The Hymns of the Rigveda E-Book

Jazzybee Verlag (Hrsg.)

• Herausgeber: Jazzybee Verlag
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 1562

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

In the dim twilight preceding the dawn of Indian literature the historical imagination can perceive the forms of Aryan warriors, the first Western conquerors of Hindustan, issuing from those passes in the north-west through which the tide of invasion has in successive ages rolled to sweep over the plains of India. The earliest poetry of this invading race, whose language and culture ultimately overspread the whole continent, was composed while its tribes still occupied the territories on both sides of the Indus now known as Eastern Kabulistan and the Panjab. That ancient poetry has come down to us in the form of a collection of hymns called the Rigveda. The cause which gathered the poems it contains into a single book was scientific and historical. The number of hymns comprised in the Rigveda, in the only recension which has been preserved, that of the Çakala school, is 1017, or, if the eleven supplementary hymns (called Valakhilya) which are inserted in the middle of the eighth book are added, 1028. These hymns are grouped in ten books, called mandalas, or "cycles," which vary in length, except that the tenth contains the same number of hymns as the first. In bulk the hymns of the Rigveda equal, it has been calculated, the surviving poems of Homer.

Leseprobe

The Hymns of the Rigveda

Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith

Contents:

The Hymns of the Rigveda

Rig Veda - Book The First

Hymn I. Agni.

Hymn II. Vayu.

Hymn III. Asvins

Hymn IV. Indri

Hymn V. Indra.

Hymn VI. Indra.

Hymn VII. Indra.

Hymn VIII. Indra.

Hymn IX. Indra.

Hymn X. Indra.

Hymn XI. Indra.

Hymn XII. Agni.

Hymn XIII. Agni

Hymn X1V. Visvedevas.

Hymn XV. RTU.

Hymn XVI. Indra.

Hymn XVII Indra-Varuna

Hymn XVIII. Brahmanaspati.

Hymn XIX. Agni, Maruts.

Hymn XX Rbhus.

Hymn XXI. Indra-Agni.

Hymn XXII Asvins and Others

Hymn XXIII. Vayu and Others.

Hymn XXIV. Varuna and Others.

Hymn XXV. Varuna.

Hymn XXVI. Agni.

Hymn XXVII. Agni.

Hymn XXVIII Indra, Etc.

Hymn XXIX. Indra.

Hymn XXX. Indra.

Hymn XXXI. Agni.

Hymn XXXII. Indra.

Hymn XXXIII. Indra.

Hymn XXXIV. Asvins.

Hymn XXXV. Savitar.

Hymn XXXVI. Agni.

Hymn XXXVII. Maruts.

Hymn XXXVIII. Maruts.

Hymn XXXIX Maruts.

Hymn XL. Brahmanaspati

Hymn XLI. Varuna, Mitra, Aryaman.

Hymn XLII. Pusan.

Hymn XLIII. Rudra.

Hymn XLIV. Agni.

Hymn XLV Agni.

Hymn XLVI. Asvins.

Hymn XLVlI. Asvins.

Hymn XLVIII. Dawn.

Hymn XLIX. Dawn.

Hymn L. Surya.

Hymn LI. Indra.

Hymn LII. Indra.

Hymn LIII. Indra.

Hymn LIV. Indra.

Hymn LV. Indra.

Hymn LVI. Indra.

Hymn LVII. Indra.

Hymn LVIII., Agni.

Hymn LIX. Agni.

Hymn LX. Agni.

Hymn LXI Indra.

Hymn LXII. Indra.

Hymn LXIII. Indra.

Hymn LXIV. Maruts.

Hymn LXV. Agni.

Hymn LXVI. Agni.

Hymn LXVII. Agni.

Hymn LXVIII. Agni.

Hymn LXIX. Agni.

Hymn LXX. Agni.

Hymn LXXI. Agni.

Hymn LXXII. Agni.

Hymn LXXIII. Agni.

Hymn LXXIV. Agni.

Hymn LXXV. Agni.

Hymn LXXVI. Agni.

Hymn LXXVII. Agni.

Hymn LXXVIII. Agni.

Hymn LXXIX. Agni.

Hymn LXXX. Indra.

Hymn LXXXI. Indra.

Hymn LXXXII. Indra.

Hymn LXXXIII. Indra.

Hymn LXXXIV. Indra.

Hymn LXXXV. Maruts.

Hymn LXXXVI. Maruts.

Hymn LXXXVII Maruts.

Hymn LXXXVIII. Maruts.

Hymn LXXXIX. Visvedevas.

Hymn XC. Visvedevas.

Hymn XCI Soma.

Hymn XCII. Dawn.

Hymn XCIII. Agni-Sona.

Hymn XCIV. Agni

Hymn XCV. Agni

Hymn XCVI. Agni.

Hymn XCVII. Agni.

Hymn XCVIII Agni.

Hymn XCIX. Agni.

Hymn C. Indra.

Hymn CI. Indra.

Hymn CII. Indra.

Hymn CIII. Indra.

Hymn CIV. Indra.

Hymn CV. Visvedevas.

Hymn CVI. Visvedevas.

Hymn CVII. Visvedevas.

Hymn CVIII. Indra-Agni.

Hymn CIX. Indra-Agni.

Hymn CX. Rbhus.

Hymn CXI. Rbhus.

Hymn CXII. Asvins.

Hymn CXIII. Dawn.

Hymn CXIV. Rudra.

Hymn CXV. Surya.

Hymn CXVI. Asvins.

Hymn CXVII. Asvins.

Hymn CXVIII. Asvins.

Hymn CXIX. Asvins.

Hymn CXX. Asvins.

Hymn CXXI, Indra.

Hymn CXXII Visvadevas.

Hymn CXXIII. Dawn.

Hymn CXXIV. Dawn.

Hymn CXXV. Svanaya.

Hymn CXXVI. Bhavayavya.

Hymn CXXVII Agni.

Hymn CXXVIII. Agni.

Hymn CXXIX Indra.

Hymn CXXX. Indra.

Hymn CXXXI. Indra.

Hymn CXXXII. Indra.

Hymn CXXXIII. Indra.

Hymn CXXXIV. Vayu.

Hymn CXXXV. Vayu, Indra-Vayu.

Hymn CXXXVI. Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn CXXXVII. Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn CXXXVIII. Pusan.

Hymn CXXXIX. Visvedevas.

Hymn CXL. Agni.

Hymn CXLI. Agni.

Hymn CXLII Apris.

Hymn CXLIII. Agni.

Hymn CXLIV. Agni.

Hymn CXLV. Agni.

Hymn CXLVI. Agni.

Hymn CXLVII. Agni.

Hymn CXLVIII. Agni.

Hymn CXLIX. Agni.

Hymn CL. Agni.

Hymn CLI. Mitra and Varuna

Hymn CLII. Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn CLIII. Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn CLIV. Visnu

Hymn CLV. Visnu-Indra.

Hymn CLVI. Visnu

Hymn CLVII. Asvins.

Hymn CLVIII. Asvins.

Hymn CLIX. Heaven and Earth.

Hymn CLX. Heaven and Earth.

Hymn CLXI. Rbhus.

Hymn CLXIL The Horse.

Hymn CLXIII. The Horse.

Hymn CLXIV. Visvedevas.

Hymn CLXV. Indra. Maruts.

Hymn CLXVI. Maruts.

Hymn CLXVII. Indra. Maruts.

Hymn CLXVIII. Maruts.

Hymn CLXIX. Indra.

Hymn CLXX. Indra. Maruts.

Hymn CLXXI. Maruts.

Hymn CLXXII. Maruts.

Hymn CLXXIII. Indra.

Hymn CLXXIV. Indra.

Hymn CLXXV. Indra.

Hymn CLXXVI. Indra.

Hymn CLXXVII. Indra.

Hymn CLXXVIII. Indra.

Hymn CLXXIX. Rati.

Hymn CLXXX. Asvins.

Hymn CLXXXI. Asvins

Hymn CLXXXII. Asvins.

Hymn CLXXXIII. Asvins.

Hymn CLXXXIV Asvins.

Hymn CLXXXV. Heaven and Earth.

Hymn CLXXXVI. Visvedevas.

Hymn CLXXXVII. Praise of Food.

Hymn CLXXXVIII. April

Hymn CLXXXIX. Agni.

Hymn CXC. Brhaspati.

Hymn CXCI Water. Grass. Sun.

Rig Veda - Book The Second

Hymn I. Agni.

