1 I call the righteous of lofty glory for our weal, the makers of the light, well-skilled in worship;

Those who have waxen mightily, masters of all wealth, immortal, strengthening Law, whom the Mighty leads.

2 For the strong band of the winds will we frame a hymn: the chiefs shall bring forth worship for the host of the Mighty,

Who, sent by the Mighty and advised by the All-Seeing, have gotten for themselves a share of the sun's light.

3 May the Mighty with the good keep our dwelling safe, and mercy with the righteous lend us sure defence.

May the Healer with the healers favour us, and the Maker with the dames further us to success.

4 We call upon the Mighty, the Boundless, Heaven and Earth, the great eternal Law, God the All-Pervading in knowledge, the angels, and the lofty Sky.

We call upon the Lord for help, upon His angels and the powers He created, upon God the Light-giver of wondrous deeds.

5 With holy thoughts we call upon the Lord of Streams, the firm-lawed All-Seeing, the great Wind, the Nourisher, the All-Pervading, and the Twin Healers,

Lords of all wealth, deathless in His grace, furtherers of prayer: grant us a triply-guarding refuge from distress.

6 Strong be our worship, strong be the righteous, strong the preparers of offerings made for God's sake, strong the servants of God.

Mighty be Heaven and Earth, true to eternal Law, strong be the rain-cloud, strong be they who praise the Strong.

7 To win us strength I glorify the Mighty One, the Radiant and the Giver of provision, Mighty, whom many praise.

May He vouchsafe us shelter with a triple guard, He whom the strong have served in worship of God.

8 Potent, with firm-fixed laws, arranging worship, visiting solemn rites in the splendour of the day,

Obeying the Order, these whose leader is the Radiant, free from falsehood, poured the waters out when the drought was broken.

9 The righteous engendered, for their several duties, the heavens and earth, the waters, and the plants and trees.

They filled the firmament with heavenly light for help: they made the wish beautiful.

10 May the angels who bear up heaven, the skilful craftsmen, and the Wind and the rain-cloud of the thundering Bull,

The waters and the plants, promote the songs we sing: come, Giver of portions, Giver of gifts, to my call.

11 The river, the sea, the region, and the firmament, the thunder, and the ocean, the Unborn One's sign in the deep,

The Dragon of the Deep, shall listen to my words, and all the angels and princes shall give ear.

12 May we be Yours, we men, to entertain the righteous: further our worship and give it full success.

O Lord, Giver of good gifts, quicken the holy hymns which we are singing now.

13 I follow with success upon the path of Law the two heralds, the teachers of oldest time.

We pray to Him who dwelleth near, Guardian of the Field, to the Living One who is never remiss.

14 Vasistha's sons have raised their voices, like their sire, praying like seers to God for happiness.

Like friendly-minded kinsmen, come at our desire, O Lord, and shower treasures on us from above.

15 The Living One have I, Vasistha, praised, the One set on high above all other beings.

May He this day grant us wide space and freedom: O Lord, preserve us evermore with blessings.

HYMN LXVII. Brhaspati.

1 This holy hymn, sublime and sevenfold, sprung from eternal Law, our sire discovered.

Ayasya, friend of all men, hath engendered the fourth hymn as he sang his praise to God the Mighty.

2 Thinking aright, praising eternal Order, the sons of Heaven the Wise, those heroes,

The Angirases, holding the rank of sages, first honoured the holy statute of worship.

3 Girt by his friends who cried with swanlike voices, bursting the stony barriers of the prison,

The Lord of Prayer spake in thunder to the cattle, and uttered praise and song when he had found them.

4 Apart from one, away from two above him, he drove the kine that stood in bonds of falsehood.

The Lord of Prayer, seeking light amid the darkness, drove forth the bright cows: three he made apparent.

5 When he had cleft the lairs and western castle, he cut off three from him who held the waters.

The Lord of Prayer discovered, while he thundered like heaven, the dawn, the sun, the cow, the lightning.

6 As with a hand, so with his roaring God the Mighty cleft through the guardian of the cattle.

7 He with bright faithful friends, winners of booty, hath rent the milker of the cows asunder.

The Lord of Prayer with strong and mighty comrades, sweating with heat, hath gained a rich possession.

8 They, longing for the kine, with faithful spirit incited with their hymns the Lord of cattle.

The Lord of Prayer freed the radiant cows with comrades self-yoked, averting shame from one another.

9 In our assembly with auspicious praises exalting Him who roareth like a lion,

May we, in every fight where heroes conquer, rejoice in the strong Lord, the Victor.

10 When he had won him every sort of booty and gone to the heights of lofty mansions,

Men praised the Mighty Lord, bringing the light within their mouths from sundry places.

11 Fulfil the prayer that begs for vital vigour: aid in Your wonted manner even the humble.

Let all our foes be turned and driven backward. Hear this, O Heaven and Earth, ye All-producers.

12 God the Mighty with mighty strength cleft asunder the head of the watery monster,

Slew the serpent, and set free the Seven Rivers. O Heaven and Earth, with all the servants of God protect us.

HYMN LXVIII. Brhaspati.

1 Like birds who keep their watch, plashing in water, like the loud voices of the thundering rain-cloud,

Like merry streamlets bursting from the mountain, thus to the Lord of Prayer our hymns have sounded.

2 The son of the Angirases, meeting the cattle, brought in the Giver of portions and the Companion among us.

As Friend of men he decks the wife and husband: as for the race, O Lord of Prayer, nerve our coursers.

