Truth is the base that bears the earth; by Surya are the heavens
upheld.
By Law the Adityas stand secure, and Soma holds his place in
heaven.
By Soma are the Adityas strong, by Soma mighty is the earth:
Thus Soma in the lap of all these constellations hath his home.
One thinks, when men have brayed the plant, that he hath drunk
the Soma's juice.
Of him whom Brahmans truly know as Soma never mortal eats.
When they begin to drink thee, then, O God, thou swellest out
again.
Vayu in Soma's sentinel. The month is that which shapes the
years.
Soma, preserved by covering rules, guarded by hymns in Brihati,
Thou standest listening to the stones; none tastes of thee who
dwells on earth.
Thought was her coverlet, the power of sight was unguent for her
eyes:
Her treasure-chest was earth and heaven, when Surya went unto
her lord.
Raibhi was her dear bridal friend, and Narasatisi led her home.
Lovely to see was Surya's robe: by Gatha beautified she moves
Songs were the cross-bars of the pole, Kurira metre docked her
head.
Both Asvins were the paranymphs: Agni was leader of the
train.
Soma was he who wooed the maid: the groomsmen were both.
Asvins, when
The Sun-God Savitar bestowed his willing Surya on her lord.
Her spirit was the bridal car, the canopy thereof was heaven:
Two radiant oxen formed the team when Surya came unto her
lord.
Steadily went the steers upheld by holy verse and song of praise,
The chariot-wheels were listening ears: thy path was tremulous
in the sky.
Pure, as thou wentest, were thy wheels, breath was the axle pier-
cing them.
Surya advancing to her lord rode on the chariot of her heart.
The bridal pomp of Surya, which Savitar started, moved along.
In Magha days are oxen slain, in Phalgunis they wed the bride.
When on your three-wheeled chariot, O ye Asvins, ye came as
suitors unto Surya's bridal,
Where was one chariot-wheel of yours? Where stood ye for the
sire's command?
Twin Lords of Lustre, at the time when ye to Surya's wooing
came,
Then all the Gods agreed to your proposal Pushan as son elected
you as father.
Two wheels of thine the Brahmans know, Surya! according to
their times.
That which is hidden only those who know the highest truths
have learned.
Worship we pay to Aryaman, finder of husbands, kindly friend.
As from its stalk a cucumber, from here I loose thee, not from
there
Hence and not thence I send her free. I make her softly fettered
there.
That, bounteous Indra! she may live blest in her fortune and
her sons.
Now from the noose of Varuna I free thee, where with the bless-
ed Savitar hath bound thee.
May bless be thine together with thy wooer in Order's dwelling,
in the world of virtue.
Let Bhaga take thy hand and hence conduct thee: let the two
Asvins on their car transport thee.
Go to the house to be the household's mistress, and speak as
lady to thy gathered people.
Happy be thou and prosper with thy children here: be vigilant
to rule the household in this home.
Closely unite thy body with this man thy lord. So shalt thou,
full of years, address thy company.
Be not divided; dwell ye here; reach the full time of human
life.
With sons and grandsons sport and play, rejoicing in your happy
home.
Moving by magic power from east to westward, these children
twain go sporting round the ocean.
The one beholds all creatures: thou, the other, art born anew,
duly arranging seasons.
Thou, born afresh, art new and new for ever; ensign of days,
before the Dawns thou goest.
Coming, thou orderest for Gods their portion. Thou lengthenest,
Moon, the days of our existence.
Give thou the wollen robe away: deal treasure to the Brahman-
priests.
This Witchery hath got her feet: the wife attendeth on her lord.
It turneth dusky-red: the witch who clingeth close is driven off.
Well thrive the kinsmen of this bride: the husband is bound
fast in bonds.
Unlovely is his body when it glistens with that wicked fiend,
What time the husband wraps about his limbs the garment of
his wife.
The butchering, the cutting-up, the severing of limb and joint--
Behold the forms which Surya wears: yet these the Brahman
purifies,
Pungent is this, bitter is this, filled as it were with arrow barbs,
empoisoned and not fit for use.
The Brahman who knows Surya well deserves the garment of
the bride.
The Brahman takes away the robe as a fair thing that brings good
luck.
He knows the expiating rite whereby the wife is kept unharmed.
Prepare, ye twain, happy and prosperous fortune, speaking the
truth in faithful utterances.
Dear unto her, Brihaspati, make the husband, and pleasant be
these words the wooer speaketh.
Remain ye even here and go no farther: strengthen this man, ye
Cows, with plenteous offspring.
May Dawns that come for glory, bright with Soma, here may all
Gods fix and enchant your spirits.
Come, O ye Cows, with offspring dwell around him: he doth not
stint the Gods' alloted portion.
To him, your friend, may Pushan, all the Maruts, to him may
Dhatar, Savitar send vigour.
Straight in direction be the paths, and thornless, whereby our
fellows travel to the wooing.
