Sukta 18

अयं पन्था अनुवित्तः पुराणो यतो देवा उदजायन्त विश्वे। अतश्चिदा जनिषीष्ट प्रवृद्धो मा मातरममुया पत्तवे कः॥

ayaṁ panthā anuvittaḥ purāṇo yato devā udajāyanta viśve | ataścidā janiṣīṣṭa pravṛddho mā mātaramamuyā 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.

नाहमतो निरया दुर्गहैतत्तिरश्चता पार्श्वान्निर्गमाणि। बहूनि मे अकृता कर्त्वानि युध्यै त्वेन सं त्वेन पृच्छै॥

nāhamato nirayā durgahaitattiraścatā pārśvānnirgamāṇi | bahūni me akṛtā kartvāni yudhyai tvena saṁ 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.

परायतीं मातरमन्वचष्ट न नानु गान्यनु नू गमानि। त्वष्टुर्गृहे अपिबत्सोममिन्द्रः शतधन्यं चम्वोः सुतस्य॥

parāyatīṁ mātaramanvacaṣṭa na nānu gānyanu nū gamāni | tvaṣṭurgṛhe apibatsomamindraḥ śatadhanyaṁ 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.

किं स ऋधक्कृणवद्यं सहस्रं मासो जभार शरदश्च पूर्वीः। नही न्वस्य प्रतिमानमस्त्यन्तर्जातेषूत ये जनित्वाः॥

kiṁ sa ṛdhakkṛṇavadyaṁ sahasraṁ māso jabhāra śaradaśca pūrvīḥ | nahī nvasya pratimānamastyantarjāteṣūta 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.

अवद्यमिव मन्यमाना गुहाकरिन्द्रं माता वीर्येणा न्यृष्टम्। अथोदस्थात्स्वयमत्कं वसान आ रोदसी अपृणाज्जायमानः॥

avadyamiva manyamānā guhākarindraṁ mātā vīryeṇā nyṛṣṭam | athodasthātsvayamatkaṁ vasāna ā rodasī apṛṇājjāyamānaḥ ||

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.

एता अर्षन्त्यललाभवन्तीरृतावरीरिव संक्रोशमानाः। एता वि पृच्छ किमिदं भनन्ति कमापो अद्रिं परिधिं रुजन्ति॥

etā arṣantyalalābhavantīrṛtāvarīriva saṁkrośamānāḥ | etā vi pṛccha kimidaṁ bhananti kamāpo adriṁ paridhiṁ 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.

किमु ष्विदस्मै निविदो भनन्तेन्द्रस्यावद्यं दिधिषन्त आपः। ममैतान्पुत्रो महता वधेन वृत्रं जघन्वाँ असृजद्वि सिन्धून्॥

kimu ṣvidasmai nivido bhanantendrasyāvadyaṁ didhiṣanta āpaḥ | mamaitānputro mahatā vadhena vṛtraṁ jaghanvā asṛjadvi 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.

ममच्चन त्वा युवतिः परास ममच्चन त्वा कुषवा जगार। ममच्चिदापः शिशवे ममृड्युर्ममच्चिदिन्द्रः सहसोदतिष्ठत्॥

mamaccana tvā yuvatiḥ parāsa mamaccana tvā kuṣavā jagāra | mamaccidāpaḥ śiśave mamṛḍyurmamaccidindraḥ sahasodatiṣṭhat ||

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.

ममच्चन ते मघवन्व्यंसो निविविध्वाँ अप हनू जघान। अधा निविद्ध उत्तरो बभूवाञ्छिरो दासस्य सं पिणग्वधेन॥

mamaccana te maghavanvyaṁso nivividhvā apa hanū jaghāna | adhā nividdha uttaro babhūvāñchiro dāsasya saṁ piṇagvadhena ||

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.

गृष्टिः ससूव स्थविरं तवागामनाधृष्यं वृषभं तुम्रमिन्द्रम्। अरीळ्हं वत्सं चरथाय माता स्वयं गातुं तन्व इच्छमानम्॥

gṛṣṭiḥ sasūva sthaviraṁ tavāgāmanādhṛṣyaṁ vṛṣabhaṁ tumramindram | arīḻhaṁ vatsaṁ carathāya mātā svayaṁ gātuṁ 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.

उत माता महिषमन्ववेनदमी त्वा जहति पुत्र देवाः। अथाब्रवीद्वृत्रमिन्द्रो हनिष्यन्सखे विष्णो वितरं वि क्रमस्व॥

uta mātā mahiṣamanvavenadamī tvā jahati putra devāḥ | athābravīdvṛtramindro haniṣyansakhe viṣṇo vitaraṁ 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.

कस्ते मातरं विधवामचक्रच्छयुं कस्त्वामजिघांसच्चरन्तम्। कस्ते देवो अधि मार्डीक आसीद्यत्प्राक्षिणाः पितरं पादगृह्य॥

kaste mātaraṁ vidhavāmacakracchayuṁ kastvāmajighāṁsaccarantam | kaste devo adhi mārḍīka āsīdyatprākṣiṇāḥ pitaraṁ 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?

अवर्त्या शुन आन्त्राणि पेचे न देवेषु विविदे मर्डितारम्। अपश्यं जायाममहीयमानामधा मे श्येनो मध्वा जभार॥

avartyā śuna āntrāṇi pece na deveṣu vivide marḍitāram | apaśyaṁ jāyāmamahīyamānāmadhā me śyeno madhvā 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.