
The Rig Veda, Book 1, Verses Verses 11 - 20

1 THE chanters hymn thee, they who say the word of praise
magnify thee.
The priests have raised thee up on high, O
Satakratu, like a pole.
2 As up he clomb from ridge to ridge
and looked upon the toilsome task,
Indra observes this wish
of his, and the Rain hastens with his troop.
3 Harness thy
pair of strong bay steeds, long-maned, whose bodies fill the
girths,
And, Indra, Soma-drinker, come to listen to our songs
of praise.
4 Come hither, answer thou the song, sing in approval,
cry aloud.
Good Indra, make our prayer succeed, and prosper
this our sacrifice.
5 To Indra must a laud be said, to strengthen
him who freely gives,
That Sakra may take pleasure in our
friendship and drink-offerings.
6 Him, him we seek for friendship,
him for riches and heroic might.
For Indra, he is Sakra,
he shall aid us while he gives us wealth.
7 Easy to turn
and drive away, Indra, is spoil bestowed by thee.
Unclose
the stable of the kine, and give us wealth O Thunder-armed
8 The heaven and earth contain thee not, together, in thy wrathful
mood.
Win us the waters of the sky, and send us kine abundantly.
9 Hear, thou whose ear is quick, my call; take to thee readily
my songs
O Indra, let this laud of mine come nearer even
than thy friend.
10 We know thee mightiest of all, in battles
hearer of our cry.
Of thee most mighty we invoke the aid
that giveth thousandfold.
11 O Indra, Son of Kusika, drink
our libation with delight.
Prolong our life anew, and cause
the seer to win a thousand gifts.
12 Lover of song, may these
our songs on every side encompass thee:
Strengthening thee
of lengthened life, may they be dear delights to thee.
HYMN XI. Indra.
1 ALL sacred songs have magnified Indra expansive as the
sea,
The best of warriors borne on cars, the Lord, the very
Lord of strength.
2 Strong in thy friendship, Indra, Lord
of power and might, we have no fear.
We glorify with praises
thee, the never-conquered conqueror.
3 The gifts of Indra
from of' old, his saving succours, never fail,
When to the
praise-singers he gives the boon of substance rich in kine.
4 Crusher of forts, the young, the wise, of strength unmeasured,
was he born
Sustainer of each sacred rite, Indra, the Thunderer,
much-extolled.
5 Lord of the thunder, thou didst burst the
cave of Vala rich in cows.
The Gods came pressing to thy
side, and free from terror aided thee,
6 I, Hero, through
thy bounties am come to the flood addressing thee.
Song-lover,
here the singers stand and testify to thee thereof.
7 The
wily Susna, Indra! thou o'er-threwest with thy wondrous powers.
The wise beheld this deed of thine: now go beyond their eulogies.
8 Our songs of praise have glorified Indra who ruleth by his
might,
Whose precious gifts in thousands come, yea, even
more abundantly.
HYMN XII. Agni.
I WE choose Agni the messenger, the herald, master of all
wealth,
Well skilled in this our sacrifice.
2 With callings
ever they invoke Agni, Agni, Lord of the House,
Oblation-bearer,
much beloved.
3 Bring the Gods hither, Agni, born for him
who strews the sacred grass:
Thou art our herald, meet for
praise.
4 Wake up the willing Gods, since thou, Agni, performest
embassage:
Sit on the sacred grass with Gods.
5 O Agni,
radiant One, to whom the holy oil is poured, bum up
Our enemies
whom fiends protect.
6 By Agni Agni is inflamed, Lord of
the House, wise, young, who bears
The gift: the ladle is
his mouth.
7 Praise Agni in the sacrifice, the Sage whose
ways are ever true,
The God who driveth grief away.
8
God, Agni, be his strong defence who lord of sacrificial gifts,
Worshippeth thee the messenger.
9 Whoso with sacred gift
would fain call Agni to the feast of Gods,
O Purifier, favour
him.
10 Such, Agni, Purifier, bright, bring hither to our
sacrifice,
To our oblation bring the Gods.
11 So lauded
by our newest song of praise bring opulence to us,
And food,
with heroes for our sons.
12 O Agni, by effulgent flame,
by all invokings of the Gods,
Show pleasure in this laud
of ours.
HYMN XIII. Agni
1 Agni, well-kindled, bring the Gods for him who offers holy
gifts.
Worship them, Purifier, Priest.
2 Son of Thyself,
present, O Sage, our sacrifice to the Gods today.
Sweet to
the taste, that they may feast.
