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8 O Agni, highly lauded, make our singer famous that he may win us store of riches: |
May we improve the rite with new performance. O Earth and Heaven, with all the Gods, protect us. |
9 O blameless Agni lying in thy Parents' lap, a God among the Gods, be watchful for our good. |
Former of bodies, be the singer's Providence: all good things hast thou sown for him, auspicious One! |
10 O Loving God! This whole world with its wealth belongs to you. You are the One who has given us |
life. You give us the love and protection of a father. You are our friend. You make us strong and |
brave. You defend the doers of virtuous deeds. You make it possible for men to acquire hundreds and |
thousands of material possessions. Good men flock to you. |
11 Thee, Agni, have the Gods made the first living One for living man, Lord of the house of Nahusa. |
Ila they made the teacher of the sons of men, what time a Son was born to the father of my race. |
Ano Bhadraha Kritavayo Yantu Vishwataha (Let noble thoughts come from every side) – Rg Veda |
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Vishva Dharma ki Jay! (Victory to Universal Dharma!) |
12 Worthy to be revered, O Agni, God, preserve our wealthy patrons with thy succours, and ourselves. |
Guard of our seed art thou, aiding our cows to bear, incessantly protecting in thy holy way. |
13 Agni, thou art a guard close to the pious man; kindled art thou, four-eyed! for him who is unarmcd. |
With fond heart thou acceptest e'en the poor man's prayer, when he hath brought his gift to gain |
security. |
14 Thou, Agni gainest for the loudly-praising priest the highest wealth, the object of a man's desire. |
Thou art called Father, caring even for the weak, and wisest, to the simple one thou teachest lore. |
15 Agni, the man who giveth guerdon to the priests, like well-sewn armour thou guardest on every side. |
He who with grateful food shows kindness in his house, an offerer to the living, is the type of heaven. |
16 Pardon, we pray, this sin of ours, O Agni, -- the path which we have trodden, widely straying, |
Dear Friend and Father, caring for the pious, who speedest nigh and who inspirest mortals. |
17 As erst to Manus, to Yayiti, Angiras, so Angiras! pure Agni! come thou to our hall |
Bring hither the celestial host and seat them here upon the sacred grass, and offer what they love. |
18 By this our prayer be thou, O Agni, strengthened, prayer made by us after our power and |
knowledge. |
Lead thou us, therefore, to increasing riches; endow us with thy strength-bestowing favour. |
1.1.32 Mantra 32 – Indra (Author: Hiranyastupa Angiras) |
1 I WILL declare the manly deeds of Indra, the first that he achieved, the Thunder-wielder. |
He slew the Dragon, then disclosed the waters, and cleft the channels of the mountain torrents. |
2 He slew the Dragon lying on the mountain: his heavenly bolt of thunder Tvastar fashioned. |
Like lowing kine in rapid flow descending the waters glided downward to the ocean. |
3 Impetuous as a bull, he chose the Soma and in three sacred beakers drank the juices. |
Maghavan grasped the thunder for his weapon, and smote to death this firstborn of the dragons. |
4 When, Indra, thou hadst slain the dragon's firstborn, and overcome the charms of the enchanters, |
Then, giving life to Sun and Dawn and Heaven, thou foundest not one foe to stand against thee. |
5 Indra with his own great and deadly thunder smote into pieces Vrtra, worst of Vrtras. |
As trunks of trees, what time the axe hath felled them, low on the earth so lies the prostrate Dragon. |
6 He, like a mad weak warrior, challenged Indra, the great impetuous many-slaying Hero. |
He. brooking not the clashing of the weapons, crushed-Indra's foe-the shattered forts in falling. |
7 Footless and handless still he challenged Indra, who smote him with his bolt between the shoulders. |
Emasculate yet claiming manly vigour, thus Vrtra lay with scattered limbs dissevered. |
