
The Rig Veda Book 4 - Verses 10 to 20

HYMN X. Agni.
I. This day with praises, Agni, we bring thee
that which thou lovest.
Right judgment, like a horse, with
our devotions.
2 For thou hast ever been the Car-driver,
Agni, of noble
Strength, lofty sacrifice, and rightful judgment.
3 Through these our praises come thou to meet us, bright as
the sunlight,
O Agni, well disposed, with all thine aspects.
4 Now may we serve thee singing these lauds this day to thee,
Agni.
Loud as the voice of Heaven thy blasts are roaring.
5 just at this time of the day and the night thy look is the
sweetest .
It shineth near us even as gold for glory.
6 Spotless thy body, brilliant as gold, like clarified butter:
This gleams like gold on thee, O Self. dependent.
7 All hate
and mischief, yea, if committed, Agni, thou turnest,
Holy
One, from the man who rightly worships.
8 Agni, with you
Gods, prosperous be our friendships and kinships.
Be this
our bond here by this place, thine al tar.
HYMN XI. Agni.
1. THY blessed majesty, victorious Agni, shines
brightly in the neighbourhood of Surya.
Splendid to see,
it shows even at nighttime, and food is fair to look on in thy
beauty.
2 Agni, disclose his thought for him who singeth,
the well, Strong God! while thou art praised with fervour.
Vouchsafe to us that powerful hymn, O Mighty, which, Radiant
One! with all the Gods thou lovest.
3 From thee, O Agni,
springs poetic wisdom, from thee come thoughts and hymns of
praise that prosper;
From thee flows wealth, with heroes
to adorn it, to the true-hearted man who gives oblation.
4 From thee the hero springs who wins the booty, bringer of
help, mighty, of real courage.
From thee comes wealth, sent
by the Gods, bliss-giving; Agni, from thee the fleet impetuous
charger.
5 Immortal Agni, thee whose voice is pleasant, as
first in rank, as God, religious mortals
Invite with hyrnns;
thee who removest hatred, Friend of the Home, the household's
Lord, unerring.
6 Far from us thou removest want and sorrow,
far from us all ill-will when thou protectest.
Son of Strength,
Agni, blest is he at evening, whom thou as God attendest for
his welfare.
HYMN XII. Agni.
1. WHOSO enkindles thee, with lifted ladle, and
thrice this day offiers thee food, O Agni,
May he excel,
triumphant through thy splendours, wise through thy mental power,
O Jatavedas.
2 Whoso with toil and trouble brings thee fuel,
serving the majesty of mighty Agni,
He, kindling thee at
evening and at morning, prospers, and comes to wealth, and slays
his foemen.
3 Agni is Master of sublime dominion, Agni is
Lord of strength and lofty riches.
Straightway the self-reliant
God, Most Youthful, gives treasures to the mortal who adores
him.
4 Most Youthful God, whatever sin, through folly, we
here, as human beings, have committed,
In sight of Aditi
make thou us sinless remit, entirely, Agni, our offences.
5 Even in the presence of great sin, O Agni, free us from prison
of the Gods or mortals.
Never may we who are thy friends
be injured: grant health and strength unto our seed and offspring.
6 Even as ye here, Gods Excellent and Holy, have loosed the
cow that by the foot was tethered,
So also set us free from
this affliction long let our life, O Agni, be extended.
HYMN XIII. Agni.
1. Agni hath looked, benevolently-minded, on
the wealth-giving spring of radiant Mornings.
Come, Asvins,
to the dwelling of the pious: Surya the God is rising with his
splendour.
2 Savitar, God, hath spread on high his lustre,
waving his flag like a spoil-seeking hero.
Their stablished
way go Varuna and Mitra, what time they make the Sun ascend
the heaven.
3 Him whom they made to drive away the darkness,
Lords of sure mansions, constant to their object,
Him who
beholds the universe, the Sun-God, seven strong and youthful
Coursers carry onward.
4 Spreading thy web with mightiest
Steeds thou comest, rending apart, thou God, the black-hued
mantle.
The rays of Surya tremulously shining sink, like
a hide, the darkness in the waters.
5 How is it that, unbound
and not supported, he falleth not although directed downward?
