To Rudra
Books: Sacred Books Of The EastWe offer these prayers to Rudra, the strong, whose hair is braided, who
rules over heroes that he may be a blessing to man and beast, that
everything in this our village may be prosperous and free from disease.
Be gracious to us, O Rudra, and give us joy, and we shall honor thee,
the ruler of heroes, with worship. What health and wealth father Manu
acquired by his sacrifices, may we obtain the same, O Rudra, under thy
thee, the ruler of heroes; come to our clans, well-disposed, and, with
unarmed men, we shall offer our libation to thee. We call down for our
help the fierce Rudra, who fulfils our sacrifice, the swift, the wise;
may he drive far away from us the anger of the gods; we desire his
good-will only. We call down with worship the red boar of the sky, the
god with braided hair, the blazing form; may he who carries in his hand
the best medicines grant us protection, shield, and shelter! This speech
is spoken for the father of the Maruts, sweeter than sweet, a joy to
Rudra; grant to us also, O immortal, the food of mortals, be gracious to
us and to our kith and kin! Do not slay our great or our small ones, our
growing or our grown ones, our father or our mother, and do not hurt our
own bodies, O Rudra! O Rudra, hurt us not in our kith and kin, nor in
our own life, not in our cows, nor in our horses! Do not slay our men in
thy wrath: carrying libations, we call on thee always. Like a shepherd,
I have driven these praises near to thee; O father of the Maruts, grant
us thy favor! For thy good-will is auspicious, and most gracious, hence
we desire thy protection alone. Let thy cow-slaying and thy man-slaying
be far away, and let thy favor be with us, O ruler of heroes! Be
gracious to us, and bless us, O god, and then give us twofold
protection. We have uttered our supplication to him, desiring his help;
may Rudra with the Maruts hear our call. May Mitra, Varuna, Aditi, the
River, Earth, and the Sky, grant us this!
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This world is dark, few only can see here; a
This world is dark, few only can see here; a few only go to heaven, like birds escaped from the net ... Those three methods (of government) Thought olden ways
Those three methods (of government) Thought olden ways in elegance did fail And made these names their want of worth to veil; But simple views, and courses plain and true Would selfish ends and many lusts eschew ... Those white bones, like gourds thrown away in the autumn,
Those white bones, like gourds thrown away in the autumn, what pleasure is there in looking at them? ... Those who are advanced in earnestness, having understood this clearly, delight
Those who are advanced in earnestness, having understood this clearly, delight in earnestness, and rejoice in the knowledge of the Ariyas (the elect) ... Those who are ever watchful, who study day and night,
Those who are ever watchful, who study day and night, and who strive after Nirvana, their passions will come to an end ... Those who are slaves to passions, run down with the
Those who are slaves to passions, run down with the stream (of desires), as a spider runs down the web which he has made himself; when they have cut this, at last, wise people leave the world free from cares, leaving all affection behind ... Those who bridle their mind which travels far, moves about
Those who bridle their mind which travels far, moves about alone, is without a body, and hides in the chamber (of the heart), will be free from the bonds of Mara (the tempter) ... Those whose mind is well grounded in the (seven) elements
Those whose mind is well grounded in the (seven) elements of knowledge, who without clinging to anything, rejoice in freedom from attachment, whose appetites have been conquered, and who are full of light, are free (even) in this world The Venerab... Thou art now like a sear leaf, the messengers of
Thou art now like a sear leaf, the messengers of death (Yama) have come near to thee; thou standest at the door of thy departure, and thou hast no provision for thy journey ... Though a man recite a hundred Gathas made up of
Though a man recite a hundred Gathas made up of senseless words, one word of the law is better, which if a man hears, he becomes quiet ... Though in its primordial simplicity it may be small, the
Though in its primordial simplicity it may be small, the whole world dares not deal with (one embodying) it as a minister If a feudal prince or the king could guard and hold it, all would spontaneously submit themselves to him ... Though they had boats and carriages, they should have no
Though they had boats and carriages, they should have no occasion to ride in them; though they had buff coats and sharp weapons, they should have no occasion to don or use them ... Thought
As a fletcher makes straight his arrow, a wise man makes straight his trembling and unsteady thought, which is difficult to guard, difficult to hold back. As a fish taken from his watery home and thrown on the dry ground, our thought trembles a... THREE GREAT LAWS
FIRST LAW: The warnings of reason are based in the nature of things within us, and are universal benefactors SECOND LAW: Fear is contrary to the ground-plan of life It is no primary part of the nature of things; it is an alien in the world- ... Through zeal knowledge is gotten, through lack of zeal knowledge is
Through zeal knowledge is gotten, through lack of zeal knowledge is lost; let a man who knows this double path of gain and loss thus place himself that knowledge may grow ... Thus it is that a great state, by condescending to
Thus it is that a great state, by condescending to small states, gains them for itself; and that small states, by abasing themselves to a great state, win it over to them In the one case the abasement leads to gaining adherents, in the other case to p... Thus it is that dignity finds its (firm) root in
