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1He who with special plans and deathless spirit, waxing, well-
born, hath come unto his birth-place,
As he who shines upholds the days, thus Trita, of pure life,
bears the Three as their supporter.
2He who, the first, approached the holy statutes makes, after,
many beauteous forms and figures.
Eager to drink, his birth-place first he entered who understands
the word when yet unspoken.
3He who—the fluid gold, with radiant kinsmen—to fervent glow
delivered up thy body,
On him both set names, that shall live for ever: to him the regions
shall send robes to clothe him,
4As these have gone to their primeval station, each gaining an
imperishable dwelling,
May kissing mothers of the bards' beloved bring the pole-draw-
ing husband to the sister.
5By holy wisdom I a sage, Far-Strider! offer to thee this lofty
adoration.
This worship both the mighty eddying rivers, coming together
to this station, heighten.
6Seven are the pathways which the wise have fashioned: to one
of these may come the troubled mortal.
On sure ground where the ways are parted standeth Life's Pillar
in the dwelling of the Highest.
7Working, I go my way with deathless spirit: life, spirit, bodies
have gone gladly thither.
Aye, Sakra also gives his gift of treasure as when the sacrificer
meets with power.
8Yea, the son asks dominion of his father: this they declared the
noblest path to welfare.
Varuna, let them see thy revelations: display the wondrous
shapes of times to follow. p. a154
9Halt with the milk, its other half, thou minglest and with that
half, strong! unbeguiled! increasest.
Let us exalt the gracious friend, the mighty, Varuna son of-
Aditi, strength-giver.
We have told him the marvels sung by poets. The utterance of
Heaven and Earth is truthful.

1In all the worlds That was the best and highest whence sprang
the Mighty One of splendid valour.
As soon as born he overcomes his foemen, when those rejoice in
him who bring him succour.
2Grown mighty in his strength, with ample vigour, he as a foe
strikes fear into the Dāsa,
Eager to win the breathing and the breathless: All sang thy
praise at banquet and oblation.
3All concentrate on thee their mental vigour what time these,
twice or thrice, are thine assistants,
Blend what is sweeter than the sweet with sweetness win quickly
with our meath that meath in battle.
4If verily in every war the sages joy and exult in thee who win-
nest treasures,
With mightier power, strong God, extend thy firmness: let not
malevolent Kaokas harm thee.
5Proudly we put our trust in thee in battles, when we behold
great wealth the prize of combat.
I with my words impel thy weapons onward, and sharpen with
my prayer thy vital vigour.
6Thou in that house, the highest or the lowest, which thy protec-
tion guards, bestowest riches.
Establish ye the ever-wandering mother, and bring full many
deeds to their completion.
7Praise in the height Him who hath many pathways, courageous,
strongest, Aptya of the Aptyas
Through strength he shows himself of ample power: pattern of
Prithivī, he fights and conquers.
8Brihaddiva, the foremost of light-winners, hath made these holy
prayers, this strength for Indra. p. a156
Free Lord, he rules the mighty fold of cattle, winning, aglow,
even all the billowy waters.
9Thus hath Brihaddiva, the great Atharvan, spoken to Indra as
himself in person.
Two sisters free from stain, the Mātarivans, with power impel
him onward and exalt him.

1Let strength be mine while I invoke thee, Agni! enkindling thee
may we support our bodies.
May the four regions bend and bow before me: with thee for
guardian may we win the combat.
2Baffling the range of our opponents, Agni! guard us as our
protector round about us.
Down the steep slope go they who hate us, backward, and let
their thought who watch at home be ruined.
3May all the Gods be on my side in battle, the Maruts led by
Indra, Vishnu, Agni.
Mine be the middle air's extended region, and may the Wind
blow favouring these my wishes.
4For me let them present all mine oblations, and let my mind's
intention be accomplished.
May I be guiltless of the least transgression: may all the Gods
come hither and protect me.
5May the Gods grant me riches, may the blessing and invocation
of the Gods assist me.
This boon shall the celestial Hotars win us: may we, unwound-
ed, have brave heroes round us.
6Ye six divine Expanses, give us freedom. Here, all ye Gods,
acquit yourselves like heroes.
Let not calamity or curse o'ertake us, nor deeds of wickedness
that merit hatred.
7Do ye three Goddesses give ample shelter and all success to us
ourselves and children.
Let us not lose our children or our bodies: let us not benefit
the foe, King Soma!
8Foodful and much-invoked, at this our calling may the far-
reaching Bull grant us wide shelter.
Lord of bay coursers, Indra, bless our children: harm us not,
give us not as prey to others.
9Lord of the world, Creator and Disposer, may the God Savitar
who quells assailants,
May the Ādityas, Rudras, both the Asvins, Gods, guard the
sacrificer from destruction.
10Let those who are our foemen stay afar from us: with Indra
and with Agni we will drive them off. p. a158
The Ādityas and the Rudras, over us on high, have made me
strong, a thinker, and a sovran lord.
11Yea, we call Indra hitherward, the winner of wealth in battle
and of kine and horses.
May he mark this our worship when we call him, Lord of bay
steeds, thou art our friend and comrade.

