Part II, Book V — Uttarārcika hymns

THE Maruts with their troop adorn and brighten, even at his birth, the Sage, the lovely infant.

Hawk seated in the press, bird wide-extended, the

OBEYING Indra's dear desire these Soma juices have

Laid in the press and flowing pure to Vavu and the

Soma, as thoti art purified, incite to bounty Indras

The ten swift fingers deck thee forth seven ministers

When through the filter thou art poured we clothe

When purified within the jars, Soma bright-red and

Flow onward to our wealthy lords. Drive all our

May we obtain thee, Indra's drink, who viewest

Send down the rain from heaven and make splendour

POURED through the fleece in thousand streams

Sing forth, ye men who long for help, to Pavamana,

The Soma drops with thousand powers are purified

Yea, as thou flowest bring great store of food that

Like coursers by their drivers urged, they were

May they in flowing give us wealth in thousands,

The roaring Soma drops flow on, like milcb-kine

Beloved by Indra, bringing joy, roaring as thou art

As Pavamanas, driving off the godless, looking on the light,

THE Soma drops, exceeding rich in sweets, to Indra have been poured,

Sages have called to Indra, like cows, milch-kine,

In the stream's wave wise Somo dwells, distilling

Far-sighted Soma, Sage and bard, is worshipped in

In close embracement Indu holds Soma when poured

Indu sends forth a voice on high, up in the region

The tree whose praises never fail dwells in the

O Pavamana, bring us wealth bright with a thousand

Pavamdnas : Soma juices undergoing the process of purification.

FLOW onward, ludu, with this food for him who

Smote swiftly forts, and Sambara, then Yadu and

Finder of horses, pour on us horses and wealth

CHASING iur foemen, driving off the godless, Soma

O Pavamfma, hither bring great riches, and destroy

A hundred obstacles have ne'er checked thee when

FLOW onward with that stream wherewith thou

He, Pavamana, high o'er man, yoked the Sun's

Yea, those bay steeds he harnessed to the chariot

Associate with fires, make your God Agni envoy at

Like a steed neighing eager for the pasture, when

From thee, a bull but newly born, O Agni, the kindl- ed everlasting flames rise upward. Aloft to heaven as ruddy smoke thou mountest : Agni, thou speedest to the Gods as envoy.

WE make this Indra very strong to strike the

STREAM on us riches that are craved by hundreds,

This Indra, made for giving gifts, is stablished,

The lake : or, sea, that is, the vat or reservoir into which the Soma juice flows.

By song, as 'twere, the powerful bolt which none

Effused, this Indu hath flowed on, distilling rapture,

ADHVARYU, to the filter lead the Soma juice expressed

These Gods and all the Marut host, Indu ! enjoy this

Pour out for Indra, Thunder-armed, the milk of

ON flows the potent juice, sustainer of the heavens,

He takes his weapons, like a hero, in his hands, fain

Soma. as thou art purified with flowing wave, exhi-

THOUGH, Indra, thou art called by men eastward and

Or, Indra, when with Ruma, Rusama, Syavaka, and

Make both worlds stream : make heaven and earth pour out their gifts,

BOTH boons, — may, Indra, hitherward turned, listen

For him, strong, independent ruler, Heaven and

GOD, working with mankind flow on; to Indra go

O Soma Pavamana, thou pourest out wealth that

Soma, thou flowest chasing foes, finder of wisdom

FLOW onward, Soma, as a mighty sea, as Father of the Gods, to every form !

Flow on, O Soma, radiant for the Gods, blissful to

Thou art, bright juice, sustainer of the sky : flow,

I LAUD your most beloved guest, like a dear friend,

Whom as a Sage who merits praise the Gods have,

Seeking kine : desirous of the milk which is to be mingled wrth the juice.

