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SUPPLEMENT
TO
VOLUME
11
HYMNS TO THE
MYSTIC FIRE
1. The following two versions of
Hymns to Agni- Mandala I Sukta 74 – were found in Sri Aurobindo’s manuscripts,
one a translation and the other an inter- pretative paraphrase.
2. Among Sri Aurobindo’s Notes on Vedic Hymns was found this valuable exercise
of a translation of a Hymn according to Sayana followed by a rendering of his
own.
A HYMN TO AGNI
MANDALA I, SUKTA 74
1. As
we move forward to the path of the sacrifice
(Alternative reading: pilgrim)
let us speak out the word of our
thought to Agni who hears us from afar and from within.
2.
He who supreme (ancient, first) in the worlds of our action that pour forth the
clarity meeting together (or, when our labours that drip their fruit combine
together), protects for the giver his offering (or movement).
3.
Yea, let all creatures born (be able to) say, "Up Agni comes
into being, slayer of Vritras, conqueror of our wealth in battle after
battle."
4.
He whose messenger thou art, to his house thou takest his offerings on thy
journey; (or takest his offering on thy journey to be eaten by the gods or
comest to the offering); thou makest effective his path of sacrifice.
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5. Him men call the man
blessed ¹ in his offering, blessed¹ in his godhead, blessed (Alternative
reading: complete) in his base of
sacrifice, O Angiras, O Son of Force.
6.
Thou bringest both those gods here that we may express them and bearest, O rich
in delight, the offerings on their journey (or,
to be expressed and to eat the offerings).
7.No
tramp is heard of the horses of thy chariot in its going when thou goest on thy
embassy, 0 Agni.
8.By
thee fostered the horse of life goes undeviating each one
after that which preceded it and the giver of sacrifices progresses, 0 Agni.
9.
Yea, and thou lodgest throughout his being for the giver and his gods, O God,
Agni, vast and luminous completeness of energy.
*
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The Hymn is a hymn of the Adhwara Yajna, the Sacrifice of the Path. Agni, the
Divine Will-Force or Power of Consciousness, is the deity.
1.The Gotamas, illumined minds,
are to proceed to the path of the sacrifice; let them then give voice to the
thought in them which is to be the governing word of their progress for the
Divine Will-Force to use; that Force hears the word and responds whether as the
deity realised within or as the deity of the universe seated in the highest and
most distant worlds.
2.The Divine Will-Force is the
first and supreme among divine powers; it protects our movement in the sacrifice
from plane to plane and all the planes of our being on which the Work proceeds
come together in a conscious harmony and stream forth their reaction in response
to our giving.
3.Let this Divine Force manifest itself so that all shall say, "It is born
and comes on high, slaying all the hostile powers that obstruct our progress and
winning wealth on new wealth for the soul in battle after battle."
4.These results are attained,
because the Divine Will-Force becomes a compelling envoy who carries our
offerings in their journey to the goal which is our home and the home of the
gods, the divine plane of the Truth, thus it makes the sacrifice of the path
effective; the worlds meet together and drop their riches under the compulsion
of the all-creative, all-manifesting Truth of Surya Savitri.
5.The man then becomes perfect in his sacrifice; the offering is effective, the
godheads are completely manifested, the base of sacrifice in the soul includes
all the various planes of our being. The Divine Force, the Angiras, the
puissance of Seer Will and the Son of Strength overpowering the Panis and
Vritras, effects this completeness.
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6.He is
the envoy and effects the great commerce between earth and heaven, bringing the
gods down, from the higher planes so that they may be manifested in man in the
terrestrial, and taking our offerings, the fruits of our terrestrial life
upwards to be divinised, transformed into the divine essence, eaten, in the
Vedic image, by the gods. That transformation is effected in the perfect bliss
of the Divine Will- Force.
7-8.This great going and coming is effected in a silent spiritual
rapidity; there is no rumour or clamour at all of the trampling hooves of the
Vital Forces in their swiftness; but the chariot of the movement gallops
swiftly.
9.Finally, the Divine Will-Force lodges in all our being for the benefit of the
soul itself and of the gods who work in him, a complete and utter heroic energy,
vast with the vastness of the Truth and luminous with its light.
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