74 Help us that we may gain this wish, O Agui, gain riches, Wealthy One! with store of heroes.

Desiring strength from thee may we be strengthened, and win, Eternal! thine eternal glory.

75 Approaching with raised hands and adoration, we have this day fulfilled for thee thy longing.

Worship the Gods with most devoted spirit as Priest with no unfriendly thought, O Agni.

76 Home-hider Agni, Iudra, and Brahmâ, and bright Brihaspati

May the All-Gods, one-minded, guard our sacrifice in happy place.

77 Guard thou the Sacrificer's men, O Youthfullest, etc., as in XIII. 52.

74 Taken from R. V. VI. 5. 7. Help us: literally, With thy help may we gain, etc.

76 Home-hider: that is, who frequently changes his dwelling-place.

For the symbolical meaning of the Agnichayana or Construction of the Fire-Altar representing the restoration of the dismembered Agni-Prajapati (who takes the place of Purusha, the Cosmic Man, R. V. X. 90), the author, by his great self-Sacrifice. of all creation, so as to enable him to repeat continually the sacrifice of himself and thus maintain or re-create the universe, see Eggeling, S. B. E. XLIII. pp xiii.—xx.

BOOK THE NINETEENTH.

SWEET with the sweet, I sprinkle thee with Soma, strong
with the strong, the nectar with the nectar,
The honey-sweet with what is sweet as honey.
Soma art thou.

for Sarasvati.

Get dressed for the Agvins. Get dressed Get dressed for Indra the Good Deliverer. 2 Hence pour ye forth the flowing juice, Soma, best Sacrificial

food.

He who, man's friend, hath run within the waters hath with the pressing-stones poured out the Soma.

3 Purified by Vâyu's strainer, Soma that has passed away forward is Indra's proper friend.

Purified by Vâyu's strainer, Soma that has passed away backward is Indra's proper friend.

4 By means of this eternal sieve may Surya's Daughter purify The Soma that flows forth from thee.

5 Soma with Wine, pressed, filtered for the banquet, cleanses priest, noble, brilliancy and vigour.

God, with the Bright give Deities enjoyment: give food with flavour to the Sacrificer.

Books XIX-XXI Contain the formulas of the Santramani, a sacrifice originally instituted to expiate and counteract the evil effects of excessive indulgence in Soma-drinking. See X. 31. The ceremony is prescribed as a means of obtaining general eminence; for a dethroned king to procure his restoration, for a Kshatriya to assure victory, for a Vaigya to acquire cattle and wealth. It consists mainly in the offering, to the Asvins, Sarasvati and Indra, of Surâ a spirituous liquor concocted of sashpa (husked rice or young grass), tokman (green barley), and lája (parched grain) ground up with some roots to serve as yeast, and the liquor of two Odanas or messes of rice, and Syâmâka or millet boiled in water, the mixture being called Masara. The prototype of the sacrifice is the cure of Indra, by Sarasvati and the Asvins, when he was suffering from over-indulgence in his favourite beverage. The name is derived from Sutraman, the Good Deliverer or Protector, Indra. See Hillebrandt, Ritual-Litteratur, pp. 159-161.

1 Thee: O Surâ. Soma art thou: he addresses the Surâ which by commixture and transubstantiation has sacrificially become Soma.

2 He: Soma. Waters: with which the stalks are washed and made to swell. Mahidhara supplies adhvaryuḥ (the Adhvaryu) as the understood nominative of 'poured out'.

3 Cf. X. 31. Vayu's strainer or cleansing power. Forward: rejected through the mouth from the over-loaded stomach.

4 Taken from R. V. IX. Súrya's Daughter: Şraddha or Faith.

5 Wine: Sura. The Bright: Soma juice; 'pure vigour', according to Mahidhara, Flavour: clarified butter, etc.

6 What then? As men whose fields are full of barley, etc., aş in X. 32. Taken upon a base art thou. I take thee for the Asvin Pair, Thee for Sarasvati. Thee for Indra the Good Deliverer. This is thy home. For splendour thee. Thee for man's vigour. Thee for strength.

7 For each of you is made a God-appointed place; so grant to me a portion in the highest sphere. Surâ the strong art thou.

This here is Soma, Entering

thine own place do me no mischief.

8 Taken upon a base art thou. Splendour of Asvins, Sarasvati's manly vigour, might of Indra.

This is thy home. I take thee for enjoyment. I take thee for delight, take thee for greatness.

9 Thou art lustre: give me lustre. Thou art manly vigour; give me manly vigour.

Thou art strength: give me strength. Thou art energy; give me energy.

Thou art passion; Give me passion. Thou art conquering might give me conquering might,

10 May she, Vishûchikâ, who guards these two, the tiger and the wolf,

The lion and the winged hawk, may she guard this man from distress.

11 When, a delighted boy, I bruised my mother as I sucked her breast,

6 He takes three cups of milk for the Asvins, Sarasvati, and Indra. The first formula is taken from R. V. X. 131. 2, and repeated from X. 32 of this Veda. For splendour thee: the Asvins' cup, I take' being understood, Thee for man's vigour: Sarasvati's cup. Thee for strength: Indra's cup. 7 For each of you: Soma and Sura. God-appointed place: an altar where the libations are prepared, approved by the Deities to whom the offerings are made.

8 He deposits the cups, one by one, with a formula for each.

9 After the libation to the Asvins he throws wheat and pounded fruit of the Jujube tree (Ziziphus Jujuba) into the milk and lays two blades of Darbha grass on the vessel that contains it. Thou: the milk libation. Strength...energy ... passion: represented respectively by wolf's, tiger's, and lion's hair mixed with the Sura.

