37 And Syâva too for me led forth a strong steed at Suvâstu's ford:

A herd of three times seventy kine, good lord of gifts, he gave

to me.

HYMN XX.

Maruts.

LET none, Swift Travellers! check you: come hither, likespirited, stay not far away,

Ye benders even of what is firm.

2 Maruts, Ribhukshans, Rudras, come ye with your cars strongfellied and exceeding bright.

Come, ye for whom we long, with food, to sacrifice, come ye with love to Sobhari.

3 For well we know the vigorous might of Rudra's Sons, the Maruts, who are passing strong,

Swift Vishnu's band, who send the rain.

4 Islands are bursting forth and misery is stayed: the heaven and earth are joined in one.

Decked with bright rings, ye spread the broad expanses out, when ye, Self-luminous, stirred yourselves.

5 Even things immovable shake and reel, the mountains and the forest trees at your approach,

And the earth trembles as ye come.

6 To lend free course, O Maruts, to your furious rush, heaven high and higher still gives way,

Where they, the Heroes mighty with their arms, display their gleaming ornaments on their forms.

7 After their Godlike nature they, the bull-like Heroes, dazzling and impetuous, wear

Great splendour as they show erect.

37 Suvastu is in all probability the Soastos of Arrian (Suwad or Swat) near the Kôphên or Kâbul river. Kine: there is no substantive in the text. The stanza, which has no comment in the printed edition, is very obscure and can be only conjecturally translated. See Ludwig's Translation and Commentary, I. 427, and IV. 380.

4 Sayana seems to explain this verse, 'The islands fall asunder, the firmest (trees) experience distress; they (the winds) distress heaven and earth; the waters hurry onward, O bright weaponed, self-shining ones, when you agitate them.'-E. B. C.'s note in Wilson's Translation. The stanza is difficult. I have followed, generally, Ludwig's version. Islands: the higher unsubmerged grounds. Misery: caused by the preceding hot and dry weather. Are joined in one: as the heavy rain obscures the horizon. Bright rinys: worn on the arms or the ankles or carried by the Maruts on their shoulders. See I. 166. 9.

7 Bull-like: the exact meaning of rrishapsavaḥ is uncertain. Show erect : áhrutapsavaḥ is conjecturally translated.

8 The pivot of the Sobharis' chariot within the golden box is balmed with milk.

May they the Well-born, Mighty, kindred of the Cow, aid us to food and to delight.

9 Bring, ye who sprinkle balmy drops, oblations to your vigorous Marut company,

To those whose leader is the Bull.

10 Come hither, O ye Maruts, on your strong-horsed car, solid in look, with solid naves.

Lightly like wingèd falcons, O ye Heroes, come, come to enjoy our offerings.

11 Their decoration is the same: their ornaments of gold are bright upon their arms;

Their lances glitter splendidly.

12 They toil not to defend their bodies from attack, strong Heroes with their mighty arms.

Strong are your bows and strong the weapons in your cars, and glory sits on every face.

13 Whose name extendeth like a sea, alone, resplendent, so that all have joy in it,

And life-power like ancestral might.

14 Pay honour to these Maruts and sing praise to them, for of the wheel-spokes of the car

Of these loud roarers none is last: this is their power, this moves them to give mighty gifts.

15 Blest by your favouring help was he, O Maruts, at the earlier flushings of the morn,

And even now shall he be blest.

16 The strong man to whose sacrifice, O Heroes, ye approach that ye may taste thereof,

With glories and with war that winneth spoil shall gain great bliss, ye Shakers of the world.

17 Even as Rudra's Sous, the brood of the Creator Dyaus, the Asura, desire,

O Youthful Ones, so shall it be:

8 Box: the interior of the chariot. With milk: with fertilizing rain seut by the Maruts. The Cow: Prisni.

9 Ye who sprinkle balmy drops: priests who offer libations.

Whose leader

is the Bull: whom Indra leads. Or, it may be, whose chariot is drawn by bulls, as in the following stanza.

10 Solid in look: or with bull-like, or strong look.

14 None is last: no part of their chariot wheel is behind the rest in speed. This moves them to give mighty gifts: or, this (characteristic belongs to them) through greatness of their gifts.

15 He: your worshipper.

18 And these the bounteous, worthy of the Maruts who move onward pouring down the rain—

Even for their sake, O Youthful Ones, with kindest heart take us to you to be your own.

19 O Sobhari, with newest song sing out unto the youthful purifying Bulls,

Even as a plougher to his steers.

20 Who, like a celebrated boxer, overcome the challengers in every fight:

They who, like shining bulls, are most illustrious-honour those Maruts with thy song.

21 Allied by common ancestry, ye Maruts, even the Cows, alike in energy,

Lick, all by turns, each other's head.

22 Even mortal man, ye Dancers breast-adorned with gold, attains to brotherhood with you.

Mark ye and notice us, O Maruts; evermore your friendship is secured to us.

23 O Maruts, rich in noble gifts, bring us a portion of the Maruts' medicine,

Ye Coursers who are Friends to us.

24 Haters of those who serve you not, bliss-bringers, bring us bliss with those auspicious aids

Wherewith ye are victorious and guard Sindhu well, and succour Krivi in his need.

