HYMN I. Agni.

1 I Laud Agni, the chosen Priest, God, minister of sacrifice,
The hotar, lavishest of wealth.
2 Worthy is Agni to be praised by living as by ancient seers.
He shall bring hitherward the Gods.
3 Through Agni man obtaineth wealth, yea, plenty waxing day by day,
Most rich in heroes, glorious.
4 Agni, the perfect sacrifice which thou encompassest about
Verily goeth to the Gods.
5 May Agni, sapient-minded Priest, truthful, most gloriously great,
The God, come hither with the Gods.
6 Whatever blessing, Agni, thou wilt grant unto thy worshipper,
That, Aṅgiras, is indeed thy truth.
7 To thee, dispeller of the night, O Agni, day by day with prayer
Bringing thee reverence, we come
8 Ruler of sacrifices, guard of Law eternal, radiant One,
Increasing in thine own abode.
9 Be to us easy of approach, even as a father to his son:
Agni, be with us for our weal.

HYMN II. Vāyu.

1 BEAUTIFUL Vāyu, come, for thee these Soma drops have been prepared:
Drink of them, hearken to our call.
2 Knowing the days, with Soma juice poured forth, the singers glorify
Thee, Vāyu, with their hymns of praise.
3 Vāyu, thy penetrating stream goes forth unto the worshipper,
Far-spreading for the Soma draught.
4 These, Indra-Vāyu, have been shed; come for our offered dainties’ sake:
The drops are yearning for you both.
5 Well do ye mark libations, ye Vāyu and Indra, rich in spoil!
So come ye swiftly hitherward.
6 Vāyu and Indra, come to what the Soma-presser hath prepared:
Soon, Heroes, thus I make my prayer.
7 Mitra, of holy strength, I call, and foe-destroying Varuṇa,
Who make the oil-fed rite complete.
8 Mitra and Varuṇa, through Law, lovers and cherishers of Law,
Have ye obtained your might power
9 Our Sages, Mitra-Varuṇa, wide dominion, strong by birth,
Vouchsafe us strength that worketh well.

HYMN III. Aśvins

1 YE Aśvins, rich in treasure, Lords of splendour, having nimble hands,
Accept the sacrificial food.
2 Ye Aśvins, rich in wondrous deeds, ye heroes worthy of our praise,
Accept our songs with mighty thought.
3 Nāsatyas, wonder-workers, yours are these libations with clipt grass:
Come ye whose paths are red with flame.
4 O Indra marvellously bright, come, these libations long for thee,
Thus by fine fingers purified.
5 Urged by the holy singer, sped by song, come, Indra, to the prayers,
Of the libation-pouring priest.
6 Approach, O Indra, hasting thee, Lord of Bay Horses, to the prayers.
In our libation take delight.
7 Ye Viśvedevas, who protect, reward, and cherish men, approach
Your worshipper’s drink-offering.
8 Ye Viśvedevas, swift at work, come hither quickly to the draught,
As milch-kine hasten to their stalls.
9 The Viśvedevas, changing shape like serpents, fearless, void of guile,
Bearers, accept the sacred draught
10 Wealthy in spoil, enriched with hymns, may bright Sarasvatī desire,
With eager love, our sacrifice.
11 Inciter of all pleasant songs, inspirer of all gracious thought,
Sarasvatī accept our rite
12 Sarasvatī, the mighty flood,—she with her light illuminates,
She brightens every pious thought.

HYMN IV. Indra

1 As a good cow to him who milks, we call the doer of fair deeds,
To our assistance day by day.
2 Come thou to our libations, drink of Soma; Soma-drinker thou!
The rich One’s rapture giveth kine.
3 So may we be acquainted with thine innermost benevolence:
Neglect us not, come hitherward.
4 Go to the wise unconquered One, ask thou of Indra, skilled in song,
Him who is better than thy friends.
5 Whether the men who mock us say, Depart unto another place,
Ye who serve Indra and none else;
6 Or whether, God of wondrous deeds, all our true people call us blest,
Still may we dwell in Indra’s care.
7 Unto the swift One bring the swift, man-cheering, grace of sacrifice,
That to the Friend gives wings and joy.
8 Thou, Śatakratu, drankest this and wast the Vṛtras’ slayer; thou
Helpest the warrior in the fray.
9 We strengthen, Śatakratu, thee, yea, thee the powerful in fight,
That, Indra, we may win us wealth.
10 To him the mighty stream of wealth, prompt friend of him who pours the juice,
Yea, to this Indra sing your song.

