Ṛgveda · Sūkta 1.38

1.38.1

कद्ध॑ नू॒नं क॑धप्रियः पि॒ता पु॒त्रं न हस्त॑योः ।
द॒धि॒ध्वे वृ॑क्तबर्हिषः ॥

O Maruts, lovers of the cooked offering, with cut sacred grass, now you have held us as a father holds a son in his two hands.

क्व॑ नू॒नं कद्वो॒ अर्थं॒ गन्ता॑ दि॒वो न पृ॑थि॒व्याः ।
क्व॑ वो॒ गावो॒ न र॑ण्यन्ति ॥

Where are you now, and when will you reach your goal, as from the sky to the earth? Where are you, like cows rushing about?

क्व॑ वः सु॒म्ना नव्यां॑सि॒ मरु॑तः॒ क्व॑ सुवि॒ता ।
क्वो॑ विश्वा॑नि॒ सौभ॑गा ॥

O Maruts, where are your new comforts? Where is your help? Where are all the good fortunes?

यद्यू॒यं पृ॑श्निमातरो॒ मर्ता॑सः॒ स्यात॑न ।
स्तो॒ता वो॑ अ॒मृतः॑ स्यात् ॥

O sons of the speckled mothers, when you are mortals, may your praiser become immortal.

मा वो॑ मृ॒गो न यव॑से जरि॒ता भू॒दजो॑ष्यः ।
प॒था य॒मस्य॑ गा॒दुप॑ ॥

May your singer not become neglected like a deer for grass, nor go near the path of Yama.

मो षु णः॒ परा॑परा॒ निरृ॑तिर्दु॒र्हणा॑ वधीत् ।
प॒दी॒ष्ट तृष्ण॑या स॒ह ॥

Far and near, may Nirṛti (ruin) not strike us down, nor let the destructive one fell us with thirst.

स॒त्यं त्वे॒षा अम॑वन्तो॒ धन्व॑ञ्चि॒दा रु॒द्रिया॑सः ।
मिहं॑ कृण्वन्त्यवा॒ताम् ॥

Truly, the bright, unbound Maruts, sons of Rudra, make mist even over the dry land.

वा॒श्रेव॑ वि॒द्युन्मि॑माति व॒त्सं न मा॒ता सि॑षक्ति ।
यदे॑षां वृ॒ष्टिरस॑र्जि ॥

As a cow lows for her calf, the lightning roars; as a mother clings to her calf, so when their rain is released.

दिवा॑ चि॒त्तमः॑ कृण्वन्ति प॒र्जन्ये॑नोदवा॒हेन॑ ।
यत्पृ॑थि॒वीं व्यु॒न्दन्ति॑ ॥

Even by day they make darkness, with Parjanya and the water-bearing cloud, when they drench the earth.

अध॑ स्व॒नान्म॒रुतां॒ विश्व॒मा सद्म॒ पार्थि॑वम् ।
अरे॑जन्त॒ प्र मानु॑षाः ॥

Then, from the roar of the Maruts, all the people trembled, and all their earthly dwellings shook.

मरु॑तो वीळुपा॒णिभि॑श्चि॒त्रा रोध॑स्वती॒रनु॑ ।
या॒तेमखि॑द्रयामभिः ॥

O Maruts, with spear-bearing hands, bright ones, come along the cloud-laden paths with your tireless horses.

स्थि॒रा वः॑ सन्तु ने॒मयो॒ रथा॒ अश्वा॑स एषाम् ।
सुसं॑स्कृता अ॒भीश॑वः ॥

May the rims of your chariot wheels be firm, and their horses too, well-made, with well-prepared reins.

अच्छा॑ वदा॒ तना॑ गि॒रा ज॒रायै॒ ब्रह्म॑ण॒स्पति॑म् ।
अ॒ग्निं मि॒त्रं न द॑र्श॒तम् ॥

Speak toward Agni, lord of the sacred formula, with a praising song for the old seer; speak toward Agni, beautiful as the friend Mitra.

मि॒मी॒हि श्लोक॑मा॒स्ये॑ प॒र्जन्य॑ इव ततनः ।
गाय॑ गाय॒त्रमु॒क्थ्य॑म् ॥

Shape the verse in your mouth and spread it as Parjanya spreads rain; sing the Gāyatrī chant, fit to be recited.

वन्द॑स्व॒ मारु॑तं ग॒णं त्वे॒षं प॑न॒स्युम॒र्किण॑म् ।
अ॒स्मे वृ॒द्धा अ॑सन्नि॒ह ॥

Praise the host of the Maruts, fierce, swift and bright; may they grow strong among us here.