q The sacrifice hath become, it hath [3] 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. r Rich in cattle, in sheep, O Agni, in horses, is the sacrifice, With manly companions, ever unalterable; Rich in food is this, O Asura, rich in offspring, Enduring wealth, deep based and rich in houses. Even as the Soma (sacrifices) come together in competition, so the new and full moon (sacrifices) are sacrifices which come together in competition. Whose sacrifice then do the gods approach and whose not? He, who among many sacrificers first appropriates the gods, sacrifices to them when the next day comes. The Ahavaniya is the abode of the gods, between the fires of cattle, the Garhapatya of men, the Anvaharya pacana of the fathers. He takes the fire; verily he appropriates [1] the gods in their own abode; to them he sacrifices when the next day comes. By means of a vow is Agni, lord of vows, pure, the Brahman is a supporter of vows. When about to undertake a vow he should say, 'O Agni, lord of vows, I shall perform the vow.' Agni is the lord of vows among the gods; verily after announcement to him he undertakes the vow. At the full moon be undertakes his vow with the (strewing of the) straw, with the (driving away of the) calves at new moon; for that is their abode. 'The fires, both in the front and at the back, must be bestrewed', they say; men [2] indeed desire what is bestrewed, and, how much more the gods whose is a new dwelling. With him, when sacrifice is to be made on the next day, do the gods dwell, who knowing this bestrews the fire. 'The sacrificer should win both beasts of the wild and of the village', they say; in that he refrains from those of the village, thereby be wins them; in that he eats of the wild, thereby he wins them of the wild.YV 6.1f · Yajur Veda
YV 6.1f
Yajur Veda · translated by Arthur Berriedale Keith
Themes in this passage
WealthThe DivineWorshipNatureTruthChildrenDesireFamily
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.42Odyssey 4.12 · Odyssey · 4
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