Protection

tree, against diseases and demons. 1. While uttering Indra's name the seers bestowed (upon men) the gangida, which the gods in the beginning had made into a remedy, destructive of the vishkandha. 2. May that gangida protect us as a treasurer his treasures, he whom the gods and the Brâhmanas made into a refuge that puts to naught the hostile powers! 3. The evil eye of the hostile-minded, (and) the evil-doer I have approached. Do thou, O thousandeyed one, watchfully destroy these! A refuge art thou, O gangida. 4. May the gangida protect me from heaven, protect me from earth, protect (me) from the atmosphere, protect me from the plants, protect me from the past, as well as the future; may he protect us from every direction of space! 5. The sorceries performed by the gods, and also those performed by men, may the all-healing gangida render them all devoid of strength!

Let not the heavenly (fire) together with the lightning burn, thee! 12. Let not the flesh-devouring (fire) menace thee: move afar from the funeral pyre! Heaven shall guard thee, the earth shall guard thee, the sun and moon shall guard thee, the atmosphere shall guard thee against the divine missile! 13. May the alert and the watchful divinities guard thee, may he that sleeps not and nods not guard thee, may he that protects and is vigilant guard thee! 14. They shall guard thee, they shall protect thee. Reverence be to them. Hail be to them! 15. Into converse with the living Vâyu, Indra, Dhâtar, and saving Savitar shall put thee; breath and strength shall not leave thee! Thy (life's) spirit do we call back to thee. 16. Convulsions that draw the jaws together, darkness, shall not come upon thee, nor (the demon) that tears out the tongue (?) How shalt thou then waste away? The Âdityas and Vasus, Indra and Agni shall raise thee up unto well-being! 17. The heavens, the earth, Pragâpati, have rescued thee. The plants with Soma their king have delivered thee from death. 18. Let this man remain right here, ye gods, let him not depart hence to yonder world! We rescue him from death with (a charm) of thousandfold strength. 19. I have delivered thee from death. The (powers) that furnish strength shall breathe upon thee. The (mourning women) with dishevelled hair, they that wail lugubriously, shall not wail over 20. 1 have snatched thee (from death), I have obtained thee; thou hast returned with renewed youth. O thou, that art (now) sound of limb, for thee sound sight, and sound life have I obtained. 21. It has shone upon thee, light has arisen, darkness has departed from thee. We remove from thee death, destruction, and disease.

1. Come hither! Thou art the living, protecting eye-ointment of the mountain, given by all the gods as a safeguard, unto life. 2. Thou art a protection for men, a protection for cattle, thou didst stand for the protection of horses and steeds. 3. Thou art, O salve, both a protection that crushes the sorcerers, and thou hast knowledge of immortality (amrita). Moreover, thou art food for the living, and thou art, too, a remedy aorainst jaundice. 4. From him over whose every limb and every joint thou passest, O salve, thou dost, as a mighty intercepter, drive away disease. 5. Him that bears thee, O salve, neither curse, nor sorcery, nor burning pain does reach; nor does the,vishkandha come upon him. 6. From evil scheme, from troubled dream, from evil deed, and also from foulness.; from the evil eye of the enemy, from this protect us, O salve! 7. Knowing this, O salve, I shall speak the truth, avoid falsehood. May I obtain horses and cattle, and thy person, O serving-man! 8. Three are servants of the salve: the takman (fever), the balâsa, and the serpent. The highest of the mountains, Trikakud ('Three-peaks') by name, is thy father. 9. Since the salve of Trikakud is born upon the Himavant, it shall demolish all the wizards and all the witches. 10. Whether thou art derived from the (mountain) Trikakud, or art said to come from the (river) Yamunâ, both these names of thine are auspicious: with these, O salve, protect us!

