.
4.1.4
त्वं नो॑ अग्ने॒ वरु॑णस्य वि॒द्वांदे॒वस्य॒ हेळोऽव॑ यासिसीष्ठाः ।
यजि॑ष्ठो॒ वह्नि॑तमः॒ शोशु॑चानो॒ विश्वा॒ द्वेषां॑सि॒ प्र मु॑मुग्ध्य॒स्मत् ॥
tvám naḥ agne váruṇasya vidvā́n devásya héḷaḥ áva yāsisīṣṭhāḥ ǀ
yájiṣṭhaḥ váhni-tamaḥ śóśucānaḥ víśvā dvéṣāṃsi prá mumugdhi asmát ǁ
Do thou, O Fire, for thou knowest, labour away from us the wrath of divine Varuna; flaming into lustre, strongest to sacrifice, mightiest to bear, unloose from us all hostile powers.
4.1.5
स त्वं नो॑ अग्नेऽव॒मो भ॑वो॒ती नेदि॑ष्ठो अ॒स्या उ॒षसो॒ व्यु॑ष्टौ ।
अव॑ यक्ष्व नो॒ वरु॑णं॒ ररा॑णो वी॒हि मृ॑ळी॒कं सु॒हवो॑ न एधि ॥
sáḥ tvám naḥ agne avamáḥ bhava ūtī́ nédiṣṭhaḥ asyā́ḥ uṣásaḥ ví-uṣṭau ǀ
áva yakṣva naḥ váruṇam rárāṇaḥ vīhí mṛḷīkám su-hávaḥ naḥ edhi ǁ
Do thou, O Fire, be most close to us with thy protection, be most near in the dawning of this dawn: rejoicing in us put away from us Varuna2 by the sacrifice; reach the bliss, be ready to our call.
4.1.6
अ॒स्य श्रेष्ठा॑ सु॒भग॑स्य सं॒दृग्दे॒वस्य॑ चि॒त्रत॑मा॒ मर्त्ये॑षु ।
शुचि॑ घृ॒तं न त॒प्तमघ्न्या॑याः स्पा॒र्हा दे॒वस्य॑ मं॒हने॑व धे॒नोः ॥
asyá śréṣṭhā su-bhágasya sam-dṛ́k devásya citrá-tamā mártyeṣu ǀ
śúci ghṛtám ná taptám ághnyāyāḥ spārhā́ devásya maṃhánā-iva dhenóḥ ǁ
Most glorious is the vision of this Godhead, most richly bright in mortals; as if the pure and warm butter of the milch-cow that cannot be slain, her desirable gift is the vision of the Godhead3.
4.1.7
त्रिर॑स्य॒ ता प॑र॒मा सं॑ति स॒त्या स्पा॒र्हा दे॒वस्य॒ जनि॑मान्य॒ग्नेः ।
अ॒नं॒ते अं॒तः परि॑वीत॒ आगा॒च्छुचिः॑ शु॒क्रो अ॒र्यो रोरु॑चानः ॥
tríḥ asya tā́ paramā́ santi satyā́ spārhā́ devásya jánimāni agnéḥ ǀ
ananté antáríti pári-vītaḥ ā́ agāt śúciḥ śukráḥ aryáḥ rórucānaḥ ǁ
Three are they, his supreme truths, the desirable births of the divine Fire; within in the infinite he is spread wide everywhere and has come to us pure and brilliant and noble, 
shining in his beauty4. One who has spread wide within in the infinite; he in his luminous beauty comes to us.
4.1.8
स दू॒तो विश्वेद॒भि व॑ष्टि॒ सद्मा॒ होता॒ हिर॑ण्यरथो॒ रंसु॑जिह्वः ।
रो॒हिद॑श्वो वपु॒ष्यो॑ वि॒भावा॒ सदा॑ र॒ण्वः पि॑तु॒मती॑व सं॒सत् ॥
sáḥ dūtáḥ víśvā ít abhí vaṣṭi sádma hótā híraṇya-rathaḥ rám-sujihvaḥ ǀ
rohít-aśvaḥ vapuṣyáḥ vibhā́-vā sádā raṇváḥ pitumátī-iva sam-sát ǁ
He is a messenger, a Priest of the call, whose yearning is towards all the planes, golden is his chariot, red are his horses, ecstatic his tongue of flame, beautiful his body5, wide his lustre, ever is he rapturous like a banquet hall full of the wine6.