Hymn II. Agni.

Hymn III. Apris.

Hymn IV Agni.

Hymn V. Agni.

Hymn VI. Agni.

Hymn VII. Agni.

Hymn VIII.Agni.

Hymn IX. Agni.

Hymn X. Agni.

Hymn XI. Indra.

Hymn XII. Indra.

Hymn XIII. Indra.

Hymn XIV. Indra.

Hymn XV. Indra

Hymn XVI. Indra.

Hymn XVII. Indra.

Hymn XVIII. Indra

Hymn XIX. Indra.

Hymn XX. Indra.

Hymn XXI.

Hymn XXII. Indra.

Hymn XXIII. Brahmanaspati.

Hymn XXIV. Brahmanaspati.

Hymn XXV. Brahmanaspati.

Hymn XXVI. Brahmanaspati.

Hymn XXVII. Adityas.

Hymn XXVIII. Varuna

Hymn XXIX. Visvedevas.

Hymn XXX. Indra and Others.

Hymn XXXI. Visvedevas.

Hymn XXXII. Various Deities.

Hymn XXXIII. Rudra.

Hymn XXXIV. Maruts

Hymn XXXV. Son of Waters.

Hymn XXXVI Various Gods.

Hymn XXXVII. Various Gods.

Hymn XXXVIII. Savitar.

Hymn XX Asvins.

Hymn XL. Soma and Pusan.

Hymn XLI. Various Deities.

Hymn XLII Kapinjala.

Hymn XLIII. Kapinjala.

Rig Veda - Book The Third

Hymn I. Agni.

Hymn II. Agni.

Hymn III. Agni.

Hymn IV Apris.

Hymn V. Agni.

Hymn VI. Agni.

Hymn VII.

Hymn VIII Sacrificial Post.

Hymn IX.

Hymn X. Agni.

Hymn Xl. Agni.

Hymn XII. Indra-Agni.

Hymn XIII. Agni.

Hymn XIV. Agni.

Hymn XV. Agni.

Hymn XVI. Agni.

Hymn XVII. Agni.

Hymn XVIII. Agni.

Hymn XIX. Agni.

Hymn XX Agni.

Hymn XXI. Agni.

Hymn XXII. Agni.

Hymn XXIII. Agni.

Hymn XXIV. Agni.

Hymn XXV. Agni.

Hymn XXVI. Agni.

Hymn XXVII. Agni.

Hymn XXVIII. Agni.

Hymn XXIX. Agni.

Hymn XXX. Indra.

Hymn XXXI. Indra.

Hymn XXXII. Indra

Hymn XXXIII. Indra.

Hymn XXXIV. Indra.

Hymn XXXV Indra.

Hymn XXXVI. Indra.

Hymn XXXVII. Indra.

Hymn XXXVIII. Indra.

Hymn XXXIX. Indra.

Hymn XL. Indra.

Hymn XLI. Indra.

Hymn XLII. Indra.

Hymn XLIII. Indra.

Hymn XLIV. Indra.

Hymn XLV. Indra.

Hymn XLVI. Indra.

Hymn XLVII. Indra.

Hymn XLVIII. Indra.

Hymn XLIX. Indra.

Hymn L. Indra.

Hymn LI. Indra.

Hymn LII. Indra.

Hymn LIII. Indra, Parvata, Etc.

Hymn LIV. Visvedevas.

Hymn LV. Visvedevas.

Hymn LVI. Visvedevas.

Hymn LVII. Visvedevas.

Hymn LVIII. Asvins.

Hymn LIX. Mitra.

Hymn LX. Rbhus.

Hymn LXI. Usas.

Hymn LXII. Indra and Others.

Rig Veda - Book The Fourth

Hymn I. Agni.

Hymn II. Agni.

Hymn III. Agni.

Hymn IV. Agni.

Hymn V. Agni.

Hymn VI. Agni.

Hymn VII. Agni.

Hymn VIII. Agni.

Hymn IX. Agni.

Hymn X. Agni.

Hymn XI. Agni.

Hymn XII. Agni.

Hymn XIII. Agni.

Hymn XIV. Agni.

Hymn XV. Agni.

Hymn XVI. Indra.

Hymn XVII. Indra.

Hymn XVIII. Indra and Others.

Hymn XIX. Indra.

Hymn XX. Indra.

Hymn XXI. Indra.

Hymn XXII. Indra.

Hymn XXIII. Indra.

Hymn XXIV. Indra.

Hymn XXV. Indra.

Hymn XXVI. Indra.

Hymn XXVII. The Falcon.

Hymn XXVIII. Indra-Soma.

Hymn XXIX. Indra.

Hymn XXX. Indra.

Hymn XXXI. Indra.

Hymn XXXII. Indra.

Hymn XXXIII. Rbhus.

Hymn XXXIV. Rbhus.

Hymn XXXV. Rbhus.

Hymn XXXVI. Rbhus.

Hymn XXXVII. Rbhus.

Hymn XXXVIII. Dadhikris.

Hymn XXXIX Dadhikras.

Hymn XL. Dadhikravan.

Hymn XLI. Indra-Varuna.

Hymn XLIL Indra-Varuna.

Hymn XLIII. Asvins.

Hymn XLIV. Asvins.

Hymn XLV. Asvins

Hymn XLVI. Vayu. Indra-Vayu

Hymn XLVIL Vayu. Indra-Vayu.

Hymn XLVIII. Vayu.

Hymn XLIX. Indra-Brhaspati.

Hymn L. Brhaspati.

Hymn LI. Dawn.

Hymn LIL Dawm.

Hymn LIII. Savitar.

Hymn LIV. Savitar.

Hymn LV. Visvedevas.

Hymn LVI. Heaven and Earth.

Hymn LVII. Ksetrapati, Etc.

Hymn LVIII. Ghrta.

Rig Veda - Book The Fifth

Hymn I. Agni

Hymn II. Agni.

Hymn III. Agni.

Hymn IV. Agni.

Hymn V. Apris.

Hymn VI. Agni.

Hymn VII. Agni.

Hymn VIII. Agni.

Hymn IX. Agni.

Hymn X. Agni.

Hymn XI. Agni.

Hymn XII. Agni.

Hymn XIII. Agni.

Hymn XIV. Agni.

Hymn XV. Agni.

Hymn XVI. Agni.

Hymn XVII. Agni.

Hymn XVIII. Agni.

Hymn XIX. Agni.

Hymn XX. Agni.

Hymn XXI. Agni.

Hymn XXII. Agni.

Hymn XXIII. Agni.

Hymn XXIV. Agni.

Hymn XXV. Agni.

Hymn XXVI. Agni.

Hymn XXVII. Agni.

Hymn XXVIII. Agni.

Hymn XXIX. Agni.

Hymn XXX. Indra.

Hymn XXXI. Indra.

Hymn XXXII. Indra.

Hymn XXXIII. Indra.

Hymn XXXIV. Indra.

Hymn XXXV. Indra.

Hymn XXXVI. Indra.

Hymn XXXVII. Indra.

Hymn XXXVIII. Indra.

Hymn XXXIX. Indra.

Hymn XL. Indra. Surya. Atri.

Hymn XLI. Visvedevas

Hymn XLII. Visvedevas.

Hymn XLIII. Visvedevas.

Hymn XLIV. Visvedevas.

Hymn XLV. Visvedevas.

Hymn XLVI. Visvedevas.

Hymn XLVII. Visvedevas.

Hymn XLVIII. Visvedevas.

Hymn XLIX. Visvedevas.

Hymn L. Visvedevas.

Hymn LI. Visvedevas.

Hymn LII Maruts.

Hymn LIII. Maruts.

Hymn LIV. Maruts.

Hymn LV. Maruts.

Hymn LVI. Maruts.

Hymn LVII. Maruts.

Hymn LVIII. Maruts.

Hymn LIX. Maruts.

Hymn LX. Maruts.

Hymn LXI. Maruts.

Hymn LXII. Mitra-Varuna

Hymn LXIII. Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn LX1V. Mitra-Varuna

Hymn LXV Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn LXVI. Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn LXVII. Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn LXVIII. Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn LXIX. Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn LXX. Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn LXXI. Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn LXXIL Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn LXXIII. Asvins.

Hymn LXXIV. Asvins.

Hymn LXXV. Asvins.

Hymn LXXVI. Asvins

Hymn LXXVII. Asvins.

Hymn LXXVIII. Asvins.

Hymn LXXIX. Dawn.

Hymn LXXX. Dawn.

