Yajur Veda on Family

By thee, O Soma Pavamana, our ancient fathers Wisely ordained the offerings; Conquering, untroubled, do thou open the barriers; Be generous to us in heroes and horses [1]. d Thou, O Soma, in accord with the fathers, Hast stretched over sky and earth; To thee, O drop, let us make sacrifice with offering; Let us be lords of wealth. e O fathers, made ready by Agni, come hither; With good leadership sit ye on each seat; Eat ye the offerings set out on the strew; And give us wealth with many heroes. f O fathers that sit on the sacrificial strew, come hither with your aid; We have made these offerings for you; accept them, And then come to us with your most healing aid, Give us [2] health, wealth, and safety! g I have found the kindly fathers, The scion and the step of Visnu; They that sit on the sacrificial strew and enjoy the drink That is pressed for them with the Svadha call are most eager to come h Invoked are the fathers who love the Soma To their dear homes on the sacrificial strew; May they come hither; may they hear us here May they speak for us; and may they aid us. i Let them arise, the lower and the higher And the middle fathers who love the Soma; They who lived their lives [3] in goodness and without sin; May these fathers help us when we call. k Be this homage to-day to the fathers, Who went before and who went after; Who are seated in the earthly region Or who are now in abodes with fair dwellings. l As our fathers before, Of old, O Agni, furthering right, Sought the pure, the devotion, singing hymns Cleaving the earth they disclosed the red ones. m When, O Agni [4], bearer of oblations, Thou sacrificest to the righteous fathers, Thou shalt bear the oblations To the gods and to the fathers. n Thou, O Agni, praised, all-knower, Didst carry the offerings making them fragrant; Thou didst give them to the fathers who ate them at the Svadha call; Eat thou, O god, the offerings set before thee.

i Of thee, O god Soma, who hast the Adityas for thy troop, who knowest the heart, who belongest to the third pressing, who hast the Jagati for thy metre, who art drunk by Indra, who art drunk by Naraçansa, who art drunk by the fathers, who hast sweetness, and who art invited, I invited eat. k Swell up, lot thy strength be gathered From all sides, O Soma; Be strong in the gathering of might. l Impel my limbs, O thou with tawny steeds, Do not distress my troops; Propitious do thou honour for me the seven sages; Do not go below my navel [3]. m We have drunk the Soma, we have become immortal, We have seen the light, we have found the gods; What can the enmity, what the treachery, Of mortal man do to us, O immortal? n Whatever fault has been mine, Agni hath put that right, all-knower, he who belongeth to all men; Agni hath given back the eye, Indra and Brhaspati have given it back; Do ye two, O Açvins, Replace my eye within its sockets. o Of thee, O god Soma, over whom the Yajus is spoken, the Stoma sung [4], the Uktha recited, who hast tawny steeds, who art drunk by Indra, who hast sweetness, and who art invited, I invited eat. p Ye are to be filled; fill me With offspring and wealth. q That is thine, O father, and those that are after thee. That is thine, O grandfather, O great-grandfather, and those that are after thee. r Rejoice therein, O fathers, according to your shares. s Homage to your taste, O fathers; homage to your birth, O fathers; homage to your life, O fathers; homage to your [5] custom, O fathers; homage to your anger, O fathers; homage to your terrors, O fathers; O fathers, homage to you. t Ye that are in that world, may they follow you; ye that are in this world, may they u Ye that are in that world, of them be ye the most fortunate; ye that are in this world, of these may I be the most fortunate. v O Prajapati, none other than thou Comprehendeth all these creatures [6].

o When he creeps forward to the seat [4], the fathers creep along after him; they have power to injure him; having crept to the seat he should look along the south side (saying), 'Come, O ye fathers; through you may I possess the fathers; may ye have good offspring in me'; verily paying reverence to them he creeps to the Sadas, for his own safety. a Food come hither, enter me for long life, for health, for increase of wealth, for splendour, for good offspring. Come hither, O Vasu, preceded by wealth; thou art dear to my heart. b May I grasp thee with the arms of the Açvins. c With clear sight may I gaze' upon thee, O god Soma, who regardest men. d Gentle control, banner of the sacrifices, may speech accept and delight in the Soma; I may Aditi, gentle, propitious, with head inviolable, as speech, accept and delight in the Soma. e Come hither, O thou who art of all men [1], with healing and favour; with safety come to me, O tawny-coloured, for skill, for strength, for increase of wealth, for good heroes. f Terrify me not, O king, pierce not my heart with thy radiance, for manly strength, for life, for splendour. g Of thee, O god Soma, who hast the Vasus for thy troop, who knowest the mind, who belongest to the first pressing, who hast the Gayatri as thy metre, who art drunk by Indra, who art drunk by Naraçansa, who art drunk by the fathers, who hast sweetness, and who art invited, I invited eat. h Of thee, O god Soma, who hast the Rudras for thy troop, who knowest the mind, who belongest to the midday pressing, who hast the Tristubh for thy metre, who art drunk by Indra, who art drunk by Naraçansa [2], who art drunk by the fathers, who hast sweetness, and who art invited, I invited eat.

o Matali with the Kavyas, Yama with the Angirases, Brhaspati rejoicing with the Rkvans, Those whom the gods magnified and those who magnified the gods; Some in the Svaha call, some in the Svadha rejoice [5]. p Sit on this strew, O Yama, In accordance with the Angirases, the fathers Let the verses made by the poets bring thee hither Rejoice, O king, in this offering. Come with the Angirases who deserve the sacrifice Yama, rejoice here with the Vairupas; I summon Virasvant who is thy father, Sitting down on the strew at this sacrifice. r The Angirases, our fathers, the Navagvas, Atharvans, Bhrgus, who love the Soma; May w e be in the favour of those ones worthy of sacrifice, May we have their kindly good will. Sacred-Texts Index Hinduism Index Yajur Veda Index Previous Next

He should pile in the form of a triangle, who has foes [1]; verily he repels his foes. He should pile in triangle form on both sides, who desires, 'May I repel the foes I have and those I shall have'; verily he repels the foes he has and those he will have. He should pile in the form of a chariot wheel, who has foes; the chariot is a thunderbolt; verily he hurls the thunderbolt at his foes. He should pile in the form of a wooden trough who desires food; in a wooden trough food is kept; verily he wins food together with its place of birth. He should pile one that has to be collected together, who desires cattle; verily he becomes rich in cattle [2]. He should pile one in a circle, who desires a village; verily he becomes possessed of a village. He should pile in the form of a cemetery, who desires, 'May I be successful in the world of the fathers'; verily he is successful in the world of the fathers. Viçvamitra and Jamadagni had a feud with Vasistha; Jamadagni saw these Vihavya (bricks); he put them down, and with them he appropriated the power and strength of Vasistha; in that he puts down the Vihavyas, the sacrificer with them appropriates the power and strength of his foe. He puts down on the altar of the Hotr; the Hotr is the abode of the sacrificer [3]; verily in his abode he wins for him power and strength. Twelve he puts down; the Jagati has twelve syllables, cattle are connected with the Jagati; verily with the Jagati he wins cattle for him. Eight each he puts down in the other altars; cattle have eight halfhooves; verily he wins cattle. (He puts down) six on the Marjaliya; the seasons are six, the gods, the fathers, are the seasons; verily he delights the seasons, the gods, the fathers.

d They coming together as a maiden to the assembly, As a mother her child, shall bear (the arrow) in their lap; In unison shall they pierce the foes, These two ends springing asunder, the enemies. e Father of many (daughters), many his sons, He whizzeth as he goeth to battle, The quiver, slung on the back, yielding its content, Doth conquer every band and army. f Standing on the chariot be guideth his steeds before him Wheresoever he desireth, good charioteer; The might of the reins [2] do ye admire; The reins behind obey the mind (of the driver). g Shrilly the strong-hooved horses neigh, As with the cars they show their strength; Trampling with their forefeet the enemy They unflinchingly destroy the foe. h The chariot-bearer is his oblation by name, Where is deposited his armour and his weapon; Then may we sit on the strong car, All the days, with friendly hearts. i The fathers with pleasant seats, granting strength, A support in trouble mighty and profound, With varied hosts, with arrows to strengthen them, free, With real heroes, broad conquerors of hosts. k The Brahmans [3], the fathers worthy of the Soma, And sky and earth, unequalled be propitious to us; May Pusan guard us from misfortune, us that prosper holy order Do thou guard; may no foe overpower us. I A feather her garment, a deer her tooth, Tied with cowhide she flieth shot forth; Where men run together and apart, There may the arrows accord us protection. m O thou of straight path, avoid us; Be our body as of stone May Soma favour us, And Aditi [4] grant protection! n Their backs it smites, Their thighs it belabours; O horse-whip, do ye stimulate The skilled horses in the battles. o Like a snake with its coils it encircleth his arm, Fending off the friction of the bowstring, Let the hand-guard, knowing all cunning, Manfully guard the man on all sides.

q Giver of expiration art thou [4], of inspiration, of cross-breathing, Giver of eyesight, giver of splendour, giver of wide room; May thy bolts afflict another than us; Be thou purifying and auspicious to us. r May Agni with his piercing blaze Cast down every foe; May Agni win for us wealth. s With his countenance the kindly one Will sacrifice to the gods for us, most skilled to win prosperity by sacrifice; Guardian undeceived and protector of us, O Agni, shine forth with radiance and with wealth. a He who sat down, offering all these beings, As Hotr, the seer, our father, He seeking wealth with prayer, Hath entered into the boon of the first of coverers. b Since Viçvakarman is mighty in mind, Disposer, ordainer, and highest seer, Their offerings rejoice in food, Where say they is one beyond the seven Rsis. c He who is our father, our begetter, the ordainer, Who begot us from being unto being [1], Who alone assigneth their names to the gods, Him other beings approach for knowledge. d Wealth they won by offering to him The seers of old like singers in abundance, They who fashioned these beings illumined and unillumined In the expanse of space. e Ye shall not find him who produced this world; Another thing shall be betwixt you; Enveloped in mist and with stammering The singers of hymns move enjoying life. f Beyond the sky, beyond this [2] earth, Beyond the gods, what is secret from the Asuras, What germ first did the waters bear, When all the gods came together? g This germ the waters first bore, When all the gods came together; On the navel of the unborn is set the one On which doth rest all this world. h Viçvakarman, the god, was born; Then second the Gandharva; Third the father, begetter of plants [31 In many a place did he deposit the germ of the waters. i Father of the eye, the sage with his mind, Produced these two worlds rich in ghee, When the fore ends were made firm, Then did sky and earth extend.

