तदिन्मे छन्त्सद्वपुषो वपुष्टरं पुत्रो यज्जानं पित्रोरधीयति । जाया पतिं वहति वग्नुना सुमत्पुंस इद्भद्रो वहतुः परिष्कृतः
May that be glorious for me, more wondrous than the wondrous, when a son learns the knowledge of his parents. The wife carries her husband with zeal; may the well-adorned, noble pair carry good fortune.
तदित्सधस्थमभि चारु दीधय गावो यच्छासन्वहतुं न धेनवः । माता यन्मन्तुर्यूथस्य पूर्व्याभि वाणस्य सप्तधातुरिज्जनः
That is indeed the seat, shining all around, where the cows, like milch cows, stand ready to be yoked. When the mother of the herd, the ancient one, gives birth to the seven-formed voice.
प्र वोऽच्छा रिरिचे देवयुष्पदमेको रुद्रेभिर्याति तुर्वणिः । जरा वा येष्वमृतेषु दावने परि व ऊमेभ्यः सिञ्चता मधु
I have proclaimed to you the abode fit for the gods; Turvani goes alone with the Rudras. Whether old age or death is among them, pour out the honey for these flames.
निधीयमानमपगूळ्हमप्सु प्र मे देवानां व्रतपा उवाच । इन्द्रो विद्वाँ अनु हि त्वा चचक्ष तेनाहमग्ने अनुशिष्ट आगाम्
Hidden, deposited in the waters, the guardian of the gods' order spoke to me. Indra, knowing, has explained it to you; by that instruction, O Agni, I have come.
अक्षेत्रवित्क्षेत्रविदं ह्यप्राट् स प्रैति क्षेत्रविदानुशिष्टः । एतद्वै भद्रमनुशासनस्योत स्रुतिं विन्दत्यञ्जसीनाम्
He who does not know the field, but is guided by one who knows, he proceeds, instructed by the knower of the field. This indeed is the good of instruction, and he finds the path of the straightforward.
अद्येदु प्राणीदममन्निमाहापीवृतो अधयन्मातुरूधः । एमेनमाप जरिमा युवानमहेळन्वसुः सुमना बभूव
Today, indeed, the living one has eaten this food; filled, he has grown, nourished by his mother. Old age has come upon him, though he is young; the generous one, with a good mind, has become weary.
एतानि भद्रा कलश क्रियाम कुरुश्रवण ददतो मघानि । दान इद्वो मघवानः सो अस्त्वयं च सोमो हृदि यं बिभर्मि
Let us perform these auspicious rites, O Kuruśravaṇa, giving gifts of abundance. May the generous donors be givers; may this Soma, which I bear in my heart, be so.
प्र मा युयुज्रे प्रयुजो जनानां वहामि स्म पूषणमन्तरेण । विश्वे देवासो अध मामरक्षन्दुःशासुरागादिति घोष आसीत्
No one has bound me among people; I have carried on without Pūṣan. May all the gods then protect me; the cry of the lawless was raised.
सं मा तपन्त्यभितः सपत्नीरिव पर्शवः । नि बाधते अमतिर्नग्नता जसुर्वेर्न वेवीयते मतिः
On all sides they torment me, like rival wives, my ribs. Helplessness oppresses me; nakedness brings shame, and my mind trembles like a trembling horse.
मूषो न शिश्ना व्यदन्ति माध्य स्तोतारं ते शतक्रतो । सकृत्सु नो मघवन्निन्द्र मृळयाधा पितेव नो भव
Like mice gnawing at the penis, O hundred-powered one, they attack your singer. Once, O generous Indra, show us mercy; be to us as a father.
कुरुश्रवणमावृणि राजानं त्रासदस्यवम् । मंहिष्ठं वाघतामृषिः
I choose Kuruśravaṇa, the king, Trāsadasyu, the most mighty among the generous, as my sage.
यस्य मा हरितो रथे तिस्रो वहन्ति साधुया । स्तवै सहस्रदक्षिणे
He whose chariot is drawn by three bay horses, well-guided, for whom the praise is sung at the thousand-gifted sacrifice.
यस्य प्रस्वादसो गिर उपमश्रवसः पितुः । क्षेत्रं न रण्वमूचुषे
He whose sweet songs are like those of Upamaśravas, his father, have proclaimed the field as abundant.
अधि पुत्रोपमश्रवो नपान्मित्रातिथेरिहि । पितुष्टे अस्मि वन्दिता
Upon the son Upamaśravas, descendant of Mitrātithi, I call; I am the one who honors your father.
यदीशीयामृतानामुत वा मर्त्यानाम् । जीवेदिन्मघवा मम
If I might rule over the immortals or even mortals, may the generous one live for me.
न देवानामति व्रतं शतात्मा चन जीवति । तथा युजा वि वावृते
No one, not even with a hundred souls, lives beyond the law of the gods; thus, with such a yoke, he is set apart.
