HYMN XXXVI. Visvedevas
1. LET the prayer issue from the seat of Order, for Surya with his beams hath loosed the cattle.
With lofty ridges earth is far extended, and Agni’s flame hath lit the spacious surface.
2. O Asuras, O Varuna and Mitra, this hymn to you, like food, anew I offer.
One of you is a strong unerring Leader, and Mitra, speaking, stirreth men to labour.
3. The movements of the gliding wind come hither: like cows, the springs are filled to overflowing.
Born in the station e’en of lofty heaven the Bull hath loudly bellowed in this region.
4. May I bring hither with my song, O Indra, wise Aryaman who yokes thy dear Bay Horses,
Voracious, with thy noble car, O Hero, him who defeats the wrath of the malicious.
5. In their own place of sacrifice adorers worship to gain long life and win his friendship.
He hath poured food on men when they have praised him; be this, the dearest reverence, paid to Rudra.
6. Coming together, glorious, loudly roaring – Sarasvati, Mother of Floods, the seventh-
With copious milk, with fair streams, strongly flowing, full swelling with the volume of their water;
7.. And may the mighty Maruts, too, rejoicing, aid our devotion and protect our offspring.
Let not swift-moving Aksara neglect us: they have increased our own appropriate riches,
8. Bring ye the great Aramati before you, and Pusan as the Hero of the synod,
Bhaga who looks upon this hymn with favour, and, as our strength, the bountiful Purandbi.
9. May this our song of praise reach you, O Maruts, and Visnu guardian of the future infant.
May they vouchsafe the singer strength for offspring. Preserve us evermore, ye Gods, with blessings.
HYMN XXXVII. Visvedevas.
1. LET your best-bearing car that must be lauded, ne’er injured, bring you Vajas and Rbhuksans.
Fill you, fair-helmeted! with mighty Soma, thrice-mixed, at our libations to delight you.
2. Ye who behold the light of heaven, Rbhuksans, give our rich patrons unmolested riches.
Drink, heavenly-natured. at our sacrifices, and give us bounties for the hymns we sing you.
3. For thou, O Bounteous One, art used to giving, at parting treasure whether small or ample.
Filled full are both thine arms with great possessions: thy goodness keeps thee not from granting riches.
4. Indra, high-famed, as Vaja and Rbhuksans, thou goest working, singing to the dwelling.
Lord of Bay Steeds, this day may we Vasisthas offer our prayers to thee and bring oblations.
5. Thou winnest swift advancement for thy servant, through hymns, Lord of Bay Steeds, which thou hast favoured.
For thee with friendly succour have we battled, and when, O Indra, wilt thou grant us riches?
6. To us thy priests a home, as ’twere, thou givest: when, Indra wilt thou recognize our praises?
May thy strong Steed, through our ancestral worship, bring food and wealth with heroes to our dwelling.
7. Though Nirrti the Goddess reigneth round him, Autumns with food in plenty come to Indra.
With three close Friends to length of days he cometh, he whom men let not rest at home in quiet.
8. Promise us gifts, O Savitar: may riches come unto us in Parvata’s full bounty.
May the Celestial Guardian still attend us. Preserve us evermore, ye Gods, with blessings.
HYMN XXXVIII. Savitar.
1. ON high hath Savitar, this God, extended the golden lustre which he spreads around him.
Now, now must Bhaga be invoked by mortals, Lord of great riches who distributes treasures.
2. Rise up, O Savitar whose hands are golden, and hear this man while sacrifice is offered,
Spreading afar thy broad and wide effulgence, and bringing mortal men the food that feeds them.
3. Let Savitar the God he hymned with praises, to whom the Vasus, even, all sing glory.
Sweet be our lauds to him whose due is worship: may he with all protection guard our princes.
4. Even he whom Aditi the Goddess praises, rejoicing in God Savitar’s incitement:
Even he who praise the high imperial Rulers, Varuna, Mitra, Aryaman, sing in concert.
5. They who come emulous to our oblation, dispensing bounty, from the earth and heaven.
May they and Ahibudhnya hear our calling: guard us Varutri with the Ekadhenus.
6. This may the Lord of Life, entreated, grant us,-the wealth which Savitar the God possesses.
The mighty calls on Bhaga for protection, on Bhaga calls the weak to give him riches.
