brahmaṇaspati sūktam

The hymn to Brahmanaspati.

We call on you, lord of the ganas among the ganas, poet of poets, most famous of all, eldest king of prayers. Lord of prayer, hear us, come with your help, and sit in your seat.

Brahmanaspati, make the one who presses the soma ring out in praise, like Kakshivan, son of Ushij.

He is rich, he strikes down sickness, he finds wealth and makes plenty grow, and he is swift. May he stay by us.

Let the curse of the stingy and the malice of a mortal not reach us. Protect us, Brahmanaspati.

That hero never comes to harm, the mortal whom Indra, Brahmanaspati and Soma urge on.

Brahmanaspati, may you, Soma and Indra, and Dakshina too, guard that mortal from distress.

Rise up, Brahmanaspati. We who seek the gods come to you with our prayers. Let the generous Maruts come near. Indra, be quick and be with us.

Son of strength, it is you a mortal calls on when the prize is at stake. Maruts, whoever longs for you will win good heroes and good horses.

Let Brahmanaspati come forward, and let the goddess of gracious speech come forward. May the gods lead our sacrifice to the manly hero whose gifts come fivefold.

Whoever gives the priest rich wealth wins fame that never fades. For him we win by sacrifice Ila, the flow of plenty, rich in heroes, swift and without fault.

Now Brahmanaspati speaks the mantra that deserves praise, the mantra in which Indra, Varuna, Mitra, Aryaman and the gods have made their home.

Gods, may we speak that very mantra at the gatherings, a mantra that brings blessing and has no fault. If you welcome this speech, heroes, it will reach every good thing you have.

Who can reach the man who seeks the gods, who has spread the sacred grass? The generous man goes further and further forward with his household, and makes a home rich within.

He adds power to his power and strikes down foes with kings on his side; even in danger he keeps a safe home. In a great contest or a small one, no one can stop or beat the man who has the thunderbolt-bearer with him.

We call on you, lord of the ganas among the ganas, poet of poets, most famous of all, eldest king of prayers. Lord of prayer, hear us, come with your help, and sit in your seat.

Mighty lord, even the wise gods have won their share of the sacrifice through you, Brihaspati. As the great sun brings forth the dawns with its light, so you are the father of all prayers.

Driving away the slanderers and the darkness, you mount the shining chariot of truth, Brihaspati. It is fearsome, it crushes enemies and kills demons, it breaks open the cow-pen and finds the sun.

You lead people by good guidance and you protect them. No distress reaches the one who gives to you. You scorch those who hate prayer and crush their fury. Brihaspati, that is your great might.

No distress and no misfortune from anywhere, no hostile powers and no double-dealers can get the better of the one you guard, good guardian Brahmanaspati. You drive every harm away from him.

You are our guardian, the far-seeing maker of paths. We praise you with our thoughts, so as to keep your law. Brihaspati, whoever plots crookedness against us, let his own fierce misfortune crush him.

And the hostile mortal, the greedy wolf, who would harm us though we have done no wrong: Brihaspati, turn him from our path, and make the way easy for this feast of the gods.

We call on you, protector of our bodies, rescuer, who speaks up for us and is on our side. Brihaspati, strike down those who scorn the gods. Do not let the wicked reach a higher happiness.

Brahmanaspati, with you to make us strong, may we win from men the wealth we long for. Crush the hostile powers that stand against us, far off or near, those that do no work.

With you, Brihaspati, as a companion who fills us and wins for us, may we gain the highest vigour. Let no evil-speaking cheat rule over us. Speaking well, may we cross over with our prayers.

You are a bull who yields to no one, who goes to the battle, scorches the enemy and wins the fight. Brahmanaspati, you are true, you exact what is owed, and you tame even the fierce and stubbornly proud.

Whoever means harm with a godless mind and, thinking himself mighty, sets out to kill those who give commands: Brihaspati, let his weapon not reach us. May we break the fury of that wicked braggart.

He is the one to call in battles and to approach with reverence. He goes to the contests and wins every prize. Brihaspati, the lord, has torn apart all cheating foes like chariots.

With your fiercest heat scorch the demons who have mocked you, though your might has been seen. Brihaspati, show the power of yours that deserves praise, and crush the slanderers.

Brihaspati, born of truth, set in us that splendid wealth which outshines what the stranger deserves: bright, full of skill among people, and glowing with strength.

Do not give us up to thieves, the treacherous enemies who stay away and are greedy for our food. They harbour contempt for the gods in their hearts, Brihaspati, and know nothing higher than the chant.

Tvashtar the poet brought you forth above all beings, from chant after chant. Brahmanaspati collects what is owed and exacts it. He kills the treacherous, and upholds the great truth.

For your glory the mountain opened wide, when you let the cows out of their pen, Angiras. With Indra as your companion, Brihaspati, you drove out the flood of waters that darkness had closed in.

Brahmanaspati, you guide this hymn: take note of it, and quicken our children. All that the gods favour is blessed. Rich in heroes, may we speak great words at the gathering.

You who are lord, welcome this offering. We would serve you with this new and mighty song. Brihaspati, as the generous one, your friend, praises for us, bring our prayer to fulfilment.

