न वा उ एतन्म्रियसे न रिष्यसि देवाँ इदेषि पथिभिः सुगेभिः । हरी ते युञ्जा पृषती अभूतामुपास्थाद्वाजी धुरि रासभस्य
You do not die, nor are you harmed; you go to the gods by good paths. The bay mares, the spotted ones, are yoked for you; the steed stands at the yoke of the ass.
सुगव्यं नो वाजी स्वश्व्यं पुंसः पुत्राँ उत विश्वापुषं रयिम् । अनागास्त्वं नो अदितिः कृणोतु क्षत्रं नो अश्वो वनतां हविष्मान्
May the steed bring us good cattle, good horses, sons, and all-nourishing wealth. May Aditi grant us innocence; may the horse, bearing offerings, win us sovereignty.
यदक्रन्दः प्रथमं जायमान उद्यन्समुद्रादुत वा पुरीषात् । श्येनस्य पक्षा हरिणस्य बाहू उपस्तुत्यं महि जातं ते अर्वन्
When the first cry arose at birth, rising from the sea or from the waters, the wings of the eagle, the arms of the deer—your praise-worthy greatness was born, O steed.
यमेन दत्तं त्रित एनमायुनगिन्द्र एणं प्रथमो अध्यतिष्ठत् । गन्धर्वो अस्य रशनामगृभ्णात्सूरादश्वं वसवो निरतष्ट
Given by Yama, strengthened by Trita, Indra was the first to mount it; the Gandharva took its reins, the Sun fashioned the horse, and the Vasus released it.
असि यमो अस्यादित्यो अर्वन्नसि त्रितो गुह्येन व्रतेन । असि सोमेन समया विपृक्त आहुस्ते त्रीणि दिवि बन्धनानि
You are Yama, you are Aditya, O steed; you are Trita by secret vow. You are united with Soma, set apart; they say you have three bonds in heaven.
त्रीणि त आहुर्दिवि बन्धनानि त्रीण्यप्सु त्रीण्यन्तः समुद्रे । उतेव मे वरुणश्छन्त्स्यर्वन्यत्रा त आहुः परमं जनित्रम्
Three bonds they say you have in heaven, three in the waters, three within the ocean. Varuṇa, I hope, will grant you favor, O steed, where they say is your highest origin.
इमा ते वाजिन्नवमार्जनानीमा शफानां सनितुर्निधाना । अत्रा ते भद्रा रशना अपश्यमृतस्य या अभिरक्षन्ति गोपाः
These are your nine cleansings, O steed; these are the marks of your hooves, the places of your strength. Here I saw your good reins, which the guardians of immortality protect.
आत्मानं ते मनसारादजानामवो दिवा पतयन्तं पतंगम् । शिरो अपश्यं पथिभिः सुगेभिररेणुभिर्जेहमानं पतत्रि
With my mind I approached your essence, seeing you as a bird flying by day. I saw your head on good paths, moving with dust, as a winged one.
अत्रा ते रूपमुत्तममपश्यं जिगीषमाणमिष आ पदे गोः । यदा ते मर्तो अनु भोगमानळादिद्ग्रसिष्ठ ओषधीरजीगः
Here I saw your highest form, striving for nourishment at the cow's foot. When a mortal, following your enjoyment, first grasps the herbs, he seeks you.
अनु त्वा रथो अनु मर्यो अर्वन्ननु गावोऽनु भगः कनीनाम् । अनु व्रातासस्तव सख्यमीयुरनु देवा ममिरे वीर्यं ते
The chariot follows you, the young man, O steed, follows you; the cows, the lord of the maidens, follow you. The hosts follow your friendship; the gods have measured your strength.
हिरण्यशृङ्गोऽयो अस्य पादा मनोजवा अवर इन्द्र आसीत् । देवा इदस्य हविरद्यमायन्यो अर्वन्तं प्रथमो अध्यतिष्ठत्
Golden-horned, swift-footed, its feet, mind-moving, Indra was below. The gods, desiring the offering, mounted it; the steed was first to be harnessed.
ईर्मान्तासः सिलिकमध्यमासः सं शूरणासो दिव्यासो अत्याः । हंसा इव श्रेणिशो यतन्ते यदाक्षिषुर्दिव्यमज्ममश्वाः
They are swift, with slender waists, and strong, heroic, celestial steeds; like swans in a line, they strive together when the divine horses set out.
तव शरीरं पतयिष्ण्वर्वन्तव चित्तं वात इव ध्रजीमान् । तव शृङ्गाणि विष्ठिता पुरुत्रारण्येषु जर्भुराणा चरन्ति
Your body is eager to fly, your mind moves like the wind along its path; your horns are spread out in many places, wandering vigorously in the forests.
उप प्रागाच्छसनं वाज्यर्वा देवद्रीचा मनसा दीध्यानः । अजः पुरो नीयते नाभिरस्यानु पश्चात्कवयो यन्ति रेभाः
The noble horse approaches the feeding place, shining with divine radiance in thought; the goat leads in front as its navel, and the wise follow behind, singing.
उप प्रागात्परमं यत्सधस्थमर्वाँ अच्छा पितरं मातरं च । अद्या देवाञ्जुष्टतमो हि गम्या अथा शास्ते दाशुषे वार्याणि
He approaches the highest seat, the horse, to his father and mother; today, most pleasing to the gods is the path, then he commands rewards for the worshipper.
