9 For me thou art the home of the afflicted. For me thou art the gathering-place of riches. Protect me from the woe of destitution. Protect me from the state of perturbation. May Agni know thee, he whose name is Nabhas. Go, Agni, Thou whom this earth containeth, down I lay thee with each Thou whom the second earth, etc. Thou whom the third earth, etc. Thee, further, for the Gods' delight. 10 A foe-subduing lioness art thou: be fitted for the Gods. A foe-subduing lioness art thou: be purified for Gods. A foe-subduing lioness art thou: adorn thyself for Gods. 11 Indra's shout guard thee in the front with Vasus. The Wise One guard thee from the rear with Rudras. The Thoughtswift guard thee on the right with Fathers. The Omnific guard thee, leftward, with Adityas. This heated water I eject and banish from the sacrifice. 12 Thou art a lioness. All-hail! Thou art a lioness winning Adityas. All-hail! Thou art a lioness winning Brâhmans and Nobles. All-hail! Thou art a lioness that wins fair offspring, win abundant wealth. All-hail! A lioness art thou. Bring the Gods hither for him who offers sacrifice. All-hail! To living creatures, thee. 9 The lines of the altar and of the pit from which earth is to be dug out for its construction are now marked out. Thou: the earth. Thee: the earth dug out of the pit. Nabhas: or, Vapour. Ayu: Life, said to be a name of Agni. Before this address to Agni, the Adhvaryu throws the Sphya or wooden sword to the place where the pit is to be dug. Thou whom: O Agni, who art in this loose dug earth which I scatter on the place where the high altar is to be. Second. third the ceremony and he formula are repeated with these substitutions for 'this.' Thee, further: he takes up earth a fourth time. : 10 He sets apart the earth required for the high altar, addresses and sprinkles it. 11 Indra's shout: as God of Battles. The Wise One: Varuna, the moral Governor of the world, from whom no secrets are hid. The Thoughtswift: Yama, God of the Departed. The Omnific: Viṣvakarman, an abstract deity representing the Supreme God as Creator of all things. Heated water: after having sprinkled waters on four sides he pours away the rest outside the altar place. 12 With four invocations he pours butter on the four corners of the altar place, and with the fifth on the centre. Thee: the offering ladle. 'I raise' understood. 13 Firm art thou, steady thou the earth. Firm-seated art thou, steady thou the air. Movelessly set art thou, steady the sky. Agni's completion art thou. 14 The priests of him the lofty Priest well-skilled in hymns harness their spirits, yea harness their holy thoughts. He only knowing works assigns their priestly tasks. Yea, lofty is the praise of Savitar the God. All-hail! 15 Forth through This All strode Vishņu: thrice his foot he planted, and the whole was gathered in his footstep's dust. All hail! 16 Rich in sweet food be ye, and rich in milch-kine, with fertile pastures, fain to do men service. Both these worlds, Vishnu, hast thou stayed asunder, and firmly fixed the earth with pegs around it. 17 Heard by the Gods, ye twain, to Gods proclaim it. Go eastward, O ye twain, proclaiming worship. Swerve ye To your own cow-pen speak, ye godlike dwellings. 13 He encloses the centre or navel of the altar place with sticks of Pîtudaru (Pinus Deodara). With three invocations he addresses, respectively, the middle stick, the southern, and the northern. Completion: or equip meut; purisha: all that is required to make Agni complete, bdellium (guggulu), sweet-scented reed-grass, and the tufts that have grown between the horns of a ram. 14 The Commentator gives rules for the construction of Havirdhânas or sheds for the carts that bring Soma and other elements of sacrifice, of the Sadas or Priests' shed, of the Soma-pressing place, and of the Dhishnyas or side-altars or hearths. The priests: an offering of butter, taken up in four ladlings, is made to Savitar with recitation of this text from R. V. V. 81. 1. Knowing works: skilled in the rules which regulate religious functions. 15 Having laid a piece of gold in the right-hand track of the right-hand cart he makes an offering with this text from R. V. I. 22. 17. Thrice: on earth, in the air, in the sky. 16 Ye: the offering ladle and the pot or saucer of sacrificial butter which the Pratiprasthâtar or assistant priest takes up, and having laid a piece of gold in the left-hand track of the left-hand cart makes an oblation with the text taken from R. V. VII. 99. 3, the first line of which appears to be, originally, Vishnu's benediction on heaven and earth when he parted and sup ported them. Pegs: such as those used for stretching a woven cloth or a skin. In later literature the word means also 'rays,' sunbeams. With beams of light didst thou hold fast the earth on all sides': Eggeling. 