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Rig Veda · 496 of 1027
Mandala 6: HYMN LV. Pūṣan.
1.SON of Deliverance, come, bright God! Let us twain go together: be our charioteer of sacrifice.
2.We pray for wealth to thee most skilled of charioteers, with braided hair, Lord of great riches, and our Friend.
3.Bright God whose steeds are goats, thou art a stream of wealth, a treasure-heap, The Friend of every pious man.
4.Pūṣan, who driveth goats for steeds, the strong and Mighty, who is called His Sister’s lover, will we laud.
5.His Mother’s suitor I address. May he who loves his Sister hear, Brother of Indra, and my Friend.
6.May the sure-footed goats come nigh, conveying Pūṣan on his car, The God who visiteth mankind.
Asked of Guide
Why does the hymn call Pūṣan both 'Friend' and 'Brother of Indra' while asking him to be charioteer?
The hymn shows Pūṣan as an intimate, reliable guide: “our Friend,” a bringer of wealth, and the one who “visiteth mankind.” The poets appeal to his closeness to people and his practical role as safe guide—driving the goats-as-steeds and acting as charioteer at sacrifice.
Calling him “Brother of Indra” names a cosmic standing that increases his authority; calling him Friend makes him accessible for ritual help. This combination echoes other Rigveda hymns where divine kinship and personal patronage coexist, as in hymns to Agni that present him as both mighty and hospitable.
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