Wednesday, March 4, 2026 · 天火 · tianmu.org
Mandala 4
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Texts
◇ Direct Verse Index – Maṇḍala 4|1-20|21-40|41-58| |---|---|---| |IV.1|IV.21|IV.41| |IV.2|IV.22|IV.42| |IV.3|IV.23|IV.43| |IV.4|IV.24|IV.44| |IV.5|IV.25|IV.45| |IV.6|IV.26|IV.46| |IV.7|IV.27|IV.47| |IV.8|IV.28|IV.48| |IV.9|IV.29|IV....IV.1Agni, the mighty one, I kindle thee! Come forth, O blazing priest, from the wood's dark heart. Thou art the mouth of the gods, the ancient flame. Accept our offerings this day, thou divine hotṛ. Let t...IV.2Born thou art from the two fire-sticks rubbed together in darkness! Hidden in the wood like a god in hiding, thou sleepest until the friction wakes thee. Then thou leapest forth, invisible, yet shinin...IV.3Thou art the mouth of the gods, O Agni! The divine hotṛ who speaketh for all heaven. When mortals pour the oblation, it is thy tongue that tasteth it. When men sing the hymn, it is thine ear that hear...IV.4O Agni, thou fire of vengeance! Thou scourge of the rākṣasas! Thou burnest away evil as the sun burneth away the night. The demons tremble at thy name. The dark powers flee before thy blazing face. Th...IV.5O Agni, thou hidden god! Concealed in the waters yet unquenched. Hidden in the plant yet ever burning. Dwelling within the stone yet eternal. Thou art everywhere and nowhere at once. Mortals see thee...IV.6O radiant one! O shining god! Thou art the light that breaketh the darkness of the world. When thou art kindled, all shadows flee. The night becometh as the day. The blind man seeth. The lost man find...IV.7O Vaiśvānara! Universal fire! Thou art not the god of one people alone, but of all peoples. Thou art the fire in the Āryan's hearth, and also the fire in the foreigner's home. In every land, in every...IV.8O Agni, thou ancient friend! Since the first dawn of creation thou hast burned. Since the first man discovered fire by striking stone upon stone, thou hast answered the call. Thou art older than memor...IV.9O Agni, invoker! Thou callest the gods to the sacrifice! Thou cryest out upon the altar, and from all the worlds the Devas do gather. Indra heareth thy voice and descendeth. Varuṇa listeneth and riset...IV.10O Agni, purifier! Thou cleanest away all that is foul, all that is impure, all that is evil. The offering is nothing until thou consumest it. The butter is but fat. The grain is but seed. The animal f...IV.11O Agni, grant us wealth! Not the wealth of the wicked man who hoardeth and stealeth. Not the wealth that bringeth pride and ruin. But the true wealth—the abundance that cometh from thy blessing. Grant...IV.12O Agni, the immortal among mortals! All else that liveth must perish. Kings die. Heroes fall. Even the gods who dwell in heaven shall pass away when the ages end. But thou, O fire—thou shalt not die!...IV.13At the breaking of the dawn, O Agni, we kindle thee! The night hath passed. The stars have faded. The sun is not yet risen. The world dwelleth in that sacred twilight where all is grey and still. Now...IV.14O Agni, thou guardian of the house! Thou watchest through the night when all are sleeping. Thy flames never slumber. Thy eyes never close. While mortals lie vulnerable, thou keepest vigil. Thou art th...IV.15O Agni, eternal flame! Though we mortals shall pass away, though our bones shall crumble to dust and our names be forgotten, thy fire shall burn on. We are but the kindlers of thy sacred fire. We are...IV.16O mighty Indra, whom the gods made chief among all powers! Soma-drinker, the strong-armed one who breaketh the enemy's chariot and smasheth his citadel — we call upon thee now. Thou art the lord of ba...IV.17Before thee, O Indra, the foundations of all things trembled. In the first age, when the world was yet unformed and the cosmos lay in chaos, thou didst prop apart the heaven and the earth with thy mig...IV.18And lo, Indra cried out from within the womb, even before his birth was accomplished: "I shall be mightier than my father who begat me! I shall surpass the gods in power and in glory! None shall rival...IV.19The