7. Bless us the Vajins when we call, while slowly they move, strong Singers, to the Gods’ assembly.
Crushing the wolf, the serpent, and the demons, may they completely banish all affliction.
8. Deep-skilled in Law eternal, deathless, Singers, O Vajins, help us in each fray for booty.
Drink of this meath, he satisfied, be joyful: then go on paths which Gods are wont to travel.
HYMN XXXIX Visvedevas.
1. AGNI, erect, hath shown enriching favour: the flame goes forward to the Gods’ assembly.
Like car-borne men the stones their path have chosen: let the priest, quickened, celebrate our worship.
2. Soft to the tread, their sacred grass is scattered: these go like Kings amid the band around them,
At the folks early call on Night and Morning,-Vayu, and Pusan with his team, to bless us.
3. Here on their path the noble Gods proceeded: in the wide firmament the Beauteous decked them.
Bend your way hither, ye who travel widely: hear this our envoy who hath gone to meet you.
4. For they are holy aids at sacrifices: all Gods approach the place of congregation.
Bring these, desirous, to our worship, Agni, swift the Nisatyas, Bhaga, and Purandhi.
5. Agni, to these men’s hymns, from earth, from heaven, bring Mitra, Varuna, Indra, and Agni,
And Aryaman, and Aditi, and Visnu. Sarasvati be joyful, and the Maruts.
6. Even as the holy wish, the gift is offered: may he, unsated, come when men desire him.
Give never-failing ever-conquering riches: with Gods for our allies may we be victors.
7. Now have both worlds been praised by the Vasisthas; and holy Mitra, Varuna, and Agni.
May they, bright Deities, make our song supremest. Preserve us evermore, ye Gods, with blessings.
HYMN XL. Visvedevas.
1. BE gathered all the audience of the synod: let us begin their praise whose course is rapid.
Whate’er God Savitar this day produces, may we be where the Wealthy One distributes.
2. This, dealt from heaven ‘ may both the Worlds vouchsafe us, and Varuna, Indra, Aryaman, and Mitra.
May Goddess Aditi assign us riches, Vayu and Bhaga make them ours for ever.
3. Strong be the man and full of power, O Maruts, whom ye, borne on by spotted coursers, favour.
Him, too, Sarasvati and Agni further, and there is none to rob him of his riches.
4. This Varuna is guide of Law, he, Mitra, and Aryaman, the Kings, our work have finished.
Divine and foeless Aditi quickly listens. May these deliver us unharmed from trouble.
5. With offerings I propitiate the branches of this swift-moving God, the bounteous Visnu.
Hence Rudra gained his Rudra-strength: O Asvins, ye sought the house that hath celestial viands.
6. Be not thou angry here, O glowing Pusan, for what Varutri and the Bounteous gave us.
May the swift-moving Gods protect and bless us, and Vata send us rain, wha wanders round us.
7. Now have both worlds been praised by the Vasisthas, and holy Mitra, Varuna, and Agni.
May they, bright Deities, make our song supremest. Preserve us evermore, ye Gods, with blessings.
HYMN XLI. Bhaga.
1. AGNI at dawn, and Indra we invoke at dawn, and Varuna and Mitra, and the Asvins twain.
Bhaga at dawn, Pusan, and Brahmanaspati, Soma at dawn, Rudra we will invoke at dawn.
2. We will invoke strong, early-conquering Bhaga, the Son of Aditi, the great supporter:
Thinking of whom, the poor, yea, even the mighty, even the King himself says, Give me Bhaga.
3. Bhaga our guide, Bhaga whose gifts are faithful, favour this song, and give us wealth, O Bhaga.
Bhaga, augment our store of kine and horses, Bhaga, may we be rich in men and heroes.
4. So may felicity be ours at present, and when the day approaches, and at noontide;
And may we still, O Bounteous One, at sunset be happy in the Deities’ loving-kindness.
5. May Bhaga verily be bliss-bestower, and through him, Gods! may happiness attend us.
As such, O Bhaga, all with might invoke thee: as such be thou our Champion here, O Bhaga.
6. To this our worship may all Dawns incline them, and come to the pure place like Dadhikravan.
As strong steeds draw a chariot may they bring us hitherward Bhaga who discovers treasure.
