The Rig Veda/Mandala 10/Hymn 98

1. COME, be thou Mitra, Varuna, or Pusan, come, O Brhaspati, to mine oblation: With Maruts, Vasus, or Adityas, make thou Parjanya pour for Santanu his rain-drops. 2. The God, intelligent, the speedy envoy whom thou hast sent hath come to me, Devapi: Address thyself to me and turn thee hither within thy lips will I put brilliant language. 3. Within my mouth, Brhaspati, deposit speech lucid, vigorous, and free from weakness, Thereby to win for Santanu the rain-fall. The meath-rich drop from heaven hath passed within it. 4. Let the sweet drops descend on us, O Indra: give us enough to lade a thousand wagons. Sit to thy Hotar task; pay worship duly, and serve the Gods, Devapi, with oblation. 5. Knowing the God's good-will, Devapi, Rsi, the son of Rstisena, sate as Hotar. He hath brought down from heaven's most lofty summit the ocean of the rain, celestial waters. 6. Gathered together in that highest ocean, the waters stood by deities obstructed. They hurried down set free by Arstisena, in gaping clefts, urged onward by Devapi. 7. When as chief priest for Santanu, Devapi, chosen for Hotar's duty, prayed beseeching, Graciously pleased Brhaspati vouchsafed him a voice that reached the Gods and won the waters. 8. O Agni whom Devapi Arstisena, the mortal man, hath kindled in his glory, Joying in him with all the Gods together, urge on the sender of the rain, Parjanya. 9. All ancient Rsis with their songs approached thee, even thee, O Much-invoked, at sacrifices. We have provided wagon-loads in thousands: come to the solemn rite, Lord of Red Horses. 10. The wagon-loads, the nine-and-ninety thousand, these have been offered up to thee, O Agni. Hero, with these increase thy many bodies, and, stimulated, send us rain from heaven. 11. Give thou these ninety thousand loads, O Agni, to Indra, to the Bull, to be his portion. Knowing the paths which Deities duly travel, set mid the Gods in heaven Aulana also. 12. O Agni, drive afar our foes, our troubles chase malady away and wicked demons. From this air-ocean, from the lofty heavens, send down on us a mighty flood of waters.