Sukta 11

Mantra 1

अनड्वान् अनड्वान् दाधार पृथिवीमुत द्यामनड्वान् दाधारोर्व१न्तरिक्षम्। अनड्वान् दाधार प्रदिशः षडुर्वीरनड्वान् विश्वं भुवनमा विवेश

The Draught-ox, yea the Draught-ox, hath upheld the Earth; and the Draught-ox hath upheld the Sky. The Draught-ox hath upheld the broad mid-air; the Draught-ox hath upheld the six wide regions. The Draught-ox hath entered into, and pervaded, all this world of being.

Mantra 2

अनड्वानिन्द्रः स पशुभ्यो वि चष्टे त्रयां छक्रो वि मिमीते अध्वनः । भूतं भविष्यद् भुवना दुहानः सर्वा देवानां चरति व्रतानि

Indra is the Draught-ox: for cattle he maketh order manifest; the Wheel measureth out the threefold, and meteth the paths. Milking forth the worlds—what hath been and what shall be—he observeth all the ordinances of the Gods.

Mantra 3

इन्द्रो जातो मनुष्येऽष्वन्तर्घर्मस्तप्तश्चरति शोशुचानः । सुप्रजाः सन्त्स उदारे न सर्षद्यो नाश्नीयादनडुहो विजानन्

Indra, born among men, as heated Gharma moveth within the horse, blazing. Being rich in offspring, he in the belly shall not slip away—if one, with understanding, eat not of the draught-ox.

Mantra 4

अनड्वान् दुहे सुकृतस्य लोक ऐनं प्याययति पवमानः पुरस्तात्। पर्जन्यो धारा मरुत ऊधो अस्य यज्ञः पयो दक्षिणा दोहो अस्य

The Draught-ox is milked in the realm of merit; the Purifying One from the forepart maketh him to thrive. Parjanya is the stream; the Maruts are his udder: the Sacrifice is milk, and the priestly gift is his milking.

Mantra 5

यस्य नेशे यज्ञपतिर्न यज्ञो नास्य दातेशे न प्रतिग्रहीता। यो विश्वजिद् विश्वभृद् विश्कर्मा घर्मं नो ब्रूत यतमश्चतुष्पात्

He whose Lord of Sacrifice hath no mastery, whose sacrifice is none; whose giver hath no right, nor any lawful receiver—he who is All-conquering, All-supporting, All-fashioning—declare to us the Gharma: which four-footed one is he?

Mantra 6

येन देवाः स्वरारुरुहुर्हित्वा शरीरममृतस्य नाभिम्। तेन गेष्म सुकृतस्य लोकं घर्मस्य व्रतेन तपसा यशस्यवः

By that whereby the Gods climbed up unto the Heaven, leaving behind the body, the navel-centre of immortality—by that same means may we attain the world of well-wrought merit, by the observance of holy heat, by austerity, we that are fain of glory.

Mantra 7

इन्द्रो रूपेणाग्निर्वहेन प्रजापतिः परमेष्ठी विराट्। विश्वानरे अक्रमत वैश्वानरे अक्रमतानदुह्यक्रमत । सोऽदृंहयत सोऽधारयत

Indra by form, Agni by the bearer, Prajāpati—Parameṣṭhin—Virāj: into Vaiśvānara he strode, into Vaiśvānara he strode; into the draught-ox he strode. Thereby he made it firm; thereby he upheld it.

Mantra 8

मध्यमेतदनडुहो यत्रैष वह आहितः । एतावदस्य प्राचीनं यावान् प्रत्यङ् समाहितः

This is the middle of the draught-ox, wherein this bearing-power is set. So far is his fore-part, as far as, backward, it is gathered and contained.

Mantra 9

यो वेदानडुहो दोहान्त्सप्तानुपदस्वतः । प्रजां च लोकं चाप्नोति तथा सप्तऋषयो विदुः

Whoso knoweth the draught-ox’ seven yieldings, in ordered sequence step by step, he winneth progeny and winneth a world: thus have the Seven Seers known.

Mantra 10

पद्भिः सेदिमवक्रामन्निरां जङ्घाभिरुत्खिदन्। श्रमेणानड्वान् कीलालं कीनाशश्चाभि गच्छतः

With feet he setteth to his stepping, sound of limb; with shanks he teareth up the soil. By toil the draught-ox and the ploughman go together toward the sweet yield.

Mantra 11

द्वादश वा एता रात्रीर्व्रत्या आहुः प्रजापतेः । तत्रोप ब्रह्म यो वेद तद् वा अनडुहो व्रतम्

Twelve, in sooth, are these Nights which men entitle Vrātya, belonging to Prajāpati. Therein, whoso knoweth the Brahman that is nigh at hand—this, verily, is the Bull’s observance.

Mantra 12

दुहे सायं दुहे प्रातर्दुहे मध्यंदिनं परि । दोहा ये अस्य संयन्ति तान् विद्मानुपदस्वतः

It yieldeth milk at eve; it yieldeth milk at morn; it yieldeth milk about the midday. The milkings that are held in check thereof—those we know, in ordered step and sequence.