1 PREPARE oblation: let him come; and let the minister serve again Who knows the ordering thereof,
2 Rejoicing in his friendship, let the priest be seated over man, Beside the shoot of active power.
3 Him, glowing bright beyond all thought, they seek among the race of man; With him for tongue they seize the food.
4 He hath inflamed the twofold plain: life-giving, he hath climbed the wood, And with his tongue hath struck the rock.
5 Wandering here the radiant Calf finds none to fetter him, and seeks The Mother to declare his praise.
6 And now that great and mighty team, the team of horses that are his, And traces of his car, are seen.
7 The seven milk a single cow; the two set other five to work, On the stream's loud-resounding bank.
8 Entreated by Vivasvān's ten, Indra cast down the water-jar With threefold hammer from the sky.
9 Three times the newly-kindled flame proceeds around the sacrifice: The priests anoint it with the meath.
10 With reverence they drain the fount that circles with its wheel above, Exhaustless, with the mouth below.
11 The pressing-stones are set at work: the meath is poured into the tank, At the out-shedding of the fount.
12 Ye cows, protect the fount: the two Mighty Ones bless the sacrifice. The handles twain are wrought of gold.
13 Pour on the juice the ornament which reaches both the heaven and earth Supply the liquid to the Bull.
14 These know their own abiding-place: like calves beside the mother cows They meet together with their kin.
15 Devouring in their greedy jaws, they make sustaining food in heaven, To Indra, Agni light and prayer.
16 The Pious One milked out rich food, sustenance dealt in portions seven, Together with the Sun's seven rays.
17 I took some Soma when the Sun rose up, O Mitra, Varuṇa. That is the sick man's medicine.
18 From where oblations must be laid, which is the Well-beloved's home, He with his tongue hath compassed heaven.
1 ROUSE ye for him who keeps the Law, yoke your steeds, Aśvins, to your car Let your protecting help be near.
2 Come, Aśvins, with your car more swift than is the twinkling of an eye Let your protecting help be near.
3 Aśvins, ye overlaid with cold the fiery pit for Atri's sake: Let your protecting help be near.
4 Where are ye? whither are ye gone? whither, like falcons, have ye flown? Let your protecting help be near.
5 If ye at any time this day are listening to this my call, Let your protecting help be near.
6 The Aśvins, first to hear our prayer, for closest kinship I approach: Let your protecting help be near.
7 For Atri ye, O Aśvins, made a dwelling-place to shield him well, Let your protecting help be near.
8 Ye warded off the fervent heat for Atri when he sweetly spake: Let your protecting help be near.
9 Erst Saptavadhri by his prayer obtained the trenchant edge of fire: Let your protecting help be near.
10 Come hither, O ye Lords of wealth, and listen to this call of mine: Let your protecting help be near.
11 What is this praise told forth of you as Elders in the ancient way? Let your protecting help be near.
12 One common brotherhood is yours, Aśvins your kindred is the same: Let your protecting help be near.
13 This is your chariot, Aśvins, which speeds through the regions, earth and heaven Let your protecting aid be near.
14 Approach ye hitherward to us with thousands both of steeds and kine: Let your protecting help be near.
15 Pass us not by, remember us with thousands both of kine and steeds: Let your protecting help be near.
16 The purple-tinted Dawn hath risen, and true to Law hath made the light Let your protecting help be near.
17 He looked upon the Aśvins, as an axe-armed man upon a tree: Let your protecting help be near.
18 By the black band encompassed round, break it down, bold one, like a fort. Let your protecting help be near.
1 EXERTING all our strength with thoughts of power we glorify in speech Agni your dear familiar Friend, the darling Guest in every home.
2 Whom, served with sacrificial oil like Mitra, men presenting gifts Eulogize with their songs of praise
3 Much-lauded Jātavedas, him who bears oblations up to heaven Prepared in service of the Gods.
4 To noblest Agni, Friend of man, best Vṛtra-slayer, are we come, Him in whose presence Rksa's son, mighty Srutarvan, waxes great;
5 To deathless Jātavedas, meet for praise, adored, with sacred oil, Visible through the gloom of night
6 Even Agni whom these priestly men worship with sacrificial gifts, With lifted ladles offering them.
7 O Agni, this our newest hymn hath been addressed from us to thee, O cheerful Guest, well-born, most wise, worker of wonders, ne’er deceived.
8 Agni, may it be dear to thee, most grateful, and exceeding sweet: Grow mightier, eulogized therewith.
9 Splendid with splendours may it be, and in the battle with the foe Add loftier glory to thy fame.
10 Steed, cow, a lord of heroes, bright like Indra, who shall fill the car. Whose high renown ye celebrate, and people praise each glorious deed.
