
The Rig Veda, Book 1, Verses 170 - 179

HYMN CLXX. Indra. Maruts.
1. NAUGHT is to-day, to-morrow naught. Who comprehends
the mystery?
We must address ourselves unto another's thought,
and lost is then the hope we formed.
2 The Maruts are thy
brothers. Why, O Indra, wouldst thou take our lives?
Agree
with them in friendly wise, and do not slay us in the fight.
3 Agastya, brother, why dost thou neglect us, thou who art our
friend?
We know the nature of thy mind. Verity thou wilt
give us naught.
4 Let them prepare the altar, let them kindle
fire in front: we two
Here will spread sacrifice for thee,
that the Immortal may observe.
5 Thou, Lord of Wealth, art
Master of all treasures, thou, Lord of friends, art thy
friends'
best supporter.
O Indra, speak thou kindly with the Maruts,
and taste oblations in their proper season.
HYMN CLXXI. Maruts.
1. To you I come with this mine adoration, and
with a hymn I crave the Strong Ones' favour
A hymn that truly
makes you joyful, Maruts. Suppress your anger and unyoke your
horses.
2 Maruts, to you this laud with prayer and worship,
formed in the mind and heart, ye Gods, is offered.
Come ye
to us, rejoicing in your spirit, for ye are they who make our
prayer effective.
3 The Maruts, praised by us, shall show
us favour; Maghavan, lauded, shall be most propitious.
Maruts,,
may all our days that are to follow be very pleasant, lovely
and triumphant.
4 I fled in terrror from this mighty Indra,
my body trembling in alarm, O Maruts.
Oblations meant for
you had been made ready; these have we set aside: for this forgive
us.
5 By whom the Manas recognize the day-springs, by whose
strength at the dawn of endless mornings,
Give us, thou Mighty,
glory with Maruts. fierce with the fierce, the Strong who givest
triumph.
6 Do thou, O Indra, guard the conquering Heroes,
and rid thee of thy wrath against the Maruts,
With them,
the wise, victorious and bestowing. May we find strengthening
food in full abundance.
HYMN CLXXII. Maruts.
1. WONDERFUL let your coming be, wondrous with
help, ye Bounteous Ones,
Maruts, who gleam as serpents gleam.
2 Far be from us, O Maruts, ye free givers, your impetuous shaft;
Far from us be the stone ye hurl.
3 O Bounteous Givers, touch
ye not, O Maruts, Trnskanda's folk;
Lift ye us up that we
may live.
HYMN CLXXIII. Indra.
1. THE praise-song let him sing forth bursting
bird-like: sing we that hymn which like heaven's light expandeth,
That the milk-giving cows may, unimpeded call to the sacred
grass the Gods' assembly.
2 Let the Bull sing with Bulls
whose toil is worship, with a loud roar like some wild beast
that hungers.
Praised God! the glad priest brings his heart's
devotion; the holy youth presents twofold oblation.
3 May
the Priest come circling the measured stations, and with him
bring the earth's autumnal fruitage.
Let the Horse neigh
led near, let the Steer bellow: let the Voice go between both
worlds as herald,
4 To him we offer welcomest oblations,
the pious bring their strength-inspiring praises.
May Indra,
wondrous in his might, accept them, car-borne and swift to move
like the Nasatyas.
5 Praise thou that Indra who is truly
mighty, the car-borne Warrior, Maghavan the Hero;
Stronger
in war than those who fight against him, borne by strong steeds,
who kills enclosing darkness;
6 Him who surpasses heroes
in his greatness: the earth and heavens suffice not for his
girdles.
Indra endues the earth to be his garment, and, God-like,
wears the heaven as 'twere a frontlet,
7 Thee, Hero, guardian of the brave in battles, who roamest
in the van,-to draw thee hither,
Indra, the hosts agree beside
the Soma, and joy, for his great actions, in the Chieftain.
