8. Atharv Veda — Kanda 8

✦ Sukta 1 · 21 verses ✦

8.1.1

अन्त॑काय मृ॒त्यवे॒ नमः॑ प्रा॒णा अ॑पा॒ना इ॒ह ते॑ रमन्ताम्। इ॒हायम॑स्तु॒ पुरु॑षः स॒हासु॑ना॒ सूर्य॑स्य भा॒गे अ॒मृत॑स्य लो॒के ॥

Homage to the Immortal that rules the mortal in life and death. O man, let prana and apana energies abide here joyous strong for you in the body. Let this your spirit live on with pranic vitalities in this beautiful world of the Immortal and you enjoy your share of the life and refulgence of the sun.

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8.1.2

उदे॑नं॒ भगो॑ अग्रभी॒दुदे॑नं॒ सोमो॑ अंशु॒मान्। उदे॑नं म॒रुतो॑ दे॒वा उदि॑न्द्रा॒ग्नी स्व॒स्तये॑ ॥

Bhaga, lord of immortal glory, takes care of this man. Soma, the moon, and Anshuman, the sun, take care of this man, and Maruts, winds and pranic energies, take care of him, and Indra, cosmic energy, and Agni, life’s heat of vitality, take care of him for health and all round well being.

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8.1.3

इ॒ह तेऽसु॑रि॒ह प्रा॒ण इ॒हायु॑रि॒ह ते॒ मनः॑। उत्त्वा॒ निरृ॑त्याः॒ पाशे॑भ्यो॒ दैव्या॑ व॒चा भ॑रामसि ॥

Here in body be your living vitality, here your pranic energies, here your health and age, here your mind, all abide in strength and joy. We all, gifts of the Immortal, with the Voice Divine, protect you from the snares of mortality and sustain you in the happy state.

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8.1.4

उत्क्रा॒मातः॑ पुरुष॒ माव॑ पत्था मृ॒त्योः पड्वी॑षमवमु॒ञ्चमा॑नः। मा च्छि॑त्था अ॒स्माल्लो॒काद॒ग्नेः सूर्य॑स्य सं॒दृशः॑ ॥

O man, rise up high from here, never move downwards. Rise, breaking yourself free from the fetters of death. Never sever yourself from this beautiful world, light of the sun and the vital warmth of the fire that life is.

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8.1.5

तुभ्यं॒ वातः॑ पवतां मात॒रिश्वा॒ तुभ्यं॑ वर्षन्त्व॒मृता॒न्यापः॑। सूर्य॑स्ते त॒न्वे॒ शं त॑पाति॒ त्वां मृ॒त्युर्द॑यतां॒ मा प्र मे॑ष्ठाः ॥

Let the winds of cosmic energy blow for you. Let the rains bring you nectar showers of immortality, let the sun shine for the health and well being of your person, let death itself be kind and compassionate and spare you from violence and protect you.

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8.1.6

उ॒द्यानं॑ ते पुरुष॒ नाव॒यानं॑ जी॒वातुं॑ ते॒ दक्ष॑तातिं कृणोमि। आ हि रोहे॒मम॒मृतं॑ सु॒खं रथ॒मथ॒ जिर्वि॑र्वि॒दथ॒मा व॑दासि ॥

O man, up and onwards is your path in life, not downward. So for your life I give you the vigour and the art and expertise of living long and healthy. Come and ascend this chariot of immortal bliss, and as you grow in age and experience, speak of the knowledge of life for other’s good.

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8.1.7

मा ते॒ मन॒स्तत्र॑ गा॒न्मा ति॒रो भू॒न्मा जी॒वेभ्यः॒ प्र म॑दो॒ मानु॑ गाः पि॒तॄन्। विश्वे॑ दे॒वा अ॒भि र॑क्षन्तु त्वे॒ह ॥

Your mind must not go counter to this path of progress onward, nor must it write itself off in despair, nor must you neglect other living beings out of pride and wantonness. Nor must you be merely servile to your parents and seniors, serve them by covering further distance in their line. And may the Vishvedevas, all divinities of nature, all nobilities of humanity and your own mind and senses support, protect and promote you to go fast forward.

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8.1.8

मा ग॒ताना॒मा दी॑धीथा॒ ये नय॑न्ति परा॒वत॑म्। आ रो॑ह॒ तम॑सो॒ ज्योति॒रेह्या ते॒ हस्तौ॑ रभामहे ॥

Wail not over those that are past and gone, they take you off and away from yourself. Rise above the darkness and oblivion, come into the light. We hold you up by both your hands, love and reinforce you with new zeal and enthusiasm.

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8.1.9

श्या॒मश्च॑ त्वा॒ मा श॒बल॑श्च॒ प्रेषि॑तौ य॒मस्य॒ यौ प॑थि॒रक्षी॒ श्वानौ॑। अ॒र्वाङेहि॒ मा वि दी॑ध्यो॒ मात्र॑ तिष्ठः॒ परा॑ङ्मनाः ॥

Let not the dark and the white watch-dogs, the lighted day and the dark night, sent by Yama, lord of mutability and passage of life, arrest you and your progress, they are both guardian path makers too. Come hither, this way to life. Look not, think not, wander not, this way and that around. And do not sit still, idle, absent minded.

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8.1.10

मैतं पन्था॒मनु॑ गा भी॒म ए॒ष येन॒ पूर्वं॒ नेयथ॒ तं ब्र॑वीमि। तम॑ ए॒तत्पु॑रुष॒ मा प्र प॑त्था भ॒यं प॒रस्ता॒दभ॑यं ते अ॒र्वाक् ॥

Do not follow upon this seductive path of Adharma. It is dangerous, unknown, you have not gone this way earlier. Of this I warn you, man, take not a single step on to it. It is far, unfathomable, fearful. This way hither on the path of Dharma, it is all fearless for you.

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8.1.11

रक्ष॑न्तु त्वा॒ग्नयो॒ ये अ॒प्स्व१॒॑न्ता रक्ष॑तु त्वा मनु॒ष्या॒ यमि॒न्धते॑। वै॑श्वान॒रो र॑क्षतु जा॒तवे॑दा दि॒व्यस्त्वा॒ मा प्र धा॑ग्वि॒द्युता॑ स॒ह ॥

Let the fire energies fluent in waters and in nature’s waves of energy protect and promote you on the path of Dharma. Let the yajnic fires which men light and feed protect and guide you on the way forward. Let Vaishvanara Jataveda, cosmic vitality and refulgent Divinity, guard and promote you. And may the heavenly sun along with the electric energy of lightning in the middle regions never hurt and burn you out of existence.

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8.1.12

मा त्वा॑ क्र॒व्याद॒भि मं॑स्ता॒रात्संक॑सुकाच्चर॒। रक्ष॑तु त्वा॒ द्यौ रक्ष॑तु पृ॑थि॒वी सूर्य॑श्च त्वा॒ रक्ष॑तां च॒न्द्रमा॑श्च। अ॒न्तरि॑क्षं रक्षतु देवहे॒त्याः ॥

May no flesh eating agent, natural or human, hurt and destroy you. Keep away from fatalities. May heaven protect you. May the earth protect you. May the sun and moon protect you. And may the middle region protect you from natural strike of calamity.

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8.1.13

बो॒धश्च॑ त्वा प्रतीबो॒धश्च॑ रक्षतामस्व॒प्नश्च॑ त्वानवद्रा॒णश्च॑ रक्षताम्। गो॑पा॒यंश्च॑ त्वा॒ जागृ॑विश्च रक्षताम् ॥

May knowledge and knowledge confirmed by experience both protect you. Let the wakeful and the steadfast guard you. Let the preserver, protector and the guardian save and protect you.

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8.1.14

ते त्वा॑ रक्षन्तु॒ ते त्वा॑ गोपायन्तु॒ तेभ्यो॒ नम॒स्तेभ्यः॒ स्वाहा॑ ॥

Let them guard you. Let them protect you. Let them preserve you in character, safe and unassailed. For all of them salutations. To them all homage.

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8.1.15

जी॒वेभ्य॑स्त्वा स॒मुदे॑ वा॒युरिन्द्रो॑ धा॒ता द॑धातु सवि॒ता त्राय॑माणः। मा त्वा॑ प्रा॒णो बलं॑ हासी॒दसुं॒ तेऽनु॑ ह्वयामसि ॥

For all living beings in this vast world of flux, may the winds, the clouds, sustaining nature and the Lord Divine, the inspiring sun, all protector Spirit of the universe help and maintain you at your best. may your strength and pranic energy never forsake you. We invoke and call upon you and your life’s vitality.

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8.1.16

मा त्वा॑ ज॒म्भः संह॑नु॒र्मा तमो॑ विद॒न्मा जि॒ह्वा ब॒र्हिः प्र॑म॒युः क॒था स्याः॑। उत्त्वा॑दि॒त्या वस॑वो भर॒न्तूदि॑न्द्रा॒ग्नी स्व॒स्तये॑ ॥

Let no crushing grinding force or power ever reach you. Let no darkness assail you. Let no rough word ever come and hurt you. How can you, a yajnic soul, be ever hurtful to any one? May the Adityas, Vasus, Indra and Agni bless you to fulfilment with plenty, prosperity and all round well being.

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8.1.17

उत्त्वा॒ द्यौरुत्पृ॑थि॒व्युत्प्र॒जाप॑तिरग्रभीत्। उत्त्वा॑ मृ॒त्योरोष॑धयः॒ सोम॑राज्ञीरपीपरन् ॥

May the heaven, earth, and Prajapati, lord sustainer and protector of living beings, take care of you and protect you. And may herbs and herbal medications with life-saving soma on top of them fulfil and exalt you over and above the fear of death.

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8.1.18

अ॒यं दे॑वा इ॒हैवास्त्व॒यं मामुत्र॑ गादि॒तः। इ॒मं स॒हस्र॑वीर्येण मृ॒त्योरुत्पा॑रयामसि ॥

O devas, generous and brilliant powers of nature and humanity, let this man be and prosper here only among us. Let him not go anywhere else. We strengthen him with a thousandfold energy and immunity against the fear of death.

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8.1.19

उत्त्वा॑ मृ॒त्योर॑पीपरं॒ सं ध॑मन्तु वयो॒धसः॑। मा त्वा॑ व्यस्तके॒श्यो॒ मा त्वा॑घ॒रुदो॑ रुदन् ॥

I have protected you against death. May the bearers of health and age together act, and nourish and exalt you. Let no mourners with hair dishevelled wail for you. Let no grief stricken sufferers wail for you.

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8.1.20

आहा॑र्ष॒मवि॑दं त्वा॒ पुन॒रागाः॒ पुन॑र्णवः। सर्वा॑ङ्ग॒ सर्वं॑ ते॒ चक्षुः॒ सर्व॒मायु॑श्च तेऽविदम् ॥

I have brought you back from the jaws of calamity. I have regained you. You have come back, renewed, refreshed. I have recovered you whole in body and health, all your eye sight, all your health and age in full I have recovered for you.

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8.1.21

व्य᳡वात्ते॒ ज्योति॑रभू॒दप॒ त्वत्तमो॑ अक्रमीत्। अप॒ त्वन्मृ॒त्युं निरृ॑ति॒मप॒ यक्ष्मं॒ नि द॑ध्मसि ॥

Light is come back to you in all its variety. Darkness and delirium has gone off from you. We throw out untimely death, calamity and consumption far away from you.

✦ Sukta 2 · 28 verses ✦

8.2.1

आ र॑भस्वे॒माम॒मृत॑स्य॒ श्नुष्टि॒मच्छि॑द्यमाना ज॒रद॑ष्टिरस्तु ते। असुं॑ त॒ आयुः॒ पुन॒रा भ॑रामि॒ रज॒स्तमो॒ मोप॑ गा॒ मा प्र मे॑ष्ठाः ॥

O man live and enjoy this nectar stream of life which, I pray, may be inviolable till maturity to the full. I bring you again life’s vitality of prana and full age of good health. Do not take to a life of dissolute pleasure, do not suffer the darkness of ignorance, and you must not die before the full span of hundred years of good health.

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8.2.2

जीव॑तां॒ ज्योति॑र॒भ्येह्य॒र्वाङा त्वा॑ हरामि श॒तशा॑रदाय। अ॑वमु॒ञ्चन्मृ॑त्युपा॒शानश॑स्तिं॒ द्राघी॑य॒ आयुः॑ प्रत॒रं ते॑ दधामि ॥

Come up front and take on the life-light of living vibrant men, I bring you a life span of full hundred years. Liberating you from the snares of death and dishonour, I bring you a long span of excellent good health.

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8.2.3

वाता॑त्ते प्रा॒णम॑विदं॒ सूर्या॒च्चक्षु॑र॒हं तव॑। यत्ते॒ मन॒स्त्वयि॒ तद्धा॑रयामि॒ सं वि॒त्स्वाङ्गै॒र्वद॑ जि॒ह्वयाल॑पन् ॥

I have created your pranic energy of breath from the wind, the eye from the sun. And the mind that is yours, that I vest in you. Have and be yourself the whole personality with all limbs of the body system, speaking, self-expressive, articulating your words with the tongue.

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8.2.4

प्रा॒णेन॑ त्वा द्वि॒पदां॒ चतु॑ष्पदाम॒ग्निमि॑व जा॒तम॒भि सं ध॑मामि। नम॑स्ते मृत्यो॒ चक्षु॑षे॒ नमः॑ प्रा॒णाय॑ तेऽकरम् ॥

Like fire newly lit and raised, I vest you with life energy of prana, universal as the pranic energy of bipeds and quadrupeds. O Lord of life and death, I offer homage to you, homage to the light of life, homage to divine life energy.

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8.2.5

अ॒यं जी॑वतु॒ मा मृ॑ते॒मं समी॑रयामसि। कृ॒णोम्य॑स्मै भेष॒जं मृत्यो॒ मा पुरु॑षं वधीः ॥

May this man live on, let him not die. We revive him with pranic energy of breath. I prepare the medicine for him and administer the dose. O lord of life and death, pray subject him not to untimely death.

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8.2.6

जी॑व॒लां न॑घारि॒षां जी॑व॒न्तीमोष॑धीम॒हम्। त्रा॑यमा॒णां सह॑मानां॒ सह॑स्वतीमि॒ह हु॑वे॒ऽस्मा अ॑रि॒ष्टता॑तये ॥

To avert the danger and save the life of this man, I bring up and prepare the medicine which would revive his energy without hurting him, raise his vitality, enhance his resistance, protect him against deterioration, fight out the disease and restore him to normal health.

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8.2.7

अधि॑ ब्रूहि॒ मा र॑भथाः सृ॒जेमं तवै॒व सन्त्सर्व॑हाया इ॒हास्तु॑। भवा॑शर्वौ मृ॒डतं॒ शर्म॑ यच्छतमप॒सिध्य॑ दुरि॒तं ध॑त्त॒मायुः॑ ॥

O lord of life and death, pray speak the word of life, ensnare him not, revive and recreate him. He, being your own, devoted and prayerful, let him be here and live with full vigour and movement. O lord of life, destroyer of disease, be kind and gracious, give peace and health, avert the danger, give him life and good health.

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8.2.8

अ॒स्मै मृ॑त्यो॒ अधि॑ ब्रूही॒मं द॑य॒स्वोदि॒तो॒ऽयमे॑तु। अरि॑ष्टः॒ सर्वा॑ङ्गः सु॒श्रुज्ज॒रसा॑ श॒तहा॑यन आ॒त्मना॒ भुज॑मश्नुताम् ॥

O lord of life and death, speak to this man the saviour’s word of redemption, be kind and protect him, let him rise from this state of misery and move out whole in good health all over the body, fully conscious, knowledgeable and respectable, and live a full age of hundred years, restored to full self independence to live and enjoy life freely on his own.

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8.2.9

दे॒वानां॑ हे॒तिः परि॑ त्वा वृणक्तु पा॒रया॑मि त्वा॒ रज॑स॒ उत्त्वा॑ मृ॒त्योर॑पीपरम्। आ॒राद॒ग्निं क्र॒व्यादं॑ नि॒रूहं॑ जी॒वात॑वे ते परि॒धिं द॑धामि ॥

Let the punitive strike of nature’s forces spare you, I have immunised you against the negativities of mutability and metabolic change and thus I recover you from the stroke of untimely death. I have brought you far out of the flesh eating cancerous vitality of the system and thus draw the line of defence for your life and living against ill-health and disease.

