To me thou seemest Varuņa, O Courser, there where they say is thy sublimest birthplace.

16 Here, Courser, are the places where they groomed thee; here are the traces of thy hooves as winner.

Here have I seen the auspicious reins that guide thee, which those who guard the holy Law keep safely.

17 Thyself from far I recognized in spirit, a Bird that from below flew through the heaven.

I saw thy head still soaring, striving upward by patas unsoiled by dust, pleasant to travel.

18 Here I beheld thy form matchless in beauty, eager to win thee food at the Cow's station.

Whene'er a man brings thee to thine enjoyment, thou swallowest the herbs, most greedy eater.

19 After thee, Courser, come the car, the bridegroom, the kine come after, and the charm of maidens.

Full companies have followed for thy friendship: the pattera of thy vigour Gods have followed.

20 His horns are golden and his feet are iron. Less fleet than he, though swift as thought, was Indra.

The Gods came only to the oblation-banquet of him who mounted first of all the Courser.

21 Symmetrical in flank, with rounded haunches, mettled like heroes, the celestial Coursers

Put forth their strength like swans in lengthened order when they, the Steeds, have reached the heavenly causeway. 22 A body formed for flight hast thou, O Charger; swift as the wind in motion is thy spirit.

Thy horns are spread abroad in all directions; they move with restless beat in wildernesses.

16 Who guard the holy Law: the Gods who maintain the order of the universe. Here the reference is to the course of the Sun, with whom the Horse is identified.

17 A Bird: the swiftly-moving Sun.

:

18 Food in the shape of oblations. The Cow's station: the chief place of earth, the Cow being the altar. Mahidhara explains it as the station of the Bull, that is, the disc of the Sun: I beheld thy form in the disc of the Sun.' Most greedy eater: regarded as an earthly horse.

20 His horns: according to Sayana his mane is intended. There may be a reference also to the rays of the Sun. Him who mounted: Indra, as is said in verse 13.

21 The horses of the Sun are spoken of. The exact meaning of two of the epithets is uncertain.

22 Thy horns: here, perhaps, meaning hoofs.

23 The army read hath come forward to the slanghter, pondering with a mind directed God wand.

The goat who is his kin is led before him: the sages and the singers follow after.

24 The Steed is come unto the noblest mansion, is come unto hi Kather and his Mother.

The day shall he approach the Gods, most welcome: then be declares good gifts to him who worships.

25 Thou in the house of man this day enkindled worshippest Gods, a God, O Játavedas.

Wealthy in friends! observant, bring them hither. Thou art a sapient envoy, full of wisdom.

26 Tanúnapht, fair-tongued, with sweet mead balming the paths and ways of Order, make them pleasant.

Convey our sacrifice to heaven, exalting with holy thoughts our hymns of praise and worship.

27 With snorifice to these we with laudations will honour holy Narasapna's greatness

To these the puro, most wise, the thought-inspirers, Gods who enjoy both sorts of our oblations.

28 Invoked, deserving laud and adoration, O Agni, come accordant with the Vasus.

Thou art, O vigorous One, the Gods' Invoker, so, best of
Sacrificers, bring them quickly.

29 By rule the Sacred Grass is scattered eastward, a robe to clothe the earth when dawns are breaking.

Widely it spreads around and far extended, fair for the Gods and bringing peace and freedom.

30 Lot the expansive Doors be widely opened, like wives who dook their beauty for their husbands.

Lofty, celestial, all-impelling Portals, admit the Gods and give them easy access.

23 The goas: to be attached to the Horse at the sacrificial stake.

21 Noblest mansion: heaven, to which he goes by sacrifice. His Father and his Mother: Heaven and Earth.

23. This and the following verse are taken from R. V. X. 110. 1, 2.

20 Order: sacrifice.

27 Buch sorts: libations of Soma juice and offerings of clarified butter. rive va kes, ela

28 This and the eight following verses are taken from R. V. X. 129. 8-11, forming with verses 25 and 26, a complete Apri or Propitiatury

31 Pouring sweet dews, let holy Night and Morning, each close to each, be seated at their station

Lofty, celestial Dames, with gold to deck them, assuming all their fair and radiant beauty.

32 Come the two chief celestial sweet-voiced Hotars, arranging sacrifice for man to worship,

As singers who inspire us in assemblies, showing the eastward light with their direction!

33 Let Bhâratî come quickly to our worship, and Iḍâ showing like a human being.

So let Sarasvati and both her fellows, deft Goddesses, on this fair grass be seated.

34 Hotar more skilled in sacrifice, bring hither with speed today God Trashṭar, thou who knowest,

Even him who framed these two, the Earth and Heaven, the Parents, with their forms, and every creature.

35 Send to our offerings which thyself thou balmest the Companies of Gods in ordered season.

Agni, Vanaspati, the Immolator sweeten our offered gift with mead and butter.

36 Agni as soon as he was born made ready the sacrifice and was the Gods' preceder.

May the Gods eat our offering consecrated according to the true Priest's voice and guidance.

37 Thou, making light where no light was, and form, O men! where form was not,

Wast born together with the Dawns.

38 The warrior's look is like a thunderous rain-cloud's when, armed with mail, he seeks the lap of battle.

Be thou victorious with unwounded body: so let the thickness of thine armour save thee.