8 Libations in the sea to thee are pleasant, when thy divine
Floods come to cheer these people.
To thee the Cow is sum
of all things grateful when with the wish thou seekest men and
princes.
9 So may we in this One be well befriended, well
aided as it were through praise of chieftains,
That Indra
still may linger at our worship, as one led swift to work, to
hear our praises.
10 Like men in rivalry extolling princes,
our Friend be Indra, wielder of the thunder.
Like true friends
of some city's lord within them held in good rule with sacrifice
they help him.
11 For every sacrifice makes Indra stronger,
yea, when he goes around angry in spirit;
As pleasure at
the ford invites the thirsty, as the long way brings him who
gains his object.
12 Let us not here contend with Gods, O
Indra, for here, O Mighty One, is thine own portion,
The
Great, whose Friends the bounteous Maruts honour, as with a
stream, his song who pours oblations.
13 Addressed to thee
is this our praise, O Indra: Lord of Bay Steeds, find us hereby
advancement.
So mayst thou lead us on, O God, to comfort.
May we find strengthening food in full abundance.
HYMN CLXXIV. Indra.
1. THOU art the King of all the Gods, O Indra:
protect the men, O Asura, preserve us.
Thou Lord of Heroes,
Maghavan, our saver, art faithful, very rich, the victory-giver.
2 Indra, thou humbledst tribes that spake with insult by breaking
down seven autumn forts, their refuge.
Thou stirredst, Blameless!
billowy floods, and gavest his foe a prey to youthful Purukutsa.
3 With whom thou drivest troops whose lords are heroes, and
bringest daylight now, much worshipped Indra,
With them guard
lion-like wasting active Agni to dwell in our tilled fields
and in our homestead.
4 They through the greatness of thy
spear, O Indra, shall, to thy praise, rest in this earthly station.
To loose the floods, to seek, for kine, the battle, his Bays
he mounted boldly seized the booty.
5 Indra, bear Kutsa,
him in whom thou joyest: the dark-red horses of the Wind are
docile.
Let the Sun roll his chariot wheel anear us, and
let the Thunderer go to meet the foemen.
6 Thou Indra, Lord
of Bays, made strong by impulse, hast slain the vexers of thy
friends, who give not.
They who beheld the Friend beside
the living were cast aside by thee as they rode onward.
7
Indra, the bard sang forth in inspiration: thou madest earth
a covering for the Dasa.
Maghavan made the three that gleam
with moisture, and to his home brought Kuyavac to slay him.
8 These thine old deeds new bards have sung, O Indra. Thou conqueredst,
boundest many tribes for ever.
Like castles thou hast crushed
the godless races, and bowed the godless scorner's deadly weapon.
9 A Stormer thou hast made the stormy waters flow down, O Indra,
like the running rivers.
When o'er the flood thou broughtest
them, O Hero, thou keptest Turvaga and Yadu safely.
10 Indra,
mayst thou be ours in all occasions, protector of the men, most
gentle-hearted,
Giving us victory over all our rivals. May
we find strengthening food in full abundance.
HYMN CLXXV. Indra.
1. GLAD thee: thy glory hath been quaffed, Lord
of Bay Steeds, as 'twere the bowl's enlivening mead.
For
thee the Strong there is strong drink, mighty, omnipotent to
win.
2 Let our strong drink, most excellent, exhilarating,
come to thee,
Victorious, Indra1 bringing gain, immortal
conquering in fight,
3 Thou, Hero, winner of the spoil, urgest
to speed the car of man.
Burn, like a vessel with the flame,
the lawless Dasyu, Conqueror!
4 Empowered by thine own might,
O Sage, thou stolest Sarya's chariot wheel.
Thou barest Kutsa
with the steeds of Wind to Susna as his death.
5 Most mighty
is thy rapturous joy, most splendid is thine active power,
Wherewith, foe-slaying, sending bliss, thou art supreme in gaining
steeds.
