Library·Ṛgveda Saṃhitā·4·4.18
अयम् पन्था अनुवित्तः पुराणो यतो देवा उदजायन्त विश्वे । अतश् चिद् आ जनिषीष्ट प्रवृद्धो मा मातरम् अमुया पत्तवे कः ॥
ayam panthā anuvittaḥ purāṇo yato devā udajāyanta viśve | ataś cid ā janiṣīṣṭa pravṛddho mā mātaram amuyā pattave kaḥ ||
This is the ancient and accepted pathway by which all Gods have come into existence. Hereby could one be born though waxen mighty. Let him not, otherwise, destroy his Mother.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
नाहम् अतो निर् अया दुर्गहैतत् तिरश्चता पार्श्वान् निर् गमाणि । बहूनि मे अकृता कर्त्वानि युध्यै त्वेन सं त्वेन पृच्छै ॥
nāham ato nir ayā durgahaitat tiraścatā pārśvān nir gamāṇi | bahūni me akṛtā kartvāni yudhyai tvena saṃ tvena pṛcchai ||
Not this way go I forth: hard is the passage. Forth from the side obliquely will I issue. Much that is yet undone must I accomplish; one must I combat and the other question.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
परायतीम् मातरम् अन्व् अचष्ट न नानु गान्य् अनु नू गमानि । त्वष्टुर् गृहे अपिबत् सोमम् इन्द्रः शतधन्यं चम्वोः सुतस्य ॥
parāyatīm mātaram anv acaṣṭa na nānu gāny anu nū gamāni | tvaṣṭur gṛhe apibat somam indraḥ śatadhanyaṃ camvoḥ sutasya ||
He bent his eye upon the dying Mother: My word I now withdraw. That way I follow. In Tvastar's dwelling India drank the Soma, a hundredworth of juice pressed from the mortar.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
किं स ऋधक् कृणवद् यं सहस्रम् मासो जभार शरदश् च पूर्वीः । नही न्व् अस्य प्रतिमानम् अस्त्य् अन्तर् जातेषूत ये जनित्वाः ॥
kiṃ sa ṛdhak kṛṇavad yaṃ sahasram māso jabhāra śaradaś ca pūrvīḥ | nahī nv asya pratimānam asty antar jāteṣūta ye janitvāḥ ||
What strange act shall he do, he whom his Mother bore for a thousand months and many autumns? No peer hath he among those born already, nor among those who shall be born hereafter.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
अवद्यम् इव मन्यमाना गुहाकर् इन्द्रम् माता वीर्येणा न्यृष्टम् । अथोद् अस्थात् स्वयम् अत्कं वसान आ रोदसी अपृणाज् जायमानः ॥
avadyam iva manyamānā guhākar indram mātā vīryeṇā nyṛṣṭam | athod asthāt svayam atkaṃ vasāna ā rodasī apṛṇāj jāyamānaḥ ||
Deeming him a reproach, his mother hid him, Indra, endowed with all heroic valour. Then up he sprang himself, assumed his vesture, and filled, as soon as born, the earth and heaven.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
एता अर्षन्त्य् अललाभवन्तीर् ऋतावरीर् इव संक्रोशमानाः । एता वि पृच्छ किम् इदम् भनन्ति कम् आपो अद्रिम् परिधिं रुजन्ति ॥
etā arṣanty alalābhavantīr ṛtāvarīr iva saṃkrośamānāḥ | etā vi pṛccha kim idam bhananti kam āpo adrim paridhiṃ rujanti ||
With lively motion onward flow these waters, the Holy Ones, shouting, as 'twere, together. Ask them to. tell thee what the floods are saying, what girdling rock the waters burst asunder.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
किम् उ ष्विद् अस्मै निविदो भनन्तेन्द्रस्यावद्यं दिधिषन्त आपः । ममैतान् पुत्रो महता वधेन वृत्रं जघन्वां असृजद् वि सिन्धून् ॥
kim u ṣvid asmai nivido bhanantendrasyāvadyaṃ didhiṣanta āpaḥ | mamaitān putro mahatā vadhena vṛtraṃ jaghanvāṃ asṛjad vi sindhūn ||
