i. 6. 1.

By the Yajus I pour on thee
Offspring, life, and wealth.
Instigated by Brhaspati may the sacrificer here come to no harm.
Thou art butter, thou art truth, thou art the overseer of truth, thou art the oblation of Vaiçvanara, of the All-gods, with pure strength, of true might; thou art power, overpowering; overpower hostility, overpower those who practise hostility; overpower enmity, overpower those who practise enmity; thou art of a thousandfold strength; do thou quicken me; thou art of butter the butter; thou art of truth the truth; thou hast true life ; thou hast true strength; with truth I besprinkle thee; may I share thee that art such.
For a prop, a support, of the five winds I take thee.
For a prop, a support, of the five seasons I take thee.
For a prop, a support, of the five quarters I take thee.
For a prop, a support, of the five five-peoples I take thee.
For a prop, a support, of the pot with five holes I take thee.
For the brilliance of the Brahman, for a prop, a support, I take thee.
For the might of the ruling class, for a prop, a support, I take thee .
For the people, for a prop, a support I take thee.
For excellence of strength I take thee.
For wealth of offspring I take thee.
For increase of wealth I take thee.
For splendour I take thee.
The earth ours, the oblation the gods, the benedictions the sacrificers'; for the divinities of the gods I take thee.
For desire I take thee.

i. 6. 2.

Thou art secure; may I be secure among my equals, wise, a guardian, a granter of wealth.
Thou art dread; may I be dread among my equals, dread, a guardian, a granter of wealth.
Thou art overcoming; may I be overcoming among my equals, overcoming, a guardian, a granter of wealth.
I yoke thee with the divine Brahman,
To bear this oblation, O wise one;
Kindling thee, may we live long with good children,
With good heroes, bearing thee tribute.
Whatever, O Agni, in this sacrifice of mine may be spoiled ,
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.
Bhur, Bhuvah, Suvar!
O Agni, do thou strengthen the sacrificer; weaken him who plotteth evil.,
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.
Thou art mind, derived from Prajapati; with mind in true existence do thou enter me.
Thou art speech, derived from Indra, destroying the foe ; do thou enter me with speech, with power (indriyena).
Of the seasons spring I delight; delighted may it delight me.
Of the seasons summer I delight; delighted may it delight me.
Of the seasons the rains I delight; delighted may they delight me.
Of the seasons the autumn I delight; delighted may it delight me.
Of the seasons the winter and the cool I delight; delighted may they two delight me.
By sacrifice to the gods, Agni and Soma, may I be possessed of sight.
By sacrifice to the god Agni, may I be an eater of food .
Thou art a deceiver; may I be undeceived, may I deceive N. N.
By sacrifice to the gods, Agni and Soma, may I be a slayer of foes.
By sacrifice to the gods, Indra and Agni, may I be powerful and an eater of food.
By sacrifice to the god Indra, may I be powerful.
By sacrifice to the god Mahendra, may I attain superiority and greatness.
By sacrifice to the god Agni Svistakrt, may I attain security through the sacrifice, enjoying long life.

i. 6. 3.

May I Agni protect me from evil sacrifice, Savitr from evil report.
Him who near or afar plots evil against me, with this may I conquer.
O thou of fair rain colour, come
To this blessed home,
Approach me in devotion.
Touch the heads.
O Ida, come hither; O Aditi, come hither; O Sarasvati, come hither.
Thou art delight, thou art delighting, thou art fair.
O thou in whom joy is taken, may I attain joy from thee; O thou who art invoked, may I obtain invocation from thee.
May the prayer of the sacrificer be fulfilled for me.
With untroubled mind may I have strength for this.
May the sacrifice mount the sky, may the sacrifice reach the sky.
The path that leadeth to the gods, along it may the sacrifice go to the gods.
On us may Indra bestow power;
Us may wealth and sacrifices attend
Ours be blessings;
To us be she dear, victorious, bountiful.
Thou art joy, give joy to us; thou art enjoyed by us , may I attain joy from thee.
Mind, light, rejoice in the sacrifice
May he unite this scattered sacrifice;
May Brhaspati extend this for us.
May the All-gods rejoice here.
Swell, O ruddy one.
May (my act) as I give be not destroyed; may (my act) as I work not perish.
Thou art the portion of Prajapati, full of strength and milk.
Protect my expiration and inspiration; protect my breathing together
and cross-breathing; protect my out-breathing and cross-breathing.
Thou art imperishable, for imperishableness thee; mayst thou not perish for me, yonder, in yonder world.

i. 6. 4.

