Sukta 18

परं मृत्यो अनु परेहि पन्थां यस्ते स्व इतरो देवयानात्। चक्षुष्मते शृण्वते ते ब्रवीमि मा नः प्रजां रीरिषो मोत वीरान्॥

paraṁ mṛtyo anu parehi panthāṁ yaste sva itaro devayānāt | cakṣuṣmate śṛṇvate te bravīmi mā naḥ prajāṁ rīriṣo mota vīrān ||

Go hence, O Death, pursue thy special pathway apart from that which Gods are wont to travel. To thee I say it who hast eyes and hearest: Touch not our offspring, injure not our heroes.

मृत्योः पदं योपयन्तो यदैत द्राघीय आयुः प्रतरं दधानाः। आप्यायमानाः प्रजया धनेन शुद्धाः पूता भवत यज्ञियासः॥

mṛtyoḥ padaṁ yopayanto yadaita drāghīya āyuḥ prataraṁ dadhānāḥ | āpyāyamānāḥ prajayā dhanena śuddhāḥ pūtā bhavata yajñiyāsaḥ ||

As ye have come effacing Mrtyu's footstep, to further times prolonging your existence, May ye be rich in children and possessions. cleansed, purified, and meet for sacrificing.

इमे जीवा वि मृतैराववृत्रन्नभूद्भद्रा देवहूतिर्नो अद्य। प्राञ्चो अगाम नृतये हसाय द्राघीय आयुः प्रतरं दधानाः॥

ime jīvā vi mṛtairāvavṛtrannabhūdbhadrā devahūtirno adya | prāñco agāma nṛtaye hasāya drāghīya āyuḥ prataraṁ dadhānāḥ ||

Divided from the dead are these, the living: now be our calling on the Gods successful. We have gone forth for dancing and for laughter, tofurther times prolonging our existence.

इमं जीवेभ्यः परिधिं दधामि मैषां नु गादपरो अर्थमेतम्। शतं जीवन्तु शरदः पुरूचीरन्तर्मृत्युं दधतां पर्वतेन॥

imaṁ jīvebhyaḥ paridhiṁ dadhāmi maiṣāṁ nu gādaparo arthametam | śataṁ jīvantu śaradaḥ purūcīrantarmṛtyuṁ dadhatāṁ parvatena ||

Here I erect this rampart for the living; let none of these, none other, reach this limit. May they survive a hundred lengthened autumns, and may they bury Death beneath this mountain.

यथाहान्यनुपूर्वं भवन्ति यथ ऋतव ऋतुभिर्यन्ति साधु। यथा न पूर्वमपरो जहात्येवा धातरायूंषि कल्पयैषाम्॥

yathāhānyanupūrvaṁ bhavanti yatha ṛtava ṛtubhiryanti sādhu | yathā na pūrvamaparo jahātyevā dhātarāyūṁṣi kalpayaiṣām ||

As the days follow days in close succession, as with the seasons duly come the seasons, As each successor fails not his foregoer, so form the lives of these, O great Ordainer.

आ रोहतायुर्जरसं वृणाना अनुपूर्वं यतमाना यति ष्ठ। इह त्वष्टा सुजनिमा सजोषा दीर्घमायुः करति जीवसे वः॥

ā rohatāyurjarasaṁ vṛṇānā anupūrvaṁ yatamānā yati ṣṭha | iha tvaṣṭā sujanimā sajoṣā dīrghamāyuḥ karati jīvase vaḥ ||

Live your full lives ap! find old age delightful, all of you striving one behind the other. May Tvastar, maker of fair things, be gracious and lengthen out the days of your existence.

इमा नारीरविधवाः सुपत्नीराञ्जनेन सर्पिषा सं विशन्तु। अनश्रवोऽनमीवाः सुरत्ना आ रोहन्तु जनयो योनिमग्रे॥

imā nārīravidhavāḥ supatnīrāñjanena sarpiṣā saṁ viśantu | anaśravo'namīvāḥ suratnā ā rohantu janayo yonimagre ||

Let these unwidowed dames with noble husbands adorn themselves with fragrant balm and unguent. Decked with fair jewels, tearless, free from sorrow, first let the dames go up to where he lieth.

