Part I, Book VI — Hymns to Soma Pavamāna and others

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

Active, while being purified, he hath assailed all

Pouring all glories hither, he, effused, hath passed

From the two press-boards is the juice sent, like a

Impetuous, bright, have they come forth, unwearied

Soma, thou flowest chasing foes, finder of wisdom

Flow onward with that stream wherewith thou

Flow onward thou who strengthenedst Indra to

Flow onward, Indu, with this food for him who in thy

Flow, pressed, into the filter speed the heavenly one who winneth wealth, who bringeth booty through our juice !

THE tawny Bull hath bellowed, fair as mighty Mitra to behold : he gleams and flashes with the Sun.

We choose to-day that chariot-steed of thine, the strong, that brings us bliss, the guardian, the desire of all.

Adhvaryu, to the filter lead the Soma juice expressed

Swift runs this giver of delight, even the stream of

Pour hitherward, O Soma, wealth in thousands and

The ancient living ones have come unto a newer

Hymn 63. 7.

O Soma, thou art strong and bright, potent, O God,

Hymn 61. 1. The nine-and-ninety . the countless cloud-castles of the demons of drought.

Soma, flow on with pleasant stream, strong and devot- ed to the Gods, our friend, unto the woollen sieve.

CLEANSING thee, Soma, in thy stream, thou flowest in a watery robe : giver of wealth, thou sittest in the place of Law, O God, a fountain made of gold.

Hence sprinkle forth the juice effused, Soma, the best of sacred gifts, who, friend of man, hath ran amid the water- streams ! He hath pressed Soma out with stones.

Expressed by stones, O Soma, and urged through

O Soma,— for the feast of Gods, river-like he hath

Pressed out by pressers, Soma goes over the fleecy

O Soma, Indu, every day thy friendship hath been

Deft-handed ! thou when purified liftest thy voice

The living drops of Soma juice pour, as they flow,

Soma, while thou art cleansed, most dear and watch-

Soma, the gladdening juice, flows pressed for Indra

RUN onward to the reservoir and seat thee : cleansed by the men speed forward to the battle !

The God declares the deities' generations, like

Three are the voices that the car-steed utters: he

Made pure by this man's urgent zeal and impulse,

Father of holy hymns. Soma flows onward, the

To him, praiseworthy, sacred tones have sounded,

Guard of all being, generating creatures, loud roared

Stanza 14. The sea: of air, or the vessel into which the juice

Stanza 6. "Most like to Atogiras : aZgirastama : most richly endowed with the qualities of Augiras, the representative of the great family of priestly fathers or typical first sacrifices, frequently men-

Stanza 17. Th* fleece: the woollen strainer.

IN forefront of the cars forth goes the hero, the leader, seeking spoil : his host rejoices.

Thy streams have been poured forth with all their

Let us sing praises to the Gods : sing loudly, send

Urged on, the father of the earth and heaven hath

When, by the law of the Most High, in presence of

Ten sisters, pouring out the rain together, the sage's

Hymn 97. 40. The sea : Soma. The fleecy summit : the woollen strainer. From the stone : the adnh of the text is unintelligible, and I adopt Prof. Ludwig's suggestion that adreh may have been the original reading. Beufey translates ' durch Steine ' as though the word

Strong Indu, bathed in milk, flows on for Indra,

Pour forth this wealth with this purification : flow

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

FOR first possession of your juice, for the exhilarat- ing drink,

As Pushan, Fortune, Bhagat comes this Soma while ,

The Somas, very rich in sweets, for which the sieve

For us the Soma juices flow, the drops best fur-

Stream on us riches that are craved by hundreds,

The guileless ones are singing praise to Indra's well-

They for the bold and lovely one ply manly vigour

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

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

GRACIOUSLY-MINDED he is flowing on his way to win dear names o'er which the youthful one grows great.

Spontaneous let our drops of Soma juice flow on,

Most beauteous of the beauteous, Indra's thunder-

Indu hath started forth for Indra's settled place, and

On flows the potent juice, sustainer of the heavens,

Far-seeing Soma flows, the Steer, the Lord of

The three-time^ seven milch-kine in the loftiest

Flow on to Indra, Soma, carefully effused : Jet sick-

Even as a King hath Si>ma, red and tawny Bui),

The drops of Soma juice, like cows who yield their

To Indra, to the mighty one, let these gold-coloured

Flow vigilant for Indra, thou Sjma, yea, Indu, run

Sit down, O friends, and sing aloud to him who

Friends, hymn your Lord who makes hioi pure for

Breath of the mighty Dames, the Child, speeding the

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

Soma, while filtered, with his wave flows through

The speech is uttered for the Sage, for Sorna being

Flow to us, Indu, very strong, effused, with wealth

Voices have sung aloud to thee as finder-out of

FOR Indra flow, thou Soma, on, as most inspiring

Make high and splendid glory shine hitherward,

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

Him, even this Steer who milks the heavens, him

Effused is he who brings good things, who brings us

For, verily, Pavamana, thou, divine ! endued with

Effused, he floweth in a stream, best rapture-giver

He who from out the rocky cavern with his might

Hymn 104. 4.