HYMN XLVII. Indra, Etc.
1. YEA, this is good to taste and full of. sweetness, verily it is strong and rich in flavour.
No one may conquer Indra in the battle when he hath drunken of the draught we offer.
2. This sweet juice here had mightiest power to gladden: it boldened Indra when he siaughtered Vrtra,
When he defeated Sambara’s many onslaughts, and battered down his nineand ninety ramparts.
3. This stirreth up my voice when I have drunk it: this hath aroused from sleep my yearning spirit.
This Sage hath measured out the six expanses from which no single creature is excluded.
4. This, even this, is he who hath created the breadth of earth, the lofty height of heaven.
He formed the nectar in three headlong rivers. Soma supports the wide mid-air above us.
5. He found the wavy sea of brilliant colours in forefront of the Dawns who dwell in brightness.
This Mighty One, the Steer begirt by Maruts, hath propped the heavens up with a mighty pillar.
6. Drink Soma boldly from the beaker, Indra, in war for treasures, Hero, Vrtra-slayer!
Fill thyself full at the mid-day libation, and give us wealth, thou Treasury of riches.
7. Look out for us, O Indra, as our Leader, and guide us on to gain yet goodlier treasure.
Excellent Guardian, bear us well through peril, and lead us on to wealth with careful guidance.
8. Lead us to ample room, O thou who knowest, to happiness, security, and sunlight.
High, Indra, are the arms of thee the Mighty: may we betake. us to their lofty shelter.
9. Set us on widest chariot-seat, O Indra, with two steeds best to draw, O Lord of Hundreds!
Bring us the best among all sorts of viands: let not the foe’s wealth, Maghavan, subdue us.
10. Be gracious, Indra, let my days be lengthened: sharpen my thought as ’twere a blade of iron
Approve whatever words I speak, dependent on thee, and grant me thy divine protection.
11. Indra the Rescuer, Indra the Helper, Hero who listens at each invocation,
Sakra I call, Indra invoked of many. May Indra Maghavan prosper and bless us.
12. May helpful Indra as our good Protector, Lord of all treasures, favour us with succour,
Baffle our foes, and give us rest and safety, and may we be the lords of hero vigour.
13. May we enjoy the grace of him the Holy, yea, may we dwell in his auspicious favour.
May helpful Indra as our good Preserver drive from us, even from afar, our foemen.
14. Like rivers rushing down a slope, O Indra, to thee haste songs and prayers and linked verses.
Thou gatherest, Thunderer! like widespread bounty, kine, water, drops, and manifold libations.
15. Who lauds him, satisfies him, pays him worship? E’en the rich noble still hath found him mighty.
With power, as when one moves his feet alternate, he makes the last precede, the foremost follow.
16. Famed is the Hero as each strong man’s tamer, ever advancing one and then another.
King of both worlds, hating the high and haughty, Indra protects the men who are his people.
17. He loves no more the men he loved aforetime: he turns and moves away allied with others.
Rejecting those who disregard his worship, Indra victorious lives through many autumns.
18. In every figure he hath been the mode: this is his only form for us to look on.
Indra moves multiform by his illusions; for his Bay Steeds are yoked, ten times a hundred.
19. Here Tvastar, yoking to the car the Bay Steeds, hath extended sway.
Who will for ever stand upon the foeman’s side, even when our princes sit at ease?
20. Gods, we have reached a country void of pasture the land, though spacious, was too small to hold us.
Brhaspati, provide in war for cattle; find a path, Indra, for this faithful singer.
21. Day after day far from their seat he drove them, alike, from place to place, those darksome creatures.
The Hero slew the meanly-huckstering Dasas, Varcin and Sambara, where the waters gather.
22. Out of thy bounty, Indra, hath Prastoka bestowed ten coffers and ten mettled horses.
We have received in turn from Divodasa Sambara’s wealth, the gift of Atithigva.
23. Ten horses and ten treasure-chests, ten garments as an added gift,
These and ten lumps of gold have I received from Divodasa’s hand.
24. Ten cars with extra steed to each, for the Atharvans hundred cows,
Hath Asvatha to Payu given.
25. Thus Srnjaya’s son honoured the Bharadvajas, recipients of all noble gifts and bounty.
26. Lord of the wood, be firm and strong in body: be, bearing us, a brave victorious hero
Show forth thy strength, compact with straps of leather, and let thy rider win all spoils of battle.
