Books / Atharv Veda

10. Atharv Veda — Kanda 10

Kanda 10 (Part 1)

✦ Sukta 1 · 32 verses ✦

10.1.1

यां क॒ल्पय॑न्ति वह॒तौ व॒धूमि॑व वि॒श्वरू॑पां॒ हस्त॑कृतां चिकि॒त्सवः॑। सारादे॒त्वप॑ नुदाम एनाम् ॥

Whatever plan or design or fraud or seductive decoy, planners, designers or tacticians have prepared with their own hand and brain, finished in all possible beautiful forms in detail and sent in to us like a bride ready for departure for the bridegroom’s home, we counter and throw it back to the sender. (The evil plan is described like a vishakanya, deadly seductress.)

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10.1.2

शी॑र्ष॒ण्वती॑ न॒स्वती॑ क॒र्णिनी॑ कृत्या॒कृता॒ संभृ॑ता वि॒श्वरू॑पा। सारादे॒त्वप॑ नुदाम एनाम् ॥

Perfect in head, nose and ear, i.e., highly intelligent, perceptive, all receptive, made fully self- provided beauty of the world incarnate, this seductive decay we counter and throw off back to the sender.

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10.1.3

शू॒द्रकृ॑ता॒ राज॑कृता॒ स्त्रीकृ॑ता ब्र॒ह्मभिः॑ कृ॒ता। जा॒या पत्या॑ नु॒त्तेव॑ क॒र्तारं॒ बन्ध्वृ॑च्छतु ॥

Whether she is created and adorned by the meanest of artists or a ruling lord or the cleverest woman or the most ingenious intellectual, she must go back to her creator supporter like a woman rejected by her husband going back to her father or brother.

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10.1.4

अ॒नया॒हमोष॑ध्या॒ सर्वाः॑ कृ॒त्या अ॑दूदुषम्। यां क्षेत्रे॑ च॒क्रुर्यां गोषु॒ यां वा॑ ते॒ पुरु॑षेषु ॥

With this antidote I have defiled and rendered ineffective all the evil and poison they have done to pollute your fields or infect your cows and your people.

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10.1.5

अ॒घम॑स्त्वघ॒कृते॑ श॒पथः॑ शपथीय॒ते। प्र॒त्यक्प्र॑ति॒प्रहि॑ण्मो॒ यथा॑ कृत्या॒कृतं॒ हन॑त् ॥

As imprecation returns to the imprecator, let evil too be for the evil doer and sin for the sin perpetrator. So we return the evil to the evil doer so that it may fall upon him.

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10.1.6

प्र॑ती॒चीन॑ आङ्गिर॒सोऽध्य॑क्षो नः पु॒रोहि॑तः। प्र॒तीचीः॑ कृ॒त्या आ॒कृत्या॒मून्कृ॑त्या॒कृतो॑ जहि ॥

Our leader and commander, expert in the art and tactics of counter-action, counters the evil attacks of the evil doers. May he destroy those evil doers who have mounted the attack upon us.

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10.1.7

यस्त्वो॒वाच॒ परे॒हीति॑ प्रति॒कूल॑मुदा॒य्य᳡म्। तं कृ॑त्येऽभि॒निव॑र्तस्व॒ मास्मानि॑च्छो अना॒गसः॑ ॥

O force of attack, whoever stood up against us, fired you and ordered: “Go forward and attack”, go back to the same. Try not to hurt us, we are innocent peace loving people. (This is not a magic mantra of avoiding or facing the enemy attack with mere chant of words. It is the formula of interception of the missile and sending it back upon the enemy just as a grenade-target soldier smartly picks up the unexploded grenade and throws it back upon the enemy.)

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10.1.8

यस्ते॒ परूं॑षि संद॒धौ रथ॑स्येव॒र्भुर्धि॒या। तं ग॑च्छ॒ तत्र॒ तेऽय॑न॒मज्ञा॑तस्ते॒ऽयं जनः॑ ॥

O force of attack, go back to the expert maker who designed you and intelligently put your parts together to structure you. That is your real place. This target people is unknown to you and you are unknown to them. (This mantra may be interpreted as the preliminary response of a peace loving people to an impending danger of attack. If a nation is accepted as a nation of peace, an attack would be an act of desecration.

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10.1.9

ये त्वा॑ कृ॒त्वाले॑भि॒रे वि॑द्व॒ला अ॑भिचा॒रिणः॑। शं॒भ्वी॒दं कृ॑त्या॒दूष॑णं प्रतिव॒र्त्म पु॑नःस॒रं तेन॑ त्वा स्नपयामसि ॥

O violent force, those artful people who created, hold and command you are evil doers, violators of the rule and law of peace. This culture of peace is our force, it turns back the force of violence the way it came. With that we lead you to cleanse yourself of artfulness, evil and violence. (This mantra suggests the resurgence of peace upon the forces of violence and tactical bullying. Secondly, it suggests that if peace fails initially, a peaceful nation should develop weapons like the Varunastra, Sammohanastra and Vayavyastra, as mentioned in ancient literature, which kill not and still turn back the enemy.)

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10.1.10

यद्दु॒र्भगां॒ प्रस्न॑पितां मृ॒तव॑त्सामुपेयि॒म। अपै॑तु॒ सर्वं॒ मत्पा॒पं द्रवि॑णं॒ मोप॑ तिष्ठतु ॥

If I meet an unfortunate mother after her ritual bath on the death of her son (or husband) in war, I pray may all sin (of death and destruction) be absolved of me and may I have the money and power (to help and sustain the war torn). (These can be interpreted as the words of the ruler and the commander who has fought an inevitable war and realises his duty further to absolve himself of the sin and violence that war is, an evil, necessary or unnecessary. The victor must make amends for the loss the warriors suffer.)

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10.1.11

यत्ते॑ पि॒तृभ्यो॒ दद॑तो य॒ज्ञे वा॒ नाम॑ जगृ॒हुः। सं॑दे॒श्या॒त्सर्व॑स्मात्पा॒पादि॒मा मु॑ञ्चन्तु॒ त्वौष॑धीः ॥

If in matters of giving for the service of parents, seniors and ancestors, or in matters of yajnic programmes of creativity, people mention your name with exception and reservation, then may these Oshadhis, men of love and light, absolve you of all that alleged want and sin.

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10.1.12

दे॑वैन॒सात्पित्र्या॑न्नामग्रा॒हात्सं॑दे॒श्या᳡दभि॒निष्कृ॑तात्। मु॒ञ्चन्तु॑ त्वा वी॒रुधो॑ वीर्ये᳡ण॒ ब्रह्म॑णा ऋ॒ग्भिः पय॑स॒ ऋषी॑णाम् ॥

May these herbs with their essential properties, and men of love and light with divine wisdom, Vedic hymns, and the life giving nectar of the Rshis’ words absolve you of the want and sin for and against the divinities of nature and humanity, parents, exceptional acts and accusations.

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10.1.13

यथा॒ वात॑श्च्या॒वय॑ति॒ भूम्या॑ रे॒णुम॒न्तरि॑क्षाच्चा॒भ्रम्। ए॒वा मत्सर्वं॑ दुर्भू॒तं ब्रह्म॑नुत्त॒मपा॑यति ॥

Just as wind blows away dust from the earth and cloud from the sky, so does all sense of sin and guilt, evil and negativity fall off, driven away by Vedic wisdom and the light of Divinity, ultimate life and power.

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10.1.14

अप॑ क्राम॒ नान॑दती॒ विन॑द्धा गर्द॒भीव॑। क॒र्तॄन्न॑क्षस्वे॒तो नु॒त्ता ब्रह्म॑णा वी॒र्या᳡वता ॥

O sin and mischief of violence, get off from here like a braying she-donkey released from the bonds and, driven away through the power and force of divine vision and wisdom, go back to your master creators.

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10.1.15

अ॒यं पन्थाः॑ कृ॒त्य॒ इति॑ त्वा नयामोऽभि॒प्रहि॑तां॒ प्रति॑ त्वा॒ प्र हि॑ण्मः। तेना॒भि या॑हि भञ्ज॒त्यन॑स्वतीव वा॒हिनी॑ वि॒श्वरू॑पा कुरू॒टिनी॑ ॥

O force of evil and violence, this is the path by which we throw you out and send you back from where you were directed against us. Broken and breaking, retreat and return like an army on the march back, with all transports, forms and formations, mounting an attack —now repelled.

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10.1.16

परा॑क्ते॒ ज्योति॒रप॑थं ते अ॒र्वाग॒न्यत्रा॒स्मदय॑ना कृणुष्व। परे॑णेहि नव॒तिं ना॒व्या॒ अति॑ दु॒र्गाः स्रो॒त्या मा क्ष॑णिष्ठाः॒ परे॑हि ॥

O force of sin and violence, the light for you is on the way back, no way forward, not hitherward. Make way for yourself elsewhere other than us. Go back, go back another way, cross ninety difficult navigable streams, waste not yourself away. Go back. Stay not a moment. Do not destroy anything good and positive.

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10.1.17

वात॑ इव वृ॒क्षान्नि मृ॑णीहि पा॒दय॒ मा गामश्वं॒ पुरु॑ष॒मुच्छि॑ष एषाम्। क॒र्तॄन्नि॒वृत्ये॒तः कृ॑त्येऽप्रजा॒स्त्वाय॑ बोधय ॥

O force of violence and evil, go back from here to where you come from, throw down and destroy the perpetrators of evil and violence by themselves as wind breaks down the trees. Spare not their cows, horses and men, and warn them that they will lose even their progeny for generations to come.

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10.1.18

यां ते॑ ब॒र्हिषि॒ यां श्म॑शा॒ने क्षेत्रे॑ कृ॒त्यां व॑ल॒गं वा॑ निच॒ख्नुः। अ॒ग्नौ वा॑ त्वा॒ गार्ह॑पत्येऽभिचे॒रुः पाकं॒ सन्तं॒ धीर॑तरा अना॒गस॑म् ॥

Whatever evil, mischief or sabotage the clever people have done or hidden in your waters, cremation ground or fields or in your home stead, in the fire or in the yajnic hall towards you, even though you are pure and sinless, we counter and throw out even if they are stronger some way.

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10.1.19

उ॒पाहृ॑त॒मनु॑बुद्धं॒ निखा॑तं॒ वैरं॑ त्सा॒र्यन्व॑विदाम॒ कर्त्र॑म्। तदे॑तु॒ यत॒ आभृ॑तं॒ तत्राश्व॑ इव॒ वि व॑र्ततां॒ हन्तु॑ कृत्या॒कृतः॑ प्र॒जाम् ॥

Brought in, presented, confirmed, the deadly enemy, we have come to know as a camouflaged mischief and evil which is destructive. Let it go back from where it was brought, return there fast as a horse and destroy all the creations and products of the evil doers.

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10.1.20

स्वा॑य॒सा अ॒सयः॑ सन्ति नो गृ॒हे वि॒द्मा ते॑ कृत्ये यति॒धा परूं॑षि। उत्ति॑ष्ठै॒व परे॑ही॒तोऽज्ञा॑ते॒ किमि॒हेच्छ॑सि ॥

O mischief, evil doer, there are swords of steel in our house. We also know how far the various stages of your infrastructure can go and achieve. Better get up and go back before your design is discovered. What do you wish to achieve here?

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10.1.21

ग्री॒वास्ते॑ कृत्ये॒ पादौ॒ चापि॑ कर्त्स्यामि॒ निर्द्र॑व। इ॑न्द्रा॒ग्नी अ॒स्मान्र॑क्षतां॒ यौ प्र॒जानां॑ प्र॒जाव॑ती ॥

O mischief, evil and sabotage, better be off at once. I will cut off your head and your feet too. Indragni, commander and ruler with fire power and electric forces, are our protectors and defenders of the people, they protect us.

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10.1.22

सोमो॒ राजा॑धि॒पा मृ॑डि॒ता च॑ भू॒तस्य॑ नः॒ पत॑यो मृडयन्तु ॥

May the ruler, blissful as moon and inspiring as soma, give us peace and security. Let the masters of the physical elements, science and technology of power and energy afford us peace and protection.

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10.1.23

भ॑वाश॒र्वाव॑स्यतां पाप॒कृते॑ कृत्या॒कृते॑। दु॒ष्कृते॑ वि॒द्युतं॑ देवहे॒तिम् ॥

May Bhava and Sharva, ruling powers of peace and progress, and destroyers of evil, injustice and mischief, focus their divine powers of peace, protection and justice upon the people, and strike their lazer beams of punishment upon evil doers, mischief makers and destructive elements of society.

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10.1.24

यद्ये॒यथ॑ द्वि॒पदी॒ चतु॑ष्पदी कृत्या॒कृता॒ संभृ॑ता वि॒श्वरू॑पा। सेतो॒ष्टाप॑दी भू॒त्वा पुनः॒ परे॑हि दुच्छुने ॥

O two-wing, four-wing force of evil, mischief and negativity and calamitous versatility created and fully equipped by evil, if you came here at double or four-fold speed of the ordinary, now then rise to eightfold speed of the ordinary and go away far from here.

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10.1.25

अ॒भ्य१॒॑क्ताक्ता॒ स्व॑रंकृता॒ सर्वं॒ भर॑न्ती दुरि॒तं परे॑हि। जा॑नीहि कृत्ये क॒र्तारं॑ दुहि॒तेव॑ पि॒तरं॒ स्वम् ॥

O spirit of evil and mischief, adorned, anointed and beautifully prepared for departure, bearing all evil and mischief as your baggage, go far away, know and remember your creator, and go to him as a daughter to your own father.

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10.1.26

परे॑हि कृत्ये॒ मा ति॑ष्ठो वि॒द्धस्ये॑व प॒दं न॑य। मृ॒गः स मृ॑ग॒युस्त्वं न त्वा॒ निक॑र्तुमर्हति ॥

O force and mishief of violence and evil, shoot off, tarry not a moment, follow your own footsteps you came by as a hunter follows the foot-marks of the hunted deer and reach your place of origin. Now you are the hunter and he, your creator, is the target deer. Now you destroy him, he cannot destroy you.

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10.1.27

उ॒त ह॑न्ति पूर्वा॒सिनं॑ प्रत्या॒दायाप॑र॒ इष्वा॑। उ॒त पूर्व॑स्य निघ्न॒तो नि ह॒न्त्यप॑रः॒ प्रति॑ ॥

One who first aims to shoot, the other, pre-empts and shoots down with the arrow. One who has first shot to kill, the other pre-empts and, in response, shoots and kills.

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10.1.28

ए॒तद्धि शृ॒णु मे॒ वचोऽथे॑हि॒ यत॑ ए॒यथ॑। यस्त्वा॑ च॒कार॒ तं प्रति॑ ॥

O sin and violence in intention and action, better listen to this word of mine and go, go off from here to where you come from. Go to him that conceived, created and sent you hither.

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10.1.29

अ॑नागोह॒त्या वै भी॒मा कृ॑त्ये॒ मा नो॒ गामश्वं॒ पुरु॑षं वधीः। यत्र॑य॒त्रासि॒ निहि॑ता॒ तत॒स्त्वोत्था॑पयामसि प॒र्णाल्लघी॑यसी भव ॥

Murder of the innocents is heinous, O force of sin, evil and mischief. Do not hit, do not kill our cow, horse or person. Wherever you be, covert in our midst, we discover and dislodge you from there. Be lighter than a dead leaf and fly away.

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10.1.30

यदि॒ स्थ तम॒सावृ॑ता॒ जाले॑न॒भिहि॑ता इव। सर्वाः॑ सं॒लुप्ये॒तः कृ॒त्याः पुनः॑ क॒र्त्रे प्र हि॑ण्मसि ॥

Even if you stay and persist, covered in darkness, confusion or sheer ignorance, you are like a bird caught up in the net, since, having seized, exposed and disarmed all evils and mischiefs, we shoot them off back to the source creator.

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10.1.31

कृ॑त्या॒कृतो॑ वल॒गिनो॑ऽभिनिष्का॒रिणः॑ प्र॒जाम्। मृ॑णी॒हि कृ॑त्ये॒ मोच्छि॑षो॒ऽमून्कृ॑त्या॒कृतो॑ जहि ॥

O force of action set against evil, sabotage and mischief, overt or covert, rise and destroy all supports and creations of the camouflaged evil doers and their designs acting for the forces of destruction and negativity. Spare them not, throw off and destroy all the evil doers. (This force of action could be the same original evil force converted and redirected to destroy its own creators, or a force newly raised by the Defence to fight against evil and violence and its creator.)

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10.1.32

यथा॒ सूर्यो॑ मु॒च्यते॒ तम॑स॒स्परि॒ रात्रिं॒ जहा॑त्यु॒षस॑श्च के॒तून्। ए॒वाहं सर्वं॑ दुर्भू॒तं कर्त्रं॑ कृत्या॒कृता॑ कृ॒तं ह॒स्तीव॒ रजो॑ दुरि॒तं ज॑हामि ॥

As the sun rises free from darkness and surpasses the night and lights of the dawn, so do I overcome and destroy all evils, action and acts of the perpetrators of evil and shake off all sin and calamity like an elephant shaking off dust.

✦ Sukta 2 · 33 verses ✦

10.2.1

केन॒ पार्ष्णी॒ आभृ॑ते॒ पूरु॑षस्य॒ केन॑ मां॒सं संभृ॑तं॒ केन॑ गु॒ल्फौ। केना॒ङ्गुलीः॒ पेश॑नीः॒ केन॒ खानि॒ केनो॑च्छ्ल॒ङ्खौ म॑ध्य॒तः कः प्र॑ति॒ष्ठाम् ॥

Who designed, shaped, finished and juxtaposed the heels of man (i.e., the human being)? Who formed the flesh? Who the ankles? By whom were the beautiful nimble fingers formed? By whom the soles of feet? And who brought about the balance at the centre of gravity?

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10.2.2

कस्मा॒न्नु गु॒ल्फावध॑रावकृण्वन्नष्ठी॒वन्ता॒वुत्त॑रौ॒ पूरु॑षस्य। जङ्घे॑ नि॒रृत्य॒ न्य᳡दधुः॒ क्व᳡ स्वि॒ज्जानु॑नोः स॒न्धी क उ॒ तच्चि॑केत ॥

From what and for what reason did the makers form the lower ankles and upper knees of man? Whence, why and where did they design and form the two thighs and the joints of knees separately and together in balance? Who thought and designed that?

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10.2.3

चतु॑ष्टयं युज्यते॒ संहि॑तान्तं॒ जानु॑भ्यामू॒र्ध्वं शि॑थि॒रं कब॑न्धम्। श्रोणी॒ यदू॒रू क उ॒ तज्ज॑जान॒ याभ्यां॒ कुसि॑न्धं॒ सुदृ॑ढं ब॒भूव॑ ॥

The four, two knees and two thighs, at the end of the joint above the thighs are joined to the four-part flexible trunk of the body. Who created the hips and the thighs with which the trunk is joined as it is so strong?

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10.2.4

कति॑ दे॒वाः क॑त॒मे त आ॑स॒न्य उरो॑ ग्री॒वाश्चि॒क्युः पूरु॑षस्य। कति॒ स्तनौ॒ व्य᳡दधुः॒ कः क॑फो॒डौ कति॑ स्क॒न्धान्कति॑ पृ॒ष्टीर॑चिन्वन् ॥

How many and which ones are those divinities that structured and shaped man’s chest and neck? How many of them formed and fixed the breasts? Who the two elbows, how many the shoulders, and how many structured and formed the ribs?

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10.2.5

को अ॑स्य बा॒हू सम॑भरद्वी॒र्यं᳡ करवा॒दिति॑। अंसौ॒ को अ॑स्य॒ तद्दे॒वः कुसि॑न्धे॒ अध्या द॑धौ ॥

Who collected the materials and formed the two arms of this man so that he could do heroic deeds? And which divinity was that who fixed the two shoulders on his body?

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10.2.6

कः स॒प्त खानि॒ वि त॑तर्द शी॒र्षणि॒ कर्णा॑वि॒मौ नासि॑के॒ चक्ष॑णी॒ मुख॑म्। येषां॑ पुरु॒त्रा वि॑ज॒यस्य॑ म॒ह्मनि॒ चतु॑ष्पादो द्वि॒पदो॑ यन्ति॒ याम॑म् ॥

Who broke open the seven apertures of senses in his head: these two ears, two nostrils, two eyes and one mouth, by virtue of whose great power and faculty men as well as animals go their own ways in their daily business? Answer to questions from mantras 1 to 6: Kah, the Lord Supreme. In fact, the answer is inbuilt in each mantra itself. Reason? ‘Kah’ means both ‘who’ and ‘Lord Supreme’.

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10.2.7

हन्वो॒र्हि जि॒ह्वामद॑धात्पुरू॒चीमधा॑ म॒हीमधि॑ शिश्राय॒ वाच॑म्। स आ व॑रीवर्ति॒ भुव॑नेष्व॒न्तर॒पो वसा॑नः॒ क उ॒ तच्चि॑केत ॥

Who placed the versatile tongue in the midst of two jaws and then vested the great speech thereon? Wearing the vestments of Prakrti, He pervades and rolls around in the worlds of existence. Who knows that?

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10.2.8

म॒स्तिष्क॑मस्य यत॒मो ल॒लाटं॑ क॒काटि॑कां प्रथ॒मो यः क॒पाल॑म्। चि॒त्वा चित्यं॒ हन्वोः॒ पूरु॑षस्य॒ दिवं॑ रुरोह कत॒मः स दे॒वः ॥

Who is that Deva, divine power and presence, first among all, which, having collected all that was to be collected, this man’s brain, forehead, back-head and skull, supported and placed all together in proper order on the two jaws and rose up to the high heavens of light, transcendent?

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10.2.9

प्रि॑याप्रि॒याणि॑ बहु॒ला स्वप्नं॑ संबाधत॒न्द्र्यः᳡। आ॑न॒न्दानु॒ग्रो नन्दां॑श्च॒ कस्मा॑द्वहति॒ पूरु॑षः ॥

Whence, from whom, the many things pleasant and unpleasant, sleep and dream, oppression, depression and weariness, pleasures and joys, which the brilliant humanity bears as a burden, the bitter-sweet of life?

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10.2.10

आर्ति॒रव॑र्ति॒र्निरृ॑तिः॒ कुतो॒ नु पुरु॒षेऽम॑तिः। राद्धिः॒ समृ॑द्धि॒रव्यृ॑द्धिर्म॒तिरुदि॑तयः॒ कुतः॑ ॥

Whence, for what reason in man, pain, poverty, calamity, stupidity? Whence and for what reason, accomplishment and achievement, prosperity, struggle and success against adversity, intelligence and wisdom, rise and progress?

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10.2.11

को अ॑स्मि॒न्नापो॒ व्य᳡दधात्विषू॒वृतः॑ पुरू॒वृतः॑ सिन्धु॒सृत्या॑य जा॒ताः। ती॒व्रा अ॑रु॒णा लोहि॑नीस्ताम्रधू॒म्रा ऊ॒र्ध्वा अवा॑चीः॒ पुरु॑षे ति॒रश्चीः॑ ॥

Who created and placed in humanity the waters, blood and other liquids, produced within, flowing and circulating in streams all round in abundance, intense, ruddy, dark red, copper red, turbid, upwards, downwards, transverse, in a circuit?

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10.2.12

को अ॑स्मिन्रू॒पम॑दधा॒त्को म॒ह्मानं॑ च॒ नाम॑ च। गा॒तुं को अ॑स्मि॒न्कः के॒तुं कश्च॒रित्रा॑णि॒ पूरु॑षे ॥

Who vested in this human being form, name, fame, motion and progress? Who in-vested eminence and identity, and all the varieties of character, action and behaviour in man?

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10.2.13

को अ॑स्मिन्प्रा॒णम॑वय॒त्को अ॑पा॒नं व्या॒नमु॑। स॑मा॒नम॑स्मि॒न्को दे॒वोऽधि॑ शिश्राय॒ पूरु॑षे ॥

Who spins and weaves the warp and woof of prana and apana energies of breath in circulation in the human body system? Who interweaves the vyana energy all over the system and establishes the samana vitality to maintain the systemic metabolism in man? Who is that Divinity?

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10.2.14

को अ॑स्मिन्य॒ज्ञम॑दधा॒देको॑ दे॒वोऽधि॒ पूरु॑षे। को अ॑स्मिन्त्स॒त्यं कोऽनृ॑तं॒ कुतो॑ मृ॒त्युः कुतो॒ऽमृत॑म् ॥

Who is the one divine that vests the spirit of yajna and self-sacrifice in man? Who vests truth, and untruth? Whence death? Whence immortality?

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10.2.15

को अ॑स्मै॒ वासः॒ पर्य॑दधा॒त्को अ॒स्यायु॑रकल्पयत्। बलं॒ को अ॑स्मै॒ प्राय॑च्छ॒त्को अ॑स्याकल्पयज्ज॒वम् ॥

Who brought in and gave man the vestment of body? Who fashions his health and life span? Who gives him strength and courage? Who creates and gives him impulse and enthusiasm for speed and progress? The answer to mantras 7 to 15: The Lord Supreme, Kah.

