Rigveda hymns

I To him most liberal, lofty Lord of lofty wealth, verily powerful and strong, I bring my hymn,-
Whose checkless bounty, as of waters down a slope, is spread abroad for all that live, to give them strength.
Now all this world, for worship, shall come after thee-the offerer’s libations like floods to the depth,
When the well-loved one seems to rest upon the hill, the thunderbolt of Indra, shatterer wrought of gold.
To him the terrible, most meet for lofty praise, like bright Dawn, now bring gifts with reverence in this rite,
Whose being, for renown, yea, Indra-power and light, have been created, like bay steeds, to move with speed.
Thine, Indra, praised by many, excellently rich! are we who trusting in thy help draw near to thee.
Lover of praise, none else but thou receives our laud: as earth loves all her creatures, love thou this our hymn.
Great is thy power, O Indra, we are thine. Fulfil, O Maghavan, the wish of this thy worshipper.
After thee lofty heaven hath measured out its strength: to thee and to thy power this earth hath bowed itself.
Thou, who hast thunder for thy weapon, with thy bolt hast shattered into pieces this broad massive cloud.
Thou hast sent down the obstructed floods that they may flow: thou hast, thine own for ever, all victorious might.

I FOR this man’s full libations held in ladles, he hath roused him, eager, as a horse to meet the mare.
He stays his golden car, yoked with Bay Horses, swift, and drinks the Soma juice which strengthens for great deeds.
To him the guidance-following songs of praise flow full, as those who seek gain go in company to the flood.
To him the Lord of power, the holy synod’s might, as to a hill, with speed, ascend the loving ones.
Victorious, great is he; in manly battle shines, unstained with dust, his might, as shines a mountain peak;
Wherewith the iron one, fierce e’en against the strong, in rapture, fettered wily Sushna fast in bonds.
When Strength the Goddess, made more strong for help by thee, waits upon Indra as the Sun attends the Dawn,
Then. he who with his might unflinching kills the gloom stirs up the dust aloft, with joy and triumphing.
When thou with might, upon the framework of the heaven, didst fix, across, air’s region firmly, unremoved,
In the light-winning war, Indra, in rapturous joy, thou smotest Vrtra dead and broughtest floods of rain.
Thou with thy might didst grasp,the holder-up of heaven, thou who art mighty also in the seats of earth.
Thou, gladdened by the juice, hast set the waters free, and broken Vrtra’s stony fences through and through

THOUGH e’en this heaven’s wide space and earth have spread them out, nor heaven nor earth may be in greatness Indra’s match.
Awful and very mighty, causing woe to men, he whets his thunderbolt for sharpness, as a bull.
Like as the watery ocean, so doth he receive the rivers spread on all sides in their ample width.
He bears him like a bull to drink of Soma juice, and will, as Warrior from of old, be praised for might.
Thou swayest, Indra, all kinds of great manly power, so as to bend, as’t were, even that famed mountain down.
Foremost among the Gods is he through hero might, set in the van, the Strong One, for each arduous deed.
He only in the wood is praised by worshippers, when he shows forth to men his own fair Indra-power.
A friendly Bull is he, a Bull to be desired when Maghavan auspiciously sends forth his voice.
Yet verily the Warrior in his vigorous strength stirreth up with his might great battles for mankind;
And men have faith in Indra, the respIendent One, what time he hurleth down his bolt, his dart of death.
Though, fain for glory, and with strength increased on earth, he with great might destroys the dwellings made with art,
He makes the lights of heaven shine forth secure, he bids, exceeding wise, the floods flow for his worshipper.
Drinker of Soma, let thy heart incline to give; bring thy Bays hitherward, O thou who hearest praise.
Those charioteers of’ thine, best skilled to draw the rein, the rapid sunbeams, Indra, lead thee not astray.
Thou bearest in both hands treasure that never fails; the famed One in his body holds unvanquished might.
O Indra, in thy members many powers abide, like wells surrounded by the ministering priests

I GLORIFY that Ram who finds the light of heaven, whose hundred nobly-natured ones go forth with him.
With hymns may I turn hither Indra to mine aid,-the Car which like a strong steed hasteth to the call.
Like as a mountain on firm basis, unremoved, he, thousandfold protector, waxed in mighty strength,
When Indra, joying in the draughts of Soma juice, forced the clouds, slaying Vrtra stayer of their flow.
For he stays e’en the stayers, spread o’er laden cloud, rooted in light, strengthened in rapture by the wise.
Indra with thought, with skilled activity, I call, most liberal giver, for he sates him with the juice.
Whom those that flow in heaven on sacred grass, his own assistants, nobly-natured, fill full like the sea,-
Beside that Indra when he smote down Vrtra stood his helpers, straight in form, mighty, invincible.
To him, as in wild joy he fought with him who stayed the rain, his helpers sped like swift streams down a slope,
When Indra, thunder-armed, made bold by Soma draughts, as Trta cleaveth Vala’s fences, cleft him through.
Splendour encompassed thee, forth shone thy warrior might: the rain-obstructer lay in mid-air’s lowest deep,
What time, O Indra, thou didst cast thy thunder down upon the jaws of Vritra hard to be restrained.
The hymns which magnify thee, Indra, reach to thee even as water-brooks flow down and fill the lake.
Tvastar gave yet more force to thine appropriate strength, and forged thy thunderbolt of overpowering might.
When, Indra, thou whose power is linked with thy Bay Steeds hadst smitten Vrtra, causing floods to flow for man,
Thou heldst in thine arms the metal thunderbolt, and settest in the heaven the Sun for all to see.
In fear they raised the lofty self-resplendent hymn, praise giving and effectual, leading up to heaven,
When Indra’s helpers fighting for the good of men, the Maruts, faithful to mankind, joyed in the light.
0 Then Heaven himself, the mighty, at that Dragon’s roar reeled back in terror when, Indra, thy thunderbolt
In the wild joy of Soma had struck off with might the head of Vrtra, tyrant of the earth and heaven.
O Indra, were this earth extended forth tenfold, and men who dwell therein multiplied day by day,
Still here thy conquering might, Maghavan, would be famed: it hath waxed vast as heaven in majesty and power.
Thou, bold of heart, in thine own native might, for help, upon the limit of this mid-air and of heaven,
Hast made the earth to be the pattern of thy strength: embracing flood and light thou reachest to the sky.
Thou art the counterpart of earth, the Master of lofty heaven with all its mighty Heroes:
Thou hast filled all the region with thy greatness: yea, of a truth there is none other like thee.
Whose amplitude the heaven and earth have not attained, whose bounds the waters of mid-air have never reached,-
Not, when in joy he fights the stayer of the rain: thou, and none else, hast made all things in order due.
The Maruts sang thy praise in this encounter, and in thee all the Deities delighted,
What time thou, Indra, with thy spiky weapon, thy deadly bolt, smotest the face of Vrtra.

