Rigveda 10.117.08
Rigveda · Mandala 10, Sukta 117 · Verse 10.117.8
Vedic Classification
Sanskrit Original
एक॑पा॒द्भूयो॑ द्वि॒पदो॒ वि च॑क्रमे द्वि॒पात्त्रि॒पाद॑म॒भ्ये॑ति प॒श्चात् । चतु॑ष्पादेति द्वि॒पदा॑मभिस्व॒रे स॒म्पश्य॑न्प॒ङ्क्तीरु॑प॒तिष्ठ॑मानः
ekapādbhūyo dvipado vi cakrame dvipāttripādamabhyeti paścāt catuṣpādeti dvipadāmabhisvare sampaśyanpaṅktīrupatiṣṭhamānaḥ
First one-footed, then two-footed, then two-footed becomes three-footed—afterwards it goes back. He who sees the form of rows beholds the progress of limbs.
He who has but one foot takes a longer time on a journey than he who has two; he who has two feetcomes after him who has three; he who has four feet comes up overtaking the two-footed (and three-footed),beholding their traces as he passes by.
He with one foot hath far outrun the biped, and the two-footed catches the three-footed. Four-footed creatures come when bipeds call them, and stand and look where five are met together.