BOOK V
CHAPTER I
I Soma Pavamana
1. The Maruts with their troop adorn and brighten, even at his birth, the Sage, the lovely infant.
By songs a poet, and a Sage by wisdom, Soma goes singing through the cleansing filter.
2. Light-winner, Rishi-minded, Rishi-maker, hymned in a thousand hymns, leader of sages,
Eager to gain his third form, mighty, Soma is, like Viraj, resplendent as a singer.
3. Hawk seated in the press, bird wide-extended, the banner seeking kine and wielding weapons,
Uniting with the sea, the wave of waters, the mighty tells his fourth form and declares it.
II Soma Pavamana
1. Obeying Indra’s dear desire these Soma juices have flowed forth
Increasing his heroic might.
2. Laid in the press and flowing pure to Vayu and the Asvins, may
These give us great heroic strength.
3. Soma, as thou art purified, incite to bounty Indra’s heart,
To seat him in the shrine of Gods!
4. The ten swift fingers deck thee forth seven ministers impel thee on,
The sages have rejoiced in thee.
5. When through the filter thou art poured we clothe thee with a robe of milk,
To be a rapturous feast for Gods.
6. When purified within the jars, Soma bright-red and golden-hued,
Hath veiled him in a milky dress.
7. Flow onward to our wealthy lords. Drive all our enemies away:
O lndu, pass into thy friend!
8. May we obtain thee, Indra’s drink, who viewest men and findest light,
Gain thee and progeny and food!
9. Send down the rain from heaven and make splendour upon the earth! Give us,
O Soma, victory in war!
III Soma Pavamana
1. Poured through the fleece in thousand streams purified Soma floweth to,
Indra’s and Vayu’s meeting-place.
2. Sing forth, ye men who long for help, to Pavamana, to the Sage,
Effused to entertain the Gods!
3. The Soma drops with thousand powers are purified to win us strength,
Hymned to become the feast of Gods.
4. Yea, as thou flowest bring great store of food that we may win us strength:
Indu, bring splendid manly might
5. Like coursers by their drivers urged, they were poured forth, to win us strength,
Swift through the woollen straining-cloth.
6. May they in flowing give us wealth in thousands, and heroic power,–
These godlike Soma drops effused!
7. The roaring Soma drops flow on, like milch-kine lowing to, their calves:
They have run forth from both the hands.
8. Beloved by Indra, bringing joy, roaring as thou art purified,
Drive all our enemies away.
9. As Pavamanas, driving off the godless, looking on the light,
Sit in the place of sacrifice.
IV Soma Pavamana
1. The Soma drops, exceeding rich in sweets, to Indra have been poured,
Shed with the stream of sacrifice.
2. Sages have called to Indra, like cows, milch-kine, lowing to their calves,
Called him to drink the Soma juice.
3. In the stream’s wave wise Soma dwells, distilling rapture, in his. seat,
Resting upon a wild cow’s hide.
4. Far-sighted Soma, Sage and bard, is worshipped in the central point,
Of heaven, the straining-cloth of wool.
5. In close embracement Indu holds Soma when poured within the: jars.
And on the purifying sieve.
6. Indu sends forth a voice on high, up in the region of the sea.
Stirring the cask that drops with meath.
7. The tree whose praises never fail dwells in the stream of holy milk,
Urged onward by its human friend.
8. O Pavamana bring us wealth bright with a thousand splendours; yea,
O Indu, give us ready help!
9. Sage, poet, poured with all his stream, Soma is driven, far away,
To the dear places of the sky.
V Soma Pavamana
1. Loud as a river’s roaring wave thy powers have lifted up themselves:
Urge on thine arrow’s sharpened point!
2. At thine effusion upward rise three voices fresh and strong, when thou.
Flowest upon the fleecy ridge.
3. On to the fleece they urge with stones the dear, the goldencoloured one,
Even Pavamana dropping meath.
4. Flow with thy current to the sieve, O Sage, best giver of delight,
To seat these in the shrine of song!
5. Best giver of delight, flow on anointed with the milk for balm,
And enter into Indra’s throat!
VI Soma Pavamana
1. Flow onward, Indu, with this food for him who in thy wild delights,
Battered the nine-and-ninety down.
2. Smote swiftly forts, and Sambara, then Yadu and that Turvasa,
For pious Divodasa’s sake!
3. Finder of horses, pour on us horses and wealth in kine and gold,
And Indu, food in boundless store!
VII Soma Pavamana
1. Chasing our foemen, driving off the godless, Soma floweth on,
Going to Indra’s settled place.
2. O Pavamana, hither bring great riches, and destroy our foes:
O Indu, grant heroic fame!
3. A hundred obstacles have ne’er checked thee when rain to give thy boons,
When, being cleansed, thou combatest.
VIII Soma Pavamana
1. Flow onward with that stream wherewith thou gavest splendour to the sun,
Speeding the waters kind to man!
2. He, Pavamana, high o’er man, yoked the Sun’s courser Etasa,
To travel through the realm of air.
