yajurveda2

ii. 4. 3.
The gods and the Asuras were in conflict; the Gayatri, grasping and taking their
force, might, power, strength, offspring, and cattle, remained away; they reflected,
I Whomsoever of us she shall resort to, they shall become this (world)'; they hailed
her in rivalry, 'O All worker', said the gods; 'O Deceiver', said the Asuras; neither
did she resort to. The gods saw this formula, 'Thou art force, thou art strength, thou
art might [1], thou are blazing, thou art by name the home of the gods, thou art all,
of all life thou art everything, thou art of every life, the overcoming.' (So saying)
the gods appropriated the force, might, power, strength, offspring, and cattle of the
Asuras. Because the Gayatri remained away, therefore they style this offering the
Gayatri; the Gayatri is the year, so the year remained away; because the gods
thereby appropriated the force, might, power, strength [2], offspring, and cattle of
the Asuras, therefore they style this offering the gatherer. He who has foes should
in conflict sacrifice with this offering. To Agni, the gatherer, he should offer a cake
on eight potsherds; this when cooked and put in place he should stroke with this
formula; verily he appropriates the force, might, power, strength, offspring, and
cattle of his foe; he prospers with himself, his foe is defeated.
ii. 4. 4.
Prajapati created offspring; they created went away from him; where they stayed,
thence sprung the bean. Those he followed with Brhaspati; Brhaspati said, 'With
this will I go before thee, then shall offspring have resort to thee.' He went before
him; then indeed did offspring resort to Prajapati. For him who desires offspring he
should offer this oblation of beans to Prajapati verily he has recourse to Prajapati
with his own share [1]; verily he produces offspring for him. Prajapati created
cattle; they created went away from him; where they stayed, thence sprung the
bean; those he followed with Pusan; Pusan said, 'With this do thou go before me;
then shall cattle resort to thee.' 'Do thou go before me', said Soma, 'mine [2] is what
grows on untilled (land).' 'Both of you shall I go before', he said; he went before
them both; then indeed did cattle resort to Prajapati. For him who desires cattle
should he offer this oblation of beans to Soma and Pusan; verily he has recourse to
Soma and Pusan with their own share; verily they produce cattle for him. Soma is
the impregnator of seed, Pusan the producer of cattle; verily Soma bestows seed
upon him, Pusan produces cattle.
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ii. 4. 5.
a O Agni come to us with kine;
O drop, delight us with increase;
Indra is the supporter in our homes.
b Savitr, the thousandfold,
May he delight us in our homes;
May Pusan come, may wealth (be ours).
c May Dhatr give us wealth,
The lord, the ruler of the world;
May he favour us with a full (gift).
d Tvastr the bull, the strong,
May he delight us in our homes,
With a thousand, with ten thousand.
e Thou whereby the gods moved immortality [1],
Enduring fame, in the sky,
O increase of wealth, vouchsafe us
A herd of kine for life.
f Agni, lord of the house, Soma, all-winning, Savitr the wise; hail!
g O Agni, lord of the house, with thy ghee portion do thou vouchsafe strength and
force to him who advanceth; may I not wander from the highest of the path; may I
become the head; hail!
ii. 4. 6.
He who desires cattle should sacrifice with the Çitra (offering); Çitra is this (earth);
in that in this (earth) all things are produced, thereby is this (earth) variegated
citra
(
); he who knowing thus sacrifices with the Çitra desirous of cattle is
propagated with offspring, with cattle, with pairings. With the offering to Agni he
strews, with that to Soma he impregnates seed, the seed impregnated Tvastr
develops into forms; there are (offerings) to Sarasvant and Sarasvati; that is the
divine pair; verily in the midst he bestows upon him a divine [1] pair, for growth,
for propagation. There is an oblation to Sinivali; Sinivali is speech, speech is
growth; verily he approaches speech and growth. The last is to Indra, and thereby
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there is a pair. Seven are these offerings, the tame animals are seven, the wild
seven; the metres are seven, for the winning of both. Then he offers these
oblations; these gods are the lords of growth; verily they bestow growth upon him,
he grows with offspring and cattle; moreover in that he offers these oblations, (they
serve) for support.
ii. 4. 7.
a Thou I art connected with the Maruts, thou art the force of the Maruts, cleave the
stream of the waters.
b Stay, O Maruts, the speeding falcon,
Swift as mind, the strong, the glorious;
That whereby the dread host goeth set loose,
Do ye, O Açvins, put around; hail!
c East wind, raining, quicken; Ravat! Hail! Storming, raining, dread; Ravat! Hail!
Thundering, raining, formidable; Ravat! Hail! Thundering without lightning,
lightning, raining, resplendent; Ravat! Hail! Raining over night, satisfying; Ravat!
[1] Hail! Famed as having rained I much; Ravat! Hail! Raining while the sun
shines, radiant; Ravat! Hail! Thundering, lightning, raining, waxing great; Ravat!
Hail!
d Gladdening, obedient, purifying, agile,
Full of light, full of darkness, flooding, with fair foam,
Supporting friends, supporting the warrior caste,
With fair realms, do ye help me.
e Thou art the fetter of the strong steed; for rain I yoke thee.
ii. 4. 8.
a O gods granting protection, O Mitra and Varuna, Aryaman;
O gods who drink together, O son of the waters, with swift onset,
Give of the water, cleave the holder of the waters; from the sky, from Parjanya,
from the atmosphere, from the earth, thence do ye help us with rain.
b Even by day they make the darkness,
With Parjanya, water bearer;
What time they inundate the earth.
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c The treasure-house of sky which the heroes rich in dew
Make to shake for the generous giver,
The Parjanyas set thee free from along the firmaments;
The rains pour over the desert [1].
d From the ocean, O Maruts, ye make (the rain) to start,
Ye make the rain to fall, O ye that are rich in moisture;
Your cows, O ye wondrous, fail not;
As ye fly swiftly your chariots turned.
e Set free the rain from heaven;
With waters fill the ocean;
Thou art born of waters, first-born;
Thou art the might of the ocean.
f Flood the earth,
Break this divine cloud;
Give to us of the divine water,
Ruling loosen the water bag.
g The gods whose portion is in the sky, the gods whose portion is in the
atmosphere,
the gods whose portion is on earth, may they aid this sacrifice, may they enter this
place, may they inhabit this place.
ii. 4. 9.
'Thou art connected with the Maruts, thou art the force of the Maruts', (with these
words) he puts on a black garment with a black fringe; that is the hue of rain; verily
becoming of like hue he causes Parjanya to rain. 'Stay, O Maruts, the speeding
falcon', (with these words) he pushes back the west wind; verily he produces the
east wind, to win the rains. He makes offering to the names of the wind; the wind
rules the rain; verily he has recourse to the wind with its own share; verily it makes
Parjanya rain for him. Eight offerings [1] he makes; the quarters are four, the
intermediate quarters are four; verily from the quarters he makes the rain to move.
He unites (them) on a black antelope skin; verily he makes the offering; he unites
within the Vedi, for accomplishment. When the Yatis were being eaten, their heads
fell away; they became Kharjuras; their sap rose upwards, they became Kariras; the
Kariras are connected with Soma; the offering connected with Soma makes rain to
move from the sky; in that there are Kariras (in the sacrifice) [2], by means of an
offering which is connected with Soma he wins the rain from the sky. With honey
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he unites (them); honey is the sap of the waters and the plants; verily it rains from
the waters and the plants; verily also he brings down rain from the waters and the
plants. 'Gladdening, obedient', (with these words) he unites (them); verily he
approaches them by their names; just as one may say, 'Come hither, N. N.', so by
their names [3] he makes them move forward. Thou art the fetter of the strong
horse; for rain I yoke thee', he says the horse is strong, Parjanya is strong;
becoming black as it were he rains; verily he unites him with his hue, to win the
rains.
ii. 4. 10.
'O gods having wealth, O gods granting protection, O gods drinking together',
(with these words) he ties on; verily by means of the gods he daily seeks rain. If it
should rain, so much only should be offered; if it should not rain, on the next day
he should offer an oblation. Mitra and Varuna are day and night, by day and night
Parjanya rains, for by night or by day he rains; verily he has recourse to Mitra and
Varuna with their own share; verily they [1] make Parjanya rain for him by day
and night. To Agni, hiding his abode, he should offer a cake on eight potsherds, to
the Maruts on seven potsherds, to Surya on one potsherd; Agni thence causes the
rain to arise, the Maruts lead it out when produced; when yonder Sun Moves low
with his rays, then he rains; becoming a hider of his abode, as it were, he rains;
these deities are the lords of rain; them he has recourse to with their own share;
they [2] make Parjanya rain for him; even if he is not minded to rain yet he rains.
'Let free the rain from heaven; with waters fill the ocean', he says; verily these and
yonder waters he unites; then with these he approaches yonder (waters). 'Thou art
born of waters, first-born; thou art the might of the ocean', he says; that is
according to the text. 'Flood the earth', (with these words) he offers in a
Boerhavia procumbens
; this of plants is that which wins rain, and
thereby he causes rain to fall. 'The gods whose portion is in the sky', (with these
words) he shakes the black antelope skin; verily to him these worlds become dear
and desired.
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ii. 4. 11.
'All' the metres are to be recited in this sacrifice', they say; the Kakubh is the
strength of the Tristubh, the Usnih of the Jagati; in that he repeats the Usnih and
the Kakubh, thereby he wins all the metres. The Usnih is the Gayatri; the four
syllables over are fourfooted cattle; just as cake is over cake, so it is with the
syllables which are over the verse; if he were to close with a Jagati [1], he would
end the sacrifice; he closes with a Tristubh, the Tristubh is power and strength;
verily he establishes the sacrifice on power and strength, he does not end it. 'O
Agni, three are thy strengths, three thy abodes', with this (verse) containing the
word 'three' he closes, for similarity of form: that which has three constituents is
the whole of the sacrifice; for every desire it is employed, for the sacrifice is
employed for all desires. He who is practising witchcraft should sacrifice with that
of three constituents; that which has three constituents is the whole of the sacrifice
[2]; verily with the whole of the sacrifice he bewitches him, and lays him low.
With the same (offering) should he sacrifice who is practised against, that which
has three constituents is the whole of the sacrifice; verily he sacrifices with the
whole of the sacrifice, and he who practises witchcraft does not lay him low. With
the same (offering) should he sacrifice who is going to sacrifice with a thousand;
verily he produces and gives (it). He who has sacrificed with a thousand should
sacrifice with the same (offering) he goes to the end of cattle [3] who sacrifices
with a thousand; Prajapati created cattle; he created them with (the offering) of
three constituents; he who knowing thus sacrifices, desirous of cattle, with (the
offering) of three constituents, creates cattle from the very source whence Prajapati
created them; and the thousand resorts to him. He becomes a prey to the gods who
having said, 'I shall sacrifice', does not sacrifice; he should sacrifice with (the
offering) of three constituents; (the offering) of three constituents [4] is the whole
of the sacrifice; verily he sacrifices with the whole of the sacrifice, and does not
become a prey to the gods. The cake is on twelve potsherds; these are three (sets
of) four potsherds, to bring about the three. There are three cakes, these worlds are
three; (verily they serve) to win these worlds. Each one above the other is larger,
for so as it were are these worlds. The middle one is made of barley, that is the
form of the atmosphere; (verily it serves) for prosperity. He cuts off from all (the
cakes) as he sets them up without making a failure. He gives gold; verily he wins
brilliance [5]; he gives the silken garment; verily he wins cattle; he gives a cow;
verily he wins his prayers; gold is the colour of the Saman, the silken garment of
the formulae, the cow of the praises and rejoicings; verily he wins all these colours.
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
ii. 4. 12.
Tvastr, his son slain, offered Soma excluding Indra. Indra desired an invitation to
the rite, but he did not invite him, (saying), 'Thou hast slain my son.' He made a
disturbance of the sacrifice, and forcibly drank the Soma. The remains of it Tvastr
cast upon the Ahavaniya (fire), saying, 'Hail! wax great, Indra's foe. While (the
fire) was flaming upwards to strike, just then of itself it stayed; whether so much
was before [1], or so much was over the fire, be sprang up alive and came into
union with Agni and Soma. He grew on all sides an arrow(shot), he enveloped
these worlds. Because he enveloped these worlds, therefore is Vrtra, Vrtra. Indra
feared him, and Tvastr too; Tvastr dipped his bolt for him; the bolt was fervour; he
could not restrain it. Visnu [2] was another god; he said, 'Visnu, come hither; we
will grasp that by which he is this world. Visnu deposited himself in three places, a
third on the earth, a third in the atmosphere, a third in the sky, for he was afraid of
his growth. By means of the third on earth Indra raised his bolt, aided by Visnu. He
said, 'Hurl it not at me; there is this [3] strength in me; I will give it to you.' He
gave it to him, he accepted it, and (saying), 'Thou didst further me', gave it to
indriya
Visnu. Visnu accepted it (saying), 'Let Indra place power (
) in us.' By
means of the third in the atmosphere Indra raised his bolt, aided by Visnu. He said,
'Hurl it not at me; there is this [4] strength in me; I will give it to you.' He gave it to
him; he accepted it, and (saying), 'Twice hast thou furthered me', gave it to Visnu.
Visnu accepted it (saying), 'Let Indra place power in us.' By means of the third in
the sky Indra raised his bolt, aided by Visnu. He said, 'Hurl it not at me; I will give
to thee that by which I [5] am this world! He said, 'Yes.' (He replied), 'Let us make
a compact; let me enter thee.' 'If thou dost enter me, in what way wilt thou enjoy
me?' 'I will kindle thee; I will enter thee for thine enjoyment', he answered. Vrtra
entered him. Vrtra is the belly; hunger is man's enemy; he who [6] knows this slays
the enemy hunger. He gave it to him; he accepted it, and (saying), 'Thrice hast thou
furthered me', gave it to Visnu. Visnu accepted it (saying), 'Let Indra place power
in us.' In that thrice he gave and thrice he accepted, that is the reason of the
threefold character of the threefold. In that Visnu aided him and he gave (it) to
Visnu, therefore the offering belongs to Indra and Visnu. Whatever there is here he
gave to him, the Rces, the Samans, the Yajuses. A thousand he gave to him;
therefore there are a thousand gifts.
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
ii. 4. 13.
The gods were afraid of the warrior on his birth. While still within (the womb) they
fettered him with a bond. The warrior thus is born fettered; if he were born not
fettered he would continually slay his foes. If one desire of a warrior, 'May he be
born not fettered, may he continually slay his foes', one should offer for him the
offering for Indra and Brhaspati, for the warrior is connected with Indra, Brhaspati
is the holy power (Brahman); verily by the holy power (Brahman) he frees him
from the bond that fetters him. The sacrificial present is a golden bond; verily
manifestly he frees him from the bond that fetters him.
ii. 4. 14.
a He is born ever new;
The banner of the days goeth before the dawns.
He appointeth their portion to the gods as he advanceth
The moon extendeth length of days.
b The drop which the Adityas make to swell,
The imperishable which the imperishable drink,
With that may king Varuna, Brhaspati,
The guardians of the world make us to swell.
c In the eastern quarter thou art king, O Indra
In the northern, O slayer of Vrtra, thou art slayer of foes
Where the streams [1] go, thou hast conquered;
On the south be the bull whom we invoke.
d Indra shall conquer, he shall not be conquered;
Over-lord among kings shall he rule;
In all conflicts shall he be a protector,
That he may be reverenced and honoured.
e His greatness surpasseth
Sky or earth or heaven;
Indra sole lord, hailed by all, in his home
Boisterous and brave, waxeth great for the conflict.
f We call on thee, O hero, in praise,
Like kine unmilked,
Lord [2] of this moving world, seeing the heavenly light,
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Lord, O Indra, of what standeth.
g We call on thee,
We poets, to gain the prize;
Men call on thee, lord of heroes, O Indra, amongst foes,
On thee in the racing of the horse.
h If, O Indra, a hundred skies,
A hundred earths were thine,
Not a thousand suns could match thee at birth,
Nor the two worlds.
i Drink the Soma, O Indra; let it gladden thee,
(The Soma) which for thee, O lord of bays, the stone
Through the arms of the presser [3], like a horse well guided hath expressed.
k With Indra may splendid feasts be ours,
Rich in strength,
Wherewith we may rejoice in food.
l O Agni, thy pure.
m With the light.
n Thee, Jatavedas.
o Seven bays in thy chariot
Bear thee, O god Surya,
With hair of light, O wise one.
p The radiant countenance of the gods hath arisen,
The eye of Mitra, Varuna, and Agni;
He hath filled the sky, the earth, and the atmosphere;
Surya is the soul of that which moveth and standeth [4].
q May the All-gods who further right,
Who hearken to the call in due season,
Find pleasure in this proper drink.
r O ye All-gods, hear my invocation,
Ye that are in the atmosphere, ye that are in the sky;
Ye with Agni as your tongue, worthy of sacrifice,
Sit on this strew and rejoice.
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PRAPATHAKA V
The New and Full Moon Sacrifices
ii. 5. 1.
a Viçvarupa, son of Tvastr, was the domestic priest of the gods, and the sister's son
of the Asuras. He had three heads, one which drank Soma, one Sura, and one
which ate food. He promised openly the share to the gods, secretly to the Asuras.
Men promise openly the share to every one; if they promise any one secretly, his
share is indeed promised. Therefore Indra was afraid (thinking), 'Such an one is
diverting the sovereignty (from me).' He took his bolt and smote off his heads.
(The head) which drank Soma [1] became a hazelcock; (the head) which drank
Sura a sparrow; (the head) which ate food a partridge. He seized with his hand the
guilt of slaying him, and bore it for a year. Creatures called out upon him, 'Thou art
a Brahman slayer.' He appealed to the earth, 'Take a third part of my guilt.' She
said, 'Let me choose a boon. I deem that I shall be overcome through digging. Let
me not be overcome by that.' He replied, 'Before [2] a year is out it will grow up
for thee.' Therefore before the year is out the dug-out portion of earth grows up
again, for that was what she chose as a boon. She took a third of his guilt. That
became a natural fissure; therefore one who has piled up a fire-altar and whose
deity is faith should not choose a natural fissure, for that is the colour of guilt. He
appealed to the trees, 'Take a third part of my guilt.' They said, 'Let us choose a
boon. We deem that we shall be overcome through pruning [3]. Let us not be
overcome by that.' He replied, 'From pruning shall more (shoots) spring up for
you.' Therefore from the pruning of trees more (shoots) spring up, for that was
what they chose as a boon. They took a third part of his guilt, it became sap;
therefore one should not partake of sap, for it is the colour of guilt. Or rather of the
sap which is red or which comes from the pruning one should not partake [4], but
of other sap at will. He appealed to a concourse of women, 'Take the third of my
guilt.' They said, 'Let us choose a boon; let us obtain offspring from after the
menses; let us enjoy intercourse at will up to birth.' Therefore women obtain
offspring from after the menses, and enjoy intercourse at will up to birth, for that
was what they chose as a boon. They took a third of his guilt, it became (a woman)
with stained garments; therefore one should not converse with (a woman) with
stained garments [5], one should not sit with her, nor eat her food, for she keeps
emitting the colour of guilt. Or rather they say, 'Woman's food is unguent, and
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there fore one should not accept (from her) unguent, but anything else (can be
accepted) at will.' The son born of intercourse with (a woman) with stained
garments is accursed; (the son born) of intercourse in the forest is a thief; (the son
born) of intercourse with a (woman) who turns away is shamefaced and retiring;
(the son born) of intercourse with a woman bathing is fated to drown; (the son
born) of one who
[6] anoints herself has a skin disease; (the son born) of one who combs her hair is
bald and feeble; (the son born) of one who anoints (her eyes) is blind; (the son
born) of one who cleans her teeth has dirty teeth; (the son born) of one who cuts
her nails has bad nails; (the son born) of one who spins is a eunuch; (the son born)
of one who weaves ropes is unrestrained; (the son born) of one who drinks from a
leaf is drunken; (the son born) of one who drinks from a mutilated (vessel) is
mutilated. For three nights he should keep a vow and should drink from his hand or
from a perfect vessel, to guard his offspring.
ii. 5. 2.
Tvastr, his son being slain, offered Soma excluding Indra. Indra desired an
invitation to the rite, but he did not invite him; (saying) 'Thou hast slain my son.'
He made a disturbance of the sacrifice, and forcibly drank the Soma. The remains
of it Tvastr cast upon the Ahavaniya (fire), (saying), 'Hail! wax great, Indra's foe.'
avartayat
In that he cast it (
), Vrtra is Vrtra; in that he said, 'Hail! wax great,
Indra's foe', therefore [1] Indra became his foe. He sprang into life and came into
union with Agni and Soma. He grew on all sides an arrow(shot), he enveloped
these worlds. Because he enveloped these worlds, therefore is Vrtra, Vrtra. Indra
feared him. He ran up to Prajapati, (saying), 'A foe has sprung up for me.' He
dipped his bolt and gave it to him, (saying), 'Slay with it.' He went against (him)
with it. Agni and Soma said, 'Hurl it not [2]; we are within.' 'Ye are mine', he
replied, 'come to me.' They asked for a share; he gave them at the full moon this
offering for Agni and Soma on eleven potsherds. They said, 'We are bitten all
round, and cannot come.' Indra produced from himself cold and fever heat; that
was the origin of cold and fever heat. Him who knows thus the origin of cold and
fever heat [3] neither cold nor fever heat slays. By them he led him on, and as he
gaped Agni and Soma went forth from him. Then expiration and inspiration
deserted him; skill is expiration, intelligence is inspiration; therefore one who
gapes should say, 'Skill and intelligence (remain) in me'; verily he places
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expiration and inspiration in himself and lives all his days. He, having called off
the gods from. Vrtra offered at the full moon the oblation to the Vrtra slayer; they
slay him at the full moon [4], but make him swell at the new moon; therefore
verses are uttered at the full moon referring to the slaying of Vrtra, at the new
moon referring to his increase. Having performed the oblation to the Vrtra slayer,
he took his bolt and again went against (him). Sky and earth said, 'Hurl it not; he
rests in us two.' They said, 'Let us choose a boon.' 'May I be adorned with the
Naksatras', said yonder (sky); I May I be adorned with variegated things', said this
(earth). Therefore yonder (sky) is adorned with the Naksatras, this (earth) with
variegated things. He who knows thus the boon of sky and earth [5] attains a boon.
Indra thus impelled by these two slew Vrtra. The gods having slain Vrtra said to
Agni and Soma, 'Bear the offering for us.' They said, 'We two have lost our
brilliance, our brilliance is in Vrtra.' They said, 'Who is there to go for it?' 'The
cow', they said, 'The cow is the friend of all.' She said [6], 'Let me choose a boon;
ye shall feed off both when they are in me.' The cow brought the (brilliance);
therefore they feed off both things that are in the cow; ghee indeed is the brilliance
of Agni, milk the brilliance of Soma. He who knows thus the brilliance of Agni
and Soma becomes brilliant. The theologians say, 'What is the deity of the full
moon (rite)?' He should reply, 'Prajapati; by means of it he established his eldest
son, Indra.' Therefore they establish their eldest sons with wealth.
ii. 5. 3.
When Indra had slain Vrtra, his enemies threatened him. He saw this enemy-
dispelling (oblation) to be offered subsequently at the full moon. He offered it, and
with it drove away his enemies. In that the enemy-dispelling (oblation) is to be
offered subsequently at the full moon, the sacrificer by it drives away his enemies.
Indra, having slain Vrtra, lost the gods and his power. He saw the (offering) to
Agni on eight potsherds at the new moon, and the curds for Indra [1]. He offered it,
and by it he won the gods and his power. In that at the new moon there is (an
offering) to Agni on eight potsherds, and curds for Indra, the sacrificer wins by it
the gods and power. When Indra had slain Vrtra, his power and strength went into
the earth; then the plants and roots were born. He ran up to Prajapati, (saying),
'Now that I have slain Vrtra, my power and strength
[2] have gone into the earth; then the plants and roots have been born.' Prajapati
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said to cattle, 'Collect it for him.' The cattle collected it from the plants in
themselves; they milked it. In that they collected it, has the collected oblation
sammayya
(
) its name; in that they milked it, has fresh milk its name
pratidhuk
(
). 'They have collected it; they have milked it; but it rests not in
me', he said. 'Make it ready for him' [3], he replied. They made it ready for him;
they made power and strength rest in him; verily the ready (milk) has its name
çrta
(
). 'They have collected it; they have milked it; they have made it ready; but
it does not impel me', he said. 'Make it curds for him', he replied. They made it
ahinot
dadhi
curds for him; that impelled (
) him; verily curds (
) has its name.
The theologians say, 'One should offer curds first, for curds is made first' [4]. One
should disregard that and offer ready (milk) first; verily one places power and
strength in him and later impels him by curds; and he proceeds in order (of
production). If he curdles it with Putika plants or with bark, that is fit for Soma; if
with jujubes, that is for the Raksases; if with rice grains, for the All-gods; if with
rennet, for men; if with curds, that has Indra. He curdles it with curds [5] that it
may have Indra. He curdles the remains of the Agnihotra, for the continuity of the
sacrifice. Indra having slain Vrtra went to a great distance, thinking, 'I have
sinned.' The gods sought to start him. Prajapati said, I He who first finds him will
have the first share.' The Pitrs found him; therefore an offering is made to the Pitrs
on the day before. He approached the new moon night; the gods met him, (saying),
'Our treasure to-day at home [6] dwells', for Indra is the treasure of the gods, and
amavasya
that is why the new moon night has its name (
), 'home dwelling').
The theologians say, What is the deity of the Samnayya?' 'The All-gods', he should
reply, for so the All-gods won that as their share.' Or rather he should reply, 'Indra,
for it was in healing Indra that they won it.'
ii. 5. 4. The theologians say, 'He would indeed offer the new and full moon
(sacrifices) who should offer them with Indra.' At the full moon there is the
subsequent offering of the enemy-dispelling (oblation), and by it the full moon has
Indra. There are curds for Indra at the new moon; verily the new moon has Indra.
He who knowing thus offers,' the new and full moon sacrifices, offers them with
Indra, and day after day it becomes better for him who has so sacrificed. What the
gods did at the sacrifice, the Asuras did. The gods [1] saw this offering, one on
eleven potsherds for Agni and Visnu, an oblation for Sarasvati, an oblation for
Sarasvant; after performing the full moon (sacrifice) they offered this. Then the
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gods prospered, the Asuras were defeated. He who has enemies should offer this
offering after performing the full moon (sacrifice). With the full moon (sacrifice)
he hurls the bolt at his enemy, with (the offering) to Agni and Visnu he
appropriates the gods and the sacrifice of his enemy, his pairing cattle with (the
offerings) to Sarasvati and Sarasvant. Whatever he has, all that [2] he appropriates.
One should sacrifice at the full moon, if one has enemies, not at the new moon;
having slain one's enemy one does not cause him to grow again. He who desires
cattle should sacrifice with the Sakamprasthayiya. The man to whom they bring
(any thing) in small measure is not himself pleased, and does not give to another.
But he, to whom they bring in large measure, is himself pleased, and gives to
another. One should offer in full and large measure; Indra then being pleased
delights him with offspring and cattle. He offers with a wooden vessel, for an
earthenware one does not hold the offering. It is of Udumbara wood [3]; the
Udumbara is strength, cattle are strength; verily by strength he wins for him
strength and cattle. One should not sacrifice to, Mahendra, if one is not prosperous.
The prosperous are three; a learned (Brahman), a village headman, and a warrior.
Their deity is Mahendra. He who sacrifices beyond his own deity loses his own
deity, and does not obtain another, and becomes worse. For a year one should
sacrifice to Indra, for the vow extends not beyond the year; verily [4] his own
deity, being sacrificed to, kindles him with prosperity and he becomes richer. After
the year he should offer a cake on eight potsherds to Agni, lord of vows; verily for
a year Agni, lord of vows, causes him to take up the vow who has slain his foe
vrtra
(
). Thereafter he may sacrifice at will.
ii. 5. 5.
No one who is not a Soma sacrificer should offer the Samnayya. For the milk of
him who is not a Soma sacrificer is imperfect, and if one who is not a Soma
sacrificer offers the Samnayya he is a thief and does wrong, and (his milk) is
poured forth in vain. A Soma sacrificer only should offer the Samnayya. Soma is
milk, the Samnayya is milk; verily with milk he places milk in himself. The moon
deprives him of offspring and cattle, and makes his enemy wax great on whose
sacrifice when offered it rises in the east [1]. He should divide the rice grains into
three parts; the mean size he should make into a cake on eight potsherds for Agni,
the giver, the largest lie should give as a mess to Indra, the bestower, the smallest
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(he should give) as a mess in boiled (milk) to Visnu Çipivista. Agni thus generates
offspring for him; Indra gives it in crease; Visnu is the sacrifice, and Çipi cattle;
verily on the sacrifice and cattle he rests. He should not offer twice [2]. If he were
to offer now with the first he would make a failure with the second; if with the
second now, he would make a failure with the first; there is no offering at all and
no sacrifice, for that cause a son is born shamefaced and retiring. One offering only
should one make; a valiant son is born to him. One should disregard this and offer
twice. With the first (offering) one grasps the mouth of the sacrifice, and sacrifices
with the second. Verily one wins the gods with the first, power with the second;
verily one conquers the world of the gods [3] with the first; the world of men with
the second; he performs several forms of sacrifice. This offering is called 'the
friendly'; for him there is in this world prosperity on whom the moon rises in the
west after he hag sacrificed on that day. He who desires heaven should sacrifice
with the Daksayana sacrifice. On the full moon he should offer the Samnayya; on
the new moon he should sacrifice with clotted curds for Mitra and Varuna. On the
full moon (the Soma) is pressed for the gods; during this half-month it is pressed
forth for them, and a cow for Mitra and Varuna is to be slaughtered for them at the
new moon. In that [4] he sacrifices on the day before, he makes the sacrificial
enclosure. In that he drives away the calves, he metes out the seat and the oblation
holder. In that he sacrifices, he produces with the gods the pressing day. He drinks
for the half-month Soma in carouse with the gods. In that he sacrifices at the new
moon with clotted curds for Mitra and Varuna, the cow which is slaughtered for
the gods becomes his also. He mounts upon the gods in truth who mounts upon
their sacrifice [5]. Just as a great man who has attained (fortune) desires (and
does), so he does. If he misses the mark he becomes worse; if he does not, he
remains the same. One who desires distinction should sacrifice with it, for this
sacrifice has a razor edge, and swiftly he becomes holy or perishes. His vow is: he
shall not speak untruth; be shall not eat meat; he shall not approach for all a
woman; they shall not clean his raiment with cleansing stuff; for all these things
the gods do not do.
ii. 5. 6.
The new and the full moon (sacrifices) are the chariot of the gods. He, who having
offered the new and the full moon (sacrifices) Sacrifices with Soma, rests in the
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chosen resting-place of the gods which is conspicuous for its chariot (tracks). The
new and the full moons are the limbs and joints of the year; he who knowing thus
offers the new and the full moon (sacrifices) thus unites the limbs and joints of the
year. The new and the full moon are the eyes of the year; he who knowing thus
offers the new and the full moon (sacrifices) thus sees with them along the world
of heaven [1]. The new and the full moon are the striding of the gods; he who
knowing thus offers the new and the full moon (sacrifices) steps in the striding of
the gods. The new and the full moon are the path on which the gods fare; he who
knowing thus offers the new and the full moon (sacrifices) mounts the path on
which the gods fare. The new and the full moons are the bay steeds of the gods; he
who knowing thus offers the new and the full moon (sacrifices) carries to the gods
with their two bay steeds [2] the offering. The new and the full moon (sacrifices)
are the mouth of the gods; he who knowing thus offers the new and the full moon
(sacrifices) manifestly sacrifices in the mouth of the gods. He who offers the new
and the full moon sacrifices possesses an oblation holder. He offers the Agnihotra
morn and evening, he offers the new and the full moon (sacrifices); on every day
(the Soma) of those who have oblation holders is pressed. By him who knowing
thus offers the new and the full moon (sacrifices) regarding himself as possessiug
an oblation holder, everything is given as on the strew. The gods [3] could not find
the suitable day for the sacrifice. They purified the new and full moons; the new
and the full moon (sacrifices) are these pure and sacrificial (days). He who
knowing thus offers the new and the full moon (sacrifices) offers them as pure and
sacrificial. One should not approach a woman on the new moon or the full moon
night; if one were to do so, one would be impotent. The nights of the half-month
were the wives of King Soma; of these be did not approach the new moon night
and the full moon night [4]. They grasped him about, and illness seized him.
'Illness has seized the king'; that (saying) is the origin of the 'king's evil '. In that he
became worse, that is (the origin) of the 'bad illness'; because he got it from his
wives, that is (the origin) of the 'wife's disease' (Jayenya), him who knows thus the
origin of these illnesses, these illnesses do not visit. He ran up to these two in
reverence; they said, 'Let us choose a boon; let us be the appointers of portions for
the gods [5]; from us let the gods be sacrificed to.' Therefore of the series of nights
it is on the new and the full moon night that the gods are sacrificed to; for they are
the appointers of portions for the gods. Men appoint portions to him who knows
thus. Creatures slew hunger, man at once, the gods at the half-month, the Pitrs in a
month, trees in a year. Therefore day by day men desire food, at the half-month the
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gods are sacrificed to, every month offering is made to the Pitrs, in a year trees
produce fruit. He who knows thus slays the enemy, hunger.
The Part of the Hotr at the New and Full Moon Sacrifices
ii. 5. 7.
The gods could not rest on the Rc or the Yajus. On the Saman only could they rest.
He makes the noise 'Him'; verily he makes the Saman. He makes the noise 'Him';
where the gods rested, there he sets them in motion. He makes the noise 'Him'; this
is the yoking of speech. He makes the noise 'Him'; thus the sacrificers produce
offspring. He repeats the first (verse) thrice, the last thrice; verily he ties the end of
the sacrifice [1] so that it may not slip. He repeats (it) continuously, for the
continuity of the breaths and of food, and for the smiting away of the Raksases.
The first he repeats is connected with the Rathantara (Saman), this world is
connected with the Rathantara; verily he conquers this world. He divides it thrice;
these worlds are three; verily he conquers these worlds. The last he repeats is
connected with the Brhat (Saman); yonder world is connected with the Brhat;
verily he conquers yonder world. 'Forward [2] your viands', he repeats, a verse
which has not any indication (of its deity) and (therefore) is addressed to Prajapati.
Prajapati is the sacrifice; verily he grasps the sacrifice as Prajapati. 'Forward your
viands', he repeats; viands are food; verily he wins food. 'Forward your viands', he
repeats; therefore seed is deposited in front. 'O Agni, come hither for the feast', he
repeats; therefore offspring are born at the back. 'Forward your viands', he repeats
[3]; 'viands' are the months, 'heavenwards' are the half-months, 'rich in the oblation'
are the gods, 'full of butter' is the cow, 'he goes to the gods' (that is) the sacrifice,
'desirous of favour ' is the sacrificer. 'Thou art this, thou art this', (with these
words) he wins the dear abode of the sacrifice. If he desire for a man, 'May he live
all his days', he should repeat for him 'Forward your viands', and then continuously
the next half-verse of 'Agni, come hither to the feast' [4]. Verily by expiration does
he make steadfast his inspiration, and he lives all his days. He, who knows the
elbow of the Samidhenis, puts his enemy in his elbow. He joins the half-verses;
this is the elbow of the Samidhenis; he who knows thus puts his foe in his elbow.
The Samidhenis were brought out by Rsi after Rsi; if they were not connected
together, they would go away from the sacrificer's offspring and cattle. He unites
the half-verses; verily he connects them together, and being so connected and
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secured they yield him all his desires.
ii. 5. 8.
Without a Saman there is no sacrifice. 'O Agni, come hither for the feast', he says;
this is the character of the Rathantara. 'Thee with the kindling-sticks, O Angiras',
he says; this is the character of the Vamadevya. 'The great and powerful one, O
Agni', he says. This is the character of the Brhat. In that he repeats this Trca, he
makes the sacrifice have Samans. Agni was in yonder world, the sun in this; these
worlds were disturbed [1]. The gods said, 'Let us change them about.' (Saying), 'O
Agni, come hither for the feast', they placed Agni in this world, and (saying),'The
great and powerful one, O Agni', they placed the sun in yonder world. Then indeed
these worlds became calm. In that he repeats (it) thus, (it serves) for the calming of
these worlds; these worlds become calm for him who knows thus. He repeats
fifteen Samidhenis [2]. The nights of the half-month are fifteen; the year is made
up of half-months. There are three hundred and sixty syllables in the Samidhenis;
there are as many nights in the year; verily by syllables he obtains the year.
Nrmedha and Paruchepa had a theological dispute (and said), 'Let us generate fire
in the dry wood (to see) which of us two is the more of a theologian.' Nrmedha
spoke; he generated smoke. Paruchepa spoke; he generated fire. 'O Rsi', he said,
[3], 'seeing that our knowledge is equal, how didst thou generate fire and not I?' 'I
know the character of the Samidhenis', he replied. The character of the Samidhenis
is the quarter-verse which is repeated with the word 'ghee' in it. 'Thee with the
kindling-sticks, Angiras', he says; verily he generates light in the Samidhenis. They
are feminine in that they are Rc (verses), they are feminine in that they are Gayatri
(verses), they are feminine in that they are Samidhenis. He repeats a verse with the
word 'Male' in it [4]. By it he gives them a husband, makes them possess Indra, and
mates them. Agni was the messenger of the gods, Uçanas Kavya of the Asuras.
They went to question Prajapati; he turned away (from Uçanas) (with the words).
'Agni as messenger we choose.' Then the gods prospered, the Asuras were
defeated. The man for whom, knowing thus, he repeats, 'Agni as messenger we
choose, prospers himself, his enemy is defeated. He repeats a verse with the word
'imperishable'; verily by it he causes his enemy to perish [5]. 'The flaming locked,
him we adore', he says; that is purifying; verily with it he makes pure the sacrificer.
'Thou art lit, O Agni, worshipped', he says; verily he places around a barrier that
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may not be climbed. If he were to add anything further, it would be just as when (a
libation) falls outside the barriers. There are three Agnis, the oblation bearer of the
gods, the bearer of the offering of the Pitrs, the guardian of the Asuras. They
repeat, 'Me will he choose, me' [6]. 'Choose ye the bearer of the oblation', he says;
'let him choose him who is of the gods. He chooses one of a Rsi's family; verily he
departs not from the connexion, (and so it serves) for continuity. He chooses,
beginning at the further end, in order of descent; therefore the Pitrs drink after men
in order of descent, beginning at the further end.
ii. 5. 9.
'O Agni, thou art great', he says, for Agni is great. 'O Brahman', he says, for he is a
Brahman. 'O Bharata',' he says, for he bears the sacrifice to the gods. 'Kindled by
the gods', he says, for the gods kindled him. 'Kindled by Manu', he says, for Manu
kindled him after the gods. 'Praised by the Rsis', he says, for the Rsis praised him.
'Rejoiced in by sages', he says [1], for learned people are sages. 'Celebrated by the
poets', he says, for learned people are the poets. 'Quickened by the holy power
(Brahman)', he says, for he is quickened by the holy power (Brahman). 'With ghee
offering', he says, for ghee is his dearest offering. 'Leader of the sacrifices', he says,
for he is the leader of the sacrifices. 'Charioteer of the rites', he says, for he is the
chariot of the gods. 'The Hotr unsurpassed', he says, for no one surpasses him [2].
'Surpassing, bearing the oblation', he says, for he surpasses all. 'The mouth dish,
the ladle of the gods', he says, for he is the ladle of the gods. 'The bowl from which
the gods drink', he says, for he is the bowl from which the gods drink. 'O Agni, like
a felly the spokes, thou dost surround the gods', he says, for he surrounds the gods.
If he were to say, 'Bring hither the gods to the pious sacrificer', he would produce
an enemy for him [3].2 'Bring hither the gods to the sacrificer', he says; verily with
that be makes the sacrificer to grow great. 'O Agni, bring Agni hither, bring Soma
hither', he says; verily he summons the gods in order. 'Bring hither the gods, O
Agni; and sacrifice to them with a fair sacrifice, O Jatavedas', he says; verily he
quickens Agni, and quickened by him he bears the oblation to the gods. 'Agni the
Hotr' [4], he says; Agni is the Hotr of the gods; him he chooses who is the Hotr of
the gods. 'We are', he says; verily he makes himself attain reality. 'Fair be to thee
the deity, O sacrificer', he says; verily he invokes this blessing (on him). If he were
to say 'Who hast chosen Agni as Hotr', he would surround the sacrificer with Agni
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on both sides, and he would be liable to perish. The ladle has the sacrificer for its
deity, the Upabhrt the enemy as its deity [5]. If he were to say two as it were, he
sruc
would produce an enemy for him. 'Take, Adhvaryu, the spoon (
) with ghee',
he says; verily by it he causes the sacrificer to wax great. 'Pious', he says, for he
aids the gods, 'With all boons', he says, for he aids all. 'Let us praise the gods
worthy of praise; let us honour those worthy of honour; let us sacrifice to those
worthy of sacrifice', he says. Those worthy of praise are men; those worthy of
honour are the Pitrs; those worthy of sacrifice are the gods; verily he sacrifices to
the deities according to their portions.
ii. 5. 10.
In the case of a Rajanya let him repeat the Trcas thrice three other sorts of men are
there besides the warrior, the Brahman, Vaiçya and Çudra; verily he makes them
obedient to him. He should repeat fifteen (Samidhenis) in the case of a Rajanya;
the Rajanya is fifteenfold; verily he makes him find support in his own Stoma. Let
him surround it with a Tristubh; the Tristubh is power, the Rajanya sacrifices in
desire of power; verily by the Tristubh he secures power for him. If he desires [1],
'May there be splendour', he should surround it with a Gayatri, the Gayatri is
splendour; verily there is splendour. He should repeat seventeen for a Vaiçya; the
Vaiçya is seventeenfold; verily he makes him find support in his own Stoma. He
should surround it with a Jagati; cattle are connected with the Jagati, the Vaiçya
sacrifices in desire of cattle; verily by the Jagati he secures cattle for him. He
should repeat twenty one for one who desires support; the Ekavinça is the support
of the Stomas; (verily twenty-one serve) for support [2]. He should repeat twenty-
four for one who desires splendour: the Gayatri has twenty-four syllables,
splendour is the Gayatri; verily by the Gayatri he secures splendour for him. He
should repeat thirty for one who desires food; the Viraj has thirty syllables, the
Viraj is food; verily by the Viraj he secures food for him. He should repeat thirty-
two, for one who desires support; the Anustubh has thirty-two syllables, the
Anustubh is the support of the metres; (verily thirty-two serve) for support. He
should repeat thirty-six for one who desires cattle; the Brhati has thirty-six
syllables, cattle are connected with the Brhati; verily by the Brhati he secures cattle
for him [3]. He should repeat forty-four for one who desires power, the Tristubh
has forty-four syllables, the Tristubh is power; verily by the Tristubh he secures
power for him. He should repeat forty-eight for one who desires cattle; the Jagati
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has forty-eight syllables, cattle are connected with the Jagati; verily with the Jagati
he secures cattle for him. He should repeat all the metres for one who makes many
sacrifices, for all the metres are won by him who makes many sacrifices. He
should repeat indefinitely to win that which is not definite.
ii. 5. 11.
The thread is worn around the neck for men, over the right shoulder for the Pitrs,
over the left for the gods. He puts it over the left shoulder; verily he makes the
mark of the gods. He repeats standing, for standing he speaks more audibly. He
repeats standing, to conquer the world of heaven. He sacrifices sitting; verily he
finds support in this world. In that he repeats in the Krauñca, note, that is
connected with the Asuras, in the low note, that is connected with men, in the
intermediate note, that is connected with the gods. One should repeat in the
intermediate note, to secure the gods. Clever indeed [1] were the Hotrs of old;
there fore the ways were held apart, and the paths did not conflict. One foot should
be within the sacrificial altar, the other outside; then he repeats, to hold the ways
apart and to avoid conflict of the paths. Then does he win the past and the future,
the measured and the unmeasured does he win, domestic and wild cattle both does
he win [2]; verily also the world of the gods and the world of men he conquers.
The gods having repeated the Samidhenis could not see the sacrifice. Prajapati in
silence performed the sprinkling of the butter. Then indeed did the gods see the
sacrifice. In that he silently sprinkles, (it serves) to light up the sacrifice. Verily
also he anoints the kindling-sticks. He who knows thus becomes soft. Verily also
he delights them. He delights in offspring and cattle [3] who knows thus. If he
were to sprinkle with one (verse), he would delight one; if with two, (he would
delight) two; if with three, he would make (the offering) go beyond (all others). He
sprinkles (repeating the verse) in the mind, for what is imperfect is made perfect by
mind. He sprinkles across so as not to make a failure. Speech and mind disputed; 'I
will bear the offering to the gods', speech said; 'I to the gods', mind said. They went
to question Prajapati; he said [4], Prajapati, 'Thou art the messenger of mind, for
what one thinks of in the mind, one utters in speech'. 'Then assuredly they will not
sacrifice to you with speech', said (speech). Therefore in the mind they offer to
Prajapati, for Prajapati is, as it were, the mind; (verily it serves) to obtain Prajapati.
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He rubs the enclosing-sticks; verily he purifies them. (He rubs) the middle one
thrice; the breaths are three; verily he conquers the breaths. (He rubs) the southern
one thrice; these worlds are three [5]; verily he conquers these worlds. (He rubs)
the northern one thrice; three are the paths leading to the gods; verily he conquers
them. Thrice he fans (the fire); the worlds of the gods are three; verily he conquers
the worlds of the gods. They make twelve; the year has twelve months; verily he
delights the year; verily also he brings up the year for him, to gain the world of
heaven. He sprinkles; the world of heaven is as it were secret [6]; verily he makes
the world of heaven resplendent for him. He sprinkles straight, for the breath is as
it were straight. He sprinkles continuously, for the continuity of the breaths and of
food and for the smiting away of the Raksases. If he desire of a man, 'May he be
likely to perish', he should sprinkle crookedly for him; verily he leads his breath
crookedly from him, and swiftly he perishes. The sprinkling is the head of the
sacrifice, the ladle is the body [7]. Having sprinkled, he anoints the ladle; verily he
places the head of the sacrifice on its body. Agni was the messenger of the gods,
Daivya of the Asuras; they went to question Prajapati. Prajapati spake to a
Brahman (saying), 'Explain the phrase, "Make announcement"', 'Hearken to this, O
ye gods', he said; 'Agni the god is the Hotr', (he said). He chose him of the gods.
Then the gods [8] prospered, the Asuras were defeated. The man, who knows thus
and for whom they chose his list of ancestors, prospers himself, his enemy is
defeated. If a Brahman and a non-Brahman have a litigation, one should support
the Brahman; if one supports the Brahman, one supports oneself; if one opposes
the Brahman, one opposes oneself therefore one should not oppose a Brahman.
ii. 5. 12.
a Life to thee. b Life-giving, O Agni, c Swell up. d Together thee. e Thy wrath. f
The uppermost. g Forward, O goddess. h From the sky to us. i O Agni and Visnu. k
O Agni and Visnu. l This for me, O Varuna. m To thee for that I go. n Upwards
that.
o The radiant.
p The child of the waters hath mounted the lap
Of the devious ones, rising up and clothed in the lightning;
Bearing his highest greatness
The golden-coloured young ones go about.
q Some [1] meet, some go up,
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The streams fill their common stall;
Round the pure shining son of the waters
The pure waters stand.
r The austere maidens, go around the youth;
The waters, making him clean;
Agni shineth forth with pure radiance with wealth,
Unkindled, butter-clad in the waters.
s I seek the help
Of Mitra and Varuna, joint kings;
May they be gracious to such as I.
t O Indra and Varuna, grant ye great protection
To our tribe, our people, for the sacrifice [2]
May we conquer in battle the evil-minded,
Him who is fain to overpower the man who long sacrificeth.
u To us, O Mitra and Varuna.
v Forth your arms.
w O Agni, do thou, wise one,
Appease by sacrifice for us the wrath of Varuna;
Best sacrificer, best of bearers, radiant,
Free us from every foe.
x Do thou, O Agni, be nearest to us,
Closest to help, at the dawning of this dawn;
Appease for us by sacrifice Varuna [3], bestowing (on him);
Show thy mercy and be ready to hear our call.
y 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.
z I sacrifice to thee, I cast forward my prayer to thee,
That thou mayst be invoked at our invocation;
Thou art like a well in the desert,
Thou, O Agni, to the man eager to worship, O ancient king [4].
aa With his lustre.
bb With light.
cc Agni, with thy front,
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Burn the sorceresses,
Shining in the broad dwellings.
dd Thee of fair face, of fair look, the rapid one,
The wiser, let us ignorant people follow;
Let him sacrifice who knoweth all the ways,
Let him proclaim the oblation among the immortals.
ee To the freer from trouble.
ff Which hath entered me.
gg Away for us, O Indra.
hh O Indra, might.
ii Powers, O Çatakratu.
kk To thee hath been given.
PRAPATHAKA VI
The New and Full Moon Sacrifices
ii. 6. 1.
He offers to the kindling-sticks; verily he wins spring among the seasons. He offers
to Tanunapat; verily he wins the hot season. He offers to the oblations; verily he
wins the rains. He offers to the sacrificial strew, verily lie wins autumn. He offers
with the cry of 'Hail!'; verily he wins the winter. Therefore in winter animals over
which the cry of 'Hail!' is raised perish. He offers to the kindling-sticks; verily he
wins the dawns of the goddesses. He offers to Tanunapat; verily he wins the
sacrifice [1]. He offers to the oblations; verily he wins cattle. He offers to the
sacrificial strew; verily he wins offspring. He takes (the oblation) from the
Upabhrt. The oblation is brilliance, the sacrificial strew off spring; verily he places
brilliance in offspring. He offers with the cry of 'Hail!'; verily he wins speech.
They make up ten, the Viraj has ten syllables, the Viraj is food; verily he wins food
by the Viraj. He offers to the kindling-sticks; verily he finds support in this world.
He offers to Tanunapat [2]; verily in the sacrifice and in the atmosphere he finds
support. He offers to the oblations; verily in cattle he finds support. He offers to the
sacrificial strew; verily he finds support in the paths that lead to the gods. He offers
with the cry of 'Hail!'; verily he finds support in the world of heaven. So many are
the worlds of the gods; verily in them in order he finds support. The gods and the
785