With his strength he bent what had to be bent, and in his fury he split open Shambara's forts. Brahmanaspati shook what could not be shaken, and entered the mountain full of treasure.

That was a work for the most godly of the gods. The strong places gave way and the hard ones grew soft. He drove out the cows and split Vala open with prayer; he hid the darkness away and made the sun shine out.

Brahmanaspati pierced with his strength the well with a mouth of stone that pours out honey. All who see the sun drank from it, and together they poured out its spring full of water.

Some of these things are from of old, and some are yet to come. Month after month and year after year they have opened doors for you. Without effort the two move on, one after the other, in the patterns Brahmanaspati has made.

Those who searched and reached the Panis' highest treasure, hidden in the cave, knew what they were seeing. Seeing through the lies, they went back out the way they had come in.

Holding to truth, the poets saw through the lies and set out again on the great path. They left behind in the rock the fire their arms had fanned. No stranger was there, for they had left it.

With his swift bow strung with truth, Brahmanaspati reaches whatever he aims at. Straight fly the arrows he shoots, which watch over men, made to be seen, drawn back to the ear.

He brings together and he sets apart; he is the priest set in front, well praised in battle, Brahmanaspati. When the all-seeing one wins the prize and wealth by his thought, the sun blazes freely. Wide-reaching, powerful and first are the gifts of generous Brihaspati, easy to win. These are the prizes of the eager, strong one, by which both peoples enjoy their lives.

You who are mighty everywhere in the lower domain, and a delight, have grown great in strength. That god has spread wide over the gods; Brahmanaspati surrounds all these things.

Generous ones, all truth belongs to you two; not even the waters break your law. Indra and Brahmanaspati, come to our offering like two horses yoked to their fodder.

The swiftest horses listen, and the inspired poet worthy of the assembly wins wealth by his thought. Hostile to the stubborn, taking what is owed as he wills, Brahmanaspati is the winner in the contest.

Brahmanaspati's zeal came true as he wished, when he set out to do his great work. He drove out the cows and shared them out to heaven; like a great flood they streamed away in every direction with force.

Brahmanaspati, may we always be masters of wealth that is easy to guide and full of vigour. Add heroes to our heroes, since you, as lord, come to my call with your prayer.

Brahmanaspati, you guide this hymn: take note of it, and quicken our children. All that the gods favour is blessed. Rich in heroes, may we speak great words at the gathering.

Kindling the fire, he will overcome those who try to overcome him. Having made his prayer and given his offering, he grows strong. With his offspring he goes on beyond other men's offspring, the man Brahmanaspati makes his friend.

With his heroes he overcomes the heroes of those who try to overcome him. With cows he spreads his wealth, and he is awake in himself. His children and his children's children grow, the man Brahmanaspati makes his friend.

Like a river in flood, like a bull among steers, he overpowers the raging with his strength. Like the rush of fire he cannot be held back, the man Brahmanaspati makes his friend.

For him the heavenly streams flow and never run dry. With his warriors he goes first to win the cows. With a strength no one can break, he strikes with force, the man Brahmanaspati makes his friend.

For him all the rivers roar, and many shelters without a flaw are given. Fortunate in the favour of the gods, he prospers, the man Brahmanaspati makes his friend.

The upright singer will overcome those who try to overcome him, and the man who seeks the gods will get the better of the one who does not. The one who helps well wins in battle against the hard to beat. The one who sacrifices takes a share of the goods of the one who does not.

Hero, sacrifice. Go forth against those who are hostile, and keep a good heart in the fight against the one who blocks. Make your offering, so that you may be fortunate. We choose the help of Brahmanaspati.

With his people, his clan and his kin, with his sons and his men, he wins the prize and wealth: the man who serves Brahmanaspati, father of the gods, with a faithful heart and with offerings.

Whoever has served him with offerings rich in ghee, Brahmanaspati leads forward on the straight way. He saves him from distress and guards him from harm, and in his wonder makes wide room for him even in trouble.

With reverence and offerings I praise the eldest, kindly Brahmanaspati. May the great divine song go with Indra, who is king of the prayer the gods have made.

Brahmanaspati, this well-made hymn, this prayer, has been made for you and for Indra who bears the thunderbolt. Help our thoughts, wake our plenty, and wear down the hostility of the stranger and the rival.

Driven off from here, driven off from there, she who harms every unborn child: Brahmanaspati, go after that witch of misfortune and pierce her with your sharp horn.

That log drifting on the far shore of the river, with no one on it: take hold of it, you who are hard to strike, and on it go away to the farther shore.

That by which fire shines, by which the sun shines, by which the wide world shines: by that same light, Brahmanaspati, make us shine, and set us alight like fuel on the fire.

Where the arrows fly together like boys with loose hair, there may Brahmanaspati and Aditi give us shelter; may they give us shelter every day.

Indra and Brahmanaspati, if we have done some wrong, may the wise son of Angiras protect us from the harm of those who hate us.

Lord of the ganas, sit down among the ganas. They call you the most inspired of poets. Nothing at all is done without you, even far away. Bountiful one, sing the great, bright song.

This hand of mine is blessed, and this hand of mine is more blessed still. This hand of mine heals every ill, and its touch brings only good.

Om. Peace, peace, peace.