iii. 3. 1.

O Agni, brilliant, be thou brilliant among the gods; make me brilliant, of long life, radiant among men; for the brilliance of consecration and of penance do I offer to thee.
Thou dost win brilliance; may brilliance forsake me not, may I forsake not brilliance, may brilliance forsake me not.
O Indra, full of force, be thou full of force among the gods, make me full of force, of long life, radiant among men; for the force of the Brahmanhood and royalty do I offer to thee.
Thou dost win force; may force forsake me not, may I forsake not force, may force forsake me not.
O sun, blazing, be thou blazing among the gods; make me blazing, of long life, radiant among men; for the blazing of the wind and of the waters do I offer to thee.
Thou dost win the light; may the light forsake me not, may I not forsake the light, may the light forsake me not.
On me wisdom, on me offspring, on me brilliance may Agni bestow; on me wisdom, on me offspring, on me power may Indra bestow; on me wisdom, on me offspring, on me blazing may Surya bestow.

iii. 3. 2.

The maker of the sound 'Him' is Vayu, the Prastotr is Agni, the Saman is Prajapati, the Udgatr is Brhaspati, the subordinate singers are the All-gods, the Pratihartrs are the Maruts, the finale is Indra; may these gods who support breath bestow breath upon me.
All this the Adhvaryu, as he begins, begins for the Udgatrs; 'May these gods who support breath bestow breath upon me', he says; verily he bestows all this on himself.
May Ida who summoneth the gods, Manu who leadeth the sacrifice,
May Brhaspati recite the hymns and acclamations.
The All-gods are reciters of the hymns.
O earth mother, do not harm me.
Of honey shall I think, honey shall I produce, honey shall I proclaim, honey shall I speak, may I utter speech full of honey for the gods, and acceptable to men.
May the gods aid me to radiance, may the Pitrs rejoice in me.

iii. 3. 3.

Let the Vasus press thee with the Gayatri metre; go thou to the dear place of Agni.
Lot the Rudras press thee with the Tristubh metre; go thou to the dear place of Indra.
Let the Adityas press thee with the Jagati metre; go thou to the dear place of the All-gods.
The pure for thee, O pure one, I stir in the gladdening (water);
In the joyous (ones);
In the Kotanas;
In the new (ones);
In the Regis;
In the Mesis;
In the roaring (ones);
In the all-supporting (ones);
In the sweet (ones);
In the lofty (ones);
In the strong (ones) ;
In the pure ones, I stir the pure for thee, O pure.
The pure for thee I take with the pure form of day, with the rays of the sun.
Herein the dread (ones) have moved themselves,
The streams of the sky have consorted.
The lofty form of the bull shineth on high;
Soma precedeth Soma,
The pure precedeth the pure.
That undeceived, watchful, name of thine, O Soma, to that of thine, O Soma, to Soma hail!
Gladly do thou, O god Soma, go to the dear place of Agni with the Gayatri metre.
Willingly do thou, O god Soma, go to the dear place of Indra with the Tristubh metre.
W Our friend, do thou, O god Soma, go to the dear place of the All-gods with the Jagati metre.
Come breath to us from afar,
From the atmosphere, from the sky,
Life from the earth;
Thou art ambrosia; for breath thee!
May Indra and Agni confer radiance upon me,
Radiance (may) Soma and Brhaspati (confer);
Radiance on me the All-gods,
Radiance confer on me, O ye Açvins.
When one doth hasten after him,
Or uttereth prayers, he doth accept it
All knowledge doth he embrace,
Even as the felly the wheel.

iii. 3. 4.

The stirrings are the secret name of the waters; 'The pure for thee, O pure one, I stir in the gladdening (waters)', he says; verily with the secret name of the waters he wins the rain from the sky. 'The pure for thee I take with the pure', he says; the night is of the form of the day, the rays of the sun, he makes the rain to fall from the sky. 'Herein the dread (ones) have moved themselves' , he says; that is as in the text. 'The lofty form of the bull shineth on high,' he says; the rain is in its lofty form; verily by the form he wins the rain. 'That undeceived, watchful, name of thine, O Soma', he says; he indeed offers an oblation with an oblation who drawing the Adabhya (cup) offers it to Soma. The life and breath him who draws the Ançu depart; 'Come breath to us from afar', he says; verily he bestows life and breath upon himself. 'Thou art ambrosia; for breath thee!' (with these words) he breathes over the gold; the gold is ambrosia, breath is life; verily with ambrosia he bestows life upon him self. It is of a hundred (Krsnalas) in weight; man has a hundred years of life, a hundred powers; verily he finds support in life and power. He touches the waters; the waters are medicine; verily he makes medicine.

iii. 3. 5.

Thou art the wind, expiration by name, in the lordship of Savitr give me expiration.
Thou art the eye, the ear by name, in the lordship of Dhatr give me life.
Thou art the form, colour by name, in the lordship of Brhaspati, give me offspring.
Thou art holy order, truth by name, in the lordship of Indra, give me lordly power.
Thou art the past, the future by name, in the lordship of the Pitrs, expugnate the waters and the plants.
Thee for the realm of holy order!
Thee for the might of holy order!
Thee for the circumference of holy order!
Thee for the truth of holy order!
Thee for the light of holy order!