10 He purifies the Sacrificer by stroking him with the tail-feathers of an eagle or hawk once above and once below the waist. Vishuchika: the deity of cholera or diarrhoea, Guards: that is, does not attack. This man: the Sacrificer.

11 He makes the Sacrificer look at the fire and recite the text. Bruised: with my feet. Thereby by looking at the fire which represents Agni. United: this part of the formula is repeated from 1X. 4, the plural being substituted for the dual as three cups instead of two are addressed.

Free from my debt, O Agni, I become thereby.

are by me unharmed.

United are ye all: with bliss unite me.

me apart from evil.

My parents

Parted are ye, keep

12 The Asvins, the Physicians, Gods, stretched out the healing sacrifice,

Sarasvatî with speech was a Physician, all with heroic powers investing Indra.

13 Symbols of Dikshâ are grass buds, of Prâyaniya sprouts of

corn,

Of Soma-purchasing fried grains are symbols, Soma-shoots and meath.

14 Âtithya's sign is Mâsara, the Gharma's symbol Nagnahu. Three nights with Surâ poured, this is the symbol of the Upasads.

15 Emblem of purchased Soma is Parisrut, foaming drink effused: Indra's balm milked for Indra by the Aṣvins and Sarasvati. 16 The Sacrificer's seat is the throne's symbol, the jar containing Surâ of the Altar.

The mid-space is the northern Altar's symbol: the cloth for filtering is the physician.

17 Altar by Altar is produced, power, holy grass by holy grass. The stake is by the stake obtained, by Agni Agui carried forth.

18 The Asvins are the Soma store, Sarasvati the sacred hearth. For Indra formed is Indra's seat, the Matrons' Hall, the house-lord's fire.

12 See X. 33, 34; XIX. first note; R. V. X. 131. 4; Muir's Original Sanskrit Texts, V. 94. Healing sacrifice: the prototype of the Sautramant. Many miracles of healing are attributed to the Asvins, the divine Physicians, the heralds of light, who recreate the world of life after the darkness of night. See The Hymns of the Rigveda, Index.

13 The purport of this and the eighteen following stanzas is to show the close interconnexion of the Sautrâmant with Soma sacrifice, the sacrificial elements, vessels, implements, lauds and hymns that are used in the former being regarded as forms, types, symbols or reproductions of those employed in the latter. Dikshi Conseoration. Grass buds: or young grass. See introductory note. Prayaniya: the name of an introductory libation at a Soma sacrifice. Meath or honey. 14 Âtithya: the ceremonial reception of Soma when brought to the place of sacrifice. See V. 1-4. Masara: see introductory note. Ghurma: the caldron for hot libations. Nagnuhu: a root used as yeast. Upasads: see V. 8. Parisrut: a kind of beer, prepared from concocted herbs and fermented.

16 The mid-space between the two altars, one for Soma and one for Surâ, used at the Sautramani sacrifice. The physician: who is to cure Indra. 18 Sacred hearth: Àgnidhra, where the sacrificial fire is kindled. Mutrons' Hall: see IV. 34. ~ House-lord's fire: the Gårhapatya.

19 Orders he gains by orders, by Apris Apris of sacrifice,,

Post-offerings by fore-offerings, and by calls of Vashat Âbutis. 20 By victims he gains victims, by ground rice-cakes sacrificial food,

By metres kindling-verses, and Vashat-calls by Inviting

prayers.

21 Grain roasted, gruel, barley-meal, grains of rice roasted, milk and curd

Are types of Soma: mingled milk, sweet whey, of sacrificial food.

22 Type of parched corn is jujube-fruit; wheat of the roasted grains of rice; Jujube the type of barley-meal, and Indragrains of gruel-groats.

23 Symbol of milk are barley-grains, symbol of curd are jujubefruits.

Whey is the type of Soma, and milk-mixture type of
Soma's pap.

24 The Strophe is the cry, Bid hear! the answer is the antistrophe.

Sacrifice! is the Dhayya's form, Pragâthas' the Yajâmabas. 25 By verse-halves comes the Ukthas' type, Nivids by ladas he obtains.

The type of Sastras is obtained by Pranavas, Soma by milk.

19 Orders: praishas; liturgical directions given by a superior priest to his assistant. Apris: a class of propitiatory hymns addressed to Agni under various forms and titles. See Rigveda, Index. Post-offerings: Anuyâjas; oblations of clarified butter offered after the chief sacrifice. Fore-offerings: praydjas; similar offerings preceding the chief sacrifice. Ahutis: oblations with fire.

20 Kindling-verses: samidhenis; recited on lighting, or adding fuel to the sacrificial fire. Inviting-prayers: yâjyds; pronounced by the Hotar when oblations are poured into the fire.

21 Mingled milk: a mixture of boiled and coagulated milk.

22 Indra-grains: upavákas, or Indra-yavas; seeds of the Wrightia Antidysenterica.

23 Pap: charu; an oblation of rice, barley, and pulse boiled with butter and milk.

24 Strophe: stotriyâ; a verse of eighty syllables used in certain ceremonies. Bid hear: the Adhvaryu's call Âṣrâvaya! to the Agnidhra or Fire-kindler. The answer of the Agnidhra, Astu șraushat, Yea, let him hear. Sacrifice! yaja, the imperative of the verb, addressed to Agni. Dhiyya: the name of an additional verse inserted in a litany. Pragathus: certain combinations of two verses in different metres. Yajamahus: recitations of R. V. X. 23. 1, beginuing with Yajimaha indram, We worship Indra.

25 Lkthas: recitations; songs of praise. Nivids: short detached formulas of invocation. Padas: verse divisions; quarters of a stanza. Sastras: recitations; hymns of praise. Pranavas: exclamations of the sacred mystic syllable OM,