27. Its mighty strength was borrowed from the heaven and earth: its conquering force was brought from sovrans of the wood.
Honour with holy gifts the Car like Indra’s bolt, the Car bound round with straps, the vigour of the floods.
28. Thou Bolt of Indra, Vanguard of the Maruts, close knit to Varuna and Child of Mitra,-
As such, accepting gifts which here we offer, receive, O Godlike Chariot, these oblations.
29. Send forth thy voice aloud through earth and heaven, and let the world in all its breadth regard thee;
O Drum, accordant with the Gods and Indra, drive thou afar, yea, very far, our foemen.
30. Thunder out strength and fill us full of vigour: yea, thunder forth and drive away all dangers.
Drive hence, O War-drum, drive away misfortune: thou art the Fist of Indra: show thy firmness.
31. Drive hither those, and these again bring hither: the War-drum speaks aloud as battle’s signal.
Our heroes, winged with horses, come together. Let our car-warriors, Indra, be triumphant.
HYMN XLVIII. Agni and Others.
1. SING to your Agni with each song, at every sacrifice, for strength.
Come, let us praise the Wise and Everlasting God, even as a well-beloved Friend,
2. The Son of Strength; for is he not our gracious Lord? Let us serve him who bears our gifts.
In battle may he be our help and strengthener, yea, be the saviour of our lives.
3. Agni, thou beamest forth with light, great Hero, never changed by time.
Shining, pure Agni! with a light that never fades, beam with thy fair beams brilliantly.
4. Thou worshippest great Gods: bring them without delay by wisdom and thy wondrous power.
O Agni, make them turn hither to succour us. Give strength, and win it for thyself.
5. He whom floods, stones, and trees support, the offspring of eternal Law;
He who when rubbed with force is brought to life by men upon the lofty height of earth;
6. He who hath filled both worlds fult with his brilliant shine, who hastens with his smoke to heaven;
He made himself apparent through the gloom by night, the Red Bull in the darksome nights, the Red Bull in the darksome nights.
7. O Agni, with thy lofty beams, with thy pure brilliancy, O God,
Kindled, Most Youthful One! by Bharadvaja’s hand, shine on us, O pure God, with wealth, shine, Purifier! splendidly.
8. Thou art the Lord of house and home of all the tribes, O Agni, of all tribes of men.
Guard with a hundred forts thy kindler from distress, through hundred winters, Youngest God! and those who make thy singers rich.
9. Wonderful, with thy favouring help, send us thy bounties, gracious Lord.
Thou art the Charioteer, Agni, of earthly wealth: find rest and safety for our seed.
10. With guards unfailing never negligent speed thou our children and our progeny.
Keep far from us, O Agni, all celestial wrath and wickedness of godless men.
11. Hither, O friends, with newest song drive her who freely pours her milk;
Loose her who never turns away;
12. Who, for the host of Maruts bright with native sheen, hath shed immortal fame like milk;
Whom the impetuous Maruts look upon with love, who moves in splendour on their ways.
13. For Bharadvaja she poured down in days of old
The milch-cow yielding milk for all, and food that gives all nourishment.
14. Your friend like Indra passing wise, with magic power like Varuna.
Like Aryaman joy-giving, bringing plenteous food like ViSnxu for my wish, I praise,
15. Bright as the host of Maruts mighty in their roar. May they bring Pusan free from foes;
May they bring hither hundreds, thousands for our men: may they bring hidden stores to light, and make wealth easy to be found.
16. Haste to me, Pusan, in thine car, bright Deity: I fain would speak:
Most sinful is our foeman’s hate.
17. Tear not up by the roots the Kakambira tree: destroy thou all malignity.
Let them not snare by day the neck of that Celestial Bird the Sun.
18. Uninjured let thy friendship be, like the smooth surface of a skin,
A flawless skin, containing curds, full to the mouth, containing curds.
19. For thou art high above mankind, in glory equal to the Gods.
Therefore, O Pusan, look upon us in the fight: now help us as in days of old.
20. May the kind excellence of him the Kind, loud Roarers! be our guide,
Be it the God’s, O Maruts, or a mortal man’s who worships, ye impetuous Ones!
21. They whose high glory in a moment like the God, the Sun, goes round the space of heaven,
The Maruts have obtained bright strength, a sacred name, strength that destroys the Vrtras, strength Vrtra-destroying excellent.