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10.2.16

केनापो॒ अन्व॑तनुत॒ केना॑हरकरोद्रु॒चे। उ॒षसं॒ केनान्वै॑न्द्ध॒ केन॑ सायंभ॒वं द॑दे ॥

By whom were the oceans of water created and expanded? Who created the day for light? By whom was the dawn lighted? By whom the fact of evening was created? Answer: Kah.

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10.2.17

को अ॑स्मि॒न्रेतो॒ न्य᳡दधा॒त्तन्तु॒रा ता॑यता॒मिति॑। मे॒धां को अ॑स्मि॒न्नध्यौ॑ह॒त्को बा॒णं को नृतो॑ दधौ ॥

Who created and vested in man, in fact in this entire cosmos, the seed-vitality of life so that the thread- line of life be continued? Who brought and vested intelligence into man? Who vested speech, who gave the faculty to move and dance in ecstasy? Answer: Kah.

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10.2.18

केने॒मां भूमि॑मौर्णो॒त्केन॒ पर्य॑भव॒द्दिव॑म्। केना॒भि म॒ह्ना पर्व॑ता॒न्केन॒ कर्मा॑णि॒ पुरु॑षः ॥

Who covered this earth with atmosphere and greenery? Who vests and covers the heaven of light? By which power and grandeur does the Supreme Purusha vest the clouds and mountains with glory? How does the Purusha initiate and order the acts of existence such as creation, evolution and involution?

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10.2.19

केन॑ प॒र्जन्य॒मन्वे॑ति॒ केन॒ सोमं॑ विचक्ष॒णम्। केन॑ य॒ज्ञं च॑ श्र॒द्धां च॒ केना॑स्मि॒न्निहि॑तं॒ मनः॑ ॥

By which mysterious power does the Purusha pervade the cloud? By which does he illuminate the bright moon? By which power and presence does he bless and energise the yajna, faith in truth, life and divinity, and by which secret power does he enliven the mind so deep from conscious surface to the bottomless unconscious?

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10.2.20

केन॒ श्रोत्रि॑यमाप्नोति॒ केने॒मं प॑रमे॒ष्ठिन॑म्। केने॒मम॒ग्निं पूरु॑षः॒ केन॑ संवत्स॒रं म॑मे ॥

By what reason does Purusha bless the man dedicated to Shruti, Veda? For what reason does he bless the man dedicated to the Supreme transcendent? For what reason does he light this fire? By what does he form and comprehend the cosmic time span?

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10.2.21

ब्रह्म॒ श्रोत्रि॑यमाप्नोति॒ ब्रह्मे॒मं प॑रमेष्ठिनम्। ब्रह्मे॒मम॒ग्निं पूरु॑षो॒ ब्रह्म॑ संवत्स॒रं म॑मे ॥

Brahma blesses the man of the Veda for his knowledge and vision. Brahma blesses this man of supreme Divinity for his faith and communion. The Supreme Purusha lights this fire for the purpose of yajna. And Brahma forms and comprehends cosmic time by immanence and transcendence.

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10.2.22

केन॑ दे॒वाँ अनु॑ क्षियति॒ केन॒ दैव॑जनीर्विशः। केने॒दम॒न्यन्नक्ष॑त्रं॒ केन॒ सत्क्ष॒त्रमु॑च्यते ॥

By which mystery does the Purusha pervade the divine powers of existence? By which mystery, the people, children of divinity? Whereby is the Order called real, and this other, no-order?

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10.2.23

ब्रह्म॑ दे॒वाँ अनु॑ क्षियति॒ ब्रह्म॒ दैव॑जनी॒र्विशः॑। ब्रह्मे॒दम॒न्यन्नक्ष॑त्रं॒ ब्रह्म॒ सत्क्ष॒त्रमु॑च्यते ॥

Purusha blesses the divine hearts of humaity and divine powers of nature with its immanence and knowledge. Purusha blesses the children of divinity by virtue of faith and immanence. The order is called real by virtue of the Presence in consciousness, and the other is no-order because of no-presence in the consciousness.

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10.2.24

केने॒यं भूमि॒र्विहि॑ता॒ केन॒ द्यौरुत्त॑रा हि॒ता। केने॒दमू॒र्ध्वं ति॒र्यक्चा॒न्तरि॑क्षं॒ व्यचो॑ हि॒तम् ॥

By whom is this earth held in order below? By whom is the heaven of light held up in order on high? By whom is this vast middle region held up high and across in space?

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10.2.25

ब्रह्म॑णा॒ भूमि॒र्विहि॑ता॒ ब्रह्म॒ द्यौरुत्त॑रा हि॒ता। ब्रह्मे॒दमू॒र्ध्वं ति॒र्यक्चा॒न्तरि॑क्षं॒ व्यचो॑ हि॒तम् ॥

By Brahma is the earth held below. By Brahma is the heaven of light held up high. By Brahma is the vast middle region held up high and across.

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10.2.26

मू॒र्धान॑मस्य सं॒सीव्याथ॑र्वा॒ हृद॑यं च॒ यत्। म॒स्तिष्का॑दू॒र्ध्वः प्रैर॑य॒त्पव॑मा॒नोऽधि॑ शीर्ष॒तः ॥

Atharva, the Lord beyond all motion, having integrated the head and heart of man together, thus purifying and sanctifying the personality, transcends both thought and emotion. Note: This is one interpretation of the mantra if Atharva is interpreted as Brahma. But the mantra can be interpreted from the human point of view also, in which case Atharva should be interpreted as the yogi who has achieved the state of ‘Chitta-vrtti-nirodha’, i.e., the state of peace of mind beyond fluctuations: Atharva, the yogi in a state of tranquillity, having integrated thought and emotion together, in a state of purity of head, heart and the spirit should transcend Vitarka and Vichara samadhi through the trans- imaginative faculty of the spirit in concentration on the sahasrara chakra on top of the head and brain.

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10.2.27

तद्वा अथ॑र्वणः॒ शिरो॑ देवको॒शः समु॑ब्जितः। तत्प्रा॒णो अ॒भि र॑क्षति॒ शिरो॒ अन्न॒मथो॒ मनः॑ ॥

That head, i.e., state of the mind and soul of the yogi, is the treasure seat of divinities perfectly and wholly suffused in the divine presence, and that state thus raised, prana, pure food and peace of mind, all protect and preserve in the state of peace beyond disturbance.

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10.2.28

ऊ॒र्ध्वो नु सृ॒ष्टास्ति॒र्यङ्नु सृ॒ष्टा३स्सर्वा॒ दिशः॒ पुरु॑ष॒ आ ब॑भू॒वाँ३। पुरं॒ यो ब्रह्म॑णो॒ वेद॒ यस्याः॒ पुरु॑ष उ॒च्यते॑ ॥

Pervasive all above, pervasive all around, pervasive all over quarters of space, pervasive all through the personality, thus becomes the state of divine Purusha for the yogi, and thus becomes his own state also. One who knows thus the City of immanent God, for him for this reason, Brahma is called Cosmic Purusha, and man is called microcosmic Purusha.

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10.2.29

यो वै तां ब्रह्म॑णो॒ वेदा॒मृते॒नावृ॑तां॒ पुर॑म्। तस्मै॒ ब्रह्म॑ च ब्रा॒ह्माश्च॒ चक्षुः॑ प्रा॒णं प्र॒जां द॑दुः ॥

Whoever thus knows the City of God wrapped in nectar, ecstasy and immortality, for him Brahma and all things divine yield and award the eye of clairvoyance, pranic energy and noble progeny for continuance.

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10.2.30

न वै तं चक्षु॑र्जहाति॒ न प्रा॒णो ज॒रसः॑ पु॒रा। पुरं॒ यो ब्रह्म॑णो॒ वेद॒ यस्याः॒ पुरु॑ष उ॒च्यते॑ ॥

The eye of clairvoyance forsakes him not, nor pranic energy and vitality forsakes him, before the completion of full age. Who knows the body as the City of God, for that very reason he knows that the soul is called ‘purusha’, resident of the City of God.

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10.2.31

अ॒ष्टाच॑क्रा॒ नव॑द्वारा दे॒वानां॒ पूर॑यो॒ध्या। तस्यां॑ हिर॒ण्ययः॒ कोशः॑ स्व॒र्गो ज्योति॒षावृ॑तः ॥

The human body is an invincible city of the gods, God Supreme and the divinities of nature. It has eight chakras: Muladhara, Svadhishthana, Manipur, Anahat, Vishuddhi, Lalana, Ajna and Sahasrara. It has nine gates: two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, mouth and the organs of excretion. In the city, there is a golden cave, replete with the golden light of Divinity, which is the paradisal path to heaven. This City is Ayodhya, the Invincible.

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10.2.32

तस्मि॑न्हिर॒ण्यये॒ कोशे॒ त्र्य॑रे॒ त्रिप्र॑तिष्ठिते। तस्मि॒न्यद्य॒क्षमा॑त्म॒न्वत्तद्वै ब्र॑ह्म॒विदो॑ विदुः ॥

In that golden cave of light, three spoked like a wheel and three pillared like a dome, there is a Yaksha, mysterious Divine Being, with the soul which they alone know who know the Brahma.

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10.2.33

प्र॒भ्राज॑मानां॒ हरि॑णीं॒ यश॑सा सं॒परी॑वृताम्। पुरं॑ हिर॒ण्ययीं॒ ब्रह्मा वि॑वे॒शाप॑राजिताम् ॥

That golden city, Invincible Ayodhya, refulgent redeemer wrapped in glory, unconquered and unassailable by any foreigner, Brahma Supreme has entered, and there abides for those who know and can see. Note: The golden heart cave of the last three mantras of this sukta is a micro-version of the macro- cosmic Trinity of Brahma, Jiva and Prakrti, which can be realised by men of knowledge and vision. This treasure-hold of Trinity is dynamic as a wheel, with three spokes, and firm as a dome on three pillars. The three spokes of the wheel are Satva, Rajas and Tamas modes of Prakrti, and the three pillars of the Dome are Prakrti, Jiva and Brahma. In this context reference may also made to Shvetashvataropanishad, 1, 3-7, and 4, 5-7. With reference to the mysterious Yaksha of mantra 32, refer to Kenopanishad part 3 and 4, 1-3.

✦ Sukta 3 · 25 verses ✦

10.3.1

अ॒यं मे॑ वर॒णो म॒णिः स॑पत्न॒क्षय॑णो॒ वृषा॑। ते॒ना र॑भस्व॒ त्वं शत्रू॒न्प्र मृ॑णीहि दुरस्य॒तः ॥

This is my jewel choice of defence, the right commander and strategist, destroyer of enemies, strong, virile, and producer of wondrous results. With this you engage the enemies, destroy them all who have launched the attack.

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10.3.2

प्रैणा॑ञ्छृणीहि॒ प्र मृ॒णा र॑भस्व म॒णिस्ते॑ अस्तु पुरए॒ता पु॒रस्ता॑त्। अवा॑रयन्त वर॒णेन॑ दे॒वा अ॑भ्याचा॒रमसु॑राणां॒ श्वः श्वः॑ ॥

Crush these enemies, destroy them, engage them at once. Let this leading power advance up front. With this technique and strategy, noble people have been fighting out the onslaughts of destructive forces time and again.

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10.3.3

अ॒यं म॒णिर्व॑र॒णो वि॒श्वभे॑षजः सहस्रा॒क्षो हरि॑तो हिर॒ण्ययः॑। स ते॒ शत्रू॒नध॑रान्पादयाति॒ पूर्व॒स्तान्द॑भ्नुहि॒ ये त्वा॑ द्वि॒षन्ति॑ ॥

(Varana-mani is also a herbal medicine prepared from the Varuna tree.) This jewel of a herbal medicine from the Varuna tree is a panacea, a general tonic against all diseases, efficacious in a thousand ways, fresh and golden bright. It casts down your enemies, deadly diseases. Be first to use it in advance as a preventive and keep off all those ailments which are afflictive and consumptive.

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10.3.4

अ॒यं ते॑ कृ॒त्यां वित॑तां॒ पौरु॑षेयाद॒यं भ॒यात्। अ॒यं त्वा॒ सर्व॑स्मात्पा॒पाद्व॑र॒णो वा॑रयिष्यते ॥

This Varana would protect you against all evil designs and fears caused by human enemies rising and spreading around. It will also safeguard you from sin and evil which you or others might also commit out of fear and panic of supposed dangers.

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10.3.5

व॑र॒णो वा॑रयाता अ॒यं दे॒वो वन॒स्पतिः॑। यक्ष्मो॒ यो अ॒स्मिन्नावि॑ष्ट॒स्तमु॑ दे॒वा अ॑वीवरन् ॥

This Varana-mani of masterly character is divine, a protective against danger and disease. The cancerous consumption that has entered, infects and afflicts this patient (person or people), noble specialists and strategists will ward off.

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10.3.6

स्वप्नं॑ सु॒प्त्वा यदि॒ पश्या॑सि पा॒पं मृ॒गः सृ॒तिं यति॒ धावा॒दजु॑ष्टाम्। प॑रिक्ष॒वाच्छ॒कुनेः॑ पापवा॒दाद॒यं म॒णिर्व॑र॒णो वा॑रयिष्यते ॥

If having slept you dream something evil and sinful, or if a surreptitious enemy stealthily prowls around by uncommon ways, or from the voice of the plotting enemy you hear something evil and foreboding, this Varana-mani will protect you against all that.

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10.3.7

अरा॑त्यास्त्वा॒ निरृ॑त्या अभिचा॒रादथो॑ भ॒यात्। मृ॒त्योरोजी॑यसो व॒धाद्व॑र॒णो वा॑रयिष्यते ॥

Varana will protect you from want, adversity, malevolence and betrayal, fear and the fatal strike of deadly enemy, even from untimely death.

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10.3.8

यन्मे॑ मा॒ता यन्मे॑ पि॒ता भ्रात॑रो॒ यच्च॑ मे॒ स्वा यदेन॑श्चकृ॒मा व॒यम्। ततो॑ नो वारयिष्यते॒ऽयं दे॒वो वन॒स्पतिः॑ ॥

Whatever sin, evil or contagion my mother, my father, my brothers, all my own people, we all, have done or caused, this divine vanaspati, this herb, this master of the common wealth of the nation, will save us and absolve us of that and its consequences.

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10.3.9

व॑र॒णेन॒ प्रव्य॑थिता॒ भ्रातृ॑व्या मे॒ सब॑न्धवः। अ॒सूर्तं॒ रजो॒ अप्य॑गु॒स्ते य॑न्त्वध॒मं तमः॑ ॥

Let my adversaries along with their kin, distressed and broken by Varana, gone already to unknown regions of dust, fall further to the lowest dark of darkness.

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10.3.10

अरि॑ष्टो॒ऽहमरि॑ष्टगु॒रायु॑ष्मा॒न्त्सर्व॑पूरुषः। तं मायं व॑र॒णो म॒णिः परि॑ पातु दि॒शोदि॑शः ॥

Unhurt and secure I am, moving on along paths of peace and security, blest with health and age, family and friends. Let this Varana-mani protect and promote me step by step all round in all directions.

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10.3.11

अ॒यं मे॑ वर॒ण उर॑सि॒ राजा॑ दे॒वो वन॒स्पतिः॑। स मे॒ शत्रू॒न्वि बा॑धता॒मिन्द्रो॒ दस्यू॑नि॒वासु॑रान् ॥

May this divine refulgent Varana-mani, Vanaspati, lord of light and nature reigning in the heart and soul ward off my enemies like Indra throwing off the wicked and demonic powers of nature and humanity.

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10.3.12

इ॒मं बि॑भर्मि वर॒णमायु॑ष्माञ्छ॒तशा॑रदः। स मे॑ रा॒ष्ट्रं च॑ क्ष॒त्रं च॑ प॒शूनोज॑श्च मे दधत् ॥

Blest with health and age for a full life of hundred years, I wear and bear with Varana-mani. May it sustain and promote my nation, the social order, national wealth and our power and honour.

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10.3.13

यथा॒ वातो॒ वन॒स्पती॑न्वृ॒क्षान्भ॒नक्त्योज॑सा। ए॒वा स॒पत्ना॑न्मे भङ्ग्धि॒ पूर्वा॑ञ्जा॒ताँ उ॒ताप॑रान्वर॒णस्त्वा॒भि र॑क्षतु ॥

Just as the wind breaks down the trees by its stormy force so, O Vanaspati, lord of the common wealth, break down my enemies whether they are traditional or newly arisen. O Ruler, may Varuna, commander of the defence and law and order forces, protect you from external and internal dangers.

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10.3.14

यथा॒ वात॑श्चा॒ग्निश्च॑ वृ॒क्षान्प्सा॒तो वन॒स्पती॑न्। ए॒वा स॒पत्ना॑न्मे प्साहि॒ पूर्वा॑ञ्जा॒ताँ उ॒ताप॑रान्वर॒णस्त्वा॒भि र॑क्षतु ॥

Just as wind and fire break down and devour trees of the forest, so O Ruler of the commonwealth, crush my enemies whether they are old or newly arisen. And may Varana, commander of the forces of law and defence, guard you against external and internal dangers.

· · ·

10.3.15

यथा॒ वाते॑न॒ प्रक्षी॑णा वृ॒क्षाः शेरे॒ न्य᳡र्पिताः। ए॒वा स॒पत्नां॒स्त्वं मम॒ प्र क्षि॑णीहि॒ न्य᳡र्पय। पूर्वा॑ञ्जा॒ताँ उ॒ताप॑रान्वर॒णस्त्वा॒भि र॑क्षतु ॥

Just as trees bent and broken by the wind lie low on the ground, so O Ruler of the commonwealth, bend and break my enemies whether old or newly arisen, and may Varana, commander of the forces of law and defence, guard you against external and internal dangers.

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10.3.16

तांस्त्वं प्र च्छि॑न्द्धि वरण पु॒रा दि॒ष्टात्पु॒रायु॑षः। य ए॑नं प॒शुषु॒ दिप्स॑न्ति॒ ये चा॑स्य राष्ट्रदि॒प्सवः॑ ॥

O Varana, Guardian of the commonwealth, crush all those antisocial forces before their full age, before they are destined to die by natural death, who damage his wealth of the nation and who are sabotagers of the social order.

· · ·

10.3.17

यथा॒ सूर्यो॑ अति॒भाति॒ यथा॑स्मि॒न्तेज॒ आहि॑तम्। ए॒वा मे॑ वर॒णो म॒णिः की॒र्तिं भूतिं॒ नि य॑च्छतु। तेज॑सा मा॒ समु॑क्षतु॒ यश॑सा॒ सम॑नक्तु मा ॥

Just as the sun shines exceedingly, as refulgence of light is concentrated into it, so may this Varana-mani give me honour, fame and abundance of prosperity and good fortune. May it beatify me with light and lustre, may it bless me with glory and grandeur.

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10.3.18

यथा॒ यश॑श्च॒न्द्रम॑स्यादि॒त्ये च॑ नृ॒चक्ष॑सि। ए॒वा मे॑ वर॒णो म॒णिः की॒र्तिं भूतिं॒ नि य॑च्छतु। तेज॑सा मा॒ समु॑क्षतु॒ यश॑सा॒ सम॑नक्तु मा ॥

As there is beauty in the moon and splendour in the all-watching sun, so may this Varana-mani give me honour, fame and abundance of prosperity and good fortune. May it beatify me with light and lustre, may it bless me with glory and grandeur.

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10.3.19

यथा॒ यशः॑ पृथि॒व्यां यथा॒स्मिञ्जा॒तवे॑दसि। ए॒वा मे॑ वर॒णो म॒णिः की॒र्तिं भूतिं॒ नि य॑च्छतु। तेज॑सा मा॒ समु॑क्षतु॒ यश॑सा॒ सम॑नक्तु मा ॥

As there is honour and glory in the earth and in this all-vitalising fire, so may this Varana-mani give me honour, fame and abundance of prosperity and good fortune. May it beatify me with light and lustre, may it bring me the grace of glory and grandeur.

· · ·

10.3.20

यथा॒ यशः॑ क॒न्या᳡यां॒ यथा॒स्मिन्त्संभृ॑ते॒ रथे॑। ए॒वा मे॑ वर॒णो म॒णिः की॒र्तिं भूतिं॒ नि य॑च्छतु। तेज॑सा मा॒ समु॑क्षतु॒ यश॑सा॒ सम॑नक्तु मा ॥

As there is beauty of modesty and honour of grace in the maiden and grandeur in this luxurious chariot, so may this Varana-mani give me honour, fame and abundance of prosperity and good fortune. May it beatify me with light and lustre and anoint me with grace and glory.

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10.3.21

यथा॒ यशः॑ सोमपी॒थे म॑धुप॒र्के यथा॒ यशः॑। ए॒वा मे॑ वर॒णो म॒णिः की॒र्तिं भूतिं॒ नि य॑च्छतु। तेज॑सा मा॒ समु॑क्षतु॒ यश॑सा॒ सम॑नक्तु मा ॥

As there is honour in the drink of soma and delicious delicacy of taste and social prestige in ‘madhu- parka’, so may this Varana-mani give me honour, fame and abundance of prosperity and good fortune. May it beatify me with light and lustre and anoint me with grace and glory.

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10.3.22

यथा॒ यशो॑ऽग्निहो॒त्रे व॑षट्का॒रे यथा॒ यशः॑। ए॒वा मे॑ वर॒णो म॒णिः की॒र्तिं भूतिं॒ नि य॑च्छतु। तेज॑सा मा॒ समु॑क्षतु॒ यश॑सा॒ सम॑नक्तु मा ॥

As there is honour in Agnihotra and piety and prestige in the offer of homage and hospitality to divine seniors and holy men, so may this Varana-mani bring me honour, fame and abundance of prosperity and good fortune. May it beatify me with light and lustre and anoint me with grace and glory.

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10.3.23

यथा॒ यशो॒ यज॑माने॒ यथा॒स्मिन्य॒ज्ञ आहि॑तम्। ए॒वा मे॑ वर॒णो म॒णिः की॒र्तिं भूतिं॒ नि य॑च्छतु। तेज॑सा मा॒ समु॑क्षतु॒ यश॑सा॒ सम॑नक्तु मा ॥

As there is honour in the Yajamana and it is in this yajna concentrated, so may this Varana-mani bring me honour, fame and abundance of prosperity and good fortune. May it beatify me with light and lustre and anoint me with grace and glory.

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10.3.24

यथा॒ यशः॑ प्र॒जाप॑तौ॒ यथा॒स्मिन्प॑रमे॒ष्ठिनि॑। ए॒वा मे॑ वर॒णो म॒णिः की॒र्तिं भूतिं॒ नि य॑च्छतु। तेज॑सा मा॒ समु॑क्षतु॒ यश॑सा॒ सम॑नक्तु मा ॥

As there is grandeur and glory in Prajapati, guardian of humanity, and as it is in the Lord Supreme, so may this Varana-mani bring me honour, fame and abundance of prosperity and good fortune. May it beatify me with light and lustre and anoint me with grace and glory.

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10.3.25

यथा॑ दे॒वेष्व॒मृतं॒ यथै॑षु स॒त्यमाहि॑तम्। ए॒वा मे॑ वर॒णो म॒णिः की॒र्तिं भूतिं॒ नि य॑च्छतु। तेज॑सा मा॒ समु॑क्षतु॒ यश॑सा॒ सम॑नक्तु मा ॥

As there is nectar and immortality in the divinities, and Truth is concentrated in these divinities, so may this Varana-mani bring me honour, fame and abundance of prosperity and good fortune. May it beatify me with light and lustre and anoint me with grace and glory.

✦ Sukta 4 · 26 verses ✦

10.4.1

इन्द्र॑स्य प्रथ॒मो रथो॑ दे॒वाना॒मप॑रो॒ रथो॒ वरु॑णस्य तृ॒तीय॒ इत्। अही॑नामप॒मा रथः॑ स्था॒णुमा॑र॒दथा॑र्षत् ॥

The chariot speed of Indra’s, i.e., the speed of electricity (in the treatment of snake poison) is first and fastest, that of Deva’s, other powers of nature (such as clay, heat, etc.) is next, and that of Varuna’s, water treatment, is third. The ratha, speed of poison, of snakes is low. It comes to a stop as against a pillar and goes out.

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10.4.2

द॒र्भः शो॒चिस्त॒रूण॑क॒मश्व॑स्य॒ वारः॑ परु॒षस्य॒ वारः॑। रथ॑स्य॒ बन्धु॑रम् ॥

Darbha herb, burning ember, Tarunaka herb, these are antidotes to ‘aghashva’s and parusha’s poison, they are, like the nave, strong aids to the cure of poison.

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10.4.3

अव॑ श्वेत प॒दा ज॑हि॒ पूर्वे॑ण॒ चाप॑रेण च। उ॑दप्लु॒तमि॑व॒ दार्वही॑नामर॒सं वि॒षं वारु॒ग्रम् ॥

O Shveta herb, with the first and last part of the root, let the flow of dangerous poison be ineffective like sapless wood floating on water.

