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O Ushas, strong with strength, endowed with knowledge, accept the singer's praise, O wealthy lady. Thou, goddess, ancient, young, and full of wisdom, movest, all-bounteous! as the Law ordaineth.

2 Shine forth, O Morning, thou auspicious goddess, on thy bright car awaking pleasant voices.

Let docile horses of far-reaching splendour convey thee hitherward, the golden-coloured.

3 Thou, Morning, turning thee to every creature, standest on high as ensign of the immortal,

To one same goal ever and ever wending: now, like a wheel, O newly-born, roll hither.

4 Letting her reins drop downward, Morning cometh, the wealthy dame, the lady of the dwelling; Bringing forth light, the wonderful, the blessèd hath spread her from the bounds of earth and heaven. 5 Hither invoke the radiant goddess Morning, and bring with reverence your hymn to praise her. She, dropping sweets, hath set in heaven her brightness, and, fair to look on, hath beamed forth her splendour.

6 From heaven, with hymns, the holy one was wakened: brightly to both worlds came the wealthy lady. To Morning, Agni, when she comes refulgent, thou goest forth soliciting fair riches.

7 On Law's firm base the speeder of the Mornings, the Bull, hath entered mighty earth and heaven. Great is the power of Varuna and Mitra, which, bright, hath spread in every place its splendour.

The metre is Trishtup.

3 The immortal: the Sun.

4 Letting her reins drop: perhaps, sending down rays of light.

7 The Bull: the Sun, who, as following the Dawns, may be said to urge them onward.

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YOUR well-known prompt activities aforetime needed no impulse from your faithful servant.

Where, Indra, Varuna, is now that glory wherewith ye brought support to those who loved you?

2 This man, most diligent, seeking after riches, incessantly invokes you for your favour.

Accordant, Indra, Varuna, with the Maruts, with Heaven and Earth, hear ye mine invocation.

3 0 Indra, Varuna, ours be this treasure, ours be wealth, Maruts, with full store of heroes.

May the Varûtrîs with their shelter aid us, and Bhâratî and Hotrâ with the Mornings.

4 Be pleased with our oblations, thou loved of all gods, Brihaspati :

Give wealth to him who brings thee gifts.

The metre is Trishṭup. The hymn consists of six trichas or triplets, the deities of which are severally (1) Indra and Varuna, (2) Brihaspati, (3) Pûshan, (4) Savitar, (5) Soma, (6) Mitra and Varuņa.

1 This stanza is difficult on account of the uncertainty of the meaning of bhrimayaḥ in the first line and of sinam in the second. Professor Wilson renders it: "Indra and Varuna, may these people who are relying upon you, and wandering about (in alarm), sustain no injury from a youthful (adversary); for where is that reputation (you enjoy) on account that you bestow sustenance on your friends." Professor Ludwig's translation is to the following effect: "These that are counted yours, these whirling weapons, were made not to be hurled at your dependent. Varuna, Mitra, where is this your glory, wherewith against your friends ye send your missile ?" My version follows Professor Roth's interpretation in the St. Petersburg Lexicon. 2 This man: the worshipper.

3 The Varutris: guardian goddesses; the consorts of the gods, according to the Commentator. Bharati and Hotra: goddesses presiding over different departments of religious worship. See Index to Vol. I.

4 Brihaspati: Lord of Prayer. See Index to Vol. I.

5 At sacrifices, with your hymns worship the pure Brihaspati

I pray for power which none may bend

6 The Bull of men, whom none deceive, the wearer of each shape at will,

Brihaspati most excellent.

7 Divine, resplendent Pushan, this our newest hymn of eulogy

By us is chanted forth to thee.

8 Accept with favour this my song, be gracious to the earnest thought,

Even as a bridegroom to his bride.

9 May he who sees all living things, sees them together at a glance,—

May he, may Pushan be our help.

10 May we attain that excellent glory of Savitar the god:

So may he stimulate our prayers.

11 With understanding, earnestly, of Savitar the god

we crave

Our portion of prosperity.

12 Men, singers worship Savitar the god with hymn and holy rites,

Urged by the impulse of their thoughts.

10 This stanza is the Sâvitrî, the Gâyatri par excellence, "the celebrated verse of the Vedas which forms part of the daily devotions of the Brahmans, and was first made known to English readers by Sir W. Jones's translation of a paraphrastic interpretation; he renders it, Let us adore the supremacy of that divine sun, the godhead, who illuminates all, who recreates all, from whom all proceed, to whom all must return, whom we invoke to direct our understandings aright in our progress towards his holy seat." Wilson. See Rig-veda Sanhita, Vol. III. p. 111.

13 Soma who gives success goes forth, goes to the gathering-place of gods,

To seat him at the seat of Law.

14 To us and to our cattle may Soma give salutary food, To biped and to quadruped.

15 May Soma, strengthening our power of life, and conquering our foes,

In our assembly take his seat.

16 May Mitra, Varuna, sapient pair, bedew our pasturage with oil,

With meath the regions of the air.

17 Far-ruling, joyful when adored, ye reign through majesty of might,

With pure laws everlastingly.

18 Lauded by Jamadagni's song, sit in the place of holy Law:

Drink Soma, ye who strengthen Law.

13 The gathering-place of gods: the saorificial chamber. The seat of Law: the place where sacrifice ordained by eternal Law is, per formed.

16 With oil with clarified butter, with fatness, that is, with ferti lizing rain. With meath or with honey, that is, with sweet refreshing dew.

18 Jamadagni, may, according to Sâyana, be in this place an epithet of Visvamitra, and mean "by whom the fire has been kindled;" or Jamadagni may be another Rishi and the seer of the hymn.

BOOK THE FOURTH.

HYMN I.

Agni.

THEE, Agni, have the gods, ever of one accord, sent hither down, a god, appointed messenger, yea, with their wisdom sent thee down.

The immortal, O. thou holy one, mid mortal men, the god-devoted god, the wise, have they brought forth, brought forth the omnipresent god-devoted

sage.

2 As such, O Agni, bring with favour to the gods, thy brother Varuņa who loveth sacrifice, the chief who loveth sacrifice,

True to the Law, the Aditya who supporteth men, the king, supporter of mankind.

3 Do thou, O friend, turn hither him who is our friend, swift as a wheel, like two car-steeds in rapid course, wondrous! to us in rapid course.

O Agni, find thou grace for us with Varuna, with Maruts who illumine all.

Bless us, thou radiant one, for seed and progeny, yea, bless us, O thou wondrous god.

4 Do thou who knowest Varuna, O Agni, put far away from us the god's displeasure.

Best sacrificer, best of priests, refulgent, remove thou far from us all those who hate us.

This hymn, and the following forty, are ascribed to the Rishi Vâmadeva, son of Gotama. The metre of the first stanza is Ashți, consisting of sixty-four syllables (represented by sixty-eight in my version); of the second Atijagati, of fifty-two syllables; of the third Dhriti, of seventy-two syllables; and of the rest the common Trishṭup.

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