COME unto us, O Indra, dear, still conquering, un-

O truthful Soma-drinker, thou art mightier than

For thou art he, O Indra, who upholdeth all our

RENDER of forts, the young, the wise, of strength

Thou wi elder of. -the stone, didst burst the cave of

And of thyself preserve their seed: or, And guard our offspring aud ourselves,

GUARD of all being, generating creatures, loud roared

Make Vayu glad, for furtherance and bounty : cheer

Soma, the mighty, when, the waters' offspring, he

HERE present this immortal God flies, like a bird

Praised by the sacred bards, this God dives into

He, like a warrior going forth with heroes, as he

This God as he is flowing on speeds lika a car and

This God, while flowing, is adorned, gold-coloured,

This God, made ready with the hymn runs swiffcy

Away he rushes with his stream, across the regions?

While flowing, meet for sacrifice, he hath gone up to

By generation long ago, this God, engendered for the

This Lord of many holy laws, even at his birth

THROUGH the fine fingers, with the song, this hero

In holy thought he ponders much for the great

Men beautify him in the vats, him worthy to be

He is deposited and led along the consecrated path When zealous mori are urging him,

He moves, a vigorous steed, adorned with beauteous

He brandishes his horns on high, and whets them,

He, over places rough to pass, bringing rich treasures,

Him, even him, the golden-hued, well armed, best

THIS Bull, this chariot robes him in the sheep's long

The dames of Trita with the stones urge forth this-

He like a falcon settles down amid the families of

This young exhilarating juice looks downward from

Pressed for the draught,this tawny juice flows forth

Him, here, the gold-decked skilful ten cleanse care-

Places rough to pass : the wool of the strainer. Sayann gives » totally different explanation of this stanza: — 'He, arriving at the proper juncture, wholly discomfits the encircling (Rakshusus), and comes down upon their murderous bands.' — Stevenson. Into the reser

THIS Soma, strong, effused for draught, flows to the

Far sighted, tawny-coloured, he flows to the sieve,

This vigorous Pavamana runs forth to the luminous

This Pavamana, up above on Trita's ridge, hath

Effused, this Soma, Steer, who slays Vritra, room-

Urged by the sage upon his way, this God speeds

THE man who reads the essence stored by saints,

Intelligent; dharnasih : or, 'endowed with strength.'

— 6 are not found in the Kigveda. The metre is Anushtup.

So may the Pavamana hymns bestow on us

The Pavamana hymns bring weal : by these man

WE with great reverence have approached the

Through his great might o'ercoming all misfortunes,

O Agni, thou art Varuna and Mitra : Vasishthas !

OF gold-hued Pavamana, great destroyer, radiant

Best rider of the chariot, praised with fairest praise

Penetrate, Pavamana, best at winning booty, with

TURNIMG as 'twere to meet the Sun, enjoy from Indra

Praise him who sends us wealth, prompt with his liberal boons ! Good are the gifts that Indra gives. He is not wroth with one who satisfies his wish : he instigates his mind to give.

To the prize : or, to the fight. To a robe of state : Ho the cleans- ing (vessel).' — Wilson.

INDRA, give us security from that whereof we are

For thou, O liberal Lord of ample bounty, art the

THOU, Soma, hast a running stream, sweet-toned

Thou most delightful, when effused, running, the

Do thou, poured forth by pressing-stones, flow hither

IN might, O Indu, with thy streams flow for the

Thy drops that swim in water have exalted Indra to

Stream opulence to us, ye drops of Soma, pressed

HIM with the fleece they purify, brown, golden- hued

Whom, bright with native splendour, crushed be-

For Vritra-slaying Indra, thou, Soma, art poured

FLOW onward, Soma, flow for mighty strength, as a strong courser, bathed, to win the prize.

The pressers clarify this juice of thine, the Soma

They deck the gold-hued infant, newly-born, even

THE Gods have come to Indu well-descended, beauti- fied with milk, The active crusher of the foe.

Even as mother cows their calf, so let our praise-songs

Soma, pour blessings on our kine, pour forth the

HITHERWARD ! they who light the flame and straight- way trim the sacred grass, Whose friend is Indra ever young.

Large is their fuel, much their laud, wide is their

They deck : or, cleanse.

HE who alone bestoweth wealth on mortal man who

Whoever with the Soma pressed draws thee away

When will he trample, like a weed, the man who

THE singers hymn thee, they who chant the psalm of

When thou wast climbing ridge from ridge, he looked

Harness thy pair of strong bay steeds, long-maned,