Vishnu in the Atharvaveda

Soma the King for succour, and Agni with our hymns we call; the Āditya, Viṣṇu, Sūrya, and Brahmā, and Bṛhaspati.

Aryaman, Bṛhaspati, Indra—impel thou unto giving; Vāta, Viṣṇu, Sarasvatī, and Savitar, and the prize-winning Power.

Steadfast is the Quarter: Viṣṇu is its Over-lord; Kalmāṣagrīva is its Guardian; the Plants are its Arrows. To them be homage—to the Over-lords homage, to the Guardians homage, to the Arrows homage; to these be homage—so be it. Whoso hateth…

Mine, at the call, be all the Gods—Indra-attended Maruts, Vishnu, Agni. Mine be the mid-air, a wide free region; for me let Wind blow forth, to cleanse, for this desire.

Let Viṣṇu duly order the womb; let Tvaṣṭṛ carve the forms. Let Prajāpati pour it in; let Dhātṛ set the embryo fast for thee.

May Viṣṇu yoke, in manifold wise, the ardours unto this sacrifice—well-yoked: svāhā.

Self-guarding: Let Indra and Pūṣan protect us; let Aditi protect; let the Maruts protect. Let Apām Napāt protect; ye seven Rivers, protect! Let Viṣṇu protect us, and Heaven as well.

May Dhātṛ and the Gift, may Savitṛ take pleasure in this; may Prajāpati, the Lord of treasure, our Agni. Tvaṣṭṛ and Viṣṇu, rejoicing together with progeny, bestow upon the sacrificer substance and wealth.

Viṣṇu: by whose twain might the regions are made fast—those two heroic powers, most manly, most puissant; who, unresisted, rule with their strengths—unto Viṣṇu and Varuṇa hath the ancient invocation gone forth.

Whose is this that in the quarters shineth out, that goeth forth and, wide-dispersed, beholdeth with his powers; of old, by the god’s ordinance, with his strengths—unto Viṣṇu and Varuṇa hath the ancient invocation gone forth.

Viṣṇu: now what heroic deeds of Viṣṇu shall I proclaim—who measured out the earthly regions; who propped the upper station, striding forth threefold, the wide-going One.

Forth is that heroic might of Viṣṇu to be praised: like a dread wild beast, roaming at will, mountain-haunting; from the far distance—yea, from the farthermost—may he come hither.

On whose wide three strides all worlds abide established—stride wide, O Viṣṇu; make for us a wide dwelling-place. Drink thou the ghee, O ghee-sourced One; drive forth—aye, drive forth—carry the Lord of sacrifice across.

This Viṣṇu hath strode forth; in threefold wise he set his steps; he made it firm—this work of his—in the dusty earth.

Three steps did Viṣṇu stride forth, the Guardian, unbeguiled; from hence he holdeth up the ordinances.

Behold ye Viṣṇu’s deeds, from whom the ordinances were watched and ordered forth: Indra’s meet-yoked friend and comrade.

That highest station of Viṣṇu the sages evermore behold—an eye outstretched, as it were, in heaven.

From heaven, O Viṣṇu, or from earth; from the Great, O Viṣṇu, from the wide mid-air—fill thou our hands with many a goodly treasure; bestow it hither from the right and from the left.

Agni and Viṣṇu—mighty is that your might: the draught of ghee, whose name is secret. In house and house ye bear the seven treasures: toward you may the tongue convey the ghee for tasting.

Agni and Viṣṇu, great is your dear splendour; the course of ghee—its hidden powers—ye two enjoy. In house and house, waxing through good praise, toward you may the tongue send forth the ghee aloft.