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Dhammapada · narration sample

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Rig Veda · 969 of 1027

Mandala 10: HYMN CXXXII. Mitra. Varuṇa.

1.MAY Dyaus the Lord of lauded wealth, and Earth stand by the man who offers sacrifice, And may the Aśvins, both the Gods, strengthen the worshipper with bliss.

2.As such we honour you, Mitra and Varuṇa, with hasty zeal, most blest, you who sustain the folk. So may we, through your friendship for the worshipper, subdue the fiends.

3.And when we seek to win your love and friendship, weẉho have precious wealth in our possession, Or when the worshipper augments his riches let not his treasures be shut up

4.That other, Asura! too was born of Heaven. thou art, O Varuṇa, the King of all men. The chariot’s Lord was well content, forbearing to anger Death by sin so great. This sin hath Sakaputa here committed. Heroes who fled to their dear friend he slayeth, When the Steed bringeth down your grace and favour in bodies dear and worshipful. 6 Your Mother Aditi, ye wise, was purified with water even as earth is purified from heaven. Show love and kindness here below: wash her in rays of heavenly light. 7 Ye Twain have seated you as Lords of Wealth, as one who mounts a car to him who sits upon the pole, upon the wood. These our disheartened tribes Nrmedhas saved from woe, Sumedhas saved from Woe.

Asked of Guide

Why do the hymn-writers ask Mitra and Varuṇa to 'strengthen the worshipper with bliss'?

The hymn frames Mitra and Varuṇa as patrons who sustain the folk and secure wealth, so the worshipper asks them to ‘strengthen the worshipper with bliss’ as a way to bless prosperity and social standing. The plea links divine favor to protection from fiends and the safe increase and use of treasure, making bliss a practical condition for well-being in community life.

This request fits the Rig Veda’s pattern of invoking gods for concrete advantages: protection, purified lineage, and prosperous sacrifice. For a parallel, see the Hymns to Agni and Indra where blessing is likewise cast as a tangible force that secures wealth and victory for the worshipper.

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