A Vedic Hymn to the Goddess Earth
('Atharva-Veda,' XII, I) reads:
1) Truth, greatness, universal order (rita), strength, consecration, creative fervor (tapas) spiritual exaltation (Brahman), the sacrifice, support the earth. May this earth, the mistress of that which was and shall be, prepare for us a sacred future!
2) The earth that has heights, and slopes, and great plains, that supports the plants of manifold virtue, free from the pressure that comes from the midst of men, she shall spread out for us, and fit herself for us!
3) The earth upon which the sea, and the rivers and the waters, upon which food and the tribes of men have arisen, upon which this breathing, moving life exists, shall afford us precedence in drinking.
4) The earth whose four regions of space upon which food and the tribes of men have arisen, which supports the manifold breathing, moving things, shall afford us cattle and other possessions also!
5) The earth upon which of old the first men unfolded themselves, upon which the gods overcame the Asuras shall procure for us (all) kinds of cattle, horses, and fowls, good fortune, and glory!
6) The earth that supports all, furnishes wealth, the foundation, the golden breasted resting- place of all living creatures, she that supports Agni Vaishvanara, and mates with Indra, the bull shall furnish-us with property!
7) The broad earth, which the sleepless gods ever attentively guard, shall milk for us precious honey, and, moreover, sprinkle us with wisdom!
😎 The Earth, created from the Waters upon the Ocean, whose evolution the wise seers discovered in ecstasy; whose heart is in the highest heaven, immortal, surrounded by Truth, bestow upon us wisdom and strength, that we may be sovereign of ourselves.
9) The Earth, upon which the Waters flow by day and night unceasingly, pour out milk for us in rich streams, drench us with your wisdom.
10) The Earth, which the Asvins have measured, upon which Vishnu has stepped out, which lndra, the lord of might, has made friendly to himself; She, the Mother, pour forth milk for me, the Son.
11) Thy snowy mountain heights, and thy forests, O Earth, may they be kind to us. The brown, the black, the red, the multi-coloured, the firm Earth, that is protected by lndra, I have settled upon, I shall not destroy I shall not harm,I shall not wound.
12) Into thy middle set us, O earth, and into thy navel, into the nourishing strength that has grown up from thy body; purify thyself for us! The earth is the mother, and I the son of the earth: Parjanya is the father; he, too, shall save us!
13) The earth upon which they (the priests) inclose the altar (vedi), upon which they, devoted to all (holy) works, unfold the sacrifice, upon which are set up, in front of the sacrifice, the sacrificial posts, erect and brilliant, that Earth shall help us prosper, and we shall help Her thrive.
14) Him that hates us, O earth, him that battles against us, him that is hostile towards us with his mind and his weapons, do thou subject to us, anticipating their deeds!
15) The mortals born of thee live on thee, thou supportest both bipeds and quadrupeds. Thine, O earth, are these five races of men, the mortals, upon whom the rising sun sheds undying light with his rays.
22) Upon the earth men give to the gods the sacrifice, the prepared oblation: upon the earth mortal men live pleasantly by food. May this earth give us breath and life, may she cause me to reach old age!
23) The fragrance, O earth, that has arisen upon thee, which the plants and the waters hold, which the Gandharvas and the Apsaras have partaken of, with that make me fragrant: not any one shall hate us! .
40) May this earth point out to us the wealth that we crave: may Bhaga (fortune) add his help, may Indra come here as (our) champion!
41) The earth upon whom the noisy mortals sing and dance, upon whom they fight, upon whom resounds the roaring drum, shall drive forth our enemies, shall make us free from rivals!
42) To the earth upon whom are food, and rice and barley, upon whom live these five races of men, to the earth, the wife of Parjanya, that is fattened by rain, be reverence!
43) This Earth, upon whose ground the citadels constructed by the gods unfold themselves, every region of her that is the womb of all, make into a place of peace.
45) The earth that holds people of manifold varied speech, of different customs, according to their habitations, as a reliable milch cow that does not kick, shall she milk for me a thousand streams of wealth!
46) The serpent, the scorpion with thirsty fangs, that hibernating torpidly lies upon thee; the worm, and whatever living thing, O earth, moves in the rainy season, shall, when it creeps not creep upon us; with what is auspicious (on thee) be gracious to us! .
48) The earth holds the fool and holds the wise, endures that good and bad dwell (upon her), she keeps company with the boar, gives herself up to the wild hog.
52) The earth upon whom day and night jointly, black and bright, have been decreed, the broad earth covered and enveloped with rain, may her benevolence lead us to paradise.
53) Heaven, and earth, and air have here given me expanse: Agni, Surya, the waters, and all the gods together have given me wisdom.
59) At that time, o goddess, when, spreading forth, named broad by the gods, thou didst extend to greatness, then prosperity did enter thee, and thou didst fashion the four regions.
60) As dust, a steed did she, as soon as she was born, scatter these people, that dwelt upon the earth, she the lovely one, the leader, the guardian of the world, that holds the trees and plants.
61) She whom Visvakarman (the creator of all) did search out by means of oblations, when she had entered the surging atmosphere, she, the vessel destined to nourish, deposited in a secret place, became visible to the gods.
62) Thou art the scatterer of men, the broadly expanding Aditi that yields milk according to wish. What is wanting in thee, Pragapati, first-born of the divine order, shall supply for thee.
63) O Mother Earth, kindly set me down upon a well-founded place With Father heaven to aid you, O thou wise one, do thou place me into happiness and prosperity.
64) ln the villages and in the wilderness, in the assembly-halls that are upon the Earth; in the gatherings, and in the meetings, we worship Thee.
