TO RUDRA[6]

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 guidance.  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!

[Footnote 6:  Rudra is the “Father of the Maruts.”]

TO RUDRA

O father of the Maruts, let thy favor come near, and do not deprive us of the sight of the sun; may the hero (Rudra) be gracious to our horse, and may we increase in offspring, O Rudra!  May I attain to a hundred winters through the most blissful medicines which thou hast given!  Put away far from us all hatred, put away anguish, put away sickness in all directions!  In beauty thou art the most beautiful of all that exists, O Rudra, the strongest of the strong, thou wielder of the thunderbolt!  Carry us happily to the other shore of our anguish, and ward off all assaults of mischief.  Let us not incense thee, O Rudra, by our worship, not by bad praise, O hero, and not by divided praise!  Raise up our men by thy medicines, for I hear thou art the best