3. Yea, those bay steeds he harnessed to the chariot that the Sun might come:
Indu, he said, is Indra’s self.
IX Agni
1. Associate with fires, make your God Agni envoy at sacrifice, best skilled in worship,
Established firm among mankind, the holy flame-crowned and fed with oil, the purifier!
2. Like a steed neighing eager for the pasture, when he hath stepped forth from the great enclosure:
Then the wind following blows upon his splendour, and, straight, the path is black which thou hast travelled.
3. From thee, a bull but newly born, O Agni, the kindled everlasting flames rise upward.
Aloft to heaven as ruddy smoke thou mountest: Agni, thou speedest to the Gods as envoy.
X Indra
1. We make this Indra very strong to strike the mighty Vritra dead:
A vigorous hero shall he be.
2. This Indra, made for giving gifts, is stablished, mightiest, in strength,
Bright, meet for Soma, famed in song.
3. By song, as ’twere’ the powerful bolt which none may parry, was prepared:
Strong and invincible he grew.
XI Soma Pavamana
I. Adhvaryu, to the filter lead the Soma-juice expressed with stones:
Make thou it pure for Indra’s drink!
2. These Gods and all the Marut host, Indu! enjoy this juice of thine,
This Pavamana’s flowing meath.
3. Pour out for Indra, Thunder-armed, the milk of heaven, the Soma’s juice,
Most excellent, most rich in sweets!
XII Soma Pavamana
1. On flows the potent juice, sustainer of the heavens, the strength of Gods, whom men must hail with shouts of joy,
Thou, gold-hued, started like a courser by brave men, art lightly showing forth thy splendour in the streams.
2. He takes his weapons, like a hero, in his hands, fain to win light, car-borne, in forays for the kine.
Indu, while stimulating Indra’s might, is urged forward and balmed by sages skilful in their task.
3. Soma, as thou art purified with flowing wave, exhibiting thy strength enter thou Indra’s throat.
Make both worlds stream for us, as lightning doth the clouds: mete out exhaustless powers for us through this our prayer!
XIII Indra
1. Though, Indra, thou art called by men eastward and westward, north and south,
Thou chiefly art with Anava and Turvasa, brave champion! urged by men to come.
2. Or, Indra, when with Ruma, Rusama, Syavaka, and Kripa thou rejoicest thee,
Still do the Kanvas, bringing prayer, with hymns of praise O Indra, draw thee hither: come!
XIV Indra
1. Both boons,-may, Indra, hitherward turned, listen to this prayer of ours.
And mightiest Maghavan with thought inclined to us come near to drink to Soma juice!
2. For him, strong, independent ruler, Heaven and Earth have fashioned forth with power and might.
Thou seatest thee as first among thy peers in place, for thy soul longs for Soma juice.
XV Soma Pavamana
1. God, working with mankind flow on; to Indra go thy gladdening juice:
To Vayu mount as Law commands!
2. O Soma Pavamana, thou pourest out wealth that may be famed:
O Indu, pass into the lake!
3. Soma, thou flowest chasing foes, finder of wisdom and delight:
Drive thou the godless folk afar!
XVI Soma Pavamana
1. Stream on us riches that are craved by hundreds, best at winning spoil,
Riches, O Indu, thousandfold, most splendid, that surpass the light!
2. May we, O Vasu, be most near to this thy bounty, food, and wealth!
Desired by many men, and in thy favour, O resistless one!
3. Effused, this Indu hath flowed on, distilling rapture, to the fleece.
He streams erect to sacrifice, as ’twere with splendour, seeking kine.
XVII Soma Pavamana
1. Flow onward, Soma, as a mighty sea, as Father of the Gods, to every form!
2. Flow on, O Soma, radiant for the Gods, blissful to heaven and earth and living things!
3. Thou art, bright juice, sustainer of the sky: flow, mighty, in accordance with true law!
XVIII Agni
I. I laud your most beloved guest, like a dear friend,
O Agni, him!
Who, like a chariot, wins us wealth.
2. Whom as a Sage who merits praise the Gods have, from the olden time,
Established among mortal men.
3. Do thou, most youthful God, protect the men who offer, hear their songs,
And of thyself preserve their seed!
XIX Indra
1. Come unto us, O Indra, dear, still conquering, unconcealable
Wide as a mountain spread on all sides, Lord of heaven.
2. O truthful Soma-drinker, thou art mightier than both the worlds.
Thou strengthenest him who pours’libation, Lord of heaven.
3. For thou art he, O Indra, who upholdeth all our fortresses,
The Dasyu’s slayer, man’s sustainer, Lord of heaven.
XX Indra
1. Render of forts, the young, the wise, of strength unmeasured, was he born,
Sustainer of each sacred rite, Indra, the Thunderer, much extolled,
2. Thou wielder of the stone, didst burst the cave of Vala rich in kine.
The Gods came pressing to thy side, and free from terror aided thee.
3. They glorified with hymns of praise Indra who reigneth by his might,
Whose bounteous gifts in thousands come, yea, even more abundantly.