By what self power moves he? Who liath seen it? He guards the
vault of heaven, a close-set pillar.
HYMN XIV. Agni.
1. THE God hath looked, even Agni Jatavedas,
to meet the Dawns refulgent in their glories.
Come on your
chariot, ye who travel widely, come to this sacrifice of ours,
Nasatyas.
2 Producing light for all the world of creatures,
God Savitar hath raised aloft his banner.
Making his presence
known by sunbeams, Surya hath filled the firmament and earth
and heaven.
3 Red Dawn.is come, riding with brightness onward,
distinguished by her beams, gay-hued and mighty.
Dawn on
her nobly-harnessed car, the Goddess, awaking men to happiness,
approacheth.
4 May those most powerful steeds and chariot
bring you, O Asvins, hither at the break of morning.
Here
for your drauglit of meath are Soma juices: at this our sacrifice
rejoice, ye Mighty.
5 How is it that, unbound and unsupported,
he falleth not although directed downward?
By what self-power
moves he? Who hath seen it? He guards the vault of heaven, a
close-set pillar?
HYMN XV. Agni.
1. Agni the Herald, like a horse, is led forth
at our solemn rite,
God among Gods adorable.
2 Three times
unto our solemn rite comes Agni like a charioteer,
Bearing
the viands to the Gods.
3 Round the oblations hath he paced,
Agni the Wise, the Lord of Strength,
Giving the offerer precious
boons.
4 He who is kindled eastward for Srnjaya, Devavata's
son,
Resplendent, tamer of the foe.
5 So mighty be the
Agni whom the mortal hero shall command,
With sharpened teeth
and bountiful.
6 Day after day they dress him, as they clean
a horse who wins the prize.
Dress the red Scion of the Sky.
7 When Sahadeva's princely son with two bay horses thought of
me,
Summoned by him I drew not back.
8 And truly those
two noble bays I straightway took when offered me,
From Sahadeva's
princely son.
9 Long, O ye Asvins, may he live, your care,
ye Gods, the princely son.
Of Sahadeva, Somaka.
10 Cause
him the youthful prince, the son of Sahadeva, to enjoy
Long
life, O Asvins, O ye Gods.
HYMN XVI. Indra.
1. IMPETUOUS, true, let Maghavan come hither,
and let his Tawny Coursers speed to reach us.
For him have
we pressed juice exceeding potent: here, praised with song,
let him effect his visit.
2 Unyoke, as at thy journey's end,
O Hero, to gladden thee today at this libation.
Like Usana,
the priest a laud shall utter, a hymn to thee, the Lord Divine,
who markest.
3 When the Bull, quaffing, praises our Iibation,
as a sage paying holy rites in secret,
Seven singers here
from heaven hath he begotten, who e'en by day have wrought their
works while singing.
4 When heaven's fair light by hymns
was made apparent (they made great splendour shine at break
of morning),
He with his succour, best of Heroes, scattered
the blinding darkness so that men saw clearly.
5 Indra, Impetuous
One, hath waxed immensely: he with his vastness hath filled
earth and heaven.
E'en beyond this his majesty extendeth
who hath exceeded all the worlds in greatness.
6 Sakra who
knoweth well all human actions hath with his eager Friends let
loose the waters.
They with their songs cleft e'en the mountain
open and willingly disclosed the stall of cattle.
7 He smote
away the floods' obstructer, Vrtra; Earth, conscious, lent her
aid to speed thy thunder.
Thou sentest forth the waters of
the ocean, as Lord through power and might, O daring Hero.
8 When, Much-invoked! the water's rock thou cleftest, Sarama
showed herself and went before thee.
Hymned by Angirases,
bursting the cowstalls, much strength thou foundest for us as
our leader.
9 Come, Maghavan, Friend of Man, to aid the singer
imploring thee in battle for the sunlight.
Speed him with
help in his irypired invokings: down sink the sorcerer, the
prayerless Dasyu.
10 Come to our home resolved to slay the
Dasyu: Kutsa longed eagerly to win thy friendship.
Alike
in form ye both sate in his dwelling the faithful Lady was in
doubt between you.
