6 Most near, most oft comes the Mighty One with protection, and she Sarasvati, who swells with rivers; the Giver of rain, bringing health with herbs, and the Radiant One, well lauded, swift to listen, like a father.

7 Hear this mine invocation; come hither, O Universal Powers, be seated on this holy grass.

8 To him who comes to meet you, O angels, with offerings bathed in holy oil, approach ye, one and all, to him.

9 All angels shall listen to the songs we sing, and be exceeding good to us.

10 May all the powers who strengthen Law, with Rtus, listening to our call, be pleased with their appropriate share.

11 May the Mighty One, with the Marut host, with Tvastar, the Friend, the Companion, accept the laud and these our gifts.

12 O God the Radiant, Priest, as rules ordain, offer this worship of ours, remembering the Heavenly Folk.

13 Listen, All-powers, to this mine invocation, ye who inhabit heaven, and air's mid-regions, all ye, O Holy Ones, whose tongue is the Radiant One, seated upon this sacred grass, be joyful.

14 May the All-powers who claim our honour hear my thought; may the two World-halves hear it, and the Waters' Child. Let me not utter words that ye may disregard. Closely allied with you may we rejoice in bliss.

15 And those who, Mighty, with the wiles of serpents, were born on earth, in heaven, where waters gather, may they vouchsafe us life of full duration. May the righteous kindly give us nights and mornings.

16 At this my call, O Radiant One and Giver of rain, help, swift to hear, my thought and our laudation. One generates holy food, the other offspring, so grant us food enough with store of children.

17 When holy grass is strewn and fire enkindled, with hymn and lowly homage I invite you. All-powers, today in this our great assembly rejoice, ye Holy, in the gifts we offer.

HYMN LIII. God the Guardian of the Path.

1 Lord of the path, O Guardian, we have yoked and bound Thee to our hymn, even as a car, to win the prize.

2 Bring us the wealth that men require, a manly master of a house, free-handed with the liberal meed.

3 Even him who would not give, do Thou, O glowing One, urge to give, and make the niggard's soul grow soft.

4 Clear paths that we may win the prize; scatter our enemies afar. Strong God, be all our thoughts fulfilled.

5 Penetrate with an awl, O Sage, the hearts of avaricious churls, and make them give willingly.

6 Thrust with Thine awl, O Guardian: seek that which the niggard's heart holds dear, and make him give willingly.

7 Tear up and rend in pieces, Sage, the hearts of avaricious churls, and make them give willingly.

8 Thou, glowing Guardian, carriest an awl that urges men to prayer; therewith do Thou tear up and rend to shreds the heart of every one.

9 Thou bearest, glowing Lord! a goad with horny point that guides the cows: thence do we seek Thy gift of bliss.

10 And make this hymn of ours produce kine, horses, and a store of wealth for our delight and use as men.

HYMN LIV. God the Guardian of the Path.

1 O Guardian, bring us to the man who knows, who shall direct us straight, and say unto us, It is here.

2 May we go forth with the Guardian who shall point the houses out to us, and say to us, These same are they.

3 Unharmed is the Guardian's chariot wheel; the box ne'er falleth to the ground, nor doth the loosened felly shake.

4 The Guardian forgetteth not the man who serveth Him with offered gift: that man is first to gather wealth.

5 May the Guardian follow near our kine; may the Guardian keep our horses safe: may the Guardian gather gear for us.

6 Follow the kine of him who pours offerings out and worships Thee; and ours who sing Thee songs of praise.

7 Let none be lost, none injured, none sink in a pit and break a limb. Return with these all safe and sound.

8 The Guardian who listens to our prayers, the Strong whose wealth is never lost, the Lord of riches, we implore.

9 Secure in Thy protecting care, O Guardian, never may we fail. We here are they who sing Thy praise.

10 From out the distance, far and wide, may the Guardian stretch His right hand forth, and drive our lost again to us.

HYMN LV. God the Guardian of the Path.

1 Son of Deliverance, come, bright God! Let us twain go together: be our charioteer of worship.

2 We pray for wealth to Thee most skilled of charioteers, with braided hair, Lord of great riches, and our Friend.

3 Bright God whose steeds are goats, Thou art a stream of wealth, a treasure-heap, the Friend of every pious man.

6 May the sure-footed goats come nigh, conveying the Guardian on His car, the God who visiteth mankind.

HYMN LVI. God the Guardian of the Path.

1 Whoso remembers the Guardian as eater of mingled curd and meal need think no more upon the God.

2 And He is best of charioteers. The Mighty One, the hero's Lord, allied with Him as Friend, destroys the foes.

3 And there the best of charioteers hath guided through the speckled cloud the golden wheel of the Sun's car.

4 Whate'er we speak this day to Thee, Wise, Wondrous God whom many praise, give Thou fulfilment of our thought.

5 Lead on this company of ours, that longs for kine, to win the spoil: Thou, Guardian, art renowned afar.

6 Prosperity we crave from Thee, afar from sin and near to wealth, tending to perfect happiness both for tomorrow and today.

HYMN LVII. The Mighty One and the Guardian of the Path.

