The hotar, lavishest of wealth.
2 Worthy is Agni to be praised by living as by ancient seers.
He shall bring hitherward the Gods.
3 Through Agni man obtaineth wealth, yea, plenty waxing day by day,
Most rich in heroes, glorious.
4 Agni, the perfect sacrifice which thou encompassest about
Verily goeth to the Gods.
5 May Agni, sapient-minded Priest, truthful, most gloriously great,
The God, come hither with the Gods.
6 Whatever blessing, Agni, thou wilt grant unto thy worshipper,
That, Aṅgiras, is indeed thy truth.
7 To thee, dispeller of the night, O Agni, day by day with prayer
Bringing thee reverence, we come
8 Ruler of sacrifices, guard of Law eternal, radiant One,
Increasing in thine own abode.
9 Be to us easy of approach, even as a father to his son:
Agni, be with us for our weal.
1 BEAUTIFUL Vāyu, come, for thee these Soma drops have been prepared:
Drink of them, hearken to our call.
2 Knowing the days, with Soma juice poured forth, the singers glorify
Thee, Vāyu, with their hymns of praise.
3 Vāyu, thy penetrating stream goes forth unto the worshipper,
Far-spreading for the Soma draught.
4 These, Indra-Vāyu, have been shed; come for our offered dainties’ sake:
The drops are yearning for you both.
5 Well do ye mark libations, ye Vāyu and Indra, rich in spoil!
So come ye swiftly hitherward.
6 Vāyu and Indra, come to what the Soma-presser hath prepared:
Soon, Heroes, thus I make my prayer.
7 Mitra, of holy strength, I call, and foe-destroying Varuṇa,
Who make the oil-fed rite complete.
8 Mitra and Varuṇa, through Law, lovers and cherishers of Law,
Have ye obtained your might power
9 Our Sages, Mitra-Varuṇa, wide dominion, strong by birth,
Vouchsafe us strength that worketh well.
1 YE Aśvins, rich in treasure, Lords of splendour, having nimble hands,
Accept the sacrificial food.
2 Ye Aśvins, rich in wondrous deeds, ye heroes worthy of our praise,
Accept our songs with mighty thought.
3 Nāsatyas, wonder-workers, yours are these libations with clipt grass:
Come ye whose paths are red with flame.
4 O Indra marvellously bright, come, these libations long for thee,
Thus by fine fingers purified.
5 Urged by the holy singer, sped by song, come, Indra, to the prayers,
Of the libation-pouring priest.
6 Approach, O Indra, hasting thee, Lord of Bay Horses, to the prayers.
In our libation take delight.
7 Ye Viśvedevas, who protect, reward, and cherish men, approach
Your worshipper's drink-offering.
8 Ye Viśvedevas, swift at work, come hither quickly to the draught,
As milch-kine hasten to their stalls.
9 The Viśvedevas, changing shape like serpents, fearless, void of guile,
Bearers, accept the sacred draught
10 Wealthy in spoil, enriched with hymns, may bright Sarasvatī desire,
With eager love, our sacrifice.
11 Inciter of all pleasant songs, inspirer of all gracious thought,
Sarasvatī accept our rite
12 Sarasvatī, the mighty flood,—she with her light illuminates,
She brightens every pious thought.
1 As a good cow to him who milks, we call the doer of fair deeds,
To our assistance day by day.
2 Come thou to our libations, drink of Soma; Soma-drinker thou!
The rich One's rapture giveth kine.
3 So may we be acquainted with thine innermost benevolence:
Neglect us not, come hitherward.
4 Go to the wise unconquered One, ask thou of Indra, skilled in song,
Him who is better than thy friends.
5 Whether the men who mock us say, Depart unto another place,
Ye who serve Indra and none else;
6 Or whether, God of wondrous deeds, all our true people call us blest,
Still may we dwell in Indra's care.
7 Unto the swift One bring the swift, man-cheering, grace of sacrifice,
That to the Friend gives wings and joy.
8 Thou, Śatakratu, drankest this and wast the Vṛtras’ slayer; thou
Helpest the warrior in the fray.
9 We strengthen, Śatakratu, thee, yea, thee the powerful in fight,
That, Indra, we may win us wealth.
10 To him the mighty stream of wealth, prompt friend of him who pours the juice,
Yea, to this Indra sing your song.
1 O COME ye hither, sit ye down: to Indra sing ye forth, your song,
companions, bringing hymns of praise.
2 To him the richest of the rich, the Lord of treasures excellent,
Indra, with Soma juice outpoured.
3 May he stand by us in our need and in abundance for our wealth:
May he come nigh us with his strength.
4 Whose pair of tawny horses yoked in battles foemen challenge not:
To him, to Indra sing your song.