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8.2.10

यत्ते॑ नि॒यानं॑ रज॒सं मृत्यो॑ अनवध॒र्ष्य᳡म्। प॒थ इ॒मं तस्मा॒द्रक्ष॑न्तो॒ ब्रह्मा॑स्मै॒ वर्म॑ कृण्मसि ॥

O Death, your path of change across the world of mutability is unconquerable, still, to protect this man against the accidents on that path onward to maturity, we armour him with Brahma, the knowledge of life and death to maintain good health with freedom from disease.

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8.2.11

कृ॒णोमि॑ ते प्राणापा॒नौ ज॒रां मृ॒त्युं दी॒र्घमायुः॑ स्व॒स्ति। वै॑वस्व॒तेन॒ प्रहि॑तान्यमदू॒तांश्च॑र॒तोऽप॑ सेधामि॒ सर्वा॑न् ॥

O man, I strengthen your prana and apana energies and fortify your health for long life so that your life, all age and death in the natural course be good for your ultimate well being. Thus I ward off the pain of all the strokes of the agents of change sent by Yama, lord of the law of mutability, working through the march of time ordained by the sun.

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8.2.12

आ॒रादरा॑तिं॒ निरृ॑तिं प॒रो ग्राहिं॑ क्र॒व्यादः॑ पिशा॒चान्। रक्षो॒ यत्सर्वं॑ दुर्भू॒तं तत्तम॑ इ॒वाप॑ हन्मसि ॥

Adversity, calamity, seizure, cancer, consump- tion, contagion, and all that is evil and destructive, we ward off from afar and eliminate as we dispel the darkness from life.

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8.2.13

अ॒ग्नेष्टे॑ प्रा॒णम॒मृता॒दायु॑ष्मतो वन्वे जा॒तवे॑दसः। यथा॒ न रिष्या॑ अ॒मृतः॑ स॒जूरस॒स्तत्ते॑ कृणोमि॒ तदु॑ ते॒ समृ॑ध्यताम् ॥

I ask of immortal, all knowing, all inspiring Agni, giver of life, to give you pranic energy of life so that you do not suffer ill health and disease, live immortal against untimely death and be dedicated to Divinity. This I do for you, and may this prosper for you.

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8.2.14

शि॒वे ते॑ स्तां॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी अ॑संता॒पे अ॑भि॒श्रियौ॑। शं ते॒ सूर्य॒ आ त॑पतु॒ शं वातो॑ वातु ते हृ॒दे। शि॒वा अ॒भि क्ष॑रन्तु॒ त्वापो॑ दि॒व्याः पय॑स्वतीः ॥

May the earth and heaven, both unafflictive and inoppressive, be kind and gracious to you. May the sun shine with peace and prosperity on you. May the winds blow for peace and pleasure of your heart. May the rain showers, divine and generous, bring you peace and plenty.

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8.2.15

शि॒वास्ते॑ स॒न्त्वोष॑धय॒ उत्त्वा॑हार्ष॒मध॑रस्या॒ उत्त॑रां पृथि॒वीम॒भि। तत्र॑ त्वादि॒त्यौ र॑क्षतां सूर्याचन्द्र॒मसा॑वु॒भा ॥

May the herbs and trees and their gifts of medicine be good and kind to you. You know I have retrieved you from a low state of health to a higher level of life and health on earth. And there may the sun and moon, lights of divinity, protect and promote you.

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8.2.16

यत्ते॒ वासः॑ परि॒धानं॒ यां नी॒विं कृ॑णु॒षे त्वम्। शि॒वं ते॑ त॒न्वि॒ तत्कृ॑ण्मः संस्प॒र्शेऽद्रू॑क्ष्णमस्तु ते ॥

Whatever garment is your upper cover, and that which you wear for a waist bond, that we design and treat for your comfort and well being for health, and let even that be not rough for the skin contact.

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8.2.17

यत्क्षु॒रेण॑ म॒र्चय॑ता सुते॒जसा॒ वप्ता॒ वप॑सि केशश्म॒श्रु। शुभं॒ मुखं॒ मा न॒ आयुः॒ प्र मो॑षीः ॥

O barber, as you shave the hair, beard and moustache with a sharp and clean razor, you should not hurt the person’s health and his fine and fair complexion.

· · ·

8.2.18

शि॒वौ ते॑ स्तां व्रीहिय॒वाव॑बला॒साव॑दोम॒धौ। ए॒तौ यक्ष्मं॒ वि बा॑धेते ए॒तौ मु॑ञ्चतो॒ अंह॑सः ॥

Let rice and barley be good and auspicious for you, nourishing, health giving, exhilarating, resistant to debilitating and consumptive conditions. They protect you against sickness, disease and cancerous ailments and save you from sin and anxiety.

· · ·

8.2.19

यद॒श्नासि॒ यत्पि॑बसि धा॒न्यं᳡ कृ॒ष्याः पयः॑। यदा॒द्यं१॒॑ यद॑ना॒द्यं सर्वं॑ ते॒ अन्न॑मवि॒षं कृ॑णोमि ॥

Whatever food, produced by agriculture, you eat, whatever milk or water you drink, all that food and drink old or new I render free from poison and toxins, for you.

· · ·

8.2.20

अह्ने॑ च त्वा॒ रात्र॑ये चो॒भाभ्यां॒ परि॑ दद्मसि। अ॒राये॑भ्यो जिघ॒त्सुभ्य॑ इ॒मं मे॒ परि॑ रक्षत ॥

O man, we entrust you to the day for sun and activity, and to the night for rest and peace, to both we entrust you for balance of work and rest for recuperation. O day and night, pray save and protect this man of ours from sin and indigence and from ogres and destroyers.

· · ·

8.2.21

श॒तं ते॒ऽयुतं॑ हाय॒नान्द्वे यु॒गे त्रीणि॑ च॒त्वारि॑ कृण्मः। इ॑न्द्रा॒ग्नी विश्वे॑ दे॒वास्तेऽनु॑ मन्यन्ता॒महृ॑णीयमानाः ॥

O man, for you we fix a hundred years, and ten thousand years, and, further, ten thousand multiplied by two, three and four, years of age. May Indra and Agni and all Vishvedevas, divinities of nature and humanity, without hesitation and reservation be favourable and support you. (This is a metaphorical and highly mystical mantra which describes the age of the individual person and the age of humanity on earth. The age of the individual is one hundred years, while the age of humanity in each creation cycle is four billion and three hundred and twenty million years.) Satavalekara explains the mantra in a simple manner: We fix a hundred year uninterrupted age for you. There are two yugas, sandhi transitions of morning and evening of the day, three seasons of winter, summer and rains, and four periods of life, Brahmacharya upto 25 years, grhastha upto 50 years, vanaprastha upto 75 years, and sanyasa upto 100 years. The mystical interpretation of the mantra is that the age of humanity is 4,32,00,00,000 (four billion and three hundred and twenty million) years divided over one thousand four-yuga divisions of 43,20000 years each (which is ‘niyuta’, 10,000, multiplied by 432): Kaliyuga 4,32,000 years Dvapara yuga 8,64,000 years Treta yuga 12,96,000 years Satyuga 17,28,000 years Total 43,20,000 years For further details, reference may be made to Kshema-karana Dasa Trivedi’s comment on this mantra in his translation of Atharva-Veda published by Sarvadeshika Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Delhi.

· · ·

8.2.22

श॒रदे॑ त्वा हेम॒न्ताय॑ वस॒न्ताय॑ ग्री॒ष्माय॒ परि॑ दद्मसि। व॒र्षाणि॒ तुभ्यं॑ स्यो॒नानि॒ येषु॒ वर्ध॑न्त॒ ओष॑धीः ॥

O man, we entrust you to the autumn, winter, spring and summer seasons and auspicious years when herbs and trees grow fresh and bloom luxuriantly.

· · ·

8.2.23

मृ॒त्युरी॑शे द्वि॒पदां॑ मृ॒त्युरी॑शे॒ चतु॑ष्पदाम्। तस्मा॒त्त्वां मृ॒त्योर्गोप॑ते॒रुद्भ॑रामि॒ स मा बि॑भेः ॥

Death rules over the bipeds. Death rules over the quadrupeds. However, O man, fear not. We raise you above that fear of that Death, master ruler of life on earth.

· · ·

8.2.24

सो᳡रि॑ष्ट॒ न म॑रिष्यसि॒ न म॑रिष्यसि॒ मा बि॑भेः। न वै तत्र॑ म्रियन्ते॒ नो य॑न्ति अध॒मं तमः॑ ॥

You, unviolated, unafraid, will not die, you will not die. Do not fear. There in the state of knowledge, they do not die, nor do they go down to the state of darkness and oblivion.

· · ·

8.2.25

सर्वो॒ वै तत्र॑ जीवति॒ गौरश्वः॒ पुरु॑षः प॒शुः। यत्रे॒दं ब्रह्म॑ क्रि॒यते॑ परि॒धिर्जीव॑नाय॒ कम् ॥

There where this Brahma, super soul, super- consciousness, this knowledge of the Supreme reality of life is made the line of all round defence for life, all remain alive, the cow, the man, the animal, all being the spirit, no one dies, no one is killed.

· · ·

8.2.26

परि॑ त्वा पातु समा॒नेभ्यो॑ऽभिचा॒रात्सब॑न्धुभ्यः। अम॑म्रिर्भवा॒मृतो॑ऽतिजी॒वो मा ते॑ हासिषु॒रस॑वः॒ शरी॑रम् ॥

May that line of divine defence all round protect you from the violence of your equals and adversaries. Immortal as you are, be not subject to death. Outlive even your life time, eternal and immortal as you are. Let not your pranas forsake your body before full time of your life on earth.

· · ·

8.2.27

ये मृ॒त्यव॒ एक॑शतं॒ या ना॒ष्ट्रा अ॑तिता॒र्याः᳡। मु॒ञ्चन्तु॒ तस्मा॒त्त्वां दे॒वा अ॒ग्नेर्वै॑श्वान॒रादधि॑ ॥

Hundred and one are the ways and forms of death, pains and sufferings to be crossed over in the ordinary course of life. May the divinities of nature and the enlightened people, by the cosmic light of life above them all save you from that kind of death.

· · ·

8.2.28

अ॒ग्नेः शरी॑रमसि पारयि॒ष्णु र॑क्षो॒हासि॑ सपत्न॒हा। अथो॑ अमीव॒चात॑नः पू॒तुद्रु॒र्नाम॑ भेष॒जम् ॥

You are the embodiment of the fire of life. You are the saviour, destroyer of evils and adversaries. You are the destroyer of disease and distress. You are Putudru, the sanative, sanctifier by name. (This mantra is interpreted both as an address to a sanative and as a prayer to the divine spirit.)

✦ Sukta 3 · 26 verses ✦

8.3.1

रक्षो॒हणं॑ वा॒जिन॒मा जि॑घर्मि मि॒त्रं प्रथि॑ष्ठ॒मुप॑ यामि॒ शर्म॑। शिशा॑नो अ॒ग्निः क्रतु॑भिः॒ समि॑द्धः॒ स नो॒ दिवा॒ स रि॒षः पा॑तु॒ नक्त॑म् ॥

I light and with ghrta sprinkle and raise Agni, destroyer of evil, swift warrior and winner, friendly, known and effective far and wide, and thus I come to have peace and comfort in life. Lighted and raised with yajnic performances of creativity, may Agni protect us against dangers and violence day and night. (Agni may be interpreted as the physical fire of yajna, or as the social powers of law and order and defence, or as the light and fire of the spirit within, or as the divinity working through such natural forces as the sun and wind. Such powers fight against the pollution and negativities prevailing around and provide us with safety, peace and comfort. All these variations of ‘Agni’ ought to be kept ‘burning’ throughout with yajnic programmes of creative character at the natural, social and spiritual level with our individual and collective efforts.)

· · ·

8.3.2

अयो॑दंष्ट्रो अ॒र्चिषा॑ यातु॒धाना॒नुप॑ स्पृश जातवेदः॒ समि॑द्धः। आ जि॒ह्वया॒ मूर॑देवान्रभस्व क्र॒व्यादो॑ वृ॒ष्ट्वापि॑ धत्स्वा॒सन् ॥

O Jataveda, all wise, all reaching Agni, leading light and ruler with jaws of steel and flames of fire, lighted and raised to full blaze, catch up violent and destructive forces and senseless elements with flames and, rising ever stronger, hold the flesh eaters and crush them all with your jaws of steel, i.e., relentless justice and unsparing punishment.

· · ·

8.3.3

उ॒भोभ॑यावि॒न्नुप॑ धेहि॒ दंष्ट्रौ॑ हिं॒स्रः शिशा॒नोऽव॑रं॒ परं॑ च। उ॒तान्तरि॑क्षे॒ परि॑ याह्यग्ने॒ जम्भैः॒ सं धे॑ह्य॒भि या॑तु॒धाना॑न् ॥

Reaching and protecting both at hand and far off, destroyer of destroyers and sharp of understanding and intelligence as you are, keep watching and testing the honesty and integrity of your forces, lower as well as higher, those of internal law and order and those of external defence. Go upto the skies and with your unsparing forces catch and fix the elements of sabotage and destruction.

· · ·

8.3.4

अग्ने॒ त्वचं॑ यातु॒धान॑स्य भिन्धि हिं॒स्राशनि॒र्हर॑सा हन्त्वेनम्। प्र पर्वा॑णि जातवेदः शृणीहि क्र॒व्यात्क्र॑वि॒ष्णुर्वि चि॑नोत्वेनम् ॥

O Agni, thunderous destroyer of evil and enmity, saboteurs and destroyers, let electric force and relentless strike break down the cover and camouflage. O Jataveda, all-knowing all-reaching presence, break the interior connections of this organisation, and let the flesh consuming fire collect the body for itself.

· · ·

8.3.5

यत्रे॒दानीं॒ पश्य॑सि जातवेद॒स्तिष्ठ॑न्तमग्न उ॒त वा॒ चर॑न्तम्। उ॒तान्तरि॑क्षे॒ पत॑न्तं यातु॒धानं॒ तमस्ता॑ विध्य॒ शर्वा॒ शिशा॑नः ॥

Now wherever O Jataveda Agni, you sight the soboteur destroyer, whether settled or moving on earth or flying in the sky, then immediately acting at the fastest, sharp and unsparing, fix him with the strike of an arrow or bullet.

· · ·

8.3.6

य॒ज्ञैरिषूः॑ सं॒नम॑मानो अग्ने वा॒चा श॒ल्याँ अ॒शनि॑भिर्दिहा॒नः। ताभि॑र्विध्य॒ हृद॑ये यातु॒धाना॑न्प्रती॒चो बा॒हून्प्रति॑ भङ्ग्ध्येषाम् ॥

Agni, exhorting your forces with inspiring addresses, calibrating your arms and ammunition with collective action and strategic assemblies, shining and sharpening your missiles with electric force, strike at the heart of the violent and the destroyers, turn back their arms and break their striking force.

· · ·

8.3.7

उ॒तार॑ब्धान्त्स्पृणुहि जातवेद उ॒तारे॑भा॒णाँ ऋ॒ष्टिभि॑र्यातु॒धाना॑न्। अग्ने॒ पूर्वो॒ नि ज॑हि॒ शोशु॑चान आ॒मादः॒ क्ष्विङ्का॒स्तम॑द॒न्त्वेनीः॑ ॥

Agni, Jataveda, those that have been seized and those that have surrendered and appeal, protect. But the destroyer, O scorching power, strike down without delay with the force of arms and let carnivorous birds and animals feed upon them.

· · ·

8.3.8

इ॒ह प्र ब्रू॑हि यत॒मः सो अ॑ग्ने यातु॒धानो॒ य इ॒दं कृ॑णोति। तमा र॑भस्व स॒मिधा॑ यविष्ठ नृ॒चक्ष॑स॒श्चक्षु॑षे रन्धयैनम् ॥

O youthful Agni, whosoever be the saboteur and destroyer that does this heinous deed of destruction, proclaim right here that it is he. Seize him with the search light, bring him up for scrutiny of the people’s watch and punish him so that he is rendered ineffective.