1 The Mighty One and the Guardian will we call for friendship and prosperity and for the winning of the spoil.

2 One accepts the offering that the mortar hath expressed: the other longs for curd and meal.

3 Goats are the team that draws the one: the other hath Bay Steeds at hand; with both of these He slays the fiends.

4 When the Mighty One, wondrous strong, brought down the streams, the mighty water-floods, the Guardian was standing by His side.

5 To this, to the Guardian's favouring love, and the Mighty One's, may we closely cling, as to a tree's extended bough.

6 As one who drives a car draws in his reins, may we draw the Guardian near, and the Mighty One, for our great success.

HYMN LVIII. God the Guardian of the Path.

1 Like heaven art Thou: one form is bright, one holy, like Day and Night dissimilar in colour. All wise powers Thou aidest, self-dependent! Auspicious be Thy bounty here, O Guardian.

2 Goat-borne, the guard of cattle, He whose home is strength, inspirer of the hymn, set over all the world; brandishing here and there His lightly-moving goad, beholding every creature, the Guardian, God, goes forth.

3 O Guardian, with Thy golden ships that travel across the ocean, in the air's mid-region, Thou goest on an embassy to the Sun, desirous of the glory.

HYMN LIX. God the Mighty and the Radiant.

1 I will declare, while offerings flow, the manly deeds that ye have done: the enemies of the righteous were smitten down, and, Mighty and Radiant One, ye survive.

3 These who delight in flowing juice, like fellow horses at their food, the Mighty and the Radiant, armed with the thunderbolt, we call this day to come with help.

4 Mighty and Radiant, Friends of Law, served with rich gifts, your speech is kind to him who praises you while these offerings flow: that man, O Powers, ye ne'er consume.

5 What mortal understands, O Powers, Mighty and Radiant One, this your way? One of you, yoking Steeds that move to every side, advances in your common car.

6 First, Mighty and Radiant One, hath this Maid come footless unto those with feet. Stretching her head and speaking loudly with her tongue, she hath gone downward thirty steps.

7 Even now, O Mighty and Radiant One, men hold in their arms and stretch their bows. Desert us not in this great fray, in battles for the sake of kine.

8 The foeman's sinful enmities, Mighty and Radiant One, vex me sore. Drive those who hate me far away, and keep them distant from the Sun.

9 Mighty and Radiant One, yours are all the treasures of the heavens and earth. Here give ye us the opulence that prospers every living man.

10 O Mighty and Radiant One, who accept the laud, and hear us for our praise, come near us, drawn by all our songs, to accept this our offering.

HYMN LX. God the Mighty and the Radiant.

1 He slays the foe and wins the spoil who worships the Mighty and the Radiant One, strong and mighty Heroes, who rule as Sovrans over ample riches, victorious, showing forth their power in conquest.

2 So battle now, O Mighty One and Thou, Radiant One, for cows and waters, sunlight, stolen Mornings. Team-borne, Thou makest kine Thine own, O Radiant One: Thou, Mighty One, light, Dawns, regions, wondrous waters.

3 With Vrtra-slaying might, Mighty and Radiant One, come, drawn by homage, O ye Vrtra-slayers. Mighty and Radiant One, show yourselves among us with your supreme and unrestricted bounties.

4 I call the Twain whose deeds of old have all been famed in ancient days: O Mighty and Radiant One, harm us not.

5 The Strong, the scatterers of the foe, the Mighty and the Radiant we invoke; may they be kind to one like me.

6 They slay our Arya foes, these Lords of heroes, slay our Dasyu foes and drive our enemies away.

7 Mighty and Radiant One, these our songs of praise have sounded forth to you: ye who bring blessings! accept the offering.

8 Come, Mighty and Radiant One, with those teams, desired of many, which ye have, O Heroes, for the worshipper.

9 With those to this offering poured, ye Heroes, Mighty and Radiant One, come: come ye to accept the offering.

10 Glorify Him who compasses all forests with His glowing flame, and leaves them blackened with His tongue.

11 He who gains the bliss of the Mighty One with fire enkindled finds an easy way over the floods to happiness.

12 Give us fleet coursers to convey the Mighty and the Radiant One, and bestow abundant strengthening food on us.

13 Mighty and Radiant One, I will call you hither and make you joyful with the gifts I offer. Ye Twain are givers both of food and riches: to win me strength and vigour I invoke you.

14 Come unto us with riches, come with wealth in horses and in kine. Mighty and Radiant One, we invoke you both, as Friends for friendship, bringing bliss.

15 Mighty and Radiant One, hear his call who worships, with offerings poured. Come and enjoy the gifts, accept the sweetly-flavoured offering.

HYMN LXI. The River Sarasvati.

1 To Vadhryasva when he honoured God with gifts, God gave, by the river Sarasvati, fierce Divodasa, canceller of debts. Consumer of the churlish niggard, one and all, are these effectual boons of God by Sarasvati.

2 She with her might, like one who digs for lotus-stems, hath burst with her strong waves the ridges of the hills. Let us invite with songs and holy hymns for help the river Sarasvati who slayeth the Paravatas.