By sacrifice to the divine straw, may I be possessed of children.
By sacrifice to the god Naraçansa, may I be possessed of cattle.
By sacrifice to the god Agni Svistakrt, may I attain security through the sacrifice, having long life.
May I be victorious through the victory of Agni.
May I be victorious through the victory of Soma.
May I be victorious through the victory of Agni.
May I be victorious through the victory of Agni and Soma.
May I be victorious through the victory of Indra and Agni.
May I be victorious through the victory of Indra .
May I be victorious through the victory of Mahendra.
I May I be victorious through the victory of Agni Svistakrt.
With the impulse of strength,
With elevation he hath seized me; then Indra hath made my enemies
Humble with depression.
The gods have increased my prayer
Which is elevation and depression;
Then do ye, O Indra and Agni,
Scatter my foes on every side.
Hither these blessings have come, fain for milking,
Possessing Indra , may we win,
May we milk offspring and food.
With the red steed may Agni convey thee to the god; with the tawny ones may Indra convey thee to the god; with Etaça may Sarya convey thee to the god.
I unyoke thy head ropes, thy reins,
Thy yokings, thy harness;
Bestow upon us wealth and what is good;
Proclaim us sharers among the gods.
By sacrifice to the god Visnu, by the sacrifice, may I attain health and wealth, and security.
By sacrifice to the god Soma , possessing good seed, may I impregnate seed.
By sacrifice to the god Tvastr, may I prosper the form of cattle.
The wives of the gods, Agni 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.
Thou art action, thou art making, may I make.
Thou art winning, thou art the winner, may I win.
May the bundle bestow increase of wealth,
Rich in ghee, rich in houses,
A thousandfold, strong.

i. 6. 5.

Let the Dhruva swell with ghee,
For each sacrifice for the worshippers;
In the udder of the sun maiden, in the lap of Aditi,
Broad streamed be the earth at this sacrifice.
Prajapati's is the world called Vibhan. In it I place thee along with the sacrificer.
Thou art real, be real for me; thou art all, be all for me; thou art full, be full for me; thou art imperishable, perish not for me.
In the eastern quarter may the gods, the priests, make (me) bright; in the southern quarter may the months, the fathers, make (me) bright; in the western quarter may the houses, the cattle, make (me) bright; in the northern quarter may the waters, the plants, the trees make (me) bright; in the zenith may the sacrifice, the year, the lord of the sacrifice make (me) bright.
Thou art the step of Visnu, smiting enmity; with the Gayatri metre I step across the earth; excluded is he whom we hate.
Thou art the step of Visnu, smiting imprecations; with the Tristubh metre I step across the atmosphere; excluded is he whom we hate.
Thou art the step of Visnu, smiter of him who practiseth evil; with the Jagati metre I step across the sky; excluded is he whom we hate.
Thou art the step of Visnu, smiter of the hostile one; with the Anustubh metre I stop across the quarters; excluded is he whom we hate.

i. 6. 6.

We have come to the heaven; to the heaven we have come.
May I not be cut off from seeing thee; what heat is thine, to that of thee may I not be brought low.
Thou art good, the best of rays, thou art life-bestowing, bestow life
upon me; thou art radiance-bestowing, bestow radiance upon me.
Here do I exclude my enemy, N. N., from these quarters, this sky, this atmosphere, this earth, this food. Excluded is he whom we hate .
I have been united with the light.
I turn the turning of Indra.
May I be united with offspring, offspring with me.
May I be united with increase of wealth, increase of wealth with me.
Kindled, O Agni, shine for me; kindling thee, O Agni, may I shine.
Be rich the sacrifice; may I be rich.
1 O Agni, thou purifiest life;
Do thou give food and strength to us;
Far away drive ill-fortune.
O Agni, good worker, purify for us
Glory in good heroes ,
Giving increase and wealth to me.
O Agni, lord of the house, through thee as lord of the house, may I be a good lord of the house; through me as lord of the house, mayst thou be a good lord of the house; for a hundred winters; this blessing I invoke bringing light for the race; this blessing I invoke bringing light for N. N. [sic]
Who yoketh thee? Let him set thee free.
O Agni, lord of vows, I have performed my vow; for that I have had strength; that hath been accomplished by me.
The sacrifice hath become, it hath 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.
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.

i. 6. 7.

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 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 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. If be were to fast without eating, the Pitrs would be his divinity ; 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.

Continued...

i. 6. 8.

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) ; 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 , 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' . Thus he announces the sacrifice to the gods and sacrifices, and the gods delight in his sacrifice. This is the taking of the sacrifice and so after taking the sacrifice he sacrifices. After speaking he remains silent, to support the sacrifice. Now Prajapati performed the sacrifice with mind; verily he performs the sacrifice with mind to prevent the Raksases following. He who yokes the sacrifice when the yoking (time) arrives yokes it indeed among the yokers. 'Who (ka) yoketh thee? Let him yoke thee', he says. Ka is Prajapati--verily by Prajapati he yokes it; he yokes indeed among the yokers.

i. 6. 9.

