Samaveda, Part II, Book III

¹Fleet as swift steeds thy cows celestial have been poured, O Pavamana, with the milk into the vat. Sages who make thee bright, O friend whom Rishis love, have shed continuous streams from out the realm of air.

²The beams of Pavamana, sent from earth and heaven his ensigns who is ever stedfast, travel round. When on the sieve the golden-hued is cleansed he rests within the jars as one who seats him in his place.

³O thou who seest all things, sovran as thou art and passing strong, thy rays encompass every form. Pervading with thy natural powers thou flowest on, and as the whole world's Lord, O Soma, thou art King.

¹From heaven hath Pavamana, made, as 'twere, the marvellous thunder, and The lofty light of all mankind.

²The gladdening and auspicious juice of thee, O Pavamana, King! Flows o'cr the woollen straining-cloth.

³Thy juice, O Pavamana, sends its rays abroad fixe splendid skill, Like lustre, all heaven's light, to see.

¹Impetuous, bright, have they come forth, unwearied in their speed, like bulls, Driving the black skin far away.

²May we attain the bridge of bliss, leaving the bridge of woe behind: The riteless Dasa may we quell!

³The mighty Pavamana's roar is heard as 'twere the rush of rain The lightning-Rashes move in heaven.

⁴Indu, pour out abundant food with store of cattle and of gold, Of heroes, Soma! and of steeds!

⁵Flow onward, dear to all mankind fi full the mighty heaven and earth, As Dawn, as Surya with his beams

⁶On every side, O Soma, flow round us with thy protecting stream, As Rasa flows around the world!

¹Flow on, O thou of lofty thought, flow swift in thy beloved form, Saying, I go where dwell the Gods.

²Preparing what is unprepared, and bringing store of food to man, Make thou the rain descend from heaven

³Even here is he who, swift of course, hath with the river's wave Rowed down. From heaven upon the straining cloth.

⁴With might. producing glare, the juice enters the purifying sieve, Far-seeing, sending forth its light.

⁵Inviting him from far away, and even from near at hand, the juice For Indra is poured forth as meath.

⁶In union they have sung the hymn: with stones they urge the golden-hued, Indu for Indra, for his drink.

¹The glittering maids send Sdra forth, the glorious sisters, closeallied, Send Indu forth, their mighty Lord.

²Pervade, O Pavamana, all our treasures with repeated light, Pressed out, O God thyself, for Gods!

³Pour on us, Pavamana! rain, as service and fair praise for Gods: Pour forth unceasingly for food!

¹The watchful guardian of the people hath been born, Agni, the very strong, for fresh prosperity. With oil upon his face. with high heaven-touching flame, he shineth splendidly, pure, for the Bharatas.

²O Agni, the Angirasas discovered thee what time thou layest hidden, fleeing back from wood to wood. Thou by attrition art produced as conquering might, and men, O Angiras, call thee the Son of Strength.

³The men enkindle Agni in his threefold seat, ensign of sacrifice, the earliest bousehold-priest. With Indra and the Gods together on the grass let the wise priest sit to complete the sacrifice!

¹This Soma hath been pressed for you, Low-strengtheners, Mitra, Varuna! List, list ye here to this may call!

²Both Kings who never injure aught have come to their sublimest home, The thousand-pillared, firmly based.

³Worshipped with fat libation. Lords of gifts, Adityas, sovran Kings, They wait on him whose life is true.

¹Armed with the bones of dead Dadhyach, Indra with unresisted. might The nine-and-ninety Vritras slew.

²He, searching for the horse's head that in the mountains lay concealed, Found it in Saryandvdn lake.

³Then straight they recognized the mystic name of the creative Steer. There in the mansion of the Moon.

¹I. As rain from out the cloud, for you, Indra and Agni, from my thought This noblest praise hath been produced.

²Indra and Agni, listen to the singer's call: accept his songs. Fulfil, ye mighty Lords, his prayers!

³Give us not up to indigence, ye heroes, Indra, Agni, nor To Slander and reproach of men!

¹Gold-Hued! as one who giveth strength flow on for Gods to drink, a draught For Vayu and the Marut host!

²The Steer shines brightly with the Gods, dear Sage in his appointed home. Even Pavamana unbeguiled.

³O Pavamana, sent by prayer, roaring about thy dwelling-place, Ascend to Vayu as Law bids!

¹O Soma, Indu, every day thy friendship hath been my delight. Many fiends follow me; help me, thou tawny-hued: pass on beyond these barriers!

²Close to thy bosom am I. Soma, day and night draining the milk, O golden hued. Surya himself refulgent with his glow have we, as birds, o'ertaken in his course.

