If be were to fast without eating, the Pitrs would be his divinity [3]; he eats of the wild, the wild is power, and so he bestows power upon himself. If he were to fast without eating, he would be hungry; if he were to eat, Rudra would plan evil against his cattle; he partakes of water; that is neither eaten nor not eaten; he is not hungry and Rudra does not plot evil against his cattle. The sacrificer is a bolt, the enemy of man is hunger; in that he fasts without eating, he straightway smites with the bolt the enemy, hunger. He who offers sacrifice without faith, they place not faith in his sacrifice. He brings waters forward, the waters are faith; verily with faith he offers sacrifice, and both gods and men place faith in his sacrifice. They say, 'They foam over the barrier, they foam over speech, but over mind they do not foam.' He brings them forward with mind; mind is this (earth) [1]; verily with this (earth) he brings them forward. The sacrifice of him who knows thus does not spill. He collects the weapons of the sacrifice; the weapons of the sacrifice are the sacrifice; verily he collects the sacrifice. If he were to collect them one by one, they would have the Pitrs as their divinity; if all together, (they would have) men as their divinity. He collects them in pairs, and so he makes the form of the Yajya and the Anuvakya, and thus there is a pair. If a man knows the ten weapons of the sacrifice, his sacrifice is in order at the beginning. The wooden sword [2], the potsherds, the offering-spoon, the basket, the black antelope skin, the pin, the mortar and pestle, the lower and upper millstones, these are the ten weapons of the sacrifice; the sacrifice of him who knows thus is in order at the beginning. If a man sacrifices after announcing the sacrifice to the gods, they delight in his sacrifice. He should as the oblation is being offered recite (the words), 'Agni, the priest, him I summon hither' [3].YV 6.1g · Yajur Veda
YV 6.1g
Yajur Veda · translated by Arthur Berriedale Keith
Themes in this passage
WorshipFaithTruthWarCreationNatureSpeechStrength
Worship in other traditions
The same theme, as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hellenism address it.
And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.Numbers 29:31 · Bible · Numbers
Nor will ye worship that which I worship.Quran 109:5 · Quran · The Unbelievers
Whatever a man sacrifice in this world as an offering or as an oblation for a whole year in order to gain merit, the whole of it is not worth a quarter (a farthing); reverence shown to the righteous is better.Dhp 8.108 · Dhammapada · The Thousands
Full fifty more from Athens stem the main, Led by Menestheus through the liquid plain. (Athens the fair, where great Erectheus sway’d, That owed his nurture to the blue-eyed maid, But from the teeming furrow took his birth, The mighty offspring of the foodful earth. Him Pallas placed amidst her wealthy fane, Adored with sacrifice and oxen slain; Where, as the years revolve, her altars blaze, And all the tribes resound the goddess’ praise.) No chief like thee, Menestheus! Greece could yield, To marshal armies in the dusty field, The extended wings of battle to display, Or close the embodied host in firm array. Nestor alone, improved by length of days, For martial conduct bore an equal praise.Iliad 2.41 · Iliad · 2
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