HYMN V. Indra.

1 O COME ye hither, sit ye down: to Indra sing ye forth, your song,
companions, bringing hymns of praise.
2 To him the richest of the rich, the Lord of treasures excellent,
Indra, with Soma juice outpoured.
3 May he stand by us in our need and in abundance for our wealth:
May he come nigh us with his strength.
4 Whose pair of tawny horses yoked in battles foemen challenge not:
To him, to Indra sing your song.
5 Nigh to the Soma-drinker come, for his enjoyment, these pure drops,
The Somas mingled with the curd.
6 Thou, grown at once to perfect strength, wast born to drink the Soma juice,
Strong Indra, for preëminence.
7 O Indra, lover of the song, may these quick Somas enter thee:
May they bring bliss to thee the Sage.
8 Our chants of praise have strengthened thee, O Śatakratu, and our lauds
So strengthen thee the songs we sing.
9 Indra, whose succour never fails, accept these viands thousandfold,
Wherein all manly powers abide.
10 O Indra, thou who lovest song, let no man hurt our bodies, keep
Slaughter far from us, for thou canst.

HYMN VI. Indra.

1 They who stand round him as he moves harness the bright, the ruddy Steed
The lights are shining in the sky.
2 On both sides to the car they yoke the two bay coursers dear to him,
Bold, tawny, bearers of the Chief.
3 Thou, making light where no light was, and form, O men: where form was not,
Wast born together with the Dawns.
4 Thereafter they, as is their wont, threw off the state of babes unborn,
Assuming sacrificial names.
5 Thou, Indra, with the Tempest-Gods, the breakers down of what is firm,
Foundest the kine even in the cave.
6 Worshipping even as they list, singers laud him who findeth wealth,
The far-renowned, the mighty One.
7 Mayest thou verily be seen coming by fearless Indra’s side:
Both joyous, equal in your sheen.
8 With Indra’s well beloved hosts, the blameless, hastening to heaven,
The sacrificer cries aloud.
9 Come from this place, O Wanderer, or downward from the light of heaven:
Our songs of praise all yearn for this.
10 Indra we seek to give us help, from here, from heaven above the earth,
Or from the spacious firmament.

HYMN VII. Indra.

1 INDRA the singers with high praise, Indra reciters with their lauds,
Indra the choirs have glorified.
2 Indra hath ever close to him his two bay steeds and word-yoked car,
Indra the golden, thunder-armed.
3 Indra hath raised the Sun on high in heaven, that he may see afar:
He burst the mountain for the kine.
4 Help us, O Indra, in the frays, yea, frays, where thousand spoils are gained,
With awful aids, O awful One.
5 In mighty battle we invoke Indra, Indra in lesser fight,
The Friend who bends his bolt at fiends.
6 Unclose, our manly Hero, thou for ever bounteous, yonder cloud,
For us, thou irresistible.
7 Still higher, at each strain of mine, thunder-armed Indra’s praises rise:
I find no laud worthy of him.
8 Even as the bull drives on the herds, he drives the people with his might,
The Ruler irresistible:
9 Indra who rules with single sway men, riches, and the fivefold race
Of those who dwell upon the earth.
10 For your sake from each side we call Indra away from other men:
Ours, and none others’, may he be.

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 VIII. Indra.

1 INDRA, bring wealth that gives delight, the victor’s ever-conquering wealth,
Most excellent, to be our aid;
2 By means of which we may repel our foes in battle hand to hand,
By thee assisted with the car.
3 Aided by thee, the thunder-armed, Indra, may we lift up the bolt,
And conquer all our foes in fight.
4 With thee, O India, for ally with missile-darting heroes, may
We conquer our embattled foes.
5 Mighty is Indra, yea supreme; greatness be his, the Thunderer:
Wide as the heaven extends his power
6 Which aideth those to win them sons, who come as heroes to the fight,
Or singers loving holy thoughts.
7 His belly, drinking deepest draughts of Soma, like an ocean swells,
Like wide streams from the cope of heaven.
8 So also is his excellence, great, vigorous, rich in cattle, like
A ripe branch to the worshipper.
9 For verily thy mighty powers, Indra, are saving helps at once
Unto a worshipper like me.
10 So are his lovely gifts; let lauds and praises be to Indra sung,
That he may drink the Soma juice.

HYMN IX. Indra.