11 Thou whom Gopavana made glad with song, O Agni Aṅgiras, Hear this my call, thou Holy One.
12 Thou whom the priestly folk implore to aid the gathering of the spoil, Such be thou in the fight with foes.
13 I, called to him who reels with joy, Srutarvan, Rksa's son, shall stroke The heads of four presented steeds, like the long wool of fleecy rams.
14 Four coursers with a splendid car, Savistha's horses, fleet of foot, Shall bring me to the sacred feast, as flying steeds brought Tugra's son.
15 The very truth do I declare to thee, Paruṣṇī, mighty flood. Waters! no man is there who gives more horses than Savistha gives.
1 YOKE, Agni, as a charioteer, thy steeds who best invite the Gods: As ancient Herald seat thyself.
2 And, God, as skilfullest of all, call for us hitherward the Gods: Give all our wishes sure effect.
3 For thou, Most Youthful, Son of Strength, thou to whom sacrifice is paid, Art holy, faithful to the Law.
4 This Agni, Lord of wealth and spoil hundredfold, thousandfold, is head And chief of riches and a Sage.
5 As craftsmen bend the felly, so bend at our general call: come nigh, Aṅgiras, to the sacrifice.
6 Now, O Virūpa, rouse for him, Strong God who shines at early morn, Fair praise with voice that ceases not.
7 With missile of this Agni, his who looks afar, will we lay low The thief in combat for the kine.
8 Let not the Companies of Gods fail us, like Dawns that float away, Like cows who leave the niggardly.
9 Let not the sinful tyranny of any fiercely hating foe Smite us, as billows smite a ship.
10 O Agni, God, the people sing reverent praise to thee for strength: With terrors trouble thou the foe.
11 Wilt thou not, Agni, lend us aid in winning cattle, winning wealth? Maker of room, make room for us.
12 In this great battle cast us not aside as one who bears a load: Snatch up the wealth and win it all.
13 O Agni, let this plague pursue and fright another and not us: Make our impetuous strength more strong.
14 The reverent or unwearied man whose holy labour he accepts, Him Agni favours with success.
15 Abandoning the foeman's host pass hither to this company: Assist the men with whom I stand.
16 As we have known thy gracious help, as of a Father, long ago, So now we pray to thee for bliss.
1 NOT to forsake me, I invoke this Indra girt by Maruts, Lord Of magic power who rules with might.
2 This Indra with his Marut Friends clave into pieces Vṛtra's bead With hundred-knotted thunderbolt.
3 Indra, with Marut Friends grown strong, hath rent asunder Vṛtra, and Released the waters of the sea.
4 This is that Indra who, begirt by Maruts, won the light of heaven That he might drink the Soma juice.
5 Mighty, impetuous, begirt by Maruts, him who loudly roars, Indra we invocate with songs.
6 Indra begirt by Maruts we invoke after the ancient plan, That he may drink the Soma juice.
7 O liberal Indra, Marut-girt, much-lauded Śatakratu, drink The Soma at this sacrifice.
8 To thee, O Indra, Marut-girt, these Soma juices, Thunderer! Are offered from the heart with lauds.
9 Drink, Indra, with thy Marut Friends, pressed Soma at the morning rites, Whetting thy thunderbolt with strength.
10 Arising in thy might, thy jaws thou shookest, Indra, having quaffed The Soma which the mortar pressed.
11 Indra, both worlds complained to thee when uttering thy fearful roar, What time thou smotest Dasyus dead.
12 From Indra have I measured out a song eight-footed with nine parts, Delicate, faithful. to the Law.
1 SCARCELY was Śatakratu, born when of his Mother he inquired, Who are the mighty? Who are famed?
2 Then Śavasī declared to him Aurṇavābha, Ahīśuva: Son, these be they thou must o’erthrow
3 The Vṛtra-slayer smote them all as spokes are hammered into naves: The Dasyu-killer waxed in might.
4 Then Indra at a single draught drank the contents of thirty pails, Pails that were filled with Soma juice.
5 Indra in groundless realms of space pierced the Gandharva through, that he Might make Brahmans' strength increase.
6 Down from the mountains Indra shot hither his well-directed shaft: He gained the ready brew of rice.
7 One only is that shaft of thine, with thousand feathers, hundred barbs, Which, Indra, thou hast made thy friend.
8 Strong as the Ṛbhus at thy birth, therewith to those who praise thee, men, And women, bring thou food to eat.
9 By thee these exploits were achieved, the mightiest deeds, abundantly: Firm in thy heart thou settest them.
10 All these things Viṣṇu brought, the Lord of ample stride whom thou hadst sent- A hundred buffaloes, a brew of rice and milk: and Indra, slew the ravening boar
11 Most deadly is thy bow, successful, fashioned well: good is thine arrow, decked with gold. Warlike and well equipped thine arms are, which increase sweetness for him who drinks the sweet.
