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Rig Veda
Book 10, Hymn XXXIX. Aśvins
1. As ’twere the name of father, easy to invoke, we all assembled here invoke this Car of yours,
Aśvins, your swiftly-rolling circumambient Car which he who worships must invoke at eve and dawn.
2 Awake all pleasant strains and let the hymns flow forth: raise up abundant fulness: this is our desire.
Aśvins, bestow on us a glorious heritage, and give our princes treasure fair as Soma is.
3 Ye are the bliss of her who groweth old at home, and helpers of the slow although he linger last.
Men call you too, Nāsatyas, healers of the blind, the thin and feeble, and the man with broken bones.
4 Ye made Cyavāna, weak and worn with length of days, young again, like a car, that he had power to move.
Ye lifted up the son of Tugra from the floods. At our libations must all these your acts be praised.
5 We will declare among the folk your ancient deeds heroic; yea, ye were Physicians bringing health.
You, you who must be lauded, will we bring for aid, so that this foe of ours, O Aśvins, may believe.
6 Listen to me, O Aśvins; I have cried to you. Give me-your aid as sire and mother aid their son.
Poor, without kin or friend or ties of blood am I. Save me before it be too late, from this my curse.
7 Ye, mounted on your chariot brought to Vimada the comely maid of Purumitra as a bride.
Ye, came unto the calling of the weakling's dame, and granted noble offspring to the happy wife.
8 Ye gave a ain the vigour of his youthful life to tge sage Kali when old age was coming nigh.
Ye rescued Vandana and raised him from the pit, and in a moment gave Viśpalā power to move.
9 Ye Aśvins Twain, endowed with manly strength, brought forth Reblia when hidden in the cave and well-nigh dead,
Freed Saptavadliri, and for Atri caused the pit heated with fire to be a pleasant resting-place.
10 On Pedu ye bestowed, Aśvins, a courser white, mighty with nine-and-ninety varied gifts of strength,
A horse to be renowned, who bore his friend at speed, joy-giving, Bhaga-like to be invoked of men.
11 From no side, ye Two Kings whom none may check or stay, doth grief, distress, or danger come u on the man
Whom, Aśvins swift to hear, borne on your glowing path, ye with your Consort make the foremost in the race.
12 Come on that Chariot which the Ṛbhus wrought for you, the Chariot, Aśvins, that is speedier than thought,
At harnessing whereof Heaven's Daughter springs to birth, and from Vivasvān come auspicious Night and Day.
13 Come, Conquerors of the sundered mountain, to our home, Aśvins who made the cow stream milk for Śayu's sake,
Ye who delivered even from the wolf's deep throat and set again at liberty the swallowed quail.
14 We have prepared this laud for you, O Aśvins, and, like the Bhṛgus, as a car have framed it,
Have decked it as a maid to meet the bridegroom, and brought it as a son, our stay for ever.
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