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Asuras contended as to these worlds. The gods by the fore-sacrifices drove the
Asuras away from these worlds; that is why the fore-sacrifices [3] are so called. He
for whom knowing thus are offered the fore-sacrifices, drives his enemy away
from these worlds. He offers stepping near, for conquest. He who knows the
pairing of the fore sacrifices is propagated with offspring, with cattle, with
pairings. He offers to the kindling-sticks as many, to Tanunapat as one, and that
makes a pair. 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.
ii. 6. 2.
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. By Agni the sacrificer discerns the world of the gods, by Soma the world
of the Pitrs; in the north part he offers to Agni, in the south to Soma, for these
worlds are thus, as it were, to illumine these worlds. Agni and Soma are the kings
of the gods [1]. They are sacrificed to between the gods, to separate the gods.
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Therefore men are separated by the king. The theologians say, 'What is it that the
sacrificer does in the sacrifice to support both those animals which have incisors on
one side only and those which have incisors on both?' When he has repeated a Rc,
jusana
he makes an offering of the portion of the oblation with the
formula; by
that means he supports those with incisors on one side only. When he has repeated
havis
a Rc, he makes an offering of the sacrificial food (
) with a Rc; by that
means he supports those with incisors on both sides. The Puronuvakya contains the
word 'head'; verily he makes him head of his peers [2]. He offers with averse
niyut
ni-yu
containing the word 'team' (
); verily he appropriates (
) the cattle of
his enemy. Keçin Satyakami said to Keçin Darbhya, 'The seven-footed Çakvari I
shall use for thee at the sacrifice to-morrow, by whose strength one defeats the
enemies that have arisen and those that shall be, by the first half of whose strength
the ox feeds, by the second half the cow.' The Puronuvakya is marked in front;
verily he defeats the enemies that have arisen; the Yajya is marked behind [3];
verily he defeats the enemies that shall be. The Puronuvakya is marked in front;
verily he places light in this world; the Yajya is marked behind; verily he places
light in yonder world. Full of light become these worlds to him who knows thus.
The Puronuvakya, is marked in front; therefore the ox feeds with the first half. The
Yajya is marked behind; therefore the cow feeds with the second half. Him who
knows thus these two enjoy. The oblation is a bolt, the portions of the oblation are
a bolt [4], the Vasat call is a bolt; thus forges be a threefold bolt and hurls it at his
foe, so as not to make a failure. He utters the Vasat call in anger, to lay low his foe.
The Puronuvakya is the Gayatri, the Yajya the Tristubh; verily he makes the ruling
class dependent on the priestly class; therefore the Brahman is the chief. The chief
he becomes who knows thus. He proclaims him with the Puronuvakya, leads him
forward with the Yajya, and makes him go with the Vasat call. He takes him with
the Puronuvakya, he gives him with the Yajya, and [5] establishes him with the
Vasat call. The Puronuvakya has three feet; these worlds are three; verily he finds
support in these worlds. The Yajya has four feet; verily he wins four footed cattle.
The Vasat call has two syllables, the sacrificer has two feet; verily afterwards he
finds support in cattle. The Puronuvakya is the Gayatri, the Yajya, the Tristubh,
and this is the sevenfooted Çakvari. Whatever the gods were fain to do by it, that
they were able to do; he who knows thus can do whatever he is fain to do.
787

