Prapāṭhaka 2

2.1 I, ever-giving, call upon you much, O Agni — truly yours. Like a refuge from the sharp thorn, you are a shelter of greatness.

2.2 Carry forth the ancient word, great and primal, to Agni the Hotṛ. Like a sage bearing the lights of the waters, he is the wise ordainer.

2.3 O Agni, lord of wealth rich in cattle, O son of strength — grant to us, O Jātavedas, great renown.

2.4 O Agni, most worthy of worship at the rite, sacrifice to the gods for the god-seeking worshipper. The Hotṛ, gladdening, shines forth, dispelling failures.

2.5 Born, he sought wisdom from the seven mothers for glory. This one, firm and steadfast among riches, became discerning.

2.6 And may this thought of ours, Aditi, come to us by day with her aid. May she, bringing peace, grant us delight and drive away failures.

2.7 Praise him indeed, worship Jātavedas who faces all directions — whose smoke moves freely, whose flame cannot be grasped.

2.8 No mortal foe can overcome him, whether by craft or cunning, who has given offering to Agni, the receiver of oblations.

2.9 Drive away that crooked foe, that thief, O Agni, that ill-minded one. Make the path easy, far away from him, O lord of the good.

2.10 Hear, O Agni, my new hymn of praise, O hero, lord of peoples. Burn down with your heat the deceitful demons.

2.11 Praises go up to Agni.

2.12 He, O Agni, crosses over with your aids, with good heroes, with prize-winning deeds — he whose friendship you have cherished.

2.13 Honour him, the swift golden one; the gods have sent the divine messenger onward. You carry the oblation to the gods.

2.14 Let not Agni, the wealth-giving guest, much-praised and ruling, be wrathful with us — he who is the good Hotṛ, the one of excellent rites.

2.15 Auspicious is Agni when invoked for us, auspicious is his gift, O blessed one; auspicious is the rite, and auspicious too are the praises.

2.16 We have chosen you, most worthy of worship, divine Hotṛ among the gods, immortal — of good purpose for this sacrifice.

2.17 O Agni, bring that splendour which, conquering all, sits in the abode, overcoming every devourer — the wrath of the ill-minded among people.

2.18 Or when the lord of the clan, sharp and well-pleased, guards the tribe of Manu — then Agni of all things repels the demons.

2.19 Sing that for him, when the Soma is pressed, together, to the much-invoked hero — as a blessing, like to the able bull for the cow.

2.20 That rapture of yours, O Indra of a hundred powers, which is most radiant — with that rapture exhilarate us now.

2.21 The cows low near the great trough, the prize-giver of the sacrifice, with both its golden ears.

2.22 Sing fittingly for the horse, for the famous one of the shoulder-strap, and for the cow — fittingly for the dwelling of Indra.

2.23 We speed on Indra, great for the slaying of Vṛtra. May he be the bull, the virile one.

2.24 You, O Indra, were born above strength, from might and vigour. You, winning as a bull, are the bull indeed.

2.25 The sacrifice strengthened Indra when he rolled back the earth and made an attachment in the sky.

2.26 O Indra, if I were as you, the sole lord of wealth — then my singer would be the companion of my cattle.

2.27 O pressers, hasten again and again, worthy of praise, for the exhilarating drink — Soma for the hero, for the champion.

2.28 O Vasu, drink this pressed Soma-juice with a well-filled belly. We have granted it to you without fear.

2.29 You travel, O Sun, as the unsetting one.

2.30 Whatever you rise over today, O Vṛtra-slayer, O Sun shining upon all — all that, O Indra, is under your will.

2.31 He who led Turvaśa and Yadu from the distant land with good guidance — that Indra is our ever-young companion.

2.32 O Indra, let not the sun restrain us from any direction in the night. With you as ally may we win that.

2.33 O Indra, bring the winning wealth, conquering and ever-victorious, the most abundant, for our aid.

2.34 We call upon Indra in the great battle for great wealth, and Indra in the small — the thunderbolt-wielder, the yoke-fellow in conflicts.

2.35 Indra drank the pressed Soma of the Kadrū plant at the thousand-armed one's feast. There he declared his heroic might.

2.36 We who desire you, O Indra, call out to you again and again, O bull. Know yourself as ours, O lord of wealth.

2.37 Those who kindle Agni and strew the sacred grass in order — Indra is the ever-young companion of such men.

2.38 Break all enmities, repel the pressures on every side, slay the scorners. Then bring the desirable wealth.

2.39 They adorn the wondrous path downward.

2.40 These Soma-pressing companions gaze upon you, O Indra — as those rich in cattle watch over the animal.

2.41 Before the wrath of that one, all peoples and all tribes bow down — as rivers bow to the ocean.

2.42 The great help of the gods — that we choose for ourselves; the aid of the bountiful bulls, for our protection.

2.43 Make the Soma-cups resound, O Lord of Prayer. May the Auśija, he of the armpit, Kakṣīvant, be your Soma-drinker.

2.44 Let the Vṛtra-slayer of many pressings be alert in mind for us. May the mighty Śakra hear the blessing.

2.45 O divine Savitṛ, today impel auspicious fortune for us together with progeny. Drive away ill dreams.

2.46 Where is this young bull, thick-necked and unbowing? What Brahmin priest serves him with devotion?

2.47 In the hidden place of the mountains and at the confluence of the rivers, the wise one was born through inspired thought.

