3 To Him I sing a holy prayer, incessant, new, matchless, common to the earth and heaven, who marks, as they were backs, all living creatures: ne'er doth He fail a friend, the noble Mighty One.

4 I will send forth my songs in flow unceasing, like water from the ocean's depth, to the Mighty,

Who to His car on both its sides securely hath fixed the earth and heaven as with an axle.

5 Rousing with draughts, the Shaker, rushing onward, impetuous, very strong, armed as with arrows;

Forest trees and all the bushes deceive not the Mighty with their offered likeness.

6 The sweet provision hath flowed to Him whom naught can equal, the earth, the heavens, the firmament, the mountains,

When heightened in His ire His indignation shatters the firm and breaks the strong in pieces.

7 As an axe fells the tree so He slew the foe, brake down the strongholds and dug out the rivers.

He cleft the mountain like a new-made pitcher. The Mighty brought forth the kine with His companions.

8 Wise art Thou, Punisher of guilt, O Mighty One. The sword lops limbs, Thou smitest down the sinner,

The men who injure, as it were a comrade, the lofty Law of the All-Seeing and the Friend.

9 Men who lead evil lives, who break agreements, and injure the All-Seeing, the Companion and the Friend,

Against these foes, O Mighty One, sharpen, as furious death, Thy bull of fiery colour.

10 The Mighty is Sovereign Lord of earth and heaven, the Mighty is Lord of waters and of mountains.

The Mighty is Lord of prosperers and sages; the Mighty must be invoked in rest and effort.

11 Vaster than days and nights, Giver of increase, vaster than firmament and flood of ocean,

Vaster than bounds of earth and wind's extension, vaster than rivers and our lands is the Mighty.

12 Forward, as herald of refulgent morning, let Thine insatiate arrow fly, O Mighty One,

And pierce, as 'twere a stone launched forth from heaven, with hottest blaze the men who love deception.

13 Him, verily, the moons, the mountains followed, the tall trees followed and the plants and herbage.

Yearning with love both worlds approached, the waters waited on Him when He first had being.

14 Where was the vengeful dart when Thou, O Mighty One, clavest the demon ever bent on outrage?

When fiends lay there upon the ground extended like cattle in the place of immolation?

15 Those who are set in enmity against us, waxen mighty,

Let blinding darkness follow those our foemen, while these shall have bright shining nights to light them.

16 May plentiful offerings of the people, and singing seers' holy prayers rejoice Thee.

Hearing with love this common invocation, come unto us, pass by all those who praise Thee.

17 O Mighty One, thus may we be made partakers of Thy new favours that shall bring us profit.

Singing with love, may we the Visvamitras win daylight even now through Thee.

18 Call we on the Bountiful, the auspicious Mighty One, best hero in the fight where spoil is gathered,

The Strong who listens, who gives aid in battles, who slays the foe, wins and gathers riches.

HYMN XC. The One Creator.

1 Countless are the heads, countless the eyes, countless the feet of those He created; on every side His knowledge and power encompass the earth, and nothing is hidden from Him.

2 He is the Lord of all that yet hath been and all that is to be;

The Lord of Immortality, who sustains His creation with provision.

3 So mighty is His greatness; yea, greater than this is He.

All creatures are His signs, and the life of the hereafter is with Him.

4 To Him the ascent is made: His creation was here below.

Thence His command went out to every side over what eats not and what eats.

5 From Him the vast creation was brought forth; by His command each being came to be.

As soon as it was born it spread eastward and westward o'er the earth.

6 When the righteous prepared their worship, devoting themselves wholly to God,

Its oil was spring, the holy gift was autumn; summer was the wood.

8 From His command all that is was gathered and brought into being.

He formed the creatures of the air, and animals both wild and tame.

9 From Him came the sacred verses and the chants:

Therefrom were the hymns produced; the sacred formulas had their birth from Him.

10 From Him were horses born, from Him all cattle with two rows of teeth:

From Him were generated kine, from Him the goats and sheep were born.

11 When mankind was divided, how many portions did they make?

What do they call their mouths, their arms? What do they call their thighs and feet?

12 The scholars are as the mouth, the rulers as the arms,

The traders as the thighs, the labourers as the feet: different callings, one humankind; the noblest before God is the most righteous.

13 The moon, the sun, the lights of the sky, the wind that blows: all these are His signs and servants, created by Him.

14 Mid-air and the sky, the earth and the regions: thus He formed the worlds.

16 The righteous worshipped God with worship: these were the earliest holy ordinances.

The mighty ones attained the height of heaven, where the righteous of old are dwelling.

HYMN XCI. The Radiant.

1 Brisk, at the place of worship, hymned by men who wake, our own familiar Friend is kindled in the house;

Herald of all offerings, worthy of our choice, Lord, beaming, trusty friend to one who loveth Him.

2 He, excellent in glory, guest in every house, finds like a swift-winged bird a home in every tree.

Benevolent to men, He scorns no living man: Friend to the tribes of men He dwells with every tribe.

3 Most sage with insight, passing skilful with Thy powers art Thou, O Lord, wise with wisdom, knowing all.

As Giver of good things, Thou alone art Lord of all good things, of all the treasures that the heavens and earth produce.

