Ṛgveda · Sūkta 10.146

10.146.1

अर॑ण्या॒न्यर॑ण्यानि अ॒सौ या प्रेव॒ नश्य॑सि ।
क॒था ग्रामं॒ न पृ॑च्छसि॒ न त्वा॒ भीरि॑व विन्दती3ँ ॥

O Aranyani, O Aranyani, you vanish as if lost. Why do you not ask after the village? It is as if fear has seized you.

वृ॒षा॒र॒वाय॒ वद॑ते॒ यदु॒पाव॑ति चिच्चि॒कः ।
आ॒घा॒टिभि॑रिव धा॒वय॑न्नरण्या॒निर्म॑हीयते ॥

When it calls out to the bull-roaring one, the forest-lady is honored as though chased along by striking sticks.

उ॒त गाव॑ इवादन्ति उ॒त वेश्मे॑व दृश्यते ।
उ॒तो अ॑रण्या॒निः सा॒यं श॑क॒टीरि॑व सर्जति ॥

She seems to be grazing like cows, and appears like a house. And the forest-lady at evening is driven forth like carts.

गाम॒ङ्गैष आ ह्व॑यति॒ दार्व॒ङ्गैषो अपा॑वधीत् ।
वस॑न्नरण्या॒न्यां सा॒यमक्रु॑क्ष॒दिति॑ मन्यते ॥

The bell-voiced one calls the cow; he cuts down the wood. Dwelling in the forest, he thinks he has shouted at the forest-lady at evening.

न वा अ॑रण्या॒निर्ह॑न्ति अ॒न्यश्चेन्नाभि॒गच्छ॑ति ।
स्वा॒दोः फल॑स्य ज॒ग्ध्वाय॑ यथा॒कामं॒ नि प॑द्यते ॥

Indeed the forest-lady harms no one, if another does not approach her. Having eaten sweet fruit, she lies down as she wishes.

आञ्ज॑नगन्धिं सुर॒भिं ब॑ह्व॒न्नामकृ॑षीवलाम् ।
प्राहं मृ॒गाणां॑ मा॒तर॑मरण्या॒निम॑शंसिषम् ॥

I have praised the fragrant, collyrium-scented, food-rich, untilled Aranyani, mother of the deer.