He stirs the oblation of fat with the rib; the rib is the middle of cattle, the fat is the sap of cattle; in that he stirs the oblation of fat with the rib, he places sap in the middle of cattle. Now they kill [1] the beast when they dispose of it; the expiration has Indra for its deity, the inspiration has Indra also. 'May Indra's expiration be set in every limb', he says; verily he bestows expiration and inspiration upon cattle. 'O god Tvastr, let much be united for thee', he says; for cattle have Tvastr as their deity. 'When ye that are various become of one form', he says; for they being various become then of one form. 'Over thee as thou goest among the gods [2] for help let thy comrades and thy father and mother rejoice', he says; verily he makes him, approved by his mother and his father, go to the world of heaven. With a half-verse be offers the oblation of fat; the half-verse is yonder (sky) and the half-verse is this (earth); verily with sap he adorns both. He offers to the quarters; verily with sap he adorns the quarters; verily from the quarters he wins strength and sap. The speckled butter is the expiration and the inspiration of cattle; cattle have the lord of the forest [3] for their deity; in that having made offering of the speckled butter he says, 'Recite for the lord of the forest, give directions for the lord of the forest', he bestows expiration and inspiration upon cattle. Of each he divides the divided pieces; there fore cattle have various forms. He moistens (it) with soup; soup is the sap of cattle; verily he bestows sap upon cattle. He invokes the Ida; the Ida is cattle; verily he invokes cattle. Four times he invokes [4], for cattle have four feet. If he desire of a man, 'May he have no cattle', he should take for him (a piece) without fat; cattle are distinguished by fat; verily by means of their distinctive mark he deprives him of cattle, and he has no cattle.

o The divine, well-feathered bird, the great one, Germ of the waters, male of the plants, Who delighteth with rain from near, This Sarasvant let us call on for aid. p O Sinivali, with broad braids, Who art the sister of the gods, Accept the offering [3] which is made; Reveal, O goddess, offspring unto us. q To her that hath fair hands, fair fingers, Prolific, and mother of many, To her the queen Sinivali, Pour the offering. r Indra from all sides. s Indra men. t The dark-coloured steeds with fair feathers, Clad in the mist, spring up to the sky; They turn hitherward having established their abodes; Then the earth is wet with ghee. u He hath golden tresses in the expanse of the air, A raging serpent like the rushing wind, With pure radiance [4], knowing the dawn, Like true, glorious and toiling (women). v Thy winged (steeds) have charged them as they are wont; The dark bull hath roared when this was; He hath come hither with (lightnings) that smile like kindly (women); The rains fall, the clouds thunder. w Like a cow the lightning loweth; It tendeth its young like a mother, When their rain hath been let loose. x The mountain that hath waxed great is afraid Even the ridge of heaven trembleth at your roaring; When ye sport, O Maruts [5], with your spears, Ye speed along together like the waters. y Roar and thunder, deposit a germ, Fly around with thy chariot water-laden; Draw downward thy opened water-skin, And let the heights and the depths be level. z Even these immovable things (dost thou eat), O Agni, like a beast at grass; What time, O immortal, the hosts of thee, The strong, rend the woods. aa O Agni, many are the hosts of the immortal all-knower, O God, powerful; and (many) the [6] wiles of the wily Which of yore they deposited in thee, O thou that impellest all, O seeker of friends. bb From the sky grant us rain, O ye Maruts; Make ye to swell the streams of the strong steed Come hither with this thunder, Pouring the waters, the Asura our father.

a He offers to Soma with the Pitrs a cake on six potsherds, to the Pitrs who sit on the straw fried grains, for the Pitrs prepared by Agni he milks a beverage from a cow which has to be won over (to another calf). b This for thee, O father, and for thy line; This for thee, O grandfather, great-grandfather, and for thy line Do ye Pitrs rejoice in your portions. c May we gladden thee, O bountiful one, fair to see; Forth now with full chariot seat Being praised, dost thou fare according to our will; Yoke, O Indra, thy two bay steeds [1]. d They have eaten, they have rejoiced, The dear ones have dispelled (evil), The radiant sages have been praised with newest hymn; Yoke, O Indra, thy two bay steeds. e The Pitrs have eaten, the Pitrs have rejoiced, the Pitrs have been glad, the Pitrs have purified themselves. f Go away, O ye Pitrs, Soma loving, With your majestic ancient paths; Then reach ye the kindly Pitrs Who carouse in company with Yama. h Mind let us summon hither With the praise of Naraçansa And the reverence of the Pitrs. h Let mind return to us [2] For vigour, for insight, for life, And that long we may see the sun.' i May the Pitrs restore mind to us, May the host of the gods; May we belong to the band of the living. k Whatever hurt we have done to atmosphere, to earth, to sky, To mother or to father, May Agni of the house free me from this sin; May he make me blameless In respect of all the ill we have wrought. a For each he offers on one potsherd, and one over. b As many as we are of the house, to them have I made prosperity. c Thou art the protection of cattle, the protection of the sacrifice; give me protection. d Rudra alone yieldeth to no second. e The mole is thy beast, O Rudra; rejoice in it. f This is thy portion, O Rudra, with thy sister Ambika; rejoice in it. g (Give) medicine for ox, for horse, for man, And medicine for us, medicine That it be rich in healing, Good [1] for ram and sheep.

He offers to the kindling-sticks as many, to the sacrificial strew as one, and that makes a pair. That is the pairing of the fore-sacrifices. He who knows thus [4] is propagated with offspring, with cattle, with pairings. These deities were not sacrificed to by the gods; then the Asuras were fain to harm the sacrifice. The gods divided the Gayatri, five syllables in front and three behind. Then the sacrifice was protected, and the sacrificer. In that the fore- and after-sacrifices are offered, protection is afforded to the sacrifice and to the sacrificer, for the overcoming of the enemy. Therefore a covering is larger in front and smaller behind. The gods thought that the sacrifice must be completed (in the fore- sacrifice) before the Raksases [5] with the cry of 'Hail!' They completed it with the cry of 'Hail!' in the fore-sacrifices. They split the sacrifice who complete it with the cry of 'Hail!' in the fore-sacrifices. Having offered the fore sacrifices he sprinkles the oblations, for the continuity of the sacrifice; then verily he makes the oblation, and then he proceeds in order. The fore-sacrifices are the father, the after-sacrifices the son; in that having offered the fore-sacrifices he sprinkles the oblations, the father makes common property with the son [6]. Therefore they say, who know it or who know not, 'How is it the son's only, how is the father's common?' That which spills when the fore-sacrifices are offered is not really spilt. The Gayatri conceives through it, and produces offspring and cattle for the sacrificer. The two portions of the oblation are the eyes of the sacrifice. In that he offers the two portions of the oblation, he inserts the two eyes of the sacrifice. He offers in the front place; therefore the eyes are in front. He offers evenly; therefore the eyes are even.

They praised with twenty-five, wild cattle were created, Vayu was the overlord. They praised with twenty-seven, sky and earth [2] went apart, the Vasus, Rudras, and Adityas followed their example, theirs was the overlordship. They praised with twenty-nine, trees were created, Soma was the overlord. They praised with thirty-one, creatures were created, the Yavas and the Ayavas had the overlordship. They praised with thirty- three, creatures came to rest, Prajapati was the overlord and chief. a This is she that first dawned; Within this (earth) she hath entered and moveth; The new-made bride as mother beareth the mothers; Three greatnesses attend her. b Charming, the dawns, adorned, Moving along a common birthplace, Wives of the sun, they move, wise ones, Making a banner of light, unaging, rich in seed. c Three have followed the path of holy order, Three cauldrons have come with the light, Offspring one guardeth, strength one [1], Another the law of the pious guardeth. d The fourth hath become that of four Stomas, Becoming the two wings of the sacrifice, O Rsis; Yoking the Gayatri, Tristubh, Jagati, and Anustubh, the Brhat, The hymn, they have borne forward this heaven. e By five the creator disposed this (world), What time he produced sisters of them, five by five, By their mingling go five strengths Clad in various forms. f Thirty sisters go to the appointed place, Putting on the same badge [2], The sages spread out the seasons, the knowing ones With the metres in their midst, go about in brilliance. g The shining one putteth on clouds, The ways of the sun, the night divine; The beasts of many forms that are born Look around on the lap of their mother. h The Ekastaka, undergoing penance, Hath borne a child, the great Indra; Therewith the gods overpowered the Asuras; Slayer of Asuras he became in his might.

He throws down (the remnants) on the high altar; the high altar is cattle, (the grains) for the yoker of bays are cattle verily they make cattle find support in cattle. Offspring and cattle are born through the cups, goats and sheep through the Upançu and Antaryama, men through the Çukra and Manthin, whole-hooved animals through the season-cups, kine through the Aditya cup. The Aditya cup is drawn with the largest number of Rcs; therefore kine axe the most numerous of cattle; in that he thrice draws apart with his hand the Upançu (cup), therefore the female goat gives birth to two or three, but sheep are more numerous. The Agrayana is the father, the tub is the son; if the Agrayana is exhausted, he should draw from the tub; that is as when a father [1] in destitution has recourse to his son. If the tub is exhausted, he should draw from the Agrayana; that is as when a son in destitution has recourse to his father. The Agrayana is the self of the sacrifice; if the cup or the tub should be exhausted, he should draw from the Agrayana; verily from the self he develops the sacrifice. The Agrayana is drawn (with a verse) in which there is no discriminating mark; he draws with a pot, he offers with (the vessel) for Vayu; therefore [2] (a man) is a slayer of a Brahman (through slaying) an embryo which has not been discriminated. They go to the final bath; they deposit the pots, but lift up (the vessels) for Vayu; therefore they deposit a daughter on birth, a son they lift up. In that be utters the Puroruc, it is as when one brings (something) to a superior; in that he draws the cup, it is as when having brought (something) to a superior one proclaims (it); in that he puts it down, it is as when having deposited something with a superior one goes away.

b That auspicious form of thine, O Rudra, Auspicious and ever healing, Auspicious and healing (form of) Rudra, With that show mercy on us for life. c This prayer we offer up to the impetuous Rudra, With plaited hair, destroyer of men, That health be for our bipeds and quadrupeds, And that all in this village be prosperous [1] and free from ill. d Be merciful to us, O Rudra, and give us delight; With honour let us worship thee, destroyer of men; The health and wealth which father Manu won by sacrifice, May we attain that, O Rudra, under thy leadership. e Neither our great, nor our small, Our waxing or what has waxed, Do thou slay, nor father nor mother; Injure not, O Rudra, our dear bodies [2]. f Harm us not in our children, our descendants, our life; Harm us not in our cattle, in our horses; Smite not in anger our heroes, O Rudra; With oblations lot us serve thee with honour. g From afar to thee, slayer of cows, and slayer of men, Destroyer of heroes, be goodwill for us; Guard us and accord us aid And grant us protection in abundance. h Praise [3] the famous youth, mounted on the chariot seat, Dread and destructive like a fierce wild beast; Being praised, O Rudra, be merciful to the singer; Let thy missiles smite down another than us. i May the missile of Rudra spare us, May the wrath of the brilliant evil worker (pass over us); Unstring for the generous donors (thy) strong (bows); O bounteous one, be merciful to our children and descendants. k O most bounteous, most auspicious, Be auspicious and favourably inclined to us; Placing down thy weapon on the highest tree, Clad in thy skin, come, And approach us bearing the spear [4]. 1 O blood-red scatterer, Homage to thee, O adorable one; May thy thousand missiles Smite down another than us. m A thousandfold in thousands Are the missiles in thine arms; O adorable one, do thou turn away The points of those which thou dost rule.

As the Rbhus bend the felly (of the chariot) [I] f To him, the heavenly, Now with constant voice, O Virupa, To the strong one urge the hymn of praise. g What Pani shall we lay low among the kine With the missile of this Agni Who seeth from afar? h May not the clans of the gods forsake us, Like the dawns entering the waters, As cows a poor man. i Let not the assault Of any ill-minded foe smite us, As a wave a ship. k Homage to thee, O Agni, for might, The people sing, O god; With strength [2] trouble thou the foe. l Wilt thou not, O Agni, Bring us wealth for our quest for cattle? O room maker, make room for us. m Cast us not aside in this great contest, Like a bearer his burden; Gather wealth and conquer it. n May this terror, this misfortune, O Agni, fasten on another than us; Increase our impetuous strength. o The reverent or generous man In whose offering he hath delighted, Agni aideth indeed with furtherance. p From a far [3] region Come hither to these lower ones, Favour those in the region where I am. q Since we have known of old Of thy help, O Agni, as a father's, Now we seek thy favour. r Thou, who art like a mighty man who slayeth with the dart Or a sharp-horned bull, O Agni, hast rent the forts. s O friends, together (offer) fit Food and praise to Agni, Highest over the folk, The son of strength, the mighty. t Thou gatherest, O strong one, All that belongeth, O Agni, to the niggard; Thou art kindled in the place of offering; Do thou bear us good things. u O Prajapati. v He knoweth. w O Soma and Pusan. x These gods. a Eagerly we hail thee, Eagerly would we kindle thee; Eager bring the eager, The fathers, to eat the offering. b Thou, O Soma, art pre-eminent in wisdom; Thou movest along the straightest path; Through thy guidance, O drop, our fathers wisely divided The treasure among the gods.

' they say; 'he who day by day makes a present to a man and then begs of him assuredly molests him; and who then will day by day beg of the gods?' Then they say, 'The sacrificer sacrifices for the sake of the benediction.' The reverence of the fire is [6] the benediction of him who has established a fire; therefore reverence should be paid to the fire. Prajapati created cattle; being created they entered day and night; he recovered them by means of the metres. In that he pays reverence with the metres, he seeks to recover his own. 'There is not monotony then', they say, 'if one pays reverence day by day.' If a man pays reverence to the fire facing it, it burns him; if with averted (face), he is deprived of offspring and cattle; he should pay reverence with (face) somewhat to the side, then (the fire) does not burn him, he is not deprived of offspring or cattle. a The name that first, O alI-knower, My father and my mother bestowed upon me aforetime, Do thou bear it until I return; O Agni, may I bear thy name. b My name and thine, O all-knower, Which like men changing garments we bear, Let us exchange again, Thou for life, and we to live. c Homage to Agni, the unpierced, Homage to the unapproachable, homage to the king! Irresistible is Agni [1], the very vigorous, all-conquering, Powerful, the best, the Gandharva. d O Agni, the gods have thee for father, Offer to thee oblations, and have thee as an umpire With life, with lordship of cattle (endow) me And bestow on me good fortune. e Agni here is of all the best, He is most adorable, Must ready to win (us) a thousand; To him be all good strength. f Mind, light, rejoice in the oblation May he unite the scattered sacrifice; The offerings at dawn and evening I unite with oblation and ghee. g Rich in milk are the plants [2], The milk of the shoot is rich in milk, With the milk of the milk of the waters, O Indra, do thou unite me.

