Rig Veda on Sin

1 STRONG are the Somas; come thou nigh; these juices have been mixt with milk: 2 Both Deities who touch the heaven, Indra and Vayu we invoke 3 The singers' for their aid, invoke Indra and Vayu, swift as mind, 4 Mitra and Varupa, renowned as Gods of consecrated might, 5 Those who by Law uphold the Law, Lords of the shining light of Law, 6 Let Varuna be our chief defence, let Mitra guard us with all aids 7 Indra, by Maruts girt, we call to drink the Soma juice: may he 8 Gods, Marut hosts whom Indra leads, distributers of Pusan's gifts, 9 With conquering Indra for ally, strike Vrtra down, ye bounteous Gods 10 We call the Universal Gods, and Maruts to the Soma draught, 11 Fierce comes the Maruts' thundering voice, like that of conquerors, when ye go 12 Born of the laughing lightning. may the Maruts guard us everywhere 13 Like some lost animal, drive to us, bright Pusan, him who bears up heaven, 14 Pusan the Bright has found the King, concealed and bidden in a cave, 15 And may he. duly bring to me the six bound closely, through these drops, 16 Along their paths the Mothers go, Sisters of priestly ministrants, 17 May Waters gathered near the Sun, and those wherewith the Sun is joined, 18 I call the Waters, Goddesses, wherein our cattle quench their thirst; 19 Amrit is in the Waters in the Waters there is healing balm 20 Within the Waters−Soma thus hath told me−dwell all balms that heal, 21 O Waters, teem with medicine to keep my body safe from harm, 22 Whatever sin is found in me, whatever evil I have wrought. 23 The Waters I this day have sought, and to their moisture have we come: 24 Fill me with splendour, Agni; give offspring and length of days; the Gods

1 Thou, Agni, wast the earliest Angiras, a Seer; thou wast, a God thyself, the Gods' auspicious Friend. 2 O Agni, thou, the best and earliest Angiras, fulfillest as a Sage the holy law of Gods. 3 To Matarisvan first thou, Agni, wast disclosed, and to Vivasvan through thy noble inward power. 4 Agni thou madest heaven to thunder for mankind; thou, yet more pious, for pious Pururavas. 5 Thou, Agni, art a Bull who makes our store increase, to be invoked by him who lifts the ladle up. 6 Agni, thou savest in the synod when pursued e'en him, farseeing One! who walks in evil ways. 7 For glory, Agni, day by day, thou liftest up the mortal man to highest immortality, 8 O Agni, highly lauded, make our singer famous that he may win us store of riches: 9 O blameless Agni lying in thy Parents' lap, a God among the Gods, be watchful for our good. 10 Agni, thou art our Providence, our Father thou − we are thy brethren and thou art our spring of life. in 11 Thee, Agni, have the Gods made the first living One for living man, Lord of the house of Nahusa. 12 Worthy to be revered, O Agni, God, preserve our wealthy patrons with thy succours, and ourselves. 13 Agni, thou art a guard close to the pious man; kindled art thou, four−eyed! for him who is unarmcd. 14 Thou, Agni gainest for the loudly−praising priest the highest wealth, the object of a man's desire. 15 Agni, the man who giveth guerdon to the priests, like well−sewn armour thou guardest on every side. 16 Pardon, we pray, this sin of ours, O Agni, −− the path which we have trodden, widely straying, 17 As erst to Manus, to Yayiti, Angiras, so Angiras! pure Agni! come thou to our hall 18 By this our prayer be thou, O Agni, strengthened, prayer made by us after our power and knowledge.

2 The Vasus set that Agni in the dwelling, fair to behold, for help from every quarter: 3 Shine thou before us, Agni, well−enkindled, with flame, Most Youthful God, that never fadeth. 4 Among all fires these fires have shone most brightly, splendid with light, begirt by noble heroes, 5 Victorious Agni, grant us wealth with wisdom, wealth with brave sons, famous and independent, 6 To whom, the Strong, at morn and eve comes, maid−like, the ladle dropping oil, with its oblation. 7 Burn up all malice with those flames, O Agni, wherewith of old thou burntest up Jarutha, 8 With him who lighteth up thy splendour, Agni, excellent, pure, refulgent, Purifier, 9 Agni, the patriarchal men, the mortals who have in many places spread thy lustre,− 10 Let these men, heroes in the fight with foemen, prevail against all godless arts of 4magic,− 11 Let us not sit in want of men, O Agni, without descendants, heroleu, about thee: 12 By sacrifice which the Steeds' Lord ever visits, there make our dwelling rich in seed and offspring, 13 Guard us, O Agni, from the hated demon, guard us from malice of the churlish sinner: 14 May this same fire of mine surpass all others, this fire where offspring, vigorous and firm−handed, 15 This is that Agni, saviour from the foeman, who guards the kindler of the flame from sorrow: 16 This is that Agni, served in many places, whom the rich lord who brings oblation kindles, 17 Agni, may we with riches in possession bring thee continual ofierings in abundance, 18 Agni, bear thou, Eternal, these most welcome oblations to the Deities' assembly: 19 Give us not up, Agni, to want of heroes, to wretched clothes, to need, to destitution. 20 Give strength and power to these my prayers, O Agni; O God, pour blessings on our chiefs and nobles. 21 Thou Agni, swift to hear, art fair of aspect: beam forth, O Son of Strength, in full effulgence.

