Hymns to Vayu from the Rig-Veda - Book I

HYMN 2. Vayu.

1 BEAUTIFUL Vayu, come, for thee these Soma drops have been prepared:
Drink of them, hearken to our call.
2 Knowing the days, with Soma juice poured forth, the singers glorify
Thee, Vayu, with their hymns of praise.
3 Vayu, thy penetrating stream goes forth unto the worshipper,
Far-spreading for the Soma draught.
4 These, Indra-Vayu, have been shed; come for our offered dainties' sake:
The drops are yearning for you both.
5 Well do ye mark libations, ye Vayu and Indra, rich in spoil
So come ye swiftly hitherward.
6 Vayu and Indra, come to what the Soma. presser hath prepared:
Soon, Heroes, thus I make my prayer.
7 Mitra, of holy strength, I call, and foe-destroying Varuna,
Who make the oil-fed rite complete.
8 Mitra and Varuna, through Law, lovers and cherishers of Law,
Have ye obtained your might power
9 Our Sages, Mitra-Varuna, wide dominion, strong by birth,
Vouchsafe us strength that worketh well.

---

HYMN 23. Vayu and Others.

1 STRONG are the Somas; come thou nigh; these juices have been mixt with milk:
Drink, Vayu, the presented draughts.
2 Both Deities who touch the heaven, Indra and Vayu we invoke
To drink of this our soma juice.
3 The singers' for their aid, invoke Indra and Vayu, swift as mind,
The thousand-eyed, the Lords of thought.
4 Mitra and Varupa, renowned as Gods of consecrated might,
We call to drink the Soma juice.
5 Those who by Law uphold the Law, Lords of the shining light of Law,
Mitra I call, and Varuna.
6 Let Varuna be our chief defence, let Mitra guard us with all aids
Both make us rich exceedingly.
7 Indra, by Maruts girt, we call to drink the Soma juice: may he
Sate him in union with his troop.
8 Gods, Marut hosts whom Indra leads, distributers of Pusan's gifts,
Hearken ye all unto my cry.
9 With conquering Indra for ally, strike Vrtra down, ye bounteous Gods
Let not the wicked master us.
10 We call the Universal Gods, and Maruts to the Soma draught,
For passing strong are Prsni's Sons.
11 Fierce comes the Maruts' thundering voice, like that of conquerors, when ye go
Forward to victory, O Men.

12 Born of the laughing lightning. may the Maruts guard us everywhere
May they be gracious unto Us.
13 Like some lost animal, drive to us, bright Pusan, him who bears up heaven,
Resting on many-coloured grass.
14 Pusan the Bright has found the King, concealed and bidden in a cave,
Who rests on grass of many hues.
15 And may he. duly bring to me the six bound closely, through these drops,
As one who ploughs with steers brings corn.
16 Along their paths the Mothers go, Sisters of priestly ministrants,
Mingling their sweetness with the milk.
17 May Waters gathered near the Sun, and those wherewith the Sun is joined,
Speed forth this sacrifice of ours.
18 I call the Waters, Goddesses, wherein our cattle quench their thirst;
Oblations to the Streams be given.
19 Amrit is in the Waters in the Waters there is healing balm
Be swift, ye Gods, to give them praise.
20 Within the Waters-Soma thus hath told me-dwell all balms that heal,
And Agni, he who blesseth all. The Waters hold all medicines.
21 O Waters, teem with medicine to keep my body safe from harm,
So that I long may see the Sun.
22 Whatever sin is found in me, whatever evil I have wrought.
If I have lied or falsely sworn, Waters, remove it far from me.
23 The Waters I this day have sought, and to their moisture have we come:
O Agni, rich in milk, come thou, and with thy splendour cover me.
24 Fill me with splendour, Agni; give offspring and length of days; the Gods
Shall know me even as I am, and Indra with the Rsis, know.

---

HYMN 134. Vayu.