To swimming creatures hail! To creeping creatures hail! a Thou art the glittering of Soma; as thine may my glittering be. b Thou art ambrosia; from death protect me. c From the thunderbolt protect me. d Propitiated are biting flies. e Cast away is Namuci's head. f Soma, king Varuna, and the gods which instigate righteousness, may they thy speech, may they instigate thy breath, may they instigate thy sight, may they instigate thine ear. g With the glory of Soma I besprinkle thee, with the brilliance of Agni [1], with the radiance of the sun, with the power of Indra, with the strength of Mitra and Varuna, with the force of the Maruts. h Thou art the lord of kingly powers. i Protect from the sky. k Out from below have they come, Following the serpent of the deep; On the back of the mountain, the hill, The ships that pour spontaneously go ever. l O Rudra, that highest active name of thee, to that thou art offered, thou art offered m O Prajapati, none other than thou Hath encompassed all these beings; Be that ours for which we sacrifice to thee May we be lords of wealth. a Thou art the bolt of Indra, slaying foes; with thee may he slay his foe. b By the precept of Mitra and Varuna, the directors, I yoke thee with the yoking of the sacrifice. c Thou art the stepping of Visnu, thou art the step of Visnu, thou art the stride of d On the instigation of the Maruts may I conquer. e Be mind ready. f May I be united with power and strength. g Thou art the spirit of cattle; like them may my spirit be. h Homage to mother earth; may I not harm mother earth [1]; may mother earth harm me not. i So great art thou, thou art life, bestow life upon me; thou art strength, bestow strength upon me; thou art the yoker; thou art radiance, bestow radiance upon me. k To Agni, lord of the house, hail! To Soma, lord of the forest, hail! To Indra's strength hail! To the Maruts' force hail!

i Give him portion, O Agni, in praises; Give him portion in every hymn that is sung, Dear shall he be before Surya, dear before Agni With what is born, what is to be born shall he be victorious. k Thee, O Agni, the sacrificers through the days Bear as many riches desirable; With thee desiring wealth, Eagerly they revealed the stall rich in kine. l Shining like gold, he hath become widely resplendent, For glory shining with immortal life; Agni became immortal in his strength, What time prolific Dyaus begat him. a O Lord of food, accord us food, Uninjurious, impetuous; Do thou further the donor, Bestow strength on our bipeds, our quadrupeds. b May the All-gods thee, O Agni, bear up with their thoughts; Be thou to us most propitious, With kindly face, abounding in light, c Come forward, O Agni, rich in light, With auspicious rays; Shining with great radiance, Harm not our offspring with thy body. d With kindling-wood serve Agni, Awaken the guest with ghee; In him [1] offer oblations. e Far-famed is this Agni of Bharata, Since his great light shineth like the sun; He who overcame Puru in battle Hath shone forth, the heavenly guest, propitious for us. f O ye waters divine, accept these ashes; Place them on a resting-place, in the fragrant region To him may the ladies with noble spouses bow; Like a mother her son, do ye kindly bear him. g In the waters, O Agni, is thy seat [2], Thou enterest the plants; Being in the germ thou art born again. h Thou art the germ of plants, The germ of trees, The germ of all things, O Agni, thou art the germ of the waters. i With ashes having satisfied thy birthplace And the waters, on the earth, O Agni, In unison with thy mothers, Full of light hast thou again taken thy seat. k Having again come to thy seat, And to the waters, to the earth, O Agni, Within her thou liest, most auspicious, As on the lap of a mother. l Return with strength [3], Return, O Agni, with food and life; Again guard us on all sides.

On the Ekastaka the divider of the days, he should cook a cake of four Çaravas in size, and early with it should fire the thicket; if [4] it burns, it becomes a good season, if it does not burn, a bad season. By this mode of prognostication the seers of old used to undertake a long Sattra. He who knowing the seer, the hearer, the reciter, sacrifices, is united in yonder world with what he has sacrificed and bestowed. The seer is Agni, the hearer is Vayu, the reciter Aditya; he, who offers knowing thus to them, in yonder world is united with what be has sacrificed and bestowed. 'May he from in front with the cloud' [5], he says; (he that is) from in front with the cloud is Agni; verily he says to Agni, 'Guard this for me.' 'Do thou, O lord of cloud', he says; the lord of cloud is Vayu; verily he says to Vayu, 'Guard this for me.' 'O god, that dost fatten', he says; the god that fattens is yonder Aditya; verily he says to Aditya, 'Guard this for me.' The Special Animal Offerings a This young one I put around you, Playing with him that is dear do ye move; Afflict us not in birth, O ye prosperous ones; May we rejoice in increase of wealth, in food. b Homage to thy greatness, to thine eye, 0 father of the Maruts, that do I sing; Be propitious, with a fair sacrifice may we offer; Be this oblation acceptable to the gods. c This was the bundle of the gods, The germ of the waters smeared upon the plants; Pusan chose a drop of Soma [1]; A great stone was there then for them. d Father of calves, husband of cows, And father too of great gulfs, Calf, afterbirth, fresh milk, beestings, Clotted milk, curd, ghee is his seed. e Thee the cows chose for lordship, Thee the Maruts, sweet singers, bailed; Resting on the summit, the pinnacle, of lordly power, Then O dread one to us assign wealth. Unsuccessful is his animal offering for whom these (rites) are not performed; successful is the offering of him for whom they are performed. iii. 3. 10.

Accomplishing (the rite) with Rc, Saman, and Yajus, Let us rejoice in fullness of wealth, in sustenance. a This is thy body, O pure one. This is thy splendour. With it be united. Win brightness. b Thou art the strong, grasped by mind, acceptable to Visnu. c In the impulse of thee, of true impulse, may I win a support for my speech. Hail! d Thou art pure, thou art nectar, thou art the sacrifice for all the gods. e I have mounted the eye of the sun. The pupil of the eye of Agni, When thou goest with thy steeds, Blazing with the wise. f Thou art thought, thou art mind, thou art meditation, thou art the gift (to the [1], thou art of the sacrifice, thou art of kingly power, thou art Aditi, double- g Be thou successful for us in going, successful in returning. h May Mitra bind thee by the foot. i May Pusan guard the ways, k For Indra, the overseer! l May thy mother approve thee, thy father, thy brother sprung of the same womb, thy friend in the herd. m Go, goddess, to the god, to Soma for Indra's sake. n May Rudra guide thee hither in the path of Mitra. o Hail! Return with Soma as thy comrade, with wealth. a Thou art a Vasvi, thou art a Rudra, thou art Aditi, thou art an Aditya, thou art thou art Candra. b May Brhaspati make thee rejoice in happiness. May Rudra with the Vasus be favourable to thee. c I pour thee on the head of the earth, on the place of sacrifice, on the abode of the offering, rich in ghee; hail! d The Raksas is enclosed, the evil spirits are enclosed. Thus I cut the neck of the e Thus I cut the neck of him who hates us and whom we hate [1]. f With us be wealth, with thee be wealth, thine be wealth. g Gaze, O goddess, together with the goddess Urvaçi. h Let me attend on thee, with Tvastr's aid; rich in seed, bearing seed, may I find a hero in thy presence. i May I not be separated from abundance of wealth. a Let thy shoot be joined with shoot, joint with joint, let thy scent further desire, let savour which falls not cause rejoicing.

a (Thou art) Krttikas, the Naksatra, Agni, the deity; ye are the radiances of Agni, of Prajapati, of the creator, of Soma; to the Re thee, to radiance thee, to the shining thee, to the blaze thee, to the light thee b (Thou art) Rohini the Naksatra, Prajapati the deity; Mrgaçirsa the Naksatra, Soma the deity; Ardra the Naksatra, Rudra the deity; the two Punarvasus the Naksatra, Aditi the deity; Tisya the Naksatra, Brhaspati the deity; the Açresas the Naksatra, the serpents the deity; the Maghas the Naksatra, the fathers the deity; the two Phalgunis the Naksatra [1], Aryaman the deity; the two Phalgunis the Naksatra, Bhaga the deity; Hasta the Naksatra, Savitr the deity; Citra the Naksatra, Indra the deity; Svati the Naksatra, Vayu the deity; the two Viçakhas the Naksatra, Indra and Agni the deity; Anruradha the Naksatra, Mitra the deity; Rohini the Naksatra, Indra the deity; the two Viçrts the Naksatra; the fathers the deity; the Asadhas the Naksatra, the waters the deity; the Asadhas the Naksatra, the All-gods the deity; Çrona the Naksatra, Visnu the deity; Çravistha the Naksatra, the Vasus [2] the, deity; Çatabhisaj the Naksatra, Indra the deity; Prosthapadas the Naksatra, the goat of one foot the deity; the Prosthapadas the Naksatra, the serpent of the deep the deity; Revati the Naksatra, Pusan the deity; the two Açvayujs the Naksatra, the Açvins the deity; the Apabharanis the Naksatra, Yama the deity. c Full on the west; what the gods placed. a (Ye are) Madha and Madhava, the months of spring. b (Ye are) Çukra and Çuci, the months of summer. c (Ye are) Nabha and Nabhasya, the months of rain. d (Ye are) Isa and Urja, the months of autumn. e (Ye are) Saha and Sahasya, the months of winter. f (Ye are) Tapa and Tapasya, the months of the cool season.

The sacrificial fee is a renovated chariot, a newly-sewn garment, a draught ox let loose again, for the prosperity of the reestablishing. 'Seven are thy kindling-sticks, O Agni, seven thy tongues'; (with these words) he offers the Agnihotra. Wherever there is anything of his nature, thence [4] does he win him. Now he who removes the fire is the slayer of the hero among the gods, Varuna is the exactor of the recompense; he should make an offering on eleven potsherds to Agni and Varuna; him whom he slays and him who exacts the recompense he delights with their own portion; the sacrificer is not a (Thou I art) earth in depth, sky in breadth, atmosphere in greatness; In thy lap, O goddess Aditi, Agni I place, food-eater for the eating of food. b The spotted bull hath come And reached again the mother And the father, faring to the heaven. c Thirty places be ruleth; Speech resorteth to the bird Bear it with the days. d With her inspiration from his expiration, She wandereth between the worlds; The bull discerneth the heaven. e If thee [1] in anger I have scattered, In rage or through misfortune, That of thee, O Agni, be in good order, Again thee we relight. f Whatever of thee scattered in rage Was spread over the earth, That the Adityas, the All-gods And the Vasus gathered together. g Mind, light, rejoice in the oblation. May be unite this scattered sacrifice; May Brhaspati extend it; May the All-gods rejoice herein. h Seven are thy kindling-sticks, O Agni, seven thy tongues; Seven seers [2], seven dear abodes, Seven priesthoods sevenfold sacrifice to thee; Seven birthplaces with ghee do thou fill. i Return with strength, return, O Agni, with food and life; Again guard us on all sides. k Return with wealth, O Agni, Fatten with the stream, All gaining on every side.