7. May blessed Mornings dawn on us for ever, with wealth of kine, of horses, and of heroes,
Streaming with all abundance, pouring fatness. Preserve us evermore, ye Gods, with blessings.
HYMN XLII Visvedevas.
1. LET Brahmans and Angirases come forward, and let the roar of cloudy heaven surround us.
Loud low the Milch-kine swimming in the waters: set be the stones that grace our holy service.
2. Fair, Agni, is thy long-known path to travel: yoke for the juice tfiy bay, thy ruddy horses,
Or red steeds, Hero-bearing, for the chamber. Seated, I call the Deities’ generations.
3. They glorify your sacrifice with worship, yet the glad Priest near them is left unequalled.
Bring the Gods hither, thou of many aspects: turn hitherward Aramati the Holy.
4. What time the Guest hath made himself apparent, at ease reclining in the rich man’s dwelling,
Agni, well-pleased, well-placed within the chamber gives to a house like this wealth worth the choosing.
5. Accept this sacrifice of ours, O Agni; glorify it with Indra and the Maruts.
Here on our grass let Night and Dawn be seated: bring longing Varuna and Mitra hither.
6. Thus hath Vasistha praised victorious Agni, yearning for wealth that giveth all subsistence.
May he bestow on us food, strength, and riches. Preserve us evermore, ye Gods, with blessings.
HYMN XLIII Visvedevas.
1. SING out the pious at your sacrifices to move with adorations Earth and Heaven-
The Holy Singers, whose unmatched devotions, like a tree’s branches, part in all directions.
2. Let sacrifice proceed like some fleet courser: with one accord lift ye on high the ladles.
Strew sacred grass meet for the solenm service: bright flames that love the Gods have mounted upward.
3. Like babes in arms reposing on their mother, let the Gods sit upon the grass’s summit.
Let general fire make bright the flame of worship: scorn us not, Agni, in the Gods’ assembly.
4. Gladly the Gods have let themselves be honoured, milking the copious streams of holy Order.
The highest might to-day is yours, the Vasits’: come ye, as many as ye are, one-minded.
5. So, Agni, send us wealth among the people: may we be closely knit to thee, O Victor,
Unharmed, and rich, and taking joy together. Preserve us evermore, ye ods, with blessings.
HYMN XLIV. Dadhikras.
1. I CALL on Dadhikras, the first, to give you aid, the Asvins, Bhaga, Dawn, and Agni kindled well,
Indra, and Visnu, Pusan, Brahmanaspati, Adityas, Heaven and Earth, the Waters, and the Light.
2. When, rising, to the sacrifice we hasten, awaking Dadhikras with adorations.
Seating on sacred grass the Goddess Ila. let us invoke the sage swift-hearing Asvins.
3. While I am thus arousing Dadhikravan I speak to Agni, Earth, and Dawn, and Surya,
The red, the brown of Varuna ever mindful: may they ward off from us all grief and trouble.
4. Foremost is Dadhikravan, vigorous courser; in forefront of the cars, his way he knoweth,
Closely allied with Surya and with Morning, Adityas, and Angirases, and Vasus.
5. May Dadhikras prepare the way we travel that we may pass along the path of Order.
May Agni bear us, and the Heavenly Army: hear us all Mighty Ones whom none deceiveth.
HYMN XLV. Savitar.
1. MAY the God Savitar, rich in goodly treasures, filling the region, borne by steeds, come hither,
In his hand holding much that makes men happy, lulling to slumber and arousing creatures.
2. Golden, sublime, and easy in their motion, his arms extend unto the bounds of heaven.
Now shall that mightiness of his he lauded: even Surya yields to him in active vigour.
3. May this God Savitar, the Strong and Mighty, the Lord of precious wealth, vouchsafe us treasures.
May he, advancing his far-spreading lustre, bestow on us the food that feedeth mortals.
4. These songs praise Savitar whose tongue is pleasant, praise him whose arms are full, whose hands are lovely.
High vital strength, and manifold, may he grant us. Preserve us evermore, ye Gods, with blessings.
HYMN XLVI. Rudra.
1. To Rudra bring these songs, whose bow is firm and strong, the self-dependent God with swiftly-flying shafts,
The Wise, the Conqueror whom none may overcome, armed with sharp-pointed weapons: may he hear our call.