3 Dear Narasamsa, sweet of
tongue, the giver of oblations, I
Invoke to this our sacrifice.
4 Agni, on thy most easy car, glorified, hither bring the Gods:
Manu appointed thee as Priest.
5 Strew, O ye wise, the sacred
grass that drips with oil, in order due,
Where the Immortal
is beheld.
6 Thrown open be the Doors Divine, unfailing,
that assist the rite,
For sacrifice this day and now.
7 I call the lovely Night and Dawn to seat them on the holy
grass
At this our solemn sacrifice.
8 The two Invokers
I invite, the wise, divine and sweet of tongue,
To celebrate
this our sacrifice.
9 Ila, Sarasvati, Mahi, three Goddesses
who bring delight,
Be seated, peaceful, on the grass.
10 Tvastar I call, the earliest born, the wearer of all forms
at will:
May he be ours and curs alone.
11 God, Sovran
of the Wood, present this our oblation to the Gods,
And let
the giver be renowned.
12 With Svaha. pay the sacrifice to
Indra in the offerer's house:
Thither I call the Deities.
HYMN X1V. Visvedevas.
1 To drink the Soma, Agni, come, to our service and our songs.
With all these Gods; and worship them.
2 The Kanvas have
invoked thee; they, O Singer, sing thee songs of praise
Agni,
come hither with the Gods;
3 Indra, Vayu, Brhaspati, Mitra,
Agni, Pusan, Bhaga,
Adityas, and the Marut host.
4 For
you these juices are poured forth that gladden and exhilarate,
The meath-drops resting in the cup.
5 The sons of Kanva fain
for help adore thee, having strewn the grass,
With offerings
and all things prepared.
6 Let the swift steeds who carry
thee, thought-yoked and dropping holy oil,
Bring the Gods
to the Soma draught.
7 Adored, the strengtheners of Law,
unite them, Agni, with their Dames:
Make them drink meath,
O bright of tongue.
8 Let them, O Agni, who deserve worship
and praise drink with thy tongue
Tle meath in solemn sacrifice.
9 Away, from the Sun's realm of light, the wise invoking Priest
shall bring
All Gods awaking with the dawn.
10 With all
the Gods, with Indra, with Vayu, and Mitra's splendours, drink,
Agni, the pleasant Soma juice.
11 Ordained by Manu as our
Priest, thou sittest, Agni, at each rite:
Hallow thou this
our sacrifice.
12 Harness the Red Mares to thy car, the Bays,
O God, the flaming ones:
With those bring hitherward the
Gods.
HYMN XV. RTU.
1 O INDRA drink the Soma juice with Rtu; let the cheering
drops
Sink deep within, which settle there.
2 Drink from
the Purifier's cup, Maruts, with Rtu; sanctify
The rite,
for ye give precious gifts.
3 O Nestar, with thy Dame accept
our sacrifice; with Rtu drink,
For thou art he who giveth
wealth.
4 Bring the Gods, Agni; in the three appointed places
set them down:
Surround them, and with Rtu drink.
5 Drink
Soma after the Rtus, from the Brahmana's bounty: undissolved,
O Indra, is thy friendship's bond.
6 Mitra, Varuna, ye whose
ways are firm - a Power that none deceives-,
With Rtu ye
have reached the rite.
7 The Soma-pressers, fain for wealth,
praise the Wealth-giver in the rite,
In sacrifices praise
the God.
8 May the Wealth-giver grant to us riches that shall
be far renowned.
These things we gain, among the Gods.
9 He with the Rtu fain would drink, Wealth-giver, from the Nestar's
bowl.
Haste, give your offering, and depart.
10 As we
this fourth time, Wealth-giver, honour thee with the Rtus, be
A Giver bountiful to us.
11 Drink ye the meath, O Asvins
bright with flames, whose acts are pure. who with
Rtus accept
the sacrifice.
12 With Rtu, through the house-fire, thou,
kind Giver, guidest sacrifice:
Worship the Gods for the pious
man.
HYMN XVI. Indra.
1 LET thy Bay Steeds bring thee, the Strong, hither to drink
the Soma draught-
Those, Indra, who are bright as suns.
2 Here are the grains bedewed with oil: hither let the Bay Coursers
bring
Indra upon his easiest car.
3 Indra at early morn
we call, Indra in course of sacrifice,
Indra to drink the
Soma juice.
4 Come hither, with thy long-maned Steeds, O
Indra, to- the draught we pour
We call thee wher, the juice
is shed.
