Page:The Hymns of the Rigveda Vol 2.djvu/10

4 5 With holy thoughts the pious have thrown open Doors fain for chariots in the Gods' assembly.

Like two full mother cows who lick their youngling, like maidens for the gathering, they adorn them.

6 And let the two exalted Heavenly Ladies, Morning and Night, like a cow good at milking,

Come, much-invoked, and on our grass be seated, wealthy, deserving worship, for our welfare.

7 You, Bards and Singers at men's sacrifices, both filled with wisdom, I incline to worship.

Send up our offerings when we call upon you, and so among the Gods obtain us treasures.

8 May Bhâratî with all her Sisters, Iḷâ accordant with the Gods, with mortals Agni,

Saṛasvati with all her kindred Rivers, come to this grass, Three Goddesses, and seat them.

9 Well pleased with us do thou, God, Tvashṭar, give ready issue to our procreant vigour,

Whence springs the hero, powerful, skilled in action, lover of Gods, adjuster of the press-stones.

10 Send to the Gods the oblation. Lord of Forests, and let the Immolator, Agni, dress it.

He as the truer Priest shall offer worship, for the Gods' generations well he knoweth.

11 Come thou to us, Agni, duly kindled, together with the potent Gods and Indra.

On this our grass sit Aditi, happy Mother, and let our Hall! delight the Gods Immortal.

Rh with fires, make your God Agni envoy at sacrifice, best skilled in worship,

Established firm among mankind, the Holy, flame-crowned and fed with oil, the Purifier.

5 Doors: the deified doors of the hall of sacrifice where the Gods assemble. Rain for chariots: welcoming the approach of the cars in which the priests come to the ceremony. The latter half of the stanza is obscure; '(the ladies) placed to the east are plying the fire with ghí at sacrifices, as the mother cow lick the calf, or as rivers (water the fields).' — Wilson.

6 Like a cow: the dual dhenû, two cows, instead of dhenúḥ, would, as Ludwig suggests, seem to us to be preferable.

7 Bards and Singers: the hótâvâ, or 'two Invokers' of I. 13. 8; perhaps Agni and Varuṇa, or Varuṇa and Âditya.

8 Stanzas 8-11 are identical with stanzas 8—11 of Book III. 4.

1 Associate: sajóshâḥ being a shortened form of sajóshasaḥ, the nominative plural. Sâyạṇa explains it as an accusative singular, qualifying Agni.