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10.4.4

अ॑रंघु॒षो नि॒मज्यो॒न्मज॒ पुन॑रब्रवीत्। उ॑दप्लु॒तमि॑व॒ दार्वही॑नामर॒सं वि॒षं वारु॒ग्रम् ॥

Aranghusha herb, having gone deep into the system and oozed out, shows aloud that the dangerous poison has become ineffectual like sapless wood floating on water.

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10.4.5

पै॒द्वो ह॑न्ति कस॒र्णीलं॑ पै॒द्वः श्वि॒त्रमु॒तासि॒तम्। पै॒द्वो र॑थ॒र्व्याः शिरः॒ सं बि॑भेद पृदा॒क्वाः ॥

Paidva kills the kasarnila snake. Paidva kills the white and dark black snake. Paidva crushes the head of Ratharvi and Prdakvi snakes.

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10.4.6

पैद्व॒ प्रेहि॑ प्रथ॒मोऽनु॑ त्वा व॒यमेम॑सि। अही॒न्व्य᳡स्यतात्प॒थो येन॑ स्मा व॒यमे॒मसि॑ ॥

O Paidva, go in advance and we would follow you. Throw off the snakes from the paths by which we go on the business of life.

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10.4.7

इ॒दं पै॒द्वो अ॑जायते॒दम॑स्य प॒राय॑णम्। इ॒मान्यर्व॑तः प॒दाहि॒घ्न्यो वा॒जिनी॑वतः ॥

This is Paidva, born and arisen, this is the path it has gone by. These are the foot-marks of the powerful snake killer Arvan.

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10.4.8

संय॑तं॒ न वि ष्प॑र॒द्व्यात्तं॒ न सं य॑मत्। अ॒स्मिन्क्षेत्रे॒ द्वावही॒ स्त्री च॒ पुमां॑श्च॒ तावु॒भाव॑र॒सा ॥

Let it not open the mouth that is closed, nor close the mouth that is open. In this field there are two snakes, one male, the other female, both poisonless.

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10.4.9

अ॑र॒सास॑ इ॒हाह॑यो॒ ये अन्ति॒ ये च॑ दूर॒के। घ॒नेन॑ हन्मि॒ वृश्चि॑क॒महिं॑ द॒ण्डेनाग॑तम् ॥

Let the snakes which are near here and those that are far away be poisonless. I kill the scorpion with a club and the snake with a stick as it comes up.

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10.4.10

अ॑घा॒श्वस्ये॒दं भे॑ष॒जमु॒भयो॑ स्व॒जस्य॑ च। इन्द्रो॒ मेऽहि॑मघा॒यन्त॒महिं॑ पै॒द्वो अ॑रन्धयत् ॥

This is the antidote to both Aghashva and svaja snakes. Indra,

Kanda 10 (Part 2)

electricity has killed the snake that would have poisoned me and the Paidva has destroyed the others.

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10.4.11

पै॒द्वस्य॑ मन्महे व॒यं स्थि॒रस्य॑ स्थि॒रधा॑म्नः। इ॒मे प॒श्चा पृदा॑कवः प्र॒दीध्य॑त आसते ॥

We recognise and value the presence of Paidva, Ashvagandha or Karnika plant, which is steady and stable in place. Because of this, these poisonous snakes, deadly and raging, stay back. (Paidva has also been interpreted as the mongoose which fights and kills snakes.)

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10.4.12

न॒ष्टास॑वो न॒ष्टवि॑षा ह॒ता इ॑न्द्रेण व॒ज्रिणा॑। ज॒घानेन्द्रो॑ जघ्नि॒मा व॒यम् ॥

Void of breath, void of poison, the snakes have been destroyed by Indra with the ‘vajra’, thunderous blow of lightning power. Indra has killed them, we have killed them.

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10.4.13

ह॒तास्तिर॑श्चिराजयो॒ निपि॑ष्टासः॒ पृदा॑कवः। दर्विं॒ करि॑क्रतं श्वि॒त्रं द॒र्भेष्व॑सि॒तं ज॑हि ॥

Killed are the snakes with stripes, crushed are the poisonous ones. O Paidva, O Indra, kill the Darvi that spreads its hood, the white one and the black hiding in the grasses.

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10.4.14

कै॑राति॒का कु॑मारि॒का स॒का खन॑ति भेष॒जम्। हि॑र॒ण्ययी॑भि॒रभ्रि॑भिर्गिरी॒णामुप॒ सानु॑षु ॥

That sylvan maiden of the kirata tribe digs up the herbs, white cure of snake poison, on top of the hills with tools of steel. (Kairatika and kumarika have also been interpreted as herbs for the cure of snake poison.)

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10.4.15

आयम॑ग॒न्युवा॑ भि॒षक्पृ॑श्नि॒हाप॑राजितः। स वै स्व॒जस्य॒ जम्भ॑न उ॒भयो॒र्वृश्चि॑कस्य च ॥

Look, there comes the young physician, the tireless man, destroyer of various snakes. He is the destroyer of Svaja snakes as well as of scorpions.

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10.4.16

इन्द्रो॒ मेऽहि॑मरन्धयन्मि॒त्रश्च॒ वरु॑णश्च। वा॑तापर्ज॒न्यो॒भा ॥

Indra, lightning and electric energy, Mitra, the sun, Varuna, water, wind and cloud, these have cast away and destroyed the snakes for my protection.

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10.4.17

इन्द्रो॒ मेऽहि॑मरन्धय॒त्पृदा॑कुं च पृदा॒क्व᳡म्। स्व॒जं तिर॑श्चिराजिं कस॒र्णीलं॒ दशो॑नसिम् ॥

For my protection, Indra has destroyed the Prdaku, deadly snake, both male and female, the Svaja, the Tirashchiraji, and Dashonasi.

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10.4.18

इन्द्रो॑ जघान प्रथ॒मं ज॑नि॒तार॑महे॒ तव॑। तेषा॑मु तृ॒ह्यमा॑णानां॒ कः स्वि॒त्तेषा॑मस॒द्रसः॑ ॥

O snake, Indra first destroyed your progenitor. Once your progenitors are destroyed, what poison can now be surviving?

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10.4.19

सं हि शी॒र्षाण्यग्र॑भं पौञ्जि॒ष्ठ इ॑व॒ कर्व॑रम्। सिन्धो॒र्मध्यं॑ प॒रेत्य॒ व्य᳡निज॒महे॑र्वि॒षम् ॥

I have caught on the heads of snakes as a fisherman does his job, and, having gone to the deep middle of the river, I have washed away the poison of the snakes.

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10.4.20

अही॑नां॒ सर्वे॑षां वि॒षं परा॑ वहन्तु सिन्धवः। ह॒तास्तिर॑श्चिराजयो॒ निपि॑ष्टासः॒ पृदा॑कवः ॥

Let the rivers wash and carry away the poison of all snakes. Thus the Tirashchirajis, snakes with stripes across, are killed, Prdakus, snakes with deadly poison, are crushed.

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10.4.21

ओष॑धीनाम॒हं वृ॑ण उ॒र्वरी॑रिव साधु॒या। नया॒म्यर्व॑तीरि॒वाहे॑ नि॒रैतु॑ ते वि॒षम् ॥

Of the herbal medications, I carefully choose such as may be the freshest and most effective, and use those as are most efficacious against the poison. O snake, let the poison now go out.

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10.4.22

यद॒ग्नौ सूर्ये॑ वि॒षं पृ॑थि॒व्यामोष॑धीषु॒ यत्। का॑न्दावि॒षं क॒नक्न॑कं नि॒रैत्वैतु॑ ते वि॒षम् ॥

Whatever poison there is in fire, in the sun, and whatever there is in earth and in herbs and trees, whatever poison there is in tubers and in specially poisonous herbs, O snake, (all that you have collected from these) let it go out.

· · ·

10.4.23

ये अ॑ग्नि॒जा ओ॑षधि॒जा अही॑नां॒ ये अ॑प्सु॒जा वि॒द्युत॑ आबभू॒वुः। येषां॑ जा॒तानि॑ बहु॒धा म॒हान्ति॒ तेभ्यः॑ स॒र्पेभ्यो॒ नम॑सा विधेम ॥

Many and great are the species of snakes, those that are born in hot regions and carry burning poison, those born and living in herbs and trees, those that are born and live in waters, and those which are stunning poisonous and strike as lightning. All these snakes we deal with as they deserve.

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10.4.24

तौदी॒ नामा॑सि क॒न्या᳡ घृ॒ताची॒ नाम॒ वा अ॑सि। अ॑धस्प॒देन॑ ते प॒दमा द॑दे विष॒दूष॑णम् ॥

Taudi is your name, or Ghrtachi, or your name is Kanya as well. I take the lowest part of your root from the deepest in earth for that part is most efficacious against snake poison.

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10.4.25

अङ्गा॑दङ्गा॒त्प्र च्या॑वय॒ हृद॑यं॒ परि॑ वर्जय। अधा॑ वि॒षस्य॒ यत्तेजो॑ऽवा॒चीनं॒ तदे॑तु ते ॥

O Taudi, remove the poison from every part of the body, cleanse the heart free of poison. O patient, let the intensity of poison go down and out of your body.

· · ·

10.4.26

आ॒रे अ॑भूद्वि॒षम॑रौद्वि॒षे वि॒षम॑प्रा॒गपि॑। अ॒ग्निर्वि॒षमहे॒र्निर॑धा॒त्सोमो॒ निर॑णयीत्। दं॒ष्टार॒मन्व॑गाद्वि॒षमहि॑रमृत ॥

Arrested, the poison is off, far out, neutralised as poison is mixed in poison (of the antidote). Agni, fire of the antidote, has taken out the poison. Soma has taken it out. The poison is gone back to the biter snake. The snake is dead.

✦ Sukta 5 · 50 verses ✦

10.5.1

इन्द्र॒स्यौज॒ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य॒ सह॒ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य॒ बलं॒ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य वी॒र्यं१॒॑ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य नृ॒म्णं स्थ॑। जि॒ष्णवे॒ योगा॑य ब्रह्मयो॒गैर्वो॑ युनज्मि ॥

O people, you are the honour and splendour of the order and ruler of the human nation, you are the power and patience of the ruler, you are the strength and force of the ruler, you are the vigour and valour of the ruler, you are the real and manly wealth of the order. I commit you to the achievement of united victory with dedication to knowledge and vision and cooperation of the intellectuals, teachers and researchers.

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10.5.2

इन्द्र॒स्यौज॒ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य॒ सह॒ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य॒ बलं॒ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य वी॒र्यं१॒॑ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य नृ॒म्णं स्थ॑। जि॒ष्णवे॒ योगा॑य क्षत्रयो॒गैर्वो॑ युनज्मि ॥

You are the honour and splendour of the human order and the Samrat, supreme ruler. You are the power and patience of the nation, you are the strength and force of the samrat, you are the vigour and valour of the ruler, you are the real manly wealth of the order. I commit you to the achievement of united victory with dedication to discipline, defence and honour of the order and cooperation of the forces of law and order.

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10.5.3

इन्द्र॒स्यौज॒ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य॒ सह॒ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य॒ बलं॒ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य वी॒र्यं१॒॑ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य नृ॒म्णं स्थ॑। जि॒ष्णवे॒ योगा॑येन्द्रयो॒गैर्वो॑ युनज्मि ॥

You are the honour and splendour of the order and the ruler, you are the power and patience of the nation, you are the strength and force of the ruler, you are the vigour and valour of the ruler, you are the real manly wealth of the order. I commit you to the achievement of united victory with dedication to the honour and conscience of Indra, spirit of the nation, and cooperation of the people.

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10.5.4

इन्द्र॒स्यौज॒ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य॒ सह॒ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य॒ बलं॒ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य वी॒र्यं१॒॑ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य नृ॒म्णं स्थ॑। जि॒ष्णवे॒ योगा॑य सोमयो॒गैर्वो॑ युनज्मि ॥

You are the honour and splendour of the order, you are the power and patience of the nation, you are the strength and force of the Samrat, you are the vigour and valour of the ruler, you are the real manly wealth of the nation. I commit you to the achievement of united victory with dedication to the peace and progress of the nation and cooperation of the forces of peace and good will.

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10.5.5

इन्द्र॒स्यौज॒ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य॒ सह॒ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य॒ बलं॒ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य वी॒र्यं१॒॑ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य नृ॒म्णं स्थ॑। जि॒ष्णवे॒ योगा॑याप्सुयो॒गैर्वो॑ युनज्मि ॥

You are the honour and splendour of the order, you are the power and patience of the nation, you are the strength and force of the Samrat, you are the vigour and valour of the ruler, you are the real manly wealth of the nation. I commit you to the achievement of united victory with dedication to action and advancement of the nation and cooperation of the common people.

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10.5.6

इन्द्र॒स्यौज॒ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य॒ सह॒ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य॒ बलं॒ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य वी॒र्यं१॒॑ स्थेन्द्र॑स्य नृ॒म्णं स्थ॑। जि॒ष्णवे॒ योगा॑य॒ विश्वा॑नि मा भू॒तान्युप॑ तिष्ठन्तु यु॒क्ता म॑ आप स्थ ॥

You are the honour and splendour of the order, you are the power and patience of the nation, you are the power and patience of the nation, you are the strength and force of the Samrat, you are the vigour and valour of the government, you are the real manly wealth of the nation. For the achievement of united victory and advancement, let all physical, material and living forces abide closely by me, the Ruler. Let all the united people and the united actions be together dedicated to the Order of humanity.

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10.5.7

अ॒ग्नेर्भा॒ग स्थ॑। अ॒पां शु॒क्रमा॑पो देवी॒र्वर्चो॑ अ॒स्मासु॑ धत्त। प्र॒जाप॑तेर्वो॒ धाम्ना॒स्मै लो॒काय॑ सादये ॥

O noble people of divine humanity, you are part and partners of Agni, leading lights of the nation. Like the purity and energy of waters, you hold in you the spirit and essence of noble action. Bring in and vest in us the purity, power and splendour of noble action for the nation. With the rule and law of Prajapati and with the holiness of his glory, I assign and dedicate you to the welfare of this nation.

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10.5.8

इन्द्र॑स्य भा॒ग स्थ॑। अ॒पां शु॒क्रमा॑पो देवी॒र्वर्चो॑ अ॒स्मासु॑ धत्त। प्र॒जाप॑तेर्वो॒ धाम्ना॒स्मै लो॒काय॑ सादये ॥

O noble people of divine humanity, you are part and partners of Indra, ruling powers of the nation. Like the energy and purity of waters, you hold in you the spirit and essence of noble action. Bring in and vest in us the purity, power and splendour of noble action for the nation. With the rule and law of Prajapati and with the holiness of his glory, I assign and consecrate you to the welfare of this nation.

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10.5.9

सोम॑स्य भा॒ग स्थ॑। अ॒पां शु॒क्रमा॑पो देवी॒र्वर्चो॑ अ॒स्मासु॑ धत्त। प्र॒जाप॑तेर्वो॒ धाम्ना॒स्मै लो॒काय॑ सादये ॥

O noble people of divine humanity, you are part and partners of Soma, beauty and grace of life like the moon. Like the purity and peace of waters, you hold in you the spirit and essence of noble action. Bring in and vest in us the purity, power and splendour of noble action for the nation. With the rule and law of Prajapati and with the holiness of his glory, I assign and consecrate you to the welfare of this nation.

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10.5.10

वरु॑णस्य भा॒ग स्थ॑। अ॒पां शु॒क्रमा॑पो देवी॒र्वर्चो॑ अ॒स्मासु॑ धत्त। प्र॒जाप॑तेर्वो॒ धाम्ना॒स्मै लो॒काय॑ सादये ॥

O noble people of divine action, you are part and partners of Varuna, regional orders of the world. Like the purity and fluidity of waters, you hold in you the spirit and essence of noble action. Bring us the purity, power and splendour of noble action for the nation. With the rule and law of Prajapati and with the holiness of his glory, I assign and consecrate you to the life and advancement of this nation.

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10.5.11

मि॒त्रावरु॑णयोर्भा॒ग स्थ॑। अ॒पां शु॒क्रमा॑पो देवी॒र्वर्चो॑ अ॒स्मासु॑ धत्त। प्र॒जाप॑तेर्वो॒ धाम्ना॒स्मै लो॒काय॑ सादये ॥

O noble people of the world, you are part and partners of Mitra and Varuna, divine love, wisdom and pranic energies of nature. Like the purity and power of the universal flow of love and energy, you hold in you the spirit and essence of noble action. Bring us the purity, power and splendour of noble action with love and wisdom for the nation. With the rule and law of Prajapati and with the holiness of his glory, I assign and consecrate you to the life and happiness of this human nation.

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10.5.12

य॒मस्य॑ भा॒ग स्थ॑। अ॒पां शु॒क्रमा॑पो देवी॒र्वर्चो॑ अ॒स्मासु॑ धत्त। प्र॒जाप॑तेर्वो॒ धाम्ना॒स्मै लो॒काय॑ सादये ॥

O noble children of the earth, you are part and partners of Yama, universal law and justice. Like the purity and power of the dynamics of divine law in action, you hold in you the spirit and essence of noble action with love and justice. Bring us the purity, power and splendour of noble action in the spirit of justice. With the rule and law of Prajapati and with the holiness of his glory, I assign and consecrate you to the life and happiness of this world.

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10.5.13

पि॑तॄ॒णां भा॒ग स्थ॑। अ॒पां शु॒क्रमा॑पो देवी॒र्वर्चो॑ अ॒स्मासु॑ धत्त। प्र॒जाप॑तेर्वो॒ धाम्ना॒स्मै लो॒काय॑ सादये ॥

You are part and partners of the Pitaras, ancestors, seniors, and the rulers and organisers of the human community. Like the purity and power of social dynamics in action and progressive flow, you hold in you the spirit and essence of noble action towards your goals. Bring us the purity, power and splendour of noble action for the progress of humanity. With the rule and law of Prajapati and with the holiness of his glory, I assign and consecrate you to the rule and order of this human nation.

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10.5.14

दे॒वस्य॑ सवि॒तुर्भा॒ग स्थ॑। अ॒पां शु॒क्रमा॑पो देवी॒र्वर्चो॑ अ॒स्मासु॑ धत्त। प्र॒जाप॑तेर्वो॒ धाम्ना॒स्मै लो॒काय॑ सादये ॥

You are part and partners of Savita, divine father giver of life and light with the inspiration to live and shine. Like the purity and power of the radiation of light you hold in you the spirit and essence of noble action. Bring us the purity, power and splendour of creative and enlightened action. With the rule and law of Prajapati and with the holiness of his glory, I assign and consecrate you to the enlightenment, harmony and unity of this human nation as one family of one universal father Savita.

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10.5.15

यो व॑ आपो॒ऽपां भा॒गो॒प्स्व॒न्तर्य॑जु॒ष्यो᳡ देव॒यज॑नः। इ॒दं तमति॑ सृजामि॒ तं माभ्यव॑निक्षि। तेन॒ तम॒भ्यति॑सृजामो॒ यो॒स्मान्द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः। तं व॑धेयं॒ तं स्तृ॑षीया॒नेन॒ ब्रह्म॑णा॒नेन॒ कर्म॑णा॒नया॑ मे॒न्या ॥

O people, whatever is your Bhaga, share of the powers and obligations of state affairs in the business of governance and administration, loved by society and respected by the wise for its value, here I grant and entrust to you. Do not forsake that, nor must I neglect that, and thereby we take on whoever hates us and whoever we disapprove, and with this knowledge, through this process of law, and with this act of justice, we counter, cover and eliminate that element of hate and enmity.

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10.5.16

यो व॑ आपो॒ऽपामू॒र्मिर॒प्स्व१॒॑न्तर्य॑जु॒ष्यो᳡ देव॒यज॑नः। इ॒दं तमति॑ सृजामि॒ तं माभ्यव॑निक्षि। तेन॒ तम॒भ्यति॑सृजामो॒ यो॒स्मान्द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः। तं व॑धेयं॒ तं स्तृ॑षीया॒नेन॒ ब्रह्म॑णा॒नेन॒ कर्म॑णा॒नया॑ मे॒न्या ॥

O people of the state, whoever of the people is most dynamic in the business of governance and administration of the order, loved by society and respected by the wise for his dynamism, here I appoint, and entrust the department to him. Do not forsake him, nor must I neglect him, and thereby we take on whoever hates us and whoever we disapprove, and with this knowledge, through this process of law, and with this act of justice, we counter, cover and eliminate that element of hate and enmity.

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10.5.17

यो व॑ आपो॒ऽपां व॒त्सोऽप्स्व॒न्तर्य॑जु॒ष्यो᳡ देव॒यज॑नः। इ॒दं तमति॑ सृजामि॒ तं माभ्यव॑निक्षि। तेन॒ तम॒भ्यति॑सृजामो॒ यो॒स्मान्द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः। तं व॑धेयं॒ तं स्तृ॑षीया॒नेन॒ ब्रह्म॑णा॒नेन॒ कर्म॑णा॒नया॑ मे॒न्या ॥

O people of the state, whoever is the dearest favourite of the people, loved by society and respected by the wise in the business of governance and administration of the order, here I appoint, and entrust the department to him. Do not forsake him, nor would I neglect him, and thereby we take on whoever hates us and whoever we disapprove, and with this knowledge, through this process of law, and with this act of justice, we counter, cover and eliminate that element of hate and enmity.

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10.5.18

यो व॑ आपो॒ऽपां वृ॑ष॒भो॒प्स्व॒न्तर्य॑जु॒ष्यो᳡ देव॒यज॑नः। इ॒दं तमति॑ सृजामि॒ तं माभ्यव॑निक्षि। तेन॒ तम॒भ्यति॑सृजामो॒ यो॒स्मान्द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः। तं व॑धेयं॒ तं स्तृ॑षीया॒नेन॒ ब्रह्म॑णा॒नेन॒ कर्म॑णा॒नया॑ मे॒न्या ॥

O people of the state, whoever is the strongest and most generous of the people, loved by society and respected by the wise in the business of governance and administration of the order, here I appoint, and entrust the department to him. Do not forsake him, nor would I neglect him, and thereby we take on whoever hates us and whoever we disapprove, and with this knowledge, through this process of law, and with this act of justice, we counter, cover and eliminate that element of hate and enmity.

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10.5.19

यो व॑ आपो॒ऽपां हि॑रण्यग॒र्भो॒प्स्व॒न्तर्य॑जु॒ष्यो᳡ देव॒यज॑नः। इ॒दं तमति॑ सृजामि॒ तं माभ्यव॑निक्षि। तेन॒ तम॒भ्यति॑सृजामो॒ यो॒स्मान्द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः। तं व॑धेयं॒ तं स्तृ॑षीया॒नेन॒ ब्रह्म॑णा॒नेन॒ कर्म॑णा॒नया॑ मे॒न्या ॥

O people of the state, whoever of the people is at heart the deepest treasure of the golden virtues of humanity in the business of governance and administration of the order, loved by society and respected by the wise for his virtues, here I appoint, and entrust the department to him. Do not forsake him, nor must I forsake or neglect him, and thereby we take on whoever hates us and whoever we disapprove, and with this knowledge, through this process of law, and with this act of justice, we counter, cover and eliminate that element of hate and enmity.

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10.5.20

यो व॑ आपो॒ऽपामश्मा॒ पृश्नि॑र्दि॒व्यो॒प्स्व॒न्तर्य॑जु॒ष्यो᳡ देव॒यज॑नः। इ॒दं तमति॑ सृजामि॒ तं माभ्यव॑निक्षि। तेन॒ तम॒भ्यति॑सृजामो॒ यो॒स्मान्द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः। तं व॑धेयं॒ तं स्तृ॑षीया॒नेन॒ ब्रह्म॑णा॒नेन॒ कर्म॑णा॒नया॑ मे॒न्या ॥

O people of the land, whoever of you among the people is firm as adamant, versatile as the firmament, and brilliant, loved by the people and respected by the wise in the business of governance and administration of the order, hereby I appoint,, and entrust the department to him. Do not forsake him nor must I forsake or neglect him, and thereby we take on whoever hates us and whoever we disapprove, and with this knowledge, through this process of law, and with this act of justice, we counter, cover and eliminate that element of hate and enmity.

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10.5.21

यो व॑ आपो॒ऽपाम॒ग्नयो॒ऽप्स्व१॒॑न्तर्य॑जु॒ष्यो॑ष्या᳡ देव॒यज॑नाः। इ॒दं तानति॑ सृजामि॒ तं माभ्यव॑निक्षि। तैस्तम॒भ्यति॑सृजामो॒ यो॒स्मान्द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः। तं व॑धेयं॒ तं स्तृ॑षीया॒नेन॒ ब्रह्म॑णा॒नेन॒ कर्म॑णा॒नया॑ मे॒न्या ॥

O people of the land, whoever of you among the people are brilliant as light, instant and passionate in action as fire, loved by society and respected by the wise in the business of governance and administration of the order, hereby I appoint, and entrust the order to them. Do not forsake them, nor must I forsake and neglect them, and thereby we take on whoever hates us and whoever we disapprove, and with this knowledge, through this process of law, and with this act of justice, we counter, cover and eliminate that element of hate and enmity.

