ऋचो अक्षरे परमे व्योमन् यस्मिन् देवा अधि विश्वे निषेदुः । यस्तन् न वेद किमृचा करिष्यति य इत्तद्विदुस्ते अमी समासते
Verses reside in the imperishable, highest sky, where all the gods have taken their seat. He who does not know that—what will he do with the verses? Those who know this gather here.
ऋचः पदं मात्रया कल्पयन्तोऽर्धर्चेन चकॢपुर्विश्वमेजत्। त्रिपाद्ब्रह्म पुरुरूपं वि तष्ठे तेन जीवन्ति प्रदिशश्चतस्रः
Arranging the measure of the verse, they established the world with half a verse, all moving. The triple-footed Brahman, manifold in form, was shaped; by it, the four directions live.
सूयवसाद्भगवती हि भूया अधा वयं भगवन्तः स्याम । अद्धि तृणमघ्न्ये विश्वदानीं पिब शुद्धमुदकमाचरन्ती
May the blessed one be rich in good things; then may we be blessed. Eat the grass, O cow, giver of all, drink pure water, O one who moves.
{२७} गौरिन् मिमाय सलिलानि तक्षती एकपदी द्विपदी सा चतुष्पदी । अष्टापदी नवपदी बभूवुषी सहस्राक्षरा भुवनस्य पङ्क्तिस्तस्याः समुद्रा अधि वि क्षरन्ति
The cow measured out the waters, shaping them; she is one-footed, two-footed, four-footed. She became eight-footed, nine-footed; the thousand-syllabled verse is the meter of the world; its streams flow over the ocean.
कृष्णं नियानं हरयः सुपर्णा अपो वसाना दिवमुत्पतन्ति । तमाववृत्रन्त्सदनादृतस्यादिद्घृतेन पृथिवीं व्यूदुः
The black-moving ones, the tawny birds, wearing waters, fly to the sky. They covered him, from the seat of truth; with ghee, they spread the earth.
अपादेति प्रथमा पद्वतीनां कस्तद्वां मित्रावरुणा चिकेत । गर्भो भारं भरत्या चिदस्या ऋतं पिपर्ति अनृतं नि पाति
She moves on foot, the first among those with feet; who knows that, O Mitra and Varuna? The embryo bears the weight even of her; she upholds truth, she casts aside untruth.
विराड्वाग्विराट्पृथिवी विराडन्तरिक्षं विराट्प्रजापतिः । विराण्मृत्युः साध्यानामधिराजो बभूव तस्य भूतं भव्यं वशे स मे भूतं भव्यं वशे कृणोतु
Virāj is speech, Virāj is earth, Virāj is the atmosphere, Virāj is Prajapati. Virāj is death, he became the chief of the Sādhyas; his past and future are under his control. May my past and future be under my control.
शकमयं धूममारादपश्यं विषूवता पर एनावरेण । उक्षाणं पृश्निमपचन्त वीरास्तानि धर्माणि प्रथमान्यासन्
I saw smoke rising from afar, crossing over, beyond the boundary. The heroes milked the spotted one; those were the first laws.
त्रयः केशिन ऋतुथा वि चक्षते संवत्सरे वपत एक एषाम् । विश्वमन्यो अभिचष्टे शचीभिर्ध्राजिरेकस्य ददृशे न रूपम्
Three hairy ones, according to the seasons, are observed; in the year, one is shorn. Another surveys all with his powers; the charioteer’s form is not seen.
चत्वारि वाक्परिमिता पदानि तानि विदुर्ब्राह्मणा ये मनीषिणः । गुहा त्रीणि निहिता नेङ्गयन्ति तुरीयं वाचो मनुष्या वदन्ति
Speech is divided into four measured parts; those know them who are Brahmans, wise. Three are hidden in secrecy, they do not move; the fourth part of speech men utter.
इन्द्रं मित्रं वरुणमग्निमाहुरथो दिव्यः स सुपर्णो गरुत्मान् । एकं सद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्त्यग्निं यमं मातरिश्वानमाहुः
They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuṇa, Agni; also, he is the divine, the splendid-winged Garutman. The wise speak of the One as many: they call him Agni, Yama, Mātariśvan.
यां कल्पयन्ति वहतौ वधूमिव विश्वरूपां हस्तकृतां चिकित्सवः । सारादेत्वप नुदाम एनाम्
That which the healers prepare, fashioned by hand, manifold in form like a bride for the wedding— from its essence we drive this away.
शीर्षण्वती नस्वती कर्णिणी कृत्याकृता संभृता विश्वरूपा । सारादेत्वप नुदाम एनाम्
With a head, with a nose, with ears, made by witchcraft, gathered together, manifold in form— from its essence we drive this away.
शूद्रकृता राजकृता स्त्रीकृता ब्रह्मभिः कृता । जाया पत्या नुत्तेव कर्तारं बन्ध्वृच्छतु
Made by a Śūdra, made by a king, made by a woman, made by priests— let the spell return to its maker, as a wife to her husband, let it seek its kin.
अनयाहमोषध्या सर्वाः कृत्या अदूदुषम् । यां क्षेत्रे चक्रुर्यां गोषु यां वा ते पुरुषेषु
By this herb I drive away all witchcraft from the innocent— whatever was done in the field, among cattle, or among your people.
