HYMN XXVIII. Cows: Rig Veda – Book 6 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator
आ गावो अग्मन्नुत भद्रमक्रन सीदन्तु गोष्ठे रणयन्त्वस्मे |
परजावतीः पुरुरूपा इह सयुरिन्द्राय पूर्वीरुषसो दुहानाः ||
इन्द्रो यज्वने पर्णते च शिक्षत्युपेद ददाति न सवं मुषायति |
भूयो-भूयो रयिमिदस्य वर्धयन्नभिन्ने खिल्ये निदधाति देवयुम ||
न ता नशन्ति न दभाति तस्करो नासामामित्रो वयथिरादधर्षति |
देवांश्च याभिर्यजते ददाति च जयोगित ताभिः सचते गोपतिः सह ||
न ता अर्वा रेणुककाटो अश्नुते न संस्क्र्तत्रमुप यन्ति ता अभि |
उरुगायमभयं तस्य ता अनु गावो मर्तस्य विचरन्ति यज्वनः ||
गावो भगो गाव इन्द्रो मे अछान गावः सोमस्य परथमस्य भक्षः |
इमा या गावः स जनास इन्द्र इछामीद धर्दामनसा चिदिन्द्रम ||
यूयं गावो मेदयथा कर्शं चिदश्रीरं चित कर्णुथा सुप्रतीकम |
भद्रं गर्हं कर्णुथ भद्रवाचो बर्हद वो वय उच्यते सभासु ||
परजावतीः सूयवसं रिशन्तीः शुद्धा अपः सुप्रपाणेपिबन्तीः |
मा व सतेन ईशत माघशंसः परि वो हेती रुद्रस्य वर्ज्याः ||
उपेदमुपपर्चनमासु गोषूप पर्च्यताम |
उप रषभस्य रेतस्युपेन्द्र तव वीर्ये ||
ā ghāvo aghmannuta bhadramakran sīdantu ghoṣṭhe raṇayantvasme |
prajāvatīḥ pururūpā iha syurindrāya pūrvīruṣaso duhānāḥ ||
indro yajvane pṛṇate ca śikṣatyuped dadāti na svaṃ muṣāyati |
bhūyo-bhūyo rayimidasya vardhayannabhinne khilye nidadhāti devayum ||
na tā naśanti na dabhāti taskaro nāsāmāmitro vyathirādadharṣati |
devāṃśca yābhiryajate dadāti ca jyoghit tābhiḥ sacate ghopatiḥ saha ||
na tā arvā reṇukakāṭo aśnute na saṃskṛtatramupa yanti tā abhi |
urughāyamabhayaṃ tasya tā anu ghāvo martasya vicaranti yajvanaḥ ||
ghāvo bhagho ghāva indro me achān ghāvaḥ somasya prathamasya bhakṣaḥ |
imā yā ghāvaḥ sa janāsa indra ichāmīd dhṛdāmanasā cidindram ||
yūyaṃ ghāvo medayathā kṛśaṃ cidaśrīraṃ cit kṛṇuthā supratīkam |
bhadraṃ ghṛhaṃ kṛṇutha bhadravāco bṛhad vo vaya ucyate sabhāsu ||
prajāvatīḥ sūyavasaṃ riśantīḥ śuddhā apaḥ suprapāṇepibantīḥ |
mā va stena īśata māghaśaṃsaḥ pari vo hetī rudrasya vṛjyāḥ ||
upedamupaparcanamāsu ghoṣūpa pṛcyatām |
upa ṛṣabhasya retasyupendra tava vīrye ||
English Translation
Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith
1. THE Kine have come and brought good fortune: let them rest in the cow-pen and be happy near us.
Here let them stay prolific, many-coloured, and yield through many morns their milk for Indra.
2 Indra aids him who offers sacrifice and gifts: he takes not what is his, and gives him more thereto.
Increasing ever more and ever more his wealth, he makes the pious dwell within unbroken bounds.
3 These are ne’er lost, no robber ever injures them: no evil-minded foe attempts to harass them.
The master of the Kine lives many a year with these, the Cows whereby he pours his gifts and serves the Gods.
4 The charger with his dusty brow o’ertakes them not, and never to the shambles do they take their way.
These Cows, the cattle of the pious worshipper, roam over widespread pasture where no danger is.
5 To me the Cows seem Bhaga, they seem Indra, they seem a portion of the first-poured Soma.
These present Cows, they, O ye Indra. I long for Indra with my heart and spirit.
6 O Cows, ye fatten e’en the worn and wasted, and make the unlovely beautiful tolook on.
Prosper my house, ye with auspicious voices. Your power is glorified in our assemblies.
7 Crop goodly pasturage and be prolific drink pure sweet water at good drinking places.
Never be thief or sinful man your matter, and may the dart of Rudra still avoid you.
8 Now let this close admixture be close intermigled with these Cows,
Mixt with the Steer’s prolific flow, and, Indra, with thy hero might.