HYMN CLXIII. The Horse: Rig Veda – Book 1 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator
यदक्रन्दः परथमं जायमान उद्यन समुद्रादुत वा पुरीषात |
शयेनस्य पक्षा हरिणस्य बाहू उपस्तुत्यं महि जातं ते अर्वन ||
यमेन दत्तं तरित एनमायुनगिन्द्र एणं परथमो अध्यतिष्ठत |
गन्धर्वो अस्य रशनामग्र्भ्णात सूरादश्वं वसवो निरतष्ट ||
असि यमो अस्यादित्यो अर्वन्नसि तरितो गुह्येन वरतेन |
असि सोमेन समया विप्र्क्त आहुस्ते तरीणि दिवि बन्धनानि ||
तरीणि त आहुर्दिवि बन्धनानि तरीण्यप्सु तरीण्यन्तः समुद्रे |
उतेव मे वरुणश्चन्त्स्यर्वन यत्रा त आहुः परमं जनित्रम ||
इमा ते वाजिन्नवमार्जनानीमा शफानां सनितुर्निधाना |
अत्रा ते भद्रा रशना अपश्यं रतस्य या अभिरक्षन्तिगोपाः ||
आत्मानं ते मनसारादजानामवो दिवा पतयन्तं पतंगम |
शिरो अपश्यं पथिभिः सुगेभिररेणुभिर्जेहमानं पतत्रि ||
अत्रा ते रूपमुत्तममपश्यं जिगीषमाणमिष आ पदेगोः |
यदा ते मर्तो अनु भोगमानळ आदिद गरसिष्ठ ओषधीरजीगः ||
अनु तवा रथो अनु मर्यो अर्वन्ननु गावो.अनु भगः कनीनाम |
अनु वरातासस्तव सख्यमीयुरनु देवा ममिरे वीर्यं ते ||
हिरण्यश्र्ङगो.अयो अस्य पादा मनोजवा अवर इन्द्र आसीत |
देवा इदस्य हविरद्यमायन यो अर्वन्तं परथमो अध्यतिष्ठत ||
ईर्मान्तासः सिलिकमध्यमासः सं शूरणासो दिव्यासो अत्याः |
हंसा इव शरेणिशो यतन्ते यदाक्षिषुर्दिव्यमज्ममश्वाः ||
तव शरीरं पतयिष्ण्वर्वन तव चित्तं वात इव धरजीमान |
तव शर्ङगाणि विष्ठिता पुरुत्रारण्येषु जर्भुराणा चरन्ति ||
उप परागाच्छसनं वाज्यर्वा देवद्रीचा मनसा दीध्यानः |
अजः पुरो नीयते नाभिरस्यानु पश्चात कवयो यन्तिरेभाः ||
उप परागात परमं यत सधस्थमर्वानछा पितरं मातरं च |
अद्या देवाञ जुष्टतमो हि गम्या अथा शास्ते दाशुषे वार्याणि ||
yadakrandaḥ prathamaṃ jāyamāna udyan samudrāduta vā purīṣāt |
śyenasya pakṣā hariṇasya bāhū upastutyaṃ mahi jātaṃ te arvan ||
yamena dattaṃ trita enamāyunaghindra eṇaṃ prathamo adhyatiṣṭhat |
ghandharvo asya raśanāmaghṛbhṇāt sūrādaśvaṃ vasavo nirataṣṭa ||
asi yamo asyādityo arvannasi trito ghuhyena vratena |
asi somena samayā vipṛkta āhuste trīṇi divi bandhanāni ||
trīṇi ta āhurdivi bandhanāni trīṇyapsu trīṇyantaḥ samudre |
uteva me varuṇaścantsyarvan yatrā ta āhuḥ paramaṃ janitram ||
imā te vājinnavamārjanānīmā śaphānāṃ saniturnidhānā |
atrā te bhadrā raśanā apaśyaṃ ṛtasya yā abhirakṣantighopāḥ ||
ātmānaṃ te manasārādajānāmavo divā patayantaṃ pataṃgham |
śiro apaśyaṃ pathibhiḥ sughebhirareṇubhirjehamānaṃ patatri ||
atrā te rūpamuttamamapaśyaṃ jighīṣamāṇamiṣa ā padeghoḥ |
yadā te marto anu bhoghamānaḷ ādid ghrasiṣṭha oṣadhīrajīghaḥ ||
anu tvā ratho anu maryo arvannanu ghāvo.anu bhaghaḥ kanīnām |
anu vrātāsastava sakhyamīyuranu devā mamire vīryaṃ te ||
hiraṇyaśṛṅgho.ayo asya pādā manojavā avara indra āsīt |
devā idasya haviradyamāyan yo arvantaṃ prathamo adhyatiṣṭhat ||
īrmāntāsaḥ silikamadhyamāsaḥ saṃ śūraṇāso divyāso atyāḥ |
haṃsā iva śreṇiśo yatante yadākṣiṣurdivyamajmamaśvāḥ ||
tava śarīraṃ patayiṣṇvarvan tava cittaṃ vāta iva dhrajīmān |
tava śṛṅghāṇi viṣṭhitā purutrāraṇyeṣu jarbhurāṇā caranti ||
