Wednesday, March 4, 2026 · 天火 · tianmu.org
Mandala 6
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Texts
◇ Direct Verse Index – Maṇḍala 6|1-25|26-50|51-75| |---|---|---| |VI.1|VI.26|VI.51| |VI.2|VI.27|VI.52| |VI.3|VI.28|VI.53| |VI.4|VI.29|VI.54| |VI.5|VI.30|VI.55| |VI.6|VI.31|VI.56| |VI.7|VI.32|VI.57| |VI.8|VI.33|VI.58| |VI.9|VI.34|VI....VI.1Agni, whom the Bhāradvājas kindle here, we call upon thee — lord of the rite, priest of the altar, mouth of the gods. Come thou to our fire, bearing the gods before thee like a king bearing courtiers....VI.2Hidden within the wood thou hast dwelt since the world's beginning, O Agni. The timber knoweth not that it harboureth thee — yet in its heart thou sleepest, coiled and patient, waiting for the touch t...VI.3Agni, thou art the mouth of the gods. When we pour the ghee upon thy flames, it drippeth into thee and turneth into liquid prayer. The smoke that riseth carrieth our desire upward to the realm where t...VI.4Through thy flames, O Agni, we summon the host of heaven. Thou art the inviter, the one who knocketh upon their doors and calleth them to the feast. What god shall not attend when the fire burneth bri...VI.5Behold! The flames leap upward, reaching toward the vault of heaven. Each tongue of fire stretcheth higher, burning with urgent hunger for the sky. Agni burneth as though he would tear open the veil b...VI.6In every dwelling place, O Agni, thou art present. In the morning when the household stirreth, it is thy warmth that first meeteth the inhabitants. In winter it is thy flame that keepeth back the bitt...VI.7Thou art not merely the flame in the hearth, O Agni Vaiśvānara — universal fire, fire belonging to all peoples. Look upward! The sun itself burneth with thy essence. Every point of light in the heaven...VI.8Born at the first light of dawn, O Agni, thou dost spring forth with urgent purpose. The night hath held thee captive in its darkness, but now thou art free. Thy flames leap with joy at the return of...VI.9Thou art Vaiśvānara, O flame most pure—the fire of every tribe, every nation. Thou dwellest in the heart of the Āryan, in the hearth of the foreigner, in the altar of all who kindle thy name. No peopl...VI.10Thou wast appointed priest before all priests, O Agni! In the beginning, when the cosmos was young and the gods had not yet chosen their stations, Manu the lawgiver placed the sacred fire upon the ear...VI.11O Agni, thou art beautiful beyond utterance! The Bhāradvājas, skilled in praise, struggle to find words worthy of thy form. Yet we sing, for to remain silent would be a greater transgression than to s...VI.12When Agni blazes, the darkness flees! The night that held dominion over the earth, that seemed eternal and inevitable, is scattered like dust before the chariot wheels of Indra. One moment the world l...VI.13O Agni, thou art closer to us than any god! The distant deities dwell in the high places—Indra upon the mountain, Varuṇa in his cosmic palace, Sūrya in the chariot of the sky. But thou—thou sittest in...VI.14Thou art the voice of mortals raised toward heaven, O Agni! When the priest speaks the sacred mantra before thy flame, dost thou not take up that prayer and amplify it? The words that leave the human...VI.15All that passes through thee is made pure, O Agni! The wood that is impure becomes ash—the dross is burned away, and only the essence remains. The offering that is imperfect in intention becomes sanct...VI.16I.VI.17I.VI.18I.VI.19I.VI.20I.VI.21I.VI.22I.VI.23I.VI.24I.VI.25I.VI.26I.VI.27I.VI.28I.VI.29I.VI.30I.VI.31Thou art supreme, O Indra, among all the gods—no peer hath thy strength, no rival thy might. The mortals cannot match thee, nor the immortals themselves. Thou hast set the mountains firm upon the eart...VI.32Hail to thee, O Indra, slayer of Vṛtra! Thou didst grasp thy vajra, that bolt of heaven forged by Tvashṭṛ's hand, and didst