Atharva Veda · 430 of 724
HYMN IV
Imprecations on demons 1. Indra and Soma, burn, destroy the demon foe! Send downward, O ye Bulls, those who add gloom to gloom. Annihilate the fools, slay them and burn them up: chase them away from us, pierce the voracious fiends. 2. Let sin, Indra and Soma! round the wicked boil, like as a cald- ron set amid the flames of fire. Against the foe of prayer, eater of gory flesh, the fearful-eyed Kimidin, keep perpetual hate. 3. Indra and Soma, plunge the wicked in the depth, yea, cast them into darkness that hath no support, So that not one of them may ever thence return: so may your wrathful might prevail and conquer them. 4. Indra and Soma, hurl your deadly crushing bolt down on the wicked fiend from heaven and from the earth. Yea, fashion from the big clouds your celestial dart wherewith ye burn to death the waxing demon race. 5. Indra and Soma, cast ye downward from the sky your deadly bolts of stone burning with fiery flame, Eternal, scorching darts. Plunge the voracious fiends within the depth, and let them pass without a sound. 6. Indra and Soma, let this hymn control you both, even as the girth encompasses two vigorous steeds The song of praise which I with wisdom offer you. Do ye, as Lords of men, animate these my prayers. 7. In your impetuous manner think ye both thereon: destroy those evil spirits, kill the treacherous fiends. Indra and Soma, let the wicked have no bliss whoso at any time- attacks and injures us. 8. Whoso accuses me with words of falsehood when I pursue my way with guileless spirit, May he, the speaker of untruth, be, Indra! like water which the hollowed hand compresses. 9. Those who destroy, as is their wont, the simple, and with their evil natures harm the righteous, May Soma give them over to the serpent, or to the lap of Nirriti consign them. 10. O Agni, whosoever seeks to injure the essence of our food, kine, steeds, or bodies, May he, the adversary, thief, and robber, sink to destruction,. both himself and offspring. 11. May he be swept away, himself and children; may all the three earths press him down beneath them. May his fair glory, O ye Gods, be blighted, who in the day or night would fain destroy us. 12. The prudent finds it easy to distinguish the true and false: their words oppose each other. Of these two that which is the true and honest Soma protects, and brings the false to nothing. 13. Never doth Soma aid and guide the wicked or him who falsely claims the Warrior’s title. He slays the fiend and him who speaks untruly: both lie entan- gled in the noose of Indra. 14. As if I worshipped deities of falsehood, or thought vain thoughts about the Gods, O Agni! Why art thou angry with us, Jātavedas? Destruction fall on those who lie against thee! 15. So may I die this day if I have harassed any man’s life, or if I be a demon. Yea, may he lose all his ten sons together who with false tongue hath called me Yātudhāna. 16. May Indra slay him with a mighty weapon, and let the vilest of all creatures perish, The fiend who says that he is pure, who calls me a demon though devoid of demon nature. 17. She too who wanders like an owl at night-time, hiding her body in her guile and malice, May she fall downward into endless caverns. May press-stones with loud ring destroy the demons. 18. Spread out, ye Maruts, search among the people: seize ye and grind the Rākshasas to pieces, Who fly abroad, transformed to birds, at night-time, and sully and pollute our holy worship. 19. Hurl down from heaven thy bolt of stone, O Indra: sharpen it, Maghavan, made keen by Soma. Forward, behind, and from above and under, smite down the demons with thy rocky weapon. 20. They fly, the demon dogs, and, bent on mischief, fain would they harm indomitable Indra. Sakra makes sharp his weapon for the wicked: now let him cast his bolt at fiendish wizards. 21. Indra hath ever been the fiends’ destroyer who spoil oblations of the Gods’ invokers. Yea, Sakra, like an axe that splits the timber, assails and sma- shes them like earthen vessels. 22. Destroy the fiend shaped like an owl or owlet, destroy him in. the form of dog or cuckoo. Destroy him shaped as eagle or as vulture: as with a stone, O Indra, crush the demon. 23. Let not the fiend of witchcraft-workers reach us: may Dawn. drive off the couples of Kimidins. Earth keep us safe from earthly woe and trouble! From grief that comes from heaven Mid-air preserve us! 24. Indra destroy the demon, male and female, joying and triumph- ing in arts of magic! Let the fools’ gods with bent necks fall and perish, and see no. more the Sun when he arises. 25. Look, each one, hither, look around. Indra and Soma, watch ye well. Cast forth your weapon at the fiends: against the sorcerers hurl your bolt.