m After him as he hasteneth in triumphant speed Bloweth the wind as after the wing of the bird, Of the impetuous eagle, (after him) Dadhikravan, As in his might he crosseth the winding ways. n May there come to me the instigation of strength; May there come sky and earth with all healing; Come to me father [3] and mother; May Soma come to me for immortality. o O ye steeds, prize winning, about to run for the prize, about to win the prize, do ye touch Brhaspati's portion. p O ye steeds, prize winning, that have run for the prize, that have won the prize, do ye be pure in Brhaspati's portion. q True hath been the compact That ye did make with Indra. r Ye have made Indra win the prize, O trees; now be ye loosed. a Thou art the caul of the kingly class, thou art the womb of the kingly class. b O wife, come hither to the heaven; let us two mount! Yes, let us two mount the heaven; I will mount the heaven for us both. c Strength, instigation, the later born, inspiration, heaven, the head, the Vyaçniya, the offspring of the last, the last, the offspring of being, being, the overlord. d May life accord with the sacrifice, may expiration accord with the sacrifice, may inspiration accord with the sacrifice [1], may cross-breathing accord with the may eye accord with the sacrifice, may ear accord with the sacrifice, may mind accord with the sacrifice, may the body accord with the sacrifice, may the sacrifice accord with the sacrifice. e We have come to the heaven, to the gods; we have become immortal; we have become the offspring of Prajapati. f May I be united with offspring, offspring with me; may I be united with increase of wealth, increase of wealth with me. g For food thee! For proper food thee! For strength thee! For the conquering of strength thee! h Thou art ambrosia, thou art prospering, thou art begetting.

l That mortal, O Agni, whom thou hast helped in the battles, Whom thou hast strengthened in the contest for booty, He winneth I abiding strength. a Thou, O Agni, art Rudra, the Asura of the mighty sky, Thou art the host of the Maruts, thou art lord of food; Thou farest with ruddy winds, blessing the household; Thou, as Pasan dost, protectest thy worshippers with thyself. b Rudra, king of the sacrifice, True offerer, priest of both worlds, Agni before the dreadful thunder,' Of golden colour, win ye for help. c Agni hath set him down as priest, good sacrificer, On the lap of his mother, in the fragrant place, The youthful, the wise, pre-eminent among men [1], righteous, Supporter of the folk in whose midst he is kindled. d Good hath he made our sacrifice this day; The hidden tongue of the sacrifice have we found He hath come, fragrant, clothed in life; He hath made our sacrifice this day to prosper. e Agni hath cried like Dyaus thundering, Licking the earth, devouring the plants; Straightway on birth he shone aflame; He blazeth with his light within the firmaments. In thee, O many-faced sacrificer [2], Morning and evening, the sacrificers place their treasures, In whom, purifying, good things are placed, even as the heaven and earth (support) all beings. q To thee, best of Angirases, All folk with fair dwellings severally, O Agni, have turned to gain their wish. h May we win by thy help, O Agni, our wish, Wealth with fair offspring, O wealthy one: May we win booty, seeking for booty; May we win, O deathless, undying glory. i O Agni, of the Bharatas, youngest, Bear to us excellent, glorious wealth, [3] O bright one, wealth which many desire. k White robed is he, thundering, standing in the firmament. Youngest, with loud-sounding immortal ones, Who, purifying, most manifold, Agni, marcheth devouring many broad (forests). l May he give thee life on every side, Agni here, the desirable. Let thy breath come back to thee; I drive away the disease from thee.

'May Brhaspati extend this for us', he says; Brhaspati is the holy power (Brahman) of the gods; verily by the holy power (Brahman) he unites the sacrifice. 'May he unite this scattered sacrifice', he says, for continuity. 'May the All-gods rejoice here', he says; verily continuing the sacrifice he indicates it to the gods. The [5] sacrificial fee which he gives at the sacrifice his cattle accompany; he having sacrificed is like to become without cattle; 'the sacrificer must so arrange', they say, 'that he may place among the gods what is given, but keep his cattle with himself.' 'Swell, O ruddy one', he says; the ruddy one is the sacrifice; verily he magnifies the sacrifice; thus he places among the gods what is given, but keeps his cattle with himself. 'May (my act) as I give be not destroyed', he says; verily he avoids destruction; 'May (my act) as I work not perish', he says; verily he attains prosperity. Samçravas Sauvarcanasa said to Tumiñja Aupoditi: 'When thou hast been a Hotr of Sattrins, what Ida hast thou invoked?' 'Her I have invoked', he said, 'who supports the gods by her expiration, men by her cross-breathing, and the Pitrs by her inspiration.' 'Does she divide, or does she not divide' (he asked). 'She divides', he replied. 'Her body then hast thou invoked', he said. Her body is the cow [1]; of the cow were they two talking. She who is given in the sacrifice supports the gods with her expiration; she by whom men live (supports) men by her cross-breathing; she whom they slay for the Fathers (supports) the Fathers by her inspiration; he who knows thus becomes rich in cattle. 'Her too I have invoked', he said, 'who is available to people as they increase.' 'Her food then [2] hast thou invoked', he replied. This food is plants, plants are available to people as they increase; he who knows thus becomes an eater of food. 'Her too I have invoked', he said, who supports people in distress and succours them as they improve.

He whose ancestors and himself for three generations have not drunk Soma should offer (a bull) which has again been let loose to Indra and Agni; the Soma drinking of a Brahman is interrupted if his ancestors and himself for three generations have not drunk Soma [5]; verily he has recourse to Indra and Agni with their own share; verily they bestow on him the drinking of Soma, the drinking of Soma comes to him. In that it is offered to Indra, the Soma drink is power; verily he wins power, the Soma-drink. In that it is offered to Agni, the Brahman is connected with Agni, verily he continues his own deity. It is let loose again, for his drinking of Soma is as it were let loose again [6]; (verily it serves) for prosperity. When practising witchcraft, he should offer a hornless (beast) to Brahmanaspati; verily he has recourse to Brahmanaspati with his own share; verily he cuts him down to him; swiftly he reaches destruction. It is a hornless one; prosperity is razor-edged; in that it is hornless, (it serves) for prosperity. The sacrificial post is shaped like a wooden sword; the wooden sword is a thunderbolt; verily he hurls a thunderbolt against him; the strew is made of Çara grass; verily he crushes him; the kindling-wood is of Vibhidaka; verily he splits him. He who desiring a village desires, 'May I be the back of my equals', should offer to Brhaspati (a beast) with a white back; verily he has recourse to Brhaspati with his own share; verily he makes him to be the back of his peers; he becomes possessed of a village. It is with a white back, for it has Brhaspati as its deity; (verily it serves) for prosperity. He who desires food should offer a dark (beast) to Pusan; Pusan is food; verily he has recourse to Pusan with his own share; verily he gives him [1] food; he becomes an eater of food. It is dark, that is the form of food; (verily it serves) for prosperity.

m Abode and collector of riches, Every form she discerneth with might [4], Like the god Savitr of true laws, Like Indra, she standeth at the meeting of the ways. n Make firm the straps, Fasten the buckets; We shall drain the well full of water, That never is exhausted, never faileth. o The well with buckets fastened, With strong straps, that yieldeth abundantly, Full of water, unexhausted, I drain. p The sages yoke the ploughs; They stretch apart the yokes, Wise with goodwill among the gods. q Yoke the ploughs, stretch apart the yokes, Here sow in the womb made ready the seed [5] Through our song be there audience with profit for us; May the ripe (grain) be brought low by the sickle. r The plough, of keen share, Propitious, with well-polished handle, Plougheth up a cow, a sheep, And a fat blooming maid, A chariot support with a platform. s With prosperity may our ploughs cleave the ground, With prosperity may the ploughers go round the yokes; Prosperity (may) Parjanya (give) with honey and milk, And do ye, O Çuna and Sira, accord prosperity to us. t Wishes, O milker of wishes, do thou milk To Mitra and Varuna; To Indra, to Agni, to Pusan, To the plants, and to offspring. u The furrow anointed with ghee, with honey, Approved by the All-gods, the Maruts, Full of strength, swelling with milk, Do thou, O furrow, turn towards us with milk. a The plants born Three generations before the gods, Of the brown ones I celebrate The seven and a hundred abodes. b A hundred, O mother, are your abodes, A thousand too your shoots, Therefore do ye, with a hundred powers, Make him whole for me. c With flowers, with shoots, Fruit-bearing and without fruit, Like steeds victorious The plants are strong to help. d 'Plants', O ye mothers, I hail you, O goddesses; Go bearing away defilement, Defilement [1] destroying. e In the Açvattha is your seat, In the Parna is your dwelling made; Cows shall in truth be your share If ye shall gain this man.

In that he digs he acts as it were harshly to this (earth); he pours water down, the waters are appeased; verily with the waters appeased he calms her pain. 'May for thee Vayu, Matariçvan unite', he says; Vayu is breath; verily with breath he unites her breath; 'may for thee Vayu', he says; therefore the rain speeds from the sky, made to fall by Vayu. 'To him, O goddess, be Vasat with thee' [1], he says; the seasons are six; verily upon the seasons he bestows rain; therefore in all the seasons it rains. If he were to utter the Vasat cry, his Vasat cry would be exhausted; if he were not to utter the Vasat cry, the Raksases would destroy the sacrifice; 'Vat', he says; verily, mysteriously he utters the Vasat cry; his Vasat cry is not exhausted, the Raksases do not destroy the sacrifice. 'Well born with light', (with these words) he ties up with an Anustubh verse; all the metres are the Anustubh [2], Agni's dear body is the metres; verily he encircles him with his dear body; likely to win a garment is he who knows thus. Agni when tied up is connected with Varuna; 'Arise, thou of fair sacrifice', 'Arise, erect, to aid us', with two (verses) addressed to Savitr he rises up; verily, instigated by Savitr, he sends aloft the wrath of Varuna that is in him; with two (verses) (he arises), for support. 'Born, thou art the child [3] of the two worlds, he says; the two worlds are these two (sky and earth), Agni is the child of the two; therefore he says thus. 'O Agni, brilliant, distributed among the plants', he says, for when they distribute him, then he becomes more brilliant. 'Thou didst come thundering from thy mothers', he says; his mothers are the plants; verily from them he makes him to fall. 'Be firm, of strong limbs', (with these words) he places (Agni) on the ass [4]; verily thereby he yokes it for strength. He gathers with the ass; therefore the ass is the best burden- gatherer of animals.

From expiration and inspiration are they separated of whom when consecrated one dies, Mitra and Varuna are expiration and inspiration; verily at the commencement they grasp expiration and inspiration. He should draw the Açvina cup first who is infirm. The Açvins are of the gods those who are infirm, late as it were came they to the front. The Açvins are the gods of him who is infirm; they lead him to the front. He who desires support having attained prosperity should draw the Çukra Cup first. The Çukra is yonder sun, this is the end; a man when he has reached the end [2] of prosperity stops; verily from the end he grasps the end, and becomes not worse. He who practises witchcraft should draw the Manthin cup first. The Manthin vessel is a vessel of misfortune; verily he causes death to seize on him; swiftly does he reach misfortune. He should draw the Agrayana cup first whose father and grandfather are holy, and who yet does not possess holiness. From speech and power is he separated whose father and grandfather are holy [3], and who yet does not possess holiness. The Agrayana (cup) is the breast as it were and the speech as it were of the sacrifice; verily with speech and with power he unites him, then he becomes not worse. He against whom witchcraft is practised should draw the Ukthya cup first. The Ukthya vessel is the power of all vessels; verily he yokes him with all power. He should take as Puroruc (the verse) 'O Sarasvati, lead us to prosperity.' Sarasvati is speech [4]; verily with speech he yokes him. 'May we go not through thee to joyless fields', he says. The joyless fields are those of death; verily he goes not to the fields of death. He should draw full cups for one who is ill. Pain afflicts the breaths of him who is ill, the cups are breaths; verily he frees his breaths from pain, and even if his life is gone, yet he lives. He should draw full cups if rain does not fall.

