Atharva Veda · 438 of 724

HYMN II

A glorification of Kāma as God of desire of all that is good 1. Kāma the Bull, slayer of foes, I worship with molten butter,    sacrifice, oblation.   Beneath my feet cast down mine adversaries with thy great    manly power, when I have praised thee. 2. That which is hateful to mine eye and spirit, that harasses and    robs me of enjoyment,   The evil dream I loose upon my foemen. May I rend him when   I have lauded Kāma. 3. Kāma, do thou, a mighty Lord and Ruler, let loose ill dream,    misfortune, want of children,   Homelessness, Kāma! utter destitution, upon the sinner who    designs my ruin. 4. Drive them away, drive them afar, O Kāma; indigence fall on    those who are my foemen!   When they have been cast down to deepest darkness, consume    their dwellings with thy fire, O Agni. 5. She, Kāma! she is called the Cow, thy daughter, she who is    named Vāk and Virāj by sages.   By her drive thou my foemen to a distance. May cattle, vital    breath, and life forsake them. 6. By Kāma's might, King Varuna's and Indra's, by Vishnu's    strength, and Savitar's instigation,   I chase my foes with sacrifice to Agni, as a deft steersman drives    his boat through waters. 7. May Kāma, mighty one, my potent warder, give me full free-    dom from mine adversaries.   May all the Deities be my protection, all Gods come nigh to    this mine invocation. 8. Accepting this oblation rich with fatness, be joyful here, ye   Gods whose chief is Kāma,   Giving me freedom from mine adversaries. 9. Ye, Indra, Agni, Kāma! come together and cast mine adver-    saries down beneath me.   When they have sunk into the deepest darkness, O Agni, with    thy fire consume their dwellings. 10. Slay those who are mine enemies, O Kāma: headlong to depth    of blinding darkness hurl them.   Reft be they all of manly strength and vigour! Let them not    have a single day's existence. 11. Kāma hath slain those who were mine opponents, and given me    ample room to grow and prosper.   Let the four regions bow them down before me, and let the    six expanses bring me fatness. 12. Let them drift downward like a boat torn from the rope that    held it fast.   There is no turning back for those whom our keen arrows have    repelled. 13. Agni averts, Indra averts, and Soma: may the averting Gods    avert this foeman. 14. To be avoided by his friends, detested, repelled, with few men    round him, let him wander.   Yea, on the earth descend the lightning-flashes: may the strong   God destroy your adversaries. 15. This potent lightning nourishes things shaken, and things un-    shaken yet, and all the thunders.   May the Sun, rising with his wealth and splendour, drive in    victorious might my foemen downward. 16. Thy firm and triply-barred protection, Kāma! thy spell, made    weapon-proof extended armour   With that drive thou my foemen to a distance. May cattle, vital    breath, and life forsake them. 17. Far from the world wherein we live, O Kāma, drive thou my    foemen with that selfsame weapon   Wherewith the Gods repelled the fiends, and Indra cast down    the Dasyus into deepest darkness. 18. As Gods repelled the Asuras, and Indra down to the lowest    darkness drove the demons,   So, Kāma, from this world, to distant places, drive thou the    men who are mine adversaries. 19. First before all sprang Kāma into being. Gods, Fathers, mortal    men have never matched him.   Stronger than these art thou, and great for ever. Kāma, to thee,    to thee I offer worship. 20. Wide as the space which heaven and earth encompass, far as    the flow of waters, far as Agni,   Stronger than these art thou, and great for ever. Kāma, to thee,    to thee I offer worship. 21. Vast as the quarters of the sky and regions that lie between    them spread in all directions, vast as celestial tracts and views    of heaven,   Stronger than these art thou, and great for ever. Kāma, to thee,    to thee I offer worship. 22. Many as are the bees, and bats, and reptiles, and female serpents    of the trees, and beetles,   Stronger art thou than these, and great for ever. Kāma, to thee,    to thee I offer worship. 23. Stronger art thou than aught that stands or twinkles, stronger    art thou than ocean, Kāma! Manyu!   Stronger than these art thou, and great for ever. Kāma, to thee,    to thee I offer worship.  24. Not even Vāta is the peer of Kāma, not Agni, Chandramas    the Moon, nor Sūrya.   Stronger than these art thou, and great for ever. Kāma, to thee,    to thee I offer worship. 25. Thy lovely and auspicious forms, O Kāma, whereby the thing    thou wilt becometh real,   With these come thou and make thy home among us, and make    malignant thoughts inhabit elsewhere.