Part I, Book II — Hymns to Agni

AGNI, thy faithful servant I call upon thee with

To Agni, to the Hotar-priest offer your best, your

O Agni, thou who art the lord of wealth in kine,

Most skilled ia sacrifice, bring the Gods, O Agni,

Taught by seven mothers at his birth was he, for

And in the day our prayer is this : May Aditi come

Worship thou Jatavevlas, pray to him who willingly

No mortal man can e'er prevail by arts of magic

Agni, drive thou the wicked foe, the evil-hearted

O hero Agni, Lord of men, on hearing this new

SING forth to him the holy, most munificent, sublime

Agni, he conquers by thine aid that brings him store

Sing praise to him the Lord of light! The Gods

Anger not him who is our guest ! He is the bright

May Agni, worshipped, bring us bliss : may the gift,

Thee have we chosen skilfullest in sacrifice, immortal

Bring us that splendour, Agni, which may overcome

Soon as the eager Lord of men is friendly unto

SING this, beside the flowing juice, to him your hero,

0 Satakratu Indra, now rejoice with that carouse of

Ye cows, protect the fount : the two mighty ones

Sing praises that the horse may come ; sing, Sruta-

Risveda VIII. 19. 19.

Based upon strength and victory and power, O Indra,

Rurveda VIII. 19. 15. ' The wrath of evil-hearted folk.'

If I, O Indra, were, like thee, the single ruler over

Pressers, blend Soma juice for him, each draught

Here is the Soma juice expressed : O Vasu, drink

SURYA, thou mountest up to meet the hero famous for his wealth,

Whatever, Vritra-slayer ! thou, Surya, hast risen

That Indra is our youthful friend, who with his

O Indra, let not ill designs surround us in the sun-

Indra, bring wealth that gives delight, the victor's

In mighty battle we invoke Indra, Indra in lesser fight, The friend who bends his bolt at fiends.

In battle of a thousand arms Indra drank Kadru's

Kigveda VIII. 14. 1.

Hitherward ! they who light the flame and straight-

Drive all our enemies away, smite down the foes

I HEAR, as though 'twere close at hand, the cracking

Indra, these friends of ours, supplied with Soma,

Before his hot displeasure all the peoples, all the

We choose unto ourselves that high protection of

0 Brahmanaspati, make thou Kakshivan Ausija a

Much honoured v;ith libations may the Vritra-slayer

Send us this day, God Savitar, prosperity with

Where is that ever-youthful Steer, strong-necked

There where the mountains downward slope, there

Praise Indra whom our songs must laud, sole sovran

INDRA whose jaws are strong hath drunk of worship- ping Sudaksha's draught, The Sorua juice with barley brew.

O Lord of ample wealth, these songs of praise have

Then straight they recognized the mystic name of

When Indra, strongest hero, brought the streams,

The Cow, the streaming mother of the liberal Maruts,

Come, Lord of rapturous joys, to cur libation with

Presented strengthening gifts have sent Indra away

I from my Father have received deep knowledge of

With Indra splendid feasts be curs, rich in all

This stanza ascribed to Sunahsepa or to Vamadeva, is not found

INVITE ye Indra with a song to drink your draught

Sing ye a song, to make him glad, to Indra, Lord of

This, even this, O Indra, we implore : as thy de-

For Indra, lover of carouse, loud be our songs

Here, India, is thy Soma draught, made pure upon

As a good cow to him who milks, we call the doer

Hero, the Soma being shed, I pour the juice for

The Soma, Indra, which is shed in saucers and in

In every need, in every fray we call, as friends, to

O come ye hither, sit ye down : to Indra sing ye

So, Lord of affluent pifts, this juice hath been ex- pressed for thee \v(;:i sere _••!) : Drink of it, thou who love.- 1 ^ '* !

Great is our Indra from of old; greatness be his,

Indra, as one with mighiv aim, gather for us with

Praise, even as he is known, with song Indra the

With what help will he come to us, wonderful, ever-

To the assembly's wondrous Lord, the lovely friend

May all thy paths beneath the sky whereby thou

Bring to us all things excellent, O Satakratu, food

Here is the Soma ready pressed : of this the Maruts,

TOSSING about, the active ones came nigh to Indra at

Never, O Gods, do we offend, nor are we ever obsti-

Evening is come : sing loudly thou Atharvan's nobly

Now Morning with her earliest light shines forth,

Armed with the bones of dead Dadhyach, Indra with

Come, Indra, and delight thee with the juice at all

O thou who slayest Vritras, come, O Indra, hither

That might of his shone brightly forth when Indra

This is thine own. Thou drawest near, as turns a

May Vafca breathe his balm on us, healthful, delight- ful to our heart : May he prolong our days of life !

NE'KR is he injured whom the Gods Varuna, Mitra, Aryaman,

According to our wish for kine, for steeds and

Indra, these spotted cows yield thee their butter and

That thou, much-lauded ! many-named ! mayst, with

May bright Sarasvati, endowed with plenteous wealth

Who 'mid the Nahusha tribes shall sate this Indra

Come, we hare pressed the juice for thee ; 0 Indra,

Great, unassailable must be the heavenly favour of

We, Indra, Lord of ample wealth, our guide, depend