6 As thou, O Indra, to the ancient singers wast ever
joy, as water to the thirsty,
So unto thee I sing this invocation.
May we find strengthening food in full abundance.
HYMN CLXXVI. Indra.
1. CHEER thee with draughts to win us bliss:
Soma, pierce Indra in thy strength.
Thou stormest trembling
in thy rage, and findest not a foeman nigh.
2 Make our songs
penetrate to him who is the Only One of men;
For whom the
sacred food is spread, as the steer ploughs the barley in.
3 Within whose hands deposited all the Five Peoples' treasures
rest.
Mark thou the man who injures us and kill him like
the heavenly bolt.
4 Slay everyone who pours no gift, who,
hard to reach, delights thee not.
Bestow on us what wealth
he hath: this even the worshipper awaits.
5 Thou helpest
him the doubly strong whose hymns were sung unceasingly.
When Indra fought, O Soma, thou helpest the mighty in the fray.
6 As thou, O Indra, to the ancient singers wast ever joy, like
water to the thirsty,
So unto thee I sing this invocation.
May we find strengthenifig food in full abundance.
HYMN CLXXVII. Indra.
1. THE Bull of men, who cherishes all people,
King of the Races, Indra, called of many,
Fame-loving, praised,
hither to me with succour turn having yoked both vigorous Bay
Horses!
2 Thy mighty Stallions, yoked by prayer, O Indra,
thy. Coursers to thy mighty chariot harnessed,-
Ascend thou
these, and borne by them come hither: with Soma juice out. poured,
Indra, we call thee.
3 Ascend thy mighty car: the mighty
Soma is poured for thee and sweets are sprinkled round us.
Come down to us-ward, Bull of human races,come, having harnessed
them, with strong Bay Horses.
4 Here is God-reaching sacrifice,
here the victim; here, Indra,are the prayers, here is the Soma.
Strewn is thesacred grass: come hither, Sakra; seatthee and
drink: unyoke thy two Bay Coursers.
5 Come to us, Indra,
come thou highly lauded to the devotions of the singer Mana.
Singing, may we find early through thy succour, may we find
strengthening food in full abundance.
HYMN CLXXVIII. Indra.
1. IF, Indra, thou hast given that gracious hearing
where with thou helpest those who sang thy praises.
Blast
not the wish that would exalt us may I gain all from thee, and
pay all man's devotions.
2 Let not the Sovran Indra disappoint
us in what shall bring both Sisters to our dwelling.
To him
have run the quickly flowing waters.May Indra come to us with
life and friendship.
3 Victorious with the men, Hero in battles,
Indra, who hearsthe singer's supplication,
Will bring his
car nigh to the man who offers, if he himself upholds the songs
that praise him.
4 Yea,Indra, with the men, through love
of gloryconsumes the sacred food which friends have offered.
The ever-strengthening song of him who worships is sung in fight
amid the clash of voices.
5Aided by thee, O Maghavan, O Indra,
may we subdue our foes who count them mighty.
Be our protector,
strengthen and increase us.May we find strengthening food in
full abundance.
HYMN CLXXIX. Rati.
The deified object of this omitted hymn is said
to be Rati or Love, and its Rsis or authors are Lopamudrd, Agastya,
and a disciple. Lopamudra is represented as inviting the caresses
of her aged husband Agastya, and complaining of his coldness
and neglect. Agastya responds in stanza 3, and in the second
half of stanza 4 the disciple or the poet briefly tells the
result of the dialogue. Stanza 5 is supposed to be spoken by
the disciple who has overheard the conversation, but its connexion
with the rest of the hymn is not very apparent. In stanza 6
'toiling with strong endeavour' is a paraphrase and not a translation
of the original khanamanah khanitraib (ligonibus fodiens) which
Sayana explains by 'obtaining the desired result by means of
lauds and sacrifices.'
