Yajur Veda on Greed

e The garment they spread for the horse, The upper garment, the golden (trappings), The bond of the steed, the hobble, As dear to the gods they offer. f If one hath smitten thee, riding thee driven with force, With heel or with whip [2], As with the ladle the parts of the oblation in the sacrifice, So with holy power all these of thine I put in order. g The four and thirty ribs of the strong steed, Kin of the gods, the axe meeteth; Skilfully do ye make the joints faultless; Declaring each part, do ye cut it asunder. h One carver is there of the steed of Tvastr Two restrainers are there, so is the use; Those parts of thy limbs that I place in order, Those in balls I offer in the fire. i Let not thy dear self distress thee [3] as thou comest; Let not the axe stay in thy body; May no greedy skilless carver, Missing the joints, mangle thy limbs with the knife. k Thou dost not die, indeed, thou art not injured, On easy paths thou goest to the gods; The bays, the dappled ones, have become thy yoke-fellows; The steed bath stood under the yoke of the ass. I Wealth of kine for us, may the strong one (grant), wealth in horses, Men and sons, and every form of prosperity; May Aditi confer on us sinlessness; Kingship for us may the horse rich in offering gain.

When the Hotr utters the name of the sacrificer, then he should say, 'Hither these blessings have come, fain for milking'; verily he milks the deities which he praises together; verily he milks the sacrifice on both sides, in front and behind. 'With the red steed may Agni convey thee to the god', he says; these are the steeds of the gods [3], the straw is the sacrificer; in that he casts forward the straw with them, he makes the sacrificers to go by the steeds of the gods to the world of heaven. 'I unyoke thy head ropes, thy reins', he says; that is the unyoking of Agni; verily thereby he unyokes him. 'By sacrifice to the god Visnu, by the sacrifice may I attain health and wealth and security', he says; Visnu is the sacrifice; verily the sacrifice finds support at the end. 'By sacrifice to the god Soma, possessing good seed [4], may I impregnate seed', he says; Soma is the impregnator of seed; verily he confers seed upon himself. 'By sacrifice to the god Tvastr, may I prosper the form of cattle'; Tvastr is the form-maker of the pairings of cattle, and thereby he confers upon himself the form of cattle. 'The wives of the gods, Agni, the lord of the house, are the pair of the sacrifice; by sacrifice to these deities may I be propagated with a pair.' 'Thou art the bundle, thou art gain, may I gain', he says; by the bundle (vedena) the gods won (avindanta) the desirable wealth of the Asuras, and that is why the bundle has its name. Whatever of his foe's he may covet, the name of that he should utter; verily he wing it all from him. 'May the bundle bestow increase of wealth, rich in ghee, rich in houses, a thousandfold, strong', he says; he obtains a thousand cattle. In his offspring a strong one is born who knows thus. Through the emptying of the Dhruva the sacrifice is emptied, through the sacrifice the sacrificer, through the sacrificer offspring.

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.

g Rich art thou, lord of riches, O Agni, rich in radiance; May we enjoy thy loving kindness. h Thou, O Agni, riches-lord of riches, I hail [2], O lord in the sacrifices; Through thee in strife may we be victorious; May we overcome the hostilities of mortal men. i Thee, O Agni, best gainer of booty, The sages nourish, well lauded; Do thou give us wealth of heroes. k May Agni here make room for us; May he go before us cleaving the foe Joyfully may he conquer our foes; May he win booty in the contest for booty. l By Agni is Agni kindled, The wise, the young, the lord of the house, The bearer of the oblation, with ladle in his mouth. m Thou, O Agni, by Agni, The sage by the sage, the good by the good, The comrade by the comrade, art kindled. n O Agni, thy pure. o With radiance.

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.

'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.

