Hinduism Index
Book 5 Index
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Hymns of the Atharva Veda, by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1895], at
1How, terrible in might, hast thou here spoken to the great God,
how to the gold-hued Father!
Thy mind watched, greedy Varuna! to recover the brindled cow
thou hadst bestowed as guerdon.
2Not through desire do I revoke my present: I bring this brind-
led cow to contemplate her.
Now by what lore, by what inherent nature, knowest thou all
things that exist, Atharvan?
3Truly I am profound in wisdom, truly I know by nature all
existing creatures.
No Dāsa by his greatness, not an Arya, may violate the law that
I will stablish.
4None, self-dependent Varuna! existeth wiser than thou or sager
by his wisdom.
Thou knowest well all these created beings: even the man of
wondrous powers fears thee.
5O self-dependent Varuna, wise director, thou knowest verily all
generations.
What is, unerring one! beyond this region? What more remote
than that which is most distant?
6One thing there is beyond this air, and something beyond that
one, most hard to reach, remotest.
I, Varuna, who know, to thee declare it. Let churls be mighty p. a167
in the lower regions. Let Dāsas sink into the earth beneath
them.
7Many reproaches, Varuna, dost thou utter against the misers.
who revoke their presents.
Be not thou added to that crowd of niggards: let not men call
thee an illiberal giver.
8Let not men call me an illiberal giver. I give thee back the
brindled cow, O singer.
Attend in every place where men inhabit, with all thy powers,
the hymn that tells my praises.
9Let hymns of praise ascend to thee, uplifted in every place of
human habitation.
But give me now the gift thou hast not given. Thou art my
friend for ever firm and faithful.
10One origin, Varuna! one bond unites us I know the nature of
that common kinship.
I give thee now the gift that I retracted. I am thy friend for ever
firm and faithful.
11God, giving life unto the god who lauds me, Sage strengthener
of the sage who sings my praises.
Thou, self-dependent Varuna! hast begotten the kinsman of the
Gods, our sire Atharvan.
On him bestow most highly-lauded riches. Thou art our friend,
high over all, our kinsman.