उदीर्ष्व नार्यभि जीवलोकं गतासुमेतमुप शेष एहि। हस्तग्राभस्य दिधिषोस्तवेदं पत्युर्जनित्वमभि सं बभूथ॥

udīrṣva nāryabhi jīvalokaṁ gatāsumetamupa śeṣa ehi | hastagrābhasya didhiṣostavedaṁ patyurjanitvamabhi saṁ babhūtha ||

Rise, come unto the world of life, O woman: come, he is lifeless by whose side thou liest. Wifehood with this thy husband was thy portion, who took thy hand and wooed thee as a lover.

धनुर्हस्तादाददानो मृतस्यास्मे क्षत्राय वर्चसे बलाय। अत्रैव त्वमिह वयं सुवीरा विश्वाः स्पृधो अभिमातीर्जयेम॥

dhanurhastādādadāno mṛtasyāsme kṣatrāya varcase balāya | atraiva tvamiha vayaṁ suvīrā viśvāḥ spṛdho abhimātīrjayema ||

From his dead hand I take the bow be carried, that it may be our power and might and glory. There art thou, there; and here with noble heroes may we o'ercome all hosts that fight against us.

उप सर्प मातरं भूमिमेतामुरुव्यचसं पृथिवीं सुशेवाम्। ऊर्णम्रदा युवतिर्दक्षिणावत एषा त्वा पातु निरृतेरुपस्थात्॥

upa sarpa mātaraṁ bhūmimetāmuruvyacasaṁ pṛthivīṁ suśevām | ūrṇamradā yuvatirdakṣiṇāvata eṣā tvā pātu nirṛterupasthāt ||

Betake thee to the Iap of Earth the Mother, of Earth far-spreading, very kind and gracious. Young Dame, wool-soft unto the guerdongiver, may she preserve tbee from Destruction's bosom.

उच्छ्वञ्चस्व पृथिवि मा नि बाधथाः सूपायनास्मै भव सूपवञ्चना। माता पुत्रं यथा सिचाभ्येनं भूम ऊर्णुहि॥

ucchvañcasva pṛthivi mā ni bādhathāḥ sūpāyanāsmai bhava sūpavañcanā | mātā putraṁ yathā sicābhyenaṁ bhūma ūrṇuhi ||

Heave thyself, Earth, nor press thee downward heavily: afford him easy access, gently tending him. Cover him, as a mother wraps her skirt about her child, O Earth.

उच्छ्वञ्चमाना पृथिवी सु तिष्ठतु सहस्रं मित उप हि श्रयन्ताम्। ते गृहासो घृतश्चुतो भवन्तु विश्वाहास्मै शरणाः सन्त्वत्र॥

ucchvañcamānā pṛthivī su tiṣṭhatu sahasraṁ mita upa hi śrayantām | te gṛhāso ghṛtaścuto bhavantu viśvāhāsmai śaraṇāḥ santvatra ||

Now let the heaving earth be free from motion: yea,- let a thousand clods remain above him. Be they to him a home distilling fatness, here let them ever be his place of refuge.

उत्ते स्तभ्नामि पृथिवीं त्वत्परीमं लोगं निदधन्मो अहं रिषम्। एतां स्थूणां पितरो धारयन्तु तेऽत्रा यमः सादना ते मिनोतु॥

utte stabhnāmi pṛthivīṁ tvatparīmaṁ logaṁ nidadhanmo ahaṁ riṣam | etāṁ sthūṇāṁ pitaro dhārayantu te'trā yamaḥ sādanā te minotu ||

I stay the earth from thee, while over thee I place this piece of earth. May I be free from injury. Here let the Fathers keep this pillar firm for thee, and there let Yama make thee an abiding-place.

प्रतीचीने मामहनीष्वाः पर्णमिवा दधुः। प्रतीचीं जग्रभा वाचमश्वं रशनया यथा॥

pratīcīne māmahanīṣvāḥ parṇamivā dadhuḥ | pratīcīṁ jagrabhā vācamaśvaṁ raśanayā yathā ||

Even as an arrow's feathers, they have set me on a fitting day. The fit word have I caught and held as 'twere a courser with the rein.