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LITERATURE OF THE EAST 17
2. O Vayu, the praisers celebrate thee with hymns, they
who know the feast-days, and have prepared the Soma.
3. O Vayu, thy satisfying stream goes to the worshiper,
wide-reaching, to the Soma-draught.
out ;
4. O Indra and Vayu, these libations of Soma are poured
come hither for the sake of our offerings, for the drops
of Soma long for you.
5. O Indra and Vayu, you perceive the libations, you.
who are rich in booty; come then quickly hither!
6. O Vayu and Indra, come near to the work of the sac-
thus is
my prayer, O ye men!
rificer quick;
7. I call Mitra, endowed with holy strength, and Varuna,
who destroys all enemies; who both fulfil a prayer accompanied
by fat offerings.
8. On the right way, O Mitra and Varuna, you have
obtained great wisdom, you who increase the right and
adhere to the right;
9. These two sages, Mitra and Varuna, the mighty, wideruling,
give us efficient strength. 4
BOOK L HYMN 3 5
1. Aswins, cherishers of pious deeds, having outstretched
hands for accepting the oblation, long-armed, desire for sacrificial
viands.
2. Aswins, of many acts, guides of devotion, endowed with
intellect, accept our eulogistic words with unaverted minds.
3. Aswins, destroyers of diseases, shorn of falsehood, leaders
in the van of heroes, come to the mixed libations of Soma,
extracted and placed on lopped Kus'a-grass.
Varuna seem special forms of fire, forms more fierce than Agni, the
hearth-fire. Later they become day and night.
* Translated by Max Muller.
5 The Aswins are two sons of the sun. They are warlike heroes and
are also healing gods, or physicians. The Viswadevas are specifically
a class of lesser gods, somewhat like guardian-spirits of men; but the
term is often used collectively to include all gods. Saraswati is the
goddess of speech, a truly feminine deity.
VOL. IX. 2.