Sri Aurobindo

The Secret of the Veda

with Selected Hymns

The Twenty-Fourth Hymn to Agni

A Hymn to the Deliverer and Protector

[The Rishi invokes the Divine Will for protection from evil and for the fullness of the divine light and substance.]

5.24.1 - 2

अग्ने॒ त्वं नो॒ अन्त॑म उ॒त त्रा॒ता शि॒वो भ॑वा वरू॒थ्य॑: ॥१॥

agne tvam naḥ antamaḥ uta trātā śivaḥ bhava varūthyaḥ

वसु॑र॒ग्निर्वसु॑श्रवा॒ अच्छा॑ नक्षि द्यु॒मत्त॑मं र॒यिं दा॑: ॥२॥

vasuḥ agniḥ vasu-śravāḥ accha nakṣi dyumat-tamam rayim dāḥ

O Will, become our inmost inmate, become auspicious to us, become our deliverer and our armour of protection. Thou who art the lord of substance and who of that substance hast the divine knowledge, come towards us, give us its most luminous opulence.

5.24.3 - 4

स नो॑ बोधि श्रु॒धी हव॑मुरु॒ष्या णो॑ अघाय॒तः स॑मस्मात् ॥३॥

saḥ naḥ bodhi śrudhi havam uruṣya naḥ agha-yataḥ samasmāt

तं त्वा॑ शोचिष्ठ दीदिवः सु॒म्नाय॑ नू॒नमी॑महे॒ सखि॑भ्यः ॥४॥

tam tvā śociṣṭha dīdi-vaḥ sumnāya nūnam īmahe sakhi-bhyaḥ

Awake! hear our call! keep us far from all that seeks to turn us to evil. O shining One, O flame of purest Light, thee for our comrades we desire that even now they may have the bliss and peace.