Sri Aurobindo chose a series of hymns from the Rig Veda to quickly illustrate and support his insight to the psychological meaning of the Veda and the dual-sense of the symbols chosen by the Rishis.
It is difficult to systematically study and appreciate the Rig Veda other than through audio programs, inasmuch as considerable force of the revelation comes through in the poetic force and recitation of these verses, and thus, we have created a series of audio files which include the recitation of the Sanskrit text of the Rig Vedic hymns chosen, and the English translation provided by Sri Aurobindo. All recordings were created in 1973 at Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Commentary and Translation by Sri Aurobindo. Recitation in Sanskrit by Sri Vinayak. English recitation by Santosh Krinsky. Click on the enclosed links to go directly to each of the audio files included here. Page references to the U.S. edition of The Secret of the Veda by Sri Aurobindo, as well as to Hymns to the Mystic Fire, also published by Lotus Press, are provided for further elucidation and reading on the subject of each hymn.
Sri Aurobindo writes: “My object has been to show in as brief a compass as possible the real functions of the Vedic gods, the sense of the symbols in which their cult is expressed, the nature of the sacrifice and its goal, explaining by actual examples the secret of the Veda. I have purposely selected a few brief and easy hymns, and avoided those which have a more striking depth, subtlety and complexity of thought and image, — alike those which bear the psychological sense plainly and fully on their surface and those which by their very strangeness and profundity reveal their true character of mystic and sacred poems. It is hoped that these examples will be sufficient to show the reader who cares to study them with an open mind the real sense of this, our earliest and greatest poetry. By other translations of a more general character it will be shown that these ideas are not merely the highest thought of a few Rishis, but the pervading sense and teaching of the Rig-veda.”
Chapter 6 of the Secret of the Veda provides something of an overview to the role of Agni, the mystic fire. In addition, he chose one of the Hymns to Agni in the section titled ‘Selected Hymns’ and went on in the section titled ‘Hymns of the Atris’ to translate a number of the hymns to Agni.
The Secret of the Veda, Chapter VI, Agni and the Truth, pp. 54-64 Sri Aurobindo describes Agni as “the most important, the most universal of the Vedic gods.” (The Secret of the Veda, pg. 265). Agni is the divine will, the mystic fire, the flame of aspiration, and the “knower of all things born”. Sri Aurobindo focuses considerable attention on Agni in both The Secret of the Veda and in his translation of the hymns to Agni in the volume titled Hymns to the Mystic Fire. He devotes an entire chapter in The Secret of the Veda to Agni. It is this chapter covered here with extracts from Sri Aurobindo’s commentary and the first hymn of the Rig Veda, Mandala I, Sukta 1, recited in the Sanskrit to illustrate that commentary. (The Secret of the Veda, Chapter VI, Agni and the Truth, pp. 54-64). The English translation of this hymn is from Hymns to the Mystic Fire, pp. 39-40
The Rig Veda sets forth in symbolic language the spiritual aspirations and teachings of the Vedic sages. The outer sense and symbolism often breaks down as the true, inner, psychological meaning breaks forth to reveal the profound meaning of the Veda. The Secret of the Veda provides an expansive review of the psychological method of interpretation that Sri Aurobindo employed, along with numerous illustrations of the method. Hymns to the Mystic Fire provides translation of the large number of hymns of the Rig Veda devoted to Agni.
