BOOK THE FOURTH.

WE have reached this earth's place of sacrificing, the place wherein all Deities delighted.

Crossing by Rik, by Sâman, and by Yajus, may we rejoice in food and growth of riches.

Gracious to me be these Celestial Waters!

Protect me, Plant. O Knife, forbear to harm him.

2 The Mother Floods shall make us bright and shining, cleansers of holy oil, with oil shall cleanse us.

For, Goddesses, they bear off all defilement.
from them purified and brightened.

I rise up

The form of Consecration and of Fervour art thou. I put thee on, the kind and blissful, maintaining an agreeable

appearance.

3 The Great Ones' milk art thou.

Giver of splendour art

thou: bestow on me the gift of splendour.

Pupil art thou of Vritra's eye. The giver of eyes art thou.
Give me the gift of vision.

4 Purify me the Lord of Thought! Purify me the Lord of Speech! Purify me God Savitar with perfect strainer, with the beams of Sûrya!

Books IV.-VIII. contain formulas for the Soma sacrifice in general.

1 Place of sacrificing: which has been carefully selected and prepared with shed, hall, etc. The Sacrificer recites the formula, holding in his hand the aranis or two pieces of the wooden fire-drill, and grasping the chief post of the sacrificial hall. Ṛik, Saman, Yajus: by means of the verse of praise, the chanted psalm, and the sacrificial formula. Waters: to be used in the Apsu-Diksha or Consecration Ceremony by water or baptism. He moistens his right whisker for shaving. Plant: a blade of Kusa grass placed on his whisker. Knife: the razor, which is said to be a svadhiti, or thunderbolt. See III. 63. Him: the Sacrificer.

2 The first two lines are taken from R. V. X. 17. 10. The Sacrificers bathe in the consecrating waters. Defilement: the stain of sin as well as bodily impurity. I rise up: he steps out of the water. Thee the linen garment prescribed for the occasion. Fervour ardour, religious zeal, penance, or austere devotion.

3 Great Ones' milk: product of the cows; the fresh butter with which he is anointed from head to foot. Pupil art thou: the Adhvaryu anoints his eye with collyrium. It is said in the Taittiriya-Samhitâ, VI. 1. 5 that Vritra's eye-ball, when Indra conquered him, fell away and becaine ointment. Lord of Thought: Prajapati, Lord of Creatures. Lord of Speech: the same deity, or Brihaspati Lord of Prayer. Perfect strainer: or purifier, Vâyu the wind. Lord of the strainer: or of the means of purification, the Sacrificer who has gone through the ceremony. The meaning is, May I be able to accomplish the sacrifice in accordance with my preconceived wishes.

Of thee, Lord of the Strainer! who art by the strainer purified,

With what desire I purify myself, may I accomplish it.

5 We come to you for precious wealth, O Gods, as sacrifice proceeds.

O Gods, we call on you to give blessings that wait on sacrifice. 6 Svâhâ! from mind the sacrifice.

firmament.

Svâha! from spacious

Svâhâ! from Dyaus and Prithivî. Svâhâ! from Wind I seize.

Svâhâ!

7 To Resolution, Motive, Agni, Svâhâ! All-hail to Wisdom, and to Mind, and Agni!

All-hail to Consecration, Fervour, Agni! Hail to Sarasvatî,
Pûshan, and Agni !

Ye vast, divine, all-beneficial Waters, ye Heaven and Earth
and spacious Air between them,

Let us adore Brihaspati with oblation. All-hail!

8 May every mortal man elect the friendship of the guiding God.

Each one solicits him for wealth: let him seek fame to prosper him.

9 Rik's, Sâman's counterparts are ye. I touch you. Protect me till the sacrifice be ended.

Thou art a place of refuge. Give me refuge. Obeisance

unto thee! Forbear to harm me.

10 Strength of Angirases art thou. Wool-soft, bestow thou strength on me.

Thon art the garment-knot of Soma. Vishnu's refuge art thou, the Sacrificer's refuge.

6 Sutha: Ave! All-hail! The sacrifice: 'I grasp, or take hold of' being understood. Various bendings of fingers and final closing of the hands are prescribed Dyaus and Prithivi: Heaven and Earth.

