Vedische Hymnen

In an early phase of his stay in Pondicherry, Sri Aurobindo intensively studied the Rig Veda and its deeper meaning. In various studies he showed that the authors of the verses were seers who clothed their experiences and insights in a certain figurative language. In this book, for the first time, the most important passages from the title 'Hymns to the Mystic Fire' are printed in German translation, in which Sri Aurobindo explains the symbolism used by the seers. In the second part, he presents free translations of hymns to Agni, 'the mystic fire', choosing verses from four different well-known Rishis, among others, which are reproduced here. In his texts, he tries to let the original spiritual meaning of the hymns shine through through deep empathy, stating: "As the teaching of the Rig Veda is the germ of the teaching of Vedanta, so its inner practice and discipline is a germ of the later practice and discipline of Yoga." To further elucidate the content, the German edition juxtaposed Sri Aurobindo's translations with the more literal translations of the Indologist and Veda expert Karl Friedrich Geldner, based on the ritualistic interpretations of the Indian scholar Sayana (14th century). In addition, a small lexicon of Vedic symbolism has been added in the appendix.