5 Thou art the rival-slaying stride of Vishnu. Mount the Mount the Thou art the traitor-slaying stride of Vishnu. Mount the Thou art the foeman-slaying stride of Vishņu. Mount Anush- 6 Agui roared out like Dyaus what time he thunders: licking full oft the earth round plants he flickered. At once, when born, he looked about, enkindled he shineth forth between the earth and heaven. 7 Return to me, thou still-returning Agni, with life, with lustre, progeny, and treasure, With profit, wisdom, riches, and abundance. 8 A hundred, Agni Angiras! be thy ways, a thousand thy re turns. With increment of increase bring thou back to us what we have lost. Again bring hitherward our wealth. 9 Return again with nourishment; Agni, again with food and life. Again preserve us from distress. 10 Agui, return with store of wealth. Swell with thine overflowing stream that feedeth all on every side. 11 I brought thee: thou hast entered in. Stand stedfast and immovable. Let all the people long for thee. Let not thy kingship fall away. 12 Varuna, from the upmost bond release us, let down the lowest and remove the midmost. So in thy holy law may we made sinless belong to Aditi, O thou Aditya. 5 He makes four strides representing the course of Vishnu as the Sun, with an address to each stride. 6 He holds up Ukhya Agni towards the east, reciting the text taken from R. V. X. 45. 4. Round plants he flickered: stroking the plants,' 'literally anointing (? either furbishing, or impregnating': Eggeling. 7 He brings the Fire-pan lower and lower four times, reciting a text each time. 11 Holding the Fire-pán above his navel he addresses Agni with the text taken, with the exception of the first Pâda, from R. V. X. 173, 1. 12 He unties the cord of the suspensory sling and the string of the gold disc, reciting the text taken from R. V. I. 24. 15. Varuna: addressed in the original hymn as the Moral Governor of the world, armed with a noose or cord with which he binds the wicked, 13 High hath the Mighty risen before the Mornings, and come to us with light from out the darkness. Fair-shapen Agni with white-shining splendour hath filled at birth all human habitations. 14 The Hamsa homed in light, the Vast in mid-air, the Priest beside the altar, Guest within the house, Dweller in noblest place, mid men, in truth, in sky, born of flood, kine, truth, mountain, he is holy Law. The Great. 15 Knowing all holy ordinances, Agni, be seated in the lap of this thy mother. Do not with heat or glowing flame consume her: shine thou within her with refulgent lustre. 16 Within this Fire-pan with thy light, O Agni, in thy proper seat, Glowing with warmth, be gracious thou, O Jâtavedas, unto her. 17 Being propitious unto me, O Agni, sit propitiously. Having made all the regions blest, in thine own dwelling seat thyself. 18 First Agni sprang to life from out of heaven, the second time from us came Jâtavedas. Thirdly the Manly-souled was in the waters. The pious lauds and kindles him Eternal. 19 Agni, we know thy three powers in three stations, we know thy forms in many a place divided. We know what name supreme thou hast in secret: we know the source from which thou hast proceeded. 20 The Manly-souled lit thee in sea and waters, Man's Viewer lit thee in the breast of heaven. There as thou stoodest in the third high region the Bulls increased thee in the waters' bosom. 13 He holds Agui up to the south-east with the text taken from R. V. X. 1. 1. 14 He lowers him with the text (repeated from X. 24) taken from R. V. IV. 40. 5, and a sacrificial formula of one word. The Great: brikat; Truth, understood; that is, Agui. As he pronounces this formula he lays Agni on the seat. 15 He stands by Ukhya Agni, reverencing him with three texts. 18 He worships with the Vatsapra rite, the recitation of Hymn 45 of Book X. of the Rigveda, ascribed to the Rishi Vatsaprt son of Bhalanda. From out of Heaven or, from Dyaus or Heaven his father, in the shape of the Sun. From us: produced by men in the shape of sacrificial and domestic fire. In the waters: of the firmament, in the shape of lightning, the third form of Agni. Manly-souled: or, Friend of men. 19 In secret: unknown to those who know not the Veda: Sayaṇa. 20 Manly-souled: or, Friend of men; Varuna, according to Sayana, and Prajapati, according to Mabidhara. Prof. Ludwig thinks that Dyaus (cp. verse 8) may be meant, and Prof. Grassmann that Indra, the kindler of the lightning, is intended. The Bulls; or, the Mighty Ones; the Maruts. 21 Agui roared out, etc. (verse 6 repeated). 22 The spring of glories and support of riches, rouser of thoughts and guardian of the Soma, Good Son of Strength, a King amid the waters, in forefront of the Dawns he shines enkindled. 23 Germ of the world, ensign of all creation, he sprang to life and filled the earth and heaven. Even the firm rock he cleft when passing over, when the 24 So among mortals was immortal Agni stablished as cleansing, wise, and eager envoy. He waves the red smoke that he lifts above him, striving to reach the heaven with radiant lustre. 25 Far hath he shone, etc. (verse 1 repeated). 26 Whoso this day, O God whose flames are lovely, makes thee a cake, O Agni, mixed with butter, Lead thou and further him to higher fortune, to bliss bestowed by Gods, O thou Most Youthful. 27 Endow him, Agni, with a share of glory, at every song of praise sung forth enrich him. Dear let him be to Súrya, dear to Agni, preeminent with son and children's children. 28 While, Agni, day by day men pay thee worship they win themselves all treasures worth the wishing. Allied with thee, eager and craving riches, they have disclosed the stable filled with cattle. 29 Agni, man's gracious Friend, the Soma's keeper, Vaișvânara, hath been lauded by the Rishis. We will invoke benignant Earth and Heaven: ye Deities, give us wealth with hero children. 30 Pay service unto Agni with your fuel, rouse your Guest with oil: In him present your offerings. 