22. Once, only once, the heaven was made, once only once, the earth was formed-
Once, only Prsni’s milk was shed: no second, after this, is born.
HYMN XLIX. Visvedevas.
1. I LAUD with newest songs the Righteous People, Mitra and Varuna who make us happy.
Let them approach, here let them listen,Agni, Varuna, Mitra, Lords of fair dominion.
2. Him, to be praised at each tribe’s sacrifices, the Two young Matrons’ sober-minded Herald,
The Son of Strength, the Child of Heaven, the signal of sacrifice, red Agni will I worship.
3. Unlike in form are the Red God’s two Daughters: one is the Sun’s, and stars bedeck the other.
Apart, the Sanctifiers, in succession, come to the famed hymn, praised in holy verses.
4. I with a lofty song call hither Vayu, all-bounteous, filler of his car, most wealthy.
Thou, Sage, with bright path, Lord of harnessed horses, impetuous, promptly honourest the prudent.
5. That chariot of the Asvins, fair to look on, pleaseth me well, yoked with a thought, refulgent,
Wherewith, Nasatyas, Chiefs, ye seek our dwelling, to give new strength to us and to our children.
6. Bulls of the Earth, O Vata and Parjanya, stir up for us the regions of the water.
Hearers of truth, ye, Sages, World-Supporters, increase his living wealth whose songs delight you.
7. So may Sarasvati, the Hero’s Consort, brisk with rare life, the lightning’s Child, inspire us,
And, with the Dames accordant, give the singer a refuge unassailable and flawless.
8. I praise with eloquence him who guards all pathways. He, when his love impelled him, went to Arka.
May he vouchsafe us gear with gold to grace it: may Pusan make each prayer of ours efective.
9. May Herald Agni, fulgent, bring for worship Tvastar adored, in homes and swift to listen,
Glorious, first to share, the life-bestower, the ever active God, fair-armed, fair-handed.
10. Rudra by day, Rudra at night we honour with these our songs, the Universe’s Father.
Him great and lofty, blissful, undecaying let us call specially as the Sage impels us.
11. Ye who are youthful, wise, and meet for worship, come, Martits, to the longing of the singer.
Coming, as erst to Angiras, O Heroes, ye animate and quicken e’en the desert.
12. Even as the herdsman driveth home his cattle, I urge my songs to him the strong swift Hero
May he, the glorious, lay upon his body the singer’s hymns, as stars bedeck the heaven.
13. He who for man’s behoof in his afiliction thrice measured out the earthly regions, Visnu-
When one so great as thou affordeth shelter, may we with wealth and with ourselves be happy.
14. Sweet be this song of mine to Ahibudhnya, Parvata, Savitar, with Floods and Lightnings;
Sweet, with the Plants, to Gods who seek oblations. May liberal Bhaga speed us on to riches.
15. Give riches borne on cars, with many heroes, contenting men, the guard of mighty Order.
Give us a lasting home that we may battle with godless bands of men who fight against us, and meet with tribes to whom the Gods are gracious.
HYMN L. Visvedevas.
1. I CALL with prayers on Aditi your Goddess, on Agni, Mitra, Varuna for favour,
On Aryaman who gives unasked, the gracious, on Gods who save, on Savitar and Bhaga.
2. Visit, to prove us free from sin, O Surya Lord of great might, the bright Gods sprung from Daksa,
Twice-born and true, observing sacred duties, Holy and full of light, whose tongue is Agni.
3. And, O ye Heaven and Earth, a wide dominion, O ye most blissful Worlds, our lofty shelter,
Give ample room and freedom for our dwelling, a home, ye Hemispheres, which none may rival.
4. This day invited may the Sons of Rudra, resistless, excellent, stoop down to meet us;
For, when beset with slight or sore affliction, we ever call upon the Gods, the Maruts;
5. To whom the Goddess Rodasi clings closely, whom Pusan follows bringing ample bounty.
What time ye hear our call and come, O Maruts, upon your separate path all creatures tremble.
6. With a new hymn extol, O thou who singest, the Lover of the Song, the Hero Indra.
May he, exalted, hear our invocation, and grant us mighty wealth and strength when lauded.