He who desires cattle should offer this humpbacked (one) to Indra; verily he has recourse to Indra with his own share; verily he bestows cattle upon him; he becomes possessed of cattle. It is humpbacked [1]; the hump backed is fortune a thousandfold; verily by fortune he wins cattle. When he obtains a thousand cattle, he should offer a dwarf (beast) to Visnu; upon it the thousand rested; therefore the dwarf, stretched out, affords support to cattle when born. 'Who can obtain a thousand cattle?' they say; verily he should make up a thousand days and nights and sacrifice. The days and nights [2] are cattle; verily he gives support to cattle when born. He who desires offspring should offer a barren cow to the plants, the plants hinder him from offspring who being fit for offspring does not obtain offspring; the plants indeed destroy the pregnancy of that one which becomes barren, verily he has recourse to the plants with their own share; verily they from his own self beget him offspring; he obtains offspring [3]. The plants are the waters, man is what is not; verily the waters give him being from non-existence; therefore they say, both he who knows thus and who (knows) not, 'The waters verily give being from nonexistence.' He who desires prosperity should offer to Indra (a cow) which is barren after one birth; he is unborn who being fit for prosperity obtains it not; the (cow) became barren after bearing Indra, [4]; verily he has recourse to Indra with his own share; verily he causes him to attain prosperity; he prospers. He should offer to Indra (the calf) through bearing which (the cow) became barren; that indeed is power (indriyá); verily straightway he obtains power.

He who desires food should offer a dappled (beast) to the Maruts; the Maruts are food; verily he has recourse to the Maruts with their own share; verily they give him food; he becomes an eater of food. It is dappled; that is the form of food; (verily it serves) for prosperity. He who desires power should offer a ruddy (beast) to Indra; verily he has recourse to Indra [2] with his own; verily he bestows power on him; he becomes possessed of power. It is ruddy and has eyebrows; that is the form of Indra; (verily it serves) for prosperity. He who desires gain should offer to Savitr a spotted (beast); Savitr is lord of production; verily he has recourse to Savitr with his own share; verily he produces gain for him, his offspring desire gifts. It is spotted, for it has Savitr as its deity [3]; (verily it serves) for prosperity. He who desires food should offer to the All-gods (a beast) of many forms; food is connected with the All-gods; verily he has recourse to the All-gods with their own share; verily they give him food; he becomes an eater of food. It is of many forms; food is of many forms; (verily it serves) for prosperity. He who desires a village should offer to the All-gods (a beast) of many forms; his relatives are connected with the All-gods; verily he has recourse to the All-gods with their own share; verily they subdue his [4] relations to him; he becomes possessed of a village. It is of many forms, for it is connected with many deities; (verily it serves) for prosperity. He who is long ill from an unknown cause should offer to Prajapati (a beast) without horns; man is connected with Prajapati; Prajapati verily knows of him who is long ill from an unknown cause; verily he has recourse to Prajapati with his own share; verily he releases him from this weariness. It is without horns, for it has Prajapati as its deity; (verily it serves) for prosperity. The Vasat cry cleft the head of the Gayatri; the sap thereof fell away.

He who desires prosperity should offer a cake on eight potsherds to Agni, the all- knower; verily he has recourse to Agni, the all-knower, with his own share; verily he makes him attain prosperity; he prospers. He who desires radiance should offer a cake on eight potsherds to Agni, the radiant; verily he has recourse to Agni, the radiant, with his own share; verily he bestows radiance on him; he is radiant. He who desires brilliance should offer a cake on eight potsherds to Agni, the brilliant [3]; verily he has recourse to Agni, the brilliant, with his own share; verily he bestows brilliance upon him; he becomes brilliant. He who seeks to be strong should offer a cake on eight potsherds to Agni, the strong; verily he has recourse to Agni, the strong, with his own share; verily thereby he is strong who seeks to be He who desires, 'May I possess food', should offer to Agni, possessor of food, a cake on eight potsherds; verily he has recourse to Agni, possessor of food, with his own share; verily he makes him to possess food; he becomes a possessor of food. He who desires, 'May I be an eater of food', should offer a cake on eight potsherds to Agni, eater of food; verily he has recourse to Agni, eater of food, with his own share; verily he makes him an eater of food; he becomes an eater of food [1]. He who desires, 'May I be a lord of food', should offer to Agni, lord of food, a cake on eight potsherds; verily he has recourse to Agni, lord of food, with his own share; verily he makes him a lord of food; he becomes a lord of food. He who is long ill should offer a cake on eight potsherds to Agni, the purifying, to Agni, the purifier, to Agni, the pure; in that he offers to Agni, the purifying, thereby he bestows health upon him; in that (he offers) to Agni, the purifier [2], thereby he bestows speech upon him; in that (he offers) to Agni, the pure, thereby he bestows life upon him; even if his life is gone, he yet lives.

