{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/av/av20016.htm","path":"hin/av/av20016.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/av/av20016.htm","text":"Hymns of the Atharva Veda, by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1895]\n1Like birds who keep their watch, plashing in water, like the loud\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0voices of the thundering rain-cloud,\n \u00a0\u00a0Like merry streamlets bursting from the mountain thus to\n \u00a0\u00a0Brihaspati our hymns have sounded.\n 2The son of Angiras, meeting the cattle, as Bhaga, brought in\n \u00a0\u00a0Aryaman among us.\n \u00a0\u00a0As Friend of men he decks the wife and husband. As for the\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0race, Brihaspati, nerve our coursers.\n 3Brihaspati, having won them from the mountains, strewed down,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0like barley out of winnowing-baskets,\n \u00a0\u00a0The vigorous, wandering cows who aid the pious, desired of all,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0of blameless form, well-coloured.\n 4As the Sun dews with meath the seat of Order, and casts a flam-\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0ing meteor down from heaven,\n \u00a0\u00a0So from the rock Brihaspati forced the cattle, and cleft the\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0earth's skin as it were with water.\n 5Forth from mid-air with light he draye the darkness, as the gale\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0blows a lily from the river.\n \u00a0\u00a0Like the wind grasping at the cloud of Vala, Brihaspati gathered\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0to himself the cattle.\n 6Brihaspati, when he with fiery lightnings cleft through the\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0weapon of reviling Vala,\n \u00a0\u00a0Consumed him as tongues eat what teeth have compassed: he\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0threw the prisons of the red cows open.\n 7That secret name borne by the lowing cattle within the cave\n \u00a0\u00a0Brihaspati discovered,\n \u00a0\u00a0And draye, himself, the bright kine from the mountain, like a\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0bird's young after the eggs' disclosure.\n 8He looked around on rock-imprisoned sweetness as one who\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0eyes a fish in scanty water.\n \u00a0\u00a0Brihaspati, cleaving through with varied clamour, brought it\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0forth like a bowl from out the timber. p. 276\n 9He found the light of heaven, and fire, and Morning: with lucid\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0rays he forced apart the darkness.\n \u00a0\u00a0As from a joint, Brihaspati took the marrow of Vala as he\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0gloried in his cattle.\n 10As trees for foliage robbed by winter, Vala mourned for the\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0cows Brihaspati had taken.\n \u00a0\u00a0He did a deed ne'er done, ne'er to be equalled, whereby the sun\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and moon ascend alternate.\n 11Like a dark steed adorned with pearl, the Fathers have decorat-\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0ed heaven with constellations.\n \u00a0\u00a0They set the light in day, in night the darkness, Brihaspati cleft\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0the rock and found the cattle.\n 12This homage have we offered to the Cloud-God who thunders\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0out to many in succession.\n \u00a0\u00a0May this Brihaspati vouchsafe us fulness of life with kine and\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0horses, men, and heroes.","title":"Atharva Veda: Book 20: Hymn 16","type":"page"}