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1. WHAT time, first springing into life,
thou neighedst, proceeding from the sea or upper waters,
Limbs of the deer hadst thou, and eagle pinions. O Steed,
thy birth is nigh and must be lauded.
2 This Steed which Yama gave hath Trita
harnessed, and him, the first of all, hath Indra mounted.
His bridle the Gandharva grasped. O Vasus, from out the Sun
ye fashioned forth the Courser.
3 Yama art thou, O Horse; thou art Aditya;
Trita art thou by secret operation.
Thou art divided thoroughly from Soma. They say thou hast
three bonds in heaven
that hold thee.
4 Three bonds, they say, thou hast in heaven
that bind thee, three in the waters,
three within the ocean.
To me thou seernest Varuna , O Courser, there where they say
is thy sublimest birth-place.
5
Here -, Courser, are the places where they groomed thee, here are the traces of
thy hoofs as winner.
Here have I
seen the auspicious reins that guide thee, which those who guard the holy Law
keep safely.
6
Thyself from far I recognized in spirit,-a Bird that from below flew through
the heaven.
I saw thy
head still soaring, striving upward by paths unsoiled by dust, pleasant to
travel.
7
Here I beheld thy form, matchless in glory, eager to win thee food at the Cow's
station.
Whene'er a
man brings thee to thine enjoyment, thou swallowest the plants most greedy
eater.
8
After thee, Courser, come the car, the bridegroom, the kine come after, and the
charm of maidens.
Full
companies have followed for thy friendship: the pattern of thy vigour Gods have
copied.
9
Horns made of gold hath he: his feet are iron: less fleet than he, though swift
as thought, is Indra.
The Gods
have come that they may taste the oblation of him who mounted, first of all,
the Courser.
10
Symmetrical in flank, with rounded haunches, mettled like heroes, the Celestial
Coursers
Put forth
their strength, like swans in lengthened order, when they, the Steeds, have
reached the heavenly causeway.
11
A body formed for flight hast thou, O Charger; swift as the wind in motion is
thy spirit.
Thy horns
are spread abroad in all directions: they move with restless beat in
wildernesses.
12
The strong Steed hath come forward to the slaughter, pondering with a mind
directed God-ward.
The goat
who is his kin is led before him the sages and the singers follow after.
13
The Steed is come unto the noblest mansion, is come unto his Father and his
Mother.
This day
shall he approach the Gods, most welcome: then he declares good gifts to him
who offers.
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