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
ii. 6. 3.
Prajapati assigned the sacrifices to the gods. He placed in himself the oblation. The
gods said to him, 'The oblation is the sacrifice; let us have a share in it.' He said,
'Lot them offer to you the portions of the oblation, let them pour out (a layer), let
them sprinkle (it).' Therefore they offer the portions of the oblation, they pour out
(a layer), and sprinkle (it). The theologians say, 'For what reason are the other
offerings worn out, but the oblation fresh?' He should reply, 'Because it is
Prajapati's [1], for Prajapati is of the gods the fresh one.' The metres ran away from
the gods (saying), 'We will not bear the offering, if we have no share.' They kept
for them (the offering) divided into four parts, for the Puronuvakya, the Yajya, the
deity, the Vasat call. In that he offers (the offering) in four parts, he delights the
metres, and they delighted by him carry the offering to the gods. The Angirases
were the last to go hence to the world of heaven. The Rsis came to the place of
sacrifice; they [2] saw the sacrificial cake creeping about, having become a
tortoise. They said to it, 'Be firm for Indra; be firm for Brhaspati: be firm for the
All-gods.' It did not become firm. They said to it, 'Be firm for Agni.' It became firm
for Agni. In that (the cake) for Agni on eight potsherds is unmoved at the full and
at the new moon, (it serves) to conquer the world of heaven. They said to it, 'How
hast thou been left?' 'I have not been anointed', he said, 'just as an axle not anointed
[3] goes wrong, so I have gone wrong.' After anointing it above, he anoints it
below, to gain the world of heaven. He spreads (the cake) on all the fragments; so
many cakes does he conquer in yonder world. That which is burnt belongs to
Nirrti, that which is not cooked to Rudra, that which is cooked to the gods.
Therefore one should cook it, without burning it, for the gods. He covers it with
ashes; therefore the bones are clothed with flesh. He covers it with the bunch of
grass; therefore [4] the head is covered with hair. The offering which is cooked
without being sprinkled has fallen from this world, but has not reached the world
of the gods. He sprinkles it before covering it; verily he makes it go among the
gods. If one fragment were lost, one month of the year would be omitted, and the
sacrificer would perish. If two were lost, two months of the year would be omitted,
and the sacrificer would perish. He counts before covering, to guard the sacrificer
[5]. If it be lost, be should make an offering on two potsherds to the Açvins, and on
one potsherd to sky and earth. The Açvins are the physicians of the gods; verily by
them he heals it. Then is offered an offering on one potsherd to sky and earth; in
them is lost what is lost; verily in them he finds it, (and it serves) for support.
788

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
ii. 6. 4.
(Saying) 'On the impulse of the god Savitr thee', he takes the sword, for impelling.
'With the arms of the Açvins', he says, for the Açvins were the Adhvaryus of the
gods. 'With the hands of Pusan', he says, for restraint. 'Thou art a hundred-edged,
of the tree, slayer of the foe', he says; verily he sharpens the bolt, being about to
hurl it at his enemy. He throws away the grass with a Yajus. The earth is the size of
the altar; verily he deprives his enemy of so much of that [1]. Therefore they do not
deprive one who has no share. He throws it away thrice; these worlds are three;
verily he excludes him from these worlds. He throws it silently a fourth time;
verily he excludes him from the unmeasured. He uproots it; verily what of it is
impure he cuts off. He uproots it; therefore the plants perish. He cuts the root;
verily he cuts the root of the enemy. If dug too deep, it has the Pitrs for its deity; so
much does he dig as is measured [2] by Prajapati as the mouth of the sacrifice. He
digs until (he reaches) support; verily he causes the sacrificer to reach support. He
makes it higher on the south; verily he makes it the form of the sacrificial ground.
He makes it full of loose earth; loose earth is offspring and cattle; verily he makes
him full of offspring and cattle. He performs the second drawing of a boundary.
The earth is the size of the altar; verily having excluded his enemy from so much
of it, he performs the second drawing of a boundary for himself. Cruelly he acts [3]
in making an altar. (With the words) 'Thou art the holder, thou art the self holder',
it is made smooth, for healing. He places the sprinkling waters; the waters are
Raksas-slaying; (verily they serve) for slaying the Raksases. He places them in the
path made by the sword, for the continuity of the sacrifice. He should think of any
one whom he hates; verily does he inflict trouble upon him.
ii. 6. 5.
The theologians say, 'Thou hast sprinkled the offerings with water; but the waters
with what?' 'With the holy power (Brahman)', he should say, for verily he sprinkles
the offerings with water, and the waters with the holy power (Brahman). He
sprinkles the kindling-wood and the sacrificial strew; verily he makes it pure. He
sprinkles the altar, the altar was rough, hairless, and impure; verily he makes it
pure. 'To the sky thee, to the atmosphere thee, to earth thee', (with these words) he
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places the sacrificial strew and sprinkles it [1]; verily he sprinkles it for these
worlds. Cruelly indeed does he act in that he digs. He pours down the waters, for
healing. He takes the bunch in front; verily he makes it the chief. He takes so much
as is measured by Prajapati as the mouth of the sacrifice. He spreads the sacrificial
strew, the sacrificial strew is offspring, the altar is the earth; verily he places
offspring on the earth. He strews it so as not to be very discernible; verily he makes
him not very discernible by offspring and cattle [2]. He puts the bundle over the
sacrificial strew, the strew is offspring, the bundle the sacrificer; verily he makes
the sacrificer superior to the non-sacrificer. Therefore the sacrificer is superior to
the non-sacrificer. He puts (grass) between, for separation. He anoints it; verily he
makes it into an offering and causes it to go to the world of heaven. He anoints it in
three places; these worlds are three; verily he anoints it for these worlds. He does
not break off (its edges); if he were to break them off, it would not go aloft for the
sacrificer. He pushes it upwards as it were [3], for the world of heaven is upwards
as it were. He depresses it; verily he brings down rain for him. He should not put
forward the points too much; if he were to do so, there would be a violent torrent to
destroy the Adhvaryu. He should not throw it (so that the roots are) in front. If he
were to do this, he would thrust the sacrificer from the world of heaven. He puts it
forward (with its points) to the east; verily he makes the sacrificer go to the world
of heaven. He should not spread (the bunch) in all directions. If he were to spread
(it) in all directions [4], a daughter would be born to him. He strews it upwards, for
upwards is as it were connected with a man; verily a male child is born to him. If
he were to smooth it with the sword or the poking-stick, that would be his ruin. He
smooths it with his hand, for the protection of the sacrificer. The theologians say,
'What in the sacrifice is the sacrificer' 'The bundle' (is the reply). 'Where in it is the
world of heaven?' 'The Ahavaniya (fire)' he should reply. In that he puts the bundle
on the Ahavaniya, he makes the sacrificer [5] go to the world of heaven. The
sacrificer is rent in that they smooth the bundle; he throws the strew along after it,
for calming. The Adhvaryu has no support, and he is liable to be seized by
dhruva
shivering. (With the words), 'Thou art firm (
)', he strokes it; the Dhruva
is this (earth); verily he finds support in it, and shivers not. 'Has he gone, O
Agnidh? he says. If (the Agnidh) were to say, 'Agni has gone?' he would make
Agni go into the fire, and exclude the sacrificer from the world of heaven. So he
should say only 'Has he gone?' Verily he makes the sacrificer go to the world of
heaven.
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
ii. 6. 6.
Agni had three elder brothers; they perished while carrying the offering to the
gods. Agni was afraid, 'Thus indeed will this one fall on misfortune.' He ran away,
and entered the waters. The gods sought to start him up. The fish proclaimed him,
and he cursed it, 'At Pleasure may they slay thee, since thou hast proclaimed me.'
So they slay the fish at pleasure, for he is cursed [1]. They found him; they said,
'Come to us, and carry the offering for us.' He said, 'Let me choose a boon;
whatever of the offering when it is taken (in the ladle) falls outside the enclosing-
sticks, let that be the share of my brothers.' There fore whatever of the offering
when it is taken falls outside the enclosing sticks is their share; verily by it he
delights them. He puts the enclosing sticks around, to smite away the Raksases. He
makes them touch [2], so that the Raksases may not creep through. He puts none in
front, for the sun rises in front and smites away the Raksases. He places the two
kindling-sticks upright, for upwards they smite away the Raksases. (He places) one
with a Yajus, the other in silence, to make a pair. He places two, the sacrificer has
two feet, for support. The theologians say, 'He indeed would be a sacrificer who
should be the stronger for a failure in the sacrifice.' (The words), 'To the lord of
earth hail! To the lord of the world, hail! To the lord of creatures [3] hail! ' he
should pronounce over the spilt (offering). Thus by a failure in the sacrifice he
becomes stronger, for he delights more gods (than usual). There is sameness in the
sacrifice, in that there are two sacrificial cakes (offered) in order. Between them he
offers the silent sacrifice, to break the sameness and to make a pair. Agni was in
yonder world, Yama in this. The gods said, 'Come, let us interchange them'; with
food the gods invited Agni [4], with the kingdom the Pitrs Yama; therefore is Agni
the food-eater of the gods, Yama the king of the Pitrs; he who knows thus obtains
the kingdom and food. To him they gave that share which they cut off for Agni
Svistakrt. In that he cuts off a share for Agni Svistakrt, he gives Rudra a share. He
cuts off one in each case, for Rudra is one as it were. He cuts off from the north
part, for this is Rudra's [5] quarter; verily he appeases Rudra in his own quarter. He
sprinkles it twice, to make it divided into four. The former offerings are cattle,
Agni is Rudra here; if he were to pour over the former offerings, he would give
Rudra cattle, and the sacrificer would be without cattle. He offers leaving the
former oblations aside, to protect the cattle.
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
The Part of the Hotr in the New and Full Moon Sacrifice
ii. 6. 7.
Manu desired what of earth was sacrificial. He found the poured out ghee. He said,
'Who is able to produce this also at the sacrifice?' Mitra and Varuna said, 'We are
able to produce the cow.' Then they set the cow in motion. Wherever she stepped,
there ghee was pressed out; therefore she is called ghee-footed; that is her origin.
'The Rathantara is invoked with the earth', he says [1]. The Rathantara is this
(earth); verily he invokes her with food. 'The Vamadevya is invoked with the
atmosphere', he says. The Vamadevya, is cattle; verily he invokes cattle with the
atmosphere. 'The Brhat is invoked with the sky', he says. The Brhat is connected
with food; verily he invokes food with the sky. ' The seven Hotras are invoked', he
says; verily he invokes the Hotras. 'The cow is invoked with the bull', he says [2];
verily he invokes a pair. 'The friend food is invoked', he says; verily he invokes the
Soma drink. 'It is invoked; ho!' he says; verily he invokes the self, for the self is the
best of those invoked. He invokes food, food is cattle; verily he invokes cattle. He
invokes four, for cattle are four-footed. 'Offspring of Manu', he says, for Manu first
saw her [3]. 'Ghee-footed', he says. Because ghee was pressed out of her foot,
therefore be says thus. 'Of Mitra and Varuna', he says, for Mitra and Varuna set her
in motion. 'The Brahman, god made, is invoked', he says; verily he invokes the
Brahman. 'The divine Adhvaryus are invoked, the human are invoked', he says;
verily he invokes the gods and men. 'Who shall help this sacrifice and make the
lord of the sacrifice prosper', he says [4]; verily he invokes a blessing for the
sacrifice and the sacrificer. 'Sky and earth are invoked', he says; verily he invokes
sky and earth. 'Born of yore, the righteous', he says, for they were born of yore and
are righteous. 'Divine, with gods for children', he says, for they are divine and have
gods for children. 'Invoked is this sacrificer', he says; verily he invokes the
sacrificer. 'Invoked in the highest sacrifice, invoked in the greater offering, invoked
in the divine abode' [5], he says. The highest sacrifice is offspring, the greater
offering is cattle, the divine abode is the world of heaven. (With the words), 'Thou
art this; thou art this', he invokes the dear abode of the sacrifice. 'All that is dear to
it is invoked', he says; verily not vainly does he invoke.
792

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
ii. 6. 8.
Food is cattle, he takes it himself; verily by himself he fills his desires of cattle, for
no one else can grant him his desire of cattle. 'Thee offered to the lord of speech I
eat', he says; verily he delights speech with a share. 'Thee offered to the lord of the
Sadas I eat', he says, for completion.' (The food) is divided. in four; what is divided
in four is the offering, what is divided in four is cattle; if the Hotr were to eat it, the
Hotr would [1] experience misfortune; if he were to offer it in the fire, he would
give the cattle to Rudra, and the sacrificer would be without cattle. 'Thee offered to
the lord of speech I eat', he says; verily secretly does he offer it. 'Thee offered to
the lord of the Sadas', he says, for completion. They eat; they eat at a suitable
moment; he gives a sacrificial gift; at a suitable moment be gives a gift. They
cleave the sacrifice [2], if they eat in the middle. They purify it with water; all the
gods are the waters; verily they connect the sacrifice with the gods. The gods
excluded Rudra from the sacrifice; he pierced the sacrifice, the gods gathered
round it (saying), 'May it be right for us.' They said, 'Well offered will this be for
us, if we propitiate him.' That is why Agni is called the 'well offerer' (
svistakrt
).
When it was pierced (by him) [3] they cut off (a piece) of the size of a barleycorn;
therefore one should cut off (a piece) the size of a barleycorn. If one were to cut off
more, he would confuse that part of the sacrifice. If he were to make a layer and
then to sprinkle, lie would make it swell on both sides. He cuts it off and sprinkles
it; there are two operations; the sacrificer has two feet, for support. If he were to
transfer it (to the Brahman) crosswise, he would pierce the unwounded part of the
sacrifice; lie transfers it in front; verily he transfers it in the proper way. They
transferred it for Pusan [4]. Pusan having eaten it lost his teeth; therefore Pusan has
pounded food for his share, for he has no teeth. The gods said of him, 'He has lost
(his teeth), he is not fit for the offering.' They transferred it to Brhaspati. Brhaspati
was afraid, 'Thus indeed will this one fall on misfortune.' He saw this Mantra;
'With the eye of the sun I gaze on thee', he said, for the eye of the sun harms no one
[5]. He was afraid, 'It will harm me as I take it.' 'On the impulse of the god Savitr,
with the arms of the Açvins, with the hands of Pusan I take thee', he says; verily,
impelled by Savitr, he took it with the holy power (Brahman) and with the gods.
He was afraid, 'It will harm me as I eat.' 'Thee with the mouth of Agni I eat', he
said, for nothing harms the mouth of Agni. He was afraid [6], 'It will harm me
when I have eaten.' 'With the belly of the Brahman', he said, for nothing harms the
belly of the Brahman. 'With the holy power (Brahman) of Brhaspati', (he said), for
he is fullest of the holy power (Brahman). The breaths indeed depart from him who
793

