Sama Veda on Protection

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.

1. These Soma juice mixt with curd have been expressed for Indra here: Come with thy bay steeds, Thunder-wielder, to our home, to drink them till they make thee glad! 2. Indra, these Somas with their lauds have been prepared for thy delight. Drink of the pleasant juice and listen to our songs; lover of song, reward the hymn! 3. I call on thee, Sabardugha, this day, inspirer of the psalm. Indra, the richly-yielding milch-cow who provides unfailing food in ample stream. 4. Indra, the strong and lofty hills are powerless to bar thy way None stays that act of thine when thou wouldst fain give wealth to one like me who sings thy praise. 5. Who knows what vital power he wins, drinking beside the flowing juice? This is the fair-cheeked. God who, joying in the draught, breaks down the castles in his strength. 6. What time thou castest from his seat and punishest the riteless man, Strengthen for opulence, O Indra Maghavan, our plant desired by many a one! 7. Let Tvashtar, Brahmanaspati, Parjanya guard our heavenly word, Aditi with her sons, the brothers, guard for us the invincible, the saving word! 8. Ne'er art thou fruitless, Indra, ne'er dost thou desert the worshipper: But now, O Maghavan, thy bounty as a God is poured forth ever more and more. 9. Best slayer of the Vritras, yoke thy bay steeds, Indra, far away Come with the high ones hither, Maghavan, to us, mighty, to, drink the Soma juice! 10. O Thunderer, zealous worshippers gave thee drink this time yesterday: So, Indra, listen here to him who offers lauds: come near unto, our dwelling-place! DECADE II 1. Advancing, sending forth her rays, the daughter of the Sky is seen. The mighty one lays bare the darkness with her eye, the friendly Lady makes the light. 2. These morning sacrifices call you, Asvins, at the break of day. For help have I invoked you rich in power and might: for, house by house, ye visit all. 3. Where are ye, Gods?

What mortal man, O Asvins, glows with zeal for you, Urging you with the crushing stone and with the stalk of Soma thus or otherwise? 4. This sweetest Soma juice hath been expressed for you at morning rites. Asvins, drink this prepared ere yesterday and give treasures to him who offers it! 5. Let me not, still beseeching thee with might and sound of Soma drops, Anger at sacrifice a fierce wild creature! Who would not beseech the almighty one! 6. Adhvaryu, let the Soma flow, for Indra longs to drink thereof. He even now hath yoked his vigorous bay steeds: the Vritraslayer hath come nigh. 7. Bring thou all this unto the good, O Indra, to the old and young! For, Maghavan, thou art rich in treasures from of old, to be invoked in every fight. 8. If I, O Indra, were the lord of riches ample as thine own, I would support the singer, God who scatterest wealth! and not abandon him to woe. 9. Thou in thy battles, Indra, art subduer of all hostile bands. Father art thou, all-conquering, cancelling the curse, thou victor of the vanquisher! 10. For in thy might thou stretchest out beyond the mansions of the sky. The earthly region, Indra, comprehends thee not. Thou hast waxed mighty over all. DECADE III 1. Pressed is the juice divine with milk commingled: thereto hath Indra ever been accustomed. We wake thee, Lord of bays, with sacrifices: mark this our laud in the wild joys of Soma! 2. A home is made for thee to dwell in, Indra: O much-invoked one, with the men go thither! Thou, that thou mayest guard us and increase us, givest us wealth and joyest in the Somas. 3. The well thou clavest, settest free the fountains, and gavest rest to floods that were obstructed. Thou, Indra, laying the great mountain open, slaying the Ddnava, didst loose the torrents. 4. When we have pressed the juice we laud thee, Indra, most valorous! even about to win the booty. Bring us prosperity, and by thy great wisdom, under thine own protection, may we conquer! 5.

1. Observant Agni hath appeared, oblation-bearer with his car. 2. O Agni, be our nearest friend, yea, our protector and our kind deliverer! 3. Like wondrous Bhaga, Agni deals treasure among the mighty. 4. Far off or present even now, send forth thy shouting first of all! 5. Dawn drives away her sister's gloom, and through her excellence makes her retrace her path. 6. May we, with Indra and the Gods to aid us, bring these existing worlds to full completion! 7. Like streams of water on their way, let bounties, Indra, flow from thee! 8. With this may we obtain strength god-appointed, happy with brave sons through a hundred winters! 9. With strength let Mitra, Varuna swell oblations; do thou prepare for us rich food, O Indra! 10. Indra is King of all the world.

