Sama Veda on Comfort

The drops of Soma juice, like cows who yield their milk, have flowed forth, rich in meath, unto the diety, And, seated on the grass, raising their voice, assumed the milk, the covering robe wherewith the address stream. 11. They balm him, balm him over, balm him thoroughly, caress the mighty strength and balm it with the meath. They seize the flying Steer at the stream's breathing-place: cleansing with gold they grasp the animal herein. 12. Spread is thy cleansing filter, Brahmanaspati: as prince thou enterest its limbs from every The raw, whose mass hath not been heated, gains not this: they only which are dressed, which bear, attain to it.

1. I Hear, as though 'twere close at hand, the cracking of the whips they hold: They gather splendour on their way. 2. Indra, these friends of ours, supplied with Soma, wait and look to thee As men with fodder to the herd. 3. Before his hot displeasure all the peoples, all the men bow down, As rivers bow them to the sea. 4. We choose unto ourselves that high protection of the mighty Gods, That it may help and succour us. 5. O Brahmanaspati, make thou Kakshivan Ausija a loud Chanter of flowing Soma juice! 6. Much honoured with libations may the Vritra-slayer watch for us: May Sakra listen to our prayer 7. Send us this day, God Savitar, prosperity with progeny Drive thou the evil dream away! 8. Where is that ever-youthful Steer, strong-necked and never yet bent down? What Brahman ministers to him? 9. There where the mountains downward slope, there at the meeting of the streams The Sage was manifest by song. 10. Praise Indra whom our songs must laud, sole sovran of mankind, the chief Most liberal who controlleth men

1. Come, Agni, praised with song, to feast and sacrificial offering: sit As Hotar on the holy grass! 2. O Agni, thou hast been ordained Hotar of every sacrifice, By Gods, among the race of men. 3. Agni we choose as envoy, skilled performer of this holy rite, Hotar, possessor of all wealth. 4. Served with oblation, kindled, bright, through love of song may Agni, bent On riches, smite the Vritras dead! 5. I laud your most beloved guest like a dear friend, O Agni, him Who, like a chariot, wins us wealth. 6. Do thou, O Agni, with great might guard us from all malignity, Yea, from the hate of mortal man! 7. O Agni, come; far other songs of praise will I sing forth to thee. Wax mighty with these Soma-drops! 8. May Vatsa draw thy mind away even from thy loftiest dwelling place! Agni, I yearn for thee with song. 9. Agni, Atharvan brought thee forth by rubbing from the sky, the head Of all who offer sacrifice. 10. O Agni, bring us radiant light to be our mighty succour, for Thou art our visible deity!

1. Tossing about, the active ones came nigh to Indra at his birth, Winning themselves heroic might. 2. Never, O Gods, do we offend, nor are we ever obstinate We walk as holy texts command. 3. Evening is come: sing loudly thou Atharvan's nobly singing son: Give praise to Savitar the God! 4. Now Morning with her earliest light shines forth, dear daughter of the Sky: High, Asvins, I extol your praise. 5. Armed with the bones of dead Dadhyach, Indra, with unresisted might The nine-and-ninety Vritras slew. 6. Come, Indra, and delight thee with the juice at all our Soma feasts, Protector, mighty in thy strength 7. O thou who slayest Vritras, come, O Indra, hither to our side, Mighty one, with thy mighty aids! 8. That might of his shone brightly forth when Indra brought together, like A skin, the worlds of heaven and earth, 9. This is thine own Thou drawest near, as turns a pigeon to his mate: Thou carest, too, for this our prayer. 10. May Vata breathe his balm on us, healthful, delightful to our heart: May he prolong our days of life

1. So, Lord of affluent gifts, this juice hath been expressed for thee with strength: Drink of it, thou who lovest song! 2. Great is our Indra from of old; greatness be his, the Thunderer Wide as the heaven extends his might. 3. Indra, as one with mighty arm, gather for us with thy right hand Manifold and nutritious spoil! 4. Praise, even as he is known, with song Indra the guardian of the kine, The Son of Truth, Lord of the brave. 5. With what help will he come to us, wonderful, ever-waxing friend? With what most mighty company? 6. Thou speedest down to succour us this ever-conquering God of yours Him who is drawn to all our songs. 7. To the assembly's wondrous Lord, the lovely friend of Indra, I Had prayed for wisdom and successs. 8. May all thy paths beneath the sky whereby thou speddest Vyasva on, Yea, let all spaces hear our voice 9. Bring to us all things excellent, O Satakratu, food and strength, For, Indra, thou art kind to us! 10. Here is the Soma ready pressed: of this the Maruts, yea, of this, Self-luminous the Asvins drink.

1. Invite ye Indra with a song to drink your draught of Soma steeds, juice, All-conquering Satakratu, most munificent of all who live 2. Sing ye a song, to make him glad, to Indra, Lord of tawny The Soma-drinker, O my friends! 3. This, even this, O Indra, we implore: as thy devoted friends The Kanvas praise thee with their hymns! 4. For Indra, lover of carouse, loud be our songs about the juice Let poets sing the song of praise. 5. Here, Indra, is thy Soma draught, made pure upon the sacred grass: Run hither, come and drink thereof 6. As a good cow to him who milks, we call the doer of good deeds To our assistance duy by day. 7. Hero, the Soma being shed, I pour the juice for thee to drink Sate thee and finish thy carouse! 8. The Soma, Indra, which is shed in saucers and in cups for thee, Drink thou, for thou art lord thereof! 9. In every need, in every fray we call, as friends, to succour us, Indra, the mightiest of all. 10. O come ye hither, sit ye down: to Indra sing ye forth your song, Companions, bringing hymns of praise