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10.5.22

यद॑र्वा॒चीनं॑ त्रैहाय॒णादनृ॑तं॒ किं चो॑दि॒म। आपो॑ मा॒ तस्मा॒त्सर्व॑स्माद्दुरि॒तात्पा॒न्त्वंह॑सः ॥

Whatever untrue we might have spoken in the last three years, this side lower and other than of knowledge, karma and worship, the trio of noble action, in the service of Lord Supreme, may the sages excuse and the Lord guard and save us from all that sin and evil.

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10.5.23

स॑मु॒द्रं वः॒ प्र हि॑णोमि॒ स्वां योनि॒मपी॑तन। अरि॑ष्टाः॒ सर्व॑हायसो॒ मा च॑ नः॒ किं च॒नाम॑मत् ॥

O sages, O mind and senses, O karmas of this life of existence, I impel and inspire you to move with all your vigour, unhurt, unscathed, to your own original divine source, the Infinite sea. Let there be no pain, no suffering to hurt us.

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10.5.24

अ॑रि॒प्रा आपो॒ अप॑ रि॒प्रम॒स्मत्। प्रास्मदेनो॑ दुरि॒तं सु॒प्रती॑काः॒ प्र दुः॒ष्वप्न्यं॒ प्र मलं॑ वहन्तु ॥

Let the waters of nature and sages of humanity, free from sin and defilement, noble and beautiful of aspect, wash off all sin and evil from us, cast away all dirt and evil dreams from us.

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10.5.25

विष्णोः॒ क्रमो॑ऽसि सपत्न॒हा पृ॑थि॒वीसं॑शितो॒ऽग्निते॑जाः। पृ॑थि॒वीमनु॒ वि क्र॑मे॒ऽहं पृ॑थि॒व्यास्तं निर्भ॑जामो॒ यो॒स्मान्द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः। स मा जी॑वी॒त्तं प्रा॒णो ज॑हातु ॥

O man, you are Vishnu’s own power and projection, subduer of challenging negativities, nourished, strengthened, honed, perfected, magnetised by the earth and blest with the fire of Agni. I strive and advance over the earth. We strike out that negativity from the earth which hates us and which we hate. That adversary must not survive. Let even life energy forsake that.

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10.5.26

विष्णोः॒ क्रमो॑ऽसि सपत्न॒हान्तरि॑क्षसंशितो वा॒युते॑जाः। अ॒न्तरि॑क्ष॒मनु॒ वि क्र॑मे॒ऽहं अ॒न्तरि॑क्षा॒त्तं निर्भ॑जामो॒ यो॒स्मान्द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः। स मा जी॑वी॒त्तं प्रा॒णो ज॑हातु ॥

You are the stride, projection and power of Vishnu, subduer of adversaries, strengthened, honed and sharpened by the firmament, blest with the force of thunder and lightning. I strive and advance across the firmament. We strike out that negativity from the firmament which negates us and which we hate. That negativity must not survive. Let even life energy forsake that.

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10.5.27

विष्णोः॒ क्रमो॑ऽसि सपत्न॒हा द्यौसं॑शितः॒ सूर्य॑तेजाः। दिव॒मनु॒ वि क्र॑मे॒ऽहं दि॒वस्तं निर्भ॑जामो॒ यो॒स्मान्द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः। स मा जिवी॒त्तं प्रा॒णो ज॑हातु ॥

You are Vishnu’s stride of the power and projection of his light, subduer of adversaries, strengthened, honed and illuminated by the light of heaven, blest with the refulgence of the sun. I strive and advance in conformity with the radiation of heavenly light. We strike out those negativities from the light-sphere of life which negate us and which we hate. Negativity and negation must not survive and thrive. Let even life energy forsake that.

· · ·

10.5.28

विष्णोः॒ क्रमो॑ऽसि सपत्न॒हा दिक्सं॑शितो॒ मन॑स्तेजाः। दिशो॒ऽनु॒ वि क्र॑मे॒ऽहं दि॒ग्भ्यस्तं निर्भ॑जामो॒ यो॒स्मान्द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः। स मा जी॑वी॒त्तं प्रा॒णो ज॑हातु ॥

You are Vishnu’s stride of power and presence, subduer of adversaries, strengthened, honed and perfected by space, blest with the refulgence of cosmic mind. I strive and advance in pursuance of the boundlessness of space. We strike out those restrictions and negativities from our life space and mind which restrict us and which we reject. Closeness and negativity must not survive to thrive. Let even life energy forsake that negativity and negation.

· · ·

10.5.29

विष्णोः॒ क्रमो॑ऽसि सपत्न॒हाशा॑संशितो॒ वात॑तेजाः। आशा॒ अनु॒ वि क्र॑मे॒ऽहमाशा॑भ्य॒स्तं निर्भ॑जामो॒ यो॒स्मान्द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः। स मा जी॑वी॒त्तं प्रा॒णो ज॑हातु ॥

You are Vishnu’s stride of power, presence and force, subduer of adversaries, strengthened, honed and sharpened by definite direction of action, blest with the force of wind shears. I strive and advance in the definite direction of our goal. We strike out those adversaries and hurdles which obstruct us on way and which we hate and reject. Hurdles and adversaries must not survive, much less thrive. Let even life energy forsake the negativities.

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10.5.30

विष्णोः॒ क्रमो॑ऽसि सपत्न॒हा ऋक्सं॑शितः॒ साम॑तेजाः। ऋचोऽनु॒ वि क्र॑मे॒ऽहमृ॒ग्भ्यस्तं निर्भ॑जामो॒ यो॒स्मान्द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः। स मा जी॑वी॒त्तं प्रा॒णो ज॑हातु ॥

You are the stride of Vishnu (beyond physicality), destroyer of adversaries and adversities, strengthened, seasoned and inspired by Rks and blest with the energy and ecstasy of Samans. I strive and advance in pursuance of the Rks. We strike out those adversaries from our way of the Rks which hate and obstruct us and which we hate and reject. Hate and adversaries must not survive, nor thrive. Let even life energy forsake hate and adversity.

· · ·

10.5.31

विष्णोः॒ क्रमो॑ऽसि सपत्न॒हा य॒ज्ञसं॑शितो॒ ब्रह्म॑तेजाः। य॒ज्ञमनु॒ वि क्र॑मे॒ऽहं य॒ज्ञात्तं निर्भ॑जामो॒ यो॒स्मान्द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः। स मा जी॑वी॒त्तं प्रा॒णो ज॑हातु ॥

You are the stride of Vishnu (into the realm of cosmic yajna), destroyer of adversaries and negativities. You are strengthened, seasoned and liberalised by yajna, and blest with the glory and splendour of Brahma. I strive and advance in life by the way of yajna. We remove those adversaries and negativities from the way of yajna by yajna who hate and obstruct us and whom we hate and reject. Hate and adversaries must not survive, nor thrive. Let even life energy forsake hate and enmity.

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10.5.32

विष्णोः॒ क्रमो॑ऽसि सपत्न॒हौष॑धीसंशितः॒ सोम॑तेजाः। ओष॑धी॒रनु॒ वि क्र॑मे॒ऽहमोष॑धीभ्य॒स्तं निर्भ॑जामो॒ यो॒स्मान्द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः। स मा जी॑वी॒त्तं प्रा॒णो ज॑हातु ॥

You are the stride and pervasion of Vishnu (into biological life), you are destroyer of adversaries. You are nourished, strengthened and vitalised by herbs, blest with the spirit and ecstatic life of soma. I strive and advance in life like the growth of herbs and trees and their vitality. We remove those adversaries and negativities from oshadhis by oshadhis which obstruct and negate us and which we too hate and oppose. Hate and negativities must not live, nor thrive, let even life energy forsake them.

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10.5.33

विष्णोः॒ क्रमो॑ऽसि सपत्न॒हाप्सुसं॑शितो॒ वरु॑णतेजाः। अ॒पोऽनु॒ वि क्र॑मे॒ऽहम॒द्भ्यस्तं निर्भ॑जामो॒ यो॒स्मान्द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः। स मा जी॑वी॒त्तं प्रा॒णो ज॑हातु ॥

You are Vishnu’s stride (into the dynamics of life), seasoned and sharpened for action as destroyer of adversaries, and blest with the splendour of cosmic waters and justice. I strive and advance into life in pursuance of action, jhate and enmity survive and live on. Let even life energy forsake all hate and enmity.ustice and generosity. We remove all adversaries and negatives from our paths of action by positive action. We fight out those that hate and obstruct us and those we hate and reject for their negativity. Let not hate and enmity survive and live on. Let even life energy forsake all hate and enmity.

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10.5.34

विष्णोः॒ क्रमो॑ऽसि सपत्न॒हा कृ॒षिसं॑शि॒तोऽन्न॑तेजाः। कृ॒षिमनु॒ वि क्र॑मे॒ऽहं कृ॒ष्यास्तं निर्भ॑जामो॒ यो॒स्मान्द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः। स मा जी॑वी॒त्तं प्रा॒णो ज॑हातु ॥

You are the stride of Vishnu into productivity, destroyer of adversaries, strengthened, raised and sharpened by the abundance of farming, and blest with the vigour and vitality of food. I strive and advance into life in pursuance of the plenty and generosity of food and farming. From the way of food and farming we remove all those factors and negativities which oppose and obstruct us and those which we oppose and reject. Let no negativity and obstruction survive and last. Let even life energy forsake the negativity and obstruction of hate and enmity.

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10.5.35

विष्णोः॒ क्रमो॑ऽसि सपत्न॒हा प्रा॒णसं॑शितः॒ पुरु॑षतेजाः। प्रा॒णमनु॒ वि क्र॑मे॒ऽहं प्रा॒णात्तं निर्भ॑जामो॒ यो॒स्मान्द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः। स मा जी॑वी॒त्तं प्रा॒णो ज॑हातु ॥

You are Vishnu’s stride over life energy, destroyer of adversaries, strengthened and sharpened by the living energy of prana, blest by the splendour of Purusha, living spirit of the universe. I strive and advance in pursuance of prana. We remove from the way of vibrant living all those negativities which oppose and obstruct us and which we hate and reject. Let not such opposition to pranic progress survive and thrive. Let even life energy forsake such negativity, hate and enmity.

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10.5.36

जि॒तम॒स्माक॒मुद्भि॑न्नम॒स्माक॑म॒भ्य᳡ष्ठां॒ विश्वाः॒ पृत॑ना॒ अरा॑तीः। इ॒दम॒हमा॑मुष्याय॒णस्या॒मुष्याः॑ पु॒त्रस्य॒ वर्च॒स्तेजः॑ प्रा॒णमायु॒र्नि वे॑ष्टयामी॒दमे॑नमध॒राञ्चं॑ पादयामि ॥

Whatever is won is ours, secured. Whatever is discovered, uncovered, created is ours, secured. All enemies, all adversities, I have stemmed and stilled. Hereby I secure the life, energy, lustre and splendour of the scion of such and such family and the son of such and such mother. Hereby I cast down this enemy and adversity of this land and its people.

· · ·

10.5.37

सूर्य॑स्या॒वृत॑म॒न्वाव॑र्ते॒ दक्षि॑णा॒मन्वा॒वृत॑म्। सा मे॒ द्रवि॑णं यच्छतु॒ सा मे॑ ब्राह्मणवर्च॒सम् ॥

I follow the course of life in accordance with the course of the sun on the right, in Dakshinayana. May that course of progress give me strength and wealth of honour and glory of Brahmanic splendour of peace.

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10.5.38

दिशो॒ ज्योति॑ष्मतीर॒भ्याव॑र्ते। ता मे॒ द्रवि॑णं यच्छन्तु॒ ता मे॑ ब्राह्मणवर्च॒सम् ॥

I turn and advance in the directions of light and enlightenment. May these give me strength and wealth of honour and glory of the Brahmanic order of peace and splendour.

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10.5.39

स॑प्तऋ॒षीन॒भ्याव॑र्ते। ते मे॒ द्रवि॑णं यच्छन्तु॒ ते मे॑ ब्राह्मणवर्च॒सम् ॥

I follow the course of the seven sages. May they give me strength and wealth of honour and glory of the Brahmanic order of peace and enlightenment.

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10.5.40

ब्रह्मा॒भ्याव॑र्ते। तन्मे॒ द्रवि॑णं यच्छन्तु॒ तन्मे॑ ब्राह्मणवर्च॒सम् ॥

I follow the course of life revealed by Brahma and shown by Veda. May it give me strength and wealth of honour and glory of the Brahmanic order of peace and enlightenment.

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10.5.41

ब्राह्म॒णाँ अ॒भ्याव॑र्ते। ते मे॒ द्रवि॑णं यच्छन्तु॒ ते मे॑ ब्राह्मणवर्च॒सम् ॥

I follow the course of life shown by Brahmanas, sages of knowledge and enlightenment. May they give me wealth and glory of the Brahmanic order of honour and enlightenment.

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10.5.42

यं व॒यं मृ॒गया॑महे॒ तं व॒धै स्तृ॑णवामहै। व्यात्ते॑ परमे॒ष्ठिनो॒ ब्रह्म॒णापी॑पदाम॒ तम् ॥

Whatever evil we hunt out, we deal with by the force of law, refer it to the Lord Supreme’s law of dispensation and dispose of by the law of Dharma, i.e., the law of the constitution.

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10.5.43

वै॑श्वान॒रस्य॒ दंष्ट्रा॑भ्यां हे॒तिस्तं सम॑धाद॒भि। इ॒यं तं प्सा॒त्वाहु॑तिः स॒मिद्दे॒वी सही॑यसी ॥

The arms of law have caught it by the lord’s rules of order for peace and punishment, and let this action of law and administration deal with it as the divine blaze of vedi fire accepts an oblation.

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10.5.44

राज्ञो॒ वरु॑णस्य ब॒न्धो᳡सि॑। सो॒मुमा॑मुष्याय॒णम॒मुष्याः॑ पु॒त्रमन्ने॑ प्रा॒णे ब॑धान ॥

You are subject to the law of the ruler Varuna, i.e., laws of the land subsisting within the laws of Nature and Divinity. O powers of law and order, take this man, son of such and such family and son of such and such mother, subject to his right to life and maintenance in the law.

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10.5.45

यत्ते॒ अन्नं॑ भुवस्पत आक्षि॒यति॑ पृथि॒वीमनु॑। तस्य॑ न॒स्त्वं भु॑वस्पते सं॒प्रय॑च्छ प्रजापते ॥

O lord of the land, ruler and protector of the people, whatever laws of food and means of maintenance obtain in the land according to conditions of the earth for you and the people, O Prajapati, give us our share of that.

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10.5.46

अ॒पो दि॒व्या अ॑चायिषं॒ रसे॑न॒ सम॑पृक्ष्महि। पय॑स्वानग्न॒ आग॑मं॒ तं मा॒ सं सृ॑ज॒ वर्च॑सा ॥

I have sought for a drink of the celestial waters of life. Let us be regaled with nectar to satiety. Hey Agni, I have come with the offer of milky oblations. Pray bless me with the divine lustre and splendour of life.

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10.5.47

सं मा॑ग्ने॒ वर्च॑सा सृज॒ सं प्र॒जया॒ समायु॑षा। वि॒द्युर्मे॑ अ॒स्य दे॒वा इन्द्रो॑ विद्यात्स॒ह ऋषि॑भिः ॥

Hey Agni, bless me with honour and lustre, bless me with progeny, with good health and full age. Let the divines know of me thus, let Indra know of me along with the holy sages.

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10.5.48

यद॑ग्ने अ॒द्य मि॑थु॒ना शपा॒तो॒ यद्वा॒चस्तृ॒ष्टं ज॒नय॑न्त रे॒भाः। म॒न्योर्मन॑सः शर॒व्या॒ जाय॑ते॒ या तया॑ विध्य॒ हृद॑ये यातु॒धाना॑न् ॥

Hey Agni, now whatever wedded couples swear at each other, what rude word wastours utter in quarrel, whatever painful words are uttered by them out of angry mind, with that very affliction strike these hurtful people through the heart. (Let them realise what pain is.)

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10.5.49

परा॑ शृणीहि॒ तप॑सा यातु॒धाना॒न्परा॑ग्ने॒ रक्षो॒ हर॑सा शृणीहि। परा॑र्चिषा॒ मूर॑देवाञ्छृणीहि॒ परा॑सु॒तृपः॒ शोशु॑चतः शृणीहि ॥

Hey Agni, with your heat, shatter the evil doers. With power and passion, crush the demons. With your flames, burn off the fools and wastours. Scorching the ogres, throw them out.

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10.5.50

अ॒पाम॑स्मै॒ वज्रं॒ प्र ह॑रामि॒ चतु॑र्भृष्टिं शीर्षभिद्याय वि॒द्वान्। सो अ॒स्याङ्गा॑नि॒ प्र शृ॑णातु॒ सर्वा॒ तन्मे॑ दे॒वा अनु॑ जानन्तु॒ विश्वे॑ ॥

I, Agni, the ruler and enlightened leader, strike the four-edged thunderbolt of lightning upon this ogre to break his head. May this strike break his body and net-work into bits. And let all devas, enlightened people of the land, know, recognise and approve of this act of justice.

✦ Sukta 6 · 35 verses ✦

10.6.1

अराती॒योर्भ्रातृ॑व्यस्य दु॒र्हार्दो॑ द्विष॒तः शिरः॑। अपि॑ वृश्चा॒म्योज॑सा ॥

This jewel of abundant food born of ploughshare and farming would come to me by hard work in full measure with delightful vigour and valour and it will act for me as an armour for security and protection.This jewel of abundant food born of ploughshare and farming would come to me by hard work in full measure with delightful vigour and valour and it will act for me as an armour for security and protection.

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10.6.2

वर्म॒ मह्य॑म॒यं म॒णिः फाला॑ज्जा॒तः क॑रिष्यति। पू॒र्णो म॒न्थेन॒ माग॑म॒द्रसे॑न स॒ह वर्च॑सा ॥

As the skilled carpenter with expert hand and adze chiselled and shaped you, O plough-share, from that state let pure life-giving waters purify and sanctify you with living food for life.

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10.6.3

यत्त्वा॑ शि॒क्वः प॒राव॑धी॒त्तक्षा॒ हस्ते॑न॒ वास्या॑। आप॑स्त्वा॒ तस्मा॑ज्जीव॒लाः पु॒नन्तु॒ शुच॑यः॒ शुचि॑म् ॥

As the skilled carpenter with expert hand and adze chiselled and shaped you, O plough-share, from that state let pure life-giving waters purify and sanctify you with living food for life.

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10.6.4

हिर॑ण्यस्रग॒यं म॒णिः श्र॒द्धां य॒ज्ञं महो॒ दध॑त्। गृ॒हे व॑सतु॒ नोऽति॑थिः ॥

Let this gold threaded jewel bear and bring us faith, yajna and glory, and abide in our home like an honoured visitor without any definite date, permanently.

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10.6.5

तस्मै॑ घृ॒तं सुरां॒ मध्वन्न॑मन्नं क्षदामहे। स नः॑ पि॒तेव॑ पु॒त्रेभ्यः॒ श्रेयः॑ श्रेयश्चिकित्सतु॒ भूयो॑भूयः॒ श्वःश्वो॑ दे॒वेभ्यो॑ म॒णिरेत्य॑ ॥

To that jewel visitor we offer ghrta, exhilarating drink, honey and food of many varieties. May the visitor, come from the divinities, bring us, like father for his children, honour, goodness and greatness again and again, day by day.

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10.6.6

यमब॑ध्ना॒द्बृह॒स्पति॑र्म॒णिं फालं॑ घृत॒श्चुत॑मु॒ग्रं ख॑दि॒रमोज॑से। तम॒ग्निः प्रत्य॑मुञ्चत॒ सो अ॑स्मै दुह॒ आज्यं॒ भूयो॑भूयः॒ श्वःश्व॒स्तेन॒ त्वं द्वि॑ष॒तो ज॑हि ॥

That jewel of abundant food born of the plough- share of khadira wood, powerful and replete with ghrta, which Brhaspati, the cosmic high priest, tied for the sake of strength and splendour, Agni, leading light of the land, received and wore. May that jewel create and bring in for the recipient holy ghrta for the expansion of the yajna of the social order, again and again, day by day. O man, with that jewel of abundance and power destroy those forces which hate and destroy.

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10.6.7

यमब॑ध्ना॒द्बृह॒स्पति॑र्म॒णिं फालं॑ घृत॒श्चुत॑मु॒ग्रं ख॑दि॒रमोज॑से। तमिन्द्रः॒ प्रत्य॑मुञ्च॒तौज॑से वी॒र्या᳡य॒ कम्। सो अ॑स्मै॒ बल॒मिद्दु॑हे॒ भूयो॑भूयः॒ श्वःश्व॒स्तेन॒ त्वं द्वि॑ष॒तो ज॑हि ॥

That jewel of abundance, powerful and replete with ghrta, born of the plough-share of Khadira wood, which Brhaspati, the high priest, tied for the sake of strength and splendour, Indra, the mighty ruler, received and wore for splendour, valour and peace and prosperity. May that jewel create and bring in for the recipient strength for the expansion of the yajna of the social order again and agian, day by day. O man, with that jewel of abundance and power destroy those forces which hate and destroy.

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10.6.8

यमब॑ध्ना॒द्बृह॒स्पति॑र्म॒णिं फालं॑ घृत॒श्चुत॑मु॒ग्रं ख॑दि॒रमोज॑से। तं सोमः॒ प्रत्य॑मुञ्चत म॒हे श्रोत्रा॑य॒ चक्ष॑से। सो अ॑स्मै॒ वर्च॒ इद्दु॑हे॒ भूयो॑भूयः॒ श्वःश्व॒स्तेन॒ त्वं द्वि॑ष॒तो ज॑हि ॥

That jewel of abundance, powerful and replete with ghrta, born of the plough share of Khadira wood, which Brhaspati, the high priest, tied for the sake of strength and splendour, Sama, head of the spirit and powers of peace, order and joy, received and wore for vision, wisdom and listening to the revelation of the truth of universal order. May that jewel create and bring in for the recipient light and splendour again and again, day by day. O man, with that jewel of abundance, light and splendour, destroy the forces that hate and destroy.

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10.6.9

यमब॑ध्ना॒द्बृह॒स्पति॑र्म॒णिं फालं॑ घृत॒श्चुत॑मु॒ग्रं ख॑दि॒रमोज॑से। तं सूर्यः॒ प्रत्य॑मुञ्चत॒ तेने॒मा अ॑जय॒द्दिशः॑। सो अ॑स्मै॒ भूति॒मिद्दु॑हे॒ भूयो॑भूयः॒ श्वःश्व॒स्तेन॒ त्वं द्वि॑ष॒तो ज॑हि ॥

That jewel of abundance, powerful and replete with ghrta, born of the plough share of khadira wood, which Brhaspati, cosmic high priest, tied for the sake of strength and splendour, the sun received and wore and thereby conquered all the directions of space. May that jewel create and bring in for the recipient superabundance of prosperity and light again and again, more and more, day by day. O man, with that jewel of light and abundance, destroy the forces that hate and destroy.O man, with that jewel of light and abundance, destroy the forces that hate and destroy.

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10.6.10

यमब॑ध्ना॒द्बृह॒स्पति॑र्म॒णिं फालं॑ घृत॒श्चुत॑मु॒ग्रं ख॑दि॒रमोज॑से। त बिभ्र॑च्च॒न्द्रमा॑ म॒णिमसु॑राणां॒ पुरो॑ऽजयद्दान॒वानां॑ हिर॒ण्ययीः॑। सो अ॑स्मै॒ श्रिय॒मिद्दु॑हे॒ भूयो॑भूयः॒ श्वःश्व॒स्तेन॒ त्वं द्वि॑ष॒तो ज॑हि ॥

That jewel of abundance, powerful and replete with ghrta, born of the plough share of the Khadira wood of nature, which Brhaspati, the cosmic high priest, tied for the sake of strength and splendour, Chandrama, the moon, received and bore, and thereby conquered the golden cities of demons and devourers. That created and brought in for the recipient beauty and grace more and more, day by day. O man, with that jewel of abundance and grace, eliminate the forces which hate and destroy.

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10.6.11

यमब॑ध्ना॒द्बृह॒स्पति॒र्वाता॑य म॒णिमा॒शवे॑। सो अ॑स्मै वा॒जिन॒मिद्दु॑हे॒ भूयो॑भूयः॒ श्वःश्व॒स्तेन॒ त्वं द्वि॑ष॒तो ज॑हि ॥

That jewel-mani, divine thought, which Brhaspati, lord creator of the expansive universe, created and bore by himself for the origination of dynamic energy, that thought and energy set in motion the speed of evolution for this same lord, set it in motion more and ever more, moment by moment of chronological time. O man, as part of the evolution, eliminate the forces that hate, oppose and negate the process of evolution.

