Gods, we have gone to light. We have become the children of Prajapati. We have become immortal. 30 In gain of wealth we celebrate, etc. = IX. 5. 31 This day come all the Maruts, all to aid us! Let all the fires be thoroughly enkindled. May the All-Gods come hither with protection. May we possess all property and riches. 32 May our strength fill the regions seven, fill the four distant places full. Here may our riches guard us with the All-Gods in the gain of wealth. 33 May strength to-day procure for us donation: strength range the Gods together with the Seasons. Yea, strength hath made me rich in store of heroes. As lord of strength may I gain all the regions. 34 Strength be before us, in the midst among us. May strength exalt the Gods with our oblation. Yea, strength hath made me rich in store of heroes. As lord of strength may I gain all the regions. 35 With milk of Prithivî do I unite me, unite myself with waters and with plants. As such may I gain strength, O Agni. 36 Store milk in earth and milk in plants, milk in the sky and milk in air. Teening with milk for mẹ be all the regions. 37 Thee by the radiant Savitar's impulsion, with arms of Asvins, with the hands of Pûshan, Controlled by Vâk Sarasvati's Controller, with Agni's sole dominion I besprinkle. 38 Maintainer of Law, true by nature, Agni is the Gandharva. The plants are his Apsarases, namely Delights. May he protect this our Priesthood and Nobility. To him Allhail! Ave! To those All-hail! 30 He offers the fourteen Vâjaprasaviya or Strength-quickening Libations, the first seven of the formulas being repeated from IX. 23-29. Of the second set of seven, one is repeated from IX. 5. 35 Milk of Prithivi: waters and plants used in sacrifice, 37 He anoints the Sacrificer with the remains of the sacrificial material. Vak Sarasvati's Controller: meaning Prajapati, according to Mahidhara ; 'by the support of Sarasvati Vâk, the Supporter': Eggeling. 38 He offers the twelve Rashtrabhṛitas or Kingdom-supporting Libations with sacrificial butter taken in twelve ladlings. The offerings are made in pairs, first to a male deity and then to females. 39 The Conjoined, Visvasâman, Surya is the Gandharva. motes are his Apsarases, Swift-moving. May he protect, etc., as in 38. 40 The Highly-Blessed, the Moon whose rays are like the Sun's, is the Gandharva. The Asterisms are his Apsarases, Luminous. May he protect, etc. 41 The Quick, All-reaching, Wind is the Gandharva. The Waters are his Apsarases, named Energies. May he protect, etc. 42 The Protecting, Strong-winged, Sacrifice is the Gandharva. Guerdons are his Apsarasea, called Praisers. May he protect, etc. 43 The Lord of Creatures, Omnific, Mind is the Gandharva. Richas and Samans are his Apsarases, called Wishings, May he protect, etc. 44 Lord of the World, Prajapati, whose are the homes above and here, Give great protection unto these, the Friesthood and Nobility. 45 Thou art the vapoury sea that giveth moisture, Blow on me, thou, healthful and blessing-laden. Thou art the Maruts' own, the band of Maruts. Blow on me, etc. Seeker of aid art thou, receiving worship. Blow on me, etc. 46 Thy lights, O Agui, in the Sun, etc., as in XIII. 22. 47 Lights of yours in the Sun, O Gods, etc., as in XIII. 23. 39 Conjoined: samhitaḥ; as joiner of night and day. Visvastman: wearing the form of all Sâmans. 40 Luminous or Light-givers; this is Mahidhara's explanation of the doubtful word bhekuriyaḥ: bhám hi nakshatrâṇi kurvanti; for the constellations make light. 41 Energies: or, Viands: Eggeling. 42 Strong-winged: as soaring to heaven. Guerdons: sacrificial fees; priestly honoraria. 43 Mind: Prajâpati is so called as Lord of Speech and Thought. 44 He offers oblation with butter taken in five ladlings on the Head, or fore-part, of the War-chariot as it is held over the Âhavanîya fire. Prajapati: identified with Agni. 45 He offers three Wind Libations, having caught the wind in his hollowed hands from outside the altar. Sea: meaning the sky. The Maruts' own the stormy region of mid-air. Seeker of aid: affording protection': Eggeling; this terrestrial world. 46 He offers nine Lustrous oblations with formulas containing the word signifying light or lustre. Verses 46, 47 are repeated from XIII. 22, 23. 48 Give lustre to our holy priests, set lustre in our ruling chiefs : Lustre to Vaisyas, Sûdras: give, through lustre; lustre unto me. 49 I ask this of thee with my prayer, adoring: thy worshipper asks this with his oblations. Varuna, stay thou here and be not angry steal not our life from us, O thou Wide-Ruler. 50 Heaven-like is Warmth, Hail! Heaven-like is Arka, Hail! Heaven-like is the Bright One, Hail! Heaven-like is Light, Hail! Heaven-like is Sûrya, Hail! 51 I yoke with power and flowing butter Agni, divine, strongpinioned, great with vital vigour. Through him may we approach the Bright One's station, ascending to the loftiest sky, to heaven. 52 With these thy two ne'er-wasting feathered pinions wherewith thou drivest fiends away, O Agni, Let us fly to the regions of the pious whither have gone the first-born ancient Rishis. 53 The Drop, the poverful, the falcon, righteous, impetuous bird borne on his golden pinions, Great, stedfast, settled in the habitation-to thee be reverence! Forbear to harm me! 54 Centre of earth, heaver's head art thou, essence of waters and of plants. Eternal, far-spread refuge. Homage to the Path! 55 Attached thou standest at the head of all the world. Thy heart is in the sea, thy life is in the floods. Give water : cleave the reservoir. 