Hymn LXXXI. Savitar.

Hymn LXXXII. Savitar.

Hymn LXXXIII. Parjanya.

Hymn LXXXIV. Prthivi.

Hymn LXXXV. Varuna.

Hymn LXXXVI. Indra-Agni.

Hymn LXXXVII. Maruts.

Rig Veda - Book The Sixth

Hymn I. Agni.

Hymn II. Agni.

Hymn III. Agni.

Hymn IV Agni.

Hymn V. Agni.

Hymn VI. Agni.

Hymn VII. Agni.

Hymn VIII. Agni.

Hymn IX. Agni.

Hymn X. Agni.

Hymn XI. Agni.

Hymn XII. Agni.

Hymn XIII. Agni.

Hymn XIV. Agni.

Hymn XV. Agni.

Hymn XVI. Agni.

Hymn XVII. Indra.

Hymn XVIII. Indra.

Hymn XIX. Indra.

Hymn XX. Indra.

Hymn XXI. Indra. Visvedevas.

Hymn XXII. Indra.

Hymn XXIII. Indra.

Hymn XXIV. Indra.

Hymn XXV. Indra.

Hymn XXVI. Indra.

Hymn XXVII. Indra.

Hymn XXVIII. Cows.

Hymn XXIX Indra.

Hymn XXX. Indra.

Hymn XXXI Indra.

Hymn XXXII Indra.

Hymn XXXIII. Indra.

Hymn XXXIV. Indra.

Hymn XXXV. Indra.

Hymn XXXVI. Indra.

Hymn XXXVII Indra.

Hymn XXXVIII. Indra.

Hymn XXXIX Indra.

Hymn XL. Indra

Hymn XLL Indra.

Hymn XLII- Indra.

Hymn XLIII. Indra

Hymn XLIV. Indra.

Hymn XLV. Indra.

Hymn XLVI. Indra.

Hymn XLVII. Indra, Etc.

Hymn XLVIII. Agni and Others.

Hymn XLIX. Visvedevas.

Hymn L. Visvedevas.

Hymn LI. Visvedevas.

Hymn LIL Visvedevas.

Hymn LIII. Pusan.

Hymn LIV. Pusan.

Hymn LV. Pusan.

Hymn LVI, Pusan.

Hymn LVII. Indra and Pusan.

Hymn LVIII. Pusan.

Hymn LIX. Indra-Agni.

Hymn LX. Indra-Agni.

Hymn LXI. Sarasvati.

Hymn LXII. Asvins.

Hymn LXIII. Asvins.

Hymn LXIV. Dawn.

Hymn LXV. Dawn.

Hymn LXVI. Maruts.

Hymn LXVIL Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn LXVIII. Indra-Varuna.

Hymn LXIX. Indra-Visnu

Hymn LXX. Heaven and Earth.

Hymn LXXI. Savitar.

Hymn LXXII. Indra-Soma.

Hymn LXXIII. Brhaspati.

Hymn LXXIV. Soma-Rudra.

Hymn LXXV. Weapons of War.

Rig Veda - Book The Seventh

Hymn I. Agni.

Hymn II. Apris.

Hymn III. Agni.

Hymn IV. Agni.

Hymn V. Agni.

Hymn VI. Agni.

Hymn VII. Agni.

Hymn VIII. Agni

Hymn IX. Agni.

Hymn X. Agni.

Hymn XI. Agni.

Hymn XII. Agni.

Hymn XIII. Agni.

Hymn XIV Agni.

Hymn XV. Agni.

Hymn XVI. Agni.

Hymn XVII. Agni.

Hymn XVIII. Indra.

Hymn XIX. Indra.

Hymn XX. Indra.

Hymn XXI. Indra.

Hymn XXII Indra.

Hymn XXIII. Indra.

Hymn XXIV. Indra.

Hymn XXV. Indra.

Hymn XXVI. Indra.

Hymn XXVII. Indra.

Hymn XXVIII. Indra.

Hymn XXIX Indra.

Hymn XXX. Indra.

Hymn XXXI. Indra.

Hymn XXXII. Indra.

Hymn XXXIII Vasistha.

Hymn XXXIV Visvedevas.

Hymn XXXV. Visvedevas.

Hymn XXXVI. Visvedevas

Hymn XXXVII. Visvedevas.

Hymn XXXVIII. Savitar.

Hymn XXXIX Visvedevas.

Hymn XL. Visvedevas.

Hymn XLI. Bhaga.

Hymn XLII Visvedevas.

Hymn XLIII Visvedevas.

Hymn XLIV. Dadhikras.

Hymn XLV. Savitar.

Hymn XLVI. Rudra.

Hymn XLVII. Waters.

Hymn XLVIII. Rbhus.

Hymn XLIX. Waters.

Hymn L. Various Deities.

Hymn LI. Adityas.

Hymn LII. Adityas.

Hymn LIII. Heaven and Earth.

Hymn LIV. Vastospati.

Hymn LV. Vastospati.

Hymn LVI. Maruts.

Hymn LVII. Maruts.

Hymn LVIII. Maruts.

Hymn LIX. Maruts.

Hymn LX. Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn LXI. Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn LXII. Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn LXIII. Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn LXIV. Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn LXV. Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn LXVI Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn LXVII. Asvins.

Hymn LXVIII. Asvins.

Hymn LXIX. Asvins.

Hymn LXX. Asvins.

Hymn LXXI. Asvins.

Hymn LXXII. Asvins.

Hymn LXXIII. Asvins.

Hymn I.XXIV. Asvins.

Hymn LXXV. Dawn.

Hymn LXXVI. Dawn.

Hymn LXXVIT. Dawn.

Hymn LXXVIII. Dawn.

Hymn LXXIX. Dawn.

Hymn LXXX. Dawn.

Hymn LXXXI. Dawn.

Hymn LXXXIT. Indra-Varuna

Hymn LXXXIII. Indra-Varuna.

Hymn LXXXIV. Indra-Varuna.

Hymn LXXXV. Indra-Varuna.

Hymn LXXXVI. Varuna.

Hymn LXXXVII. Varuna.

Hymn LXXXVIII. Varuna.

Hymn LXXXIX Varuna.

Hymn XC. Vayu.

Hymn XCI. Vayu.

Hymn XCII. Vayu

Hymn XCIII. Indra-Agni.

Hymn XCIV. Indra-Agni.

Hymn XCV. Sarasvati.

Hymn XCVI. Sarasvati.

Hymn XCVIL Brhaspati.

Hymn XCVIII. Indra.

Hymn XCIX. Visnu.

Hymn C. Visnu.

Hymn CI. Parjanya.

Hymn CII Parjanya.

Hymn CIII. Frogs.

Hymn CIV. Indra-Soma.

Rig Veda - Book The Eighth

Hymn I. Indra.

Hymn II. Indra.

Hymn III. Indra.

Hymn IV. Indra.

Hymn V. Asvins.

Hymn VI Indra

Hymn VII. Maruts.

Hymn VIII. Asvins.

Hymn IX. Asvins.

Hymn X. Asvins.

Hymn XI. Agni.

Hymn XII. Indra.

Hymn XIII. Indra.

Hymn XIV. Indra.

Hymn XV. Indra.

Hymn XVI. Indra.

Hymn XVII Indra.

Hymn XVIII. Adityas.

Hymn XIX. Agni.

Hymn XX Maruts.

Hymn XXI. Indra.

Hymn XXII. Asvins.

Hymn XXIII. Agni.

Hymn XXIV. Indra.

Hymn XXV. Mitra-Varuna.

Hymn XXVI. Asvins.

Hymn XXVII. Visvedevas.

Hymn XXVIII. Visvedevas.

Hymn XXIX Visvedevas.

Hymn XXX. Visvedevas.

Hymn XXXI. Various Deities.

Hymn XXXII. Indra.

Hymn XXXIII. Indra.

Hymn XXXIV. Indra.

Hymn XXXV. Asvins.

Hymn XXXVI. Indra.

Hymn XXXVIL Indra.

Hymn XXXVIII. Indra-Angi.

Hymn XXXIX. Agni.

Hymn XL. Indra-Agni.

Hymn XLI. Varuna.

Hymn XLII Varuna.

Hymn XLIII. Agni.

Hymn XLIV. Agni.

Hymn XLV. Indra

Hymn XLVI. Indra.

Hymn XLVII. Adityas.

Hymn XLVIII. Soma.

Hymn XLIX. Agni.

Hymn L. Indra.