8 There as he lies like a bank-bursting river, the waters taking courage flow above him. |
The Dragon lies beneath the feet of torrents which Vrtra with his greatness had encompassed. |
9 Then humbled was the strength of Vrtra's mother: Indra hath cast his deadly bolt against her. |
The mother was above, the son was under and like a cow beside her calf lay Danu. |
10 Rolled in the midst of never-ceasing currents flowing without a rest for ever onward. |
The waters bear off Vrtra's nameless body: the foe of Indra sank to during darkness. |
11 Guarded by Ahi stood the thralls of Dasas, the waters stayed like kine held by the robber. |
But he, when he had smitten Vrtra, opened the cave wherein the floods had been imprisoned. |
12 A horse's tail wast thou when he, O Indra, smote on thy bolt; thou, God without a second, |
Thou hast won back the kine, hast won the Soma; thou hast let loose to flow the Seven Rivers. |
13 Nothing availed him lightning, nothing thunder, hailstorm or mist which had spread around him: |
When Indra and the Dragon strove in battle, Maghavan gained the victory for ever. |
14 Whom sawest thou to avenge the Dragon, Indra, that fear possessed thy heart when thou hadst |
slain him; |
That, like a hawk affrighted through the regions, thou crossedst nine-and-ninety flowing rivers? |
15 Indra is King of all that moves and moves not, of creatures tame and horned, the Thunder-wielder. |
Over all living men he rules as Sovran, containing all as spokes within the felly. |
1.1.33 Mantra 33 – Indra (Author: Hiranyastupa Angiras) |
1 Come, fain for booty let us seek to Indra: yet more shall he increase his care that guides us. |
Will not the Indestructible endow us with perfect knowledge of this wealth, of cattle? |
2 I fly to him invisible Wealth-giver as flies the falcon to his cherished eyrie, |
Ano Bhadraha Kritavayo Yantu Vishwataha (Let noble thoughts come from every side) – Rg Veda |
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Vishva Dharma ki Jay! (Victory to Universal Dharma!) |
With fairest hymns of praise adoring Indra, whom those who laud him must invoke in battle. |
3 Mid all his host, he bindeth on the quiver he driveth cattle from what foe he pleaseth: |
Gathering up great store of riches, Indra. be thou no trafficker with us, most mighty. |
4 Thou slewest with thy bolt the wealthy Dasyu, alone, yet going with thy helpers, Indra! |
Far from the floor of heaven in all directions, the ancient riteless ones fled to destruction. |
5 Fighting with pious worshippers, the riteless turned and fled, Indra! with averted faces. |
When thou, fierce Lord of the Bay Steeds, the Stayer, blewest from earth and heaven and sky the |
godless. |
6 They met in fight the army of the blameless. then the Navagvas put forth all their power. |
They, like emasculates with men contending, fled, conscious, by steep paths from Indra, scattered. |
7 Whether they weep or laugh, thou hast o'erthrown them, O Indra, on the sky's extremest limit. |
The Dasyu thou hast burned from heaven, and welcomed the prayer of him who pours the juice and |
lauds thee. |
8 Adorned with their array of gold and jewels, they o'er the earth a covering veil extended. |
Although they hastened, they o'ercame not Indra: their spies he compassed with the Sun of morning. |
9 As thou enjoyest heaven and earth, O Indra, on every side surrounded with thy greatness, |
So thou with priests bast blown away the Dasyu, and those who worship not with those who worship. |
10 They who pervaded earth's extremest limit subdued not with their charms the Wealth-bestower: |
Indra, the Bull, made his ally the thunder, and with its light milked cows from out the darkness. |
11 The waters flowed according to their nature; he raid the navigable streams waxed mighty. |
Then Indra, with his spirit concentrated, smote him for ever with his strongest weapon. |
12 Indra broke through Ilibisa's strong castles, and Suspa with his horn he cut to pieces: |
Thou, Maghavan, for all his might and swiftness, slewest thy fighting foeman with thy thunder |