¹Active, while being purified, he hath assailed all enemies: They deck the Sage with holy hymns.

²The Red hath mounted to his shrine; strong Indra hath approached the juice: In his firm dwelling let him rest!

³O Indu, Soma, send us now great opulence from every side: Pour on us treasures thousandfold!

¹Drink Soma, Indra Lord of bays! and let it cheer thee: the stone, like a well-guided courser, Directed by the presser's arms bath pressed it.

²So let the draught of joy, thy dear companion, by which, O Lord of bays, thou slayest Vritras, Delight thee, Indra, Lord of princely treasuresl

³Mark closely, Maghavan, the word I utter, this eulogy recited by Vasislitha: Accept the prayers I offer at thy banquet!

¹Heroes of one accord brought forth and formed for kingship Indra who wins the victory in all encounters, For power, in firmness, in the field, the great destroyer, fierce and exceeding strong, stalwart and full of vigour.

²The holy sages form a ring, to view and sing unto the Ram. Inciters, very brilliant, from all deceit, are with your chariters nigh to hear.

³Bards joined in song to Indra so that he might drink the Soma juice. The Lord of light, that he whose laws stand fast might aid with power and with the help he gives.

¹He who as sovran Lord of men moves with his chariots unrestrained, The Vritra-slayer, conqueror of all fighting hosts, preeminents, is praised in song.

²Honour that Indra, Puruhanman! for his aid, him in whose hand of old the fair Sustaining bolt of thunder, mighty like the God, like Surya, was deposited!

¹The Sage of heaven whose heart is wise, when laid between both hands, with roars, Gives us delightful powers of life.

²He, the bright son, when born, illumed his parents who had sprung to life, Great Son, great strengtheners of Law.

³On, onward to a glorious home, free from all guile and dear to. men, Flow with enjoyment to our praise!

¹For, verily, Pavamana, thou, divine! endued with brightest splendour, calling all Creatures to immortality.

⁴With whom Dadhyach Navagva opened fastened doors, by whom the sages gained their wish, By whom they won the fame of lovely Amrita in the felicity of Gods.

¹Soma, while filtered, with his wave flows through the long wool of the sheep, Roaring, while purified, before the voice of song.

²With prayers they cleanse the mighty steed, sporting in wood, above the fleece: Our hymns, intoned, have praised him of the triple height.

³He hath been hastened to the jars, bountiful, like an eager horse, And, lifting up his voice, while filtered, glided on.

¹Father of holy hymns, Soma flows onward, the father of the earth, father of heaven. Father of Agni, Surya's generator, the father who begat Indra and Vishnu.

²Brahman of Gods, the leader of the poets, Rishi of sages, chief of savage creatures, Falcon amid the vultures, axe of forests, over the cleansing sieve goes Soma singing.

³He, Soma Pavamana, like a river, hath stirred the wave of voice, our songs and praises Beholding these inferior powers, the hero, well knowing, takes his stand among the cattle.

¹I. Hither, for powerful kinship, I call Agni, him who prospers you, Most frequent at our solemn rites.

²That through this famed one's power he may stand by us, even as Tvasbtar comes Unto the forms that must be shaped.

³This Agni is the Lord supreme above all glories' mid the Gods: May he come nigh to us with strength.

¹This poured libation, Indra drink, immortal, gladdening, excellent! Streams of the bright have flowed to thee here at the seat of holy Law.

²When, Indra, thou dost guide thy bays, there is no better charioteer: None hath surpassed thee in thy might, none with good steeds o'ertaken thee.

³Sing glory now to Indra, say to him your solemn eulogies! The drops poured forth have made him glad: pay reverence to his noblest might!

¹Indra, be pleased: drive forward, hero, striker of thy bays! Fair, like a sage, delighting in the meath, drink of the juice for rapturous joy.

²O Indra, fill thy belly anew with meath that seems to flow from heaven. The sweet-voiced raptures of this juice have come, as 'twere to heaven. to thee.

³Indra, victorious, Mitra-like, smote, like a Yati, Vritra dead. As Bhrigu quelled his foes, he cleft Vala in Soma's rapturous joy.

¹Winner of gold and gear and cattle flow thou on, set as impregner, Indu! 'mid the worlds of life! Rich in brave men art thou, Soma, who winnest all: these holy singers wait upon thee with song.

²O Soma, thou beholdest men from every side: O Pavamana, Steer, thou wanderest through these. Pour out upon us wealth in treasure and in gold: may we have strength to live among the things that be!

³Thou passest to these worlds as sovran Lord thereof, O Indu, harnessing thy tawny well-winged mares. May they pour forth for thee milk and oil rich in sweets: O Soma, let the folk abide in thy decree!