2 That car of yours, swifter than thought, O Asvins, which drawn by brave steeds cometh to the people, 3 Ye freed sage Atri, whom the Five Tribes honoured, from the strait pit, ye Heroes with his people, 4 Rebha the sage, ye mighty Heroes, Asvins! whom, like a horse, vile men had sunk in water,− 5 Ye brought forth Vandana, ye Wonder−Workers, for triumph, like fair gold that hath been buried, 6 Kaksivan, Pajra's son, must laud that exploit of yours, Nasatyas, Heroes, ye who wander! 7 To Krsna's son, to Visvaka who praised you, O Heroes, ye restored his son Visnapu. 8 Rusati, of the mighty people, Asvins, ye gave to Syava of the line of Kanva. 9 O Asvins, wearing many forms at pleasure, on Pedu ye bestowed a fleet−foot courser, 10 These glorious things are yours, ye Bounteous Givers; prayer, praise in both worlds are your habitation 11 Hymned with the reverence of a son, O Asvins ye Swift Ones giving booty to the singer, 12 Ye Sons of Heaven, ye Mighty, whither went ye, sought ye, for his fair praise the home of Kdvya. 13 Ye with the aid of your great powers, O Asvins, restored to youth the ancient man Cyavana. 14 Ye, ever−youthful Ones, again remembered Tugra, according to your ancient manner: 15 The son of Tugra had invoked you, Asvins; borne on he went uninjured through the ocean. 16 The quail had invocated you, O Asvins, when from the wolf's devouring jaws ye freed her. 17 He whom for furnishing a hundred wethers to the she−wolf, his wicked father blinded, 18 To bring the blind man joy thus cried the she−wolf: O Asvins, O ye Mighty Ones, O Heroes, 19 Great and weal−giving is your aid, O Asvins, ye, objects of all thought, made whole the cripple. 20 Ye, Wonder−Workers, filled with milk for Sayu the milkless cow, emaciated, barren; 21 Ploughing and sowing barley, O ye Asvins, milking out food for men, ye Wonder−Workers, 22 Ye brought the horse's head, Asvins, and gave it unto Dadhyac the offspring of Atharvan.

2 Strong God, he slew Anarsani, Srbinda, Pipru, and the fiend, 4 Bold, to your famous Soma I call the fair−visored God for aid, 5 Rejoicing in the Soma−draughts, Hero, burst open, like a fort, 6 If my libation gladdens, if thou takest pleasure in my laud, 7 O Indra, Lover of the Song, the singers of thy praise are we: 8 And, taking thy delight with us bring us still undiminished food: 9 Make thou us rich in herds of kine, in steeds, in gold: let us exert 10 Let us call him to aid whose hands stretch far, to whom high laud is due. 11 He, Satakratu, even in fight acts as a Vrtra−slayer s,till: 12 May he, this A;akra, strengthen us, Boon God who satisfies our needs, 13 To him, the mighty stream of wealth, the Soma−presser's rescuing Friend, 14 Who bringeth what is great and firm, who winneth glory in his wars, 15 There liveth none to cheek or stay his energies and gracious deeds: 16 No debt is due by Brahmans now, by active men who press the juice: 17 Sing ye to him who must be praised, say lauds to him who must be praised, 18 May be, unchecked, strong, meet for praise, bring hundreds, thousands forth to light, 19 Go with thy God−like nature forth, go where the folk are calling thee: 20 Drink milky draughts which are thine own, this too which was with Tugrya once, 21 Pass him who psours libations out in angry mood or after sin: 22 Over the three great distances, past the Five Peoples go thy way, 23 Send forth thy ray like Surya: let my songs attract thee hitherward, 24 Now to the Hero fair of cheek, Adhvaryu, pour the Soma forth: 25 Who cleft the water−cloud in twain, loosed rivers for their downward flow, 26 He, meet for praise, slew Vrtra, slew Ahisuva, Urnavabha's son, 27 To him your matchless Mighty One, unconquerable Conqueror, 28 Indra, who in the wild delight of Soma juice considers here 29 Hither let these thy Bays who share thy banquet, Steeds with golden manes, 30 Hither, O thou whom many laud, the Bays whom Priyamedha praised,

1 'Through many autumns have I toiled and laboured, at night and morn, through age−inducing dawnings. 2 For even the men aforetime, law−fulfillers, who with the Gods declared eternal statutes,−− 3 Non inutilis est labor cui Dii favent: nos omnes aemulos et aemulas vincamus. 4 Cupido me cepit illius tauri [viri] qui me despicit, utrum hinc utrum illinc ab aliqua parte nata sit. 5 This Soma I address that is most near us, that which hath been imbibed within the spirit, 6 Agastya thus, toiling with strong endeavour, wishing for children, progeny and. power, 5 Membrum suum virile, quod vrotentum fuerat, mas ille retraxit. Rursus illud quod in juvenem filiam 6 Quum jam in medio connessu, semiperfecto opere, amorem in puellam pater impleverat, ambo disceden 7 Quum pater suam nilam adiverat, cum ed congressus suum semen supra wrrarn effudit. Tum Dii benigni 8 Ille tauro similis spumam in certamine jactavit, tunc discedens pusillaximis huc profectus est. Quasi dex 9 'The fire, burning the people, does not approach quickly (by day): the naked (Rakasas approach) not Ag