23 The firm rock: the massive cloud, according to Sâyaṇa and Mahidhara. Some extraordinary forest conflagration may, perhaps, be referred to. The Five Tribes: literally, the five men; according to Sayana, meu in general, and according to Mabidhara, the institutor of the sacrifice and the four chief priests. But some special and remarkable occasion seems to be referred to, such as the associated sacrifice offered by representatives of the Five Confe. derate Aryan races or tribes. See The Hymns of the Rigveda, Index. 28 Stable filled with cattle: a common expression for great possessions. 29 Soma's keeper: as connected with the Moon, the great receptacle of the celestial Soma, the nectar or ambrosia of the Gods. See A. Hillebrandt, Vedische Mythologie, I. 330-336. 30 Formulas for the Vanivâbanam or Driving Hither and Thither of Agni. The Sacrificer stations a car northward of Ukhya Agui, turned towards the east, and lays a kindling-stick on the fire, reciting the text. 31 May all the Gods, O Agni, bear thee upward with their earnest thoughts: Not to be looked on, rich in light, be thou propitious unto us. 32 Agni, go forth resplendent, thou with thine auspicions flames. of fire. Shining with mighty beams of light harm not my people with thy form. 33 Agni roared out, etc. (verse 21 repeated.) 34 Far famed is this the Bharata's own Agni: he shineth like the Sun with lofty splendour. He who hath vanquished Puru in the battle, the heavenly 35 Receive these ashes, ye celestial Waters, and lay them in a fair place full of fragrance. To him bow down the nobly wedded Matrons! Bear this on waters as her son a mother. 36 Agni, thy home is in the floods into the plants thou forc est way, : And as their child art born anew. 37 Thou art the offspring of the plants, thou art the offspring of the trees: The offspring thou of all that is, thou, Agni, art the Waters' Child. 38 With ashes having reached the womb, the waters, Agni ! and the earth, United with the mothers, thou blazing hast seated thee again. 39 Seated again upon thy seat, the waters, Agni! and the earth, In her, thou, most auspicious One, liest as in a mother's lap. 31 He lifts up Ukhya Agni together with the seat (see verse 2), and standing on the south side puts him on the car. 32 He yokes in silence two oxen, and goes eastward reciting the text. 33 When the axle creaks he mutters the text repeated from XII. 6 aud 21. 34 At his dwelling he takes down Ukbya Agni on a spot that has been raised and sprinkled, lays a kindling-stick on the fire, and recites the text taken from R. V. VII. 8. 4. Bharata's: God of Vasishtha, the Purohita or Tribal Priest of the Bliaratas, a warlike tribe. Paru: the Parus (one of the Five Aryan Tribes) who opposed the Bharatas. According to Mahîdhara, Puru was a Râkshasa or demon. 35 He takes the ashes from the Fire-pan in a basket or tray made of the leaves of a Palâșa, Ficus Indica (banyan), or other sacred tree, and throws them into water, reciting the text. To him: Agni in the ashes. Nobly wedded: Consorts of Varuna who rules over the waters. 36 He takes ashes in the basket again, and throws them into the water as before, with two texts, the first of which is taken from R. V. VIII. 43. 9. 38 With his little finger he takes some ashes from the water, and throws part of them back, reciting the four texts. 40, 41 Return again, etc. Agni, return, etc. (verses 9 and 10 repeated). 42 Mark this my speech, Divine One, thou Most Youthful, offered to thee by him who gives most freely : One hates thee, and another sings thy praises. I thine adorer laud thy form, O Agui. 43 Be thou for us a liberal Prince, Giver and Lord of precious things. Drive those who hate us far away. To the Omnific One All-bail! 44 Again let the Âdityas, Rudras, Vasus, and Brâhmans with their rites light thee, Wealth-bringer! Increase thy body with presented butter: effectual be the 45 Go hence, depart, creep off in all directions, both ancient visitors and recent comers. Yama hath given a place on earth to rest in. This place for him the Fathers have provided. 46 Knowledge art thou: accomplishment of wishes. In me be the fulfilment of thy wishes. Thou art the ashes, thou the mould of Agni. Rankers are ye, rankers around. Raukers right upward, be ye fixed. 42 Having returned from the pool he throws into the Fire-pan some of the ashes taken from the water, and stands by the fire worshipping with two texts taken respectively from R, V. I. 147. 2 and II. 6. 4, the last line of the verse being an original Yajus or sacrificial formula. 43 Prince: or Patron. 44 He stands up after a burnt offering of butter and replaces the same firestick on the Ukhya Agni reciting the text. 45 Formulas for the construction of the Garhapatya hearth, representing the domestic fire-place of the householder who institutes sacrifice. The Adhvaryu sweeps the ground where the hearth is to be built with a Palasa branch, and throws away the grass and rubbish, reciting a Pâda of the text (see R. V. X. 14. 9) as he sweeps each side beginning with the east. Go hence: in the original funeral hymn this is, according to Sayaṇa, addressed to the Pisachas and other evil spirits that haunt the place of cremation. Here, says Mahidbara, the ministers of Yama, Lord Paramount of the ground, are meant. For him: for the Sacrificer. 46 Over the site of the future altar he scatters saline earth, when he has thrown out the Palaṇa branch towards the north, and addresses it with the text. Knowledge of the cattle, inasmuch as they sell out and lick the soil on which a saline efflorescence appears. Completion of thy wishes; mayi te posavo bhayasuḥ; on me may there be cattle for thee: Mahidhara. Thou art the ashes: here he spreads sand over the saline earth. Runkers: he surrounds the altar site with twenty-one small enclosing stones, forming a range or rank, Round; set in a circle. Upward: set upright in the ground, |