7 These formulas, with the oblations which they accompany, are specially called Audgrabhana or Uplifting, because they raise the Sacrificer to heaven. Resolution: the intention or purpose of sacrificing.

8 Taken from R. V. V. 50. 1. Guiding God: Savitar, the Impeller and Leader.

9 Two black-antelope skins, tacked together and stretched on the ground for consecration purposes, are addressed and touched. Counterparts: in full accord, as used in sacred ceremonies, with the recited verses and chanted hymns of sacrifice. The white on the skins resembles the Rik, and the black the Sâman. Thou art, etc.: he kneels with his right knee on the skin,

10 He binds on and addresses a girdle of two plaited strands of hemp and one of Muñja grass. Angirases: descendants of Angiras, a semi-divine

Thou art the womb of Indra.

abundant grain.

Make the crops produce

Stand up erect, O Tree. Protect me from harm until this sacrifice be ended.

11 Prepare ye vow-food. Agni is the Brahman, Agni is sacrifice, the tree is holy.

For aid we meditate divine Intelligence, most merciful, Free-giver, bringing worship. May it guide us gently, as we would.

Favour us Gods, mind-born, endowed with mind and intellectual might! All-hail to them! May they be our pro

tectors.

12 Waters that we have drunk! become refreshing, become auspicious draughts within our belly.

Free from all sin and malady and sickness, may they be pleasant to our taste, divine Ones, immortal, strengtheners of eternal Order.

13 This is thy sacrificial form.

Not offspring, waters I discharge. Freeing from sin and consecrate by Svâhâ enter ye the earth. Be thou united with the earth.

14 0 Agni, watch thou well. May we take joy in most refresh

ing sleep.

Protect us with unceasing care.
again.

From slumber waken us

patriarchal Rishi. See Index to The Hymns of the Rigveda. Garment-knot : the meeting ends of the cloth worn round the body; 'tuck': Eggeling. Of Soma: belonging to Soma after the consecration of the wearer, and to the Fathers before that ceremony. Vishnu's: the Sacrificer's. The womb of Indra: he addresses a black-buck's horn which he ties to the fringe of his garment. See the legend. Sacred Books of the East. XXVI. 30-33. Mahidhara gives a somewhat similar legend, from the Taittiriya-Samhitâ, ascribing Indra's birth to the union of Yajña (Sacrifice) with Dakshinâ Sacrificial Guerdon) instead of Vâk (Speech). Make the crops: he draws a line with the horn on the ground. Tree: a staff of Udumbara ( Ficus Glomerata) wood which the Adhvaryu gives to the Sacrificer.

11 Vow-food: or fast-food, chiefly milk which the attendants prepare. The Sacrificer pronounces this formula thrice. The Brahman: (neuter) the priesthood, or, according to Mahîdhara, the three Vedas. The tree the Khadira (Acacia Catechu) and other trees whose wood is used for sacrificial purposes. For aid to help us in the performance of the sacrifice.

12 Recited after drinking the milk.

13 This, etc.: micturiens, he takes up with the horn a lump of earth or something similar, and addresses embodied sacrifice: This earth is thy sacrificial form. i. e. place meet for worship. Ye the waters of which he relieves himself. Be thou he throws down the lump of earth.

14 With a prayer to the Guardian Agni he goes to sleep.

15 Thought hath returned to me, and life; my breath and soul have come again.

Our bodies' guard, unscathed, Vaiṣvânara Agni preserve us from misfortune and dishonour.

16 Thou, Agni, art the guardian God of sacred vows among mankind, thou meet for praise at holy rites. Grant this much, Soma! bring yet more.

God Savitar who

giveth wealth hath given treasure unto us.

17 This is thy form, O Bright One, this thy lustre. Combine with this thy form and go to splendour.

Impetuous art thou, upheld by mind, and Vishņu loveth thee.

18 Moved by thine impulse who hast true impulsion, may I obtain a prop to stay my body.

Pure art thou, glistering art thou, immortal, dear to all the
Gods.

