सूक्त ३४

प्रावेपा मा बृहतो मादयन्ति प्रवातेजा इरिणे वर्वृतानाः। सोमस्येव मौजवतस्य भक्षो विभीदको जागृविर्मह्यमच्छान्॥

prāvepā mā bṛhato mādayanti pravātejā iriṇe varvṛtānāḥ | somasyeva maujavatasya bhakṣo vibhīdako jāgṛvirmahyamacchān ||

SPRUNG from tall trees on windy heights, these rollers transport me as they turn upon the table. Dearer to me the die that never slumbers than the deep draught of Mujavan's own Soma.

न मा मिमेथ न जिहीळ एषा शिवा सखिभ्य उत मह्यमासीत्। अक्षस्याहमेकपरस्य हेतोरनुव्रतामप जायामरोधम्॥

na mā mimetha na jihīḻa eṣā śivā sakhibhya uta mahyamāsīt | akṣasyāhamekaparasya hetoranuvratāmapa jāyāmarodham ||

She never vexed me nor was angry with me, but to my friends and me was ever gracious. For the die's sake, whose single point is final, mine own devoted wife I alienated.

द्वेष्टि श्वश्रूरप जाया रुणद्धि न नाथितो विन्दते मर्डितारम्। अश्वस्येव जरतो वस्न्यस्य नाहं विन्दामि कितवस्य भोगम्॥

dveṣṭi śvaśrūrapa jāyā ruṇaddhi na nāthito vindate marḍitāram | aśvasyeva jarato vasnyasya nāhaṁ vindāmi kitavasya bhogam ||

My wife holds me aloof, her mother hates me: the wretched man finds none to give him comfort. As of a costly horse grown old and feeble, I find not any profit of the gamester.

अन्ये जायां परि मृशन्त्यस्य यस्यागृधद्वेदने वाज्यक्षः। पिता माता भ्रातर एनमाहुर्न जानीमो नयता बद्धमेतम्॥

anye jāyāṁ pari mṛśantyasya yasyāgṛdhadvedane vājyakṣaḥ | pitā mātā bhrātara enamāhurna jānīmo nayatā baddhametam ||

Others caress the wife of him whose riches the die hath coveted, that rapid courser: Of him speak father, mother, brothers saying, We know him not: bind him and take him with you.

यदादीध्ये न दविषाण्येभिः परायद्भ्योऽव हीये सखिभ्यः। न्युप्ताश्च बभ्रवो वाचमक्रतँ एमीदेषां निष्कृतं जारिणीव॥

yadādīdhye na daviṣāṇyebhiḥ parāyadbhyo'va hīye sakhibhyaḥ | nyuptāśca babhravo vācamakrata emīdeṣāṁ niṣkṛtaṁ jāriṇīva ||

When I resolve to play with these no longer, my friends depart from me and leave me lonely. When the brown dice, thrown on the board, have rattled, like a fond girl I seek the place of meeting.

सभामेति कितवः पृच्छमानो जेष्यामीति तन्वा शूशुजानः। अक्षासो अस्य वि तिरन्ति कामं प्रतिदीव्ने दधत आ कृतानि॥

sabhāmeti kitavaḥ pṛcchamāno jeṣyāmīti tanvā śūśujānaḥ | akṣāso asya vi tiranti kāmaṁ pratidīvne dadhata ā kṛtāni ||

The gamester seeks the gambling-house, and wonders, his body all afire, Shall I be lucky? Still do the dice extend his eager longing, staking his gains against his adversary.

अक्षास इदङ्कुशिनो नितोदिनो निकृत्वानस्तपनास्तापयिष्णवः। कुमारदेष्णा जयतः पुनर्हणो मध्वा सम्पृक्ताः कितवस्य बर्हणा॥

akṣāsa idaṅkuśino nitodino nikṛtvānastapanāstāpayiṣṇavaḥ | kumāradeṣṇā jayataḥ punarhaṇo madhvā sampṛktāḥ kitavasya barhaṇā ||

Dice, verily, are armed with goads and driving-hooks, deceiving and tormenting, causing grievous woe. They give frail gifts and then destroy the man who wins, thickly anointed with the player's fairest good.