4.1.9
स चे॑तय॒न्मनु॑षो य॒ज्ञबं॑धुः॒ प्र तं म॒ह्या र॑श॒नया॑ नयंति ।
स क्षे॑त्यस्य॒ दुर्या॑सु॒ साधं॑दे॒वो मर्त॑स्य सधनि॒त्वमा॑प ॥
sáḥ cetayat mánuṣaḥ yajñá-bandhuḥ prá tám mahyā́ raśanáyā nayanti ǀ
sáḥ kṣeti asya dúryāsu sā́dhan deváḥ mártasya sadhani-tvám āpa ǁ
He makes men conscious of the knowledge and is the friend of their sacrifice; they lead him on with a mighty cord; he dwells in the gated house of the being accomplishing his aims; divine, he accepts companionship in the riches of the mortal.
4.1.10
स तू नो॑ अ॒ग्निर्न॑यतु प्रजा॒नन्नच्छा॒ रत्नं॑ दे॒वभ॑क्तं॒ यद॑स्य ।
धि॒या यद्विश्वे॑ अ॒मृता॒ अकृ॑ण्वं॒द्यौष्पि॒ता ज॑नि॒ता स॒त्यमु॑क्षन् ॥
sáḥ tú naḥ agníḥ nayatu pra-jānán áccha rátnam devá-bhaktam yát asya ǀ
dhiyā́ yát víśve amṛ́tāḥ ákṛṇvan dyáuḥ pitā́ janitā́ satyám ukṣan ǁ
Let this Fire taking knowledge of all things lead us towards the ecstasy. That is enjoyed by the Gods, which all the immortals created by the thought, and Father Heaven was its begetter raining the truth7.
4.1.11
स जा॑यत प्रथ॒मः प॒स्त्या॑सु म॒हो बु॒ध्ने रज॑सो अ॒स्य योनौ॑ ।
अ॒पाद॑शी॒र्षा गु॒हमा॑नो॒ अंता॒योयु॑वानो वृष॒भस्य॑ नी॒ळे ॥
sáḥ jāyata prathamáḥ pastyā́su maháḥ budhné rájasaḥ asyá yónau ǀ
apā́t aśīrṣā́ guhámānaḥ ántā ā-yóyuvānaḥ vṛṣabhásya nīḷé ǁ
He was born first and supreme in the Rivers8, in the foundation of the vast mid-world, in his native seat; without head, without feet, concealing his two ends he joins them in the lair of the Bull9.
4.1.12
प्र शर्ध॑ आर्त प्रथ॒मं वि॑प॒न्यँ ऋ॒तस्य॒ योना॑ वृष॒भस्य॑ नी॒ळे ।
स्पा॒र्हो युवा॑ वपु॒ष्यो॑ वि॒भावा॑ स॒प्त प्रि॒यासो॑ऽजनयंत॒ वृष्णे॑ ॥
prá śárdhaḥ ārta prathamám vipanyā́ ṛtásya yónā vṛṣabhásya nīḷé ǀ
spārháḥ yúvā vapuṣyáḥ vibhā́-vā saptá priyā́saḥ ajanayanta vṛ́ṣṇe ǁ
He came forth with a vibrancy of light, the first and supreme force, in the native seat of Truth, in the lair of the Bull, desirable and young and beautiful of body10 and wide in lustre; the seven Beloved brought him to birth for the Bull11.
4.1.13
अ॒स्माक॒मत्र॑ पि॒तरो॑ मनु॒ष्या॑ अ॒भि प्र से॑दुर्ऋ॒तमा॑शुषा॒णाः ।
अश्म॑व्रजाः सु॒दुघा॑ व॒व्रे अं॒तरुदु॒स्रा आ॑जन्नु॒षसो॑ हुवा॒नाः ॥
asmā́kam átra pitáraḥ manuṣyā́ḥ abhí prá seduḥ ṛtám āśuṣāṇā́ḥ ǀ
áśma-vrajāḥ su-dúghāḥ vavré antáḥ út usrā́ḥ ājan uṣásaḥ huvānā́ḥ ǁ
Here, our human fathers went forward on their way towards the Truth desiring to possess it; they drove upwards the luminous ones, the good milk-cows in their stone (rocky) pen within the hiding cave, calling to the Dawns12.
