61 Pit! Angiras-like may Aditi the Goddess, beloved by all Gods, dig thee in Earth's bosom. Pan! Angiras-like may the Gods' heavenly Consorts, dear Pan! Angiras-like may Dhishanâs, Divine Ones, dear to all Pan! Angiras-like may the divine Varûtrîs, dear to all Gods, Pan! Angiras-like may the celestial Ladies, dear to all Gods, Angiras-like may the celestial Matrons, beloved by all the 62 The gainful grace of Mitra, God, supporter of the race of man, Is glorious, of most wondrous fame. 63 With lovely arms, with lovely hands, with lovely fingers may the God Savitar make thee clean, yea, by the power he hath. Not trembling on the earth fill thou the regions, fill the 64 Having arisen wax thou great, yea, stand thou up immovable. To thee, O Mitra, I entrust this Fire-pan for security. May it remain without a break. 65 Thee may the Vasus, Angiras-like, fill with the metre Gâyatrî. Thee may the Rudras, Angiras-like, fill with the Trishṭup metre full. 61 He digs a square hole and addresses it with the first line of the text. Pan!: he deposits it, with the mouth downwards, in the hole, on the northside of the Invincible brick, the first-laid brick of the Altar. Consorts: the wives of the Gods are here said to be the life-supporting Plants. Dhishands: apparently regarded as Goddesses of Wealth and Abundance. See Prof. H. Oldenberg, Vedic Hymus, Part II. pp. 120-122. Here he deposits silently in the hole the bricks called All-lights, and heats the Fire-pan with fire from the Dakshina or southward hearth, reciting the three following formulas. Varutris: Protecting Goddesses, said to be the Nychthemera or Days-andNights. Celestial Ladies: the Gnâs, or Divine Dames, said to be the deities of the sacred Metres. Celestial Matrons: the presiding deities of the stars. With unclipped pinions: moving freely and without interruption. 62 He trims the fire, reciting the text from R. V. III. 59. 6. 63 He removes the ashes, and recites the text. Not trembling: he turns the pan, and sets it down with the mouth upwards. То 64 He takes up the Fire-pan with both hands, reciting the first line. thee he deposits it on another vessel that has been placed for the purpose. 65 He pours goat's milk into it, and recites the formulas. Thee may Adityas, Angiras-like, fill with the metre Jagatî. With the Anushṭup metre may the All-Gods, dear to all men, fill thee full, as Angiras was wont. 66 Intention, Agni, Motive, Hail! Mind, Wisdom, Agni, Motive, Hail! Thought, Knowledge, Agni, Motive, Hail! Rule of Speech, To Manu Lord of creatures, Hail! To Agni dear to all men, 67 May every mortal man elect the friendship of the guiding God. Each one solicits him for wealth: let him seek fame to prosper him. All-hail! 68 Break not, nor suffer any harm. Endure, O Mother, and be brave; This work will thou and Agni do. 69 Be firm for weal, O Goddess Earth. Made in the wonted manner thou Art a celestial design. Acceptable to Gods be this oblation. Arise thou in this sacrifice uninjured. 70 Wood-fed, bedewed with sacred oil, ancient, Invoker, excellent, The Son of Strength, the Wonderful, 71 Abandoning the foeman's host, pass hither to this company: Assist the men with whom I stand. 72 From the remotest distance come, Lord of the Red Steeds, hitherward. Do thou Purishya, Agui, loved of many, overcome our foes. 66 Having offered the five Audgrabhana oblations customary at Soma sacrifices (see IV. 7), he now offers seven connected with the building of the Fire-altar, and recites the appropriate formulas. Intention: our determination to build the altar. Manu: the representative Man, identified with Prajapati. 67 He offers to Savitar with the text from R. V. V. 50. 1, repeated from Book IV. 8. 68 The Sacrificer or the Adhvaryu, standing towards the north-east, places the Fire-pan embedded in Muñja grass and hemp, on the Ahavaniya fire, and addresses it with the two texts. 69 Earth: the Fire-pan being made of clay. 70 When the fire has burnt up, he places on it a kindling-stick of Krimuka wood (a tree unknown to European botanists) with the text taken from R. V. II. 7. 6. Son of Strength: Agni, as sprung from the violent agitation of the fire-drill. 71 He puts on a stick of Vaikankata (Flacourtia Sapida) with the text from R. V. VIII. 64. 15. 72 He puts on a third stick, of Udumbara (Ficus Glomerata) with the text. Our foes: myidaḥ, 'the scorners': Eggeling. 73 O Agui, whatsoever be the fuel that we lay on thee, May that be butter unto thee. Be pleased therewith, Most 74 That which the termite eats away, that over which the emmet crawls Butter be all of this to thee. Be pleased therewith, Most 75 Bringing to him, with care unceasing, fodder day after day as to a stabled courser, Joying in food and in the growth of riches, may we thy' neighbours, Agni, ne'er be injured. 