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To Rudra

Books: Sacred Books Of The East

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 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

uidance. O bounteous Rudra, may we by sacrifice obtain the good-will of

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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