serpent Vṛtra lay coiled across the waters, his body spanning the sky itself, his fangs dripping poison. For ages he had held the waters captive, choking the breath of the world. No rain fell. No...IV.20O generous Indra, whose hand openeth ever unto those who honor thee! Thou art not like the niggardly gods who hoard their gifts and grudge every blessing to mankind. Nay — thou art the giver, the lord...IV.21Who is there that can stand against Indra? What enemy can resist his will? What mortal dares to defy him? None — for his power is absolute, his strength unquestionable, his dominion complete over all...IV.22We have pressed the soma! We have prepared it with our hands! The sacred juice floweth in the bowl, golden and sweet-scented, mingling with milk and honey. Now cometh Indra to drink.IV.23What deeds hath Indra wrought that we might rehearse them in song! How many ages have passed, yet still his ancient victories echo through the worlds. We praise him not for what he shall do in time to...IV.24Thou art the champion, O Indra! In every battle thou hast proven victorious. No foe hath stood before thee and lived to boast of it. Thou art the undefeated warrior, the lord of triumph, the eternal v...IV.25Thou holdest in thy hand the vajra, that terrible weapon wrought by the divine craftsmen in the forge of the cosmos. It is no common thunderbolt, O Indra! It is the weapon of fate itself, the instrume...IV.26I am Indra! I am the wielder of the thunderbolt, the king of all the gods, the lord of the sky itself. There is none like me in all the worlds. I have conquered my enemies. I have slain the serpent. I...IV.27A falcon there was that bore the soma from heaven to earth. His wings were swift as thought itself. His beak was sharp as the edge of a thunderbolt. The gods themselves could not match his speed as he...IV.28When Indra and Soma unite, the cosmos trembleth with joy. These two — the god of power and the sacred drink — are bound together by ties more ancient than the mountains. Neither existeth fully without...IV.29O Indra, hear our cry! We raise our voices unto thee in this dark hour. Our enemies press upon us from all sides. Their armies gather like locusts, numberless and terrible. Their warriors sharpen thei...IV.30Let us recount the mighty deeds of Indra, that all peoples might know of his greatness! From the beginning of the world until this very day, his exploits have been without equal. His name is feared by...IV.31Come now, O Indra the Mighty, the Lord of the World-quarters, praise-worthy and sovereign! Thou art the slayer of foes, the roarer supreme, the wielder of the thunderbolt that burneth all enemies to a...IV.32Hail to thee, O Indra, the dragon-slayer, the liberator of the captive waters! Once more we sing thy praises, for thy deeds are eternal, thy victory forever. When Vṛtra lay in the mountain's breast, k...IV.33Praise be to the Ṛbhus, those wondrous craftsmen, the sons of Sudhanvan the learned one! They were mortal once, yet through their cunning and their skilful hands they did rise to dwell among the devas...IV.34O Ṛbhus, ye masters of marvels, tell us the deeds of your hands! For your works are spoken of in heaven and upon the earth; your names are lifted high in the halls of the devas. What craft hath begott...IV.35When the sun descendeth and the sky turneth purple with the dying light, we gather to pour the evening offering and to sing hymns to the gods. The Ṛbhus are summoned now, for this hour is theirs — the...IV.36Behold the Ṛbhus, those divine craftsmen, now seated firmly among the Adityas! No sorcerer's spite can touch them, no curse can bind them, no mortal rivalry can diminish their glory. They have passed...IV.37Let the last hymn rise now in praise of the Ṛbhus, for they are the close of our discourse and the opening of blessings. O Ṛbhus, ye final objects of our reverence in this sacred hour, receive our fin...IV.38Hear now the thunder of the hooves! Dadhikrā, the divine steed, cometh forth in all his terrible majesty. No horse of mortal lineage is he, but a god incarnate