3 The Lord of Prayer, having won them from the mountains, strewed down, like barley out of winnowing-baskets,

The vigorous, wandering cows who aid the pious, desired of all, of blameless form, well-coloured.

4 As the sun dews with sweetness the seat of Order, and casts a flaming meteor down from heaven,

So from the rock the Lord of Prayer forced the cattle, and cleft the earth's skin as it were with water.

5 Forth from mid air with light he drove the darkness, as the gale blows a lily from the river.

Like the wind grasping at the cloud, the Lord of Prayer gathered to himself the cattle.

6 The Lord of Prayer, when he with fiery lightnings cleft through the weapon of reviling Vala,

Consumed him as tongues eat what teeth have compassed: he threw the prisons of the red cows open.

7 That secret name borne by the lowing cattle within the cave the Lord of Prayer discovered,

And drove, himself, the bright kine from the mountain, like a bird's young after the egg's disclosure.

8 He looked around on rock-imprisoned sweetness as one who eyes a fish in scanty water.

The Lord of Prayer, cleaving through with varied clamour, brought it forth like a bowl from out the timber.

9 He found the light of heaven, and fire, and morning: with lucid rays he forced apart the darkness.

As from a joint, the Lord of Prayer took the marrow of Vala as he gloried in his cattle.

10 As trees for foliage robbed by winter, Vala mourned for the cows the Lord of Prayer had taken.

He did a deed ne'er done, ne'er to be equalled, whereby the sun and moon ascend alternate.

11 Like a dark steed adorned with pearl, the forefathers have decorated heaven with constellations. They set the light in day, in night the darkness. The Lord of Prayer cleft the rock and found the cattle.

12 This homage have we offered to the Lord of the rain-cloud who thunders out to many in succession.

May this Lord of Prayer vouchsafe us fulness of life with kine and horses, men, and heroes.

HYMN LXIX. The Radiant.

1 Auspicious is the aspect of Vadhryasva's fire, good is its guidance, pleasant are its visitings.

When first the people of Sumitra kindle it, with butter poured thereon it crackles and shines bright.

2 Butter is that which makes Vadhryasva's fire grow strong: the butter is its food, the butter makes it fat.

It spreads abroad when butter hath been offered it, and balmed with streams of butter shines forth like the sun.

3 Still newest is this face of Thine, O Radiant One, which Manu and Sumitra have enkindled.

So richly shine, accept our songs with favour, so give us strengthening food, so send us glory.

4 Accept this offering, O Lord, whom aforetime Vadhryasva hath entreated and enkindled.

Guard well our homes and people, guard our bodies, protect the gift to us which You have granted.

5 Be splendid, guard us, Kinsman of Vadhryasva: let not the enmity of men o'ercome You.

Like the bold hero Cyavana, I, Sumitra, tell forth the title of Vadhryasva's Kinsman.

6 All treasures hast Thou won, of plains and mountains, and quelled the hatred of the enemy.

Like the bold hero Cyavana, O Lord, mayst Thou subdue the men who long for battle.

7 The Wise One hath a lengthened thread, tall oxen, a thousand heifers, numberless devices.

Decked by the men, splendid among the splendid, shine brightly forth amid devout Sumitras.

8 Thine is the teeming cow, O Knower of all that is born, who pours at once her ceaseless flow.

Thou art lit up by men enriched with gifts, O Lord, by the pious-souled Sumitras.

9 Even the angels, O Knower of all, Vadhryasva's Kinsman, have declared Thy grandeur.

When human tribes drew near with supplication Thou conqueredst with men whom Thou hadst strengthened.

10 Like as a father bears his son, O Lord, Vadhryasva bare thee in his lap and served thee.

Thou, Ever Young, having enjoyed his fuel, didst vanquish those of old though they were mighty.

11 Vadhryasva's fire evermore hath vanquished his foes with heroes who had pressed the sweet juice.

Lord of bright rays, Thou burntest up the battle, subduing, as our help, e'en mighty foemen.

12 This fire of Vadhryasva, the foe-slayer, lit from of old, must be invoked with homage.

As such assail our enemies, Vadhryasva, whether the foes be strangers or be kinsmen.

HYMN LXX. The Fire-hymn of Invitation.

1 Enjoy, O Radiant One, this my fuel, welcome the oil-filled ladle where we pour our offering.

Rise up for the worship of God, wise One, on the earth's height, while days are bright with beauty.

2 May he who goes before the angels come hither, the praiser of men.

May he, most godly, speed our offered gifts with homage Godward on the path of Order.

3 Men with offerings praise the constant Light, and pray him to perform a messenger's duty.

With lightly-rolling car and best draught-horses, bring the righteous hither and sit down as herald.

4 May the delight of the servants of God spread out transversely: may it be with us long in length and fragrant.

O holy grass, with friendly spirit bring the willing servants of God whose Chief is the Mighty.

5 Touch ye the far-extending height of heaven or spring apart to suit the wide earth's measure.

Yearning, ye Doors, with those sublime in greatness, seize eagerly the heavenly Car that cometh.

6 Here in this house may Dawn and Night, the daughters of Heaven, the skilful, be seated.

In your wide lap, auspicious, willing, may the righteous seat themselves with a willing spirit.

7 Up stands the stone, high burns the fire enkindled: the lap of the Boundless contains the Friendly Natures.

Ye two chief priests who serve at this our worship, may ye, more skilled, win for us rich possessions.

8 On our wide grass let the three be seated: for you have we prepared and made it pleasant.

May the Giver of nourishment taste, man-like, our worship and well-set gifts.