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Rig Veda · 42 of 1027
Mandala 1: HYMN XLII. Pūṣan.
1.SHORTEN our ways, O Pūṣan, move aside obstruction in the path: Go close before us, cloud-born God.
2.Drive, Pūṣan, from our road the wolf, the wicked inauspicious wolf, Who lies in wait to injure us.
3.Who lurks about the path we take, the robber with a guileful heart: Far from the road chase him away.
4.Tread with thy foot and trample out the firebrand of the wicked one, The double-tongued, whoe’er he be.
5.Wise Pūṣan, Wonder-Worker, we claim of thee now the aid wherewith Thou furtheredst our sires of old.
6.So, Lord of all prosperity, best wielder of the golden sword, Make riches easy to be won.
7.Past all pursuers lead us, make pleasant our path and fair to tread: O Pūṣan, find thou power for this.
8.Lead us to meadows rich in grass: send on our way no early heat: O Pūṣan, find thou power for this.
9.Be gracious to us, fill us full, give, feed us, and invigorate: O Pūṣan, find thou power for this.
10.No blame have we for Pūṣan; him we magnify with songs of praise: We seek the Mighty One for wealth.
Asked of Guide
Why does the hymn ask Pūṣan to 'shorten our ways' and 'lead us to meadows rich in grass'?
The hymn addresses Pūṣan as a guide who clears obstacles and secures safe passage: “shorten our ways, O Pūṣan, move aside obstruction,” which asks for easier, swifter travel and protection from threats like the wolf and the robber. The requests for meadows and no early heat are concrete images of arriving at abundance and comfortable dwelling after a journey, so the singer prays for both safety and reward.
Pūṣan’s role combines protector and benefactor—“Lord of all prosperity, best wielder of the golden sword”—so guidance and provision belong together in this prayer. The hymn’s emphasis on ancestral precedent—“thou furtheredst our sires of old”—connects it to the Rig Veda’s recurring theme that gods secure lineage success, similar to Hymn I.125 where divine aid ensures household prosperity.
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