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10.6.12

यमब॑ध्ना॒द्बृह॒स्पति॒र्वाता॑य म॒णिमा॒शवे॑। तेने॒मां म॒णिना॑ कृ॒षिम॒श्विना॑व॒भि र॑क्षतः। स भि॒षग्भ्यां॒ महो॑ दुहे॒ भूयो॑भूयः॒ श्वःश्व॒स्तेन॒ त्वं द्वि॑ष॒तो ज॑हि ॥

That jewel-mani of divine thought which Brhaspati set in motion for the origination of dynamic energy for the evolution of existence, by that very jewel energy the Ashvins, twin motions of prana and apana currents of cosmic energy circuit, protect and promote this process of Biological evolution and agriculture. The same jewel creates and takes forward the grand evolution for the twin procreative forces, the Ashvins, more and ever more, moment by moment. O man, as part of the evolution, eliminate the forces that hate, oppose and negate the process of evolution.

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10.6.13

यमब॑ध्ना॒द्बृह॒स्पति॒र्वाता॑य म॒णिमा॒शवे॑। तं बिभ्र॑त्सवि॒ता म॒णिं तेने॒दम॑जय॒त्स्वः᳡। सो अ॑स्मै सू॒नृतां॑ दुहे॒ भूयो॑भूयः॒ श्वःश्व॒स्तेन॒ त्वं द्वि॑ष॒तो ज॑हि ॥

That jewel-mani of divine thought which Brhaspati set in motion for the origination of dynamic energy for the evolution of existence, that mani, Savita, the sun, bore and thereby won this light of heaven. That same Savita, the light and divine energy, distilled and

Kanda 10 (Part 3)

revealed the divine knowledge and the language of divine knowledge for this humanity more and ever more, moment by moment, day by day.O man, by virtue of the same light and truth, eliminate the forces of hate and enmity which negate the process of knowledge and progress.

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10.6.14

यमब॑ध्ना॒द्बृह॒स्पति॒र्वाता॑य म॒णिमा॒शवे॑। तमापो॒ बिभ्र॑तीर्म॒णिं सदा॑ धाव॒न्त्यक्षि॑ताः। स आ॑भ्यो॒ऽमृत॒मिद्दु॑हे॒ भूयो॑भूयः॒ श्वःश्व॒स्तेन॒ त्वं द्वि॑ष॒तो ज॑हि ॥

That jewel-mani of divine thought which Brhaspati set in motion for the origination of dynamic energy for the evolution of existence, that same divine energy, waters bear as a jewel and always flow unhurt and unobstructed. That same divine energy distils the nectar of life for these waters and for humanity from these waters, more and ever more, day by day. O man, by the same flow of energy, the waters, and the nectar of life, eliminate the forces of hate and enmity which negate life’s progress.

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10.6.15

यमब॑ध्ना॒द्बृह॒स्पति॒र्वाता॑य म॒णिमा॒शवे॑। तं राजा॒ वरु॑णो म॒णिं प्रत्य॑मुञ्चत शं॒भुव॑म्। सो अ॑स्मै स॒त्यमिद्दु॑हे॒ भूयो॑भूयः॒ श्वःश्व॒स्तेन॒ त्वं द्वि॑ष॒तो ज॑हि ॥

That jewel-mani of divine thought which Brhaspati set in motion for the origination of divine energy for the evolution of existence, that same jewel- mani, giver of peace and well being, the refulgent ruler Varuna received and wore, and that brought for this ruler the truth of the reality of life across the universe, the world and the regions of the world, and all the time brings in the truth of life more and ever more, day by day. O man, by virtue of the truth of life and its evolution, throw out the forces of hate and enmity which negate life’s progress and truth.

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10.6.16

यमब॑ध्ना॒द्बृह॒स्पति॒र्वाता॑य म॒णिमा॒शवे॑। तं दे॒वा बिभ्र॑तो म॒णिं सर्वां॑ल्लो॒कान्यु॒धाज॑यन्। स ए॑भ्यो॒ जिति॒मिद्दु॑हे॒ भूयो॑भूयः॒ श्वःश्व॒स्तेन॒ त्वं द्वि॑ष॒तो ज॑हि ॥

That jewel-mani of divine thought which Brhaspati set in motion for the origination of dynamic energy for the evolution of existence, that same energy, the Devas, divine forces of nature and noble people of light, knowledge and generosity, received and bore, and, with their struggle for evolution and progress, won all the regions of the world. That same energy and the struggle brought and brings victory more and ever more, day by day. O man, by the same energy and the same struggle, throw off the forces of hate and enmity which negate and obstruct the struggle for progress and evolution.

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10.6.17

यमब॑ध्ना॒द्बृह॒स्पति॒र्वाता॑य म॒णिमा॒शवे॑। तमि॒मं दे॒वता॑ म॒णिं प्रत्य॑मुञ्चन्त श॒म्भुव॑म्। स आ॑भ्यो॒ विश्व॒मिद्दु॑हे॒ भूयो॑भूयः॒ श्वःश्व॒स्तेन॒ त्वं द्वि॑ष॒तो ज॑हि ॥

That jewel-mani of divine thought which Brhaspati set in motion for the origination of dynamic energy for the evolution of existence, that very jewel of thought and energy, giver of pO man, by the same energy, mind, senses and experience, rule out the forces of hate and enmity which negate and obstruct the honour and excellence of life.eace and well being, the Devatas, people of excellence and their mind and senses, received and bore, and that jewel distilled for them and still distils all the experience of the world more and ever more, day by day.

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10.6.18

ऋ॒तव॒स्तम॑बध्नतार्त॒वास्तम॑बध्नत। सं॑वत्स॒रस्तं ब॒द्ध्वा सर्वं॑ भू॒तं वि र॑क्षति ॥

That same divine will and energy, the seasons bear, all cycles of the seasons and all that conform to the seasons bear, and the year, which is the presiding power of time over the seasons, bears and thereby protects and promotes all existent facts and processes of the universe over the ways of evolution.

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10.6.19

अ॑न्तर्दे॒शा अ॑बध्नत प्र॒दिश॒स्तम॑बध्नत। प्र॒जाप॑तिसृष्टो म॒णिर्द्वि॑ष॒तो मेऽध॑राँ अकः ॥

That jewel of divine will and energy, all directions, spaces, interspaces and interdirections bear and observe in action. May that same jewel of divine will initiated, and set in evolutionary motion by Prajapati, throw down and out all forces of hate and enmity for me and the entire life of humanity.

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10.6.20

अथ॑र्वाणो अबध्नताथर्व॒णा अ॑बध्नत। तैर्मे॒दिनो॒ अङ्गि॑रसो॒ दस्यू॑नां बिभिदुः॒ पुर॒स्तेन॒ त्वं द्वि॑ष॒तो ज॑हि ॥

Atharvans, sages of steady mind free from fluctuation and negativity, bear that same jewel of divine will and energy in their heart and soul. Their disciples and followers too bear the same jewel. By the power of that very jewel, vibrant Angirasas, sages of leading light and energy, shattered the strongholds of negation and destruction. O man, by the same jewel of divine will, light and energy, destroy the forces of hate and enmity which negate and obstruct the excellence and progress of humanity.

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10.6.21

तं धा॒ता प्रत्य॑मुञ्चत॒ स भू॒तं व्य᳡कल्पयत्। तेन॒ त्वं द्वि॑ष॒तो ज॑हि ॥

That jewel-mani of power and potential, Dhata, lord of the universe, bore and manifested as his will and dynamic energy, and he created the world of variety in all its multitude. By the same jewel power of your own possibility, O man, eliminate all those negations, hate and oppositions which obstruct your individual, social and spiritual evolution.

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10.6.22

यमब॑ध्ना॒द्बृह॒स्पति॑र्दे॒वेभ्यो॒ असु॑रक्षितिम्। स मा॒यं म॒णिराग॑म॒द्रसे॑न स॒ह वर्च॑सा ॥

That jewel-mani of divine power and potential which Brhaspati, lord of the expansive universe, bore and generated for the divinities of nature and humanity, for the evolution of existence and for the control and destruction of evil, has come to me also with the splen- dour and delight of being (to participate in the evolution of divinity and destruction of evil in my course of life).

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10.6.23

यमब॑ध्ना॒द्बृह॒स्पति॑र्दे॒वेभ्यो॒ असु॑रक्षितिम्। स मा॒यं म॒णिराग॑मत्स॒ह गोभि॑रजा॒विभि॒रन्ने॑न प्र॒जया॑ स॒ह ॥

That jewel-mani of divine power and potential, which Brhaspati bore and generated for the divinities for the evolution of existence and control of evil and negativity, has come to me with cows, goats and sheep, and with food and progeny.

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10.6.24

यमब॑ध्ना॒द्बृह॒स्पति॑र्दे॒वेभ्यो॒ असु॑रक्षितिम्। स मा॒यं म॒णिराग॑मत्स॒ह व्री॑हिय॒वाभ्यां॒ मह॑सा॒ भूत्या॑ स॒ह ॥

That jewel-mani of divine power and potential, which Brhaspati bore and generated for the divinities for the evolution of existence and control of evil and negativities, has come to me with rice and barley, greatness and prosperity.

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10.6.25

यमब॑ध्ना॒द्बृह॒स्पति॑र्दे॒वेभ्यो॒ असु॑रक्षितिम्। स मा॒यं म॒णिराग॑म॒न्मधो॑र्घृ॒तस्य॒ धार॑या की॒लाले॑न म॒णिः स॒ह ॥

That jewel-mani of divine power and potential, which Brhaspati bore and generated for the divinities for the evolution of existence and control of evil and negativities, has come to me with streams of honey and ghrta, the mani with the food of life.

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10.6.26

यमब॑ध्ना॒द्बृह॒स्पति॑र्दे॒वेभ्यो॒ असु॑रक्षितिम्। स मा॒यं म॒णिराग॑मदू॒र्जया॒ पय॑सा स॒ह द्रवि॑णेन श्रि॒या स॒ह ॥

That jewel-mani of divine power and potential, which Brhaspati bore and generated for the divinities for the evolution of existence and control of evil and negativities, has come to me with water, milk and energy, with wealth and with beauty, honour and grace.

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10.6.27

यमब॑ध्ना॒द्बृह॒स्पति॑र्दे॒वेभ्यो॒ असु॑रक्षितिम्। स मा॒यं म॒णिराग॑म॒त्तेज॑सा॒ त्विष्या॑ स॒ह यश॑सा की॒र्त्या᳡ स॒ह ॥

That jewel-mani of divine power and potential, which Brhaspati bore and generated for the divinities for the evolution of existence and control of evil and negativities, has come to me with lustre and splendour, with honour, excellence and fame.

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10.6.28

यमब॑ध्ना॒द्बृह॒स्पति॑र्दे॒वेभ्यो॒ असु॑रक्षितिम्। स मा॒यं म॒णिराग॑म॒त्सर्वा॑भि॒र्भूति॑भिः स॒ह ॥

That jewel-mani of divine power and potential, which Brhaspati bore and generated for the divinities for the evolution of existence and control of evil and negativities, has come to me with all wealth and good fortunes of existence.

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10.6.29

तमि॒मं दे॒वता॑ म॒णिं मह्यं॑ ददतु॒ पुष्ट॑ये। अ॑भि॒भुं क्ष॑त्र॒वर्ध॑नं सपत्न॒दम्भ॑नं म॒णिम् ॥

May the divinities of nature and brilliancies of humanity give me that jewel power and potential for growth and prosperity which sunpasses the rivals, overcomes the adversaries, defeats the enemies and leads the social order to excellence and advancement, yes, that power, potential, and the order of law for existence.

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10.6.30

ब्रह्म॑णा॒ तेज॑सा स॒ह प्रति॑ मुञ्चामि मे शि॒वम्। अ॑सप॒त्नः स॑पत्न॒हा स॒पत्ना॒न्मेऽध॑राँ अकः ॥

With the divine law, with honour, lustre and excellence, I take on and dedicate myself to this peaceful and blessed power and potential, jewel-mani gifted by Brhaspati, power which has no rival, no adversary, which has overthrown all my rivals and adversaries, and which has rendered me free.

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10.6.31

उत्त॑रं द्विष॒तो माम॒यं म॒णिः कृ॑णोतु देव॒जाः। यस्य॑ लो॒का इ॒मे त्रयः॒ पयो॑ दु॒ग्धमु॒पास॑ते। स मा॒यमधि॑ रोहतु म॒णिः श्रैष्ठ्या॑य मूर्ध॒तः ॥

May this jewel power born of divinities and gifted raise me to superiority and victory over the powers of hate and enmity, the power whose gift of sustenance, vitality and milk of mercy and grace, all these three worlds of heaven, earth and the firmament worship and enjoy. May this divine gift raise me to the top of excellence and this highest merit seat of life.

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10.6.32

यं दे॒वाः पि॒तरो॑ मनु॒ष्या᳡ उप॒जीव॑न्ति सर्व॒दा। स मा॒यमधि॑ रोहतु म॒णिः श्रैष्ठ्या॑य मूर्ध॒तः ॥

May that divine jewel gift of power and potential, by which all divinities of nature and humanity, all human beings in general and all sustaining powers have their life and existence always, raise me to the top of excellence and the highest merit seat of life.

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10.6.33

यथा॒ बीज॑मु॒र्वरा॑यां कृ॒ष्टे फाले॑न॒ रोह॑ति। ए॒वा मयि॑ प्र॒जा प॒शवोऽन्न॑मन्नं॒ वि रो॑हतु ॥

Just as the seed grows to life and luxuriance in the fertile soil tilled by the plough, so may, in my life, progeny, wealth of animals and food rise and grow more and ever more.

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10.6.34

यस्मै॑ त्वा यज्ञवर्धन॒ मणे॑ प्र॒त्यमु॑चं शि॒वम्। तं त्वं श॑तदक्षिण॒ मणे॑ श्रैष्ठ्याय जिन्वतात् ॥

O divine jewel gift of power and potential, augmenter of the yajna of life, generous harbinger of a hundred gifts of merit and prosperity, whoever the person, progeny or disciple I consecrate with you, may this blessed gift of divinity, inspire, energise and raise the recipient to the top of excellence.

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10.6.35

ए॒तमि॒ध्मं स॒माहि॑तं जुष॒णो अग्ने॒ प्रति॑ हर्य॒ होमैः॑। तस्मि॑न्विधेम सुम॒तिं स्व॒स्ति प्र॒जां चक्षुः॑ प॒शून्त्समि॑द्धे जा॒तवे॑दसि॒ ब्रह्म॑णा ॥

O Holy fire, lover of this holy fuel brought up and offered with faith, rise and rejoice by our offers of oblations, which, we pray, receive and reward us. O friends, in the fire of omniscience, lighted and raised with divine knowledge and the chant of Vedic verses, let us discover and find for ourselves noble intelligence and wisdom, happiness and well being, divine vision and the wealth of life.

✦ Sukta 7 · 44 verses ✦

10.7.1

कस्मि॒न्नङ्गे॒ तपो॑ अ॒स्याधि॑ तिष्ठति॒ कस्मि॒न्नङ्ग॑ ऋ॒तम॒स्याध्याहि॑तम्। क्व᳡ व्र॒तं क्व᳡ श्र॒द्धास्य॑ तिष्ठति॒ कस्मि॒न्नङ्गे॑ स॒त्यम॑स्य॒ प्रति॑ष्ठितम् ॥

In what part of Skambha does Tapas, creative heat of will and intention, abide? In which part does Rtam, truth and law of mutability, abide, held and controlled in function? Where the vow of discipline and commitment? Where faith in existence? In which part does Satyam, reality of the constancy base of mutability, abide, held in place?

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10.7.2

कस्मा॒दङ्गा॑द्दीप्यते अ॒ग्निर॑स्य॒ कस्मा॒दङ्गा॑त्पवते मात॒रिश्वा॑। कस्मा॒दङ्गा॒द्वि मि॑मी॒तेऽधि॑ च॒न्द्रमा॑ म॒ह स्क॒म्भस्य॒ मिमा॑नो॒ अङ्ग॑म् ॥

From which part and power of it does fire burn and shine? From which part or power of it does the wind blow across the firmament? From which part, by what power, does the moon traverse the space, covering which part of mighty Skambha?

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10.7.3

कस्मि॒न्नङ्गे॑ तिष्ठति॒ भूमि॑रस्य॒ कस्मि॒न्नङ्गे॑ तिष्ठत्य॒न्तरि॑क्षम्। कस्मि॒न्नङ्गे॑ तिष्ठ॒त्याहि॑ता॒ द्यौः कस्मि॒न्नङ्गे॑ तिष्ठ॒त्युत्त॑रं दि॒वः ॥

In which part of it does earth abide? In which part does the firmament abide? In which part does the solar region abide, held and sustained? And in which part does the higher heavens of light abide?

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10.7.4

क्व१॒॑ प्रेप्स॑न्दीप्यत ऊ॒र्ध्वो अ॒ग्निः क्व१॒॑ प्रेप्स॑न्पवते मात॒रिश्वा॑। यत्र॒ प्रेप्स॑न्तीरभि॒यन्त्या॒वृतः॑ स्क॒म्भं तं ब्रू॑हि कत॒मः स्वि॑दे॒व सः ॥

Whitherward does the high fire of the sun burn and radiate, seeking and striving for what? Whitherward does the spatial wind of energy blow, seeking and striving for what? Witherward do the cosmic whirlpools of stars, planets and galaxies turn, and turn round and round, seeking and striving for what? Speak of that Skambha, that centre-hold explosive, to me, which one is that? Say it is Skambha, only that of all, ultimate centre and the circumference.

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10.7.5

क्वा᳡र्धमा॒साः क्व᳡ यन्ति॒ मासाः॑ संवत्स॒रेण॑ स॒ह सं॑विदा॒नाः। यत्र॒ यन्त्यृ॒तवो॒ यत्रा॑र्त॒वाः स्क॒म्भं तं ब्रू॑हि कत॒मः स्वि॑दे॒व सः ॥

Whither do fortnights move, whither the months, integrated with the year? Whither do the seasons proceed, with all that happens therein? Where and whither? Speak to me of that Skambha, that centre-hold controller, which one is that? Say it is Skambha, only that of all, ultimate centre and the circumference.

· · ·

10.7.6

क्व१॒॑ प्रेप्स॑न्ती युव॒ती विरू॑पे अहोरा॒त्रे द्र॑वतः संविदा॒ने। यत्र॒ प्रेप्स॑न्तीरभि॒यन्त्यापः॑ स्क॒म्भं तं ब्रू॑हि कत॒मः स्वि॑दे॒व सः ॥

Whither, seeking and striving for what, do the day and night, youthful maidens ever fresh, so different yet in perfect accord, hasten on? Whither, seeking and striving for what, do the whirlpools of waters and time flow incessantly? Speak to me of that Skambha, that centre-hold controller, which one is that? Say it is Skambha, only that of all, ultimate centre and the circumference.

· · ·

10.7.7

यस्मि॑न्त्स्त॒ब्ध्वा प्र॒जाप॑तिर्लो॒कान्त्सर्वाँ॒ अधा॑रयत्। स्क॒म्भं तं ब्रू॑हि कत॒मः स्वि॑दे॒व सः ॥

Wherein, having fixed and secured all regions of the universe, Prajapati, father, guardian and ruler of the children of his creation, sustains them, of that Skambha speak to me, which one is that? Say it is Skambha, only that of all, ultimate centre and the circumference.

· · ·

10.7.8

यत्प॑र॒मम॑व॒मं यच्च॑ मध्य॒मं प्र॒जाप॑तिः ससृ॒जे वि॒श्वरू॑पम्। किय॑ता स्क॒म्भः प्र वि॑वेश॒ तत्र॒ यन्न प्रावि॑श॒त्किय॒त्तद्ब॑भूव ॥

Of the highest, lowest and the middle order of the form of the universe which Prajapati, cosmic progenitor, created, how much does Skambha, the sustaining divine, pervade therein, and how much is that which it does not pervade? (Prajapati and Skambha are one and the same divinity, Prajapati, the creative, and Skambha, the pervasive sustaining aspect.)

· · ·

10.7.9

किय॑ता स्क॒म्भः प्र वि॑वेश भू॒तं किय॑द्भवि॒ष्यद॒न्वाश॑येऽस्य। एकं॒ यदङ्ग॒मकृ॑णोत्सहस्र॒धा किय॑ता स्क॒म्भः प्र वि॑वेश॒ तत्र॑ ॥

To what extent did Skambha enter the created world? To what extent is it dormant in relation to the future? That one part of its metaphoric personality, i.e., Prakrti, which it shaped into a thousandfold variety, how much did Skambha pervade therein?

· · ·

10.7.10

यत्र॑ लो॒कांश्च॒ कोशां॒श्चापो॒ ब्रह्म॒ जना॑ वि॒दुः। अस॑च्च॒ यत्र॒ सच्चा॒न्त स्क॒म्भं तं ब्रू॑हि कत॒मः स्वि॑दे॒व सः ॥

Wherein, as learned sages know, all created worlds and treasures abide, all food and waters abide, and wherein both the constant and the mutable abide, of that Skambha, pray speak to me. Which one of all is that? Say it is Skambha, only that of all, the ultimate centre and circumference of existence.

· · ·

10.7.11

यत्र॒ तपः॑ परा॒क्रम्य॑ व्र॒तं धा॒रय॒त्युत्त॑रम्। ऋ॒तं च॒ यत्र॑ श्र॒द्धा चापो॒ ब्रह्म॑ स॒माहि॑ताः स्क॒म्भं तं ब्रू॑हि कत॒मः स्वि॑दे॒व सः ॥

Wherein Tapa, discipline of enlightened living, rises higher to the superior discipline of Vrata, commitment, wherein are integrated Rtam, truth and law, Shraddha, faith, Apah, Karma, and Brahma, knowledge, of that Skambha, pray, speak to me. Which one is that? Say it is Skambha, only that of all, the ultimate centre and circumference of existence.

· · ·

10.7.12

यस्मि॒न्भूमि॑र॒न्तरि॑क्षं॒ द्यौर्यस्मि॒न्नध्याहि॑ता। यत्रा॒ग्निश्च॒न्द्रमाः॒ सूर्यो॒ वात॑स्तिष्ठ॒न्त्यार्पि॑ताः स्क॒म्भं तं ब्रू॑हि कत॒मः स्वि॑दे॒व सः ॥

Wherein earth and firmament, wherein the heaven of light, all abide comprehended, wherein fire and light energy, the moon, the sun and the winds abide, self-surrendered to the law, of that Skambha, pray, speak to me. Which one is that? Say it is Skambha, only that of all, the ultimate centre and circumference of existence.

· · ·

10.7.13

यस्य॒ त्रय॑स्त्रिंशद्दे॒वा अङ्गे॒ सर्वे॑ स॒माहि॑ताः। स्क॒म्भं तं ब्रू॑हि कत॒मः स्वि॑दे॒व सः ॥

In whose power and presence are integrated and comprehended all the thirty-three divine forces, of that Skambha, pray, speak to me, which one is that? Say it is Skambha, only that of all, the ultimate centre and circumference of existence. (The thirty three Devas or divinities are: eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, twelve Adityas, Indra, i.e., energy, and yajna, natural dynamics of life sustenance.)

· · ·

10.7.14

यत्र॒ ऋष॑यः प्रथम॒जा ऋचः॒ साम॒ यजु॑र्म॒ही। ए॑क॒र्षिर्यस्मि॒न्नार्पि॑तः स्क॒म्भं तं ब्रू॑हि कत॒मः स्वि॑दे॒व सः ॥

Wherein the first born Rshis, i.e., the seven Rshi pranas, seven first born evolutes of Prakrti comprising Mahan, Ahankara and five elements, and the first born Vedic visionaries abide; wherein Rks, Samans, Yajus and the great hymns of Atharva abide, wherein the one Rshi, i.e., omniscience and later Reason and logic abide in order, all self-surrendered, of that Skambha, pray, speak to me, which one of all is that? Say it is Skambha, only that of all, the ultimate centre and circumference of existence.

· · ·

10.7.15

यत्रा॒मृतं॑ च मृ॒त्युश्च॒ पुरु॒षेऽधि॑ स॒माहि॑ते। स॑मु॒द्रो यस्य॑ ना॒ड्यः१॒॑ पुरु॒षेऽधि॑ स॒माहि॑ताः स्क॒म्भं तं ब्रू॑हि कत॒मः स्वि॑दे॒व सः ॥

Wherein immortality and death both abide in the Purusha, comprehended, whose arteries are the seas comprehended in the Purusha, of that Skambha, pray, speak to me, which one of all is that? Say it is Skambha, only that of all, the ultimate centre and circumference of existence.

· · ·

10.7.16

यस्य॒ चत॑स्रः प्र॒दिशो॑ ना॒ड्य१॒॑स्तिष्ठ॑न्ति प्रथ॒माः। य॒ज्ञो यत्र॒ परा॑क्रान्तः स्क॒म्भं तं ब्रू॑हि कत॒मः स्वि॑दे॒व सः ॥

Whose veins and arteries are the four major quarters of space which abide in order, wherein nature’s yajna of the evolution of existence goes on and on, of that Skambha, pray, speak to me, which one of all is that? Say it is Skambha, only that of all, the ultimate centre and circumference of existence.

