HYMN LXXV. Weapons of War: Rig Veda – Book 6 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

जीमूतस्येव भवति परतीकं यद वर्मी याति समदामुपस्थे |
अनाविद्धया तन्वा जय तवं स तवा वर्मणो महिमा पिपर्तु ||

धन्वना गा धन्वनाजिं जयेम धन्वना तीव्राः समदो जयेम |
धनुः शत्रोरपकामं कर्णोति धन्वना सर्वाः परदिशो जयेम ||

वक्ष्यन्तीवेदा गनीगन्ति कर्णं परियं सखायं परिषस्वजाना |
योषेव शिङकते वितताधि धन्वञ जया इयं समने पारयन्ती ||

ते आचरन्ती समनेव योषा मातेव पुत्रं बिभ्र्तामुपस्थे |
अप शत्रून विध्यतां संविदाने आर्त्नी इमे विष्फुरन्तीमित्रान ||

बह्वीनां पिता बहुरस्य पुत्रश्चिश्चा कर्णोति समनावगत्य |
इषुधिः सङकाः पर्तनाश्च सर्वाः पर्ष्ठे निनद्धो जयति परसूतः ||

रथे तिष्ठन नयति वाजिनः पुरो यत्र-यत्र कामयते सुषारथिः |
अभीशूनां महिमानं पनायत मनः पश्चादनु यछन्ति रश्मयः ||

तीव्रान घोषान कर्ण्वते वर्षपाणयो.अश्वा रथेभिः सहवाजयन्तः |
अवक्रामन्तः परपदैरमित्रान कषिणन्ति शत्रून्रनपव्ययन्तः ||

रथवाहनं हविरस्य नाम यत्रायुधं निहितमस्य वर्म |
तत्रा रथमुप शग्मं सदेम विश्वाहा वयं सुमनस्यमानाः ||

सवादुषंसदः पितरो वयोधाः कर्छ्रेश्रितः शक्तीवन्तो गभीराः |
चित्रसेना इषुबला अम्र्ध्राः सतोवीरा उरवो वरातसाहाः ||

बराह्मणासः पितरः सोम्यासः शिवे नो दयावाप्र्थिवी अनेहसा |
पूषा नः पातु दुरिताद रताव्र्धो रक्षा माकिर्नो अघशंस ईशत ||

सुपर्णं वस्ते मर्गो अस्या दन्तो गोभिः संनद्धा पतति परसूता |
यत्रा नरः सं च वि च दरवन्ति तत्रास्मभ्यमिषवः शर्म यंसन ||

रजीते परि वरंधि नो.अश्मा भवतु नस्तनूः |
सोमो अधि बरवीतु नो.अदितिः शर्म यछतु ||

आ जङघन्ति सान्वेषां जघनानुप जिघ्नते |
अश्वाजनि परचेतसो.अश्वान समत्सु चोदय ||

अहिरिव भोगैः पर्येति बाहुं जयाया हेतिं परिबाधमानः |
हस्तघ्नो विश्वा वयुनानि विद्वान पुमान पुमांसं परि पातु विश्वतः ||

आलाक्ता या रुरुशीर्ष्ण्यथो यस्या अयो मुखम |
इदं पर्जन्यरेतस इष्वै देव्यै बर्हन नमः ||

अवस्र्ष्टा परा पत शरव्ये बरह्मसंशिते |
गछामित्रान्प्र पद्यस्व मानूषां कं चनोच्छिषः ||

यत्र बाणाः सम्पतन्ति कुमारा विशिखा इव |
तत्रा नो बरह्मणस पतिरदितिः शर्म यछतु विश्वाहा शर्म यछतु ||

मर्माणि ते वर्मणा छादयामि सोमस्त्वा राजाम्र्तेनानु वस्ताम |
उरोर्वरीयो वरुणस्ते कर्णोतु जयन्तं तवानु देवामदन्तु ||

यो नः सवो अरणो यश्च निष्ट्यो जिघांसति |
देवास्तंसर्वे धूर्वन्तु बरह्म वर्म ममान्तरम ||

jīmūtasyeva bhavati pratīkaṃ yad varmī yāti samadāmupasthe |
anāviddhayā tanvā jaya tvaṃ sa tvā varmaṇo mahimā pipartu ||

dhanvanā ghā dhanvanājiṃ jayema dhanvanā tīvrāḥ samado jayema |
dhanuḥ śatrorapakāmaṃ kṛṇoti dhanvanā sarvāḥ pradiśo jayema ||

vakṣyantīvedā ghanīghanti karṇaṃ priyaṃ sakhāyaṃ pariṣasvajānā |
yoṣeva śiṅkte vitatādhi dhanvañ jyā iyaṃ samane pārayantī ||

te ācarantī samaneva yoṣā māteva putraṃ bibhṛtāmupasthe |
apa śatrūn vidhyatāṃ saṃvidāne ārtnī ime viṣphurantīamitrān ||

bahvīnāṃ pitā bahurasya putraściścā kṛṇoti samanāvaghatya |
iṣudhiḥ saṅkāḥ pṛtanāśca sarvāḥ pṛṣṭhe ninaddho jayati prasūtaḥ ||

rathe tiṣṭhan nayati vājinaḥ puro yatra-yatra kāmayate suṣārathiḥ |
abhīśūnāṃ mahimānaṃ panāyata manaḥ paścādanu yachanti raśmayaḥ ||

tīvrān ghoṣān kṛṇvate vṛṣapāṇayo.aśvā rathebhiḥ sahavājayantaḥ |
avakrāmantaḥ prapadairamitrān kṣiṇanti śatrūnranapavyayantaḥ ||