1. Vayu, let fleet-foot coursers bring thee speedily to this our feast, to drink first of the juice we pour, to the first draught of Soma juice.
May our glad hymn, discerning well, uplifted, gratify thy mind.
Come with thy team-drawn car, O Vayu, to the gift, come to the sacrificer's gift.
2 May the joy-giving drops, O Vayu gladden thee, effectual, well prepared, directed to the heavens, strong, blent with milk and seeking heaven;
That aids, effectual to fulfil, may wait upon our skilful power.
Associate teams come hitherward to grant our prayers . they shall address the hymns we sing.
3 Two red steeds Vayu yokes, Vayu two purple steeds, swift-footed, to the chariot, to the pole to draw, most able, at the pole, to draw.
Wake up intelligence, as when a lover wakes his sleeping love.
Illumine heaven and earth, make thou the Dawns to shine, for glory make the Dawns to shine.
4 For thee the radiant Dawns in the fardistant sky broaden their lovely gannents forth in wondrous beams, bright-coloured in their new-born beams.
For thee the nectar-yielding Cow pours all rich treasures forth as milk.
The Marut host hast thou engendered from the womb, the Maruts from the womb of heaven.
5 For thee the pure bright quickly-flowing Soma-drops, strong in their heightening power, hasten to mixthemselves, hasten to the water to be mixed.
To thee the weary coward prays for luck that he may speed away.
Thou by thy law protectest us from every world, yea, from the world of highest Gods.
6 Thou, Vayu, who hast none before thee, first of all hast right to drink these offerings of Soma juice, hast right to drink the juice out-poured,
Yea, poured by all invoking tribes who free themselves from taint of sin,
For thee all cows are milked to yield the Soma-milk, to yield the butter and the milk.

---

HYMN 135. Vayu, Indra-Vayu.

1. STREWN is the sacred grass; come Vayu, to our feast, with team of thousands, come, Lord of the harnessed team, with hundreds, Lord of harnessed steeds!
The drops divine are lifted up for thee, the God, to drink them first.
The juices rich in sweets have raised thern for thy joy, have raised themselves to give thee strength.
2 Purified by the stones the Soma flows for thee, clothed with its lovely splendours, to the reservoir, flows clad in its refulgent light.
For thee the Soma is poured forth, thy portioned share mid. Gods and men.
Drive thou thy horses, Vayu, come to us with love, come well-inclined and loving us.
3 Come thou with hundreds, come with thousands in thy team to this our solemn rite, to taste the sacred food, Vayu, to taste the offerings.
This is thy seasonable share, that comes co-radiant with the Sun.
Brought by attendant priests pure juice is offered up, Vayu, pure juice is offered up.
4 The chariot with its team of horses bring you both, to guard us and to taste the well-appointed food, Vayu, to taste the offerings!
Drink of the pleasant -flavoured juice the first draught is assigned to you.
O Vayu, with your splendid bounty come ye both, Indra, with bounty come ye both.
5 May our songs bring you hither to our solemn rites: these drops of mighty vigour have they beauti fied, like a swift veed of mighty strength.
Drink of them well-inclined to us, come hitherward to be our help.
Drink, Indra-Vayu, of these Juices pressed with stones, Strength-givers! till they gladden you.
6 These Soma juices pressed for you in waters here, borne by attendant priests, are oficredup to you: bright, Vayu, are they offered up.
Swift through the strainer have they flowed, and here are shed for both ofyou,
Soma-drops, fain for you, over the wether's fleece, Somas over the wether's fleece.
7 O Vayu, pass thou over all the,slumberers, and where the press-stone rings enter ye both that house, yea, Indra, go ye both within.
The joyous Maiden is beheld, the butter flows. With richly laden team come to our solemn rite, yea, Indra, come ye to the rite.
8 Ride hither to the offering of the pleasant juice, the holy Fig-tree which victorious priests surround: victorious be they still for us.
At once the cows yield milk, the barleymeal is dressed. For thee,
O Vayu, never shall the cows grow thin, never for thee shall they be dry.
9 These Bulls of thine, O Vayu with the arm of strength, who swiftly fly within the current of thy stream, the Bulls increasing in their might,
Horseless, yet even through the waste swift-moving, whom no shout can stay,
Hard to be checked are they, like sunbeams, in their course. hard to be checked by both the hands.