Hymn LI. Indra.

Hymn LII. Indra.

Hymn LIII. Andra.

Hymn LIV. Indra.

Hymn LV. Indra.

Hymn LVI. Adityas.

Hymn LVII. Indra.

Hymn LVIII. Indra.

Hymn LIX. Indra.

Hymn LX. Agni.

Hymn LXI. Agni.

Hymn LXII. Asvins.

Hymn LXIII. Agni.

Hymn LXIV. Agni.

Hymn LXV. Indra.

Hymn LXVI. Indra.

Hymn LXVII. Indra.

Hymn LXVIII. Soma.

Hymn LXIX. Indra

Hymn LXX. Indra.

Hymn LXXI. Indra.

Hymn LXXII. Visvedevas.

Hymn LXXIII. Agni.

Hymn LXXIV. Asvins.

Hymn LXXV. Asvins.

Hymn LXXVI. Asvins.

Hymn LXXVII. Indra.

Hymn LXXVIII. Indra.

Hymn LXXIX. Indra.

Hymn LXXX. Indra.

Hymn LXXXI. Indra

Hymn LXXXII. Indra.

Hymn LXXXIII. Maruts.

Hymn LXXXIV. Indra.

Hymn LXXXV. Indra.

Hymn LXXXVI. Indra.

Hymn LXXXVII. Indra.

Hymn LXXXVIII. Indra.

Hymn LXXXIX Indra. Vak.

Hymn XC. Various.

Hymn XCI. Agni.

Hymn XCII. Agni

Hymn I. Indra.

Hymn II. Indra.

Hymn III. Indra.

Hymn IV. Indra.

Hymn V. Indra.

Hymn VI. Indra.

Hymn VII. Praskanva's Gift.

Hymn VIII Praskanva's Go.

Hymn IX. Asvins.

Hymn X. Visvedevas.

Hymn XI. Indra-Varuna.

Rig Veda - Book The Ninth

Hymn I. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn II. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn III. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn IV. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn V Apris.

Hymn VI. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn VII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn VIII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn IX. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn X. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XL Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XIII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XIV. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XV. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XVI. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XVII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XVIII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XIX. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XX Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XXI. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XXII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XXIII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XXIV.Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XXV. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XXVI. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XXVII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XXVIII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XXIX. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XXX. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XXXI. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XXXII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XXXIII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XXXIV. Some Pavamana.

Hymn XXXV. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XXXVI. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XXXVII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XXXVIII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XXXIX Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XL. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XLI. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XLII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XLIII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XLIV. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XLV. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XLVI. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XLVII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XLVIII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XLIX. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn L. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LI. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LIII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LIV. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LV. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LVI. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LVII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LVIII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LIX. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LX. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXI. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXIII. Soma Pavanana.

Hymn LXIV. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXV. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXVI. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXVII. Soma and Others.

Hymn LXVIII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXIX. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXX. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXXI. Soma Pavamana,

Hymn LXXII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXXIII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXXIV. Soma Pavamana

Hymn LXXV. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXXVI. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXXVII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXXVIII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXXIX. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXXX. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXXXI. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXXXII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXXXIII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXXXIV. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXXXV. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXXXVI. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXXXVII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXXXVIII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn LXXXIX. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XC. Soma Pavamana,

Hymn XCI. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XCII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XCIII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XCIV. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XCV Soma Pavamana.

Hymn XCVI. Soma Pavamana

Hymn XCVII. Soma Pavamana

Hymn XCVIII. Soma Pavamana

Hymn XCIX. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn C. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn CI. Soma Pavamana

Hymn CIL Soma Pavamana.

Hymn CIII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn CIV. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn CV. Soma Pavamana

Hymn CVI. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn CVII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn CVIII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn CIX. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn CX. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn CXI. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn CXII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn CXIII. Soma Pavamana.

Hymn CXIV. Soma Pavamana.

Rig Veda - Book The Tenth

Hymn I. Agni.

Hymn II. Agni.

Hymn III. Agni.

Hymn IV. Agni.

Hymn V. Agni.

Hymn VI Agni

Hymn VII. Agni.

Hymn VIII. Agni.

Hymn IX. Waters.

Hymn X.Yama Yami.

Hymn XI. Agni

Hymn XII. Agni

Hymn XIII Havirdhanas.

Hymn XIV. Yama.

Hymn XV. Fathers.

Hymn XVI. Agni.

Hymn XVII. Various Deities.

Hymn XVIII. Various Deities.

Hymn XIX. Waters or Cows.

Hymn XX. Agni.

Hymn XXI. Agni.

Hymn XXII. Indra.

Hymn XXIII. Indra.

Hymn XXIV. Indra. Asvins.

Hymn XXV. Soma.

Hymn XXVI. Pusan.

Hymn XXVII. Indra.

Hymn XXVIII. Indra. Vasukra.

Hymn XXIX. Indra.

Hymn XXX. Waters.

Hymn XXXI. Visvedevas.

Hymn XXXII. Indra.

Hymn XXXIII. Various Deities.

Hymn XXXIV. Dice, Etc.

Hymn XXXV. Visvedevas.

Hymn XXXVI. Visvedevas.

Hymn XXXVII. Surya.

Hymn XXXVIII. Indra.

Hymn XXXIX. Asvins.

Hymn XL. Asvins.

Hymn XLI. Asvins.

Hymn XLII. Indra.

Hymn XLIII. Indra.

Hymn XLIV. Indra.

Hymn XLV. Agni.

Hymn XLVI. Agni.

Hymn XLVII. Indra Vaikuntha.

Hymn XLVIII. Indra Vaikuntha.

Hymn XLIX.Indra Vaikuntha.

Hymn L. Indra Vaikuntha.

Hymn LI. Agni. Gods.

Hymn LII. Gods.

Hymn LIII. Agni Saucika Gods.

Hymn LIV. Indra.

Hymn LV. Indra.

Hymn LVI. Visvedevas.

Hymn LVIL Visvedevas.

Hymn LVIII. Manas or Spirit.

Hymn LIX. Nirrti and Others.

Hymn LX. Asamati and Others.-

Hymn LXI. Visvedevas.

Hymn LXII. Visvedevas, Etc.

Hymn LXIII. Visvedevas.

Hymn LXIV. Visvedevas.

Hymn LXV. Visvedevas.

Hymn LXVI. Visvedevas.

Hymn LXVII. Brhaspati.

Hymn LXVIII. Brhaspati.

Hymn LXIX. Agni.

Hymn LXX. Apris.

Hymn LXXI. Jnanam

Hymn LXXII. The Gods.

Hymn LXXIII. Indra.

Hymn LXXIV. Indra.

Hymn LXXV. The Rivers.

Hymn LXXVI. Press-stones.

Hymn LXXVII. Maruts.

Hymn LXXVIII. Maruts.

Hymn LXXIX. Agni.

Hymn LXXX. Agni.

Hymn LXXXI. Visvakarman.

Hymn LXXXII. Visvakarman.

Hymn LXXXII. Manyu.

Hymn LXXXIV. Manyu.

Hymn LXXXV. Surya's Bridal.

Hymn LXXXVI. Indra.

Hymn LXXXVII. Agni.

Hymn LXXXVIII. Agni.

Hymn LXXXIX. Indra.

Hymn XC. Purusa.

Hymn XCI. Agni.

Hymn XCII. Visvedevas.

Hymn XCIII. Visvedevas.

Hymn XCIV. Press-stones.

Hymn XCV. Urvasi. Pururavas.

Hymn XCVI. Indra.

Hymn XCVII. Praise of Herbs.

Hymn XCVIII. The Gods.

Hymn XCIX. Indra.

Hymn C. Visvedevas.

Hymn CI. Visvedevas.

Hymn CII. Indra.

Hymn CIII. Indra.

Hymn CIV. Indra.

Hymn CV. Indra.

Hymn CVI. Asvins.

Hymn CVII. Daksina.

Hymn CVIII. Sarama. Panis.

Hymn CIX. Visvedevas.

Hymn CX. Apris.

Hymn CXI. Indra.

Hymn CXII. Indra.

Hymn CXTII. Indra.

Hymn CXIV. Visvedevas.

Hymn CXV. Agni.

Hymn CXV1. Indra.

Hymn CXVII. Liberality.

Hymn CXVIII. Agni.

Hymn CXIX. Indra.

Hymn CXX. Indra.

Hymn CXXI. Ka.

Hymn CXXII. Agni.

Hymn CXXIII. Vena.