2.48 Let the praiser sing forth, with fresh songs, Indra the sovereign of all peoples, the hero, the vanquisher of men, the most bountiful.

2.49 He drank with his jaw the Soma juice of him of beautiful jaw, the well-skilled one who pours offerings — Indra indeed is Indra, the barley-mixed.

2.50 These songs, O Wealthy One, resound toward you in praise — like milch-cows lowing toward their calf.

2.51 Here indeed they found the secret name of the cow belonging to Tvaṣṭṛ — thus in the house of the Moon.

2.52 When Indra, unhindered and most showering, led forth the great waters, there Pūṣan was present at his side.

2.53 The shining cow gives suck — she who is glory-seeking, the mother of the Maruts, the generous ones, harnessed as the bearer of the chariots.

2.54 Come to us with your tawny steeds to the pressed soma, O Lord of raptures — come to us with your tawny steeds to the pressed soma.

2.55 The desired priestly libations have been poured forth, magnifying Indra at the rite — toward the concluding bath with vigor.

2.56 I alone have grasped from the Father the wisdom of immortality — I was born like the sun.

2.57 Let our joint festival-joys in Indra be rich, abundantly strong — rich in wealth, by which we may rejoice.

2.58 Soma and Pūṣan, perceivers of all good dwellings, are yoked as charioteers in the divine realm.

2.59 The all-conquering, hundred-powered, most bountiful one among men.

2.60 Sing forth for Indra the exhilarating hymn, O friends — for the tawny-steeded, soma-drinking one.

2.61 We indeed, O Indra, for that very purpose — friends devoted to you — the Kaṇvas grow old praising you with recitations.

2.62 For Indra, for his exhilaration, let our songs resound around the pressed soma — let the singers worship with the hymn.

2.63 This soma of yours, O Indra, is purified upon the sacred grass — come, hasten here, drink of it.

2.64 For aid we invoke the beautiful craftsman, as a milker milks a good-milking cow — day by day we call.

2.65 O Bull, toward you I pour the pressed soma upon the pressing-stones for your drinking — be satisfied, spread your exhilaration wide.

2.66 The soma that is poured for you, O Indra, in the cups and in the vessels — you are the lord over drinking of it.

2.67 At each yoking we call upon the most powerful, at each prize-contest — friends calling Indra for his aid.

2.68 Come here, sit down, and sing forth to Indra — O friends who bring the hymns of praise.

2.69 Drink, O you who are delighted by songs.

2.70 Great is Indra, and before us too let greatness belong to the thunderbolt-bearer — his might is broad like the sky.

2.71 Come now, O Indra, seize and gather for us the splendid, wealth-rich prize — with your great right hand.

2.72 Praise and sing forth to Indra the lord of the mountain-cows as you know him — the son of Truth, the true lord.

2.73 By what means shall the wondrous one, the ever-growing friend, come to us in aid — accompanied by what most powerful deed?

2.74 That altogether-conquering one, stretched forth in all your songs — set him in motion for your aid.

2.75 For the wonderful lord of the assembly hall, the dear and beloved one of Indra, I have sought the winning of wisdom.

2.76 Those paths of yours that are beneath the sky, by which you sent forth Vyaśva — may the worlds hear us too.

2.77 Bring to us blessings upon blessings, food and strength, O Hundred-powered — when you, O Indra, show us grace.

2.78 This soma has been pressed — the Maruts drink of it, and likewise the self-ruling Aśvins.

2.79 Winning for themselves great heroic strength.

2.80 We do not diminish the gods, we do not obstruct anything — we walk in the hearing of sacred utterance.

2.81 Evening has come — sing the great song, the bright song, O descendant of Atharvan — praise the god Savitṛ.

2.82 This Dawn, unprecedented, the dear one of the sky, shines forth — I praise the two lovely Aśvins greatly.

2.83 Indra, unapproachable, with the bones of Dadhīca smote the obstacles — ninety-nine he slew.

2.84 Come, O Indra, exhilarate yourself with all the soma-pressings — the great one, powerful in conquest.

2.85 Come, O Indra, slayer of Vṛtra, come to our side — the great one with great aids.

2.86 His might gleams in that — when he rolled both together, Indra spread the two worlds apart like a hide.

2.87 This one is like a pigeon carrying an embryo toward you, O equal one — do you not carry that speech for us?

2.88 May the Wind blow its medicine, bringing peace and joy to our heart — may it extend our life-spans for us.

2.89 That person is not deceived by anyone.

2.90 As before with cattle, with horses, and with chariots — honor us with the bounty of the great ones.

2.91 These dappled cows of yours, O Indra, milk clarified butter mixed with milk — swollen full with the immortal.

2.92 By this thought and by the prayer for cattle, O much-named, much-praised one — when you, O Soma, arose as Soma.

2.93 May Sarasvatī, pure, rich in nourishment, possessing strength — she who is wealthy in prayer — desire our sacrifice.

2.94 Who among the Nahuṣa-folk would satisfy Indra here with soma? Let him bring us riches.

2.95 Come here — for the way is good for you, O Indra — drink this soma; this sacred grass is my seat.

2.96 Great and lowest among the three, gleaming in the sky — the might of Mitra and Aryaman, and the unconquerable power of Varuṇa.

2.97 We, O Indra, O much-wealthy one, O guide, are yours — we stand as holders of your tawny steeds.