अघमस्त्वघकृते शपथः शपथीयते । प्रत्यक्प्रतिप्रहिण्मो यथा कृत्याकृतं हनत्
Let the curse fall on the one who did evil; let the oath return to the one who swore falsely. We send it back, so that the witchcraft may strike its maker.
प्रतीचीन आङ्गिरसोऽध्यक्षो नः पुरोहितः । प्रतीचीः कृत्या आकृत्यामून् कृत्याकृतो जहि
Let the Angirases, facing us, be our overseers and priests; facing us, let them destroy those witchcrafts and spells, those who made the witchcraft.
यस्त्वोवाच परेहीति प्रतिकूलमुदाय्यम् । तं कृत्येऽभिनिवर्तस्व मास्मान् इछो अनागसः
Whoever said to you, 'Go away,' with hostile intent— turn back upon him, O witchcraft; do not desire us who are innocent.
यस्ते परूंषि संदधौ रथस्येव र्भुर्धिया । तं गच्छ तत्र तेऽयनमज्ञातस्तेऽयं जनः
Whoever set snares for you, as a craftsman does for a chariot, with cunning— go to him; there is your home, not among these people who do not know you.
ये त्वा कृत्वालेभिरे विद्वला अभिचारिणः । शंभ्विदं कृत्यादूषणं प्रतिवर्त्म पुनःसरं तेन त्वा स्नपयामसि
Those who, having made you, used you, knowing spells and practicing sorcery— with this purifying water, which turns back witchcraft, we bathe you.
यद्दुर्भगां प्रस्नपितां मृतवत्सामुपेयिम । अपैतु सर्वं मत्पापं द्रविणं मोप तिष्ठतु
If I have approached one who is unfortunate, bathed, or who has lost a child— let all my sin depart, and let wealth remain with me.
{१} यत्ते पितृभ्यो ददतो यज्ञे वा नाम जगृहुः । संदेश्यात्सर्वस्मात्पापादिमा मुञ्चन्तु त्वौषधीः
Whatever name they took from you, giving to ancestors or in sacrifice— let the plants release you from every sin and message.
देवैनसात्पित्र्यान् नामग्राहात्संदेश्यादभिनिष्कृतात्। मुञ्चन्तु त्वा वीरुधो वीर्येण ब्रह्मणा ऋग्भिः पयसा ऋषीणाम्
From divine sin, from ancestral name-taking, from every message, from expiation— let the herbs release you by their power, by the Brahman, by the Ṛks, by the milk of the seers.
यथा वातश्च्यावयति भूम्या रेणुमन्तरिक्षाच्चाभ्रम् । एवा मत्सर्वं दुर्भूतं ब्रह्मनुत्तमपायति
As the wind scatters dust from the earth, and the cloud from the sky— so, O Brahman, drive away all my misfortune.
अप क्राम नानदती विनद्धा गर्दभीव । कर्तॄन् नक्षस्वेतो नुत्ता ब्रह्मणा वीर्यावता
Depart, crying not, bound like a she-ass; go to your makers, released by the Brahman who possesses power.
अयं पन्थाः कृत्येति त्वा नयामोऽभिप्रहितां प्रति त्वा प्र हिण्मः । तेनाभि याहि भञ्जत्यनस्वतीव वाहिनी विश्वरूपा कुरूतिनी
This is the path of witchcraft— by it we lead you; sent forth, we send you back. Go by it; break, as a barren woman’s procession, manifold, cunning.
पराक्ते ज्योतिरपथं ते अर्वागन्यत्रास्मदयना कृणुष्व । परेणेहि नवतिं नाव्या अति दुर्गाः स्रोत्या मा क्षणिष्ठाः परेहि
Go far away on the path of light; make your dwelling elsewhere, away from us. Go beyond with the ship, cross the difficult places; do not linger, go beyond.
वात इव वृक्षान् नि मृणीहि पादय मा गामश्वं पुरुषमुच्छिष एषाम् । कर्तॄन् निवृत्येतः कृत्येऽप्रजास्त्वाय बोधय
Like the wind uproots trees, cast them down; do not touch cow, horse, or man among these. Turn back to your makers, O witchcraft; awaken them to childlessness.
यां ते बर्हिषि यां श्मशाने क्षेत्रे कृत्यां वलगं वा निचख्नुः । अग्नौ वा त्वा गार्हपत्येऽभिचेरुः पाकं सन्तं धीरतरा अनागसम्
Whatever spell they have buried for you in the sacrificial grass, in the cremation ground, in the field, or whatever snare or trap, whether they have invoked you in the household fire as a cooked offering—may the wise, guiltless ones overcome it.
उपाहृतमनुबुद्धं निखातं वैरं त्सार्यन्वविदाम कर्त्रम् । तदेतु यत आभृतं तत्राश्व इव वि वर्ततां हन्तु कृत्याकृतः प्रजाम्
We have discovered and recognized the enmity that was brought, awakened, and buried—let that which was brought here turn back from where it came, like a horse, and let the doer of the spell not harm our people.