· · ·

8.3.9

ती॒क्ष्णेना॑ग्ने॒ चक्षु॑षा रक्ष य॒ज्ञं प्राञ्चं॒ वसु॑भ्यः॒ प्र ण॑य प्रचेतः। हिं॒स्रं रक्षां॑स्य॒भि शोशु॑चानं॒ मा त्वा॑ दभन्यातु॒धाना॑ नृचक्षः ॥

Agni, all aware, all watchful, refulgent guardian of the people, with a sharp eye on all powers and forces of the land, protect and promote this yajnic social order and take it forward for the people. Let not the evil, destructive forces and saboteurs, deceive, intimidate or demoralise you who, they should know, are destroyer of the destroyers.

· · ·

8.3.10

नृ॒चक्षा॒ रक्षः॒ परि॑ पश्य वि॒क्षु तस्य॒ त्रीणि॒ प्रति॑ शृणी॒ह्यग्रा॑। तस्या॑ग्ने पृ॒ष्टीर्हर॑सा शृणीहि त्रे॒धा मूलं॑ यातु॒धान॑स्य वृश्च ॥

O watchful guardian of the people and the dominion, Agni, watch all round and sight out the evil and destructive elements from amongst the people. Then destroy three prime forces of theirs : Break their back with awful force and passion, eliminate their intelligence and forward planning, and uproot their roots in three ways: dig out the roots, dismantle their bases and roast out the future seeds.

· · ·

8.3.11

त्रिर्या॑तु॒धानः॒ प्रसि॑तिं त एत्वृ॒तं यो अ॑ग्ने॒ अनृ॑तेन॒ हन्ति॑। तम॒र्चिषा॑ स्फूर्जय॑ञ्जातवेदः सम॒क्षमे॑नं गृण॒ते नि यु॑ङ्ग्धि ॥

O Jataveda Agni, the destroyer who violates truth and law by untruth must suffer the chains of your law three ways: Arrest him, overwhelm him with the refulgence of truth, power and law, and face him with people that honour the order and value the truth of the order.

· · ·

8.3.12

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

The execrations which people in argument utter in their differences, the roughness of tone which fighters produce in their quarrel, and the sting that is born of the mind in the pain of anger, with that pain of affliction, Agni, pierce the heart of the violent saboteurs and destroyers of life and truth.

· · ·

8.3.13

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

Agni, with the force and power of your law and discipline, destroy the violent evil doers wholly, with your power and passion destroy the demonic forces wholly, with your light of knowledge and wisdom eliminate the stupid and insensitive wholly, and destroy the flaming ogres who suck the life blood of others for their pleasure. Destroy all these wholly, beyond recovery.

· · ·

8.3.14

परा॒द्य दे॒वा वृ॑जि॒नं शृ॑णन्तु प्र॒त्यगे॑नं श॒पथा॑ यन्तु सृ॒ष्टाः। वा॒चास्ते॑नं॒ शर॑व ऋच्छन्तु॒ मर्म॒न्विश्व॑स्यैतु॒ प्रसि॑तिं यातु॒धानः॑ ॥

Let the brilliant wise eliminate the crooked, let the abuse and execration shot out by the evil revert to the evil, let the darts of lies cut the liar to the quick at heart, and let the evil destroyer suffer the enslavement and snares of the world.

· · ·

8.3.15

यः पौरु॑षेयेण क्र॒विषा॑ सम॒ङ्क्ते यो अश्व्ये॑न प॒शुना॑ यातु॒धानः॑। यो अ॒घ्न्याया॒ भर॑ति क्षी॒रम॑ग्ने॒ तेषां॑ शी॒र्षाणि॒ हर॒सापि॑ वृश्च ॥

Who feeds himself on human flesh, on horse flesh, on any animal flesh, who feeds on cow’s flesh and thus carries off the inviolable cow’s milk for all time, O Agni, with your power and passion for truth and right, cut off the head of such persons.

· · ·

8.3.16

वि॒षं गवां॑ यातु॒धाना॑ भरन्ता॒मा वृ॑श्चन्ता॒मदि॑तये दु॒रेवाः॑। परै॑णान्दे॒वः स॑वि॒ता द॑दातु॒ परा॑ भा॒गमोष॑धीनां जयन्ताम् ॥

If the violent people bear off or pollute water meant for cows, the evil doers must fall for their offence to the cow. Let refulgent and noble Savita, the ruler, throw them out, and they must forfeit their share of herbs and greenery.

· · ·

8.3.17

सं॑वत्स॒रीणं॒ पय॑ उ॒स्रिया॑या॒स्तस्य॒ माशी॑द्यातु॒धानो॑ नृचक्षः। पी॒यूष॑मग्ने यत॒मस्तितृ॑प्सा॒त्तं प्र॒त्यञ्च॑म॒र्चिषा॑ विध्य॒ मर्म॑णि ॥

All watchful guardian ruler of the people, let the violent evil doer not partake of the yearly milk of the ruddy cow, and whoever of them would fain taste of the milk, by your light and power pierce him to the quick of his heart.

· · ·

8.3.18

स॒नाद॑ग्ने मृणसि यातु॒धाना॒न्न त्वा॒ रक्षां॑सि॒ पृत॑नासु जिग्युः। स॒हमू॑रा॒ननु॑ दह क्र॒व्यादो॒ मा ते॑ हे॒त्या मु॑क्षत॒ दैव्या॑याः ॥

For all time, Agni, the spirits of evil, tormentors, and destroyers of life, have not been able to win over you in the battles of nature and humanity. You always destroy them. Pray burn the flesh eating demons along with their roots and seeds. Let none escape the on- slaughts of your life saving divine power.

· · ·

8.3.19

त्वं नो॑ अग्ने अध॒रादु॑द॒क्तस्त्वं प॒श्चादु॒त र॑क्षा पु॒रस्ता॑त्। प्रति॒ त्ये ते॑ अ॒जरा॑स॒स्तपि॑ष्ठा अ॒घशं॑सं॒ शोशु॑चतो दहन्तु ॥

Agni, fiery ruler and saviour, protect us from below, from above, from behind and from the front. Let those unaging flames of yours, burning, blazing and unsparing destroy the maligner and evil doer.

· · ·

8.3.20

प॒श्चात्पु॒रस्ता॑दध॒रादु॒तोत्त॒रात्क॒विः काव्ये॑न॒ परि॑ पाह्यग्ने। सखा॒ सखा॑यम॒जरो॑ जरि॒म्णे अग्ने॒ मर्ताँ॒ अम॑र्त्य॒स्त्वं नः॑ ॥

Agni, ruling light of life, save us all round, from behind, from the front, from below, from above. You are the poet creator, save us by the vision and Word of Vedic creation. You are the friend, save us, your friends, you are unaging, save the aged and the aging, you are immortal, save us, the mortals.

· · ·

8.3.21

तद॑ग्ने॒ चक्षुः॒ प्रति॑ धेहि रे॒भे श॑फा॒रुजो॒ येन॒ पश्य॑सि यातु॒धाना॑न्। अ॑थर्व॒वज्ज्योति॑षा॒ दैव्ये॑न स॒त्यं धूर्व॑न्तम॒चितं॒ न्यो᳡ष ॥

Agni, cast the same eye of scrutiny, discrimination and dispensation upon the vociferous adversary with which you watch and sight out the irreverent maligners and evil doers. Like a yogi established in perfect inviolable peace beyond all fluctuations, with the divine light and vision of clairvoyance, light out the thoughtless fool who clouds and violates the truth and law of eternal values.

· · ·

8.3.22

परि॑ त्वाग्ने॒ पुरं॑ व॒यं विप्रं॑ सहस्य धीमहि। धृ॒षद्व॑र्णं दि॒वेदि॑वे ह॒न्तारं॑ भङ्गु॒राव॑तः ॥

Agni, mighty leading light, sagely wise and visionary, day in and day out we think, meditate and establish you among ourselves as an all round bulwark of protection and fulfilment and an inviolable destroyer of demonic evil doers.

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8.3.23

वि॒षेण॑ भङ्गु॒राव॑तः॒ प्रति॑ स्म र॒क्षसो॑ जहि। अग्ने॑ ति॒ग्मेन॑ शो॒चिषा॒ तपु॑रग्राभिर॒र्चिभिः॑ ॥

Agni, with all round watchful presence and all time cleansing process against poisonous elements and antisocial forces, destroy the evil, the saboteurs and the demonic destroyers with blazing beams and flames of scorching fire.

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8.3.24

वि ज्योति॑षा बृह॒ता भा॑त्य॒ग्निरा॒विर्विश्वा॑नि कृणुते महि॒त्वा। प्रादे॑वीर्मा॒याः स॑हते दु॒रेवाः॒ शिशी॑ते॒ शृङ्गे॒ रक्षो॑भ्यो वि॒निक्ष्वे॑ ॥

Agni, leading light and mighty ruler, shines with boundless light and fire in all its glory and majesty, and with its light and power illuminates and reveals all power and potentials of the world of its creation. It negative elements of the world and constantly sharpens and shines its fighting gear for the elimination of destructive forces.challenges and defeats the ugly and evil forces of the negative elements of the world and constantly sharpens and shines its fighting gear for the elimination of destructive forces.

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8.3.25

ये ते॒ शृङ्गे॑ अ॒जरे॑ जातवेदस्ति॒ग्महे॑ती॒ ब्रह्म॑संशिते। ताभ्यां॑ दु॒र्हार्द॑मभि॒दास॑न्तं किमी॒दिनं॑ प्र॒त्यञ्च॑म॒र्चिषा॑ जातवेदो॒ वि नि॑क्ष्व ॥

O Jataveda, instant all knowing Agni, unaging, sharp and penetrative, deadly are your arms of offence and defence in battle, shined and calibrated by divine vision and knowledge. With those arms. O Jataveda, and with your light and fire, openly destroy the demonic ogres, evil, cruel at heart, destroyers of life who plan to enslave humanity.

· · ·

8.3.26

अ॒ग्नी रक्षां॑सि सेधति शु॒क्रशो॑चि॒रम॑र्त्यः। शुचिः॑ पाव॒क ईड्यः॑ ॥

Agni challenges and destroys the evil destroyers. Agni, of purest powerful light and flame, is immortal. Agni is pure, purifying, adorable.

✦ Sukta 4 · 25 verses ✦

8.4.1

इन्द्रा॑सोमा॒ तप॑तं॒ रक्ष॑ उ॒ब्जतं॒ न्य᳡र्पयतं वृषणा तमो॒वृधः॑। परा॑ शृणीतम॒चितो॒ न्यो᳡षतं ह॒तं नु॒देथां॒ नि शि॑शीतम॒त्त्रिणः॑ ॥

Indra-Soma, O lord of power and justice, O master keeper of peace and harmony, subject the evil and wicked to the heat of discipline and correction, or punish them and reduce them to nullity. O generous and virile lord and ruler, let not the forces of darkness grow, keep them down, let not the misguided fools rise and spread out, shut them down and far off. Let the hoarders, grabbers, ogres and devourers be subjected to law and punishment, destroy the exploiters, stop them and let their fangs be blunted and rooted out.

· · ·

8.4.2

इन्द्रा॑सोमा॒ सम॒घशं॑सम॒भ्य१॒॑घं तपु॑र्ययस्तु च॒रुर॑ग्नि॒माँ इ॑व। ब्र॑ह्म॒द्विषे॑ क्र॒व्यादे॑ घो॒रच॑क्षसे॒ द्वेषो॑ धत्तमनवा॒यं कि॑मीदिने ॥

Indra and Soma, lord of power, and lord of peace and harmony, let the sinner and the criminal, supporter and admirer of sin and crime along with the sin and crime, and the tormentor of the good and innocent go to the fire of discipline, punishment, or elimination like a handful of food meant for the fire. Never compromise with the enemy of nature, divinity, humanity and the wisdom of humanity, the cannibal and the carrion eater, the man of hate and evil eye, the sceptic, the cynic and the negationist. For them have the contempt they deserve, and either correct them or eliminate them.

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8.4.3

इन्द्रा॑सोमा दु॒ष्कृतो॑ व॒व्रे अ॒न्तर॑नारम्भ॒णे तम॑सि॒ प्र वि॑ध्यतम्। यतो॒ नैषां॒ पुन॒रेक॑श्च॒नोदय॒त्तद्वा॑मस्तु॒ सह॑से मन्यु॒मच्छवः॑ ॥

Indra and Soma, fix the evil doers and throw them into deep dungeon of darkness without remission so that no one of them may raise his head for evil doing. That power of yours full of patience, fortitude and courage, that righteous passion should be for the destruction of evil and sabotage agaist life and social harmony.

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8.4.4

इन्द्रा॑सोमा व॒र्तय॑तं दि॒वो व॒धं सं पृ॑थि॒व्या अ॒घशं॑साय॒ तर्ह॑णम्। उत्त॑क्षतं स्व॒र्यं१॒॑ पर्व॑तेभ्यो॒ येन॒ रक्षो॑ वावृधा॒नं नि॒जूर्व॑थः ॥

Indra and Soma, from heaven and earth, from thunder and lightning and the showers of clouds, from the light of idealism, love and generosity and down-to- earth realism, bring unfailing laws of correction and punishment against sin and crime, bring acts and policies against poverty, disease, unemployment and wilful sloth, and against the supporters of sin and crime as well as against compromisers with negativities and negationists. Enact laws of incentive and encouragement for the generous, and blazing prohibitions for the adamant so that you nip and burn off rising crime and evil in the bud.

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8.4.5

इन्द्रा॑सोमा व॒र्तय॑तं दि॒वस्पर्य॑ग्नित॒प्तेभि॑र्यु॒वमश्म॑हन्मभिः। तपु॑र्वधेभिर॒जरे॑भिर॒त्त्रिणो॒ नि पर्शा॑ने विध्यतं॒ यन्तु॑ निस्व॒रम् ॥

Indra and Soma, turn all round and revolve your search lights, ignite and shoot out from the skies your weapons of offence and defence, and, with fiery, thunder-tipped, fatally destructive, irresistible and inviolable arms, fix the voracious ogres, strike them on the precipice and throw them into the abyss, let them run off into silence and oblivion without uttering a sigh of pain or voice of protest.

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8.4.6

इन्द्रा॑सोमा॒ परि॑ वां भूतु वि॒श्वत॑ इ॒यं म॒तिः क॒क्ष्याश्वे॑व वाजिना। यां वां॒ होत्रां॑ परिहि॒नोमि॑ मे॒धये॒मा ब्रह्मा॑णि नृ॒पती॑ इव जिन्वतम् ॥

Indra and Soma, leading powers of governance and peace, like mighty forces in harness ruling the nation, may this prayer of mine, which I address to you with the best of intention and understanding as an exhortation, inspire you and guide you all round, and may you, as the ruler and protector of the nation that you are, make these words of prayer, exhortation and adoration fruitful.

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8.4.7

प्रति॑ स्मरेथां तु॒जय॑द्भि॒रेवै॑र्ह॒तं द्रु॒हो र॒क्षसो॑ भङ्गु॒राव॑तः। इन्द्रा॑सोमा दु॒ष्कृते॒ मा सु॒गं भू॒द्यो मा॑ क॒दा चि॑दभि॒दास॑ति द्रु॒हुः ॥

And remember, be watchful and alert against the malignant, evil and treacherous forces, ward them off and eliminate them with the fastest interceptors and destroyers at the very onset. Indra and Soma, let there be no peace, nothing easy, for the evil doer who may any time try to inure, sabotage or enslave us out of jealousy and enmity.

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8.4.8

यो मा॒ पाके॑न॒ मन॑सा॒ चर॑न्तमभि॒चष्टे॒ अनृ॑तेभि॒र्वचो॑भिः। आप॑ इव काशिना॒ संगृभीता॒ अस॑न्न॒स्त्वास॑त इन्द्र व॒क्ता ॥

And while I live and act and behave with a mature mind of purity and truth, if someone malign me with false words, let him be caught up like water in the hand grip and evaporate in the heat, O lord Indra, ruler and law-giver of power, let him be reduced to nothing because he speaks nothing but falsehood.

· · ·

8.4.9

ये पा॑कशं॒सं वि॒हर॑न्त॒ एवै॒र्ये वा॑ भ॒द्रं दू॒षय॑न्ति स्व॒धाभिः॑। अह॑ये वा॒ तान्प्र॒ददा॑तु॒ सोम॒ आ वा॑ दधातु॒ निरृ॑तेरु॒पस्थे॑ ॥

O Soma, lord of peace and justice, if there be those who, with smartness and fast actions, malign, locerate and deprive the man of purity, truth, honour and spotless reputation, or with their powers and prestige denigrate the man of goodness and charitable disposition and bring disgrace upon him, deliver such men to the sufferance of darkness and remorse or let them suffer the pangs of deprivation themselves.