1. Ne'er is he injured whom the Gods Varuna, Mitra, Aryam. The excellently wise, protect. 2. According to our wish for kine, for steeds and chariots, as of old, Be gracious to our wealthy chiefs 3. Indra, these spotted cows yield thee their butter and the milky draught, Aiders, thereby, of sacrifice. 4. That thou much-lauded! many-named! mayst, with this thought, that longs for milk, Come to each Soma sacrifice. 5. May bright Sarasvati, endowed with plenteous wealth and spoil, enriched With prayer, desire the sacrifice. 6. Why 'mid the Nahusha tribes shall sate this Indra with his Soma juice? He shall bring precious things to us. 7. Come, we have pressed the juice for thee; O Indra, drink this Soma here: Sit thou on this my sacred grass 8. Great, unassailable must be the heavenly favour of the Three, Varuna, Mitra, Aryaman. 9. We, Indra, Lord of ample wealth, our guide, depend on one like thee, Thou driver of the tawny steeds!

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. Sing this, beside the flowing juice, to him your hero, much-invoked, To please him as a mighty Bull 2. O Satakratu Indra, now rejoice with that carouse of thine Which is most glorious of all! 3. Ye cows, protect the fount: the two mighty ones bless the sacrifice. The handles twain are wrought of gold. 4. Sing praises that the horse may come; sing, Srutakaksha, that the cow May come, that Indra's might may come 5. We make this Indra very strong to strike, the mighty Vritra dead: A vigorous hero shall he be. 6. Based upon strength and victory and power, O Indra, is thy birth: Thou, mighty one! art strong indeed, 7. The sacrifice made Indra great when he unrolled the earth, and made Himself a diadem in heaven. 8. If I, O Indra, were, like thee, the single ruler over wealth My worshipper should be rich in kine. 9. Pressers, blend Soma juice for him, each draught most excellent, for him The brave, the hero, for his joy. 10. Here is the Soma juice expressed. O Vasu, drink till thou art full: Undaunted God, we give it thee

1. Agni is wakened by the people's fuel to meet the Dawn who cometh like a milch-cow. Like young trees shooting up on high their branches, his flames. are mounting to the vault of heaven. 2. Set forth the gleaming one, the song-inspirer, not foolish with. the foolish, fort-destroyer, Who leadeth with his hymns to thought of conquest, gold-bearded, richly splendid with his armour 3. Thou art like heaven: one form is bright, one holy, like Day and Night dissimilar in colour. All magic powers thou aidest, self-dependent! Auspicious bethy bounty here, O Pushan! 4. As holy food, Agni, to thine invoker give wealth in cattle, lasting, rich in marvels! To us be born a son and spreading offspring. Agni, be this thy gracious will to us-ward! 5. Stablished to fill the juice with vital vigour, giver of wealth, guard of his servant's body, The great Priest, born, who knows the clouds, abider with men, is seated in the waters' eddy. 6. Let the song, honouring the best, with longing honour the Asura's most famous sovran, The deeds of him the mighty, deeds like Indra's, the manly one in whom the folk must triumph! 7. In the two kindling-blocks lies Jatavedas like the well-cherished germ in pregnant women,-- Agni who day by day must be entreated by men who watch provided with oblations. 8. Agni, from days of old thou slayest demons: never shall Rakshasas in fight o'ercome thee. Burn up the foolish ones, raw flesh devourers: let none of them escape thine heavenly arrow!