5 Come thou to this our song of praise, to the libation
poured for thee
Drink of it like a stag athirst.
6 Here
are the drops of Soma juice expressed on sacred grass: thereof
Drink, Indra, to increase thy might.
7 Welcome to thee be
this our hymn, reaching thy heart, most excellent:
Then drink
the Soma juice expressed.
8 To every draught of pressed-out
juice Indra, the Vrtra-slayer, comes,
To drink the Soma for
delight.
9 Fulfil, O Satakratu, all our wish with horses
and with kine:
With holy thoughts we sing thy praise.
HYMN XVII Indra-Varuna
1 I CRAVE help from the Imperial Lords, from Indra-Varuna;
may they
Both favour one of us like me.
2 Guardians of
men, ye ever come with ready succour at the call
Of every
singer such as I.
3 Sate you, according to your wish, O Indra-Varuna,
with wealth:
Fain would we have you nearest us.
4 May
we be sharers of the powers, sharers of the benevolence
Of
you who give strength bounteously.
5 Indra and Varuna, among
givers of thousands, meet for praise,
Are Powers who merit
highest laud.
6 Through their protection may we gain great
store of wealth, and heap it up
Enough and still to spare,
be ours.
7 O Indra-Varuna, on you for wealth in many a form
I call:
Still keep ye us victorious.
8 O Indra-Varuna,
- through our songs that seek to win you to ourselves,
Give
us at once your sheltering help.
9 O Indra-Varuna, to you
may fair praise which I offer come,
joint eulogy which ye
dignify.
HYMN XVIII. Brahmanaspati.
1 O BRAHMANAPSATI, make him who presses Soma glorious,
Even Kaksivan Ausija.
2 The rich, the healer of disease,
who giveth wealth, increaseth store,
The prompt,-may he be
with us still.
3 Let not the foeman's curse, let not a mortal's
onslaught fall on us
Preserve us, Brahmanaspati.
4 Ne'er
is the mortal hero harmed whom Indra, Brahmanaspati,
And
Soma graciously inspire.
5 Do, thou, O Brahmanaspati, and
Indra, Soma, Daksina,
Preserve that mortal from distress.
6 To the Assembly's wondrous Lord, to Indra's lovely Friend
who gives
Wisdom, have I drawn near in prayer.
7 He without
whom no sacrifice, e'en of the wise man, prospers; he
Stirs
up the series of thoughts.
8 He makes the oblation prosper,
he promotes the course of sacrifice:
Our voice of praise
goes to the Gods.
9 I have seen Narasamsa, him most resolute,
most widely famed,
As 'twere the Household Priest of heaven.
HYMN XIX. Agni, Maruts.
1 To this fair sacrifice to drink the milky draught thou
art invoked:
O Agni, with the Maruts come.
2 No mortal
man, no God exceeds thy mental power, O Mighty one -
O Agni,
with the Maruts come
3 All Gods devoid of guile, who know
the mighty region of mid-air:
O Agni, with those Maruts come.
4 The terrible, who sing their song, not to be overcome by might:
O Agni, with those Maruts come.
5 Brilliant, and awful in
their form, mighty, devourers of their foes':
O Agni, with
those Maruts come.
6 Who sit as Deities in heaven, above
the sky-vault's luminous sphere:
O Agni, with those Maruts
come.
7 Who scatter clouds about the sky, away over the billowy
sea:
O Agni, with those Maruts come.
8 Who with their
bright beams spread them forth over the ocean in their might
O Agni, with those Maruts come.
9 For thee, to be thine early
draught, I pour the Soma-mingled meath:
O Agni, with the
Maruts come.
HYMN XX Rbhus.
1 FOR the Celestial Race this song of praise which gives
wealth lavishly
Was made by singers with their lips.
2
They who for Indra, with their mind, formed horses harnessed
by a word,
Attained by works to sacrifice.
3 They for
the two Nasatyas wrought a light car moving every way:
They
formed a nectar-yielding cow.
4 The Rbhus with effectual
prayers, honest, with constant labour, made
Their Sire and
Mother young again.
5 Together came your gladdening drops
with Indra by the Maruts girt,
With the Adityas, with the
Kings.
6 The sacrificial ladle, wrought newly by the God
Tvastar's hand-
Four ladles have ye made thereof.
7 Vouchsafe
us wealth, to him who pours thrice seven libations, yea, to
each
Give wealth, pleased with our eulogies.
8 As ministering
Priests they held, by pious acts they won themselves,
A share
in sacrifice with Gods.
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.