M. Bergaigne is of opinion that the
hymn has a mystical meaning, Agastya being identifiable with
the celestial Soma whom Lopamudra, representing fervent Prayer,
succeeds after long labour in drawing down from his secret dwelling
place. See La Religion Vedique, ii. 394 f.
1 'Through many
autumns have I toiled and laboured, at night and morn, through
age-inducing dawnings.
Old age impairs the beauty of our
bodies. Let husbands still come near unto their spouses.
2 For even the men aforetime, law-fulfillers, who with the Gods
declared eternal statutes,--
They have decided, but have
not accomplished: so now let Wives come near unto their husbands.
3 Non inutilis est labor cui Dii favent: nos omnes aemulos et
aemulas vincamus.
Superemus in hac centum artium pugna in
qua duas partes convenientes utrinque commovemus.
4 Cupido
me cepit illius tauri [viri] qui me despicit, utrum hinc utrum
illinc ab aliqua parte nata sit.
Lopamudra taururn [mariturn
suum] ad se detrahit: insipiens illa sapientem anhelantern absorbet.
5 This Soma I address that is most near us, that which hath
been imbibed within the spirit,
To pardon any sins we have
committed. Verily mortal man is full of longings.
6 Agastya
thus, toiling with strong endeavour, wishing for children, progeny
and. power,
Cherished - a sage of mighty strength - both
classes, and with the Gods obtained his prayer's fulfilment.
By 'both classes' probably priests and princes, or institutors
of sacrifices, are meant. M. Bergaigne understands the expression
to mean the two forms or essences of Soma, the celestial and
the terrestrial.
5 Membrum suum virile, quod vrotentum fuerat,
mas ille retraxit. Rursus illud quod in juvenem filiam sublatum
fuerat, non aggressurus, ad se rerahit.
6 Quum jam in medio
connessu, semiperfecto opere, amorem in puellam pater impleverat,
ambo discedentes seminis paulum in terrae superficiem sacrorum
sede effusum emiserunt.
7 Quum pater suam nilam adiverat,
cum ed congressus suum semen supra wrrarn effudit. Tum Dii benigni
precem (brahma) prgeduerunt, et Vastoshpatim, legum sacrarum
custodem, formaverunt.
8 Ille tauro similis spumam in certamine
jactavit, tunc discedens pusillaximis huc profectus est. Quasi
dextro pede claudus processit, "inutiles fuerunt illi mei
complexus," ita locutus.
9 'The fire, burning the people,
does not approach quickly (by day): the naked (Rakasas approach)
not Agni by night; the giver of fuel, and the giver of food,
he, the upholder (of the rite), is born, overcoming enemies
by his might.'
Suggestions for Further Reading
- The Rig Veda translation by Griffith, Introduction
- Hymns of the Sama veda translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith
- Yajur Veda: The Veda Of The Black Yajus School
- Hymns Of The Atharva-Veda
- Anugita English Translation
- THE Sanatsugâtîya, A Spiritual Dialogue
- Dharmashastras, the Sacred Law Books of Hindus
- The Hindu Dharmashastras, Subject Index
- The Grihya Sutras, The Vedic Domestic Ritual Texts
- The Sankhya Sutras of Kapila, Index page
- Translation of Upanishads by Swami Paramananda, Index
- A History Of Indian Philosophy - Chapter Index
- The Upanishads translated by Max Muller
- Vedic Reader for Students
- The Bhagavad-gita in a nutshell
- Essays On Dharma
- Esoteric Mystic Hinduism
- Introduction to Hinduism
- Hindu Way of Life
- Essays On Karma
- Hindu Rites and Rituals
- The Origin of The Sanskrit Language
- Symbolism in Hinduism
- Essays on The Upanishads
- Concepts of Hinduism
- Essays on Atman
- Hindu Festivals
- Spiritual Practice
- Right Living
- Yoga of Sorrow
- Happiness
- Mental Health
- Concepts of Buddhism
- General Essays
Source: An English translation of the Vedas by Ralph T.H. Griffith, 1896.