HYMN XXVII. The Falcon: Rig Veda – Book 4 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

गर्भे नु सन्न अन्व एषाम अवेदम अहं देवानां जनिमानि विश्वा |
शतम मा पुर आयसीर अरक्षन्न अध शयेनो जवसा निर अदीयम ||

न घा स माम अप जोषं जभाराभीम आस तवक्षसा वीर्येण |
ईर्मा पुरंधिर अजहाद अरातीर उत वातां अतरच छूशुवानः ||

अव यच छयेनो अस्वनीद अध दयोर वि यद यदि वात ऊहुः पुरंधिम |
सर्जद यद अस्मा अव ह कषिपज जयां कर्शानुर अस्ता मनसा भुरण्यन ||

रजिप्य ईम इन्द्रावतो न भुज्युं शयेनो जभार बर्हतो अधि षणोः |
अन्तः पतत पतत्र्य अस्य पर्णम अध यामनि परसितस्य तद वेः ||

अध शवेतं कलशं गोभिर अक्तम आपिप्यानम मघवा शुक्रम अन्धः |
अध्वर्युभिः परयतम मध्वो अग्रम इन्द्रो मदाय परति धत पिबध्यै शूरो मदाय परति धत पिबध्यै ||

gharbhe nu sann anv eṣām avedam ahaṃ devānāṃ janimāni viśvā |
śatam mā pura āyasīr arakṣann adha śyeno javasā nir adīyam ||

na ghā sa mām apa joṣaṃ jabhārābhīm āsa tvakṣasā vīryeṇa |
īrmā puraṃdhir ajahād arātīr uta vātāṃ atarac chūśuvānaḥ ||

ava yac chyeno asvanīd adha dyor vi yad yadi vāta ūhuḥ puraṃdhim |
sṛjad yad asmā ava ha kṣipaj jyāṃ kṛśānur astā manasā bhuraṇyan ||

ṛjipya īm indrāvato na bhujyuṃ śyeno jabhāra bṛhato adhi ṣṇoḥ |
antaḥ patat patatry asya parṇam adha yāmani prasitasya tad veḥ ||

adha śvetaṃ kalaśaṃ ghobhir aktam āpipyānam maghavā śukram andhaḥ |
adhvaryubhiḥ prayatam madhvo aghram indro madāya prati dhat pibadhyai śūro madāya prati dhat pibadhyai ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. I, As I lay within the womb, considered all generations of these Gods in order.
A hundred iron fortresses confined me but forth I flew with rapid speed a Falcon.

2 Not at his own free pleasure did he bear me: he conquered with his strength and manly courage.
Straightway the Bold One left the fiends behind him and passed the winds as he grew yet more mighty.

3 When with loud cry from heaven down sped the Falcon, thence hasting like the wind he bore the Bold One.
Then, wildly raging in his mind, the archer Kṛśānu aimed and loosed the string to strike him.

4 The Falcon bore him from heaven’s lofty summit as the swift car of Indra’s Friend bore Bhujyu.
Then downward hither fell a flying feather of the Bird hasting forward in his journey.

5 And now let Maghavan accept the beaker, white, filled with milk, filled with the shining liquid;
The best of sweet meath which the priests have offered: that Indra to his joy may drink, the Hero, that he may take and drink it to his rapture.