2. He through his lordship thinks on beings of the earth, on heavenly beings through his high imperial sway.
Come willingly to our doors that gladly welcome thee, and heal all sickness, Rudra., in our families.
3. May thy bright arrow which, shot down by thee from heaven, flieth upon the earth, pass us uninjured by.
Thou, very gracious God, bast thousand medicines: inflict no evil on our sons or progeny.
4. Slay us not, nor abandon us, O Rudra let not thy noose, when thou art angry, seize us.
Give us trimmed grass and fame among the living. Preserve us evermore, ye Gods, with blessings.
HYMN XLVII. Waters.
1. MAY we obtain this day from you, O Waters, that wave of pure refreshment, which the pious
Made erst the special beverage of Indra, bright, stainless, rich in sweets and dropping fatness.
2. May the Floods’ Offspring, he whose course is rapid, protect that wave most rich in sweets, O Waters,
That shall make Indra and the Vasus joyful. This may we gain from you to-day, we pious.
3. All-purifying, joying in their nature, to paths of Gods the Goddesses move onward.
They never violate the laws of Indra. Present the oil-rich offering to the Rivers.
4. Whom Surya with his bright beams hath attracted, and Indra dug the path for them to travel,
May these Streams give us ample room and freedom. Preserve us evermore, ye Gods, with blessings.
HYMN XLVIII. Rbhus.
1. YE liberal Heroes, Vajas and Rbhuksans, come and delight you with our flowing Soma.
May your strength, Vibhus, as ye come to meet us, turn hitherward your car that brings men profit.
2. May we as Rbhu with your Rbhus conquer strength with our strength, as Vibhus with the Vibhus.
May Vaja aid us in the fight for booty, and helped by Indra may we quell the foeman.
3. For they rule many tribes with high dominion, and conquer all their foes in close encounter.
May Indra, Vibhvan, Vaja, and Rbhuksan destroy by turns the wicked foeman’s valour.
4. Now, Deities, give us ample room and freedom: be all of you, one-minded, our protection. So let the Vasus grant us strength and vigour. Preserve us evermore, ye Gods, with blessings.
HYMN XLIX. Waters.
1. FORTH from the middle of the flood the Waters-their chief the Sea-flow cleansing, never sleeping.
Indra, the Bull, the Thunderer, dug their channels: here let those Waters, Goddesses, protect me.
2. Waters which come from heaven, or those that wander dug from the earth, or flowing free by nature,
Bright, purifying, speeding to the Ocean, here let those Waters. Goddesses, protect me.
3. Those amid whom goes Varuna the Sovran, he who discriminates men’s truth and falsehood-
Distilling meath, the bright, the purifying, here let those Waters, Goddesses, protect me.
4. They from whom Varuna the King, and Soma, and all the Deities drink strength and vigour,
They into whom Vaisvanara Agni entered, here let those Waters, Goddesses, protect Me.
HYMN L. Various Deities.
1. O MITRA-VARUNA, guard and protect me here: let not that come to me which nests within and swells.
I drive afar the scorpion hateful to the sight: let not the winding worm touch me and wound my foot.
2. Eruption that appears upon the twofold joints, and that which overspreads the ankles and the knees,
May the refulgent Agni banish far away let not the winding worm touch me and wound my foot.
3. The poison that is formed upon the Salmali, that which is found in streams, that which the plants produce,
All this may all the Gods banish and drive away: let not the winding worm touch me and wound my foot.
4. The steep declivities, the valleys, and the heights, the channels full of water, and the waterless-
May those who swell with water, gracious Goddesses, never afflict us with the Sipada disease, may all the rivers keep us free from Simida.
HYMN LI. Adityas.
1. THROUGH the Adityas’ most auspicious shelter, through their most recent succour may we conquer.
May they, the Mighty, giving ear, establish this sacrifice, to make us free and sinless.
2. Let Aditi rejoice and the Adityas, Varuna, Mitra, Aryaman, most righteous.
May they, the Guardians of the world, protect us, and, to show favour, drink this day our Soma.
3. All Universal Deities, the Maruts, all the Adityas, yea, and all the Rbhus,
Indra, and Agni, and the Asvins, lauded. Preserve us evermore, ye Gods, with blessings.