1. Hither, for powerful kinship, I call Agni, him who prospers you, Most frequent at our solemn rites. 2. May Agni with his pointed blaze cast down each fierce devouring fiend: May Agni win us wealth by war! 3. Agni, be gracious; thou art great: thou hast approached the pious man, Hast come to sit on sacred grass. 4. Agni, preserve us,from distress consume our enemies, O God, Eternal, with thy hottest flames 5. Harness, O Agni, O thou God, thy steeds which are most excellent! The fleet ones bring thee rapidly. 6. Lord of the tribes, whom all must seek, we worshipped Agni set thee down, Refulgent, rich in valiant men. 7. Agni is head and height of heaven, the master of the earth is he He quickeneth the waters' seed. 8. O Agni, graciously announce this our good fortune of the Gods, And this our newest hymn of praise! 9, By song, O Agni, Angiras! Gopavana hath brought thee forth Hear thou my call, refulgent one! 10. Agni, the Sage, the Lord of Strength, hath moved around the sacred gifts, Giving the offerer precious things. 11. His heralds bear him up aloft, the God who knoweth all that lives, The Sun, that all may look on him. 12, Praise Agni in the sacrifice, the Sage whose holy laws are true The God who driveth grief away. 13. Kind be the Goddesses to lend us help, and kind that we may drink: May their streams bring us health and wealth 14. Lord of the brave, whose songs dost thou in thine abundance now inspire, Thou whose hymns help to win the kine?

1. Indra, with all thy saving helps assist us, Lord of power and might! For after thee we follow even as glorious bliss, thee, hero, finderout of wealth. 2. O Indra, Lord of light, what joys thou broughtest from the Asuras, Prosper therewith, O Maghavan, him who lauds that deed, and those whose grass is trimmed for 3. To Aryaman and Mitra sing a reverent song, O pious one, A pleasant hymn to Varuna who shelters us: sing ye a laud unto the Kings! 4. Men with their lauds are urging thee, Indra, to drink the Soma first. The Ribhus in accord have lifted up their voice, and Rudras sung thee as the first. 5. Sing to your lofty Indra, sing, Maruts, a holy hymn of praise Let Satakratu, Vritra-slayer, slay the foe with hundred-knotted thunderbolt! 6. To Indra sing the lofty hymn, Maruts! that slays the Vritras best, Whereby the holy ones created for the God the light divine that ever wakes. 7. O Indra, give us wisdom as a sire gives wisdom to his sons Guide us, O much-invoked, in this our way: may we still live and look upon the light! 8. O Indra, turn us not away: be present with us at our feast For thou art our protection, yea, thou art our kin: O Indra, turn us not away! 9. We compass these like waters, we whose grass is trimmed and Soma pressed. Here where the filter pours its stream, thy worshippers round thee, O Vritra-slayer, sit. 10. All strength and valour that is found, Indra, in tribes of Nahushas, And all the splendid fame that the Five Tribes enjoy, bring, yea, all manly powers at once!

1. Like kine unmilked we call aloud, hero, to thee, and sing thy praise, Looker on heavenly light, Lord of this moving world, Lord, Indra, of what moveth not! 2. That we may win us wealth and power we poets, verily, call on thee: In war men call on thee, Indra, the hero's Lord, in the steed's race-course call on thee: 3. To you will I sing Indra's praise who gives good gifts as well we know; The praise of Maghavan who, rich in treasure, aids his singers with wealth thousandfold. 4. As cows low to their calves in stalls, so with our songs we glorify This Indra, even your wondrous God who checks attack, who takes delight in precious juice. 5. Loud singing at the sacred rite where Soma flows we priests invoke With haste, that he may help, as the bard's cherisher, Indra who findeth wealth for you 6. With Plenty for his true ally the active man will gain the spoil. Your Indra, much-invoked, I bend with song, as bends a wright his wheel of solid wood. 7. Drink, Indra, of the savoury juice, and cheer thee with our milky draught! Be, for our weal, our friend and sharer of the feast, and let thy wisdom guard us well! 8. For thou--come to the worshipper!--wilt find great wealth to make us rich. Fill thyself full, O Maghavan, for gain of kine, full, Indra, for the gain of steeds! 9. Vasishtha will not overlook the lowliest one among you all Beside our Soma juice effused to-day let all the Maruts drink with eager haste! 10. Glorify naught besides, O friends; so shall no sorrow trouble you! Praise only mighty Indra when the juice is shed, and say your lauds repeatedly!

