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NABHAKA KANWA
sukta 39
1. 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.
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 spirits depart from here who would do hurt to us, — let all that are hostile be rent asunder.
3. O Fire, to thee I offer my thoughts as if an offering of light1 cast 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.
4. He founds growth upon growth of the being even as one2 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
¹Ghṛtam, clarified butter or light. ²Or, he Page – 337 alien be rent asunder.
5. He awakes to knowledge by his forceful and many-sided works; he is the Priest of the call of many powers surrounded by lights of discernment and he takes possession of all that faces him, — let all that are alien be rent asunder.
6. The Fire knows the births of the gods and the secret thing of mortals; this is the Fire that gives the treasures, the Fire when there is cast into him as offering that is new uncovers the hidden doors, — let all that are alien be rent asunder.
7. Fire is the companion dwelling in the gods, dwelling in the beings who are masters of sacrifice; he increases by his rapture 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.
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 in the sacrifices, — let all that are alien be rent asunder.
Page – 338 9. Fire is the seer who takes up his dwelling in his three abodes . 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.
10. 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
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 and strong, as Fire the trees in a wind, — let all that are alien be rent asunder.
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 the winning of the purity,¹ — let all that are alien be rent asunder.
¹Or, for the getting of sacrifices, Page – 339 3. For they, Indra and Fire, dwell in the midst of mellays; gods, seers, 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.
4. To Indra and the Fire sing the illumined chant even as Nabhaka, 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 rent asunder.
5. Even as Nabhaka direct towards Indra and Fire the Words who uncovered the sea of the seven foundations with its dim¹ doors, — even Indra ruling all by his might, — let all that are alien be rent asunder.
6. Even as of old cleave like clustering mass of a creeper, crush the might of the demon; that wealth amassed by him may we by Indra share, — let all that are alien be rent asunder.
7. When, O Indra, O Fire, these who are here call you with speech 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.
¹Or, oblique Page – 340
8. White gods are they who from below ascend to the heavens by their lights; according to the law of the working of Indra and Fire, flowing move the Rivers whom they loosed from bondage to every side, — let all that are alien be rent asunder.
9. O Indra, O thou of the bright horses, O begetter of the shining hero, the shooter who strikes into his mark, many are thy measurings of things, many thy expressions of the truth which accomplish¹ our thoughts, — let all that are alien be rent asunder.
10. Intensify him by your purifications, the brilliant warrior with the illumined word, even him who with might breaks the serpent-eggs of Shushna, may he conquer the waters that bear the light of the Sun-world, — let all that are alien be rent asunder.
11. Intensify him who is perfect in the rite of the path, the true warrior who follows the law of the Truth; it is he who observes, who breaks the serpent-eggs of Shushna, conquers the waters that bear the light of the Sun-world, — let all that are alien be rent asunder.
¹Or bring to perfection Page – 341
12. So has the new word been spoken to Indra and to Fire, even as by my father, by Mandhata, by the Angiras; protect us with triple peace, may we be masters of the riches.
sukta 43
1. Him pray our words, even these lauds of Fire, the illumined seer, the creator, invincible in his sacrifice.
2. Such art thou for whom I bring to birth perfect laud and glad is thy response, O seeing Fire, O knower of all things born!
3. Oh, like jets of light thy keen energies of flame devour with their teeth the woods.
4. Bright, with smoke for their flag against heaven, urged by the winds, labour separate thy fires.
Page – 342 5. These are those separate fires of thine that kindled are seen , like rays of the Dawns.
6. Black is the dust under his feet in the march of the knower of all things born when Fire sprouts upon the earth.
7. Making his foundation, consuming the herbs Fire wearies not but goes even to the young shoots.
8. Oh, laying all low with his tongues of flame, flashing out with his ray Fire shines in the woodlands.
9. In the waters, O Fire, is thy seat,¹ thou besiegest the plants; thou becomest a child in the womb and art born again.
10. O Fire, that ray of thine fed with the oblation rises up shining from the offering of light,² licking the mouth of the ladle.
¹Or, goal, ²Or, clarified butter, Page – 343 11. May we ordain sacrifice with the lauds to Fire, the ordainer of things. Fire who makes the ox and the cow his food and he bears on his back the Soma-wine.
12. O Fire, we come to thee with prostration and with the fuel, O Priest of the call, O supreme will!
13. O pure Flame, fed with offerings we call thee as did Bhrigu, as did Manu, as did Angiras.
14. For thou art kindled, O Fire, by the fire, thou who art the illumined seer art kindled by one who is illumined, as a comrade thou art kindled by thy comrade.