¹The streams of Pavamana, thine, finder of all I have been ettused, Even as Surya's rays of light.

²Making the light that shines from heaven thou flowest on to every form, Soma, thou swellest like a sea.

³Shown forth thou sendest out thy voice, O Pavamana, with a roar. Like Surya, God, as Law commands.

¹Hitherward have the Somas streamed, the drops while they are purified: When blent, in waters they are raised.

²The milk hath run to meet them like floods rushing down a precipice: They come to Indra, being cleansed.

³O Soma Pavamana, thou flowest as Indra's gladdener: The men have seized and lead thee forth.

⁴Thou, Indu, when, expressed by stones, thou runnest to the filter, art Ready for Indra's high decree.

⁵Victorious, to be hailed with joy, O Soma, flow delighting men, As the supporter of mankind!

⁶Flow on, best Vritra-slayer; flow meet to be hailed with joyful lauds, pure, purifying, wonderful

⁷Pure, purifying, is he called, Soma effused and full of sweets, Slayer of sinners, dear to Gods.

¹The Sage hath robed him in the sheep's wool for the banquet of the Gods, Subduing all our enemies.

²For he, as Pavamana, sends thousandfold riches in the shape Of cattle to the worshippers.

³Thou graspest all things with thy mind, and purifiest thee with thoughts: As such, O Soma, find us fame!

⁴Pour on us lofty glory, send sure riches to our liberal lords: Bring food to those who sing thy praise!

⁵As thou art cleansed, O wondrous steed, O Soma, thou hast entered, like A pious king, into the songs,

⁶He, Soma, like a courser in the floods invincible, made bright With hands, is resting in the press.

⁷Disporting, like a liberal chief, thou goest. Soma to the sieve, Lending the laud heroic strength.

¹Pour on us with thy juice all kinds of corn, each sort of nourishment! And, Soma, all felicities!

²As thine, O Indu, is the praise, and thine what springeth from, the juice, Seat thee on the dear sacred grass!

³And, finding for us steeds and kine, O Soma, with thy juice flow on Through days that fly most rapidly!

⁴As one who conquers, ne'er subdued, attacks and slays the enemy, Thus, vanquisher of thousands! flow!

¹Thou, Indu, with thy streams that drop sweet juices, which were poured for help, Hast settled in the cleansing sieve.

²So flow thou onward through the fleece, for Indra flow to be his drink, Seating thee in the shrine of Law!

³As giving room and freedom, as most sweet, pour butter forth and milk, O Soma, for the Angirasas!

¹Thy glories are, like lightnings from the rainy cloud, visible, Agni, like the comings of the Dawns, When, loosed to wander over plants and forest trees, thou crammest by thyself thy food into thy mouth.

²When, sped and urged by wind, thou spreadest thee abroad, soon piercing through thy food according to thy will, The hosts, who ne'er decayest, eager to consume, like men on chariots, Agni! strive on every side.

³Agni, the Hotar-priest who fills the assembly full, waker of wisdom, chief controller of the thought- Thee, yea, none other than thyself, doth man elect priest of the holy offering, great and small, alike.

¹Even far and wide, O Varuna and Mitra, doth your help extend: May I obtain your kind good-will!

²True Gods, may we completely gain food and a dwelling place from you: Ye Mitras, may we be your own!

³Guard us, ye Mitras, with your guards, save us, ye skilled to save: may we Subdue the Dasyus by ourselves!

¹I. Arising in thy might, thy jaws thou shookest Indra, having drunk The Soma which the press had shed.

²Indra, both world gave place to thee as thou wast fighting, when thou wast The slayer of the Dasyu hosts.

³From Indra, have I measured out a song eight-footed with nine parts, Delicate, strengthening the Law.

¹Indra and Agni, these our songs of praise have sounded forth to you: Ye who bring blessings! drink the juice

²Come, Indra, Agni, with those teams, desired of many, which ye have, O heroes, for the worshipper

³With those to his libation poured, ye heroes, Indra, Agni, come: Come ye to drink the Soma-juice!

¹Soma, flow on exceeding bright with loud roar to the reservoirs, Resting in wooden vats thy home!

²Let water winning Somas flow to Indra, Vayu, Varuna, To Vishnu and Marut host!

³Soma, bestowing food upon our progeny, from every side Pour on us riches thousandfold.

¹Pressed out by pressers Soma goes over the fleecy backs of sheep, Goes even as with a mare in tawny-coloured stream, goes in a sweetly-sounding stream.

²Down to the water Soma, rich in kine, bath flowed with cows, with cows that have been milked. They have approached the mixing-vessels as a sea: the cheerer streams for the carouse.