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eats this offering; by purifying it with water he grasps the breaths; the breaths are
ambrosia, the waters ambrosia; verily he summons the breaths according to their
places.
ii. 6. 9.
He takes a portion for the Agnidh; verily he delights the seasons whose mouth is
Agni. He takes a kindling-stick, for the support of the subsequent offerings; verily
he pours on that which has a kindling stick. He rubs the enclosing-sticks; verily he
purifies them. He rubs each once, for the sacrifice there is as it were turned away.
It makes up four, cattle are four-footed; verily he wins cattle. 'O Brahman, will we
set out?' he says; there indeed is the sacrifice placed [1], where the Brahman is;
where the sacrifice is placed, thence does he commence it. If he were to instigate
him with his hand, he would shiver; if with his head, he would have a headache; if
he were to sit in silence, the sacrifice would not proceed; he should say, 'Set out! In
speech the sacrifice is placed; where the sacrifice is placed, thence does he bestow
it. 'O god Savitr, that he
[2] hath proclaimed to thee', he says, for impelling. 'Brhaspati is the (priest)
Brahman', he says, for he is fullest of the holy power (Brahman). 'Do thou guard
the sacrifice, guard the lord of the sacrifice, guard me', he says; for the sacrifice,
the sacrificer, and himself, for these he thus invokes a blessing, to prevent
misfortune, Having caused (him) to call out, he says, 'Utter the verse for sacrifice
to the gods.' The theologians say, 'The gods have been sacrificed to; what gods are
they?' 'The metres', he should reply, 'Gayatri Tristubh [3], and Jagati.' Then they
say, 'The metres are the Brahmans'; verily he sacrifices to them. The deities were
sacrificed to by the gods; then Agni did not burn forth; the gods found him by the
offerings in the after-sacrifices; in that he offers the after-sacrifices verily thus one
kindles Agni. There was an Asura, named Etadu. He then appropriated the blessing
etád u
of the sacrifice. If one were to say, 'That indeed (
) hath been glorious, O
sky and earth' [4], one would cause Etadu to attain the blessing of the sacrifice.
idám
'This (
) has been glorious, sky and earth', he should say; verily he makes the
sacrificer attain the blessing of the sacrifice. 'We have won the utterance of prayer
and homage', he says; 'we have won this', he says in effect. 'It resteth on sky and
earth', he says, for the sacrifice rests on the sky and earth. 'Helpful for thee in this
sacrifice, O sacrificer, be sky and earth' [5], he says; verily he invokes this
blessing. If he were to say, 'easy of access and easy to dwell on', the sacrificer
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would be likely to perish, for when he perishes he has recourse to this (earth). 'Easy
of approach, and easy to move on', he should say; verily he invokes for him a
wider sphere, and he is not likely to perish. 'In the knowledge of these two Agni
hath rejoiced in this offering', he says; 'the gods we have sacrificed to [6], we have
made them to prosper', he says in effect. If he were not to indicate (the sacrificer),
the blessing of the sacrifice would go to his neighbour. 'This sacrificer imploreth (a
blessing) N. N.', he says; verily by indicating him he makes him attain the world of
heaven. 'He imploreth length of days, he imploreth a noble offspring, he says;
verily he invokes this blessing. 'He imploreth superiority over his equals', he says;
his equals are the breaths; verily he does not obstruct his breaths [7]. 'Agni shall
win, god, from the gods, we men from Agni', he says, 'Agni wins from the gods,
we from men', he says in effect. 'Here is the path of favour, and this our homage to
the gods', he says; to both the gods whom he sacrifices to and those to whom he
does not sacrifice, he pays homage, for his own security.
ii. 6. 10.
The gods could not find any one to utter the call Svaga at the sacrifice. They spoke
to Çamyu Barhaspatya, 'Perform the Svaga call at this sacrifice for us.' He said,
'Let me choose a boon; if a faithless man sacrifice, or a man sacrifices without
prescription, let the blessing of such a sacrificer be mine.' Therefore if a faithless
man sacrifices, or a man sacrifices without prescription, the blessing of such a
sacrifice goes to Çamyu Barhaspatya. 'That is mine', he said, 'What is to belong to
my offspring? [1].' 'Him, who reviles him, he shall fine with a hundred; him, who
strikes him, he shall fine with a thousand; he, who draws blood from him, shall not
behold the world of the Pitrs for as many years as are the grains of dust which the
blood in its fall seizes upon', (they replied). Therefore one should not revile a
Brahman, nor strike him, nor draw blood from him; for so great is his sin. 'That
health and wealth we choose', he says; verily he utters the call Svaga, over the
sacrifice. 'That [2] health and wealth we choose', he says; verily he gives Çamyu
Barhaspatya his portion. 'Success to the sacrifice, success to the sacrificer', he says;
verily he invokes this blessing. He sacrifices to Soma; verily he places seed; he
sacrifices to Tvastr; seed is placed and Tvastr moulds forms; he sacrifices to the
wives of the gods, to make a pair; he sacrifices to Agni, lord of the house, for
support. There is sameness in the sacrifice [3] in that the fore-sacrifices are offered
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with butter, and the sacrifices to the wives (are offered) with butter. Having
repeated the Rc, of the sacrifices to the wives he offers with a Rc, to prevent
sameness, and to make a pairing. The sacrifice has a fivefold prelude and a fivefold
end; there are offered five fore-sacrifices; there are four sacrifices to the wives, the
fifth is the Samistayajus by they make up five as a prelude, and five as an end.
ii. 6. 11.
a. Yoke like a charioteer, Agni,The steeds that best invite the gods
Set down as ancient Hotr.
b And, O god, for us do thou the gods,
Most wise one, call hither;
Make all our wishes true;
c Since thou, O most young,
O son of strength, who art sacrificed to,
Art righteous and worthy of sacrifice.
d This Agni is lord of a thousandfold,.
A hundredfold, strength;
The sage, the head of wealth.
e Bring him hither with common call
Lower to our sacrifice, O Angiras.
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.
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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.
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w O Soma and Pusan.
x These gods.
ii. 6. 12.
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.
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
hither.
h Invoked are the fathers who love the Soma
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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.
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.
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r The Angirases, our fathers, the Navagvas,
Atharvans, Bhrgus, who love the Soma;
May we be in the favour of those ones worthy of sacrifice, May we have their
kindly good will.
Hinduism Index Yajur Veda Index Previous Next
Sacred-Texts Index
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KANDA III
PRAPATHAKA I
The Supplement to the Soma Sacrifice
iii. 1. 1.
Prajapati desired, 'May I create offspring.' He did penance, he created serpents. He
desired, 'May I create offspring.' He did penance a second time, he created birds.
He desired, 'May I create offspring.' He did penance a third time, he saw this
speech of the consecrated, he spoke it. Then indeed did he create offspring. In that
after undergoing penance he speaks the speech of the consecrated, the sacrificer
thus [1] creates offspring. If one who is consecrated sees anything impure, the
consecration departs from him; his dark colour, his beauty goes away. 'Mind
unbound; eye weak; sun best of lights; O consecration, forsake me not', he says,
and consecration departs not from him, his dark colour and his beauty go not away.
If rain falls on one who is consecrated, the heavenly waters if unappeased destroy
his force, might, consecration [2], and penance. 'Do ye flowing waters place might
(in me), place force, place might; do not destroy my consecration, nor my penance',
he says; verily he places all that in himself; they do not destroy his force, might,
consecration, or penance. Agni is the divinity of the consecrated man, and he is
concealed as it were from him, when he goes (out), and the Raksases are able to
hurt him [3]. 'From good to better do thou advance; may Brhaspati be thy
forerunner', he says. Brhaspati is the holy power (Brahman) of the gods; verily he
a-
grasps hold of him, and he brings him safely through. 'Here we have come (
idam
) to the place on earth for sacrifice to the gods', he says, for he comes to the
place on earth for sacrifice, who sacrifices. 'Wherein aforetime all the gods
rejoiced', he says, for all the gods delight in it, in that the Brahmans so do.
'Accomplishing (the rite) with Rc, Saman, and Yajus', he says, for he who
sacrifices accomplishes (the rite) with Rc, Saman, and Yajus. 'Let us rejoice in
fullness of wealth, in sustenance', he says; verily he invokes this blessing.
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iii. 1. 2.
'This is thy Gayatri part', say for me to Soma.
'This is thy Tristubh, Jagati, part', say for me to Soma.
'Become lord of the Chandomas', say for me to Soma. He who purchases King
Soma after making it go to the world of lordship, becomes lord of his own
(people). The world of lordship of King Soma is the metres; he should utter these
verses before the purchase of Soma. It is to the world of lordship that he makes it
go when he buys (Soma) [1], and he becomes lord of his own. He, who knows the
support of the Tanunaptra finds support. The theologians say, 'They do not eat, nor
offer; then where does the Tanunaptra find support?' 'In Prajapati, in the mind, he
should reply. He should smell at it thrice, (saying), 'In Prajapati thee, in the mind I
offer'; this indeed is the support of the Tanunaptra; he who knows thus finds
support. He who [2] knows the support of the Adhvaryu finds support. He should
call (on the Agnidhra) standing in the place without moving whence he is minded
to sacrifice. This is the support of the Adhvaryu; he who knows thus finds support.
If he were to sacrifice moving about, he would lose his support; therefore he
should sacrifice standing in the same place, for support. He who knows the
possession of the Adhvaryu, becomes possessed (of what he needs). His possession
is the offering-spoon, his possession is the Vayu cup, his [3] possession is the
beaker. If he were to call without holding the Vayu cup or the beaker, he would
lose his own; therefore he must hold it when he calls; verily he loses not his own.
If he begins the litany without placing the Soma," the Soma is not supported, the
Stoma is not supported, the hymns are not supported, the sacrificer is not
supported, the Adhvaryu is not supported. The support of the Soma is the Vayu
cup, the support of it is the beaker, (the support) of the Stoma is Soma, (the
support) of the hymns is the Stoma. He should grasp the cup or fill up the beaker,
eva
and then begin the litany; a support to the Soma he verily (
) gives, to the
Stoma, to the hymns; the sacrificer finds support, the Adhvaryu finds support.
iii. 1. 3.
They gather together the sacrifice when (they gather the dust of) the foot-print of
the Soma cow; the oblation-holders are the mouth of the sacrifice; when they move
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forward the oblation-holders, then he should oil the axle with it; verily he extends
the sacrifice in the mouth of the sacrifice. They lead Agni forward, they take the
wife forward, and they make the carts follow after. Now the altar of him (Agni) is
rudrá
deserted; he broods on it, and is liable to become terrible (
) [1], and lay to
rest the offspring and cattle of the sacrificer. When they are leading northward the
sacrificial animal over which the Apris have been said, he should take (from the
altar the fire) for cooking it; verily he makes him share in it. The Ahavaniya is the
sacrificer; if they take (the fire) for cooking the victim from the Ahavaniya, they
tear the sacrificer asunder; the fire should therefore be thus, or he should make it
by friction, so that the sacrificer's body may remain together. If a portion of the
victim be lost, he should cut off an equivalent portion of the butter; that is then the
atonement. If men disturb his victim and he wish of them, 'May they come to ruin',
he should make an offering in the Agnidh's altar with the Rc containing the word
'paying of homage' (and beginning), 'What then?' Verily he appropriates their
paying of homage and speedily do they go to ruin.
iii. 1. 4.
a The offspring, being born of Prajapati
And those that have been born,
To him declare them;
Lot the wise one reflect thereon.
b This victim, O lord of cattle, for thee to-day,
I bind, O Agni, in the midst of righteous action;
Approve it, and let us sacrifice with a good offering
May this offering be welcome to the gods.
c The ancient wise ones grasp
The breath as it speedeth from the limbs;
Go to heaven by the paths which lead to the gods;
Be among the plants with thy members.
d What cattle the lord of cattle ruleth [1],
Both the four-footed and the two-footed,
May he, bought off, go to his sacrificial share;
May abundances of wealth fall to the sacrificer.
e Those, who being bound, contemplated
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With mind and with eye him who was being bound
Let the god Agni first release them,
Lord of offspring, in harmony with offspring.
f The cattle of the forest, of all forms,
Of various forms, many of one form.
Let the god Vayu first release them,
Lord of offspring, in harmony with offspring.
g Releasing [2] the seed of being,
Do ye further the sacrificer, O gods;
May that which hath stood ready and strenuous,
Go alive to the place of the gods.
h The breath of the sacrificer is apart from the victim;
The sacrifice goeth to the gods with the gods;
Let it go alive to the place of the gods;
Fulfilled may the desires of the sacrificer be.
i If the victim has uttered a cry,
Or striketh its breast with its feet,
May Agni release me from that sin,
From all misfortune.
k O ye slayers, come
To the sacrifice [3] sped by the gods;
Free the victim from the noose,
The lord of the sacrifice from the bond.
I May Aditi loosen this noose;
Homage to the cattle, to the lord of cattle, I pay;
I cast down the enemy;
On him whom we hate I fasten the noose.
m Thee they keep to carry the offering,
To cook (the victim) and as worthy of sacrifice;
0 Agni, with thy strength and thy body, be present
And accept our offerings, O Jatavedas.
n O Jatavedas, go with the caul to the gods,
For thou art the first Hotr;
With ghee do thou strengthen their bodies;
May the gods eat the offering made with the cry of 'hail!
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o Hail to the gods; to the gods hail!
iii. 1. 5.
Cattle belong to Prajapati; their overlord is Rudra. In that he prepares (them) with
these two (verses), verily by addressing him with them he secures him, so that his
self is not injured. He prepares (them) with two; the sacrificer has two feet; (verily
it serves) for support. Having prepared them, he offers five libations; cattle are
fivefold; I verily he wins cattle. Now the victim is led to death, and if he should lay
hold on it, the sacrificer would be likely to die. ' The breath of the sacrifice is apart
from the victim', he says, for distinction [1]. 'If the victim has uttered a cry'--(with
these words) he offers a libation, for calming. 'O ye slayers, come to the sacrifices',
he says; that is according to the text. When the omentum. is being taken, the
strength goes away from Agni. 'Thee they keep to carry the offering'--(with these
words) he pours a libation over the omentum; verily he wins the strength of Agni;
(it serves) also for making (the victim) ready. In the case of some gods the cry of
'hail!' is uttered before (an offering), in the case of others the cry of 'hail!' is uttered
after. 'Hail to the gods, to the gods hail!'--(with these words) he pours a libation on
either side of the omentum; verily he delights both (sets of gods).
iii. 1. 6.
a 'He who performs the sacrifice not according to the deities falls a victim to the
deities, he becomes worse. He who (performs) in accordance with the deities does
not fall a victim to the deities, he becomes better. He should rub the Agnidh's place
with a verse addressed to Agni, the oblation-holder with one addressed to Visnu,
the offering-spoons with one addressed to Agni, the Vayu cups with one addressed
to Vayu, the Sadas with one addressed to Indra. Thus he forms the sacrifice in
accordance with the deities, he does not fall a victim to the deities, he becomes
better. b I yoke earth for thee with light, I yoke wind for thee with the atmosphere
[1], I yoke speech for thee with the sun, I yoke the three spaces of the sun for thee.
c Agni is the deity, Gayatri the metre, thou art the vessel of the silent offering.
Soma is the deity, Tristubh the metre, thou art the vessel of the restrained offering.
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Indra is the deity, Jagati the metre, thou art the vessel of Indra and Vayu. Brhaspati
is the deity, Anustubh the metre, thou art the vessel of Mitra and Varuna. The
Açvins are the deity, Pañkti the metre, thou art the vessel of the Açvins. Surya is
the deity, Brhati the metre [2], thou art the vessel of the pure (Soma). Candramas is
the deity, Satobrhati the metre, thou art the vessel of the mixed (Soma). The All-
gods are the deity, Usnih the metre, thou art the vessel of the opening offering.
Indra is the deity, Kakubh the metre, thou art the vessel of the hymns. Earth is the
deity, Viraj the metre, thou art the vessel of the reserved (offering).
iii. 1. 7.
The Adhvaryu is he that brings trouble on the sacrificer, and he that brings trouble
himself is ruined before the trouble. 'From the formula spoken, guard me, from
every execration'--(with these words) he should pour a libation before the morning
litany (of the Hotr). So the Adhvaryu girds himself in front with a protection, to
avert trouble.
For entry thee, for rest thee, for the overcoming of the Gayatri, of the Tristubh, of
the Jagati, hail! O expiration and inspiration, protect me from death, O expiration
and inspiration forsake me not.
They contend as to the deities and to expiration and inspiration [1], whose Soma
(offerings) compete. 'For entry thee, for rest thee', he says; entry and rest are the
metres; verily by the metres he appropriates his metres. The Ajya (Stotras) have
the word 'forward' in them, for conquest. The beginning verses are addressed to the
Maruts, for victory. Both the Brhat and the Rathantara (Samans) are used. The
Rathantara is this (earth), the What yonder (sky); verily he cuts him off from these
two. The Rathantara is to-day, the Brhat to-morrow; verily he cuts him off from to-
day and to-morrow. The Rathantara is the past [2], the Brhat the future; verily he
cuts him off from the past and the future. The Rathantara is the measured, the
Brhat the unmeasured; verily he cuts him off from the measured and the
unmeasured. Viçvamitra and Jamadagni had a quarrel with Vasistha. Jamadagni
saw this Vihavya (hymn), and by means of it he appropriated the power and
strength of Vasistha. In that the Vihavya is recited, the sacrificer appropriates the
power and strength of his enemy. 'He who performs more rites of sacrifice', they
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say, 'appropriates the gods.' If the Soma (sacrifice) on the other side is an
Agnistoma, he should perform an Ukthya; if it is an Ukthya, he should perform an
Atiratra; verily by means of rites of sacrifice he appropriates his deities; he
becomes better.
iii. 1. 8.
a Ye are the Nigrabhyas, heard by the gods. Delight my life, delight my expiration,
delight my inspiration, delight my cross-breathing, delight my eye, delight my ear,
delight my mind, delight my speech, delight my trunk, delight my limbs, delight
my offspring, delight my cattle, delight my house, delight my troops, delight me
with all my troops, delight me [1]; may my troops not go thirsty.
b The plants are the subjects of Soma; the subjects indeed are able to give up the
king; Soma is connected with Indra. 'I have made you grow in my mind, O ye well
born; O ye born of right, may we enjoy your favour; may the divine plants in
accord with Indra grant us the Soma for the pressing', he says verily having begged
him from the plants, his subjects, and his deity he presses him. c When the Soma is
pressed [2] the first drop which falls has potency to destroy the power, strength,
offspring, and cattle of the sacrificer; he should pronounce over it the formula,
'Thou hast fallen to me with offspring, with abundance of wealth; destroy not my
power and strength'; verily he invokes this blessing to prevent the destruction of his
power, strength, offering, and cattle.
d The drop hath fallen on the earth, the sky, On this seat and on the one which was
aforetime The drop that wandereth over the third seat I offer in the seven Hotras.'
iii. 1. 9.
a He who bestows upon the gods the glory of the gods, and on men the glory of
men, has the divine glory among the gods, the human glory among men. The
libations which he draws off before the Agrayana libation, he should draw off
silently; those after with noise; verily he bestows upon the gods the glory of the
gods, and on men the glory of men; verily he has the divine glory among the gods,
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the human glory among men.
b May Agni protect us at the morning pressing, He that belongeth to all men, all-
wealful in his might;
May he, the purifier, grant us wealth [1];
May we that share the draught be long-lived
c May the All-gods, the Maruts, Indra,
Not leave us at the second pressing;
Long-lived, speaking what is pleasing to them,
May we enjoy the favour of the gods.
d This third libation belongeth to the sages
Who righteously set the beaker in motion;
May these Saudhanvanas, who have attained heaven,
Bear our good offering to what is better
e Some libations have bases, some have not. Those which have a sprinkling have
bases, those [2] of Soma have not bases. Taking (the cup) for Indra and Vayu he
should sprinkle it (saying), 'May the sacrifice be harmless for plants, for our cattle,
for our folk; for all creatures harmless thou art; swell like ghee, O god Soma.'
Verily so he makes the libations of Soma to have a base. He becomes possessed of
a base who knows thus. Verily also he wets with ghee the sky and earth: they being
wet are to be lived upon; he is to be lived upon [3] who knows thus.
f This is thy share, O Rudra, for which thou didst ask; rejoice in it, find (for us) the
lordship of cows, abundance of wealth, with good heroes and a year's prosperity.'
g Manu divided his property among his sons. He deprived Nabhanedistha, who
was a student, of any portion. He went to him, and said, 'How hast thou deprived
me of a portion?' He replied, 'I have not deprived you of a portion; the Angirases
here are performing a Sattra; they [4] cannot discern the world of heaven; declare
this Brahmana to them; when they go to the, world of heaven they will give thee
their cattle.' He told them it, and they when going to the world of heaven gave him
their cattle. Rudra approached him as he went about with his cattle in the place of
sacrifice, and said, 'These are my cattle.' He replied, 'They have given them [5] to
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me.' They have not the power to do that', he replied, (whatever is left on the place
of sacrifice is mine.' Then one should not resort to a place of sacrifice. He said,
'Give me a share in the sacrifice, and I will not have designs against your cattle. He
poured out for him the remnants of the mixed (Soma). Then indeed had Rudra no
designs against his cattle. When one who knows thus offers the remnants of the
mixed (Soma), Rudra has no designs against his cattle.
iii. 1. 10.
a May I be pleasing to speech; pleasing to the lord of speech, O divine
speech. The sweetness of speech place in me; hail to Sarasvati.
b By the Rc make the Soma to prosper,
By the Gayatra the Rathantara,
The Brhat with the Gayatri for its metre.
c The drop that falleth of them, that shoot,
Shaken by the arms, from the womb of the pressing-planks,
Or from the filter of the Adhvaryu,
Over it I say Hail! and offer it to Indra.
d The drop, the shoot, that hath fallen on the ground,
From the rice grains [1], the cake, the mush,
From the Soma with grain, from the mixed, O Indra, from the pure,
Over it I say Hail! and offer it to Indra.
e Thy sweet drop, powerful,
Over which Hail! is said and which goeth back to the gods
From the sky, the earth, the atmosphere
Over it I say Hail! and offer it to Indra.
f The Adhvaryu is the first of the priests to start work, verily they say the Stoma
should be started by him. g 'May speech that goes in front go in front, going
straight to the gods, placing glory in me, breath in cattle, offspring in me [2] and in
the sacrificer', he says; verily he yokes speech at the beginning of the sacrifice. The
place of the sacrifice is made when having drawn off the libations they creep to the
Bahispavamana; for they go away, and they praise with verses which go away; he
returns, and with a verse addressed to Visnu reverences (the Soma); Visnu is the
sacrifice; verily he makes the sacrifice. 'O Visnu, as our nearest, O mighty one,
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grant us protection; the streams dripping honey milk for thee the unfailing source',
he says; verily he makes to swell by it whatever of the Soma has dried up through
lying (in the barrels).
iii. i. 11.
a By Agni may one win wealth
And abundance day by day,
Glory, full of heroes.
b Rich in cattle, in sheep, O Agni, in horses is the sacrifice;
With manly companions, ever unalterable;
Rich in food is this, O Asura, in offspring,
Enduring, wealth, deep based and rich in houses.
C Swell up.
d Together for thee.
e Here Tvastr the first,
Of all forms, I call.
May he be ours only.
f That procreant strength for us do thou,
O God Tvastr, graciously lot loose,
Whence is born a hero [1] of great deeds, of skill,
Who wieldeth the pressing-stone and loveth the gods.
g Come hither, O Tvastr, propitious,
Pervasive for abundance, and of thy own will,
Aid us in every sacrifice.,
h The hero is born, loving the gods,
Of brilliant hue, strong, and full of vigour;
Tvastr accord us offspring and descendants;
May he go to the place of the gods.
i Forth for us, O goddess.
k From the sky.
l May we milk offspring and food
From Sarasvant's breast,
Swelling for all to see [2].1
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m May we enjoy the favour
Of thy waves, O Sarasvant,
Which are full of honey and drip ghee.
n Let us call for aid on this Sarasvant,
Whose ordinance all cattle follow,
Whose ordinance the waters obey,
And in whose ordinance the lord of increase doth rest.
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;
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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.
cc The bounteous Maruts make to swell the waters
Which yield milk with ghee for the sacrifices;
The strong steer they lead about as it were for rain;
They milk the thundering and never-failing spring.
dd O ye Maruts, swimming in water, send forth
The rain [7], which all the Maruts strengthen;
May it call aloud like a maiden,
Like a wife with her husband in union.
ee With ghee anoint sky and earth, with honey;
Make the plants rich in milk, the waters;
Make to swell strength and goodwill,
When, O hero Maruts, ye pour the honey,
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ff Upwards that.
gg The radiant.
hh Like Aurva, like Bhrgu, like Apnavana,
I summon the pure
Agni who is clothed with the sea.
ii As the impulse of Savitr,
The favour of Bhaga, I call
Agni who is clothed with the sea.
kk I call the wise one, who soundeth like the wind,
The might that roareth like Parjanya,
Agni who is clothed with the sea.
PRAPATHAKA II
The Supplement to the Soma Sacrifice (continued)
iii. 2. 1. He who sacrifices knowing the 'ascent' verses of the Pavamana (Stotras)
mounts on the Pavamanas and is not cut off from the Pavamanas. 'Thou art the
hawk, with the Gayatri for thy metre; I grasp thee; bring me over in safety. Thou
art the eagle, with the Tristubh for thy metre; I grasp thee; bring me over in safety.
Thou art the vulture, with the Jagati for thy metre; I grasp thee; bring me over in
safety', he says. These [1] are the ascents of the Pavamanas; he who knowing thus
these sacrifices mounts on the Pavamanas, and is not cut off from the Pavamanas.
He who knows the continuity of the Pavamana lives all his days; he does not die
before his time; be becomes rich in cattle; he obtains offspring. The Pavamana
cups are drawn off, but these are not drawn off by him, the wooden vessel, the
stirring-vessel, and the vessel which holds the purified Soma. If he were to begin
(the Stotra) without drawing them off, he would split the Pavamana [2], and with
its being split the breath of the Adhvaryu would be split. 'Thou art taken with a
support; to Prajapati thee!', (with these words) he should rub the wooden vessel; 'to
Indra thee!', (with these words) the stirring-vessel; 'to the All-gods thee!', (with
these words) the vessel which holds the purified Soma verily he renders continuous
the Pavamana, he lives all his days; he does not die before his time; he becomes
rich in cattle; he obtains offspring.
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iii. 2. 2.
There are three pressings. Now they spoil the third pressing if there are no stalks of
the Soma in it. Having offered the silent cup, he puts a shoot in the vessel which
holds it, and placing it with the third pressing he should press it out. In that he
makes it swell, it has a stalk (of the Soma); in that he presses it out, it has the lees
(of the Soma); verily he makes all the pressings have stalks and pure Soma, and be
of equal strength.
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
adhvartavyah
adhvara
inviolable (
). That is why the sacrifice (
) is
inviolable. Then the gods prospered, the Asuras were defeated. He who knowing
thus offers the Soma, prospers himself, the enemy is defeated.
iii. 2. 3.
a Surrounding Agni, surrounding Indra, surrounding the All-gods, surrounding me
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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 For my
expiration, be purified, giving splendour, for splendour; c For my inspiration; d For
my cross-breathing;
e For my speech [1];
f For my skill and strength;
g For my two eyes do ye be purified, giving splendour, for splendour;
h For my ear;
i For my trunk;
k For my members;
I For my life;
m For my strength
n Of Visnu,
o Of Indra,
p Of the All-gods thou art the belly, giving splendour to me, be purified for
splendour.
kásmai
q Who art thou? (Thou art) who by name. To who (
) thee, to who
káya
(
) thee, thee whom I have delighted with Soma, thee whom I have
gladdened with Soma. May I be possessed of fair offspring with offspring, of noble
heroes with heroes, of excellent splendour with splendour, of great abundance with
abundances.
r To all my forms giving splendour [2], be purified for splendour; of that give me;
of that may I share, of that that is thine I procure this.
He who desires to be great should look (on the offerings); Prajapati is here in the
vessels, Prajapati is the sacrifice; verily he delights him, and he being delighted is
purified for him with prosperity. He who desires splendour should look (on the
offerings); Prajapati is here in the vessels, Prajapati is the sacrifice; verily he
delights him, and he being delighted is purified for him with splendour. He who is
ill [3] should look (on the offerings); Prajapati is here in the vessels, Prajapati is
the sacrifice; verily he delights him, and he being delighted is purified for him with
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life. He who practises witchcraft should look (on the offerings); Prajapati is here in
the vessels, Prajapati is the sacrifice; verily he delights him, and he being delighted
cuts off him (the enemy) from expiration and inspiration, from speech, from skill
and strength, from his eyes, from his ears, from his trunk, from the members, from
life; swiftly he comes to ruin.
iii. 2. 4.
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
safety.
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
Sadas.
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
from men.
i O ye divine doors, oppress me not.
k Homage to the Sadas, homage to the lord of the Sadas, homage to the
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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.
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.
iii. 2. 5.
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.
i Of thee, O god Soma, who hast the Adityas for thy troop, who knowest the heart,
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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
follow me.
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.
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v O Prajapati, none other than thou
Comprehendeth all these creatures [6].
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.
iii. 2. 6.
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
strength.
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. His sacrifice is
broken whose speckled butter is spilt. He takes it again with a Rc addressed to
Visnu; Visnu is the sacrifice; verily he unites the sacrifice by the sacrifice.
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iii. 2. 7.
a O God Savitr, he hath declared that to thee; that do thou impel and
offer.
b The Brahman is Brhaspati.
c Depart not from the life-giving Rc, from the Saman which protecteth
the body.
d Let your wishes be accomplished, let your purposes (be accomplished).
e Speak right and truth.
f Praise ye on the impulse of the god Savitr.
g The praised of the praised art thou, may the praised milk strength for
me, may the praised of the praised come to me.
h Thou art the Çastra of the Çastra [1], may the Çastra milk strength for
me, may the Çastra of the Çastra come to me.
i With power may we conquer,
May we milk offspring and food.
k May my wish be accomplished among the gods.
l May splendour come to me.
m The sacrifice hath become, it hath come into being,
It hath been born, it hath waxed great;
It hath become the overlord of the gods,
May it make us overlords,
May we be lords of wealth.
n Either the sacrifice [2] milks the lord of the sacrifice, or the lord of the sacrifice
milks the sacrifice. Him, who sacrifices not knowing the milking of the Stotra and
the Çastra, the sacrifice milks, he after sacrificing becomes worse; he, who
knowing the milking of these two sacrifices, milks the sacrifice; he after sacrificing
becomes better. 'The praised of the praised art thou, may the praised milk strength
for me, may the praised of the praised come to me. The Çastra, of the Çastra thou
art, may the Çastra milk strength for me, may the Çastra of the Çastra come to me',
he says; this is the milking of the Stotra and the Çastra; he who sacrifices knowing
thus milks the sacrifice, and by sacrificing becomes better.
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
iii. 2. 8.
a To the flying eagle hail! Vat! To him who approveth himself homage.
To the support, the law, hail! Vat! To him who approveth himself
homage. To the enclosing-stick which extendeth men hail! Vat! To him
who approveth himself homage. To the strength of the Hotras hail! Vat!
To him who approveth himself homage. To the milk of the Hotras hail!
Vat! To him who approveth himself homage. To Prajapati, to Manu,
hail! Vat! To him who approveth himself homage. Right, guardian of
right, heaven-bearing, hail! Vat! To him who approveth himself homage.
b Let the Hotras delight in the sweet ghee.
c To the lord of the sacrifice the Rsis said,
'By thy sin [1] creatures are famishing and troubled';
He did not secure the two drops of honey;
May Viçvakarman unite us with them.
d Dread are the Rsis; homage be to them,
In the union with their eye and mind;
To Brhaspati great, real, and glorious reverence;
Homage to Viçvakarman; may he guard us.
e Deeming that the Soma-drinkers are his own,
Knowing the breath like a valiant man in battle,--
He hath committed a great sin and is bound by them--
Him set free, O Viçvakarman [2], for safety.
f Those who eating deserved not riches,
Whom the fires of the hearths did trouble,
That is their offering to expiate the ill sacrifice
A good sacrifice for us may Viçvakarman make it.
g Homage to the Pitrs, who have watched around us,
Making the sacrifice, loving the sacrifice, the benignant deities;
We have not brought you the offering without desires;
Trouble us not for this sin.
h All those who are in the Sadas must have presents; he who did not [3] give them
a present would fall a victim to them; in that he offers the libations to
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Viçvakarman, he thus delights those who are in the Sadas.
i Ye gods, have regard to this wonder,
The good thing which the husband and wife win with the milk admixture;
A male child is born, be findeth riches,
And all the house prospereth unhurt.
k May the husband and wife who give the milk admixture win good;
May wealth unharmed attend them dwelling in harmony;
May he, who poureth that which hath been milked together with the pot
(of Soma),
By the sacrifice leave misfortune on his way.
l Butter-necked [4], fat is his wife;
Fat his sons and not meagre,
Who with his wife eager to offer a good sacrifice
Hath given to Indra the milk admixture together with the pot (of Soma).,
m May the milk admixture place in me strength and good offspring
And food, wealth and fair fame,
(Me that am) conquering the fields with might, O Indra,
And casting down my rivals.
n Thou art being, place me in being; thou art the mouth, may I be
the mouth.
o From sky and earth I take thee.
p May the All-gods, belonging to all men [5], move thee forward.
q In the sky make firm the gods, in the atmosphere the birds, on earth the
creatures of earth.
r With the firm offering the firm
Soma, we transfer,
That the whole world may be for us
Free of sickness and of kindly intent;
s That Indra may make
All the clans for us of one mind,
That all the quarters
May be ours alone.
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
iii. 2. 9.
In that the Hotr addresses the Adhvaryu, he makes the thunder bolt advance
towards him; 'O reciter of hymns', he says in response at the morning pressing; the
syllables herein are three, the Gayatri has three Padas, the morning pressing is
connected with the Gayatri; verily with the Gayatri he places the thunderbolt
within the morning pressing. 'The hymn hath been uttered', he says in response at
the midday pressing; the syllables herein are four, the Tristubh has four Padas, the
midday pressing is connected with the Tristubh; verily with the Tristubh he places
the thunderbolt within the midday pressing [1]. 'The hymn hath been uttered to
Indra', he says in response at the third pressing; the syllables herein are seven, the
Çakvari has seven Padas, the thunder bolt is connected with the Çakvari; verily
with the thunderbolt he places the thunderbolt within the third pressing. The
theologians say, 'He indeed would be an Adhvaryu who should produce the metres
in the responses according to the pressings; he would bestow brilliance upon
himself at the morning pressing, power at the midday pressing, and cattle at the
third pressing.' 'O reciter of hymns', he says in response at the morning pressing;
the syllables herein are three, [2], the Gayatri has three Padas, the morning
pressing is connected with the Gayatri; verily at the morning pressing he produces
the metres in the response; now the Gayatri is brilliance, the morning pressing is
brilliance; verily at the morning pressing he bestows brilliance upon himself. 'The
hymn hath been uttered', he says in response at the midday pressing; the syllables
