The Vedas

by Roshen Dalal

  (12.1; based on the translation by R.T.H. Griffith)

  NOTE: This hymn, in whole or in part, was used in various rituals for establishing the homestead, propitiating snakes, or for attaining prosperity.

  Rohita, a form of Fire and of the Sun

  The first six verses of a long hymn of sixty verses.

  Rise, Mighty One, who lies in the waters, and enter this your

  fair and glorious kingdom.

  Let Rohita who made this All uphold you carefully nurtured for supreme dominion.

  The strength that was in waters has ascended. Ascend over the tribes which you have created.

  Creating Soma, waters, plants and cattle, bring here both

  quadrupeds and bipeds.

  You Maruts, strong and mighty, sons of Prishni, with Indra for your

  ally crush down our foes.

  Let Rohita, you bounteous givers, hear you, thrice-seven Maruts

  who delight in sweetness!

  Up from the lap of births, to lofty places, has Rohita, the germ

  of women, ascended.

  Together with these he founded the six realms: seeing his way

  in front here he received the kingship.

  For you has Rohita obtained dominion, scattered your enemies, become your safeguard.

  So by the potent Sakvari-stanzas let Heaven and Earth be milked to

  yield you all your wishes.

  Rohita gave the Earth and Heavens their being. There Parameshthin held the cord extended.

  There rests Aja Ekapada. He with his might has established Earth and Heaven.

  (13.1; based on the translation by R.T.H. Griffith)

  Two hymns to Kala or Time

  1.

  Prolific, thousand-eyed, and undecaying, a horse with seven

  reins, Kala bears us onward.

  Sages inspired with holy knowledge mount him: his chariot

  wheels are all the worlds of creatures.

  This Kala has seven rolling wheels and seven naves; immortality

  is his chariot’s axle.

  This Time brings here all the worlds around us; he, as the primal

  deity, is entreated.

  On Time is laid an overflowing jar: this we see appearing in many

  forms.

  He carries away from us all these worlds of creatures; they call him

  Kala in the highest heaven.

  He surely made the worlds of life, he surely gathered the worlds

  of living things together.

  He was their father, but became their son; no power higher than he exists.

  Kala created yonder heaven, and Kala made these realms of earth.

  By Kala, stirred to motion, both what is and what shall be, grow and expand.

  Kala created land; in Kala the Sun has his light and heat.

  In Kala all created things rest; in Kala the eye sees.

  In Kala mind, in Kala breath, in Kala name are fixed and joined.

  These living creatures, one and all, rejoice when Kala has arrived.

  Kala embraces spiritual fire (tapas); in Kala is the highest; brahman (spiritual exaltation) in himself.

  Yes, Kala, who was the father of Prajapati, is the lord of all.

  He made, he stirred this universe to motion, and on him it rests.

  He, Kala, having now become Brahman, supports Parameshthin.

  Kala created living things (prajah) and, first of all, Prajapati.

  From Kala the self-existing Kashyapa was born, from Kala tapas was born.

  (19.53; based on the translation by R.T.H. Griffith)

  2.

  From Kala sprang the Waters, from Kala sprang the regions, Brahman,

  and tapas.

  The Sun rises through Kala, and in Kala sinks again to rest.

  By Kala freshly blows the wind, through Kala the mighty Earth exists: on Kala rests the mighty Sky.

  In Kala, Prajapati produced what is and what is yet to be.

  From Kala sprang the riks, and from Kala was the yajus born.

  They formed in Kala sacrifice, eternal portion for the gods.

  In Kala the gandharvas and apsaras and worlds abide.

  Atharvan and this Angiras in Kala are supreme over heaven.

  Both this world and the world that is most lofty, the pure

  worlds and pure intermediate spaces,

  Yes, having conquered all the worlds by Brahman, Kala as God

  Supreme is supplicated.

  (19.54; both based on the translation by R.T.H. Griffith)

  A NOTE ON THE TRANSLATIONS

  In the hymns above, modifications have been made after consulting other translations or the original text, or to modernize the language. The reason for choosing Griffith’s (1826–1906) translations as the base for most of these hymns is that, despite belonging to a different era, his work is based on accepted traditions and is still highly regarded. Apart from some modernization in language, there is usually little difference between him and the work of more accepted recent translators. In addition, there are few complete translations in English; most recent translations are of a few selected hymns. Griffith translated all the four Vedas, and thus was in a unique position to understand and compare the texts.

  The main sources of these translations are listed below:

  Bloomfield, Maurice, trans., Hymns of the Atharva-Veda, in F. Max Müller, ed., Sacred Books of the East, vol. 42 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1897).

  Griffith, R.T.H., trans., The Hymns of the Rig Veda (Benares: E.J. Lazarus & Co., 1896).

  Griffith, R.T.H., trans., The Texts of the White Yajur Veda or Vajasaneyi Samhita (Benares: E.J. Lazarus & Co., 1896).

  Griffith, R.T.H., trans., The Hymns of the Samaveda (Benares: E.J. Lazarus & Co., 1896).

  Griffith, R.T.H., trans., The Hymns of the Atharva Veda (Benares: E.J. Lazarus & Co., 1896).

  Stevenson, J., Translation of the Sanhita of the Sama Veda (London: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland, 1842).

  Keith, A.B., trans., The Veda of the Black Yajur School (Taittiriya Sanhita) (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1914).

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