Atharva Veda: Book 3: Hymn 17: A farmer's song and prayer to speed the plough
Hymns of the Atharva Veda, by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1895]
1Wise and devoted to the Gods the skilful men bind plough-ropes
fast, p. a86
And lay the yokes on either side.
2Lay on the yokes and fasten well the traces: formed is the
furrow, sow the seed within it.
Virāj vouchsafe us hearing fraught with plenty!
Let the ripe grain come near and near the sickle.
3The keen-shared plough that bringeth bliss, furnished with traces
and with stilts,
Shear out for me a cow, a sheep, a rapid drawer of the car, a
blooming woman, plump and strong!
4May Indra press the furrow down, may Pūshan guard and cherish
her.
May she, well stored with milk yield milk for us through each
succeeding year.
5Happily let the shares turn up the ploughland, the ploughers
happily follow the oxen.
Pleased with our sacrifice, Suna and Sira! make the plants bring
this man abundant produce.
6Happily work our steers and men! May the plough furrow
happily,
Happily be the traces bound. Happily ply the driving-goad.
7Suna and Sira, welcome ye this laud, and with the milk that ye
have made in heaven,
Bedew ye both this earth of ours.
8Auspicious Sitā, come thou near: we venerate and worship thee.
That thou mayst bless and prosper us and bring us fruits
abundantly.
9Loved by the Visvedevas and the Maruts, let Sitā be bedewed.
with oil and honey.
Turn thou to us with wealth of milk, O Sitā, in vigorous
strength and pouring streams of fatness.