HYMN CXXXIII. Indra.
1. SING strength to Indra that shall set his chariot in the foremost place.
Giver of room in closest fight, slayer of foes in shock of war, be thou our great encourager. Let the weak bowstrings break upon the bows of feeble enemies.
2. Thou didst destroy the Dragon: thou sentest the rivers down to earth.
Foeless, O Indra, wast thou born. Thou tendest well each choicest thing. Therefore we draw us close to thee. Let the weak bowstrings break upon the bows of feeble enemies.
3. Destroyed be all malignities and all our enemy’s designs.
Thy bolt thou castest, at the foe, O Indra, who would srnite us dead: thy liberal bounty gives us wealth.
4. The robber people round about, Indra, who watch and aim at us,-
Trample them down beneath thy foot; a conquering scatterer art thou.
5. Whoso assails us, Indra, be the man a stranger or akin,
Bring down, thyself, his strength although it be as vast as are the heavens.
6. Close to thy friendship do we cling, O Indra, and depend, or, thee.
Lead us beyond all pain and grief along the path of holy Law.
7. Do thou bestow upon us her, O Indra, who yields according to the singer’s longing,
That the great Cow may, with exhaustless udder, pouring a thousand streams, give milk to feed us.
HYMN CXXXIV. Indra.
1. As, like the Morning, thou hast filled, O Indra, both the earth and heaven.
So as the Mighty One, great King of all the mighty world of men, the Goddess Mother brought thee forth, the Blessed Mother gave thee life.
2. Relax that mortal’s stubborn strength whose heart is bent on wickedness.
Trample him down beneath thy feet who watches for and aims at us. The Goddess Mother brought thee forth, the Blessed Mother gave thee life.
3. Shake down, O Slayer of the foe, those great all splendid enemies.
With all thy powers, O Sakra, all thine helps, O Indra, shake them down:
4. As thou, O Satakratu, thou, O Indrv, shakest all things down
As wealth for him who sheds the juice, with thine assistance thousandfold.
5. Around, on every side like drops of sweat let lightning-flashes fall.
Let all malevolence pass away from us like threads of Darva grass.
6. Thou bearest in thine hand a lance like a long hook, great Counsellor!
As with his foremost foot a goat, draw down the branch, O Maghavan.
7. Never, O Gods, do we offend, nor are we ever obstinate: we walk as holy texts command.
Closely we clasp and cling to you, cling to your sides, beneath your arms.
HYMN CXXXV. Yama.
1. IN the Tree clothed with goodly leaves where Yama drinketh with the Gods,
The Father, Master of the house, tendeth with love our ancient Sires.
2. I looked reluctantly on him who cherishes those men of old,
On him who treads that evil path, and then I yearned for this again.
3. Thou mountest, though thou dost not see, O Child, the new and wheel-less car
Which thou hast fashioned mentally, onepoled but turning every way.
4. The car which thou hast made to roll hitherward from the Sages, Child!
This hath the Saman followed close, hence, laid together on a ship.
5. Who was the father of the child? Who made the chariot roll away?
Who will this day declare to us how the funeral gift was made?
6. When the funeral gift was placed, straightway the point of flame appeared.
A depth extended in the front: a passage out was made behind.
7. Here is the seat where Yama dwells, that which is called the Home of Gods:
Here minstrels blow the flute for him here he is glorified with songs.
HYMN CXXXVI. Kesins.
1. HE with the long loose locks supports Agni, and moisture, heaven, and earth:
He is all sky to look upon: he with long hair is called this light.
2. The Munis, girdled with the wind, wear garments soiled of yellow hue.
They, following the wind’s swift course go where the Gods have gone before.
3. Transported with our Munihood we have pressed on into the winds:
You therefore, mortal men. behold our natural bodies and no more.
4. The Muni, made associate in the holy work of every God,
Looking upon all varied forms flies through the region of the air.
5. The Steed of Vata, Vayu’s friend, the Muni, by the Gods impelled,
In both the oceans hath his home, in eastern and in western sea.
6. Treading the path of sylvan beasts, Gandharvas, and Apsarases,
He with long locks, who knows the wish, is a sweet most delightful friend
7. Vayu hath churned for him: for him he poundeth things most hard to bend,
When he with long loose locks hath drunk, with Rudra, water from the cup.
HYMN CXXXVII Visvedevas.
1. YE Gods, raise up once more the man whom ye have humbled and brought low.
O Gods, restore to life again the man who hatb committed sin.
2. Two several winds are blowing here, from Sindhu, from a distant land.
May one breathe energy to thee, the other blow disease away.
3. Hither, O Wind, blow healing balm, blow all disease away, thou Wind;
For thou who hast all medicine comest as envoy of the Gods.
4. I am come nigh to thee with balms to give thee rest and keep thee safe.
I bring thee blessed strength, I drive thy weakening malady away.
5. Here let the Gods deliver him, the Maruts’ band deliver him:
All things that be deliver him that he be freed from his disease.
6. The Waters have their healing power, the Waters drive disease away.
The Waters have a balm for all: let them make medicine for thee.
7. The tongue that leads the voice precedes. Then with our ten-fold branching hands,
With these two chasers of disease we stroke thee with a gentle touch.
HYMN CXXXVIII. Indra.
1. ALLIED with thee in friendship, Indra, these, thy priests, remembering Holy Law, rent Vrtra limb from limb,
When they bestowed the Dawns and let the waters flow, and when thou didst chastise dragons at Kutsa’s call.