1. Yea, verily thou art a Bull, our guardian, rushing like a bull: Thou, mighty one, art celebrated as a Bull, famed as a Bull both near and far. 2. Whether, O Sakra, thou be far, or, Vritra-slayer, near at hand, Thence by heaven-reaching songs he who bath pressed the juice invites thee with thy long- maned steeds. 3. In the wild raptures of the juice sing to your hero with high laud, to him the wise, To Indra glorious in his name, the mighty one, even as the hymn alloweth it! 4. O Indra, give us for our weal a triple refuge, triply strong! Bestow a dwelling-place on our rich lords and me, and keep thy dart afar from these! 5. Turning, as 'twere, to meet the Sun enjoy from Indra all good things! When he who will be born is born with power we look to treasures as our heritage. 6. The godless mortal gaineth not this food, O thou whose life is long! But one who yokes the bright-hued horses, Etasas; then Indra yokes his tawny steeds. 7. Draw near unto our Indra who must be invoked in every fight! Come, thou most mighty Vritra-slayer, meet for praise, come to, libations and to hymns! 8. Thine, Indra, is the lowest wealth, thou cherishest the midmost wealth, Thou ever rulest all the highest: in the fray for cattle none resisteth thee. 9. Where art thou? Whither art thou gone? For many a place attracts thy mind. Haste, warrior, fort-destroyer, Lord of battle's din! haste, holy songs have sounded forth! 10. Here, verily, yesterday we let the thunder-wielder drink his fill. Bring him the juice poured forth in sacrifice to-day. Now range you by the glorious one!

1. Run onward to the reservoir and seat thee: cleansed by the men speed forward to the battle! Making thee glossy like an able courser, forth to the sacred grass with reins they lead thee. 2. The God declares the deities' generations, like Uaana, proclaiming lofty wisdom. With brilliant kin, far-ruling, sanctifying, the wild boar, singing with his foot, advances. 3. Three are the voices that the car-steed utters: he speaks the lore of prayer, the thought of Order. To the cows' master come the cows inquiring: the hymns with eager longing come to Soma. 4. Made pure by this man's urgent zeal and impulse, the God hath with his juice the Gods pervaded. Pressed, singing, to the sieve he goes, as passes the Hotar to enclosures holding cattle. 5. Father of holy hymns Soma flows onward, the father of the earth, father of heaven; Father of Agni, Surya's generator, the father who begat Indra and Vishnu 6. To him, praiseworthy, sacred tones have sounded, Steer of the triple height, the life-bestower. Dwelling in wood, like Varuna, a river, lavishing treasure, he distributes blessings. 7. Guard of all being, generating creatures, loud roared the sea as highest law commanded. Strong, in the filter, on the fleecy summit, pressed from the stone, Soma hath waxen mighty. 8. Loud neighs the tawny steed when started, settling deep in the wooden vessel while they cleanse him. Led by the men he makes the milk his raiment; then shall he, of himself, engender worship. 9. This thine own Soma, rich in meath, O Indra, the Strong, hath flowed into the Strong One's filter. The swift steed, bounteous, giving hundreds, thousands, hath reached the sacred grass which never fails him. 10. Flow onward, Soma, rich in meath, and holy, enrobed in waters, on the fleecy summit! Settle in vessels that are full of fatness, as cheering and most gladdening drink for Indra!

1. Present oblations, make him splendid: set ye as Hotar in his place the Home's Lord, worshipped With gifts and homage where they pour libations! Honour him meet for reverence in our houses. 2. Verily wondrous is the tender youngling's growth who never draweth nigh to drink his mother's milk. As soon as she who hath no udder bore him, he, faring on his. great errand, suddenly grew strong. 3. Here is one light for thee, another yonder: enter the third and, be therewith united. Beautiful be thy union with the body, beloved in the Gods' sublimest birthplace! 4. For Jatavedas, worthy of our praise, will we frame with our mind this eulogy as 'twere a car; For good, in his assembly, is this care of ours. Let us not, in thy friendship, Agni, suffer harm! 5. Agni Vaisvanara, born in course of Order, the messenger of earth, the head of heaven, The Sage, the sovran, guest of men, our vessel fit for their mouth, the Gods have generated. 6. Even as the waters from the mountain ridges, so sprang the; Gods, through lauds, from thee, O To thee speed hymns and eulogies, as horses haste, bearing him who loves the song, to battle. 7. Win to protect you, Rudra, lord of worship, priest of both worlds, effectual sacrificer, Agni, invested with his golden colours, before the thunder strike and lay you senseless! 8. The King whose face is decked with oil is kindled with homage offered by his faithful servant. The men, the priests adore him with oblations. Agni hath shone forth at the flush of morning. 9. Agni advanceth with his lofty banner: through earth and heaven the Bull hath loudly bellowed He hath come nigh from the sky's farthest limit: the Steer hath waxen in the waters' bosom. 10. From the two fire-sticks have the men engendered with thoughts, urged by the hand, the glorious Agni, Far-seen, with pointed flame, Lord of the Homestead.