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8.4.10

यो नो॒ रसं॒ दिप्स॑ति पि॒त्वो अ॑ग्ने॒ अश्वा॑नां॒ गवां॒ यस्त॒नूना॑म्। रि॒पु स्ते॒न स्ते॑य॒कृद्द॒भ्रमे॑तु॒ नि ष ही॑यतां त॒न्वा॒ तना॑ च ॥

O lord of light and vitality, Agni, whoever pollutes the flavour, taste and vitality of our food and injures and impairs the vigour and power of our horses, cows and our bodies, let such enemy, the thief, the robber, the saboteur, be reduced to nullity and himself suffer debility of body and even deprivation of future extension and progeny.

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8.4.11

प॒रः सो अ॑स्तु त॒न्वा॒ तना॑ च ति॒स्रः पृ॑थि॒वीर॒धो अ॑स्तु॒ विश्वाः॑। प्रति॑ शुष्यतु॒ यशो॑ अस्य देवा॒ यो मा॒ दिवा॒ दिप्स॑ति॒ यश्च॒ नक्त॑म् ॥

O divinities of nature and humanity, may he, who wants to injure and destroy me in the day and in the night, stay far off in personal presence and also with the progeny of his evil tendencies, and may he even fall lower than all the three orders of earthly existence, i.e., lower than the good, the bad and the indifferent. May his honour and reputation dry up and evaporate to zero and let there be none to remember him on earth.

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8.4.12

सु॑विज्ञा॒नं चि॑कि॒तुषे॒ जना॑य॒ सच्चास॑च्च॒ वच॑सी पस्पृधाते। तस्यो॒र्यत्स॒त्यं य॑त॒रदृजी॑य॒स्तदित्सोमो॑ऽवति॒ हन्त्यास॑त् ॥

Words of truth and words of untruth rival and contend

with each other. Of these, the one that is true and to the extent that it is simple and natural, Soma, lord of peace, harmony and goodness, protects and preserves, the untrue, he destroys. This simple and straight natural knowledge, the lord reveals for the man who is keen to know the truth and reality of life.

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8.4.13

न वा उ॒ सोमो॑ वृजि॒नं हि॑नोति॒ न क्ष॒त्रियं॑ मिथु॒या धा॒रय॑न्तम्। हन्ति॒ रक्षो॒ हन्त्यास॒द्वद॑न्तमु॒भाविन्द्र॑स्य॒ प्रसि॑तौ शयाते ॥

Soma, lord of peace and harmony, does not call forth the crooked to the distinction between truth and untruth. Nor does he impel and support the Kshatriya, ruler administrator, who parades his power and valour falsely. But he does destroy the evil and the wicked and also the one who speaks the untruth, and both the wicked and the liar end up in the bonds of Indra, dispenser of justice.

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8.4.14

यदि॑ वा॒हमनृ॑तदेवो॒ अस्मि॒ मोघं॑ वा दे॒वाँ अ॑प्यू॒हे अ॑ग्ने। किम॒स्मभ्यं॑ जातवेदो हृणीषे द्रोघ॒वाच॑स्ते निरृ॒थं स॑चन्ताम् ॥

Unless I am a worshipper of falsehood as my divine ideal or adore the lord and divinities falsely, deceiving them as if, why would you, Jataveda Agni, all knowing lord of light and truth, be angry with me? You would not be angry, because only the speakers of falsehood would suffer your wrath and punishment.

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8.4.15

अ॒द्या मु॑रीय॒ यदि॑ यातु॒धानो॒ अस्मि॒ यदि॒ वायु॑स्त॒तप॒ पूरु॑षस्य। अधा॒ स वी॒रैर्द॒शभि॒र्वि यू॑या॒ यो मा॒ मोघं॒ यातु॑धा॒नेत्याह॑ ॥

If I were a demon on the move, or if I tormented any person in life, then let me suffer death right now today. But I am not, nor have I done so. Then let that person be deprived of all his ten faculties of sense and prana who falsely proclaims that I am a demonic tormentor of others.

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8.4.16

यो माया॑तुं॒ यातु॑धाने॒त्याह॒ यो वा॑ र॒क्षाः शुचि॑र॒स्मीत्याह॑। इन्द्र॒स्तं ह॑न्तु मह॒ता व॒धेन॒ विश्व॑स्य ज॒न्तोर॑ध॒मस्प॑दीष्ट ॥

Whoever says that I am a devil even though I am not a devil, and whoever says that he is pure and innocent although he is a very devil, may Indra, lord of power and justice, punish such a person with his mighty thunderbolt, may such a falsifier fall to the abyss as the worst of all living beings.

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8.4.17

प्र या जिगा॑ति ख॒र्गले॑व॒ नक्त॒मप॑ द्रु॒हुस्त॒न्वं१॒॑ गूह॑माना। व॒व्रम॑न॒न्तमव॒ सा प॑दीष्ट॒ ग्रावा॑णो घ्नन्तु र॒क्षस॑ उप॒ब्दैः ॥

And she that goes about at night, hiding her person like a spirit of hate and violence, a she-owl as if, would fall into the bottomless deep of darkness. Men of judgement should condem the evil with strong words of disapproval.

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8.4.18

वि ति॑ष्ठध्वं मरुतो वि॒क्ष्वि॒च्छत॑ गृभा॒यत॑ र॒क्षसः॒ सं पि॑नष्टन्। वयो॒ ये भू॒त्वा प॒तय॑न्ति न॒क्तभि॒र्ये वा॒ रिपो॑ दधि॒रे दे॒वे अ॑ध्व॒रे ॥

O Maruts, vibrant powers of vigilance, stay among the people, watch keenly for the forces of evil and violence there, grab them and crush them all, they that fly about like birds over the nights and cause disturbance and violence in the divine morning yajnas of love and non-violence.

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8.4.19

प्र व॑र्तय दि॒वोऽश्मा॑नमिन्द्र॒ सोम॑शितं मघव॒न्त्सं शि॑शाधि। प्रा॒क्तो अ॑पा॒क्तो अ॑ध॒रादु॑द॒क्तो॒भि ज॑हि र॒क्षसः॒ पर्व॑तेन ॥

Indra, lord of power and justice, from the light of divinity and wisdom of the sages, bring up and strike the thunderbolt of justice and correction tempered and sharpened with soma for peace and progress. Sharpen and train them on the wicked, seize them from front and back, up and down, and crush them with the bolt.

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8.4.20

ए॒त उ॒ त्ये प॑तयन्ति॒ श्वया॑तव॒ इन्द्रं॑ दिप्सन्ति दि॒प्सवोऽदा॑भ्यम्। शिशी॑ते श॒क्रः पिशु॑नेभ्यो व॒धं नू॒नं सृ॑जद॒शनिं॑ यातु॒मद्भ्यः॑ ॥

These and other miscreants with the mentality of street curs roam around, attack people and try to damage Indra, the ruler, who is otherwise indomitable. Indra then, commander of power and force, sharpens the thunderbolt for these crafty saboteurs on the prowl and strikes the fatal blow upon them.

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8.4.21

इन्द्रो॑ यातू॒नाम॑भवत्पराश॒रो ह॑वि॒र्मथी॑नाम॒भ्या॒विवा॑सताम्। अ॒भीदु॑ श॒क्रः प॑र॒शुर्यथा॒ वनं॒ पात्रे॑व भि॒न्दन्त्स॒त ए॑तु र॒क्षसः॑ ॥

Indra is the lordly power that throws off the upcoming saboteurs who damage the inputs and infrastructure of yajnic development for the peace and progress of the human community. He is mighty powerful just like what the axe is for the woods, breaking down the evil and wicked destroyers like pots of clay whenever they raise their head.

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8.4.22

उलू॑कयातुं शुशु॒लूक॑यातुं ज॒हि श्वया॑तुमु॒त कोक॑यातुम्। सु॑प॒र्णया॑तुमु॒त गृध्र॑यातुं दृ॒षदे॑व॒ प्र मृ॑ण॒ रक्ष॑ इन्द्र ॥

Indra, refulgent and potent ruler of the world, crush the evil and the wicked like pieces of clay with a stone: the fiend in the garb of an owl, or an owlet, or a dog, or a wolf, or a hawk, or a vulture. They are covert, stealthy, clever, jealous and growling cruel destroyers, cunning and voracious.

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8.4.23

मा नो॒ रक्षो॑ अ॒भि न॑ड्यातु॒माव॒दपो॑च्छन्तु मिथु॒ना ये कि॑मी॒दिनः॑। पृ॑थि॒वी नः॒ पार्थि॑वात्पा॒त्वंह॑सो॒ऽन्तरि॑क्षं दि॒व्यात्पा॑त्व॒स्मान् ॥

Let no wicked demonic forces harm and destroy us. Let the darkness of tormentors harming us either by joint force or by doubt and scepticism be off. May the earth protect us against earthly sin and crime. Let the sky protect us against dangers from above.

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8.4.24

इन्द्र॑ ज॒हि पुमां॑सं यातु॒धान॑मु॒त स्त्रियं॑ मा॒यया॒ शाश॑दानाम्। विग्री॑वासो॒ मूर॑देवा ऋदन्तु॒ मा ते दृ॑श॒न्त्सूर्य॑मु॒च्चर॑न्तम् ॥

Indra, punish and eliminate the man demon. Punish and eliminate the woman demon who destroys by deception and crafty design. Let the stranglers of life who play with life and death lose their own neck and let them never see the rising sun.

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8.4.25

प्रति॑ चक्ष्व॒ वि च॒क्ष्वेन्द्र॑श्च सोम जागृतम्। रक्षो॑भ्यो व॒धम॑स्यतम॒शनिं॑ यातु॒मद्भ्यः॑ ॥

Indra and Soma, lord of power and governance, peace and justice, watch every thing that happens and enlighten us too. Shine, reveal and proclaim what is happening and warn us too. Keep awake and watchful and let us rise too into awakenment. Shoot the arrow upon the demonic destroyers, strike the thunderbolt upon the covert saboteurs.

✦ Sukta 5 · 22 verses ✦

8.5.1

अ॒यं प्र॑तिस॒रो म॒णिर्वी॒रो वी॒राय॑ बध्यते। वी॒र्य᳡वान्त्सपत्न॒हा शूर॑वीरः परि॒पाणः॑ सुम॒ङ्गलः॑ ॥

This Pratisara, jewel mark of distinction, is awarded to the brave, a decoration of the warrior that is valiant, conqueror of adversaries, eminent hero, all round protector and defender of the good and a symbol of peace, prosperity and all round well-being.

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8.5.2

अ॒यं म॒णिः स॑पत्न॒हा सु॒वीरः॒ सह॑स्वान्वा॒जी सह॑मान उ॒ग्रः। प्र॒त्यक्कृ॒त्या दू॒षय॑न्नेति वी॒रः ॥

This jewel distinction is a mark of the destroyer of enemies, noble warrior among the brave, mighty powerful, victorious, brilliant blazing, the hero that goes forward destroying the violent evil doers.

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8.5.3

अ॒नेनेन्द्रो॑ म॒णिना॑ वृ॒त्रम॑हन्न॒नेनासु॑रा॒न्परा॑भावयन्मनी॒षी। अ॒नेना॑जय॒द्द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी उ॒भे इ॒मे अ॒नेना॑जयत्प्र॒दिश॒श्चत॑स्रः ॥

By virtue of this exceptional honour and valour of divine order, Indra, ruler of the world, all-wise visionary, destroys the evil and dark forces of the world, subdues the negative forces of life. By this he rules over both heaven and earth, and by this he controls all the four directions of space.

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8.5.4

अ॒यं स्रा॒क्त्यो म॒णिः प्र॑तीव॒र्तः प्र॑तिस॒रः। ओज॑स्वान्विमृ॒धो व॒शी सो अ॒स्मान्पा॑तु स॒र्वतः॑ ॥

This jewel distinction is a mark of dynamic progress in all directions, it turns off adversaries, it is a valorous destroyer of enemies. All controller, may the hero protect us all round.

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8.5.5

तद॒ग्निरा॑ह॒ तदु॒ सोम॑ आह॒ बृह॒स्पतिः॑ सवि॒ता तदिन्द्रः॑। ते मे॑ दे॒वाः पु॒रोहि॑ताः प्र॒तीचीः॑ कृ॒त्याः प्र॑तिस॒रैर॑जन्तु ॥

This is what Agni, the leading light says. This is what Soma, the sage of peace, Brhaspati, the eminent scholar, Savita, the inspiring spirit, and Indra, the mighty ruler, all say. May all Devas, brilliant leaders and sages of the nation, leading lights of life, turn off the onslaughts of violence against life and humanity by the noble force of distinguished heroes.

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8.5.6

अ॒न्तर्द॑धे॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी उ॒ताह॑रु॒त सूर्य॑म्। ते मे॑ दे॒वाः पु॒रोहि॑ताः प्र॒तीचीः॑ कृ॒त्याः प्र॑तिस॒रैर॑जन्तु ॥

I hold within me the light of heaven and the patience and stability of the earth, the light of the day and blazing radiance of the sun by virtue of the distinguished heroes of the nation. May the Devas, leading lights and guardians of the nation, turn off the onslaughts of violence against life and humanity by the noble force of distinguished heroes.

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8.5.7

ये स्रा॒क्त्यं म॒णिं जना॒ वर्मा॑णि कृ॒ण्वते॑। सूर्य॑ इव॒ दिव॑मा॒रुह्य॒ वि कृ॒त्या बा॑धते व॒शी ॥

Those people who wear the corslet of the jewel of distinctive strength and courage, rise high as if to the light of the sun. Such a person, self-controlled and all controlling, repulses the onslaughts of violence against himself and the nation.

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8.5.8

स्रा॒क्त्येन॑ म॒णिना॒ ऋषि॑णेव मनी॒षिणा॑। अजै॑षं॒ सर्वाः॒ पृत॑ना॒ वि मृधो॑ हन्मि र॒क्षसः॑ ॥

By the jewel distinction of strength and courage, and the radiance of moral and spiritual integrity, as if with all the seers and sages, I win against all negative forces and destroy the evil forces of violence against life and humanity.

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8.5.9

याः कृ॒त्या आ॑ङ्गिर॒सीर्याः कृ॒त्या आ॑सु॒रीर्याः कृ॒त्याः स्व॒यंकृ॑ता॒ या उ॑ चा॒न्येभि॒राभृ॑ताः। उ॒भयी॒स्ताः परा॑ यन्तु परा॒वतो॑ नव॒तिं ना॒व्या अति॑ ॥

Whatever violences there be whether in relation to parts of the body, both individual and social, or in relation to pranic energy, both individual and social, whether caused by one’s own self or by contact with others, may both these, navigable all, go far beyond the ninety streams of life, that is, beyond the three high, medium and low grades of intensity of the ten senses of perception and volition.

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8.5.10

अ॒स्मै म॒णिं वर्म॑ बध्नन्तु दे॒वा इन्द्रो॒ विष्णुः॑ सवि॒ता रु॒द्रो अ॒ग्निः। प्र॒जाप॑तिः परमे॒ष्ठी वि॒राड्वै॑श्वान॒र ऋष॑यश्च॒ सर्वे॑ ॥

This jewel armour of strength and courage, moral and spiritual integrity, both individual and social, may the Divinities, Indra, lord omnipotent, Vishnu, lord omnipresent, Savita, lord creator and inspirer, Rudra, lord of love and justice and dispensation, Agni, lord of light and leadership, Prajapati, lord protector and sustainer of created beings, Parameshthi, lord supreme, Virat, cosmic spirit of the universe, Vaishvanara, lord of humanity, and all saints, seers and sages award to this heroic soul.

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8.5.11

उत्त॒मो अ॒स्योष॑धीनामन॒ड्वाञ्जग॑तामिव व्या॒घ्रः श्वप॑दामिव। यमैच्छा॒मावि॑दाम॒ तं प्र॑ति॒स्पाश॑न॒मन्ति॑तम् ॥

O heroic wearer of the distinction of eminence among people, you are the best, like the hottest of cleansers, bull among the animals, tiger among the terribles. In you we have got what we had desired, the ultimate at the closest in society.

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8.5.12

स इद्व्या॒घ्रो भ॑व॒त्यथो॑ सिं॒हो अथो॒ वृषा॑। अथो॑ सपत्न॒कर्श॑नो॒ यो बिभ॑र्ती॒मं म॒णिम् ॥

The man who wears this jewel of distinction is a very tiger, lion indeed, generous as the virile bull who destroys the adversaries that dare to challenge us.

