Hinduism Index
Book 13 Index
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Hymns of the Atharva Veda, by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1895], at
1Radiant, refulgent in the sky are reared the banners of his light,
Āditya's, who beholdeth man, mighty in act and bountiful.
2Let us laud him, the whole world's Herdsman, Sūrya, who with
his rays illumines all the regions,
Mark of the quarters, brightening them with lustre, swift,
mighty-pinioned, flying in the ocean.
3From west to east thou speedest freely, making by magic day
and night of diverse colours.
This is Āditya, thy transcendent glory, that thou alone art born
through all creation.
4Victorious, inspired, and brightly shining, whom seven strong
tawny-coloured coursers carry,
Whom Atri lifted from the flood to heaven, thus men behold
thee as thy course thou runnest.
5Let them not snare thee speeding on thy journey: pass safely,
swiftly places hard to traverse,
While measuring out the day and night thou movest—O Sūrya,
even Heaven and Earth the Goddess.
6Hail to thy rapid car whereon, O Sūrya, thou circlest in a
moment both the limits,
Whirled by thy bay steeds, best of all at drawing, thy hundred
horses or seven goodly coursers!
7Mount thy strong car, O Sūrya, lightly rolling, drawn by good
steeds, propitious, brightly gleaming,
Whirled by thy bays, most excellent at drawing, thy hundred
horses or seven goodly coursers.
8Sūrya hath harnessed to his car to draw him seven stately bay
steeds gay with wolden housings.
The Bright One started from the distant region: dispelling
gloom the God hath climbed the heavens.
9With lofty banner hath the God gone upward, and introduced
the light, expelling darkness.
He hath looked round on all the worlds, the Hero, the son of
Aditi, Celestial Eagle. p. 116
10Rising, thou spreadest out thy rays, thou nourishest all shapes
and forms.
Thou with thy power illumest both the oceans, encompassing
all spheres with thy refulgence.
11Moving by magic power to east and westward, these two young
creatures, sporting, circle ocean.
One of the pair beholds all living creatures: with wheels of gold
the bay steeds bear the other.
12Atri established thee in heaven. O Surya, to create the month.
So on thou goest, firmly held, heating, beholding all that is.
13As the Calf both his parents so thou joinest both the distant
bounds,
Surely the Gods up yonder knew this sacred mystery long ago.
14Sūrya is eager to obtain all wealth that lies along the sea,
Great is the course spread out for him, his eastward and his
westward path.
15He finishes his race with speed and never turns his thought
aside,
Thereby he keeps not from the Gods enjoyment of the Drink of
Life.
16His heralds bear him up aloft, the God who knoweth all that
live,
Sūrya, that all may look on him.
17The Constellations pass away, like thieves, departing in the
night.
Before the all-beholding Sun.
18His herald rays are seen afar refulgent o'er the world of men,
Like flames of fire that burn and blaze.
19Swift and all-beautiful art thou, O Sūrya, maker of the light,
Illuming all the radiant realm.
20Thou goest to the hosts of Gods, thou comest hither to mankind,
Hither, all light to behold.
21With that same eye of thine wherewith thou seest, brilliant
Varuna.
The active one among mankind,
22Traversing sky and wide mid-air, thou metest with thy beams
our days,
Sun, seeing all things that have life.
23Seven bay steeds harnessed to thy car bear thee, O thou far-
seeing One, p. 117
God, Sūrya, with the radiant hair.
24Sūrya, hath yoked the pure bright seven, the daughters of the
car, with these,
His own dear team, he travelleth.
25Devout, aflame with fervent heat, Rohita hath gone up to
heaven.
He is re-born, returning to his birthplace, and hath become the
Gods' imperial ruler.
26Dear unto all men, facing all directions, with hands and palms
on every side extended,
He, the sole God, engendering earth and heaven, beareth them
with his wings and arms together.
27The single-footed hath outstepped the biped, the biped overtakes
the triple-footed.
The biped hath outstridden the six-footed: these sit around the
single-footed's body.
28When he, unwearied, fain to go, hath mounted his bays, he
makes two colours, brightly shining.
Rising with banners, conquering the regions, thou sendest light
through all the floods, Āditya.
29Verily, Sūrya, thou art great: truly, Āditya, thou art great.
Great is thy grandeur, Mighty One: thou, O Āditya, thou art
great.
30In heaven, O Bird, and in mid-air thou shinest: thou shinest on
the earth and in the waters.
Thou hast pervaded both the seas with splendour: a God art
thou, O God, light-winner, mighty.
31Soaring in mid-course hither from the distance, fleet and ins-
pired, the Bird that flies above us,
With might advancing Vishnu manifested, he conquers all that
moves with radiant banner:
32Brilliant, observant, mighty Lord, an Eagle illuming both the
spheres and air between them.
Day and the Night, clad in the robes of Sūrya, spread forth more
widely all his hero powers.
33Flaming and radiant, strengthening his body, bestowing floods
that promptly come to meet us,
He, luminous, winged, mighty, strength-bestower, hath mounted
all the regions as he forms them. p. 118
34Bright presence of the Gods, the luminous herald Sūrya hath
mounted the celestial regions.
Day's maker, he hath shone away the darkness, and radiant,
passed o'er places hard to traverse.
35He hath gone up on high, the Gods' bright presence, the eye of
Mitra, Varuna and Agni.
The soul of all that moveth not or moveth, Sūrya hath filled the
earth and air and heaven,
36High in the midst of heaven may we behold thee whom men call
Savitar, the bright red Eagle,
Soaring and speeding on thy way, refulgent, unwasting light
which Atri erst discovered.
37Him, Son of Aditi, an Eagle hasting along heaven's height, I
supplicate in terror,
As such prolong our lengthened life, O Sūrya: may we, unha-
rmed, enjoy thy gracious favour.
38This gold-hued Hansa's wings, soaring to heaven, spread o'er a
thousand days' continued journey
Supporting all the Gods upon his bosom, he goes his way behold-
ing every creature.
39Rohita, in primeval days Prajāpati, was, after, Time, Mouth of
all sacrifices, he, Rohita, brought celestial light.
40He, Rohita, became the world: Rohita gave the heaven its heat.
Rohita with his beams of light travelled along the earth and sea.
41To all the regions Rohita came, the imperial Lord of heaven.
He watches over ocean, heaven, and earth and all existing things.
42Mounting the lofty ones, he, bright, unwearied, splendidly
shining, makes two separate colours,
While through all worlds that are he sends his lustre, radiant,
observant, mighty, wind-approacher.
43One form comes on, the other is reverted: to day and night the
Strong One shapes and fits him.
With humble prayer for aid we call on Sūrya, who knows the
way, whose home is in the region.
44The suppliant's way, filling the earth, the Mighty circleth the
world with eye that none deceiveth.
May he, all-seeing, well-disposed and holy, give ear and listen to
the word I utter.
45Blazing with light his majesty hath compassed ocean and earth
and heaven and air's mid-region. p. 119
May he, all-seeing, well-disposed and holy, give ear and listen to
the word I utter.
46Agni is weakened by the people's fuel to meet the Dawn who
cometh like a milch-cow,
Like young trees shooting up on high their branches, his flames
are mounting to the vault of heaven.