Hymn CXXIV. Agni, Etc.

Hymn CXXV. Vak.

Hymn CXXVI. Visvedevas.

Hymn CXXVII. Night.

Hymn CXXVIII. Visvedevas.

Hymn CXXIX. Creation.

Hymn CXXX. Creation.

Hymn CXXXI. Indra.

Hymn CXXXII. Mitra. Varuna.

Hymn CXXXIII. Indra.

Hymn CXXXIV. Indra.

Hymn CXXXV. Yama.

Hymn CXXXVI. Kesins.

Hymn CXXXVII Visvedevas.

Hymn CXXXVIII. Indra.

Hymn CXXXIX. Savitar.

Hymn CXL. Agni.

Hymn CXLI. Visvedevas.

Hymn CXLII. Agni.

Hymn CXLIII. Asvins.

Hymn CXLIV. Indra.

Hymn CXLV. Sapatnibadhanam.

Hymn CXLVI. Aranyani.

Hymn CXLVII Indra.

Hymn CXLVIII. Indra.

Hymn CXLIX. Savitar.

Hymn CL. Agni.

Hymn CLI. Faith.

Hymn CLII. Indra.

Hymn CLIII. Indra.

Hymn CLIV. New Life.

Hymn CLV. Various.

Hymn CLVI. Agni.

Hymn CLVII. Visvedevas.

Hymn CLVIII. Surya.

Hymn CLIX. Saci Paulomi.

Hymn CLX. Indra.

Hymn CLXI. Indra.

Hymn CLXII. Agni

Hymn CLXIII

Hymn CLXIV. Dream-charm.

Hymn CLXV. Visvedevas.

Hymn CLXVI. Sapatnanasanam.

Hymn CLXVII. Indra.

Hymn CLXVIII. Vayu.

Hymn CLXIX. COWS.

Hymn CLXX. Surya.

Hymn CLXXI. Indra.

Hymn CLXXII. Dawn.

Hymn CLXXIII. The King.

Hymn CLXXIV. The King.

Hymn CLXXV. Press-stones.

Hymn CLXXVI. Agni.

Hymn CLXXVII. Mayabheda.

Hymn CLXXVIII. Tarksya.

Hymn CLXXIX. Indra.

Hymn CLXXX. Indra.

Hymn CLXXXl. Visvedevas.

Hymn CLXXXII. Brhaspati.

Hymn CLXXXIII. The Sacrificer, Etc.

Hymn CLXXXIV.

Hymn CLXXXV. Aditi.

Hymn CLXXXVI. Vayu.

Hymn CLXXXVII. Agni.

Hymn CLXXXVIII. Agni.

Hymn CLXXXIX. Surya.

Hymn CXC. Creation.

Hymn CXCI. Agni.

The Hymns of the Rigveda

In the dim twilight preceding the dawn of Indian literature the historical imagination can perceive the forms of Aryan warriors, the first Western conquerors of Hindustan, issuing from those passes in the north-west through which the tide of invasion has in successive ages rolled to sweep over the plains of India. The earliest poetry of this invading race, whose language and culture ultimately overspread the whole continent, was composed while its tribes still occupied the territories on both sides of the Indus now known as Eastern Kabulistan and the Panjab. That ancient poetry has come down to us in the form of a collection of hymns called the Rigveda. The cause which gathered the poems it contains into a single book was not practical, as in the case of the Sama- and Yajur-veda, but scientific and historical. For its ancient editors were undoubtedly impelled by the motive of guarding this heritage of olden time from change and destruction. The number of hymns comprised in the Rigveda, in the only recension which has been preserved, that of the Çakala school, is 1017, or, if the eleven supplementary hymns (called Valakhilya) which are inserted in the middle of the eighth book are added, 1028. These hymns are grouped in ten books, called mandalas, or "cycles," which vary in length, except that the tenth contains the same number of hymns as the first. In bulk the hymns of the Rigveda equal, it has been calculated, the surviving poems of Homer.

The general character of the ten books is not identical in all cases. Six of them (ii.-vii.) are homogeneous. Each of these, in the first place, is the work of a different seer or his descendants according to the ancient tradition, which is borne out by internal evidence. They were doubtless long handed down separately in the families to which they owed their being. Moreover, the hymns contained in these " family books/' as they are usually called, are arranged on a uniform plan differing from that of the rest. The first, eighth, and tenth books are not the productions of a single family of seers respectively, but consist of a number of groups based on identity of authorship. The arrangement of the ninth book is in no way connected with its composers; its unity is due to all its hymns being addressed to the single deity Soma, while its groups depend on identity of metre. The family books also contain groups; but each of these is formed of hymns addressed to one and the same deity.

Turning to the principle on which the entire books of the Rigveda are arranged in relation to one another, we find that Books II.-VII., if allowance is made for later additions, form a series of collections which contain a successively increasing number of hymns. This fact, combined with the uniformity of these books in general character and internal arrangement, renders it probable that they formed the nucleus of the Rigveda, to which the remaining books were successively added. It further seems likely that the nine shorter collections, which form the second part of Book I., as being similarly based on identity of authorship, were subsequently combined and prefixed to the family books, which served as the model for their internal arrangement.

The hymns of the eighth book in general show a mutual affinity hardly less pronounced than that to be found in the family books. For they are connected by numerous repetitions of similar phrases and lines running through the whole book. The latter, however, does not form a parallel to the family books. For though a single family, that of the Kanvas, at least predominates among its authors, the prevalence in it of the strophic form of composition impresses upon it a character of its own. Moreover, the fact that the eighth book contains fewer hymns than the seventh, in itself shows that the former did not constitute one of the family series.

The first part (1-50) of Book I. has considerable affinities with the eighth, more than half its hymns being attributed to members of the Kanva family, while in the hymns composed by some of these Kanvas the favourite strophic metre of the eighth book reappears. There are, moreover, numerous parallel and directly identical passages in the two collections. It is, however, at present impossible to decide which of the two is the earlier, or why it is that, though so nearly related, they should have been separated. Certain it is that they were respectively added at the beginning and the end of a previously existing collection, whether they were divided for chronological reasons or because composed by different branches of the Kanva family.

As to the ninth book, it cannot be doubted that it came into being as a collection after the first eight books had been combined into a whole. Its formation was in fact the direct result of that combination. The hymns to Soma Pavamana ("the clearly flowing") are composed by authors of the same families as produced Books II.— VII., a fact, apart from other evidence, sufficiently indicated by their having the characteristic refrains of those families. The Pavamana hymns have affinities to the first and eighth books also. When the hymns of the different families were combined into books, and clearly not till then, all their Pavamana hymns were taken out and gathered into a single collection. This of course does not imply that the Pavamana hymns themselves were of recent origin. On the contrary, though some of them may date from the time when the tenth book came into existence, there is good reason to suppose that the poetry of the Soma hymns, which has many points in common with the Avesta, and deals with a ritual going back to the Indo-Iranian period, reached its conclusion as a whole in early times among the Vedic singers. Differences of age in the hymns of the ninth book have been almost entirely effaced; at any rate, research has as yet hardly succeeded in distinguishing chronological stages in this collection.

With regard. to the tenth book, there can be no doubt that its hymns came into being at a time when the first nine already existed. Its composers grew up in the knowledge of the older books, with which they betray their familiarity at every turn. The fact that the author of one of its groups (20-26) begins with the opening words (agnim ile) of the first stanza of the Rigveda, is probably an indication that Books I.-IX. already existed in his day even as a combined collection. That the tenth book is indeed an aggregate of supplementary hymns is shown by its position after the Soma book, and by the number of its hymns being made up to that of the first book (191). The unity which connects its poetry is chronological; for it is the book of recent groups and recent single hymns. Nevertheless the supplements collected in it appear for the most part to be older than the additions which occur in the earlier books.

There are many criteria, derived from its matter as well as its form, showing the recent origin of the tenth book. With regard to mythology, we find the earlier gods beginning to lose their hold on the imagination of these later singers. Some of them seem to be disappearing, like the goddess of Dawn, while only deities of widely established popularity, such as Indra and Agni, maintain their position. The comprehensive group of the Viçve devas, or "All gods," has alone increased in prominence. On the other hand, an altogether new type, the deification of purely abstract ideas, such as " Wrath " and " Faith" now appears for the first time. Here, too, a number of hymns are found dealing with subjects foreign to the earlier books, such as cosmogony and philosophical speculation, wedding and burial rites, spells and incantations, which give to this book a distinctive character besides indicating its recent origin.