त्रिपञ्चाशः क्रीळति व्रात एषां देव इव सविता सत्यधर्मा। उग्रस्य चिन्मन्यवे ना नमन्ते राजा चिदेभ्यो नम इत्कृणोति॥

tripañcāśaḥ krīḻati vrāta eṣāṁ deva iva savitā satyadharmā | ugrasya cinmanyave nā namante rājā cidebhyo nama itkṛṇoti ||

Merrily sports their troop, the three-and-fifty, like Savitar the God whose ways are faithful. They bend not even to the mighty's anger: the King himself pays homage and reveres them.

नीचा वर्तन्त उपरि स्फुरन्त्यहस्तासो हस्तवन्तं सहन्ते। दिव्या अङ्गारा इरिणे न्युप्ताः शीताः सन्तो हृदयं निर्दहन्ति॥

nīcā vartanta upari sphurantyahastāso hastavantaṁ sahante | divyā aṅgārā iriṇe nyuptāḥ śītāḥ santo hṛdayaṁ nirdahanti ||

Downward they roll, and then spring quickly upward, and, handless, force the man with hands to serve them. Cast on the board, like lumps of magic charcoal, though cold themselves they bum the heart to ashes.

जाया तप्यते कितवस्य हीना माता पुत्रस्य चरतः क्व स्वित्। ऋणावा बिभ्यद्धनमिच्छमानोऽन्येषामस्तमुप नक्तमेति॥

jāyā tapyate kitavasya hīnā mātā putrasya carataḥ kva svit | ṛṇāvā bibhyaddhanamicchamāno'nyeṣāmastamupa naktameti ||

The gambler's wife is left forlorn and wretched: the mother mourns the son who wanders homeless. In constant fear, in debt, and seeking riches, he goes by night unto the home of others.

स्त्रियं दृष्ट्वाय कितवं ततापान्येषां जायां सुकृतं च योनिम्। पूर्वाह्णे अश्वान्युयुजे हि बभ्रून्सो अग्नेरन्ते वृषलः पपाद॥

striyaṁ dṛṣṭvāya kitavaṁ tatāpānyeṣāṁ jāyāṁ sukṛtaṁ ca yonim | pūrvāhṇe aśvānyuyuje hi babhrūnso agnerante vṛṣalaḥ papāda ||

Sad is the gambler when he sees a matron, another's wife, and his well-ordered dwelling. He yokes the brown steeds in the early morning, and when the fire is cold sinks down an outcast.

यो वः सेनानीर्महतो गणस्य राजा व्रातस्य प्रथमो बभूव। तस्मै कृणोमि न धना रुणध्मि दशाहं प्राचीस्तदृतं वदामि॥

yo vaḥ senānīrmahato gaṇasya rājā vrātasya prathamo babhūva | tasmai kṛṇomi na dhanā ruṇadhmi daśāhaṁ prācīstadṛtaṁ vadāmi ||

To the great captain of your mighty army, who hath become the host's imperial leader, To him I show my ten extended fingers: I speak the truth. No wealth am I withholding.

अक्षैर्मा दीव्यः कृषिमित्कृषस्व वित्ते रमस्व बहु मन्यमानः। तत्र गावः कितव तत्र जाया तन्मे वि चष्टे सवितायमर्यः॥

akṣairmā dīvyaḥ kṛṣimitkṛṣasva vitte ramasva bahu manyamānaḥ | tatra gāvaḥ kitava tatra jāyā tanme vi caṣṭe savitāyamaryaḥ ||

Play not with dice: no, cultivate thy corn-land. Enjoy the gain, and deem that wealth sufficient. There are thy cattle there thy wife, O gambler. So this good Savitar himself hath told me.

मित्रं कृणुध्वं खलु मृळता नो मा नो घोरेण चरताभि धृष्णु। नि वो नु मन्युर्विशतामरातिरन्यो बभ्रूणां प्रसितौ न्वस्तु॥

mitraṁ kṛṇudhvaṁ khalu mṛḻatā no mā no ghoreṇa caratābhi dhṛṣṇu | ni vo nu manyurviśatāmarātiranyo babhrūṇāṁ prasitau nvastu ||

Make me your friend: show us some little mercy. Assail us not with your terrific fierceness. Appeased be your malignity and anger, and let the brown dice snare some other captive.