Sukta 18

Mantra 1

वनस्पतिः। इ॒मां ख॑ना॒म्योष॑धिं वी॒रुधां॒ बल॑वत्तमाम्। यया॑ स॒पत्नीं॒ बाध॑ते॒ यया॑ संवि॒न्दते॒ पति॑म्

O Lord of plants! This herb I dig up, strongest of the creeping growths—wherewith one drives away the rival wife, wherewith one wins and finds the husband.

Mantra 2

उत्ता॑नपर्णे॒ सुभ॑गे॒ देव॑जूते॒ सह॑स्वति । स॒पत्नीं॑ मे॒ परा॑ णुद॒ पतिं॑ मे॒ केव॑लं कृधि

O broad-leaved, auspicious one, god-impelled, mighty! Drive thou my rival far away; make thou my husband mine alone.

Mantra 3

न॒हि ते॒ नाम॑ ज॒ग्राह॒ नो अ॒स्मिन् र॑मसे॒ पतौ॑ । परा॑मे॒व प॑रा॒वतं॑ स॒पत्नीं॑ गमयामसि

For truly thy name hath taken no hold upon this husband, our delight. Far, yea far away to the distant region we send the rival forth.

Mantra 4

उत्त॑रा॒हमु॑त्तर॒ उत्त॒रेदुत्त॑राभ्यः । अ॒धः स॒पत्नी॒ या ममाध॑रा॒ साध॑राभ्यः

Higher am I, higher; may I rise above the higher. Below be the rival-wife—she who is lower than I—below, among the lowly.

Mantra 5

अ॒हम॑स्मि॒ सह॑मा॒नाथो॒ त्वम॑सि सास॒हिः । उ॒भे सह॑स्वती भू॒त्वा स॒पत्नीं॑ मे सहावहै

I am one with conquering aid for lord; thou art a strong assailant. Becoming both of us rich in mastering force, let us bear away—against my rival-wife.

Mantra 6

अ॒भि ते॑ऽधां॒ सह॑माना॒मुप॑ तेऽधां॒ सही॑यसीम्। मामनु॒ प्र ते॒ मनो॑ व॒त्सं गौरि॑व धावतु प॒था वारि॑व धावतु

Against thee I set an overpowering power; upon thee I set a power yet stronger. Let thy mind run forth after me, as a cow to her calf; let it run along its path, as water runs.