Linguistically, also, the tenth book is clearly distinguished as later than the other books, forming in many respects a transition to the other Vedas. A few examples will here suffice to show this. Vowel contractions occur much more frequently, while the hiatus has grown rarer. The use of the letter l, as compared with r, is, in agreement with later Sanskrit, strikingly on the increase. In inflexion the employment of the Vedic nominative plural in asas is on the decline.

With regard to the vocabulary, many old words are going out of use, while others are becoming commoner. Thus the particle sim, occurring fifty times in the rest of the Rigveda, is found only once in the tenth book. A number of words common in the later language are only to be met with in this book; for instance, labh, " to take," kala, "time," lakshmi, "fortune," evam, "thus." Here, too, a number of conscious archaisms can be pointed out.

Thus the tenth book represents a definitely later stratum of composition in the Rigveda. Individual hymns in the earlier books have also been proved by various recognised criteria to be of later origin than others, and some advance has been made towards assigning them to three or even five literary epochs. Research has, however, not yet arrived at any certain results as to the age of whole groups in the earlier books. For it must be borne in mind that posteriority of collection and incorporation does not necessarily prove a later date of composition.

Some hundreds of years must have been needed for all the hymns found in the Rigveda to come into being. There was also, doubtless, after the separation of the Indians from the Iranians, an intermediate period, though it was probably of no great length. In this transitional age must have been composed the more ancient poems which are lost, and in which the style of the earliest preserved hymns, already composed with much skill, was developed. The poets of the older part of the Rigveda themselves mention predecessors, in whose wise they sing, whose songs they desire to renew, and speak of ancestral hymns produced in days of yore. As far as linguistic evidence is concerned, it affords little help in discriminating periods within the Rigveda except with regard to the tenth book. For throughout the hymns, in spite of the number of authors, essentially the same language prevails. It is quite possible to distinguish differences of thought, style, and poetical ability, but hardly any differences of dialect. Nevertheless, patient and minute linguistic research, combined with the indications derived from arrangement, metre, and subject-matter, is beginning to yield evidence which may lead to the recognition of chronological strata in the older books of the Rigveda.

Though the aid of MSS. for this early period entirely fails, we yet happily possess for the Rigveda an abundant mass of various readings over 2000 years old. These are contained in the other Vedas, which are largely composed of hymns, stanzas, and lines borrowed from the Rigveda. The other Vedas are, in fact, for the criticism of the Rigveda 9 what manuscripts are for other literary monuments. We are thus enabled to collate with the text of the Rigveda directly handed down, various readings considerably older than even the testimony of Yaska and of the Pratiçakhyas.

The comparison of the various readings supplied by the later Vedas leads to the conclusion that the text of the Rigveda existed, with comparatively few exceptions, in its present form, and not in a possibly different recension, at the time when the text of the Sama-veda, the oldest form of the Yajur-veda, and the Atharva-veda was constituted. The number of cases is infinitesimal in which the Rigveda shows a corruption from which the others are free. Thus it appears that the kernel of Vedic tradition, as represented by the Rigveda, has come down to us, with a high degree of fixity and remarkable care for verbal integrity, from a period which can hardly be less remote than 1000 B.C.

It is only natural that a sacred collection of poetry, historical in its origin, and the heritage of oral tradition before the other Vedas were composed and the details of the later ritual practice were fixed, should have continued to be preserved more accurately than texts formed mainly by borrowing from it hymns which were arbitrarily cut up into groups of verses or into single verses, solely in order to meet new liturgical needs. For those who removed verses of the Rigveda from their context and mixed them up with their own new creations would not feel bound to guard such verses from change as strictly as those who did nothing but continue to hand down, without any break, the ancient text in its connected form. The control of tradition would be wanting where quite a new tradition was being formed.

The criticism of the text of the Rigveda itself is concerned with two periods. The first is that in which it existed alone before the other Vedas came into being; the second is that in which it appears in the phonetically modified form called the Samhita text, due to the labours of grammatical editors. Being handed down in the older period exclusively by oral tradition, it was not preserved in quite authentic form down to the time of its final redaction. It did not entirely escape the fate suffered by all works which, coming down from remote antiquity, survive into an age of changed linguistic conditions. Though there are undeniable corruptions in detail belonging to the alder period, the text maintained a remarkably high level of authenticity till such modifications as it had undergone reached their conclusion in the Samhita text. This text differs in hundreds of places from that of the composers of the hymns; but its actual words are nearly always the same as those used by the ancient seers. Thus there would be no uncertainty as to whether the right word, for instance, was sumnam or dyumnam. The difference lies almost entirely in the phonetic changes which the words have undergone according to the rules of Sandhi prevailing in the classical language. Thus what was formerly pronounced as tuam hi agne now appears as tvam hy agne. The modernisation of the text thereby produced is, however, only partial, and is often inconsistently applied. The euphonic combinations introduced in the Samhita text have interfered with the metre. Hence by reading according to the latter the older text can be restored. At the same time the Samhita text has preserved the smallest minutiae of detail most liable to corruption, and the slightest difference in the matter of accent and alternative forms, which might have been removed with the greatest ease. Such points furnish an additional proof that the extreme care with which the verbal integrity of the text was guarded goes back to the earlier period itself. Excepting single mistakes of tradition in the first, and those due to grammatical theories in the second period, the old text of the Rigveda thus shows itself to have been preserved from a very remote antiquity with marvellous accuracy even in the smallest details.

From the explanatory discussions of the Brahmanas in connection with the Rigveda, it results that the text of the latter must have been essentially fixed in their time, and that too in quite a special manner, more, for instance, than the prose formulas of the Yajurveda. For the Çatapatha Brahmana, while speaking of the possibility of varying some of these formulas, rejects the notion of changing the text of a certain Rigvedic verse, proposed by some teachers, as something not to be thought of. The Brahmanas further often mention the fact that such and such a hymn or liturgical group contains a particular number of verses. All such numerical statements appear to agree with the extant text of the Rigveda. On the other hand, transpositions and omissions of Rigvedic verses are to be found in the Brahmanas. These, however, are only connected with the ritual form of those verses, and in no way show that the text from which they were taken was different from ours.

The Sutras also contain altered forms of Rigvedic verses, but these are, as in the case of the Brahmanas, to be explained not from an older recension of the text, but from the necessity of adapting them to new ritual technicalities. On the other hand, they contain many statements which confirm our present text. Thus all that the Sutra of Çankhayana says about the position occupied by verses in a hymn, or the total number of verses contained in groups of hymns, appears invariably to agree with our text.

We have yet to answer the question as to when the Saiphita text, which finally fixed the canonical form of the Rigveda, was constituted. Now the Brahmanas contain a number of direct statements as to the number of syllables in a word or a group of words, which are at variance with the Samhita text owing to the vowel contractions made in the latter. Moreover, the old part of the Brahmana literature shows hardly any traces of speculations about phonetic questions connected with the Vedic text. The conclusion may therefore be drawn that the Saiphita text did not come into existence till after the completion of the Brahmanas. With regard to the Aranyakas and Upanishads, which form supplements to the Brahmanas, the case is different. These works not only mention technical grammatical terms for certain groups of letters, but contain detailed doctrines about the phonetic treatment of the Vedic text. Here, too, occur for the first time the names of certain theological grammarians, headed by Çakalya and Mandukeya, who are also recognised as authorities in the Praticakhyas. The Aranyakas and Upanishads accordingly form a transition, with reference to the treatment of grammatical questions, between the age of the Brahmanas and that of Yaska and the Praticakhyas. The Samhita text must have been created in this intermediate period, say about 600 B.C.

This work being completed, extraordinary precautions soon began to be taken to guard the canonical text thus fixed against the possibility of any change or loss. The result has been its preservation with a faithfulness unique in literary history. The first step taken in this direction was the constitution of the Pada, or "word" text, which being an analysis of the Samhita, gives each separate word in its independent form, and thus to a considerable extent restores the Samhita text to an older stage. That the Pada text was not quite contemporaneous in origin with the other is shown by its containing some undoubted misinterpretations and misunderstandings. Its composition can, however, only be separated by a short interval from that of the Samhita, for it appears to have been known to the writer of the Aitareya Aranyaka, while its author, Çakalya, is older than both Yaska, who quotes him, and Çaunaka, composer of the Rigveda Praticakhya, which is based on the Pada text.

