Let us gather fuel for it, let us prepare for it offerings, let us make ourselves conscious of the jointings of its times and its seasons. It shall so perfect our thoughts that they shall extend our being and create for us a larger life.Sri Aurobindo
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The Secret of the Veda
with Selected Hymns
The Vedic Fire
Rig Veda I.94 and 97
I
1.94.1
इ॒मं स्तोम॒मर्ह॑ते जा॒तवे॑दसे॒ रथ॑मिव॒ सं म॑हेमा मनी॒षया॑ ।
भ॒द्रा हि न॒: प्रम॑तिरस्य सं॒सद्यग्ने॑ स॒ख्ये मा रि॑षामा व॒यं तव॑ ॥१॥
imam stomam arhate jāta-vedase ratham-iva sam mahema manīṣayā
bhadrā hi naḥ pra-matiḥ asya sam-sadi agne sakhye mā riṣāma vayam tava
This is the omniscient who knows the law of our being and is sufficient to his works; let us build the song of his truth by our thought and make it as if a chariot on which he shall mount. When he dwells with us, then a happy wisdom becomes ours. With him for friend we cannot come to harm.
1.94.2
यस्मै॒ त्वमा॒यज॑से॒ स सा॑धत्यन॒र्वा क्षे॑ति॒ दध॑ते सु॒वीर्य॑म् ।
स तू॑ताव॒ नैन॑मश्नोत्यंह॒तिरग्ने॑ स॒ख्ये मा रि॑षामा व॒यं तव॑ ॥२॥
yasmai tvam ā-yajase saḥ sādhati anarvā kṣeti dadhate su-vīryam
saḥ tūtāva na enam aśnoti aṃhatiḥ agne sakhye mā riṣāma vayam tava
Whosoever makes him his priest of the sacrifice, reaches the perfection that is the fruit of his striving, a home on a height of being where there is no warring and no enemies; he confirms in himself an ample energy; he is safe in his strength, evil cannot lay its hand upon him.
1.94.3
श॒केम॑ त्वा स॒मिधं॑ सा॒धया॒ धिय॒स्त्वे दे॒वा ह॒विर॑द॒न्त्याहु॑तम् ।
त्वमा॑दि॒त्याँ आ व॑ह॒ तान्ह्यु१́श्मस्यग्ने॑ स॒ख्ये मा रि॑षामा व॒यं तव॑ ॥३॥
śakema tvā sam-idham sādhaya dhiyaḥ tve devāḥ haviḥ adanti ā-hutam
tvam ādityān ā vaha tān hi uśmasi agne sakhye mā riṣāma vayam tava
This is the fire of our sacrifice! May we have strength to kindle it to its height, may it perfect our thoughts. In this all that we give must be thrown that it may become a food for the gods; this shall bring to us the godheads of the infinite consciousness who are our desire.
1.94.4
भरा॑मे॒ध्मं कृ॒णवा॑मा ह॒वींषि॑ ते चि॒तय॑न्त॒: पर्व॑णापर्वणा व॒यम् ।
जी॒वात॑वे प्रत॒रं सा॑धया॒ धियोऽग्ने॑ स॒ख्ये मा रि॑षामा व॒यं तव॑ ॥४॥
bharāma idhmam kṛṇavāma havīṃṣi te citayantaḥ parvaṇā-parvaṇā vayam
jīvātave pra-taram sādhaya dhiyaḥ agne sakhye mā riṣāma vayam tava
Let us gather fuel for it, let us prepare for it offerings, let us make ourselves conscious of the jointings of its times and its seasons. It shall so perfect our thoughts that they shall extend our being and create for us a larger life.
1.94.5
वि॒शां गो॒पा अ॑स्य चरन्ति ज॒न्तवो॑ द्वि॒पच्च॒ यदु॒त चतु॑ष्पद॒क्तुभि॑: ।
चि॒त्रः प्र॑के॒त उ॒षसो॑ म॒हाँ अ॒स्यग्ने॑ स॒ख्ये मा रि॑षामा व॒यं तव॑ ॥५॥
viśām gopāḥ asya caranti jantavaḥ dvi-pat ca yat uta catuḥ-pat aktubhiḥ
citraḥ pra-ketaḥ uṣasaḥ mahān asi agne sakhye mā riṣāma vayam tava
This is the guardian of the world and its peoples, the shepherd of all these herds; all that is born moves by his rays and is compelled by his flame, both the two-footed and the four-footed creatures. This is the rich and great thought-awakening of the Dawn within.
