HYMN CXXVI. Bhavayavya.
1. WITH wisdom I present these lively praises of Bhavya dweller on the bank of Sindhu;
For he, unconquered King, desiring glory, hath furnished me a thousand sacrifices.
2. A hundred necklets from the King, beseeching, a hundred gift-steeds I at once accepted;
Of the lord’s cows a thousand, I Kaksivan. His deathless glory hath he spread to heaven.
3. Horses of dusky colour stood beside me, ten chariots, Svanaya’s gift, with mares to draw them.
Kine numbering sixty thousand followed after. Kaksivan gained them when the days were closing.
4. Forty bay horses of the ten cars’ master before a thousand lead the long procession.
Reeling in joy Kaksivan’s sons and Pajra’s have grounded the coursers decked with pearly trappings.
5. An earlier gift for you have I accepted eight cows, good milkers, and tree harnessed horses,
Pajras, who with your wains with your great kinsman, like troops of subjects, have been fain for glory.
HYMN CXXVII Agni.
1. AGNI I hold as herald, the munificent, the gracious, Son of Strength, who knoweth all that live, as holy Singer, knowing all,
Lord of fair rites, a God with form erected turning to the Gods,
He, when the flame hath sprung forth from the holy oil, the offered fatness, longeth for it with his glow.
2. We, sacrificing, call on thee best worshipper, the eldest of Angirases, Singer, with hymns, thee, brilliant One! with singers’ hymns;
Thee, wandering round as ‘t were the sky, who art the invoking Priest of men,
Whom, Bull with hair of flame the people must observe, the people that he speed them on.
3. He with his shining glory blazing far and wide, he verily it is who slayeth demon foes, slayeth the demons like an axe:
At whose close touch things solid shake, and what is stable yields like trees.
Subduing all, he keeps his ground and flinches not, from the skilled archer flinches not.
4. To him, as one who knows, even things solid yield: unrough fire-sticks heated hot he gives his gifts to aid. Men offer Agni gifts for aid.
He deeply piercing many a thing hews it like wood with fervent glow.
Even hard and solid food he crunches with his might, yea, hard and solid food with might.
5. Here near we place the sacrificial food for him who shines forth fairer in the night than in the day, with life then stronger than by day.
His life gives sure and firm defence as that one giveth to a son.
The during fires enjoy things given and things not given, the during fires enjoy as food.
6. He, roaring very loudly like the Maruts’ host, in fertile cultivated fields adorable, in desert spots adorable,
Accepts and eats our offered gifts, ensign of sacrifice by desert;
So let all, joying, love his path when he is glad, as men pursue a path for bliss.
7. Even as they who sarig forth hymns, addressed to heaven, the Blirgus with their prayer and praise invited him, the Bhrgus rubbing, offering gifts.
For radiant Agni, Lord of all these treasures, is exceeding strong.
May he, the wise, accept the grateful coverings, the wise accept the coverings.
8. Thee we invoke, the Lord of all our settled homes, common to all, the household’s guardian, to enjoy, bearer of true hymns, to enjoy.
Thee we invoke, the guest of men, by whose mouth, even as a sire’s,
All these Immortals come to gain their food of life, oblations come to Gods as food.
9. Thou, Agni, most victorious with thy conquering strength, most Mighty One, art born for service of the Gods, like wealth for service of the Gods.
Most mighty is thine ecstasy, most splendid is thy mental power.
Therefore men wait upon thee, undecaying One, like vassals, undecaying One.
10. To him the mighty, conquering with victorious strength, to Agni walking with the dawn, who sendeth kine, be sung your laud, to Agni sung;
As he who with oblation comes calls him aloud in every place.
Before the brands of fire he shouteth singerlike, the herald, kindler of the brands.
11. Agni, beheld by us in nearest neighbourhood, accordant with the Gods, bring us, with gracious love, great riches with thy gracious love.
Give us O Mightiest, what is great, to see and to enjoy the earth.
As one of awful power, stir up heroic might for those who praise thee, Bounteous Lord!
HYMN CXXVIII. Agni.
1. By Manu’s law was born this Agni, Priest most skilled, born for the holy work of those who yearn therefore, yea, born for his own holy work.
All ear to him who seeks his love and wealth to him who strives for fame,
Priest ne’er deceived, he sits in Ila’s holy place, girt round in Ila’s holy place.
2. We call that perfecter of worship by the path or sacrifice; with reverence rich in offerings, with worship rich in offerings.
Through presentation of our food he grows not old in this his from;
The God whom Matarisvan brought from far away, for Manu brought from far away.