प्रावेपा मा बृहतो मादयन्ति प्रवातेजा इरिणे वर्वृतानाः । सोमस्येव मौजवतस्य भक्षो विभीदको जागृविर्मह्यमच्छान्
The dice, made of strong Vibhīdaka nuts, excite me; thrown on the dry ground, they make me rejoice. Like the delicious food of the Mujavat Soma, the lively dice, urging me, have awakened me.
न मा मिमेथ न जिहीळ एषा शिवा सखिभ्य उत मह्यमासीत् । अक्षस्याहमेकपरस्य हेतोरनुव्रतामप जायामरोधम्
She has neither scolded nor rejected me; she has been kind to my friends and to me. For the sake of the one die, I abandoned my devoted wife and made her weep.
द्वेष्टि श्वश्रूरप जाया रुणद्धि न नाथितो विन्दते मर्डितारम् । अश्वस्येव जरतो वस्न्यस्य नाहं विन्दामि कितवस्य भोगम्
The mother-in-law hates the wife, she restrains her; the destitute finds no comforter. Like an old horse worn out by service, I do not find enjoyment in the gambler's winnings.
अन्ये जायां परि मृशन्त्यस्य यस्यागृधद्वेदने वाज्यक्षः । पिता माता भ्रातर एनमाहुर्न जानीमो नयता बद्धमेतम्
Others touch his wife, the eager gambler, longing for the throw. Father, mother, and brothers say of him: 'We do not know him; take him away, he is bound.'
यदादीध्ये न दविषाण्येभिः परायद्भ्योऽव हीये सखिभ्यः । न्युप्ताश्च बभ्रवो वाचमक्रतँ एमीदेषां निष्कृतं जारिणीव
When I resolved, I did not strive with others; from those who went away, I fell behind my friends. The brown dice, cast, have spoken words; I go to their gathering, like a wife to her lover.
सभामेति कितवः पृच्छमानो जेष्यामीति तन्वा शूशुजानः । अक्षासो अस्य वि तिरन्ति कामं प्रतिदीव्ने दधत आ कृतानि
The gambler enters the assembly, asking, 'Shall I win?' trembling in his body. The dice, however, run counter to his desire; they place the winnings before another.
अक्षास इदङ्कुशिनो नितोदिनो निकृत्वानस्तपनास्तापयिष्णवः । कुमारदेष्णा जयतः पुनर्हणो मध्वा सम्पृक्ताः कितवस्य बर्हणा
The dice, with their hooks and goads, torment and inflame; deceitful, burning, they scorch. Like playful boys, they laugh at the defeated, covered in honey, exalting the gambler.
त्रिपञ्चाशः क्रीळति व्रात एषां देव इव सविता सत्यधर्मा । उग्रस्य चिन्मन्यवे ना नमन्ते राजा चिदेभ्यो नम इत्कृणोति
Fifty-three in number, this band plays, true to their law like the god Savitar; even the fierce do not bow to the gambler, yet even a king pays them homage.
नीचा वर्तन्त उपरि स्फुरन्त्यहस्तासो हस्तवन्तं सहन्ते । दिव्या अङ्गारा इरिणे न्युप्ताः शीताः सन्तो हृदयं निर्दहन्ति
They move below, they leap above; handless, they overcome the one with hands. The divine dice, though cold and cast upon the dry ground, burn the heart.
जाया तप्यते कितवस्य हीना माता पुत्रस्य चरतः क्व स्वित् । ऋणावा बिभ्यद्धनमिच्छमानोऽन्येषामस्तमुप नक्तमेति
The wife of the gambler is distressed, abandoned; the mother of the wandering son asks, 'Where is he?' In debt, fearful, seeking wealth, he goes to others by night.
स्त्रियं दृष्ट्वाय कितवं ततापान्येषां जायां सुकृतं च योनिम् । पूर्वाह्णे अश्वान्युयुजे हि बभ्रून्सो अग्नेरन्ते वृषलः पपाद
Seeing a woman, the gambler is inflamed; he covets another's wife and the good fortune of others. In the morning he yokes his tawny horses, but at the end of the game, the outcast falls before the fire.
यो वः सेनानीर्महतो गणस्य राजा व्रातस्य प्रथमो बभूव । तस्मै कृणोमि न धना रुणध्मि दशाहं प्राचीस्तदृतं वदामि
To the one among you who was the leader of a great host, the first among the band, I make this: I do not claim your wealth, I do not demand it; for ten days I speak this truth facing east.
अक्षैर्मा दीव्यः कृषिमित्कृषस्व वित्ते रमस्व बहु मन्यमानः । तत्र गावः कितव तत्र जाया तन्मे वि चष्टे सवितायमर्यः
Do not play with dice; cultivate the field, delight in wealth, thinking yourself fortunate. There are cattle there, gambler, there is your wife; thus Savitar, the noble, shows me.
मित्रं कृणुध्वं खलु मृळता नो मा नो घोरेण चरताभि धृष्णु । नि वो नु मन्युर्विशतामरातिरन्यो बभ्रूणां प्रसितौ न्वस्तु
Make friendship, be gracious to us; do not approach us with fierce intent. Let not your anger, nor enmity, enter you; let another's pursuit of the dice be far from us.