[1585] Vision is attached to form, the sense of scent to smell, the ear to sound, the tongue to juices, and the skin (or body) to touch. The wind has for its refuge Space. Stupefaction has Tamas (Darkness) for its refuge. Cupidity has the objects of the senses for its refuge. Vishnu is attached to (the organs of) motion. Sakra is attached to (the organs of) strength. The deity of fire is attached to the stomach, Earth is attached to the Waters. The Waters have Heat (or fire) for their refuge. Heat attaches itself to the Wind; and the wind has Space for its refuge; and Space has Mahat for its refuge, and Mahat has the Understanding for its foundation. The Understanding has its refuge in Tamas; Tamas has Rajas for its refuge; Rajas is founded upon Sattwa; and Sattwa is attached to the Soul. The soul has the glorious and puissant Narayana for its refuge. That glorious deity has Emancipation for his refuge. Emancipation is independent of all refuge. Knowing that this body, that is endued with six and ten possessions, is the result of the quality of Sattwa, understanding fully the nature of the physical organism and the character of the Chetana that dwells within it, recognising the one existent Being that lives in the body viz., the Soul, which stands aloof from every concern of the body and in which no sin can attach, realising the nature of that second object, viz., the acts of persons attached to the objects of the senses, understanding also the character of the senses and the sensual objects which have their refuge in the Soul, appreciating the difficulty of Emancipation and the scriptures that bear upon it knowing fully the nature of the vital breaths called Prana, Apana, Samana, Vyana, and Udana, as also the two other breaths, viz.

If the king did not protect, everything would be exterminated prematurely, and every part of the country would be overrun by robbers, and everybody would fall into terrible hell. If the king did not protect, all restrictions about marriage and intercourse (due to consanguinity and other kinds of relationship) would cease; all affairs relating to agricultures and trade would fall into confusion, morality would sink and be lost; and the three Vedas would disappear. Sacrifices, duly completed with presents according to the ordinance, would no longer be performed; no marriage would take place; society itself would cease to exist, if the king did not exercise the duty of protection. The very bulls would not cover cows and milk-jars would not be churned, and men living by rearing kine would meet with destruction, if the king did not exercise the duty of protection. In the absence of royal protection, all things, inspired with fear and anxiety and becoming senseless and uttering cries of woe, would meet with destruction in no time. No sacrifices extending for a year and completed with presents according to the ordinances would occur if the king did not exercise the duty of protection. In the absence of royal protection Brahmanas would never study the four Vedas or undergo austerities or be cleansed by knowledge and rigid vows. In the absence of royal protection, the slayer of a person guilty of the slaughter of a Brahmana would not obtain any reward; on the other hand the person guilty of Brahmanicide would enjoy perfect immunity. In the absence of royal protection, men would snatch other people's wealth from their very hands, and all wholesome barriers would be swept away, and everybody, inspired with fear, would seek safety in flight. In the absence of royal protection, all kinds of injustice would set in; an intermixture of castes would take place; and famine would ravage the kingdom.

, 'Fie on that king in whose kingdom a Brahmana or even any other man languishes from hunger.' That kingdom in which a Brahmana of the Snataka class languishes with hunger becomes overwhelmed with adversity. Such a kingdom with its king also incurs reproach. That king is more dead than alive in whose kingdom women are easily abducted from the midst of husbands and sons, uttering cries and groans of indignation and grief The subjects should arm themselves to slay that King who does not protect them, who simply plunders their wealth, who confounds all distinctions, who is ever incapable of taking their lead, who is without compassion, and who is regarded as the most sinful of kings. That king who tells his people that he is their protector but who does not or is unable to protect them, should be slain by his combined subjects, like a dog that is affected with the rabies and has become mad. A fourth part of whatever sins are committed by the subjects clings to that king who does not protect, O Bharata. Some authorities say that the whole of those sins is taken by such a king. Others are of opinion that a half thereof becomes his. Bearing in mind, however, the declaration of Manu, it is our opinion that a fourth part of such sins becomes the unprotecting king's. That king, O Bharata, who grants protection to his subjects obtains a fourth part of whatever merits his subjects acquire living under his protection. Do thou, O Yudhishthira, act in such a way that all thy subjects may seek thee as their refuge as long as thou art alive, even as all creatures seek the refuge of the deity of rain or even as the winged denizens of the air seek the refuge of a large tree. Let all thy kinsmen and all thy friends and well-wishers, O scorcher of foes, seek thee as their refuge even as the Rakshasas seek Kuvera or the deities seek Indra as theirs."'"

