RIG VEDA

HYMN LXIV. Agni.

1. YOKE, Agni, as a charioteer, thy steeds who best invite the Gods: As ancient Herald seat thyself.

2. And, God, as skilfullest of all, call for us bitherward the Gods:
Give all our wishes sure effect.

3. For thou, Most Youthful, Son of Strength, thou to whom sacrifice is paid,
Art holy, faithful to the Law.

4. This Agni, Lord of wealth and spoil hundredfold, thousandfold, is head
And chief of riches and a Sage.

5. As craftsmen bend the felly, so bend at our general call: come nigh,
Angiras, to the sacrifice.

6. Now, O Virupa, rouse for him, Strong God who shines at early morn,
Fair praise with voice that ceases not.

7. With missile of this Agni, his who looks afar, will we lay low
The thief in combat for the kine.

8. Let not the Companies of Gods fail us, like Dawns that float away,
Like cows who leave the niggardly.

9. Let not the sinful tyranny of any fiercely hating foe
Smite us, as billows smite a ship.

10. O Agni, God, the people sing reverent praise to thee for strength:
With terrors trouble thou the foe.

11. Wilt thou not, Agni, lend us aid in winning cattle, winning wealth?
Maker of room, make room for us.

12. In this great battle cast us not aside as one who bears a load:
Snatch up the wealih and win it all.

13. O Agni, let this plague pursue and fright another and not us:
Make our impetuous strength more strong.

14. The reverent or unwearied man whose holy labour he accepts,
Him Agni favours with success.

15. Abandoning the foeman’s host pass hither to this company:
Assist the men with whom I stand.
16 As we have known thy gracious help, as of a Father, long ago,
So now we pray to thee for bliss.


HYMN LXV. Indra.

I. NOT to forsake me, I invoke this Indra girt by Maruts,
Lord Of magic power who rules with might.

2. This Indra with his Marut Friends clave into pieces Vrtra’s bead
With hundred-knotted thunderbolt.

3. Indra, with Marut Friends grown strong, hath rent asunder Vrtra, and
Released the waters of the sea.

4. This is that Indra who, begirt by Maruts, won the light of heaven
That he might drink the Soma juice.

5. Mighty, impetuous, begirt by Maruts, him who loudly roars,
Indra we invocate with songs.

6. Indra begirt by Maruts we invoke after the ancient plan,
That he may drink the Soma juice.

7. O liberal Indra, Marut-girt, much-lauded Satakratu, drink
The Soma at this sacrifice.

8. To thee, O Indra, Marut-girt, these Soma juices, Thunderer!
Are offered from the heart with lauds.

9. Drink, Indra, with thy Marut Friends, pressed Soma at the morning rites,
Whetting thy thunderbolt with strength.

10. Arising in thy might, thy jaws thou shookest, Indra, having quaffed
The Soma which the mortar pressed.

11. Indra, both worlds complained to thee when uttering thy fearful roar,
What time thou smotest Dasyus dead.

12. From Indra have I measured out a song eight-footed with nine parts,
Delicate, faithful. to the Law.

HYMN LXVI. Indra.

1. SCARCELY was Satakratu, born when of his Mother he inquired,
Who are the mighty? Who are famed?

2. Then Savassi declared to him Aurnavabha, Ahisuva:
Son, these be they thou must o’erthrow

3. The Vrtra-slayer smote them all as spokes are hammered into naves:
The Dasyu-killer waxed in might.

4. Then Indra at a single draught drank the contents of thirty pails,
Pails that were filled with Soma juice.

5. Indra in groundless realms of space pierced the Gandharva through, that he
Might make Brahmans’ strength increase.

6. Down from the mountains Indra shot hither his well-directed shaft:
He gained the ready brew of rice.

7. One only is that shaft of thine, with thousand feathers, hundred barbs,
Which, Indra, thou hast made thy friend.

8. Strong as the gbhus at thy birth, therewith to those who praise thee, men,
And women, bring thou food to eat.

9. By thee these exploits were achieved, the mightiest deeds, abundantly:
Firm in thy heart thou settest them.

10. All these things Visnu brought, the Lord of ample stride whom thou hadst sent-
A hundred buffaloes, a brew of rice and milk: and Indra, slew the ravening boar

11. Most deadly is thy bow, successful, fashioned well: good is thine arrow, decked with gold.
Warlike and well equipped thine arms are, which increase sweetness for him who drinks the sweet.