1. The God who giveth wealth accept your full libation poured to, him! Pour ye it out, then fill the vessel full again, for so the God regardeth you. 2. Let Brahmanaspati come forth, let Sunrita the Goddess come, And Gods bring to our rite which yields a fivefold gift the hero, lover of mankind! 3. Stand up erect to lend us aid, stand up like Savitar the God, Erect as strength-bestower when we call on thee with priests who balm our offerings! 4. The man who bringeth gifts to thee, bright God who fain wouldst lead to wealth, Winneth himself a brave son, Agni! skilled in lauds, one prospering in a thousand ways. 5. With hymns and holy eulogies we supplicate your Agni, Lord Of many families who duly serve the Gods, yea, him whom others too inflame. 6. This Agni is the Lord of great prosperity and hero, strength, Of wealth with noble offspring and with store of kine, the Lord of battles with the foe. 7. Thou, Agni, art the homestead's Lord, our Hotar-priest at sacrifice. Lord of all boons, thou art the Potar, passing wise. Pay worship, and enjoy the good! 8. We as thy friends have chosen thee, mortals a God, to be our help. The Waters' Child, the blessed, the most mighty one, swift conqueror, and without a peer.

1. No one by deed attains to him who works and strengthens evermore: No, not by sacrifice, to Indra. praised of all, resistless, daring, bold in might. 2 He without ligature, before making incision in the neck, Closed up the wound again, most wealthy Maghavan, who healeth the dissevered parts. 3. A thousand and a hundred steeds are harnessed to thy golden car: Yoked by devotion, Indra, let the long-maned bays bring thee to drink the Soma juice! 4. Come hither, Indra, with bay steeds, joyous, with tails like peacock's plumes! Let no men check thy course as fowlers stay the bird: pass o'er them as o'er desert lands! 5. Thou as a God, O mightiest, verily blessest mortal man. O Maghavan, there is no comforter but thou: Indra, I speak my words to thee. 6. O Indra, thou art far-renowned, impetuous Lord of power and might. Alone, the never-conquered guardian of mankind, thou smitest down resistless foes. 7. Indra for worship of the Gods, Indra while sacrifice proceeds, Indra, as warriors in the battle-shock, we call, Indra that we may win the spoil. 8. May these my songs of praise exalt thee, Lord, who hast abundant wealth! Men skilled in holy hymns, pure, with the hues of fire, have sung them with their lauds to thee. 9. These songs of ours exceeding sweet, these hymns of praise ascend to thee, Like ever-conquering chariots that display their strength gain wealth and give unfailing help. 10. Even as the wild-bull, when he thirsts, goes to the desert's watery pool, Come to us quickly both at morning and at eve, and with the Kanvas drink thy fill!

1. In forefront of the cars forth goes the hero, the leader, seeking spoil: his host rejoices. Soma endues his robe of lasting colours, and blesses, for his friends, their calls on Indra. 2. Thy streams have been poured forth with all their sweetness, when, cleansed thou passest through the woollen filter. The race of kine thou cleansest, Pavamana! Thou didst beget: and speed the Sun with splendours. 3. Let us sing praises to the Gods: sing loudly, send ye the Soma forth for mighty riches! Let him flow, sweetly-flavoured, through the filter: let the God Indu settle in the beaker! 4. Urged on, the father of the earth and heaven hath gone forth like a car to gather booty. Going to Indra, sharpening his weapons, and in his hands containing every treasure. 5. When, by the law of the Most High, in presence of heaven and earth, the fond mind's utterance formed him. Then, loudly lowing, came the cows to Indu, the chosen, wellloved master in the beaker. 6. Ten sisters, pouring out the rain together, the sage's quickly-moving thoughts, adorn him. Hither hath run the gold-hued child of Surya, and reached the vat like a fleet vigorous courser. 7. When beauties strive for him as for a charger, then strive the songs as people for the sunlight. A mighty Sage, he flows enrobed in waters and hymns as 'twree a stall that kine may prosper. 8. Strong 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. 9. Pour forth this wealth with this purification: flow onward to the yellow lake, O Indu! Here, too, the bright one, wind-swift, full of wisdom, shall give a son to him who cometh quickly. 10. Soma, the mighty, when, the waters' offspring, he chose the Gods, performed that great achievement. He, Pavamana, granted strength to Indra: he, Indu, generated light in Surya. 11. As for a chariot-race, the skilful speaker, first hymn, inventor, hath with song been started.

1. Sing forth to him the holy, most munificent, sublime with his refulgent glow, To Agni, ye Upastutas 2. Agni, he conquers by thine aid that brings him store of valiant sons and does great deeds, Whose bond of friendship is thy choice 3. Sing praise to him the Lord of light! The Gods have made the God to be their messenger, To bear oblation to the Gods. 4. Anger not him who is our guest! He is the bright God Agni, praised by many a man, God Hotar, skilled in sacrifice. 5. May Agni, worshipped, bring us bliss: may the gift, blessed one! and sacrifice bring bliss. Yea, may our eulogies bring bliss. 6. Thee have we chosen skilfullest in sacrifice, immortal Priest among the Gods, Wise finisher of this holy rite. 7. Bring us that splendour, Agni, which may overcome each greedy fiend in our abode, And the malicious wrath of men! 8. Soon as the eager Lord of men is friendly unto Manu's race Agni averteth from us all the Rakshasas!