in equine form, swift beyond the racing...IV.39See how Dadhikrā mounts the field of battle, his whole body quivering with the energy of conflict! The drums do sound; the war-cry raiseth itself to heaven; and there cometh the divine steed, his nost...IV.40When the dawn breaketh and the first rays of Sūrya strike the eastern sky, we rise and call upon thee, O Dadhikrā, divine steed of the morning! The night hath passed; the darkness hath fled; and with...IV.41Hear now the joint hymn to Indra and Varuṇa, those greatest of the devas, the warrior-king and the cosmic sovereign! One is the thunderer, the hurler of bolts, the slayer of demons; the other is the a...IV.42Now comes the great dialogue between Indra and Varuṇa, each proclaiming his supremacy, each boasting of his might and his deeds. Hear them speak!IV.43When the dawn breaketh over the mountains and the first light of day spreadeth across the sky, we turn our faces eastward and call out to the Aśvins, the divine twins, the healers most blessed! Alread...IV.44Sing now of the Aśvins' miraculous rescues and healings, for they are countless and beyond the understanding of those who have not witnessed them! In the days of old, they came to the aid of Bhujyu, w...IV.45Come now with the dawn, O Aśvins divine, ye lords of the morning twilight! We have prepared the sacred ground for your arrival; we have set out the offerings of honey and of milk, of butter and of gra...IV.46Come now, O Aśvins, ye golden-faced ones! Come swift upon your chariot drawn by the wind. This day we call upon you, twin healers, bearers of the radiant light. Your horses know no weariness; they tre...IV.47Ye great ones! Ye swift-moving deities! The Aśvins and the wind-god come together to our calling. The twin healers ride swift upon the whirlwind. Vāyu drives the cosmos. Together they move through ear...IV.48O Vāyu! Thou mighty wind-god, thou who movest all! Behold: this soma hath been pressed. The cup is filled for thee alone. Come first, O wind! Thou shalt drink before the others. Thou art swift and thy...IV.49Indra! Mighty king of the gods! Bṛhaspati, lord of sacred speech! Together ye rule the cosmos. Indra with his thunderbolt and his strength beyond measure. Bṛhaspati with his wisdom and his word that s...IV.50Bṛhaspati! Lord of sacred speech! Thy word is power. Thy utterance is the hammer that shatters all darkness. When thou speakest, the heavens tremble. When thou utterest the ṛta, the cosmos aligneth it...IV.51O Uṣas! Dawn-goddess! Thou radiant one! Thou dost break forth from the darkness with thy crimson chariot. Gold and scarlet stream across the eastern sky. Thou art clothed in light. Thy beauty is terri...IV.52Thou dost push back the darkness! O Uṣas! Each morning thou dost wage war against the night and thou art ever victorious. Thy light is a blade that cutteth through all shadow. The darkness retreateth...IV.53O Savitṛ! The impeller! The golden-handed god! Thou dost set all things in motion. Thy hands are bright as the sun. They grasp the reins of the cosmos and thou dost drive it forward. Nothing escapeth...IV.54The day is ending. Savitṛ giveth his final command. All things obey. The sun descendeth below the western mountains. The light fadeth into purple and then into darkness. The world prepareth itself for...IV.55All-Gods! Viśvedevas! Ye multitude of powers! Ye who are many and yet one! We call upon you together. Come now to this sacred fire. Accept the soma. Accept our praise.IV.56O Dyāvāpṛthivī! Heaven and Earth! Ye cosmic parents! Ye who embrace all things! Ye are the foundation of existence. All that is, liveth between you. All that breatheth, dwelleth in your embrace.IV.57O Kṣetrapati! Lord of the field! Master of the plough and the furrow! We invoke thee with uplifted hands. Bless this earth that we shall break with our tools. Bless the seed that we shall plant.IV.58O Ghṛta! Clarified butter! Golden flow of sacred richness! Thou art the link between earth and heaven. Thy flames feed the fire. Thy essence riseth up to the gods. Without thee, the sacrifice cannot p...