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1 To this fair sacrifice to drink the milky draught thou art invoked: 2 No mortal man, no God exceeds thy mental power, O Mighty one − 3 All Gods devoid of guile, who know the mighty region of mid−air: 4 The terrible, who sing their song, not to be overcome by might: 5 Brilliant, and awful in their form, mighty, devourers of their foes': 6 Who sit as Deities in heaven, above the sky−vault's luminous sphere: 7 Who scatter clouds about the sky, away over the billowy sea: 8 Who with their bright beams spread them forth over the ocean in their might 9 For thee, to be thine early draught, I pour the Soma−mingled meath: 1 FOR the Celestial Race this song of praise which gives wealth lavishly 2 They who for Indra, with their mind, formed horses harnessed by a word, 3 They for the two Nasatyas wrought a light car moving every way: 4 The Rbhus with effectual prayers, honest, with constant labour, made 5 Together came your gladdening drops with Indra by the Maruts girt, 6 The sacrificial ladle, wrought newly by the God Tvastar's hand− 7 Vouchsafe us wealth, to him who pours thrice seven libations, yea, to each 8 As ministering Priests they held, by pious acts they won themselves,

2 Cheered by this meath Indra, whose hand wields thunder, rent piecemeal Ahi who barred up the waters, 3 Indra, this Mighty One, the Dragon's slayer, sent forth the flood of waters to the ocean. 4 To him who worshippeth hath Indra given many and matchless gifts. He slayeth Vrtra. 5 To him who poured him gifts he gave up Surya,−Indra, the God, the Mighty, to the mortal; 6 Once to the driver of his chariot, Kutsa, he gave up greedy Surya, plague of harvest; 7 So have we brought our hymn to thee, O Indra, strengthening thee and fain ourselves for glory. 8 Thus the Grtsamadas for thee, O Hero, have wrought their hymn and task as seeking favour. 9 Now may that wealthy Cow of thine, O Indra, give in return a boon to him who lauds thee,

2 Agni, to thee I lift the oil−fed ladle, bright, with an offering, bearing our oblation. 3 Of keenest spirit is the man thou aidest give us good offspring, thou who givest freely. 4 Men as they worship thee the God, O Agni, have set on thee full many a brilliant, aspect. 5 When Gods anoint thee Priest at their oblation, and seat thee for thy task as Sacrificer, 2 Three are thy powers, O Agni, three thy stations, three are thy tongues, yea, many, Child of Order! 3 O Agni, many are the names thou bearest, immortal, God, Divine, and Jatavedas. 4 Agni, like Bhaga, leads the godly people, he who is true to Law and guards the seasons. 5 I call on Savitar the God, on Morning, Brhaspati, and Dadhikras, and Agni,

2 The Gods, as worn witheld, relaxed their efforts: thou, Indra, born of truth, wast Sovran Ruler. 3 The insatiate one, extended, hard to waken, who slumbered in perpetual sleep, O Indra,− 4 Indra with might shook earth and her foundation as the wind stirs the water with its fury. 5 They ran to thee as mothers to their offspring: the clouds, like chariots, hastened forth together. 6 Thou for the sake of Vayya and Turviti didst stay the great stream, flowing, allsustaining: 7 He let the young Maids skilled in Law, unwedded, like fountains, bubbling, flow forth streaming onwar 8 Through many a morn and many a lovely autumn, having slain Vrtra, lie set free the rivers. 9 Lord of Bay Steeds, thou broughtest from the ant−hill the unwedded damsel's son whom ants were eatin 10 To the wise man, O Sage and Sovran Ruler, the man who knoweth all thine ancient exploits. 11 Now, Indra! lauded, glorified with praises, let powers swell high, like rivers, for the singer.

2 Discerning, have they offered gifts: they guard the strength that never wastes. 3 Svaitreya's people, all his men, have gloriously increased in might. 4 I bring, as 'twere, the longed−for milk, the dear milk of the Sister−Pair. 5 Beam of light, come to us in sportive fashion, finding thyself close to the wind that fans thee.

