Part II, Book VI — Uttarārcika hymns

A GUI, well kindled bring the Gods for him who offers

0 Sage, Tanunapat, present our sacrifice to Gods

Dear Narasansa, sweet of tongue, presenter of

Agni, on thy most easy car, entreated, hither bring

So when the Sun hath risen to-day may sinless Mitra,

May this our home be guarded well : forward,

Yea, Aditi, and those great Kings whose statute is

Let Soma juices make thee glad ! Display thy bounty,

Crush with thy foot the niggard churls who bring

Thou art the Lord of Soonas pressed, Somas un-

GLORIFY naught besides, 0 friends ; so shall no sor-

Even him, the swift one, like a bull who rushes down

Footsteps : or, traces, of the cows that had been carried off and imprisoned by the Panis, the rays of light which the fiends of darkness

Run forth to battle conquering the Vritras ! thou Speedest to quell the foe like one exacting debts.

Here the three nr.ost distinguished families of singers appear to represent all priestly singers. All singers have praised ludra, and their prayers have been fulfilled.

Thou, Pavamana, didst beget the Sun with might,

FLOW forth, O Soma, flow thou onward, sweet to Indra's, Mitra's, Pushan's, Bhaga's taste !

So flow thou on as bright celestial juice, flow to the

Let Indra drink, O Soma, of thy juice for wisdom,

EVEN as the beams of Surya, urging men to speed, they issue forth together, gladdening as they flow, These swift outpourings in long course of holy rites : no form save only Indra shows itself so pure.

To the vast immortal dwelling-place : guiding us to heaven, 'Plow for immortality and spacious abode.' — Wilson.

The Bull is bellowing ; the cows are coming nigh :

FROM the two fire-sticks have the men engendered, with thought, urged by the hand, the glorious Agni,

The Vasus set that Agni in the dwelling, fair to

Shine thou before us, Agni, well-enkindled, with

THIS spotted Bull hath coine and sat before the

As expiration from his breath, his radiance pene-

Song is bestowed upon the Bird : it reigns supreme

CHANT we a hymn to Agni while we go to sacrifice,

Who from of old, in carnage, when the folk were

May that most blissful Agni guard our wealth and

Yea, let men say, Agni is born, even he who slayeth

HARNESS, O Agni, O thou God, thy steeds which are

Come hither, bring the Gods to us to taste the

O Agni of the Bharatas, flame splendid with un-

LET him, as mortal, crave this speech for him who

The kinsman hath endued his robe even as a son is

Of the Bharatas : bhdrata : the especial protector of the Bharatas

PRESS ye and pour him, like a steed, laud-worthy,-

The Steer with thousand streams who poureth out

SERVED- with ablation, kindled, bright, through love

His father's father, shining in his mother's ever-

O active Jatavedas, bring devotion that wins progeny, Agni, that it may shine to heaven !

MADE pure by this man's argent zeal and impulse, the God hath with his juice the Gods pervaded.

Robed in fair raiment meet to wear in combat,

Dear, he is brightened on the fleecy summit, a

COME now and let us glorify pure Indra with pure

0 Indra, come thou pure to us, with pure assistance

O Indra, pure, vouchsafe us wealth, and, pure

EAGER for wealth we meditate Agni's effectual laud

May Agni who is Hotar-priest among mankind

Thou, Agni, art spread widely forth, Priest dear and

To him, praiseworthy, sacred tones have sounded, Steer of the triple height, the life-bestower.

Great conqueror, warrior-girt, Lord of all heroes,

Giving security, Lord of wide dominion, send us

O Indra, thou art far-renowned, impetuous Lord of

Call to us : send us with thy shout or roar.

THEE have we chosen, skilfullest in sacrifice, immortal,

The Waters' Child, the blessed, brightly-shining one,

LORD of all food is he, the man whom thou protectest

Him, v/hosoever he may be, no one may vanquish,

May he who dwells with all mankind conquer in fight

TEN sisters, pouring out the rain together, the sage's quickly-moving thoughts, adorn him.

