Rigveda 1.138

1.138.1

प्रप्र॑ पू॒ष्णस्तु॑विजा॒तस्य॑ शस्यते महि॒त्वम॑स्य त॒वसो॒ न त॑न्दते स्तो॒त्रम॑स्य॒ न त॑न्दते | अर्चा॑मि सुम्न॒यन्न॒हमन्त्यू॑तिं मयो॒भुव॑म् | विश्व॑स्य॒ यो मन॑ आयुयु॒वे म॒खो दे॒व आ॑युयु॒वे म॒खः ||

STRONG Pūṣan's majesty is lauded evermore, the glory of his lordly might is never faint, his song of praise is never faint. Seeking felicity I laud him nigh to help, the source, of bliss, Who, Vigorous one, hath drawn to him the hearts of all, drawn them, the Vigorous One, the God.

Strong Pūṣan's majesty is forever lauded; the glory of his lordly might and his praise never faint; seeking felicity I laud him near to help—the vigorous God who has drawn to himself the hearts of all.

Pūṣan as nourisher and path-lord (pathas-pati) whose yaśas never fades. Drawing all hearts (hṛdaya) signals universal psychological magnetism of the guide who feeds and orients. Ānanda-seeking stuti places desire for śreyas under his lead.

Seek mentors and systems that reliably orient and nourish. Attraction of hearts follows proven helpfulness, not hype.

1.138.2

प्र हि त्वा॑ पूषन्नजि॒रं न याम॑नि॒ स्तोमे॑भिः कृ॒ण्व ऋ॒णवो॒ यथा॒ मृध॒ उष्ट्रो॒ न पी॑परो॒ मृध॑: | हु॒वे यत् त्वा॑ मयो॒भुवं॑ दे॒वं स॒ख्याय॒ मर्त्य॑: | अ॒स्माक॑माङ्गू॒षान् द्यु॒म्निन॑स्कृधि॒ वाजे॑षु द्यु॒म्निन॑स्कृधि ||

Thee, then, O Pūṣan, like a swift one on his way, I urge with lauds that thou mayst make the foemen flee, drive, camel-like, our foes afar. As I, a man, call thee, a God, giver of bliss, to be my Friend, So make our loudly-chanted praises glorious, in battles make them glorious.

I urge you, Pūṣan, like a swift one on his way, with lauds to make foes flee—drive them camel-like afar; as a man I call you, a God, bliss-giver, to be my Friend—make our loud praises glorious in battles.

Camel-like driving suggests desert-path mastery—Pūṣan specializes in difficult crossings. Man calling God as Friend (sakhā) is bhakti intimacy. Glory of praises in battle means mantra becomes morale.

Name a guide for hard terrain. Friendship with dependable navigation turns stressful 'battles' into coordinated movement.

1.138.3

यस्य॑ ते पूषन् त्स॒ख्ये वि॑प॒न्यव॒: क्रत्वा॑ चि॒त् सन्तोऽव॑सा बुभुज्रि॒र इति॒ क्रत्वा॑ बुभुज्रि॒रे | तामनु॑ त्वा॒ नवी॑यसीं नि॒युतं॑ रा॒य ई॑महे | अहे॑ळमान उरुशंस॒ सरी॑ भव॒ वाजे॑वाजे॒ सरी॑ भव ||

Thou, Pūṣan, in whose friendship they who sing forth praise enjoy advantage, even in wisdom, through thy grace, in wisdom even they are advanced. So, after this most recent course, we come to thee with prayers for wealth. Not stirred to anger, O Wide-Ruler, come to us, come thou to us in every fight.

Those who sing in your friendship enjoy advantage even in wisdom through your grace; after this latest course we come with prayers for wealth—Wide-Ruler, unangered, come to us in every fight.

Pūṣan's sakhyam yields medhā (wisdom advantage)—guidance improves intelligence, not only luck. Wide-Ruler (uru-krama-like expanse) without anger (anṛśaṃsa) is safe patronage. Wealth-prayer after 'recent course' marks stages of the path.

Good guidance compounds learning. After each project phase, renegotiate resources and invite calm, non-reactive leadership into conflicts.

1.138.4

अ॒स्या ऊ॒ षु ण॒ उप॑ सा॒तये॑ भु॒वो ऽहे॑ळमानो ररि॒वाँ अ॑जाश्व श्रवस्य॒ताम॑जाश्व | ओ षु त्वा॑ ववृतीमहि॒ स्तोमे॑भिर्दस्म सा॒धुभि॑: | न॒हि त्वा॑ पूषन्नति॒मन्य॑ आघृणे॒ न ते॑ स॒ख्यम॑पह्नु॒वे ||

Not stirred to anger, come, Free-giver, nigh to us, to take this gift of ours, thou who hast goats for steeds, Goat-borne! their gift who long for fame. So, Wonder-Worker! may we turn thee hither with effectual lauds. I slight thee not, O Pūṣan, thou Resplendent One: thy friendship may not be despised.

Unangered, Free-giver, come near to take our gift—you who have goats for steeds; Wonder-Worker, may effectual lauds turn you hither; I slight you not, Resplendent One—your friendship may not be despised.

Aja (goats) as Pūṣan's steeds: agile, cliff-sure, sacrificial and pastoral symbolism. Not slighting Pūṣan warns against underestimating humble-seeming guides. Effectual lauds (vāśa) actually move the deity—speech as real force.

Respect unglamorous enablers—ops, logistics, quiet mentors. Their friendship is strategic infrastructure; despising it is self-sabotage.