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1. I PRAISE your Charioteer of
sacrifice, the Lord of men, Priest of the tribes, refulgent, Guest of night.
Blazing amid dry plants, snatching amid the
green, the Strong, the Holy Herald hath attained to heaven.
2 Him, Agni, Gods and men have
made their chief support, who drinks the fatness and completes the sacrifice.
With kisses they caress the Grandson of the
Red, like the swift ray of light, the Household Priest of Dawn.
3 Yea, we discriminate his and
the niggard's ways: his branches evermore are sent forth to consume.
When his terrific flames have reached the
Immortal's world, then men remember and extol the Heavenly Folk.
4 For then the net of Law,
Dyaus, and the wide expanse, Earth, Worship, and Devotion meet for highest
praise,
Varuna, Indra, Mitra were of one accord, and
Savitar and Bhaga, Lords of holy might.
5 Onward, with ever-roaming
Rudra, speed the floods: over Aramati the Mighty have they run.
With them Parijman, moving round his vast
domain, loud bellowing, bedews all things that are within.
6 Straightway the Rudras,
Maruts visiting all men, Falcons of Dyaus, home-dwellers with the Asura, -
Varuna, Mitra, Aryaman look on with these, and
the swift-moving Indra with swift-moving Gods.
7 With Indra have they found
enjoyment, they who toil, in the light's beauty, in the very Strong One's
strength;
The singers who in men's assemblies forged for
him, according to his due, his friend the thunderbolt.
8 Even the Sun's Bay Coursers
hath lie held in check: each one fears Indra as the mightiest of all.
Unhindered, from the air's vault thunders day by
day the loud triumphant breathing of the fearful Bull.
9 With humble adoration show
this day your song of praise to mighty Rudra, Ruler of the brave:
With whom, the Eager Ones, going their ordered
course, he comes from heaven Self-bright, auspicious, strong to guard.
10 For these have spread
abroad the fame of human kind, the Bull Brhaspati and Soma's brotherhood.
Atharvan first by sacrifices made men sure:
through skill the Bhrgus were esteemed of all as Gods.
11 For these, the Earth and
Heaven with their abundant seed, four-bodied Narasmsa, Yama, Aditi,
God Tvastar Wealth-bestower, the Rbhuksanas,
Rodasi, Maruts, Visnu, claim and merit praise.
12 And may he too give car,
the Sage, from far away, the Dragon of the Deep, to this our yearning call.
Ye Sun and Moon who dwell in heaven and move in
turn, and with your thought, O Earth and Sky, observe this well.
13 Dear to all Gods, may Pasan
guard the ways we go, the Waters' child and Vayu help us to success.
Sing lauds for your great bliss to Wind, the
breath of all: ye Asvins prompt to hear, hear this upon your way.
14 With hymns of praise we
sing him who is throned as Lord over these fearless tribes, the Self-resplendent
One.
We praise Night's youthful Lord benevolent to
men, the foeless One, the free, with all celestial Dames.
15 By reason of his birth here
Angiras first sang: the pressing-stones upraised bebeld the sacrifice -
The stones through which the Sage became
exceeding vast, and the sharp axe obtains in fight the beauteous place.
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