smite the serpent where he coiled in the waters. Lo, how he fell! How the da...VI.33Thou art the champion of the Āryas, O Indra, the defender of those who worship thee with care. The enemies of thy people flee before thy chariot; their fortresses crumble at thy approach. Thou art the...VI.34Grant us, O Indra, grant us cattle in abundance—the black cow and the red, the white and the spotted. Let our herds multiply as stars multiply in the sky. Let them wax fat upon the pasture; let them b...VI.35Come now, O Indra! Put on thy armor of light; take up thy thunderbolt; mount thy chariot. The enemy gathers at the border; his chariots darken the plain. We have gathered our warriors; we have sharpen...VI.36We have pressed the soma, O Indra! The juice flows golden in the bowl, waiting for thy lips. Drink deep, O lord! Let the intoxicating draught flow through thy being. Feel thy strength swell beyond all...VI.37O generous Indra! Thou givest to those who honor thee with the soma-sacrifice. They press the juice; they sing thy praises; they lay the butter upon the fire—and thou rememberest them. Thy rewards fal...VI.38Remember, O Indra, the day when thou drankest the soma and thy strength grew beyond measure! Remember how thou didst rise up in fury and grasp thy thunderbolt. Remember how the demon Vṛtra fled before...VI.39Indra, whom no host hath conquered in the contest of the strong, Who standeth ever undefeated, never vanquished, never wrong— Sing we the praise of Him whose arm no foe hath turned aside, Whose glory...VI.40The thunderbolt! O terrible and glorious tool of war, Forged in the smithy of the sky by Tvaṣṭṛ's hand of power and more— The Āditya gave it shape; the gods did set it bright, And Indra took it in His...VI.41Indra, thou art valiant in the contest of the bold, And liberal beyond measure in the giving forth of gold. O warrior-king of generosity, whose hand is ever wide— Accept our hymn of praise, for thou a...VI.42O Indra, lord of wealth and storehouses full to the brim, Whose hand doth fill the larders and whose eye doth never dim— We praise Thee, giver of the herd, the cattle and the grain, The prosperity tha...VI.43Sing, O my soul, of Indra's deeds—the mighty works He wrought, The battles fought, the demons slain, the fortresses He sought! Did He not smite the serpent Vṛtra in its cavern dark, And loose the wate...VI.44Hark! The sacred Soma doth ascend into the breast Of Indra, mighty Thunderer, unequalled and unblest— Nay, blest beyond all measure! For when the golden draught Hath touched His lips and entered in, l...VI.45O Indra, greatest of the gods, accept this final hymn, This summation of Thy glory and the light that shall not dim— Thou art the warrior undefeated, lord of every fight, Thou art the giver of all goo...VI.46Come, O Indra, from afar—those who are near do summon thee. Drink the soma here, made ready; let thy thunderbolt be drawn.VI.47The soma hath been pressed, O king, for Indra to drink it down. Let all the gods assemble here to join in this great feast.VI.48Agni, thou art kindled here at the coming of the dawn. The sunlight streameth through the sky; the world awakes anew.VI.49Come, O All-Gods, to this place where we have spread the holy rite. The offering is prepared for you; the soma presseth in the bowl.VI.50O Gods, ye lords of all the earth, ye keepers of the sky, preserve us from all ills that lurk in darkness and in dread.VI.51Come now, O All-Gods, unto us—ye manifold and infinite. Be seated at this sacrifice; hear all the words that we do speak.VI.52O All-Gods, hear us now as the dawn doth break. We lift to you the soma cup, the butter poured upon the fire.VI.53O Pūṣan, golden-haired, who knowest all the pathways of the world—guide us aright upon our way. Let not our feet go astray in darkness or in doubt.VI.54O Pūṣan, guide of all the ways, receive this hymn of praise we sing. We honor thee, O