null 46

1 Now Morning with her earliest light shines forth, dear Daughter of the Sky: 2 Sons of the Sea, mighty to save discoverers of riches, ye 3 Your giant coursers hasten on over the region all in flames, − 4 He, liberal, lover of the flood, Lord of the House, the vigilant, 5 Ye have regard unto our hymns, Nasatyas, thinking of our words: 6 Vouchsafe to us, O Asvin Pair, such strength as, with attendant light, 7 Come in the ship of these our hymns to bear you to the hither shore 8 The heaven's wide vessel is your own on the flood's shore your chariot waits 9 Kanvas, the drops are in the heaven; the wealth is at the waters' place: 10 Light came to lighten up the branch, the Sun appeared as it were gold: 11 The path of sacrifice was made to travel to the farther goal: 12 The singer of their praise awaits whatever grace the Asvins give, 13 Ye dwellers with Vivasvan come, auspicious, as to Manu erst; 14 O circumambient Asvins, Dawn follows the brightness of your way: 15 Drink ye of our libations, grant protection, O ye Asvins Twain, 1 ASVINS, for you who strengthen Law this sweetest Soma hath been shed. 2 Come, O ye Asvins, mounted on your triple car three−seated, beautiful of form 3 O Asvins, ye who strengthen Law, drink ye this sweetest Soma juice. 4 Omniscient Asvins, on the thrice−heaped grass bedew with the sweet juice the sacrifice. 5 O Asvins, with those aids wherewith ye guarded Kanva carefully, 6 O Mighty Ones, ye gave Sudas abundant food, brought on your treasure−laden car; 7 Nasatyas, whether ye be far away or close to Turvasa, 8 So let your coursers, ornaments of sacrifice, bring you to our libations here. 9 Come, O Nasatyas, on your car decked with a sunbright canopy, 10 With lauds and songs of praise we call them down to us, that they, most rich, may succour us;

2 Great art thou, Mighty Lord, through manly vigour, O fierce One, gathering spoil, subduing others, 3 He hath surpassed all measure in his brightness, yea, and the Gods, for none may be his equal. 4 To Indra, even as rivers to the ocean, flow forth from days of old the Soma juices; 5 The Soma, Indra, which the earth and heaven bear for thee as a mother bears her infant,

2 Come, team−drawn, with thy hundred helps, with Indra, seated in the car, 3 May steeds a thousand bring you both, Indra. and Vayu, hitherward 4 For ye, O Indra−Vayu, mount the goldenseated car that aids 5 On far−refulgent chariot come unto the man who offers gifts: 6 Here, Indra−Vayu, is the juice: drink it, accordant with the Gods, 7 Hither, O Indra−Vayu, be your journey here unyoke your steeds, 2 O Vayu, thou and Indra are meet drinkers of these Soma−draughts, 3 O Indra−Vayu, mighty Twain, speeding together, Lords of Strength, 4 The longed−for teams which ye possess, O Heroes, for the worshipper,

2 O Agni, Indra, Varuna, and Mitra, give, O ye Gods, and Marut host, and Visnu. 3 Indra and Agni, Mitra, Varuna, Aditi, the Waters, Mountains, Maruts, Sky, and Earth and Heaven, 4 May Visnu also and Vata who injures none, and Soma granter of possessions give us joy; 5 So may the band of Maruts dwelling in the sky, the holy, come to us to sit on sacred grass; 6 And may the Mountains famed in noble eulogies, and the fair−gleaming Rivers keep us safe from harm. 7 May the Gods' Spouses aid us of their own freewill, aid us to offspring and the winning of the spoil. 8 May the Dames, wives of Gods, enjoy our presents, Rat, Asvini, Agnayi, and Indrani.

