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79 Within thy mouth is poured the offering, Agni, as Soma into cup, oil into ladle.

Vouchsafe us wealth, strength-winning, blest with heroes, wealth lofty, praised by men, and full of splendour.

80 The Asvins gave, with lustre, sight, Sarasvati manly strength with breath.

Indra with voice and might gave Indra vigorous power.

81 With kine, Nâsatyas! and with steeds, come, Aṣvins, Rudras! to the house, the sure protector of its men;

82 Such, wealthy Gods! as none afar or standing near to us may harm, yea, no malicious mortal foe.

83 Dɔ ye, O longed for Aşvins, lead us on to wealth of varied form, wealth that shall bring us room and rest.

84 Wealthy in spoil, enriched with hymns, may pure Sarasvatî desire with eager love our sacrifice.

85 She who awakens sounds of joy, inspires our hymns, Sarasvatî, she hath allowed our sacrifice.

86 Sarasvati, the mighty flood, she with her light illuminates, she brightens every pious thought.

87 O Indra, marvellously bright, come, these libations long for thee, thus by fine fingers purified.

88 Urged by the holy singer, sped by song, come, Indra, to the prayers of the libation-pouring priest.

89 Approach, O Indra, hasting thee, Lord of Bay Horses, to the prayer: in our libations take delight.

90 Accordant with Sarasvati let the two Asvins drink the meath. May Indra, Vritra-slayer, Good Guardian, accept the Soma meath.

79 Taken from R. V. X 91. 15.

81-83 Taken from R. V. II. 41. 7-9.

Rudras: here a title of the Asvius, the Bright Pair.

84-89 Taken from R. V. I. 3. 10—12, 4--6.

90 Soma meath: the sweet libation of Soma juice.

BOOK THE TWENTY-FIRST.

VARUNA, hear this call of mine: be gracious unto us this day.

Longing for help I yearn for thee.

2 I ask this of thee with my prayer, etc., as in XVIII. 49. 3 Do thou who knowest Varuna, O Agni, put far away from us the God's displeasure.

Best Sacrificer, brightest One, refulgent, remove thou far from us all those who hate us.

4 Be thou the nearest unto us, O Agni, our closest Friend while now this Morn is breaking.

Reconcile Varuna to us, be bounteous: show thy compassion and be swift to hear us.

5 We call to succour us the mighty Mother of those whose sway is just, the Queen of Order,

Strong-ruler, far-expanding, ne'er decaying, Aditi gracious guide and good protectress.

6 Sinless may we ascend, for weal, this vessel rowed with good oars, divine, that never leaketh,

Earth our strong guard, incomparable Heaven. Aditi gracious guide and good protectress.

7 May I ascend the goodly ship, free from defect, that leaketh not,

Moved by a hundred oars, for weal.

80 Mitra-Varuna, gracious Pair, with fatness dew our pas

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The formulas of the Sautrâmanî are continued.

1, 2 A rice-cake is offered to Varuna with an Inviting Prayer (1) taken from R. V. I. 25. 19, and an Offering Prayer (2) from R. V. I. 24. 11, repeated from XVIII. 49.

3, 4 Similar prayers, taken from R. V. IV. 1. 4, 5, addressed to Agui as the Mediator or Intercessor.

5 An Inviting Prayer, taken with a slight variation from A. V. VII. 6. 2, addressed to Aditi to whom a charu, or oblation of rice, barley, and pulse boiled with butter and milk, is to be offered.

6 Taken from A. V. VII. 6. 3, varied from R. V. X. 63. 10.

7 The goodly ship: sacrifice, which bears us beyond this world to heaven. Hundred oars: verses of praise and chanted hymns.

8 Oblations of milk and curds are offered to Mitra and Varuna regarded as Rain Gods (II. 16). The verse is taken from R. V. III. 62. 16. Fatness: fertilizing rain.

9 Stretch forth your arms and let our lives be lengthened: with fatness dew the pastures of our cattle.

Ye Youthful, make us famed among the people hear, Mitra-Varuna, these mine invocations.

10 Bless us the Coursers when we call, etc., as in IX. 16.

11 Decp-skilled in Law, etc., as in IX. 18.

12 Kindled is Agni with the brand, yea, kindled well, the excellent.

The metre Gayatri, the steer of eighteen months, give power and life!

13 Tanûnapât whose acts are pure. our bodies' guard Sarasvatî, Ushniha metre and the steer of two years' age give power and life!

14 Agni with offerings, meet for praise, and Soma the immortal God,

Anushṭup metre and the steer of thirty months give power and life!

15 Agui with goodly grass spread out, deathless with Pushan at his side,

Brihatî metre and a steer of three years' age give power and life!

16 The Doors divine, the mighty Regions, Brahmâ, God Brihaspati,

The metre Paukti, here a bull in his fourth year, give power and life!

17 The two young Dawns of lovely form, the deathless Universal Gods,

The Trishṭup metre, here, a bull in his sixth year, give power and life!

18 The two celestial Hotars, both Physicians, Indra's closeknit friends,

The metre Jagatî, an ox who draws the wain, give power and life!

19 The Three, Ida, Sarasvatî, and Bhâratî, the Marut folk, Viraj the metre, here, a cow in milk, a bull, give power and life!