1.94.6
त्वम॑ध्व॒र्युरु॒त होता॑सि पू॒र्व्यः प्र॑शा॒स्ता पोता॑ ज॒नुषा॑ पु॒रोहि॑तः ।
विश्वा॑ वि॒द्वाँ आर्त्वि॑ज्या धीर पुष्य॒स्यग्ने॑ स॒ख्ये मा रि॑षामा व॒यं तव॑ ॥६॥
tvam adhvaryuḥ uta hotā asi pūrvyaḥ pra-śāstā potā januṣā puraḥ-hitaḥ
viśvā vidvān ārtvijyā dhīra puṣyasi agne sakhye mā riṣāma vayam tava
This is the priest who guides the march of the sacrifice, the first and ancient who calls to the gods and gives the offerings; his is the command and his the purification; from his birth he stands in front, the vicar of our sacrifice. He knows all the works of this divine priesthood, for he is the Thinker who increases in us.
1.94.7
यो वि॒श्वतः॑ सु॒प्रती॑कः स॒दृङ्ङसि॑ दू॒रे चि॒त्सन्त॒ळिदि॒वाति॑ रोचसे ।
रात्र्या॑श्चि॒दन्धो॒ अति॑ देव पश्य॒स्यग्ने॑ स॒ख्ये मा रि॑षामा व॒यं तव॑ ॥७॥
yaḥ viśvataḥ su-pratīkaḥ sa-dṛṅ asi dūre cit san taḷit-iva ati rocase
rātryāḥ cit andhaḥ ati deva paśyasi agne sakhye mā riṣāma vayam tava
The faces of this God are everywhere and he fronts all things perfectly; he has the eye and the vision: when we see him from afar, yet he seems near to us, so brilliantly he shines across the gulfs. He sees beyond the darkness of our night, for his vision is divine.
1.94.8
पूर्वो॑ देवा भवतु सुन्व॒तो रथो॒ऽस्माकं॒ शंसो॑ अ॒भ्य॑स्तु दू॒ढ्य॑: ।
तदा जा॑नीतो॒त पु॑ष्यता॒ वचोऽग्ने॑ स॒ख्ये मा रि॑षामा व॒यं तव॑ ॥८॥
pūrvaḥ devāḥ bhavatu sunvataḥ rathaḥ asmākam śaṃsaḥ abhi astu duḥ-dhyaḥ
tat ā jānīta uta puṣyata vacaḥ agne sakhye mā riṣāma vayam tava
O you godheads, let our chariot be always in front, let our clear and strong word overcome all that thinks the falsehood. O you godheads, know for us, know in us that Truth, increase the speech that finds and utters it.
1.94.9
व॒धैर्दु॒:शंसाँ॒ अप॑ दू॒ढ्यो॑ जहि दू॒रे वा॒ ये अन्ति॑ वा॒ के चि॑द॒त्रिणः॑ ।
अथा॑ य॒ज्ञाय॑ गृण॒ते सु॒गं कृ॒ध्यग्ने॑ स॒ख्ये मा रि॑षामा व॒यं तव॑ ॥९॥
vadhaiḥ duḥ-śaṃsān apa duḥ-dhyaḥ jahi dūre vā ye anti vā ke cit atriṇaḥ
atha yajñāya gṛṇate su-gam kṛdhi agne sakhye mā riṣāma vayam tava
With blows that slay cast from our path, O thou Flame, the powers that stammer in the speech and stumble in the thought, the devourers of our power and our knowledge who leap at us from near and shoot at us from afar. Make the path of the sacrifice a clear and happy journeying.
1.94.10
यदयु॑क्था अरु॒षा रोहि॑ता॒ रथे॒ वात॑जूता वृष॒भस्ये॑व ते॒ रवः॑ ।
आदि॑न्वसि व॒निनो॑ धू॒मके॑तु॒नाग्ने॑ स॒ख्ये मा रि॑षामा व॒यं तव॑ ॥१०॥
yat ayukthāḥ aruṣā rohitā rathe vāta-jūtā vṛṣabhasya-iva te ravaḥ
āt invasi vaninaḥ dhūma-ketunā agne sakhye mā riṣāma vayam tava
Thou hast bright red horses for thy chariot
, O Will divine, who are driven by the stormwind of thy passion; thou roarest like a bull, thou rushest upon the forests of life, on its pleasant trees that encumber thy path, with the smoke of thy passion in which there is the thought and the sight.