2 As such, O Wonderful, whose hand holds thunder, praised as mighty, Caster of the Stone! 3 We call upon that Indra, who, most active, ever slays the foe: 4 Rcisama, thou forcest men as with a bull, with anger, in the furious fray. 5 O Indra, bring us name and fame, enriching, mightiest, excellent, 6 We call on thee, O King, Mighty amid the Gods, Ruler of men, to succour us. 7 All strength and valour that is found, Indra, in tribes of Nahusas, and all the splendid fame that the Five 8 Or, Maghavan, what vigorous strength in Trksi lay, in Druhyus or in Paru's folk, 9 O Indra, grant a happy home, a triple refuge triply strong. 10 They who with minds intent on spoil subdue the foe, boldly attack and smite him down,− 11 And now, O Indra, strengthen us: come near and aid us in the fight, 12 Give us, where heroes strain their bodies in the fight, the shelter that our fathers loved. 13 When, Indra, in the mighty fray thou urgest chargers to their speed, 14 Speeding like rivers rushing down a steep descent, responsive to the urging call,

2 He through his lordship thinks on beings of the earth, on heavenly beings through his high imperial swa 3 May thy bright arrow which, shot down by thee from heaven, flieth upon the earth, pass us uninjured by 4 Slay us not, nor abandon us, O Rudra let not thy noose, when thou art angry, seize us.

2 For, Hurler of the Bolt, we know thee true, the giver of our food, 3 O thou whose majesty the bards celebrate with their songs, thou Lord, 4 Fair guidance hath the mortal man whom Aryaman, the Marut host, 5 Kine, steeds, and hero strength he gains, and prospers, by the Adityas sped, 6 We pray to Indra for his gift, to him the Fearless and the Strong, 7 For verily combined in him are all the fearless powers of aid. 8 Yea, that most excellent carouse, Indra, which slays most enemies, 9 Which merits fame, all−bountiful! and, unsubdued, hath victory in deeds of might. 10 Responding to our wish for cows, for steeds, and chariots, as of old, 11 For, Hero, nowhere can I find the bounds of thy munificence. 12 High, glorifier of his friend, he knows all generations, he whom many praise. 13 Be he our Champion and Protector in great deeds, rich in all wealth, the Vrtra−slayer, Maghavan. 14 In the wild raptures of the juice sing to your Hero with high laud, to him the Wise, 15 Thou givest wealth to me myself, thou givest treasure, Excellent! and the strong steed, 16 Him, Sovran Ruler of all precious things, who even hath power o'er this fair form of his, 17 We praise, so that the Mighty One may speed to you, Pourer of boun ies, Traveller, prepared to go. 18 We in the sacrifice perform their will whose voice is lifted high, 19 O Indra, Mightiest, bring us that which crushes men of evil minds, 20 O Winner, noble winner, strong, wondrous, most splendid, excellent, 21 Now let the godless man approach who hath received reward so great 22 Steeds sixty thousand and ten thousand kine, and twenty hundred camels I obtained; 23 Ten browns that make my wealth increase, fleet steeds whose tails are long and fair, 24 The gifts which Prthusravas gave, Kanita's son munificent. 25 Come thou to this great rite of ours, Vayu! to give us vigorous light.

26 Who with thrice seven times seventy horses comes to us, invested with the rays of morn, 27 Who hath inclined this glorious one, buunteous himself, to give me gifts. 28 Sole Lord in beauty meet for praise, O Vayu, dropping fatness down, 29 So, as a prize dear to the strong, the sixty thousand have I gained, 30 To me come oxen like a herd, yea, unto me the oxen come. 31 And in the grazing herd he made a hundred camels bleat for me, 32 A hundred has the sage received, Dasa Balbutha's and Taruksa's gifts. 33 And now to Vasa Asvya here this stately woman is led forth,

2 To Vayu flow the Soma−streams, the drops of juice made beautiful 3 Pressed in the mortar, these, the drops of 4 Deft−handed men, run hither, seize the brilliant juices blent with meal, 5 Thus, Soma, Conqueror of wealth! flow, finding furtherance for us, 6 This Pavamana, meet to be adorned, the fingers ten adorn,

2 Worshipping, seeking him with adoration like some lost creature followed by its footprints, 3 On the Cow's forehead, with laborious searching, Trita, the offspring of Vibhiavas, found him. 4 Yearning, with homage, they have set and made him blithe Priest among mankind, oblation−bearer, 5 The foolish brought the ne'er−bewildered forward, great, Victor, Song−inspirer, Fort−destroyer. 6 Holding his station firmly in the houses, Trita sat down within his home surrounded 7 His are the fires, eternal, purifying, that make the houses move, whose smoke is shining, 8 The tongue of Agni bears away the praisesong, and, through his care for Earth, her operations. 9 That Agni, him whom Heaven and Earth engendered, the Waters. Tvastar, and with might, the Bhrgus, 10 Agni, whom Gods have made oblationbearer, and much−desiring men regard as holy,