Thus it is that dignity finds its (firm) root in its (previous) meanness, and what is lofty finds its stability in the lowness (from which it rises) Hence princes and kings call themselves 'Orphans,' 'Men of small virtue,' and as 'Carriages without a ... Thus it is that firmness and strength are the concomitants
Thus it is that firmness and strength are the concomitants of death; softness and weakness, the concomitants of life ... Thus it is that the Great man abides by what
Thus it is that the Great man abides by what is solid, and eschews what is flimsy; dwells with the fruit and not with the flower It is thus that he puts away the one and makes choice of the other ... Thus it is that the Tao produces (all things), nourishes
Thus it is that the Tao produces (all things), nourishes them, brings them to their full growth, nurses them, completes them, matures them, maintains them, and overspreads them ... Thus it was that when the Tao was lost, its
Thus it was that when the Tao was lost, its attributes appeared; when its attributes were lost, benevolence appeared; when benevolence was lost, righteousness appeared; and when righteousness was lost, the proprieties appeared ... Thus we may see, Who cleaves
Thus we may see, Who cleaves to fame Rejects what is more great; Who loves large stores Gives up the richer state ... Thy life has come to an end, thou art come
Thy life has come to an end, thou art come near to death (Yama), there is no resting-place for thee on the road, and thou hast no provision for thy journey ... To Agni And The Maruts
Thou art called forth to this fair sacrifice for a draught of milk; with the Maruts come hither, O Agni! No god indeed, no mortal, is beyond the might of thee, the mighty one; with the Maruts come hither, O Agni! They who know of the great sky, th... To Agni And The Maruts
I implore Agni, the gracious, with salutations, may he sit down here, and gather what we have made. I offer him sacrifice as with racing chariots; may I, turning to the right, accomplish this hymn to the Maruts. Those who approached on their glori... To Fires, Waters, Plants
We worship thee, the Fire, O Ahura Mazda's son! We worship the fire Berezi-savangha (of the lofty use), and the fire Vohu-fryana (the good and friendly), and the fire Urva-zista (the most beneficial and most helpful), and the fire Vazista (the mos... To him by whom this harmony is known,
To him by whom this harmony is known, (The secret of) the unchanging (Tao) is shown, And in the knowledge wisdom finds its throne All life-increasing arts to evil turn; Where the mind makes the vital breath to burn, (False) is the stre... To him who holds in his hands the Great Image
To him who holds in his hands the Great Image (of the invisible Tao), the whole world repairs Men resort to him, and receive no hurt, but (find) rest, peace, and the feeling of ease ... To Indra And The Maruts
Those who stand around him while he moves on, harness the bright red steed; the lights in heaven shine forth. They harness to the chariot on each side his two favorite bays, the brown, the bold, who can carry the hero. Thou who createst light wher... To know and yet (think) we do not know is
To know and yet (think) we do not know is the highest (attainment); not to know (and yet think) we do know is a disease ... To Rain As A Healing Power
"Come, come on, O clouds, from up above, down on the earth, by thousands of drops, by myriads of drops"--thus say, O holy Zarathustra! "to destroy sickness, to destroy death, to destroy the sickness that kills, to destroy death that kills, to dest... To Rudra
We offer these prayers to Rudra, the strong, whose hair is braided, who rules over heroes that he may be a blessing to man and beast, that everything in this our village may be prosperous and free from disease. Be gracious to us, O Rudra, and give... To Rudra
O father of the Maruts, let thy favor come near, and do not deprive us of the sight of the sun; may the hero (Rudra) be gracious to our horse, and may we increase in offspring, O Rudra! May I attain to a hundred winters through the most blissful m... To Rudra
Offer ye these songs to Rudra whose bow is strong, whose arrows are swift, the self-dependent god, the unconquered conqueror, the intelligent, whose weapons are sharp--may he hear us! For, being the lord, he looks after what is born on earth; bein... To Soma And Rudra
Soma and Rudra, may you maintain your divine dominion, and may the oblations reach you properly. Bringing the seven treasures to every house, be kind to our children and our cattle. Soma and Rudra, draw far away in every direction the disease whic... To The Bountiful Immortals
I would worship these with my sacrifice, those who rule aright, and who dispose of all aright, and this one especially I would approach with my praise (Ahura Mazda). He is thus hymned in our praise-songs. Yea, we worship in our sacrifice that deit... To The Earth And The Sacred Waters
And now we worship this earth which bears us, together with Thy wives, O Ahura Mazda! yea, those Thy wives do we worship which are so desired from their sanctity. We sacrifice to their zealous wishes, and their capabilities, their inquiries, and t... To The Fire
I offer my sacrifice and homage to thee, the Fire, as a good offering, and an offering with our hail of salvation, even as an offering of praise with benedictions, to thee, the Fire, O Ahura Mazda's son! Meet for sacrifice art thou, and worthy of ... To The Maruts
I Come hither, Maruts, on your chariots charged with lightning, resounding with beautiful songs, stored with spears, and winged with horses! Fly to us like birds, with your best food, you mighty ones! They come gloriously on their red, or, it m... To The Maruts And Indra
The Prologue The sacrificer speaks: To what splendor do the Maruts all equally cling, they who are of the same age, and dwell in the same nest? With what thoughts?--from whence are they come? Do these heroes sing forth their own strength, wis... To The Unknown God