That is the safe refuge, that is the best refuge; having gone to that refuge, a man is delivered from all pain.

But that is not a safe refuge, that is not the best refuge; a man is not delivered from all pains after having gone to that refuge.

Men, driven by fear, go to many a refuge, to mountains and forests, to groves and sacred trees.

The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;

The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

Say: Lo! none can protect me from Allah, nor can I find any refuge beside Him

Save unto every messenger whom He hath chosen, and then He maketh a guard to go before him and a guard behind him

Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,

b May the Rathantara with the Samans protect us, The Gayatri with every form of metres, The Trivrt Stoma with the order of the days, The ocean, the wind, make full this strength. c (May) the dread among the quarters, the overpowering, giver of strength, Pure, full of might on a bright day (protect us); O Indra, as overlord, make full, And for us [1] on all sides do thou preserve this great kingly power. d (May) the Brhat Saman, which supporteth kingly power, with vast strength, The force made beautiful by the Tristubh, that of fierce strength (protect us); O Indra, with the fifteenfold Stoma Do thou guard this in the midst with the wind, with the ocean. e (May) the eastern among the quarters, famous and renowned, O ye All-gods, heavenly with the rain of the days (protect us); Let this kingly power be unassailable, Force unoverpowerable, a thousandfold and mighty. f Here in the Vairupa Saman may we have strength for this; With the Jagati we place him in the people; O ye All-gods [2] through the seventeenfold (Stoma) this radiance, This kingly power with the ocean wind (be) dread. g The supporter among the quarters doth support this lordly power, The stay of the regions; may force rich in friends be ours; O Mitra and Varuna, ye wise ones with the autumn of the days, Do ye accord great protection to this kingdom. h In the Vairaja Saman is my devotion; By the Anustubh (be) manly strength collected; This kingly power rich in friends, with dripping wet, Do ye, O Mitra and Varuna, guard through your overlordship. i May the victorious among quarters, with the Saman, the strong one, The season winter in order make us full; May the great ones, the Çakvari (verses), with favouring winds [8] Aid this sacrifice, full of ghee. k May the heavenly of the quarters, the easily milked, the rich in milk, The goddess aid us, full of ghee; Thou art the protector, who goest in front and behind; O Brhaspati, yoke a voice in the south.

c In the wealth of earth I place thee; in the wealth of the atmosphere I place thee; in the wealth of the sky I place thee; in the wealth of the quarters I place thee; giver of wealth I place thee in wealth. d Protect my expiration; protect my inspiration; protect my cross-breathing [1]; protect my life; protect all my life; protect the whole of my life. e O Agni, thy highest name, the heart, Come let us join together, Be thou, O Agni, among those of the five races. f (Thou art) the Yavas, the Ayavas, the courses, the helpers, the Sabda, the ocean, the firm one. (Thou I art) all overcoming through Agni; self-ruling through the sun; lord of strength through might; creator with the bull; bountiful through the sacrifice; heavenly through the sacrificial fee; slayer of enemies through rage; supporter of the body through kindliness; wealth through food; through the earth he hath won; (thou art) eater of food with verses; increased by the Vasat cry; protector of the body through the Saman; full of light with the Viraj; drinker of Soma through the holy power; with cows he supporteth the sacrifice; with lordly power men; with horse and car bearer of the bolt; lord with the seasons; enclosing with the year; unassailable through penance; the sun with bodies.