1Thou who wast born on mountains, thou most mighty of all
plants that grow.
Thou Banisher of Fever, come, Kushtha! make Fever pass
away.
2Brought from the Snowy Mountain, born on the high hill where
eagles breed,
Men seek to buy thee when they hear: for Fever's Banisher
they know.
3In the third heaven above us stands the Asvattha tree, the seat
of Gods.
There the Gods sought the Kushtha Plant, embodiment of end-
less life.
4There moved through heaven a golden ship, a ship with cordage
wrought of Gold.
There the Gods won the Kushtha Plant, the blossom of eternal
life. p. a159
5They sailed on pathways paved with gold, the oars they piled
were wrought of gold:
All golden were the ships wherein they carried Kushtha down
to earth.
6O Kushtha, bring thou hitherward this man of mine, restore his
health,
Yes, free him from disease for me.
7Thou art descended from thee Gods, Soma's benignant friend
art thou,
Befriend my breath and vital air be gracious unto this mine eye.
8Sprung, northward, from the Snowy Hill thou art conveyed to
eastern men.
There they deal out among themselves Kushtha's most noble
qualities.
9Most excellent, indeed, art thou, Kushtha! most noble is thy
sire.
Make all Consumption pass away and render Fever powerless.
10Malady that affects the head, eye-weakness, bodily defect—
All this let Kushtha heal and cure: aye, godlike is the vigorous
power.

1Aryaman is thy grandsire, Night thy mother, and the Cloud thy
sire.
Thy name is called Silāchi. Thou, thyself, art sister of the Gods.
2Whoever drinketh thee hath life: thou savest and protectest
man.
As nursing mother of mankind, thou takest all upon thy lap.
3Thou clingest close to every tree, as a fond damsel clasps her
love. p. a160
Thy name is called The Conqueror, She who Stands Fast, The
Rescuer.
4Whatever wound the arrow, or the staff, or violence inflicts,
Thereof thou art the remedy: as such restore this man to health.
5Thou springest from blest Plaxa, or Asvattha, Dhava, Khadira,
Parna, or blest Nyagrodha, so come thou to use, Arundhatī!
6Gold-coloured, bringing happy fate, most lovely, brilliant as the
Sun,
Mayst thou, O Healing! come unto the fracture: Healing is thy
name.
7Gold-coloured, bringing happy fate, odorous, hairy-bodied one,
The sister of the Waters art thou, Lākshā! and thy soul is Wind.
8Silāchi is thy name: thy sire, O goat-brown! is a damsel's son.
Thou hast been sprinkled by the mouth of Yama's tawny-
coloured horse.
9Issuing from the horse's blood away she glided to the trees.
Become a winged water-brook, and come to us, Arundhatī!

1Eastward at first the prayer was generated: Vena disclosed bright
flashes from the summit, p. a161
Disclosed his deepest nearest revelations, womb of the non-
existent and existent.
2None have attained to those of old, those who wrought holy
acts for you,
Let them not harm our heroes here. Therefore I set before you
this.
3Sweet-tongued, exhaustless, they have sent their voices down
together in heaven's vault that pours a thousand streams.
His wildly-restless warders never close an eye: in every place
the snarers stand to bind men fast.
4Speed forward, conquering all foes, to win the spoil,
Thou comest on thy haters with a surging sea. Thy name is
Fragile. The thirteenth month is Indra's home.
5Through this now hast thou sent thy gifts. All hail!
With sharpened arms and missiles, kind and friendly, be gracious
unto us, Soma and Rudra!
6Through this hast thou been left in want. All hail!
With sharpened arms and missiles, kind and friendly, be gracious
unto us, Soma and Rudra!
7Through this hast thou committed faults. All hail!
With sharpened arms and missiles, kind and friendly, be gracious
unto us, Soma and Rudra!
8Free us from trouble, free us from dishonour, accept our wor-
ship, give us life immortal.
9O missile of the eye, missile of spirit, thou missile of devotion
and of fervour!
Thou art the weapon shot against the weapon. Let those be
weaponless who sin against us.
10Make with thy weapon weaponless, O Agni, all wicked men
who deal with us as foemen with eye, with thought, with
spirit, or intention.
11Thou art the house of Indra. I betake me to thee, I enter thee
with all my cattle,
With all my people and with all my body, with all my soul, with
mine entire possessions.
12Thou art the guard of Indra. I betake me to thee, etc.
13Thou art the shield of Indra. I betake me to thee, etc.
14Indra's protection art thou. I betake me to thee, I enter thee
with all my cattle.
With all my people and with all my body, with all my soul, with p. a162
mine entire possessions.

