Laudator Temporis Acti

Joel P. Brereton and Stephanie W. Jamison, The Rigveda: A Guide (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020), pp. 138-139:

We should begin by noting that R̥gvedic poets have no compunction about baldly demanding what they want from the gods. They seem to feel no need for politesse or indirection, with the standard linguistic means being the direct, second-person singular imperative — “give!” or “help” or “come here!” — addressed even to the most powerful of gods, Indra. They do sometimes use seemingly deferential expressions, often referring to their own hopes and desires, such as “might we win or enjoy X” in the optative mood, but this often seems to arise from the impulse to poetic variation, rather than a real sense of humility. One result of this blunt approach is that the request portion of a hymn, especially when it comes toward the end of the hymn, is generally far less poetically elaborate and carefully wrought than the parts containing praise and description.

The actual requests involve both tangible goods and divine aid and services. The poets ask very frequently for wealth, which is often then further specified: livestock (cattle and horses especially) and gold being the most commonly desired. They also request offspring and descendants, often expressed as a desire for “heroes,” which probably refers to strong and virile sons. They appeal to the gods for rain, refreshment and nourishment, and a good dwelling place (e.g., II.19.8). As for less tangible desires, they ask for protection and for help, especially help in battle, and this latter is often phrased as a request for the god (generally Indra) to inflict harm on our enemies, to help us overcome our rivals, and generally keep us out of the toils of hatred and hostilities and those who practice them. An oft-expressed desire is for the gods to lengthen our lifetime, especially to the canonical number of a hundred years (e.g., II.22.2), and to allow us “to see the sun” (e.g., II.33.1). As is appropriate for a people in need of pastureland and constantly advancing into new territory, they regularly ask the gods to “create wide space” (e.g., II.30.6) as they seek escape from the narrow environment that hems them in. Many of these requests are generic and directed to any or all gods; others are divinity specific: Indra’s aid is more likely to be solicited in battle, while Varuṇa and the other Ādityas are asked to “loosen offenses,” that is, to free us from the consequences of violation of divine commandments or other obligations (e.g., II.28.5, 7). They also ask for personal qualities, like wisdom and might (e.g., II.34.7). The various types of requests are not segregated but can jostle each other in an unordered list. Consider this multipart demand, in the last verse of an Indra hymn: II.21.6 “Indra, grant to us the best goods, the perception that belongs to sacrificial skill, and the possession of a good share, as well as a prospering of our riches, freedom from harm for our bodies, sweetness of our speech, and the blessing of good days for our days.”