RIG VEDA

Translator Ralph T.H. Griffith

THE NINTH BOOK – Page 3

HYMN XC. Soma Pavamana,

1. URGED On, the Father of the Earth and Heaven hath gone forth like a car to gather booty,
Going to Indra, sharpening his weapons, and in his hand containing every treasure.

2. To him the tones of sacred song have sounded, Steer of the triple height, the Life-bestower.
Dwelling in wood as Varuna in rivers, lavishing treasure he distributes blessings

3. Great Conqueror, warnor-girt, Lord of all heroes, flow on thy way as he who winneth riches;
With sharpened. arms, with swift bow, never vanquished in battle, vanquishing in fight the foemen.

4. Giving security, Lord of wide dominion, send us both earth and heaven with all their fulness.
Striving to win the Dawns, the light, the waters, and cattle, call to us abundant vigour.

5. O Soma, gladden Varuna and Mitra; cheer, Indu Pavamana! Indra, Visnu.
Cheer thou the Gods, the Company of Maruts: Indu, cheer mighty Indra to rejoicing.

6. Thus like a wise and potent King flow onward, destroying with thy vigour all misfortunes.
For our well-spoken hymn give life, O Indu. Do ye preserve us evermore with blessings.


HYMN XCI. Soma Pavamana.

1. As for a chariot-race, the skilful Speaker, Chief, Sage, Inventor, hath, with song, been started.
The sisters ten upon the fleecy summit drive on the Car-horse to the resting places.

2. The drop of Soma, pressed by wise Nahusyas, becomes the banquet of the Heavenly People-
Indu, by hands of mortal men made beauteous, immortal, with the sheep and cows and waters.

3. Steer roaring unto Steer, this Pavamana, this juice runs to the white milk of the milch-cow.
Through thousand fine hairs goes the tuneful Singer, like Sura by his fair and open pathways.

4. Break down the, strong seats even of the demons: cleansing thee, Indu, robd thyself in vigour.
Rend with thy swift bolt, coming from above them, those who are near and those who yet are distant.

5. Prepare the forward paths in ancient manner for the new bymn, thou Giver of all bounties.
Those which are high and hard for foes to conquer may we gain from thee, Active! Food-bestower!

6. So purifying thee vouchsafe us waters, heaven’s light, and cows, offipring and many children.
Give us health, ample land, and lights, O Soma, and grant us long to look upon the sunshine.


HYMN XCII. Soma Pavamana.

1. THE gold-hued juice, poured out upon the filter, is started like a car sent forth to conquer.
He hath gained song and vigour while they cleansed him, and hath rejoiced the Gods with entertainments.

2. He who beholdeth man hath reached the filter: bearing his name, the Sage hath sought his dwelling.
The Rsis came to him, seven holy singers, when in the bowls he settled as Invoker.

3. Shared by all Gods, mobt wise, propitious, Soma goes, while they cleanse him, to his constant station.
Let him rejoice in all his lofty wisdom to the Five Tribes the Sage attains with labour.

4. In thy mysterious place, O Pavamana Soma, are all the Gods, the Thrice-Eleven.
Ten on the fleecy height, themselves, self-prompted, and seven fresh rivers, brighten and adorn thee.

5. Now let this be the truth of Pavamana, there where all singers gather them together,
That he hath given us room and made the daylight, hath holpen Manu and repelled the Dasyu.

6. As the priest seeks the station rich in cattle, like a true King who goes to great assemblies,
Soma hath sought the beakers while they cleansed him, and like a wild bull, in the wood hath settled.


HYMN XCIII. Soma Pavamana.

1. TEN sisters, pouring out the rain together, swift-moving thinkers of the sage, adorn him.
Hither hath run the gold-hued Child of Surya and reached the vat like a fleet vigorous courser.

2. Even as a youngling crying to his mothers, the bounteous Steer hath flowed along to waters.
As youth to damsel, so with milk he hastens on to the. chose meeting-place, the beaker.

3. Yea, swollen is the udder of the milch-cow: thither in streams goes very sapient Indu.
The kine make ready, as with new-washed treasures, the Head and Chief with milk within the vessels.

4. With all the Gods, O Indu Pavamana, while thou art roaring send us wealth in horses.
Hither upon her car come willing Plenty, inclined to us, to give us of her treasures.

5. Now unto us mete riches, while they cleansethee, all-glorious, swelling wealth, with store of heroes.
Long be his life who worships, thee, O Indu. May he, enriched with prayer, come soon and early.


HYMN XCIV. Soma Pavamana.

1. WHEN beauties strive for him as for a charger, then strive the songs like soldiers for the sunlight.
Acting the Sage, he flows enrobed in waters and song as ’twere a stall that kine may prosper.

2. The worlds expand to hirn who from aforetime found light to spread the law of life eternal.
The swelling songs, like kine within the stable, in deep devotion call aloud on Indu.

3. When the sage bears his holy wisdom round him, like a car visiting all worlds, the Hero,
Becoming fame, mid Gods, unto the mortal, wealth to the skilled, worth praise mid the Ever-present,

4. For glory born be hath come forth to glory: he giveth life and glory to the singers.
They, clothed in glory, have become immortal. He, measured in his course, makes frays successful.

5. Stream to us food and vigour, kine and horses: give us broad lights and fill thGods with rapture.
All ther are easy things for thee to master thou, Pavamana Soma, quellest foemen.


