Imprecations on demons

Hymns of the Atharva Veda, by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1895], at sacred-texts.com

HYMN IV

Imprecations on demons

1Indra and Soma, burn, destroy the demon foe! Send downward,
  O ye Bulls, those who add gloom to gloom.
  Annihilate the fools, slay them and burn them up: chase them
   away from us, pierce the voracious fiends. p. a331
2Let sin, Indra and Soma! round the wicked boil, like as a cald-
   ron set amid the flames of fire.
  Against the foe of prayer, eater of gory flesh, the fearful-eyed
  Kimidin, keep perpetual hate.
3Indra and Soma, plunge the wicked in the depth, yea, cast them
   into darkness that hath no support,
  So that not one of them may ever thence return: so may your
   wrathful might prevail and conquer them.
4Indra and Soma, hurl your deadly crushing bolt down on the
   wicked fiend from heaven and from the earth.
  Yea, fashion from the big clouds your celestial dart wherewith
   ye burn to death the waxing demon race.
5Indra and Soma, cast ye downward from the sky your deadly
   bolts of stone burning with fiery flame,
  Eternal, scorching darts. Plunge the voracious fiends within the
   depth, and let them pass without a sound.
6Indra and Soma, let this hymn control you both, even as the
   girth encompasses two vigorous steeds
  The song of praise which I with wisdom offer you. Do ye, as
  Lords of men, animate these my prayers.
7In your impetuous manner think ye both thereon: destroy those
   evil spirits, kill the treacherous fiends.
  Indra and Soma, let the wicked have no bliss whoso at any time-
   attacks and injures us.
8Whoso accuses me with words of falsehood when I pursue my
   way with guileless spirit,
  May he, the speaker of untruth, be, Indra! like water which the
   hollowed hand compresses.
9Those who destroy, as is their wont, the simple, and with their
   evil natures harm the righteous,
  May Soma give them over to the serpent, or to the lap of
  Nirriti consign them.
10O Agni, whosoever seeks to injure the essence of our food, kine,
   steeds, or bodies,
  May he, the adversary, thief, and robber, sink to destruction,.
   both himself and offspring.
11May he be swept away, himself and children; may all the three
   earths press him down beneath them.
  May his fair glory, O ye Gods, be blighted, who in the day or
   night would fain destroy us. p. a332
12The prudent finds it easy to distinguish the true and false: their
   words oppose each other.
  Of these two that which is the true and honest Soma protects,
   and brings the false to nothing.
13Never doth Soma aid and guide the wicked or him who falsely
   claims the Warrior's title.
  He slays the fiend and him who speaks untruly: both lie entan-
   gled in the noose of Indra.
14As if I worshipped deities of falsehood, or thought vain thoughts
   about the Gods, O Agni!
  Why art thou angry with us, Jātavedas? Destruction fall on
   those who lie against thee!
15So may I die this day if I have harassed any man's life, or if I
   be a demon.
  Yea, may he lose all his ten sons together who with false tongue
   hath called me Yātudhāna.
16May Indra slay him with a mighty weapon, and let the vilest of
   all creatures perish,
  The fiend who says that he is pure, who calls me a demon
   though devoid of demon nature.
17She too who wanders like an owl at night-time, hiding her body
   in her guile and malice,
  May she fall downward into endless caverns. May press-stones
   with loud ring destroy the demons.
18Spread out, ye Maruts, search among the people: seize ye and
   grind the Rākshasas to pieces,
  Who fly abroad, transformed to birds, at night-time, and sully
   and pollute our holy worship.
19Hurl down from heaven thy bolt of stone, O Indra: sharpen it,
  Maghavan, made keen by Soma.
  Forward, behind, and from above and under, smite down the
   demons with thy rocky weapon.
20They fly, the demon dogs, and, bent on mischief, fain would they
   harm indomitable Indra.
  Sakra makes sharp his weapon for the wicked: now let him
   cast his bolt at fiendish wizards.
21Indra hath ever been the fiends' destroyer who spoil oblations of
   the Gods' invokers.
  Yea, Sakra, like an axe that splits the timber, assails and sma-
   shes them like earthen vessels. p. a333
22Destroy the fiend shaped like an owl or owlet, destroy him in.
   the form of dog or cuckoo.
  Destroy him shaped as eagle or as vulture: as with a stone, O
  Indra, crush the demon.
23Let not the fiend of witchcraft-workers reach us: may Dawn.
   drive off the couples of Kimidins.
  Earth keep us safe from earthly woe and trouble! From grief
   that comes from heaven Mid-air preserve us!
24Indra destroy the demon, male and female, joying and triumph-
   ing in arts of magic!
  Let the fools' gods with bent necks fall and perish, and see no.
   more the Sun when he arises.
25Look, each one, hither, look around. Indra and Soma, watch ye
   well.
  Cast forth your weapon at the fiends: against the sorcerers hurl
   your bolt.