With Bhaga and with Aryaman Dhatar endue the pair with
strength!
Whatever lustre is in dice, whatever lustre is in wine,
Whatever lustre is in cows, Asvins, endue this dame therewith.
With all the sheen that balmeth wine, or thigh of female para-
mour,
With all the sheen that balmeth dice, even with this adorn the
dame.
He who in water shines unfed with fuel, whom sages worship in
their sacrifices.
May he, the Waters' Child, send us sweet waters those that en-
hanced the power of mighty Indra.
I cast away a handful here, hurtful, injurious to health.
I lift another handful up, sparkling and bringing happiness.
Hither let Brahmans bring her bathing water; let them draw
such as guards the lives of heroes.
Aryaman's fire let her encircle, Pushan! Fathers-in-law stand,
with their sons, expectant.
Blest be the gold to thee, and blest the water, blest the yoke's
opening, and blest the pillar.
Blest he the waters with their hundred cleansings: blest be thy
body's union with thy husband.
Cleansing Apala, Indra! thrice, thou gavest sunbright skin to
her
Drawn, Satakratu! through the hole of car, of wagon, and of
yoke.
Saying thy prayer for cheerfulness, children, prosperity, and
wealth,
Devoted to thy husband, gird thyself for immortality.
As vigorous Sindhu won himself imperial lordship of the
streams,
So be imperial queen when thou hast come within thy husband's
home.
Over thy husband's fathers and his brothers be imperial queen.
Over thy husband's sister and, his mother bear supreme control.
They who have spun, and woven, and extended Goddesses who
have drawn the ends together,
May they invest thee for full long existence. Heiress of lengthen-
ed life, endue this garment,
They mourn the living, they arrange the sacred rite: the men
have set their thoughts upon a distant cast:
They who have brought the Fathers this delightful gift, when
wives allowed their lords the joy of their embrace.
I place upon the lap of Earth the Goddess, a firm auspicious
stone to bring thee children.
Stand on it, thou, greeted with joy, resplendent: a long long
life may Savitar vouchsafe thee.
As Agni in the olden time took the right hand of this our Earth.
Even so I take and hold thy hand: be not disquieted, with me,
with children and with store of wealth.
God Savitar shall take thy hand, and Soma the King shall make
thee rich in goodly offspring,
Let Agni, Lord Omniscient, make thee happy, till old old age a
wife unto thy husband.
I take thy hand in mine for happy fortune that thou mayst reach
old age with me thy consort,
Gods, Aryaman, Bhaga, Savitar, Purandhi, have given thee to be
my household's mistress.
Bhaga and Savitar the God have clasped that hand of thine in
theirs,
By rule and law thou art my wife: the master of thy house am I.
Be it my care to cherish her: Brihaspati hath made thee mine.
A hundred autumns live with me thy husband, mother of my
sons!
Tvashtar, by order of the holy sages, hath laid on her Brihas-
pati's robe for glory,
By means of this let Savitar and Bhaga surround this dame, like
Surya, with her children.
May Indra-Agni, Heaven-Earth, Matarisvan, may Mitra-Varuna,
Bhaga, both the Asvins,
Brihaspati, the host of Maruts, Brahma, and Soma magnify this
dame with offspring.
It was Brihaspati who first arranged the hair on Surya's head,
And therefore, O ye Asvins, we adorn this woman for her lord.
This lovely form the maiden wears in spirit I long to look on
as my wife approaching,
Her will I follow with my nine companions. Who is the sage
that loosed the bonds that held her?
I free her: he who sees, within my bosom, my heart's nest
knows how her fair form hath struck me.
I taste no stolen food: myself untying Varuna's nooses I am
freed in spirit.
Now from the bond of Varuna I loose thee, wherein the blessed
Savitar hath bound thee.
O bride, I give thee here beside thy husband fair space and room
and pleasant paths to travel.
Lift up your weapons. Drive away the demons. Transport this
woman to the world of virtue.
Dilator, most wise, hath found for her a husband. Let him who
knows, King Bhaga, go before her.
Bhaga hath formed the four legs of the litter, wrought the four
pieces that compose the frame-work.
Tvashtar hath decked the straps that go across it, May it be
blest, and bring us happy fortune.
Mount this, all-hued. gold tinted, strong wheeled, fashioned of
Kinsuka, this chariot lightly rolling,
Bound for the world of life immortal, Surya! Made for thy
lord a happy bride's procession.
To us, O Varuna, bring her, kind to brothers; bring her, Brihas-
pati, gentle to the cattle.
Bring her, O Indra, gentle to her husband: bring her to us, O
Savitar, blest with children.
Hurt not the girl, ye Pillars twain upon the path which Gods
have made.
The portal of the heavenly home we make the bride's auspicious
road.
Let prayer he offered up before and after, prayer in the middle,
lastly, all around her.
Reaching the Gods' inviolable castle shine in thy lord's world
gentle and auspicious.