The recordings were made at Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1973. Sanskrit recited by Sri Vinayak. English translation and any excerpts from Sri Aurobindo’s commentary recited by Santosh Krinsky
Rig Veda Samhita, Mandala I, Sukta 1 Hymn to Agni (the first hymn of the Rig Veda) Secret of the Veda, Chapter 6, Agni and the Truth, pp. 54-64 and Hymns to the Mystic Fire, pp. 39-40 and 439-464 (an extensive word by word analysis of parts of this Hymn). The first hymn in the Rig Veda is described and translated by Sri Aurobindo. In The Secret of the Veda Sri Aurobindo utilizes this hymn to show the psychological significance of the Veda and to illustrate its method of dual meaning of the terms, having both an outer, exoteric, and an inner, esoteric significance. He translates this hymn in full in Hymns to the Mystic Fire. The recordings were made at Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1973. Sanskrit recited by Sri Vinayak. English translation recited by Santosh Krinsky
Later in the Secret of the Veda, in a section titled Hymns of the Atris, Sri Aurobindo undertakes to translate a number of additional hymns to Agni: We include one of them here:
Rig Veda Samhita, Mandala V, Sukta 6 Hymn to Agni, pp. 378-380. The translation of this hymn along with Sri Aurobindo’s introductory comments, appears in The Secret of the Veda, pages 378-380, The Sanskrit text along with an alternative translation appears in Hymns to the Mystic Fire, pages 213-215.
The following hymn was included by Sri Aurobindo in The Secret of the Veda, Selected Hymns:
Rig Veda Samhita Mandala I, Sukta 77 Agni: the Illumined Will, pp. 263-271
Sri Aurobindo continued the focus on the hymns to Agni in the separate volume titled Hymns to the Mystic Fire.
Rig Veda Samhita Mandala I, Sukta 12 Hymn to Agni, pp. 40-42. Sri Aurobindo describes Agni as “the most important, the most universal of the Vedic gods.” (The Secret of the Veda, pg. 265). Agni is the divine will, the mystic fire, the flame of aspiration, and the “knower of all things born”. Sri Aurobindo focuses considerable attention on Agni in both The Secret of the Veda and in his translation of the hymns to Agni in the volume titled Hymns to the Mystic Fire. The translation of this hymn appears in Hymns to the Mystic Fire, pages 40-42.
The Rig Veda sets forth in symbolic language the spiritual aspirations and teachings of the Vedic sages. The outer sense and symbolism often breaks down as the true, inner, psychological meaning breaks forth to reveal the profound meaning of the Veda. The Secret of the Veda provides an expansive review of the psychological method of interpretation that Sri Aurobindo employed, along with numerous illustrations of the method. Hymns to the Mystic Fire provides translation of the large number of hymns of the Rig Veda devoted to Agni.
Rig Veda Samhita Mandala I, Sukta 13 Hymn to Agni, pp. 42-43 (verses 1-5).
Rig Veda Samhita Mandala I, Sukta 94 Hymn to Agni, pp. 66-69
Rig Veda Samhita Mandala II, Sukta 1 Hymn to Agni, pp. 81-84
Rig Veda Samhita Mandala VI, Sukta 7 Hymn to Agni, pp. 259-260
Rig Veda Samhita Mandala VIII, Sukta 39 Hymn to Agni, pp. 337-339
Rig Veda Samhita, Mandala X, Sukta 51 Hymn to Agni and the Gods. In The Secret of the Veda, Sri Aurobindo showed that there is a deep, esoteric sense to the Vedic hymns that is the real sense of the hymns. This Hymn to Agni and the Gods describes the relationship of the aspiration and will to the powers of the creation. The English translation was provided by Sri Aurobindo in Hymns to the Mystic Fire, pp. 405-407.. The recordings were made at Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1973. Sanskrit recited by Sri Vinayak. English translation recited by Santosh Krinsky
Rig Veda Samhita, Mandala X, Sukta 191 Hymn to Agni (the last hymn of the Rig Veda). In The Secret of the Veda, Sri Aurobindo showed that there is a deep, esoteric sense to the Vedic hymns that is the real sense of the hymns. This Hymn to Agni is the very last hymn of the Rig Veda. The English translation was provided by Sri Aurobindo in Hymns to the Mystic Fire, pp. 435-436. The recordings were made at Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1973. Sanskrit recited by Sri Vinayak. English translation recited by Santosh Krinsky
Sri Aurobindo, The Secret of the Veda, Hymns to Agni, pp. 54-64, 263-271, and 351-420 and Hymns to the Mystic Fire (entire volume)
Sri Aurobindo Studies 