The Hymns of the RigvedaJazzybee Verlag, 2014 M06 2 - 667 pages In the dim twilight preceding the dawn of Indian literature the historical imagination can perceive the forms of Aryan warriors, the first Western conquerors of Hindustan, issuing from those passes in the north-west through which the tide of invasion has in successive ages rolled to sweep over the plains of India. The earliest poetry of this invading race, whose language and culture ultimately overspread the whole continent, was composed while its tribes still occupied the territories on both sides of the Indus now known as Eastern Kabulistan and the Panjab. That ancient poetry has come down to us in the form of a collection of hymns called the Rigveda. The cause which gathered the poems it contains into a single book was scientific and historical. The number of hymns comprised in the Rigveda, in the only recension which has been preserved, that of the Çakala school, is 1017, or, if the eleven supplementary hymns (called Valakhilya) which are inserted in the middle of the eighth book are added, 1028. These hymns are grouped in ten books, called mandalas, or "cycles," which vary in length, except that the tenth contains the same number of hymns as the first. In bulk the hymns of the Rigveda equal, it has been calculated, the surviving poems of Homer. |
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Aditi Adityas Agni art thou Aryaman Asura Asvins auspicious battle Bay Steeds Bhaga blessings born bounteous bounty Brahmanaspati Brhaspati bright bring Bull cattle chariot conquering coursers cows Dasyus Dawn delight draught dwelling earth and heaven favour floods flow foes Friend gifts give gladdening glory gracious hath Heaven and Earth Hero hither hitherward holy horses Hymn Immortal Indra Indu invoke Jatavedas kine laud libations light lofty Lord Maghavan Maruts meath mighty milk mortal Nasatyas oblation offered Parjanya poured prayer Preserve us evermore Priest purified Pusan Rbhus riches Rigveda rites Rudra sacred grass sacrifice Sage Savitar shine sing singer slay Soma juice Soma Pavamana song of praise splendour streams strength strong succour Surya sweet swift thee thine thou art thou hast thunder today treasures Tvastar twere unto Varuna Vasistha Vasus Vayu vigour Visnu Visvedevas Vrtra Vrtraslayer waters wealth wise wondrous worship ye Gods