1 DRIVE our born enemies away, O Agni; drive from us foes unborn, O Jâtavedas. Graciously-minded, free from anger, bless us may we enjoy thy firm thrice-guarding shelter. 2 Drive off with might our foemen born and living: keep off those yet unborn, O Jâtavedas. Benevolent in thought and spirit bless us. May we remain alive drive off our foemen. 3 The Sixteenfold Stoma, strength and wealth. The Fortyfourth Stoma, splendour and wealth. Apsas art thou, the complement of Agni. As such may all the Gods greet thee with praises. Enriched with songs of praise, Prishthas, and butter, sit here and give us wealth with store of children. Expanse 4 Course metre. Space metre. Happy metre. Encompassing metre. Covering metre. Mind metre. metre. River metre. Sea metre. metre. Trikakup metre. Kâvya metre. Aksharapankti metre. Padapankti metre. metre. Kshurabhrâja metre. Water metre. Kakup 5 Covering metre. Clothing metre. Collecting metre. Parting metre. Brihat metre. Rathantara metre. Group metre. Vivadhra metre. Swallower metre. Bright metre. Samsṭup metre. Anushṭup metre. Course metre. Space metre. Vigour metre. Vigour-giving metre. Emulating metre. Spacious metre, Inaccessible metre. Slow metre. Ankânka metre. He begins the fifth layer with the bricks called Asapatnâs, or Free from Enemies; reciting two texts addressed to Agni as he sets one brick in front and one behind. 3 He lays a brick on the right, and addresses it with the formula, 'Thou art' being understood. Then one on the left with The Forty-fourfold Stoma: etc. Then one in the middle with 'Thou art the complement, etc.' repeated with 'Agni' instead of Earth' from XIV. 4. 4 He lays down the Virâj bricks, which are named after that metre, by sets of ten, corresponding to the ten regions of the sky, Thou art' being understood before each formula. Course: in which all living creatures move, that is, this world. Space: the middle air or firmament. Happy: the sky. Encompassing: the regions. Covering: food. Mind: Prajapati. Expanse: the Sun. River: the breath. Sea: mind. Water: Speech. Kakup breath. Trikakup: upward breathing. Kavya: the three Vedas. Ankupa: water. Aksharapankti: the heavenly world. Padapankti: this world. Vishtarapankti: the region or regions. Ksharabhrâja: Bright Razor; the Sun. 5 Covering: food. Clothing: food. Collecting night, Parting: day. Brihat: yonder world. Rathantara: this world. Group: the wind. Vivadhra (Yoke): the air, Swallower: food, Bright: fire, Samstup and 6 With the ray for truth quicken thou truth, With advance by duty quicken duty. With following by heaven quicken heaven. With union by middle air quicken middle air. With Pratidhi by Earth quicken Earth. With support by rain quicken rain. With blowing away by day quicken day. With following by night quicken night. With clarified butter by the Vasus quicken the Vasus, With perception by the Adityas quicken the Adityas. 7 With the thread by prosperity quicken. prosperity. With the creeper by revelation quicken revelation. With refreshment by plants quicken plants. With the best by bodies quicken bodies. With the invigorating by religious study quicken religious study. With the victorious by brilliance quicken brilliance. 8 Thou art Pratipad, for Pratipad thee. Thou art Anupad, for Anupad thee. Thou art Sampad, for Sampad thee. Thou art brilliance, for brilliance thee. 9 Trivrit (triple) art thou, thee for Trivrit. Pravṛit art thou, thee for Pravrit. Vivrit art thou, thee for Vivṛit. Savṛit art thou, thee for Savṛit. Thou art attack, thee for attack. Thou art concurrence, thee for concurrence. Thou art ascent, thee for ascent. Thou art upstriding, thee for upstriding. With Energy as over-lord quicken food essence. 10 Thou art the Queen, the Eastern region. The bright Vasus are thine over-lords. Agui is thy warder-off of hostile weapons. May the Trivṛit Stoma assist thee on earth. The Ajya Uktha fix thee firmly against slipping. The Rathantara Sâman establish thee in the sky for secure station. May the first-born Rishis extend thee among the Anushṭup: food. Course ..Expanse see verse 4. Vigour: food. Vigourgiving: Agni. Emulating: yonder world. Spacious: this world. Cover: the air. Inaccessible: the Sun. Slow: the Pankti. Ankanka: water. 