19 Thought art thou, mind, intelligence, the Guerdon, royal, worshipful, Aditi with a double head. Succeed for us in going forth, succeed for us in thy return. May Mitra bind thee by the foot. May Pûshan guard thy pathways for Indra whose eye is over all.

15 Uttered on awaking. Vaiṣvânara: All-men's; friendly or dear to all Âryan men.

16 The first two lines are taken from R. V. VIII. 11. 1. Grant etc.: this formula is to be used when a gift has been offered to him after his consecration.

17 This is the formula for the Hiraṇyavatî-Âhuti or Offering with Gold. Having poured the butter left in the dhruvâ ladle into the juhu, he throws on the butter a piece of gold tied with Darbha grass. This (1): the butter. This (2): the gold which is identified with light. So in old Northern poetry gold is called the gleam of Ocean; the fire of Oran (a Scottish stream); the sun of the deep. See Corpus Poeticum Boreale, ÌI. p. 468. Impetuous: vcgayukta is Mahidhara's explanation of júḥ. According to the Satapatha-Brahmana, the meaning is singer of praises.' Vâk or Speech is addressed. Vishnu: Sacrifice; or Soma.

18 Thine: Vâk's, as represented by the cow which is to be given in exchange for the Soma required for the sacrifice. Pure art thou: he addresses the piece of gold which he takes up.

19 The Adhvaryu addresses the Soma-purchasing cow. Guerdon: priestly fee, consisting chiefly of a cow or cows. Aditi regarded as the Cosmic Cow. See R. V. IX. 96. 15. With double head: as mistress of the prayanîya (introductory) and udayanîya (concluding) libations; or facing both ways, regarded as Vâk or Speech. In going forth: to procure the Soma. Bind thee: to prevent wandering and loss. Pushan: as the guide of travellers and guardian of ways.

20 Thy mother give thee leave to go, thy father, thine own brother, and thy friend of the same herd with thee!

Go thou, O Goddess, to the God. To Soma go for Indra's sake.

May Rudra turn thee back. Return safely with Soma as thy friend.

21 Thou art a Vasvî, thou art Aditi, thou art an Âdityâ, thou art a Rudrâ, thou art a Chandra.

Brihaspati vouchsafe thee rest and comfort! Rudra with Vasus looks on thee with favour.

22 On Aditi's head I sprinkle thee, on the earth's place of sacrifice.

Footstep of Idâ art thou, filled with fatness. Hail!

Rejoice in us. Thy kinship is in us. In thee are riches. Mine be riches! Let us not be deprived of abundant riches. Thine, thine are riches.

23 I with my thought have commerced with divine far-sighted Dakshinâ.

Steal not my life. I will not thine. May I, O Goddess, in thy sight find for myself a hero son.

24 Tell Soma this for me: This is thy share allied with Gâyatri. For me say this to Soma: This is thine allotted Trishṭup share.

Tell Soma this for me: This is thy share allied with Jagatî.
Tell Soma this for me: Win thou sole lordship of the metres'

names.

Ours art thou: pure thy juice for draught.
pick thee out.

20 Rudra: as Lord of Cattle.

Let separators

21 Vasvi: a female Vasu. See II. 5. Âditya: a daughter of Aditi; a female Aditya. Rudra: a female Rudra. Chandra: a female Moon; bright as the Moon-God.

22 Aditi's head: the surface of the earth. Thee: an oblation of clarified butter. Footstep of Ida: he addresses the footprint of the cow identified with Idâ, a Goddess of Devotion, the daughter of Manu or man thinking on and worshipping the Gods. In thee are riches: he gives the impressed earth to the Sacrificer. Mine: the Sacrificer replies. Let us not: the Adhvaryu speaks for himself and others. Thine, thine: totoḥ for tvayi tvayi; spoken by the matron, to whom also the impressed earth has been given

23 Spoken by the matron, on whom the cow has been made to look. Dakshina: or Guerdon, the Soma-cow. See verse 19.

24 Spoken by the Sacrificer to the Adhvaryu. With Gayatri : this and the two other metres being used, respectively, at the morning, noon, and evening Soma-pressings. Ours art thou: the Soma-plant is addressed. Pick thee: selecting the parts that are fit for sacrificial use.