Even as a youngling shouting with his mothers, the

Yea, swollen is the udder of the milch-cow : thithor

DRINK, Indra, of the savoury juice, and cheer thee,

In thy kind grace and favour may we still be strong:

The head and chief : murdkdnam : 'the supreme divinity.' — Steven- eon. 'The elevated Soma.' — Wilson. Within the vessels : chamtishu : the usual meaning, press-boards, is not applicable here, as the juice was not mixed with milk until it had left the press.

THE three-times seven railch-kine in the loftiest

Enjoying lovely Amrit by his wisdom he divided,

May those his brilliant rays be ever free from death,

WHEN thou, unequalled Maghavan, wast born to smite

Then was the sacrifice produced for thee, the laud,

Rawkine thou filledst with ripe milk. Thou madest

REJOICE : thy glory hath been quaffed, Lord of bay steeds ! as 'twere the bowl's enlivening mead.

Let our strong drink, most excellent, exhilarating,

Thou, hero, winner of the spoil, urgest to speed the

BRING forth oblations to the God who knoweth all,

With Somas go ye nigh to him chief drinker of the

What time with Somas, with the drops effused,

To him, Adhvaryu ! yea, to him give offerings of the

Flashing out splendour as of old : or, Making lights shine as erst they shone.

SING ye a song to Soma brown of hue, of independ- ent might, The Red, whe reaches up to heaven !

Purify Soma when effused with stones which hands

With humble homage draw ye nigh ; blend the liba-

Soma, foe-queller, strong and swift, doing the will of

Heart-knower, Sovran of the heart, thou art effused,

O Soma Pavamana, give us riches and heroic strength, Indu, with Indra our ally !

Surya, thou mountest up to meet the hero famous

Him who with might of both his arms broke nine-

This Indra is our gracious friend. He sends, like a

MAY the bright God drink glorious Soma-mingled meath, giving the sacrifice's lord unbroken life ;

Radiant, as high Truth, cherished, best at winning

This light, the best of lights, supreme, all-conquer-

O INDRA, give us wisdom as a sire gives wisdom to

Asuras : here, in the later signification of the word, demons.

Like a full- streaming cow : 'cow' is nut in the text : urudhdrd may, perhaps, be taken as au instrumental case, ' as in a full broad stream.'

PROTECT us, Indra, each to-day, each morrow, and

A crushing warrior, passing rich, is Maghavan,

WE call upon Sarasv&n as unmarried men who long

Grasp the thunderbolt : or, hurl the thunder down.

Agni, thou pourest life : send down upon us food

THEY who stand round him as he moves harness the

On both sides to the car they yoke the two bay

Thou, making light where no light was, and form,

FOR thee this Soma is effused, O Indra : drink of this juice ; for thee the stream is flowing —

On both sides : vipakshasd : harnessed on different sides. The hero : the Sun. As M. Bergaigne remarks . — The Sun rs sometimes a wheel, sometimes a chariot, sometimes a horse drawing the chariotr sometimes a hero mounted CHI the chariot and directing the horses.' —

Ihou : O Sun. O men. ! is perhaps merely an exclamation of admiration. If marydh, men, betaken to mean the Maruts, the words, thou, making, wast born, although in the singular number, may apply to these Gods regarded as one host or company and born at one birth.

O AGNI, thou hast been ordained Hotar of every

So with sweet- sounding tongues for us sacrifice

For, as disposer, Agni, God, most wise in sacrifices,

IMMORTAL, Hotar-priest, and God, with wondrous

Strong, he is set on deeds of strength. He is led

Excellent, he was made by thought. The germ of

POUR on the juice the heated milk which hasteneth

These know their own abiding-place : like calves

The roads and paths : the ways of performing religious ceremonies.

IN all the worlds That was the best and highest whence sprang the mighty one, of splendid valour.

Grown mighty in his strength, of ample vigour,

All concentrate on thee their mental vigour, what

AT the Trikadrukas the great and strong*1 enjoved the barley-brew. With Vishnu did he drir.1: the pressed- out Soma juice, even as he would.

Brought forth together with wisdom and potent

So he resplendent in the battle overcame Krivi by