He who desires sight should make the same offering; in that he offers to Agni, the purifying, he thereby bestows breath upon him; in that (he offers) to Agni, the purifier, thereby he bestows speech upon him; in that (he offers) to Agni, the pure, thereby he bestows sight upon him [3]; even if he is blind, he yet sees. He who desires offspring should offer a cake on eight potsherds to Agni with sons, and a cake on eleven potsherds to Indra, who has sons; verily Agni begets offspring for him and Indra makes it grow. He who desires, 'May I be possessed of sap', should offer an oblation cooked in goat's milk to Agni, full of sap; verily he has recourse to Agni, full of sap, with his own share; verily he makes him possessed of sap [4]; he becomes possessed of sap. It is cooked in goat's milk; the she-goat is connected with Agni; verily straightway he wins sap. He who desires, 'May I be possessed of wealth', should offer a cake on eight potsherds to Agni, possessed of wealth; verily he has recourse to Agni, possessed of wealth, with his own share, and he makes him possessed of wealth; he becomes possessed of wealth. When battle is joined, he should offer a cake on eight potsherds to Agni, the racer, for a race [5] he desires to run, who is fain to conquer in battle; Agni of the gods is the racer; verily he has recourse to Agni with his own share; he runs the race, he slays the foe, he conquers in the battle, and like Agni he is not to be overcome. He for whom fire they take out again (from the Garhapatya fire) to place on the Ahavaniya should offer a cake on eight potsherds to Agni with Agni; one of these (fires) has a portion assigned, one has not a portion assigned; they uniting overpower the sacrificer [6], and he is liable to suffer ruin; in that he offers to Agni with Agni, he appeases him with his own share; the sacrificer does not suffer ruin.

He who desires food should offer a cake on eleven potsherds to Indra of the hymn; the hymn is the food of the gods; verily he has recourse to Indra of the hymn with his own share [2]; he gives him food; verily he becomes an eater of food. He who desires prosperity should offer a cake on eleven potsherds to Indra, possessed of heat, and to Indra, the powerful, and to Indra of the hymn; in that he offers to Indra, possessed of heat, he thereby makes his head; in that (he offers) to Indra, the powerful, he thereby makes his body; in that (he offers) to Indra of the hymn, he becoming prosperous finds support in food; verily he prospers. He who is seized by misfortune should offer a cake on eleven potsherds to Indra [3], deliverer from tribulation, tribulation is misfortune; verily he has recourse to Indra, deliverer from tribulation, with his own share; verily he delivers him from the misfortune, from tribulation. He whom enemies menace or invade his realms should offer a cake on eleven potsherds to Indra, repeller of foes; verily he has recourse to Indra, repeller of foes, with his own share; verily he repels foes from him [4]. He who is bound or beset should offer a cake on eleven potsherds to Indra, the protector; verily he has recourse to Indra, the protector, with his own share; verily he protects him. He to whom the great sacrifice does not resort should offer a cake on eleven potsherds to Indra, of the Arka and the Açvamedha; the Arka and the Açvamedha are the two end bodies of the great sacrifice; verily he has recourse to Indra, of the Arka and the Açvamedha, with his own share; verily he moves for him the great sacrifice from the ends, and the great sacrifice resorts to He who desires a village should offer a cake on eleven potsherds to Indra, who goes straight forward; verily he has recourse to Indra, who goes straight forward, with his own share; verily he makes his followers obedient to him; he becomes possessed of a village.

