ISHA

SUKTA 7

1. O comrades, in you an integral force and complete laud to Fire the most powerful among the peoples, to the

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mighty child of energy.

2. Whom wheresoever they come into contact with, him men who have the power rapturously set alight in this house of man and all beings born strive to bring to birth.

3. Whenso we win completely the impulsions of force, completely the offerings human beings must give, then he gathers to himself the Ray of the light and the might and the Truth.

4. Yea, he creates the light of intuition even for one who is far off in the night, the purifying and imperishable Fire ravages the trees of the forest.

5. When in his service men cast down their sweat on the paths, they ascend to a self-born ground as if to wide levels.

6. Him mortal man must come to know as one who holds the multitude of his desires so that he may establish in him all; he moves towards the sweet taste of the draughts of the wine and to the building of the house for man.

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7. Pure and bright, verily, is he and he tears our desert dwelling place,¹ like a beast who tears, a beast with golden beard and tusks of bright purity, he is like a smith whose force is unafflicted by ,the heat of the Fire.

8. Yes, he is pure and bright and he is as one whose axe is like an eater and ever enters deeper; with a happy delivery his mother bore him, for he is an achiever of the work and wins enjoyment of the bliss.

9. O Fire, to whom is poured the running stream of the offering of light, the man who is a happy ground for establishing thee, — in such mortals found the light, and the inspiration and the knowledge.

10. Even so, irresistible born, I receive the force of mind, the cow of vision given by thee. O Fire, then may Atri overcome the destroyers who satisfy thee not, may he overcome forces and men.

SUKTA 8

¹ Or, the solid ground on; which we dwell,

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1. O Fire, created by our force, thee the Ancient One, the ancient seekers of Truth set blazing for their guard the master of sacrifice with his many delights who establishes all, Fire who dwells in the house, master of the house, the supremely desirable.

2. Thee, O Fire, men seated within as the ancient guest, the master of the house with his tresses of light, — vast is his intuition, many are his forms, he brings out the riches, he is a giver of perfect peace and protection and a destroyer of the foe.

3. Thee the human people pray, O Fire, who knowest the word of invocation, who hast the just discernment, who art strongest to found the ecstasy, — thee who dwellest in the secret cave, O happy Flame, and hast the vision of all things, the perfect sacrificer with the multitude of thy voices and the glory and beauty of thy light.

4. Thee, O Fire, who upholdest all things in every way we voicing thee with our words have approached with obeisance; so do thou accept us, O Angiras, a godhead kindled by the glory of a mortal and by his high illuminings.

5. O Fire, thou takest many forms for man and man and thou foundest for him his growth as of old, O thou lauded by

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many voices; many are the things on which thou feedest and thou illuminest them all with thy force, and none can do violence to the fury of thy blaze

when thou blazest up in thy might.

6. Thee O youthful Fire, in thy high kindling the gods have made a messenger and a carrier of the offerings; thee of whom light is the native seat and wide are the spaces through which thou movest, they have set when thou hast received the offerings as a keen burning eye that urges the thought.

7. Thee, O Fire, fed with offerings of light from the higher heaven the seekers of bliss¹ kindled with an entire kindling, so now growing on the herbs to thy full might thou spreadest over wide earth-spaces.

¹ Or, from of old; or, the ancient seekers of bliss

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