Sacred Concord

YV 3.3f

Yajur Veda · translated by Arthur Berriedale Keith

To him who knows thus the sacrifice 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. 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.
YV 3.3f · Yajur Veda

Themes in this passage

WealthThe DivineCharityNatureWorshipJoyKarmaProtection

Wealth in other traditions

The same theme, as Christianity, Hellenism and Islam address it.

And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
Genesis 13:2 · Bible · Genesis
She spoke; Minerva burns to meet the war: And now heaven’s empress calls her blazing car. At her command rush forth the steeds divine; Rich with immortal gold their trappings shine. Bright Hebe waits; by Hebe, ever young, The whirling wheels are to the chariot hung. On the bright axle turns the bidden wheel Of sounding brass; the polished axle steel. Eight brazen spokes in radiant order flame; The circles gold, of uncorrupted frame, Such as the heavens produce: and round the gold Two brazen rings of work divine were roll’d. The bossy naves of sold silver shone; Braces of gold suspend the moving throne: The car, behind, an arching figure bore; The bending concave form’d an arch before. Silver the beam, the extended yoke was gold, And golden reins the immortal coursers hold. Herself, impatient, to the ready car, The coursers joins, and breathes revenge and war.
Iliad 5.77 · Iliad · 5
Give unto orphans their wealth. Exchange not the good for the bad (in your management thereof) nor absorb their wealth into your own wealth. Lo! that would be a great sin.
Quran 4:2 · Quran · Women
While he was thus in two minds Helen came down from her high vaulted and perfumed room, looking as lovely as Diana herself. Adraste brought her a seat, Alcippe a soft woollen rug while Phylo fetched her the silver work-box which Alcandra wife of Polybus had given her. Polybus lived in Egyptian Thebes, which is the richest city in the whole world; he gave Menelaus two baths, both of pure silver, two tripods, and ten talents of gold; besides all this, his wife gave Helen some beautiful presents, to wit, a golden distaff, and a silver work box that ran on wheels, with a gold band round the top of it. Phylo now placed this by her side, full of fine spun yarn, and a distaff charged with violet coloured wool was laid upon the top of it. Then Helen took her seat, put her feet upon the footstool, and began to question her husband.42
Odyssey 4.12 · Odyssey · 4

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