The Special Sacrifices (continued) He who desires prosperity should offer to the Adityas, giving prosperity; it is the Adityas who repel from prosperity him who being fit for prosperity does not obtain prosperity; verily he has recourse to the Adityas, giving prosperity, with their own share; verily they make him attain prosperity; he becomes prosperous. He who has been expelled or is being expelled should offer an oblation to the Adityas, the sustainers; the Adityas are the expellers, the Adityas are the procurers; verily he has recourse to the Adityas, the sustainers [1] with their own share; verily they support him in the people; he is unexpellable. 'O Aditi, do thou confirm', (with these words) be who is being expelled should take the foot (dust) of him (who is expelling him); Aditi is this (earth); verily she confirms the kingdom for him; 'Be the blessing fulfilled', he says; verily he makes the blessing come true; 'Mind here', he says; verily he makes the people of one mind with him; 'Come hither, O ye Maruts [2] rich in dew, with this lord of the people against yon king', he says; the people are connected with the Maruts, the lord of the people is the highest; verily he unites him with the people and the realm. From the house of a village judge further on he should take rice; he should separate out the white and the black; of the white he should offer an oblation to the Adityas; the people have the Adityas for their deity; verily he attains the people [3]; 'The people he has attained, the realm he has not attained', they say; of the dark ones he should offer an oblation to Varuna; the realm is connected with Varuna; verily he attains both the people and the realm. Should he not attain (them), he should offer (saying), 'To the Adityas this portion I offer to attain the people N. N. for N. N.'; verily the Adityas desiring the portion make him attain the people [4].

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.

'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 (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.

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.

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. 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], 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.

v O bright one, in thy mouth thou cookest Both ladles (full) of butter; Do thou make us full [6], For our hymns, O lord of strength; Do thou bear food to thy praisers. w O Agni to-day, let us make to prosper by praises, By devotions, for thee this (sacrifice) like a (good) steed, Like a noble resolve which toucheth the heart. x O Agni, thou hast become master Of noble resolve, of true inspiration, Of mighty holy order. y With these songs singing to thee, O Agni, This day let us pay worship; Thy strengths thunder forth as from the sky. z At these our hymns of praise do thou be propitious [7], Like the light of heaven, O Agni, propitious with all thy faces. aa Agni I deem the Hotr, the generous wealth-giver, The son of strength, the all-knower, Who knoweth all as a sage, bb Who offereth sacrifice well, With beauty soaring aloft towards the gods, the god, Following the flames of the ghee, Of the butter of brilliant radiance when offered up. cc O Agni, be thou our nearest, Our protector, kindly, a shield; dd Thee, O shining and most radiant one, We implore for favour, for our friends. ee Agni, bright, of bright fame, Come hither in thy greatest splendour and give us wealth. a I yoke thee in bonds of fellowship with Indra and Agni, with the ghee sprinklings, with brilliance, with radiance, with the hymns, with the Stomas, with the metres, for the increase of wealth, for pro-eminence among thy fellows; I yoke thee in bonds of fellowship with me. b Amba, Duhi, Nitatni, Abhrayanti, Meghayanti, Varsayanti, Cupunika, art thou by name, with Prajapati, with our every prayer, I deposit thee. c The earth penetrated by food, a reservoir of water (thou art), men are thy guardians, Agni is placed in this (brick), to it I resort, and may it [1] be my protection and my refuge. d The over-sky penetrated by holy power, the atmosphere (thou art); the Maruts are thy guardians, Vayu is placed in this (brick), to it I resort, and may it be my protection and my refuge.