1.7.7

a O Light-giver, instigate the offering, instigate the giver of the offering for good luck; may the Lord who purifieth thoughts purify our thought; may the lord of speech to-day make sweet our utterance.

b Thou art the thunderbolt of the Mighty, slaying obstructions, with thee may this one smite the adversary.

c On the instigation of strength, the mother, the mighty one,

We shall proclaim with our speech, the earth, by name,

Into whom all this world hath entered;

In her may the Light-giver instigate right for us.

d In the waters is life, in the waters is medicine;

Through the guidance of the waters

Be ye steeds, O ye that are strong.

e Or the Wind thee, or man thee,

The seven and twenty swift ones;

They first yoked the steed;

They placed swiftness in it.

f Offspring of the waters, swift one, the towering onrushing wave most fain to win the prize, with it may he win the prize.

g Thou art the stepping of the All-Pervading, thou art the step of the All-Pervading, thou art the stride of the All-Pervading.

h May the two Ankas, the two Nyankas, which are on either side of the chariot,

Speeding on with the rushing wind,

The far-darting, powerful one, the winged one,

The fires which are furtherers, further us.

1.7.8

a On the instigation of God the Light-giver, through the Lord of Prayer, winner of the prize, may I win the prize.

b On the instigation of God the Light-giver, through the Lord of Prayer, winner of the prize, may I mount the highest vault.

c To the Mighty utter your voices, make the Mighty win the prize, the Mighty hath won the prize.

d O whip, strong, having strength for the prizes,

Do thou in the contests strengthen the steeds.

e The swift art thou, the runner, the strong.

f O steeds, hasten for the prize; conquer on the instigation of the storm-winds: measure ye the leagues; establish the ways; attain the goal.

g For each prize aid us, O ye steeds,

For the rewards, O ye wise, lasting, righteous ones;

Drink of this mead, rejoice in it;

Delighted go by paths on which the righteous go.

h May the swift coursers, who hear the call,

All hearken to our cry.

i Strong limbed, winning a thousand,

Eager to gain in the gaining of praise,

The steeds, which have won in the contests great prizes,

May they be propitious to us when we call.

k Strong limbed, good praisers,

Destroying the serpent, the wolf, the evil ones,

For ever may they remove from us evil.

l This steed speedeth his swift course,

Bound at the neck, the shoulder, and the mouth;

Displaying his strength the swift steed

Springeth along the bends of the ways.

m After him as he hasteneth in triumphant speed

Bloweth the wind as after the wing of the bird,

Of the impetuous eagle, (after him) the swift steed,

As in his might he crosseth the winding ways.

n May there come to me the instigation of strength;

May there come sky and earth with all healing;

Come to me father and mother;

May the provision of God come to me for lasting life.

o O ye steeds, prize winning, about to run for the prize, about to win the prize, do ye touch the portion of the Lord of Prayer.

p O ye steeds, prize winning, that have run for the prize, that have won the prize, do ye be pure in the portion of the Lord of Prayer.

q True hath been the compact

That ye did make with the Mighty.

r Ye have made the Mighty win the prize, O trees; now be ye loosed.

1.7.9

a Thou art the caul of the ruling class, thou art the womb of the ruling class.

b O spouse, come hither to the heaven; let us two mount! Yes, let us two mount the heaven; I will mount the heaven for us both.

c Strength, instigation, the later born, inspiration, heaven, the head, the Vyacniya, the offspring of the last, the last, the offspring of being, being, the overlord.

d May life accord with the offering, may expiration accord with the offering, may inspiration accord with the offering, may cross-breathing accord with the offering, may eye accord with the offering, may ear accord with the offering, may mind accord with the offering, may the body accord with the offering, may the offering accord with the offering.

e We have come to the heaven, to the righteous; we have become lasting; we have become the offspring of the Creator.

f May I be united with offspring, offspring with me; may I be united with increase of wealth, increase of wealth with me.

g For food thee! For proper food thee! For strength thee! For the conquering of strength thee!

h Thou art life-giving, thou art prospering, thou art begetting.

1.7.10

a The instigation of strength pressed in aforetime

This provision, the lord in the plants, in the waters;

Be they full of sweetness for us;

May we as chaplains watch over the kingship.

b The instigation of strength hath pervaded

This (world) and all these worlds on every side;

He goeth around knowing pre-eminence,

Increasing offspring and prosperity for us.

c The instigation of strength rested on this sky

And all these worlds as king;

May the wise one make the niggard to be generous,

And may he accord us wealth with all heroes.

d O Radiant One, speak to us;

To us be thou kindly disposed;

Further us, O lord of the world

Thou art the giver of wealth to us.

e May the Upholder of Covenants further us,

May the Giver of Shares, may the Lord of Prayer,

May the righteous, and the bounteous one;

May the blessed speech be bountiful to us.

f The Upholder of Covenants, the Lord of Prayer, the Mighty,

Impel to give us gifts,

Speech, the All-Pervading, the Giver of Speech,

And the strong Light-giver.

g The King, the provision, the All-Seeing,

The Radiant One, we grasp, the Sustainers, the All-Pervading, the Sun

And the Lord of Prayer, the scholar.

h On the instigation of God the Light-giver with the arms of the two Helpers, with the hands of the Nourisher, with the bond of the Giver of Speech, of speech, the binder, I anoint thee with the lordship of the Radiant One, with the lordship of the Mighty, of the Lord of Prayer I anoint thee.

