eager cows that seek the meadow-grass, and I long to see the wide-eyed god. Now that I bring the sweet offering thou lovest, let us converse together again, while thou like a priest dost partake of it. Behold I see the god, the wide-eyed god, I see his chariot on the earth! He hath accepted my song with joy. Hear this my call, O Varuna. Be merciful to-day to me. I long for thee, desiring thy help. Thou, O wise one, art the king of sky and earth alike, thou art the lord of all. Being such a god, do thou upon thy way give ear to us, and loose from us the bonds [of sickness], [every bond] upper, middle, and lower, in order that we may live.

THOU

VEDIC HYMN TO EARTH

HOU, O broad extended earth, dost in truth endure even the [lightning], the render of thy hills. Thou, O mighty mountainous one, quickenest with might all created things. The Hymns that accompany the light [of dawn] praise thee, far-going goddess. Thou sendest the gushing rain like eager steeds. Thou holdest up mightily the forest trees when the rains come from the clouds and from the far-gleaming lighting of Dyaus [Zeus].

NIG

A LATE VEDIC HYMN TO STARLIT NIGHT

IGHT comes, the shining goddess, who now looks out afar with many eyes and puts on all her beauties. She, the immortal shining goddess, hath filled the depths and heights alike, and driven away darkness with the light [of the moon and stars]. She comes to me, she, the well-adorned one, a darkness now made sightly. O Sunlight, pay thy debt, and depart [as night in the morning departs]. The bright one is coming. She puts aside her sister [the bright sunset light], and darkness departs. Even such [a kind friend] art thou to us. At thy appearing we go to rest as birds fly home to the tree. come the throngs of men; to rest, the beasts; to rest, the birds; and even the greedy eagles rest. Keep off from us the she-wolf and the wolf. Keep off the thief, O billowy Night, and be our savior now. O Night, as a conqueror brings a herd of cattle, so do I bring [as a sacrifice] this Hymn to thee. Daughter of Heaven, accept it!

To rest

7944

VEDIC HYMN TO THE TWIN HORSEMEN, THE AÇVINS (DIOS

B

KUROI)

The black

invoke you. Come now

EFORE the Dawn her sister, the Night, withdraws. one now leaves a pathway for the ruddy one. Ye Horsemen, who have kine and horses [to give], we Keep far from us your arrows by day and by night. hither and meet the mortal who worships you. Bring him good things upon your chariot. Keep off from us destroying sickness. Protect us, O sweetest pair, both by day and night. May the joy-desiring virile steeds bring your chariot with Dawn's first approach; that chariot of which the reins are rays of light, and there is wealth upon it. Come with the steeds which observe the order of the seasons. Approach, O lords of heroes, O true ones, upon your car which has three seats and is full of riches, which goes upon a golden path. Let this car of yours, bringing us food, come to us. Ye freed Cyavāna from his old age; ye gave a swift steed to Pedu; ye rescued Atri from the anguish of darkness; ye set down, released from his fetters, Jāhusha. The prayer is said, O Horsemen; the song is withered. Accept the skillful poem, O manly heroes. These prayers have now ascended to you, they belong to you. O all ye gods, protect us evermore with blessings.

A LATE VEDIC HYMN TO VĀTA, THE WIND

w the greatness of Vata's chariot! It goes breaking and thundering with noise. It touches the sky and rushes across the earth, making clouds, rearing up the dust. Then all the forms of Vata [different winds] rush together. They come to him like women coming to a rendezvous. United with them, going on the same chariot, is borne the god, the king of all created things. He sleeps not when he goes on his pathway, wandering through the air. He is the friend of the [Divine] Waters. He is first-born and holy. Where was he created, whence did he arise? Vāta is the spirit [breath] of the gods; he is the source of created things. He goes where he will. His sound is heard but not his form. This Vāta let us duly honor with our oblations.

BURIAL HYMN (TO YAMA AND THE DEAD)

TO YAMA

R

EVERE with oblations King Yama, who once went over the great mountains and spied out a path for many, him, the son of the gleaming sky, him who collects men. Yama was the first to find us a way.

TO THE DEAD

GO FORTH, go forth on the old paths, where are gone our old fathers; and thou shalt see both joyous kings, Yama and Heaven. Unite thyself with the fathers, get satisfaction of all thy desires, in the highest heaven. Yama will give to this spirit a resting-place. Run past on a good path the two dogs, the foureyed [dogs], the spotted [dogs that guard the path]. Depart unto the fathers who rejoice with Yama.