nourisher of all, thou keeper of the sacred path.VI.55Come now, O Pūṣan, lord of flocks, protector of the wanderer. We call to thee on every road, in every season, rain or shine.VI.56O Pūṣan, thou art the herdsman of the sky. The stars do follow where thou leadest them. The moon obeyeth thy command; the sun doth mark thy path.VI.57O Indra and O Pūṣan both, come now to this sacred rite. The soma is poured out for you; the altar is prepared with care.VI.58O Pūṣan, thou art called the nourisher of all the earth. The roots draw water; the seeds do sprout; the creatures grow and multiply.VI.59O Indra, mightiest of gods, and Agni, bright devourer of the flesh, receive this hymn of praise we sing in unison of voice.VI.60O Indra, thou art mighty still; O Agni, thou art burning bright. Together do ye dwell in us and guide our steps throughout the day.VI.61Sarasvatī, thou first-born of the sacred waters, most mighty of the mighty, guardian of all treasures — hear us! We sing thy praise with uplifted voice, we invoke thee with reverent hearts.VI.62O Aśvins, ye twin lords of healing and swift deliverance, hear us! Ye who ride across the heavens in your golden chariot, ye who bring relief to the afflicted and strength to the weary — we praise you...VI.63Ye Aśvins, golden-armed ones, with fleet steeds and immortal power — to you we lift our voices in song! Your chariot gleams bright as the sun; your horses fly swifter than eagles. No barrier can stay...VI.64Behold! Uṣas, the radiant dawn-goddess, riseth from her chamber in the east. She hath put on her garments of gold and purple; she hath kindled the fires of morning. All the world awaketh at her coming...VI.65As the sun riseth in the east, so doth Uṣas, the dawn, illuminate all things. She cometh with her chariot drawn by red steeds, bringing warmth and life-giving light to every corner of the world.VI.66Hear us, O Maruts! Ye storm gods, children of Rudra, ye who ride forth upon the winds with terrible beauty! Your voices are as the thunder; your breath is as the whirlwind. Nothing can withstand your...VI.67O Mitra and Varuṇa, twin lords of cosmic order and divine justice! To you we raise our voices in humble supplication. Ye hold the very fabric of the universe in your hands; ye uphold the law that gove...VI.68O Indra and Varuṇa, mighty lords both! To you we lift our supplications, ye who reign supreme in separate but complementary dominions. Indra, thou art the warrior-king of the visible world; Varuṇa, th...VI.69O Indra, mighty king of the gods! O Viṣṇu, vast and all-pervading! To you we send forth our hymn of praise. Ye are mighty in your strength, each in your own way. Indra, thou art the wielder of the thu...VI.70O Heaven and Earth, Dyāva-Pṛthivī, eternal parents of all that is! We sing your praise with reverent hearts. Ye are the first-born among the deities; ye are the givers of all blessings; ye are the fou...VI.71O Savitṛ, impeller divine, golden one who bringeth all things into motion! We sing thy praise at dawn and at dusk. Thou art the force that drivesth forth the sun across the heavens; thou art the power...VI.72O Indra, mighty drinker of Soma! O Soma, divine plant of ecstasy and immortality! Together ye form an invincible union. When Indra hath drunk deep of thee, O Soma, he becometh the greatest of all the...VI.73O Bṛhaspati, lord of sacred speech and divine eloquence! O master of the Vedic hymns and keeper of the cosmic truth! We sing thy praise with reverent voices.VI.74O Soma and Rudra, mighty pair! O healer and transformer both! We invoke you with reverent hearts. Soma, thou art the plant of healing, the medicine of the gods. Rudra, thou art the power of destructio...VI.75Sing praise to the weapons of war! Sing glory to the implements of battle! The bow, the arrow, the spear, the sword — these are the true priests of the warrior's path. Through them floweth the sacred...