1.94.11
अध॑ स्व॒नादु॒त बि॑भ्युः पत॒त्रिणो॑ द्र॒प्सा यत्ते॑ यव॒सादो॒ व्यस्थि॑रन् ।
सु॒गं तत्ते॑ ताव॒केभ्यो॒ रथे॒भ्योऽग्ने॑ स॒ख्ये मा रि॑षामा व॒यं तव॑ ॥११॥
adha svanāt uta bibhyuḥ patatriṇaḥ drapsāḥ yat te yavasa-adaḥ vi asthiran
su-gam tat te tāvakebhyaḥ rathebhyaḥ agne sakhye mā riṣāma vayam tava
At the noise of thy coming even they that wing in the skies are afraid, when thy eaters of the pasture go abroad in their haste. So thou makest clear thy path to thy kingdom that thy chariots may run towards it easily.
1.94.12
अ॒यं मि॒त्रस्य॒ वरु॑णस्य॒ धाय॑सेऽवया॒तां म॒रुतां॒ हेळो॒ अद्भु॑तः ।
मृ॒ळा सु नो॒ भूत्वे॑षां॒ मन॒: पुन॒रग्ने॑ स॒ख्ये मा रि॑षामा व॒यं तव॑ ॥१२॥
ayam mitrasya varuṇasya dhāyase ava-yātām marutām heḷaḥ adbhutaḥ
mṛḷa su naḥ bhūtu eṣām manaḥ punaḥ agne sakhye mā riṣāma vayam tava
This dread and tumult of thee, is it not the wonderful and exceeding wrath of the gods of the Life rushing down on us to found here the purity of the Infinite, the harmony of the Lover? Be gracious, O thou fierce Fire, let their minds be again sweet to us and pleasant.
1.94.13
दे॒वो दे॒वाना॑मसि मि॒त्रो अद्भु॑तो॒ वसु॒र्वसू॑नामसि॒ चारु॑रध्व॒रे ।
शर्म॑न्स्याम॒ तव॑ स॒प्रथ॑स्त॒मेऽग्ने॑ स॒ख्ये मा रि॑षामा व॒यं तव॑ ॥१३॥
devaḥ devānām asi mitraḥ adbhutaḥ vasuḥ vasūnām asi cāruḥ adhvare
śarman syāma tava saprathaḥ-tame agne sakhye mā riṣāma vayam tava
God art thou of the gods, for thou art the lover and friend; richest art thou of the masters of the Treasure, the founders of the home, for thou art very bright and pleasant in the pilgrimage and the sacrifice. Very wide and far-extending is the peace of thy beatitudes; may that be the home of our abiding!
1.94.14
तत्ते॑ भ॒द्रं यत्समि॑द्ध॒: स्वे दमे॒ सोमा॑हुतो॒ जर॑से मृळ॒यत्त॑मः ।
दधा॑सि॒ रत्नं॒ द्रवि॑णं च दा॒शुषेऽग्ने॑ स॒ख्ये मा रि॑षामा व॒यं तव॑ ॥१४॥
tat te bhadram yat sam-iddhaḥ sve dame soma-āhutaḥ jarase mṛḷayat-tamaḥ
dadhāsi ratnam draviṇam ca dāśuṣe agne sakhye mā riṣāma vayam tava
That is the bliss of him and the happiness; for then is this Will very gracious and joy-giving when in its own divine house, lit into its high and perfect flame, it is adored by our thoughts and satisfied with the wine of our delight. Then it lavishes its deliciousness, then it returns in treasure and substance all that we have given into its hands.
1.94.15
यस्मै॒ त्वं सु॑द्रविणो॒ ददा॑शोऽनागा॒स्त्वम॑दिते स॒र्वता॑ता ।
यं भ॒द्रेण॒ शव॑सा चो॒दया॑सि प्र॒जाव॑ता॒ राध॑सा॒ ते स्या॑म ॥१५॥
yasmai tvam su-draviṇaḥ dadāśaḥ anāgāḥ-tvam adite sarva-tātā
yam bhadreṇa śavasā codayāsi prajā-vatā rādhasā te syāma
O thou infinite and indivisible Being, it is thou ever that formest the sinless universalities of the spirit by our sacrifice; thou compellest and inspirest thy favourites by thy happy and luminous 
forcefulness, by the fruitful riches of thy joy. Among them may we be numbered.