The importance of the latter as a criterion of the authenticity of verses in the Rigveda is indicated by the following fact. There are six verses in the Rigveda not analysed in the Pada text, but only given there over again in the Samhita form. This shows that Çakalya did not acknowledge them as truly Rigvedic, a view justified by internal evidence. This group of six, which is doubtless exhaustive, stands midway between old additions which Çakalya recognised as canonical, and the new appendages called Khilas, which never gained admission into the Pada text in any form.

The Pratiçakhyas may also be regarded as safeguards of the text, having been composed for the purpose of exhibiting exactly all the changes necessary for turning the Pada into the Saiphita text.

Finally, the class of supplementary works called Anukramanls, or " Indices," aimed at preserving the Rigveda intact by registering its contents from various points of view, besides furnishing calculations of the number of hymns, verses, words, and even syllables, contained in the sacred book.

The text of the Rigveda has come down to us in a single recension only; but is there any evidence that other recensions of it existed in former times?

The Charana-vyuha, or " Exposition of Schools," a supplementary work of the Sutra period, mentions as the five çakhas or " branches " of the Rigveda, the Çakalas, the Vashkalas, the Agvalayanas, the Çankhayanas, and the Mandukeyas. The third and fourth of these schools, however, do not represent different recensions of the text, the sole distinction between them and the Chakalas having been that the Agvalayanas recognised as canonical the group of the eleven Valakhilya or supplementary hymns, and the Çankhayanas admitted the same group, diminished only by a few verses. Hence the tradition of the Puranas, or later legendary works, mentions only the three schools of Çakalas, Vashkalas, and Mandukas. If the latter ever possessed a recension of an independent character, all traces of it were lost at an early period in ancient India, for no information of any kind about it has been preserved. Thus only the two schools of the Çakalas and the Vashkalas come into consideration. The subsidiary Vedic writings contain sufficient evidence to show that the text of the Vashkalas differed from that of the Çakalas only in admitting eight additional hymns, and in assigning another position to a group of the first book. But in these respects it compares unfavourably with the extant text. Thus it is evident that the Çakalas not only possessed the best tradition of the text of the Rigveda, but handed down the only recension, in the true sense, which, as far as we can tell, ever existed.

The text of the Rigveda, like that of the other Saiphitas, as well as of two of the Brahmanas (the Çatapatha and the Taittirtya, together with its Aranyaka), has come down to us in an accented form. The peculiarly sacred character of the text rendered the accent very important for correct and efficacious recitation. Analogously the accent was marked by the Greeks in learned and model editions only. The nature of the Vedic accent was musical, depending on the pitch of the voice, like that of the ancient Greeks. This remained the character of the Sanskrit accent till later than the time of Panini. But just as the old Greek musical accent, after the beginning of our era, was transformed into a stress accent, so by the seventh century a.d. (and probably long before) the Sanskrit accent had undergone a similar change. While, however, in modern Greek the stress accent has remained, owing to the high pitch of the old acute, on the same syllable as bore the musical accent in the ancient language, the modern pronunciation of Sanskrit has no connection with the Vedic accent, but is dependent on the quantity of the last two or three syllables, much the same as in Latin. This change of accent in Sanskrit was brought about by the influence of Prakrit, in which, as there is evidence to show, the stress accent is very old, going back several centuries before the beginning of our era.

There are three accents in the Rigveda as well as the other sacred texts. The most important of these is the rising accent, called ud-atta ("raised"), which corresponds to the Greek acute. Comparative philology shows that in Sanskrit it rests on the same syllable as bore it in the proto-Aryan language. In Greek it is generally on the same syllable as in Sanskrit, except when interfered with by the specifically Greek law restricting the accent to one of the last three syllables. Thus the Greek hepta corresponds to the Vedic sapta, "seven." The lowpitch accent, which precedes the acute, is called the anudatta ("not raised"). The third is the falling accent, which usually follows the acute, and is called svarita (" sounded ").

The hymns of the Rigveda consist of stanzas ranging in number from three to fifty-eight, but usually not exceeding ten or twelve. These stanzas (often loosely called verses) are composed in some fifteen different metres, only seven of which, however, are at all frequent. Three of them are by far the commonest, claiming together about four-fifths of the total number of stanzas in the Rigveda.

There is an essential difference between Greek and Vedic prosody. Whereas the metrical unit of the former system is the foot, in the latter it is the line (or verse), feet not being distinguished. Curiously enough, however, the Vedic metrical unit is also called pada , or " foot," but for a very different reason; for the word has here really the figurative sense of " quarter " (from the foot of a quadruped), because the most usual kind of stanza has four lines. The ordinary padas consist of eight, eleven, or twelve syllables. A stanza or rich is generally formed of three or four lines of the same kind. Four or five of the rarer types of stanza are, however, made up of a combination of different lines.

It is to be noted that the Vedic metres have a certain elasticity to which we are unaccustomed in Greek prosody, and which recalls the irregularities of the Latin Saturnian verse. Only the rhythm of the last four or five syllables is determined, the first part of the line not being subject to rule. Regarded in their historical connection, the Vedic metres, which are the foundation of the entire prosody of the later literature, occupy a position midway between the system of the Indo-Iranian period and that of classical Sanskrit. For the evidence of the Avesta, with its eight and eleven syllable lines, which ignore quantity, but are combined into stanzas otherwise the same as those of the Rigveda, indicates that the metrical practice of the period when Persians and Indians were still one people, depended on no other principle than the counting of syllables. In the Sanskrit period, on the other hand, the quantity of every syllable in the line was determined in all metres, with the sole exception of the loose measure employed in epic poetry. The metrical regulation of the line, starting from its end, thus finally extended to the whole. The fixed rhythm at the end of the Vedic line is called vritta, literally " turn ", which corresponds etymologically to the Latin versus.

The eight-syllable line usually ends in two iambics, the first four syllables, though not exactly determined, having a tendency to be iambic also. This verse is therefore the almost exact equivalent of the Greek iambic dimeter.

Three of these lines combine to form the gayatri metre, in which nearly one-fourth (2450) of the total number of stanzas in the Rigveda is composed. Four of these eight-syllable lines combine to form the anushtubh stanza, in which the first two and the last two are more closely connected. In the Rigveda the number of stanzas in this measure amounts to only about one-third of those in the gayatri. This relation is gradually reversed, till we reach the post-Vedic period, when the gayatri is found to have disappeared, and the anushtubh to have become the predominant measure of Sanskrit poetry. A development in the character of this metre may be observed within the Rigveda itself. All its verses in the oldest hymns are the same, being iambic in rhythm. In later hymns, however, a tendency to differentiate the first and third from the second and fourth lines, by making the former non-iambic, begins to show itself. Finally, in the latest hymns of the tenth book the prevalence of the iambic rhythm disappears in the odd lines.

Speaking generally, a hymn of the Rigveda consists entirely of stanzas in the same metre. The regular and typical deviation from this rule is to conclude a hymn with a single stanza in a metre different from that of the rest, this being a natural method of distinctly marking its close.

A certain number of hymns of the Rigveda consist not merely of a succession of single stanzas, but of equal groups of stanzas. The group consists either of three stanzas in the same simple metre, generally gayatri, or of the combination of two stanzas in different mixed metres. The latter strophic type goes by the name of Pragatha and is found chiefly in the eighth book of the Rigveda.

Rig Veda - Book The First

1 I Laud Agni, the chosen Priest, God, minister of sacrifice, The hotar, lavishest of wealth.

2 Worthy is Agni to be praised by living as by ancient seers. He shall bring hitherward the Gods.

3 Through Agni man obtaineth wealth, yea, plenty waxing day by day, Most rich in heroes, glorious.

4 Agni, the perfect sacrifice which thou encompassest about

Verily goeth to the Gods.

5 May Agni, sapient-minded Priest, truthful, most gloriously great, The God, come hither with the Gods.

6 Whatever blessing, Agni, thou wilt grant unto thy worshipper, That, Angiras, is indeed thy truth.

7 To thee, dispeller of the night, O Agni, day by day with prayer

Bringing thee reverence, we come

8 Ruler of sacrifices, guard of Law eternal, radiant One, Increasing in thine own abode.

9 Be to us easy of approach, even as a father to his son: Agni, be with us for our weal.

Hymn II. 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 III. Asvins

1 YE Asvins, rich in treasure, Lords of splendour, having nimble hands, Accept the sacrificial food.

2 Ye Asvins, rich in wondrous deeds, ye heroes worthy of our praise, Accept our songs with mighty thought.

3 Nisatyas, wonder-workers, yours arc these libations with clipt grass:

Come ye whose paths are red with flame.

