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1 WHAT shall we sing to Rudra, strong, most bounteous, excellently wise, 2 That Aditi may grant the grace of Rudra to our folk, our kine, 3 That Mitra and that Varuna, that Rudra may remember us, 4 To Rudra Lord of sacrifice, of hymns and balmy medicines, 5 He shines in splendour like the Sun, refulgent as bright gold is he, 6 May he grant health into our steeds, wellbeing to our rams and ewes, 7 O Soma, set thou upon us the glory of a hundred men, 8 Let not malignities, nor those who trouble Soma, hinder us. 9 Soma! head, central point, love these; Soma! know these as serving thee,

2 Thou like the chanter−priest chantest the Sama, Bird; thou singest at libations like a Brahman's son. 3 When singing here, O Bird. announce good luck to us, and when thou sittest still think on us with kind

2 Come our true Friend, passing by many people; come with thy two Bay Steeds to our devotions; 3 Pleased, with thy Bay Steeds, Indra, God, come quickly to this our sacrifice that heightens worship; 4 Yea, let thy two Bay Stallions bear thee hither, well limbed and good to draw, thy dear companions. 5 Wilt thou not make me guardian of the people, make me, impetuous Maghavan, their ruler? 6 Yoked to thy chariot, led thy tall Bays, Indra, companions of thy banquet, bear thee hither, 7 Drink of the strong pressed out by strong ones, Indra, that which the Falcon brought thee when thou 8 Call we on Indra, Makhavan, auspicious, best Hero in the fight where spoil is gathered;

2 Who will be gracious? Who will come most uickly of all the Gods? Who will 3 So many days do ye come swiftly hither, as Indra to give help in stress of battle. 4 What is the prayer that we should bring you, Asvins, whereby ye come to us when invocated? 5 In the wide space your chariot reacheth heaven, what time it turneth hither from the ocean. 6 Let Sindhu with his wave bedew your horses: in fiery glow have the red birds come hither.

4 Two arms−the Soma's dexterous immo. lators−and the ten fingers set and fix the press−stone. 5 The Soma hath been pressed for thee, its lover, to give thee power and might and high enjoyment. 6 Bring by God−traversed paths, accordant, Agni, the great Aramati, Celestial Lady, 7 As on his father's lap the son, the darling, so on the fire is set the sacred caldron, 8 Hither, as herald to invite the Asvins, come the great lofty song, most sweet and pleasant! 9 I have declared this speech of adoration to mightiest Pusan and victorious Vayu, 10 Invoked by us bring hither, jatavedas the Maruts all under their names and figures. 11 From high heaven may Sarasvati the Holy visit our sacrifice, and from the mountain. 12 Set in his seat the God whose back is dusky, Brhaspati the lofty, the Disposer. 13 May the Sustainer, high in heaven, come hither, the Bounteous One, invoked, with all his favours, 14 The tuneful eloquent priests of him who liveth have sought the Mother's bright and loftiest station. 15 Agni, great vital power is thine, the mighty: pairs waxing old in their devotion seek thee. 16 Gods, may we dwell in free untroubled bliss. 17 May we obtain the Asvins' newest favour, and gain their health−bestowing happy guidance.

2 Whose gladdening draught, shed from the points, thou guardest in the midst and end, 3 In whose wild joy thou settest free the kine held fast within the rock, 4 This, in whose juice delighting thou gainest the might of Maghavan,

2 Wise Agni Jatavedas, I beget a song of praise for thee. 3 Thy sharpened flames, O Agni, like the gleams of light that glitter through, 4 Gold−coloured, bannered with the smoke, urged by the wind, aloft to heaven 5 These lightly kindled fiery flames are all around made visible, 6 As Jatavedas speeds along, the dust is black beneath his feet, 7 Making the plants his nourishment, Agni devours and wearies not, 8 Bending him down with all his tongues, he flickers with his fiery glow 9 Agni, thine home is in the floods: into the plants thou forcest way, 10 Worshipped with offerings shines thy flame, O Agni, from the sacred oil, 11 Let us serve Agni with our hymns, Disposer, fed on ox and cow, 12 Yea, thee, O Agni, do we seek with homage and with fuel, Priest 13 O worshipped with oblations, pure Agni, we call on thee as erst, 14 For thou, O Agni, by the fire, Sage by the Sage, Good by the Good, 15 So wealth in thousands, food with store of heroes give thou to the sage, 16 O Agni, Brother, made by strength, Lord of red steeds and brilliant sway, 17 My praises, Agni, go to thee, as the cows seek the stall to meet, 18 Agni, best Angiras, to thee all people who have pleasant homes, 19 The sages skilled in holy song and thin. kers with their thoughts have urged 20 So, Agni, unto thee the Priest, Invoker, strong in forays, pray 21 In many a place, the same in look art thou, a Prince o'er all the tribes 22 Pray thou to Agni, pray to him who blazes served with sacred oil: 23 We call on thee as such, as one who hears, as Jatavedas, one, 24 I pray to Agni, King of men, the Wonderful, the President 25 Him like a bridegroom, him who stirs all people, like a noble horse, 26 Slaying things deadly, burning up foes, Riksasas, on every side, 27 Thou whom the people kindle even as Manus did, best Angiras! 28 O Agni, made by strength!

be thou born in the heavens or born in floods, 29 Yea, all the people, all the folk who have good dwellings, each apart, 30 O Agni, so may we, devout, gazed at by men, throughout our days, 31 We venerate with cheerful hearts the cheerful Agni, dear to all, 32 So thou, O Agni rich in light, beaming like Surya with thy rays 33 We pray to thee for this thy gift, Victor the gift that faileth not,

2 All songs of ours desiring grace adorn him in the ancient way, 3 Soma flows on when purified, beloved and adorned with songs, 4 O Soma Pavamana, find exceeding glorious wealth for us, 5 Like courser racing to the prize Indu, the lover of the Gods, 6 Flow on thy way to win us strength, to speed the sage who praises thee:

2 Directed unto thee my spirit never strays, for I have set my hopes on thee, O Much−invoked! 3 From indigence and hunger Indra turns away: Maghavan hath dominion over precious wealth. 4 As on the fair−leafed tree rest birds, to Indra flow the gladdening Soma juices that the bowls contain. 5 As in the game a gambler piles his winnings, so Maghavan, sweeping all together, gained the Sun 6 Maghavan came by turns to all the tribes of men: the Steer took notice of the people's songs of praise. 7 When Soma streams together unto Indra flow like waters to the river, rivulets to the lake, 8 He rushes through the region like a furious Bull, he who hath made these floods the dames of worthy lor 9 Let the keen axe come forth together with the light: here be,.as erst, the teeming cow of sacrifice. 10 O Much−invoked, may we subdue all famine and evil want with store of grain and cattle. 11 Brhaspati protect us from the rearward, and from above, and from below, from sinners.