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8.5.13

नैनं॑ घ्नन्त्यप्स॒रसो॒ न ग॑न्ध॒र्वा न मर्त्याः॑। सर्वा॒ दिशो॒ वि रा॑जति॒ यो बिभ॑र्ती॒मं म॒णिम् ॥

Lightnings of the sky smite him not, rulers of the earth and the highest of mortals challenge him not, indeed the wearer of this eminence shines unique over all quarters of the earth.

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8.5.14

क॒श्यप॒स्त्वाम॑सृजत क॒श्यप॑स्त्वा॒ समै॑रयत्। अबि॑भ॒स्त्वेन्द्रो॒ मानु॑षे॒ बिभ्र॑त्संश्रेषि॒णे᳡ज॑यत्। म॒णिं स॒हस्र॑वीर्यं॒ वर्म॑ दे॒वा अ॑कृण्वत ॥

Distinction of eminence, warrior wearer of the distinction, Kashyapa, lord of universal vision, created you, Kashyapa, lord of imagination inspired you. Fearless Indra, world ruler, bore you for humanity and thereby wins the battles of humanity against inhuman challenges. Indeed the divinities of nature and brilliancies of humanity have made this distinction of a hundred virile powers as the protective armour of life and humanity.

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8.5.15

यस्त्वा॑ कृ॒त्याभि॒र्यस्त्वा॑ दी॒क्षाभि॑र्य॒ज्ञैर्यस्त्वा॒ जिघां॑सति। प्र॒त्यक्त्वमि॑न्द्र॒ तं ज॑हि॒ वज्रे॑ण श॒तप॑र्वणा ॥

Indra, ruler, leader and warrior of heroic distinction, whoever challenges and wants to violate you with destructive acts, or with whatever best commitments he has, or with whatever cooperative forces he can collect, face him straight and, with the hundred power thunderbolt of punishment, destroy him.

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8.5.16

अ॒यमिद्वै प्र॑तीव॒र्त ओज॑स्वान्संज॒यो म॒णिः। प्र॒जां धनं॑ च रक्षतु परि॒पाणः॑ सुम॒ङ्गलः॑ ॥

This eminent hero of jewel distinction, dynamic in all directions, mighty powerful, all victorious, all protective and harbinger of good fortune may, we pray, protect and promote the wealth and people of the earth.

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8.5.17

अ॑सप॒त्नं नो॑ अध॒राद॑सप॒त्नं न॑ उत्त॒रात्। इन्द्रा॑सप॒त्नं नः॑ प॒श्चाज्ज्योतिः॑ शूर पु॒रस्कृ॑धि ॥

Indra, ruler of the world, brave invincible warrior of eminence, give us the light and freedom from enemies from below, give us the light and freedom from enemies from above, give us the light and freedom from enemies from behind, and give us the light and freedom from enemies from the front.

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8.5.18

वर्म॑ मे॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी वर्माह॒र्वर्म॒ सूर्यः॑। वर्म॑ म॒ इन्द्र॑श्चा॒ग्निश्च॒ वर्म॑ धा॒ता द॑धातु मे ॥

May the heaven and earth bear and bring me the armour of defence, may the sun and day bear and bring me the armour of defence, may Indra and Agni, cosmic energy and earthly fire bear and bring me the armour of defence, and may Dhata, lord sustainer of the universe bear the defence and bless me with all round safety and peace against all sin and violence, external and internal.

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8.5.19

ऐ॑न्द्रा॒ग्नं वर्म॑ बहु॒लं यदु॒ग्रं विश्वे॑ दे॒वा नाति॒विध्य॑न्ति॒ सर्वे॑। तन्मे॑ त॒न्वं᳡ त्रायतां स॒र्वतो॑ बृ॒हदायु॑ष्माञ्ज॒रद॑ष्टि॒र्यथासा॑नि ॥

May the lustrous versatile armour of defence, protection and peace at heart granted to me by Indra and Agni, lord omnipotent and leading light of life, which all the powers of nature and humanity would not violate, protect me whole in body, mind and spirit so that I may live and enjoy a long life of good health and enlightenment without inhibition or suppression and violence till the completion of my earthly existence to the full.

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8.5.20

आ मा॑रुक्षद्देवम॒णिर्म॒ह्या अ॑रि॒ष्टता॑तये। इ॒मं मे॒थिम॑भि॒संवि॑शध्वं तनू॒पानं॑ त्रि॒वरू॑थ॒मोज॑से ॥

May the divine armour of defence stay on me all round as a high bulwark of protection against violence. Come friends, join together under the umbrella protection of this invincible triple armour of defence of body, mind and soul collectively for the glory and fulfilment of our human destiny.

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8.5.21

अ॒स्मिन्निन्द्रो॒ नि द॑धातु नृ॒म्णमि॒मं दे॑वासो अभि॒संवि॑शध्वम्। दी॑र्घायु॒त्वाय॑ श॒तशा॑रदा॒यायु॑ष्माञ्ज॒रद॑ष्टि॒र्यथास॑त् ॥

Into this triple armour of wholeness of body, mind and soul, individual as well as collenctive, may Indra, lord omnipotent, vest full power and potential for human fulfilment. Come brilliant friends, all dear to divinity, join under the protective umbrella of this divine armour so that every one in humanity should be able to live a long life of health and happiness for a hundred years till the completion of his span of earthly existence.

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8.5.22

स्व॑स्ति॒दा वि॒शां पति॑र्वृत्र॒हा वि॑मृ॒धो व॒शी। इन्द्रो॑ बध्नातु ते म॒णिं जि॑गी॒वाँ अप॑राजितः। सो॑म॒पा अ॑भयङ्क॒रो वृषा॑। स त्वा॑ रक्षतु स॒र्वतो॒ दिवा॒ नक्तं॑ च वि॒श्वतः॑ ॥

O humanity on earth, may Indra, lord giver of all round well being, protector of the people, destroyer of the demons of darkness, eliminator of the violent, all controller, all victorious, never defeated, lover of soma peace and joy of life, giver of freedom from fear and oppression, virile and generous, bless you with the jewel of triple armour for inviolable peace, protection and happiness. May he protect you all round, day and night, always, all time.

✦ Sukta 6 · 26 verses ✦

8.6.1

यौ ते॑ मा॒तोन्म॒मार्ज॑ जा॒तायाः॑ पति॒वेद॑नौ। दु॒र्णामा॒ तत्र॒ मा गृ॑धद॒लिंश॑ उ॒त व॒त्सपः॑ ॥

O woman, in your breasts which at your birth your mother washed, rubbed and cleansed, there must not be any negative elements such as germs and bacteria which may damage your vitality and harm the foetus.

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8.6.2

प॑लालानुपला॒लौ शर्कुं॒ कोकं॑ मलिम्लु॒चं प॒लीज॑कम्। आ॒श्रेषं॑ व॒व्रिवा॑सस॒मृक्ष॑ग्रीवं प्रमी॒लिन॑म् ॥

There must not be any ailment which stops the growth and formation of tissues, which is painful, which damages the tissues, which vitiates the growth and sensitivity of the foetus, which gives you a burning discomfort or damages your health and beauty, or gives neck or eye trouble. (All these ailments we must cure through pre-natal care.)

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8.6.3

मा सं वृ॑तो॒ मोप॑ सृप ऊ॒रू माव॑ सृपोऽन्त॒रा। कृ॒णोम्य॑स्यै भेष॒जं ब॒जं दु॑र्णाम॒चात॑नम् ॥

The ailment must not persist, must not recur, must not affect the thighs and the groin. I prepare and administer a powerful remedy which would eliminate the painful trouble.

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8.6.4

दु॒र्णामा॑ च सु॒नामा॑ चो॒भा सं॒वृत॑मिच्छतः। अ॒राया॒नप॑ हन्मः सु॒नामा॒ स्त्रैण॑मिच्छताम् ॥

Negative and positive conditions of health and growth contend together. Of these, the negatives we remove so that the positives may help the procreative power of the mother’s system.

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8.6.5

यः कृ॒ष्णः के॒श्यसु॑र स्तम्ब॒ज उ॒त तुण्डि॑कः। अ॒राया॑नस्या मु॒ष्काभ्यां॒ भंस॒सोऽप॑ हन्मसि ॥

The dark malignity, painful and debilitating, which affects the lower waist and the navel, such negativities we remove and root out from the ovaries and the womb of the woman.

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8.6.6

अ॑नुजि॒घ्रं प्र॑मृ॒शन्तं॑ क्र॒व्याद॑मु॒त रे॑रि॒हम्। अ॒रायां॑छ्वकि॒ष्किणो॑ ब॒जः पि॒ङ्गो अ॑नीनशत् ॥

Yellow ‘baja’ counters and destroys all those germs and infections which affect through smelling, touching, licking, and which infect the flesh, strike deep and doggedly persist and continue to afflict.

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8.6.7

यस्त्वा॒ स्वप्ने॑ नि॒पद्य॑ते॒ भ्राता॑ भू॒त्वा पि॒तेव॑ च। ब॒जस्तान्त्स॑हतामि॒तः क्ली॒बरू॑पांस्तिरी॒टिनः॑ ॥

Whoever in the dream state disturbs and violates you in the garb of a brother or a father figure, let ‘baja’ ward off such surreptitious foolish presences from your mind. (The idea is that the expectant mother is a sacred presence to nature, to society, and even to her own self, because she is a human embodiment of mother nature herself and the sanctity of the mother must be protected, it must not be desecrated even in dream. And ‘baja’, a herb as well as a seed is an antidote for such mental disturbance.)

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8.6.8

यस्त्वा॑ स्व॒पन्तीं॒ त्सर॑ति॒ यस्त्वा॒ दिप्स॑ति॒ जाग्र॑तीम्। छा॒यामि॑व॒ प्र तान्त्सूर्यः॑ परि॒क्राम॑न्ननीनशत् ॥

Whoever surreptitiously approaches you while you are sleeping or when you are awake and intends to hurt and injure you or to deceive or destroy you, let your man ward off like the sun on the move dispelling the shades of darkness.

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8.6.9

यः कृ॒णोति॑ मृ॒तव॑त्सा॒मव॑तोकामि॒मां स्त्रिय॑म्। तमो॑षधे॒ त्वं ना॑शया॒स्याः क॒मल॑मञ्जि॒वम् ॥

Whatever the cause that kills the foetus and renders this woman a bereaved mother, O Oshadhi, life saving herb, O man blest with sunny radiance, destroy that cause which deprives the woman of her cherished love and desire for motherhood.

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8.6.10

ये शालाः॑ परि॒नृत्य॑न्ति सा॒यं ग॑र्दभना॒दिनः॑। कु॒सूला॒ ये च॑ कुक्षि॒लाः क॑कु॒भाः क॒रुमाः॒ स्रिमाः॑। तानो॑षधे॒ त्वं ग॒न्धेन॑ विषू॒चीना॒न्वि ना॑शय ॥

Those that fly and dance around homes, humming and buzzing, those that stick, have bacterial sheaths, are crooked, annoying, creeping, O Oshadhi, destroy all these poisonous ones with fumes and smell.

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8.6.11

ये कु॒कुन्धाः॑ कु॒कूर॑भाः॒ कृत्ती॑र्दू॒र्शानि॒ बिभ्र॑ति। क्ली॒बा इ॑व प्र॒नृत्य॑न्तो॒ वने॒ ये कु॒र्वते॒ घोषं॒ तानि॒तो ना॑शयामसि ॥

Those that buzz, gleam, bite through, destroy, have dangerous habits, fly round thickets and produce annoying noise, all these dancing like mad, we destroy from here and around.

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8.6.12

ये सूर्यं॒ न तिति॑क्षन्त आ॒तप॑न्तम॒मुं दि॒वः। अ॒राया॑न्बस्तवा॒सिनो॑ दु॒र्गन्धीं॒ल्लोहि॑तास्या॒न्मक॑कान्नाशयामसि ॥

Those that cannot survive in the light of the sun shining from yon heaven above, those destructive germs and parasites of sheep skin, awfully smelling, blood- mouthed, those germs and insects we destroy.

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8.6.13

य आ॒त्मान॑मतिमा॒त्रमंस॑ आ॒धाय॒ बिभ्र॑ति। स्त्री॒णां श्रो॑णिप्रतो॒दिन॒ इन्द्र॒ रक्षां॑सि नाशय ॥

Those which, excessive in body even for themselves, holding that excess, abide and rise to the loins and waist part of women’s body, these attackers of the womb and foetus of women, O eminent physician, Indra, destroy.

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8.6.14

ये पूर्वे॑ व॒ध्वो॒ यन्ति॒ हस्ते॒ शृङ्गा॑णि॒ बिभ्र॑तः। आ॑पाके॒स्थाः प्र॑हा॒सिन॑ स्त॒म्बे ये कु॒र्वते॒ ज्योति॒स्तानि॒तो ना॑शयामसि ॥

Those which, of many colours, abide in the kitchen and in clumps of grass or flowers and produce flashes of light, and bearing their sting in front reach and vex married women, we destroy and eliminate from here.

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8.6.15

येषां॑ प॒श्चात्प्रप॑दानि पु॒रः पार्ष्णीः॑ पु॒रो मुखा॑। ख॑ल॒जाः श॑कधूम॒जा उरु॑ण्डा॒ ये च॑ मट्म॒टाः कु॒म्भमु॑ष्का अया॒शवः॑। तान॒स्या ब्र॑ह्मणस्पते प्रतीबो॒धेन॑ नाशय ॥

Those whose forefeet are back and heels are front, whose mouth is first in front, which are born on the thrashing floor, which are born from the smell of dung, which live in clusters, which are very painful, whose generative glands are large and which move very fast, these, O physician of high knowledge, destroy as soon as you discover.

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8.6.16

प॑र्यस्ता॒क्षा अप्र॑चङ्कशा अस्त्रै॒णाः स॑न्तु॒ पण्ड॑गाः। अव॑ भेषज पादय॒ य इ॒मां सं॒विवृ॑त्स॒त्यप॑तिः स्वप॒तिं स्त्रिय॑म् ॥

All round watchers, moving around for prey, mere males who value no culture of manners should not be allowed to mix with women. O man of correct social manners, stop the man without wife who tries to mix with this woman dedicated to her husband.

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8.6.17

उ॑द्ध॒र्षिणं॒ मुनि॑केशं ज॒म्भय॑न्तं मरी॒मृशम्। उ॒पेष॑न्तमुदु॒म्बलं॑ तु॒ण्डेल॑मु॒त शालु॑डम्। प॒दा प्र वि॑ध्य॒ पार्ष्ण्या॑ स्था॒लीं गौरि॑व स्पन्द॒ना ॥

Control and check the movement of the pretender, long haired thug of piety, the violent, the fondler, the loiterer, the trouble maker, the saboteur, and the boaster, throw them off their track as a restive cow kicks off the milkman’s pot of milk.

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8.6.18

यस्ते॒ गर्भं॑ प्रतिमृ॒शाज्जा॒तं वा॑ मा॒रया॑ति ते। पि॒ङ्गस्तमु॒ग्रध॑न्वा कृ॒णोतु॑ हृदया॒विध॑म् ॥

Expectant mother, whatever touches and violates your foetus, or whatever destroys your new born baby, let Pinga, the man of strength, or Pinga, the strong herb, wielding a powerful bow, pierce through the heart.

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8.6.19

ये अ॒म्नो ज॒तान्मा॒रय॑न्ति॒ सूति॑का अनु॒शेर॑ते। स्त्रीभा॑गान्पि॒ङ्गो ग॑न्ध॒र्वान्वातो॑ अ॒भ्रमि॑वाजतु ॥

The violent killers that destroy the new borns, or pollute the maternity home or the woman’s generative system, let Pinga drive away such pollutants like the wind driving away the clouds.

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8.6.20

परि॑सृष्टं धारयतु॒ यद्धि॒तं माव॑ पादि॒ तत्। गर्भं॑ त उ॒ग्रौ र॑क्षतां भेष॒जौ नी॑विभा॒र्यौ᳡ ॥

Let the woman hold the seed planted in the womb. Let not the foetus, secured and held, be not dislodged and miscarried. O expectant mother, let two powerful herbs, Baja and Pinga, worn by the girdle zone protect your foetus till maturity.