4 O Indra marvellously bright, come, these libations long for thee, Thus by fine fingers purified.

5 Urged by the holy singer, sped by song, come, Indra, to the prayers, Of the libation-pouring priest.

6 Approach, O Indra, hasting thee, Lord of Bay Horses, to the prayers. In our libation take delight.

7 Ye Visvedevas, who protect, reward, and cherish men, approach

Your worshipper's drink-offering.

8 Ye Visvedevas, swift at work, come hither quickly to the draught, As milch-kine hasten to their stalls.

9 The Visvedevas, changing shape like serpents, fearless, void of guile, Bearers, accept the sacred draught

10 Wealthy in spoil, enriched with hymns, may bright Sarsavad desire, With eager love, our sacrifice.

11 Inciter of all pleasant songs, inspirer o all gracious thought, Sarasvati accept our rite

12 Sarasvati, the mighty flood,- she with be light illuminates, She brightens every pious thought.

Hymn IV. Indri

1 As a good cow to him who milks, we call the doer of fair deeds, To our assistance day by day.

2 Come thou to our libations, drink of Soma; Soma-drinker thou! The rich One's rapture giveth kine.

3 So may we be acquainted with thine innermost benevolence: Neglect us not, come hitherward.

4 Go to the wise unconquered One, ask thou of Indra, skilled in song, Him who is better than thy friends.

5 Whether the men who mock us say, Depart unto another place, Ye who serve Indra and none else;

6 Or whether, God of wondrous deeds, all our true people call us blest, Still may we dwell in Indra's care.

7 Unto the swift One bring the swift, man-cheering, grace of sacrifice, That to the Friend gives wings and joy.

8 Thou, Satakratu, drankest this and wast the Vrtras' slayer; thou

Helpest the warrior in the fray.

9 We strengthen, Satakratu, thee, yea, thee the powerful in fight, That, Indra, we may win us wealth.

10 To him the mighty stream of wealth, prompt friend ot'him who pours the juice, yea, to this Indra sing your song.

Hymn V. Indra.

1 O COME ye hither, sit ye down: to Indra sing ye forth, your song, companions, bringing hymns of praise.

2 To him the richest of the rich, the Lord of treasures excellent, Indra, wi th Soma juice outpoured.

3 May he stand by us in our need and in abundance for our wealth: May he come nigh us with his strength.

4 Whose pair of tawny horses yoked in battles foemen challenge not:

To him, to Indra sing your song.

5 Nigh to the Soma-drinker come, for his enjoyment, these pure drops, The Somas mingled with the curd.

6 Thou, grown at once to perfect strength, wast born to drink the Soma juice, Strong Indra, for preeminence.

7 O Indra, lover of the song, may these quick Somas enter thee: May they bring bliss to thee the Sage.

8 Our chants of praise have strengthened thee, O Satakratu, and our lauds

So strengthen thee the songs we sing.

9 Indra, whose succour never fails, accept these viands thousandfold, Wherein all manly powers abide.

10 O Indra, thou who lovest song, let no man hurt our bodies, keep

Slaughter far from us, for thou canst.

Hymn VI. Indra.

1 They who stand round him as he moves harness the bright, the ruddy Steed

The lights are shining in the sky.

2 On both sides to the car they yoke the two bay coursers dear to him, Bold, tawny, bearers of the Chief.

3 Thou, making light where no light was, and form, O men: where form was not, Wast born together with the Dawns.

4 Thereafter they, as is their wont, threw off the state of' babes unborn, Assuming sacrificial names.

5 Thou, Indra, with the Tempest-Gods, the breakers down of what is firm ' Foundest the kine even in the cave.

6 Worshipping even as they list, singers laud him who findeth wealth, The far-renowned, the mighty One.

7 Mayest thou verily be seen coming by fearless Indra's side: Both joyous, equal in your sheen.

8 With Indra's well beloved hosts, the blameless, hastening to heaven, The sacrificer cries aloud.

9 Come from this place, O Wanderer, or downward from the light of heaven: Our songs of praise all yearn for this.

10 Indra we seek to give us help, from here, from heaven above the earth, Or from the spacious firmament.

Hymn VII. Indra.

1 INDRA the singers with high praise, Indra reciters with their lauds, Indra the choirs have glorified.

2 Indra hath ever close to him his two bay steeds and word-yoked car, Indra the golden, thunder-armed.

3 Indra hath raised the Sun on high in heaven, that he may see afar: He burst the mountain for the kine.

4 Help us, O Indra, in the frays, yea, frays, where thousand spoils are gained, With awful aids, O awful One.

5 In mighty battle we invoke Indra, Indra in lesser fight, The Friend who bends his bolt at fiends.

6 Unclose, our manly Hero, thou for ever bounteous, yonder cloud, For us, thou irresistible.

7 Still higher, at each strain of mine, thunder-armed Indra's praises rise:

I find no laud worthy of him.

8 Even as the bull drives on the herds, he drives the people with his might, The Ruler irresistible:

9 Indra who rules with single sway men, riches, and the fivefold race

Of those who dwell upon the earth.

10 For your sake from each side we call Indra away from other men: Ours, and none others', may he be.

Hymn VIII. Indra.

1 INDRA, bring wealth that gives delight, the victor's ever-conquering wealth, Most excellent, to be our aid;

2 By means of which we may repel our foes in battle hand to hand, By thee assisted with the car.

3 Aided by thee, the thunder-armed, Indra, may we lift up the bolt, And conquer all our foes in fight.

4 With thee, O India, for ally with missile-darting heroes, may

We conquer our embattled foes.

5 Mighty is Indra, yea supreme; greatness be his, the Thunderer: Wide as the heaven extends his power

6 Which aideth those to win them sons, who come as heroes to the fight, Or singers loving holy thoughts.

7 His belly, drinking deepest draughts of Soma, like an ocean swells, Like wide streams from the cope of heaven.

8 So also is his excellence, great, vigorous, rich in cattle, like

A ripe branch to the worshipper.

9 For verily thy mighty powers, Indra, are saving helps at once

Unto a worshipper like me.

10 So are his lovely gifts; let lauds and praises be to Indra sung, That he may drink the Soma juice.

Hymn IX. Indra.

1 COME, Indra, and delight thee with the juice at all the Soma feasts, Protector, mighty in thy strength.

2 To Indra pour ye forth thejuice, the active gladdening juice to him

Ile gladdening, oinnific God.

3 O Lord of all men, fair of cheek, rejoice thee in the gladdening lauds, Present at these drink-offerings.

4 Songs have outpoured themselves to thee, Indra, the strong, the guardian Lord, And raised themselves unsatisfied.

5 Send to us bounty manifold, O Indra, worthy of' our wish, For power supreme is only thine.

6 O Indra, stimulate thereto us emulously fain for wealth, And glorious, O most splendid One.

7 Give, Indra, wide and lofty fame, wealthy in cattle and in strength, Lasting our life-time, failing not.

8 Grant us high fame, O Indra, grant riches bestowing thousands, those

Fair fruits of earth borne home in wains.

9 Praising with songs the praise-worthy who cometh to our aid, we call

Indra, the Treasure-Lord of wealth.

10 To lofty Indra, dweller by each libation, the pious man

Sings forth aloud a strengthening hymn.

Hymn X. Indra.

1 THE chanters hymn thee, they who say the word of praise magnify thee. The priests have raised thee up on high, O Satakratu, like a pole.

2 As up he clomb from ridge to ridge and looked upon the toilsome task, Indra observes this wish of his, and the Rain hastens with his troop.

3 Harness thy pair of strong bay steeds, long-maned, whose bodies fill the girths, And, Indra, Soma-drinker, come to listen to our songs of praise.

4 Come hither, answer thou the song, sing in approval, cry aloud. Good Indra, make our prayer succeed, and prosper this our sacrifice.

5 To Indra must a laud be said, to strengthen him who freely gives, That Sakra may take pleasure in our friendship and drink-offerings.

6 Him, him we seek for friendship, him for riches and heroic might. For Indra, he is Sakra, he shall aid us while he gives us wealth.

7 Easy to turn and drive away, Indra, is spoil bestowed by thee. Unclose the stable of the kine, and give us wealth O Thunder-armed

8 The heaven and earth contain thee not, together, in thy wrathful mood. Win us the waters of the sky, and send us kine abundantly.