1.7.11

The Radiant One with one syllable won speech; the two Helpers with two syllables won expiration and inspiration; the All-Pervading with three syllables won the three worlds; the Lord with four syllables won four-footed cattle; the Nourisher with five syllables won the five-fold metre; the Sustainer with six syllables won the six seasons; the storm-winds with seven syllables won the seven-footed metre; the Lord of Prayer with eight syllables won the Gayatri; the Friend with nine syllables won the threefold Stoma; the All-Seeing with ten syllables won the ten-fold metre; the Mighty with eleven syllables won the Tristubh; all the righteous with twelve syllables won the Jagati; the Bountiful with thirteen syllables won the thirteenfold Stoma; the Healers with fourteen syllables won the fourteenfold Stoma; the Sustainers with fifteen syllables won the fifteenfold Stoma; the earth with sixteen syllables won the sixteen-fold Stoma; the Creator with seventeen syllables won the seventeenfold Stoma.

1.7.12

a Thou art taken with a support; thee that sittest among men, that sittest in the wood, that sittest in the world, I take acceptable to the Mighty; this is thy birthplace; to the Mighty thee!

b Thou art taken with a support; thee that sittest in the waters, that sittest in the ghee, that sittest in the sky, I take acceptable to the Mighty; this is thy birthplace; to the Mighty thee!

c Thou art taken with a support; thee that sittest on the earth, that sittest on the atmosphere, that sittest on the vault, I take acceptable to the Mighty; this is thy birthplace; to the Mighty thee!

d The cups of the five folk,

Of which three are of highest birth,

(And for which) the divine cask has been forced out

Of these that have no handles

The food and strength have I seized;

This is thy birthplace; to the Mighty thee!

e The sap of the waters, the vigorous,

The ray of the sun that has been gathered,

The sap of the sap of the waters,

That of you I take which is the best;

This is thy birthplace; to the Mighty thee!

f By this shape producing mighty deeds,

He is dread, a broad way for gain,

He hath come to the top, bearing sweetness,

What time he moved a body in his own body.

g Thou art taken with a support; agreeable to the Creator I take thee; this is thy birthplace; to the Creator thee!

1.7.13

a The months, the woods,

The plants, the mountains,

The earth and sky in longing,

The waters, followed the Mighty on his birth.

b To thee hath been assigned for mighty power,

For ever, in the overcoming of the adversary,

All lordship, and all strength, O thou that art worthy of worship

In the overcoming of man by the righteous, O Mighty One.

c He who first born in his wisdom

Surpassed the powers in insight,

From whose breath the sky and earth recoiled,

In the greatness of his manhood, he, O ye men, is the Mighty.

d Hitherward be thy might with aid, O dread Mighty One,

What time the armies meet in combat,

And the arrow flieth from the arms of the strong men;

Let not thine anger spread on every side.

e Destroy us not; bring and give to us

That plenteous bounty which thou hast to give to the pious man,

For this new gift, this song we have sung to thee;

Let us speak forth in praise of the Mighty.

f Bring it to us, let none intercept it;

For we know thee as wealth lord of riches;

That mighty gift of thine, O Mighty One,

Vouchsafe it us, O lord of the bay steeds.

g With our oblation we summon

The Mighty, the giver;

Fill both thy hands with bounty;

Give to us from the left and the right.

h The giver, the bolt-bearer, the bull, the overpowering,

The impetuous, the king, slayer of the adversary, drinker of the provision,

Seated at this offering on the strewn grass,

Be thou health and wealth to the giver.

i The Mighty, the protector, the granter of aid with his aids;

All knowing, be kindly to us;

Let him restrain the enemy, let him make security,

May we be lords of strength.

k May we enjoy the favour of him the worshipful,

And also his loving kindness;

May the protector, the Mighty, the granter of aid,

For ever fend far from us the enemy.

l Rich banquets be ours from the Mighty,

With mighty strength,

Wherewith fed we may be glad.

m To the Mighty, here sing strength

To place his chariot in the front;

Even in conflict in battle he maketh wide room;

Slayer of foes in the contests

Be thou our comforter;

Let the feeble bowstrings

Of the others break on their bows.