4 Foreknowing well, O Lord, Thou in the place of worship hast occupied Thy regular station balmed with oil.

Marked are Thy comings like the comings of the dawns, the rays of Him who shineth spotless as the sun.

5 Thy glories are, as lightnings from the rainy cloud, marked, many-hued, like heralds of the dawn's approach,

When, loosed to wander over plants and forest trees, Thou crammest by Thyself Thy food into Thy mouth.

6 Duly coming as their germ, the plants have received this light: the maternal waters have brought it to life.

So in like manner do the forest trees and plants bear it within them and produce it evermore.

7 When, sped and urged by wind, Thou spreadest Thee abroad, swift piercing through Thy food according to Thy will,

Thy never-ceasing blazes, longing to consume, like men on chariots, strive on every side.

8 The herald who fills the assembly full, Waker of knowledge, chief Controller of the thought,

Him, yea, none other than Thyself, doth man elect at worship great and small alike.

9 Here, the arrangers, those attached to Thee, elect Thee as their guide in sacred gatherings,

When men with strewn cut grass and gifts offer Thee entertainment, piously inclined.

10 Thine is the herald's task and cleanser's duly timed; Leader art Thou, and Kindler for the pious man.

Thou art Director, Thou the ministering guide: Thou art the Lord and Master in our home.

11 When mortal man presents to Thee, the Deathless, his fuel or his gift,

Then Thou art his helper, his messenger; Thou callest the righteous and orderest the worship.

12 From us these hymns in concert have gone forth to Him, these holy words, these verses, songs and eulogies,

Eager for wealth, to the Knower of all who fain would give wealth: when they have waxen strong they please their Strengthener.

13 This newest eulogy will I speak forth to Him, the Ancient One who loves it. May He hear our voice.

May it come near His heart and make it stir with love, as a fond well-dressed matron clings about her lord.

14 He in whom animals duly set apart are offered up for God's sake and shared with the poor,

To Him, the giver of sweet provision, the Disposer, with my heart I bring a fair hymn forth.

15 Into Thy mouth is poured the offering, O Lord, as drink into the cup, oil into the ladle.

Vouchsafe us wealth, strength-winning, blest with heroes, wealth lofty, praised by men, and full of splendour.

HYMN XCII. All the Powers.

1 Praise your Guide of worship, the Lord of men, Teacher of the tribes, refulgent, Guest of night.

Blazing amid dry plants, snatching amid the green, the Strong, the Holy Herald hath attained to heaven.

2 Him, the Radiant, the righteous and men have made their chief support, who drinks the fatness and completes the worship.

With kisses they caress the grandson of the red, like the swift ray of light, the household priest of dawn.

3 Yea, we discriminate his and the niggard's ways: his branches evermore are sent forth to consume.

When his terrific flames have reached the world of the Deathless, then men remember and extol the heavenly folk.

4 For then the net of Law, the sky, and the wide expanse, the earth, worship, and devotion meet for highest praise,

The All-Seeing, the Mighty, the Friend were of one accord, and the Light-giver and the Giver of portions, Lords of holy might.

5 Onward, with the ever-roaming Healer, speed the floods: over the Boundless One's gifts the mighty have they run.

With them the encircler, moving round his vast domain, loud bellowing, bedews all things that are within.

6 Straightway the storm-winds visiting all men, falcons of heaven, home-dwellers with the Wise,

The All-Seeing, the Friend, the Companion look on with these, and the swift-moving Mighty with swift-moving servants.

7 With the Mighty have they found enjoyment, they who toil, in the light's beauty, in the very Strong One's strength;

The singers who in men's assemblies forged for him, according to his due, his friend the thunderbolt.

8 Even the sun's bay coursers hath He held in check: each one fears the Mighty as the mightiest of all.

Unhindered, from the air's vault thunders day by day the loud triumphant breathing of the fearful Bull.

9 With humble adoration show this day your song of praise to the mighty Healer, Ruler of the brave:

With whom, the eager ones, going their ordered course, He comes from heaven self-bright, auspicious, strong to guard.

10 For these have spread abroad the fame of human kind, the Lord of Prayer and the brotherhood of the pious.

Atharvan first by worship made men sure: through skill the Bhrgus were esteemed of all.

11 For these, the earth and heaven with their abundant seed, the praiser of men, the Boundless, the Maker, the Bestower of wealth, the craftsmen, the storm-winds, the All-Pervading, claim and merit praise.

12 And may He too give ear, the Sage, from far away, the Dragon of the Deep, to this our yearning call.

Ye sun and moon who dwell in heaven and move in turn, and with your thought, O earth and sky, observe this well.

13 Dear to all the righteous, may the Nourisher guard the ways we go, the child of the waters and the wind help us to success.

Sing lauds for your great bliss to the wind, the breath of all: ye twin healers prompt to hear, hear this upon your way.

14 With hymns of praise we sing Him who is throned as Lord over these fearless tribes, the Self-resplendent One.

We praise Night's youthful Lord benevolent to men, the foeless One, the free, with all the heavenly folk.

15 By reason of His giving, Angiras first sang: the pressing-stones upraised beheld the worship,

The stones through which the sage became exceeding vast, and the sharp axe obtains in fight the beauteous place.

HYMN XCIII. All the Powers.

1 Mighty are ye, and far-extended, Heaven and Earth: both worlds are evermore to us like two young dames.