2 The bowl made Indra swift to gather booty, the High, the Lofty, Youthful, Undecaying, 3 Stretch out those hands of thine, extend to us−ward thy wide capacious arms, and grant us glory. 4 Now, fain for strength, let us invite your Indra hither, who lieth hidden with his Heroes,− 5 With steadfast laws, wealth−giver, strong through Soma, he hath much fair and precious food to feed us 6 Bring unto us the mightiest might, O Hero, strong and most potent force, thou great Subduer! 7 Bring us, grown mighty in its strength, O Indra, thy friendly rapturous joy that wins the battle, 8 Indra, bestow on us the power heroic skilled and exceeding strong, that wins the booty, 9 Let thine heroic strength come from behind us, before us, from above us or below us. 10 With most heroic aid from thee, like heroes Indra, may we win wealth by deeds glory. 11 The Bull, whose strength hath waxed, whom Maruts follow, free−giving Indra, the Celestial Ruler, 12 Give up the people who are high and haughty to these men and to me, O Thunder−wielder! 13 Through these thy friendships, God invoked of many! may we be victors over every foeman.

2 Thou, verily, Indra, gavest help to Kutsa, willingly giving car to him in battle, 3 O Bold One, thou with all thine aids hast boldly holpen Sudas whose offerings were accepted, 4 At the Gods' banquet, hero−souled! with Heroes, Lord of Bay Steeds, thou slewest many foemen. 5 These were thy mighty powers that, Thunder−wielder, thou swiftly crushedst nine−and−ninety castles: 6 Old are the blessings, Indra, which thou gavest Sudas the worshipper who brought oblations. 7 Give us not up, Lord of Bay Horses, Victor, in this thine own assembly, to the wicked. 8 May we men, Maghavan, the friends thou lovest, near thee be joyful under thy protection. 9 Swiftly, in truth, O Maghavan, about thee men skilled in hymning sing their songs and praises. ' 10 Thine are these lauds, O manliest of heroes, lauds which revert to us and give us riches. 11 Now, lauded for thine aid, Heroic Indra, sped by our prayer, wax mighty in thy body.

2 Agni, the Bounteous Giver, bright with varied flames, laud thou, O singer Sobhari− 3 Thee have we chosen skilftillest in sacrifice, Immortal Priest among the Gods, 4 The Son of Strength, the blessed, brightly shining One, Agni whose light is excellent. 5 The mortal who hath ministered to Agni with oblation, fuel, ritual lore, 6 Verily swift to run are his fleet−footed steeds, and most resplendent fame is his. 7 May we by thine own fires be well supplied with fire, O Son of Strength, O Lord of Might: 8 Agni, who praises like a guest of friendly mind, is as a car that brings us gear. 9 That man, moreover, merits praise who brings, auspicious Agni, sacrificial gifts 10 He for whose sacrifice thou standest up erect is prosperous and rules o'er men. 11 He in whose dwelling Agni is chief ornament, and, all−desired, loves his laud well, 12 His, or the lauding sage's word, his, Son of Strength! who Is most prompt with sacred gifts, 13 He who with sacrificial gifts or homage bringeth very skilful Agni nigh, 14 The mortal who with blazing fuel, as his laws command, adores the Perfect God, 15 Give us the splendour, Agni, which may overcome each greedy fiend in our abode, 16 That, wherewith Mitra, Varuna, and Aryaman, the Asvins, Bhaga give us light, 17 O Agni, most devout are they, the sages who have set thee Sage exceeding wise, 18 Who have arranged thine altar Blessed God, at morn brought thine oblation, pressed the juice. 19 −May Agni worshipped bring us bliss, may the gift, Blessed One, and sacrifice bring bliss; 20 Show forth the mind that brings success in war with fiends, wherewith thou conquerest in fight.