g Thou art the protection of Visnu, the protection of the sacrificer, grant me protection. h Guard me from the lustre of the Naksatras. i Thou art the birthplace of Indra [2]; harm me not. k For ploughing thee, for good crops, l For the plants with good berries thee! m Thou art of easy access, divine tree. Being erect, guard me until the completion (of the sacrifice). n Hail! with my mind the sacrifice (I grasp); hail! from heaven and earth, bail! broad atmosphere, hail! from the wind the sacrifice I grasp. a The thought divine we meditate, Merciful, for our help, That giveth glory, and carrieth the sacrifice. May it guide us safely according as we will. b The gods, mind-born, mind-using, The wise, the sons of wisdom, May they guard us, may they protect us, To them honour! to them hail! c O Agni, be thou wakeful; Let us be glad; Guard us to prosperity; Grant to us to wake again. d Thou, O Agni, art the guardian of vows, Among the gods and men. Thou [1] art to be invoked at our sacrifices. e All the gods have surrounded me, Pusan with gain, Soma with a gift, The god Savitr the giver of brightness. f O Soma, give so much, and bear more hither. g May he that filleth never miss of fullness. Let me not be parted with life. h Thou art gold; be for my enjoyment. Thou art raiment; be for my enjoyment. Thou art a cow; be for my enjoyment. Thou art a horse; be for my enjoyment [2]. Thou art a goat; be for my enjoyment. Thou art a ram; be for my enjoyment. i To Vayu thee; to Varuna thee; to Nirrti thee; to Rudra thee! k O divine waters, son of the waters, the stream Fit for oblation, mighty, most exhilarating, That stream of yours may I not step upon. l Along an unbroken web of earth may I go. m From good to better do thou advance. n May Brhaspati be thy leader; Then set him free, on the chosen spot of earth; Drive afar the foes with all thy strength. o We have come to the place on earth for sacrifice to the gods, Wherein aforetime all the gods rejoiced.

5 Ye six divine Expanses, grant us freedom: here, all ye Gods, acquit yourselves like heroes. 6 Baffling the wrath of our opponents, Agni, guard us as our infallible Protector. 7 Lord of the world, Creator of creators the saviour God who overcomes the foeman. 8 Foodful, and much−invoked, at this our calling mty the great Bull vouchsafe us wide protection. 9 Let those who are our foemen stay. afar from us: with Indra and with Agni we will drive them off.

2 Who hath with prayer bowed to the Soma−lover? What pious man endues the beams of morning? 3 Who claims to−day the Deities' protection, asks Aditi for light, or the Adityas? 4 To him shall Agni Bharata give shelter: long shall he look upon the Sun up−rising, 5 Him neither few men overcome, nor many to him shall Aditi give spacious shelter. 6 This Hero curbs the mighty for the zealous: the presser's brew Indra possesses solely: 7 Not with the wealthy churl who pours no Soma doth Indra, Soma−drinker, bind alliance. 8 Highest and lowest, men who stand between diem, going, returning, dwelling in contentment,

2 O Gods, Adityas, well ye know the way to keep all woes afar. 3 As the birds spread their sheltering wings let your protection cover us. 4 To whomsoever they, Most Wise, have given a home and means of life, 5 As drivers of the car avoid ill roads, let sorrows pass us by. 6 For verily men sink and faint through loss of wealth which ye have given. 7 On him shall no fierce anger fall, no sore distress shall visit him, 8 Resting in you, O Gods, we are like men who fight in coats of mail. 9 May Aditi defend us, may Aditi guard and shelter us, 10 The shelter, Gods, that is secure, auspicious, free from malady, 11 Look down on us, Adityas, as a guide exploring from the bank. 12 Ill be it for the demons' friend to find us or come near to us. 13 Each evil deed made manifest, and that which is concealed, O Gods, 14 Daughter of Heaven, the dream that bodes evil to us or to our kine, 15 Even if, O Child of Heaven, it make a garland or a chain of gold, 16 To him whose food and work is this, who comes to take his share therein, 17 As we collect the utmost debt, even the eighth and sixteenth part, 18 Now have we conquered and obtained, and from our trespasses are free.

There on the coast in long array The Vanars' marshalled legions lay, Where Nila's care had ordered well The watch of guard and sentinel, And Mainda moved from post to post With Dwivid to protect the host.

