BOOK VIII
CHAPTER III
I Agni
1.Wise Agni, in the ancient way, making his body beautiful,
Hath been exalted by the sage.
2. I invocate the Child of Strength, Agni whose glow is bright and pure,
In this well-ordered sacrifice.
3. So, Agni, rich in many friends, with fiery splendour seat thyself.
With Gods upon our sacred grass!
II Soma Pavamana
1. O thou with stones for arms, thy powers, rending the fiends, have raised themselves:
Drive off the foes who compass us
2. Hence conquering with might when car meets car, and when the prize is staked,
With fearless heart will I sing praise.
3. None, evil-minded, may assail this Pavamana’s holy laws
Crush him who fain would fight with thee!
4. For Indra to the streams they urge the tawny rapture-dropping steed,
Indu, the bringer of delight.
III Indra
1. Come hither, Indra, with bay steeds, joyous, with tails like peacocks’ plumes!
Let no men check thy course as fowlers stay the bird: pass o’er them as o’er desert lands!
2. Vritra’s devourer, he who burst the cloud, brake forts, and drave the floods,
Indra, who mounts his chariot at his bay steeds’ cry, shatters e’en things that stand most firm.
3. Like pools of water deep and full, like kine thou cherishest thy might;
Like the milch-cows that go well-guarded to the mead, like water-brooks that reach the lake.
IV Indra
1. Even as the wild bull, when he thirsts, goes to the desert’s watery pool,
Come hither quickly both at morning and at eve, and with the Kanvas drink thy fill!
2. May the drops gladden thee, Lord Indra, and obtain bounty for him who pours the juice!
Soma, shed in the press, thou stolest and didst drink, and hence hast won surpassing might.
V Indra
I. Thou as a God. O mightiest, verily blessest mortal man.
O Maghavan, there is no comforter but thou: Indra, I speak my words to thee.
2. Let not thy bounteous gifts, let not thy saving help all fail us good Lord, at any time!
And measure out to us, thou lover of man-kind, all riches hitherward from men
VI Dawn
I. This Lady, excellent and kind, after her sister shining forth, Daughter of Heaven, hath shown herself.
2. Red, like a mare, and beautiful, holy, the mother of the kine, The Dawn became the Asvins’ friend.
3. Yea, and thou art the Asvins’, friend the mother of the cows art thou: O Dawn, thou rules over wealth
VII Asvins
1. Now Morning with her earliest light shines forth, dear daughter of the Sky:
High, Asvins, I extol your praise
2. Children of Ocean, mighty ones, discoverers of riches, Gods,
Finders of treasure through our prayer!
3. Your lofty coursers hasten over the everlasting realm, whea your car flies with winged steeds.
VIII Dawn
1. O Dawn who hast a store of wealth, bring unto us that splendid gift
Wherewith we may support children and children’s sons
2. Thou radiant Lady of sweet strains, with wealth of horses and of kine
Shine thou on us this day, O Dawn, auspiciously
3. O Dawn who hast a store of wealth, yoke red steeds to thy car to-day.
Then bring us all delight and all felicities
IX Asvins
1. O Asvins, wonderful in act, do ye unanimous direct
Your chariot to our home wealthy in kine and gold!
2. Hither may they who wake at dawn bring, to drink Soma, both the Gods,
Health-givers, wonder-workers, borne on paths of gold!
3. Ye who brought down the hymn from heaven, a light that giveth light to men,
Do ye, O Asvins, bring strength hither unto us!
X Agni
1. I think of Agni who is kind, whom, as their home, the milch-kine seek;
Whom fleet-foot coursers seek as home, and strong enduring, steeds as home.
Bring food to those who sing thy praise!
2. For Agni, God of all mankind, gives the strong courser to theman.
Agni gives ready gear for wealth, he gives the best when he ix pleased.
Bring food to those who sing thy praise!
3. The Agni who is praised as kind, to whom the milch-kine come. in herds,
To whom the racers, swift of foot, to whom our wellborn princes come. Bring food to those who sing thy praise!
XI Dawn
1. O heavenly Dawn, awaken us to ample opulence today,
Even as thou didst waken us with Satyasravas, Vayya’s, Son, high-born! delightful with thy steeds!
