A glorification of Kāma as God of desire of all that is good

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

p. a359

HYMN II

A glorification of Kāma as God of desire of all that is good

1Kāma the Bull, slayer of foes, I worship with molten butter,
   sacrifice, oblation.
  Beneath my feet cast down mine adversaries with thy great
   manly power, when I have praised thee.
2That which is hateful to mine eye and spirit, that harasses and
   robs me of enjoyment,
  The evil dream I loose upon my foemen. May I rend him when
  I have lauded Kāma.
3Kāma, do thou, a mighty Lord and Ruler, let loose ill dream,
   misfortune, want of children,
  Homelessness, Kāma! utter destitution, upon the sinner who
   designs my ruin.
4Drive them away, drive them afar, O Kāma; indigence fall on
   those who are my foemen!
  When they have been cast down to deepest darkness, consume
   their dwellings with thy fire, O Agni.
5She, Kāma! she is called the Cow, thy daughter, she who is
   named Vāk and Virāj by sages.
  By her drive thou my foemen to a distance. May cattle, vital
   breath, and life forsake them.
6By Kāma's might, King Varuna's and Indra's, by Vishnu's
   strength, and Savitar's instigation,
  I chase my foes with sacrifice to Agni, as a deft steersman drives
   his boat through waters.
7May Kāma, mighty one, my potent warder, give me full free-
   dom from mine adversaries.
  May all the Deities be my protection, all Gods come nigh to
   this mine invocation.
8Accepting this oblation rich with fatness, be joyful here, ye
  Gods whose chief is Kāma,
  Giving me freedom from mine adversaries.
9Ye, Indra, Agni, Kāma! come together and cast mine adver-
   saries down beneath me.
  When they have sunk into the deepest darkness, O Agni, with
   thy fire consume their dwellings. p. a360
10Slay those who are mine enemies, O Kāma: headlong to depth
   of blinding darkness hurl them.
  Reft be they all of manly strength and vigour! Let them not
   have a single day's existence.
11Kāma hath slain those who were mine opponents, and given me
   ample room to grow and prosper.
  Let the four regions bow them down before me, and let the
   six expanses bring me fatness.
12Let them drift downward like a boat torn from the rope that
   held it fast.
  There is no turning back for those whom our keen arrows have
   repelled.
13Agni averts, Indra averts, and Soma: may the averting Gods
   avert this foeman.
14To be avoided by his friends, detested, repelled, with few men
   round him, let him wander.
  Yea, on the earth descend the lightning-flashes: may the strong
  God destroy your adversaries.
15This potent lightning nourishes things shaken, and things un-
   shaken yet, and all the thunders.
  May the Sun, rising with his wealth and splendour, drive in
   victorious might my foemen downward.
16Thy firm and triply-barred protection, Kāma! thy spell, made
   weapon-proof extended armour
  With that drive thou my foemen to a distance. May cattle, vital
   breath, and life forsake them.
17Far from the world wherein we live, O Kāma, drive thou my
   foemen with that selfsame weapon
  Wherewith the Gods repelled the fiends, and Indra cast down
   the Dasyus into deepest darkness.
18As Gods repelled the Asuras, and Indra down to the lowest
   darkness drove the demons,
  So, Kāma, from this world, to distant places, drive thou the
   men who are mine adversaries.
19First before all sprang Kāma into being. Gods, Fathers, mortal
   men have never matched him.
  Stronger than these art thou, and great for ever. Kāma, to thee,
   to thee I offer worship.
20Wide as the space which heaven and earth encompass, far as
   the flow of waters, far as Agni, p. a361
  Stronger than these art thou, and great for ever. Kāma, to thee,
   to thee I offer worship.
21Vast as the quarters of the sky and regions that lie between
   them spread in all directions, vast as celestial tracts and views
   of heaven,
  Stronger than these art thou, and great for ever. Kāma, to thee,
   to thee I offer worship.
22Many as are the bees, and bats, and reptiles, and female serpents
   of the trees, and beetles,
  Stronger art thou than these, and great for ever. Kāma, to thee,
   to thee I offer worship.
23Stronger art thou than aught that stands or twinkles, stronger
   art thou than ocean, Kāma! Manyu!
  Stronger than these art thou, and great for ever. Kāma, to thee,
   to thee I offer worship.
 24Not even Vāta is the peer of Kāma, not Agni, Chandramas
   the Moon, nor Sūrya.
  Stronger than these art thou, and great for ever. Kāma, to thee,
   to thee I offer worship.
25Thy lovely and auspicious forms, O Kāma, whereby the thing
   thou wilt becometh real,
  With these come thou and make thy home among us, and make
   malignant thoughts inhabit elsewhere.