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The Sixth Hymn to Agni
THE GALLOPING FLAME-POWERS OF THE JOURNEY
[The flames of Agni the divine Will, home and meeting-place of all our increasing and advancing life-powers, are imaged as galloping on our human journey to the supreme good. Divine Will creates in us the divine strength of impulsion, an illumined and undecaying force and flame described as the steed of the plenitude, which brings us that good and carries us to that goal. His flames are coursers on the path who increase by the sacrifice; they hasten uninterruptedly, and race always more swiftly; they bring in the penned-up illuminations of the hidden knowledge. Their entire force and rapidity are accorded when the divine Strength is filled and satisfied with the sacrificial offerings.]
1. On Strength I meditate who is the dweller in substance and to him as their home go our fostering herds, to him as their home our swift war-steeds,1 to him as their home our powers of the plenitude. Bring to those who affirm thee thy force of the impulsion.2
1 The Horse is the symbol of Force in the Veda, especially of vital force. It is variously the Arvat or war-steed in the battle and the Vajin, the steed of the journey which brings us in the plenty of our spiritual wealth. 2 The power that enables us to make the journey through the night of our being to the divine Light.
Page – 413 2. He is that Strength who is the dweller in substance; him I express in whom come together3 our fostering herds, in whom meet our swiftly galloping war-steeds, in whom our luminous seers that come to perfect birth in us. Bring to those who affirm thee thy force of the impulsion.
3. Will, the universal toiler, gives to the creature his steed of the plenitude, Will gives that which comes into entire being in us for the felicity and, satisfied, it journeys to the desirable good. Bring to those who affirm thee thy force of the impulsion
4. That fire of thee we kindle O God, O Flame, luminous, unaging, when that more effective force of thy labour blazes in our heavens. Bring to those who affirm thee thy force of the impulsion
5. Will, master of the pure-bright flame, thine is the offering cast by the illumining word; bearer of the oblation, to thee it is cast, O master of the creature, achiever of works, perfect in delight. Bring to those who affirm thee thy force of the impulsion.
3 All our growing powers of force and knowledge move towards the manifestation of the divine Knowledge-Force and in it combine and are harmonised.
Page – 414 6. Those are thy flames that in these thy other flames nourish and advance every desirable good; they, they race! they, they run! they drive on in their impulsions without a break. Bring to those who affirm thee thy force of the impulsion
7. Those are thy fiery rays, O Will, steeds of the plenitude, and they increase into the largeness and with tramplings of their hooves they bring in the pens of the luminous kine.4 Bring to those who affirm thee thy force of the impulsion
8. Bring, O Will, to those who affirm thee new strengths of impulsion that find aright their dwelling-place;5 may we be they who because they have thee for their messenger, sing the hymn of illumination in home and home. Bring to those who affirm thee thy force of the impulsion.
9. Both6 ladles of the running richness thou approachest to thy mouth, O perfect in delight; mayst thou in our speakings utterly fill thyself, O master of shining strength. Bring to those who affirm thee thy force of the impulsion.
4 The illuminations of the divine Truth penned up in the cavern of the subconscient by the lords of sense-action. 5 That is, they take us to our home in the world of Truth, the superconscient plane, own home of Agni, in which all these impulsions advancing find their rest and dwelling-place. It is reached by an ascent from plane to plane opened in succession by the power of the divine illumining Word. 6 Perhaps, the divine and the human delight.
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10. So by our words and our sacrifices they without any break drive and control the Strength. May he establish in us an utter energy7 and that swift galloping force.8 Bring to those who affirm thee thy force of the impulsion
7 The hero-power of the battling soul. 8 Aśu aśvyam, the swift Horse-Power, with a play on the two words giving it the sense of “swift horse-swiftness”.
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