33 0 Dawn enriched with ample wealth, bestow on us that wondrous gift

Wherewith we may support children and children's sons. 34 Agui at dawn, and Indra we invoke at dawn, and Varuņa and Mitra and the Asvins twain,

Bhaga at dawn, Pûshan and Brahmanaspati, Soma at dawn,
Rudra may we invoke at dawn.

35 May we invoke strong early-conquering Bhaga, the Son of Aditi, the great Arranger,

Thinking of whom the poor, yea, even the mighty, even the
King says, Let me share in Bhaga.

36 Bhaga our guide, Bhaga whose gifts are faithful, favour this prayer and give us wealth, O Bhaga.

Bhaga, increase our store of kine and horses: Bhaga, may we be rich in men and heroes.

37 So may felicity be ours at present, and when the day approaches, and at noontide;

And may we still, O Bounteous One, at sunset be happy in the Deities' loving-kindness.

38 May Bhaga verily be Bliss-bestower, and through him, Gods may happiness attend us.

As such, O Bhaga, all with might invoke thee: as such be thou our Champion here, O Bhaga.

39 To this our worship may the Dawns incline them, and come to the pure place like Dadhikrâvan.

As strong steeds draw a chariot may they bring us hitherward Bhaga who discovers treasure.

40 May friendly Mornings dawn on us for ever, with wealth of kine, of horses, and of heroes,

Streaming with all abundance, pouring fatness. Preserve us evermore, ye Gods, with blessings.

33 R. V. I. 92. 13. Wondrous gift: of riches.

34-40 R. V. VII. 41. The hymn is addressed chiefly to Bhaga, the Bountiful, whose name, slightly corrupted, survives in Slavic languages as the name of the God of monotheistic Christianity.

35 Early-conquering: in his character of the morning Sun overpowering Ushas or Dawn who in Rigveda I. 23. 5 is called his sister. Let me share in Bhaga: or, Give me my portion. The meaning is that every one, poor and wea, strong and mighty, looks to Bhaga as the giver of his allotted fortune. 38 Bliss-bestower: bhagavân; originally, possessing a happylot, fortunate, blessed, adorable; now generally meaning Almighty God.

39 The Dawns: the lights of morning, personified. The pure place: where sacrifice is performed. Like Dadhikrávan: with the swiftness of the famous mythical horse, the type and model of racers. See IX. 14, note.

41 Secure in thy protecting care, O Pûshan, never may we fail: We here are singers of thy praise.

42 I praise with eloquence him who guards all pathways. He, when his love impelled him, went to Arka.

May he vouchsafe us gear with gold to grace it: may Pûshan make each prayer of ours effective.

43 Vishnu the undeceivable Protector strode three steps, thenceforth

Establishing his high decrees.

44 This, Vishnu's station most sublime, the singers ever vigilant, Lovers of holy song, light up.

45 Filled full of fatuess, compassing all things that be, wide, spacious, dropping meath, beautiful in their form,

The Heaven and the Earth by Varuna's decree, unwasting, rich in seed, stand parted each from each.

46 Let those who are our foemen stand afar from us: with Indra and with Agni we will drive them off.

Vasus, Adityas, Rudras have exalted me, made me preëmineut, mighty, thiuker, sovran lord.

47 Come, O Nâsatyas, with the thrice eleven Gods: come, O ye Aşvins, to the drinking of the meath.

Prolong our days of life, and wipe out all our sins: ward off our enemies; be with us evermore.

48 May this your praise, may this your song, O Maruts, sung by the poet, Mâua's son, Mândârya,

41 R. V. VI. 44 9.

42 R. V. VI. 49. 8. Who guards all pathways: Pushan the special protector of travellers and guardian of roads and paths. Arka: the Sun, to whom Pushan appears to have gone, both as an envoy on behalf of the other Gods when Sûryâ or Sunlight was to be given in marriage, and as a suitor on his own account.

