BOOK XVII

HYMN I

A prayer to Indra, Identified with Vishnu and the Sun, for the love of Gods, men, and beasts, general protection and prosperity, and all earthly and heavenly blessings

1Vanquishing, overpowering, a conqueror, exceeding strong,
  Victorious, winner of the light, winner of cattle and of spoil,.
  Indra by name, adorable, I call: a long, long life be mine!
2Vanquishing etc.
  Indra by name, adorable I call: May I be dear to Gods.
3Vanquishing, etc.
  Indra by name, adorable, I call: may creatures love me well.
4Vanquishing, etc.
  Indra by name, adorable, I call: may cattle hold me dear.
5Vanquishing, etc.
  Indra by name, adorable, I call: may equals love me well.
6Rise up, O Sūrya, rise thou up; with strength and splendour
   rise on me.
  Let him who hates me be my thrall; let me not be a thrall to him.
  Manifold are thy great deeds, thine, O Vishnu.
  Sate us with cattle of all forms and colours: set me in happiness,
   in loftiest heaven.
7Rise up, O Sūrya, rise thou up; with strength and splendour rise
   on me.
  Make me the favourite of all, of those I see and do not see.
  Manifold are thy great deeds, thine, O Vishnu.
8Let not the fowlers who are standing ready injure thee in the
   flood, within the waters.
  Ascend this heaven, leaving each curse behind thee, Favour us:
   let thy gracious love attend us.
  Manifold are thy great deeds, thine, O Vishnu.
9Do thou, O Indra, for our great good fortune, with thine in-
   violable rays protect us.
  Manifold are thy great deeds, thine, O Vishnu.
10Be thou most gracious unto us, Indra, with favourable aid,
  Rising to heaven's third sphere, invoked with song to quaff the
  Soma juice, loving thy home to make us blest. p. 171
  Manifold are thy great deeds, thine, O Vishnu.
11Thou art the vanquisher of all, O Indra, omniscient Indra, and
   invoked of many.
  Indra, send forth this hymn that fitly lauds thee. Favour us
   let thy gracious love attend us.
  Manifold are thy great deeds, thine, O Vishnu.
12In heaven and on the earth thou art uninjured, none reach thy
   greatness in the air's mid region.
  Increasing by inviolate devotion as such in heaven grant us pro-
   tection, Indra.
  Manifold are thy great deeds, thine, O Vishnu.
13Grant us protection, Indra, with that body of thine that is on
   earth, in fire, in waters,
  That dwells within light-finding Pavamana, wherewith thou hast
   pervaded air's mid region.
  Manifold are thy great deeds, thine, O Vishnu.
14Indra, exalting thee with prayer, imploring, Rishis have sat them
   down in holy Session.
  Manifold are thy great deeds, thine, O Vishnu,
15Round Trita, round the spring with thousand currents thou
   goest, round the light-finding assembly.
  Manifold are thy great deeds, thine, O Vishnu.
16Thou guardest well the four celestial regions, pervading heaven,
   and earth with light and splendour.
  Thou givest help to all these living creatures, and, knowing,.
   followest the path of Order.
  Manifold are thy great deed, thine, O Vishnu.
17With five thou sendest heat: with one removing the curse thou
   comest in bright sunshine hither.
  Manifold are thy great deeds, thine, O Vishnu.
18Indra art thou, Mahendra thou, thou art the world, the Lord of
  Life.
  To thee is sacrifice performed: worshippers offer gifts to thee.
  Manifold are thy great deeds, thine, O Vishnu.
19What is based on what is not: the present lies on that which is..
  Present on future is imposed and future on the present based.
  Manifold are thy great deeds, thine, O Vishnu.
  Sate us with cattle of all varied colour. Set me in happiness, in
   loftiest heaven. p. 172
20Bright art thou, and refulgent: as thou shinest with splendour
   so I fain would shine with splendour.
21Lustre art thou, illuming: as thou glowest with lustre so I too
   would shine with cattle, with all the lustre of a Brāhman's
   station.
22Glory to him when rising, when ascending! Glory to him when
   he hath reached the zenith!
  To him far-shining, him the self-refulgent, to him the Sovran
  Lord and King be glory!
23Worship to him when he is turning westward, to him when set-
   ting, and when set be worship!
  To him far-shining, him the self-refulgent, to him the Sovran
  Lord and King be glory!
24With all his fiery fervour this Āditya hath gone up on high,
  Giving my foes into my hand. Let me not by my foeman's prey.
  Manifold are thy great deeds, thine, O Vishnu.
  Sate us with cattle of all varied colours. Set me in happiness, in
   loftiest heaven.
25Thou for our weal, Āditya, hast mounted thy ship with hundred
   oars.
  Thou hast transported me to day: so bear me evermore to
   night.
26Thou for our weal, O Sūrya, hast mounted thy ship with hundred
   oars.
  Thou hast transported me to night: so bear me evermore to
   day.
27Encompassed by Prajāpati's devotion as shield, with Kasyapa's
   bright light and splendour,
  Reaching old age, may I made strong and mighty live through a
   thousand years with happy fortune.
28Compassed am I with prayer, my shield and armour; compassed
   with Kasyapa's bright light and splendour.
  Let not shafts reach me shot from heaven against me, nor those
   sent forth by men for my destruction.
29Guarded am I by Order and the Seasons, protected by the past
   and by the future.
  Let not distress, yea, let not Death come nigh me: with water
   of my speech have I o'erwhelmed them.
30On every side let Agni guard and keep me; the rising Sun drive
   off the snares of Mrityu! p. 173
  Let brightly flushing Mornings, firm-set mountains, and lives a
   thousand be with me united.

Next: Hymn 1: An accompaniment to funeral ceremonies and sacrificial offerings to ancestral spirits