Sacred Concord

Iliad 16.39

Iliad · translated by Alexander Pope

As when the hand of Jove a tempest forms, And rolls the cloud to blacken heaven with storms, Dark o’er the fields the ascending vapour flies, And shades the sun, and blots the golden skies: So from the ships, along the dusky plain, Dire Flight and Terror drove the Trojan train. Even Hector fled; through heads of disarray The fiery coursers forced their lord away: While far behind his Trojans fall confused; Wedged in the trench, in one vast carnage bruised: Chariots on chariots roll: the clashing spokes Shock; while the madding steeds break short their yokes. In vain they labour up the steepy mound; Their charioteers lie foaming on the ground. Fierce on the rear, with shouts Patroclus flies; Tumultuous clamour fills the fields and skies; Thick drifts of dust involve their rapid flight; Clouds rise on clouds, and heaven is snatch’d from sight. The affrighted steeds their dying lords cast down, Scour o’er the fields, and stretch to reach the town. Loud o’er the rout was heard the victor’s cry, Where the war bleeds, and where the thickest die, Where horse and arms, and chariots lie o’erthrown, And bleeding heroes under axles groan. No stop, no check, the steeds of Peleus knew: From bank to bank the immortal coursers flew. High-bounding o’er the fosse, the whirling car Smokes through the ranks, o’ertakes the flying war, And thunders after Hector; Hector flies, Patroclus shakes his lance; but fate denies. Not with less noise, with less impetuous force, The tide of Trojans urge their desperate course, Than when in autumn Jove his fury pours, And earth is loaden with incessant showers; (When guilty mortals break the eternal laws, Or judges, bribed, betray the righteous cause;) From their deep beds he bids the rivers rise, And opens all the flood-gates of the skies: The impetuous torrents from their hills obey, Whole fields are drown’d, and mountains swept away; Loud roars the deluge till it meets the main; And trembling man sees all his labours vain!
Iliad 16.39 · Iliad · 16

Themes in this passage

The DivineNatureDeathTruthWarAngerDharmaFear

The Divine in other traditions

The same theme, as Christianity, Hinduism and Islam address it.

Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.
Deuteronomy 23:5 · Bible · Deuteronomy
a Homage to the golden-armed leader of hosts, and to the lord of the quarters b Homage to the trees with green tresses, to the lord of cattle homage! c Homage to the one who is yellowish-red like young grass, to the radiant, to the lord of paths homage! d Homage to the brown one, to the piercer, to the lord of food homage! e Homage to the green-haired, wearer of the cord, to the lord of prosperity f Homage to the dart of Bhava, to the lord of the moving world homage! g Homage to Rudra, with bent bow, to the lord of fields homage! h Homage to the minstrel, the inviolate, to the lord of the woods homage! i Homage [1] to the ruddy one, the ruler, to the lord of woods homage! k Homage to the minister, the trader, to the lord of thickets homage! l Homage to the extender of the world, the offspring of the maker of room, to the lord of plants homage! m Homage to the loud calling, the screaming, to the lord of footmen homage! n Homage to the wholly covered, to the running, to the lord of warriors homage! a Homage to the strong, the piercing, to the lord of assailers homage! b Homage to the leader, the holder of the quiver, to the lord of thieves homage! c Homage to the holder of the quiver, to the owner of the quiver, to the lord of robbers homage! d Homage to the cheater, the swindler, to the lord of burglars homage! c Homage to the glider, to the wanderer around, to the lord of the forests homage! f Homage to the bolt-armed destructive ones, to the lord of pilferers homage! g Homage to the bearers of the sword, the night wanderers, to the lord of cut- purses homage! h Homage to the turbaned wanderer on the mountains, to the lord of pluckers i Homage [1] to you, bearers of arrows, and to you, bowmen, homage! k Homage to you that string (the bow), and to you that place (on the arrow), l Homage to you that bend (the bow), and to you that let go the arrow) homage! m Homage to you that hurl, and to you that pierce homage!
YV 5.4 (2)b · Yajur Veda
Allah, your Lord and Lord of your forefathers?
Quran 37:126 · Quran · The Rangers
Having slain thousands of Daityas, with prowess having its origin in thy grace, O slayer of foes, Sakra obtained the lordship of the celestials. Through thy grace, O Hrishikesa, the mobile and immobile universe, without swerving from its (ordained) course, O hero, is engaged in prayers and homa![178] In the beginning, this universe, enveloped in darkness, had been one vast expanse of water. Through thy grace, O mighty-armed one, the universe became manifest, O best of men! Thou art the creator of all the worlds, thou art the Supreme Soul, and thou art immutable! They that behold thee, O Hrishikesa, are never confounded. Thou art the Supreme God, thou art the God of gods, and thou art Eternal. They that seek refuge with thee, O lord of the gods, are never confounded. Without beginning and without death, thou art Divine, the Creator of all the worlds, and immutable. They that are devoted to thee, O Hrishikesa, always tide over every difficulty. Thou art Supreme, the Ancient one, the Divine-Being, and that which is the Highest of the high. He that attaineth to that viz., thy Supreme Self hath ordained for him the highest prosperity. Thou art sung in the four Vedas. The four Vedas sing of thee. Be seeking thy shelter, O high-souled one, I shall enjoy unrivalled prosperity. Thou art the Supreme God, thou art the God of the highest gods, thou art the lord of Winged creatures, and the lord of all human beings. Thou art the Supremest Lord of everything. I bow to thee, O best of beings! Thou art the Lord, the Lord of lords O puissant one! Prosperity to thee, O Madhava! O thou of large eyes, O Universal soul, Thou art the origin of all things. He, again, that is a friend of Dhananjaya or is engaged in Dhananjaya’s good, obtaineth thee that art the preceptor of Dhananjaya and attaineth to happiness.” Thus addressed by him those high-souled ones, viz.
Mbh 7.148.1b · Mahabharata · DRONA PARVA

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