5 Nigh to the Soma-drinker come, for his enjoyment, these pure drops,
The Somas mingled with the curd.
6 Thou, grown at once to perfect strength, wast born to drink the Soma juice,
Strong Indra, for preëminence.
7 O Indra, lover of the song, may these quick Somas enter thee:
May they bring bliss to thee the Sage.
8 Our chants of praise have strengthened thee, O Śatakratu, and our lauds
So strengthen thee the songs we sing.
9 Indra, whose succour never fails, accept these viands thousandfold,
Wherein all manly powers abide.
10 O Indra, thou who lovest song, let no man hurt our bodies, keep
Slaughter far from us, for thou canst.
1 They who stand round him as he moves harness the bright, the ruddy Steed
The lights are shining in the sky.
2 On both sides to the car they yoke the two bay coursers dear to him,
Bold, tawny, bearers of the Chief.
3 Thou, making light where no light was, and form, O men: where form was not,
Wast born together with the Dawns.
4 Thereafter they, as is their wont, threw off the state of babes unborn,
Assuming sacrificial names.
5 Thou, Indra, with the Tempest-Gods, the breakers down of what is firm,
Foundest the kine even in the cave.
6 Worshipping even as they list, singers laud him who findeth wealth,
The far-renowned, the mighty One.
7 Mayest thou verily be seen coming by fearless Indra's side:
Both joyous, equal in your sheen.
8 With Indra's well beloved hosts, the blameless, hastening to heaven,
The sacrificer cries aloud.
9 Come from this place, O Wanderer, or downward from the light of heaven:
Our songs of praise all yearn for this.
10 Indra we seek to give us help, from here, from heaven above the earth,
Or from the spacious firmament.
1 INDRA the singers with high praise, Indra reciters with their lauds,
Indra the choirs have glorified.
2 Indra hath ever close to him his two bay steeds and word-yoked car,
Indra the golden, thunder-armed.
3 Indra hath raised the Sun on high in heaven, that he may see afar:
He burst the mountain for the kine.
4 Help us, O Indra, in the frays, yea, frays, where thousand spoils are gained,
With awful aids, O awful One.
5 In mighty battle we invoke Indra, Indra in lesser fight,
The Friend who bends his bolt at fiends.
6 Unclose, our manly Hero, thou for ever bounteous, yonder cloud,
For us, thou irresistible.
7 Still higher, at each strain of mine, thunder-armed Indra's praises rise:
I find no laud worthy of him.
8 Even as the bull drives on the herds, he drives the people with his might,
The Ruler irresistible:
9 Indra who rules with single sway men, riches, and the fivefold race
Of those who dwell upon the earth.
10 For your sake from each side we call Indra away from other men:
Ours, and none others’, may he be.
1 INDRA, bring wealth that gives delight, the victor's ever-conquering wealth,
Most excellent, to be our aid;
2 By means of which we may repel our foes in battle hand to hand,
By thee assisted with the car.
3 Aided by thee, the thunder-armed, Indra, may we lift up the bolt,
And conquer all our foes in fight.
4 With thee, O India, for ally with missile-darting heroes, may
We conquer our embattled foes.
5 Mighty is Indra, yea supreme; greatness be his, the Thunderer:
Wide as the heaven extends his power
6 Which aideth those to win them sons, who come as heroes to the fight,
Or singers loving holy thoughts.
7 His belly, drinking deepest draughts of Soma, like an ocean swells,
Like wide streams from the cope of heaven.
8 So also is his excellence, great, vigorous, rich in cattle, like
A ripe branch to the worshipper.
9 For verily thy mighty powers, Indra, are saving helps at once
Unto a worshipper like me.
10 So are his lovely gifts; let lauds and praises be to Indra sung,
That he may drink the Soma juice.
1 COME, Indra, and delight thee with the juice at all the Soma feasts,
Protector, mighty in thy strength.
2 To Indra pour ye forth the juice, the active gladdening juice to him
The gladdening, omnific God.
3 O Lord of all men, fair of cheek, rejoice thee in the gladdening lauds,
Present at these drink-offerings.
4 Songs have outpoured themselves to thee, Indra, the strong, the guardian Lord,
And raised themselves unsatisfied.
5 Send to us bounty manifold, O Indra, worthy of our wish,
For power supreme is only thine.
6 O Indra, stimulate thereto us emulously fain for wealth,
And glorious, O most splendid One.
7 Give, Indra, wide and lofty fame, wealthy in cattle and in strength,
Lasting our life-time, failing not.
8 Grant us high fame, O Indra, grant riches bestowing thousands, those
Fair fruits of earth borne home in wains.
9 Praising with songs the praise-worthy who cometh to our aid, we call
Indra, the Treasure-Lord of wealth.
