{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/av/av09004.htm","path":"hin/av/av09004.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/av/av09004.htm","text":"Hymns of the Atharva Veda, by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1895]\n1The Bull, fierce, thousandfold, filled full of vigour, bearing\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0within his flanks all forms and natures,\n \u00a0\u00a0Brihaspati's Steer, hath stretched the thread, bestowing bliss on\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0the worshipper, the liberal giver.\n 2He who at first became the Waters' model, a match for everyone,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0like Earth the Goddess;\n \u00a0\u00a0The husband of the cows, the young calves' father, may be\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0secure us thousandfold abundance.\n 3Masculine, pr\u00e9gnant, stedfast. full of vigour, the Bull sustains a\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0trunk of goodly treasure.\n \u00a0\u00a0May Agni J\u0101tavedas bear him offered, on pathways traversed by\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0the Gods, to Indra. p. a366\n 4The husband of the cows, the young calves' father, father is he\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0of mighty water-eddies.\n \u00a0\u00a0Calf, after-birth, new milk drawn hot, and biestings, curds, butter,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0that is his best genial humour.\n 5He is the Gods' allotted share and bundle, essence of waters,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and of plants, and butter.\n \u00a0\u00a0Sakra elected him, the draught of Soma. What was his body\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0was a lofty mountain.\n 06. A beaker filled with Soma juice thou bearest. framer of forms,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0begetter of the cattle.\n \u00a0\u00a0Kindly to us be these thy wombs here present, and stay for us,\n \u00a0\u00a0O Axe, those that are yonder.\n 7He bears oblation, and his seed is butter. Thousand-fold plenty;\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0sacrifice they call him.\n \u00a0\u00a0May he, the Bull, wearing the shape of Indra, come unto us, O\n \u00a0\u00a0Gods, bestowed, with blessing.\n 8Both arms of Varuna, and Indra's vigour, the Maruts' hump is\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0he, the Asvins' shoulders.\n \u00a0\u00a0They who are sages, bards endowed with wisdom, call him\n \u00a0\u00a0Brihaspati compact and heightened.\n 9Thou, vigorous, reachest to the tribes of heaven. Thee they call\n \u00a0\u00a0Indra, thee they call Sarasv\u0101n.\n \u00a0\u00a0Turned to one aim, that Br\u0101hman gives a thousand who offers\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0up the Bull as his oblation.\n 10Brihaspati, Savitar gave thee vital vigour: thy breath was\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0brought from Tvashtar and from V\u0101yu.\n \u00a0\u00a0In thought I offer thee in air's mid-region. Thy sacrificial grass\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0be Earth and Heaven!\n 11Let the priest joyfully extol the limbs and members of the Bull\n \u00a0\u00a0Who moved and roared among the kine as Indra moves among\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0the Gods.\n 12The sides must be Anumati's, and both rib-pieces Bhaga's share,\n \u00a0\u00a0Of the knee-bones hath Mitra said, Both these are mine, and\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0only mine.\n 13The \u0100dityas claim the hinder parts, the loins must be Brihas-\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0pati's.\n \u00a0\u00a0V\u0101ta, the God, receives the tail: he stirs the plants and herbs\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0therewith,\n 14To S\u016bry\u0101 they assigned the skin, to Siniv\u0101li inward parts. p. a367\n \u00a0\u00a0The Slaughterer hath the feet, they said, when they distributed\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0the Bull.\n 15They made a jest of kindred's curse: a jar of Soma juice was set,\n \u00a0\u00a0What time the deities, convened, assigned the Bull's divided\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0parts.\n 16They gave the hooves to tortoises, to Saram\u0101 scraps of the feet:\n \u00a0\u00a0His undigested food they gave to worms and things that creep\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and crawl.\n 17That Bull, the husband of the kine, pierces the demons with his\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0horns,\n \u00a0\u00a0Banishes famine with his eye, and hears good tidings with his\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0ears.\n 18With hundred sacrifices he worships: the fires consume him not:\n \u00a0\u00a0All Gods promote the Braman who offers the Bull in sacrifice.\n 19He who hath given away the Bull to Br\u0101hmans frees and cheers\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0his soul.\n \u00a0\u00a0In his own cattle-pen he sees the growth and increase of his\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0cows.\n 20Let there be cattle, let there be bodily strength and progeny:\n \u00a0\u00a0All this may the Gods kindly grant to him who gives away the\n \u00a0\u00a0Bull.\n 21Indra here verily hath rejoiced: let him bestow conspicuous\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0wealth.\n \u00a0\u00a0May he draw forth at will from yonder side of heaven a deft\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0cow, good to milk, whose calf is never wanting.\n 22With close connexion mingle with the cows in this our cattle-\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0pen:\n \u00a0\u00a0Mingle, the Bull's prolific flow, and, Indra! thine heroic\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0strength!\n 23Here we restore this Bull, your youthful leader: sporting with\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0him, go, wander at your pleasure.\n \u00a0\u00a0Ne'er, wealthy ones! may he be reft of offspring; and do ye\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0favour us with growth of riches.","title":"Atharva Veda: Book 9: Hymn 4: A glorification of the typical sacrificial bull","type":"page"}