1.94.16
स त्वम॑ग्ने सौभग॒त्वस्य॑ वि॒द्वान॒स्माक॒मायु॒: प्र ति॑रे॒ह दे॑व ।
तन्नो॑ मि॒त्रो वरु॑णो मामहन्ता॒मदि॑ति॒: सिन्धु॑: पृथि॒वी उ॒त द्यौः ॥१६॥
saḥ tvam agne saubhaga-tvasya vidvān asmākam āyuḥ pra tira iha deva
tat naḥ mitraḥ varuṇaḥ mamahantām aditiḥ sindhuḥ pṛthivī uta dyauḥ
Thou art the knower of felicity and the increaser here of our life and advancer of our being! Thou art the godhead!
II
1.97.1
अप॑ न॒: शोशु॑चद॒घमग्ने॑ शुशु॒ग्ध्या र॒यिम् ।
अप॑ न॒: शोशु॑चद॒घम् ॥१॥
apa naḥ śośucat agham agne śuśugdhi ā rayim
apa naḥ śośucat agham
Burn away from us the sin, flame out on us the bliss. Burn away from us the sin!
1.97.2
सु॒क्षे॒त्रि॒या सु॑गातु॒या व॑सू॒या च॑ यजामहे ।
अप॑ न॒: शोशु॑चद॒घम् ॥२॥
su-kṣetriyā sugātu-yā vasu-yā ca yajāmahe
apa naḥ śośucat agham
For the perfect path to the happy field, for the exceeding treasure when we would do sacrifice,– burn away from us the sin!
1.97.3
प्र यद्भन्दि॑ष्ठ एषां॒ प्रास्माका॑सश्च सू॒रयः॑ ।
अप॑ न॒: शोशु॑चद॒घम् ॥३॥
pra yat bhandiṣṭhaḥ eṣām pra asmākāsaḥ ca sūrayaḥ
apa naḥ śośucat agham
That the happiest of all these many godheads may be born in us, that the seers who see in our thought may multiply,– burn away from us the sin!
1.97.4
प्र यत्ते॑ अग्ने सू॒रयो॒ जाये॑महि॒ प्र ते॑ व॒यम् ।
अप॑ न॒: शोशु॑चद॒घम् ॥४॥
pra yat te agne sūrayaḥ jāyemahi pra te vayam
apa naḥ śośucat agham
That thy seers, O Flame divine, may multiply and we be new-born as thine,– burn away from us the sin!
1.97.5
प्र यद॒ग्नेः सह॑स्वतो वि॒श्वतो॒ यन्ति॑ भा॒नवः॑ ।
अप॑ न॒: शोशु॑चद॒घम् ॥५॥
pra yat agneḥ sahasvataḥ viśvataḥ yanti bhānavaḥ
apa naḥ śośucat agham
When the flaming rays of thy might rush abroad on every side violently,– burn away from us the sin!
1.97.6
त्वं हि वि॑श्वतोमुख वि॒श्वतः॑ परि॒भूरसि॑ ।
अप॑ न॒: शोशु॑चद॒घम् ॥६॥
tvam hi viśvataḥ-mukha viśvataḥ pari-bhūḥ asi
apa naḥ śośucat agham
O God, thy faces are everywhere! thou besiegest us on every side with thy being. Burn away from us the sin!
1.97.7
द्विषो॑ नो विश्वतोमु॒खाति॑ ना॒वेव॑ पारय ।
अप॑ न॒: शोशु॑चद॒घम् ॥७॥
dviṣaḥ naḥ viśvataḥ-mukha ati nāvā-iva pāraya
apa naḥ śośucat agham
Let thy face front the Enemy wherever he turns; bear us in thy ship over the dangerous waters. Burn away from us the sin!
1.97.8
स न॒: सिन्धु॑मिव ना॒वयाति॑ पर्षा स्व॒स्तये॑ ।
अप॑ न॒: शोशु॑चद॒घम् ॥८॥
saḥ naḥ sindhum-iva nāvayā ati parṣa svastaye
apa naḥ śośucat agham
As in a ship over the ocean, bear us over into thy felicity. Burn away from us the sin!
1 Arya.- Vol.4, No 2, p.126: wrath
ravaḥ, chariot