11 Thou comest, fain to succour him, with
Kutsa,-a goad that masters both the Wind-God's horses,
That,
holding the brown steeds like spoil for capture, the sage may
on the final day be present.
12 For Kutsa, with thy thousand,
thou at day-break didst hurl down greedy Susna, foe of harvest.
Quickly with Kutsa's friend destroy the Dasyus, and roll the
chariot-wheel of Sarya near us.
13 Thou to the son of Vidathin,
Rjisvan, gavest up mighty Mrgaya and Pipru.
Thou smotest
down the swarthy fifty thousand, and rentest forts as age consumes
a garment.
14 What time thou settest near the Sun thy body,
thy form, Immortal One, is seen expanding:
Thou a wild elephant
with might invested. like a dread lion as thou wieldest weapons.
15 Wishes for wealth have gone to Indra, longing for him in
war for light and at libation,
Eager for glory, labouring
with praisesongs: he is like home, like sweet and fair nutrition.
16 Call we for you that Indra, prompt to listen, him who hath
done so much for men's advantage;
Who, Lord of envied bounty,
to a singer like me brings quickly booty worth the capture.
17 When the sharp-pointed arrow, O thou Hero, flieth mid any
conflict of the people,
When, Faithful One, the dread encounter
cometh, then be thou the Protector of our body.
18 Further
the holy thoughts of Vamadeva be thou a guileless Friend in
fight for booty.
We come to thee whose providence protects
us: wide be thy sway for ever for thy singer.
19 O Indra,
with these men who love thee truly, free givers, Maghavan, in
every battle,
May we rejoice through many autumns, quelling
our foes, as days subdue the nights with splendour.
20 Now,
as the Bhrgus wrought a car, for Indra the Strong, the Mighty,
we our prayer have fashioned,
That he may, ne'er withdraw
from us his friendship, but be our bodies' guard and strong
defender.
21 Now, Indra! lauded, glorified with praises,
let power swell. high like rivers for the singer.
For thee
a new hymn, Lord of Bays, is fashioned. May we, car-borne, through
song be victors ever.
HYMN XVII. Indra.
1. GREAT art thou, Indra; yea, the earth, with
gladness, and heaven confess to thee thine high dominion.
Thou in thy vigour having slaughtered Vrtra didst free the floods
arrested by the Dragon.
2 Heaven trembled at the birth of
thine effulgence; Earth trembled at the fear of thy displeasure.
The stedfast mountains shook in agitation . the waters flowed,
and desert spots were flooded.
3 Hurling his bolt with might
he cleft the mountain, while, putting forth his strength, he
showed his vigour.
He slaughtered Vrtra with his bolt, exulting,
and, their lord slain, forth flowed the waters swiftly.
4
Thy Father Dyaus esteemed himself a hero: most noble was the
work of Indra's Maker,
His who begat the strong bolt's Lord
who roareth, immovable like earth from her foundation.
5
He who alone o'erthrows the world of creatures, Indra the peoples'
King, invoked of many-
Verily all rejoice in him, extolling
the boons which Maghavan the God hath sent them.
6 All Soma
juices are his own for ever, most gladdening draughts are ever
his, the Mighty,
Thou ever wast the Treasure-Lord of treasures:
Indra, thou lettest all folk share thy bounty.
7 Moreover,
when thou first wast born, O Indra, thou struckest terror into
all the people.
Thou, Maghavan, rentest with thy bolt the
Dragon who lay against the waterfloods of heaven.
8 The ever-slaying,
bold and furious Indra, the bright bolt's Lord, infinite, strong
and mighty,
Who slayeth Vrtra and acquireth booty, giver
of blessings, Maghavan the bounteous:
9 Alone renowned as
Maghavan in battles, he frighteneth away assembled armies.
He bringeth us the booty that he winneth may we, well-loved,
continue in his friendship.
10 Renowned is he when conquering
and when slaying: 'fis he who winneth cattle in the combat.
When Indra hardeneth his indignation all that is fixed and all
that moveth fear him.
11 Indra hath won all kine, all gold,
all horses,-Maghavan, he who breaketh forts in pieces;
Most
manly with these men of his who help him, dealing out wealth
and gathering the treasure.
12 What is the care of Indra
for his Mother, what cares he for the Father who begat him?
