Rig Veda

Book 10, Hymn XIX. Waters or Cows

1. TURN, go not farther on your way: visit us, O ye Wealthy Ones.
Agni and Soma, ye who bring riches again, secure us wealth.

2 Make these return to us again, bring them beside us once again.
May. Indra give them back to us, and Agni drive them hither-ward.

3 Let them return to us again: under this herdsman let them feed.
Do thou, O Agni, keep them here, and let the wealth we have remain.

4 I call upon their herdsman, him who knoweth well their coming nigh,
Their parting and their home-return, and watcheth their approach and rest.

5 Yea, let the herdsman, too, return, who marketh well their driving-forth;
Marketh their wandering away, their turning back and coming home.

6 Home-leader, lead them home to us; Indra, restore to us our kine:
We will rejoice in them alive.

7 I offer you on every side butter and milk and strengthening food.
May all the Holy Deities pour down on us a flood of wealth.

8 O thou Home-leader, lead them home, restore them thou who bringest home.
Four are the quarters of the earth; from these bring back to us our kine.