· · ·

10.7.17

ये पुरु॑षे॒ ब्रह्म॑ वि॒दुस्ते वि॑दुः परमे॒ष्ठिन॑म्। यो वेद॑ परमे॒ष्ठिनं॒ यश्च॒ वेद॑ प्र॒जाप॑तिम्। ज्ये॒ष्ठं ये ब्राह्म॑णं वि॒दुस्ते॑ स्क॒म्भम॑नु॒संवि॑दुः ॥

Those who experience and this way know Brahma, immanent Purusha, vibrating in the heart and soul of the individual purusha, know the Supreme Purusha.He that knows the Supreme, he that knows Prajapati, the creator, and they that know the Supreme Soul celebrated in the Veda, they know and apprehend the Skambha, i.e., the creator Prajapati, the immanent Brahma pervasive in nature and the individual soul, and the transcendent Brahma, the One Skambha reflecting and existing in variety of presence and function, as It is.

· · ·

10.7.18

यस्य॒ शिरो॑ वैश्वान॒रश्चक्षु॒रङ्गि॑र॒सोऽभ॑वन्। अङ्गा॑नि॒ यस्य॑ या॒तवः॑ स्क॒म्भं तं ब्रू॑हि कत॒मः स्वि॑दे॒व सः ॥

Whose head is Vaishvanara, cosmic fire that blazes in the sun on high, whose eye is the radiant rays of light and knowledge that illuminate and enlighten all within and without, whose limbs are all moving stars, planets and galaxies, indeed the entire dynamic systems of the universe, of that Skambha, pray, speak to me, which one, for sure, is that? Say it is Skambha, only that which is all, the ultimate centre and circumference of existence.

· · ·

10.7.19

यस्य॒ ब्रह्म॒ मुख॑मा॒हुर्जि॒ह्वां म॑धुक॒शामु॒त। वि॒राज॒मूधो॒ यस्या॒हुः स्क॒म्भं तं ब्रू॑हि कत॒मः स्वि॑दे॒व सः ॥

Whose speech, they say, is Brahma, the universal Veda, whose tongue is the honey sweet cosmic speech of the Vedic knowledge, whose treasure-hold of energy and vitality is the refulgent universe itself of Prakrti, of that Skambha, pray, speak to me, which one, for sure, is that? Say it is Skambha, only that of all, the centre and the circumference of existence, ultimately.

· · ·

10.7.20

यस्मा॒दृचो॑ अ॒पात॑क्ष॒न्यजु॒र्यस्मा॑द॒पाक॑षन्। सामा॑नि॒ यस्य॒ लोमा॑न्यथर्वाङ्गि॒रसो॒ मुखं॑ स्क॒म्भं तं ब्रू॑हि कत॒मः स्वि॑दे॒व सः ॥

From whom Rks of the Veda are received, realised and articulated in form and meaning, from whom the Yajus are received, from whom the Samans arise as hair grow from the body, and whose natural spontaneous word of speech is Atharva-veda, received, realised and articulated by the Angirasas, of that Skambha, pray, speak to me, which one, for sure, is That? Say it is Skambha, only that of all, the ultimate centre and circumference of existence.

· · ·

10.7.21

असच्छा॒खां प्र॒तिष्ठ॑न्तीं पर॒ममि॑व॒ जना॑ विदुः। उ॒तो सन्म॑न्य॒न्तेऽव॑रे॒ ये ते॒ शाखा॑मु॒पास॑ते ॥

Some people believe that the constant, self- existent, primordial state of Prakrti, wherein there is no germination and no branch, is the supreme reality. Others believe that the germinated, variously branched off mutable state of the world alone is the reality and they recognise and worship it as such. (Both of them do not know the Skambha.)

· · ·

10.7.22

यत्रा॑दि॒त्याश्च॑ रु॒द्राश्च॒ वस॑वश्च स॒माहिताः॑। भू॒तं च॒ यत्र॒ भव्यं॑ च॒ सर्वे॑ लो॒काः प्रति॑ष्ठिताः स्क॒म्भं तं ब्रू॑हि कत॒मः स्वि॑दे॒व सः ॥

Wherein Twelve Adityas, eleven Rudras and eight Vasus abide comprehended, wherein past, present and future and all regions of the world of existence abide, comprehended and sustained, of that Skambha, pray, speak to me, which one, for sure, is that? Say it is Skambha, only that of all, the ultimate centre and circumference of existence.

· · ·

10.7.23

यस्य॒ त्रय॑स्त्रिंशद्दे॒वा नि॒धिं रक्ष॑न्ति सर्व॒दा। नि॒धिं तम॒द्य को वे॑द॒ यं दे॑वा अभि॒रक्ष॑थ ॥

Whose treasure-hold of the universe thirty-three Devas, divinities of nature, constantly protect and preserve, serve and promote, of that Skambha, pray, speak to me. O Devas, who now knows that treasure- hold of divinity which you protect and promote?

· · ·

10.7.24

यत्र॑ दे॒वा ब्र॑ह्म॒विदो॒ ब्रह्म॑ ज्ये॒ष्ठमु॒पास॑ते। यो वै तान्वि॒द्यात्प्र॒त्यक्षं॒ स ब्र॒ह्मा वेदि॑ता स्यात् ॥

Where the divine sages, who know the Supreme Brahma, know and meditate on the Supreme Divinity, there, whoever knows those Brahma-realised souls directly, he would, for sure, know Brahma and become worthy of being Brahma, high-priest of the yajna of Brahma-realisation.

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10.7.25

बृ॒हन्तो॒ नाम॒ ते दे॒वा येऽस॑तः॒ परि॑ जज्ञि॒रे। एकं॒ तदङ्गं॑ स्क॒म्भस्यास॑दाहुः प॒रो जनाः॑ ॥

Great indeed are those Devas which were born of primordial Prakrti. Sages say that that (Premordial Prakrti) is only one limb of Skambha. That primordial Prakrti, Asat is beyond the Devas. And Skambha is beyond that too.

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10.7.26

यत्र॑ स्क॒म्भः प्र॑ज॒नय॑न्पुरा॒णं व्यव॑र्तयत्। एकं॒ तदङ्गं॑ स्क॒म्भस्य॑ पुरा॒णम॑नु॒संवि॑दुः ॥

When and where Skambha, creating the world of existence, repeats the old story of creation, that too is only one limb of Skambha which, the sages know, is a new version of the old and eternal.

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10.7.27

यस्य॒ त्रय॑स्त्रिंशद्दे॒वा अङ्गे॒ गात्रा॑ विभेजि॒रे। तान्वै त्रय॑स्त्रिंशद्दे॒वानेके॑ ब्रह्म॒विदो॑ विदुः ॥

In whose (i.e., Skambha’s) one divine wing of creation in the evolutionary process, thirty three Devas take their own specific forms and functions, these thirty- three divinities also, in their forms and functions, some Brahma-realised sages know.

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10.7.28

हि॑रण्यग॒र्भं प॑र॒मम॑नत्यु॒द्यं जना॑ विदुः। स्क॒म्भस्तदग्रे॒ प्रासि॑ञ्च॒द्धिर॑ण्यं लो॒के अ॑न्त॒रा ॥

Knowledgeable people know Hiranyagarbha, the golden womb of creation, highest and beyond description. It is Skambha that generated the creative Prakrti and formed the golden blue-print of the universe in the very beginning of creative evolution in the world of existence.

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10.7.29

स्क॒म्भे लो॒काः स्क॒म्भे तपः॑ स्क॒म्भेऽध्यृ॒तमाहि॑तम्। स्कम्भं॒ त्वा वे॑द प्र॒त्यक्ष॒मिन्द्रे॒ सर्वं॑ स॒माहि॑तम् ॥

The worlds of existence abide in Skambha. Tapas, forging heat of the maker’s furnace, is in Skambha. Rtam, the law of change and formation, abides comprehended in Skambha. O Skambha, I know you by direct experience : Everything abides comprehended in Indra, your omnipotence.

· · ·

10.7.30

इन्द्रे॑ लो॒का इन्द्रे॒ तप॒ इन्द्रे॑ऽध्यृ॒तमाहि॑तम्। इन्द्रं॒ त्वा वे॑द प्र॒त्यक्षं॑ स्क॒म्भे सर्वं॒ प्रति॑ष्ठितम् ॥

The worlds of the universe abide in Indra. Tapas, the forging heat and skill, abides in Indra. Rtam, the law of mutability and formal evolution, abides comprehended and controlled in Indra. Hey Indra, I know you by direct experience. I know all and every thing abides comprehended in Skambha. (Skambha is Indra, and Indra is Skambha.)

· · ·

10.7.31

नाम॒ नाम्ना॑ जोहवीति पु॒रा सूर्या॑त्पु॒रोषसः॑। यद॒जः प्र॑थ॒मं सं॑ब॒भूव॒ स ह॒ तत्स्व॒राज्य॑मियाय॒ यस्मा॒न्नान्यत्पर॒मस्ति॑ भू॒तम् ॥

Before sun-rise, before the dawn, the sage invokes the One original name of Divinity, ‘Aum’, by the functional name (Savita, Agni, Indra) of his own choice in Samadhi, and thereby realises the One unborn, eternal Skambha, that which, first of all in the creative process, self-manifested, assumes the sovereign power and potential as Indra, other than which there is none higher or highest that is, has been, or would be.

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10.7.32

यस्य॒ भूमिः॑ प्र॒मान्तरि॑क्षमु॒तोदर॑म्। दिवं॒ यश्च॒क्रे मू॒र्धानं॒ तस्मै॑ ज्ये॒ष्ठाय॒ ब्रह्म॑णे॒ नमः॑ ॥

Skambha, whose one measure of foot-step is the earth, the middle space, his belly, and who has created the heaven of light as his forehead, to that Supreme Brahma, homage of worship and submission!

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10.7.33

यस्य॒ सूर्य॒श्चक्षु॑श्च॒न्द्रमा॑श्च॒ पुन॑र्णवः। अ॒ग्निं यश्च॒क्र आ॒स्यं१॒॑ तस्मै॑ ज्ये॒ष्ठाय॒ ब्रह्म॑णे॒ नमः॑ ॥

Whose eye is the sun and the moon ever new, who has created Agni as his mouth and speech, to that Supreme Brahma, homage of worship and submission!

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10.7.34

यस्य॒ वातः॑ प्राणापा॒नौ चक्षु॒रङ्गि॑र॒सोऽभ॑वन्। दिशो॒ यश्च॒क्रे प्र॒ज्ञानी॒स्तस्मै॑ ज्ये॒ष्ठाय॒ ब्रह्म॑णे॒ नमः॑ ॥

Whose prana and apana energies are the winds, and the sun rays, light of the eye, who has created the quarters of space as media of his perception and communication of knowledge, to that Supreme Brahma, homage of worship and adoration in submission!

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10.7.35

स्क॒म्भो दा॑धार॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी उ॒भे इ॒मे स्क॒म्भो दा॑धारो॒र्व१॒॑न्तरि॑क्षम्। स्क॒म्भो दा॑धार प्र॒दिशः॒ षडु॒र्वीः स्क॒म्भ इ॒दं विश्वं॒ भुव॑न॒मा वि॑वेश ॥

Skambha holds and sustains both the heaven and the earth, Skambha holds and sustains the vast firmament, Skambha holds and sustains the six vast directions of space, and Skambha pervades, holds and sustains this whole universe.

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10.7.36

यः श्रमा॒त्तप॑सो जा॒तो लो॒कान्त्सर्वा॑न्त्समान॒शे। सोमं॒ यश्च॒क्रे केव॑लं॒ तस्मै॑ ज्ये॒ष्ठाय॒ ब्रह्म॑णे॒ नमः॑ ॥

Who manifested from the heat and effort of his thought and will, who manifests in the devotee’s awareness through yogic effort of relentless practice and continuous discipline of austerity, who pervades all worlds of existence with his omnipresence, who has created, wholly and solely, Soma, only Soma, peace and joy, to that Supreme Brahma, homage of worship and adoration in total submission!

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10.7.37

क॒थं वातो॒ नेल॑यति क॒थं न र॑मते॒ मनः॑। किमापः॑ स॒त्यं प्रेप्स॑न्ती॒र्नेल॑यन्ति क॒दा च॒न ॥

Why doesn’t the wind ever go to sleep? How is it that the mind never stops still? Do the waters, as also the acts of will and nature, seeking and striving in search of the truth of reality, ever rest and come to a stand still? (No! Why?)

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10.7.38

म॒हद्य॒क्षं भुव॑नस्य॒ मध्ये॒ तप॑सि क्रा॒न्तं स॑लि॒लस्य॑ पृ॒ष्ठे। तस्मि॑न्छ्रयन्ते॒ य उ॒ के च॑ दे॒वा वृ॒क्षस्य॒ स्कन्धः॑ प॒रित॑ इव॒ शाखाः॑ ॥

The Mighty Supreme, adorable Skambha, is ever on the move in the midst of the universe and on top of its dynamics. In that and on that relentless Brahma depend and abide all those that are the divine forces of nature, like branches abiding and living on and around the trunk of the tree. (That’s why the winds, the waters and the mind never come to a stand still, they vibrate and flow with divine vitality.)

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10.7.39

यस्मै॒ हस्ता॑भ्यां॒ पादा॑भ्यां वा॒चा श्रोत्रे॑ण॒ चक्षु॑षा। यस्मै॑ दे॒वाः सदा॑ ब॒लिं प्र॒यच्छ॑न्ति॒ विमि॒तेऽमि॑तं स्क॒म्भं तं ब्रू॑हि कत॒मः स्वि॑दे॒व सः ॥

To which all divinities of nature and humanity in the world, bound within the Unbound, offer homage, to which they offer homage with hands, feet, words, ear and eye, of that Skambha, pray, speak to me, which one, for sure, is that? Say it is Skambha, only that one of all, which is the ultimate centre and circumference of existence.

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10.7.40

अप॒ तस्य॑ ह॒तं तमो॒ व्यावृ॑त्तः॒ स पा॒प्मना॑। सर्वा॑णि॒ तस्मि॒ञ्ज्योतीं॑षि॒ यानि॒ त्रीणि॑ प्र॒जाप॑तौ ॥

Darkness is off from that, eternally. It is immaculate, unsullied, absolutely free from sin and evil. All the three lights (which abide in earth, firmament and heaven) abide in that Prajapati.

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10.7.41

यो वे॑त॒सं हि॑र॒ण्ययं॑ तिष्ठन्तं सलि॒ले वेद॑। स वै गुह्यः॑ प्र॒जाप॑तिः ॥

The One who pervades the golden warp and woof of the universe abiding in space and time, that is the mysterious Prajapati existing below the surface reality of it.

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10.7.42

त॒न्त्रमेके॑ युव॒ती विरू॑पे अभ्या॒क्रामं॑ वयतः॒ षण्म॑यूखम्। प्रान्या तन्तूं॑स्ति॒रते॑ ध॒त्ते अ॒न्या नाप॑ वृञ्जाते॒ न ग॑मातो॒ अन्त॑म् ॥

Two young maidens both different in form and colour, different in form and function, separately yet together facing each other weave the six-dimensional structure and texture of the world of existence. One spins out the threads, the other receives and fits them into form and design. They neither forsake this work nor rest nor do they take it to the end. (The two maidens can be interpreted as day and night or as the creative and consumptive aspects of the process of natural evolution.)

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10.7.43

तयो॑र॒हं प॑रि॒नृत्य॑न्त्योरिव॒ न वि जा॑नामि यत॒रा प॒रस्ता॑त्। पुमा॑नेनद्वय॒त्युद्गृ॑णत्ति॒ पुमा॑नेन॒द्वि ज॑भा॒राधि॒ नाके॑ ॥

Of these two maidens, dancing as if on the stage of the world of existence and structuring the design and form of the universe, I do not know which is the former and which is the latter. In fact, it is the Purusha, the creator Brahma, which generates the Prakrtic material, weaves the web, and then winds up the dance and then bears the entire play beyond the pleasure and pain of the world of Becoming (Mutability) into the state of pure Being (Constancy or Samyavastha).

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10.7.44

इ॒मे म॒यूखा॒ उप॑ तस्तभु॒र्दिवं॒ सामा॑नि चक्रु॒स्तस॑राणि॒ वात॑वे ॥

These dimensions of space and time and the rays of the light of omniscience uphold the warp and woof of existence unto the heavens of light, and they create the Samans of knowledge and divine devotion and joy and also the shuttles for weaving of the web of existence for man’s rise to the heaven of joy beyond pleasure and pain.

✦ Sukta 8 · 44 verses ✦

10.8.1

यो भू॒तं च॒ भव्यं॑ च॒ सर्वं॒ यश्चा॑धि॒तिष्ठ॑ति। स्व१॒॑र्यस्य॑ च॒ केव॑लं॒ तस्मै॑ ज्ये॒ष्ठाय॒ ब्रह्म॑णे॒ नमः॑ ॥

To the One Supreme Absolute Brahma who ordains, rules and presides over all that is,has been, and all that shall be, whose nature and being is pure light and absolute joy, homage of worship and surrender.

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10.8.2

स्क॒म्भेने॒मे विष्ट॑भिते॒ द्यौश्च॒ भूमि॑श्च तिष्ठतः। स्क॒म्भ इ॒दं सर्व॑मात्म॒न्वद्यत्प्रा॒णन्नि॑मि॒षच्च॒ यत् ॥

Both these, heaven and earth, hold fast in place, stabilised in orbit by Skambha, centre-hold of the universe. All this living existence that’s breathing, waking, winking and sleeping is stabilised in Skambha.

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10.8.3

ति॒स्रो ह॑ प्र॒जा अ॑त्या॒यमा॑य॒न्न्य१॒॑न्या अ॒र्कम॒भितो॑ऽविशन्त। बृ॒हन्ह॑ तस्थौ॒ रज॑सो वि॒मानो॒ हरि॑तो॒ हरि॑णी॒रा वि॑वेश ॥

Three are the orders of creation : sattvic as light, rajasic as energy, and tamasic as solid material, all on the move to and by the faster than the fastest, while the Infinite Brahma stands still at the centre though it pervades and vibrates across all the closest and farthest worlds of space in existence : the subtlest of sattvic order abide by the Adorable as light by the sun, the middling ones of rajasic order as wind and electric energy abide in the middle region, and the gross and dark of tamasic order as solid ones, woods and greens, abide on earth, the sun pervading all and holding all at the centre. (Thus the heaven of light, the firmament of wind and electric energy, and the earth of magnetic energy, all abide by and around the central sun.)

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10.8.4

द्वाद॑श प्र॒धय॑श्च॒क्रमेकं॒ त्रीणि॒ नभ्या॑नि॒ क उ॒ तच्चि॑केत। तत्राह॑ता॒स्त्रीणि॑ श॒तानि॑ श॒ङ्कवः॑ ष॒ष्टिश्च॒ खीला॒ अवि॑चाचला॒ ये ॥

One is the wheel, twelve segments of the felly, three segments of the nave. Who would know that wheel of existence? Three hundred and sixty are the spokes fixed therein, and as many spikes, all fixed and firm, immovable. He, Brahma, would know that.

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10.8.5

इ॒दं स॑वित॒र्वि जा॑नीहि॒ षड्य॒मा एक॑ एक॒जः। तस्मि॑न्हापि॒त्वमि॑च्छन्ते॒ य ए॑षा॒मेक॑ एक॒जः ॥

O Savita, bright seeker, know this wherein there are six that move according to the law of divine nature. One is one alone born of one, and unto that one alone born of one, they wish to join, seeking unity and fulfilment. [This mantra is a mystical vision of the universe at the microcosmic level as well as at the macrocosmic level. At the microcosmic level of the individual, the human being comprises five elements (Akasha, Vayu, Agni, Apah and Prthivi) and one mind (mana, buddhi, chitta and ahankara which is also called Antahkaranachatushtaya, the fourfold personality). These make up the six. Corresponding to the five elements, there are five senses (shabda, sparsha, rupa, rasa and gandha, the mind being, again, the sixth. These are formal and functional mutations of Prakrti. The five gross elements are the gross elements of Prakrti, and the five senses are sensuous mutations of the same five elements but at their subtle level. The mind is a mutation of Mahat-tattva which is the first evolute of Prakrti in the process of creative evolution. The five serve the sixth, mind, and all the six serve the soul. The mind is called Ekaja, born of one because it is born of one, Mahat. The soul is unborn and eternal, and Brahma, creative Prajapati, gives it the existential personality when it brings the body and soul together. As the body- soul individual microcosm evolves through the physical and biological evolution of Prakrti, so does it recede, back to Prakrti and the self-existent soul. At the macrocosmic level, the story of evolution is the same: It starts from the ‘Zero’ state, continues unto Infinity and receds into the ‘Zero’ state: The ‘Zero’ state is the pre-creation stage which is neither tangible nor describable, only One, Brahma, was awake with its Svadha, Shakti, which was Prakrti and the Jivatmas (Rgveda, 10, 129, 1-5). With the will of Brahma, Prakrti arose and manifested into its first tangible form, Mahat. Mahat evolved into subtle elements and the intelligential mutation, which further evolved into sense-mind complex on the one hand and the gross elements on the other. The five elements (Akasha, Vayu, Agni, Apah and Prthivi) and the sense- mind complex are the six at the macro-cosmic level which arise from one Prakrti-Mahat and recede back into it according to the laws of nature the same way as at the micro-cosmic level. The microcosm serves the individual soul, and the macrocosm, the universal soul,Supreme Brahma.]

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10.8.6

आ॒विः सन्निहि॑तं॒ गुहा॒ जर॒न्नाम॑ म॒हत्प॒दम्। तत्रे॒दं सर्व॒मार्पि॑त॒मेज॑त्प्रा॒णत्प्रति॑ष्ठितम् ॥

Brahma, Supreme Reality, eternal and adorable Spirit of existence, mysteriously hidden under the folds of its own Shakti, Prakrti, manifests through the worlds of existence. In that Spirit alone all this that moves and breathes abides, self-surrendered. The same Spirit exists deep in the caverns of human heart and soul, and that is the Supreme state of Being worthy of realisation and attainment, for sure, beyond all doubt.

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10.8.7

एक॑चक्रं वर्तत॒ एक॑नेमि स॒हस्रा॑क्षरं॒ प्र पु॒रो नि प॑श्चा। अ॒र्धेन॒ विश्वं॒ भुव॑नं ज॒जान॒ यद॑स्या॒र्धं क्व१॒॑ तद्ब॑भूव ॥

One is the wheel of the universe, one is the felly, the transcendent Brahma, (so one is the central axis, the same one immanent Brahma), yet thousands are the spokes and axes, wheels within wheels, moving up and down, forward and backward, east and west. With one part of his Shakti, Prakrti, Brahma has formed the entire universe, where is the rest of it? What happened?

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10.8.8

प॑ञ्चवा॒ही व॑ह॒त्यग्र॑मेषां॒ प्रष्ट॑यो यु॒क्ता अ॑नु॒संव॑हन्ति। अया॑तमस्य ददृ॒शे न या॒तं परं॒ नेदी॒योऽव॑रं॒ दवी॑यः ॥

The one that bears and ordains the universe of five elements moves foremost, the rest, joined in order, follow. The stillness of its movement, Ayatam, is seen, at the cross section, but the movement, Yatam, is not seen. The farthest of it is closest, and the closest is farthest. (This mantra can be interpreted in relation to the human individual as well : The soul that takes the initiative and carries the five-element personality moves first and the rest of personality follows. The past is not seen because in the present life the past life is obliterated, but the present and future plans and actions can be visualised.)

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10.8.9

ति॒र्यग्बि॑लश्चम॒स ऊ॒र्ध्वबु॑ध्न॒स्तस्मि॒न्यशो॒ निहि॑तं वि॒श्वरू॑पम्। तदा॑सत॒ ऋष॑यः स॒प्त सा॒कं ये अ॒स्य गो॒पा म॑ह॒तो ब॑भू॒वुः ॥

The cup of life (the universe as well as the human individual) is upside down, the bottom upward and the open side down. The entire honour, excellence and glory of life and the world is contained therein. There are seven Rshis there which together are its great protectors and promoters. (A reflection of this mantra can be seen in Kathopanishad, 2, 3, 1, and in Gita, 15, 1, where the universe is described as a tree whose roots are, on top and the rest, trunk, branches and leaves are downward. The root of the tree is Brahma, the Supreme on top and the world of Prakrtic evolution downward. The seven promoters of it are the five elements, pranic energies and the immanent will of Divinity. At the individual human level, the cup is the brain with the spinal cord and the nervous system downward. The seven Rshis are two eyes, two ears, two nostrils and the mouth. All perception, judgement, memory, intelligence, and imagination with the sense of honour and excellence is centred there.)

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10.8.10

या पु॒रस्ता॑द्यु॒ज्यते॒ या च॑ प॒श्चाद्या वि॒श्वतो॑ यु॒ज्यते॒ या च॑ स॒र्वतः॑। यया॑ य॒ज्ञः प्राङ्ता॒यते॒ तां त्वा॑ पृच्छामि कत॒मा सा ऋ॒चाम् ॥

That word and voice which is used first in the beginning, which is used at the end, which is used all round and all ways, by which yajna is expanded and extended further forward, that I ask of you. Which one of the Rks is that? (That word and voice is Aum as explained in Gopatha

Kanda 10 (Part 4)

Brahmana Part-1, Prapathaka 1, section 22.)