He who desires a village should offer to the Maruts an oblation of panic seed in the milk of a speckled (cow); from the milk of a speckled (cow) were the Maruts born, of the speckled (cow) panic seed; his fellows have the Maruts for their deity; verily he has recourse to the Maruts with their own share; verily they subject his fellows to him; he becomes possessed of a village. The Yajya and the Anuvakya contain the word 'dear' [4]; verily he makes him dear to his fellows; the Puronuvakya, has two feet; verily he wins bipeds; the Yajya has four feet; verily he wins quadrupeds. The gods and the Asuras were in conflict; the gods were mutually at variance; unwilling to accept the pre-eminence of another they went apart in four bodies, Agni with the Vasus, Soma with the Rudras, Indra with the Maruts, Varuna with the Adityas. Indra had recourse to Prajapati; he made him [5] sacrifice with the verse for harmony; to Agni with the Vasus he offered a cake on eight potsherds, to Soma with the Rudras an oblation, to Indra with the Maruts a cake on eleven potsherds, to Varuna with the Adityas an oblation; then indeed the gods agreed to recognize Indra's pre-eminence. Him who is mutually at variance with his fellows he should cause to offer with the verse for harmony; he should offer to Agni with the Vasus a cake on eight potsherds, to Soma with the Rudras an oblation, to Indra with the Maruts a cake on eleven potsherds, to Varuna with the Adityas an oblation; so him becoming Indra his fellows recognize as superior; he becomes the best of his fellows. a The golden germ. b When the waters. c O Prajapati. d He as a son knoweth the father, he the mother, He is a son, he is of generous returns; He hath enveloped the sky, the atmosphere, he the heaven; He hath become all the worlds, he hath come to be. f The radiant. g Thou from of old with thy new glory, O Agni, with thy companion light, Hast mightily outstretched.

a Long life thou givest, O Agni, O god, to the giver, Sage, lord of the house, the youthful. b Bearing the oblations, Agni, immortal, our father, Wide extending, widely refulgent, fair to see for us, With good household fire, do thou shine forth food, Mete out to uswards renown. c O do thou, O Soma, will life for us, That we may not die, Thou that lovest praise, lord of the forest. d Brahman of the gods, leader of poets, Sage of seers, bull of wild beasts, Eagle of vultures, axe of the forests, Soma [1] goeth over the seive singing. e With our hymns to-day we choose The god of all, the lord of the true, Savitr of true instigation. f Coming with true light, Placing the mortal and the immortal, With golden car Savitr The god advanceth gazing on the worlds. g That Aditi may accord To our cattle, our men, our kine, To our offspring, Rudra's grace. h Harm us not in our children, our descendants, nor in our life, Harm us not in our cattle, in our horses [2] Smite not in anger our heroes, O Rudra, With oblations let us serve thee with honour. i Like watchful birds swimming in water, Like the noises of the loud thundercloud, Like joyous waves breaking forth from the mountains, The praises have lauded Brhaspati. k With comrades shouting like swans, Casting aside his stone-made fetters, Brhaspati thundered towards the cows, And praised and sang in celebration perceiving them. l Hither, O Indra, enduring wealth [3], Victorious, bearing all, Highest for help, do thou bring. m O thou much invoked, thou dost endure the foes; Best be thy strength, thy gift here; Bring riches with thy right (hand), O Indra, Thou art the lord of rich rivers. n Thou were born, in full size at once, For the drinking of (Soma) when pressed, O Indra, O wise one, for pre-eminence. o Thou art mighty, O Indra, with holy power, To be adored at every pressing; Thou art an overthrower of men in every conflict, And highest song [4], O lord of all the people.

f The self of thee with my mind I perceived from afar, Flying with wings from below through the sky [2]; Thy head I saw speeding with wings On paths fair and dustless. g Here I saw thy highest form, Eager to win food in the footstep of the cow; When a mortal man pleaseth thy taste, Then most greedily dost thou consume the plants. h Thee follows the chariot, thee the lover, O steed, Thee the kine, thee the portion of maidens; Thy friendship the companies have sought; The gods have imitated thy strength [3]. i Golden his horns, iron his feet; Swift as thought, Indra was his inferior; The gods came to eat his oblation Who first did master the steed. k Full haunched, of slender middle, The heroic divine steeds, Vie together like cranes in rows, When the horses reach the divine coursing-place 1 Thy body is fain to fly, O steed; Thy thought is like the blowing wind; Thy horns are scattered in many places, They wander busy in the woods. m To [4] the slaughter the swift steed hath come, Pondering with pious mind; The goat, his kin, is led before, Behind him come the sages to sing. n To his highest abode hath the steed come, To his father and his mother; To-day do thou go, most welcome, to the gods; Then boons shall he assign to the generous. a Let not Mitra, Varuna, Aryaman, Ayu, Indra, Rbhuksan, the Maruts disregard us, When we shall proclaim before the assembly The might of the strong god-born steed. b When they bear before him, covered with a garment and with wealth The gift they have seized, The goat, all-formed, bleating, Goeth straight to the dear stronghold of Indra and Pusan. c This goat is led before the strong steed As share of Pusan, connected with the All-gods, When Tvastr impels him as an acceptable sacrifice Together with the steed for fair renown [1]. d When men thrice lead round in due season The steed going to the gods as an acceptable offering Then first goeth Pusan's share, The goat announcing the sacrifice to the gods.

He drew this libation for Mahendra, having slain Vrtra and being above the other deities; in that (the cup) for Mahendra is drawn, so the sacrificer draws this libation, being above other people. He draws with the Çukra vessel; (the cup) for Mahendra has the sacrificer as its deity, the Çukra is brilliance; in that he draws (the cup) for Mahendra in the Çukra-vessel, verily he bestows brilliance on the sacrificer. Aditi, desirous of offspring, cooked a Brahman's mess for the Sadhya gods; to her the gave the remains, she ate it, she became pregnant; of her the four Adityas were born. A second (mess) she cooked; she reflected, 'They have been born for me from the remains; if I eat first, then stronger ones will be born from me'; she ate first, she became pregnant, from her was born an egg which miscarried. She cooked a third (mess) for the Adityas [1], (saying) 'Let this labour be for enjoyment to me'; they said, 'Let us choose a boon; let him who shall be born hence be one of us; let him who shall be prosperous among his offspring be for our enjoyment'; then was born the Aditya Vivasvant, men are his offspring here, among them he alone is successful who sacrifices, he serves for enjoyment of the gods. The gods kept Rudra away from the sacrifice [2], he followed the Adityas; they took refuge in (the cups) for two deities, them they did not give up; therefore men do not give up even one worthy of death who has come for help. Therefore (the cup) for the Adityas is drawn from those for two deities, in that they were born from the remnant, therefore it is drawn from the remnant. He draws with three verses; mother, father, son, verily that is this pairing; the amnion, embryo, the chorion, verily that is this [3] pairing. The Aditya (cup) is cattle; curds are strength; he mixes with curds in the middle; verily he places strength in the middle of cattle; (with curds) to be coagulated with boiled milk, for purity. Therefore the raw milks the cooked.

k The strong, bearing the strong Agni, Germ of the waters, him of the ocean, O Agni, come hither, for enjoyment [3], As holy order and truth. l O plants, do ye accept Agni here Who cometh auspicious towards you; Casting aside all hostilities, all evil imaginings, Sitting down, may he smite away from us misfortune. m O plants, do ye rejoice in him, O ye that are rich in flowers, and have fair berries; This germ of yours, of due season, Hath sat him in his ancient seat. a Radiant with extending blaze, Do thou repel the enemy, the Raksas's hostility; May I enjoy the protection of the great protector, May I enjoy the leadership of Agni, easy to invoke. b Ye, waters, are healing; Further us to strength, To see great joy. c The most auspicious flavour that is yours, Accord to us here, Like eager mothers. d To him may we come with satisfaction, To whose dwelling ye quicken us, O waters, and propagate us. e Mitra [1], having united the earth And the ground with light, Agni well-born, all-knower, Common to all men, the wide extending. f For health I unite thee, for offspring; may the All-gods, common to all men, unite thee with the Anustubh metre, in the manner of Angiras. g The Rudras, having gathered together the earth, Kindled a great light; Their ray undying Shineth clear among the gods. h United by the Vasus, the cunning Rudras, The mud fit for the rite, Making it smooth with her hands, May Sinivali fashion [2] this (pan). i Sinivali, of fair braids, Of fair head-dress, with fair locks, May she, O Aditi, O great one, Place within thy hands the pan. k Let Aditi fashion the pan with might, With her arms, with wisdom, Let her bear Agni in her womb As a mother a child in her lap. I Thou art the head of Makha. m Ye are the two feet of the sacrifice. n May the Vasus fashion thee with the Gayatri metre, in the manner of Angiras. art the earth; may the Rudras fashion thee with the Tristubh metre, in the manner Angiras.

m Thou art a piler round; in the manner of Angiras be firm with that deity. n Fill the world, fill the hole, do thou sit down auspicious; Indra and Agni and Brhaspati Have placed thee on this birthplace o The dappled kine, streaming with milk, Mix the Soma, Clans in the birthplace of the gods, In the three realms of sky. a Be united, be in harmony, in affection, Radiant, with kindly thought, Clothed in food and strength, United have I made your minds, your ordinances, your hearts. b O Agni of the dust be overlord for us; Bestow food and strength on the sacrificer. c Thou, O Agni, art of the dust, Rich, full of increase, Making all the regions propitious Thou hast sat down on thine own birthplace. d Be ye of one mind for us, One dwelling [1], spotless; Harm not the sacrifice, nor the lord of the sacrifice, O all-knowers; Be ye two auspicious to-day unto us. e As a mother her son, the earth, The pan, hath borne Agni of the dust in his own birthplace In unison with the All-gods, the seasons, Let Prajapati, all-worker, release it. f The bright light Born beyond this firmament, May that convey us beyond our foes, O Agni Vaiçvanara, hail! g Homage to thee, O Nirrti of every form [2], Loosen ye this bond made of iron; Do thou in accord with Yama and Yami Mount this highest vault. h The bond that Nirrti, the goddess, Bound on thy neck, not to be loosened, This I loosen for thee as from the middle of life; Then living, let loose, do thou eat the food. i Thee in whose cruel mouth here I make offering, For the loosening of these bonds, As 'earth' men know thee, As 'Nirrti' [3], I know thee on every side. k Seek the man who poureth not offering nor sacrifices; The road of the thief and robber thou followest; Seek another than us, that is thy road; Homage be to thee, O Nirrti, O goddess. l Praising Nirrti, the goddess, Like a father his son, I weary her with my words; She who knoweth all that is born, Discerneth, the lady, every head.

e The zenith of the quarters; the winter and the cool season of the seasons; Brhaspati the deity; radiance the wealth; the twenty-sevenfold the Stoma, and it forming a path of the thirty-threefold; the draught ox the strength; the Abhibhu of throws; the wind all through the wind; Suparna the Rsi. f Fathers, grandfathers, near and far, may they protect us, may they help us, in this holy power, this lordly power, this prayer, this Purohita-ship, this rite, this invocation of the gods. a Firm is thy dwelling, thy place of birth, firm art thou Settle thou duly in thy firm place of birth; Banner of the fire in the pan, May the two Açvins, the leeches, set thee here first in the east. b In thine own skill sit thou whose sire is skill, As the great earth bountiful among the gods, Be of kindly approach and come with thy body, Kindly as a father to his son; May the two Açvins, the leeches, set thee here. c Nesting, rich in wealth, strength bestowing, Increase for us wealth, abundant, rich in heroes [1], Driving away hostility and enmity, Granting the lord of the sacrifice a share in increase of wealth, Do thou bestow the heaven as increase to the sacrificer; May the two Açvins, the leeches, set thee here. d Thou art the dust of Agni, the leader of the gods; May the All-gods favour thee as such; With Stomas for thy back, rich in ghee, sit thou here, And win to us by sacrifice riches with offspring. May the two Açvins, the leeches, set thee here! e Thou art the head of sky, the navel of earth, the holder apart of the quarters, the paramount of the worlds [2], the wave, the drop of the waters thou art; Viçvakarman is thy seer; may the two Açvins, the leeches, set thee here. f In unison with the seasons, in unison with the ordainers, in unison with the unison with the Rudras, in unison with the Adityas, in unison with the All-gods, in unison with the gods, in unison with the gods establishing strength, to Agni Vaiçvanara, thee; may the two Açvins, the leeches, set thee here.

'That disease of yours, O Indra and Varuna, that is in the two footed cattle, that of yours I appease hereby', he says; so many are the waters, the plants, the trees, offspring and cattle on whom to live; verily does he free them for him from Varuna's noose. a Thou from of old. b The wise contrivings. c Indra on all sides. d Indra men. e Do thou guard us, O Soma, on all sides, O king, from him who plots evil; Lot not the friend of such as thou come to harm. f Thy places in the sky, in the earth, In the mountains, in the plants, in the waters, With all of these, kindly and without anger, Do thou, O king Soma, accept our oblations. g O Agni and Soma, united, With common offering, accept our prayers, Ye were born together among the gods. h Ye [1], O Agni and Soma, with common inspiration, Placed these lights in the sky; Ye freed the streams from the dread imprecation When they were held fast. i O Agni and Soma, hearken kindly, O ye strong ones, to my invocation; Accept gladly our songs, Be a refreshment to the giver. k One from the sky Matariçvan bore, The falcon churned another from the rock; Agni and Soma, waxing great through prayer, Ye made broad room for the sacrifice. l O Agni and Soma, the oblation which is set forth [2], Do ye taste, accept it, rejoice in it, O ye strong ones Of good protection, of good help be ye, And give to the sacrificer health and wealth. n Together thee. o Troop lord of troops we invoke thee, Sage of sages, most famous; Highest king of Brahmans, O lord of prayer, Hearkening to us with help do thou sit on thy place. p He shall win booty and prizes with tribe, With clan, with family, with sons, with men, Who shall seek to win the father of the gods [3], Pious with oblations, the lord of prayer. q He with his fair singing, harmonious troop, Crushed Vala and Phaliga with his cry; Brhaspati drove out the cows, which mix the offerings, Thundering as they lowed. r O Maruts, what time from the sky. s The protections that ye.

