HYMN CXLVI. Aranyani. – Rig Veda – Book 10

अरण्यान्यरण्यान्यसौ या परेव नश्यसि |
कथाग्रामं न पर्छसि न तवा भीरिव विन्दती.अ.अ.अन ||

वर्षारवाय वदते यदुपावति चिच्चिकः |
आघाटिभिरिवधावयन्नरण्यानिर्महीयते ||

उत गाव इवादन्त्युत वेश्मेव दर्श्यते |
उतो अरण्यानिःसायं शकटीरिव सर्जति ||

गामङगैष आ हवयति दार्वङगैषो अपावधीत |
वसन्नरण्यान्यां सायमक्रुक्षदिति मन्यते ||

न वा अरण्यानिर्हन्त्यन्यश्चेन नाभिगछति |
सवादोःफलस्य जग्ध्वाय यथाकामं नि पद्यते ||

आञ्जनगन्धिं सुरभिं बह्वन्नामक्र्षीवलाम |
पराहम्म्र्गाणां मातरमरण्यानिमशंसिषम ||

araṇyānyaraṇyānyasau yā preva naśyasi |
kathāghrāmaṃ na pṛchasi na tvā bhīriva vindatī.a.a.an ||

vṛṣāravāya vadate yadupāvati ciccikaḥ |
āghāṭibhirivadhāvayannaraṇyānirmahīyate ||

uta ghāva ivādantyuta veśmeva dṛśyate |
uto araṇyāniḥsāyaṃ śakaṭīriva sarjati ||

ghāmaṅghaiṣa ā hvayati dārvaṅghaiṣo apāvadhīt |
vasannaraṇyānyāṃ sāyamakrukṣaditi manyate ||

na vā araṇyānirhantyanyaścen nābhighachati |
svādoḥphalasya jaghdhvāya yathākāmaṃ ni padyate ||

āñjanaghandhiṃ surabhiṃ bahvannāmakṛṣīvalām |
prāhammṛghāṇāṃ mātaramaraṇyānimaśaṃsiṣam ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. GODDESS of wild and forest who seemest to vanish from the sight.
How is it that thou seekest not the village? Art thou not afraid?

2 What time the grasshopper replies and swells the shrill cicala’s voice,
Seeming to sound with tinkling bells, the Lady of the Wood exults.

3 And, yonder, cattle seem to graze, what seems a dwelling-place appears:
Or else at eve the Lady of the Forest seems to free the wains.

4 Here one is calling to his cow, another there hath felled a tree:
At eve the dweller in the wood fancies that somebody hath screamed.

5 The Goddess never slays, unless some murderous enemy approach.
Man eats of savoury fruit and then takes, even as he wills, his rest.

6 Now have I praised the Forest Queen, sweet-scented, redolent of balm,
The Mother of all sylvan things, who tills not but hath stores of food.