Book 4: Hymn 2: To the unknown God

HYMN III

A Charm against tigers, wolves, thieves and other noxious creatures

1Three have gone hence and passed away, the man, the tiger,
and the wolf.
Down, verily, the rivers flow, down-goeth the celestial Tree,.
down let our foemen bend and bow.
2On distant pathway go the wolf, on pathway most remote the
thief!
On a far road speed forth the rope with teeth, and the malicious
man!
3We crush and rend to pieces both thine eyes, O Tiger, and thy
jaws and all the twenty claws we break.
4We break and rend the tiger first of creatures that are armed.
with teeth;
The robber then, and then the snake, the sorcerer, and then the
wolf.
5The thief who cometh near to-day departeth bruised and crush-
ed to bits.
By nearest way let him be gone. Let Indra slay him with his
bolt.
6Let the beast's teeth be broken off, shivered and shattered be
his ribs! p. a108
Slack be thy bowstring: downward go the wild beast that
pursues the hare!
7Open not what thou hast compressed, close not what thou hast
not compressed.
Indra's and Soma's child, thou art Atharvan's tiger-crushing
charm.