Bounteous is he who gives unto the beggar who feebly comes to him in want of food. Success attends him in the shout of battle. He makes a friend of him in future troubles. No friend is he who to his friend and comrade, who comes imploring food, will offer nothing. Let the rich satisfy the poor implorer, and bend his eye upon a longer pathway.
Riches come now to one, now to another, and like the wheels of chariots are ever moving.
In recent years the place of non-violence in the Indian tradition has received much emphasis, but it is worth remembering that throughout India's history military prowess has been exalted and the waging of war has been regarded as an essential feature of political life. The early Aryans gloried in the ability of their horses and chariots to strike terror into the hearts of their enemies, the people of the land, and their favorite god, Indra, was a great military hero. The selection given here was probably a kind of incantation which, when recited before battle, gave special potency to the weapons of the warriors. The warrior's look is like a thunderous rain-cloud's, when, armed with mail, he seeks the lap of battle. With Bow let us win kine, with Bow the battle, with Bow be victors in our hot encounters.