Sukta 40

Mantra 1

उत्तिष्ठ ब्रह्मणस्पते देवयन्तस्त्वेमहे । उप प्र यन्तु मरुतः सुदानव इन्द्र प्राशूर्भवा सचा ॥

Rise up, O Lord of the Word; we who seek the Divine call thee. Let the bounteous Maruts come forward; and thou, O Indra, become our swift impeller, present with us in the march of the sacrifice.

Mantra 2

त्वामिद्धि सहसस्पुत्र मर्त्य उपब्रूते धने हिते । सुवीर्यं मरुत आ स्वश्व्यं दधीत यो व आचके ॥

For it is thee, O son of Strength, that the mortal calls upon when the goal is the gain. O Maruts, he who has approached you lays up within himself a heroic force and a right mastery of the steeds—energies disciplined for the journey.

Mantra 3

प्रैतु ब्रह्मणस्पतिः प्र देव्येतु सूनृता । अच्छा वीरं नर्यं पङ्क्तिराधसं देवा यज्ञं नयन्तु नः ॥

Let Brahmaṇaspati go forth; let the divine Power of true speech move forward. Toward the hero, the manly strength and the ordered plenitude—may the Gods lead our sacrifice, guiding our inner offering to its fulfilment.

Mantra 4

यो वाघते ददाति सूनरं वसु स धत्ते अक्षिति श्रवः । तस्मा इळां सुवीरामा यजामहे सुप्रतूर्तिमनेहसम् ॥

He who gives to the chanter a noble wealth, he wins an imperishable fame. For him we offer Ila, rich in heroic powers—she who brings a good passage beyond the assault, the unwearied sustaining force.

Mantra 5

प्र नूनं ब्रह्मणस्पतिर्मन्त्रं वदत्युक्थ्यम् । यस्मिन्निन्द्रो वरुणो मित्रो अर्यमा देवा ओकांसि चक्रिरे ॥

Now Brahmaṇaspati speaks forth the mantric utterance worthy of the hymn—within which Indra, Varuṇa, Mitra, Aryaman, the Gods, have made their dwelling-places: powers seated in the formed word.

Mantra 6

तमिद्वोचेमा विदथेषु शम्भुवं मन्त्रं देवा अनेहसम् । इमां च वाचं प्रतिहर्यथा नरो विश्वेद्वामा वो अश्नवत् ॥

That mantra, O Gods, we would utter in the gatherings—a beneficent word, unwearied. And this speech too, O heroic ones, accept and cherish, so that all desirable boons may reach you and return to us in fulfilment.

Mantra 7

को देवयन्तमश्नवज्जनं को वृक्तबर्हिषम् । प्रप्र दाश्वान्पस्त्याभिरस्थितान्तर्वावत्क्षयं दधे ॥

Who attains the man who seeks the Divine, who (attains) the sacrificer with the strewn seat? The giver advances again and again with his dwelling-grounds; he establishes a home of inward wideness, a settled habitation within.

Mantra 8

उप क्षत्रं पृञ्चीत हन्ति राजभिर्भये चित्सुक्षितिं दधे । नास्य वर्ता न तरुता महाधने नार्भे अस्ति वज्रिणः ॥

He strengthens his sovereignty; he strikes down kings; even amid fear he establishes a good abiding. There is for the wielder of the thunderbolt no restrainer, no overcomer—neither in great contest nor in small: the Force that breaks resistance cannot be checked.