Rigveda 4.38

4.38.1

उ॒तो हि वां॑ दा॒त्रा सन्ति॒ पूर्वा॒ या पू॒रुभ्य॑स्त्र॒सद॑स्युर्नितो॒शे | क्षे॒त्रा॒सां द॑दथुरुर्वरा॒सां घ॒नं दस्यु॑भ्यो अ॒भिभू॑तिमु॒ग्रम् ||

FROM you two came the gifts in days aforetime which Trasadasyu granted to the Pūrus. Ye gave the winner of our fields and plough-lands, and the strong smiter who subdued the Dasyus.

4.38.2

उ॒त वा॒जिनं॑ पुरुनि॒ष्षिध्वा॑नं दधि॒क्रामु॑ ददथुर्वि॒श्वकृ॑ष्टिम् | ऋ॒जि॒प्यं श्ये॒नं प्रु॑षि॒तप्सु॑मा॒शुं च॒र्कृत्य॑म॒र्यो नृ॒पतिं॒ न शूर॑म् ||

And ye gave mighty Dadhikrās, the giver of many gifts, who visiteth all people, Impetuous hawk, swift and of varied colour, like a brave King whom each true man must honour.

4.38.3

यं सी॒मनु॑ प्र॒वते॑व॒ द्रव॑न्तं॒ विश्व॑: पू॒रुर्मद॑ति॒ हर्ष॑माणः | प॒ड्भिर्गृध्य॑न्तं मेध॒युं न शूरं॑ रथ॒तुरं॒ वात॑मिव॒ ध्रज॑न्तम् ||

Whom, as ’twere down a precipice, swift rushing, each Pūru praises and his heart rejoices,— Springing forth like a hero fain for battle, whirling the car and flying like the tempest.

4.38.4

यः स्मा॑रुन्धा॒नो गध्या॑ स॒मत्सु॒ सनु॑तर॒श्चर॑ति॒ गोषु॒ गच्छ॑न् | आ॒विर्ऋ॑जीको वि॒दथा॑ नि॒चिक्य॑त् तिरो अ॑र॒तिं पर्याप॑ आ॒योः ||

Who gaineth precious booty in the combats and moveth, winning spoil, among the cattle; Shown in bright colour, looking on the assemblies, beyond the churl, to worship of the living.

4.38.5

उ॒त स्मै॑नं वस्त्र॒मथिं॒ न ता॒युमनु॑ क्रोशन्ति क्षि॒तयो॒ भरे॑षु | नी॒चाय॑मानं॒ जसु॑रिं॒ न श्ये॒नं श्रव॒श्चाच्छा॑ पशु॒मच्च॑ यू॒थम् ||

Loudly the folk cry after him in battles, as ’twere a thief who steals away a garment; Speeding to glory, or a herd of cattle, even as a hungry falcon swooping downward.

4.38.6

उ॒त स्मा॑सु प्रथ॒मः स॑रि॒ष्यन् नि वे॑वेति॒ श्रेणि॑भी॒ रथा॑नाम् | स्रजं॑ कृण्वा॒नो जन्यो॒ न शुभ्वा॑ रे॒णुं रेरि॑हत् कि॒रणं॑ दद॒श्वान् ||

And, fain to come forth first amid these armies, this way and that with rows of cars he rushes, Gay like a bridesman, making him a garland, tossing the dust, champing the rein that holds him.

4.38.7

उ॒त स्य वा॒जी सहु॑रिर्ऋ॒तावा॒ शुश्रू॑षमाणस्त॒न्वा॑ सम॒र्ये | तुरं॑ य॒तीषु॑ तु॒रय॑न्नृजि॒प्योऽधि॑ भ्रु॒वोः कि॑रते रे॒णुमृ॒ञ्जन् ||

And that strong Steed, victorious and faithful, obedient with his body in the combat, Speeding straight on amid the swiftly pressing, casts o’er his brows the dust he tosses upward.

4.38.8

उ॒त स्मा॑स्य तन्य॒तोरि॑व॒ द्योर्ऋ॑घाय॒तो अ॑भि॒युजो॑ भयन्ते | य॒दा स॒हस्र॑म॒भि षी॒मयो॑धीद् दु॒र्वर्तु॑: स्मा भवति भी॒म ऋ॒ञ्जन् ||

And at his thunder, like the roar of heaven, those who attack tremble and are affrighted; For when he fights against embattled thousands, dread is he in his striving; none may stay him.

4.38.9

उ॒त स्मा॑स्य पनयन्ति॒ जना॑ जू॒तिं कृ॑ष्टि॒प्रो अ॒भिभू॑तिमा॒शोः | उ॒तैन॑माहुः समि॒थे वि॒यन्त॒: परा॑ दधि॒क्रा अ॑सरत् स॒हस्रै॑: ||

The people praise the overpowering swiftness of this fleet Steed who giveth men abundance. Of him they say when drawing back from battle. Dadhikrās hath sped forward with his thousands.

4.38.10

आ द॑धि॒क्राः शव॑सा॒ पञ्च॑ कृ॒ष्टीः सूर्य॑ इव॒ ज्योति॑षा॒पस्त॑तान | स॒ह॒स्र॒साः श॑त॒सा वा॒ज्यर्वा॑ पृ॒णक्तु॒ मध्वा॒ समि॒मा वचां॑सि ||

Dadhikrās hath o’erspread the Fivefold People with vigour, as the Sun lightens the waters. May the strong Steed who winneth hundreds, thousands, requite with sweetness these my words and praises.