Atharva Veda: Book 1 – Hymn 12

Atharva Veda: Book 1 – Hymn 12

HYMN XII
A prayer to Lightning, against fever, headache, and cough

1 Born from the womb, brought forth from wind and from the
cloud, the first red bull comes onward thundering with the
rain.
Our bodies may he spare who, cleaving, goes straight on; he who,
a single force, divides himself in three.

2 Bending to thee who clingest to each limb with heat, fain would
we worship thee with offered sacrifice,
Worship with sacrifice the bends and curves of thee who with a
vigorous grasp hast seized on this one’s limbs.

3 Do thou release this man from headache, free him from cough
which has entered into all his limbs and joints.
May he, the child of cloud, the offspring of the wind, the whiz-
zing lighting, strike the mountains and the trees.

4 Well be it with my upper frame, well be it with my lower parts.
With my four limbs let it be well. Let all my body be in health.