Prajapati saw the Viraj; by it he created the past and the future; he concealed it from the Rsis; by penance Jamadagni beheld it, and by it he created various delights; that is why the various (cups) have their name. In that the various (cups) are drawn, so the sacrificer wins various delights. 'Thou art the wind, expiration by name', he says; verily he wins expiration and inspiration.' 'Thou art the eye, the ear by name', he says; verily he wins life. 'Thou art the form, colour by name', he says; verily he wins offspring. 'Thou art holy order, truth by name', he says; verily he wins lordly power. 'Thou art the past, the future by name', he says; the foetus of the waters and the plants is cattle; verily he wins cattle . So much as is around a man, that does he thus win. 'Thee for the realm of holy order', he says; the realm of holy order is this (earth); verily he conquers this (earth). 'Thee for the might of holy order', he says; the might of holy order is the atmosphere; verily he conquers the atmosphere. 'Thee for the circumference of holy order', he says; the circumference of holy order is the sky; verily he conquers the sky. 'Thee for the truth of holy order' , he says; the truth of holy order is the quarters; verily he conquers the quarters. 'Thee for the light of holy order', he says; the light of holy order is the world of heaven; verily he conquers the world of heaven. So many are the worlds of the gods; verily he conquers them. They make up ten; the Viraj has ten syllables, the Viraj is food; verily he finds support in the Viraj, the eating of food.

iii. 3. 6.

What the gods could not win by the sacrifice, that they won by the Para (Grahas), and that is why the Paras have their name. In that the Paras are drawn, (it serves) to win that which one does not win by the sacrifice. The first he draws, by this he conquers the world; the second (he draws), by this he conquers the atmosphere; the third (he draws), by this he conquers yonder world. In that they are drawn, (they serve) to conquer these worlds . In the latter days they are drawn hitherward from yonder, verily having conquered these worlds they descend again towards this world. In that in the former days they are drawn thitherward from hence, therefore these worlds are thitherward from hence; in that in the latter days they are drawn hitherward from thence, therefore these worlds are hitherward from thence; therefore men depend on the worlds in variation. The theologians say, 'For what reason do plants spring from the waters, the food of man is plants , and offspring are born through Prajapati?' 'Through the Paras', he should reply. In that he draws (saying),'For the waters thee, for the plants I take', therefore from the waters plants spring; in that he draws (saying), 'For the plants thee, for offspring I take', therefore the food of man is the plants; in that he draws (saying), 'For offspring thee, for Prajapati I take', therefore through Prajapati offspring are born.

Continued...

iii. 3. 7.

Prajapati created the gods and the Asuras; thereafter the sacrifice was created, after the sacrifice the metres; they went away in all directions, the sacrifice went after the Asuras, the metres after the sacrifice; the gods reflected, 'These have become what we are'; they had recourse to Prajapati; Prajapati said, 'Taking the strength of the metres I shall bestow it upon you.' He took the strength of the metres and bestowed it upon them. Then the metres ran away, and the sacrifice followed the metres. Then the gods prospered, the Asuras were defeated. He who knows the strength of the metres--'Do thou proclaim', 'Be it proclaimed', 'Utter', 'We that utter', the Vasat call--prospers himself, his foe is defeated. The theologians say, 'For whose gain does the Adhvaryu cause (him) to proclaim?' 'For the strength of the metres', he should reply; 'Do thou proclaim', 'Be it proclaimed', 'Utter', 'We that utter', the Vasat call, that is the strength of the metres ; he who knows thus sings what ever he sings with the metres in full strength. 'In that Indra, slew Vrtra, there is impurity, in that he destroyed the Yatis, there is impurity; then why is the sacrifice Indra's up to the completion?' they say. The sacrifice is the sacrificial body of Indra, and it is this they sacrifice. To him who knows thus the sacrifice resorts.

iii. 3. 8.

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.

That loan which I have not yet paid back ,
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.
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.'
May he that fatteneth protect us
From in front with the cloud
Many be our houses,
That houses fail us not.
Do thou , O lord of cloud,
Bestow on us strength with kindliness;
Return to us what is lost,
Return wealth to us.
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 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. On the Ekastaka the divider of the days, he should cook a cake of four Çaravas in size, and early with it should fire the thicket; if it burns, it becomes a good season, if it does not burn, a bad season. By this mode of prognostication the seers of old used to undertake a long Sattra. He who knowing the seer, the hearer, the reciter, sacrifices, is united in yonder world with what he has sacrificed and bestowed. The seer is Agni, the hearer is Vayu, the reciter Aditya; he, who offers knowing thus to them, in yonder world is united with what be has sacrificed and bestowed. 'May he from in front with the cloud' , he says; (he that is) from in front with the cloud is Agni; verily he says to Agni, 'Guard this for me.' 'Do thou, O lord of cloud', he says; the lord of cloud is Vayu; verily he says to Vayu, 'Guard this for me.' 'O god, that dost fatten', he says; the god that fattens is yonder Aditya; verily he says to Aditya, 'Guard this for me.'

iii. 3. 9.