His care is that which speeds his might in conflicts, like wind
borne onward by the clouds that thunder.
13 Maghavan makes
the settled man unsettled: he scatters dust that he hath swept
together,
Breaking in pieces like Heaven armed with lightning:
Maghavan shall enrich the man who lauds h;m.
14 He urged
the chariot-wheel of Surya forward: Etasa, speeding on his way,
he rested.
Him the black undulating cloud bedeweth, in this
mid-air's depth, at the base of darkness,
15 As in the night
the sacrificing priest.
16 Eager for booty, craving strength
and horses, we-singers stir Indra, the strong, for friendship,
Who gives the wives we seek, whose succour fails not, to hasten,
like a pitcher to the fountain.
17 Be thou our guardian,
show thyself our kinsman, watching and blessing those who pour
the Soma;
As Friend, as Sire, most fatherly of fathers giving
the suppliant vital strength and freedom.
18 Be helping Friend
of those who seek thy friendship . give life, when lauded, Indra,
to the singer.
For, Indra, we the priests have paid thee
worship, exalting thee with these our sacrifices.
19 Alone,
when Indra Maghavan is lauded, he slayeth many ne'er-resisted
Vrtras.
Him in whose keeping is the well-loved singer never
do Gods or mortals stay or hinder.
20 E en so let Maghavan,
the loud-voiced Indra, give us true blessings, foeless, men's
upholder.
King of all creatures, give us glory amply, exalted
glory due to him who lauds thee.
21 Now, Indra! lauded, glorified
with praises, let power swell high like rivers for the singer.
For thee a new hymn, Lord of Bays! is fashioned. May we, car-borne,
through song be victors ever.
HYMN XVIII. Indra and Others.
1. THIS is the ancient and accepted pathway by
which all Gods have come into existence.
Hereby could one
be born though waxen mighty. Let him not, otherwise, destroy
his Mother.
2 Not this way go I forth: hard is the passage.
Forth from the side obliquely will I issue.
Much that is
yet undone must I accomplish; one must I combat and the other
question.
3 He bent his eye upon the dying Mother: My word
I now withdraw. That way I follow.
In Tvastar's dwelling
India drank the Soma, a hundredworth of juice pressed from the
mortar.
4 What strange act shall he do, he whom his Mother
bore for a thousand months and many autumns?
No peer hath
he among those born already, nor among those who shall be born
hereafter.
5 Deeming him a reproach, his mother hid him,
Indra, endowed with all heroic valour.
Then up he sprang
himself, assumed his vesture, and filled, as soon as born, the
earth and heaven.
6 With lively motion onward flow these
waters, the Holy Ones, shouting, as 'twere, together.
Ask
them to. tell thee what the floods are saying, what girdling
rock the waters burst asunder.
7 Are they addressing him
with words of welcome? Will the floods take on them the shame
of Indra?
With his great thunderbolt my Son hath slaughtered
Vrtra, and set these rivers free to wander.
8 I cast thee
from me, mine,-thy youthful mother: thee, mine own offspring,
Kusava hath swallowed.
To him, mine infant, were the waters
gracious. Indra, my Son, rose up in conquering vigour.
9
Thou art mine own, O Maghavan, whom Vyamsa struck to the ground
and smote thy jaws in pieces.
But, smitten through, the mastery
thou wonnest, and with thy bolt the Dasa's head thou crushedst.
10 The Heifer hath brought forth the Strong, the Mighty, the
unconquerable Bull, the furious Indra.
The Mother left her
unlicked Calf to wander, seeking himself, the path that he would
follow.
11 Then to her mighty Child the Mother turned her,
saying, My son, these Deities forsake thee.
Then Indra said,
about to slaughter Vrtra, O my friend Vrtra, stride full boldly
forward.
12 Who was he then who made thy Mother widow? Who
sought to stay thee lying still or moving?
What God, when
by the foot thy Sire thou tookest and slewest, was at hand to
give thee comfort?
13 In deep distress I cooked a dog's intestines.
Among the Gods I found not one to comfort.
My consort I beheld
in degradation. The Falcon then brought me the pleasant Soma.
HYMN XIX. Indra.
