A Benedictory Hymn
foot steeds. p. 233
Let Vāyu keep thee safe with prayer, and Indra with his mighty
power.
2. Let Soma guard thee with the plants, Sūrya protect thee with
the stars;
With breath let Wind protect thee, and the Moon, foe-slayer,
with the months.
3. Three are the earths, they say, and three the heavens, three are
the atmospheres, and four the oceans.
Threefold the hymn of praise, threefold the Waters. Let these
with triple song and triplets guard thee.
4. Three vaults of heaven, and three seas, three bright, three
stationary ones,
Three Mātarisvans, and three suns, protectors, I arrange for
thee.
5. Increasing thee with butter I, Agni! with fatness sprinkle thee.
Let not magicians harm the life of Agni or of Moon or Sun.
6. Let not magicians mar your heat, your vital or diffusive breath.
Brilliant and all-possessing Gods, run ye your course with God-
like power.
7. Fire they endow with vital breath, Wind is compact, with vital
breath:
With vital breath the Gods produced the Sun whose face turn
every way.
8. Live with the Life-Creators' life. Die not, live on to lengthened
age.
Live with the breath of men with souls. Submit not to the power
of Death.
9. The secret treasure of the Gods which Indra, by pathways
travelled by the Gods, discovered,
That gold the Waters with the triplets guarded. May they keep
thee with threebold hymn and triplets.
10. With friendly thoughts the Deities, three-and thirty, and three
great Powers preserved it in the Waters.
He made heroic powers with the gold that lies upon this Moon.
11. O ye eleven Gods who are in heaven, accept this sacrifice.
12. O ye eleven Gods who are in air, accept this sacrifice.
13. O ye eleven Gods who are on earth, accept this sacrifice.
14. 15 repeated from XIX. 16. 1, 2.