This young one I put around you,
Playing with him that is dear do ye move;
Afflict us not in birth, O ye prosperous ones;
May we rejoice in increase of wealth, in food.
Homage to thy greatness, to thine eye,
0 father of the Maruts, that do I sing;
Be propitious, with a fair sacrifice may we offer;
Be this oblation acceptable to the gods.
This was the bundle of the gods,
The germ of the waters smeared upon the plants;
Pusan chose a drop of Soma ;
A great stone was there then for them.
Father of calves, husband of cows,
And father too of great gulfs,
Calf, afterbirth, fresh milk, beestings,
Clotted milk, curd, ghee is his seed.
Thee the cows chose for lordship,
Thee the Maruts, sweet singers, bailed;
Resting on the summit, the pinnacle, of lordly power,
Then O dread one to us assign wealth.

Unsuccessful is his animal offering for whom these (rites) are not performed; successful is the offering of him for whom they are performed.

iii. 3. 10.

Surya, the god, for those that sit in the sky, Dhatr for lordly power, Vayu for offspring, Brhaspati for Prajapati offer thee radiant.
Thee have I united with the gods,
Who hast a tawny embryo
And a womb of gold,
Whose limbs are uninjured.
Bring near, O bringer,
Remove away, O remover,
O Indra Nardabuda,
With the four quarters of the earth
Do thou bring near.
I split apart thy urinator,
Thy womb, the two groins,
The mother and the child,
The embryo and the after-birth.
Apart from thee let it be. So!
The drop, far extending, of all forms,
Purified, wise, hath anointed the embryo.
With one foot, two feet, three feet, four feet, five feet, six feet, seven feet, eight feet may she extend over the worlds; hail!
Nay the two great ones, sky and earth,
Mingle for us this sacrifice,
May they sustain us with support.

iii. 3. 11.

This oblation is dear in your mouth,
O Indra and Brhaspati,
The hymn and acclamation is recited.
This Soma is poured for you,
O Indra and Brhaspati,
Dear for delight, for drinking.
To us, O Indra and Brhaspati,
Grant wealth of a hundred kine,
Of horses a thousandfold.
From behind may Brhaspati guard us,
From above, from below, from the plotter of evil;
May Indra from the front, from the middle,
Friend to friend, grant us wide room.
Sped by the winds on all sides, O Agni,
Thy flames , O pure one, pure are diffused
Mightily destroying, the divine ones, the Navagvas
Assail the forests, rudely crushing (them).
Thee, O Agni, the tribes of men praise,
Who knowest the Hotr's duty, discerning, best bestower of jewels,
Who art in secret yet, O happy one, seen by all,
Of impetuous spirit, a good sacrificer, brilliant with ghee.
May Dhatr give us wealth,
The lord the ruler of the world,
May he favour us with a full (gift).
Dhatr is lord of offspring and of wealth,
Dhatr created all this world.
Dhatr giveth a son to the sacrificer
To him let us offer the oblation rich in ghee.
may Dhatr give us wealth,
Life in days to come and unfailing;
May we obtain the favour
Of the god whose gifts are true.
May Dhatr give wealth to the giver,
Desiring offspring, generous in his home;
Let all the immortal gods roll themselves up for him,
The All-gods and Aditi in unison.
For us to-day may Anumati
Among the gods favour our sacrifice,
And be she and Agni, bearer of the oblation,
A joy to the giver.
Accord thy favour, O Anumati ,
And grant us wealth;
For inspiration, for insight impel us,
Lengthen our days for us.
May she favouring, favour (us)
With wealth, undecaying, rich in offspring;
In her disfavour may we not fall;
May the goddess easy to invoke grant us protection.
Anumati men reverence in the quarter
Wherein is that which shineth;
May she in whose lap is the broad atmosphere,
The goddess, easy to invoke, grant us protection .
Raka, easy to invoke, I invoke with fair praise;
May the fortunate one hear us and be aware of us
With needle that breaks not may she sew her task;
May she give a hero, whose wergild [sic] is a hundred, worthy of song.
The fair thoughts of thine, O Raka,
Whereby thou art wont to give wealth to the giver,
With them to-day come to us in kindliness,
Granting, O fortunate one, a thousandfold prosperity.
O Sinivali,
The fairhanded.
I invoke at the sacrifice Kuhn the fortunate,
Who accomplisheth her work, the easy to invoke;
May she give us the fame of our fathers;
To thee, O goddess, let us offer with oblation.
Kuhn, lady of the gods and of immortality,
Worthy of invocation, may she be aware of the oblation
To the giver may she assign much good fortune,
To the wise may she grant increase of wealth.

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