1Bring thou to us, bar not the way, Arāti! Stay not the guerdon
that is being brought us.
Homage be paid to Failure, to Misfortune, and Malignity.
2The man whom thou preferrest, O Arāti, he who prates to us—
This man of thine, we reverence. Baffle not thou my heart's
desire,
3May our desire which Gods have roused fulfil itself by day and
night.
We seek to win Arāti: to Arāti be our homage paid.
4We, suppliant, call on Bhaga, on Sarasvati, Anumati,
Pleasant words have I spoken, sweet as honey is, at invocations
of the Gods.
5The portion that I crave with speech intelligent and full of
power,
May faith, presented with the gift of tawny Soma, find to-day.
6Do not thou make our words or wishes fruitless. Let the twain
Indra Agni, bring us treasures.
All, fain to-day to give us gifts, welcome Arāti with your love. p. a163
7Misfortune! go thou far away: we turn thy harmful dart aside.
I know thee well, Arāti! as oppressor, one who penetrates.
8Oft, coming as a naked girl thou hauntest people in their sleep,
Baffling the thought, Arāti! and the firm intention of a man.
9To her the mighty vast in size, who penetrates all points of
space,
To her mine homage have I paid, Nirriti with her golden hair.
10Auspicious, with her golden hue, pillowed on gold, the mighty
one
To this Arāti clad in robes of gold mine homage have I paid.

1With fuel of Vikankata bring molten butter to the Gods.
O Agni, make them joyful here: let them all come unto my call.
2O Indra, come unto my call, This will I do. So hear it thou.
Let these exertions for the sake of Indra guide my wish aright.
Therewith, O Jātavedas, Lord of Bodies! may we win us strength.
3Whatever plot from yonder, O ye Gods, that godless man would
frame,
Let not the Gods come to his call, nor Agni bear his offering up.
Come, ye, come hither to my call.
4Run, ye Fxertions, farther on By Indra's order smite and slay.
As a wolf worrieth a sheep, so let not him escape from you
while life remains. Stop fast his breath.
5The Brāhman whom those yonder have appointed priest, for
injury,
He, Indra! is beneath thy feet. I cast him to the God of Death.
6If they have issued forth, strongholds of Gods, and made their
shield of prayer, p. a164
Gaining protection for their lives, protection round about, make
all their instigation powerless.
7Exertions which that man hath made, Exertions which he yet
will make
Turn them, O Indra, back again, O Vritra-slayer, back again on
him that they may kill that man.
8As Indra, having seized him, set his foot upon Udvāchana,
Even so for all the coming years I cast those men beneath my
feet.
9Here, Indra Vritra-slayer, in thy strength pierce thou their vital.
parts.
Here, even here, attack them, O Indra. Thine own dear friend
am I.
Indra, we closely cling to thee. May we be in thy favouring
grace.

1All hail to Heaven!
2All hail to Earth!
3All hail to Air!
4All hail to Air!
5All hail to Heaven!
6All hail to Eartht!
7Mine eye is Sīirya and my breath is Vāta, Air is my soul and
Prithivī my body.
I verily who never have been conquered give up my life toe
Heaven and Earth for keeping. p. a165
8Exalt my life, my strength, my deed and action; increase my
understanding and my vigour.
Be ye my powerful keepers, watch and guard me, ye mistresses
of life and life's creators! Dwell ye within me, and forbear
to harm me.