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10.8.11

यदेज॑ति॒ पत॑ति॒ यच्च॒ तिष्ठ॑ति प्रा॒णदप्रा॑णन्निमि॒षच्च॒ यद्भुव॑त्। तद्दा॑धार पृथि॒वीं वि॒श्वरू॑पं॒ तत्सं॒भूय॑ भव॒त्येक॑मे॒व ॥

Whatever moves or thinks, whatever falls and flies, whatever stops and stays, whatever is breathing, or not breathing, winking or waking, indeed all that is, the entire universal form of existence, Skambha bears and sustains. All that, having been, having receded through the process of involution and become one with Prakrti, recedes as one with Brahma.

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10.8.12

अ॑न॒न्तं वित॑तं पुरु॒त्रान॒न्तमन्त॑वच्चा॒ सम॑न्ते। ते ना॑कपा॒लश्च॑रति विचि॒न्वन्वि॒द्वान्भू॒तमु॒त भव्य॑मस्य ॥

The infinite is expanded and expansive manifold, many ways. The infinite and the finite, ultimately, are one, together and the same. The Omniscient Brahma, lord protector of eternal bliss, integrating, disintegrating, re-integrating, gathering and watching the past, present and future of this all, pervades and vitalises the finite and the infinite.

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10.8.13

प्र॒जाप॑तिश्चरति॒ गर्भे॑ अ॒न्तरदृ॑श्यमानो बहु॒धा वि जा॑यते। अ॒र्धेन॒ विश्वं॒ भुव॑नं ज॒जान॒ यद॑स्या॒र्धं क॑त॒मः स के॒तुः ॥

Prajapati pervades and vibrates in the vast spaces of the evolving, expansive universe, unseen, yet manifests in many ways. From and with a part of his potential, Prakrti, he creates the entire universe. What and what sort is the rest of it, what form, what identity, of all?

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10.8.14

ऊ॒र्ध्वं भर॑न्तमुद॒कं कु॒म्भेने॑वोदहा॒र्य᳡म्। पश्य॑न्ति॒ सर्वे॒ चक्षु॑षा॒ न सर्वे॒ मन॑सा विदुः ॥

People, with their eye, see a water man carrying a pitcher of water on his head (but they do not see the water), so people see the universal pitcher of existence with their physical eye but they fail to see the burden bearer within, Skambha, the pervasive Brahma, with their inner eye of the mind.

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10.8.15

दू॒रे पू॒र्णेन॑ वसति दू॒र ऊ॒नेन॑ हीयते। म॒हद्य॒क्षं भुव॑नस्य॒ मध्ये॒ तस्मै॑ ब॒लिं रा॑ष्ट्र॒भृतो॑ भरन्ति ॥

Yet, even though far from the mind’s eye, it abides: with the full, with light and fragrance to the optimum, and with the deficient, with completion when called upon. The adorable great is glorious in the midst of the universe. To him, the keepers of the Rashtra order of humanity bear homage of adoration.

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10.8.16

यतः॒ सूर्य॑ उ॒देत्यस्तं॒ यत्र॑ च॒ गच्छ॑ति। तदे॒व म॑न्ये॒ऽहं ज्ये॒ष्ठं तदु॒ नात्ये॑ति॒ किं च॒न ॥

Whence the sun arises and wherein it goes to set, only That, I know and believe, is the highest, Supreme Brahma. That, no one can ever surpass.

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10.8.17

ये अ॒र्वाङ्मध्य॑ उ॒त वा॑ पुरा॒णं वेदं॑ वि॒द्वांस॑म॒भितो॒ वद॑न्ति। आ॑दि॒त्यमे॒व ते परि॑ वदन्ति॒ सर्वे॑ अ॒ग्निं द्वि॒तीयं॑ त्रि॒वृतं॑ च हं॒सम् ॥

Those who all round speak of the direct, present, middling and the ancient and external omniscient Brahma as One, Agni, the light of life, or second as Purusha and Prakrti, or third as Purusha, Prakrti and Jivatma, or as Hansa, the omnipresent spirit of the universe, all speak of the same one Aditya, eternal, imperishable Brahma.

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10.8.18

स॑हस्रा॒ह्ण्यं विय॑तावस्य प॒क्षौ हरे॑र्हं॒सस्य॒ पत॑तः स्व॒र्गम्। स दे॒वान्त्सर्वा॒नुर॑स्युप॒दद्य॑ सं॒पश्य॑न्याति॒ भुव॑नानि॒ विश्वा॑ ॥

The two wings of divine activity (of constancy in mutability and mutability in constancy, through the chain of cause and effect of Prakrti) of the Cosmic all- saving Bird, flying to the state of freedom and bliss, remain open and active for a thousand days (i.e., one thousand four-age units, each unit being four million and three hundred twenty thousand years) of the age of humanity (equal to four billion and three hundred twenty million years). The bird flies on, carrying on the wings all the Devas, divine forces of nature and humanity through all regions of the universe, watching all and every thing.

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10.8.19

स॒त्येनो॒र्ध्वस्त॑पति॒ ब्रह्म॑णा॒र्वाङ्वि प॑श्यति। प्रा॒णेन॑ ति॒र्यङ्प्राण॑ति॒ यस्मि॑ञ्ज्ये॒ष्ठमधि॑ श्रि॒तम् ॥

The man in whom the presence of Supreme Brahma is steadily realised in awareness in the heart and soul rises high and shines with truth. He watches every thing all round objectively in the light of divine Vedic knowledge and boldly lives his life to the full across all ways of the world by the force and power of his pranic energy.

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10.8.20

यो वै ते वि॒द्याद॒रणी॒ याभ्यां॑ निर्म॒थ्यते॒ वसु॑। स वि॒द्वाञ्ज्ये॒ष्ठं म॑न्येत॒ स वि॑द्या॒द्ब्राह्म॑णं म॒हत् ॥

One who knows the two arani woods with which the heat and light of fire is generated and received by attrition is really wise. He would know the Supreme Brahma at heart in the soul by realisation, and he would know the great knowledge and the wide world that Brahma has created and sustains by pervasive presence and divine will. (Refer also to Shvetashvatara Upanishad, 1, 14 for fire-like generation of Brahma awareness by meditation on Aum.)

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10.8.21

अ॒पादग्रे॒ सम॑भव॒त्सो अग्रे॒ स्व१॒॑राभ॑रत्। चतु॑ष्पाद्भू॒त्वा भोग्यः॒ सर्व॒माद॑त्त॒ भोज॑नम् ॥

Brahma before the beginning of the created universe was indiscrete, so it was pure bliss. In the created existence it became discrete, thinkable in four states, and thus it became a subject of thought, meditation and realisation. And at the time of the dissolution of the created universe it withdraws everything unto itself as one swallows food. (Refer to Mandukyopanishad 2-7 for Apat and Chatushpat. States of Brahma.)

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10.8.22

भोग्यो॑ भव॒दथो॒ अन्न॑मदद्ब॒हु। यो दे॒वमु॑त्त॒राव॑न्तमु॒पासा॑तै सना॒तन॑म् ॥

Whoever worships and meditates on Eternal Brahma, highest object of worship, would receive unbounded food of life and joy, and indeed Brahma itself would reveal its presence as food for his joyous experience in meditation.

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10.8.23

स॑ना॒तन॑मेनमाहुरु॒ताद्य स्या॒त्पुन॑र्णवः। अ॑होरा॒त्रे प्र जा॑येते अ॒न्यो अ॒न्यस्य॑ रू॒पयोः॑ ॥

They say this Brahma is Sanatana, Eternal, beyond time and age, and yet it arises ever anew in time and presence, as the day and night arise anew and follow each other in relation to the form and time of the occasion.

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10.8.24

श॒तं स॒हस्र॑म॒युतं॒ न्य᳡र्बुदमसंख्ये॒यं स्वम॑स्मि॒न्निवि॑ष्टम्। तद॑स्य घ्नन्त्यभि॒पश्य॑त ए॒व तस्मा॑द्दे॒वो रो॑चत ए॒ष ए॒तत् ॥

Hundred, thousand, ten thousand, million, hundred million, uncountable, are the wealths of its own Prakrtic mutations concentred in this Supreme Divinity. People receive and benefit from them while he overwatches them all. For this reason this divine, infinitely generous Brahma, is dear and adorable.

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10.8.25

बाला॒देक॑मणीय॒स्कमु॒तैकं॒ नेव॑ दृश्यते। ततः॒ परि॑ष्वजीयसी दे॒वता॒ सा मम॑ प्रि॒या ॥

Something is finer and subtler than a hair. And another something is still finer, so fine that it is hardly visible. Finer and subtler than even that, darling embraceable, is that Supreme Divinity to me, dear, inalienable. (Something finer and subtler than a hair is Prakrti which, as Prakrti, is subtler than any mutation of it in existential form. Another something which is not even visible may be interpreted as the individual soul. And the Supreme Divinity is Brahma, subtler than the subtlest. Refer Kathopanishad, 1, 3, 10-11 and 2, 3, 7-8. This interpretation follows from mantra 24: The uncountable gifts are gifts of Prakrti. The receiving beneficiary is the human soul in body. And the giver is the Supreme Brahma.)

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10.8.26

इ॒यं क॑ल्या॒ण्य१॒॑जरा॒ मर्त्य॑स्या॒मृता॑ गृ॒हे। यस्मै॑ कृ॒ता शये॒ स यश्च॒कार॑ ज॒जार॒ सः ॥

This infinitely benevolent, unaging, immortal Divinity, this creative power, lies there in the heart core: for whom? For that soul which does its karma and grows from childhood to ripe old age.

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10.8.27

त्वं स्त्री त्वं पुमा॑नसि॒ त्वं कु॑मा॒र उ॒त वा॑ कुमा॒री। त्वं जी॒र्णो द॒ण्डेन॑ वञ्चसि॒ त्वं जा॒तो भ॑वसि वि॒श्वतो॑मुखः ॥

O soul, you are man, you are woman, you are the boy and/or the girl. Grown old in body, you walk with a stick. As you are born in body you take the many forms of life in conformity with the body-state in time.

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10.8.28

उ॒तैषां॑ पि॒तोत वा॑ पु॒त्र ए॑षामु॒तैषां॑ ज्ये॒ष्ठ उ॒त वा॑ कनि॒ष्ठः। एको॑ ह दे॒वो मन॑सि॒ प्रवि॑ष्टः प्रथ॒मो जा॒तः स उ॒ गर्भे॑ अ॒न्तः ॥

And you become the father of these many children, or the son or daughter of these many father or mother forms, or the eldest or the youngest of many. All the same, one, the same, is the divine soul abiding in the heart core, the same born first at the beginning of the life cycle in body, and the same that was in the womb.

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10.8.29

पू॒र्णात्पू॒र्णमुद॑चति पू॒र्णं पू॒र्णेन॑ सिच्यते। उ॒तो तद॒द्य वि॑द्याम॒ यत॒स्तत्प॑रिषि॒च्यते॑ ॥

From the full, complete and perfect Infinity, the full, complete and perfect infinity of the cosmic tree is evolved. The infinite is poured and all round sustained by Infinity. Let us now know whence the cosmic tree is sprinkled and sustained.

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10.8.30

ए॒षा स॒नत्नी॒ सन॑मे॒व जा॒तैषा पु॑रा॒णी परि॒ सर्वं॑ बभूव। म॒ही दे॒व्यु१॒॑षसो॑ विभा॒ती सैके॑नैकेन मिष॒ता वि च॑ष्टे ॥

This power and presence is eternal. It has existed since eternity and it will exist eternally. It is immeasurably ancient and comprehends everything. This Almighty Power illuminates the dawns, and, moment by moment, it watches all that winks and wakes and sleeps.

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10.8.31

अवि॒र्वै नाम॑ दे॒वत॒र्तेना॑स्ते॒ परी॑वृता। तस्या॑ रू॒पेणे॒मे वृ॒क्षा हरि॑ता॒ हरि॑तस्रजः ॥

All protective is this power and presence covered in its own laws of nature’s mutability. By the light and form of its own might, the green trees wear the garland beauty of nature.

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10.8.32

अन्ति॒ सन्तं॒ न ज॑हा॒त्यन्ति॒ सन्तं॒ न प॑श्यति। दे॒वस्य॑ पश्य॒ काव्यं॒ न म॑मार॒ न जी॑र्यति ॥

Though It is within in the heart core, and man can not forsake It, still man does not attain to It, Nor does he even see It though it is at the closest. O man, see the devine poetry of Brahma which neither dies nor grows old. And man too, having seen It nether dies nor grows old.

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10.8.33

अ॑पू॒र्वेणे॑षि॒ता वाच॒स्ता व॑दन्ति यथाय॒थम्। वद॑न्ती॒र्यत्र॒ गच्छ॑न्ति॒ तदा॑हु॒र्ब्राह्म॑णं म॒हत् ॥

Words inspired and revealed by ancient, eternal, unprecedented Brahma speak of Divinity and its powers and infinite potential as they are. And speaking, expressive and meaningful, where they ultimately retire, that they say is Supreme Brahma, highest of all.

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10.8.34

यत्र॑ दे॒वाश्च॑ मनु॒ष्या᳡श्चा॒रा नाभा॑विव श्रि॒ताः। अ॒पां त्वा॒ पुष्पं॑ पृच्छामि॒ यत्र॒ तन्मा॒यया॑ हि॒तम् ॥

Wherein the Devas, divine powers of nature, and human beings stay in their place and function like spokes of a wheel fixed in the nave, that same central core, bloom of the dynamics of existence, abiding with its mysterious power within its mysterious manifestations, I ask of you.

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10.8.35

येभि॒र्वात॑ इषि॒तः प्र॒वाति॒ ये दद॑न्ते॒ पञ्च॒ दिशः॑ स॒ध्रीचीः॑। य आहु॑तिम॒त्यम॑न्यन्त दे॒वा अ॒पां ने॒तारः॑ कत॒मे त आ॑सन् ॥

How many and which ones are those divinities, pioneers and conductors of the dynamics of existence, by which, inspired and energised, the wind blows, which produce the five integrated directions of natural evolution, and which cherish and honour the oblations offered into the natural yajna and the creative endeavour of humanity?

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10.8.36

इ॒मामे॑षां पृथि॒वीं वस्त॒ एको॒ऽन्तरि॑क्षं॒ पर्येको॑ बभूव। दिव॑मेषां ददते॒ यो वि॑ध॒र्ता विश्वा॒ आशाः॒ प्रति॑ रक्ष॒न्त्येके॑ ॥

Of these divinities, one, Agni, pervades and covers the earth, another, Vayu, covers the middle regions all over, of these and over these, one, the sun that holds the solar system, gives the light of heaven, and all these pervade and protect all directions of space.

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10.8.37

यो वि॒द्यात्सूत्रं॒ वित॑तं॒ यस्मि॒न्नोताः॑ प्र॒जा इ॒माः। सूत्रं॒ सूत्र॑स्य॒ यो वि॒द्याद्स वि॑द्या॒द्ब्राह्म॑णं म॒हत् ॥

One who knows the web of life spread around, into which are woven all these forms of creation including humanity, and the one that knows the one essential and universal thread running through the entire web, that person really knows the Mahad-Brahma, Supreme Brahma and its creation.

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10.8.38

वेदा॒हं सूत्रं॒ वित॑तं॒ यस्मि॒न्नोताः॑ प्र॒जा इ॒माः। सूत्रं॒ सूत्र॑स्या॒हं वे॒दाथो॒ यद्ब्राह्म॑णं म॒हद् ॥

I know the web of life spread around, into which are woven all these forms of creation including humanity, and I know the one essential and universal thread running through the entire web, the one that is the Mahad-Brahma, Supreme Brahma, its power and its creation.

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10.8.39

यद॑न्त॒रा द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी अ॒ग्निरैत्प्र॒दह॑न्विश्वदा॒व्यः᳡। यत्राति॑ष्ठ॒न्नेक॑पत्नीः प॒रस्ता॒त्क्वे᳡वासीन्मात॒रिश्वा॑ त॒दानी॑म् ॥

When the universal fire in flames arose, heating and burning in and between heaven and earth, where were the pre-existing spaces which serve but only one master? Where was Matarishva, wind and energy of the universe?

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10.8.40

अ॒प्स्वा᳡सीन्मात॒रिश्वा॒ प्रवि॑ष्टः॒ प्रवि॑ष्टा दे॒वाः स॑लि॒लान्या॑सन्। बृ॒हन्ह॑ तस्थौ॒ रज॑सो वि॒मानः॒ पव॑मानो ह॒रित॒ आ वि॑वेश ॥

Matarishva there was, entered in the quarters of space, so were all dynamics and divine forces of nature entered in space. Brhad-Brahma was there comprehending all dynamics and spaces, and so was the all-sanctifying Brahma pervasive in all quarters of space. (All were in Brahma, and Brahma was in them.)

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10.8.41

उत्त॑रेणेव गाय॒त्रीम॒मृतेऽधि॒ वि च॑क्रमे। साम्ना॒ ये साम॑ संवि॒दुर॒जस्तद्द॑दृशे॒ क्व᳡ ॥

Corresponding to the higher and higher form and vision of the evolution of existence, Brhad-Brahma created Gayatri, saving light and Word of the Veda for human attainment of the bliss of immortality. Those who know Sama, peace and divine bliss, by the samans know that unborn eternal Brahma by direct experience in meditative communion. What doubt, and where, can it be? (By Gayatri man rises higher to the bliss of immortality.)

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10.8.42

नि॒वेश॑नः सं॒गम॑नो॒ वसू॑नां दे॒व इ॑व सवि॒ता स॒त्यध॑र्मा। इन्द्रो॒ न त॑स्थौ सम॒रे धना॑नाम् ॥

Gateway to the concentred peace and wealth of the world, Brhad-Brahma is ever true to his ordinances of Dharma as the refulgent Sun, and he stands by us as omnipotent Indra in our struggle for wealth, honour and excellence of life.

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10.8.43

पु॒ण्डरी॑कं॒ नव॑द्वारं त्रि॒भिर्गु॒णेभि॒रावृ॑तम्। तस्मि॒न्यद्य॒क्षमा॑त्म॒न्वत्तद्वै ब्र॑ह्म॒विदो॑ विदुः ॥

Nine-door lotus flower of nature is our human body covered and conditioned by three prakrtic gunas of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, an integrated organism of thought, energy and matter. Therein abides the adorable Mahad-Brahma, that resides along with the soul, that the sagely scholars of Divinity know, to that they attain.

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10.8.44

अ॑का॒मो धीरो॑ अ॒मृतः॑ स्वयं॒भू रसे॑न तृ॒प्तो न कुत॑श्च॒नोनः॑। तमे॒व वि॒द्वान्न बि॑भाय मृ॒त्योरा॒त्मानं॒ धीर॑म॒जरं॒ युवा॑नम् ॥

Beyond desire, constantly calm and resolute, immortal, self-existent, is all-supreme, self-blest with the beauty and sweetness of his own creation, Brhad- Brahma no-way wanting or imperfect. Having realised and attained to that constant, unaging, eternally young and ever new Suprer-Soul, the sagely scholar, self- realised, never fears death.

✦ Sukta 9 · 27 verses ✦

10.9.1

अघाय॒तामपि॑ नह्या॒ मुखा॑नि स॒पत्ने॑षु॒ वज्र॑मर्पयै॒तम्। इन्द्रे॑ण द॒त्ता प्र॑थ॒मा श॒तौद॑ना भ्रातृव्य॒घ्नी यज॑मानस्य गा॒तुः ॥

O divine Mother, shut the mouths of sinners and criminals. Upon the adversaries, strike this thunderbolt. Mother gift of Indra’s, first giver of a hundred nourishments, is the destroyer of enemies and a guide for the yajamana in his journey through life.

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10.9.2

वेदि॑ष्टे॒ चर्म॑ भवतु ब॒र्हिर्लोमा॑नि॒ यानि॑ ते। ए॒षा त्वा॑ रश॒नाग्र॑भी॒द्ग्रावा॑ त्वै॒षोऽधि॑ नृत्यतु ॥

O mother voice of a hundred divine gifts of Word and yajna, let this yajna vedi be your body cover, let these grasses which are on the vedi be your divine hair, let this tongue secure you as a gift for adoration. O mother Oshadhi, mitigator of pain and suffering, let the soma stone be moving as if dancing with joy when it grinds the soma herb for juice.

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10.9.3

बाला॑स्ते॒ प्रोक्ष॑णीः सन्तु जि॒ह्वा सं मा॑र्ष्ट्वघ्न्ये। शु॒द्धा त्वं य॒ज्ञिया॑ भू॒त्वा दिवं॒ प्रेहि॑ शतौदने ॥

O mother voice of divinity, holy cow inviolable, giver of a hundred nourishments, let the vessels of consecrating yajna waters be your hair, let the tongue that utters the words sanctify us to purity. Having been energised and purified by the holy chant, be adorable on the vedi and rise to the heavens without prayers.

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10.9.4

यः श॒तौद॑नां॒ पच॑ति काम॒प्रेण॒ स क॑ल्पते। प्री॒ता ह्य᳡स्य ऋ॒त्विजः॒ सर्वे॒ यन्ति॑ यथाय॒थम् ॥

One who enacts the yajna and perfects the mother voice of a hundred gifts by yajnic sanctification, becomes perfect with fulfilment of desire. His participants too who perform the yajna feel satisfied and fulfilled, and they also attain the fruits of their desire as they wish and deserve.

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10.9.5

स स्व॒र्गमा रो॑हति॒ यत्रा॒दस्त्रि॑दि॒वं दि॒वः। अ॑पू॒पना॑भिं कृ॒त्वा यो ददा॑ति श॒तौद॑नाम् ॥

The yajaka rises to heavenly peace and happiness where the light of knowledge and worship lead him, if he, having made the holy voice of a hundred gifts as the centre and sacred object of yajna, gives a gift of the ‘cow’ to the priest.

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10.9.6

स तांल्लो॒कान्त्समा॑प्नोति॒ ये दि॒व्या ये च॒ पार्थि॑वाः। हिर॑ण्यज्योतिषं कृ॒त्वा यो ददा॑ति श॒तौद॑नाम् ॥

He, who raises a cow, i.e., the Vedic voice of freedom, to the golden beauty of a hundredfold fertility and generosity and gives it, as a gift, attains to those states of earthly as well as heavenly joy which he cherishes.

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10.9.7

ये ते॑ देवि शमि॒तारः॑ प॒क्तारो॒ ये च॑ ते॒ जनाः॑। ते त्वा॒ सर्वे॑ गोप्स्यन्ति॒ मैभ्यो॑ भैषीः शतौदने ॥

O sacred cow of a hundred gifts of nourishment, divine mother, those people who serve and beautify you, those who raise you to perfection of maturity and fertility, they all will protect you. Do not fear any violators.

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10.9.8

वस॑वस्त्वा दक्षिण॒त उ॑त्त॒रान्म॒रुत॑स्त्वा। आ॑दि॒त्याः प॒श्चाद्गो॑प्स्यन्ति॒ साग्नि॑ष्टो॒ममति॑ द्रव ॥

Sacred life-giving mother, Vasus, generous people, from the right, Maruts, smart soldiers from the left, and Adityas, brilliant pursuers of the Veda in Brahmacharya, will protect you. Let you be proudly dedicated to the worship of Agni, lord of light and leadership, in Jyotishtoma yajnic congregations.

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10.9.9

दे॒वाः पि॒तरो॑ मनु॒ष्या᳡ गन्धर्वाप्स॒रस॑श्च॒ ये। ते त्वा॒ सर्वे॑ गोप्स्यन्ति॒ साति॑रा॒त्रमति॑ द्रव ॥

Devas, brilliant generous people, Pitaras, parental seniors, men in general, Gandharvas, protectors of the earthly environment, and Apsaras, those who guard the skies, these all will protect you. Be ready for a gift to the holy priest.

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10.9.10

अ॒न्तरि॑क्षं॒ दिवं॒ भूमि॑मादि॒त्यान्म॒रुतो॒ दिशः॑। लो॒कान्त्स सर्वा॑नाप्नोति॒ यो ददा॑ति श॒तौद॑नाम् ॥

The yajamana, who gives a ‘shataudana cow’ as a gift in yajna to the priest and others, attains to the gifts of the sky, heaven, earth, the Adityas of solar zodiacs, the winds, the quarters of space and all the regions of the world.

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10.9.11

घृ॒तं प्रो॒क्षन्ती॑ सु॒भगा॑ दे॒वी दे॒वान्ग॑मिष्यति। प॒क्तार॑मघ्न्ये॒ मा हिं॑सी॒र्दिवं॒ प्रेहि॑ शतौदने ॥

O divine mother of prosperity, giver of ghrta for food and yajna in showers, your generosity will rise to the divinities. Mother inviolable, do not be unkind to the devotee. Let the aroma of delicacies and the fragrance of ghrta rise to the heavens in abundance.

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10.9.12

ये दे॒वा दि॑वि॒षदो॑ अन्तरिक्ष॒सद॑श्च॒ ये ये चे॒मे भूम्या॒मधि॑। तेभ्य॒स्त्वं धु॑क्ष्व सर्व॒दा क्षी॒रं स॒र्पिरथो॒ मधु॑ ॥

For and from the divinities which are in heaven, in the sky, and these which are on this earth, always draw and yield milk, ghrta and the honey sweets of life’s nourishment for body, mind and soul.