Prajapati created the sacrifices, the Agnihotra, the Agnistoma, the full moon sacrifice, the Ukthya, the new moon sacrifice and the Atiratra. These he meted out; the Agnistoma was the size of the Agnihotra, the Ukthya that of the full moon sacrifice, the Atiratra that of the new moon sacrifice. He who knowing thus offers the Agnihotra obtains as much as by offering the Agnistoma; he who knowing thus offers the full moon sacrifice obtains as much as by offering the Ukthya ; he who knowing thus offers the new moon sacrifice obtains as much as by offering the Atiratra. This sacrifice was in the beginning Paramesthin's, and by means of it he reached the supreme goal. He furnished Prajapati with it, and by means of it Prajapati reached the supreme goal. He furnished Indra with it, and by means of it Indra reached the supreme goal. He furnished Agni and Soma with it, and by means of it Agni and Soma reached the supreme goal. He who knowing thus offers the new and full moon sacrifices reaches the supreme goal. He who sacrifices with an abundant offering is multiplied with offspring, with cattle, with pairings. 'The year has twelve months, there are twelve pairs of new and full moon sacrifices; these are to be produced', they say. He lets the calf go free and puts the pot on the fire: he puts down (the rice), and beats the millstones together; he scatters (the grains) and collects the potsherds; the cake he puts on the fire and the melted butter; he throws the clump of grass, and gathers it in; he surrounds the Vedi and he girds the wife (of the sacrificer); he puts in place the anointing waters and the melted butter. These are the twelve pairs in the new and full moon sacrifices. He, who thus sacrifices with these, sacrifices with an abundant offering and is multiplied with offspring, with cattle, with pairings.

i. 6. 10.

'Thou I art secure; may I be secure among my equals', he says; verily he makes them secure.' 'Thou art dread; may I be dread among my equals'; verily he makes them harmonious. 'Thou art overcoming; may I be overcoming among my equals,' he says; verily he overthrows him who rises against him. 'I yoke thee with the divine Brahman', he says; this is the yoking of the fire; verily with it he yokes it. With the prosperous part of the sacrifice the gods went to the world of heaven, with the unsuccessful part they overcame the Asuras. 'Whatever, O Agni, in this sacrifice of mine may be spoiled', he says; verily with the prosperous part of the sacrifice the sacrificer goes to the world of heaven, with the unsuccessful part he overcomes the foes. With these Vyahrtis he should set down the Agnihotra. The Agnihotra is the beginning of the sacrifice, these Vyahrtis are the Brahman; verily at the beginning of the sacrifice he makes the Brahman . When the year is completed he should thus with these (Vyahrtis) perform the setting down; verily with the Brahman he surrounds the year on both sides. He who is undertaking the new and full moon and the four monthly offerings should set in place the oblations with these Vyahrtis. The new and full moon and the four monthly sacrifices are the beginning of the sacrifice, these Vyahrtis are the Brahman; verily at the beginning of the sacrifice he makes the Brahman. When the year is completed, he should thus with them (Vyahrtis) set down (the oblations), and so with the Brahman he surrounds the year on both sides. To the kingly class falls the blessing of the part of the sacrifice which is performed with the Saman ; to the people (falls) the blessing of what (is performed) with the Rc; now the Brahman sacrifices with an offering without a blessing; when he is about to recite the kindling-verses he should first insert the Vyahrtis; verily he makes the Brahman the commencement, and thus the Brahman sacrifices with an offering which has a blessing. If he desire of a sacrificer, 'May the blessing of his sacrifice fall to his foe', he should insert for him those Vyahrtis in the Puronuvakya (verse); the Puronuvakya has the foe for its divinity; verily the blessing of his sacrifice falls to his foe . If he desire of sacrificers, 'May the blessing of the sacrifice fall to them equally', he should place for them one of the Vyahrtis at the half-verse of the Puronuvakya, one before the Yajya, and one at the half-verse of the Yajya, and thus the blessing of the sacrifice falls to them equally. Even as Parjanya rains down good rain, so the sacrifice rains for the sacrificer; they surround the water with a mound, the sacrificer surrounds the sacrifice with a blessing. 'Thou art mind derived from Prajapati , with mind and true existence do thou enter me', he says; mind is derived from Prajapati, the sacrifice is derived from Prajapati; verily he confers upon himself mind and the sacrifice. 'Thou art speech, derived from Indra, destroying the foe; do thou enter me with speech, with power', he says; speech is derived from Indra; verily he confers upon himself speech as connected with Indra.

i. 6. 11.