25 Maruts, who rest on fair trimmed grass, what balm soever Sindhu or Asiknî hath,

Or mountains or the seas contain,

26 Ye carry on your bodies, ye who see it all: so bless us graciously therewith.

Cast, Maruts, to the ground our sick man's malady: replace the dislocated limb.

18 The bounteous: the liberal institutors of sacrifice.

19 Purifying bulls: the strong Maruts who send the sweet rain.

21 Allied by common ancestry: as the offspring of Prisni. The Cows: the Maruts. Lick....each other's head: as they crowd together in their course, According to Sâyaṇa, 'the cows severally lick up the quarters of the sky.'

22 Ye Dancers: ye who dance through the air.

24 Krivi: the eponymus of a warrior tribe in the Panjâb, in later times combined with, or identical with the Panchalas. Sayana takes krivim here to mean a well: 'with which you provided a well (for Gotama).'-Wilson.

25 Asikni: the Acesines of Quintus Curtius, the Vedic name of the Chandrabhâgâ, the modern Chenâb.

26 Replace the dislocated limb: 're-establish his enfeebled frame.'-Wilson.

HYMN XXI.

Indra.

WE call on thee, O Matchless One! We seeking help, posses

sing nothing firm ourselves,

Call on thee wonderful in fight:

2 On thee for aid in sacrifice. This youth of ours, the bold, the mighty, hath gone forth.

We therefore, we thy friends, Indra, have chosen thee, freegiver, as our Guardian God.

3 Come hither, for the drops are here, O Lord of corn-lands, Lord of horses, Lord of kine:

Drink thou the Soma, Soma's Lord!

4 For we the kinless singers have drawn hither thee, O Indra, who hast numerous kin.

With all the forms thou hast, come thou of bull-like strength, come near to drink the Soma juice.

5 Sitting like birds beside thy meath, mingled with milk, that gladdeneth and exalteth thee,

Indra, to thee we sing aloud.

6 We speak to thee with this our reverential prayer. Why art thou pondering yet awhile?

Here are our wishes; thou art liberal, Lord of Bays: we and our hymns are present here.

7 For not in recent times alone, O Indra, Thunder-armed, have we obtained thine aid.

Of old we knew thy plenteous wealth.

8 Hero, we knew thy friendship and thy rich rewards: these, Thunderer, now we crave of thee.

O Vasu, for all wealth that cometh of the kine, sharpen our powers, fair-visored God.

9 Him who of old hath brought to us this and that blessing, him I magnify for you,

Even Indra, O my friends, for help:

10 Borne by Bay Steeds, the Lord of heroes. ruling men, for it is he who takes delight.

May Maghavan bestow on us his worshippers hundreds of cattle and of steeds.

11 Hero, may we, with thee for Friend, withstand the man who pants against us in his wrath,

In fight with people rich in kine.

12 May we be victors in the singer's battle-song, and meet the wicked, Much-invoked!

2 This youth of ours: the noble who has instituted the sacrifice.

With heroes smite the foeman and show forth our strength. O Indra, further thou our thoughts.

13 O Indra, from all ancient time rivalless ever and companionless art thou:

Thou seekest comradeship in war.

14 Thou findest not the wealthy man to be thy friend: those scorn thee who are flown with wine.

What time thou thunderest and gatherest, then thou, even as a Father, art invoked.

15 O Indra, let us not, like fools who waste their lives at home, with friendship such as thine

Sit idly by the poured-out juice.

16 Giver of kine, may we not miss thy gracious gifts: let us not rob thee of thine own.

Strip even the strong places of the foe, and bring thy gifts can never be made vain.

17 Indra or blest Sarasvatî alone bostows such wealth, treasure so great, or thou,

O Chitra, on the worshipper.

18 Chitra is King, and only kinglings are the rest who dwell

beside Sarasvatî.

He, like Parjanya with his rain, hath spread himself with thousand, yea, with myriad gifts.

HITHERWARD have I called to-day, for succour, that most wondrous car

Which ye ascended, Aṣvins, ye whose paths are red, swift to give ear, for Sûryâ's sake.

2 Car ever young, much longed-for, easily invoked, soon guided, first in deeds of might,

Which waits and serves, O Sobhari, with benevolence, without a rival or a foe.

13 Thou seekest comradeship in war: befriendest thy worshippers when they need thine assistance in battle.

14 Gatherest: the clouds. - M. Müller.

17 Chitra: the name of this king does not occur elsewhere in the Rigveda. 18 King: rấjî. Kinglings: rájakẩḥ. Purjanya: God of the rain-cloud, regarded as the type of liberal beneficence.

1 Ye whose paths are red: rudravartanî: this epithet of the Asvins is variously explained; 'having a path which causes weeping in battle,' or whose paths are praised,'—Sayana; 'advancing on the path to battle'Wilson; 'proceeding on terrible roads.'-Muir; 'going on Rudra's path.'Ludwig; on your light path.'-Grassmann ; 'going on a reddish path.'Pischel. See Vedische Studien, I., pp. 15 and 55-60. For Sûrya's sake: who chose the Aşvins as her husbands. See I. 116. 17.