15. So do thou to the illumined who gives to thee give the thousandfold wealth and the hero-force.
16. O Fire, my brother, created by my force, drawn by thy red horses, pure in the law of thy workings, take pleasure in this laud of mine.
Page – 344 17. My lauds reach thee, O Fire, as to the calf lowing in glad response the cows reach their stall.
18. For thee, O most luminous Angiras, all those worlds of happy dwelling, each in its separate power, labour for thy desire, O Flame.
19. In thinkers the wise, the illumined seers urged by their thoughts the Fire to dwell in their house.
20. So thee as the horse in its gallopings performing the pilgrim-sacrifice, O Fire, they desire as the carrier of the offering and the Priest of the call.
21. Thou art the lord who looks with equal eyes on all the peoples in many lands; we call to thee in our battles.
22. Pray the Fire who fed with the pouring of the clarities blazed wide; may he hear this our call.
Page – 345 23. Such art thou whom we call. Fire, the knower of all things born who hears our cry and smites away from us the foe.
24. I pray this Fire, the marvellous king of the peoples who presides over the laws of their action, may he hear.
25. Fire who illumines the universal life like a male horse urged to its gallop, we speed like a racer to the goal.
26. Smiting away the foes and things that hurt, burning the Rakshasas, on every side, O Fire, shine out with thy keen flame.
27. Thou whom men kindle as the human thinker,¹ O most luminous Angiras, O Fire, become aware of my word.
28. Because, O Fire, created by our force thou art the flame born in heaven, or the flame born in the waters, as such we call thee with our words.
¹Or, like Manu, Page – 346 29. To thee, verily, these beings born and these worlds of a happy dwelling each separately in its place, lay a foundation where thou canst devour thy food.¹
30. O Fire, may we be those who have the right thought and the divine vision, and through all the days, pass safe beyond the danger.
31. We seek with rapturous hearts Fire, the rapturous, in whom are many things that are dear to us, —Fire with his intense and purifying light.
32. O Fire, shining with thy light, loosing forth thy lustre like the sun with its rays, thou puttest forth thy force and slayest the darknesses.
33. We seek from thee, O forceful Fire, that gift of thine, — the desirable wealth which never fails.
sukta 44
¹Or, cast nourishment for thy eating. Page – 347 1. Set to his action by the fuel, awaken the guest by the offerings of the clarities; cast in him the offerings.
2. O Fire, take pleasure in my laud, grow by this thought; let thy joy respond to our utterances.
3. I set in front Fire, the messenger, and speak to the carrier of the offerings; may he bring to their session here the gods.
4. O luminous Fire, vast and bright thy rays upwards ascend as thou art kindled high.
5. O joyful Flame, to thee may my ladles go bright with the clarities; O Fire, take pleasure in our offerings.
6. I pray the Fire, the rapturous Priest of the call, the sacrificant, shining with his light, rich in his lustres, may he hear.
7. The ancient Priest of the call, desirable and accepted. Fire the seer-will, joiner of the pilgrim-rites. Page – 348
8. O most luminous Angiras, taking pleasure in these offerings lead the sacrifice uninterruptedly in the way of the Truth,¹ O Fire.
9. High-kindled, O Right and True, O brilliant light, awakened to knowledge bring here the divine people.
10. The illumined seer and Priest of the call, free from harms, shining with light, carrying his banner of smoke, him we seek, the ray of intuition of the sacrifices.
11. O Fire, made by our force, protect us against the doers of harm, pierce the hostile power.
12. Fire by the ancient thought making beautiful his own body, a seer, grows by each illumined sage.
13. I call to me the Child of Energy, Fire of the purifying light in this sacrifice which is perfect rite of the path.
¹Or, according to the rule of the rites, Page – 349
14. So do thou, O Fire, O friendly light, with thy brilliant flame sit with the gods on the sacred grass.
15. The mortal who serves the divine Fire in the house of the body, to him he gives the Riches.
16. Fire is the head and peak of heaven and lord of earth and he sets moving the waters.
17. O Fire, upward dart blazing thy pure and brilliant tongues; make to shine out thy lights.
18. Thou art the lord of the Sun-world, O Fire, and hast power for the gifts desirable; may I who laud thee abide in thy peace.
19. Thee, O Fire, the thinkers urge on thy road, thee by their perceivings of knowledge; may our words increase thee.
Page – 350 20. We choose the comradeship of the Fire inviolate in the law of his. nature, the ever-chanting messenger.
21. Most pure in his workings is the Fire, he is the pure illumined sage, the pure seer of Truth; pure he shines out fed by our offerings.