1. THEE, verily, O Thunder-wielding Indra, all
the Gods here, the Helpers swift to listen,
And both the
worlds elected, thee the Mighty, High, waxen strong, alone to
slaughter Vrtra.
2 The Gods, as worn witheld, relaxed their
efforts: thou, Indra, born of truth, wast Sovran Ruler.
Thou
slewest Ahi who besieged the waters, and duggest out their all-supporting
channels.
3 The insatiate one, extended, hard to waken, who
slumbered in perpetual sleep, O Indra,-
The Dragon stretched
against the seven prone rivers, where no joint was, thou rentest
with thy thunder.
4 Indra with might shook earth and her
foundation as the wind stirs the water with its fury.
Striving,
with strength he burst the firm asunder, and tore away the summits
of the mountains.
5 They ran to thee as mothers to their
offspring: the clouds, like chariots, hastened forth together.
Thou didst refresh the streams and force the billows: thou,
Indra, settest free obstructed rivers.
6 Thou for the sake
of Vayya and Turviti didst stay the great stream, flowing, allsustaining:
Yea, at their prayer didst check the rushing river and make
the floods easy to cross, O Indra.
7 He let the young Maids
skilled in Law, unwedded, like fountains, bubbling, flow forth
streaming onward.
He inundated thirsty plains and deserts,
and milked the dry Cows of the mighty master.
8 Through many
a morn and many a lovely autumn, having slain Vrtra, lie set
free the rivers.
Indra hath set at liberty to wander on earth
the streams encompassed pressed together.
9 Lord of Bay Steeds,
thou broughtest from the ant-hill the unwedded damsel's son
whom ants were eating.
The blind saw clearly, as he grasped
the serpent, rose, brake the jar: hisjoints again united.
10 To the wise man, O Sage and Sovran Ruler, the man who knoweth
all thine ancient exploits.
Hath told these deeds of might
as thou hast wrought them, great acts, spontaneous, and to man's
advantage.
11 Now, Indra! lauded, glorified with praises,
let powers swell high, like rivers, for the singer.
For thee
a new hymn, Lord of Bays! is fashioned. May we, car-borne, through
song be victors ever.
HYMN XX. Indra.
1. FROM near or far away may mighty Indra giver
of succour, come for our protection
Lord of men, armed with
thunder, with the Strongest, slaying his foes in conflict, in
the battles.
2 May Indra come to us with Tawny Coursers,
inclined to us, to favour and enrich us.
May Maghavan, loud-voiced
and wielding thunder, stand by us at this sacrifice, in combat.
3 Thou, honouring this our sacrifice, O Indra, shalt give us
strength and fill us full of courage.
To win the booty, Thunder-armed!
like hunters may we with thee subdue in fight our foemen.
4 Loving us well, benevolent, close beside us, drink, Godlike
Indra, of the wellpressed Soma.
Drink of the meath we offer,
and delight thee with food that cometh from the mountain ridges.
5 Him who is sung aloud by recent sages, like a ripe-fruited
tree, a scythe-armed victor,-
I, like a bridegroom thinking
of his consort, call hither Indra, him invoked of many;
6
Him who in native strength is like a mountain, the lofty Indra
born or old for conquest,
Terrific wielder of the ancient
thunder. filled full with splendour as a jar with water.
7 Whom from of old there is not one to hinder, none to curtail
the riches of his bounty.
Pouring forth freely, O thou Strong
and Mighty, vouchsafe us riches, God invoked of many!
8 Of
wealth and homes of men thou art the ruler, and opener of the
stable of the cattle.
Helper of men, winner of spoil in combats,
thou leadest to an ample heap of riches.
9 By what great
might is he renowned as strongest, wherewith the Lofty One stirs
up wild battles?
Best soother of the worshipper's great sorrow,
he gives possessions to the man who lauds him.
10 Slay us
not; bring, bestow onus the ample gift which thou hast to give
to him who offers.
At this new gift, with this laud sung
before thee, extolling thee, we, Indra, will declare it.
11 Now, Indra! lauded, glorified with praises, let power swell
high, like rivers, for the singer.
A new hymn, Lord of Bays!
for thee is fashioned. May we, car-born, through song be victors
ever.
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.