· · ·

8.6.21

पवीन॒सात्त॑ङ्ग॒ल्वा॒ च्छाय॑कादु॒त नग्न॑कात्। प्र॒जायै॒ पत्ये॑ त्वा पि॒ङ्गः परि॑ पातु किमी॒दिनः॑ ॥

Expectant mother, let Pinga, the powerful, protect you and the foetus from penetrative attacks of fast moving germs, nightmares, thoughts of wantonness and stingy meanness for the sake of the husband and the progeny.

· · ·

8.6.22

द्व्या᳡स्याच्चतुर॒क्षात्पञ्च॑पादादनङ्गु॒रेः। वृन्ता॑द॒भि प्र॒सर्प॑तः॒ परि॑ पाहि वरीवृ॒तात् ॥

O physician, protect the mother and the foetus from double-mouthed, four eyed, five footed, fingerless germs creeping from leaves and creepers in curved motion.

· · ·

8.6.23

य आ॒मं मां॒समदन्ति॒ पौरु॑षेयं च॒ ये क्र॒विः। गर्भा॒न्खाद॑न्ति केश॒वास्तानि॒तो ना॑शयामसि ॥

O physician, protect the mother and foetus from those germs that consume raw, live or dead human flesh. We destroy all the germs which thrive in water, air and the body and consume the foetuses.

· · ·

8.6.24

ये सूर्या॑त्परि॒सर्प॑न्ति स्नु॒षेव॒ श्वशु॑रा॒दधि॑। ब॒जश्च॒ तेषां॑ पि॒ङ्गश्च॒ हृद॒येऽधि॒ नि वि॑ध्यताम् ॥

Let Baja and Pinga pierce through the heart of those germs which creep away from sun light like the daughter-in-law slipping away from the presence of the father-in-law.

· · ·

8.6.25

पिङ्ग॒ रक्ष॒ जाय॑मानं॒ मा पुमां॑सं॒ स्त्रियं॑ क्रन्। आ॒ण्डादो॒ गर्भा॒न्मा द॑भ॒न्बाध॑स्वे॒तः कि॑मी॒दिनः॑ ॥

Let Pinga protect the life of new born male or female baby. Destroyers of the egg must not damage the foetuses. O physician, drive away the life destroyers from here.

· · ·

8.6.26

अ॑प्र॒जास्त्वं॒ मार्त॑वत्स॒माद्रोद॑म॒घमा॑व॒यम्। वृ॒क्षादि॑व॒ स्रजं॑ कृ॒त्वाप्रि॑ये॒ प्रति॑ मुञ्च॒ तत् ॥

O man, let childlessness, child mortality, mourning and wailing, sin and suffering, be given up as objects of no-love like leaves fallen off from the branch of a tree.

✦ Sukta 7 · 28 verses ✦

8.7.1

या ब॒भ्रवो॒ याश्च॑ शु॒क्रा रोहि॑णीरु॒त पृश्न॑यः। असि॑क्नीः कृ॒ष्णा ओष॑धीः॒ सर्वा॑ अ॒च्छाव॑दामसि ॥

We adjudge and well approve sanative herbs which are brown, white, red, various and fine, dusky, and dark. They are nourishing, energising, rejuvenating, soothing, without negative side effects and attractive.All these we recommend.

· · ·

8.7.2

त्राय॑न्तामि॒मं पुरु॑षं॒ यक्ष्मा॑द्दे॒वेषि॑ता॒दधि॑। यासां॒ द्यौष्पि॒ता पृ॑थि॒वी मा॒ता स॑मु॒द्रो मूलं॑ वी॒रुधां॑ ब॒भूव॑ ॥

May these herbs save this man, this patient, this humanity, from debilitating and consumptive diseases caused by the course of nature. The father of these herbs is the sun in heaven, their mother is the earth, and the seed and root of these herbs is the ocean-like space and recuperative natural energy therein.

· · ·

8.7.3

आपो॒ अग्रं॑ दि॒व्या ओष॑धयः। तास्ते॒ यक्ष्म॑मेन॒स्य१॒॑मङ्गा॑दङ्गादनीनशन् ॥

Apah, waters and fluent energies of natural recuperation, are the first and best, and then there are the divine herbs which, from every part of your body, remove the consumptive disease caused by violation of the discipline of nature.

· · ·

8.7.4

प्र॑स्तृण॒ती स्त॒म्बिनी॒रेक॑शुङ्गाः प्रतन्व॒तीरोष॑धी॒रा व॑दामि। अं॑शु॒मतीः॑ का॒ण्डिनी॒र्या विशा॑खा॒ ह्वया॑मि ते वी॒रुधो॑ वैश्वदे॒वीरु॒ग्राः पु॑रुष॒जीव॑नीः ॥

Prastrnati of thick leaves and growth, Stambini of thick clusters, Ekashunga of single leafy growth, Pratanvati of luxuriant spread out growth, these herbs I take up and value. For you, I also invoke and take up Anshumati of many filaments, Kandini of reed-like growth, Vishakha of many extensive branches. All of them are of universal efficacy, powerful and life-giving for humanity.

· · ·

8.7.5

यद्वः॒ सहः॑ सहमाना वी॒र्यं१॒॑ यच्च॑ वो॒ बल॑म्। तेने॒मम॒स्माद्यक्ष्मा॒त्पुरु॑षं मुञ्चतौषधी॒रथो॑ कृणोमि भेष॒जम् ॥

O powerful and victorious herbs, whatever the power, vigour and potency that’s yours, with that, pray, cure this patient of this consumptive ailment. And here I administer the medication.

· · ·

8.7.6

जी॑व॒लां न॑घारि॒षां जी॑व॒न्तीमोष॑धीम॒हम्। अ॑रुन्ध॒तीमु॒न्नय॑न्तीं पु॒ष्पां मधु॑मतीमि॒ह हु॑वे॒ऽस्मा अ॑रि॒ष्टता॑तये ॥

Here for the recovery and freedom of this patient from disease, I invoke and administer the living, animating, life giving, elevating, blooming Jivantu herb of honeyed efficacy which will never harm him, never obstruct him, but will ever energise him to go forward.

· · ·

8.7.7

इ॒हा य॑न्तु॒ प्रचे॑तसो मे॒दिनी॒र्वच॑सो॒ मम॑। यथे॒मं पा॒रया॑मसि॒ पुरु॑षं दुरि॒तादधि॑ ॥

By my word of knowledge and prescription let vigorous sanatives come here so that we may take this patient, through treatment, beyond the crisis.

· · ·

8.7.8

अ॒ग्नेर्घा॒सो अ॒पां गर्भो॒ या रोह॑न्ति॒ पुन॑र्णवाः। ध्रु॒वाः स॒हस्र॑ना॒म्नीर्भे॑ष॒जीः स॒न्त्वाभृ॑ताः ॥

Flames of fire, essences of liquid energies of nature, growing ever anew, more and more powerful, constantly strong in power of a thousandfold efficacy, known as such by name let these herbs and sanatives be brought here for the patient.

· · ·

8.7.9

अ॒वको॑ल्बा उ॒दका॑त्मान॒ ओष॑धयः। व्यृ᳡षन्तु दुरि॒तं ती॑क्ष्णशृ॒ङ्ग्यः᳡ ॥

Coated with Avaka plant juice against infection, grown in waters, sharp in catalytic action, let these medications fight out the evil of disease.

· · ·

8.7.10

उ॑न्मु॒ञ्चन्ती॑र्विवरु॒णा उ॒ग्रा या वि॑ष॒दूष॑णीः। अथो॑ बलास॒नाश॑नीः कृत्या॒दूष॑णीश्च॒ यास्ता इ॒हा य॒न्त्वोष॑धीः ॥

Let those herbs and medicines be brought here which free the patient from blood infections caused by violations of nature’s discipline, and, sharp in action, eliminate toxins and poisons, destroy phlegm and root out the bacteria of consumption.

· · ·

8.7.11

अपक्री॒ताः सही॑यसीर्वी॒रुधो॒ या अ॒भिष्टु॑ताः। त्राय॑न्ताम॒स्मिन्ग्रामे॒ गामश्वं॒ पुरु॑षं प॒शुम् ॥

Let herbs and plants, purchased, raised in power and reinforced, properly assessed, adjudged and defined, protect the people, cows and other animals in the village.

· · ·

8.7.12

मधु॑म॒न्मूलं॒ मधु॑म॒दग्र॑मासां॒ मधु॑म॒न्मध्यं॑ वी॒रुधां॑ बभूव। मधु॑मत्प॒र्णं मधु॑म॒त्पुष्प॑मासां॒ मधोः॒ सम्भ॑क्ता अ॒मृत॑स्य भ॒क्षो घृ॒तमन्नं॑ दुह्रतां॒ गोपु॑रोगवम् ॥

Honey sweet is the root of these herbs and plants, honeyed their germination, honeyed their middle part, honeyed their leaf, honeyed the flower. Soaked in honey, nectar their food and nectar they as food, may they give us nutriments for life, cow’s milk first and supreme, ghrta and food.

· · ·

8.7.13

याव॑तीः॒ किय॑तीश्चे॒माः पृ॑थि॒व्यामध्योष॑धीः। ता मा॑ सहस्रप॒र्ण्यो᳡ मृ॒त्योर्मु॑ञ्च॒न्त्वंह॑सः ॥

As many as they may be, as many as they are on earth, may these herbs and plants, thousand-leaved and flowered, free us from sin and evil and the pain of death.

· · ·

8.7.14

वैया॑घ्रो म॒णिर्वी॒रुधां॒ त्राय॑माणोऽभिशस्ति॒पाः। अमी॑वाः॒ सर्वा॒ रक्षां॒स्यप॑ ह॒न्त्वधि॑ दू॒रम॒स्मत् ॥

Of tiger-force is the value and efficacy of herbs and plants, they save us from ill-health, sufferance and ignominy. May these ward off, throw far out from us, all diseases and destructive negativities.

· · ·

8.7.15

सिंह॑स्येव स्त॒नथोः॒ सं वि॑जन्ते॒ऽग्नेरि॑व विजन्ते॒ आभृ॑ताभ्यः। गवां॒ यक्ष्मः॒ पुरु॑षाणां वी॒रुद्भि॒रति॑नुत्तो ना॒व्या᳡ एतु स्रो॒त्याः ॥

As deer from the lion’s roar and cold from the heat of fire, so do ailments run off from the force of herbs and medications when they are brought for the sick and suffering. Let the consumptive and cancerous diseases of cows and people go away by herbal medications beyond the navigable streams around.

· · ·

8.7.16

मु॑मुचा॒ना ओष॑धयो॒ऽग्नेर्वै॑श्वान॒रादधि॑। भूमिं॑ सन्तन्व॒तीरि॑त॒ यासां॒ राजा॒ वन॒स्पतिः॑ ॥

May herbs and plants, saviours of life and protectors from disease, receiving their life energy from cosmic light and warmth, giver of living vitality for humanity, grow and spread out all over the earth. Chief of them is Soma, supreme, and their ruler is Vanaspati, the Sun, light of life.

· · ·

8.7.17

या रोह॑न्त्याङ्गिर॒सीः पर्व॑तेषु स॒मेषु॑ च। ता नः॒ पय॑स्वतीः शि॒वा ओष॑धीः सन्तु॒ शं हृ॒दे ॥

Herbs and plants which inspire us with pranic energy for the spirit throughout the body system grow on mountains as well as over the plains. May they, full of the milky food of life, be good and energising for the health and peace of our mind and heart.

· · ·

8.7.18

याश्चा॒हं वेद॑ वी॒रुधो॒ याश्च॒ पश्या॑मि॒ चक्षु॑षा। अज्ञा॑ता जानी॒मश्च॒ या यासु॑ वि॒द्म च॒ संभृ॑तम् ॥

All those herbs and plants which I know, which I see with my eyes, all those which we know and those which are yet unknown: in all of them, we know, the food of life is full, collected and concentrated from nature.

· · ·

8.7.19

सर्वाः॑ सम॒ग्रा ओष॑धी॒र्बोध॑न्तु॒ वच॑सो॒ मम॑। यथे॒मं पा॒रया॑मसि॒ पुरु॑षं दुरि॒तादधि॑ ॥

May all these herbs and medications together, without exception or exclusion or negation, know and act according to my word of healing so that we may take this patient across and out of the crisis of his life- threatening disease.

· · ·

8.7.20

अ॑श्व॒त्थो द॒र्भो वी॒रुधां॒ सोमो॒ राजा॒मृतं॑ ह॒विः। व्री॒हिर्यव॑श्च भेष॒जौ दि॒व॒स्पु॒त्रावम॑र्त्यौ ॥

Ashvattha, the peepal, Darbha, the durva grass, Soma, the chief of herbs and plants, the nectar of pure water, and pure food which is like the pure offering for the holy fire, natural rice and barley, both sanative gifts of heavenly light which save life from the pain of death and hunger, all these are the food of life.

· · ·

8.7.21

उज्जि॑हीध्वे स्त॒नय॑त्यभि॒क्रन्द॑त्योषधीः। य॒दा वः॑ पृश्निमातरः प॒र्जन्यो॒ रेत॒साव॑ति ॥

O herbs and plants, colourful children of mother earth, when the cloud thunders and roars and showers you with living vitality, you spring to new life and grow.

· · ·

8.7.22

तस्या॒मृत॑स्ये॒मं बलं॒ पुरु॑षं पाययामसि। अथो॑ कृणोमि भेष॒जं यथास॑च्छ॒तहा॑यनः ॥

We give to this man, this patient, the immortal drink of the nectar power of showers and herbs, and that’s how I do the curative treatment so that he may live the full hundred years of his life.

· · ·

8.7.23

व॑रा॒हो वे॑द वी॒रुधं॑ नकु॒लो वे॑द भेष॒जीम्। स॒र्पा ग॑न्ध॒र्वा या वि॒दुस्ता अ॒स्मा अव॑से हुवे ॥

The wild boar knows the herb, the mongoose knows the medicinal herb for itself. Of these, what the snakes and other wild creatures of the earth, know, I invoke and administer for the cure of this patient.

· · ·

8.7.24

याः सु॑प॒र्णा आ॑ङ्गिर॒सीर्दि॒व्या या र॒घटो॑ वि॒दुः। वयां॑सि हं॒सा या वि॒दुर्याश्च॒ सर्वे॑ पत॒त्त्रिणः॑। मृ॒गा या वि॒दुरोष॑धी॒स्ता अ॒स्मा अव॑से हुवे ॥

The life-giving herbs which the eagle knows and recognises, the divine herbs which the sparrows know and recognise, those that the swans, other such and all birds know and recognise, and those which the deer know and recognise, all those herbs I take up and administer for the cure of this patient.

· · ·

8.7.25

याव॑तीना॒मोष॑धीनां॒ गावः॑ प्रा॒श्नन्त्य॒घ्न्या याव॑तीनामजा॒वयः॑। ताव॑ती॒स्तुभ्य॒मोष॑धीः॒ शर्म॒ यच्छ॒न्त्वाभृ॑ताः ॥

As many herbs as inviolable cows eat, as many as sheep and goats eat, those many herbs, selected and collected for you, O man, may give you good health, peace and comfort at heart.

· · ·

8.7.26

याव॑तीषु मनु॒ष्या᳡ भेष॒जं भि॒षजो॑ वि॒दुः। ताव॑तीर्वि॒श्वभे॑षजी॒रा भ॑रामि॒ त्वाम॒भि ॥

O man, O patient, as many herbs as people in general know, the medicinal herbs which physicians know, all those medicinal herbs of the world I collect and bring for you.

· · ·

8.7.27

पुष्प॑वतीः प्र॒सूम॑तीः फ॒लिनी॑रफ॒ला उ॒त। सं॑मा॒तर॑ इव दुह्राम॒स्मा अ॑रि॒ष्टता॑तये ॥

May all herbs, plants and trees with flowers, buds and tender leaves, fruits and without fruit, together like mothers for the child give the milk of life for the health and well being of this man.

· · ·

8.7.28

उत्त्वा॑हार्षं॒ पञ्च॑शला॒दथो॒ दश॑शलादु॒त। अथो॒ यम॑स्य॒ पड्वी॑शा॒द्विश्व॑स्माद्देवकिल्बि॒षात् ॥

I have redeemed you from the onslaughts of the five, i.e., from disturbance of the balance of five elements in the body system. I have delivered you from the onslaughts of ten, i.e., from disturbance of ten senses and ten pranas in the system. I have saved you from the fetters of Yama, i.e., the pain of death. I have strengthened your body and mind so as not to commit violations of the discipline of nature by habit and action in behaviour.

