Rig Veda

RIG VEDA – BOOK ONE
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1. STREWN is the sacred grass; come Vayu, to our feast, with
team of thousands, come, Lord of the harnessed team, with
hundreds, Lord of harnessed steeds!
The drops divine are lifted up for thee, the God, to drink them
first.
The juices rich in sweets have raised thern for thy joy, have
raised themselves to give thee strength.
2 Purified by the stones the Soma flows for thee, clothed with
its lovely splendours, to the reservoir, flows clad in its
refulgent light.
For thee the Soma is poured forth, thy portioned share mid.
Gods and men.
Drive thou thy horses, Vayu, come to us with love, come wellinclined
and loving us.
3 Come thou with hundreds, come with thousands in thy team
to this our solemn rite, to taste the sacred food, Vayu, to taste
the offerings.
This is thy seasonable share, that comes co-radiant with the
Sun.
Brought by attendant priests pure juice is offered up, Vayu,
pure juice is offered up.
4 The chariot with its team of horses bring you both, to guard
us and to taste the well-appointed food, Vayu, to taste the
offerings!
Drink of the pleasant -flavoured juice the first draught is
assigned to you.
O Vayu, with your splendid bounty come ye both, Indra, with
bounty come ye both.
5 May our songs bring you hither to our solemn rites: these
drops of mighty vigour have they beauti fied, like a swift veed
of mighty strength.
Drink of them well-inclined to us, come hitherward to be our
help.
Drink, Indra-Vayu, of these Juices pressed with stones,
Strength-givers! till they gladden you.
6 These Soma juices pressed for you in waters here, borne by
attendant priests, are oficredup to you: bright, Vayu, are they
offered up.
Swift through the strainer have they flowed, and here are shed
for both ofyou,
Soma-drops, fain for you, over the wether's fleece, Somas over
the wether's fleece.
7 O Vayu, pass thou over all the,slumberers, and where the
press-stone rings enter ye both that house, yea, Indra, go ye
both within.
The joyous Maiden is beheld, the butter flows. With richly
laden team come to our solemn rite, yea, Indra, come ye to the
rite.
8 Ride hither to the offering of the pleasant juice, the holy Figtree
which victorious priests surround: victorious be they still
for us.
At once the cows yield milk, the barleymeal is dressed. For
thee,
O Vayu, never shall the cows grow thin, never for thee shall
they be dry.
9 These Bulls of thine, O Vayu with the arm of strength, who
swiftly fly within the current of thy stream, the Bulls
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increasing in their might,
Horseless, yet even through the waste swift-moving, whom no
shout can stay,
Hard to be checked are they, like sunbeams, in their course.
hard to be checked by both the hands.
HYMN CXXXVI. Mitra-Varuna.
1. BRING adoration ample and most excellent, hymn,
offierings, to the watchful Twain, the bountiful, your sweetest
to the bounteous Ones.
Sovrans adored with streams of oil and praised at every
sacrifice.
Their high imperial might may nowhere be assailed, ne'er may
their Godhead be assailed.
2 For the broad Sun was seen a path more widely laid, the path
of holy law hath been maintained with rays, the eye with
Bhaga's rays of light.
Firm-set in heaven is Mitra's home, and Aryaman's and
Varuna's.
Thence they give forth great vital strength which merits praise,
high power of life that men shall praise.
3 With Aditi the luminous, the celestial, upholder of the
people, come ye day by day, ye who watch sleepless, day by
day.
Resplendent might have ye obtained, Adityas, Lords of liberal
gifts.
Movers of men, mild both, are Mitra, Varuna, mover of men is
Aryaman.
4 This Soma be most sweet to Mitra, Varuna: he in the
drinking-feasts, shall have a share thereof, sharing, a God,
among the Gods.
May all the Gods of one accord accept it joyfully to-day.
Therefore do ye, O Kings, accomplish what we ask, ye
Righteous Ones, whate'er we ask.
5 Whoso, with worship serves Mitra and VaruiIa, him guard ye
carefully, uninjured, from distress, guard from distress the
liberal man.
Aryaman guards him well who acts uprightly following his
law,
Who beautifies their service with his lauds, who makes it
beautiful with songs of praise.
6 Worship will I proress to lofty Dyaus, to Heaven and Earth,
to Mitra and to bounteous Varuna, the Bounteous, the
Compassionate.
Praise Indra, praise thou Agni, praise Bhaga and heavenly
Aryaman.
Long may we live and have attendant progeny, have progeny
with Soma's help.
7 With the Gods' help, with Indra still beside us, may we be
held self-splendid with the Maruts.
May Agni, Mitra, Varuna give us shelter this may we gain, we
and our wealthy princes.
HYMN CXXXVII. Mitra-Varuna.
1. WITH stones have we pressed out: O come; these
gladdening drops are blent with milk, these Soma-drops which
gladden you.