6 He lays down the bricks called Stoma bhagas or Laud-sharers, 29 in number, with a formula addressed to each. The ray: the Sun, which as the giver of light is food, Advance: meaning food. By duty: according to Mahidhara, in this and the following formulas of this verse the instrumental care is used for the dative; for duty, etc, 7 According to Mahidhara, the thread: the creeper: the best: etc., mean 'food,' and he gives the same meaning to Pratipad, Anupad, etc., in the following verse. 9 Trivrit: triple, threefold; food, says Mahidhara, as produced from ploughing, seed, and rain. He gives similar explanations of the other untranslatable words in the verse. 10 He lays down the Nakasadas or Sky-seated bricks. Thou: the brick laid down in front. Ajya Uktha: a litany to Agni. Rishis: the Vital Airs, Over-lord: Mind. Disposer: Speech. Gods by the measure and amplitude of heaven. May this Disposer and the Over-Lord extend thee. May all, concordant, settle thee on the ridge of heaven in the world of Svarga. 11 Thou art Far-ruling, the Southern region. The bright Rudras are thine over-lords. Indra is thy warder-off of arrows. May the Pañchadaşa Stoma support thee on earth. The Prauga Uktha fix thee firmly against slipping. The Brihat Saman establish thee in the sky, etc. (the rest as in 10). 12 Thou art Universal Ruler, the Western region. The Adityas are thine over-lords. Varuna is thy warder-off of missiles. The Saptadasa Stoma support thee ou earth. The Marutvatiya Uktha fix thee firmly against slipping. The Vairûpa Sâman establish thee, etc. (as above). 13 Thou art Independent Ruler, the Northern region. (The rest is identical with 12, with the substitution of Maruts ...Soma....Vimsa Stoma ...Nishkevalya Uktha....Vairâja Sâman for the corresponding names). 14 Thou art Lady-Paramount, the Lofty region. (The rest as above, Visvedevas... Brihaspati ..Trinava and Trayastrimṣa Stomas...Vaisvadeva and Mâruta Ukthas...Sâkvara and Raivata Sâmans being substituted for the corresponding names. 15 This one in front, golden-tressed, with sunbeams; the leader of his host and his chieftain are Rathagritsa and Rathaujas, and Punjikasthalâ and Kratusthalâ his Apsarases. Biting animals are his weapon, homicide his missile weapon; to them be homage: may they protect us, may they have mercy upon us. In their jaws we place the man whom we hate and who hates us. 11 He lays a brick on the right side. Far-ruling: Virâj. Praüg Uktha: name of a hymn at the morning libation. 12 He lays a brick behind. Universal Ruler: Samraj. Marutvatiya Uktha: a litany to Indra Lord of the Maruts. 13 Independent Ruler: Svarâj. Nishkevalya Uktha: a litany to Indra exclusively, beginning with Abhi tvâ, Şira, nonuma (R. V. VII. 32. 22). 14 He lays a brick in the middle. 15 He lays the Pañchachûdas or Five-crested bricks on the Nakasadas (10). This in front: the brick representing Agni. Rathagritsa and Rathaujas: Skilled with the Car, and Mighty with the Car; meaning the two Spring months. Punjikasthala and Kratusthald: allegorical names of Celestial Nymphs representing the region and the sub-region. 16 This one on the right, the Omnific; the leader of his host and his chieftain are Rathasvana and Rathechitra, and Menaka and Sahajanyâ his Apsarases. Yâtudhânas are his weapon, Râkshasas his missile weapon; to them be homage, etc. (as in 15). 17 This one behind, the All-comprising; the leader of his host and his chieftain are Rathaprota and Asamaratha, and Pramlochanti and Anumochlanti are his Apsarases. Tigers are his weapon, Serpents his missile weapon; to them be homage, etc. 18 This one on the left, Lord of uninterrupted riches; the leader of his host and his chieftain are Târkshya and Arishṭanemi, and Visvâchi and Ghritâchi his Apsarases. Water is his weapon, wind his missile weapon; to them be homage, etc. 19 This one above, Wealth-giver; the leader of his host and his chieftain are Sensjit and Susheņa, and Urvasi and Pârvachitti his Apsarases. Thundering is his weapon and lightning his missile weapon; to them be homage, etc. 20 Agni is head and height of heaven, the Master of the earth is he. He quickeneth the waters' seed. 21 This Agni is the Master of spoil thousandfold and hundredfold, the sapient one, the head of wealth. 