9 Taken from R. V. VII. 62. 5.

12 This and the ten following verses form an Apri or Propitiatory Hymn in honour of In Ira. The steer: to be sacrificed. Give: to Indra.

13 Tananapat: Son of Himself. Agni. See V. 5. Ushniha: = Ushnih. 17 Two young Dawns: Morning and Night, inseparably connected and ever born anew. Here: in this and other verses meaning 'to Indra.' 18 Hotars: Agni and Vâyu, or terrestrial and firmamental Agni. 19 Folk: or clans.

20 Tvashṭar the wondrous, full of seed, Indrâguî furtherers of weal,

Dvipadâ metre, and a cow and vigorous bull give power and life!

21 Our slaughterer Vanaspati, Savitar who promoteth wealth, The metre Kakup, here, a cow who casts her calf, give power and life!

22 With Svâhâ mighty Varuņa give healing power to Sacrifice! The Atichhandas, Brihat, and a steer and bull give power and life!

23 With the Spring Season may the Gods the Vasus praised with triple hymn

And with Rathantara, give life to Indra, splendour, sacrifice. 24 With Summer may the Rudras, Gods, praised in the Pañchadaşa hymn

With Brihat, give to Indra strength; with fame, and sacrifice and life.

25 May the Adityas with the Rains, lauded in Saptadaṣa hymn

And with Vairûpa, with folk, strength, give Indra sacrifice and life.

26 With Autumn may the Ribhus, Gods, praised in the Ekavimsa hymn

And with Viraja, give with grace to Indra grace, life, sacrifice.

27 With Winter may the Maruts, Gods, praised in the laud of thrice nine parts,

The Sakvaris, with strength give might to Indra, sacrifice and life.

20 Indragni: Indra and Agni as a dual Deity. Dvipadi: two footed; comprising two Pâdas or verse-divisions.

21 Slaughterer: Immolator of the victims tied to the Stake. Kakup: a metre of 8+12+8 syllables.

22 Atichhandas: hypermeter; redundant metre, containing more than forty-eight syllables.

23 Triple hymn: the Trivṛit. See IX. 33; X. 10.

24 Panchadaṣa: Fifteenfold; see XII. 4; XIV. 22.

25 Saptadaşa: Seventeenfold. See XIII. 56. Vairupa: a Sâman. See X. 12.

26 Ribhus: three artificers of ancient time whose wondrous skill and workmanship obtained for them immortality and a place among the Gods. They are usually invoked with Indra. Ekavimsa: having twenty-one verses or parts. See XIII. 57; XIV. 23. Vairdja: See XIII. 57.

27 Sakvaris: metres consisting of seven feet.

28 With Dew-time may the deathless Gods praised in the Thirty-three-part laud,

The Revatis, with truth give sway to Indra, sacrifice and life.

29 Let the Hotar sacrifice with fuel to Agni in the place of libation, to the Asvins, Indra, Sarasvati. A grey-coloured he-goat with wheat, jujube-fruit and sprouts of rice becomes a sweet salutary remedy, splendour, might, milk, Soma. Let them enjoy sweet butter with foaming liquor. Hotar, present offerings of butter.

30 Let the Hotar, Tanùnapit, worship Sarasvatî. A sheep, a ram, a salutary remedy on the honey-sweet path, bearing to the Asvins and Indra heroic strength, with jujubefruit, Indra-grains, sprouts of rice, becomes a salutary remedy, milk, Soma. Let them enjoy, etc., as in verse 29. 31 Let the Hotar worship Narâs msa and the Lord Nagnahu. A ram with Surâ a salutary remedy, Sarasvatî the Physician, the golden car of the Asvins, the victim's omentum, with jujube-fruit, Indra-grains, and rice-sprouts, become a salutary remedy, the manly strength of Indra, milk, Soma. Let them, etc.

32 Let the Hotar, magnified with oblations, offering sacrifice, worship Sarasvatî and Indra, increasing them with strength, with a bull and a cow. Strength and medicine to the Asvius and Indra are meath with jujube-fruit, Mâsara with parched grain, milk, Soma. Let them, etc. 33 Let the Hotar worship the wool-soft Altar-grass, the Physicians Nâsatyas, the Physicians Asvins. A mare with a foal, a milch-cow is a physician. Sarasvati the Physician. yields medicine to Indra, milk, Soma. Let them enjoy, etc.

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28 Dew-time see II. 32; X. 14. Revatis: the name of a verse (R. V. I. 30. 13) beginning with this word, which is called the womb or origin of the Raivata Sâman.

29 Let the Hotar: the divine Hotar, the exemplar to be followed by his counterpart on earth Hotar, present offerings: the human priest is addressed.

30 Tanúnapat: According to Mahîdhara, the nom`native case is used in the sense of the accusative: worship, or sacrifice or say the offering-prayer to, Tanuuapit. Milk, Soma: Mahîdhara takes these nominatives as accusatives, supplying let them drink,' or 'let them enjoy.'

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31 Nagnahu: the drug used to ferment the Sura. Mahidhara turns. Sarasvati and rathaḥ, car, both nominatives, into accusatives.

33 A mare, etc.: with reference to the horses given as fees to the priests.

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