HYMN VIII Sacrificial Post: Rig Veda – Book 3 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

अञ्जन्ति तवामध्वरे देवयन्तो वनस्पते मधुना दैव्येन |
यदूर्ध्वस्तिष्ठा दरविणेह धत्ताद यद वा कषयो मातुरस्या उपस्थे ||

समिद्धस्य शरयमाणः पुरस्ताद बरह्म वन्वानो अजरं सुवीरम |
आरे अस्मदमतिं बाधमान उच्छ्रयस्व महते सौभगाय ||

उच्छ्रयस्व वनस्पते वर्ष्मन पर्थिव्या अधि |
सुमिती मीयमानो वर्चो धा यज्ञवाहसे ||

युवा सुवासाः परिवीत आगात स उ शरेयान भवति जायमानः |
तं धीरासः कवय उन नयन्ति सवाध्यो मनसा देवयन्तः ||

जातो जायते सुदिनत्वे अह्नां समर्य आ विदथे वर्धमानः |
पुनन्ति धीरा अपसो मनीषा देवया विप्र उदियर्ति वाचम ||

यान वो नरो देवयन्तो निमिम्युर्वनस्पते सवधितिर्वा ततक्ष |
ते देवासः सवरवस्तस्थिवांसः परजावदस्मे दिधिषन्तु रत्नम ||

ये वर्क्णासो अधि कषमि निमितासो यतस्रुचः |
ते नो वयन्तु वार्यं देवत्रा कषेत्रसाधसः ||

आदित्या रुद्रा वसवः सुनीथा दयावाक्षामा पर्थिवी अन्तरिक्षम |
सजोषसो यज्ञमवन्तु देवा ऊर्ध्वं कर्ण्वन्त्वध्वरस्य केतुम ||

हंसा इव शरेणिशो यतानाः शुक्रा वसानाः सवरवो नागुः |
उन्नीयमानाः कविभिः पुरस्ताद देवा देवानामपि यन्ति पाथः ||

शर्ङगाणीवेच्छ्र्ङगिणां सं दद्र्श्रे चषालवन्तः सवरवः पर्थिव्याम |
वाघद्भिर्वा विहवे शरोषमाणा अस्मानवन्तु पर्तनाज्येषु ||

वनस्पते शतवल्शो वि रोह सहस्रवल्शा वि वयं रुहेम |
यं तवामयं सवधितिस्तेजमानः परणिनाय महते सौभगाय ||

añjanti tvāmadhvare devayanto vanaspate madhunā daivyena |
yadūrdhvastiṣṭhā draviṇeha dhattād yad vā kṣayo māturasyā upasthe ||

samiddhasya śrayamāṇaḥ purastād brahma vanvāno ajaraṃ suvīram |
āre asmadamatiṃ bādhamāna ucchrayasva mahate saubhaghāya ||

ucchrayasva vanaspate varṣman pṛthivyā adhi |
sumitī mīyamāno varco dhā yajñavāhase ||

yuvā suvāsāḥ parivīta āghāt sa u śreyān bhavati jāyamānaḥ |
taṃ dhīrāsaḥ kavaya un nayanti svādhyo manasā devayantaḥ ||

jāto jāyate sudinatve ahnāṃ samarya ā vidathe vardhamānaḥ |
punanti dhīrā apaso manīṣā devayā vipra udiyarti vācam ||

yān vo naro devayanto nimimyurvanaspate svadhitirvā tatakṣa |
te devāsaḥ svaravastasthivāṃsaḥ prajāvadasme didhiṣantu ratnam ||

ye vṛkṇāso adhi kṣami nimitāso yatasrucaḥ |
te no vyantu vāryaṃ devatrā kṣetrasādhasaḥ ||

ādityā rudrā vasavaḥ sunīthā dyāvākṣāmā pṛthivī antarikṣam |
sajoṣaso yajñamavantu devā ūrdhvaṃ kṛṇvantvadhvarasya ketum ||

haṃsā iva śreṇiśo yatānāḥ śukrā vasānāḥ svaravo naāghuḥ |
unnīyamānāḥ kavibhiḥ purastād devā devānāmapi yanti pāthaḥ ||

śṛṅghāṇīvecchṛṅghiṇāṃ saṃ dadṛśre caṣālavantaḥ svaravaḥ pṛthivyām |
vāghadbhirvā vihave śroṣamāṇā asmānavantu pṛtanājyeṣu ||

vanaspate śatavalśo vi roha sahasravalśā vi vayaṃ ruhema |
yaṃ tvāmayaṃ svadhitistejamānaḥ praṇināya mahate saubhaghāya ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. GOD-SERVING men, O Sovran of the Forest, with heavenly meath at sacrifice anoint thee.
Grant wealth to us when thou art standing upright as when reposing on this Mother’s bosom.

2 Set up to eastward of the fire enkindled, accepting prayer that wastes not, rich in hero.
Driving far from us poverty and famine, lift thyself up to bring us great good fortune.

3 Lord of the Forest, raise. thyself up on the loftiest spot of earth.
Give splendour, fixt and measured well, to him who brings the sacrifice.

4 Well-robed, enveloped he is come, the youthful: springing to life his glory waxeth greater.
Contemplative in mind and God-adoring, sages of high intelligence upraise him.

5 Sprung up he rises in the days’ fair weather, increasing in the men-frequented synod.
With song the wise and skilful consecrate him: his voice the God-adoring singer utters.

6, Ye whom religious men have firmly planted; thou Forest Sovran whom the axe hath fashioned,—
Let those the Stakes divine which here are standing be fain to grant us wealth with store of children.

7 O men who lift the ladles up, these hewn and planted in the ground,
Bringing a blessing to the field, shall bear our precious gift to Gods.

8 Ādityas, Rudras, Vasus, careful leaders, Earth, Heaven, and Prthivi and Air’s mid-region,
Accordant Deities shall bless our worship and make our sacrifice’s ensign lofty.

9 Like swan’s that flee in lengthened line, the Pillars have come to us arrayed in brilliant coIour.
They, lifted up on high, by sages, eastward, go forth as Gods to the God’s dwelling-places.

10 Those Stakes upon the earth with rings that deck them seem to the eye like horns of horned creatures;
Or, as upraised by priests in invocation, let them assist us in the rush to battle.

11 Lord of the Wood, rise with a hundred branches. with thousand branches may we rise to greatness,
Tlou whom this hatchct, with an edge well whetted for great felicity, hath brought before us.