Vedic Hymns, Part I (SBE32): Vedic Hymns: VII, 59. To the... | Internet Sacred Text Archive

MANDALA VII, HYMN 59.

ASHTAKA V, ADHYÂYA 4, VARGA 29-30.

To the Maruts and Rudra.

1. Whom you protect again and again, O gods, and whom you lead, to him, O Agni, Varuna, Mitra, Aryaman, and Maruts, yield your protection.

2. He who sacrifices, O gods, overcomes his enemies by your protection on a happy day. He who gives to your delight, spreads forth his dwelling, spreads out much food.

3. This Vasishtha will not despise even the last among you, O Maruts; drink 1 all of you, to-day, at my libation here, full of desire.

4. Your help does not indeed fail that man in battle to whom you granted it, O men! Your newest favour has turned hither, come quick then, ye who wish to drink.

5. O ye whose gifts are cheering, come to drink the (juice of the Soma) flowers: these are your libations, O Maruts, for I gave them to you, do not go elsewhere!

6. Sit down on our altar and protect 1 us, to give us brilliant riches. O Maruts, who never miss the Soma mead, hail to you here to enjoy yourselves.

7. Having adorned their bodies, the swans with dark blue backs came flying in secret 1—the whole flock sat down all around me, like gay men, delighting in the Soma offering.

8. O Maruts, that hateful man who beyond our thoughts tries to hurt us, O Vasus, may he catch the snares of Drub, kill him with your hottest bolt!

9. O you Maruts, full of heat, here is the libation; be pleased to accept it, O you who destroy the enemies by your help 1.

10. O you who accept the domestic sacrifices 1, come hither, O Maruts, do not keep away, you who are bounteous by your help 2.

11. O Maruts, strong and wise, with sun-bright skins, I choose the sacrifice for you here and there 1

12. We sacrifice to Tryambaka 1, the sweet-scented, wealth-increasing (Rudra). May I be detached from death, like a gourd from its stem, but not 2 from the immortal 3.

NOTES.

Ascribed to Vasishtha. Verse 12 addressed to Rudra.

Verse 3 occurs SV. I, 241; verse 8, AV. VII, 77, 2; TS. IV, 3, 13, 3; MS. IV, 10, 5; verse 9, AV. VII, 77, 1; TS. IV, 3, 13, 3; MS. IV, 10, 5; verse 10, TS. IV, 3, 13, 5; MS. IV, 10, 5; verse 11, TÂ. I, 4, 3; MS. IV, 10, 3; verse 12, VS. III, 60; AV. XIV, 1, 17; TS. I, 8, 6, 2; MS. I, 10, 4; TA. X, 56; Sat. Br. II, 6, 2, 12.

Metre, 1, 3, 5 Brihatî; 2, 4, 6 Satobrihatî; 7, 8 Trishtubh; 9, 10, 11 Gâyatrî; 12 Anushtubh.

Verse 2.

With pâda a compare I, 110, 7; with c and d, VIII, 27, 16.

Verse 3.

Note 1. SV. has pibantu, and as a various reading the comment. gives pivanta. Suté sákâ is a standing phrase.

Verse 6.

Note 1. I cannot see how avitá can stand for avishta (Delbrück, Verb, 186; Whitney, Gram. § 908). I translate as if the text gave ávatâ.

Verse 7.