|
1. THE warrior's look is like a thunderous
rain-cloud's, when, armed with mail, he seeks the lap of battle.
Be thou victorious with unwounded body: so let the thickness
of thy mail protect thee.
2 With Bow let us win kine, with Bow the
battle, with Bow be victors in our hot encounters.
The Bow brings grief and sorrow to the foeman: armed with
the Bow may we subdue all regions.
3 Close to his car, as fain to speak, She
presses, holding her well-loved Friend in her embraces.
Strained on the Bow, She whispers like a woman-this
Bowstring that preserves us in the combat.
4 These, meeting like a woman and her
lover, bear, mother-like, their child upon their bosom.
May the two Bow-ends, starting swift asunder, scatter, in
unison, the foes who hate us.
5 With many a son, father of many
daughters, He clangs and clashes as he goes to battle.
Slung on the back, pouring his brood, the Quiver vanquishes
all opposing bands and armies.
6 Upstanding in the Car the skilful
Charioteer guides his strong Horses on whithersoe'er he will.
See and admire the strength of those controlling Reins which
from behind declare the will of him who drives.
7 Horses whose hoofs rain dust are neighing
loudly, yoked to the Chariots, showing forth their vigour,
With their forefeet descending on the foemen, they, never
flinching, trample and destroy them.
8 Car-bearer is the name of his oblation,
whercon are laid his Weapons and his Armour.
So let us here, each day that passes, honour the helpful Car
with hearts exceeding joyful.
9 In sweet association lived the fathers
who gave us life, profound and strong in trouble,
Unwearied, armed with shafts and wondrous weapons, free,
real heroes, conquerors of armies.
10 The Brahmans, and the Fathers meet for
Soma-draughts, and, graciously inclined, unequalled Heaven and Earth.
Guard us trom evil, Pusan, guard us strengtheners of Law:
let not the evil-wisher master us.
11 Her tooth a deer, dressed in an eagle's
feathers, bound with cow-hide, launched forth, She flieth onward.
There where the heroes speed hither and thither, there may
the Arrows shelter and protect us.
12 Avoid us thou whose flight is straight,
and let our bodies be as stone.
May Soma kindly speak to us, and Aditi protect us well.
13 He lays his blows upon their backs, he
deals his blows upon their thighs.
Thou, Whip, who urgest horses, drive sagacious horses in the
fray.
14 It compasses the arm with serpent
windings, fending away the friction of the bowstring:
So may the Brace, well-skilled in all its duties, guard
manfully the man from every quarter.
15 Now to the Shaft with venom smeared,
tipped with deer-horn, with iron mouth,
Celestial, of Parjanya's seed, be this great adoration paid.
16 Loosed from the Bowstring fly away, thou
Arrow, sharpened by our prayer.
Go to the foemen, strike them home, and let not one be left
alive.
17 There where the flights of Arrows fall
like boys whose locks are yet unshorn.
Even there may Brahmanaspati, and Aditi protect us well,
protect us well through all our days.
18 Thy vital parts I cover with thine
Armour: with immortality King Soma clothe thee.
Varuna give tliee what is more than ample, and in thy
triumph may the Gods be joyful.
19 Whoso would kill us, whether he be a
strange foe or one of us,
May all the Gods discomfit him. My nearest, closest Mail is
prayer.
|