He who knows the seventeenfold Prajapati as connected with the sacrifice rests secure through the sacrifice, and falls not away from the sacrifice. 'Do thou proclaim' has four syllables; 'Be it proclaimed' has four syllables; 'Utter' has two syllables; 'We that do utter' has five syllables; the Vasat has two syllables; this is the seventeenfold Prajapati as connected with the sacrifice; he who knows thus rests secure through the sacrifice and does not fall away from the sacrifice. He who knows the beginning, the support, the end of the sacrifice reaches the end with a secure and uninjured sacrifice. 'Do thou proclaim'; 'Be it proclaimed'; 'Utter'; 'We that do utter'; the Vasat call, these are the beginning, the support, the end of the sacrifice; he who knows thus reaches the end with a secure and uninjured sacrifice. He who knows the milking of the generous one milks her indeed. The generous one is the sacrifice; (with the words) 'Do thou proclaim', he calls her; with 'Be it proclaimed' , he lets (the calf) go up to her; with 'Utter', he raises (the pail); with 'We that do utter', he sits down beside her, and with the Vasat call he milks. This is the milking of the generous one; he who knows thus milks her indeed. The gods performed a sacrificial session; the quarters were dried up; they discerned this moist set of five; (with the words) 'Do thou proclaim', they produced the east wind; with 'Be it proclaimed', they caused the clouds to mass together; with 'Utter' they begat the lightning; with 'We that do sacrifice' they made rain to fall, and with the Vasat call they caused the thunder to roll. Then for them the quarters were made to swell; for him who knows thus the quarters are made to swell. One knows Prajapati, Prajapati knows one; whom Prajapati knows, he becomes pure. This is the Prajapati of the texts, 'Do thou proclaim', 'Be it proclaimed', 'Utter', 'We that do utter', the Vasat call; he who knows thus becomes pure. 'Of the seasons spring 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 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.

i. 6. 12

Indra for you we invoke
On all sides from other men;
Be he ours only.
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.
O Çatakratu, the strength of thine
That is in the five folks,
That do I choose of thee.
To thee hath been assigned for mighty power,
For ever, in the slaying of Vrtra,
All lordship, and all strength, O thou that art worthy of sacrifice
In the overcoming of man, by the gods, O Indra .
In whom the seven Vasavas rest
As it were firm rooted,
The Rsi of farthest hearing,
The glowing pot is the guest of Indra.
In the raw thou didst produce the cooked,
And madest the sun to mount in the sky;
Like the glowing pot heat ye the Saman
With good prayers, delightful to the lover of song.
Indra the singers aloud,
Indra with praises the praisers,
Indra the songs have praised.
The singers sing thee ;
The praisers hymn thy praise;
The Brahmans raise thee,
0 Çatakratu, like a pole.
Let us offer our praise to him who delivereth from trouble,
Swiftest to give, celebrating his loving kindness;
O Indra, accept this oblation;
May the desires of the sacrificer be fulfilled.
That to which Dhisana impelled me have I produced;
I shall praise Indra before the decisive day;
Him that goeth as with a ship
Both parties invoke that there he may rescue us.
First lord of sacrifices ,
Freeing from trouble, the best of those worthy of offering,
Son of the waters, the impeller, O ye Açvins;
Do ye confer power and strength on this one.
Smite away our foes, O Indra;
Cast down the warriors;
Make him low
Who is hostile to us.
O Indra, thou wast born for rule, for prosperous strength
Of the people, O strong one;
Thou didst smite away the unfriendly folk,
And madest wide room for the gods.
Like a dread beast, evil, roaming the mountains,
He hath come from the furthest place ;
Sharpening thy lance, thy sharp edge, O Indra,
Smite the foes, drive away the enemy.
Drive away the foe, the enemy,
Smash the jaws of Vrtra;
In rage do thou avert the anger
Of him who is hostile to us.
The guardian Indra, the helper Indra,
The hero ready to hear at every call, Indra,
I invoke the strong one, invoked of many, Indra;
May Indra in his bounty bestow on us prosperity.
May we not , O strong one, in this distress,
Be handed over to evil, O lord of the ways;
Guard us with true protection;
May we be dear to you among the princes.
The Anus have wrought a chariot for thy steed;
Tvastr a glorious bolt, O thou invoked of many;
The Brahmans magnifying Indra with their praises
Have strengthened him for the slaying of the serpent.
What time the strong sang praise to the strong,
O Indra, the stones and Aditi in unison,
Without steeds or chariots were the fellies
Which, sped by Indra, rolled against the Dasyus.

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