The Rakshas guard was summoned: all The monstrous crew obeyed the call, And hastened to the king to take The orders which he fiercely spake: "See that ye guard her well, and tame, Like some wild thing, the stubborn dame, Until her haughty soul be bent By mingled threat and blandishment."(837)

"What further deed remains to do To vex the Rakshas king anew? The beauty of his grove is marred, Killed are the bravest of his guard. The captains of his host are slain; But forts and palaces remain, Swift is the work and light the toil Each fortress of the foe to spoil."

Now shield with shield, with helmet helmet closed, To armour armour, lance to lance opposed, Host against host with shadowy squadrons drew, The sounding darts in iron tempests flew, Victors and vanquish’d join’d promiscuous cries, And shrilling shouts and dying groans arise; With streaming blood the slippery fields are dyed, And slaughter’d heroes swell the dreadful tide.

“O thou supreme! high-throned all height above! O great Pelasgic, Dodonaean Jove! Who ’midst surrounding frosts, and vapours chill, Presid’st on bleak Dodona’s vocal hill: (Whose groves the Selli, race austere! surround, Their feet unwash’d, their slumbers on the ground; Who hear, from rustling oaks, thy dark decrees; And catch the fates, low-whispered in the breeze;) Hear, as of old! Thou gav’st, at Thetis’ prayer, Glory to me, and to the Greeks despair. Lo, to the dangers of the fighting field The best, the dearest of my friends, I yield, Though still determined, to my ships confined; Patroclus gone, I stay but half behind. Oh! be his guard thy providential care, Confirm his heart, and string his arm to war: Press’d by his single force let Hector see His fame in arms not owing all to me. But when the fleets are saved from foes and fire, Let him with conquest and renown retire; Preserve his arms, preserve his social train, And safe return him to these eyes again!”

This said, each parted to his several cares: The king to Nestor’s sable ship repairs; The sage protector of the Greeks he found Stretch’d in his bed with all his arms around; The various-colour’d scarf, the shield he rears, The shining helmet, and the pointed spears; The dreadful weapons of the warrior’s rage, That, old in arms, disdain’d the peace of age. Then, leaning on his hand his watchful head, The hoary monarch raised his eyes and said:

The word "enjoy" is also interpreted by the great commentator Sankaracharya as "protect," because knowledge of our true Self is the greatest protector and sustainer. If we do not have this knowledge, we cannot be happy; because nothing on this external plane of phenomena is permanent or dependable. He who is rich in the knowledge of the Self does not covet external power or possession.

1. Sing to your Agni with each song, at every sacrifice for strength. Come, let us praise the wise and, everlasting God even as a well-beloved friend, 2. Agni, protect thou us by one, protect us by the second song, Protect us by three hymns, O Lord of power and might, bright God, by four hymns guard us 3. O Agni, with thy lofty beams, with thy pure brilliancy, O God, Kindled, most youthful one! by Bharadvaja's hand, shine on us richly, holy Lord! 4. O Agni who art worshipped well, dear let our princes be to thee, Our wealthy patrons who are governors of men, who part, as gifts, the stall of kine! 5. Agni, praise-singer! Lord of men, God! burning up the Rakshasas, Mighty art thou, the ever-present, household-lord! home-friend and guardian from the sky. 6. Immortal Jatavedas, thou bright-hued refulgent gift of Dawn, Agni, this day to him who pays oblations bring the Gods who waken with the morn! 7. Wonderful, with thy favouring help, send us thy bounties, gracious Lord. Thou art the charioteer, Agni, of earthly wealth: find rest and safety for our seed! 8. Famed art thou, Agni, far and wide, preserver, righteous, and a Sage. The holy singers, O enkindled radiant one, ordainers, call on thee to come. 9. O holy Agni, give us wealth famed among men and strengthening life! Bestow on us, O helper, that which many crave, more glorious still through righteousness! 10. To him, who dealeth out all wealth, the sweet-toned Hotar-priest of men, To him like the first vessels filled with savoury juice, to Agni let the lauds go forth.

And let go those-- Rites and writ duties! Fly to Me alone! Make Me thy single refuge! I will free Thy soul from all its sins! Be of good cheer!