Atharva Veda 4.11

In praise of the draft-ox

The draft-ox sustains earth and sky; the draft-ox sustains the wide atmosphere; the draft-ox sustains the six wide directions; the draft-ox hath entered into all existence.

The draft-ox [is] Indra; he looks out from (for?) the cattle; triple ways the mighty one (çakrá) measures out (traverses?); yielding (duh) the past (? bhūtá), the future, existing things (bhúvana), he goes upon (car) all the courses (vratá) of the gods.

Born an Indra among human beings (manuṣyà), he goes about (car) shining brightly, a heated hot-drink (gharmá); he, being one of good offspring, shall not go in mist (? udārá) who, understanding [it], shall not partake of (aç) the draft-ox.

The draft-ox yields milk (duh) in the world of the well-done; the purifying one fills him up from in front; Parjanya [is] his streams, the Maruts his udder, the sacrifice his milk, the sacrificial gift the milking of him.

Of whom the lord of the sacrifice is not master (īç), nor the sacrifice; not the giver is master of him, nor the acceptor; who is all-conquering, all-bearing, all-working—tell ye us the hot-drink which [is] four-footed.

By whom the gods ascended to heaven (svàr), quitting the body, to the navel of the immortal, by him may we go to the world of the well-done, desiring glory, by the vow (vratá) of the hot-drink, by penance.

Indra by form, Agni by carrying (váha), Prajāpati, Parameshṭhin, Virāj; in Viçvānara he strode, in Vāiçvānara he strode, in the draft-ox he strode; he made firm, he sustained.

That is the middle of the draft-ox, where this carrying (váha) is set; so much of him is in front (prācī́na) as he is put all together on the opposite side.

Whoso knows the milkings of the draft-ox, seven, unfailing, both progeny and world he obtains: so the seven seers know.

With his feet treading down debility (sedí), with his thighs (ján̄ghā) extracting (ut-khid) refreshing drink—with weariness go the draft-ox and the plowman unto sweet drink (kīlála).

Twelve, indeed, they declare those nights of the vow (vrátya) of Prajāpati; whoso knows the bráhman within them (tátro ’pa)—that verily is the vow of the draft-ox.

He milks (duh) at evening, he milks in the morning, he milks about midday; the milkings of him that come together, those unfailing ones we know.