herein are four, the Tristubh has four Padas, the midday pressing is connected with
the Tristubh; verily at the midday pressing he produces the metres in the response;
now the Tristubh is power, the midday pressing is power [3]; verily at the midday
pressing he bestows power upon himself. 'The hymn hath been uttered to Indra', he
says in response at the third pressing; the syllables herein are seven, the Çakvari
has seven Padas, cattle are connected with the Çakvari, the third pressing is
connected with the Jagati; verily at the third pressing he produces the metres in the
response; now the Jagati is cattle, the third pressing is cattle; verily at the third
pressing he bestows cattle upon himself that the Hotr addresses the Adhvaryu, he
puts fear in him; if be were not to smite it off [4], they would have fear in his house
before the year (was over). 'Recite, let us two rejoice',' he responds, and thereby he
smites it off. Just as one looks for the exact interval, so the Adhvaryu looks for the
response. If he were to respond in advance, that would be as when one goes to
meets the exact interval. If the (response) were to be omitted after the half-verse,
that would be as when one is left behind those that are running. The Udgithas are
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similar for the priests, the Udgitha for the Udgatrs, [5], the Rces and the Pranavas
for the singers of hymns, the response for the Adhvaryus. He, who knowing thus
responds, becomes an eater of food, a strong one is born among his offspring. The
Hotr is this (earth), the Adhvaryu yonder (sky); in that he recites sitting, so the
Hotr goes not away from the (earth), for this (earth) is seated as it were; verily
thereby the sacrifice milks this (earth). In that he responds standing, so the
Adhvaryu goes not away from yonder (sky) [6], for yonder (sky) stands as it were;
verily thereby the sacrificer milks yonder (sky). In that he recites sitting, therefore
the gods live on that which is given hence; in that he responds standing, therefore
men live on what is given thence. In that he recites seated towards the east, and he
responds standing towards the west, therefore seed is impregnated in front,
offspring are born behind. In that the Hotr addresses the Adhvaryu, he makes the
thunderbolt advance towards him; he turns towards the West; verily he overcomes
the thunderbolt.
iii. 2. 10.
a Thou art taken with a support; thou art seated in speech for the guardians of
speech,
for the guardians of insight, for the overseers of this established sacrifice do I take
thee.
b Thou art taken with a support; thou art seated in holy order; for the guardians of
sight, &c., do I take thee.
c Thou art taken with a support; thou art seated in holy lore; for the guardians of
the
ear, &c., do I take thee.
d For the gods thee!
e For the All-gods thee!
f For all the gods thee!
g O Visnu, wide striding, this is thy Soma; guard it [1] let not the evil-eyed one
espy this of thine.
h In me is the Vasu, whom wealth precedeth, who guardeth the voice; guard my
voice.
i In me is the Vasu, who winneth wealth, who guardeth the eye; guard my eye.
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k In me is the Vasu, who keepeth wealth together, who guardeth the ear; guard my
ear.
l Thou art Bhuh, best of rays, guardian of expiration; guard my expiration.
m Thou art Dhuh, best of rays, guardian of inspiration; guard my inspiration.
n The foe who, O Indra and Vayu, is hostile to us,
Who seeketh to assail us, O lords of splendour,
May I here burl him below my feet,
So that, O Indra, I may shine as the highest.
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.
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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.'
PRAPATHAKA III
The Supplement to the Soma Sacrifice (continued).
iii. 3. 1.
a O Agni, brilliant, be thou brilliant among the gods; make me brilliant, of long
life,
radiant among men; for the brilliance of consecration and of penance do I offer to
thee.
b Thou dost win brilliance; may brilliance forsake me not, may I forsake not
brilliance, may brilliance forsake me not.
c O Indra, full of force, be thou full of force among the gods, make me full of
force, of
long life, radiant among men; for the force of the Brahmanhood and royalty [1] do
I offer to thee.
d Thou dost win force; may force forsake me not, may I forsake not force, may
force forsake me not.
e O sun, blazing, be thou blazing among the gods; make me blazing, of long life,
radiant among men; for the blazing of the wind and of the waters do I offer to thee.
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f Thou dost win the light; may the light forsake me not, may I not forsake the light,
may the light forsake me not.
g On me wisdom, on me offspring, on me brilliance may Agni bestow; on me
wisdom, on me offspring, on me power may Indra bestow; on me wisdom, on me
offspring, on me blazing may Surya bestow.
iii. 3. 2.
a The maker of the sound 'Him' is Vayu, the Prastotr is Agni, the Saman is
Prajapati, the Udgatr is Brhaspati, the subordinate singers are the All-gods, the
Pratihartrs are the Maruts, the finale is Indra; may these gods who support breath
bestow breath upon me.
b All this the Adhvaryu, as he begins, begins for the Udgatrs; 'May these gods who
support breath bestow breath upon me', he says; verily he bestows all this on
himself.
c May Ida who summoneth the gods, Manu who leadeth the sacrifice,
d May Brhaspati recite the hymns and acclamations.
e The All-gods [1] are reciters of the hymns.
f O earth mother, do not harm me.
g Of honey shall I think, honey shall I produce, honey shall I proclaim, honey shall
I speak, may I utter speech full of honey for the gods, and acceptable to men.
h May the gods aid me to radiance, may the Pitrs rejoice in me.
iii. 3. 3.
a Let the Vasus press thee with the Gayatri metre; go thou to the dear place of
Agni.
b Lot the Rudras press thee with the Tristubh metre; go thou to the dear place of
Indra.
c Let the Adityas press thee with the Jagati metre; go thou to the dear place of the
All-gods.
d The pure for thee, O pure one, I stir in the gladdening (water);
e In the joyous (ones);
f In the Kotanas;
g In the new (ones);
h In the Regis;
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i In the Mesis;
k In the roaring (ones);
l In the all-supporting (ones);
m In the sweet (ones);
n In the lofty (ones);
o In the strong (ones) [1];
p In the pure ones, I stir the pure for thee, O pure.
q The pure for thee I take with the pure form of day, with the rays of the sun.
r Herein the dread (ones) have moved themselves,
The streams of the sky have consorted.
s The lofty form of the bull shineth on high;
Soma precedeth Soma,
The pure precedeth the pure.
t That undeceived, watchful, name of thine, O Soma, to that of thine, O Soma, to
Soma hail!
u Gladly do thou, O god Soma, go to the dear place of Agni [2] with the Gayatri
metre.
v Willingly do thou, O god Soma, go to the dear place of Indra with the Tristubh
metre.
W Our friend, do thou, O god Soma, go to the dear place of the All-gods with the
Jagati metre.
x Come breath to us from afar,
From the atmosphere, from the sky,
Life from the earth;
Thou art ambrosia; for breath thee!
y May Indra and Agni confer radiance upon me,
Radiance (may) Soma and Brhaspati (confer);
Radiance on me the All-gods,
Radiance confer on me, O ye Açvins.
z When one doth hasten after him,
Or uttereth prayers, he doth accept it
All knowledge doth he embrace,
Even as the felly the wheel.
iii. 3. 4.
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The stirrings are the secret name of the waters; 'The pure for thee, O pure one, I stir
in the gladdening (waters)', he says; verily with the secret name of the waters he
wins the rain from the sky. 'The pure for thee I take with the pure', he says; the
night is of the form of the day, the rays of the sun, he makes the rain to fall from
the sky. 'Herein the dread (ones) have moved themselves' [1], he says; that is as in
the text. 'The lofty form of the bull shineth on high,' he says; the rain is in its lofty
form; verily by the form he wins the rain. 'That undeceived, watchful, name of
thine, O Soma', he says; he indeed offers an oblation with an oblation who drawing
the Adabhya (cup) offers it to Soma. The life and breath him [2] who draws the
Ançu depart; 'Come breath to us from afar', he says; verily he bestows life and
breath upon himself. 'Thou art ambrosia; for breath thee!' (with these words) he
breathes over the gold; the gold is ambrosia, breath is life; verily with ambrosia he
bestows life upon him self. It is of a hundred (Krsnalas) in weight; man has a
hundred years of life, a hundred powers; verily he finds support in life and power.
He touches the waters; the waters are medicine; verily he makes medicine.
iii. 3. 5.
a Thou art the wind, expiration by name, in the lordship of Savitr give
me expiration.
b Thou art the eye, the ear by name, in the lordship of Dhatr give me life.
c Thou art the form, colour by name, in the lordship of Brhaspati, give
me offspring.
d Thou art holy order, truth by name, in the lordship of Indra, give me
lordly power.
e Thou art the past, the future by name, in the lordship of the Pitrs,
expugnate the waters and the plants.
f Thee for the realm of holy order!
g Thee for the might of holy order! [1]
h Thee for the circumference of holy order!
i Thee for the truth of holy order!
k Thee for the light of holy order!
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Prajapati saw the Viraj; by it he created the past and the future; he concealed it
from the Rsis; by penance Jamadagni beheld it, and by it he created various
delights; that is why the various (cups) have their name. In that the various (cups)
are drawn, so the sacrificer wins various delights. 'Thou art the wind, expiration [2]
by name', he says; verily he wins expiration and inspiration.' 'Thou art the eye, the
ear by name', he says; verily he wins life. 'Thou art the form, colour by name', he
says; verily he wins offspring. 'Thou art holy order, truth by name', he says; verily
he wins lordly power. 'Thou art the past, the future by name', he says; the foetus of
the waters and the plants is cattle; verily he wins cattle [3]. So much as is around a
man, that does he thus win. 'Thee for the realm of holy order', he says; the realm of
holy order is this (earth); verily he conquers this (earth). 'Thee for the might of
holy order', he says; the might of holy order is the atmosphere; verily he conquers
the atmosphere. 'Thee for the circumference of holy order', he says; the
circumference of holy order is the sky; verily he conquers the sky. 'Thee for the
truth of holy order' [4], he says; the truth of holy order is the quarters; verily he
conquers the quarters. 'Thee for the light of holy order', he says; the light of holy
order is the world of heaven; verily he conquers the world of heaven. So many are
the worlds of the gods; verily he conquers them. They make up ten; the Viraj has
ten syllables, the Viraj is food; verily he finds support in the Viraj, the eating of
food.
iii. 3. 6.
What the gods could not win by the sacrifice, that they won by the Para (Grahas),
and that is why the Paras have their name. In that the Paras are drawn, (it serves) to
win that which one does not win by the sacrifice. The first he draws, by this he
conquers the world; the second (he draws), by this he conquers the atmosphere; the
third (he draws), by this he conquers yonder world. In that they are drawn, (they
serve) to conquer these worlds [1]. In the latter days they are drawn hitherward
from yonder, verily having conquered these worlds they descend again towards
this world. In that in the former days they are drawn thitherward from hence,
therefore these worlds are thitherward from hence; in that in the latter days they are
drawn hitherward from thence, therefore these worlds are hitherward from thence;
therefore men depend on the worlds in variation. The theologians say, 'For what
reason do plants spring from the waters, the food of man is plants [2], and
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offspring are born through Prajapati?' 'Through the Paras', he should reply. In that
he draws (saying),'For the waters thee, for the plants I take', therefore from the
waters plants spring; in that he draws (saying), 'For the plants thee, for offspring I
take', therefore the food of man is the plants; in that he draws (saying), 'For
offspring thee, for Prajapati I take', therefore through Prajapati offspring are born.
iii. 3. 7.
Prajapati created the gods and the Asuras; thereafter the sacrifice was created, after
the sacrifice the metres; they went away in all directions, the sacrifice went after
the Asuras, the metres after the sacrifice; the gods reflected, 'These have become
what we are'; they had recourse to Prajapati; Prajapati said, 'Taking the strength of
the metres I shall bestow it upon you.' He took the strength of the metres [1] and
bestowed it upon them. Then the metres ran away, and the sacrifice followed the
metres. Then the gods prospered, the Asuras were defeated. He who knows the
strength of the metres--'Do thou proclaim', 'Be it proclaimed', 'Utter', 'We that
utter', the Vasat call--prospers himself, his foe is defeated. The theologians say,
'For whose gain does the Adhvaryu cause (him) to proclaim?' 'For the strength of
the metres', he should reply; 'Do thou proclaim', 'Be it proclaimed', 'Utter', 'We that
utter', the Vasat call, that is the strength of the metres [2]; he who knows thus sings
what ever he sings with the metres in full strength. 'In that Indra, slew Vrtra, there
is impurity, in that he destroyed the Yatis, there is impurity; then why is the
sacrifice Indra's up to the completion?' they say. The sacrifice is the sacrificial
body of Indra, and it is this they sacrifice. To him who knows thus the sacrifice
resorts.
iii. 3. 8.
a Giving life, O Agni, rejoicing in the oblation,
Be thou faced with ghee and with thy birthplace of ghee;
Having drunk the ghee, the sweet, the delightful product of the cow,
As a father his son, do thou protect him.
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The sacrificer falls a victim to the two fires in that having made (the offering)
ready in them he goes elsewhere to the final bath; 'Giving life, O Agni, rejoicing in
the oblation', (with these words) should he offer when about to go to the final bath;
verily by the offering he appeases the two (fires); the sacrificer does not go to
destruction.
b That loan which I have not yet paid back [1], The tribute that I still owe to Yama,
Here do I make requital for it;
Here, O Agni, may I be freed from that debt.
c O Viçvalopa, I offer thee in the mouth of the burner of all;
One is an eater of the uneaten, one an eater of the unoffered, one an eater
of that which is gathered;
May they make for us medicine,
An abode, delightful strength.'
d May he that fatteneth protect us
From in front with the cloud
Many be our houses,
That houses fail us not.
e Do thou [2], O lord of cloud,
Bestow on us strength with kindliness;
Return to us what is lost,
Return wealth to us.
f O god that dost fatten, thou art a lord of a thousandfold prosperity; do
thou give us increase of wealth unfailing, rich in heroes, prosperity
abiding through the year.
Yama is Agni, Yama is this (earth); the sacrificer becomes under a debt to Yama in
that he strews the altar with plants; if he were to go away with out burning (them),
they would drag him about bound by the neck [3] in yonder world. In that he
burns, (saying) 'The loan which I have not yet paid', being here, having made
requital of the loan to Yama, he goes freed from the debt to the world of heaven. If
he does manifold things as it were, he should offer in the forest (fire) groats with
his hand; the forest (fire) is Agni Vaiçvanara; verily he appeases him. 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
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[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
iii. 3. 9.
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.
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
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.
a Surya, the god, for those that sit in the sky, Dhatr for lordly power, Vayu for
offspring, Brhaspati for Prajapati offer thee radiant.
b Thee have I united with the gods,
Who hast a tawny embryo
And a womb of gold,
Whose limbs are uninjured.
c Bring near, O bringer,
Remove away, O remover,
O Indra Nardabuda,
With the four quarters of the earth
Do thou bring near.
d I split apart thy urinator,
Thy womb, the two groins, [1]
The mother and the child,
The embryo and the after-birth.
e Apart from thee let it be. So!
f The drop, far extending, of all forms,
Purified, wise, hath anointed the embryo.
g With one foot, two feet, three feet, four feet, five feet, six feet, seven feet, eight
feet may she extend over the worlds; hail!
h Nay the two great ones, sky and earth,
Mingle for us this sacrifice,
May they sustain us with support.
iii. 3. 11.
a This oblation is dear in your mouth,
O Indra and Brhaspati,
The hymn and acclamation is recited.
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b This Soma is poured for you,
O Indra and Brhaspati,
Dear for delight, for drinking.
c To us, O Indra and Brhaspati,
Grant wealth of a hundred kine,
Of horses a thousandfold.
d From behind may Brhaspati guard us,
From above, from below, from the plotter of evil;
May Indra from the front, from the middle,
Friend to friend, grant us wide room.
e Sped by the winds on all sides, O Agni,
Thy flames [1], O pure one, pure are diffused
Mightily destroying, the divine ones, the Navagvas
Assail the forests, rudely crushing (them).
f Thee, O Agni, the tribes of men praise,
Who knowest the Hotr's duty, discerning, best bestower of jewels,
Who art in secret yet, O happy one, seen by all,
Of impetuous spirit, a good sacrificer, brilliant with ghee.
g May Dhatr give us wealth,
The lord the ruler of the world,
May he favour us with a full (gift).
h Dhatr is lord of offspring and of wealth,
Dhatr created all this world.
Dhatr giveth a son to the sacrificer [2]
To him let us offer the oblation rich in ghee.
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,
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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.
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PRAPATHAKA IV
The Optional and Occasional Offerings
iii. 4. 1.
The sacrifice of him whose offering is too large is unsuccessful; 'Surya, the god,
for those that sit in the sky', he says; verily with the aid of Brhaspati and Prajapati
he makes good the deficiency in the sacrifice. Now the Raksases infest the victim
if it being offered to one deity is greater (than normal); 'Thou who hast a tawny
embryo', he says; verily he sends it to the gods, to smite away the Raksases. 'Bring
near, O bringer', he says [1]; verily with the holy power he brings it. 'I split apart
thy urinator', he says; that is according to the text. 'The drop, far extending, of all
forms', he says; the drop is offspring and cattle; verily with offspring and cattle he
unites him. To the sky the deficiency of the sacrifice goes, to the earth the
redundancy; if he were not to appease it, the sacrificer would be ruined; 'May the
two great ones, sky and earth, for us' [2], he says; verily by means of sky and earth
he appeases both the deficiency and the redundancy of the sacrifice; the sacrificer
is not ruined. He covers (the offering) with ashes for the call of 'Godspeed'; now
this is the embryo of these two; verily in these two he deposits it. If he were to cut
off, he would make it redundant; if he were not to cut off, he would fail to cut off
from the victim which has been offered; one portion he should cut off from in front
of the navel, another behind it; the expiration is in front of the navel [3], the
inspiration behind; verily he cuts off from the whole extent of the victim. He offers
to Visnu Çipivista; Visnu Çipivista is the redundancy of the sacrifice, the greatness
of the victim, the prosperity thereof; verily in the redundant he deposits the
redundant, to appease the redundant. The sacrificial fee is gold of eight measures,
for the (victim) has eight feet; the self is the ninth; (verily it serves) to win the
victim. It is enveloped in a turban in an inner box, for so as it were is the victim,
the omentum, the skin, the flesh, the bone; verily he obtains and wins the whole
extent of the victim. He, for whom in the sacrifice this expiration is offered, by his
sacrificing becomes richer.
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iii. 4. 2.
a O Vayu, drinker of the pure, come to us;
A thousand are thy teams, O thou that hast all choice boons;
For thee the sweet drink bath been drawn,
Whereof, O God, thou hast the first drink.
b For intent thee, for desire thee, for prosperity thee; Kikkita thy mind! to Prajapati
hail! Kikkita thy breath, to Vayu hail! Kikkita thy eye, to Surya hail! Kikkita thy
ear, to
sky and earth hail! Kikkita, thy speech, to Sarasvati hail! [1]
c Thou, the fourth, art the barren, the eager one,
Since once in thought the embryo hath entered thy womb;
Do thou, the barren, go eagerly to the gods,
Be the desires of the sacrificer fulfilled.
d Thou art the goat, resting on wealth, sit on the earth, mount aloft on the
atmosphere,
in the sky be thy great radiance.
e Stretching the thread of the atmosphere do thou pursue the light;
Guard the paths of light made by prayer.
f Weave ye without a flaw the work of the singers;
Become Manu; produce thou. the host divine.
g Thou art the offering of mind, the colour of Prajapati, may we share thy limbs.
iii. 4. 3.
These two were together, Vayu blew them apart; they conceived a child, Soma
generated it, Agni swallowed it. Prajapati saw this (offering) to Agni on eight
potsherds, he offered it, and thereby he redeemed this (victim) from Agni.
Therefore though sacrificing it to another god, still one should first offer on eight
potsherds to Agni; verily redeeming it from Agni he offers it. Because [1] Vayu
blew (them apart), therefore is it connected with Vayu; because these two
conceived, therefore is it connected with sky and earth; because Soma generated,
and Agni swallowed, there fore is it connected with Agni and Soma; because when
the two parted speech was uttered, therefore is it connected with Sarasvati; because
Prajapati redeemed it from Agni, therefore is it connected with Prajapati; the
barren goat is connected with all the gods. To Vayu should he offer it who desires
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wealth. the swiftest deity is Vayu; verily he has recourse to Vayu with his own
share [2], and he causes him to attain wealth. To sky and earth should he offer it
who in ploughing desires support; verily from the sky Parjanya rains for him,
plants spring up in this (earth), his corn prospers. To Agni and Soma should he
offer it who desires, 'May I be possessed of food, an eater of food'; by Agni he
wins food, by Soma the eating of food; verily he becomes possessed of food, an
eater of food. To Sarasvati should he offer it who [3], being able to utter speech,
cannot utter speech; Sarasvati is speech; verily he has recourse to Sarasvati with
her own share, and she bestows speech upon him. To Prajapati should he offer it
who desires, 'May I gain that which has not been gained'; all the deities are
Prajapati; verily by the deities he gains what has not been gained. He brings (the
victims) up with a verse ad dressed to Vayu; verily winning it from Vayu he offers
it. 'For intent thee, for desire thee!' [4] he says; that is according to the text. He
kikkita
kikkita
offers with the sound
; at the sound
the domestic animals stop,
kikkita
the wild run away. In that he offers with the sound
, (it serves) to support
domestic animals. He offers while the circumambulation by fire is taking place;
verily alive he sends it to the world of heaven. 'Thou, the fourth, art the barren, the
eager one', he says; verily he sends it to the gods. 'Be the desires of the sacrificer
fulfilled', he says; this is the desire [5] of the sacrificer that (the sacrifice) should
proceed to its conclusion without injury. 'Thou art the goat, resting in wealth', he
says; verily in these worlds he makes it find support. 'In the sky be thy great
radiance', he says; verily in the world of heaven he bestows light upon him.
'Stretching the thread of the atmosphere do thou pursue the light', he says; verily he
makes these worlds full of light for him. 'Weave ye without a flaw the work of the
singers, [6], he says; whatever flaw is committed in the sacrifice, this serves to
atone for it. 'Become Manu; produce thou the host divine', he says; offspring are
connected with Manu; verily he makes them fit for food. 'Thou art the offering of
mind', he says, to make 'Godspeed'. 'May we share thy limbs', he says; verily he
invokes this blessing. Of this (victim) there is one time unpropitious for sacrifice to
the gods, when a cloud appears when it has been offered [7]; if a cloud should
appear when it has been offered, he should either cast it into the waters or eat it
whole; if he were to cast it into the waters, he would con fuse the sacrifice; he
should eat it whole; verily he bestows power upon himself. By three people is this
to be performed, him who performs a year-long Sattra, him who offers with a
thousand (gifts), and him who is a domestic sacrificer; with it let them sacrifice, for
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them is it fit.
The Jaya, Abhyatana, and Rastrabhrt Offerings
iii. 4. 4.
a Thought and thinking, intent and intention, known and knowledge, mind and
power, the new and the full moon, the Brhat and the Rathantara.
b Prajapati bestowed victories on Indra The strong, he who is dread in battle
contest, To him all the people bowed in reverence, For he waxed dread, worthy of
offering.
The gods and the Asuras were in conflict. 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.
iii. 4. 5.
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.
iii. 4. 6.
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
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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
abhyátanvata
the Rastrabhrts; in that the gods overpowered (
) the Asuras
with the Abhyatanas, that is why the Abhyatanas have their name; in that they
ájayan
conquered (
) 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. Then the gods prospered, the Asuras were defeated. He who has foes
should offer these (offerings); verily by the Abhyatanas he overpowers his foes, by
the Jayas he conquers them, by the Rastrabhrts he wins the kingdom; he prospers
himself, his foe is defeated.
iii. 4. 7.
a Supporting holy order, abounding in truth, Agni is the Gandharva; his Apsarases
are the plants, called strength; may he protect this holy power, this lordly power;
may they protect this holy power, this lordly power; to him hail! To them hail! b
The compact, possessing all the Samans, the sun is the Gandharva, his Apsarases
are the rays (called) active, &c. c The all-blessed, sun-rayed Candramas is the
Gandharva; his Apsarases are the Naksatras, (called) the bright, &c. d The active,
the winged sacrifice is the Gandharva, his Apsarases are the sacrificial fees,
(called) praises, &c.
e Prajapati, all-creator, the mind [1], is the Gandharva; his Apsarases are the Rc
and Saman verses, (called) hymns, &c.
f The swift, all-pervading wind is the Gandharva; his Apsarases are the waters,
(called) delights, &c.
g O lord of the world, thou who hast houses above and here, do thou give us
increase of wealth, unfailing, rich in heroes, prosperity abiding through the year.
h The supreme ruler, the overlord, death is the Gandharva; his Apsarases are the
whole (world), (called) the worlds. &c.
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i With fair abode, fair wealth, doer of good deeds, holding the light, Parjanya. is
the Gandharva; his Apsarases are the lightnings, (called) the radiant, &c.
k Whose dart speeds afar, the pitiless [2], death is the Gandharva; the Apsarases
are his offspring, (called) the timid, &c.
I The dear one, looking with desire, love is the Gandharva; his Apsarases are
thoughts, (called) the burning; may he protect this our holy power, our lordly
power; may they protect this our holy power, our lordly power; to him hail! To
them hail!
m O lord of the world, thou who hast houses above and here, do thou accord wide,
great, protection to this holy power, this holy work.
iii. 4. 8.
They should be offered for one who desires the kingdom; the Rastrabhrts are the
kingdom; verily with the kingdom he wins the king dom for him; he becomes the
kingdom. They should be offered for oneself; the Rastrabhrts are the kingdom, the
people are the kingdom, cattle are the kingdom, in that he becomes the highest he
is the kingdom; verily with the kingdom he wins the kingdom, he becomes the
richest of his equals. They should be offered for one who desires a village; the
Rastrabhrts are the kingdom, his fellows are the kingdom; verily with the kingdom
he wins for him his fellows and the kingdom; he becomes possessed of a village
[1]. He offers on the dicing-place; verily on the dicing-place he wins his fellows
for him, and being won they wait upon him. They should be offered on the mouth
of the chariot for him who desires force; the Rastrabhrts are force, the chariot is
force; verily by force he wins force for him; he becomes possessed of force. They
should be offered for him who is expelled from his kingdom; to all his chariots he
should say, 'Be yoked'; verily he yokes the kingdom for him [2]. The oblations of
him whose realm is not in order are disordered; he should take off the right wheel
of his chariot and offer in the box; so he puts in order his oblation, and the
kingdom comes into order in accord with their coming into order. They should be
offered when battle is joined; the Rastrabhrts are the kingdom, and for the kingdom
do they strive who go to battle together; he for whom first they offer prospers, and
wins this battle. The kindling-wood is from the Madhuka tree [3]; the coals
shrinking back make the host of his foe to shrink back. They should be offered for
one who is mad; for it is the Gandharva and the Apsarases who madden him who is
mad; the Rastrabhrts are the Gandharva and the Apsarases. 'To him hail! To them
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hail!' (with these words) he offers, and thereby he appeases them. Of Nyagrodha,
Udumbara, Açvattha, or Plaksa (wood) is the kindling-wood; these are the homes
of the Gandharva and the Apsarases; verily he appeases them in their own abode
[4]. They should be offered in inverse order by one who is practising witchcraft; so
he fastens on his breaths from in front, and then at pleasure lays him low. He offers
in a natural cleft or hollow; that of this (earth) is seized by misfortune; verily on (a
place) seized by misfortune he makes misfortune seize upon him. With what is
harsh in speech he utters the Vasat call; verily with the harshness of speech he cuts
him down; swiftly he is ruined. If he desire of a man, 'Let me take his eating of
food' [5], he should fall at length in his hall and (with the words), 'O lord of the
world', gather blades of grass; the lord of the world is Prajapati; verily by Prajapati
he takes his eating of food. 'Here do I take the eating of food of N. N., descendant
of N. N.', he says; verily he takes his eating of food. With six (verses) he takes, the
seasons are six; verily the seasons having taken by Prajapati his eating of food
bestow it on him [6]. If the head of a family is expelled, they should be offered for
him, placing him on a mound and cooking a Brahman's mess of four Çaravas in
size; the Rastrabhrts are pre-eminence, the mound is pre-eminence; verily by pre-
eminence he makes him pre-eminent among his equals. (The offering) is of four
Çaravas in size; verily he finds support in the quarters; it is made in milk; verily he
bestows brilliance upon him; he takes it out, to make it cooked; it is full of butter,
for purity; four descended from Rsis partake of it; verily he offers in the light of
the quarters.
iii. 4. 9.
He who desires offspring should offer (the oblations to) the minor deities; the
minor deities are the metres, offspring are as it were the metres; verily by the
metres he produces offspring for him. He makes Dhatr first; verily he produces
pairing with him, Anumati gives approval to him, Raka gives, Sinivali produces,
and in offspring when produced by Kuhu he places speech. These (offerings) also
should he make who desires cattle; the minor deities are the metres, cattle are as it
were the metres [1]; verily by the metres he produces offspring for him. He makes
Dhatr first; by him he scatters, Anumati gives approval to him, Raka gives, Sinivali
produces, and by Kuhu he establishes offspring when produced. These (offerings)
also should he make who desires a village; the minor deities are the metres, a
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village is as it were the metres; verily by the metres he wins a village for him [2].
He puts Dhatr in the middle; verily he places him in the middle of a village. These
(offerings) also should he offer who is long ill; the minor deities are the metres, the
metres are unfavourable to him whose illness is long; verily by the metres he
makes him well. He puts Dhatr in the middle, it is not in order in the middle of him
whose illness is long; verily thereby in the middle he puts (things) in order for him.
These (offerings) also [3] should he offer to whom the sacrifice does not resort; the
minor deities are the metres, the metres do not resort to him to whom the sacrifice
does not resort. He puts Dhatr first; verily in his mouth he places the metres; the
sacrifice resorts to him. These (offerings) also should he make who has sacrificed;
the minor deities are the metres, the metres of him who has sacrificed are worn out
as it were. He puts Dhatr last [4]; verily afterwards he wins for him metres
unwearied; the next sacrifice resorts to him. These (offerings) should he make to
whom wisdom does not resort; the minor deities are the metres, the metres do not
resort to him to whom wisdom does not resort. He puts Dhatr first; verily in his
mouth he places the metres; wisdom resorts to him. These (offerings) also should
he make [5] who desires brilliance; the minor deities are the metres, brilliance is as
it were the metres; verily by the metres he bestows brilliance upon him. They are
made in milk; verily he bestows brilliance upon him. He puts Dhatr in the middle;
verily he places him in the middle of brilliance. Anumati is the Gayatri, Raka the
Tristubh, Sinivali the Jagati, Kuhu the Anustubh, Dhatr the Vasat call. Raka is the
first fortnight, Kuhu the second, Sinivali the new moon (night), Anumati the full
moon (night), Dhatr the moon. The Vasus are eight [6], the Gayatri has eight
syllables; the Rudras are eleven, the Tristubh has eleven syllables; the Adityas are
twelve, the Jagati has twelve syllables, the Anustubh is Prajapati, the Vasat call
Dhatr. Thus indeed the minor deities are all the metres and all the gods and the
Vasat call. If he were to offer them all at once, they would be likely to burn him
up; he should offer first two, and a third for Dhatr, and then offer likewise the last
two; thus they do not burn him up, and for whatever desire they are offered that he
obtains by them.
iii. 4. 10.
a O Vastospati, accept us;
Be of kind entrance for us and free from ill;
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That which we seek from thee, do thou accord us,
And health be thou for our bipeds, health for our quadrupeds.
b O Vastospati, may we be comrades of thee
In a friendship, effectual, joyful, and proceeding well;
Aid our wishes in peace, in action;
Do ye guard us ever with blessings.
In that evening and morning he offers the Agnihotra the sacrificer thus piles up the
oblation bricks [1]; the bricks of him who has established a sacred fire are the days
and nights; in that he offers evening and morning, verily he obtains the days and
nights, and making them into bricks piles them up. He offers ten in the same place;
the Viraj has ten syllables; verily having obtained the Viraj, he makes it into a
brick and piles it up; verily in the Viraj he obtains the sacrifice; the piling up must
be repeated by him. Therefore that is the place of sacrifice where he advances
having spent ten (nights); not suitable is the place where (he spends) less time than
that [2] Now Vastospati is Rudra. If he were to go on without offering to
Vastospati, the fire becoming Rudra would leap after him and slay him; he offers
to Vastospati; verily with his own share he appeases him; the sacrificer does not
come to ruin. If he were to offer with the chariot yoked, that would be as when one
offers an oblation on a place he has left; if he were to offer without the chariot
being yoked, that would be as when one offers an oblation at rest; verily no
offering would be made to Vastospati [3]. The right (animal) is yoked, the left not
yoked, and thus he offers to Vastospati; verily he does both, and appeases him
completely. If he were to offer with one (verse) he would make (it) a ladle
offering; having pronounced the Puronuvakya he offers with the Yajya, to win the
gods. If he were to load (his cart) after the offering, he would make Rudra enter his
house. If he were to set out without extinguishing the smouldering embers, it
would be like a con fusion of the sacrifice or a burning. 'This is thy birthplace in
season', (with these words) he places (the embers) on the kindling-sticks [4]; this is
the birthplace of Agni; verily he mounts it on its own birthplace. Now they say, 'If
being placed on the kindling-sticks it should be lost, his fire would be dispersed, it
would have to be piled up again. 'With thy body, O Agni, worthy of sacrifice, come
hither and mount', (with these words) he makes it mount on himself; the birthplace
of fire is the sacrificer; verily on its own birthplace he causes it to mount.
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iii. 4. 11.
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.
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
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.
p The fame of Mitra, supporter of the people,
Of the god is eternal,
True, and most varied in fame.
q Mitra stirreth men, the wise one,
Mitra supporteth earth and sky;
Mitra regardeth men with unwinking (eye);
To the true one, let us offer an oblation rich in ghee.
r Rich in food be that mortal, O Mitra,
Who, O Aditya, seeks to follow thy law;
Aided by thee he is not slain nor oppressed;
Affliction cometh to him neither from near nor from afar.
s Whatever [5] law of thine, as men,
O god Varuna,
Day by day we transgress.
t Whatever wrong we mortals here do
Against the host divine,
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
Whatever breach of thy laws we make through lack of thought,
For that sin, O god, harm us not.
u As gamesters cheat in dicing,
What we know in truth or what we know not,
All that do thou, O god, loosen as it were,
And may we be dear to thee, O Varuna.
PRAPATHAKA V
Miscellaneous Supplements
iii. 5. 1.
a Full behind, and full in front,
In the middle hath she of the full moon been victorious;
In her let the gods dwelling together
Rejoice here in the highest firmament.
b The share that the gods dwelling together
In greatness bestowed on thee, O new moon,
(Therewith) do thou fill our sacrifice, O thou of every boon
Grant us wealth of good heroes, O fortunate one.
c Holder and gatherer of riches,
Clad in all rich forms,
Granting a thousandfold prosperity,
The fortunate one hath come to us with radiance accordant [1].
d O Agni and Soma, the first in strength,
Do ye quicken the Vasus, the Rudras, the Adityas here;
Rejoice in him of the full moon in the midst,
Ye that are made to grow by holy power, won by good deeds,
And allot to us wealth with heroes.
The Adityas and the Angirases piled up the fires, they desired to obtain the new
and the full moon (offerings); the Angirases offered the oblation, then the Adityas
saw these two offerings, and offered them; then they first grasped the new and full
848

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moon (offerings) [2]. He who is commencing the new and full moon (sacrifices)
should first offer these two (offerings); verily straightway he commences the new
and full moon (sacrifices). The theologians say, 'He indeed would begin the new
and full moon (sacrifices) who should know the normal and reversed order'. What
follows on the new moon is the normal, what is after the full moon is the reversed
order; if he were to begin the full moon (offering) first, he would offer these two
(libations) in reverse order; he would waste away as the moon waned [3]; he
should offer these libations to Sarasvant and Sarasvati in front; Sarasvati is the new
moon; verily he commences them in normal order; he waxes as the moon waxes.
He should offer first on eleven potsherds to Agni and Visnu, to Sarasvati an
oblation, to Sarasvant on twelve potsherds. In that it is (offered) to Agni, and the
mouth of the sacrifice is Agni, verily he places in front prosperity and the mouth of
the sacrifice; in that it is (offered) to Visnu, and Visnu is the sacrifice, verily
commencing the sacrifice he continues it. There is an oblation for Sarasvati, and
(an offering) on twelve potsherds for Sarasvant; Sarasvati is the new moon,
Sarasvant is the full moon; verily straightway he commences these (offerings), he
prospers by them. That to Sarasvant is on twelve potsherds, for pairing, for
generation. The sacrificial fee is a pair of kine, for prosperity.
iii. 5. 2.
The Rsis could not see Indra face to face; Vasistha saw him face to face; he said,
'Holy lore shall I proclaim to you so that people will be propagated with thee as
Purohita; therefore do thou proclaim me to the other Rsis.' To him he proclaimed
these shares in the Stoma, therefore people were propagated with Vasistha as their
Purohita; therefore a Vasistha should be chosen as the Brahman priest; verily he is
propagated. 'Thou art the ray; for dwelling thee! Quicken the dwelling' [1], he says;
the dwelling is the gods; verily to the gods he announces the sacrifice. 'Thou art
advance; for right thee! Quicken right', he says; right is men; verily to men he
announces the sacrifice. 'Thou art following; for sky thee! Quicken the sky', he
says; verily to these worlds he announces the sacrifice. 'Thou art a prop; for rain
thee! Quicken rain', he says; verily he wins rain [2]. 'Thou art blowing forward;
thou art blowing after', he says, for pairing. 'Thou art the eager; for the Vasus thee!
Quicken the Vasus', he says; the Vasus are eight, the Rudras eleven, the Adityas
twelve; so many are the gods; verily to them he announces the sacrifice. 'Thou art
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
force; to the Pitrs thee! Quicken the Pitrs', he says; verily the gods and the Pitrs he
connects. 'Thou art the thread; for offspring thee! Quicken offspring' [3], he says;
verily the Pitrs and offspring he connects. 'Thou dost endure the battle; for cattle
thee! Quicken cattle', he says; verily offspring and cattle he connects. 'Thou art
wealthy; for the plants thee! Quicken the plants', he says; verily in the plants he
makes cattle find support. 'Thou art the victorious, with ready stone; for Indra thee!
Quicken Indra', he says, for victory. 'Thou art the overlord; for breath thee!
Quicken breath' [4], he says; verily upon offspring he bestows breath. 'Thou art the
Trivrt, thou art the Pravrt', he says, for pairing. 'Thou art the mounter, thou art the
descender', he says, for propagating. 'Thou art the wealthy, thou art the brilliant,
thou art the gainer of good', he says, for support.
iii. 5. 3.
a By Agni, the god, I win battles, with the Gayatri metre, the Trivrt Stoma, the
Rathantara Saman, the Vasat call, the thunderbolt, I trample under foot my foes
born before me, I depress them, I repel them, in this home, in this world of earth;
him who hateth us and him whom we hate I step over him with the stride of Visnu.
b By Indra, the god, I win battles, with the Tristubh metre, the Pañcadaça Stoma
the Brhat Saman, the Vasat call, the thunderbolt [1], (I trample under foot my foes)
born along (with me), &c. c By the All-gods I win battles, with the Jagati metre,
the Saptadaça Stoma, the Vamadevya Saman, the Vasat call, the thunderbolt, (I
trample under foot my foes) born after (me), &c. d In unison with Indra, may we
Withstand our foes, Smiting the enemy irresistibly. e With the brilliance that is
thine, O Agni, may I become brilliant; with the radiance that is thine, O Agni, may
I become radiant; with the splendour that is thine, O Agni, may I become
resplendent.
iii. 5. 4.
a The gods, destroying the sacrifice, stealing the sacrifice,
That are seated on earth,
May Agni protect me from them;
May we go to those that do good deeds.
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
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. The Yajya and the Anuvakya are in the
Pañkti metre the sacrifice is fivefold; verily thereby he does not depart from the
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sacrifice.
iii. 5. 5.
a May Surya, the god, protect me from the gods, Vayu from the atmosphere; may
Agni,
the sacrificer, protect me from the (evil) eye; O strong one, O impetuous one, O
instigator, O thou of all men, with these names, O Soma, we will worship thee;
with
these names, O Soma, we will worship thee.
b I from above, I from below,
I revealed the darkness with the light;
The atmosphere hath become my father;
On both sides have I seen the sun;
May I become highest of my equals [1].
c To the ocean, to the atmosphere, Prajapati makes the cloud to fall; may Indra
distil
(it), may the Maruts cause (it) to rain.
d Flood the earth,
Break this divine cloud;
Give to us of the divine water;
Ruling loosen the water bag.
e The Aditya (cup) is these cattle, Agni is Rudra here, having cast plants in the fire
he offers the Aditya (cup); verily he hides the cattle from Rudra, and causes the
cattle to find support in the plants [2].
f The sage stretcheth the path of the sacrifice,
On the back of the vault, above the light of the sky,
Whereby thou carriest the offering, thou goest as messenger,
Hence wisely, thence with more gain.
g All the fire-sticks that are thine, O Agni,
Or on earth, on the strew, or in the sun,
Lot these of thine approach the oblation of ghee,
A protection to the pious sacrificer.
h Invoking increase of wealth,
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
Rich in heroes and rich in steeds,
Bidden I God-speed' by Brhaspati, with wealth
Abide thou for me, the sacrificer.
iii. 5. 6.
a I yoke thee with milk, with ghee;
I yoke thee with water, and plants;
I yoke thee with offspring;
To-day being consecrated do thou win strength for us.
b Let the lady of holy power advance,
Let her sit on the altar with fair colour;
c Then may I, full of desire,
Enter my own place, here.
d With fair offspring, with noble husbands,
We are come to thee,
O Agni, to thee that deceivest the foe,
The undeceivable, we that are not deceived.
e I loosen this bond of Varuna [1],
Which Savitr, the kindly, hath bound,
And in the birthplace of the creator, in the place of good action,
I make it pleasant for me with my husband.
f Go forth, go up, to the lovers of holy order; may Agni lead thy head, Aditi give
(thee) a middle, thou art that let loose by Rudra, Yuva by name; harm me not.
g For the Vasus, the Rudras, the Adityas, for the All-gods, I take you, foot-washing
(waters);
h For the sacrifice I place you, foot-washing (waters).
i In the sight of thee that art all, that hast all, that hast manly power [2], O Agni, in
the lovers, may I deposit all seed.
k The sacrifice hath come to the gods, the goddesses have left the sacrifice for the
gods, to the sacrificer that poureth blessings, accompanied by the cry 'Hail!',
standing in the waters, do ye follow the Gandharva, in the rush of the wind, food
that is praised.
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
iii. 5. 7.
The Vasat call cleft the head of the Gayatri; its sap fell away, it entered the earth, it
became the Khadira; he, whose dipping-spoon is make of Khadira wood, cuts off
with the sap of the metres; his oblations are full of sap. Soma was in the third sky
from hence; the Gayatri fetched it, a leaf of it was cut off, that became the Parna,
that is why the Parna is so called. He whose ladle is made of Parna wood [1] has
his oblations acceptable; the gods rejoice in his oblation. The gods discussed
regarding holy power; the Parna overheard it; he whose ladle is made of Parna
wood is styled famous; he hears no evil bruit. The Parna is holy power, the Maruts
are the people, the people are food, the Açvattha is connected with the Maruts; he
upabhrt
whose ladle is made of Parna wood, and his spoon (
) is of Açvattha, by
holy power wins food, and the holy class [2] puts over the people. The Parna is the
royalty, the Açvattha is the people; in that the ladle is made of Parna wood and the
spoon of Açvattha, verily he puts the royalty over the people. Prajapati sacrificed;
where the oblation found support, thence sprung the Vikankata; there he created
offspring; the oblation of him whose Dhruva, is made of Vikankata, wood finds
rest; verily he is propagated. That is the form of the offering-spoons; on him whose
spoons are so formed all forms of cattle attend, nothing unshapely is born in him.
iii. 6. 8.
a Thou art taken with a support; for Prajapati thee, for him full of light, thee full of
light I take; for Daksa who increases cleverness, (thee) that are acceptable to the
gods, thee for those whose tongue is Agni, who are righteous, whose highest is
Indra, whose king is Varuna, whose friend is Vata, whose breath is Parjanya, for
sky thee, for atmosphere thee, for earth thee! b Smite away, O Indra, the mind of
him who hateth us, Who desireth to oppress us, Smite him away who practiseth
evil against us. c For expiration thee, for inspiration thee, for cross-breathing thee
for being thee, for not being thee; for the waters thee, for the plants for all beings
thee; whence offspring arose unhurt, for that thee, for Prajapati, of bounteous gifts,
full of light, (thee) full of light I offer.
iii. 5. 9.
To that deity whom the Adhvaryu and the sacrificer overlook do they fall victims;
he should draw the cup of curd for Prajapati, all the gods are Prajapati; verily they
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make reparation to the gods. This is the foremost of cups; verily he for whom it is
drawn attains a foremost place. This cup is the form of all the deities; on him for
whom it is drawn all forms of cattle attend. 'Thou are taken with a support [1]; for
Prajapati thee, for him full of light, (thee) full of light I take', he says; verily he
makes him a light of his equals. 'For those whose tongue is Agni, who are
righteous', he says; so many are the deities; verily for all of them he draws it.
'Smite away, O Indra, the mind of him who hateth us', he says, for the smiting
away of foes. 'For expiration thee, for inspiration thee', he says; verily he bestows
the breaths on the sacrificer. 'For that thee, for Prajapati, of bounteous gifts, full of
light, (thee) full of light I offer' [2], he says; all the deities are Prajapati; verily for
all the deities he offers it. He should draw the cup of butter for one who desires
brilliance; butter is brilliance; verily he becomes brilliant; he should draw the cup
of Soma for one who desires splendour; Soma is splendour; verily he becomes
resplendent; he should draw the cup of curd for one who desires cattle; curd is
strength, cattle are strength; verily by strength he wins him strength and cattle.
iii. 5. 10.
a All turn their minds towards thee
When these twice or thrice become helpers;
Mix with the sweet what is sweeter than sweet,
I have won with the mead the mead.
b Thou art taken with a support; to Prajapati I take thee acceptably; this
is thy birthplace; for Prajapati thee!
He draws the Prana, cups; so much is there as are these cups, these Stomas, these
metres, these Prstha (Stotras), these quarters; whatever there is [1] that he wins.
The highest Brahmans have proclaimed these before; they have therefore won all
the quarters. He for whom these are drawn attains supremacy, he conquers the
quarters. Five are drawn, the quarters are five; verily they prosper in all the
quarters. Nine each are drawn; nine are the vital airs in man; verily upon the
sacrificers he bestows the vital airs. At the beginning and at the end they are
drawn; the Prana cups are the vital airs [2]; verily they begin with the vital airs, and
end with the vital airs. Now offspring leave their vital airs in that the Vamadevya
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(Saman) departs from its norm; on the tenth day the Vamadevya departs from its
norm; in that they are drawn on the tenth day, offspring leave not their vital airs.
iii. 5. 11.
a Bring onward with meditation divine
The god, who knoweth all;
May he duly bear our sacrifices.
b He, the Hotr is led forward for the sacrifice,
The servant of the gods;
Like a covered chariot glowing
He himself knoweth health.
c This Agni rescueth
Us from the immortal race,
He that is stronger than strength,
The god made for life.
d In the place of Ida we set thee down,
On the navel of the earth,
O Agni, all-knower,
To bear the oblation [1].
e O Agni of kindly aspect, do thou with the All-gods
Sit first on the birthplace made of wool,
Nest-like, rich in ghee, for Savitr
Do thou lead well the sacrifice, for the sacrificer.
f Sit thou, O Hotr, in thine own world, wise,
Place thou the sacrifice in the birthplace of good deeds
Eager for the gods, do thou sacrifice to them with oblation;
O Agni, bestow great strength on the sacrificer.
g The Hotr hath sat him down in the place of the Hotr wise,
Glittering, shining, skilful,
With vows and foresight undeceived, most wealthy,
Bearing a thousand, pure-tongued Agni.
h Thou art the envoy, thou [2] our guardian,
Thou, O bull, leadest us to better fortune;
0 Agni, be thou the guardian of our offspring, our descendants
In their bodies, unfailing and radiant.
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
i To thee, O god Savitr,
Lord of things delightful,
We come for fortune, O thou of constant help.
k May the great ones, sky and earth,
Mingle for us this sacrifice,
May they sustain us with support.
l Thee, O Agni, from the lotus
Atharvan passed out,
From the head of every priest.
m Thee [3] the sage, Dadhyañc,
Son of Atharvan, doth kindle,
Slayer of Vrtra, destroyer of forts.
n Thee Pathya Vrsan doth kindle,
Best slayer of foes,
Winner of booty in every conflict.
o Let men say too,
'Agni hath been born, slayer of Vrtra,
Winning booty in every conflict.'
p Whom, like a quoit in their bands,
Like a child at birth, they bear,
Agni, fair sacrificer of the folk.
q Bring forward the god, best finder of riches,
For offering to the gods;
May he sit down in his own birthplace [4].
r In the all-knower cause to rest
The dear guest on birth,
In a pleasant place, the lord of the house.
s By Agni is Agni kindled,
The wise, the young, the lord of the house,
The bearer of the oblation, with ladle in his mouth.
t Thou, O Agni, by Agni,
The sage by the sage, the good by the good,
The comrade by the comrade, art kindled.
u Him they make bright, the wise,
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
Victorious in the contests,
Strong in his abodes.
v By the sacrifice the gods sacrificed the sacrifice;
These were the first ordinances;
These mighty powers frequent the vault
Where are the ancient Sadhya gods.
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
KANDA IV
THE PILING OF THE FIRE ALTAR
PRAPATHAKA I
The Placing of the Fire in the Fire-pan
iv. 1. 1.
a Yoking mind first,
Extending his thoughts, Savitr
Discerning the light,
Hath brought Agni from the earth.
b Yoking with mind the gods,
Going to the heaven, the sky, with thought,
Those that are to make great light,
Savitr instigates.
c With mind well yoked are we
In the instigation of god Savitr,
For strength to go to the heaven.
d They yoke their minds, they yoke their thoughts,
The priests of the mighty wise priest,
He alone, who knoweth the way, appointeth their functions [1]
Great is the praise of the god Savitr.
e I yoke with honour your ancient prayer;
The praises go like Suras on their way;
All the sons of immortality hear (it),
Who have achieved dwellings divine.
f He whose advance others followed,
Gods, of the god praising might,
He who meted out the regions of earth,
He is the brilliant god Savitr in greatness.
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
g O god Savitr, instigate the sacrifice, instigate the lord of the sacrifice [2] to good
luck; may the divine Gandharva, who purifieth thoughts purify our thought; may
the
lord of speech to-day make sweet our utterance.
h This sacrifice for us, O god Savitr
Do thou instigate, serving the gods,
Finding comrades, ever victorious,
Winning booty, winning heaven.
i By the Rc make the Stoma to prosper,
By the Gayatra the Rathantara,
The Brhat with the Gayatri for its metre.
k On the impulse of the god Savitr, with the arms of the Açvins, with the hands of
Pusan, with the Gayatri metre, I take thee, in the manner of Angiras.
l Thou art the spade, thou art the woman [3], from the abode of the earth I bear
Agni of the dust in the manner of Angiras; with the Tristubh metre I grasp thee in
the manner of Angiras.
m Thou art the bearer, thou art the woman; through thee may we be strong to dig
Agni of the dust in his place; with the Jagati metre I grasp thee in the manner of
Angiras.
n Grasping in thy hand, Savitr,
Bearing the spade of gold,
Therewith digging Agni
Do thou bring for us light unperishing.
With the Anustubh metre I grasp thee in the manner of Angiras.
iv. i. 2.
a This bond of order they grasped
At their assemblies in ages gone by, the sages;
Therewith the gods mastered the pressed (juice)--
In the Saman of order proclaiming the stream.
b Swiftly run hither, O steed,
Along the most extended space;
In the sky is thy highest birth,
In the atmosphere thy navel, on the earth thy birthplace.
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
c Yoke ye two the ass,
In this course, O ye of mighty wealth,
Which beareth Agni, serving us.
d In each need more strong,
In each contest, we invoke,
As friends, Indra to aid us.
e Hastening [1] come hither, trampling the enemy,
Come with wondrous skill from the leadership of Rudra;
Fare along the broad atmosphere,
With happy pastures, bestowing security.
f With Pusan as fellow, from the abode of the earth do thou approach
Agni of the dust in the manner of Angiras.
g We approach Agni of the dust in the manner of Angiras.
h We will bear Agni of the dust in the manner of Angiras.
i We bear Agni of the dust in the manner of Angiras.
k Agni gazed along the forefront of the dawns,
Along the days first, the all-knower,
And in many ways along the rays of the sun [2],
He hath extended along sky and earth.
I The steed coming from the way
Driveth every foe;
He is fain to gaze with his eye
On Agni in his great abode.
m Coming to earth, O steed,
Do thou seek Agni with thy radiance;
Turning from earth I tell us
Whence we shall dig him up.
n Thy back is the sky, thy abode earth,
Thy breath the atmosphere, thy birthplace the ocean;
Discerning with thine eye,
Do thou overcome [3] the enemy.
o Arise for great prosperity
From this abode, giving wealth, O steed;
May we enjoy the loving favour of earth,
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
That are about to dig fire in her lap.
p The strong steed hath stepped forward, giving wealth;
He hath made the place of earth well wrought;
Thence let us dig Agni of fair aspect,
Mounting the heaven on the top of the vault.
q The water divine do thou pour, full of sweetness
To avert diseases for men,
From their place let arise
Plants with fair leaves.
r I touch [4] Agni with mind, with ghee,
Who lordeth it over all the worlds,
Broad, vast, with pervading vital power,
Most extensive, impetuous, winning, food.
s I touch thee with speech, with ghee,
With friendly mind accept it;
With mortal glory, with engaging colour,
Agni, with body full of life may not be touched.
t Round the offerings hath Agni gone,
The sage, the lord of strength,
Bestowing jewels on the donor.
u May we set thee around us, O Agni,
The sage, O strong one, as a fort,
Of daring due, day by day,
Destroyer of that which may be broken.
v Thou, O Agni, with days, fain to shine towards us,
Thou from the waters, thou from the rock,
Thou from the woods, thou from the plants,
Thou, O lord of men, art born pure.
iv. 1. 3.
a On the impulse of the god Savitr, with the arms of the Açvins, with the hands of
Pusan, in the abode of earth, I dig Agni of the dust in the manner of Angiras.
b Full of light, thou, O Agni; of fair aspect,
Shining with unaging radiance,
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
Auspicious and harmless to offspring,
In the abode of earth, I dig Agni of the dust in the manner of Angiras.
c Thou art the back of the waters, expansive, wide,
About to bear Agni, least to be laid aside;
Growing to might as the lotus-flower,
Do thou extend in width with the measure of heaven.
d Ye two are protectors [1] and a help,
Unbroken, both expansive;
Do ye expanding be united;
Bear Agni of the dust.
e Be ye united, that win the heaven,
In union of heart and self;
Who shall bear within Agni
Full of light and unaging.
f Thou art of the dust, all-supporting; Atharvan first pressed out thee, O Agni.
g Thee, O Agni, from the lotus
Atharvan pressed out,
From the head of every priest.
h Thee the sage, Dadhyañc,
Son [2] of Atharvan, doth kindle,
Slayer of Vrtra, destroyer of foes.
i Thee Pathya Vrsan doth kindle,
Best slayer of foes,
Winner of booty in every conflict.
k Sit thou, O Hotr, in thine own world, wise,
Place thou the sacrifice in the birthplace of good deeds,
Eager for the gods, do thou sacrifice to them with oblation;
O Agni, bestow great strength on the sacrificer.
l The Hotr hath sat him down in the place of the Hoty, wise,
Glittering, shining, skilful,
With vows and foresight undeceived, most wealthy,
Bearing a thousand, pure-tongued Agni.
m Sit thou down, thou art great,
Burn [3] best servant of the gods;
O Agni, pure one, send forth the ruddy smoke,
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
O famous one, that can be seen afar.
n Be born noble in the forefront of the days,
Kind to the kindly, red in the woods;
Bestowing seven jewels in every home
Hath Agni sat him down as Hotr.
iv. 1. 4.
a May I Vayu, Matariçvan, unite
The broken heart of thee that art outstretched
To him who moveth with the expiration of the gods,
With thee, O goddess, be Vasat.
b Wellborn, with light,
Guard and protector, thou hast sat on the heaven;
O Agni, thy garment of many hues,
Put on, O thou that dost abound in light.
c Arise, thou of fair sacrifice,
Aid us with thy divine radiance;
Brilliant to behold, with mighty blaze,
Do thou come hither, O Agni, in response to our prayers [1].
d Arise erect to aid us,
Like Savitr, the god;
Erect to win the booty,
When in contest we call on thee with the shining praisers.
e Born, thou art the child of the two worlds,
O Agni; a brilliant child distributed among the plants;
A beauteous babe beyond the darkness outspread,
Thou didst come thundering from thy mothers.
f Be firm, of strong limbs,
Swift, a mighty steed;
Be broad, of kindly seat,
Thou art the carrier of dust for Agni.
g Be auspicious [2], for offspring
Of men, O Angiras;
Scorch not sky and earth,
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
Nor the atmosphere, nor the trees.
h Let the steed advance, thundering
And resounding, the ass, the flier;
Bearing Agni of the dust
May he fall not before his day.
i The ass, well yoked to your chariot,
O ye strong ones, that thundereth,
May he as swift envoy
Bear hence Agni of the dust.
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.
iv. 1. 5.
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,
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
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.
Thou
art the earth; may the Rudras fashion thee with the Tristubh metre, in the manner
of
Angiras. Thou art the atmosphere [3]; may the Adityas fashion thee with the Jagati
metre in the manner of Angiras. Thou art the sky; may the All-gods, common to all
men, fashion thee with the Anustubh metre, in the manner of Angiras. Thou art the
quarters; thou art the fixed (quarter); fix in me offspring, increase of wealth,
richness in
cattle, richness in heroes, (subject) his fellows to the sacrificer.
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
o Thou art the girdle of Aditi.
p Let Aditi seize thy hole with the Pankti metre, in the manner of Angiras.
q Having made the great pan,
Wrought of clay, as a birthplace for Agni,
Aditi gave it to her sons,
(Saying), 'Let them cook it.'
iv. 1. 6.
a May the Vasus fumigate thee with the Gayatri metre, in the manner of Angiras;
may the Rudras fumigate thee with the Tristubh metre, in the manner of Angiras;
may the Adityas fumigate thee with the Jagati metre, in the manner of Angiras;
may the All-gods, common to all men, fumigate thee with the Anustubh metre, in
the manner of Angiras; may Indra fumigate thee in the manner of Angiras; may
Visnu fumigate thee in the manner of Angiras; may Varuna fumigate thee in the
manner of Angiras.
b May Aditi, connected with the All-gods, the goddess, dig thee on the abode of
earth, in the manner of Angiras, O trench.
c May the wives of the gods [1], the goddesses, connected with the All-gods, place
thee on the abode of earth, in the manner of Angiras, O pan.
d May the Dhisanas, the goddesses connected with the All-gods, kindle thee on the
abode of earth, in the manner of Angiras, O pan; may the wives, the goddesses,
connected with the All-gods, prepare thee on the abode of earth, in the manner of
Angiras, O pan; may the protectors, the women, the goddesses, connected with the
All-gods, cook thee on the abode of earth, in the manner of Angiras, O pan.
e O Mitra, cook this pan; may it not break.
f This I place around thee, to prevent breaking.
g Mitra, extending, compasseth
This sky in greatness [2],
And the earth with his fame.
h The fame of Mitra, supporter of the people,
Of the god is eternal,
True, and most varied in fame.
i May the god Savitr dig thee out,
With fair hands, fair fingers,
Fair arms, with his might.
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
k Breaking not, O earth,
Do thou fill the regions, the quarters;
Arise, become great,
Stand upright, be thou firm.
l May the Vasus fill thee with the Gayatri metre, in the manner of Angiras: may the
Rudras fill thee with the Tristubh metre, in the manner of Angiras; may the Adityas
fill thee with the Jagati metre, in the manner of Angiras; may the All-gods,
common to all men, fill thee with the Anustubh metre, in the manner of Angiras.
iv. 1. 7.
a Let the half-years, the seasons, increase thee, O Agni,
The years, the Rsis, and what truths there are;
Shine with thy heavenly lustre,
Illuminate all the quarters of the earth.
b Be kindled, O Agni, and awake him;
Arise for great good fortune;
May he that waiteth on thee, O Agni, be not harmed;
May thy priests be famous, not the others.
c These Brahmans, O Agni, choose thee;
Be thou propitious, O Agni [1], to us in the sanctuary;
Slaying our rivals, conquering the foes,
Do thou watch unfailing in thine own home.
d Here, O Agni, do thou grant wealth;
May not the overcomers, anticipating (us); overcome thee;
May the lordly power be easily wielded by thee, O Agni
Let him who waiteth on thee prosper, unassailed.
e With good life, O Agni, unite thee with the lordly power;
O Agni, vie with Mitra in friendlihood;
Be thou the midmost of thine equals;
O Agni, shine forth here to be invoked by kings.
f (Be thou) over the [2] enemy, the obstructor,
Unwisdom, niggardliness, O Agni,
All obstacles do thou overcome,
And bestow upon us wealth with heroes.
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
g Unassailable, all-knower, unoverpowered,
Ruling, O Agni, supporting the lordly power, do thou shine here;
Through all the regions, freeing men from fear,
Do thou this day guard us for increase with kindliness.
h O Brhaspati, instigator, awake him;
The sharp do thou more thoroughly sharpen;
Increase him to great prosperity [3]
Let the All-gods rejoice in him.
i What time, O Brhaspati, thou didst free
From life yonder, from Yama's enmity,
The Açvins removed death from him,
O Agni, the physicians of the gods with their powers.
k We from the darkness,
Gazing on the higher light,
Surya a god among the gods,
Have come to the highest light.
iv. 1. 8.
a Uplifted are his kindling-sticks,
Uplifted and pure are the rays of Agni,
Most brilliant (are they) of the son of fair countenance.
b The son of self, the Asura, all-knower,
God, god among gods,
Anointeth the ways with mead and ghee.
c With mead thou attainest the sacrifice,
Delighting, as Naraçansa, O Agni,
The kindly god Savitr, with every boon.
d Hither he cometh, with might, with ghee,
The priest implored with adoration;
To Agni the ladles (move) when the rites proceed.
e Worship let him pay to the greatness of him, of Agni;
He [1] indeed is pre-eminent among the delightful,
The wealthy, the wisest, best bestower of wealth.
f The divine doors--all--preserve
The rules of him, of Agni,
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
Of wide expanse, lording it with dominion.
g May day and night
Like heavenly maidens in his birthplace
Protect this our sacrifice and offering.
h O ye divine Hotrs, sing ye
To our uplifted sacrifice, to Agni's tongue,
Make for us good offering.
i May the three goddesses sit on this strew,
Ida, Sarasvati [2], Bharati, the great, being sung.
k That seminal fluid of ours, wondrous,
Abundant, may Tvastr release
As increase of wealth with good heroes, as offspring to us.
l O tree, let free,
Bestowing with thyself among the gods;
Let Agni as queller make ready the oblation.
m O Agni, utter 'Hail!' O all-knower, over the oblation for Indra;
May all the gods rejoice in this offering.
n The golden germ first arose;
Born he was the only lord of creation;
He supporteth the earth and the sky [3]
To what god shall we offer with oblation?
o He that alone by his might is king
Of the breathing, the winking world,
Who is lord of these bipeds and quadrupeds;
To what god shall we offer with oblation?
p He who is giver of breath, giver of strength,
Upon whose bidding all, even the gods, wait,
Whose shadow is immortality and death;
To what god shall we offer with oblation?
He whose are these snowy mountains through his might,
Whose they call the ocean with the Rasa [4],
Whose two arms are these quarters;
To what god shall we offer with oblation?
r To whom the armies stablished
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
Through his aid gazed with minds disturbed,
Over whom on the rising of the sun it goeth;
To what god shall we offer with oblation?
s He by whom the dread earth and the sky were made firm,
By whom the heaven was established, by whom the vault,
Who is the measure of the region in the atmosphere;
To what god shall we offer with oblation?
t When the waters, the great ones, went
Bearing all [5] strength, begetting Agni,
Then one breath of the gods arose;
To what god shall we offer with oblation?
u He who in his might beheld the waters
Bearing strength, begetting Agni,
Who was the god alone over the gods;
To what god shall we offer with oblation?
iv. 1. 9.
a Purpose, Agni, impulse, hail! Mind, intellect, Agni, impulse, hail! Thought,
knowledge, Agni, impulse, hail! Discrimination of speech, Agni, impulse, hail! To
Manu, lord of creatures, hail! To Agni Vaiçvanara hail!
b Let every man choose the companionship
Of the god who leadeth;
Every man prayeth for wealth;
Let him choose glory that he may prosper; hail!
e Be not broken, nor come to harm;
Be firm and enduring;
O mother, daringly show thy heroism [1];
With Agni wilt thou do this deed.
d Be firm, O goddess earth, for prosperity;
Thou art the wile of the Asura, made with power;
Let this oblation be pleasing to the gods;
Do thou emerge uninjured at this our sacrifice.
e O Mitra, heat this pan; may it not break.
f This I place around thee, to prevent breaking.
871

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
g Feeding on wood, sipping clarified butter,
The ancient desirable Hotr,
Son of strength, the wondrous.
h From a far region
Come hither to these lower ones [2]
Favour those in the region where I am.
i From a far distance
Do thou of ruddy steeds come hither;
Of the dust, dear to many,
O Agni, do thou overcome obstructions.
k Do thou sit down in the lap of this mother,
O Agni, knowing all the ways;
Consume her not with light nor with heat,
Within her shine with pure radiance.
l O Agni, with glow
Within thine own seat of the pan,
Heating with her blaze,
Be thou, O all-knower, auspicious.
m Becoming auspicious to me, O Agni,
Do thou sit down auspicious;
Having made all the quarters auspicious
Sit here on thine own birthplace.
iv. 1. 10.
a Whatever logs we place
In thee, O Agni,
Be that ghee for thee;
Accept it, O youngest one.
b What the insect eateth,
What the ant climbeth over,
All that be ghee for thee;
Accept it, O youngest one.
c Mighty by night, unfailingly bearing (food)
For him as fodder to a stalled horse,
May we, O Agni, thy neighbours, be not harmed,
872

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
Rejoicing in increase of wealth, in food.
d Kindled on earth's navel [1], Agni
We invoke for great increase of wealth,
Delighting in drink, recipient of great praise, worthy of offering,
The victor, Agni, sustainer in battles.
e The hosts that attack,
That pierce, the trooping,
The thieves and the robbers,
Them, O Agni, do I place in thy mouth.
f With thy tusks the burglars,
With thy teeth the robbers,
With thy jaws the thieves, O blessed one,
Do thou chew, well chewed.
g The burglars among men,
The thieves and robbers in the forest,
The [2] mischief-workers in the thickets,
Them I place within thy jaws.
h The man who is hostile to us,
And him who hateth us,
Him who revileth us, and him who seeketh to hurt,
Every one of them do thou crush to atoms.
i Sharpened is my holy power,
Sharpened the strength and might,
Sharpened the conquering lordly power of him
Whose domestic priest I am.
k Their arms have I uplifted,
Their radiance, their might;
With holy power I waste the foes,
I support [3] my own.
I 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.
m The sage showeth all forms;
He hath produced bliss for biped and quadruped;
873

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
Savitr, the desirable, hath discerned the vault;
After the moving forward of the dawn he shineth.
n Night and the dawn, one-minded but of various form,
United suckle one child;
The radiant one shineth between sky and earth [4]
The gods, granters of wealth, support Agni.
o Thou art the bird of fair feathers; thy head the Trivrt (Stoma), thy eye the
Gayatra, thy breath the Stoma, thy body the Vamadevya Saman, thy wings the
Brhat and the
Rathantara, thy tail the Yajñayajñiya, thy limbs the metres, thy hoofs the altars, thy
name the Yajus formulae.
p Thou art the bird of fair feathers; go to the sky, fly to the heaven.
iv. 1. 11.
a O Agni, that sacrifice, that offering,
Which on all sides thou dost encircle,
It of a truth goeth to the gods.
b O Soma, the wondrous aids
That there are of thine for the generous man,
With these be thou our helper.
c Agni the, head.
d Be.
e Thou, O Soma.
f These abodes of thine.
g That excellent glory of Savitr,
The god, we meditate,
That he may stimulate our prayers.
h What we have done in thoughtlessness against the host divine,
With feeble insight, with violence as is man's way [1],
Among gods and men, do thou, O Savitr,
There instigate us to sinlessness.
i Impeller of righteousness,
Instigator of devotions,
Sarasvati hath established the sacrifice.
874

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
k May the maiden of the lightning, the one of varied life,
Sarasvati, wife of a hero, inspire our devotion;
In accord with the ladies, may she accord to the singer
Protection uninjured, and guardianship unsurpassable.
I May Pusan follow the cows for us,
May he guard our horses;
May Pusan win booty for us.
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.
875

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
w For each prize.
PRAPATHAKA II
The Preparation of the Ground for the Fire
iv. 2. 1.
a Thou art the step of Visnu, overcoming hostility, mount the Gayatri metre, step
along the earth, excluded is he whom we hate. Thou art the step of Visnu,
overcoming imprecations, mount the Tristubh metre, step along the atmosphere,
excluded is he whom we hate. Thou art the step of Visnu, overcomer of the enemy,
mount the Jagati metre, step along the sky, excluded is he whom we hate. Thou art
the stop of Visnu [1], overcomer of the foe, mount the Anustubh metre, step along
the quarters, excluded is he whom we hate. b 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. c O Agni, returner, to us
return
With life, with radiance, with gain, with wisdom, with offspring, with wealth.
d O Agni [2], O Angiras, a hundred be thy returns,
A thousand thy movements;
With the increase of their increase
Do thou bring back for us what is lost,
Bring back to us wealth.
e Return with strength,
Return, O Agni, with food and life;
Again guard us on all sides.
f Return with wealth,
O Agni, fatten with the stream,
All-gaining on every side.
g Unloose from us, O Varuna, the highest,
The lowest, the midmost knot [3];
Then may we, O Aditya, in thy rule,
Be guiltless before Aditi.
h I have drawn thee, thou hast become within,
Be thou firm and motionless,
876

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
Lot all the folk desire thee;
In him establish the kingship.
i In greatness hath he arisen erect in the van of the dawns;
Emerging from the darkness, he hath come with the light;
Agni, with radiant brilliance, fair limbed,
On birth hath filled every seat.
k Do thou sit down in the lap of this mother [4],
O Agni, knowing all the ways;
Consume her not with light nor with heat,
Within her shine with pure radiance.
1 O Agni, with glow
Within thine own seat of the pan,
Heating with her blaze,
Be thou, O all-knower, auspicious.
m Becoming auspicious to me, O Agni,
Do thou sit down auspicious;
Having made all the quarters auspicious,
Sit here on thine own birthplace.
n The gander seated in purity, the bright one seated in the atmosphere,
The Hotr seated at the altar, the guest seated in the house,
Seated among men, seated in the highest, seated in holy order, seated in the
firmament,
Born of the waters, born of the cows, born of holy order, born of the mountain, the
great holy order.
iv. 2. 2.
a From the sky was Agni first born,
From us secondly he who knoweth all,
In the waters thirdly the manly,
The pious man singeth of him, the undying, as he kindleth him.
b We know thy three places threefold, O Agni,
We know thy seat that is established in many places;
We know thy highest name in secret;
We know the spring whence thou hast come.
c The manly souled kindleth thee in the ocean, in the waters,
877

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
In the breast of the sky, O Agni, he who gazeth on men;
Thee standing in the third region [1],
In the birthplace of holy order, the steers inspirited.
d 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.
e Eager, purifying, the envoy, the wise one,
Agni, the immortal, hath been established among men;
He beareth and darteth forward his ruddy smoke;
The sky he attaineth with his pure radiance.
f The banner of the whole world, the germ [2],
Filled on birth the firmaments;
Even the firm mountain he cleft passing over,
When the five peoples sacrificed to Agni.
g Receptacle of prosperity, supporter of riches,
Granter of thoughts, guardian of the Soma,
Son of the bright one, of strength, the king
Is resplendent within the waters, kindled before the dawns.
h He who first maketh for thee to-day, O thou of wondrous radiance,
A cake rich in ghee, O god Agni;
Do thou bear him ever on to the better,
To glory allotted by the gods, O youngest one [3].
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.
878

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
iv. 2. 3.
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,
879

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
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.
m Return with wealth,
O Agni, fatten with the stream,
All-gaining on every side.
n May the Adityas, the Rudras, the Vasus, kindle thee again;
The Brahmans again with offerings, O bringer of wealth;
With ghee do thou increase our bodies;
May the wishes of the sacrificer become true.
o Hearken to this our call, that is offered, O youngest one,
Of the most generous one, O thou that hast power;
One hateth, one praiseth.
As praiser I praise thy body, O Agni.
p Be thou a bounteous patron,
Giver of riches, lord of riches;
Repel from us the foes.
iv. 2. 4.
a Go hence depart, creep away, hence,
Ye that are here of old and ye that are new,
Yama hath given this resting-place of earth,
The Pitrs have made this world for him.
b Thou art the ash of Agni, thou art the dust of Agni.
c Thou art accord, fulfilling love; in me be the fulfilling of thy love.
d Be united your dear bodies,
Be united your dear hearts,
Be your breath united [1],
880

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
United my body.
e This is that Agni in whom as a belly
Indra placed the pressed Soma eagerly;
Thou art praised, O all-knower, for winning
Booty a thousandfold, like a swift steed.
f O Agni, thou comest to the wave of the sky,
To the gods thou speakest, those of the altar;
The waters above in the realm of the sun,
And those below wait (on thee).
g O Agni, thy radiance in the sky, the earth,
The plants [2], or the waters, O holy one,
That whereby thou didst outspread the broad atmosphere,
Glittering is thy gleam, moving and men espying.
h May the Agnis of the dust
In unison with those of the floods
Accept the oblation offered,
The rich healthful viands.
i As food, O Agni, accord to the sacrificer
The gain of a cow, wondrous enduring;
Be to us a son, a scion, full of life;
This, O Agni, be thy lovingkindness towards us.
k This is thy due place of birth,
Whence born thou didst shine,
Mount it, O Agni, knowing it [3],
And make our wealth increase.
l Thou art a piler; in the manner of Angiras be firm with that deity.
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.
881

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
iv. 2. 5.
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,
882

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
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.
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;
883

