2. INDRA, the blender of all things, comes, verily, with his steeds that are harnessed at his word, INDRA, the richly-decorated," the wielder of the thunderbolt.

3. INDRA, to render all things visible, elevated the sun in the sky," and charged the cloud with (abundant) waters.

4. Invincible INDRA, protect us, in battles abounding in spoil, with insuperable defences.

5. We invoke INDRA for great affluence; INDRA, for limited wealth,-(our) ally, and wielder of the thunderbolt against (our) enemies.

6. Shedder of rain, granter of all desires, set open Varga XIV. this cloud. Thou art never uncompliant with our (requests).

7. Whatever excellent praises are given to other divinities, they are (also, the due) of INDRA, the thunderer. I do not know his fitting praise.

8. The shedder of rain, the mighty lord, the always compliant, invests men with his strength; as a bull (defends) a herd of kine.

9. INDRA, who alone rules over men, over riches,

a So the Scholiast explains the term of the text, hirañyaya; literally, golden, or made of gold.

b The world being enveloped in darkness by Vṛitra, Indra, in order to remove it, elevated (á rohayat, or as the comment says, sthápitaván, placed,) the sun in the dyuloka, or heaven. The latter part of the passage may also be rendered, he (the sun) animated the mountain (i. e., the world,) with his rays.

Varga XV.

and over the five (classes) of the dwellers on earth.a

10. We invoke, for you, INDRA, who is everywhere among men. May he be exclusively our own.

ANUVÁKA III.

SÚKTA I. (VIII.)

The deity, Rishi, and metre, as before.

1. INDRA, bring, for our protection, riches, most abundant, enjoyable, the source of victory, the humbler of our foes;

2. By which we may repel our enemies, whether (encountering them) hand to hand, or on horseback; ever protected by thee.

3. Defended by thee, INDRA, we possess a ponderous weapon, wherewith we may entirely conquer our opponents.

4. With thee for our ally, INDRA, and (aided by)

a The text has, over the five men, or classes of men, pancha kshitinám. The latter term is explained etymologically, those who are fit for habitations (nivásárháñám). The phrase is of not unfrequent recurrence, and is usually said to imply the four castes, Bráhmanas, Kshattriyas, Vaisyas, and Súdras, and Nishádas,— barbarians, or those who have no caste; intending, possibly, the aboriginal races of India, all in a very low stage of civilization, like the Gonds, Koles, and Bhils of the present day.

b

Literally, by striking with the fist, mushtihatyaya.

"With a horse." The Scholiast explains this and the preceding to intend infantry and cavalry.

missile-hurling heroes, we are able to overcome (our foes) arrayed in hosts.

5. Mighty is INDRA, and supreme. May magnitude ever (belong) to the bearer of the thunderbolt; may his strong (armies) be, ever, vast as the heavens.

6. Whatever men have recourse to INDRA,-in Varga XVI. battle, or for the acquirement of offspring,—and the

wise who are desirous of understanding, (obtain their desires).

7. The belly of INDRA, which quaffs the Soma juice abundantly, swells, like the ocean, (and is ever) moist, like the ample fluids of the palate."

8. Verily, the words of INDRA to his worshipper are true, manifold, cow-conferring, and to be held in honour: (they are) like a branch (loaded with) ripe (fruit).

9. Verily, INDRA, thy glories are, at all times, the protectors of every such worshipper as I am.

b

10. Verily, his chanted and recited praises are to be desired and repeated to INDRA, that he may drink the Soma juice.

a The Scholiast expounds the text, urvír ápo na kákudah, as rendered above. But kákuda may refer to kakud, the pinnacle of a mountain; and the phrase might, then, be translated, like the abundant waters (or torrents) from the mountain-tops.

The first is the translation of stoma, which the commentary defines sámasádhyam stotram, praise to be accomplished by the Sáma-Veda: the second is the rendering of uktha, which the same authority describes as the Ṛiksádhyam śastram, the unsung praise to be accomplished by the Rich. Sastram is explained, by

Varga XVII.

SÚKTA II. (IX.)

Divinity, Rishi, and metre, the same.

1. Come, INDRA, and be regaled with all viands and libations, and, thence, mighty in strength, be victorious (over thy foes).

2. The libation being prepared, present the exhilarating and efficacious (draught) to the rejoicing INDRA, the accomplisher of all things.

3. INDRA with the handsome chin," be pleased with these animating praises: do thou, who art to be reverenced by all mankind," (come) to these rites, (with the gods).

Sridhara Swámi, in the scholia on the Bhagavata Puráña, to signify a sacred hymn not sung, sastram apragitamantrastotram, the repetition of which is the office of the Hotṛi, hotuh-karma; while stuti and stoma imply the sung or chanted hymn, sangitam stotram. M. Burnouf renders sastra, les prières [mentales] qui sont comme le glaive; and, in a note in the Vishnu Puráña, I have translated the same expression of the Bhágavata, the unuttered incantation (p. 42, n.). But it may be doubted if this is quite correct. The difference between sastra and stoma seems to be, that one is recited, whether audibly or inaudibly; the other, sung.

a

Susipra. But sipra means either the lower jaw, or the nose; and the compound may equally denote the handsome-nosed.

b The epithet viswacharshane is, literally, "O thou who art all men," or, as Sáyaña explains it, sarvamanushyayukta, who art joined with all men, which he qualifies as sarvair yajamánaih pujyah, to be worshipped by all institutors of sacrifices. It may be doubted if this be all that is intended. Rosen renders it omnium hominum domine: M. Langlois has maître souverain.

4. I have addressed to thee, INDRA, the showerer (of blessings), the protector (of thy worshippers), praises which have reached thee, and of which thou hast approved.

a

5. Place before us, INDRA, precious and multiform riches; for enough, and more than enough, are, assuredly, thine.

6. Opulent INDRA, encourage us in this rite for Varga XVIII. the acquirement of wealth; for we are diligent and

renowned.

7. Grant us, INDRA, wealth beyond measure or calculation, inexhaustible, the source of cattle, of food, of all life.

8. INDRA, grant us great renown, and wealth acquired in a thousand ways, and those (articles) of food (which are brought from the field,) in carts."

9. We invoke, for the preservation of our property, INDRA, the lord of wealth, the object of sacred verses, the repairer (to the place of sacrifice),© praising him with our praises.

10. With libations repeatedly effused, the sacri

a The Scholiast makes this, "reached thee in heaven," or swarga. It may be questioned if the Veda recognizes swarga as the heaven of Indra.

b The original of this hymn, as of many others, is so concise and elliptical as to be unintelligible, without the liberal amplification of the Scholiast. We have, in the text, simply "those carhaving viands,” tá rathinír ishah, meaning, Sáyaña says, those articles of food which are conveyed in cars, carts, or waggons, from the site of their production; as rice, barley, and other kinds of grain. Here, again, we have only gantáram, he who goes, that is

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