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1 O BRAMANASPATI, stand up: God−serving men we pray to thee. 2 O Son of Strength, each mortal calls to thee for aid when spoil of battle waits for him. 3 May Brahmanaspati draw nigh, may Sunrta the Goddess come, 4 He who bestows a noble guerdon on the priest wins fame that never shall decay. 5 Now Brahmanaspati speaks forth aloud the solemn hymn of praise, 6 May we in holy synods, Gods! recite that hymn, peerless, that brings felicity. 7 Who shall approach the pious? who the man whose sacred grass is trimmed? 8 He amplifies his lordly might, with kings he slays: e'en mid alarms he dwells secure

1 SOMA and Pusan, Parents of all riches, Parents of earth and Parents of high heaven, 2 At birth of these two Gods all Gods are joyful: they have caused darkness, which we hate, to vanish. 3 Soma and Pusan, urge your chariot hither, the seven−wheeIed car that measures out the region, 4 One in the heaven on high hath made his dwelling, on earth and in the firmament the other. 5 One of you Twain is Parent of all creatures, the otherjourneys onward all−beholding. 6 May Pusan stir our thought, the all−impelling, may Soma Lord of riches grant us riches.

2 Indra, whom many laud, accept the strength−conferring Soma juice: 3 Indra, with all the Gods promote our wealth−bestowing sacrifice, 4 Lord of the brave, to thee proceed these drops of Soma juice expressed, 5 Within thy belly, Indra, take juice, Soma the most excellent: Thine are the drops celestial. 6 Drink our libation, Lord of hymns: with streams of meath thou art bedewed 7 To Indra go the treasures of the worshipper, which never fail: 8 From far away, from near at hand, O Vrtra−slayer, come to us: 9 When from the space between the near and far thou art invoked by us,

2 Brave, seeking war and booty, dwelling with the good and with the swift, may he hasten the food of Da 3 His pinion, rapid runner, fans him m his way, as of a bird that hastens onward to its aim, 4 Bound by the neck and by the flanks and by the mouth, the vigorous Courser lends new swiftness to his 5 The Hamsa homed in light, the Vasu in mid−air, the priest beside the altar, in the house the guest,

2 Strong is the stone, the draught is strong, strong is this Soma that is pressed, 3 As strong I call on thee the Strong, O Thunder−armed, with various aids, 4 Impetuous, Thunderer, Strong, quelling the mighty, King, potent, Vrtra−slayer, Soma−drinker, 5 O Surya, when the Asura's descendant Svarbhanu, pierced thee through and through with darkness, 6 What time thou smotest down Svarbhanu's magic that spread itself beneath the sky, O Indra, 7 Let not the oppressor with this dread, through anger swallow me up, for I am thine, O Atri. 8 The Brahman Atri, as he set the press−stones, serving the Gods with praise and adoration, 9 The Atris found the Sun again, him whom Svarbhanu of the brood

2 Drink thou of this whereof at birth, O Indra, thou drankest, Mighty One for power and rapture. 3 The fire is kindled, Soma pressed, O Indra: let thy Bays, best to draw, convey thee hither. 4 Indra, come hither: evermore thou camest through our great strong desire to drink the Soma. 5 Mayst thou, O Indra, on the day of trial, present or absent, wheresoe'er thou dwellest, 2 With that well−formed most wide−extending palate, wherewith thou ever drinkest streams of sweetness, 3 This drop, steer−strong and omniform, the Soma, hath been made ready for the Bull, for India. 4 Soma when pressed excels the unpressed Soma, better, for one who knows, to give him pleasure. 5 We call on thee, O Indra: come thou hither: sufficient be the Soma for thy body. 2 With Soma go ye nigh to him chief drinker of the Soma's juice: 3 What time, with Soma, with the juice effused, ye come before the God, 4 To him, Adhvaryu! yea, to him give offerings of the juice expressed.

2 This, dealt from heaven ' may both the Worlds vouchsafe us, and Varuna, Indra, Aryaman, and Mitra. 3 Strong be the man and full of power, O Maruts, whom ye, borne on by spotted coursers, favour. 4 This Varuna is guide of Law, he, Mitra, and Aryaman, the Kings, our work have finished. 5 With offerings I propitiate the branches of this swift−moving God, the bounteous Visnu. 6 Be not thou angry here, O glowing Pusan, for what Varutri and the Bounteous gave us. 7 Now have both worlds been praised by the Vasisthas, and holy Mitra, Varuna, and Agni.

2 We set no snares to tangle you; Indra we worship and adore, Hero of heroes mightiest. 3 For, famous Indra−Agni, ye are dwellers in the midst of frays. 4 Nabhaka−like, with sacred song Indra's and Agni's praise I sing, 5 To Indra and to Agni send your prayers, as was Nabhaka's wont,− 6 Tear thou asunder, as of old, like tangles of a creeping plant, 7 What time with this same song these men call Indra−Agni sundry ways, 8 The Two refulgent with their beams rise and come downward from the sky. 9 O Indra, many are thine aids, many thy ways of guiding us, 10 Inspire him with your holy hymns, the Hero bright and glorious, 11 Inspire him worshipped with fair rites, the glorious Hero truly brave. 12 Thus have we sung anew to Indra−Agni, as sang our sires, Angirases, and Mandhatar.

2 The Red hath mounted to his place; to India, goes the mighty juice: 3 O Indu, Soma, send us now great opulence from every side, Pour on us treasures thousandfold. 4 O Soma Pavamana, bring, Indu, all splcndours hitherward: 5 As thou art cleansed, bring hero strength and riches to thy worshipper, 6 O Indu, Soma, being cleansed, bring hither riches doublypiled,

2 Where are ye, Asvins, in the evening, where at morn? Where is your haltingplace, where rest ye for the 3 Early ye sing forth praise as with a herald's voice, and, meet for worship, go each morning to the house. 4 Even as hunters follow two wild elephants, we with oblations call you down at morn and eve. 5 To you, O Asvins, came the daughter of a King, Ghosa, and said, O Heroes, this I beg of you: 6 O Asvins, ye are wise: as Kutsa comes to men, bring your car nigh the folk of him who sings your prais 7 To Bhujyu and to Vasa ye come near with help, O Asvins, to Sinjara and to Usana. 8 Krsa and Sayu ye protect, ye Asvins Twain: ye Two assist the widow and the worshipper; 9 The Woman hath brought forth, the Infant hath appeared, the plants of wondrous beauty straightway ha 10 They mourn the living, cry aloud, at sacrifice: the men have set their thoughts upon a distant cast. 11 Of this we have no knowledge. Tall it forth to us, now the youth rests within the chambers of the bride. 12 Your favouring grace hath come, ye Lords of ample wealth: Asvins, our longings are stored up within 13 Even so, rejoicing in the dwelling−place of man, give hero sons and riches to the eloquent. 14 O Asvins, Wonder−Workers, Lords of lustre, where and with what folk do ye delight yourselves to−da