Hymn 126 to Bhavyavya: Ancient Rig Vedic Hymn to the Dweller on the Banks of Sindhu
Summary: This page presents Hymn CXXVI dedicated to Bhavyavya from the Rig Veda, one of Hinduism's oldest and most revered sacred texts. The hymn, translated by scholar Ralph T.H. Griffith in 1896, offers praise to Bhavyavya, an unconquered king dwelling on the banks of the Sindhu River, celebrating his generosity and glory. Readers will find the complete hymn text with its traditional five verses describing the magnificent gifts and honors bestowed by this legendary patron.
HYMN 126. Bhavayavya.
1. WITH wisdom I present these lively praises of Bhavya dweller on the bank of Sindhu;
For
he, unconquered King, desiring glory, hath furnished me a thousand sacrifices.
2 A hundred
necklets from the King, beseeching, a hundred gift-steeds I at once accepted;
Of the lord's
cows a thousand, I Kaksivan. His deathless glory hath he spread to heaven.
3 Horses of dusky
colour stood beside me, ten chariots, Svanaya's gift, with mares to draw them.
Kine numbering
sixty thousand followed after. Kaksivan gained them when the days were closing.
4 Forty bay
horses of the ten cars' master before a thousand lead the long procession.
Reeling in joy Kaksivan's
sons and Pajra's have grounded the coursers decked with pearly trappings.
5 An earlier gift
for you have I accepted eight cows, good milkers, and tree harnessed horses,
Pajras, who with
your wains with your great kinsman, like troops of subjects, have been fain for glory.
Source: These hymns are reproduced from An English translation of the Vedas by Ralph T.H. Griffith, 1896. Griffith wrote in a poetic, archaic style. In order to make the hymns sound like English poetry, he often compromised the original meaning of the Sanskrit words. Further, his Sanskrit knowledge was limited by the scholarship of the 19th century. For many Indian readers, this feels distant, making his work less accessible than modern prose translations. This page has been formatted, and the hymns are selected and organized by Jayaram V for Hinduwebsite.com. Hymn numbers have been changed from Roman numerals to standard numbers.