HYMN LXVII. Indra.

1. BRING us a thousand, Indra, as our guerdon for the Soma juice:
Hundreds of kine, O Hero, bring.

2. Bring cattle, bring us ornament, bring us embellishment and steeds,
Give us, besides, two rings of gold.

3. And, Bold One, bring in ample store rich jewels to adorn thi; ear,
For thou, Good Lord, art far renowned.

4. None other is there for the priest, Hero! but thou, to give him gifts,
To win much spoil and prosper him.

5. Indra can never be brought low, Sakra can never be subdued:
He heareth and beholdeth all.

6. He spieth out the wrath of man, he who can never be deceived:
Ere blame can come he marketh it.

7. He hath his stomach full of might, the Vrtra-slayer, Conqueror,
The Soma-drinker, ordering all.

8. In thee all treasures are combined, Soma all blessed things in thee,
Uninjured, easy to bestow.

9. To thee speeds forth my hope that craves the gift of corn, and kine and gold,
Yea, craving horses, speeds to thee.

10 Indra, through hope in thee alone even this sickle do I grasp.
Fill my hand, Maghavan, with all that it can hold of barley cut or gathered up.


HYMN LXVIII. Soma.

1. THIS here is Soma, ne’er restrained, active, all-conquering bursting forth,
Rsi and Sage by sapience,

2. All that is bare he covers o’er, all that is sick he medicines;
The blind man sees, the cripple walks.

3. Thou, Soma, givest wide defence against the hate of alien men,
Hatreds that waste and weaken us.

4. Thou by thine insight and thy skill, Impetuous One, from heaven and earth
Drivest the sinner’s enmity.

5. When to their task they come with zeal, may they obtain the Giver’s grace,
And satisfy his wish who thirsts.

6. So may he find what erst was lost, so may be speed the pious man,
And lengthen his remaining life.

7. Gracious, displaying tender love, unconquered, gentle in thy thoughts,
Be sweet, O Soma, to our heart.

8. O Soma, terrify us not; strike us not with alarm, O King:
Wound not our heart with dazzling flame.

9 When in my dwelling-place I see the wicked enemies of Gods,
King, chase their hatred far away, thou Bounteous One, dispel our foes.


HYMN LXIX. Indra

1. O Sarakratu! truely I have made none else my Comforter.
Indra; be gracious unto us.

2. Thou who hast ever aided us kindly of old to win the spoil,
As such, O Indra, favour us.

3. What now? As prompter of the poor thou helpest him who sheds the juice.
Wilt thou not, Indra, strengthen us?

4. O Indra, help our chariot on, yea, Thunderer, though it lag behind:
Give this my car the foremost place.

5. Ho there! why sittest thou at case? Make thou my chariot to be first
And bring the fame of victory near.

6. Assist our car that seeks the prize. What can be easier for thee?
So make thou us victorious.

7. Indra, be firm: a fort art thou. To thine appointed place proceeds
The auspicious hymn in season due.

8. Let not our portion be disgrace. Broad is the course, the prize is set,
The barriers are opened wide.

9. This thing we wish. that thou mayst take thy fourth, thy sacrificial name.
So art thou held to be our Lord.

10. Ekadyu hath exalted you, Immortals: both Goddesses and Gods hath he delighted.
Bestow upon him bounty meet for praises. May he, enriched with prayer, come soon and early.


HYMN LXX. Indra.

1. INDRA, God of the mighty arm, gather for us with thy right hand
Manifold and nutritious spoil.

2. We know thee mighty in thy deeds, of mighty bounty, mighty wealth,
Mighty in measure, prompt to aid.

3. Hero, when thou art fain to give, neither may Gods nor mortal men
Restrain thee like a fearful Bull.

4. Come, let us glorify Indra, Lord supreme of wealth, Self-ruling King:
In bounty may he harm us not.

5. Let prelude sound and following chant so let him hear the Saman sung,
And with his bounty answer us.

6. O Indra, with thy right hand bring, and with thy left remember us.
Let us not lose our share of wealth.

7. Come nigh, O Bold One, boldly bring hither the riches of the churl
Who giveth least of all the folk.

8. Indra, the booty which thou hast with holy singers to receive,
Even that booty win with us.

9. Indra, thy swiftly-coming spoil, the booty which rejoices all,
Sounds quick in concert with our hopes.