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10.9.13

यत्ते॒ शिरो॒ यत्ते॒ मुखं॒ यौ कर्णौ॒ ये च॑ ते॒ हनू॑। आ॒मिक्षां॑ दुह्रतां दा॒त्रे क्षी॒रं स॒र्पिरथो॒ मधु॑ ॥

Let your head, your mouth, your ears and your jaws yield cheese and curd, milk, ghrta, and the honey sweets of life’s nourishments for the generous giver. (From mantra 13 to 24, the description of parts of the cow’s body system suggests that the ‘cow’ is not literally the domestic cow, but the cosmic cow, as is described in Atharva-veda 9, 7, 25: “Thus this is the cow of the cosmic form (or cosmos of the cow form).” So in mantra 13, the head stands for Indra (electric energy) the jaws are heaven and earth (Atharva 9, 7, 1- 2), the mouth is Agni and the quarters of space are the ears (Yajurveda 31, 12-13). The metaphor has been worked out in detail with Vedic evidence by Professor Vishvanath Vidyalankar in his commentary on Atharva-veda.

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10.9.14

यौ त॒ ओष्ठौ॒ ये नासि॑के॒ ये शृङ्गे॒ ये च॒ तेऽक्षि॑णी। आ॒मिक्षां॑ दुह्रतां दा॒त्रे क्षी॒रं स॒र्पिरथो॒ मधु॑ ॥

Let your lips, your nostrils, your horns and your eyes yield curd and cheese, milk, ghrta and the honey sweets of life’s nourishments for the generous giver.

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10.9.15

यत्ते॑ क्लो॒मा यद्धृद॑यं पुरी॒तत्स॒हक॑ण्ठिका। आ॒मिक्षां॑ दुह्रतां दा॒त्रे क्षी॒रं स॒र्पिरथो॒ मधु॑ ॥

Let that which is your lungs, your heart, your pericardium with all the throat area yield curd and cheese, milk, ghrta and the honey sweets of life’s nourishments for the generous giver.

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10.9.16

यत्ते॒ यकृ॒द्ये मत॑स्ने॒ यदा॒न्त्रं याश्च॑ ते॒ गुदाः॑। आ॒मिक्षां॑ दुह्रतां दा॒त्रे क्षी॒रं स॒र्पिरथो॒ मधु॑ ॥

Let that which is your liver, your kidneys, your intestines and the colon yield curd and cheese, milk, ghrta and the honey sweets of life’s nourishments for the generous giver.

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10.9.17

यस्ते॑ प्ला॒शिर्यो व॑नि॒ष्ठुर्यौ कु॒क्षी यच्च॒ चर्म॑ ते। आ॒मिक्षां॑ दुह्रतां दा॒त्रे क्षी॒रं स॒र्पिरथो॒ मधु॑ ॥

Let the rectum and omentum, the belly and the skin yield curd and cheese, milk, ghrta and the honey sweets of life’s nourishments for the generous giver.

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10.9.18

यत्ते॑ म॒ज्जा यदस्थि॒ यन्मां॒सं यच्च॒ लोहि॑तम्। आ॒मिक्षां॑ दुह्रतां दा॒त्रे क्षी॒रं स॒र्पिरथो॒ मधु॑ ॥

Let your marrow, your bone, your flesh, your blood yield curd and cheese, milk, ghrta, and the honey sweets of life’s nourishments for the generous giver.

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10.9.19

यौ ते॑ बा॒हू ये दो॒षणी॒ यावंसौ॒ या च॑ ते क॒कुत्। आ॒मिक्षां॑ दुह्रतां दा॒त्रे क्षी॒रं स॒र्पिरथो॒ मधु॑ ॥

Let your arms, your fore-arms, your shoulder blades, and your hump yield curd and cheese, milk, ghrta, and the honey sweets of life’s nourishments for the generous giver.

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10.9.20

यास्ते॑ ग्री॒वा ये स्क॒न्धा याः पृ॒ष्टीर्याश्च॒ पर्श॑वः। आ॒मिक्षां॑ दुह्रतां दा॒त्रे क्षी॒रं स॒र्पिरथो॒ मधु॑ ॥

Let your neck, your shoulders, the ribs and sides yield curd and cheese, milk, ghrta and the honey sweets of life’s nourishments for the generous giver.

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10.9.21

यौ त॑ उ॒रू अ॑ष्ठी॒वन्तौ॒ ये श्रोणी॒ या च॑ ते भ॒सत्। आ॒मिक्षां॑ दुह्रतां दा॒त्रे क्षी॒रं स॒र्पिरथो॒ मधु॑ ॥

Let your thighs, your knees, your hinder quarters and your rump yield curd and cheese, milk, ghrta and the honey sweets of life’s nourishments for the generous giver.

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10.9.22

यत्ते॒ पुच्छं॒ ये ते॒ बाला॒ यदूधो॒ ये च॑ ते॒ स्तनाः॑। आ॒मिक्षां॑ दुह्रतां दा॒त्रे क्षी॒रं स॒र्पिरथो॒ मधु॑ ॥

Let your tail, the hair, the udder and the dugs yield curd and cheese, milk, ghrta, and the honey sweets of life’s nourishments for the generous giver.

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10.9.23

यास्ते॒ जङ्घा॒ याः कुष्ठि॑का ऋ॒च्छरा॒ ये च॑ ते श॒फाः। आ॒मिक्षां॑ दुह्रतां दा॒त्रे क्षी॒रं स॒र्पिरथो॒ मधु॑ ॥

Whatever is your thighs, whatever your dew- claws, whatever your pasterns, whatever your hoofs, let them all yield curd and cheese, milk, ghrta, and the honey sweets of life’s nourishments for the generous giver.

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10.9.24

यत्ते॒ चर्म॑ शतौदने॒ यानि॒ लोमा॑न्यघ्न्ये। आ॒मिक्षां॑ दुह्रतां दा॒त्रे क्षी॒रं स॒र्पिरथो॒ मधु॑ ॥

Whatever is your skin cover, O cosmic mother of a hundred gifts of food and enlightenment, whatever is your hair, O sacred mother inviolable, let them all yield curd and cheese, milk, ghrta, and the honey sweets of life’s nourishments for the generous giver.

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10.9.25

क्रो॒डौ ते॑ स्तां पुरो॒डाशा॒वाज्ये॑ना॒भिघा॑रितौ। तौ प॒क्षौ दे॑वि कृ॒त्वा सा प॒क्तारं॒ दिवं॑ वह ॥

Let the two purodasha cakes sprinkled with ghrta be like the wings of your loving bosom. O divine mother, take them as the wings to fly and thereon lead the cook to rise to the light of heaven.

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10.9.26

उ॒लूख॑ले॒ मुस॑ले॒ यश्च॒ चर्म॑णि॒ यो वा॒ शूर्पे॑ तण्डु॒लः कणः॑। यं वा॒ वातो॑ मात॒रिश्वा॒ पव॑मानो म॒माथा॒ग्निष्टद्धोता॒ सुहु॑तं कृणोतु ॥

Whatever grains or particles of grains of rice are there on or in the mortar-pestle, whatever on the deer skin, whatever in the winnowing basket, and whatever the purifying, sanctifying wind blowing in the sky has shaken and sifted, may the holy fire of yajna accept all that as sacred offering.

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10.9.27

अ॒पो दे॒वीर्मधु॑मतीर्घृत॒श्चुतो॑ ब्र॒ह्मणां॒ हस्ते॑षु प्रपृ॒थक्सा॑दयामि। यत्का॑म इ॒दम॑भिषि॒ञ्चामि॑ वो॒ऽहं तन्मे॒ सर्वं॒ सं प॑द्यतां व॒यं स्या॑म॒ पत॑यो रयी॒णाम् ॥

I pour streams of divine waters and Vedic voices replete with the sweetness of love as honey and grace of reverence as flavour of ghrta into the hands of Vedic priests, to each one separately. Whatever desire I address to you in faith with prayer, may that be fulfilled. I pray may we all be masters of wealth, honour and excellences of life with total fulfilment.

✦ Sukta 10 · 34 verses ✦

10.10.1

नम॑स्ते॒ जाय॑मानायै जा॒ताया॑ उ॒त ते॒ नमः॑। बाले॑भ्यः श॒फेभ्यो॑ रू॒पाया॑घ्न्ये ते॒ नमः॑ ॥

O divine mother cow, homage and salutations to you, arising in the awareness. And homage and salutations to you arisen and realised in the consciousness. O mother inviolable, homage and salutations to your hair, hoofs and your divine form.

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10.10.2

यो वि॒द्यात्स॒प्त प्र॒वतः॑ स॒प्त वि॒द्यात्प॑रा॒वतः॑। शिरो॑ य॒ज्ञस्य॒ यो वि॒द्यात्स व॒शां प्रति॑ गृह्णीयात् ॥

One who knows the seven energies of senses and mind and of seven pranas working within, and knows the seven outer levels of the universe of five elements, laws of Rtam and Prakrti operative without, and also knows the head of yajna, soul and the Super- soul, such a person knows and realises the mother Cow. Such a priest deserves to receive the sacred cow as gift in yajna.

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10.10.3

वेदा॒हं स॒प्त प्र॒वतः॑ स॒प्त वे॑द परा॒वतः॑। शिरो॑ य॒ज्ञस्या॒हं वे॑द॒ सोमं॑ चास्यां विचक्ष॒णम् ॥

I know the seven energies of sense and mind, the seven energies of pranas, working within, I know the seven outer levels of the universe of five elements, laws of Rtam and Prakrti itself operative without, I also know the head of yajna, soul and the Super-soul, and I also know Soma, the Spirit of peace and joy in this universe, the lord all-watching, all-inspiring. (I know the Mother Cow and the Spirit within the Mother.)

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10.10.4

यया॒ द्यौर्यया॑ पृथि॒वी ययापो॑ गुपि॒ता इ॒माः। व॒शां स॒हस्र॑धारां॒ ब्रह्म॑णा॒च्छाव॑दामसि ॥

We know and with Vedic songs joyously celebrate the generous mother cow by which the heaven of light, by which the earth, and by which these dynamic energies of the universe are sustained in security and balance, the all controlling Cow the gifts of which flow in a thousand streams.

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10.10.5

श॒तं कं॒साः श॒तं दो॒ग्धारः॑ श॒तं गो॒प्तारो॒ अधि॑ पृ॒ष्ठे अ॑स्याः। ये दे॒वास्तस्यां॑ प्रा॒णन्ति॑ ते व॒शां वि॑दुरेक॒धा ॥

A hundred dedicated devotees, hundred beneficiaries, milkmen with lovely receptacles, hundred bodyguards at the back of it, and all those divinities of nature and humanity who receive their life-breath in it, all these know this universal Cow the same one way : She is the Mother of life.

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10.10.6

य॑ज्ञप॒दीरा॑क्षीरा स्व॒धाप्रा॑णा म॒हीलु॑का। व॒शा प॒र्जन्य॑पत्नी दे॒वाँ अप्ये॑ति॒ ब्रह्म॑णा ॥

Her seat is secured on the yajna vedi, she being abundant in milk and food for body, mind and soul. Her wealth of energy is her own, meant for divinities, for the children of earth especially. Universal Mother, divine brilliant sustainer of the clouds of rain, she reaches the noble humanity and divinities through cosmic currents of energy and hymns of the Veda.

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10.10.7

अनु॑ त्वा॒ग्निः प्रावि॑श॒दनु॒ सोमो॑ वशे त्वा। ऊध॑स्ते भद्रे प॒र्जन्यो॑ वि॒द्युत॑स्ते॒ स्तना॑ वशे ॥

O Vasha, divine mother, at the dawn of creation, Agni emerged to your purpose as the vital heat of life, Soma emerged to your purpose as the cool and bliss of life. The cloud of showers is your udder, and the lightning your dugs, O mother spirit of well being.

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10.10.8

अ॒पस्त्वं धु॑क्षे प्रथ॒मा उ॒र्वरा॒ अप॑रा वशे। तृ॒तीयं॑ रा॒ष्ट्रं धु॒क्षेऽन्नं॑ क्षी॒रं व॑शे॒ त्वम् ॥

O Vasha, divine mother of the order of existence, first you distil and bring in the waters of the atmosphere, and later you bring in the fertile earth. Thirdly you raise and organise the Rashtra, social order of humanity and bring in water, milk and food of life for body, mind and soul for both the individual and the social order.

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10.10.9

यदा॑दि॒त्यैर्हू॒यमा॑नो॒पाति॑ष्ठ ऋतावरि। इन्द्रः॑ स॒हस्रं॒ पात्रा॒न्त्सोमं॑ त्वापाययद्वशे ॥

O Vasha, divine mother of creativity, fertility and order, when called upon by the Adityas, solar zodiacs as by brilliant leaders of humanity, you come for Indra, the sun as ruler of the world, Indra received a thousand casks of Soma and had them protected by your presence.

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10.10.10

यद॒नूचीन्द्र॒मैरात्त्वा॑ ऋष॒भो᳡ह्व॑यत्। तस्मा॑त्ते वृत्र॒हा पयः॑ क्षी॒रं क्रु॒द्धो᳡ह॑रद्वशे ॥

O divine mother, when, in response to the invocation of the Adityas, you reach Indra, and Rshabha, the cloud, cries for water, for that reason the cloud breaker, the sun, passionate with cosmic heat, collects your water and nourishment of the world.

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10.10.11

यत्ते॑ क्रु॒द्धो धन॑पति॒रा क्षी॒रमह॑रद्वशे। इ॒दं तद॒द्य नाक॑स्त्रि॒षु पात्रे॑षु रक्षति ॥

And O Vasha, divine mother, when the passionately hot sun, custodian of the world’s wealth, collects the waters of nourishment for the world, the same waters, this light and bliss, Naka, now secures in three cosmic regions.

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10.10.12

त्रि॒षु पात्रे॑षु॒ तं सोम॒मा दे॒व्य᳡हरद्व॒शा। अथ॑र्वा॒ यत्र॑ दीक्षि॒तो ब॒र्हिष्यास्त॑ हिर॒ण्यये॑ ॥

In three regions of the universe, that soma, the cosmic mother holds where Atharva, Prajapati, pervasive and self-committed, sits on the golden vedi of yajna on holy grass.

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10.10.13

सं हि सोमे॒नाग॑त॒ समु॒ सर्वे॑ण प॒द्वता॑। व॒शा स॑मु॒द्रमध्य॑ष्ठाद्गन्ध॒र्वैः क॒लिभिः॑ स॒ह ॥

Coming together with Soma and with all that move on foot, Vasha, the divine mother, presides unto and over the sea, along with keepers of the earth and the divine voice of Veda, with all earthly problems and ambitions.

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10.10.14

सं हि वाते॒नाग॑त॒ समु॒ सर्वैः॑ पत॒त्रिभिः॑। व॒शा स॑मु॒द्रे प्रानृ॑त्य॒दृचः॒ सामा॑नि॒ बिभ्र॑ती ॥

Come together with wind and with all that fly, Vasha, divine mother, dances around in ecstasy across the oceans of the middle space, bearing the Rks and music of the Samans.

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10.10.15

सं हि सूर्ये॑णागत॒ समु॒ सर्वे॑ण॒ चक्षु॑षा। व॒शा स॑मु॒द्रमत्य॑ख्यद्भ॒द्रा ज्योतीं॑षि॒ बिभ्र॑ती ॥

Come together with the sun and with all the lights that illuminate, reveal and see, Vasha, divine mother, pervades and watches the spatial ocean, bearing noble lights of divine bliss.

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10.10.16

अ॒भीवृ॑ता॒ हिर॑ण्येन॒ यद॑तिष्ठ ऋतावरि। अश्वः॑ समु॒द्रो भू॒त्वाध्य॑स्कन्दद्वशे त्वा ॥

Wrapped in golden halo, when you arose, O Vasha, bearing universal waters and nourishment within the strict bounds of cosmic law, then the universal divinity, having risen to the state of will and passion, inspired you with life.

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10.10.17

तद्भ॒द्राः सम॑गच्छन्त व॒शा देष्ट्र्यथो॑ स्व॒धा। अथ॑र्वा॒ यत्र॑ दीक्षि॒तो ब॒र्हिष्यास्त॑ हिर॒ण्यये॑ ॥

Where Atharva, scholar of Atharva-veda, dedicated and consecrated, sits on the holy grass on the golden vedi of light, there noble people and good fortunes, generous Vasha, divine mother, and food and plenty, all these join together and concentrate.

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10.10.18

व॒शा मा॒ता रा॑ज॒न्य᳡स्य व॒शा मा॒ता स्व॑धे॒ तव॑। व॒शाया॑ य॒ज्ञ आयु॑धं॒ तत॑श्चि॒त्तम॑जायत ॥

Vasha is the mother of Rajanya, keepers of the social order. O Svadha, essential power of the self, food and plenty, Vasha is your mother too. And the chief arm and fighting force of the mother (against pollution outside and negative fluctuations within) is yajna, creative communion of society in corporate activity in the objective world on the one hand, and meditation of individual awareness of the soul on the Super-soul of existence within. And from this communion arises social awareness and spiritual illumination of the mind and soul.

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10.10.19

ऊ॒र्ध्वो बि॒न्दुरुद॑चर॒द्ब्रह्म॑णः॒ ककु॑दा॒दधि॑। तत॒स्त्वं ज॑ज्ञिषे वशे॒ ततो॒ होता॑जायत ॥

From that communion between the human and divine, with human potential and awareness concentrated to a point, the yogi rises, through the Brahma-randhra, highest gateway of the ascent of humanity and the descent of Divinity, he rises above the Mahat abstraction of Prakrti in the existential samadhi state, reborn as a participant in cosmic yajna. And there, O Mother Divine, he calls on you, and there you emerge, and you bless.

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10.10.20

आ॒स्नस्ते॒ गाथा॑ अभवन्नु॒ष्णिहा॑भ्यो॒ बलं॑ वशे। पा॑ज॒स्या᳡ज्जज्ञे य॒ज्ञ स्तने॑भ्यो र॒श्मय॒स्तव॑ ॥

O Vasha, Mother Shakti of the universe, from your mouth flow the songs of Veda. From Ushnik verses of the Veda, flows strength and power, life’s vigour and vitality of creation. Of creativity is born yajna, and from your motherly streams of vitality and flames of yajna radiate the showers of cosmic light.

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10.10.21

ई॒र्माभ्या॒मय॑नं जा॒तं सक्थि॑भ्यां च वशे॒ तव॑। आ॒न्त्रेभ्यो॑ जज्ञिरे अ॒त्रा उ॒दरा॒दधि॑ वी॒रुधः॑ ॥

O Vasha, from your movement forward on forelegs and your movement backward on the thighs are born the Uttarayana and Dakshinayana motions of the earth-sun relationship in the solar system. From your system of cosmic metabolism are born all forms of life that sustain on food, and from your atmospheric spaces and rain therefrom, are born the herbs and trees which germinate and grow on earth.

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10.10.22

यदु॒दरं॒ वरु॑ण॒स्यानु॒प्रावि॑शथा वशे। तत॑स्त्वा ब्र॒ह्मोद॑ह्वय॒त्स हि ने॒त्रमवे॒त्तव॑ ॥

O Vasha, creative power of all-controlling Lord Supreme, when you retire into the all-covering, all- consuming Varuna, unfathomable Brahma, at the moment of total dissolution, later the Lord calls you up from there into the operation of creative evolution becuase he alone holds and knows you as the leading agent of his creative function.

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10.10.23

सर्वे॒ गर्भा॑दवेपन्त॒ जाय॑मानादसू॒स्वः᳡। स॒सूव॒ हि तामा॒हुर्व॒शेति॒ ब्रह्म॑भिः॒ क्लृप्तः स ह्य᳡स्या॒ बन्धुः॑ ॥

All (that lay in Pralaya) stirred at the emergence of the universal mother’s womb, unproliferous though, brought into being, and proclaimed otherwise: ‘It is the vital proliferous Vasha, divine Shakti, inspired with the creative potentials of Brahma who alone is her co- existent consort.’

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10.10.24

युध॒ एकः॒ सं सृ॑जति॒ यो अ॑स्या॒ एक॒ इद्व॒शी। तरां॑सि य॒ज्ञा अ॑भव॒न्तर॑सां॒ चक्षु॑रभवद्व॒शा ॥

Brahma alone who is the director and inspirer of this Vasha is really the One who creates the dynamic creative complementaries of evolutionary existence. In this evolution, yajnas, cycles of consumption and creation, become the media of the evolution-journey, and Vasha becomes the watchful controller of the direction of these creative yajnas which take evolution to the destination.

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10.10.25

व॒शा य॒ज्ञं प्रत्य॑गृह्णाद्व॒शा सूर्य॑मधारयत्। व॒शाया॑म॒न्तर॑विशदोद॒नो ब्र॒ह्मणा॑ स॒ह ॥

Vasha, the cosmic cow, takes up and carries on the yajna of life, Vasha takes up and sustains the sun, in Vasha is the food of life along with the implict knowledge and power of divine will.

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10.10.26

व॒शामे॒वामृत॑माहुर्व॒शां मृ॒त्युमुपा॑सते। व॒शेदं सर्व॑मभवद्दे॒वा म॑नु॒ष्या॒ असु॑राः पि॒तर॒ ऋष॑यः ॥

Sages say immortality is Vasha, they say and honour that destruction and death too is Vasha, Vasha is this all, Devas, humans, demons, sustaining Pitaras, Rshis. All is mutation of Vasha.

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10.10.27

य एवं॑ वि॒द्यात्स व॒शां प्रति॑ गृह्णी॒यात्। तथा॒ हि य॒ज्ञः सर्व॑पाद्दु॒हे दा॒त्रेऽन॑पस्फुरन् ॥

One who would know this of Vasha would know and realise the wholeness and versatility of divine potential which is Vasha. This way, also, yajna, comprehensive, undisturbed and uninterrupted, brings total fulfilment to the generous yajamana.

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10.10.28

ति॒स्रो जि॒ह्वा वरु॑णस्या॒न्तर्दी॑द्यत्या॒सनि॑। तासां॒ या मध्ये॒ राज॑ति॒ सा व॒शा दु॑ष्प्रति॒ग्रहा॑ ॥

In the mouth of Varuna, comprehending Brahma, there are three tongues: Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, shining. The middle one is the most shining. That is Vasha, dynamic power that controls change, evolution and completive destination.

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10.10.29

च॑तु॒र्धा रेतो॑ अभवद्व॒शायाः॑। आप॒स्तुरी॑यम॒मृतं॒ तुरी॑यं य॒ज्ञस्तुरी॑यं प॒शव॒स्तुरी॑यम् ॥

Fourfold is the living vitality of Vasha: Dynamics, one fourth; immortality, one fourth; yajna, one fourth; living forms, one fourth.

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10.10.30

व॒शा द्यौर्व॒शा पृ॑थि॒वी व॒शा विष्णुः॑ प्र॒जाप॑तिः। व॒शाया॑ दु॒ग्धम॑पिबन्त्सा॒ध्या वस॑वश्च ये ॥

Vasha is the heaven of light, Vasha is earth, Vasha is all pervasive Vishnu, also Prajapati. Realised sages, Vasus who sustain, all live by Mother Vasha’s milk of life.

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10.10.31

व॒शाया॑ दु॒ग्धं पी॒त्वा सा॒ध्या वस॑वश्च ये। ते वै ब्र॒ध्नस्य॑ वि॒ष्टपि॒ पयो॑ अस्या॒ उपा॑सते ॥

Having drunk of the milk of Vasha, self-realised sages and Vasus, who abide under the protective umbrella of Infinite Brahma, realise and worship its milk and illumination.

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10.10.32

सोम॑मेना॒मेके॑ दुह्रे घृ॒तमेक॒ उपा॑सते। य ए॒वं वि॒दुषे॑ व॒शां द॒दुस्ते॑ ग॒तास्त्रि॑दि॒वं दि॒वः ॥

Some realise and rejoice in her peace and pleasure of Soma, others worship the ghrta, graciousness. Those who know and communicate the spirit of Vasha to the disciple scholar realise the heavenly bliss of the three heavens of light, individual, social and divine.

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10.10.33

ब्रा॑ह्म॒णेभ्यो॑ व॒शां द॒त्त्वा सर्वां॑ल्लो॒कान्त्सम॑श्नुते। ऋ॒तं ह्य।᳡स्या॒मार्पि॑त॒मपि॒ ब्रह्मा॑थो॒ तपः॑ ॥

Having gifted Vasha to the Brahmanas, man attains to all regions of light and joy, the laws of Rtam in it, Brahma and tapa, highest discipline of life.

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10.10.34

व॒शां दे॒वा उप॑ जीवन्ति व॒शां म॑नु॒ष्या᳡ उ॒त। व॒शेदं सर्व॑मभव॒द्याव॒त्सूर्यो॑ वि॒पश्य॑ति ॥

The Devas live for and by Vasha. Humans live by and for Vasha. Vasha in mutation has become all this that is and will last till the sun shines.