{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/av/av10010.htm","path":"hin/av/av10010.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/av/av10010.htm","text":"Hymns of the Atharva Veda, by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1895]\n1Worship to thee springing to life, and worship unto thee when\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0born!\n \u00a0\u00a0Worship, O Cow, to thy tail-hair, and to thy hooves, and to thy\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0form!\n 2The man who knows the Seven Floods, who knows the seven\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0distances,\n \u00a0\u00a0Who knows the head of sacrifice, he may receive the holy Cow.\n 3I know the Seven Water-floods, I know the seven distances,\n \u00a0\u00a0I know the head of sacrifice, and Soma shining bright in her.\n 4Hitherward we invite with prayer the Cow who pours a thou-\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0sand streams,\n \u00a0\u00a0By whom the heaven, by whom the earth, by whom these waters\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0are preserved.\n 5Upon her back there are a hundred keepers, a hundred metal\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0bowls, a hundred milkers.\n \u00a0\u00a0The Deities who breathe in her all separately know the Cow. p. 37\n 6Her foot is sacrifice, her milk libation, Svadh\u0101 her breath, Mah\u00ef-\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0luk\u0101 the mighty:\n \u00a0\u00a0To the God goes with prayer the Cow who hath Parjanya for\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0her lord.\n 7Agni hath entered into thee; Soma, O Cow, hath entered thee.\n \u00a0\u00a0Thine udder is Parjanya, O blest Cow; the lightnings are thy\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0teats.\n 8Thou pourest out the Waters first, and corn-lands afterward,\n \u00a0\u00a0O Cow.\n \u00a0\u00a0Thirdly thou pourest princely sway. O Cow, thou pourest food\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and milk.\n 9When, Holy One, thou camest nigh invited by the \u0100dityas' call,\n \u00a0\u00a0Indra gave thee to drink, O cow, a thousand bowls of Soma\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0juice.\n 10The Bull, what time thou followedst the way of Indra, summon-\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0ed thee:\n \u00a0\u00a0Thence the Fiend-slayer, angered, took thy water and thy milk\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0away.\n 11O Cow, the milk which in his wrath the Lord of Riches took\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0from thee,\n \u00a0\u00a0That same the vault of heaven now preserveth in three reser-\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0voirs.\n 12The Cow Celestial received that Soma in three vessels, where.\n \u00a0\u00a0Atharvan, consecrated, sate upon the Sacred Grass of gold.\n 13Come hither with the Soma, come with every footed thing; the\n \u00a0\u00a0Cow\n \u00a0\u00a0With Kalis and Gandharvas by her side hath stepped upon the\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0sea.\n 14Come hither with the Wind, yea, come with every creature borne\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0on wings.\n \u00a0\u00a0Laden with holy verse and song the Cow hath leapt into the\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0sea.\n 15Come with the Sun, come hitherward with every creature that\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0hath eyes,\n \u00a0\u00a0Bearing auspicious lights with her the Cow hath looked across\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0the sea.\n 16When, covered round about with gold, thou stoodest there, O\n \u00a0\u00a0Holy One,\n \u00a0\u00a0The ocean turned into a horse and mounted on thy back, O\n \u00a0\u00a0Cow, p. 38\n 17Then came and met the Blessed Ones, Deshtri, the Cow, and\n \u00a0\u00a0Svadh\u0101, where\n \u00a0\u00a0Atharvan, consecrated. sate upon the Sacred Grass of gold.\n 18The Kshatriya's mother is the Cow, thy mother, Svadh\u0101! is the\n \u00a0\u00a0Cow.\n \u00a0\u00a0Sacrifice is the weapon of the Cow: the thought arose from,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0her.\n 19From Brahma's summit there went forth a drop that mounted\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0up on high:\n \u00a0\u00a0From that wast thou produced, O Cow, from that the Hotar\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0sprang to life.\n 20Forth from thy mouth the G\u0101th\u0101s came, from thy neck's nape\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0sprang strength, O Cow.\n \u00a0\u00a0Sacrifice from thy flanks was born, and rays of sunlight from.\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0thy teats,\n 21From thy fore-quarters and thy thighs motion was generated,\n \u00a0\u00a0Cow!\n \u00a0\u00a0Food from thine entrails was produced, and from thy belly came\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0the plants.\n 22When into Varuna's belly thou hadst found a passage for thy-\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0self,\n \u00a0\u00a0The Br\u0101hman called thee thence, for he knew how to guide and\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0lead thee forth.\n 23All trembled at the babe that came from him who brings not to\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0the birth.\n \u00a0\u00a0He hath produced her\u2014thus they cried\u2014He is a cow, and formed\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0by spells, he hath become skin to her.\n 24He only joineth battle, yea, he who alone controlleth her.\n \u00a0\u00a0Now sacrifices have become victories, and the Cow their eye.\n 25The Cow hath welcomed sacrifice: the Cow hath held the Sun\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0in place.\n \u00a0\u00a0Together with the prayer the mess of rice hath passed into the\n \u00a0\u00a0Cow.\n 26They call the Cow immortal life, pay homage to the Cow as\n \u00a0\u00a0Death.\n \u00a0\u00a0She hath become this universe, Fathers, and Rishis, hath become\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0the Gods, and men, and Asuras.\n 27The man who hath this knowledge may receive the Cow with.\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0welcoming. p. 39\n \u00a0\u00a0So for the giver willingly doth perfect sacrifice pour milk.\n 28Within the mouth of Varuna three tongues are glittering with\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0light.\n \u00a0\u00a0That which shines midmost of them is this Cow most difficult to\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0hold.\n 29Four-parted was the Cow's prolific humour.\n \u00a0\u00a0One-fourth is Water, one-fourth life eternal, one-fourth is sacri-\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0fice, one-fourth are cattle.\n 30The Cow is Heaven, the Cow is Earth, the Cow is Vishnu, Lord\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0of Life.\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0e The S\u0101dhyas and the Vasus have drunk the out-pourings of the\n \u00a0\u00a0Cow.\n 31When these, S\u0101dhyas and Vasus, have drunk the out-pourings of\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0the Cow,\n \u00a0\u00a0They in the Bright One's dwelling-place pay adoration to her\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0milk.\n 32For Soma some have milked her: some worship the fatness she\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0hath poured.\n \u00a0\u00a0They who have given a cow to him who hath this knowledge\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0have gone up to the third region of the sky.\n 33He who hath given a Cow unto the Br\u0101hmans winneth all the\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0worlds.\n \u00a0\u00a0For Right is firmly set in her devotion, and religious zeal.\n 34Both Gods and mortal men depend for life and being on the\n \u00a0\u00a0Cow.\n \u00a0\u00a0She hath become this universe: all that the Sun surveys is she.","title":"Atharva Veda: Book 10: Hymn 10: A glorification of the sacred Cow as representing the radiant heavens","type":"page"}