39 With Bow let us win kine, with Bow the battle, with Bow be victors in our hot encounters.

The Bow brings grief and sorrow to the foeman: armed with the Bow may we subdue all regions.

32 Eastern light: the Âhavaniya fire: cf. verse 7.

37 Taken from R. V. I. 6. 3, which is addressed to Indra and the Maruts. Thou: the Sun, with whom Agni is identified. O men!: perhaps merely an exclamation expressive of admiration. If the Maruts be meant, the words thou, making, wast born may apply to these Gods as one company.

38 In connexion with the Horse, who plays a most important part in raids and battles, the bow and various implements of war are eulogized in fourteen verses taken from R. V. VI. 75 and six from R. V. VI. 47. 26-31.

40 Close to his ear, as fain to speak, She presses, holding her well-loved Friend in her embraces.

Strained on the Bow, She whispers like a woman-this Bowstring that preserves us in the combat.

41 These, meeting like a woman and her lover, bear, motherlike, their child upon their bosom.

May the two Bow-euds, starting swift asunder scatter, in unison, the foes who hate us.

42 With many a son, father of many daughters, He clangs and clashes as he goes to battle.

Slung on the back, pouring his brood, the Quiver vanquishes all opposing bands and armies.

43 Upstanding in the Car the skilful Charioteer guides his strong Horses on whitherso'er he will.

See and admire the strength of those controlling Reins which from behind declare the will of him who drives.

44 Horses whose hoofs rain dust are neighing loudly, yoked to the Chariots, showing forth their vigour.

With their forefeet descending on the foemen, they, never flinching, trample and destroy them.

45 Car-bearer is the name of his oblation, whereon are laid his Weapons and his Armour.

So let us here, each day that passes, honour the helpful Car with hearts exceeding joyful.

46 In sweet association lived the fathers who gave us life, profound and strong in trouble,

Unwearied, armed with shafts and wondrous weapons, free, real heroes, conquerors of armies.

40 She: the bowstring. well-loved friend: the arrow. Whispers like a woman: 'twangs like the scream of a woman.'-Muir. But the faint sound made by the string while it is being drawn to the ear is intended. Homer likens the sound to the voice of a swallow.

41 These: the two ends of the bow. Like a woman and her lover: or, 'drawing close like two women to their lovers.' Their child: the arrow. 42 With many a son: the quiver is called the father of sons and daughters, it is said, because the words signifying arrow are both masculine and feminine. 45 Car-bearer: rathavahanam: a platform, stand, or truck on which the chariot is placed when not in use. The word seems in this place to mean also the oblation offered by the warrior to the ideal war-chariot personified, or to a tutelary deity of chariots.

46 There is no verb in this stanza, and the only substantive, pitaraḥ, fathers, is explained by both Commentators as pâlayitaraḥ, guards, defenders, that is, apparently, those who attend the chariot of the chief. Professor Wilson, following Sâyana, translates: The guards (of the chariot), revelling in the savoury (spoil), distributors of food, protectors in calamity, armed with spears, resolute, beautifully arranged, strong in arrows, invincible, of heroic valour, robust, and conquerors of numerous hosts.'

47 The Brahmans, and the Fathers meet for Soma draughts, and, graciously inclined, unequalled Heaven and Earth. Guard us from evil, Pûshan! guard us strengtheners of

Law let not the evil-wisher master us.

48 Her tooth a deer, dressed in an eagle's feathers, bound with cow-hide, launched forth, She flieth onward.

There where the heroes speed hither and thither, there may the arrows shelter and protect us.

49 Avoid us thon whose flight is straight, and let our bodies be as stone.

May Soma kindly speak to us, and Aditi protect us well. 50 He lays his blows upon their backs, He deals his strokes upon their thighs.

Thou Whip who urgest horses, drive sagacious chargers in the fray.

51 It compasses the arm with serpent windings, fending away the friction of the bowstring:

So may the Brace, well skilled in all its duties, guard man

fully the man from every quarter.

52 Lord of the Wood, be firm and strong in body: be, bearing us, a brave victorious hero.

Show forth thy strength, compact with straps of leather, and let thy rider win all spoils of battle.

53 Its mighty strength was borrowed from the heaven and earth: its conquering force was brought from sovrans of the wood. Honour with boly gifts the Car like Indra's bolt, the Car bound round with straps, the vigour of the floods.

54 Thou bolt of Indra, Vanguard of the Maruts, close knit to Varuna and Child of Mitra,

As such, accepting gifts which here we offer, receive, O Godlike Chariot, these oblations.

55 Send forth thy voice aloud through earth and heaven, and let the world in all its breadth regard thee;

O Drum, accordant with the Gods and Indra, drive thou afar, yea, very far, our foemen.

47 The Brahmans and the Fathers: or, perhaps, the sacerdotal Fathers. The stanza, which is grammatically difficult, seems out of place.

48 Her tooth a deer: the point of the arrow is made of a piece of deer's horn attached to the shaft with leather strings. The butt of the arrow is feathered. 50 He: the whip.

51 It: the brace or guard worn on the archer's left arm, fastened on with leather straps.

52 Here follow six verses from R. V. VI. 47. 26-31 in praise of the Chariot and the Drum. Lord of the Wood: tall tree, the timber of which the Car is made. 55 0 Drum: the dundubhi here addressed and glorified was a sort of loud kettle-drum like those which are still used.