¹O Purifying Soma, bring to us the wondrous treasure, meet. For lauds, that is in earth and heaven!

²Cleansing the lives of men, thou, Steer, bellowing on the sacred grass, Gold-hued, hast settled in thy home.

³For ye twain, Indra, Soma, are Lords of heaven's light, Lords of the kine: Prosper, as mighty ones, our prayers

¹By men hath Indra been advanced, the Vritra-sIayer, to joy and strength. Him only we invoke for help in battles whether great or small be he our aid in deeds or might!

²For, hero, thou art like a host, art giver of abundant spoil. Strengthening e'en the feeble, thou aidest the sacrificer, thou givest great wealth to him who pours.

³When war and battles are on foot, booty is offered to the bold. Yoke thou thy wildly-rushing bays! Whom wilt thou slay, and whom enrich? Do thou, O Indra, make us rich!

¹I. The juice of Soma thus diffused, sweet to the taste, the bright cows drink, Who travelling in splendour close to mighty Indra's side rejoice, good in their own supremacy.

²Craving his touch the dappled kine mingle the Soma with their milk. The milch-kine dear to Indra send forth his death dealing thunder-bolt, good in their own supremacy.

³With veneration, passing wise, they honour his victorious might. They follow close his many laws to win them due preeminence, good in their own supremacy.

¹Strong, mountain-born, the stalk hath been pressed in the streams for rapturous joy. Hawk-like he settles in his home.

²Fair is the juice beloved of Gods, washed in the waters, pressed by men: The milch kine sweeten it with milk

³Then, like a steed, have they adorned the inciter for eternal life, The meath's juice at the festival.

¹Make high and splendid glory shine hitherward, Lord of food, God, on the friend of Gods Unclose the cask of middle air

²Roll onward from the press, O mighty one, effused, as kings, supporter of the tribes Pour on us rain from heaven, send us the water's flow, urging our thoughts to win the spoil!

¹Breath of the mighty Dames, the Child, speeding the plan of sacrifice, Surpasses all things that are dear, yea, from of old.

²The place that is concealed hath gained a share of Trita's pressing-stones, By the seven laws of sacrifice, even that dear place.

³He hath sent forth unto the heights the three, in stream, as Trita's wealth: He who is passing wise measures his pathways out.

¹Flow to the filter with thy stream, effused, to win us spoil and wealth, Soma exceeding rich in meath for Indra, Vishnu, and the Gods

²The hymns that know not guile, caress thee, golden-coloured, in the sieve. As mothers, Pavamana, lick the new-born calf, as Law commands.

³Lord of great sway, thou liftest thee above the heavens, above the earth. Thou, of Pavamana, hast assumed thy coat of mail with majesty.

¹Strong Indu, bathed in milk, flows on for Indra, Soma exciting strength, for his carousal. He quells malignity and slays the demons, King of the homestead, he who gives us comfort.

²Then in a stream he flows, milked out with press-stones, mingled with sweetness, through the fleecy filter-- Indu rejoicing in the love of Indra, the God who gladdens for the God's enjoyment.

³He flows, as he is cleansed, to sacred duties, a God bedewing Gods with his own juices. Indu hath, clothed in powers that suit the season, on the raised fleece engaged the ten swift fingers.

¹O Agni, God, we kindle thee, refulgent, wasting not away, That this more glorious fuel may send forth for thee its shine to heaven. Bring food to those who sing thy praise!

²To thee the splendid, Lord of light! bright! wondrous! prince of men! is brought. Oblation with the holy verse, O Agni, bearer of our gifts! Bring food to those who sing thy praise!

³Thou heatest both the ladles in thy mouth, O brilliant prince of men! So fill us also in our hymns abundantly, thou Lord of Strength. Bring food to those who sing thy praise!

¹Sing ye a psalm to Indra; sing a great song to the lofty Sage, To him who maketh prayer, inspired, who loveth laud.

²Thou, Indra, art the conqueror: thou gavest splendour to the Sun. Maker of all things, thou art mighty and All-God.

³Radiant with light thou wentest to the sky, the luminous realm of -heaven. The Gods, O Indra, strove to win thy friendly love.

¹This Soma hath been pressed for thee, O Indra, bold one, mightiest, come! May Indra vigour fill thee full, as Surya fills mid-air with rays

²Slayer of Vritra, mount thy car! The bay steeds have been yoked by prayer. May, with its voice, the pressing-stone draw thine attention hitherward!

³His pair of tawny coursers bring Indra, resistless in his might. Hither to Rishis' songs of praise and sacrifice performed by men.