It was for three nights stolen; therefore after purchase the Soma is kept for three nights. The gods said, 'The Gandharvas love women; let us redeem it with a woman.' They made speech unto a woman of one year old, and with her redeemed it. She adopted the form of a deer and ran away from the Gandharvas [5] that was the origin of the deer. The gods said, 'She has run from you; she comes not to us; let us both summon her.' The Gandharvas uttered a spell, the gods sang, she went to the gods as they sang. Therefore women love one who sings; enamoured are women of him who thus knows. So if there is in a family one person who knows thus, men give their daughters in wedlock to that family, even if there be other (wooers) in plenty [6]. He buys Soma with a (cow) one year old; verily he buys it with the whole of speech. Therefore men utter speech when one year old. He buys with a cow which has no horns, small ears, is not one-eyed or lame, and has not seven hooves; verily he buys it with all. If he were to buy it with a white cow, the sacrificer would become leprous. If he were to buy with a black one, it would be a funeral cow, and the sacrificer would be likely to die. If with one of both colours, it would be one sacred to Vrtrahan, and he would either overcome his foe or his foe him. He buys with a ruddy, yellow-eyed one. This is the form of Soma; verily he buys it with its own deity. That became gold. Therefore they purify gold forth from the waters. The theologians say, 'How is it that offspring are produced through that which is boneless, and yet are born with bones?' Because he offers the gold, placing it in the ghee, therefore are offspring produced, through that which is boneless, and yet are born with bones. The ghee is Agni's loved abode, the gold, is radiance. 'This is thy body, O pure one. This is thy splendour', he says; verily he unites Agni with his radiance and his body [1]; verily also he makes him ready.

What we seek when we sacrifice to thee, let that be ours; May we be lords of riches. w Thou art the expiation of sin committed by the gods, thou art the expiation of sin committed by men, thou art the expiation of sin committed by the fathers. x Of thee, O god Soma, that art purified in the waters, that art pressed by men, over whom the Yajus is spoken, the Stoma sung, the Çastra recited, who art made by the fathers into food to win horses and cows, and who art invited, I invited eat. a Thou art the milk of the great ones, the body of the All-gods; may I today accomplish the cup of the speckled ones; thou art the cup of the speckled ones; thou art the heart of Visnu, once hath Visnu stepped apart along thee, O vigorous one; with curds and ghee may prosperity be increased; may wealth come to me from this which is offered and enjoyed thou art the light for all men, milked from the dappled one. b As great as are sky and earth in mightiness, As great as the expense of the seven rivers, So great is the cup of thee, O Indra [1], Which unvanquished I draw off with If a black bird touch the speckled butter, his slaves would be likely to die; if a dog touch it, his fourfooted cattle would be likely to die; if it were to be spilt, the sacrificer would be likely to die. The speckled butter is the cattle; his cattle fall, if his speckled butter falls; in that he takes again the speckled butter, he takes again cattle for him. The speckled butter is the breath; his breath [2] falls, if his speckled butter falls; in that he takes again the speckled butter, he takes again breath for him. He takes it after placing gold (in the ladle), gold is immortality, the speckled butter is the breath; verily he places immortality in his breath. It is of a hundred measures, man has a hundred years of life, a hundred powers; verily on life and power he rests. He makes a horse sniff it, the horse is connected with Prajapati; verily from his own place of origin he fashions offspring for him.

f In that in strength I seize These plants in my hand, The soul of the disease perisheth, As before one that taketh alive. g When the plants come together Like princes at the assembly, Sage is the physician called, Slayer of Raksases, overpowerer of diseases. h Remover is your mother by name, And ye are helpers; Ye are winged streams [2]; Remove whatever is unwell. i Let one of you aid another, Let one be of assistance to another; All the plants in unison Do ye further this speech of mine. k The strength of the plants hath arisen Like cows from the pasturage, Of them that are fain to win gain, To the self of thee, O man. I Beyond all obstacles, Like the thief the pen, they have strode, The plants have shaken away Every defilement in the body. m Those [3] that have mounted thy self, That have entered every limb, May they repel thy disease, Like a dread intercessor. n O disease, do thou fly forth With the eagle, the blue jay (kikidivi) With the rush of the wind, With the whirlwind do thou disappear. o Rich in steeds, rich in Soma, Full of strength, full of power, I have found all the plants For his safety. p The fruitful, the fruitless, The flowering, the flowerless, Impelled by Brhaspati, May they free us from tribulation. q The [4] plants whose king is Soma, And which have entered the earth, Of them thou art the highest, Impel us to long life. r Falling from the sky The plants said, 'He, whom we reach while in life, Shall not come to ill.' s Those that hear now And those that are gone far away, Coming all together here Give ye him healing. t May the digger of you come to no ill, Nor he for whom I dig you; May all our bipeds and quadrupeds Be free from disease. u The plants hold converse With Soma, the king, 'The man for whom the Brahman prepares (us), We, O king, bring to safety.' a May I be harm us not who is father of earth Or who, of true law, created the sky, And he who created the great bright waters; To what god shall we offer with oblation?

If she were held by the ears, she would belong to Vrtrahan, and the sacrificer would oppress another, or another would oppress him. 'May Mitra bind thee by the foot', he says. Mitra is the auspicious one of the gods; verily with his help he binds her by the foot. 'May Pusan guard the ways', he says. Pusan is this (earth); verily he makes her lady of this (earth), for the gaining thereof. 'For Indra the guardian!' he says; verily he makes Indra her guardian [6]. 'May thy mother approve, thy father', he says; verily he buys with her approved. 'Go, O goddess, to the god', he says; for she is a goddess, and Soma is a god. 'To Indra Soma', he says; for the Soma is borne to Indra. If he were not to say that text, the cow with which the Soma is bought would go away. 'May Rudra guide thee hither', he says. Rudra is the harsh [7] one of the gods; verily he places him below her, for guiding hither. He does as it were a harsh thing when he recites that (text) of Rudra's. 'In the path of Mitra', he says, for soothing. He buys indeed by speech when he buys by the cow with which the Soma is bought. Hail! Return with Soma as thy comrade, with wealth', he says, verily having purchased by means of speech, he restores speech to himself. The speech of him who knows thus is not likely to fail. He follows six steps. Speech does not speak beyond the sixth day. He wins speech in the size in which she is found in the path of the year. He offers in the seventh footprint. The Çakvari has seven feet, the Çakvari is cattle; verily he wins cattle. There are seven domesticated animals, and seven wild; there are seven metres to win both sets of animals. 'Thou art a Vasvi, thou art a Rudra', he says; verily thus by her form he expounds her greatness [1]. 'May Brhaspati make thee rejoice in happiness', he says. Brhaspati is the holy power of the gods; verily by means of the holy power be wins cattle for him. 'May Rudra with the Vasus be favourable to thee', he says, for the sake of protection.

m Homage to thee, O extended one. n Come forward, irresistible, along the stream of ghee, with offspring, with increase of wealth. o O ye waters, goddesses, purifying and pure, do ye bring the gods; may we, pure and served (by you), be servers upon you. a Let thy speech swell, let thy breath swell, let thine eye swell, let thine ear swell. b The pain that hath reached thy vital airs, that (hath reached) thine eye, that (hath reached) thine ear, what is harsh in thee, what is in its place,--let that swell, let that hereby be pure. c Lot thy navel swell, let thine anus swell. d Be thy feet pure. e Hail to the waters [1]! Hail to the plants! Hail to earth! Hail to night and day! f O plant, protect him. g O axe, harm him not. h Thou art the share of the Raksases. i This Raksas here I lead to the lowest darkness. k Him who hateth us and whom we hate, here him I lead to the lowest darkness. I For food thee! m In ghee, O sky and earth, be covered. n Uncut, with wealth of heroes, (give us) riches. o Fare along the broad atmosphere. p O Vayu, taste the drops. q Hail! go to Urdhvanabhas, offspring of the Maruts. a Let thy mind with the mind, let thy breath with the breath (of the gods be united). b Be this offering rich in ghee pleasing to the gods; hail! c May Indra's expiration be set in every limb; May Indra's inspiration be in every limb. d O god Tvastr, let mind be united for thee, When ye that are various become of one form; Over thee as thou goest among the gods for help let thy comrades And thy father and mother rejoice. e Thou art fortune (çri). f Let Agni cook (çrinatu) thee. g The waters are come together. h For the whirl of the wind [1] thee, for the rush of Pusan, for the growth of the waters, of the plants. i Drink ghee, ye drinkers of ghee; drink fat, ye drinkers of fat. k Thou art the oblation of the atmosphere. l Hail! thee to the atmosphere! m The quarters, the Pradiçes, the Adiçes, the Vidiçes, the Uddiçes. n Hail to the quarters! o Homage to the quarters.

(Thou art) Prajapati in mind, when come to the Soma; the creator in the consecration; Savitr in the bearing; Pusan in the cow for the purchase of the Soma; Varuna when bound (in the cloth); Asura in the being bought; Mitra when purchased; Çipivista when put in place; delighter of men when being drawn forward; the overlord on arrival; Prajapati being led on; Agni at the Agnidh's altar; Brhaspati on being led from the Agnidh's altar; Indra at the oblation-holder; Aditi when put in place; Visnu when being taken down; Atharvan when made wet; Yama when pressed out; drinker of unpurified (Soma) when being cleansed; Vayu when purifying; Mitra as mixed with milk; the Manthin when mixed with groats; that of the All-gods when taken out; Rudra when offered; Vayu when covered up; the gazer on men when revealed; the food when it comes; the famed of the fathers; life when taken; the river when going to the final bath; the ocean when gone; the water when dipped; the heaven when arrived at completion.

m Bright is part of thee, worthy of offering another [2], Like day and night of various hue, like the sky art thou; All magic thou dost further, O powerful one; Propitious here, O Pusan, be thy bounty. n They grew in might with their own power; They mounted the vault, they made a broad seat; When Visnu helped the strong one who causeth gladness, Like birds they sat on the dear strew. o Bear ye variegated praise to the strong singer, The host of the Maruts, which hath strength; Who with might endure might [3], For the jocund ones, O Agni, the earth shakes. p The All-gods. q O All-gods. r May sky and earth this day Place among the gods this sacrifice, Successful, touching the sky. s Bring forward the parents born of old with now songs, In the seat of holy order, Come to us, O sky and earth, with the host divine; Great is your protection. t Awaken Agni with the praise, Kindling the immortal; May he place our oblations among the gods. u Bearing the oblation, immortal, The eager messenger, well-inclined, Agni uniteth with our prayer. v Health be they. w For each prize.

g The chant, the Çastra, the response, The libation, the Ida, the prayers, I win, the light. I summon for thee the sacrifices of the wives, O offering, I take thy I offering and sacrificial utterance. h Cattle, the pressed (Soma), the sacrificial cakes, The pressings, the sacrifice, The gods with Indra, I summon for thee, O offering, Lead by Agni, with Soma, and them all. vii. 3. 12. The past, the present, the future, Vasat, hail, reverence! The Rc, the Saman, the Yajus, Vasat, hail, reverence! The Gayatri, the Tristubh, the Jagati, Vasat, hail, reverence! The earth, the atmosphere, the sky, Vasat, hail, reverence! Agni, Vayu, Surya, Vasat, hail, reverence! Expiration, cross-breathing, inspiration, Vasat, hail, reverence! Food, ploughing, rain, Vasat, hail, reverence! Father, son, grandson, Vasat, hail, reverence! Bhuh, Bhuvah, Suvar, Vasat, hail, reverence! vii. 3. 13. a May a house be mine, may offspring be mine; May the strong sacrifice come to me. May the divine and holy waters come to me; May the abundance of a thousandfold (wealth) fail me not. b May the cup be mine; may the Puroruc be mine; May the chant and the Çastra come to me in union. May the Adityas, the Rudras, the Vasus, be present at the rite; May the abundance of a thousandfold (wealth) fail me not. c May the Agnistoma, come to me, and the Ukthya; May the nocturnal Atiratra come to me. May the (draughts) which have stood over night, well offered, come to me; May the abundance of a thousandfold (wealth) fail me not. vii. 3. 14.