4.1.14
ते म॑र्मृजत ददृ॒वांसो॒ अद्रिं॒ तदे॑षाम॒न्ये अ॒भितो॒ वि वो॑चन् ।
प॒श्वयं॑त्रासो अ॒भि का॒रम॑र्चन्वि॒दंत॒ ज्योति॑श्चकृ॒पंत॑ धी॒भिः ॥
té marmṛjata dadṛ-vā́ṃsaḥ ádrim tát eṣām anyé abhítaḥ ví vocan ǀ
paśvá-yantrāsaḥ abhí kārám arcan vidánta jyótiḥ cakṛpánta dhībhíḥ ǁ
They rent the hill, they made themselves bright and pure, others around them proclaimed that work of theirs; drivers of the herd13, they sang the chant of illumination to the Doer of the work; they found the Light, they shone with their thoughts14.
4.1.15
ते ग॑व्य॒ता मन॑सा दृ॒ध्रमु॒ब्धं गा ये॑मा॒नं परि॒ षंत॒मद्रिं॑ ।
दृ॒ळ्हं नरो॒ वच॑सा॒ दैव्ये॑न व्र॒जं गोमं॑तमु॒शिजो॒ वि व॑व्रुः ॥
té gavyatā́ mánasā dṛdhrám ubdhám gā́ḥ yemānám pári sántam ádrim ǀ
dṛḷhám náraḥ vácasā dáivyena vrajám gó-mantam uśíjaḥ ví vavruḥ ǁ
By a mind seeking the Rays they rent the firm massed hill which encircled and repressed the shining herds; men desiring laid open the strong pen full of the Ray-Cows by the divine word.
4.1.16
ते म॑न्वत प्रथ॒मं नाम॑ धे॒नोस्त्रिः स॒प्त मा॒तुः प॑र॒माणि॑ विंदन् ।
तज्जा॑न॒तीर॒भ्य॑नूषत॒ व्रा आ॒विर्भु॑वदरु॒णीर्य॒शसा॒ गोः ॥
té manvata prathamám nā́ma dhenóḥ tríḥ saptá mātúḥ paramā́ṇi vindan ǀ
tát jānatī́ḥ abhí anūṣata vrā́ḥ āvíḥ bhuvat aruṇī́ḥ yaśásā góḥ ǁ
They meditated15 on the first name of the Milk-cow, they discovered the thrice seven supreme planes16 of the mother; That knowing the herds lowed towards it, the ruddy Dawn became manifest by the glory of the Cow of Light.
4.1.17
नेश॒त्तमो॒ दुधि॑तं॒ रोच॑त॒ द्यौरुद्दे॒व्या उ॒षसो॑ भा॒नुर॑र्त ।
आ सूर्यो॑ बृह॒तस्ति॑ष्ठ॒दज्राँ॑ ऋ॒जु मर्ते॑षु वृजि॒ना च॒ पश्य॑न् ॥
néśat támaḥ dúdhitam rócata dyáuḥ út devyā́ḥ uṣásaḥ bhānúḥ arta ǀ
ā́ sū́ryaḥ bṛhatáḥ tiṣṭhat ájrān ṛjú márteṣu vṛjinā́ ca páśyan ǁ
The darkness was wounded and vanished, Heaven shone out, up arose the light of the divine Dawn, the Sun entered into the fields of the Vast, looking on the straight and crooked things in mortals.
