Atharva Veda: Book 10: Hymn 10: A glorification of the sacred Cow as representing the radiant heavens

Hymns of the Atharva Veda, by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1895] 1Worship to thee springing to life, and worship unto thee when born! Worship, O Cow, to thy tail-hair, and to thy hooves, and to thy form! 2The man who knows the Seven Floods, who knows the seven distances, Who knows the head of sacrifice, he may receive the holy Cow. 3I know the Seven Water-floods, I know the seven distances, I know the head of sacrifice, and Soma shining bright in her. 4Hitherward we invite with prayer the Cow who pours a thou- sand streams, By whom the heaven, by whom the earth, by whom these waters are preserved. 5Upon her back there are a hundred keepers, a hundred metal bowls, a hundred milkers. The Deities who breathe in her all separately know the Cow. p. 37 6Her foot is sacrifice, her milk libation, Svadhā her breath, Mahï- lukā the mighty: To the God goes with prayer the Cow who hath Parjanya for her lord. 7Agni hath entered into thee; Soma, O Cow, hath entered thee. Thine udder is Parjanya, O blest Cow; the lightnings are thy teats. 8Thou pourest out the Waters first, and corn-lands afterward, O Cow. Thirdly thou pourest princely sway. O Cow, thou pourest food and milk. 9When, Holy One, thou camest nigh invited by the Ādityas' call, Indra gave thee to drink, O cow, a thousand bowls of Soma juice. 10The Bull, what time thou followedst the way of Indra, summon- ed thee: Thence the Fiend-slayer, angered, took thy water and thy milk away. 11O Cow, the milk which in his wrath the Lord of Riches took from thee, That same the vault of heaven now preserveth in three reser- voirs. 12The Cow Celestial received that Soma in three vessels, where. Atharvan, consecrated, sate upon the Sacred Grass of gold. 13Come hither with the Soma, come with every footed thing; the Cow With Kalis and Gandharvas by her side hath stepped upon the sea. 14Come hither with the Wind, yea, come with every creature borne on wings. Laden with holy verse and song the Cow hath leapt into the sea. 15Come with the Sun, come hitherward with every creature that hath eyes, Bearing auspicious lights with her the Cow hath looked across the sea. 16When, covered round about with gold, thou stoodest there, O Holy One, The ocean turned into a horse and mounted on thy back, O Cow, p. 38 17Then came and met the Blessed Ones, Deshtri, the Cow, and Svadhā, where Atharvan, consecrated. sate upon the Sacred Grass of gold. 18The Kshatriya's mother is the Cow, thy mother, Svadhā! is the Cow. Sacrifice is the weapon of the Cow: the thought arose from, her. 19From Brahma's summit there went forth a drop that mounted up on high: From that wast thou produced, O Cow, from that the Hotar sprang to life. 20Forth from thy mouth the Gāthās came, from thy neck's nape sprang strength, O Cow. Sacrifice from thy flanks was born, and rays of sunlight from. thy teats, 21From thy fore-quarters and thy thighs motion was generated, Cow! Food from thine entrails was produced, and from thy belly came the plants. 22When into Varuna's belly thou hadst found a passage for thy- self, The Brāhman called thee thence, for he knew how to guide and lead thee forth. 23All trembled at the babe that came from him who brings not to the birth. He hath produced her—thus they cried—He is a cow, and formed by spells, he hath become skin to her. 24He only joineth battle, yea, he who alone controlleth her. Now sacrifices have become victories, and the Cow their eye. 25The Cow hath welcomed sacrifice: the Cow hath held the Sun in place. Together with the prayer the mess of rice hath passed into the Cow. 26They call the Cow immortal life, pay homage to the Cow as Death. She hath become this universe, Fathers, and Rishis, hath become the Gods, and men, and Asuras. 27The man who hath this knowledge may receive the Cow with. welcoming. p. 39 So for the giver willingly doth perfect sacrifice pour milk. 28Within the mouth of Varuna three tongues are glittering with light. That which shines midmost of them is this Cow most difficult to hold. 29Four-parted was the Cow's prolific humour. One-fourth is Water, one-fourth life eternal, one-fourth is sacri- fice, one-fourth are cattle. 30The Cow is Heaven, the Cow is Earth, the Cow is Vishnu, Lord of Life. e The Sādhyas and the Vasus have drunk the out-pourings of the Cow. 31When these, Sādhyas and Vasus, have drunk the out-pourings of the Cow, They in the Bright One's dwelling-place pay adoration to her milk. 32For Soma some have milked her: some worship the fatness she hath poured. They who have given a cow to him who hath this knowledge have gone up to the third region of the sky. 33He who hath given a Cow unto the Brāhmans winneth all the worlds. For Right is firmly set in her devotion, and religious zeal. 34Both Gods and mortal men depend for life and being on the Cow. She hath become this universe: all that the Sun surveys is she.