76 While on earth's navel Agni is enkindled, we call, for ample increase of our riches, On Agni joying in the draught, much-lauded, worshipful, victor conquering in battle. 77 Whatever hosts there are, fiercely assailant, charging in lengthened lines, drawn up in order, Whatever thieves there are, whatever robbers, all these I cast into thy mouth, O Agni. 78 Devour the burglars with both tusks, destroy the robbers with thy teeth. With both thy jaws, thou Holy One, eat up those thieves well champed and chewed. 79 The burglars living among men, the thieves and robbers in the wood, Criminals lurking in their lairs, these do I lay between thy jaws. 80 Him who would seek to injure us, the man who looks on us with hate Turn thou to ashes, and the man who slanders and would injure us. 73 He puts on a stick of some sacrificial tree, that has not been cut off but has fallen or been blown off by the wind, and recites the text from R. V. VIII. 91. 20. 74 He adds a fifth stick, that has been found lying on the ground, with the text from B. V. VII. 91. 21. Termite: commonly called white aut, a great devourer of wood and a most destructive pest in houses. 75 He puts on, with eight texts, eight kindling-sticks of Paliṣa wood. The first text is taken from A. V. XIX. 55. 1, day after day' being substituted for night after night... 76 Earth's navel: the central and most important spot where Agni is now kindled. 81 Quickened is this my priestly rank, quickened is manly strength and force, Quickened is his victorious power of whom I am the Household priest. 82 The arms of these men have I raised, have raised their lustre and their strength, With priestly power I ruin foes and lift my friends to high. estate. 83 A share of food, O Lord of Food, vouchsafe us, invigorating food that brings no sickness. Onward, still onward lead the giver. Grant us maintenance both for quadruped and biped. 81 He puts on eleven sticks in ordinary cases, but twelve for a Kshatriya or a Purohita. In the latter case he recites the text taken, with variations, from A. V. III. 19. 1. Quickened: or, sharpened, intensified. 82 In the case of a prince or noble (Râjanya, Kshatriya) being the Sacrificer, he recites this text, the second line of which is taken from A. V. III. 19. 3. 83 He dips a kindling-stick in the vow-milk (see IV. 11, note) presented by the Adhvaryu, lays it on the fire, and recites the text. 1 BOOK THE TWELFTH. FAR hath he shone abroad like gold to look on, beaming im- Agni by vital powers became immortal when his prolific 2 Night and Dawn, different in hue, accordant, meeting together, suckle one same infant, Golden between the heaven and earth he shineth. The wealth-possessing Gods supported Agni. 3 The Sapient One arrays himself. in every form: for, quadruped and biped he hath brought forth good. Excellent Savitar hath looked on heaven's high vault: he shineth after the outgoings of the Dawn. 4 Thou art the goodly-pinioned Bird: thou hast the Trivṛit for thy head. Gayatra is thine eye, thy wings are Brihat and Rathantara. name. The Vâmadevya Sâman is thy form, the Yajñâyajñiya thy tail, the fire-hearths are thy hooves. Thou art the goodly-pinioned Bird: go skyward, soar to heavenly light. This Book contains formulas relating chiefly to the treatment of Ukhya Agni or Agni of the Fire-pan, and the preparation of the Âhavaniya Fire Altar. 1 The Sacrificer binds on his neck a circular piece of gold with twenty-one knobs sewed up in the black-antelope's skin and strung above his navel on a hempen string of three strands. The gold plate symbolizes the Sun, that is, Agni, and the knobs represent the months, five seasons, the three worlds, and the Sun. He then recites the text taken from R. V. X. 45. 8. 2 With two small round mats of Muñja grass he takes hold of the Firepan and recites the text taken, with variations, from R. V. I. 96. 5, setting it down on a seat or stool of Udumbara wood as he recites the last sentence. The two mats symbolize Heaven and Earth, the Fire-pan is Agni or the Sun, and the seat is the ground. One same infant: Agni as the Sun. 3 He ties round his neck the main cord of the suspensory sling in which the Fire-pan is to be carried about, and recites the text from R. V. V. 81. 2. The Sapient One: the Sun, Agni. Every form: every object that he discloses after the darkness of night. 4 He raises up the sling, and addresses Ukhya Agni with the text. Trivrit the hymn of three triplets (see IX. 32). The hymn: meaning the Pañchadaşa Stoma or form of recitation in fifteen verses. Formulas: sacrificial prayers and texts. Vamadevya: belonging to Vâmadeva, the Rishi or inspired seer of Book IV. of the R. V., the name given to various Sâmans. Yajnayajñiya: a Sâman named after the beginning (Yajñâ-yajñâ, at every sacrifice) of R. V. I. 168. 1. The text expresses the form (that of an eagle) in which the Fire-altar is to be built. |