('Atharva-Veda,' XII, I) reads:
1) Truth, greatness, universal order (rita), strength, consecration, creative fervor (tapas) spiritual exaltation (Brahman), the sacrifice, support the earth. May this earth, the mistress of that which was and shall be, prepare for us a sacred future!
2) The earth that has heights, and slopes, and great plains, that supports the plants of manifold virtue, free from the pressure that comes from the midst of men, she shall spread out for us, and fit herself for us!
3) The earth upon which the sea, and the rivers and the waters, upon which food and the tribes of men have arisen, upon which this breathing, moving life exists, shall afford us precedence in drinking.
4) The earth whose four regions of space upon which food and the tribes of men have arisen, which supports the manifold breathing, moving things, shall afford us cattle and other possessions also!
5) The earth upon which of old the first men unfolded themselves, upon which the gods overcame the Asuras shall procure for us (all) kinds of cattle, horses, and fowls, good fortune, and glory!
6) The earth that supports all, furnishes wealth, the foundation, the golden breasted resting- place of all living creatures, she that supports Agni Vaishvanara, and mates with Indra, the bull shall furnish-us with property!
7) The broad earth, which the sleepless gods ever attentively guard, shall milk for us precious honey, and, moreover, sprinkle us with wisdom!
😎 The Earth, created from the Waters upon the Ocean, whose evolution the wise seers discovered in ecstasy; whose heart is in the highest heaven, immortal, surrounded by Truth, bestow upon us wisdom and strength, that we may be sovereign of ourselves.
9) The Earth, upon which the Waters flow by day and night unceasingly, pour out milk for us in rich streams, drench us with your wisdom.
10) The Earth, which the Asvins have measured, upon which Vishnu has stepped out, which lndra, the lord of might, has made friendly to himself; She, the Mother, pour forth milk for me, the Son.
11) Thy snowy mountain heights, and thy forests, O Earth, may they be kind to us. The brown, the black, the red, the multi-coloured, the firm Earth, that is protected by lndra, I have settled upon, I shall not destroy I shall not harm,I shall not wound.
12) Into thy middle set us, O earth, and into thy navel, into the nourishing strength that has grown up from thy body; purify thyself for us! The earth is the mother, and I the son of the earth: Parjanya is the father; he, too, shall save us!
13) The earth upon which they (the priests) inclose the altar (vedi), upon which they, devoted to all (holy) works, unfold the sacrifice, upon which are set up, in front of the sacrifice, the sacrificial posts, erect and brilliant, that Earth shall help us prosper, and we shall help Her thrive.
14) Him that hates us, O earth, him that battles against us, him that is hostile towards us with his mind and his weapons, do thou subject to us, anticipating their deeds!
15) The mortals born of thee live on thee, thou supportest both bipeds and quadrupeds. Thine, O earth, are these five races of men, the mortals, upon whom the rising sun sheds undying light with his rays.
22) Upon the earth men give to the gods the sacrifice, the prepared oblation: upon the earth mortal men live pleasantly by food. May this earth give us breath and life, may she cause me to reach old age!
23) The fragrance, O earth, that has arisen upon thee, which the plants and the waters hold, which the Gandharvas and the Apsaras have partaken of, with that make me fragrant: not any one shall hate us! .
40) May this earth point out to us the wealth that we crave: may Bhaga (fortune) add his help, may Indra come here as (our) champion!
41) The earth upon whom the noisy mortals sing and dance, upon whom they fight, upon whom resounds the roaring drum, shall drive forth our enemies, shall make us free from rivals!
42) To the earth upon whom are food, and rice and barley, upon whom live these five races of men, to the earth, the wife of Parjanya, that is fattened by rain, be reverence!
43) This Earth, upon whose ground the citadels constructed by the gods unfold themselves, every region of her that is the womb of all, make into a place of peace.
45) The earth that holds people of manifold varied speech, of different customs, according to their habitations, as a reliable milch cow that does not kick, shall she milk for me a thousand streams of wealth!
46) The serpent, the scorpion with thirsty fangs, that hibernating torpidly lies upon thee; the worm, and whatever living thing, O earth, moves in the rainy season, shall, when it creeps not creep upon us; with what is auspicious (on thee) be gracious to us! .
48) The earth holds the fool and holds the wise, endures that good and bad dwell (upon her), she keeps company with the boar, gives herself up to the wild hog.
52) The earth upon whom day and night jointly, black and bright, have been decreed, the broad earth covered and enveloped with rain, may her benevolence lead us to paradise.
53) Heaven, and earth, and air have here given me expanse: Agni, Surya, the waters, and all the gods together have given me wisdom.
59) At that time, o goddess, when, spreading forth, named broad by the gods, thou didst extend to greatness, then prosperity did enter thee, and thou didst fashion the four regions.
60) As dust, a steed did she, as soon as she was born, scatter these people, that dwelt upon the earth, she the lovely one, the leader, the guardian of the world, that holds the trees and plants.
61) She whom Visvakarman (the creator of all) did search out by means of oblations, when she had entered the surging atmosphere, she, the vessel destined to nourish, deposited in a secret place, became visible to the gods.
62) Thou art the scatterer of men, the broadly expanding Aditi that yields milk according to wish. What is wanting in thee, Pragapati, first-born of the divine order, shall supply for thee.
63) O Mother Earth, kindly set me down upon a well-founded place With Father heaven to aid you, O thou wise one, do thou place me into happiness and prosperity.
64) ln the villages and in the wilderness, in the assembly-halls that are upon the Earth; in the gatherings, and in the meetings, we worship Thee.