Rigveda - Hymn 33 - To Rudra (Siva) - Prayers and Offerings, God's Compassion and Grace for Mankind
Father of the storms! [a] May Your grace [b] come [down]:
Do not withhold from us the vision of the sun!
May our warriors on horseback remain unscathed:
O God, may we bring forth abundant descendants!
2 Most healing are the remedies You give;
By these I'd live for a hundred years!
Hatred, distress, disease drive far away,
God, dispel them,—away, on every side!
3 You are the most glorious, of fiercest strength
Of all that's born, the Storm [c], wielder of the bolt!
Deliver us to safety, to the shore beyond distress;
Fend off [from us] all assaults of injury [and disease].
4 May we not provoke Your anger!
By bowing down,
By praising the unsuitable,
By confusing You with other [sins].
Raise up our men with healing remedies,
You are—the best doctor and healer.
5 To God, all things are offered up
Offerings [d]—Prayers [e] [for assistance]:
Him would I appease,
To God, with songs of praise.
Compassionate is He,
Easy to invoke;
Tan and Brown, [his body],
Lovely His lips: [f]
May God not deliver us
Up to His fearful wrath!
6 With tough, compelling force
O God, the Lord of storms
Has cheered my humble heart.
As shade in scorching heat,
Would I, be pain free and attain [You],
Win Your [saving] grace.
7 O God, where is Your caressing hand,
[The hand] that heals, [the hand] that cools,
[The hand] that bears away god-given hurt?
[Great] God, be patient with me!
8 The bull's white spotted markings,—for this,
The great,—great, boundless praise I offer.
I will bow down—deep is my exhausted devotion—
To my wise and artistic God: His fearful name we praise.
9 Solid are his limbs, many are his forms;
Tawny and strong, You have adorned [nature]
With ornaments of lustrous beauty and purpose.
Lord of this remote and distant world:
God [is His name].
Never will celestial sovereignty [g]
Part company with Him!
10 How fit is it that You should birth
Children and parents: [h]
How fit, that You create and wear
A many-colored necklace, adorned [of men]:
How fit it is that You should dispose
Of all this shattering power:
God, there is nothing more powerful than You!
11 Praise, the widely known Son,
Enthroned, by his determination,—like a beast,