The new and full moon and the four monthly sacrifices are the beginning of the sacrifice, these Vyahrtis are the Brahman; verily at the beginning of the sacrifice he makes the Brahman. When the year is completed, he should thus with them (Vyahrtis) set down (the oblations), and so with the Brahman he surrounds the year on both sides. To the kingly class falls the blessing of the part of the sacrifice which is performed with the Saman [3]; to the people (falls) the blessing of what (is performed) with the Rc; now the Brahman sacrifices with an offering without a blessing; when he is about to recite the kindling-verses he should first insert the Vyahrtis; verily he makes the Brahman the commencement, and thus the Brahman sacrifices with an offering which has a blessing. If he desire of a sacrificer, 'May the blessing of his sacrifice fall to his foe', he should insert for him those Vyahrtis in the Puronuvakya (verse); the Puronuvakya has the foe for its divinity; verily the blessing of his sacrifice falls to his foe [4]. If he desire of sacrificers, 'May the blessing of the sacrifice fall to them equally', he should place for them one of the Vyahrtis at the half-verse of the Puronuvakya, one before the Yajya, and one at the half-verse of the Yajya, and thus the blessing of the sacrifice falls to them equally. Even as Parjanya rains down good rain, so the sacrifice rains for the sacrificer; they surround the water with a mound, the sacrificer surrounds the sacrifice with a blessing. 'Thou art mind derived from Prajapati [5], with mind and true existence do thou enter me', he says; mind is derived from Prajapati, the sacrifice is derived from Prajapati; verily he confers upon himself mind and the sacrifice. 'Thou art speech, derived from Indra, destroying the foe; do thou enter me with speech, with power', he says; speech is derived from Indra; verily he confers upon himself speech as connected with Indra.YV 6.1j · Yajur Veda
YV 6.1j
Yajur Veda · translated by Arthur Berriedale Keith
Themes in this passage
WorshipThe DivineTruthSpeechCreationDesireNatureStrength
Worship in other traditions
The same theme, as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hellenism address it.
And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.Numbers 29:31 · Bible · Numbers
Nor will ye worship that which I worship.Quran 109:5 · Quran · The Unbelievers
Whatever a man sacrifice in this world as an offering or as an oblation for a whole year in order to gain merit, the whole of it is not worth a quarter (a farthing); reverence shown to the righteous is better.Dhp 8.108 · Dhammapada · The Thousands
Full fifty more from Athens stem the main, Led by Menestheus through the liquid plain. (Athens the fair, where great Erectheus sway’d, That owed his nurture to the blue-eyed maid, But from the teeming furrow took his birth, The mighty offspring of the foodful earth. Him Pallas placed amidst her wealthy fane, Adored with sacrifice and oxen slain; Where, as the years revolve, her altars blaze, And all the tribes resound the goddess’ praise.) No chief like thee, Menestheus! Greece could yield, To marshal armies in the dusty field, The extended wings of battle to display, Or close the embodied host in firm array. Nestor alone, improved by length of days, For martial conduct bore an equal praise.Iliad 2.41 · Iliad · 2
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