rathavāhanaṃ havirasya nāma yatrāyudhaṃ nihitamasya varma |
tatrā rathamupa śaghmaṃ sadema viśvāhā vayaṃ sumanasyamānāḥ ||

svāduṣaṃsadaḥ pitaro vayodhāḥ kṛchreśritaḥ śaktīvanto ghabhīrāḥ |
citrasenā iṣubalā amṛdhrāḥ satovīrā uravo vrātasāhāḥ ||

brāhmaṇāsaḥ pitaraḥ somyāsaḥ śive no dyāvāpṛthivī anehasā |
pūṣā naḥ pātu duritād ṛtāvṛdho rakṣā mākirno aghaśaṃsa īśata ||

suparṇaṃ vaste mṛgho asyā danto ghobhiḥ saṃnaddhā patati prasūtā |
yatrā naraḥ saṃ ca vi ca dravanti tatrāsmabhyamiṣavaḥ śarma yaṃsan ||

ṛjīte pari vṛṃdhi no.aśmā bhavatu nastanūḥ |
somo adhi bravītu no.aditiḥ śarma yachatu ||

ā jaṅghanti sānveṣāṃ jaghanānupa jighnate |
aśvājani pracetaso.aśvān samatsu codaya ||

ahiriva bhoghaiḥ paryeti bāhuṃ jyāyā hetiṃ paribādhamānaḥ |
hastaghno viśvā vayunāni vidvān pumān pumāṃsaṃ pari pātu viśvataḥ ||

ālāktā yā ruruśīrṣṇyatho yasyā ayo mukham |
idaṃ parjanyaretasa iṣvai devyai bṛhan namaḥ ||

avasṛṣṭā parā pata śaravye brahmasaṃśite |
ghachāmitrānpra padyasva mānūṣāṃ kaṃ canocchiṣaḥ ||

yatra bāṇāḥ sampatanti kumārā viśikhā iva |
tatrā no brahmaṇas patiraditiḥ śarma yachatu viśvāhā śarma yachatu ||

marmāṇi te varmaṇā chādayāmi somastvā rājāmṛtenānu vastām |
urorvarīyo varuṇaste kṛṇotu jayantaṃ tvānu devāmadantu ||

yo naḥ svo araṇo yaśca niṣṭyo jighāṃsati |
devāstaṃsarve dhūrvantu brahma varma mamāntaram ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. THE warrior’s look is like a thunderous rain-cloud’s, when, armed with mail, he seeks the lap of battle.
Be thou victorious with unwounded body: so let the thickness of thy mail protect thee.

2 With Bow let us win kine, with Bow the battle, with Bow be victors in our hot encounters.
The Bow brings grief and sorrow to the foeman: armed with the Bow may we subdue all regions.

3 Close to his car, as fain to speak, She presses, holding her well-loved Friend in her embraces.
Strained on the Bow, She whispers like a woman-this Bowstring that preserves us in the combat.

4 These, meeting like a woman and her lover, bear, mother-like, their child upon their bosom.
May the two Bow-ends, starting swift asunder, scatter, in unison, the foes who hate us.

5 With many a son, father of many daughters, He clangs and clashes as he goes to battle.
Slung on the back, pouring his brood, the Quiver vanquishes all opposing bands and armies.

6 Upstanding in the Car the skilful Charioteer guides his strong Horses on whithersoe’er he will.
See and admire the strength of those controlling Reins which from behind declare the will of him who drives.

7 Horses whose hoofs rain dust are neighing loudly, yoked to the Chariots, showing forth their vigour,
With their forefeet descending on the foemen, they, never flinching, trample and destroy them.

8 Car-bearer is the name of his oblation, whercon are laid his Weapons and his Armour.
So let us here, each day that passes, honour the helpful Car with hearts exceeding joyful.

9 In sweet association lived the fathers who gave us life, profound and strong in trouble,
Unwearied, armed with shafts and wondrous weapons, free, real heroes, conquerors of armies.

10 The Brahmans, and the Fathers meet for Soma-draughts, and, graciously inclined, unequalled Heaven and Earth.
Guard us trom evil, Pūṣan, guard us strengtheners of Law: let not the evil-wisher master us.

11 Her tooth a deer, dressed in an eagle’s feathers, bound with cow-hide, launched forth, She flieth onward.
There where the heroes speed hither and thither, there may the Arrows shelter and protect us.

12 Avoid us thou whose flight is straight, and let our bodies be as stone.
May Soma kindly speak to us, and Aditi protect us well.

13 He lays his blows upon their backs, he deals his blows upon their thighs.
Thou, Whip, who urgest horses, drive sagacious horses in the fray.

14 It compasses the arm with serpent windings, fending away the friction of the bowstring:
So may the Brace, well-skilled in all its duties, guard manfully the man from every quarter.

15 Now to the Shaft with venom smeared, tipped with deer-horn, with iron mouth,
Celestial, of Parjanya’s seed, be this great adoration paid.

16 Loosed from the Bowstring fly away, thou Arrow, sharpened by our prayer.
Go to the foemen, strike them home, and let not one be left alive.

17 There where the flights of Arrows fall like boys whose locks are yet unshorn.
Even there may Brahmaṇaspati, and Aditi protect us well, protect us well through all our days.

18 Thy vital parts I cover with thine Armour: with immortality King Soma clothe thee.
Varuṇa give thee what is more than ample, and in thy triumph may the Gods be joyful.

19 Whoso would kill us, whether he be a strange foe or one of us,