1 COME, Indra, and delight thee with the juice at all the Soma feasts,
Protector, mighty in thy strength.
2 To Indra pour ye forth the juice, the active gladdening juice to him
The gladdening, omnific God.
3 O Lord of all men, fair of cheek, rejoice thee in the gladdening lauds,
Present at these drink-offerings.
4 Songs have outpoured themselves to thee, Indra, the strong, the guardian Lord,
And raised themselves unsatisfied.
5 Send to us bounty manifold, O Indra, worthy of our wish,
For power supreme is only thine.
6 O Indra, stimulate thereto us emulously fain for wealth,
And glorious, O most splendid One.
7 Give, Indra, wide and lofty fame, wealthy in cattle and in strength,
Lasting our life-time, failing not.
8 Grant us high fame, O Indra, grant riches bestowing thousands, those
Fair fruits of earth borne home in wains.
9 Praising with songs the praise-worthy who cometh to our aid, we call
Indra, the Treasure-Lord of wealth.
10 To lofty Indra, dweller by each libation, the pious man
Sings forth aloud a strengthening hymn.

HYMN X. Indra.

1 THE chanters hymn thee, they who say the word of praise magnify thee.
The priests have raised thee up on high, O Śatakratu, 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 Śakra 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 Śakra, 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 Kuśika, 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 Śuṣṇa, Indra! thou o’erthrewest 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.

1 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, burn 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 Narāśaṁsa, 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 Iḷā, Sarasvatī, Mahī, three Goddesses who bring delight,
Be seated, peaceful, on the grass.
10 Tvaṣṭar I call, the earliest born, the wearer of all forms at will:
May he be ours and ours alone.
11 God, Sovran of the Wood, present this our oblation to the Gods,
And let the giver be renowned.
12 With Svāhā pay the sacrifice to Indra in the offerer’s house:
Thither I call the Deities.

HYMN XIV. Viśvedevas.

1 To drink the Soma, Agni, come, to our service and our songs.
With all these Gods; and worship them.
2 The Kaṇvas have invoked thee; they, O Singer, sing thee songs of praise
Agni, come hither with the Gods;
3 Indra, Vāyu, Bṛhaspati, Mitra, Agni, Pūṣan, Bhaga,
Ādityas, 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 Kaṇva 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
The 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 Vāyu, 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. Ṛtu.

1 O INDRA drink the Soma juice with Ṛtu; let the cheering drops
Sink deep within, which settle there.
2 Drink from the Purifier’s cup, Maruts, with Ṛtu; sanctify
The rite, for ye give precious gifts.
3 O Neṣṭar, with thy Dame accept our sacrifice; with Ṛtu 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 Ṛtu drink.
5 Drink Soma after the Ṛtus, from the Brāhmaṇa’s bounty: undissolved,
O Indra, is thy friendship’s bond.
6 Mitra, Varuṇa, ye whose ways are firm—a Power that none deceives—,
With Ṛtu 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 Ṛtu fain would drink, Wealth-giver, from the Neṣṭar’s bowl.
Haste, give your offering, and depart.
10 As we this fourth time, Wealth-giver, honour thee with the Ṛtus, be
A Giver bountiful to us.
11 Drink ye the meath, O Aśvins bright with flames, whose acts are pure, who with
Ṛtus accept the sacrifice.
12 With Ṛtu, 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 he draught we pour
We call thee when 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 Vṛtra-slayer, comes,
To drink the Soma for delight.
9 Fulfil, O Śatakratu, all our wish with horses and with kine:
With holy thoughts we sing thy praise.

HYMN XVII. Indra-Varuṇa

1 I CRAVE help from the Imperial Lords, from Indra-Varuṇa; 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-Varuṇa, 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 Varuṇa, 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-Varuṇa, on you for wealth in many a form I call:
Still keep ye us victorious.
8 O Indra-Varuṇa, through our songs that seek to win you to ourselves,
Give us at once your sheltering help.
9 O Indra-Varuṇa, to you may fair praise which I offer come,
Joint eulogy which ye dignify.

HYMN XVIII. Brahmaṇaspati.

1 O BRĀHMAṆASPATI, make him who presses Soma glorious,
Even Kakṣīvān Auśija.
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, Brahmaṇaspati.
4 Ne’er is the mortal hero harmed whom Indra, Brahmaṇaspati,
And Soma graciously inspire.
5 Do, thou, O Brahmaṇaspati, and Indra, Soma, Dakṣiṇā,
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 Narāśaṁsa, 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. Ṛbhus.

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.