43, 44 R. V. I. 22. 18, 21. Three steps as the Sun, over earth and through firmament and heaven. See X. 19. Light up: giorify with praise. 45 R. V. VI. 70 1. Parted each from each: heaven and earth were. it is said, originally in close juxtaposition, and were subsequently separated and held apart by Indra, Agni, Soma, or, as in this place, Varuna.

46 R. V. X. 128. Have exalted . . . made: that is, may they do so.

47 R. V. I. 34. 11. Thrice eleven: the number of the Gods is said to have been originally three thousand three hundred and thirty-nine, then reduced to 33, to 6, to 3, to 2, to 11, and at last to one, which one is the breath of life, the Self, and his name is That. See Max Müller, Three Lectures on the Vedanta Philosophy, p. 26.

48 R. V. I. 165. 15. I borrow three-fourths of this verse from Prof. Max Müller, Vedic Hymns, Part I.

Bring offspring for ourselves with food to feed us. May we find strengthening food in full abundance.

49 They who were versed in ritual and metre, in hymns and rules, were the Seven godlike Rishis.

Viewing the path of those of old, the sages have taken up the reins like chariot-drivers.

50 Bestowing splendour, length of life, increase of wealth, and conquering power,

This brightly shining gold shall be attached to me for victory. 51 This gold no demons injure, no Pișâchas; for this is might of Gods, their primal offspring.

Whoever wears the gold of Daksha's children lives a long life among the Gods, lives a long life among mankind.

52 This ornament of gold which Daksha's children bound, with benevolent thoughts, on Satânîka,

I bind on me for life through hundred autumns, that I may live till ripe old age o'ertakes me.

53 Let Ahibudhnya also hear our calling, and Aja-Ekapâd and Earth and Ocean.

49 R. V. X. 130. 7. Seven godlike Rishis: Bharadvaja, Kasyapa, Gotama, Atri, Vasishtha, Visvamitra, and Jamadagni. The knowledge of the ritual is derived from the divine priests; the sages or Rishis have followed them in sacrificing, and modern priests are only imitators of those who preceded them.-Ludwig.

50 Gold: worn as an amulet.

51, 52 Taken, with variations, from A. V. I. 35. 2, 1. Daksha's children : Daksha is in the Veda a Creative Power associated with Aditi (Infinity or Eternity), the mother of the Adityas. In post-Vedic literature he is generally regarded as the son of Brahmâ, and placed at the head of the Prajapatis or Lords of Created Beings. The Dakshiyanas, or descendants of Daksha, are mentioned also in the Șatapatha-Brahmana, II. 4. 4. 6. Pişâchus: see XXX. 3.

The investiture of Satánika must be an occurrence of ancient times, of which no particulars have been preserved. Hundred autumns: regarded as the natural duration of human life; an expression frequently occurring in the Rigveda, alternating with hundred winters.' Cf. Isaiah LXV. 20: There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days for the child shall die a hundred years old.

6

53 R. V. VI. 50. 14. Ahibudhnya: the Serpent or Dragon of the Deep; a mysterious atmospheric deity, regent of the depths of the firmament. Aja-Ekapád: according to von Roth, probably a genius of the storm, 'the stormer of one foot.' But aja signifies also unborn, birthless, and the Sun may be intended. Aja-Ekapâd is called, in R. V. X. 65. 13, the bearer of heaven, and the ascription of one foot to the Sun might be due to his ap pearance alone in the sky as opposed to the Dawns and the Aṣvins.'- Wallis, Cosmology of the Rigveda, p 54. Other conjectural explanations have been proposed. See Macdonell, Vedic Mythology, pp. 73, 74.

All Gods Law-strengtheners, invoked and lauded, and Texts. recited by the sages, help us!

54 These hymns that drop down fatness, with the ladle I ever offer to the Kings Adityas.

May Mitra, Aryaman, and Bhaga hear us, the mighty Varuna,
Daksha, and Ama.

