-51_The Eleventh Hymns to Agni.htm

THE ELEVENTH HYMN TO AGNI

A HYMN TO THE DIVINE PRIEST AND SACRIFICIAL FLAME

[The Rishi hymns the birth of the wakeful and discerning sacrificial Flame who is vision and will-power, the seer whose passion of effort turns into a divine knowledge, in the heavens of mind. This seer-will the inspired words of the Thought have to increase. It is a thing of puissance, the Son of Force, and found by the ancient Souls of luminous puissance concealed in the growths of earth, in all the experiences that the soul here seeks to enjoy.]

1. The protector of the creature is born, the Flame that is wakeful and perfect in discernment, for a new march to felicity. His front is of the clarities, luminously he shines wide so that the vastness of him touches the heavens, he is pure for the bringers of the riches.

2. Men have kindled high in the triple world¹ of the session the Flame supreme to be vision in the sacrifice and the vicar set in front; he comes in one chariot with the God-Mind and the divine Powers and sits on the seat of sacrifice, the Priest of the oblation perfect in will-power for the sacrificing.

3. Unovercome and pure² thou art born from thy mothers twain; thou hast risen up a rapturous seer from the all- luminous sun; they have increased thee with the clarity, O Flame, and the passion-smoke of thee becomes vision when it reaches and lodges in the heavens.

4. May the Flame come to our sacrifice with power to accomplish; the Flame men carry into every room of their dwelling- place ; the Flame has become our messenger and the bearer

¹The triple world of mind, life and body in which the session of our sacrifice takes place or in which the work of self-perfection ^proceeds.

²Or, "pure without cleansing".

Page – 390

of our offering; when men accept the Flame into them- selves, it is the seer-will that they accept.

5. For thee, O Flame, this Word fraught fullest with the honey,¹ for thee this Thought and may it be the peace and bliss in thy heart. For the words of the Thought satisfy and in- crease thee as those great fostering streams² fill and increase that ocean.

6. O Flame, the souls of puissance³ discovered thee hidden in the secret place,⁴ lodging in every object of delight; by our pressure on thee thou art born, a mighty force; the Son of Force they have called thee, O Puissance.

¹The honeyed Soma-wine, outflowing of the principle of Delight in things.

²The seven rivers or movements which descend from the superconscient being and fill the conscious ocean of our existence. They are called the Mothers, the fostering Cows, the Mighty Ones of Heaven, the Waters of Knowledge, the streams of the Truth, etc.

³The seven ancient seers or fathers, the Angirasa Rishis, sons of Agni and divine or human types of the seer-will.

⁴The subconseient heart in things.

Page − 391