3. In ordered course forthwith he traverses the earth, swift-swallowing, bellowing Steer, bearing the genial seed, bearing the seed and bellowing.
Observant with a hundred eyes the God is conqueror in the wood:
Agni, who hath his seat in broad plains here below, and in the high lands far away.
4. That Agni, wise High-Priest, in every house takes thought for sacrifice and holy service, yea, takes thought, with mental power, for sacrifice.
Disposer, he with mental power shows all things unto him who strives;
Whence he was born a guest enriched with holy oil, born as Ordainer and as Priest.
5. When through his power and in his strong prevailing flames the Maruts’ gladdening boons mingle with Agni’s roar, boons gladdening for the active One,
Then he accelerates the gift, and by the greatness of his wealth,
Shall rescue us from overwhelming misery, from curse and overwhelming woe.
6. Vast, universal, good he was made messenger; the speeder with his right hand hath not loosed his hold, through love of fame not loosed his hold.
He bears oblations to the Gods for whosoever supplicates.
Agni bestows a blessing on each pious man, and opens wide the doors for him.
7. That Agni hath been set most kind in camp of men, in sacrifice like a Lord victorious, like a dear Lord in sacred rites.
His are the oblations of mankind when offered up at Ili’s place.
He shall preserve us from Varuna’s chastisement, yea, from the great God’s chastisement.
8. Agni the Priest they supplicate to grant them wealth: him, dear, most thoughtful, have they made their messenger, him, offering-bearer have they made,
Beloved of all, who knoweth all, the Priest, the Holy one, the Sage-
Him, Friend, for help, the Gods when they are fain for wealth, him, Friend, with hymns, when fain for wealth.
YMN CXXIX Indra.
1. THE car which Indra, thou, for service of the Gods though it be far away, O swift One, bringest near, which, Blameless One, thou bringest near,
Place swiftly nigh us for our help: be it thy will that it be strong.
Blameless and active, hear this speech of orderers, this speech of us like orderers.
2. Hear, Indra, thou whom men in every fight must call to show thy strength, for cry of battle with the men, with men of war for victory.
He who with heroes wins the light, who with the singers gains the prize,
Him the rich seek to gain even as a swift strong steed, even as a courser fleet and strong.
3. Thou, Mighty, pourest forth the hide that holds the rain, thou keepest far away, Hero, the wicked man, thou shuttest out the wicked man.
Indra, to thee I sing, to Dyaus, to Rudra glorious in himself,
To Mitra, Varuna I sing a far-famed hymn to the kind God a far-famed hymn.
4. We. wish our Indra here that he may further you, the Friend, beloved of all, the very strong ally, in wars the very strong ally
In all encounters strengthen thou our prayer to be a help to us.
No enemy-whom thou smitest downsubdueth thee, no enemy, whom thou smitest down.
5. Bow down the overweening pride of every foe with succour like to kindling-wood in fiercest flame, with mighty succour, Mighty One.
Guide us, thou Hero, as of old, so art thou counted blameless still.
Thou drivest, as a Priest, all sins of man away, as Priest, in person, seeking us.
6. This may I utter to the present Soma-drop, which, meet to be invoked, with power, awakes the prayer, awakes the demon-slaying prayer.
May he himself with darts of death drive far from us the scorner’s hate.
Far let him flee away who speaketh wickedness and vanish like a mote of dust.
7. By thoughtful invocation this may we obtain, obtain great wealth, O Wealthy One, with Hero sons, wealth that is sweet with hero sons.
Him who is wroth we pacify with sacred food and eulogies,
Indra the Holy with our calls inspired and true, the Holy One with calls inspired.
8. On, for your good and ours, come Indra with the aid of his own lordliness to drive the wicked hence, to rend the evilhearted ones!
The weapon which devouring fiends cast at us shall destroy themselves.
Struck down, it shall not reach the mark; hurled forth, the fire-brand shall not strike.
9. With riches in abundance, Indra, come to us, come by an unobstructed path, come by a path from demons free.
Be with us when we stray afar, be with us when our home is nigh.
Protect us with thy help both near and far away: protect us ever with thy help.
10. Thou art our own, O Indra, with victorious wealth: let might accompany thee, the Strong, to give us aid, like Mitra, to give mighty aid.
O strongest saviour, helper thou, Immortal! of each warrior’s car.
Hurt thou another and not us, O Thunderarmed, one who would hurt, O Thunder-armed!
11. Save us from injury, thou who art well extolled: ever the warder-off art thou of wicked ones, even as a God, of wicked ones;
Thou slayer of the evil fiend, saviour of singer such as I.
Good Lord, the Father made thee slayer of the fiends, made thee, good Lord, to slay the fiends.