HYMN XCV Soma Pavamana.

1. Loud neighs the Tawny Steed when started, settling deep in the wooden vessel while they cleanse him.
Led by the men he takes the milk for raiment: then shall he, through his powers, engender praise-songs.

2. As one who rows drives on his boat, he, Gold-hued, sends forth his voice, loosed on the path of Order.
As God, the secret names of Gods he utters, to be declared on sacred grass more widely.

3. Hastening onward like the waves of waters, our holy hymns are pressing nigh to Soma.
To him they come with lowly adoration, and, longing, enter him who longs to meet them.

4. They drain the stalk, the Steer who dwells on mountains, even as a Bull who decks him on the upland.
Hymns follow and attend him as he bellows: Trita bears Varuna aloft in ocean.

5. Sending thy voice out as Director, loosen the Invoker’s thought, O Indu, as they cleanse thee.
While thou and Indra rule for our advantage, may we be masters of heroic vigour.


HYMN XCVI. Soma Pavamana

1. IN forefront of the cars forth goes the Hero, the Leader, winning spoil: his host rejoices.
Soma endues his robes of lasting colours, and blesses, for his friends, their calls on Indra.

2. Men decked with gold adorn his golden tendril, incessantly with steed-impelling homage.
The Friend of Indra mounts his car well-knowing, he comes thereon to meet the prayer we offer.

3. O God, for service of the Gods flow onward, for food sublime, as Indra’s drink, O Soma.
Making the floods, bedewing earth and heaven, come from the vast, comfort us while we cleanse thee

4. Flow for prosperity and constant Vigour, flow on for happiness and high perfection.
This is the wish of these friends assembled: this is my wish, O Soma Pavamana.

5. Father of holy hymns, Soma flows onward the Father of the earth, Father of heaven:
Father of Agni, Surya’s generator, the Father who begat Indra and Visnu.

6. Brahman of Gods, the Leader of the poets, Rsi of sages, Bull of savage creatures,
Falcon amid the vultures, Axe of forests, over the cleansing sieve goes Soma singing.

7. He, Soma Pavamana, like a river, hath stirred the wave of voice, our songs and praises.
Beholding these inferior powers in cattle, he rests among them as a Steer well-knowing.

8. As Gladdener, Warrior never harmed in battle, with thousand genial streams, pour strength and vigour.
As thoughtful Pavamana, urge O Indu, speeding the kine, the plant’s wave on to Indra.

9. Dear, grateful to the Gods, on to the beaker moves Soma, sweet to Indra, to delight him.
With hundred powers, with thousand currents, Indu, like a strong car-horse, goes to the assembly.

10. Born in old time as finder-out of treasures, drained with the stone, decking himself in waters,
Warding off curses, King of all existence, he shall find way for prayer the while they cleanse him.

11. For our sage fathers, Soma Pavamana, of old performed, by thee, their sacred duties.
Fighting unvanquished, open the enclosures: enrich us with large gifts of steeds and heroes.

12. As thou didst flow for Manu Life-bestowing, Foe-queller, Comforter, rich in oblations,
Even thus flow onward now conferring riches: combine with Indra, and bring forth thy weapons.

13. Flow onward, Soma, rich in sweets and holy,. enrobed in waters on the fleecy summit.
Settle in vessels that are full of fatness, as cheering and most gladdening drink for Indra.

14. Pour, hundred-streamed, winner of thousands, mighty at the Gods’ banquet, Pour the rain of heaven,
While thou with rivers roarest in the beaker, and blent with milk prolongest our existence.

15. Purified with our holy hymns, this Soma o’ertakes malignities like some strong charger,
Like fresh milk poured by Aditi, like passage in ample room, or like a docile car-horse.

16. Cleansed by the pressers, armed with noble weapons, stream to us the fair secret name thou bearest.
Pour booty, like a horse, for love of glory God, Soma, send us kine, and send us Vayu.

17. They deck him at his birth, the lovely Infant, the Maruts with their troop adorn the Car-horse.
By songs a Poet and a Sage by wisdom, Soma joes singing through the cleansing filter.

18. Light-winner, Rsi-mindcd, Rsi-maker, hymned in a thousand hymns, Leader of sages,
A Steer who strives to gain his third form, Soma is, like Viraj, resplendent as a Singer.

19. Hawk seated in the bowls, Bird wide-extended, the Banner seeking kine and wielding weapons,
Following close the sea, the wave of waters, the great Bull tells his fourth form and declares it.

20. Like a fair youth who decorates his body, a courser rushing to the gain of riches,
A steer to herds, so, flowing to the pitcher, he with a roar hath passed into the beakers.

21. Flow on with might as Pavamana, Indu flow loudly roaring through the fleecy filter.
Enter the beakers sporting, as they cleanse thee, and let thy gladdening juice make Indra joyful.

22. His streams have been effused in all their fulness, and he hath entered, balmed with milk, the goblets.
Singing his psalm, well-skilled in song, a Chanter, be comes as ’twere to his friend’s sister roaring.

23. Chasing our foes thou comest, Pavamana Indu, besting, as lover to his darling.
As a bird flies and settles in the forest, thus Soma settles, purified, in goblets.

24. With full stream and abundant milk, O Soma, thy beams come, like a woman, as they cleanse thee.
He, gold-hued, rich in boons, brought to the waters, hath roared within the goblet of the pious.