upa prāghācchasanaṃ vājyarvā devadrīcā manasā dīdhyānaḥ |
ajaḥ puro nīyate nābhirasyānu paścāt kavayo yantirebhāḥ ||
upa prāghāt paramaṃ yat sadhasthamarvānachā pitaraṃ mātaraṃ ca |
adyā devāñ juṣṭatamo hi ghamyā athā śāste dāśuṣe vāryāṇi ||
English Translation
Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith
1. WHAT time, first springing into life, thou neighedst, proceeding from the sea or upper waters,
Limbs of the deer hadst thou, and eagle pinions. O Steed, thy birth is nigh and must be lauded.
2 This Steed which Yama gave hath Trita harnessed, and him, the first of all, hath Indra mounted.
His bridle the Gandharva grasped. O Vasus, from out the Sun ye fashioned forth the Courser.
3 Yama art thou, O Horse; thou art Āditya; Trita art thou by secret operation.
Thou art divided thoroughly from Soma. They say thou hast three bonds in heaven
that hold thee.
4 Three bonds, they say, thou hast in heaven that bind thee, three in the waters,
three within the ocean.
To me thou seemest Varuṇa, O Courser, there where they say is thy sublimest birth-place.
5 Here-, Courser, are the places where they groomed thee, here are the traces of thy hoofs as winner.
Here have I seen the auspicious reins that guide thee, which those who guard the holy Law keep safely.
6 Thyself from far I recognized in spirit,—a Bird that from below flew through the heaven.
I saw thy head still soaring, striving upward by paths unsoiled by dust, pleasant to travel.
7 Here I beheld thy form, matchless in glory, eager to win thee food at the Cow’s station.
Whene’er a man brings thee to thine enjoyment, thou swallowest the plants most greedy eater.
8 After thee, Courser, come the car, the bridegroom, the kine come after, and the charm of maidens.
Full companies have followed for thy friendship: the pattern of thy vigour Gods have copied.
9 Horns made of gold hath he: his feet are iron: less fleet than he, though swift as thought, is Indra.
The Gods have come that they may taste the oblation of him who mounted, first of all, the Courser.
10 Symmetrical in flank, with rounded haunches, mettled like heroes, the Celestial Coursers
Put forth their strength, like swans in lengthened order, when they, the Steeds, have reached the heavenly causeway.
11 A body formed for flight hast thou, O Charger; swift as the wind in motion is thy spirit.
Thy horns are spread abroad in all directions: they move with restless beat in wildernesses.
12 The strong Steed hath come forward to the slaughter, pondering with a mind directed God-ward.
The goat who is his kin is led before him the sages and the singers follow after.
13 The Steed is come unto the noblest mansion, is come unto his Father and his Mother.
This day shall he approach the Gods, most welcome: then he declares good gifts to him who offers.