Atharva Veda · 451 of 724
HYMN V
A charm to overthrow a rival and gain strength, dignity, long life, children, and general prosperity 1. Ye are the power of Indra, ye the force and strength of Indra, ye his hero might and manliness. I join you with the bonds of Prayer to the victorious enterprise. 6. For the victorious enterprise let all creation stand by me. For me ye, Waters, are prepared. 7. Ye are the share of Agni. Grant, O heavenly Waters unto us the Waters’ brilliant energy. By statute of Prajāpati I set you down for this our world. 15. Waters, your ceremonial share of Waters which the waters hold, which aids our sacrifice to Gods, This as a remnant here I leave. Do not thou wash it clean away. With this we let the man go by who hates us and whom we abhor. Him would I fain o’erthrow and slay with this our ceremonial act, with this our prayer, our thunder-bolt. 22. Whatever evil I have done within this last triennium, From all that woe and misery let the waters shield and guard me well. 23. Onward I urge your gathered floods: enter your own abiding- place, Uninjured and with all your strength. Let nothing bend or bow us down. 24. May the pure Waters cleanse us from defilement, Fair to behold remove our sin and trouble, and bear away ill- dream and all pollution. 25. Thou art the step of Vishnu, rival-slayer, sharpened by earth, aglow with fire of Agni, Earth have I ranged: from earth we bar him who hates us and whom we hate. 26. Ours is superior place and ours is conquest: may I in all fights tread down spite and malice. Let him not live, let vital breath desert him. 36. With this I here invest the power and splendour, the life of that man and his vital breathing, the son of such a sire and such a woman, here do I overthrow and cast him downward. 37. I follow Sūrya’s course in heaven, the course that takes him to the South. May that bestow upon me wealth and glory of a Brāhman’s rank. 38. I turn me to the regions bright with splendour. May they bestow upon me wealth and glory of a Brāhman’s rank. 39. I turn me to the Rishis Seven. May they, etc. 40. I turn me unto Prayer. May that, etc. 41. I turn me unto Brāhmans. May they etc. 42. We hunt that man, we beat him down and slay him with our murderous blows. We with the spell have hurried him to Parameshthin’s opened jaws. 43. Let the shot missile catch him with Vaisvānara’s two mighty fangs. This offering, and the mightiest Goddess, the Fuel, eat him up! 44. Thou art the bound of Varuna the King. Bind, such an one, the son of such a woman, in vital breath and in the food that feeds him. 45. All food of thine, O Lord of Life, that lies, upon the face of earth, Thereof bestow thou upon us. O Lord of Life, Prajāpati! 46. Celestial Waters have I sought: with juice have I besprinkled them. With milk, O Agni, have I come; bestow upon me splendid strength. 47. Give me the boon of splendid strength; give, Agni! progeny and life. May the Gods know this prayer of mine, may Indra with the Rishis know. 48. What curse soever couples launch against us, whatever bitter speech the chatterers utter, With Manyu’s arrow, offspring of the spirit, transfix thou to the heart the Yātudhānas, 49. Destroy the Yātudhānas with thy fervour, consume the demons with thy wrath, O Agni. Destroy the fool’s gods with thy fiery splendour, destroy the blazing ones, the insatiable. 50. Well-skilled, against this man I hurl the Water’s bolt with four spikes, to cleave his head asunder. May it destroy all members of his body. Let the whole host of Gods approve my purpose.