3 Thou castest down, O Sarasvati, those who scorned the righteous, the brood of every Brsaya skilled in magic arts. Thou hast discovered rivers for the tribes of men, and, rich in wealth! made poison flow away from them.

4 May the river Sarasvati, rich in her wealth, protect us well, furthering all our thoughts with might.

5 Whoso, O Sarasvati, invokes God where the prize is set, like the Mighty One when He smites the foe.

6 Aid us, Sarasvati, thou who art strong in wealth and power; like the Guardian, give us opulence.

7 Yea, this Sarasvati, terrible with her golden path, foe-slayer, claims our eulogy.

8 Whose limitless unbroken flood, swift-moving with a rapid rush, comes onward with tempestuous roar.

9 She hath spread us beyond all foes, beyond her Sisters, Holy One, as the Sun spreadeth out the days.

10 Yea, she most dear amid dear streams, Seven-sistered, graciously inclined, Sarasvati hath earned our praise.

11 Guard us from hate, Sarasvati, thou who hast filled the realms of earth, and that wide tract, the firmament!

12 Seven-sistered, sprung from threefold source, the Five Tribes' prosperer, she must be invoked in every deed of might.

13 Marked out by majesty among the Mighty Ones, in glory swifter than the other rapid Streams, created vast for victory like a chariot, Sarasvati must be extolled by every sage.

14 Guide us, O God, to glorious treasure: refuse us not Thy milk, nor spurn us from Thee. Gladly accept our friendship and obedience: let us not go from Thee to distant countries.

HYMN LXII. The Asvins.

1 Laud the Heroes Twain, this heaven's Controllers: singing with songs of praise I call the Asvins, fain in a moment, when the morns are breaking, to part the earth's ends and the spacious regions.

2 Moving to worship through realms of lustre they light the radiance of the car that bears them. Traversing many wide unmeasured spaces, over the wastes ye pass, and fields, and waters.

3 Ye to that bounteous path of yours, ye mighty, have ever borne away our thoughts with horses, mind-swift and full of vigour, that the trouble of man who offers gifts might cease and slumber.

4 So ye, when ye have yoked your chariot-horses, come to the hymn of the most recent singer. Our true and ancient Herald Priest shall bring you, the Youthful, bearing splendour, food, and vigour.

5 With newest hymn I call those Wonder-Workers, ancient and brilliant, and exceeding mighty, bringers of bliss to him who lauds and praises, bestowing varied bounties on the singer.

6 So ye, with birds, out of the sea and waters bore Bhujyu, son of Tugra, through the regions. Speeding with winged steeds through dustless spaces, out of the bosom of the flood they bore him.

7 Victors, car-borne, ye rent the rock asunder: Bulls, ye heard the calling of the eunuch's consort. Bounteous, ye filled the cow with milk for Sayu: thus, swift and zealous Ones, ye showed your favour.

8 Whate'er from olden time, Heaven, Earth! existeth great object of the wrath of the righteous and of mortals, make that, Adityas, Vasus, servants of God the Healer, an evil brand to one allied with demons.

9 May he who knows, as the All-Seeing and the Friend, air's realm, appointing both the Kings in season, against the secret fiend cast forth his weapon, against the lying words that strangers utter.

10 Come to our home with friendly wheels, for offspring; come on your radiant chariot rich in heroes. Strike off, ye Twain, the heads of our assailants who with man's treacherous attack approach us.

11 Come hitherward to us with teams of horses, the highest and the midmost and the lowest. Bountiful Lords, throw open to the singer doors even of the firm-closed stall of cattle.

HYMN LXIII. The Asvins.

1 Where hath the hymn with reverence, like an envoy, found both fair ones today, invoked of many? Hymn that hath brought the two Nasatyas hither? To this man's thought be ye both most friendly.

2 Come readily to this mine invocation, lauded with songs, that ye may accept the offerings. Compass this house to keep it from the foeman, that none may force it, either near or distant.

3 Offering in wide room hath been prepared to feast you: for you the grass is strewn, most soft to tread on. With lifted hands your servant hath honoured you. Yearning for you the press-stones shed the liquid.

4 The fire uplifts itself at your worship: forth goes the offering dropping oil and glowing. Up stands the grateful-minded priest, elected, appointed to invoke the two Nasatyas.

7 May your winged coursers, best to draw, Nasatyas! convey you to the object of your wishes. Swift as the thought, your car hath been sent onward to food of many a sort and dainty viands.

8 Lords of great wealth, manifold is your bounty: ye filled our cow with food that never faileth. Lovers of sweetness! yours are praise and singers, and poured offerings which have sought your favour.

9 Mine were two mares of Puraya, brown, swift-footed; a hundred with Sumidha, food with Peruka Sandana gave ten gold-decked and well-trained horses, tame and obedient and of lofty stature.

10 Nasatyas! Purupanthas offered hundreds, thousands of steeds to him who sang your praises, gave, Heroes! to the singer Bharadvaja. Ye Wonder-Workers, let the fiends be slaughtered.

11 May I with princes share your bliss in freedom.