THE TWENTY-SIXTH HYMN TO AGNI

A HYMN OF THE PRIEST AND SACRIFICIAL FLAME

[The Rishi invokes the Divine Flame in all its usual attributes as the sacrificer.'the luminous seer who has the vision of the luminous world, the bringer of the gods, the carrier of the offering, the envoy, conqueror, increaser of the divine workings in man, the knower of the Births, the leader of the march of the sacrifice with its progressive epiphany of the godheads.]

1. O Flame, O purifier, bring to us by thy tongue of rapture, O god, the gods and offer to them sacrifice.

2. Thou who drippest the clarity, thou of the rich and varied luminousness, we desire thee because thou hast the vision of our world of the Truth. Bring to us the gods for their manifesting.¹

3. O Seer, we kindle thee in thy light and thy vastness in the march of our sacrifice who carriest the offerings on their journey.

4. Come, O Will, with all the godheads for the giving of the oblation; thee we accept as the priest of the offering.

5. For the sacrificer who presses the wine of his delight, bring, O Flame, a perfect energy. Sit with the gods on the seat of the soul's fullness.

6. O Flame, thou burnest high and increasest the divine laws and art the conqueror of a thousandfold riches; thou art the messenger of the gods who hast the word.

7. Set within you the Flame who knows the births, bearer of

¹Or, "for the journeying" to the luminous world of the Truth, or, "for the eating" of the oblations.

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the offering, youngest vigour, divine sacrificer in the seasons of the Truth.

8. Today let thy sacrifice march forward unceasingly, thy sacrifice that shall bring the whole epiphany of the godheads. Strew the seat of thy soul that there they may sit.

9. There let the Life-powers¹ take their seat and the Riders of the Horse² and the Lord of Love³ and the Lord of Wide- ness,⁴ even the gods with all their nation.

¹The Maruts. ²The twin Ashwins. ³Mitra. ⁴ Varuna.

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