1. Him have I magnified, our Lord in common, guardian of your folk, Discloser of great wealth in kine. 2. Songs have outpoured themselves to thee, Indra, the strong, the guardian Lord, And with one will have risen to thee! 3. Good guidance hath the mortal man whom Arya-man, the Marut host, And Mitras, void of guile, protect. 4. Bring us the wealth for which we long, O Indra, that which is concealed In strong firm place precipitous. 5. Him your best Vritra-slayer, him the famous champion of mankind I urge to great munificence. 6. Indra, may we adorn thy fame, fame of one like thee, hero! deck, Sakra! thy fame at highest feast! 7. Indra, accept at break of day our Soma mixt with roasted corn, With groats, with cake, with eulogies! 8. With waters' foam thou torest off, Indra, the head of Namuchi, When thou o'ercamest all the foes. 9. Thine are these Soma juices, thine, Indra, those still to be expressed: Enjoy them, Lord of princely wealth! 10. For thee, O Indra, Lord of light, Somas are pressed and grass is strewn: Be gracious to thy worshippers! 1. We seeking strength, with Soma drops fill full your Indra like a well, Most liberal, Lord of boundless might. 2. O Indra, even from that place come unto us with food that gives A hundred, yea, a thousand powers! 3. The new-born Vritra-slayer asked his mother, as he seized his shaft, Who are the, fierce and famous ones? 4. Let us call him to aid whose hands stretch far, the highly-lauded, who Fulfils the work to favour us 5. Mitra who knoweth leadeth us, and Varuna who guideth straight, And Aryaman in accord with Gods. 6. When, even as she were present here, red Dawn hath shone from far away, She spreadeth light on every side. 7. Varuna, Mitra, sapient pair, pour fatness on our pastures, pour Meath on the regions of the air! 8. And, at our sacrifices, these, sons, singers, have enlarged their bounds, So that the cows must walk knee-deep. 9.

1. Heroes of one accord brought forth and formed for kingship Indra who wins the victory in all encounters, For power, in firmness, in the field, the great destroyer, fierce and exceeding strong,rstalwart and full of vigour. 2. I trust in thy first wrathful deed, O Indra, when thou slewest Vritra and didst work to profit When the two world-halves fled for refuge unto thee, and earth even trembled at thy strength, O Thunder-armed! 3. Come all with might together to the Lord of heaven, the only one who is indeed the guestof He is the first: to him who fain would come to us all pathways turn; he is in truth the only one. 4. Thine, Indra, praised of many, excellently rich, are we who trusting in thy help draw near to For none but thou, song-lover, shall receive our lauds: as Earth loves all her creatures, welcome this our hymn! 5. High hymns have sounded forth the praise of Maghavan, supporter of mankind, of Indra meet for lauds; Him who hath waxen mighty, much-invoked with prayers, immortal one whose praise each day is sung aloud. 6. In perfect unison have all your longing hymns that find the light of heaven sounded forth Indra's praise. As wives embrace their lord, the comely bridegroom, so they compass Maghavan about that he may help. 7. Make glad with songs that Ram whom many men invoke, worthy hymns of praise, Indra the sea of wealth; Whose boons spread like the heavens, the - lover of mankind: sing praise to him the Sage, most liberal for our good! 8. I glorify that Ram who finds the light of heaven, whose hundred strong and mighty ones go forth with him. With prayers may I turn hither Indra to mine aid;-the car which like a swift steed hasteth to the 9. Filled full of fatness, compassing all things that be, wide, spacious, dropping meath, beautiful in their form, The heaven and the earth by Varuna's decree, unwasting, rich in germs, stand parted each from 10. As like the Morning, thou hast filled, O Indra, both the earth.