7. Give full protection, Friends of man, ye Waters, in peace and trouble, to our sons and grandsons.
For ye are our most motherly physicians, parents of all that standeth, all that moveth.
8. May Savitar come hither and approach us, the God who rescues, Holy, goldenhanded,
The God who, bounteous as the face of Morning, discloses precious gifts for him who worships.
9. And thou, O Son of Strength, do thou turn hither the Gods to-day to this our holy service.
May I for evermore enjoy thy bounty and, Agni, by thy grace be rich in heroes.
10. Come also to my call, O ye Nasatyas, yea, verily, through my prayers, ye Holy Sages.
As from great darkness ye delivered Atri, protect us, Chiefs, from danger in the conflict.
11. O Gods, bestow upon us riches, splendid with strength and heroes, bringing food in plenty.
Be gracious, helpful Gods of earth, of heaven, born of the Cow, and dwellers in the waters.
12. May Rudra and Sarasvati, accordant, Visnu and Vayu, pour down gifts and bless us;
Rbhuksan, Vaja, and divine Vidhatar, Parjanya, Vata make our food abundant.
13. May this God Savitar, the Lord, the Offspring of Waters, pouring down his dew be gracious,
And, with the Gods and Dames accordant, Tvastar; Dyaus with the Gods and Prthivi with oceans.
14. May Aja-Ekapad and Ahibudhnya, and Earth and Ocean hear our invocation;
All Gods who strengthen Law, invoked and lauded, and holy texts uttered by sages, help us.
15. So with my thoughts and hymns of praise the children of Bharadvaja sing aloud to please you.
The Dames invoked, and the resistless Vasus, and all ye Holy Ones have been exalted.
HYMN LI. Visvedevas.
1. THAT mighty eye of Varuna and Mitra, infallible and dear, is moving upward.
The pure and lovely face of holy Order hath shone like gold of heaven in its arising.
2. The Sage who knows these Gods’ three ranks and orders, and all their generations near and distant,
Beholding good and evil acts of mortals, Sura marks well the doing of the pious.
3. I praise you Guards of mighty Law eternal, Aditi, Mitra, Varuna, the noble,
Aryaman, Bhaga, all whose thoughts are faithful: hither I call the Bright who share in common.
4. Lords of the brave, infallible, foe-destroyers, great Kings, bestowers of fair homes to dwell in,
Young, Heroes, ruling heaven with strong dominion, Adityas, Aditi I seek with worship.
5. O Heaven our Father, Earth our guileless Mother, O Brother Agni, and ye Vasus, bless us.
Grant us, O Aditi and ye Adityas, all of one mind, your manifold protection.
6. Give us not up to any evil creature, as spoil to wolf or she-wolf, O ye Holy.
For ye are they who guide aright our bodies, ye are the rulers of our speech and vigour.
7. Let us not suffer for the sin of others, nor do the deed which ye, O Vasus, punish.
Ye, Universal Gods! are all-controllers: may he do harm unto himself who hates Me.
8. Mighty is homage: I adopt and use it. Homage hath held in place the earth and heaven.
Homage to Gods! Homage commands and rules them. I banish even committed sin by homage
9. You Furtherers of Law, pure in your spirit, infallible, dwellers in the home of Order,
To you all Heroes mighty and far-seeing I bow me down, O Holy Ones, with homage.
10. For these are they who shine with noblest splendour; through all our troubles these conduct us safely-
Varuna, Mitra, Agni, mighty Rulers, trueminded, faithful to the hymn’s controllers.
11. May they, Earth, Aditi, Indra, Bhaga, Pusan increase our laud, increase the Fivefold people.
Giving good help, good refuge, goodly guidance, be they our good deliverers, good protectors.
12. Come now, O Gods, to your celestial station: the Bharadvajas’ priest entreats your favour.
He, sacrificing, fain for wealth, hath honoured the Gods vath those who sit and share oblations.
13. Agni, drive thou the wicked foe, the evil-hearted thief away,
Far, far, Lord of the brave I and give us easy paths.
14. Soma, these pressing-stones have called aloud to win thee for our Friend.
Destroy the greedy Pani, for a wolf is he.
15. Ye, O most bountiful, are they who, led by Indra, seek the sky.
Give us good paths for travel: guard us ivell at home.
16. Now have we entered on the road that leads to bliss, without a foe,
The road whereon a man escapes all enemies and gathers wealth.