IN

A LATE VEDIC PHILOSOPHICAL HYMN

N THE beginning arose the Golden Germ. As soon as he was born he became the lord of all. He established earth and heaven. To what god shall we offer sacrifice? He who gives breath and strength, whose command the shining gods obey-to what god shall we offer sacrifice? He whose shadow is life and death to what god shall we offer sacrifice? . . When first the great waters went everywhere, holding the Germ [of life], and generating light, then arose from them the one Spirit [breath] of the gods. May he who is the begetter of earth, the holy one who begot heaven, injure us not. Lord of all beings, thou alone embracest all things. To this god, to the Lord of all beings, let us offer sacrifice.

THER

A LATE VEDIC HYMN OF CREATION

HERE was then neither being nor not-being. There was no air, no sky. What hid it? Where was it and in whose protection was it? Was it water or deep darkness? There was neither death nor immortality. There was no difference between

night and day. That One breathed. Other than the One, above the One, nothing existed. Darkness was concealed in darkness in the beginning. Undifferentiated water was all this universe. Through desire, the primal seed of mind, creation arose. After this came the gods.

I

A LATE VEDIC MYSTIC HYMN TO VĀC (SPEECH, LOGOS)
WANDER with the tempest-gods, with the light-gods, with all
the gods. I support the Sun, Heaven, Indra, Agni, and the
Twin Horsemen.
To him that worships me, to him

that offers me the soma sacrifice, I give wealth. I am the queen,
the best of those that deserve sacrifice.
established me in many places.

The gods have I am that by means of which one eats, breathes, sees, and hears. Him that I love I make strong, to be priest, seer, and wise. 'Tis I bend the bow of the destroyer Rudra, to hit the unbeliever. I prepare war for the people. I am entered into earth and heaven. I beget upon the height the father of the Universe. My place is in the waters, in the sea; thence I extend myself among all creatures, and touch heaven with my crown. Like Wind I blow, encompassing all creatures. Above heaven and above earth am I; so great am I grown in majesty.

Translations of E. W. H.

THE

AN INCANTATION

From the Atharva-Veda'

HE sin-hated, god-born plant, which frees from the curse as the waters wash out a spot, has washed away all curses, the curse of my rival and of my sister. I have put under my With this plant protect

feet the curse of the Brahman.

my wife, protect my child, protect our property.

the curse [of my rival] return to the curser. ribs of the foe that has the evil eye.

May

I smite the

Translation of E. W. H.

7947

IN

LEGEND OF THE FLOOD

From the 'Çatapatha Brahmana ›

When I outgrow that, thou

IN THE morning they brought water to Manu to wash with, even as to-day they bring it to wash hands with. While he was washing, a fish came into his hands. The fish said, "Keep me and I will save thee."-"From what wilt thou save me?". "A flood will sweep away all creatures on earth. From that will I save thee."—"How am I to keep thee?"-"As long as we are small," it said, "we are subject to destruction. Fish eats fish. Thou shalt keep me first in a jar. When I outgrow that, thou shalt dig a hole and keep me in it. shalt take me down to the sea, for then I shall be beyond destruction." It soon became a jhasha [a great horned fish], for this is the largest fish; and then it said, "The flood will come in such a year. Look out for me, and build a ship. When the flood rises, enter into the ship, and I will save thee.” After he had kept it, he took it to the sea. And the same year as the fish had said, he looked out for the fish and built a ship. And when the flood rose he entered into the ship. Then the fish swam up, and Manu tied the ship's rope to the horn of the fish; and thus he sailed up swiftly to the Northern Mountain. "I have saved thee," it said: "fasten the ship to a tree. But let not the water leave thee stranded while thou art on the mountaintop. Descend slowly as the water goes down." So he descended slowly; and that descent from the Northern Mountain is still called Manu's Descent. The flood then swept off all the creatures of the earth, and Manu remained here alone.

Translation of E. W. H.

YAN

DIALOGUE OF YĀJÑAVALKYA AND MÃITREYĪ

From the Upanishads >

ĀJÑAVALKYA had two wives, Maitreyī and Kātyāyanī. Now Maitreyī was versed in holy knowledge [brahma], but Katyayani had only such knowledge as women have. But when Yajnavalkya was about to go away into the forest [to become a hermit], he said, "Māitreyī, I am going away from this place. Behold, I will make a settlement between thee and that Katyāyani." Then said Maitreyī, "Lord, if this whole earth