i Thine anger, O Varuna, would we avert with reverence, With sacrifices, with oblations Ruling, O wise Asura, O king, Do thou unloose the sins we have committed. k Unloose from us, O Varuna, the highest, The lowest, the midmost knot; Then may we, O Aditya [3], in thy rule, Be guiltless before Aditi. I Of Dadhikravan have I sung, The swift strong horse; May he make our mouths fragrant; May he lengthen our days. m Dadhikra with his glory hath overspread the five peoples, As the sun with his light the waters; May the strong steed, winning a hundred, a thousand, Fill with boney these words of ours. n Agni, the head. o Thou art. p O Maruts, what time seeking your favour We call on you from the sky, Do ye come unto us [4]. q The protections which ye have for the earnest worshipper, Threefold do ye grant them to the generous giver, To us, O Maruts, do ye accord them; O strong ones, give us wealth rich in heroes: r Let Aditi save us, Let Aditi give us protection, Let Aditi guard us from tribulation. s The mighty mother of the righteous, The spouse of holy order, let us invoke to aid us, The powerful, the unageing, the wide Aditi, who giveth good protection and good guidance. t Earth strong to save, sky unrivalled, Aditi who giveth good protection and good guidance, The divine ship with good oars, the blameless, Which leaketh not, let us mount for prosperity. u Happily have I mounted this ship With a hundred oars and a hundred spars, Without leak, able to convey across.

o (The foe who), O Mitra and Varuna, &c. p (The foe who), O Açvins, &c. iii. 2. 11. a He by thy help, O Agni, With good heroes, making strength, is victorious, Whose companionship thou dost favour. b Your ancient lofty praise bear To Agni, the Hotr The creator who beareth as it were the light of songs. c O Agni, three are thy powers, three thy stations, Three are thine ancient tongues, O born of holy order; Three are thy bodies in which the gods find pleasure, With them guard thou our songs unfailing. d With the rite, with food [1] I impel you, O Indra and Visnu, to the end of this work; Rejoice in the sacrifice and bestow wealth, Furthering us with safe ways. e Both are victorious, they are not defeated Neither of them at any time hath been defeated; When, with Indra, O Visnu, ye did strive, Then did ye in three divide the thousand. f Three ages are thine, O All-knower, Three births in the dawns, O Agni; With them, knowing, do thou propitiate the gods, And [2] be for the sacrificer health and wealth. g Agni abideth in three abodes Of three foundations, the sage; May he offer and may he satisfy for us, The three sets of eleven (gods); The wise envoy made ready, Let the others all be rent asunder. h O Indra and Visnu, ye overthrew The nine and ninety strong forts of Çambara; Of Varcin, the Asura, a hundred and a thousand heroes Do ye slay irresistibly. i Then did his mother seek to persuade him, 'O son, these gods are abandoning thee.' Then said Indra, about to slay Vrtra, 'O friend Visnu, step thou more widely.'

Two oceans are there extended, unperishing; They revolve in turns like the waves in the bosom of the sea; Seeing they pass over one of them, Seeing not [1] they pass over the other with a bridge. Two garments continuous one weareth; With locks, knowing all the worlds; He goeth in secret clad in the dark; He putteth on his bright robe abandoning that of the worn-out one. Whatever the gods did at the sacrifice the Asuras did. The gods saw this great sacrifice, they extended it, they performed the Agnihotra as the vow; therefore one should perform the vow twice, for twice they offer the Agnihotra. They performed the full moon rite, as the animal sacrifice to Agni and Soma [2]. They performed the new moon rite, as the animal sacrifice to Agni. They performed the sacrifice to the All-gods as the morning pressing. They performed the Varunapraghasas, as the midday pressing. They performed the Sakamedhas, the sacrifice to the fathers, and the offering to Tryambaka, as the third pressing. The Asuras sought to follow their sacrifice, but could not get on its tracks. They said, 'These gods have become inviolable (adhvartavyah). That is why the sacrifice (adhvara) is inviolable. Then the gods prospered, the Asuras were defeated. He who knowing thus offers the Soma, prospers himself, the enemy is defeated. a Surrounding Agni, surrounding Indra, surrounding the All-gods, surrounding me with splendour, be purified for us, with healing for cattle, healing for men, healing for the horses, healing, O king, for the plants; may we possess the abundance of wealth that is thine who art unbroken and of heroic power, O lord of wealth; of that give me, of that may I share, of that that is thine I procure this.

b Turn towards (us), O earth, With the sacrifice, with milk; Over thy caul let Agni, aroused, creep. c O Agni, that of thee which is pure, which is bright, Which is cleansed, which is fit for offering, That we bear to the gods. d Food and strength do I take hence [1], From the abode of holy order, from the birthplace of immortality. May it enter us, in cattle and in plants; I abandon decline, lack of food, and ill-health. e O Agni, strength and fame are thine, Thy rays shine mightily, O rich in light; O thou of broad radiance, with thy might, strength worthy of laud, Thou bestowest on the worshipper, O sage. f Do thou extend over men, O Agni, Ruling over wealth for us, O immortal one; Thou art the master of a glorious form, Thou fillest glorious wealth. g O son of strength, O all-knower, Rejoice in our fair praises [2], being adored in our prayers; In thee have they placed food, rich in seed, Of wondrous aid, of prosperous birth. h With pure radiance, with bright radiance, With undiminished radiance, thou comest forth with thy light; Visiting thy parents thou aidest them; Thou fillest both worlds. i The righteous, the bull, common to all men, Agni, men place before them for favour, Thee with their speech, that art ready to hear and most extending, The divine, the generations of men. k Preparer of the sacrifice, the wise, Who ruleth for great gain, The giver of the Bhrgus, the eager, skilled in the sacrifice Thou fillest glorious wealth. l Ye are pilers, ye are pilers around, do ye pile upwards as a support, with that deity, sit ye firm in the manner of Angiras. m Swell up, let thy strength be gathered From all sides, O Soma. Be strong in the gathering of might.

i may Dhatr give us wealth, Life in days to come and unfailing; May we obtain the favour Of the god whose gifts are true. k May Dhatr give wealth to the giver, Desiring offspring, generous in his home; Let all the immortal gods roll themselves up for him, The All-gods and Aditi in unison. l For us to-day may Anumati Among the gods favour our sacrifice, And be she and Agni, bearer of the oblation, A joy to the giver. m Accord thy favour, O Anumati [3], And grant us wealth; For inspiration, for insight impel us, Lengthen our days for us. n May she favouring, favour (us) With wealth, undecaying, rich in offspring; In her disfavour may we not fall; May the goddess easy to invoke grant us protection. o Anumati men reverence in the quarter Wherein is that which shineth; May she in whose lap is the broad atmosphere, The goddess, easy to invoke, grant us protection [4]. p Raka, easy to invoke, I invoke with fair praise; May the fortunate one hear us and be aware of us With needle that breaks not may she sew her task; May she give a hero, whose wergild is a hundred, worthy of song. q The fair thoughts of thine, O Raka, Whereby thou art wont to give wealth to the giver, With them to-day come to us in kindliness, Granting, O fortunate one, a thousandfold prosperity. r O Sinivali, s The fairhanded. t I invoke at the sacrifice Kuhn the fortunate, Who accomplisheth her work, the easy to invoke; May she give us the fame of our fathers; To thee, O goddess, let us offer with oblation. u Kuhn, lady of the gods and of immortality, Worthy of invocation, may she be aware of the oblation To the giver may she assign much good fortune, To the wise may she grant increase of wealth.

c Thou art the portion of them that gaze on men, the overlordship of Dhatr, the birthplace saved, the seventeenfold Stoma. d Thou art the portion of Mitra, the overlordship of Varuna, the rain from the sky, the winds saved, the twenty-onefold Stoma. e Thou art the portion of Aditi, the overlordship of Pusan, force saved, the twenty- sevenfold Stoma. f Thou art the portion of the Vasus [1], the overlordship of the Rudras, the quadruped saved, the twenty-fourfold Stoma. g Thou art the portion of the Adityas, the overlordship of the Maruts, offspring saved, the twenty-fivefold Stoma. h Thou art the portion of the god Savitr, the overlordship of Brhaspati, all the quarters saved, the fourfold Stoma. i Thou art the portion of the Yavas, the overlordship of the Ayavas, offspring saved, the forty-fourfold Stoma. k Thou art the portion of the Rbhus, the overlordship, of the All-gods, being calmed and saved, the thirty-threefold Stoma. They praised with one, creatures were established, Prajapati was overlord. They praised with three, the holy power: was created, the lord of holy power was overlord. They praised with fire, beings were created, the lord of beings was the overlord. They praised with seven, the seven seers were created, Dhatr was the overlord. They praised with nine, the fathers were created, Aditi was the overlady. They praised with eleven, the seasons were created, the seasonal one was the overlord. They praised with thirteen, the months were created, the year was the overlord [1]. They praised with fifteen, the lordly class was created, Indra was the overlord. They praised with seventeen, cattle were created, Brhaspati was the overlord. They praised with nineteen, the Çudra and the Arya were created, day and night were the overlords. They praised with twenty-one, the whole-hooved cattle were created, Varuna was the overlord. They praised with twenty-three, small cattle were created, Pusan was the overlord.

The Çaka, is for earth; the field-rat, the Kaça, the flying fox, these are for the fathers; the pole-cat for the seasons; the quail to the year; the pigeon, the owl, the hare, these are for Nirrti; the cock for Savitr. The deer for Rudra; the chameleon, the bird, the Pippaka, these are (to be offered) to the arrow shot; the gazelle for the Maruts; the Çarga to the Brahman; the hyena, the black (deer), the dog of four eyes, the ass, these are for other men; to Agni the The Alaja is for the atmosphere; the otter, the diver, the swimmer, these for the waters; to Aditi the Hansasaci; to Indrani the Kirça; the vulture, the white-breasted, the Vardhranasa, these are for the sky; the hedgehog is for sky and earth. The eagle for Parjanya; the swan, the wolf, the cat, these are for Indra; the otter for the waters; the jackal is (to be offered) to Aryaman; the lion, the ichneumon, the tiger, these are (to be offered) to great Indra; the rhinoceros to desire. For Agni the black-necked; for Sarasvati the ewe; the brown one for Soma; the dark for Pusan; the white-backed for Brhaspati; the variegated for the All-gods; the ruddy one for Indra; the speckled one for the Maruts; the mixed one for Indra and Agni; the one spotted below for Savitr; the ram for Varuna. The horse, the hornless one, the Gayal, these are for Prajapati; for Agni the two with black necks; for Tvastr the two with hairy thighs; the two white-backed for Brhaspati; to Dhatr the speckled bellied one; for the sun the white ram. To Agni of the front the red-limbed ox; the two spotted below for Savitr; the two rednavelled for Pusan; the two hornless tawny ones for the All-gods; the speckled for the Maruts; the black goat for Agni the ewe for Sarasvati; the black ram with one white foot for Varuna.