✦ Sukta 8 · 24 verses ✦

8.8.1

इन्द्रो॑ मन्थतु॒ मन्थि॑ता श॒क्रः शूरः॑ पुरंद॒रः। यथा॒ हना॑म॒ सेना॑ अ॒मित्रा॑णां सहस्र॒शः ॥

May Indra, shaker and breaker of the strongholds of enemies, heroic brave performer of noble deeds, shake up the plans and designs of adversaries so that we may fight out and destroy the forces of negativities a thousand ways.

· · ·

8.8.2

पू॑तिर॒ज्जुरु॑प॒ध्मानी॒ पूतिं॒ सेनां॑ कृणोत्व॒मूम्। धू॒मम॒ग्निं प॑रा॒दृश्या॒ऽमित्रा॑ हृ॒त्स्वा द॑धतां भ॒यम् ॥

Let the successive boom of fire burning in acrid flames of pungeant fumes strike that enemy force with terror, so that when the adversaries see the fire and smoke from far they are struck at heart with fear and swoon in the terror.

· · ·

8.8.3

अ॒मून॑श्वत्थ॒ निः शृ॑णीहि॒ खादा॒मून्ख॑दिराजि॒रम्। ता॒जद्भङ्ग॑ इव भज्यन्तां॒ हन्त्वे॑ना॒न्वध॑को व॒धैः ॥

Ashvattha, O warrior on the fastest move, break those enemies to pieces. O destroyer, destroy them without a moment’s delay, tear them into bits like shreds of hemp. Let the killer troops destroy them with fatal strikes.

· · ·

8.8.4

प॑रु॒षान॒मून्प॑रुषा॒ह्वः कृ॑णोतु॒ हन्त्वे॑ना॒न्वध॑को व॒धैः। क्षि॒प्रं श॒र इ॑व भज्यन्तां बृहज्जा॒लेन॒ संदि॑ताः ॥

Let the tough commander order his tough and determined troops to take hold of the enemies. Let the killer force with fatal weapons destroy those who do not surrender. Let the force of those surrounded and caught up be broken like reeds at once.

· · ·

8.8.5

अ॒न्तरि॑क्षं॒ जाल॑मासीज्जालद॒ण्डा दिशो॑ म॒हीः। तेना॑भि॒धाय॒ दस्यू॑नां श॒क्रः सेना॒मपा॑वपत् ॥

The sky is the limit for the tactical net against the enemy, the vast quarters of space, the sustainers of the net. Having caught up the enemies by that net let mighty Indra, ruler and commander of high action, destroy the force of the destroyers.

· · ·

8.8.6

बृ॒हद्धि जालं॑ बृह॒तः श॒क्रस्य॑ वा॒जिनी॑वतः। तेन॒ शत्रू॑न॒भि सर्वा॒न्न्यु᳡ब्ज॒ यथा॒ न मुच्या॑तै कत॒मश्च॒नैषा॑म् ॥

Vast indeed is the tactical net of great Indra, mighty of action and tempestuous of speed. By that net, O Indra, pounce upon all the enemies so that none of the enemies may escape the arrest and punishment.

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8.8.7

बृ॒हत्ते॒ जालं॑ बृह॒त इ॑न्द्र शूर सहस्रा॒र्घस्य॑ श॒तवी॑र्यस्य। तेन॑ श॒तं स॒हस्र॑म॒युतं॒ न्य᳡र्बुदं ज॒घान॑ श॒क्रो दस्यू॑नामभि॒धाय॒ सेन॑या ॥

Heroic Indra of vast presence and hundredfold powers, worshipped by countless admirers, boundless is your tactical net of reach, power and punishment. Having caught the destructive elements by that net, the hero of mighty deeds destroys a hundred, thousand, ten thousand, a hundred million of the destroyers with his force.

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8.8.8

अ॒यं लो॒को जाल॑मासीच्छ॒क्रस्य॑ मह॒तो म॒हान्। तेना॒हमि॑न्द्रजा॒लेना॒मूंस्तम॑सा॒भि द॑धामि॒ सर्वा॑न् ॥

This great world is the power net of mighty Indra, greater than the great. By that Indra-net of boundless reach, I hold all those enemies with the dark cover of vision, mind and senses.

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8.8.9

से॒दिरु॒ग्रा व्यृ᳡द्धि॒रार्ति॑श्चानपवाच॒ना। श्रम॑स्त॒न्द्रीश्च॒ मोह॑श्च॒ तैर॒मून॒भि द॑धामि॒ सर्वा॑न् ॥

Terrible disaster, despicable failure and poverty, unbearable sufferance, awful labour, lassitude, confusion: with these I hold all the adverse negative forces.

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8.8.10

मृ॒त्यवे॒ऽमून्प्र य॑च्छामि मृत्युपा॒शैर॒मी सि॒ताः। मृ॒त्योर्ये अ॑घ॒ला दू॒तास्तेभ्य॑ एना॒न्प्रति॑ नयामि ब॒द्ध्वा ॥

All those negationists and negative doers I assign to death, those that are caught up in the deadly snare. Bound as they are, I take them on to the agents of death who kill by the cause of sin and evil.

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8.8.11

नय॑ता॒मून्मृ॑त्युदूता॒ यम॑दूता॒ अपो॑म्भत। प॑रःसह॒स्रा ह॑न्यन्तां तृ॒णेढ्वे॑नान्म॒त्यं᳡ भ॒वस्य॑ ॥

O agents of death, agents of the laws of dispensation, bind them up, hold and take them on to judgement, let thousands be killed, let the laws of natural justice crush them.

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8.8.12

सा॒ध्या एकं॑ जालद॒ण्डमु॒द्यत्य॑ य॒न्त्योज॑सा। रु॒द्रा एकं॒ वस॑व॒

एक॑मादि॒त्यैरेक॒ उद्य॑तः ॥

Sadhyas, men of exceptional order of merit, uphold one column of the power and justice of Indra’s system of governance and move on with their lustre and brilliance as part of the system. Rudras, scholars and sages of theon with the system. middle order, uphold another column, Vasus, sages and scholars of the average order, uphold yet another column, and Adityas, sages and scholars of the highest order uphold the fourth column and move on with the system.

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8.8.13

विश्वे॑ दे॒वा उ॒परि॑ष्टादु॒ब्जन्तो॑ य॒न्त्वोज॑सा। मध्ये॑न॒ घ्नन्तो॑ यन्तु॒ सेना॒मङ्गि॑रसो म॒हीम् ॥

Vishvedevas, all nobilities of the nation who love freedom and justice should go on subduing lawless forces with their light of wisdom and irresistible expertise from above. Angiras, men of vibrant fiery force and power should fight at the middle level, destroying powerful forces of negativity and enmity.

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8.8.14

वन॒स्पती॑न्वानस्प॒त्यानोष॑धीरु॒त वी॒रुधः॑। द्वि॒पाच्चतु॑ष्पादिष्णामि॒ यथा॒ सेना॑म॒मूं हन॑न् ॥

I love and develop herbs, plants, trees and their products, fruits and vegetables, all bipeds and all quadrupeds so that I may win over or destroy the enemy forces.

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8.8.15

ग॑न्धर्वाप्स॒रसः॑ स॒र्पान्दे॒वान्पु॑ण्यज॒नान्पि॒तॄन्। दृ॒ष्टान॒दृष्टा॑निष्णामि॒ यथा॒ सेना॑म॒मूं हन॑न् ॥

I love, develop and employ all those that serve and sustain the fertility of the earth, all streams and rivers, all that creep and move, divine generosities of nature and humanity, all charitable people and seniors, in short all that is seen and unseen assets and powers of the nation, so that I may destroy the negative and destructive forces.

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8.8.16

इ॒म उ॒प्ता मृ॑त्युपा॒शा याना॒क्रम्य॒ न मु॒च्यसे॑। अ॒मुष्या॑ हन्तु॒ सेना॑या इ॒दं कूटं॑ सहस्र॒शः ॥

The seeds and snares of death are sown and scattered a thousand ways which, if you step on and that way try to cross over, you would never be free. Man should launch the attack on the centrehold of the force of death the same way as they are scattered and be free.

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8.8.17

घ॒र्मः समि॑द्धो अ॒ग्निना॒यं होमः॑ सहस्र॒हः। भ॒वश्च॒ पृश्नि॑बाहुश्च॒ शर्व॒ सेना॑म॒मूं ह॑तम् ॥

Gharma, passionate soul in the process of self- sacrifice in search of immortality, lighted up with the fire of divine love, is ripe for the offer with thousandfold power to win over death. O Bhava, love of life now fulfilled, and O Sharva, conqueror of death through life, both together holding the earth of colourful beauty on the palm, strike at the centrehold of death and destroy its thousandfold forces.

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8.8.18

मृ॒त्योराष॒मा प॑द्यन्तां॒ क्षुधं॑ से॒दिं व॒धं भ॒यम्। इन्द्र॑श्चाक्षुजा॒लाभ्यां॒ शर्व॒ सेना॑म॒मूं ह॑तम् ॥

Let the forces of death themselves suffer hunger, debility, fear and death. Thus let the weapons of death return unto the heat of death. O soul, Indra, O Sharva, conqueror of death, with attack on the centrehold and thence control over the snares, destroy the force of death. (Thus let death itself die).

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8.8.19

परा॑जिताः॒ प्र त्र॑सतामित्रा नु॒त्ता धा॑वत॒ ब्रह्म॑णा। बृह॒स्पति॑प्रणुत्तानां॒ मामीषां॑ मोचि॒ कश्च॒न ॥

O deadly enemy forces, fly back defeated, repulsed and terror struck by divinity. O Indra, O Sharva, let none of them, overthrown by Brhaspati, the soul of vision and wisdom, go free.

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8.8.20

अव॑ पद्यन्तामेषा॒मायु॑धानि॒ मा श॑कन्प्रति॒धामिषु॑म्। अथै॑षां ब॒हु बिभ्य॑ता॒मिष॑वः घ्नन्तु॒ मर्म॑णि ॥

Let their weapons fall down. Let them not be able to rearm themselves. Let the arrows, in that state of terror, fix them in the vitals of their body.

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8.8.21

सं क्रो॑शतामेना॒न्द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी सम॒न्तरि॑क्षं स॒ह दे॒वता॑भिः। मा ज्ञा॒तारं॒ मा प्र॑ति॒ष्ठां वि॑दन्त मि॒थो वि॑घ्ना॒ना उप॑ यन्तु मृ॒त्युम् ॥

Let heaven and earth together lament over their death. Let the sky with natural forces lament over their fall. Let them never regain knowledgeable friends, no power, no prestige again. Instead, let them, fighting within themselves, condemn themselves to death.

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8.8.22

दिश॒श्चत॑स्रोऽश्वत॒र्यो᳡ देवर॒थस्य॑ पुरो॒डाशाः॑ श॒फा अ॒न्तरि॑क्षमु॒द्धिः। द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी पक्ष॑सी ऋ॒तवो॒ऽभीश॑वोऽन्तर्दे॒शाः किं॑करा वाक्परि॑रथ्यम् ॥

(This universe is the chariot of Indra, Lord Supreme.) The directions of space are the four horses of the chariot. Their balanced speed of motion transforms the natural materials into food for the yajna of evolution, the result being the spirit, enthusiasm, action and excellence of humanity, the space marks the height of the chariot, heaven and earth are the sides, the seasons are the reins, interdirections are the guards, and Vak, Word of the Veda, is the bond of the wheels of motion. (Chariot in terms of space.)

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8.8.23

सं॑वत्स॒रो रथः॑ परिवत्स॒रो र॑थोप॒स्थो वि॒राडी॒षाग्नी र॑थमु॒खम्। इन्द्रः॑ सव्य॒ष्ठाश्च॒न्द्रमाः॒ सार॑थिः ॥

(This universe is the chariot of Indra in terms of time.) The year is the chariot in motion. Parivatsara, the year that is complete is the rear of the chariot. Cosmic Time, Virat, is the ruler. The fire of life is the front and motive force of time and sustainer of life in the chariot. Indra, the sun, sits left, and the moon is the driver, sits on the right.

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8.8.24

इ॒तो ज॑ये॒तो वि ज॑य॒ सं ज॑य॒ जय॒ स्वाहा॑। इ॒मे ज॑यन्तु॒ परा॒मी ज॑यन्तां॒ स्वाहै॒भ्यो दु॒राहा॒मीभ्यः॑। नी॑ललोहि॒तेना॒मून॒भ्यव॑तनोमि ॥

Hence victory. Hence complete victory. Hence all time victory. Honour and all praise for victory. (Ride this chariot and win.) Those that ride the chariot would win. Those that don’t, won’t. Hail and honour to these! Shame for them who lose. Having beaten the enemies black and blue, I squeeze them to naught and relinquish the bow.

✦ Sukta 9 · 26 verses ✦

8.9.1

कुत॒स्तौ जा॒तौ क॑त॒मः सो अर्धः॒ कस्मा॑ल्लो॒कात्क॑त॒मस्याः॑ पृथि॒व्याः। व॒त्सौ वि॒राजः॑ सलि॒लादुदै॑तां॒ तौ त्वा॑ पृच्छामि कत॒रेण॑ दु॒ग्धा ॥

Whence do those two arise: Purusha and Prakrti, man and woman, Prana and Rayi, Agni and Soma, Sun and Moon? From which world of mystery? From which highest universe of what existence? And what was that Supreme Superabundant, Eternal, Infinite Source? The two evolutes, Rtam and Satyam, that arose from that ocean of mystery, of those I ask you, O Master, I ask by whom was the Eternal Mother Cow (Prakrti) milked so that the two emerged?

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8.9.2

यो अक्र॑न्दयत्सलि॒लं म॑हि॒त्वा योनिं॑ कृ॒त्वा त्रि॒भुजं॒ शया॑नः। व॒त्सः का॑म॒दुघो॑ वि॒राजः॒ स गुहा॑ चक्रे त॒न्वः᳡ परा॒चैः ॥

The One that rested in his own Infinity in the absolute state, with his own power, called up and stirred the ocean of Prakrti to activity, converting it to three- dimensional universal Motherhood state of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, i.e., thought, energy and matter, himself pervading it. That same self evolute of the potential Absolute, objective correlative of creative desire, that mysterious One, creates universal forms in thought and materialises them through Prakrti.

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8.9.3

यानि॒ त्रीणि॑ बृ॒हन्ति॒ येषां॑ चतु॒र्थं वि॑यु॒नक्ति॒ वाच॑म्। ब्र॒ह्मैन॑द्विद्या॒त्तप॑सा विप॒श्चिद्यस्मि॒न्नेकं॑ यु॒ज्यते॒ यस्मि॒न्नेक॑म् ॥

The three, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, expand. Of them, the fourth, the Immanent Supreme Divine Self, articulates and objectifies as the Vedic speech of universality. Only the sage, highly intellectual and enlightened, would realise It, the Divine Presence, with the austere discipline of Tapas. Into that One Divine Presence, the one, human soul, is joined in yoga, into that One, the one soul experiences the communion in samadhi and in the state of absolute freedom and bliss.

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8.9.4

बृ॑ह॒तः परि॒ सामा॑नि ष॒ष्ठात्पञ्चाधि॒ निर्मि॑ता। बृ॒हद्बृ॑ह॒त्या निर्मि॑तं॒ कुतोऽधि॑ बृह॒ती मि॒ता ॥

Five basic elements, i.e., Akasha, Vayu, Agni, Apah, Prthivi, are evolved from Brhat, the great sixth, ahankara, from which they evolve and into which they devolve. That great sixth is evolved from the great Brhati, Mahat. Whence is Brhati, the great Mahat, evolved?

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8.9.5

बृ॑ह॒ती परि॒ मात्रा॑या मा॒तुर्मात्राधि॒ निर्मि॑ता। मा॒या ह॑ जज्ञे मा॒याया॑ मा॒याया॒ मात॑ली॒ परि॑ ॥

Brhati, the great Mahat, is born of the great measure of Mother Prakrti. Thus maya, the changing world, is born of Maya, Prakrti, which is the Lord Omnipotent’s own potential, Shakti. (In other words, the changing world is the mutable version of the Lords constant Prakrti potential). Matali, the mind, too is born of Maya and acts as the driver of the body chariot of the human soul. (See Kathopanishad, 1, 3, 3-4).