1Thou art my wall of stone against the sinner who fights against
me from the eastern quarter.
May he encounter it!
2Thou art my wall of stone against the sinner who fights against
me from the southern quarter.
May he encounter it!
3Thou art my wall of stone against the sinner who fights against
me from the western quarter.
May he encounter it!
4Thou art my wall of stone against the sinner who fights against
me from northern quarter.
May he encounter it!
5Thou art my wall of stone against the sinner who fights against
me from the stedfast region.
May he encounter it!
r 6.Thou art my wall of stone against the sinner who fights against
Lme from the lofty region!
M iy he encounter it!
7Thou art my wall of stone against the sinner who from points
intermediate fights against me.
May he encounter it!
8With Brihat I invoke the mind, with Mātarisvan both the
breaths,
The eye from Sūrya, and the ear from Air, the body from the
Earth. p. a166
We, with Sarasvati who suits the mind, call Speech to come to
us.

1How, terrible in might, hast thou here spoken to the great God,
how to the gold-hued Father!
Thy mind watched, greedy Varuna! to recover the brindled cow
thou hadst bestowed as guerdon.
2Not through desire do I revoke my present: I bring this brind-
led cow to contemplate her.
Now by what lore, by what inherent nature, knowest thou all
things that exist, Atharvan?
3Truly I am profound in wisdom, truly I know by nature all
existing creatures.
No Dāsa by his greatness, not an Arya, may violate the law that
I will stablish.
4None, self-dependent Varuna! existeth wiser than thou or sager
by his wisdom.
Thou knowest well all these created beings: even the man of
wondrous powers fears thee.
5O self-dependent Varuna, wise director, thou knowest verily all
generations.
What is, unerring one! beyond this region? What more remote
than that which is most distant?
6One thing there is beyond this air, and something beyond that
one, most hard to reach, remotest.
I, Varuna, who know, to thee declare it. Let churls be mighty p. a167
in the lower regions. Let Dāsas sink into the earth beneath
them.
7Many reproaches, Varuna, dost thou utter against the misers.
who revoke their presents.
Be not thou added to that crowd of niggards: let not men call
thee an illiberal giver.
8Let not men call me an illiberal giver. I give thee back the
brindled cow, O singer.
Attend in every place where men inhabit, with all thy powers,
the hymn that tells my praises.
9Let hymns of praise ascend to thee, uplifted in every place of
human habitation.
But give me now the gift thou hast not given. Thou art my
friend for ever firm and faithful.
10One origin, Varuna! one bond unites us I know the nature of
that common kinship.
I give thee now the gift that I retracted. I am thy friend for ever
firm and faithful.
11God, giving life unto the god who lauds me, Sage strengthener
of the sage who sings my praises.
Thou, self-dependent Varuna! hast begotten the kinsman of the
Gods, our sire Atharvan.
On him bestow most highly-lauded riches. Thou art our friend,
high over all, our kinsman.

1Thou in the house of man this day enkindled worshippest Gods
as God, O Jātavedas.
Observant, bright as Mitra, bring them hither. Thou art a
sapient and foreknowing envoy.
2Tanùnapāt, fair-tongued! with sweet meath balming the baths
and ways of Order, make them pleasant.
Bear to the Gods our sacrifice, exalting with holy thoughts our
hymns of praise and worship.
3Invoked, deserving prayer and adoration, O Agni, come accor
dant with the Vasus.
Thou art, O youthful Lord, the Gods' Invoker, so, best of sacri-
ficers, bring them quickly.
4By rule the Sacred Grass is scattered eastward, a robe to clothe
this earth when dawns are breaking.
Widely it spreads around and far extended, fair for the Gods
and bringing peace and freedom,
5Let the expansive Doors be widely opened, like wives who deck
their beauty for their husbands.
Lofty, celestial, all-impelling Portals, admit the Gods and give
them easy entrance!
6Pouring sweet dews let holy Night and Morning, each close to
each, be seated at their station,—
Lofty, celestial Dames with gold to deck them, assuming all
their fair and radiant beauty.
7Come the first two celestial sweet-voiced Hotars, arranging
sacrifice for man to worship, p. a169
As singers who inspire us in assemblies, showing the eastern
light with their direction!
8Let Bhārati come quickly to our worship and Ilā showing like a
human being.
So let Sarasvati and both her fellows, deft Goddesses, on this
fair grass be seated.
9Hotar more skilled in sacrifice, bring hither with speed to-day
God Tvashar, thou who knowest,
Even him who formed these two, the Earth and Heaven, the
Parents, with their forms, and every creature.
10Bring thou to our oblations which thou balmest the companies
of Gods in ordered season.
Agni, Vanaspati, the Immolator sweeten our offered gifts with
meath and butter!
11Agni as soon as he was born made ready the sacrifice and was
the Gods' preceder.
May the Gods eat our offering consecrated according to this true
Priest's voice and guidance.