2. Daughter of heaven, thou dawnedst of Sunitha, Suchadratha’s son;
So dawn thou on one mightier still, on Satyasravas, Vayya’s son, high-born! delightful with thy steeds!
3. So bringing treasure, shine to-day on us, thou daughter, of the Sky,
As on one mightier thou hast dawned, on Satyasravas, Vayya’s son, high-born! delightful with thy steeds!
XII Asvins
1. To meet your treasure-bringing car, the car that is most dear to us,
Asvins the Rishi is prepared, your worshipper with, songs of praise. Lovers of sweetness, hear my call
2. Pass, Asvins, over all away. May I obtain you for myself,
Wonderful, with your golden paths, most gracious, bringers of the flood! Lovers of sweetness, hear my call!
3. Come to us, O ye Asvins twain, bringing your precious treasures, come
Ye Rudras, on your paths of gold, rejoicing, with your store of wealth! Lovers of sweetness, hear my call!
XIII Agni
1. Agni is wakened by the people’s fuel to meet the Dawn who cometh like a milch-cow.
Like young trees shooting up on high their branches, his flames mounting to the vault of heaven.
2. For the Gods’ worship hath the priest been wakened: kind Agni hath arisen erect at morning.
Kindled, his radiant might is made apparent, and the great God hath been set free from darkness.
3. When he hath roused the line of his attendants, with the bright milk bright Agni is anointed.
Then is prepared the effectual oblation, which spread in front, with tongues, erect, he drinketh,
XIV Dawn
1. This light is come, amid all lights the fairest: born is the brilliant, far-extending brightness.
Night, sent away for Savitar’s uprising, hath yielded up a birthplace for the morning.
2. The fair, the bright is come with her white offspring to her the Dark one hath resigned her dwelling.
Akin, immortal, following each other, changing their colours both the heavens move onward.
3. Common, unending is the sisters’ pathway: taught by the Gods alternately they travel,
Fair-formed, of different hues and yet one-minded, Night and Dawn clash not, neither do they tarry.
XV Asvins
1. Agni, the bright face of the Dawns, is shining: the singers’ pious voices have ascended.
Borne on your chariot, Asvins, turn you hither, and come unto our brimming warm libation!
2. Most frequent guests, they scorn not what is ready: even now the lauded Asvins are beside us.
With promptest aid they come at morn and evening, the worshipper’s most healthful guards from trouble.
3. Yea, come at milking-time, at early morning, at noon of day, and when the Sun is setting,
By day, at night, with most auspicious favour! Not only now the draught hath drawn the Asvins.
XVI Dawn
1. These Dawns have raised their banner: in the eastern half of middle air they spread abroad their shining light.
Like heroes who prepare their weapons for the fray, the cows are coming on, the mothers, red of hue.
2. Rapidly have the ruddy beams of light shot up: the red cows have they harnessed, easy to be yoked.
The Dawns have made their pathways as in former times: redhued, they have attained refulgent brilliancy.
3. They sing their song like women active in their tasks, along their common path hither from far away,
Bringing refreshment to the liberal devotee, yea, all things to the worshipper who pours the juice.
XVII Asvins
1. Agni is wakened: Surya riseth from the earth. Bright Dawn hath opened out the mighty twain with light.
The Asvins have equipped their chariot for the course. God Savitar hath roused the world in sundry ways.
2. When, O ye Asvins, ye equip your mighty car, with fatness and with honey balm, ye twain, our power!
To our devotion give victorious strength in war: may we win riches in the heroes’ strife for spoil!
3. Nigh to us come the Asvins’ lauded three wheeled car, the car laden with meath and drawn by fleet-foot steeds,Three-seated, opulent, bestowing all delight: may it bring weal to us, to cattle and to men!
XVIII Soma Pavamana
1. Thy streams that never fail or waste flow forth like showers of rain from heaven,
To bring a thousand stores of wealth.
2. He, flows beholding on his way all well-beloved sacred lore,
Green-tinted, brandishing his arms.
3. He, when the people deck him like a docile king of elephants,
Sits as a falcon in the wood.
4. So bring thou hitherward to us, Indu, while thou art purified.
All treasures both of heaven and earth!