अस्य वामस्य पलितस्य होतुस्तस्य भ्राता मध्यमो अस्त्यश्नः । तृतीयो भ्राता घृतपृष्ठो अस्यात्रापश्यं विश्पतिं सप्तपुत्रम्
Of this beautiful, grey-haired Hotar, there is a middle brother who eats; the third brother is ghee-backed—here I saw the lord of the clan with seven sons.
सप्त युञ्जन्ति रथमेकचक्रमेको अश्वो वहति सप्तनामा । त्रिनाभि चक्रमजरमनर्वं यत्रेमा विश्वा भुवनाधि तस्थुः
Seven harness the chariot with one wheel; one horse, called by seven names, draws it; the wheel has three hubs, is unaging and unbroken, upon which all worlds stand.
इमं रथमधि ये सप्त तस्थुः सप्तचक्रं सप्त वहन्त्यश्वाः । सप्त स्वसारो अभि सं नवन्ते यत्र गवां निहिता सप्त नाम
Upon this chariot, seven stand; seven wheels, seven horses carry it; seven sisters join together, where the seven names of cows are placed.
को ददर्श प्रथमं जायमानमस्थन्वन्तं यदनस्था बिभर्ति । भूम्या असुरसृगात्मा क्व स्वित्को विद्वांसमुप गात्प्रष्टुमेतत्
Who saw the first being born, the boneless one who bears bones? The soul of earth, the maker of gods—where is he? Who, knowing, approached to ask this?
पाकः पृच्छामि मनसाविजानन्देवानामेना निहिता पदानि । वत्से बष्कयेऽधि सप्त तन्तून्वि तत्निरे कवय ओतवा उ
I ask, not knowing, with my mind, where the footprints of the gods are placed; on the calf, on the bull, the wise spun seven threads, weaving them.
अचिकित्वाञ्चिकितुषश्चिदत्र कवीन्पृच्छामि विद्मने न विद्वान् । वि यस्तस्तम्भ षळिमा रजांस्यजस्य रूपे किमपि स्विदेकम्
Not knowing, I ask the knowing sages here, for understanding, though I am not wise; who established six spaces, the forms of the unborn—what is the one among them?
इह ब्रवीतु य ईमङ्ग वेदास्य वामस्य निहितं पदं वेः । शीर्ष्णः क्षीरं दुह्रते गावो अस्य वव्रिं वसाना उदकं पदापुः
Let him speak here who knows the place of this beautiful one; the cows draw milk from his head, wearing a covering, they bring water to his feet.
माता पितरमृत आ बभाज धीत्यग्रे मनसा सं हि जग्मे । सा बीभत्सुर्गर्भरसा निविद्धा नमस्वन्त इदुपवाकमीयुः
The mother shared with the father the nectar; at the beginning, she joined with him in mind; she, pierced by the embryo's essence, went forth, bowing, to the utterance.
युक्ता मातासीद्धुरि दक्षिणाया अतिष्ठद्गर्भो वृजनीष्वन्तः । अमीमेद्वत्सो अनु गामपश्यद्विश्वरूप्यं त्रिषु योजनेषु
The mother was yoked to the right-hand yoke; the embryo stood within the wombs; the calf measured, followed the cows, saw the universal form in three distances.
तिस्रो मातॄस्त्रीन्पितॄन्बिभ्रदेक ऊर्ध्वस्तस्थौ नेमव ग्लापयन्ति । मन्त्रयन्ते दिवो अमुष्य पृष्ठे विश्वविदं वाचमविश्वमिन्वाम्
Bearing three mothers and three fathers, the one stood upright, the rims do not tire; they converse on the back of heaven, uttering speech that knows all, inspiring all.
द्वादशारं नहि तज्जराय वर्वर्ति चक्रं परि द्यामृतस्य । आ पुत्रा अग्ने मिथुनासो अत्र सप्त शतानि विंशतिश्च तस्थुः
The twelve-spoked wheel revolves, never aging, upon the sky of immortality; here, O Agni, the twin sons stand, seven hundred and twenty.
पञ्चपादं पितरं द्वादशाकृतिं दिव आहुः परे अर्धे पुरीषिणम् । अथेमे अन्य उपरे विचक्षणं सप्तचक्रे षळर आहुरर्पितम्
They call the five-footed father, twelve-formed, dwelling in the far half of heaven; others, wise, see the upper, in the seven-wheeled, six-spoked, established.
पञ्चारे चक्रे परिवर्तमाने तस्मिन्ना तस्थुर्भुवनानि विश्वा । तस्य नाक्षस्तप्यते भूरिभारः सनादेव न शीर्यते सनाभिः
On the five-spoked wheel, revolving, all worlds stand; its axle is heated by heavy weight, yet from ancient times it does not break, nor its spokes.
सनेमि चक्रमजरं वि वावृत उत्तानायां दश युक्ता वहन्ति । सूर्यस्य चक्षू रजसैत्यावृतं तस्मिन्नार्पिता भुवनानि विश्वा
With a perpetual rim, the wheel turns, ten harnessed carry it upright; the eye of the sun is covered by the space, in it all worlds are established.
साकंजानां सप्तथमाहुरेकजं षळिद्यमा ऋषयो देवजा इति । तेषामिष्टानि विहितानि धामश स्थात्रे रेजन्ते विकृतानि रूपशः
They speak of seven sons born together, of whom six are nourished and one is born alone; the sages, born of the gods, declare thus. Their domains are set apart according to their rites; their forms are fashioned and shine forth in various ways.