55 Seven Rishis are established in the body: seven guard it evermore with care unceasing.

Seven waters seek the world of him who lies asleep: two sleepless Gods are feast-fellows of him who wakes.

56 O Brahmanaspati, arise. God-fearing men, we pray to thee. May they who give good gifts, the Maruts, come to us. Indra, be thou most swift with them.

57 Now Brahmanaspati speaks forth aloud the solemn hymn of praise,

Wherein Indra and Varuna, Mitra, Aryaman, the Gods have made their dwelling-place.

58 0 Brahmanaspati, be thou controller of this our hymn, and prosper thou our children.

All that the Gods regard with love is blessed.
we speak, with brave sons, in assembly.

He who sate down. Mighty in mind.
A share of good, O Lord of Food.

Loud may

Father who made us.

54 R. V. II. 27. 1. Amṣa: the Distributer; one of the Âdityas.

55 Seven Rishis: here meaning the vital breathings. Seven quard it: touch, sight, hearing, taste, smell, mind, and intellect. Waters: pervaders, according to Mahîdhara; meaning the vital airs. World: the soul or self. Two sleepless Gods: Inbreath and Outbreath.

56, 57 R. V. I. 40. 1, 5.

58 R. V. II. 23. 19. With heroes: with brave sons about us who will give us confidence. The four Pratik as that follow are taken, respectively, from XVII. 17, 26, 27, and XI. 83.

зг

BOOK THE THIRTY-FIFTH.

BEGONE the Paņis, hence away, rebellious, scorners of the
Gods!

The place is his who poured the juice.

2 Let Savitar approve a spot upon the earth for thy remains: And let the bulls be yoked for it.

3 Let Vâyu purify. Let Savitar purify. With Agni's glitter. With Savitar's lustre. Let the bulls be unyoked.

4 The Holy Fig Tree is your home, your mansion is the Parṇa Tree:

Winners of cattle shall ye be if ye regain for me this man. 5 Let Savitar lay down thy bones committed to the Mother's

lap.

Be pleasant to this man, O Earth.

6 Here in the God Prajapati, near water, Man, I lay thee down: May his light drive mishap from us.

7 Go hence, O Death, pursue thy special pathway apart from that which Gods are wont to travel.

To thee I say it who hast eyes and hearest: Touch not our offspring, injure not our heroes.

This Book is connected with the Pitriyajña or Sacrifice to the Fathers or Ancestral Manes (II. 29. 34). containing chiefly formulas to be used at funeral ceremonies. See R. V. X. 14; 16; 18; and Muir, Original Sanskrit Texts, V. pp. 291-297.

1 Begone: addressed to the Papis, Pisâchas and other evil spirits that haunt the ground prepared for the cremation of the corpse. Cf. R. V. X. 14. 9. His: the deceased householder's who in his life time duly worshipped the Gods with libations of Soma juice.

2 Remains: the bones and ashes which are to be buried. Let the bulls be yoked six in number, to a plough with which furrows are driven from the south or north side of the ground, to keep evil spirits at a distance. 3 Four furrows are drawn, with a formula for each.

4 Addressed to the various plants whose seeds he sows. The formula, taken from R. V X. 97. 5, is repeated from XII. 79. Sacrificial vessels and implements are made of the Asvattha or Ficus Religiosa and the Parṇa, Palâșa, or Butea Frondosa, which are therefore said to be the home of plants used in religious ceremonies.

5 The collected bones and ashes are laid down in the middle of the prepared ground.

6 Man: the name of the deceased is to be supplied. The last line of the formula is the burden of R. V. I. 97. 1-8. Mishap from us: our sin, according to Mahîdhara.

7 R. V. X. 18. 1. Death: Mrityu, distinct from Yama the judge and ruler of the departed. Our offspring: meaning here, says Sâyaṇa, female our sons and grandsons.

offspring. Our heroes: