Yajur Veda on Desire

e Fare along the broad atmosphere. f Hail! Thee, of kindly nature, to the sun! g To the gods that drink the rays thee! h This is thy birthplace; to inspiration thee! a O Vayu, drinker of the pure, come to us; A thousand are thy teams, O thou that hast all choice boons. For thee this sweet drink hath been drawn, Whereof, O god, thou hast the first drink. b Thou art taken with a support; to Vayu thee! c O Indra and Vayu, these draughts are ready; Come ye for the libations, For the drops desire you. d Thou art taken with a support; to Indra and Vayu thee! This is thy birthplace; to the comrades thee! a This Soma is pressed for you, O Mitra and Varuna, Who prosper holy order; Hearken ye now to my supplication. b Thou art taken with a support; to Mitra and Varuna thee! This is thy birthplace; to the righteous thee! a That I whip of yours which is rich in sweetness And full of mercy, O Açvins, With that touch the sacrifice. b Thou art taken with a support; to the Açvins thee! This is thy birthplace; to the sweet thee! a Ye that yoke early be unloosed O Açvins, come ye hither, To drink this Soma. b Thou art taken with a support; to the Açvins thee! This is thy birthplace; to the Açvins thee! a Vena hath stirred those born of Prçni, He enveloped in light, in the expanse of the Him in the meeting-place of the waters, of the sun, Like a child, the priests tend with their songs. b Thou art taken with a support; to Çanda thee! This is thy birthplace; guard the a Him, as aforetime, as of old, as always, as now, The prince, who hath his seat on the strew and knoweth the heaven, The favouring, the strong, thou milkest with thy speech, The swift who is victor in those among whom thou dost wax. b Thou art taken with a support; to Marka thee! This is thy birth. place; guard offspring. a Ye gods that are eleven in the sky, Eleven on the earth, Who sit mightily in the waters, eleven in number, Do ye accept this saerifice.

d The face of Agni hath entered the waters, The child of the waters guarding against the demons' power, In each home [1] do thou offer the kindling-stick, O Agni; Let thy tongue seek the ghee. e In the sea is thy heart, within the waters; Let the plants and the waters enter thee; With the offerings of the sacrifice, O lord of the sacrifice, Let us worship at the utterance of the hymn, at the utterance of homage. f O bath, O flood, thou glidest, O flood; thou hast removed by sacrifice the sin committed by the gods, through the gods, the sin committed by mortals, through mortals; guard us, O god, from wide hostility. g Be the water and plants friendly to us [2]; be they hostile to him who hateth us and whom we hate. h Ye divine waters, this is thy foetus, glad and well tended have we made it for proclaim us as doers of good deeds among the gods. i The noose of Varuna is tied, the noose of Varuna is loosed. k Thou art fuel; may we prosper; thou art kindling; thou art brilliance, grant me brilliance. l I have penetrated to the waters; We are united with the sap; I have come rich in milk, O Agni; Do thou unite me with radiance. a I who deeming thee immortal, Mortal myself, call on thee with prayerful heart. Upon us, O wise one, bestow glory; O Agni, through offspring may I attain immortality. b He, for whom, O Agni, thou dost make, O wise one, For his good deeds a kindly world, Shall win prosperity and wealth, Rich in sons, in heroes, in kine. c To thee, O son of strength, they turn Who have desires to be fulfilled; None excelleth thee, O Indra. d At each hymn the Soma delighteth Indra, The pressed (juices), the bountiful one [1], What time in unison with equal effort They call him to aid, like sons a father. e O Agni, O wise one, with sap, With brilliance thou shinest, Slayer of Raksases, suppressor of demons. f I have penetrated to the waters We are united with the sap; I have come rich in milk, O Agni; Do thou unite me with radiance.

The Part of the Sacrificer in the New and Full Moon Sacrifices. a By the Yajus I pour on thee Offspring, life, and wealth. Instigated by Brhaspati may the sacrificer here come to no harm. b Thou art butter, thou art truth, thou art the overseer of truth, thou art the oblation of Vaiçvanara, of the All-gods, with pure strength, of true might; thou art power, overpowering; overpower hostility, overpower those who practise hostility; overpower enmity, overpower those who practise emnity; thou art of a thousandfold strength; do thou quicken me; thou art of butter the butter; thou art of truth the truth; thou hast true life [1]; thou hast true strength; with truth I besprinkle thee; may I share thee that art such. c For a prop, a support, of the five winds I take thee. d For a prop, a support, of the five seasons I take thee. e For a prop, a support, of the five quarters I take thee. f For a prop, a support, of the five five-peoples I take thee. g For a prop, a support, of the pot with five holes I take thee. h For the brilliance of the Brahman, for a prop, a support, I take thee. i For the might of the ruling class, for a prop, a support, I take thee [2]. k For the people, for a prop, a support I take thee. l For excellence of strength I take thee. m For wealth of offspring I take thee. n For increase of wealth I take thee. o For splendour I take thee. p The earth ours, the oblation the gods, the benedictions the sacrificers'; for the divinities of the gods I take thee. q For desire I take thee. a Thou art secure; may I be secure among my equals, wise, a guardian, a granter of b Thou art dread; may I be dread among my equals, dread, a guardian, a granter of c Thou art overcoming; may I be overcoming among my equals, overcoming, a guardian, a granter of wealth. d I yoke thee with the divine Brahman, To bear this oblation, O wise one; Kindling thee, may we live long with good children, With good heroes, bearing thee tribute.

d To thee hath been assigned for mighty power, For ever, in the slaying of Vrtra, All lordship, and all strength, O thou that art worthy of sacrifice In the overcoming of man, by the gods, O Indra [1]. c In whom the seven Vasavas rest As it were firm rooted, The Rsi of farthest hearing, The glowing pot is the guest of Indra. f In the raw thou didst produce the cooked, And madest the sun to mount in the sky; Like the glowing pot heat ye the Saman With good prayers, delightful to the lover of song. g Indra the singers aloud, Indra with praises the praisers, Indra the songs have praised. h The singers sing thee [2]; The praisers hymn thy praise; The Brahmans raise thee, 0 Çatakratu, like a pole. i Let us offer our praise to him who delivereth from trouble, Swiftest to give, celebrating his loving kindness; O Indra, accept this oblation; May the desires of the sacrificer be fulfilled. k That to which Dhisana impelled me have I produced; I shall praise Indra before the decisive day; Him that goeth as with a ship Both parties invoke that there he may rescue us. l First lord of sacrifices [3], Freeing from trouble, the best of those worthy of offering, Son of the waters, the impeller, O ye Açvins; Do ye confer power and strength on this one. m Smite away our foes, O Indra; Cast down the warriors; Make him low Who is hostile to us. n O Indra, thou wast born for rule, for prosperous strength Of the people, O strong one; Thou didst smite away the unfriendly folk, And madest wide room for the gods. o Like a dread beast, evil, roaming the mountains, He hath come from the furthest place [4]; Sharpening thy lance, thy sharp edge, O Indra, Smite the foes, drive away the enemy. p Drive away the foe, the enemy, Smash the jaws of Vrtra; In rage do thou avert the anger Of him who is hostile to us. q The guardian Indra, the helper Indra, The hero ready to hear at every call, Indra, I invoke the strong one, invoked of many, Indra; May Indra in his bounty bestow on us prosperity.

f By this shape producing mighty deeds, He is dread, a broad way for gain, He hath come to the top, bearing sweetness, What time he moved a body in his own body. g Thou art taken with a support; agreeable to Prajapati I take thee this is thy birthplace; to Prajapati thee! a The months, the woods, The plants, the mountains, The earth and sky in longing, The waters, followed Indra on his birth. b To thee hath been assigned for mighty power, For ever, in the slaying of Vrtra, All lordship, and all strength, O thou that art worthy of sacrifice In the overcoming of man by the gods, O Indra, c Indrani beyond other women I have heard to be favoured with a spouse, For never at any time [1] Shall her husband die of old age. d I have not joyed, O Indrani, Without my friend Vrsakapi, Whose oblation rich in water Goeth dear to the gods. e He who first born in his wisdom A god, surpassed the gods in insight, From whose breath the sky and earth recoiled, In the greatness of his manhood, he, O ye men, is Indra. f Hitherward be thy might with aid, O dread Indra, What time the armies meet in combat, And the arrow flieth from the arms of the strong men; Let not thine [2] anger spread on every side. g Destroy us not; bring and give to us That plenteous bounty which thou hast to give to the pious man, For this new gift, this song we have sung to thee; Let us speak forth in praise of Indra. h Bring it to us, let none intercept it; For we know thee as wealth lord of riches; That mighty gift of thine, O Indra, Vouchsafe it us, O lord of the bay steeds [3]. i With our oblation we summon 1ndra, the giver; Fill both thy hands with bounty; Give to us from the left and the right. k The giver, the bolt-bearer, the bull, the overpowering, The impetuous, the king, slayer of Vrtra, drinker of the Soma, Seated at this sacrifice on the strew, Be thou health and wealth to the sacrificer.

He who is long ill should offer to Agni (a beast) with black neck, and a brown (beast) to Soma; the body of him whose illness is long goes to Agni, the sap to Soma; verily he ransoms from Agni his body, from Soma his sap, and even if his life is gone, yet he lives. He who desires offspring should offer to Soma a brown (beast), and to Agni one with a black neck; Soma [7] is the depositor of seed, Agni the producer of offspring; verily Soma deposits seed for him, Agni produces offspring; he obtains offspring. The Brahman who despite study does not win fame should offer to Agni (a beast) with a black neck, and to Soma a brown (one); in that (the beast) is offered to Agni, thereby he places brilliance in him; in that (the beast) is offered to Soma, thereby (be places) splendour. The one with a black neck is for Agni; verily he drives away the darkness from him: it is white [8]; verily he bestows brilliance on him. There is a brown one for Soma; verily he bestows splendour and radiance on him. He who has a dispute for a Purohitaship should offer (a beast) with a black neck to Agni, a brown one to Soma, and one with a black neck to Agni; the Brahman is connected with Agni, the prince with Soma; on either side of (the beast) for Soma there is one for Agni; verily with brilliance, with the Brahman, he seizes on either side the kingdom, and forthwith appropriates it; they choose him as Purohita. The gods and the Asuras strove for these worlds; Visnu saw this dwarf, he offered it to its own deity; then he conquered these worlds. One who is engaged in a struggle should offer a dwarf (beast) to Visnu; then he becomes Visnu and conquers these worlds. He should offer on an uneven (place), for these worlds are uneven as it were; (verily it serves) for prosperity. He who is engaged in a contest should offer (a beast) with a spot on its forehead and horns bent forward to Indra, the angry, the wise [1]. By power (indriyá), by anger, by wisdom, one wins a contest.

With this he should sacrifice who is being practised against; if these deities eat his food, men eat his also. Rajana Kauneya went to Kratujit Janaki for a cure for eyesight; for him he offered this sacrifice, to Agni, the blazing, a cake on eight potsherds, to Surya an oblation, to Agni, the blazing, a cake on eight potsherds; verily thereby he bestowed sight upon him. For him who desires sight he should offer this sacrifice, to Agni, the blazing, a cake on eight potsherds; to Surya an oblation, to Agni, the blazing, a cake on eight potsherds; by the eye of Agni men see [1], (by the eye) of the sun the gods; verily he has recourse to Agni and Surya with their own share; verily they bestow sight upon him; he becomes possessed of sight. In that there are two for Agni, he restores his eyes for him; in that there is (an oblation) for Surya, (he restores) his nose; the two for Agni are on either side of that for Surya; therefore the two eyes are on either side of the nose, therefore by the nose the eyes are separated. The Yajya, and the Anuvakya, are alike, for the eye is alike; (verily it serves) for prosperity. 'Up that god that knoweth all', 'Seven bays in thy chariot', 'The radiant countenance of the gods hath arisen', (with these words) he offers lumps; verily he gives sight to him; what was his, that (is his again). a Thou art secure; may I be secure among my equals, wise, a guardian, a gainer of wealth; thou art secure; may I be secure among my equals, dread, a guardian, a gainer of wealth; thou art secure; may I be secure among my equals, dread, a guardian, a gainer of wealth. b Thou art affection; O ye gods of affection, those equals, youths, of one mind, them I love with my heart; may they love me with their hearts; make them of one mind with me; hail! Thou [1] art affection; O ye gods of affection, the women of one mind, them I love with my heart; may they love me with their hearts; make them of one mind with me; hail!

e Him quicken, O Agni, for life, for radiance, Make dear his seed, O Varuna, O Soma, O king; Like a mother, O Aditi, give him protection, O ye All-gods, that he may win old age. f Agni is full of life; he is full of life through the trees; with this life I make thee full of life. Soma is full of life; he is (full) through the plants; the sacrifice is full of life; it is (full) through the sacrificial fees; the Brahman is full of life; that is full of life through the Brahmans; the gods are full of life; they are (full of life) through the ambrosia; the Pitrs are full of life; they are full of life through the Svadha-call with this life I make thee full of life. To Agni his body goes, to Soma his sap,--Varuna grasps him with Varuna's noose-- to Sarasvati the speech, to Agni and Visnu the body Of him who long is ill. For him who is long ill or who desires, 'May I live all my days', he should offer this sacrifice, to Agni on eight potsherds, to Soma an oblation, to Varuna on ten potsherds, to Sarasvati an oblation, to Agni and Visnu on eleven potsherds; verily he ransoms his body from Agni, his sap from Soma [1]; by the offering to Varuna he frees him from Varuna's noose; by the offering to Sarasvati he bestows speech; all the gods are Agni, the sacrifice is Visnu; verily by the gods and the sacrifice he heals him; even if his life is gone, he yet lives. 'What went new, that became fresh butter', (with these words) he looks upon the butter; verily he describes its form and greatness. 'Thou art the breath of the Açvins', he says; the Açvins are the physicians of the gods [2]; verily by them he makes healing for him. 'Thou art the breath of Indra', he says; verily thereby he bestows power upon him. 'Thou art the breath of Mitra and Varuna', he says; verily thereby he bestows expiration and inspiration upon him. 'Thou art the breath of the All-gods', be says; verily thereby he bestows strength on him.

' 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. 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. 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, Lord, O Indra, of what standeth.

The Yajya and the Anuvakya are in the Pañkti metre the sacrifice is fivefold; verily thereby he does not depart from the a May Surya, the god, protect me from the gods, Vayu from the atmosphere; may 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; 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 (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, Rich in heroes and rich in steeds, Bidden I God-speed' by Brhaspati, with wealth Abide thou for me, the sacrificer. 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.

'May the embryo for me, the calves', he says; that is the form of cattle; verily by the form he wins cattle. He offers the orderers, to order the disordered. He offers the even and the odd, for pairing; they are in ascending ratio, for ascent. 'May one for me, three', he says; one and three are the metres of the gods [51, four and eight the metres of men; verily he wins both the metres of gods and men. Up to thirty-three he offers; the gods are three and thirty; verily he wins the gods; up to forty-eight he offers, the Jagati has forty eight syllables, cattle are connected with the Jagati: verily by the Jagati he wins cattle for him. 'Strength, instigation', (with these words) he offers a set of twelve; the year has twelve months; verily he finds support in the year. Agni departed from the gods, desiring a portion; the gods said to him, 'come back to us, carry the oblation for us.' He said, 'Let me choose a born; let them offer to me the Vajaprasaviya'; therefore to Agni they offer the Vajaprasaviya. In that he offers the Vajaprasaviya, he unites Agni with his own portion; verily also this is his consecration. He offers with fourteen (verses); there are seven domesticated, seven wild [ 1] animals; (verily it serves) to win both sets. He offers of every kind of food, to win every kind of food. He offers with an offering-spoon of Udumbara wood; the Udumbara is strength, food is strength; verily by strength he wins for him strength and food. Agni is the consecrated of gods, the piler of the fire of men; therefore when it rains a piler of the fire should not run, for he has thus obtained food; rain is as it were food; if he were to run he would be running from food. He should go up to it; verily be goes up -to food [2]. 'Night and dawn', (with these words) he offers with the milk of a black cow with a white calf; verily by the day he bestows night upon him, by night day; verily day and night being bestowed upon him milk his desire and the eating of food.

' The gods conquered these (plants); if he were to offer to the seasons, he would cause strife with the gods; having offered the offering of first-fruits, he offers these libations; verily he delights the half-months, the months, the seasons, the year; he does not cause strife with the gods. 'Better than good have the gods brought together', he says, for the eating of the offering, to prevent the defeat of the sacrificer. a Thou art the thunderbolt of Indra, slaying foes; Guarding our bodies, lying in wait; He who in east, south, west, In the north, as a foe plots against us, May he strike on this rock. The gods and the Asuras were in conflict; the Asuras sought to force them from the quarters; the gods repelled them with arrow and thunder bolt; in that he puts down the thunderbolt (bricks), he repels his foes with arrow and thunderbolt; in the quarters [1] he puts down; verily he puts round him those citadels of the gods, which guard the body. b O Agni and Visnu, May these songs gladden you in unison; Come ye with radiance and strength. The theologians say, 'Since they do not offer to any deity, then what deity has the stream of wealth?' Wealth is Agni, this stream is his; wealth is Visnu, this stream is his; with a verse addressed to Agni and Visnu he offers the stream of wealth; verily he unites them with their proper portions; verily also [2] he makes this libation to have an abode; he wins that for desire of which he makes this offering. The fire is Rudra; now two are his bodies, the dread the one, the auspicious the other; in that he offers the Çatarudriya, he soothes with it his dread form; in that he offers the stream of wealth, he delights with it his auspicious form. He, who knows the support of the stream of wealth [3], finds support. If there is any butter left over, in it he should cook a mess for the Brahmans, four Brahmans should eat it; the Brahman is Agni Vaiçvanara, Vaiçvanara, is the form dear to Agni; verily he establishes it in his dear form.

'O Agni, lord of vows,' (he says). 'One should recover one's former body', they say, 'for who knows if the richer, when his will is accomplished will restore it or not.' The pressing-stones are the troop of thieves of King Soma; him, who knowing thus, places the pressing-stones on the Agnidh's altar, the troop of thieves finds not. Having sacrificed with a verse addressed to Visnu, he approaches the post. The post has Visnu for its deity; verily he approaches it with its own deity. 'I have passed by others, I have not approached others', he says, for he passes by others, and does not approach others. I have found thee nearer than the farther, farther than the near', he says, for he finds it nearer than the farther, farther than the near. 'I welcome thee that art of Visnu, for the sacrifice to the gods' [1], he says, for he welcomes it for the sacrifice to the gods. 'Let the god Savitr anoint thee with honey', he says; verily he anoints it with glory. 'O plant, guard it; O axe, harm it not', he says; the axe is the thunderbolt; (verily it serves) for atonement. The brilliance of the tree which fears the axe falls away with the first chip; the first chip which falls he should take up; verily he takes it up with its brilliance [2]. These worlds are afraid of the falling forward of the tree. 'With thy top graze not the sky, with thy middle harm not the atmosphere', he says; verily he makes it tender for these worlds. 'O tree, grow with a hundred shoots', (with these words) he sacrifices on the stump; therefore many (shoots) spring up from the stump of trees. 'May we grow with a thousand shoots', he says; verily he invokes this blessing. He should cut it so that it will not touch the axle [3]. If he were to cut it so that it would touch the axle, the cattle of the sacrificer would be liable to perish. If he desire of any one, 'May he be without support', he should cut for him a branch; this among trees is not supported; verily he is without support.

If he desire, 'May I bestow upon the Sadasyas the glory of the sacrifice', he should pour (it) down, grasping the Sadas; verily he bestows upon the Sadasyas the glory of the sacrifice. The Dhruva (cup) is the life of the sacrifice; it is drawn the last of the cups; therefore life is the last of the breaths. 'The head of the sky, the messenger of earth', he says; verily he makes him the head of his equals. 'Vaiçvanara, born for holy order', he says, for life has Vaiçvanara as its deity. It is drawn with Vaiçvanara on both sides; therefore there are breaths on both sides, below and above. The other cups that are drawn make a half, the Dhruva makes a half; therefore [1] the breath below is a half of the other breaths. The other cups are deposited on strewn (ground), the Dhruva on unstrewn; therefore in bone some creatures find support, in flesh others. The Asuras from above desired to turn round the earth; the gods made it firm (adrnhan) with the Dhruva; that is why the Dhruva has its name; in that the Dhruva is set down from above, (it serves) for firmness. The Dhruva is the life of the sacrifice, the Hotr is the body; in that he pours the Dhruva down into the goblet of the Hotr, so he places life in the body of the sacrifice [2]. 'Before the Uktha it should be poured down', they say, for in front one enjoys life; 'In the middle it should be poured down', they say, for the middle one enjoys life; 'In the latter part it should be poured down', they say, for with the last one enjoys life. He pours (it) down while the verse to the All-gods is being recited; offspring are connected with the All-gods; verily he confers life upon By means of the sacrifice the gods went to the world of heaven; they reflected, 'Men will follow after us here'; they blocked (the way) by the year and went to the world of heaven. It the Rsis discerned by means of the season-cups; in that the season-cups are drawn, (they serve) to reveal, the world of heaven.

The Go and the Ayus (Stomas) are the Stomas in the middle; verily they place a pair in the middle of the year [4] for procreation. On either side there is the Jyotistoma. It is the releasing; verily the metres are released; verily also they go to the world of heaven with the six-day (rite) which has a Jyotistoma on either side. The theologians say, 'They sit; by what path do they go?' One should reply,' By the path that leads to the gods. The path that leads to the gods is the metres, the Gayatri, Tristubh, and Jagati. The Gayatri is the Jyotistoma, the Tristubh, the Gostoma, the Jagati the Ayustoma. In that there are these Stomas, so do they go by the path that leads to the gods [5]. There is used the same Saman. The Saman is the world of the gods; verily they leave not the world of the gods. There are used various verses. The verses are the world of man; verily they keep mounting one world of gods after another from the world of men. There is the Brahman's Saman as the Abhivarta to win the world of heaven. There is the Abhijit (day) for the gaining of the world of heaven. There is the Viçvajit (day) for the gaining of all. Month by month they perform the Prsthas, month by month the Atigrahyas are drawn; verily in each month they place strength, for the support of the months. They perform the Prsthas in the latter part of the month. Therefore it is on the top that the plants bear fruit. The cows performed that Sattra, being hornless and desiring to obtain horns. For ten months they performed it, and then horns appeared. They said, 'We have gained (them), let us cease (the rite), for we have attained the desire for the sake of which we began (the rite).' But others said, either half of them or as many as might be the case, 'Let us perform (the rite) for these months, the eleventh and the twelfth, and when we have made up the year, let us cease' [1]. In their case their horns grew in the twelfth month.

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

w Thou art broad, and wealthy art thou. x Before the cruel foe slips away, O glorious one, Taking up the earth, with plenteous drops, The earth which they place in the moon by their offerings, Which wise men use to guide them in the sacrifice. a The Raksas is burnt up, the evil spirits are burnt up. b With Agni's keenest flame I burn you. c May I not brush the place of the cattle, I brush thee that art strong and overcomest foes. d Speech, breath, eye, ear, offspring, the organ of generation may I not brush, I brush thee that art strong and overcomest foes. e Beseeching favour, offspring, prosperity, in devotion to Agni, I gird my body for good action. f 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. g I loosen this bond of Varuna, 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. h With life, with offspring, O Agni, with splendour again, As wife with my husband I am united. United be my spirit with my body. i Of the great ones thou art the milk, of plants the sap. Of thee that art the imperishable I make the offering. k Thou art the milk of the great ones, of plants the sap; with undeceived eye I gaze on thee for fair offspring. l Thou art brilliance; follow thou brilliance; may Agni not take away the brilliance. m Thou art the tongue of Agni, the good one of the gods. n Be thou (good) for every sacrifice, for the gods, for every prayer. o Thou art the shining, the radiance, the brilliance. p May the god Savitr purify you With a flawless strainer, With the rays of the bright sun. q I grasp thee shining in the shining, for every sacrifice, for the gods, for every r I grasp thee radiance in the radiance, thee resplendent in the resplendence for every sacrifice, for the gods, for every prayer. a Thou I art a black deer, living in the lair, to Agni thee, hail!

e Whatever, O Agni, in this sacrifice of mine may be spoiled [1], Whatever of the butter, O Visnu, may be spilt, Therewith do I smite the rival who is hard to slay; I place him on the lap of destruction. f Bhur, Bhuvah, Suvar! g O Agni, do thou strengthen the sacrificer; weaken him who plotteth evil., h O Agni, kindled by the gods, kindled by Manu, with sweet tongue, I touch the head of thee, the immortal, O Hotr, for increase of wealth, good offspring, strength. i Thou art mind, derived from Prajapati; with mind in true existence do thou enter k Thou art speech, derived from Indra, destroying the foe [2]; do thou enter me speech, with power (indriyena). l Of the seasons spring I delight; delighted may it delight me. m Of the seasons summer I delight; delighted may it delight me. n Of the seasons the rains I delight; delighted may they delight me. o Of the seasons the autumn I delight; delighted may it delight me. p Of the seasons the winter and the cool I delight; delighted may they two delight q By sacrifice to the gods, Agni and Soma, may I be possessed of sight. r By sacrifice to the god Agni, may I be an eater of food [3]. s Thou art a deceiver; may I be undeceived, may I deceive N. N. t By sacrifice to the gods, Agni and Soma, may I be a slayer of foes. u By sacrifice to the gods, Indra and Agni, may I be powerful and an eater of food. v By sacrifice to the god Indra, may I be powerful. w By sacrifice tothe god Mahendra, may I attain superiority and greatness. x By sacrifice to the god Agni Svistakrt, may I attain security through the sacrifice, enjoying long life. a May I Agni protect me from evil sacrifice, Savitr from evil report. b Him who near or afar plots evil against me, with this may I conquer. c O thou of fair rain colour, come To this blessed home, Approach me in devotion. d Touch the heads. e O Ida, come hither; O Aditi, come hither; O Sarasvati, come hither. f Thou art delight, thou art delighting, thou art fair.

g O thou in whom joy is taken, may I attain joy from thee; O thou who art invoked, may I obtain invocation [1] from thee. h May the prayer of the sacrificer be fulfilled for me. i With untroubled mind may I have strength for this. k May the sacrifice mount the sky, may the sacrifice reach the sky. l The path that leadeth to the gods, along it may the sacrifice go to the gods. m On us may Indra bestow power; Us may wealth and sacrifices attend Ours be blessings; To us be she dear, victorious, bountiful. n Thou art joy, give joy to us; thou art enjoyed by us [2], may I attain joy from o Mind, light, rejoice in the sacrifice May he unite this scattered sacrifice; May Brhaspati extend this for us. May the All-gods rejoice here. p Swell, O ruddy one. q May (my act) as I give be not destroyed; may (my act) as I work not perish. r Thou art the portion of Prajapati, full of strength and milk. s Protect my expiration and inspiration; protect my breathing together and cross-breathing; protect my out-breathing and cross-breathing. t Thou art imperishable, for imperishableness thee; mayst thou not perish for me, yonder, in yonder world. a By sacrifice to the divine straw, may I be possessed of children. b By sacrifice to the god Naraçansa, may I be possessed of cattle. c By sacrifice to the god Agni Svistakrt, may I attain security through the sacrifice, having long life. d May I be victorious through the victory of Agni. e May I be victorious through the victory of Soma. f May I be victorious through the victory of Agni. g May I be victorious through the victory of Agni and Soma. h May I be victorious through the victory of Indra and Agni. i May I be victorious through the victory of Indra [1]. k May I be victorious through the victory of Mahendra. I May I be victorious through the victory of Agni Svistakrt. m With the impulse of strength, With elevation he hath seized me; then Indra hath made my enemies Humble with depression.

'Of the seasons spring [4] I delight', he says; the fore-sacrifices are the seasons; verily he delights the seasons; they delighted place themselves in order for him; the seasons are in order for him who knows thus. 'By sacrifice to the gods, Agni and Soma, may I be possessed of sight', he says; the sacrifice is possessed of sight through Agni and Soma; verily by means of them he confers sight upon himself. 'By sacrifice to the god Agni, may I be an eater of food', he says; Agni is among the gods the eater of food; verily by means of him [5] he confers the eating of food upon himself. 'Thou art a deceiver; may I be undeceived; may I deceive N. N.', he says; by that deceit the gods deceived the Asuras; verily by this he deceives his foe. 'By sacrifice to the gods, Agni and Soma, may I be a slayer of foes', he says; by means of Agni and Soma Indra slew Vrtra; verily by means of them he lays low his foe. 'By sacrifice to the gods, Indra and Agni, may I be powerful and an eater of food', he says; verily he becomes powerful and an eater of food. 'By sacrifice to the god Indra, may I be powerful', he says; verily he becomes powerful. 'By sacrifice to the god Mahendra, may I attain superiority and greatness', he says; verily he attains superiority and greatness. 'By sacrifice to the god Agni Svistakrt, may I attain security through the sacrifice, enjoying long life', he says; verily he confers long life upon himself and attains security through the sacrifice. a Indra for you we invoke On all sides from other men; Be he ours only. a Indra men call in reverence That he may cause their prayers to be accomplished; Hero, men overpowering, delighting in strength, Do thou confer upon us a stall full of kine. c O Çatakratu, the strength of thine That is in the five folks, That do I choose of thee.

' 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 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. 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.

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

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. 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, 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.

d This one on the left, the light; his, the light's, ear; the autumn born of the ear; the Anustubh connected with the 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. 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.

n Homage to the rapid, and to the hasty. o Homage to him of the wave, and to the roaring. p Homage to him of the stream, and to him of the island. a Homage to the oldest, and to the youngest. b Homage to the first born, and to the later born. c Homage to the midmost, and to the immature. d Homage to the hindmost, and to him in the depth. e Homage to Sobhya, and to him of the amulet. f Homage to him who dwelleth with Yama, and to him at peace. g Homage to him of the ploughed field, and to him of the threshing-floor. h Homage to him of fame, and to him at his end. i Homage to him of the wood, and to him of the thicket. k Homage to sound, and to echo [1]. I Homage to him of the swift host, and to him of the swift car. m Homage to the hero, and the destroyer. n Homage to the armoured, and to the corsleted. o Homage to the mailed, and to the cuirassed. p Homage to the famous, and to him of a famous host. a Homage to him of the drum, and to him of the drumstick. b Homage to the bold, and to the cautious. c Homage to the messenger, and to the servant. d Homage to the quiver-bearer, and to the owner of the quiver. e Homage to him of the sharp arrow, and to him of the weapon. f Homage to him of the good weapon, and to him of the good bow. g Homage to him of the stream,' and to him of the way. h Homage to him of the hole,' and to him of the pool. i Homage to him of the ditch, and to him of the lake. k Homage to him of the stream, and to him of the tank 1 Homage to him of the cistern, and to him of the well. m Homage to him of the rain, and to him not of the rain. n Homage to him of the cloud, and to him of the lightning. o Homage to him of the cloudy sky, and to him of the heat. p Homage to him of the wind, and to him of the storm. q Homage to him of the dwelling, and to him who guardeth the dwelling. a Homage to Soma, and to Rudra. b Homage to the dusky one, and to the ruddy one. c Homage to the giver of weal, and to the lord of cattle.

d Homage to the dread, and to the terrible. e Homage to him who slayeth in front, and to him who slayeth at a distance. f Homage to the slayer, and to the special slayer. g Homage to the trees with green tresses. h Homage to the deliverer. i Homage to the source of health, and to the source of delight. k Homage to the maker of health, and to the maker of delight. I Homage to the auspicious, and to the more auspicious. m Homage to him of the ford, and to him of the bank. n Homage to him beyond, and to him on this side. o Homage to him who crosseth over, and to him who crosseth back. p Homage to him of the crossing, and to him of the ocean. q Homage to him in the tender grass, and to him in foam. r Homage to him in the sand, and to him in the stream. a Homage to him in the cleft, and to him in the distance. b Homage to him dwelling in the stony and to him in habitable places. c Homage to him of braided hair, and to him of plain hair. d Homage to him who dwelleth in the cowshed, and to him of the house. e Homage to him of the bed, and to him of the dwelling. f Homage to him of the hole,' and to him of the abyss. g Homage to him of the lake, and to him of the whirlpool. h Homage to him of the dust, and to him of the mist. i Homage to him of the dry, and to him of the green. k Homage to him of the copse, and to him of the grass [1]. l Homage to him in the earth, and to him in the gully. M Homage to him of the leaf, and to him of the leaf- fall. n Homage to him who growleth, and to him who smiteth away. o Homage to him who draggeth, and to him who repelleth. p Homage to you, sparkling hearts of the gods. q Homage to the destroyed. r Homage to the intelligent. s Homage to the unconquerable. t Homage to the destroyers. a O chaser, lord of the Soma plants, O waster, red and blue, Frighten not nor injure (Any) of these people, of these cattle; Be not one of these injured.

The highest (bricks) are the heavenly deities; over them he makes the sacrificer speak; verily by them he makes him attain the world of heaven; he should throw (the leaf) down in the path of the cattle of him whom he hates; the first beast that steps upon it goes to 'The strength on the stone', (with these words) he moistens (the fire), and so purifies it; verily also he delights it; it delighted attends him, causing him neither hunger nor pain in yonder world; he rejoices in offspring, in cattle who knows thus. 'That food and strength, do ye, O Maruts, bounteously bestow on us', he says; strength is food, the Maruts are food; verily he wins food. 'In the stone is thy hunger; let thy pain reach N. N. [1], whom we hate', he says; verily he afflicts him whom he hates with its hunger and pain. He goes round thrice, moistening; the fire is threefold; verily he calms the pain of the whole extent of the fire. Thrice again he goes round; they make up six, the seasons are six; verily with the seasons he calms its pain. The reed is the flower of the waters, the Avaka is the cream of the waters [2]; he draws over (it) with a branch of reeds and with Avaka plants; the waters are appeased; verily with them appeased he calms his pain. The beast that first steps over the fire when piled, it is liable to burn it up with its heat. He draws over (it) with a frog; this of animals is the one on which one does not subsist, for neither among the domesticated nor the wild beasts has it a place; verily he afflicts it with pain. With eight (verses) he draws across [3]; the Gayatri has eight syllables, the fire is connected with the Gayatri; verily he calms the pain of the whole extent of the fire. (He draws) with (verses) containing (the word) 'purifying', the purifying (one) is food; verily by food he calms its pain. The fire is death; the black antelope skin is the form of holy power; he puts on a pair of black sandals; verily by the holy power he shuts himself away from death.

For Agni the first rib; for Sarasvati the second; for Soma the third; for the waters the fourth; for the plants the fifth; for the year the sixth; for the Maruts the seventh; for Brhaspati the eighth; for Mitra the ninth; for Varuna the tenth; for Indra the eleventh for the All-gods the twelfth; for sky and earth the side; for Yama the side For Vayu the first rib; for Sarasvant the second; for the moon the third; for the Naksatras the fourth; for Savitr the fifth; for Rudra the sixth for the serpents the seventh; for Aryaman the eighth; for Tvastr the ninth for Dhatr the tenth; for Indrani the eleventh; for Aditi the twelfth; for sky and earth the side; for Yama the The path with the two parts near the kidneys; continuance with the two sinew parts; parrots with bile; jaundice with the liver; the Haliksnas with the evil wind; Kuçmas with dung; the worms with the contents of the intestines; dogs with the cutting up; serpents with the smell of the blood, birds with the smell of the cooking; ants with the fragments. With strides the courser hath strode out, In unison with the All-gods worthy of sacrifice;. Do thou bear us to the world of good deeds; May we rejoice in thy strength. a Thy back is the sky; thy place earth; thy breath the atmosphere; thy birthplace the ocean. b Thine eye the sun; thy breath the wind; thine ear the moon; thy joints the months and the half-months; thy limbs the seasons; thy greatness the year. Agni was the animal; with it they sacrificed; it won this world where Agni is; this is thy world, thou wilt win it, and so snuff (it). Vayu was the animal; with it they sacrificed; it won this world where Vayu is; this is thy world, therefrom will I obstruct thee if thou dost not snuff (it). Aditya was the animal; with it they sacrificed; it won this world where Aditya is; this is thy world, thou wilt win it if thou dost snuff it. THE EXPLANATION OF THE SOMA