Are they addressing him with words of welcome? Will the floods take on them the shame of Indra? With his great thunderbolt my Son hath slaughtered Vrtra, and set these rivers free to wander.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
ममच् चन त्वा युवतिः परास ममच् चन त्वा कुषवा जगार । ममच् चिद् आपः शिशवे ममृड्युर् ममच् चिद् इन्द्रः सहसोद् अतिष्ठत् ॥
mamac cana tvā yuvatiḥ parāsa mamac cana tvā kuṣavā jagāra | mamac cid āpaḥ śiśave mamṛḍyur mamac cid indraḥ sahasod atiṣṭhat ||
I cast thee from me, mine,-thy youthful mother: thee, mine own offspring, Kusava hath swallowed. To him, mine infant, were the waters gracious. Indra, my Son, rose up in conquering vigour.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
ममच् चन ते मघवन् व्यंसो निविविध्वां अप हनू जघान । अधा निविद्ध उत्तरो बभूवाञ् छिरो दासस्य सम् पिणग् वधेन ॥
mamac cana te maghavan vyaṃso nivividhvāṃ apa hanū jaghāna | adhā nividdha uttaro babhūvāñ chiro dāsasya sam piṇag vadhena ||
Thou art mine own, O Maghavan, whom Vyamsa struck to the ground and smote thy jaws in pieces. But, smitten through, the mastery thou wonnest, and with thy bolt the Dasa's head thou crushedst.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
गृष्टिः ससूव स्थविरं तवागाम् अनाधृष्यं वृषभं तुम्रम् इन्द्रम् । अरीळ्हं वत्सं चरथाय माता स्वयं गातुं तन्व इच्छमानम् ॥
gṛṣṭiḥ sasūva sthaviraṃ tavāgām anādhṛṣyaṃ vṛṣabhaṃ tumram indram | arīḷhaṃ vatsaṃ carathāya mātā svayaṃ gātuṃ tanva icchamānam ||
The Heifer hath brought forth the Strong, the Mighty, the unconquerable Bull, the furious Indra. The Mother left her unlicked Calf to wander, seeking himself, the path that he would follow.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
उत माता महिषम् अन्व् अवेनद् अमी त्वा जहति पुत्र देवाः । अथाब्रवीद् वृत्रम् इन्द्रो हनिष्यन् सखे विष्णो वितरं वि क्रमस्व ॥
uta mātā mahiṣam anv avenad amī tvā jahati putra devāḥ | athābravīd vṛtram indro haniṣyan sakhe viṣṇo vitaraṃ vi kramasva ||
Then to her mighty Child the Mother turned her, saying, My son, these Deities forsake thee. Then Indra said, about to slaughter Vrtra, O my friend Vrtra, stride full boldly forward.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
कस् ते मातरं विधवाम् अचक्रच् छयुं कस् त्वाम् अजिघांसच् चरन्तम् । कस् ते देवो अधि मार्डीक आसीद् यत् प्राक्षिणाः पितरम् पादगृह्य ॥
kas te mātaraṃ vidhavām acakrac chayuṃ kas tvām ajighāṃsac carantam | kas te devo adhi mārḍīka āsīd yat prākṣiṇāḥ pitaram pādagṛhya ||
Who was he then who made thy Mother widow? Who sought to stay thee lying still or moving? What God, when by the foot thy Sire thou tookest and slewest, was at hand to give thee comfort?
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
अवर्त्या शुन आन्त्राणि पेचे न देवेषु विविदे मर्डितारम् । अपश्यं जायाम् अमहीयमानाम् अधा मे श्येनो मध्व् आ जभार ॥
avartyā śuna āntrāṇi pece na deveṣu vivide marḍitāram | apaśyaṃ jāyām amahīyamānām adhā me śyeno madhv ā jabhāra ||
In deep distress I cooked a dog's intestines. Among the Gods I found not one to comfort. My consort I beheld in degradation. The Falcon then brought me the pleasant Soma.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)