22. So thee may my thinkings and my words increase always; . O Fire, awake to the comradeship between us.
23. O Fire, if I wert thou and thou wert I, then would thy longings here become true.
24. O Fire, thou art the shining one, shining with thy lustres, lord of the shining riches; may we abide in thy right thinking.¹
25. O Fire, to thee holding firmly the law of thy workings, move my words like lowing cattle, as rivers move towards the sea.
¹ Or, thy grace. Page – 351 26. Fire the youth, the lord of the peoples, the seer, the all-consuming, Fire of the many illuminations I glorify with my thoughts.
27. May we strive towards the Fire by our lauds, the charioteer of the sacrifices. Fire with his solid strength, his sharp tusks of flame.
28. May this thy worshipper, O Fire, abide in thee; on him have grace, O Right and True, O purifying Flame.
29. For thou art the wise thinker seated in the house, like an illumined sage ever awake; O Fire, thou shinest out in heaven.
30. Before the stumblings come, O Fire, before the spoilers arrive, O seer, carry forward our life, O Shining One.
sukta 60
Page – 352 1. Come, O Fire, with thy fires, we choose thee as the Priest of the call, may the ladles extended, full of the offering anoint thee, strongest for sacrifice when thou sittest on the sacrificial seat.
2. For, towards thee, O Son of force, O Angiras, the ladles move in the rite of the path; we seek the child of Energy with his hair of light, the supreme fire in the sacrifices.
3. O Fire, thou art the seer and the ordainer, the Priest of the call, the purifier to whom must be given sacrifice, rapturous, strong for sacrifice, one to be prayed in the pilgrim-rites with illumined thoughts, O brilliant Flame!
4. Bring to me who betray not, O youngest, O unceasing Flame, the gods that desire for the advent; come to our well-founded pleasant things, O shining One, rejoice established by our thinkings.
5. O Fire, O deliverer, thou art very wide, the true, the seer, thou who shinest out, O high-kindled Fire, thee the sages, the ordainers illumine.
Page – 353 6. Flame out, O most luminous Flame, shine out for man, give to him who lauds thee the bliss, for thou art great; may my luminous seers abide in the peace of the gods, high in fire may they overcome the foe.
7. As, O Fire, thou consumest old dry wood on the earth so bum, O friendly Light, whosoever comes with evil mind, our hurter.
8. Deliver us not to the mortal foe, to the demoniac, to him who gives expression to evil; guard us with thy unfailing and benignant, guardian and rescuer fires, O ever-youthful Flame!
9. Guard, O Fire, with the single word, guard with the second, guard with the words that are three, O master of Energies; O shining One, guard with the fourth.
10.
Guard us from every hostile demon, protect us in the plenitudes ; for we come to
thee as the closest of the gods and our
Page – 354 11. O purifying Fire, bring to us and give a wealth that increases our growth, the wealth that has to be expressed in us, O measurer of our formations, by thy right leading a wealth full of many longed-for things and very great in its self-glory, —
12. by which we may conquer those who challenge us in our battles, breaking through the designs of the foe; so do thou increase us with thy delight, O luminous in might, speed on their way the thoughts that find the treasure.
13. Fire is like a bull that sharpens its horns and tosses its head, his flaming jaws are too bright and keen to gaze at; strong-tusked is the Son of force.
14. O Fire, O Bull, thy tusks of flame cannot be challenged by the gaze when thou rangest abroad; so do thou, O Priest of the call, make that our offering is well cast, conquer for us many desirable things.
15. In the forest thou sleepest in the two mothers, mortals kindle thee into a blaze; then sleepless thou carriest the offerings of the giver of the oblation and now thou shinest in the gods. Page – 355
16. Thee pray the seven priests of the call, thee the unhesitant, shooting well thy shafts; thou breakest asunder the hill with thy heat and thy light: O Fire, go forth beyond men.
17. The Fire, the fire, let us call for you having placed the sacred grass and placed the gifts of our pleasure, on day after day, Fire of the unseizable ray. Priest of the call of seeing men.
18. O Fire, to thee constant in the peace of a deep calm I come with the intuition that awakes to knowledge; by our impulsion bring to us for our protection wealth of many forms that is most close.
19. O Fire, O god, for thy adorer thou art the lord of creatures, thou art the master of his house who departs not from him, afflicting the demons; great art thou, the guardian of heaven who comes to his gated home.
20. O blazing light, let not the demon enter into us; let not the witchcraft of the goblin sorcerers take possession; O Fire, push calamity and hunger far beyond the pastures of our herds, ward the demon-possessed away from us. Page – 356 |