21 I praise with song the Friend of man, whom Gods sent down to be herald and messenger, 22 Thou unto sharp−toothed Agni, Young and Radiant God, proclaimest with thy song the feast− 23 While, served with sacrificial oil, now upward and now downward Agni moves his sword, 24 The God, the Friend of man, who bears our gifts to heaven, the God with his sweet−smelling mouth, 25 Son of Strength, Agni, if thou wert the mortal, bright as Mitra, I worshipped with our gifts! 26 I would not give thee up, Vasu, to calumny, or misery, O Bounteous One. 27 Like a son cherished in his father's houi§e, let our oblation rise unto the Gods. 28 With thine immediate aid may I, excellent Agni, ever gain my wish 29 O Agni, by thy wisdom, by thy bounties, by thy leading may I gather wealth. 30 Agni, he conquers by thine aid that brings him store of noble heroes and great strength, 31 Thy spark is black and crackling, kindled in due time, O Bounteous, it is taken up. 32 We Sobharis have come to him, for succour, who is good to help with thousand powers, 33 O Agni, thou on whom all other fires depend, as branches on the parent stem, 34 The mortal whom, Adityas, ye, Guilelew, lead to the farther bank 35 Whoe'er he be, Man−ruling Kings! the Regent of the race of men− 36 A gift of fifty female slaves hath Trasadasyu given me, Purukutsa's son, 37 And Syava too for me led forth a strong steed at Suvastu's ford: 2 Maruts, Rbhuksans, Rudras come ye with your cars strong−fellied and exceeding bright. 3 For well we know the vigorous might of Rudra's Sons, the Martits, who are passing strong, 4 Islands are bursting forth and misery is stayed: the heaven and earth are joined in one. 5 Even things immovable shake and reel, the mountains and the forest trees at your approach, 6 To lend free course, O Maruts, to your furious rush, heaven high and higher still gives way, 7 After their Godlike nature they, the bull.

like Heroes, dazzling and impetuous, wear 8 The pivot of the Sobharis' chariot within the golden box is balmed with milk. 9 Bring, ye who sprinkle balmy drops. oblations to your vigorous Marut company, 10 Come hither, O ye Mares, on your stronghorsed car, solid in look, with solid naves. 11 Their decoration is the same: their omaments of gold are bright upon their arms; 12 They toil not to defend their bodies from attack, strong Heroes with their mighty arms. 13 Whose name extendeth like a sea, alone, resplendent, so that all have joy in it, 14 Pay honour to these Maruts and sing praise to them, for of the wheel−spokes of the car 15 Blest by your favouring help was he, O Maruts, at the earlier flushings of the morn, 16 The strong man to whose sacrifice, O Heroes, ye approach that ye may taste thereof, 17 Even as Rudra's Sons, the brood of the Creator Dyaus, the Asura, desire, 18 And these the bounteous, worthy of the Maruts who move onward pouring down the rain− 19 O Sobhari, with newest song sing out unto the youthful purifying Bulls, 20 Who, like a celebrated boxer, overcome the challengers in every fight: 21 Allied by common ancestry, ye Maruts, even the Cows, alike in energy, 22 Even mortal man, ye Dancers breast adorned with gold, attains to brotherhood with you. 23 O Maruts, rich in noble gifts, bring us a portion of the Maruts' medicine, 24 Haters of those who serve you not, bliss−bringers, bring us bliss with those auspicious aids 25 Maruts, who rest on fair trimmed grass, what balm soever Sindhu or Asikni hath, 26 Ye carry on your bodies, ye who see it all: so bless us graciously therewith.

2 For ye Twain, Indra, Soma, are Lords of the light, Lords of the kine: 3 The tawny Steer, while cleansed among the living, bellowing on the grass, 4 Over the Steer's productive flow the sacred songs were resonant, 5 Hath he not, purified, impregned the kine whb long to meet their Lord, 6 Bring near us those who stand aloof strike fear into our enemies: 7 Soma, bring down the foeman's might, his vigorous strength and vital powe'r, 2 For he, as Pavamana, sends thousandfold treasure in the shape 3 Thou graspest all things with thy mind, and purifiest thee with thoughts 4 Pour lofty glory on us, send sure riches to our liberal lords, 5 As thou art cleansed, O Wondrous Steed, O Soma, thou hast entered, like 6 He, Soma, like a courser in the floods invincible, made clean 7 Disporting, like a liberal chief, thou goest, Soma, to the sieve,

2 Make these return to us again, bring them beside us once again. 3 Let them return to us again: under this herdsman let them feed. 4 1 call upon their herdsman, him who knoweth well their coming nigh, 5 Yea, let the herdsman, too, return, who marketh well their driving−forth; 6 Home−leader, lead them home to us; Indra, restore to us our kine: 7 1 offer you on every side butter and milk and strengthening food. 8 O thou Home−leader, lead them home, restore them thou who bringest home.