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Dhammapada · narration sample

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Rig Veda · 497 of 1027

Mandala 6: HYMN LVI, Pūṣan.

1.WHOSO remembers Pūṣan as cater of mingled curd and meal Need think no more upon the God.

2.And he is best of charioteers. Indra, the hero’s Lord, allied With him as Friend, destroys the foes.

3.And there the best of charioteers hath guided through the speckled cloud The golden wheel of Sūra’s car.

4.Whate’er we speak this day to thee, Wise, Wondrous God whom many praise, Give thou fulfilment of our thought.

5.Lead on this company of ours, that longs for kine, to win the spoil: Thou, Pūṣan, art renowned afar.

6.Prosperity we crave from thee, afar from sin and near to wealth, Tending to perfect happiness both for to. morrow and to-day.

Asked of Guide

Why do the hymns call Pūṣan a charioteer and ask him to lead the company to kine?

The hymn presents Pūṣan as a guiding, protective deity: “best of charioteers” who “lead[s] on this company of ours.” Charioteer language signals movement, safe passage and divine agency in securing wealth—here the desired spoil and kine—so Pūṣan is invoked to steer the group toward material and ritual success.

This chapter ties Pūṣan’s guidance to prosperity and right conduct: the worshipper asks for “prosperity…afar from sin and near to wealth,” and for fulfilment of thought. That practical appeal mirrors how the Vedas treat gods as managers of communal well‑being; compare Rig Veda Mandala 1 hymns where gods are similarly petitioned for cattle, victory, and blessing.

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