Hymns of Vamadeva — Sukta 7 — Rig Veda — Audiobook Video with Commentary

SUKTA 7 1. This is he who was established as chief and first by the Founders of things, the priest of the call, most strong for sacrifice, to be prayed in the pilgrim-rites, — he whom the doer of works and the flame-seers set shining wide in the forests, rich in light, all-pervading, for man and man. 2. O Fire, when shall the conscious waking of thy godhead become uninterrupted? For now mortals have laid hold on thee as one desirable in human creatures. 3. For they see thee, possessor of the Truth and wide in knowl- edge like waking heaven with its stars, the smile of light of all these pilgrim-sacrifices in house and house, — 4. The swift messenger of the illumining Sun who comes to all the seeing people; men hold him as the ray of intuition and he shines as the Bhrigu-flame-seer for each being. 5. This is the priest of the call whom they set within, who uninterruptedly wakes to knowledge, rapturous with his purifying flame, most strong to sacrifice by his seven seats. 6. Him in the many mothers linked together, wide-spread and unapproached in the forest, abiding in the secret Cave and rich with many lights, full of knowledge or moving to some unknown goal. 7. When in the separation from sleep the Gods have joy in that udder of the Cow, in the plane of the Truth, great becomes the Fire by the offering given with prostration and journeys for the pilgrim-sacrifice and the Truth is ever with him. 8. He journeys knowing the embassies of the pilgrim-sacrifice between both the firmaments, utterly awakened to knowl- edge. A messenger, the Ancient of days, ever widening, ever greater in knowledge, thou travellest the mounting slopes of heaven. 9. Black is the path of thy shining, thy light goes in front, a journeying ray, the one supreme of all thy bodies; when one unimpregnated bears thee as the child of her womb, in the sudden moment of thy birth thou art already the messenger. 10. The moment he is born his might becomes visible when the wind blows behind his flame; he turns his sharp tongue round the trunks and tears his firm food with his jaws of flame. 11. When quickly he carries his foods on his rapid tongue, this mighty Fire fashions himself into a swift messenger; con- suming all he clings to the mad course of the wind, as a driver a swift horse he sets it to gallop for the seeker of the plenitude. (Translated by Sri Aurobindo)