Atharva Veda 17.1

Prayer and praise to Indra and the Sun

Indra of mighty power, overpowering, having overpowered, very powerful, overpowering, power-winning (saho-jít), heaven-winning, kine-winning, booty-winning, to be praised (īḍ), by name, do I call: may I be long-lived.

Indra of mighty power etc. etc. do I call: may I be dear to the gods.

Indra of mighty power etc. etc. do I call: may I be dear to living beings (prajā́).

Indra of mighty power etc. etc. do I call: may I be dear to cattle.

Indra of mighty power etc. etc. do I call: may I be dear to my equals (samāná).

Arise, arise, O sun; arise upon me with splendor; both let my hater be subject to me, and let not me be subject to my hater.—Thine, O Vishṇu, are heroisms manifold; do thou fill us with cattle of all forms; set me in comfort in the highest firmament (vyòman).

Arise, arise, O sun; arise upon me with splendor; both those whom I see and those whom I do not—among them make thou favor for me. Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.

Let them not damage thee in the sea, within the waters—they who approach there having fetters; quitting imprecation, thou hast ascended that sky; be thou then gracious to us; may we be in thy favor.—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.

Do thou, O Indra, in order to great good-fortune, protect us about with unharmed rays.—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.

Do thou, O Indra, with propitious aids, be most wealful to us—ascending to the triple heaven of the heaven (dív), besung unto soma-drinking, having a dear abode (-dhā́man) unto well-being.—Thine, O Vishnu etc. etc.

Thou, O Indra, art all-conquering, all-gaining (sarva-víd); much invoked [art] thou, O Indra; do thou, O Indra, send onward this well-invoking praise; be thou gracious to us; may we be in thy favor.—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.

Unharmed in the heaven (dív), also on earth, art thou; they have not attained thy greatness in the atmosphere; increasing with unharmed worship (bráhman), do thou there, O Indra, being in the heaven (dív), bestow protection (çárman) on us.—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.

What body of thine, O Indra, is in the waters, what on the earth, what within the fire; what of thine, O Indra, is in the heaven-gaining (svarvíd) purifying one (pávamāna); with what body, O Indra, thou didst permeate (vi-āp) the atmosphere—with that body, O Indra, bestow thou protection upon us.—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.

Increasing thee, O Indra, with worship (bráhman), the imploring seers have sat down [for] the session (sattrá).—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.

Thou goest about Tṛita (?), thou about the fountain of a thousand streams, the heaven-gaining council.—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.

Thou defendest the four directions; thou shinest abroad with brightness (çocis) unto the two firmaments (nábhas); thou pursuest (anusthā) all these beings; thou, knowing, followest (anu-i) the way of righteousness.—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.

With five thou heatest upward (párān̄), with one hitherward; thou goest driving off the imprecation in good weather (sudína).—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.

Thou art Indra, thou great Indra, thou the world, thou Prajāpati; for thee the sacrifice is extended; to thee the offerers make oblation.—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.

In the non-existent is the existent made firm; in the existent is being (bhūtá) made firm; being is set in what is to be; what is to be is made firm in being. Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.

Brilliant (çukrá) art thou; shiny art thou; as thou art shiny by the shining one (bhrā́jant), so may I by the shining one shine.

Brightness art thou, bright art thou; as thou by brightness art bright, so may I by both cattle and Brahman-splendor be bright (ruc).

To the rising one be obeisance; to the one coming up be obeisance; to the arisen one be obeisance; to the wide ruler (virā́j) be obeisance; to the self-ruler (svarā́j) be obeisance; to the universal ruler (samrā́j) be obeisance.

To the setting one be obeisance; to the one about to set be obeisance; to the one that has set be obeisance; to the wide ruler be obeisance; to the self-ruler be obeisance; to the universal ruler be obeisance.

This Āditya hath arisen, together with all ardor (tápas), making subject to me my rivals; and let me not be subject to my hater.—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.

O Āditya, thou hast ascended a boat of a hundred oars in order to well-being; thou hast made me to pass over the day, make thou me likewise (satrā́) to pass over the night.

O sun, thou hast ascended a boat of a hundred oars in order to well-being; thou hast made me to pass over the night, make thou me likewise to pass over the day.

With Prajāpati's worship (bráhman) [as] defense am I covered, with Kaçyapa's light and splendor; long-lived, of finished heroism, vigorous (? víhāyas), having a thousand life-times, well-made, may I go about.

Encompassed with worship [as] defense am I, with Kaçyapa's light and splendor; let not the arrows that are the gods' attain me, nor those of men, let loose in order to slay (vadhyā́ya).

Guarded by righteousness and by all the seasons, guarded by what is and by what is to be am I; let not evil attain me, nor death; I interpose with a sea of speech.

Let Agni [as] guardian protect me all about; let the sun, rising, thrust [away] the fetters of death; out-shining dawns, firm mountains—let a thousand breaths abide (ā-yat) in me.