Atharva Veda · 148 of 724

HYMN XI

A dialogue between Atharvan and Varuna 1. How, terrible in might, hast thou here spoken to the great God,    how to the gold-hued Father!   Thy mind watched, greedy Varuna! to recover the brindled cow    thou hadst bestowed as guerdon. 2. Not through desire do I revoke my present: I bring this brind-    led cow to contemplate her.   Now by what lore, by what inherent nature, knowest thou all    things that exist, Atharvan? 3. Truly I am profound in wisdom, truly I know by nature all    existing creatures.   No Dāsa by his greatness, not an Arya, may violate the law that   I will stablish. 4. None, self-dependent Varuna! existeth wiser than thou or sager    by his wisdom.   Thou knowest well all these created beings: even the man of    wondrous powers fears thee. 5. O self-dependent Varuna, wise director, thou knowest verily all    generations.   What is, unerring one! beyond this region? What more remote    than that which is most distant? 6. One thing there is beyond this air, and something beyond that    one, most hard to reach, remotest.   I, Varuna, who know, to thee declare it. Let churls be mighty    in the lower regions. Let Dāsas sink into the earth beneath    them. 7. Many reproaches, Varuna, dost thou utter against the misers.    who revoke their presents.   Be not thou added to that crowd of niggards: let not men call    thee an illiberal giver. 8. Let not men call me an illiberal giver. I give thee back the    brindled cow, O singer.   Attend in every place where men inhabit, with all thy powers,    the hymn that tells my praises. 9. Let hymns of praise ascend to thee, uplifted in every place of    human habitation.   But give me now the gift thou hast not given. Thou art my    friend for ever firm and faithful. 10. One origin, Varuna! one bond unites us I know the nature of    that common kinship.   I give thee now the gift that I retracted. I am thy friend for ever    firm and faithful. 11. God, giving life unto the god who lauds me, Sage strengthener    of the sage who sings my praises.   Thou, self-dependent Varuna! hast begotten the kinsman of the   Gods, our sire Atharvan.   On him bestow most highly-lauded riches. Thou art our friend,    high over all, our kinsman.