Sacred Concord

Sama Veda on Fear

4 passages in the Sama Veda address fear, in the Ralph T.H. Griffith translation.

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1. Let Soma juices make thee glad! Display thy bounty, Thunderer: Drive off the enemies of prayer! 2. Drink our libation, Lord of hymns! with streams of meath thou art bedewed: Yea, Indra, glory is thy gift. 3. Indra hath ever thought of you and tended you with care. The God, Heroic Indra, is not checked. 4. Let the drops pass within thee as the rivers flow into the sea O Indra, naught excelleth thee! 5. Indra, the singers with high praise, Indra reciters with their lauds, Indra the choirs have glorified. 6. May Indra give, to aid us wealth handy that rules the skilful ones! Yea, may the Strong give potent wealth 7. Verily Indra, conquering all, drives even mighty fear away, For firm is he and swift to act. 8. These songs with every draught we pour come, lover of the song, to thee As milch-kine hasten to their calves. 9. Indra and Wishan will we call for friendship and prosperity, And for the winning of the spoil. 10. O Indra, Vritra-slayer, naught is better, mightier than thou Verily there is none like thee!
SV 3.1.1 · Sama Veda · 3
1. High is thy juice's birth: though set it heaven, on earth it hath obtained dread sheltering power and great renown. 2. In sweetest and most gladdening stream flow pure, O Soma, on thy way, pressed out for Indra, for his drink! 3. Flow onward mighty with thy stream, inspiriting the Maruts' Lord, winning all riches with thy power! 4. Flow onward with that juice of thine most excellent, that brings delight, slaying the wicked, dear to Gods! 5. Three several words are uttered: kine are lowing, cows who give the milk; the tawny-hued goes bellowing on. 6. For Indra girt by Maruts, flow, thou Indu, very rich in meath, to seat thee in the place of song! 7. Strong, mountain-born, the stalk hath been pressed in the streams for rapturous joy. Hawk-like he settles in his home. 8. Gold-hued! as one who giveth strength flow on for Gods to drink, a draught for Vayu and the Marut host! 9. Soma, the dweller on the hills, effused, hath flowed into the sieve. All-bounteous art thou in carouse. 10. The Sage of heaven whose heart is wise, when laid between both hands, with roars, gives us delightful powers of life.
SV 5.2.4 · Sama Veda · 5
1. He who as sovran Lord of men moves with his chariots unrestrained, The Vritra-slayer, vanquisher of fighting hosts, pre-eminent, is praised in song. 2. Indra, give us security from that whereof we are afraid Help us, O Maghavan, let thy favour aid us thus; drive away foes and enemies! 3. Strong pillar thou, Lord of the home! armour of Soma-offerers! The drop of Soma breaketh all the strongholds down, and Indra is the Rishis' friend. 4. Verily, Surya, thou art great; truly, Aditya, thou art great! O most admired for greatness of thy majesty, God, by thy greatness thou art great! 5. Indra! thy friend, when fair of form and rich in chariots, steeds, and kine, Hath ever vital power that gives him strength, and joins the company with radiant men. 6. O Indra, if a hundred heavens and if a hundred earths were thine,-- No, not a hundred suns could match thee at thy birth, not both the worlds, O Thunderer! 7. Though, Indra, thou art called by men eastward and west ward, north and south, Thou chiefly art with Anava and Turvasa, brave champion urged by men to come. 8. Indra whose wealth is in thyself, what mortal will attack this man? The strong will win the spoil on the decisive day through faith in thee, O Maghavan! 9. First, Indra! Agni! hath this Maid come footless unto those with feet. Stretching her head and speaking loudly with her tongue, she hath gone downward thirty steps. 10. Come, Indra, very near to us with aids of firmly-based resolve Come, most auspicious, with thy most auspicious help; good kinsman, with good kinsmen come!
SV 3.2.4 · Sama Veda · 3
1. The black drop sank in Ansumati's bosom, advancing with ten thousand round about it. Indra with might longed for it as it panted: the hero-hearted King laid down his weapons. 2. Flying in terror from the snort of Vritra all deities who were thy friends forsook thee. So, Indra, with the Maruts be thy friendship: in all these battles thou shalt be the victor. 3. The old hath waked the young Moon from his slumber who runs his circling course with many round him. Behold the God's high wisdom in its greatness: he who died yesterday to-day is living. 4. Then, at thy birth, thou wast the foeman, Indra, of those the seven who ne'er had met a rival. The hidden pair, heaven and the earth, thou foundest, and to the mighty worlds thou gavest pleasure. 5. A friend we count thee, sharp-edged, thunder-wielder, Steer strong of body, overthrowing Thou, helping, causest pious tribes to conquer: Indra, I laud the, heavenly Vritra-slayer. 6. Bring to the wise, the great, who waxeth mighty your offerings,. and make ready your devotion! Go forth to many tribes as man's controller! 7. Call we on Maghavan, auspicious Indra, best hero in this fight where spoil is gathered, Strong, listening to give us aid in battles, who slays the Vritras, wins and gathers riches! 8. Prayers have been offered up-through love of glory: Vasishtha, honour Indra in the battle! He who with fame extends through all existence hears words which I, his faithful servant, utter. 9. May the sweet Soma juices make him happy to cast his quoit that lies in depth of waters! Thou from the udder which o'er earth is fastened hast poured the milk into the kine and herbage.
SV 4.1.4 · Sama Veda · 4

Fear in other traditions

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