kata vaishwamitra

SUKTA 17

1. He is kindled and blazes out according to the first and supreme laws and is united with the Rays, he in whom are all desirable things. Fire with his tresses of flame and his raiment of light, the purifier, perfect in sacrifice, for sacrifice to the gods.

2. O Fire, as thou hast accomplished in sacrifice thy priesthood for the earth, awaking to knowledge, O knower of the births, as thou hast accomplished it for heaven¹ so with this oblation do sacrifice to the gods, carry yet further beyond the sacrifice with the human being today.

3. Three are thy lives, O knower of all things born, three are the dawns that are thy births, O Fire;² by them win through sacrifice the protection of the gods, thou as the knower become for the doer of sacrifice the peace and the movement.

¹ Or, as thou hast offered in sacrifice the oblation of the earth, as thou hast offered the oblation of heaven,

² Or, that gave thee birth, O Fire;

4. We hymn thee by our words, O knower of all things born, as the Fire perfect in light, perfect in vision, the object of our prayer and offer to thee our obeisance; thee the gods made the Messenger, the Traveller, the carrier of offerings, the navel-centre of Immortality.

5. O Fire, he who was before thee and was the Priest of the call and mighty for sacrifice and was dual entity and by the law of
   his nature the creator of the Bliss, by his law of action carry on the sacrifice, thou who art awake to knowledge, thou establish our pilgrim-rite in the advent of the gods.

SUKTA 18

1. O Fire, in our coming to thee become right-minded accomplishing our aim as a friend to a friend, as father and mother to their child; for these worlds of beings born are full of harm: burn to ashes the hostile forces that come against us.

2. Wholly consume our inner foes, consume the self-expression of the enemy who would war against us, O lord of the riches, consume, conscious in knowledge, the powers of ignorance; let them range wide thy ageless marching fires.

3. I desire and offer the oblation, O Fire, with the fuel, with

the pouring of the clarity, for speed, for strength. Until I have the mastery,¹ adoring with the Word I lift to thee for the conquest of the hundreds this thought

divine.

4. Affirmed by our lauds rise up with thy flame of light, O son of force, found the vast expansion in us who labour at the work, found opulently in the Vishwamitras the peace and the movement, O Fire. We make bright many times over thy body.

5. O conqueror of the riches, create for us the ecstasy, such thou becomest when thou art high kindled. Opulently in the gated house of thy felicitous adorer thou upholdest thy gliding bodies streaming their radiance.