The Exposition of the Soma Sacrifice (continued) If he should offer hospitality after unyoking both (the oxen), he would break up the sacrifice. If (he should offer) before he has unyoked both, it would be as when hospitality is offered to one who has not yet arrived. One ox is unyoked, one ox is not unyoked; then he offers hospitality, for the continuance of the sacrifice. The wife (of the sacrificer) holds on (to the cart); for the wife is mistress of the household gear; verily he offers what is approved by the wife. The share of the wife in the sacrifice makes a pair; so the wife also [1] grasps the sacrifice that it may not be interrupted. With whatever retinue the king comes, to all of them hospitality is offered; the metres are the retinue of King Soma. 'Thou art the hospitality of Agni. For Visnu thee!' he says; thus he offers (hospitality) to the Gayatri. 'Thou art the hospitality of Soma. 'For Visnu thee!' he says; thus he offers (hospitality) to the Tristubh. 'Thou art the hospitality of the stranger. For Visnu thee!' he says; thus he offers (hospitality) to the Jagati [2]. 'For Agni thee, giver of wealth, for Visnu thee!' he says; thus he offers (hospitality) to the Anustubh. 'For the eagle, bringer of the Soma, thee, for Visnu thee!' he says; thus he offers (hospitality) to the Gayatri. He offers five times. The Pankti has five syllables, the sacrifice is fivefold; verily he wins the sacrifice. The theologians say, 'For what reason is the Gayatri offered to on either side of the offering of hospitality?' Because the Gayatri brought the Soma down [3]; therefore is it offered to on both sides of hospitality, before and after. Hospitality is the head of the sacrifice, the sacrificial cake is offered on nine potsherds, therefore the head has nine apertures. The sacrificial cake is offered on nine potsherds.

b We have come, O noble ones, Mitra and Varuna, To the share of the nights that is yours, Grasping the firmament, in the place of good deeds, On the third ridge above the light of the sky. c The gods, destroyers of the sacrifice, stealers of the sacrifice, That sit in the atmosphere, From them may Vayu guard me; May we go to those that do good deeds. d The nights of thine, O Savitr [1], that go, traversed by gods, Between sky and earth, With all your houses and offspring, Do ye first mounting the light traverse the regions. e The gods, destroyers of the sacrifice, stealers of the sacrifice, That sit in the sky, From them may Surya guard me; May we go to those that do good deeds. f That highest oblation wherewith, O All-knower, Thou didst collect milk for Indra, Therewith, O Agni, do thou make him grow; Bestow on him lordship over his fellows. The gods are destroyers of the sacrifice, stealers of the sacrifice [2]; they sit these worlds taking and destroying from him who gives and sacrifices. 'The gods, destroyers of the sacrifice, that sit on the earth, that (sit) in the atmosphere, that sit in the sky', he says; verily traversing the worlds, he goes to the world of heaven with his household, with his cattle. From him who has sacrificed with the Soma (sacrifice), the deities and the sacrifice depart; he should offer to Agni on five potsherds as the final act; all the deities are Agni [3], the sacrifice is fivefold; verily he wins the deities and the sacrifice. Now Agni is connected with the Gayatri and has the Gayatri as his metre; he severs him from his metre, if he offers on five potsherds; it should be made on eight potsherds; the Gayatri has eight syllables, Agni is connected with the Gayatri and has the Gayatri for his metre; verily he unites him with his own metre.

d Knee deep should he pile (it), when piling for the first time; verily with the Gayatri he mounts this world; navel deep should he pile (it) when piling for the second time; verily with the Tristubh he mounts the atmosphere; neck deep should he pile (it) when piling for the third time; verily with the Jagati he mounts yonder world. e After piling the fire he should not have intercourse with a woman of pleasure, thinking, 'I shall deposit seed in that which is no womb'; nor after piling for the second time should he have intercourse with the wife of another [3], nor after piling for a third time should he have intercourse with any woman whatever. In that he piles the fire, he deposits seed; if he were to have intercourse. he would be deprived of seed. Or rather they say, 'If he were not to have intercourse, there would be no offspring.' In that he puts down the two Retahsic (bricks), they support the seed of the sacrificer; therefore he should have intercourse, for the non-spilling of seed.' f Three seeds are there, father, son, grandson [4]; if he were to put down two Retahsic (bricks), he would cleave his seed; three he puts down, for the continuity of seed; the first Retahsic is this (earth), this (earth) is speech, therefore they see this (earth), they see speech speaking; the second is the atmosphere, the atmosphere is breath, therefore they see not the atmosphere, nor breath; the third is yonder (sky), yonder (sky) is the eye, therefore they see yonder (sky), they see the eye. With a Yajus he sets down this one [5] and yonder one, but with mind only the middle, to arrange these worlds, and also the breaths. g 'The sacrifice offered by the Bhrgus, the Vasus, accord our desires; of thee thus offered, enjoyed, may I here enjoy wealth,' he says; verily he milks thereby the song and the recitation.

By the Brahman class he piled its front half, by the lordly class its right wing, by cattle its tail, by the people its left wing, by hope its middle. He who knowing thus piles the fire piles it with the seasons; verily he wins all [1]; they hearken to him who has piled the fire, he eats food, he is resplendent. The first layer is this (earth), the mortar the plants and trees; the second is the atmosphere, the mortar the birds; the third is yonder (sky), the mortar the Naksatras; the fourth the sacrifice, the mortar the sacrificial fee; the fifth the sacrificer, the mortar offspring; if he were to pile it with three layers, he would obstruct the sacrifice, the fee, the self, offspring; therefore should it be piled with five layers; verily he preserves all. In that there [2] are three layers, (it is) since Agni is threefold; in that there are two (more), the sacrificer has two feet, (it is) for support; there are five layers, man is five fold; verily he preserves himself. There are five layers, he covers (them) with five (sets of) mortar, these make up ten, man has ten elements; he preserves man in his full extent. Again the Viraj has ten elements, the Viraj is food; verily he finds support in the Viraj and the eating of food. The sixth layer is the year, mortar is the seasons; there are six layers, six (sets of) mortar, they make up twelve, the year has twelve months; verily he finds support in the year. The Horse Sacrifice (continued) The red, the dark red, the jujube red, these are for Prajapati; the brown, the reddish- brown, the parrot brown, these are for Rudra. The white, the white-eyed, the white- necked, these have the fathers as their deities. Three black barren cows are for Varuna, three white barren cows for the Sun; the dusky-spotted hornless ones are for Mitra and Brhaspati.

a The wooden sword is safety, the hammer is safety, the knife, the sacrificial enclosure, the axe is safety; sacrificial ye art, makers of the sacrifice; do ye invite me to this sacrifice. b May sky and earth invite me; (May) the place of singing, the bowl, Soma, the fire (invite me); (May) the gods, the sacrifice, The Hotras call upon me in invitation. c 'Homage to Agni, slayer of Makha; may the glory of Makha impel me'--(with these words) he reverences the Ahavaniya. Makha is the sacrifice [1]; verily he slays the sacrifice; verily paying homage to him he creeps to the Sadas, for his own d 'Homage to Rudra, slayer of Makha; for this homage guard me' (with these words he reverences) the place of the Agnidh; verily paying homage to him he creeps to the Sadas, for his own safety. e 'Homage to Indra, slayer of Makha; injure not my power and strength'--(with these words he reverences) the place of the Hotr; verily he invokes this blessing, for the preserving of his power and strength [2]. f He who creeps forward knowing the gods who cause ruin at the Sadas is not ruined at the Sadas. 'Homage to Agni, slayer of Makha', he says. These gods cause ruin at the Sadas. He, who knowing them thus creeps forward, is not ruined at the g Ye two are firm, loose; united guard me from trouble. h May the sun, the god, guard me from trouble from the sky, Vayu from the atmosphere [3], Agni from earth, Yama from the fathers, Sarasvati i O ye divine doors, oppress me not. k Homage to the Sadas, homage to the lord of the Sadas, homage to the eye of the friends who go before, homage to sky, homage to earth. l Ho! son of a second marriage, get thee hence; sit on the seat of another more foolish than we are. m From the low, from the high may I go. n O sky and earth protect me from this day to-day.

Indra had recourse to Prajapati, to him he gave these victories (offerings); he offered them; then indeed were the gods victorious over the Asuras; in that they were victorious, that is why (the offerings) are called 'victorious'. They should be offered by one engaged in conflict; verily does he win in the conflict. a Agni overlord of creatures, may he help me; Indra of powers, Yama of earth, Vayu of the atmosphere, Surya of the sky, Candramas of Naksatras, Brhaspati of holy power, Mitra of truths, Varuna of waters, the ocean of streams, food of lordships overlord, may it help me; Soma of plants, Savitr of instigations, Rudra of cattle, Tvastr of forms, Visnu of mountains, the Maruts of troops overlords, may they help me. b O ye fathers, ye grandfathers, ye further, ye nearer, ye dadas, ye granddadas, do ye here help me. c In this holy power, this worldly power, this prayer, this Purohitaship, this rite, this invocation of the gods. What the gods did at the sacrifice, the Asuras did. The gods saw these overpowering (Homas), they performed them; the rite of the gods succeeded, that of the Asuras did not succeed. If he is desirous of prospering in a rite, then should he offer them, and in that rite he prospers. In that the All-gods brought together (the materials), the Abhyatanas are connected with the All-gods; in that Prajapati bestowed the victories (Jayas), therefore the Jayas are connected with Prajapati [1]; in that they won the kingdom by the Rastrabhrts, that is why the Rastrabhrts (supporters of the kingdom) have their name. The gods overpowered the Asuras with the Abhyatanas, conquered them with the Jayas, and won the kingdom with the Rastrabhrts; in that the gods overpowered (abhyátanvata) the Asuras with the Abhyatanas, that is why the Abhyatanas have their name; in that they conquered (ájayan) them with the Jayas, that is why the Jayas have their name; in that they won the kingdom with the Rastrabhrts, that is why the Rastrabhrts have their name.

With the seasons [1] they consecrate him; with the seasons likewise he must be set free; 'As a mother her son, the earth Agni of the dust', he says; verily having consecrated him with the seasons, with the season he sets him free. With (a verse) addressed to Vaiçvanara, he takes the sling; verily he makes it ready. For Nirrti there are three (bricks) black, dried by a chaff fire; chaff is the portion of Nirrti, black is the form of Nirrti; verily by her own form he propitiates Nirrti. They go to this quarter; this [2] is the quarter of Nirrti; verily in her own quarter he propitiates Nirrti. He places (it) in a self-made hole or a cleft; that is the abode of Nirrti; verily he propitiates Nirrti in her own abode. He places (them) over against the sling, the noose is connected with Nirrti; verily he frees him straightway from the noose of Nirrti. He places three, man is threefold in arrangement; verily he removes by sacrifice Nirrti from the whole extent of man. He places them going away (from the place of sacrifice); verily he drives away Nirrti from him [3]. They return without looking round, to conceal Nirrti. Having purified, they pay reverence, for purity. To the Garhapatya they pay reverence; verily having wandered in the world of Nirrti, they return, purified, to the world of the gods. They pay reverence with one (verse); verily in one place they bestow strength on the sacrificer. 'Abode and collector of riches', he says; rich are offspring and cattle; verily he unites him with offspring and cattle. With man's measure he metes out; man is commensurate with the sacrifice; verily he metes him with a member of the sacrifice; so great is he as a man with arms extended; so much strength is there in man; verily with strength he metes him. Winged is he, for wingless he could not fly; these wings are longer by an ell; therefore birds have strength by their wings.

Kadru defeated Suparni. She said, 'In the third heaven from here is the Soma; fetch it, and by it buy your release.' Kadru is this (earth), Suparni yonder (heaven), the descendants of Suparni the metres. She said, 'For this do parents rear children; "in the third heaven from here is the Soma; fetch it, and by it buy your release" [1], so has Kadru said to me.' The Jagati flew up, of fourteen syllables, but returned without obtaining it; it lost two syllables, but returned with the (sacrificial) animals and consecration. Therefore the Jagati is the richest in cattle of the metres, and consecration waits upon a man who is rich in cattle. The Tristubh flew up, of thirteen syllables, but returned without obtaining it; it lost two syllables, but returned with the (sacrificial) gifts [2] and penance. Therefore in the world of the Tristubh, the midday oblation, the gifts are brought. 'That in truth is penance', they say, 'if a man gives his wealth.' The Gayatri flew up, of four syllables, together with a female goat with light. Then the goat won (Soma) for her, and so the goat has the name. The Gayatri brought back the Soma and the four syllables, and so became of eight syllables. The theologians say [3], 'For what reason is it that the Gayatri, the smallest of the metres, holds the forefront of the sacrifice?' Because it brought down the Soma, it held the forefront of the sacrifice; therefore it is the most glorious (of the metres). By the feet it grasped two of the oblations, and by the mouth one. The one it grasped by the mouth it sucked; therefore two oblations are made of the pure Soma, the morning and midday oblations; therefore at the third oblation they pour out the dregs of the Soma; for they regard it as sucked as it were [4]. He removes any admixture so that it may be pure; verily also he makes ready it (the rjisa). When the Soma was being borne away, the Gandharva Viçvavasu stole it.