22 Agni, Atharvan brought thee forth by rubbing from the lotus-leaf, the head of Vigva, of the Priest. 16 He sets a brick on the south or right side. The Omnific: Vigvakarman, meaning Vayu, the Wind. Rathasvana: Car-rattling, Rathechitra: Glittering on his Car. These two are the two Summer months. Menaka and Sahajanya: Celestial Nymphs, representing portions of the sky, or heaven and earth. 17 He sets a brick behind. All-comprising: the Sun. Rathaprota: Car-seated. Asamaratha: Peerless-carred: the two Rain months. 18 He sets a brick on the left side. Lord of uninterrupted riches: the sacrifice. Tarkshya and Arishṭanemi (whose fellies are uninjured): both originally personifications of the Sun; meaning here the two Autumn months. Vişvachi and Ghritachi : representing the quarter and the mid quarter of the sky. 19 He sets a brick in the middle above. Wealth-offerer: Parjanya, God' of the Rain-cloud. Army-conqueror: or Senajit. Well-armied: or Sushena. These are the two Winter months. Urvasi and Púrvachitti: representing a quarter and a mid-quarter of the sky. For Urvasi see R. V. X. 95. 20 He lays down the Chhandasyâs or Metre bricks, and first three bricks representing the Gayatri with formulas in that metre. The first formula repeated from III. 12) is taken from R. V. VIII. 44, 16. 21 The formula is taken from R. V. VIII. 64, 4. 22 The formula (repeated from XI. 32 b.) is taken from R. V. VI. 16. 13. 23 Guide of the rite art thou and of the region to which with thine auspicious teams thou tendest. Thy light-bestowing head to heaven thou liftest, making thy tongue oblation-bearer, Agni. 24 Agni is wakened by the people's fuel to meet the Dawn who cometh like a milch-cow. Like young trees shooting up on high their branches his flames are rising to the vault of heaven. 25 To him adorable, sage, strong and mighty we have sung forth our song of praise and homage. Gavishthira hath raised with prayer to Agni this laud farreaching as the gold in heaven. 26 Here by ordainers was this God appointed first Invoker, best at worship, to be praised at rites; Whom Apnavâna and the Bhrigus caused to shine brightcoloured in the wood, spreading to every house. 27 The watchful Guardian of the people hath been born, Agni the very strong, for fresh prosperity. With oil upon his face, with high heaven-touching flame, he shineth splendidly, pure for the Bharatas. 28 Agni, Angirases discovered thee what time thou layest hidden, fleeing back from wood to wood. Thou by attrition art produced as conquering might, and men, O Angiras, call thee the Son of Strength. 29 Offer to Agni, O my friends, your seemly food, your seemly praise; To him supremest o'er the folk, the Son of Strength, the 30 Thou, mighty Agni, gatherest up all that is precious for thy friend. Bring us all treasure as thou art enkindled in libation's place. 23 He lays down the three Trishṭup bricks with formulas in that metre. The first formula (repeated from XIII. 15) is taken from R. V. X. 8. 6. 24 Taken from R. V. V. 1. 1. 25 Taken from R. V. V. 1. 12. Gavishṭhira: the Seer of the original bymn. The gold: the Sun. 26 He lays down three Jagati bricks with formulas in that metre, 48 syllables in a stanza. The first formula is taken from R. V. IV. 7. 1. It has occurred also in III. 15. 27 Taken from R. V. V. 11. 1. Bharatas: warriors; or men of a tribe so named; or according to Sayana and Mahidhara, the priests. 28 Taken from R. V. V. 11. 6. capture of Agni. See R. V. I. 65. Layest hid: alluding to the flight and 29 He lays down three Anushtup bricks with formulas in that metre. The first formula is taken from R. V. V. 7. 1. 30 The second from R. V. X. 191. 1. |