10 To lofty Indra, dweller by each libation, the pious man
Sings forth aloud a strengthening hymn.
1 THE chanters hymn thee, they who say the word of praise magnify thee.
The priests have raised thee up on high, O Śatakratu, like a pole.
2 As up he clomb from ridge to ridge and looked upon the toilsome task,
Indra observes this wish of his, and the Rain hastens with his troop.
3 Harness thy pair of strong bay steeds, long-maned, whose bodies fill the girths,
And, Indra, Soma-drinker, come to listen to our songs of praise.
4 Come hither, answer thou the song, sing in approval, cry aloud.
Good Indra, make our prayer succeed, and prosper this our sacrifice.
5 To Indra must a laud be said, to strengthen him who freely gives,
That Śakra may take pleasure in our friendship and drink-offerings.
6 Him, him we seek for friendship, him for riches and heroic might.
For Indra, he is Śakra, he shall aid us while he gives us wealth.
7 Easy to turn and drive away, Indra, is spoil bestowed by thee.
Unclose the stable of the kine, and give us wealth O Thunder-armed
8 The heaven and earth contain thee not, together, in thy wrathful mood.
Win us the waters of the sky, and send us kine abundantly.
9 Hear, thou whose ear is quick, my call; take to thee readily my songs
O Indra, let this laud of mine come nearer even than thy friend.
10 We know thee mightiest of all, in battles hearer of our cry.
Of thee most mighty we invoke the aid that giveth thousandfold.
11 O Indra, Son of Kuśika, drink our libation with delight.
Prolong our life anew, and cause the seer to win a thousand gifts.
12 Lover of song, may these our songs on every side encompass thee:
Strengthening thee of lengthened life, may they be dear delights to thee.
Diwali, Deepavali or Divali is a significant festival of the Hindus. “Deep” means light and Diwali is the “Festival of Lights” where lamps are lit to celebrate the victory of good over evil inciting a new hope for mankind.
The formal name of the festival is Deepavali; in North India it is colloquially called ‘Diwali’. The celebration of the Diwali festival spreads over five consecutive days at the end of the Hindu month Ashwayuja that corresponds to the months of October or November in the Gregorian calendar. The Diwali festival arrives exactly 20 days after Dussehra.
The Origin Of the Diwali festival
There are several legends and beliefs regarding the origin of Deepavali. The most popular one says that Diwali marks the time when Lord Rama achieved victory over Ravana. Some people believe Diwali marks the day when Lord Krishna defeated Narakasura. Another story suggests Diwali as the day when Bali returned to rule the nether world obeying the order of Vishnu. The Diwali festival is probably rooted in ancient harvest celebrations.
However, the aesthetic aspect of the Diwali festival has traveled beyond the religious limitations and is enjoyed by all Indians regardless of their religious affinities.
The Five-Day Diwali Celebration
In North India, Diwali is celebrated for 5 days. Divali is a new moon day, which marks the last day of a 15-day half lunar month. The second half lunar month starts off from Diwali.
Dhan Teras
“Dhan Teras” or “Dhan Trayodoshi” is the 13th day of the second half of the lunar month. ‘Dhan’ is wealth and ‘Trayodoshi’ means “13th day”. This holyday is considered auspicious for shopping.
Naraka Chaturdasi
This is the 14th day of the second half of the lunar month. Naraka means of a new era of Light and Knowledge and Chaturdasi means the “14th day”.
Diwali
Diwali is the third day of the 5 days. In Diwali, the moon completely disappears and the sky becomes pitch black.
Varsha-Pratipada
Pratipada means the first. This day signifies beginning of the New Year.
Bhayiduj
This is the last day of the festival when the brothers and sisters meet and express their love and affection for each other.
Celebrating the “Festival of Lights”
“Deepavali” is a Sanskrit word, which means a range of lights that stands for victory of love over light. But if we delve deeper into Hindu philosophy we will see that Deepavali is the celebration of the Inner Light, which dispels ignorance leading to the awakening of the true self, the ‘Atman’. The celebration of Diwali may vary from region to region but the inner essence is the same, rejoicing the oneness of all beings with the Superior omnipotent Soul, the Brahaman.
The evening of the Diwali festival is gorgeous with a varied display of firecrackers. People wear new clothes and share sweets like ‘khil’ (rice puffs) and patashe (sugar disks) and snacks on Diwali. The houses are cleaned and are decorated with fresh flowers. Many houses display a ‘rangoli’, a colorful pattern drawn in rice flour at the entrance. Puja of deities take place at homes and temples with offerings.
In North India, Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha are worshipped together for prosperity. Many North Indian business families start their new financial year from Diwali and open new account books. In Eastern part of India, Kali Puja (worshipping Goddess Kali) sometimes coincides with Divali.