2. Thou sentest forth productive powers, clavest the hills, thou dravest forth the kine, thou drankest pleasant meath.
Thou gavest increase through this Tree’s surpassing might. The Sun shone by the hymn that sprang from Holy Law.
3. In the mid-way of heaven the Sun unyoked his car: the Arya found a match to meet his Dam foe.
Associate with Rjisvan Indra overthrew the solid forts of Pipru, conjuring Asura.
4. He boldly cast down forts which none had e’er assailed: unwearied he destroycd the godless treasure-stores.
Like Sun and Moon he took the stronghold’s wealth away, and, praised in song, demolished foes with flashing dart.
5. Armed with resistless weapons, with vast power to cleave, the Vrtra-slayer whets his darts and deals fordi wounds.
Bright Usas was afraid of Indra’s slaughtering bolt: she went upon her way and left her chariot there.
6. These are thy famous exploits, only thine, when thou alone hast left the other reft of sacrifice.
Thou in the heavens hast set the ordering of the Moons: the Father bears the felly portioned out by thee.
HYMN CXXXIX. Savitar.
1. SAVITAR, golden-haired, hath lifted eastward, bright With the sunbeams, his eternal lustre;
He in whose energy wise Pusan marches, surveying all existence like a herdsman.
2. Beholding men he sits amid the heaven filling the two world-halves and air’s wide region.
He looks upon the rich far-spreading pastures between the eastern and the western limit.
3. He, root of wealth, the gatherer-up of treasures, looks with his might on every form and figure.
Savitar, like a God.whose Law is constant, stands in the battle for the spoil like Indra.
4. Waters from sacrifice came to the Gandharva Visvavasu, O Soma, when they saw him.
Indra, approaching quickly, marked their going, and looked around upon the Sun’s enclosures.
5. This song Visvavasu shall sing us, meter of air’s mid-realm celestial Gandharva,
That we may know aright both truth and falsehood: may he inspire our thoughts and help our praises.
6. In the floods’ track he found the bootyseeker: the rocky cow-pen’s doors he threw wide open.
These, the Gandharva told him, Rowed with Amrta. Indra knew well the puissancc of the dragons.
HYMN CXL. Agni.
1. AGNI, life-power and fame are thine: thy fires blaze mightily, thou rich in wealth of beams!
Sage, passing bright, thou givest to the worshipper, with strength, the food that merits laud.
2. With brilliant, purifying sheen, with perfect sheen thou liftest up thyself in light.
Thou, visiting both thy Mothers, aidest them as Son: thou joinest close the earth and heaven.
3. O Jatavedas, Son of Strength, rejoice ihyself, gracious, in our fair hymns and songs.
In thee are treasured various forms of strengthening food, born nobly and of wondrous help.
4. Agni, spread forth, as Ruler, over living things: give wealth to us, Immortal God.
Thou shinest out from beauty fair to look upon: thou leadest us to conquering power.
5. To him, the wise, who orders sacrifice, who hath great riches un der his control,
Thou givest blest award of good, and plenteous food, givest him wealth that conquers all.
6. The men have set before them them for their welfare Agni, strong, visible to all, the Holy.
Thee, Godlike One, with ears to hear, most famous, men’s generations magnify with praise-songs.
HYMN CXLI. Visvedevas.
1. TURN hither, Agni, speak to us: come to us with a gracious mind.
Enrich us, Master of the house: thou art the Giver of our wealth.
2. Let Aryarnan vouchsafe us wealth, and Bhaga, and Brhaspati.
Let the Gods give their gifts, and let Sunrta, Goddess, grant us wealth.
3. We call King Soma to our aid, and Agni with our songs and hymns,
Adityas, Visnu, Surya, and the Brahman Priest Brhaspati.
4. Indra, Vayu, Brhaspati, Gods swift to listen, we invoke,
That in the synod all the folk may be benevolent to us.
5. Urge Aryaman to send us gifts, and Indra, and Brhaspati,
Vata, Visnu, Sarasvati and the Strong Courser Savitar.
6. Do thou, O Agni, with thy fires strengthen our prayer and sacrifice:
Urge givers to bestow their wealth to aid our service of the Gods.
HYMN CXLII. Agni.
1. WITH thee, O Agni, was this singer of the laud: he hath no other kinship, O thou Son of Strength.
Thou givest blessed shelter with a triple guard. Keep the destructive lightning far away from us.
2. Thy birth who seekest food is in the falling flood, Agni: as Comrade thou winnest all living things.
Our coursers and our songs shall be victorious: they of themselves advance like one who guards the herd.
3. And thou, O Agni, thou of Godlike nature, sparest the stones, while caring up the brushwood.
Then are thy tracks like deserts in the corn-lands. Let us not stir to wrath thy mighty arrow.
4. O’er hills through vales devouring as thou goest, thou partest like an army fain for booty
As when a barber shaves a beard, thou shavest earth when the wind blows on thy flame and fans it.
5. Apparent are his lines as he approaches the course is single, but the cars are many,
When, Agni, thou, making thine arms resplendent, advancest o’er the land spread out beneath thee.
6. Now let thy strength, thy burning flames fly upward, thine energies, O Agni, as thou toilest.
Gape widely, bend thee, waxing in thy vigour: let all the Vasus sit this day beside thee.
7. This is the waters’ reservoir, the great abode of gathered streams.
Take thou another path than this, and as thou listest walk thereon.
8. On thy way hitherward and hence let flowery Durva grass spring up
Let there be lakes with lotus blooms. These are the mansions of the flood.