In the beginning there arose the Golden Child. As soon as born, he alone was the lord of all that is. He established the earth and this heaven:--Who is the God to whom we shall offer sacrifice? He who gives breath, he who gives strength, whose c... To The Waters And Light Of The Moon
As the sea Vouru-kasha is the gathering place of the waters, rising up and going down, up the aerial way and down the earth, down the earth and up the aerial way: Thus rise up and roll along! thou in whose rising and growing Ahura Mazda made the e... To The Waters And Light Of The Stars
As the sea Vouru-kasha is the gathering place of the waters, rising up and going down, up the aerial way and down the earth, down the earth and up the aerial way: Thus rise up and roll along! thou in whose rising and growing Ahura Mazda made every... To The Waters And Light Of The Sun
"As the sea Vouru-kasha is the gathering place of the waters, rising up and going down, up the aerial way and down the earth, down the earth and up the aerial way: thus rise up and roll along! thou in whose rising and growing Ahura Mazda made the ... To those who are good (to me), I am good;
To those who are good (to me), I am good; and to those who are not good (to me), I am also good;--and thus (all) get to be good To those who are sincere (with me), I am sincere; and to those who are not sincere (with me), I am also sincere;--and thus ... To Vata
Now for the greatness of the chariot of Vata. Its roar goes crashing and thundering. It moves touching the sky, and creating red sheens, or it goes scattering the dust of the earth. Afterwards there rise the gusts of Vata, they go towards him, l... To Vata
May Vata waft medicine, healthful, delightful to our heart; may he prolong our lives! Thou, O Vata, art our father, and our brother, and our friend; do thou grant us to live! O Vata, from that treasure of the immortal which is placed in thy house ... To Vayu
Come hither, O Vayu, thou beautiful one! These Somas are ready, drink of them, hear our call! O Vayu, the praisers celebrate thee with hymns, they who know the feast-days, and have prepared the Soma. O Vayu, thy satisfying stream goes to the worsh... To Vayu
O Vayu, may the quick racers bring thee towards the offerings, to the early drink here, to the early drink of Soma! May the Dawn stand erect, approving thy mind! Come near on thy harnessed chariot to share, O Vayu, to share in the sacrifice! May t... TREAT YOURSELF AS A LIVE AND A SURELY SUCCESSFUL PROPOSITION
So closes this book The subject before us has been vast and profound It is unnecessary to confess that the field has by no means been exhausted At every step of study its immensity is discovered Even when the general arena of success in life has ... Uncleanness
O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Here is a man watering a corn-field. The water streams down the field; it streams again; it streams a third time; and the fourth time, a dog, a fox, or a wolf carries some Nasu into the bed of the stre... Under these two aspects, it is really the same; but
Under these two aspects, it is really the same; but as development takes place, it receives the different names Together we call them the Mystery Where the Mystery is the deepest is the gate of all that is subtle and wonderful ... Victory breeds hatred, for the conquered is unhappy He who
Victory breeds hatred, for the conquered is unhappy He who has given up both victory and defeat, he, the contented, is happy ... Viz pain, the origin of pain, the destruction of pain,
Viz pain, the origin of pain, the destruction of pain, and the eightfold holy way that leads to the quieting of pain;-- ... Watching his speech, well restrained in mind, let a man
Watching his speech, well restrained in mind, let a man never commit any wrong with his body! Let a man but keep these three roads of action clear, and he will achieve the way which is taught by the wise ... We look at it, and we do not see it,
We look at it, and we do not see it, and we name it 'the Equable' We listen to it, and we do not hear it, and we name it 'the Inaudible' We try to grasp it, and do not get hold of it, and we name it 'the Subtle' With these three qualities, it canno... We meet it and do not see its Front; we
We meet it and do not see its Front; we follow it, and do not see its Back When we can lay hold of the Tao of old to direct the things of the present day, and are able to know it as it was of old in the beginning, this is called (unwinding) the clue o... We should blunt our sharp points, and unravel the complications
We should blunt our sharp points, and unravel the complications of things; we should attemper our brightness, and bring ourselves into agreement with the obscurity of others How pure and still the Tao is, as if it would ever so continue! ... Well-makers lead the water (wherever they like); fletchers bend the arrow;
Well-makers lead the water (wherever they like); fletchers bend the arrow; carpenters bend a log of wood; wise people fashion themselves ... Well-makers lead the water (wherever they like); fletchers bend the arrow;
Well-makers lead the water (wherever they like); fletchers bend the arrow; carpenters bend a log of wood; good people fashion themselves Old Age ... What (Tao's) skilful planter plants Can
What (Tao's) skilful planter plants Can never be uptorn; What his skilful arms enfold, From him can ne'er be borne Sons shall bring in lengthening line, Sacrifices to his shrine ... What is meant by speaking thus of favour and disgrace?
What is meant by speaking thus of favour and disgrace? Disgrace is being in a low position (after the enjoyment of favour) The getting that (favour) leads to the apprehension (of losing it), and the losing it leads to the fear of (still greater calam...