MANDALA I, HYMN 27.

ASHTAKA I ADHYAYA 2, VARGA 22-24.

A.

1. With reverence I shall worship thee who art long-tailed like a horse, Agni, the king of worship.

2. May he, our son of strength , proceeding on his broad way, the propitious, become bountiful to us.

3. Thus protect us always, thou who hast a full life, from the mortal who seeks to do us harm , whether near or afar.

4. And mayest thou, O Agni, announce to the gods this our newest efficient Gayatra song.

5. Let us partake of all booty that is highest and that is middle (i. e. that dwells in the highest and in the middle world); help us to the wealth that is nearest.

6. O god with bright splendour, thou art the distributor. Thou instantly flowest for the liberal giver in the wave of the river, near at hand.

B.

7. The mortal, O Agni, whom thou protectest in battles, whom thou speedest in the races , he will command constant nourishment:

8. Whosoever he may be, no one will overtake him, O conqueror (Agni)! His strength is glorious.

9. May he (the man), known among all tribes , win the race with his horses; may he with the help of his priests become a gainer.

C.

10. O Garabodha ! Accomplish this (task) for every house : a beautiful song of praise for worshipful Rudra .

11. May he, the great, the immeasurable, the smoke-bannered, rich in splendour, incite us to (pious) thoughts and to strength.

12. May he hear us, like the rich lord of a clan, the banner of the gods, on behalf of our hymns, Agni with bright light.

13. Reverence to the great ones, reverence to the lesser ones! Reverence to the young, reverence to the old ! Let us sacrifice to the gods, if we can. May I not, O gods, fall as a victim to the curse of my better .

NOTES.

The hymn is ascribed to Sunahsepa (see note on I, 26). The metre is Gayatri; the last verse is Trishtubh.

The laws of arrangement of the Samhita show that this hymn, which has thirteen verses and follows after a hymn of ten verses belonging to the same deity, must be divided into a number of minor hymns. On the question of this division some further light is thrown by the metre. The first six verses and then again the verses 10-12 are composed in the trochaic form of the Gayatri metre; of the verses 7-9, on the other hand, not a single Pada shows the characteristics of that metre. I believe, therefore, that the verses 1-6 form one hymn by themselves, or possibly two hymns of three verses each. Then follow two hymns: verses 7-9, 10-12. As to verse 13, which is composed in a different metre, it is difficult to determine its exact nature. It may be a later addition: though in that case