{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/av/av09010.htm","path":"hin/av/av09010.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/av/av09010.htm","text":"Hymns of the Atharva Veda, by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1895]\n1How on the G\u0101yatri the G\u0101yatri was based; how from the\n \u00a0\u00a0Trishtup they fashioned the Trishtup forth:\n \u00a0\u00a0How on the Jagat\u012b was based the Jagat\u012b\u2014they who know this\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0have won themselves immortal life.\n 2With G\u0101yatri he measures out the praise-song, S\u0101man with\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0praise-song, triplet with the Trishtup, p. a387\n \u00a0\u00a0The triplet with the two or four-foot measure, and with the\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0syllable they form seven metres.\n 3With Jagat\u012b the flood in heaven he stablished, and saw the Sun\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0in the Rathantara S\u0101man.\n \u00a0\u00a0G\u0101yatri hath, they say, three logs for burning: hence it excels\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0in majesty and vigour.\n 4I invocate this Milch-cow good at milking, so that the Milker,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0deft of hand, may milk her.\n \u00a0\u00a0May \"Savitar give goodliest stimulation. The caldron is made\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0hot: he will proclaim it.\n 5She, Lady of all treasures, hath come hither, yearning in spirit\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0for her calf, and lowing.\n \u00a0\u00a0May this Cow yield her milk for both the Asvins, and may she\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0prosper to our high advantage.\n 6The Cow hath lowed after her blinking youngling: she licks his\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0forehead as she lows, to form it.\n \u00a0\u00a0His mouth she fondly calls to her warm udder, and suckles him\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0with milk while gently lowing.\n 7He also snorts, by whom encompassed round the Cow lows as\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0she closely clings to him who sheds the rain.\n \u00a0\u00a0She with her shrilling cries hath humbled mortal men, and turn-\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0ed to lightning, hath stripped off her covering robe.\n 8That which hath breath and life and speed and motion lies\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0firmly stablished in the midst of houses.\n \u00a0\u00a0The living moves by powers of the departed: the immortal is\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0the brother of the mortal.\n 9The old hath waked the young Moon from his slumber, who\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0runs his circling course with many round him.\n \u00a0\u00a0Behold the God's high wisdom in its greatness: he who died\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0yesterday to-day is living.\n 10He who hath made him doth not comprehend him: from him\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0who saw him surely he is hidden.\n \u00a0\u00a0He, yet enveloped in his mother's bosom, source of much life,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0hath sunk into destruction.\n 11I saw the Herdsman, him who never stumbles, approaching by\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0his pathways and departing.\n \u00a0\u00a0He clothed with gathered and diffusive splendours, within the\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0worlds continually travels.\n 12Dyaus is our father, our begetter: kinship is here. This great\n \u00a0\u00a0Earth is our kin and mother. p. a388\n \u00a0\u00a0Between the wide-spread world-halves is the birth-place. The\n \u00a0\u00a0Father laid the Daughter's germ within it.\n 13I bid thee tell me earth's extremest limit, about the Stallion's\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0genial flow I ask thee;\n \u00a0\u00a0I ask about the universe's centre, and touching highest heaven\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0where Speech abideth.\n 14The earth's most distant limit is this altar: this Soma is the\n \u00a0\u00a0Stallion's genial humour;\n \u00a0\u00a0This sacrifice the universe's centre: this Br\u0101hman highest heaven\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0where Speech abideth.\n 15What thing I truly am I know not clearly: mysterious, fettered\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0in my mind I wander.\n \u00a0\u00a0When the first-born of holy Law approached me, then of this\n \u00a0\u00a0Speech I first obtain a portion.\n 16Back, forward goes he, grasped by power inherent, immortal\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0born the brother of the mortal.\n \u00a0\u00a0Ceaseless they move in opposite directions: men mark the one\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and fail to mark the other.\n 17Seven germs unripened yet are Heaven's prolific seed: their\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0functions they maintain by Vishnu's ordinance.\n \u00a0\u00a0Endued with wisdom through intelligence and thought, present\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0on every side they compass us about.\n 18Upon what syllable of holy praise-hymn, as 'twere their highest\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0heaven, the Gods repose them\n \u00a0\u00a0Who knows not this, what will he do with praise-hymn? But\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0they who know it well sit here assembled.\n 19They, ordering the verse's foot by measure, with the half-verse\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0arranged each thing that moveth.\n \u00a0\u00a0Prayer was diffused in many forms three-footed thereby the\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0world's four regions have their being\n 20Fortunate mayst thou be with goodly pasture, and may we also\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0be exceeding wealthy.\n \u00a0\u00a0Feed on the grass, O Cow, through all the seasons, and coming\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0hitherward drink limpid water.\n 21Forming the water-floods the Cow herself hath lowed, one-foot-\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0ed or two-footed or four-footed, she,\n \u00a0\u00a0Who hath become eight-footed or acquired nine feet, the uni-\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0verse's thousand-syllabled Pankti. From her descend in\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0streams the seas of water. p. a389\n 22Dark the descent: the birds are golden-coloured. Robed in the\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0floods they fly aloft to heaven.\n \u00a0\u00a0Again from Order's seat have they descended, and inundated all\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0the earth with fatness.\n 23The footless Maid precedeth footed creatures. Who marketh,\n \u00a0\u00a0Mitra Varuna! this your doing?\n \u00a0\u00a0The Babe unborn supporteth this world's burthen, supporteth\n \u00a0\u00a0Right and watcheth Wrong and Falsehood.\n 24Vir\u0101j is Speech, and Earth, and Air's mid-region. He is Praja-\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0pati, and he is Mrityu.\n \u00a0\u00a0He is the Lord Imperial of the S\u0101dhyas. He rules what is and\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0what shall be hereafter. May he make me lord of what is and\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0shall be.\n 251 saw from far away the smoke of fuel with spires that rose on\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0high o'er that beneath it.\n \u00a0\u00a0The heroes cooked and dressed the spotted bullock. These were\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0the customs in the days aforetime.\n 26Three with long tresses show in ordered season. One of them\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0sheareth when the year is ended.\n \u00a0\u00a0One with his powers the universe regardeth. Of one the sweep\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0is seen, but not the figure.\n 27Speech hath been measured out in four divisions: the Br\u0101hmans\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0who have wisdom comprehend them.\n \u00a0\u00a0Three, kept in close concealment, cause no motion. Of Speech\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0men speak the fourth division only.\n 28They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni; and he is heavenly\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0nobly-winged Garutm\u0101n.\n \u00a0\u00a0That which is One bards call by many a title: they call It Agni,\n \u00a0\u00a0Yama, M\u0101tariswan.","title":"Atharva Veda: Book 9: Hymn 10: Continuation of Hymn 9","type":"page"}