48 Through lastre: of thine own. 49 He offers again with a formula addressed to Varuna, with whom Agni is now identified, taken from R. V. I. 24. 11. 50 He offers the five Arkâsvamedha-santati oblations, combining the worship of Arka (Agni) and the Sun the deity of the Horse-sacrifice. 51 The three following formulas are for the Agniyojana ceremony, the Yoking or Equipment of Agni, causing the sacrificial fire to blaze up. Before the recitation of the Prâtaranuvâka or Morning Prayer, (see S. B. E. XXVI. p. 229) he begins the ceremony by handling the midmost of the three enclosing-sticks and reciting the first formula. Bright One's: bradhnasya; the Sun's: the region of the bay': Eggeling. 52 He touches the right-hand stick. 53 He touches the left-hand stick. The Drop: or Indu, here meaning Agni. 54 He now unyokes or frees the altar at the points where the sides of the triangle of enclosing-sticks touch the base, and recites two formulas. The Path: the Way that leads to heaven, that is, Agni. 55 The reservoir: the receptacle of the waters of heaven. Parjanya: the God of the Rain-cloud; here the water-laden cloud. Help us with rain sent from the sky, Parjanya, firmament, or earth. 56 By Bhrigus aud by Vasus hath prayer-granting sacrifice been paid. Come, Wealth, into the house of him our dear, our wellbeloved one. 57 May Agni, served with sacrifice and gifts, protect our offered food: This homage be Good-speed to Gods! 58 That which hath flowed from purpose or from judgment, or gathered from the wind or from the vision, Follow ye to the region of the pious whither have gone the first-born ancient Rishis. 59 To thee I trust this man, Celestial Dwelling! treasure which Jâtavedas shall bring hither. After you will the Sacrificer follow. Here recognize him in the highest heaven. 60 Acknowledge him, ye Gods, in highest heaven. Ye who are present, know the shape he weareth. When he approacheth by the God-ward pathways, reveal to him the meed of pious actions. 61 Wake up, O Agni, etc., as in XV. 54. 62 Convey our sacrifice to heaven, etc., as in XV. 55. 63 With Darbha-bunch, with fencing-wood, with spoon, with altar, holy grass, With laud, lead this our sacrifice to go to heaven among the Gods. 64 Our gifts, our charitable grants, our pious works, our fees to priests, May the Omnific's Agni set all this among the Gods in heaven. 56 He makes two offerings called Samishtayajuses or Final Sacrificial Oblations and formulas. See VIII. 15, note. 57 Good-speed: Svag; see note on verse 21. 58 He offers eight oblations with the dipping-spoon, with a formula for each. Ancient Rishis: identified with the Vital Airs. The priests are addressed and told to follow sacrifice, from whatever source it may have originated. to the heaven, where the first-born Rishis, the earliest existences, are dwelling. 59, 60 Taken with variations form A. V. VI. 123. 1, 2. 60 Meed of pious actions: or full fruition of his wishes; the recompense of sacrifices and good works on earth. 61, 62 Repeated from XV. 54, 55. 63 Darbha-bunch: the Prastara (see II. 2) which is placed on the Darbha grass covering the High Altar. 64 The Omnific's: that is Agni, or the Fire-altar, that belongs to Visvakarman or Prajâpati. 65 There where all never-failing streams of honey and of butter flow, May Agni, Visvakarman's own, place us in heaven among the Gods. 66 Agni am I who know by birth all creatures. Mine eye is butter, in my mouth is nectar. I am the triple light, the region's meter: exhaustless heat am I, named burnt oblation. 67 Praise-verses, sacrificial texts, and chanted hymns am I in name. Thou art the best of all the Fires among the fivefold race of man That burn upon this earth of ours. Speed thou us on to lengthened life. 68 0 Iudra, for the strength that slays Vritra and conquers in the fight We turn thee hitherward to us. 69 Thou, Indra, much-invoked, didst crush to pieces, Kunâru, haudless fiend who dwelt with Dânus. Thou with might, Indra, smotest dead the scorner, the footless Vṛitra as he waxed in vigour. 70 O Indra, beat our foes away, etc, as in VIII. 44. 71 Like some dread wild beast roaming on the mountain thou hast approached us from the farthest distance. Whetting thy bolt and thy sharp blade, O Indra, crush thou the foes and scatter those who hate us. 72 To aid us let Vaiṣvânara come from the distance far away: Come Agni, to our eulogies! 73 Sought in the sky, sought on the earth, sought after, all plants that grow on ground hath Agni entered. May Agui, may Vaiṣvâuara with vigour, sought for, by day and uight from harm preserve us. 66 The Sacrificer, identifying himself with Agni, recites the text taken from R. V. III. 26. 7. 67 He regards himself as an incarnation of the three Vedas. Praise-verses: of the Rigveda. Sacrificial texts: formulas of the Yajurveda. Chanted hymns of the Sâmaveda. Thou: Agni, the fire of the completed fire-altar. 68 He reverently approaches the completed fire-altar and recites the following formulary texts the first of which is taken from R. V. III. 37. 1. 69 Taken from R. V. II. 30. 8. Didst crush: 'crush thou' Eggeling. Kundru: the name of a demon of drought. Danus: a class of fiends. Scorner of the Gods, Vṛitra. 70 Repeated from VIII 44, taken from R. V. X. 152,4. 71 Taken from R. V. X. 180. 2. |