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
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.
iv. 2. 6.
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.
f In that in strength I seize
These plants in my hand,
884

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
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,
885

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
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.'
iv. 2. 7.
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?
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.
886

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
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.
n Let thy milk draughts, thy strength be united,
The mightinesses of him who overcometh the foe;
887

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
Swelling for immortality, O Soma,
Place in the sky the highest glories,
iv. 2. 8.
a He hath overcome every foe, every enemy; That Agni saith, that saith Soma too;
Brhaspati, Savitr, say this of me,
Pusan hath placed me in the world of good action.
b When first thou didst cry on birth,
Arising from the ocean or the dust,
The wings of the eagle, the limbs of the gazelle,
That is thy famed birth, O steed.
c Thou art the back of the waters, the birthplace of Agni,
The ocean swelling on either side;
Growing to might [1] as the lotus flower,
Do thou extend in width with the measure of heaven.
d The holy power born first in the east
Vena hath disclosed from the shining boundary,
He hath revealed its fundamental nearest forms,
The womb of being and of not being.
e The golden germ first rose;
Born he was the only lord of creation;
He supporteth the earth and the sky;
To what god shall we offer with oblation.
f The drop hath fallen on the earth [2], the sky,
On this seat, and on the one which was aforetime;
The drop that wandereth over the third seat
I offer in the seven Hotras.
g Homage to the serpents
Which are on the earth,
The serpents in the atmosphere, in the sky,
To those serpents homage.
h Those that are there in the vault of the sky,
Or those who are in the rays of the sun,
Those whose seat is made in the waters,
To those serpents honour.
888

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
i Those that are the missiles of sorcerers,
Or those that are among the trees,
Or those that lie in the wells,
To those serpents honour.
iv. 2. 9.
a Thou art firm, supporting, unoverpowered,
Well wrought by Viçvakarman;
Let not the ocean smite thee, nor the eagle;
Unshaking do thou make firm the earth.
b May Prajapati seat thee on the back of earth, capacious, extending; thou art
extent,
thou art earth, thou art the world, thou art the earth, thou art Aditi all-sustaining,
sustainer of all the world; sustain the earth, make firm the earth, harm not the earth,
for all expiration, cross-breathing, up-breathing, for support [1], for motion; may
Agni protect thee with great prosperity, with most auspicious covering; with that
deity, in the manner of Angiras, do thou sit firm.
c Arising from every stem,
From every joint,
Do thou, O Durva, extend us
With a thousand, a hundred.
d Thou that extendest with a hundred,
That arisest with a thousand,
To thee, O goddess, O brick,
Let us sacrifice with oblation.
e Unovercomable art thou, overcoming, overcome our enemies, over come those
that practise enmity.
f Overcome the foe, overcome the foemen of a thousandfold strength [2] art thou;
do thou inspirit me.
g To the pious the winds pour honey,
The streams honey;
Be sweet to us the plants.
h Sweet is the night, and sweet
At dawn the air of earth,
889

Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
Sweet be the sky, our father.
i Sweet to us be the lord of the forest,
Sweet the sun,
Sweet be the cows to us.
k May the two great ones, sky and earth,
Mingle for us this sacrifice;
May they sustain us with support.
l That highest step of Visnu [3]
The singers ever gaze upon
Like an eye stretched in the sky.
m Thou art firm, O earth,
Overcome the foemen;
Fashioned by the gods hast thou come with ambrosia.
n Those beams of thine, O Agni, which rising
In the sun with rays envelop the sky,
With all of them bring us to brilliance, to men.
o Those flames of yours in the sun, O gods, in cattle, in horses,
O Indra and Agni, O Brhaspati,
With all of these grant us brilliance.
p The brilliant [4] bore the light, the shining bore the light, the self-resplendent
bore the light.
q O Agni, yoke,
O god, thy good steeds,
The swift that readily bear.
r Yoke, like a charioteer, O Agni,
The steeds that best invite the gods
Sit down as ancient Hotr.
s The drop hath fallen on the earth, the sky,
On this seat and on the one which was aforetime
The drop that wandereth over the third seat
I offer in the seven [5] Hotras.
t There hath come into being this might of all the world,
And of Agni Vaiçvanara,
Agni full of light with light,
The disk radiant with radiance.
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w For the verse thee, for brilliance thee
v Like streams the offerings flow together,
Purified within with heart and mind;
I behold the streams of ghee;
A golden reed is there in the midst of them.
w In it sitteth an eagle, honey-making, nested,
Assigning honey to the deities,
On its brink sit seven tawny ones,
Milking at will the stream of ambrosia.
iv. 2. 10.
a Anointing with milk Aditya, the embryo,
Counterpart of a thousand, of every form,
Spare him, injure him not with thy heat;
Make him of a hundred (years of) life, as thou art piled.
b Injure not this biped of animals,
O hundred-eyed one, being piled for the sacrifice;
I appoint for thee the wailer in the forest;
Therewith piling thy forms, be seated.
c The rush of the wind, the navel of Varuna,
Born as a steed in the midst of the waters,
The child of the streams, the tawny one, rooted in the mountain,
O Agni, harm him not [1] in the highest heaven.
d Harm not this one-hooved of cattle,
The thundering, the courser among the contests;
I appoint for thee the Gayal of the forest;
Therewith piling thy forms, be seated.
e The undying drop, the ruddy, the active,
Agni I hymn with praises with first inspiration;
Do thou forming thyself with joints in due order,
Harm not the cow, Aditi, the resplendent.
f This ocean, the spring of a hundred streams,
Expanded in the middle of the world,
Aditi milking ghee for men,
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O Agni, harm not [2] in the highest heaven;
I appoint for thee the Gayal of the forest;
Therewith piling thy forms, be seated.
g Guard of Tvastr, navel of Varuna,
Born as the sheep from the furthest region,
The great thousandfold wile of the Asura,
O Agni, harm not in the highest heaven.
h This woolly wile of Varuna,
The skin of cattle, biped and quadruped,
The first birthplace of the offspring of Tvastr,
O Agni, harm not in the highest heaven;
I appoint for thee the buffalo of the forest [3];
Therewith piling thy forms, be seated.
i The Agni born of the heat of Agni,
From the burning of the earth or of the sky,
That whereby Viçvakarman attained creatures,
Him, O Agni, let thy wrath spare.
k The goat was born from Agni as an embryo;
She beheld her begetter before;
Thereby those worthy of sacrifice attained pre-eminence,
Thereby first the gods attained godhead;
I appoint for thee the Çarabha of the forest;
Therewith piling thy forms, be seated.
iv. 2. 11.
a O Indra and Agni, the realms of the sky
Ye adorn in your strength;
That might of yours is dear.
b The foe shall he pierce and wealth he doth gain
Who worshippeth Indra and Agni, the strong ones,
Who rule over much wealth,
The most strong who with strength show their power.
c Men ye surpass in the battle call,
Earth ye surpass, and sky,
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The mountains and the streams (ye surpass) in greatness,
And, O Indra and Agni, all other worlds.
d In whose house [1], O Maruts,
Ye drink, O joyous ones of the sky
That man hath the best of guardians.
e Either through sacrifices receiving worship,
Or from the prayers of the singer,
Do ye, O Maruts, hearken to our call.
f For glory they are wreathed in flames,
In the rays (of the sun), adorned with rings they (are accompanied) with singers;
They wearing daggers, impetuous, fearless,
Have found the dear home of the Maruts.
g Thy wrath.
h The highest.
i With what aid will he come to us,
Our wondrous, ever-waxing, friend?
With what most potent aid [2]?
k Who to-day yoketh to the pole of holy order
The oxen, eager, of keen spirits, the furious,
With darts in their mouths, heart-piercing, healthful?
He who attaineth their service shall live.
l O Agni, lead.
m Of the gods.
n May they be prosperous for us
o In every contest.
In the waters, O Agni, is thy seat,
Thou enterest the plants;
Being in the germ thou art born again.
q Thou art strong, O Soma, and bright;
Thou art strong, O god, and strong thy rule;
Strong laws dost thou establish.
r This for me, O Varuna.
s That of thine I approach.
t Thou, O Agni.
u Do thou to us, O Agni.
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PRAPATHAKA III
The Five Layers of Bricks
iv. 3. 1.
a I place thee in the going of the waters; I place thee in the rising of the waters; I
place thee in the ashes of the waters; I place thee in the light of the waters; I place
thee in the movement of the waters. b Sit on the billows as thy place of rest; sit on
the ocean as thy place of rest; sit on the stream as thy place of rest; sit in the abode
of the waters; sit on the seat of the waters. c I place thee in the seat of the waters; I
place thee in the dwelling of the waters; I place thee in the dust of the waters; I
place thee in the womb of the waters; I place thee in the stronghold of the waters. d
The metro the Gayatri; the metre the Tristubh; the metro the Jagati; the metre the
Anustubh; the metre the Pankti.
iv. 3. 2.
a This one in front the existent; his, the existent's breath; spring born of the breath;
the Gayatri born of the spring; from the Gayatri the Gayatri (Saman); from the
Gayatra the Upançu (cup); from the Upançu the Trivrt (Stoma); from the Trivrt the
Rathantara; from the Rathantara Vasistha, the Rsi; with thee taken by Prajapati, I
take breath for offspring. b This one on the right, the all-worker; his, the all-
worker's, mind; summer born of mind; the Tristubh born of summer; from the
Tristubh the Aida (Saman); from the Aida the Antaryama (cup); from the
Antaryama the fifteenfold (Stoma); from the fifteenfold the Brhat; from the Brhat
Bharadvaja, the Rsi; with thee taken by Prajapati, I take mind for offspring [1]. c
This one behind, the all-extending; his, the all-extending's, eye; the rains born of
the eye; the Jagati born of the rains; from the Jagati the Rksama (Saman); from the
Rksama the Çukra (cup); from the Çukra the seventeenfold (Stoma); from the
seventeenfold the Vairupa; from the Vairupa Viçvamitra, the Rsi; with thee taken
by Prajapati, I take the eye for my offspring. d This one on the left, the light; his,
the light's, ear; the autumn born of the ear; the Anustubh connected with the
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autumn; from the Anustubh the Svara (Saman); from the Svara the Manthin (cup);
from the Manthin the twenty-onefold (Stoma); from the twenty-onefold the
Vairaja; from the Vairaja Jamadagni, the Rsi; with thee taken by Prajapati [2], I
take the ear for offspring.
c This one above, thought; his, thought's, speech; the winter born of speech; the
Pankti born of winter; from the Pankti that which has finales; from that which has
finales the Agrayana (cup); from the Agrayana the twenty-sevenfold and the thirty-
threefold (Stomas); from the twenty-sevenfold and the thirty-threefold the Çakvara
and Raivata; from the Çakvara and Raivata Viçvakarman, the Rsi; with thee taken
by Prajapati, I take speech for offspring.
iv. 3. 3.
a The east of the quarters; the spring of the seasons; Agni the deity; holy power the
wealth; the Trivrt the Stoma, and it forming the path of the fifteenfold (Stoma); the
eighteen-month-old calf the strength; the Krta of throws of dice; the east wind the
wind; Sanaga the Rsi. b The south of the quarters; the summer of the seasons;
Indra the deity; the kingly power the wealth; the fifteenfold the Stoma, and it
forming the path of the seventeenfold (Stoma); the two-year-old the strength; the
Treta of throws; the south wind the wind; Sanatana, the Rsi. c The west of the
quarters; the rains of the seasons; the All-gods the deity; the peasants
[1] the wealth; the seventeenfold the Stoma, and it forming the path of the twenty-
onefold (Stoma); the three-year-old the strength; the Dvapara of throws; the west
wind the wind; Ahabuna the Rsi. d The north of the quarters; the autumn of the
seasons; Mitra and Varuna the deity; prosperity the wealth; the twenty-onefold the
Stoma; and it forming a path of the twenty-sevenfold (Stoma); the four-year-old
the strength; the Askanda of throws; the north wind the wind; Pratna the Rsi. 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.
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iv. 8. 4.
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
lady
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
Vasus, in
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.
g Protect my expiration; protect my inspiration; protect my cross breathing; make
my
eye to shine widely; make my ear to hear.
h Make thick the waters; quicken the plants; protect bipeds; help quadrupeds; from
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the
sky make rain to start.
iv. 3. 5.
a (Thou art) the calf of eighteen months in strength, the Tristubh metre; the two-
year-old in strength, the Viraj metre; the two-and-a-half year-old in strength, the
Gayatri metre; the three-year-old in strength, the Usnih metre; the four-year-old in
strength, the Anustubh metre; the draught ox in strength, the Brhati metre; the bull
in strength, the Satobrhati metre; the bullock in strength, the Kakubh metre; the
milch cow in strength, the Jagati metre; the beast of burden in strength, the Pankti
metre; the goat in strength, the spacious metre; the ram in strength, the slow metre;
the tiger in strength, the unassailable metre; the lion in strength, the covering
metre; the support in strength, the overlord metre; the lordly power in strength, the
delight-giving metre; the all-creating in strength, the supreme lord metro; the head
in strength, the Prajapati metre.
iv. 3. 6.
a O Indra and Agni, do ye two make firm
The brick that quaketh not;
And let it with its back repel
The sky and earth and atmosphere.
b Let Viçvakarman place thee in the ridge of the atmosphere, encompassing,
expanding, resplendent, possessing the sun, thee that dost illumine the sky, the
earth, the broad atmosphere, support the atmosphere, make firm the atmosphere,
harm not the atmosphere; for every expiration, inspiration, cross-breathing, out-
breathing, support, movement; let Vayu protect thee with great prosperity, with a
covering [1] most healing; with that deity do thou sit firm in the manner of
Angiras.
c Thou art the queen, the eastern quarter; thou art the ruling, the southern quarter;
thou art the sovereign, the western quarter; thou art the self-ruling, the northern
quarter; thou art the lady paramount, the great quarter.
d Protect my life; protect my expiration; protect my inspiration; protect my cross-
breathing; protect my eye; protect my ear; quicken my mind; strengthen my voice;
protect my breath; accord me light.
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iv. 3. 7.
a (Thou art) Ma metre, Prama metre, Pratima metre, Asrivis metre, Pankti metre,
Usnih metre, Brhati metre, Anustubh metre, Viraj metre, Gayatri metre, Tristubh
metre, Jagati metre. (Thou art) earth metre, atmosphere metro, sky metre, seasons
metre, Naksatras metre, mind metre, speech metre, ploughing metre, gold metre,
cow metre, female goat metre, horse metre. (Thou art) Agni, the deity [1], Vata,
the deity, Surya, the deity, Candramas, the deity, the Vasus, the deity, the Rudras,
the deity, the Adityas, the deity, the All-gods, the deity, the Maruts, the deity,
Brhaspati, the deity, Indra, the deity, Varuna, the deity. b The head thou art, ruling;
thou art the firm, the supporting; thou art the prop, the restrainer; for food thee; for
strength thee; for ploughing thee: for safety thee! (Thou art) the prop, ruling; thou
art the firm, the supporting; thou art the holder, the sustainer; for life thee; for
radiance thee; for force thee; for might thee!
iv. 3. 8.
(Thou art) the swift, the triple (Stoma); the shining, the fifteenfold the sky, the
seventeenfold; speed, the eighteenfold; fervour, the nineteen. fold; attack, the
twentyfold; support, the twenty-onefold; radiance, the twenty-twofold;
maintenance, the twenty-threefold; the womb, the twenty-fourfold; the embryo, the
twenty-fivefold; might, the twenty sevenfold; inspiration, the thirty-onefold;
support, the thirtythreefold; the surface of the tawny one, the thirty-fourfold; the
vault, the thirty-six fold; the revolving, the forty-eightfold; the support, the
fourfold Stoma.
iv. 3. 9.
a Thou art the portion of Agni, the overlordship of consecration, the holy power
saved, the threefold Stoma.
b Thou art the portion of Indra, the overlordship of Visnu, the lordly power saved,
the fifteenfold Stoma.
c Thou art the portion of them that gaze on men, the overlordship of Dhatr, the
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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.
iv. 3. 10.
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. 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-
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three, creatures came to rest, Prajapati was the overlord and chief.
iv. 3. 11.
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;
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Slayer of Asuras he became in his might.
i Ye have made me, who am not younger, the younger;
Speaking the truth I desire this;
May I [3] enjoy his lovingkindness as do ye;
May not one of you supplant another.
k He hath enjoyed my lovingkindness, the all-knower;
He hath found a support, for he hath won the shallow;
May I enjoy his lovingkindness as do ye
May not one of you supplant another.
l On the five dawns follow the five milkings,
On the cow with five names the five seasons;
The five quarters are established by the fifteenfold (Stoma),
With equal heads over the one world [4].
M She who first shone forth is the child of holy order;
One supporteth the might of the waters;
One moveth in the places of the sun,
And one in those of the heat; Savitr governeth one.
n She who first shone forth
Hath become a cow with Yams;
Do thou, rich in milk, milk for us
Season after season.
O She of bright bulls hath come with the cloud, the light,
She of all forms, the motley, whose banner is fire;
Accomplishing thy common task,
Bringing old age, thou hast come, O unaging dawn.
P Lady, of seasons the first, she hath come hither,
Leading the days, and bearer of offspring;
Though one, O Usas, in many places dost thou shine forth
Unaging thou dost make to age all else.
iv. 3.12.
a O Agni, drive away those foes of ours that are born;
Drive away those too that are unborn, O all-knower;
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
Shine out for us in kindliness and without anger,
In thy protection may I be with threefold protection and victorious.
b O Agni, drive away those foes of ours that are born with force;
Drive away those that are unborn, O all-knower;
Favour us in kindliness,
May we (enjoy thy protection); drive away our foes.
c (Thou art) the forty-fourfold Stoma, radiance the wealth.
d (Thou art) the sixteenfold Stoma, force the wealth.
e Thou art the dust of earth [1], called Apsas. f (Thou art) the course metre; the
space metre; the health-bringing metre; the overpowering metre; the covering
metre; the mind metre; the expanse metre; the river metre; the sea metro; the water
metre; the uniting metro; the separating metre; the Brhat metro; the Rathantara
metre; the collecting metre; the parting metre; the voices metre; the radiant metro;
the Sastubh metre; the Anustubh metre; the Kakubh metre; the Trikakubh metre;
the poetic metre; the water metre [2]; the Padapankti metre, the Aksarapahkti
metre, the Vistarapankti metre: the razor-with-strop metre; the enveloping metre;
the side metre; the course metre; the space metre; the strength metre; the maker of
strength metre; the expansive metre; the conflict metre; the covering metre; the
difficult of access metre; the slow metre; the Ankanka metre.
iv. 3. 13.
a May Agni slay the foe,
Eager for wealth, joyfully,
Kindled, pure as offered.
b Thou Soma art very lord,
Thou art king, and slayer of foes;
Thou art favouring strength.
c Favouring is thy look, O fair-faced Agni,
That art dread and extending, pleasant (is it);
Thy radiance they cover not with the darkness;
The defiling leave no stain in thy body.
d Favouring is thy face, O mighty Agni;
Even by the side of the sun it is bright [1],
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Radiant to behold it is seen even by night,
Pleasant to the sight is food in thy form.
e 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.
f Prosperity for us from sky, O Agni, from earth,
With full life do thou procure, O god, for worship;
That splendid thing, O sky-born, which we ask,
Do thou bestow upon us that radiant wealth.
g As thou, O Hotr, in man's worship [2],
O son of strength, shalt sacrifice with offerings,
Verily do thou to-day, gladly, offer sacrifice
To the glad gods together assembled.
h I praise Agni, domestic priest,
God of the sacrifice and priest,
The Hotr, best bestower of jewels.
i Thou art strong, O Soma, and bright,
Thou art strong, O god, and strong thy rule,
Strong laws dost thou establish.
k O Maruts, that burn, this offering (is yours)
Do ye rejoice in it,
For your aid, ye destroyers of the foe.
I The man of evil heart, O bright ones, O Maruts,
Who is fain to smite us contrary to right [3],
In the noose of destruction may he be caught,
Slay him with your most burning heat.
m The Maruts, of the year, fair singers,
With wide abodes, in troops among men,
May they from us unloosen the bonds of tribulation,
Those that burn, delighting, granting delight,
n Delight the eager gods, O thou most young,
Knowing the seasons, O lord of the season, do thou sacrifice here;
With the priests divine, O Agni,
Thou art the best sacrificer of Hotrs.
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o O Agni, whatever to-day, O offering Hotr of the people,
O pure [4] and radiant one, thou dost enjoy, for thou art the sacrificer,
Rightly shalt thou sacrifice, since thou hast grown in might,
Carry the oblations that are thine to-day, O thou most young.
p By Agni may one win wealth
And abundance, day by day,
Glory full of heroes.
q Enricher, slayer of disease,
Wealth-finder, prospering prosperity,
O Soma, be a good friend to us.
r Come hither, O ye that tend the house,
Depart not, O Maruts,
Freeing us from tribulation.
s For in autumns gone by
We have paid worship, O Maruts,
With the means [5] of mortal men.
t Your greatness surgeth forth from the depths,
Make known your names, O active ones;
O Maruts, accept the thousandth share of the house,
Of the householder's offering.
u Him to whom, the strong, the youthful maiden,
Rich in oblation, bearing ghee, approacheth night and morning,
To him his own devotion (approacheth) seeking wealth.
v O Agni, these most acceptable oblations,
Immortal one, bear for the divine worship;
Let them accept our fragrant (offerings).
w The playful horde of the Maruts,
Sporting, resplendent on the chariot [6],
O Kanvas, do ye celebrate.
x The Maruts, speeding like steeds,
Disport themselves like youths gazing at a spectacle,
Standing in the home like beauteous younglings,
Bestowing milk, like playful calves.
y At their advance the earth moves as if trembling,
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When they yoke (their teams) for their journeys, for brilliance;
Playing, resounding, with flaming weapons,
They display their own greatness, the shakers.
z What time on the steeps ye pile the moving one,
Like birds, O Maruts, on whatever path [7],
The clouds spill their water on your chariots;
Do ye sprinkle for the praiser ghee of honey hue.
aa Agni with invocations
They ever invoke, lord of the people,
Bearer of the oblation, dear to many.
bb For him they ever praise,
The god with ladle dripping ghee,
Agni to bear the oblation.
cc O Indra and Agni, the spaces of sky.
dd Pierce Vrtra.
ee Indra from all sides.
ff Indra men.
gg O Viçvakarman, waxing great with the oblation.
hh O Viçvakarman, with the oblation as strengthening.
PRAPATHAKA IV
The Fifth Layer of Bricks (continued)
iv. 4. 1.
a Thou art the ray; for dwelling thee! Quicken the dwelling. Thou art advance; for
right
thee! Quicken right. Thou art following; for sky thee! Quicken the sky. Thou art
union;
for atmosphere thee! Quicken the atmosphere. Thou art propping; for earth thee!
Quicken earth. Thou art a prop; for rain thee! Quicken rain. Thou art blowing
forward; for day thee! Quicken day.
b Thou art blowing after; for night thee! Quicken night. Thou art eager [1]; for the
Vasus thee! Quicken the Vasus. Thou art intelligence; for the-Rudras thee!
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Yajur Veda English Translation – AB Keith
Quicken the
Rudras. Thou art the brilliant; for the Adityas thee! Quicken the Adityas. Thou art
force; for the Pitrs thee! Quicken the Pitrs. Thou art the thread; for offspring thee!
Quicken offspring. Thou dost endure the battle; for cattle thee! Quicken cattle.
c Thou art wealthy; for plants thee! Quicken plants. Thou art the victorious with
ready stone; for Indra thee! Quicken Indra. Thou art the overlord; for expiration [2]
thee!
Quicken expiration. Thou art the restrainer; for inspiration thee! Quicken
inspiration.
Thou art the glider; for the eye thee! Quicken the eye. Thou art the bestower of
strength; for the ear thee! Quicken the ear. Thou art threefold.
d Thou art Pravrt, thou art Samvrt, thou art Vivrt. Thou art the mounter, thou art
the descender, thou art the fore mounter, thou art the after mounter.
e Thou art the wealthy, thou art the brilliant, thou art the gainer of good.
iv. 4. 2.
a Thou art the queen, the eastern quarter; the Vasus, the deities, are thine overlords,
Agni stayeth missiles from thee; may the threefold Stoma support thee on earth,
may the Ajya hymn establish thee in firmness, the Rathantara Saman be thy
support. b Thou art the ruling, the southern quarter; the Rudras, the deities, are
thine overlords, Indra stayeth missiles from thee; may the fifteenfold Stoma
support thee on earth, may the Praüga hymn establish thee, in firmness, the Brhat
Saman be thy support. c Thou art the sovereign, the western quarter [1]; the
Adityas, the deities, are thine overlords, Soma stayeth missiles from thee; may the
seventeenfold Stoma support thee on earth, the Marutvatiya hymn establish thee in
firmness, the Vairupa Saman be thy support. d Thou art the self-ruling, the
northern quarter; the All-gods are thine overlords, Varuna stayeth missiles from
thee; may the twenty-onefold Stoma support thee on earth, the Niskevalya Uktha
establish thee, in firmness, the Vairaja Samana be thy support. e Thou art the lady
paramount, the great quarter; the Maruts, the deities, are thine overlords [2],
Brhaspati stayeth missiles from thee; may the twenty-sevenfold and the-thirty-
threefold Stomas secure thee on earth, the Vaiçvadeva and the Agnimaruta hymns
establish thee in firmness, the Çakvara and Raivata Samans be thy support. f For
the atmosphere may the Rsis firstborn among the gods extend thee with the
measure, the breadth, of the sky, and be that is disposer and overlord; let all of
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