1 BRING us a thousand, Indra, as our guerdon for the Soma juice: Hundreds of kine, O Hero, bring.
2 Bring cattle, bring us ornament, bring us embellishment and steeds, Give us, besides, two rings of gold.
3 And, Bold One, bring in ample store rich jewels to adorn the ear, For thou, Good Lord, art far renowned.
4 None other is there for the priest, Hero! but thou, to give him gifts, To win much spoil and prosper him.
5 Indra can never be brought low, Śakra can never be subdued: He heareth and beholdeth all.
6 He spieth out the wrath of man, he who can never be deceived: Ere blame can come he marketh it.
7 He hath his stomach full of might, the Vṛtra-slayer, Conqueror, The Soma-drinker, ordering all.
8 In thee all treasures are combined, Soma all blessed things in thee, Uninjured, easy to bestow.
9 To thee speeds forth my hope that craves the gift of corn, and kine and gold, Yea, craving horses, speeds to thee.
10 Indra, through hope in thee alone even this sickle do I grasp. Fill my hand, Maghavan, with all that it can hold of barley cut or gathered up.
1 THIS here is Soma, ne’er restrained, active, all-conquering bursting forth, Ṛṣi and Sage by sapience,
2 All that is bare he covers o’er, all that is sick he medicines; The blind man sees, the cripple walks.
3 Thou, Soma, givest wide defence against the hate of alien men, Hatreds that waste and weaken us.
4 Thou by thine insight and thy skill, Impetuous One, from heaven and earth Drivest the sinner's enmity.
5 When to their task they come with zeal, may they obtain the Giver's grace, And satisfy his wish who thirsts.
6 So may he find what erst was lost, so may be speed the pious man, And lengthen his remaining life.
7 Gracious, displaying tender love, unconquered, gentle in thy thoughts, Be sweet, O Soma, to our heart.
8 O Soma, terrify us not; strike us not with alarm, O King: Wound not our heart with dazzling flame.
9 When in my dwelling-place I see the wicked enemies of Gods, King, chase their hatred far away, thou Bounteous One, dispel our foes.
1 O Sarakratu! truely I have made none else my Comforter. Indra; be gracious unto us.
2 Thou who hast ever aided us kindly of old to win the spoil, As such, O Indra, favour us.
3 What now? As prompter of the poor thou helpest him who sheds the juice. Wilt thou not, Indra, strengthen us?
4 O Indra, help our chariot on, yea, Thunderer, though it lag behind: Give this my car the foremost place.
5 Ho there! why sittest thou at case? Make thou my chariot to be first And bring the fame of victory near.
6 Assist our car that seeks the prize. What can be easier for thee? So make thou us victorious.
7 Indra, be firm: a fort art thou. To thine appointed place proceeds The auspicious hymn in season due.
8 Let not our portion be disgrace. Broad is the course, the prize is set, The barriers are opened wide.
9 This thing we wish. that thou mayst take thy fourth, thy sacrificial name. So art thou held to be our Lord.
10 Ekadyu hath exalted you, Immortals: both Goddesses and Gods hath he delighted. Bestow upon him bounty meet for praises. May he, enriched with prayer, come soon and early.
1 INDRA, God of the mighty arm, gather for us with thy right hand Manifold and nutritious spoil.
2 We know thee mighty in thy deeds, of mighty bounty, mighty wealth, Mighty in measure, prompt to aid.
3 Hero, when thou art fain to give, neither may Gods nor mortal men Restrain thee like a fearful Bull.
4 Come, let us glorify Indra, Lord supreme of wealth, Self-ruling King: In bounty may he harm us not.
5 Let prelude sound and following chant so let him hear the Sāman sung, And with his bounty answer us.
6 O Indra, with thy right hand bring, and with thy left remember us. Let us not lose our share of wealth.
7 Come nigh, O Bold One, boldly bring hither the riches of the churl Who giveth least of all the folk.
8 Indra, the booty which thou hast with holy singers to receive, Even that booty win with us.
9 Indra, thy swiftly-coming spoil, the booty which rejoices all, Sounds quick in concert with our hopes.