DAWN on us with prosperity, O Usas, Daughter of the Sky,
Dawn with great glory, Goddess, Lady of the Light, dawn thou with riches, Bounteous One.
They, bringing steeds and kine, boon-givers of all wealth, have oft sped forth to lighten us.
O Usas, waken up for me the sounds of joy: send us the riches of the great.
Usas hath dawned, and now shall dawn, the Goddess, driver forth of cars
Which, as she cometh nigh, have fixed their thought on her, like glory-seekers on the flood.
Here Kanva, chief of Kanva’s race, sings forth aloud the glories of the heroes’ names,-
The. princes who, O Usas, as thou comest near, direct their thoughts to liberal gifts.
Like a good matron Usas comes carefully tending everything:
Rousing all life she stirs all creatures that have feet, and makes the birds of air fly up.
She sends the busy forth, each man to his pursuit: delay she knows not as she springs.
O rich in opulence, after thy dawning birds that have flown forth no longer rest.
This Dawn hath yoked her steeds afar, beyond the rising of the Sun:
Borne on a hundred chariots she, auspicious Dawn, advances on her way to Men.
To meet her glance all living creatures bend them down: Excellent One, she makes the light.
Usas, the Daughter of the Sky, the opulent, shines foes and enmities away.
Shine on us with thy radiant light, O Usas, Daughter of the Sky,
Bringing to us great store of high felicity, and bearning on our solemn rites.
0 For in thee is each living creature’s breath and life, when, Excellent! thou dawnest forth.
Borne on thy lofty car, O Lady of the Light, hear, thou of wondrous wealth, our call.
O Usas, win thyself the strength which among men is wonderful.
Bring thou thereby the pious unto holy rites, those who as priests sing praise to thee.
Bring from the firmament, O Usas, all the Gods, that they may drink our Soma juice,
And, being what thou art, vouchsafe us kine and steeds, strength meet for praist and hero might.
May Usas whose auspicious rays are seen resplendent round about,
Grant us great riches, fair in form, of all good things, wealth which light labour may attain.
Mighty One, whom the Rsis of old time invoked for their protection and their help,
O Usas, graciously answer our songs of praise with bounty and with brilliant
light.
Usas, as thou with light to day hast opened the twin doors of heaven,
So grant thou us a dwelling wide and free from foes. O Goddess, give us food with kine.
Bring us to wealth abundant, sent in every shape, to plentiful refreshing food,
To all-subduing splendour, Usas, Mighty One, to strength, thou rich in spoil and wealth

ASVINS, for you who strengthen Law this sweetest Soma hath been shed. Drink this expressed ere yesterday and give riches to him who offers it. Come, O ye Asvins, mounted on your triple car three-seated, beautiful of form To you at sacrifice the Kanvas send the prayer: graciously listen to their call. O Asvins, ye who strengthen Law, drink ye this sweetest Soma juice. Borne on your wealth-fraught car come ye this day to him who offers, ye of wondrous deeds. Omniscient Asvins, on the thrice-heaped grass bedew with the sweet juice the sacrifice. The sons of Kanva, striving heavenward, call on you with draughts of Soma juice out-poured. O Asvins, with those aids wherewith ye guarded Kanva carefully, Keep us, O hords of Splendour: drink the Soma juice, ye strengtheners of holy law. O Mighty Ones, ye gave Sudas abundant food, brought on your treasure-laden car; So now vouchsafe to us the wealth which many crave, either from heaven or from the sea. Nasatyas, whether ye be far away or close to Turvasa, Borne on your lightly-rolling chariot come to us, together with the sunbeams come. So let your coursers, ornaments of sacrifice, bring you to our libations here. Bestowing food on him who acts and gives aright, sit, Chiefs, upon the sacred grass. Come, O Nasatyas, on your car decked with a sunbright canopy, Whereon ye ever bring wealth to the worshipper, to drink the Soma’s pleasant juice. 0 With lauds and songs of praise we call them down to us, that they, most rich, may succour us; For ye have ever in the Kanvas’ well-loved house, O Asvins, drunk the Soma juice.