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8.9.6

वै॑श्वान॒रस्य॑ प्रति॒मोपरि॒ द्यौर्याव॒द्रोद॑सी विबबा॒धे अ॒ग्निः। ततः॑ ष॒ष्ठादामुतो॑ यन्ति॒ स्तोमा॒ उदि॒तो य॑न्त्य॒भि ष॒ष्ठमह्नः॑ ॥

The Heaven above is a Pratima, existential symbol, of Vaishvanara, cosmic Spirit that watches and loves the world of humanity while Agni, terrestrial fire presence of Divinity, pervades the earth and separates and holds both earth and sky (in the form of Vayu). From that level of light and truth, the sixth above the terrestrial, come all hymns of Divinity and, at the end of the cosmic day, go back to the same sixth from here.

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8.9.7

षट्त्वा॑ पृच्छाम॒ ऋष॑यः कश्यपे॒मे त्वं हि यु॒क्तं यु॑यु॒क्षे योग्यं॑ च। वि॒राज॑माहु॒र्ब्रह्म॑णः पि॒तरं॒ तां नो॒ वि धे॑हि यति॒धा सखि॑भ्यः ॥

O Kashyapa, sage of divine light and vision, we six sages and seers and seekers, ask you, because you are the versatile that join what is meditated upon and what is worthy of being meditated upon: They say that the Virat, Hiranyagarbha, the Golden Egg of the cosmos, is the progenitor, i.e., the reflector, of the Spirit Divine. Pray speak to us, friends and admirers, of that Virat and all its dimensions. (In the language of Yoga, the six sages can be described as five senses and the mind, that is, manas. Kashyapa, then, would be Buddhi or Chitta which, in meditation at the Vitarka and Vichara levels, reflects all objects of meditation, gross or subtle. Refer to Patanjali’s Yoga-sutras I, 17, 42-45, and IV, 23.)

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8.9.8

यां प्रच्यु॑ता॒मनु॑ य॒ज्ञाः प्र॒च्यव॑न्त उप॒तिष्ठ॑न्त उप॒तिष्ठ॑मानाम्। यस्या॑ व्र॒ते प्र॑स॒वे य॒क्षमेज॑ति॒ सा वि॒राडृ॑षयः पर॒मे व्यो॑मन् ॥

Virat is the refulgent blue-print of cosmic existence in the highest heaven of Divinity. O seers, on the initiation of the creative impulse, it comes into motion, and with that motion all activities of cosmic yajna come into motion. When that initiation and motion stops, everything stops. In the generation and law of Virat, the lord all pervasive ‘moves’ with the motion. That Virat is in the ultimate heaven, the consciousness of Divinity. (To understand the ‘motion’ of Divinity, refer to Yajurveda 40, 4: ‘It moves and yet It it does not move’. Refer to science also: If sometheing moves at a velocity faster than the velocity of light it becomes omnipresent. And the omnipresent does not move, becuase there is no further space for it to move.)

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8.9.9

अ॑प्रा॒णैति॑ प्रा॒णेन॑ प्राण॒तीनां॑ वि॒राट् स्व॒राज॑म॒भ्य᳡ति प॒श्चात्। विश्वं॑ मृ॒शन्ती॑म॒भिरू॑पां वि॒राजं॒ पश्य॑न्ति॒ त्वे न॒ त्वे प॑श्यन्त्येनाम् ॥

Itself unbreathing, it moves with the motion of the breath of the breathing ones, and then, and thus, Virat radiates unto its own refulgence. Vesting the whole world in correspondence with their form, function and motion, Virat is all pervasive and self-existent. Some, men of vision, see it, others don’t.

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8.9.10

को वि॒राजो॑ मिथुन॒त्वं प्र वे॑द॒ क ऋ॒तून्क उ॒ कल्प॑मस्याः। क्रमा॒न्को अ॑स्याः कति॒धा विदु॑ग्धा॒न्को अ॑स्या॒ धाम॑ कति॒धा व्यु᳡ष्टीः ॥

Who knows the pervasive interfusion of Virat with things in existence? Who knows its passage with time and seasons? Who knows its power and possibilities? Who knows the infinite variety of its creative forms? Who knows the domain of its power and splendour? Who knows the infinite spectrum of its self-refulgence?

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8.9.11

इ॒यमे॒व सा या प्र॑थ॒मा व्यौच्छ॑दा॒स्वित॑रासु चरति॒ प्रवि॑ष्टा। म॒हान्तो॑ अस्यां महि॒मानो॑ अ॒न्तर्व॒धूर्जि॑गाय नव॒गज्जनि॑त्री ॥

This Virat is that divine consortive power and presence which first arises as the dawn of creation and, pervading everything far and near, vibrates in them all. Greatest of the great abide within it and, like a new bride, ever fresh and new, it captivates and, as mother, wins over all that is.

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8.9.12

छन्दः॑पक्षे उ॒षसा॒ पेपि॑शाने समा॒नं योनि॒मनु॒ सं च॑रेते। सूर्य॑पत्नी॒ सं च॑रतः प्रजान॒ती के॑तु॒मती॑ अ॒जरे॒ भूरि॑रेतसा ॥

Day and Night, free and beautiful of form, consorts of the sun, shining with golden light of the morning and evening dawn, alternate and go round their common centre and origin. Unaging, abundant powerful, with their distinctive flag, they go together in their orbit without missing their mark.

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8.9.13

ऋ॒तस्य॒ पन्था॒मनु॑ ति॒स्र आगु॒स्त्रयो॑ घ॒र्मा अनु॒ रेत॒ आगुः॑। प्र॒जामेका॒ जिन्व॒त्यूर्ज॒मेका॑ रा॒ष्ट्रमेका॑ रक्षति देवयू॒नाम् ॥

Three aspects of Nature, which is divine Shakti, proceed and follow their course of action in pursuance of the laws of Rtam, eternal Law of Divinity. Three creative vitalities proceed and follow their course of action in pursuance of the creative desire of Divinity. One animates, impels and promotes the children of nature with self-fu(This mantra is highly symbolic, it is like a scientific formula which can be interpreted in accordance with the reader’s own awareness of Nature. Three aspects of Nature are: Sattva, thought transparence and sense of discrimination; Rajas, energy, motion, velocity; Tamas, matter, inertia, stability. Three Gharmas or creative vitalities are light of the heavenly regions, electric energy of the middle regions, and fire energy of the earthly regions. They can be termed as Ida, sarasvati and Mahi (Rg. 1, 13, 9), or as Tisro Vachah (Rg. 9, 97, 34). Another version is: Mantra Shakti, Tantra Shakti, and Yantra Shakti, or the Law, the Dynamics, and the Structures. Of the three regions: Earth gives us food and sustenance, sky gives us rain, and the Heavens give us light. All the three sustain life, each in its own way, with its own power.)lfilment. Another creates and sustains the dynamics of existence for life with energy. And yet another watches, preserves, promotes and rules the social order of people dedicated to Divinity by the divine law.

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8.9.14

अ॒ग्नीषोमा॑वदधु॒र्या तु॒रीयासी॑द्य॒ज्ञस्य॑ प॒क्षावृष॑यः क॒ल्पय॑न्तः। गा॑य॒त्रीं त्रि॒ष्टुभं॒ जग॑तीमनु॒ष्टुभं॑ बृहद॒र्कीं यज॑मानाय॒ स्व᳡रा॒भर॑न्तीम् ॥

The sages conceive and enact the yajna and thereby support the cosmic yajna. Two are the complementary parts of yajna: Agni, the fire, and Soma, the havi, the food of fire. Further, the Rshis worship the Turiya, transcendent state of cosmic yajna beyond the world of Prakrti, which abides with the Divine Spirit. They also receive, recite and worship the mantric versions of the divine Word, Gayatri, Trishtubh, Jagati, Anushtubh, and Vrhadarki, universal worshipful form of the Word, all bearing the message of bliss for the yajamana.

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8.9.15

पञ्च॒ व्यु᳡ष्टी॒रनु॒ पञ्च॒ दोहा॒ गां पञ्च॑नाम्नीमृ॒तवोऽनु॒ पञ्च॑। पञ्च॒ दिशः॑ पञ्चद॒शेन॒ क्लृप्तास्ता एक॑मूर्ध्नीर॒भि लो॒कमेक॑म् ॥

In accordance with the laws and states of Prakrti’s five stage evolution, as in accordance with the states of the earth in relation to its own movement on its own axis and around the sun, five are the lights of the dawn, five the showers of natural gifts, and five are the seasons, five the directions set in order with the fifteen facultied human being, all centred on one Divinity and mutually balanced as one macrocosmic as well as one microcosmic personality.

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8.9.16

षड्जाता भू॒ता प्र॑थम॒जर्तस्य॒ षडु॒ सामा॑नि षड॒हं व॑हन्ति। ष॑ड्यो॒गं सीर॒मनु॒ साम॑साम॒ षडा॑हु॒र्द्यावा॑पृथि॒वीः षडु॒र्वीः ॥

Six are the stages of evolution born of the law of Rtam from Prakrti: Prakrti, Mahat, Ahankara, subtle elements and mind and senses, gross elements, and Purusha. These six stages of cosmic evolution are the six-day yajna of creation. Six are the Samans: Brhat, Rathantara, Yajna-yajniya, Vamadevya, Vairupa, and Vairaja which carry the six-day yajna session. Six human faculties of perception and mind and six Samans correspond in life. And it is said there are six wide spaces and six heaven-and-earth complexes: Bhu, Bhuva, Sva, Maha, Jana, Tapa upto satyam.

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8.9.17

षडा॑हुः शी॒तान्षडु॑ मा॒स उ॒ष्णानृ॒तुं नो॒ ब्रूत॑ यत॒मोऽति॑रिक्तः। स॒प्त सु॑प॒र्णाः क॒वयो॒ नि षे॑दुः स॒प्त च्छन्दां॒स्यनु॑ स॒प्त दी॒क्षाः ॥

Six are cold months, six are hot months, so say the wise. Say which season is left out. Seven are the rays of light which radiate and abide in space. Seven are the poetic forms in which Vedic knowledge is stated: Gayatri, Ushnik, Anushtup, Brhati, Pankti, Trishtup, Jagati. And seven are the karmic commitments for the performance of yajna.

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8.9.18

स॒प्त होमाः॑ स॒मिधो॑ ह स॒प्त मधू॑नि स॒प्तर्तवो॑ ह स॒प्त। स॒प्ताज्या॑नि॒ परि॑ भू॒तमा॑य॒न्ताः स॑प्तगृ॒ध्रा इति॑ शुश्रुमा व॒यम् ॥

Seven are the homas, fire yajnas: Agnihotra, Darsha, Paurnamasa, Vaishvadeva, Varunapraghasa, Sakamedha, Shunasiriya. Seven are the fuel sticks, i.e., seven flames (Mundakopanishad 1, 4, and Yajurveda 31, 15). Seven are the honey sweets (Atharva, 9, 1, 22). Seven are the seasons (Sharad, Shishira, Hemanta, Vasanta, Grishma, Varsha and seventh is the intercalary, thirteenth, month of the lunar calendar (Atharva 13, 3, 8). Seven are the Ajya materials of life as a yajna, i.e., delicious gifts of heaven and earth for the joy of life (Shatapatha 2, 4, 3, 10) such as the lustre of life, thunderous strength, the beauty and flavour of living, desire for love and fulfilment, truth, freshness and life itself as yajna, which are everybody’s gift and privilege. And these privileges clamour for righteous fulfilment, thus say the wise as we have heard.

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8.9.19

स॒प्त छन्दां॑सि चतुरुत्त॒राण्य॒न्यो अ॒न्यस्मि॒न्नध्यार्पि॑तानि। क॒थं स्तोमाः॒ प्रति॑ तिष्ठन्ति॒ तेषु॒ तानि॒ स्तोमे॑षु क॒थमार्पि॑तानि ॥

Seven are the chhandas, poetic compositions, of Veda mantras, successively increasing by four syllables each. Every previous chhanda is subsumed in the number of the syllables of the next higher one. How do the songs of celebration interfuse with the mantra structures? How are the chhandas interfused with the music of the celebrative songs? (In Yajurveda 14, 23 various stomas are mentioned as Trivrt, Panchadasha, Saptadasha, Ekavinsha, etc.)

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8.9.20

क॒थं गा॑य॒त्री त्रि॒वृतं॒ व्या᳡प क॒थं त्रि॒ष्टुप्प॑ञ्चद॒शेन॑ कल्पते। त्र॑यस्त्रिं॒शेन॒ जग॑ती क॒थम॑नु॒ष्टुप्क॒थमे॑कविं॒शः ॥

How is Gayatri integrated with Trivrt? How is Trishtup integrated with Panchadasha? How is Jagati integrated with Trayastrinsha? How Anushtup? How Ekavinsha?

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8.9.21

अ॒ष्ट जा॒ता भू॒ता प्र॑थम॒जर्तस्या॒ष्टेन्द्र॒र्त्विजो॒ दैव्या॒ ये। अ॒ष्टयो॑नि॒रदि॑तिर॒ष्टपु॑त्राष्ट॒मीं रात्रि॑म॒भि ह॒व्यमे॑ति ॥

Eight are the material variations of Prakrti, material cause of the universe. They are the first born of Prakrti from her dynamic state according to the laws of Rtam, and they are the divine conductors of the yajna of creation (with the individual soul at the micro level and with Ishvara at the macro level). And Prakrti, imperishablO Jiva, Indra, this is your story too.e mother of eightfold creativity and eight evolutionary forms, having run its creative course, recedes into its primal state of potentiality whence it can be invoked again for the next cycle of creative evolution. O Jiva, Indra, this is your story too.

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8.9.22

इ॒त्थं श्रेयो॒ मन्य॑माने॒दमाग॑मं यु॒ष्माकं॑ स॒ख्ये अ॒हम॑स्मि॒ शेवा॑। स॑मा॒नज॑न्मा॒ क्रतु॑रस्ति॒ वः शि॒वः स वः॒ सर्वाः॒ सं च॑रति प्रजा॒नन् ॥

O children of divinity, thus feeling and enjoying the grandeur of being, I have come to this cosmic form of existence for love and friendship with you as mother, and as such I am all peace and bliss. May this yajna of evolution risen into existence as you and the lord manifested be good, kind and blissful to you. The Lord knows all your hopes and ambitions and He is ever with you in all matters of life and existence.

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8.9.23

अ॒ष्टेन्द्र॑स्य॒ षड्य॒मस्य॒ ऋषी॑णां स॒प्त स॑प्त॒धा। अ॒पो म॑नु॒ष्या॒नोष॑धी॒स्ताँ उ॒ पञ्चानु॑ सेचिरे ॥

Eightfold physical complex of nature in the human version, six seasons of the year in relation to earth and the sun, sevenfold mind-sense complex of human intelligence, all waters and dynamics of nature and the herbal complex, all these as the five pranas sustain and maintain humanity.

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8.9.24

केव॒लीन्द्रा॑य दुदु॒हे हि गृ॒ष्टिर्वशं॑ पी॒यूषं॑ प्रथ॒मं दुहा॑ना। अथा॑तर्पयच्च॒तुर॑श्चतु॒र्धा दे॒वान्म॑नु॒ष्याँ॒ असु॑रानु॒त ऋषी॑न् ॥

Only the ever youthful Nature as Mother Cow, prime source of life and sustenance, yields the delicious milk of life for the human soul for the fourfold fulfilment of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha for all the four types of people: divine, creative, average and even negative personalities.

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8.9.25

को नु गौः क ए॑कऋ॒षिः किमु॒ धाम॒ का आ॒शिषः॑। य॒क्षं पृ॑थि॒व्यामे॑क॒वृदे॑क॒र्तुः क॑त॒मो नु सः ॥

Who is the Mother Cow? Who is the One and only visionary creator of the poetic universe? What is the ultimate haven and light supreme? What is the One of all the blessings? Who, of what sort, is that One adorable Divinity on earth beyond the change of seasons?

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8.9.26

ए॒को गौरेक॑ एकऋ॒षिरेकं॒ धामै॑क॒धाशिषः॑। य॒क्षं पृ॑थि॒व्यामे॑क॒वृदे॑क॒र्तुर्नाति॑ रिच्यते ॥

One and only one Supreme is the Mother Cow, sole generator, One visionary creator, the One self- refulgent haven and home, One blessing that comprehends all, the One adorable on earth, constant beyond all change of seasons whom none can reach, none comprehend, none exceed and none transcend. Brahma Supreme.