4.1.18
आदित्प॒श्चा बु॑बुधा॒ना व्य॑ख्य॒न्नादिद्रत्नं॑ धारयंत॒ द्युभ॑क्तं ।
विश्वे॒ विश्वा॑सु॒ दुर्या॑सु दे॒वा मित्र॑ धि॒ये व॑रुण स॒त्यम॑स्तु ॥
ā́t ít paścā́ bubudhānā́ḥ ví akhyan ā́t ít rátnam dhārayanta dyú-bhaktam ǀ
víśve víśvāsu dúryāsu devā́ḥ mítra dhiyé varuṇa satyám astu ǁ
Then, indeed, they awoke and saw17 all behind and wide around them, then, indeed, they held the ecstasy that is enjoyed in heaven. In all gated houses were all the gods. O Mitra, O Varuna, let there be the Truth for the Thought.
4.1.19
अच्छा॑ वोचेय शुशुचा॒नम॒ग्निं होता॑रं वि॒श्वभ॑रसं॒ यजि॑ष्ठं ।
शुच्यूधो॑ अतृण॒न्न गवा॒मंधो॒ न पू॒तं परि॑षिक्तमं॒शोः ॥
áccha voceya śuśucānám agním hótāram viśvá-bharasam yájiṣṭham ǀ
śúci ū́dhaḥ atṛṇat ná gávām ándhaḥ ná pūtám pári-siktam aṃśóḥ ǁ
May my speech be towards the upblazing Fire, the Priest of the call, the bringer of all things, strong to sacrifice. It is as if one drank from the pure udder of the cows of light, the purified juice of the Plant of Delight poured on all sides.
4.1.20
विश्वे॑षा॒मदि॑तिर्य॒ज्ञिया॑नां॒ विश्वे॑षा॒मति॑थि॒र्मानु॑षाणां ।
अ॒ग्निर्दे॒वाना॒मव॑ आवृणा॒नः सु॑मृळी॒को भ॑वतु जा॒तवे॑दाः ॥
víśveṣām áditiḥ yajñíyānām víśveṣām átithiḥ mā́nuṣāṇām ǀ
agníḥ devā́nām ávaḥ ā-vṛṇānáḥ su-mṛḷīkáḥ bhavatu jātá-vedāḥ ǁ
The indivisibility of all the gods, the guest of all human beings, may the Fire draw to us the protection of the gods and be blissful to us, the knower of all things born.
1 Or, worker; this root seems to have indicated originally any strong motion, action or work.
2 i.e. the pressure of the wrath of Varuna against our impurity.
The prayer to put Varuna away sounds strange. But if the inner sense is grasped it becomes cogent and apposite. The sacrificer — the seeker — is praying Agni to be close to him, to protect him. He is aspiring that the Divine Fire should be his protector when the Dawn of the higher light comes to his soul, Varuna being the Lord of wisdom.
3 Here the connection between Fire and Ray-Cow and Aditi comes out; so also the psychological nature of the clarified butter and its connection with the vision of the Sun.
Who is this cow that “cannot be slain” if not the cow aditi — the Infinite Mother — the supreme Divine Consciousness creative of the cosmos, of the gods and the demons, of men and of all that is?
4 These three births of Fire are not, as usually explained, its three physical forms — which even if accepted (taken) shows the Vedic people far from the mere primitive barbarian — His birth is connected with Truth — His births are “within in the Infinite” — saccidānanda. These are the three levels of the earthly evolution on each of which this Divine Fire takes his birth, parivītaḥ, on the plane of matter and life and mind.
5 Or, great is his body,
6 Or, well-stored with food.
7 This joy — ratna — in its origin is created by the immortals with the help of their “thought” — and it was the raining down upon the lower hemisphere of the Truth that gave birth to the joy here.
8 Or in our habitations,
9 The same Fire joins his two extremities of the superconscient and the spirit and the inconscient matter — in the lair of the Bull. This is the Bull which represents the Purusha.... The lair of the Bull is the original status of Him called at other places, viṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam, sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ.
10 Or, great in body
11 Or, brought to birth the Bull (but the case is Dative).
12 This Rik makes the connection between the hidden cows and the Truth, also the Cows and the Dawn.
13 Literallty, having the control over the animal or animals, or, the “instruments of control”,
14 Or, they did work by their thoughts. This is Sayana’s interpretation.
15 Or, held in their thought
16 Or, names
17 Then, indeed, and after waking they wholly saw