Vedic and Philological Studies

Mandala Four

SUKTA 18

Aditi to Indra

(1). “This is the path of old discovered over again by which all the gods rose up and were born. Even by this path must thou be born in thy increase; go not out by that to turn thy mother to her fall.”

Indra to Aditi

(2). “Not by this path must I go out, for hard it is to tread; let me go out straight from thy side. Many are the things I have to do that have not been done; by that way I would fight; by that way I would question after Truth.”

(3). His mother went before him and he looked after her. “Must I not refrain from following her? Nay, I must indeed follow.” In the house of the Maker Indra drank the nectar-wine of a hundred riches that was pressed from the stones.

The poet speaks

(4). What perverse thing should he do, that his mother bore him for a thousand months, for many autumns? Nay, there is none who is his counterpart and measure among those who have been born or who have yet to take birth.

(5). His mother deemed of it as if a sin and she hid him in her secret being overflowing with might. Then himself he rose up wearing light for a robe and in his birth he filled earth and heaven.

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Aditi to the poet

(6). Behold these waters go murmuring on their way; yea, they cry out together as those who have the truth. Ask of them what is it that they say, what encircling mountain the waters break?

(7). What have their mysteries of knowledge spoken to him? The waters went musing on the sin of Indra. It is my son who with his mighty weapon slew Vritra and loosed them forth.

The poet speaks

(8). In the rapture of the nectar-wine, a young goddess, thy mother cast thee forth; in the rapture she brought thee out with difficult labour. In the rapture the waters were kind to the Infant; in the rapture Indra rose up and came forth in his might.

(9). In the rapture, O Master of the Riches, the shoulderless demon wounded thee and smote away thy jaws.When thou wert wounded, then thou rosest yet more high and didst crush the head of the Destroyer with thy weapon.

(10). The Cow who bore once, bore Indra the firm, the forceful, the mighty Bull; the Mother sent forth her unhurt child to his journeying, since he desired himself a path for his body.

(11). Then the Mother coaxed the Mighty One, “Behold, the gods abandon thee, O my son.” Then said Indra, for he meant to slay the Coverer, “O Vishnu, O my Comrade, pace all the width of thy steps.”

(12). Who made thy mother a widow? Who would have smitten thee in thy lying down and in thy moving or what god was above thee in his grace, that thou hast dragged thy father by his feet and wasted him away?

Indra speaks to the poet

(13). Nought had I to live on, I cooked the entrails of the dog, I found none among the gods who had grace on me and I

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saw my wife not growing to her greatness. Then the Bird brought to me the honey wine.

SUKTA 25

(1) Who today in his inner strength desires the godhead, who longs and cleaves in heart to the friendship of the Lord of Mind? Who seeks him with adoration casting in the Flame high-kindled the Soma-wine for the great Presence that shall carry him over to that other shore?

(2) Who bows down with the Word of submission to the delightful One? Who becomes full in his mentality and wears the bright rays of the Light like a robe? Who desires the fellowship with Indra? who his friendship? who his brotherhood for the wisdom? who for his soul’s growth?

(3) Who takes into himself today the presence of the gods? Who seeks Infinity and her Sons and the Light? In whose mind do the Aswins and Indra and Agni drink the brightness of the Joy outpoured nor depart from their delight?

(4) For him may Agni of the Fullness work out peace, he may set his long-persisting gaze on the Lord of Illumination in his high ascent, him who has said, “Let us pour out the soul’s joy to Indra, to the Purusha of the strength, of all the Purushas the strongest.”

(5) Him neither the many nor the few can overcome (or satisfy); the Mother Infinite works for him a vast peace. Dear is he to Indra who perfects his works, dear who fulfils mind, dear who stands forward in his increasing soul, dear who is full of the wine of joy.

(6) For him who goes forward increasing, who expresses the Soma-wine, Indra in his strength works absolute perfection. But of him who offers it not he is neither helper nor friend nor brother, rather he smites down those who increase not in soul nor express it in the Word.

[Incomplete]

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SUKTA 39

(1) Swift is Dadhikra, him let us now affirm and let us do the work for the Heaven and the Earth.May the Dawns arising speed me on, may they carry me beyond all stumblings.

(2) For the mighty Horse of the [incomplete]

SUKTA 40

(1) Dadhikravan is he of whom now we must do the work; may mall the Dawns speed me on the path! of the Waters and of the Dawn and the Sun and Brihaspati, he of the puissance, the Victor.

(2) May this Power of being who seeks the full-bringing and seeks the Light and who abides in all activity, turn into inspiration the impulsions of the Dawn, may he abide in their speed that carries us beyond. Dadhikravan who is true in his running,—yea, he gallops and he flies,—brings into being the impulsion, the abundant force, the heavenly light.

(3) When he runs, when he speeds in his passage, as the wing of the Bird is a wind that blows about him in his greed of the gallop, as the wing that beats about the breast of the rushing Eagle; so about the breast of Dadhikravan when with the Force he carries us beyond.

(4) In the abundance of his strength he carries his impeller beyond; a rein binds his neck and a rein holds him about the chest and a rein is in his mouth. Dadhikravan puts forth his energy according to the will in the mind and gallops along the turnings of the path.

(5) This is the swan that dwells in the purity, the lord of substance in the middle world, the priest of the offering whose seat is upon the altar, the guest in the gated house. He dwells in the Man, he dwells in the Truth, he dwells in the wide Ether; he is born of the Waters, he is born of the Light, he is born of the Law, he is born of the Hill of Substance, he is the law of the Truth.

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