17 Ye: the Matron addresses the two axle-pins, which she anoints with the remains of the butter. Straight upward: to the Gods. Cow-pen: signifying wealth in cattle to the Sacrificer. Dwellings: the house-like carts. Speak not away: destroy uot with ill-omened creaking. Earth's summit: the high sacrificial ground. Be joyful: in your rest. 18 Now will I tell the mighty deeds of Vishnu, of him who measured out the earthly regions. Who propped the highest place of congregation, thrice setting down his foot and widely striding. For Vishnu thee. 19 Either from heaven or from the earth, O Vishņu, or, Vishņu, from the vast wide air's mid-region, Fill both thy hands full with abundant riches, and from the right and from the left bestow them. For Vishnu thee. 20 For this his mighty deed is Vishņu lauded, like some wild beast, dread, prowling, mountain-roaming, He within whose three wide-extended paces all living creatures have their habitation. 21 Thou art the frontlet for the brow of Vishnu. Ye are the corners of the mouth of Vishņu. Thou art the needle for the work of Vishņu. Thou art the firmly-fastened knot of Vishnu. To Vishnu thou belongest. Thee for Vishnu. 22 By impulse of God Savitars I take thee with arms of Asvins and with hands of Pushan. Thou art a woman. Here I cut the necks of Râkshasas away. Mighty art thou, mighty the sound thou makest. Utter thy mighty-sounding voice to Indra : 23 Fiend-killing, charm-destroying voice of Vishnu. Here I cast out that charm of magic power which stranger or housemate for me hath buried. 18 The Adhvaryu puts up a wooden prop to support the pole of the righthand or southward cart, and recites the text taken from R. V. I. 154. 1. Thee: 'I support' understood. 19 Similarly the Pratiprasthâtar supports the left-hand or northward cart, reciting the text from Atharva-veda, VII, 26. 8. 20 The Sacrificer, after touching the middle reed-mat of the cart-shed, recites the text from R. V. I. 154. 2. Paces: see verse 18. 21 Thou: he addresses a post on which is a wreath of Darbha grass. Ye: the ends of the band of grass. Needle: 'sewer': Eggeling. This is a wooden peg used in stitching together the folding doors ('hurdles': Eggeling) of the cart-shed. Knot: he ties the string in a knot. Thou belongest: he touches the completed shed. Thee: I touch' understood. 22 Formulas to accompany the preparation of the Uparavas or soundholes made in the earth to increase the noise of the pressing or pounding of the Soma. Thee a wooden digging instrument, a trowel or short spade, Woman: connected as a helper with the men who manage the ceremony. Moreover, the word abhri, spade, is feminine. Here: he draws outlines of the holes, Rakshasas: the malignant fiends who would mar or obstruct the sacrifice. Mighty: he addresses each hole that he has dug. Utter: when thou art made use of at the Soma pounding. 23 Of Vishnu belonging to him as guardian of the sacrifice. Charm of magic power: valagay a collection of bones, nails, hair, etc., tied up in a Here I cast out the charm of magic power buried for me by equal or unequal. Here I cast out the charm that hath been buried for me by non-relation or relation. I cast the charm of magic out. 24 Self-ruler art thou, conquering foes. Ruler for ever art thou, killing enemies. Men's ruler art thou, slaying fiends. All ruler, killing foes, art thou. 25 I sprinkle you whom Vishnu owns, killers of fiends and evil charms. I lay down you whom Vishņu loves, killers of fiends and wicked charms. I scatter you whom Vishnu loves, killers of fiends and wicked charms. You two whom Vishņu loves, who kill fiends and ill charms You two whom Vishņu loves, who kill fiends and ill charms To Vishnu thou belongest. Ye are Vishnu's. 26 By impulse of God Savitar I take thee with arms of Agvins, with the hands of Pûshan. Thou art a womau. Here I cut the necks of Rakshasas away. Pure be the worlds, the Fathers' dwelling-places. Thou art piece of old matting or cloth, and buried art-deep in the ground to injure enemies. See The Hymns of the Atharva-veda, X. 1. 18. and note. The digger of these sound-holes dislodges by his act any such charms as have been buried there, and recites a formula as he throws up the earth from each hole. 24 By way of benediction the Sacrificer touches and addresses each of the completed holes, with a formula for each. 25 He sprinkles lustral water over the holes. I lay down: two pressingboards, one on each of two pits. I scatter: blades of Darbha grass. You two: the pressing-boards. I compass round: with earth to keep them steady. Thou: the skin used in the Soma-pressing process. Ye: the five pressing-stones which belong to Vishnu as guardian of the sacrifice. 26 Formulas for putting up a branch or post of Udumbara (Ficus Glomerata) in the centre of the Sadas or shed where the priests sit. By impulse, etc, two lines repeated from verse 22. He throws barley into the sprinkling-water. Barley: yava. Bar off: yavaya. There is a play on the words. Thee for heaven: he sprinkles the top of the branch. For earth: the bottom. For air's region: the middle. Pure be the worlds: he pours the remaining water into the hole made for the branch. Thou a layer of Darbha grass which he strews in the hole. 40 THE TEXTS OF THE [BOOK V. 27 Prop heaven, fill full the air, on earth stand firmly. Dyutâna, offspring of the Maruts, plant thee!, Mitra and Varuna with firm upholding. I close thee in, thon winner of the Brahmans, winner of Strengthen the Brâhmans, strengthen thou the Nobles, 28 Firm-set art thou. Firm be this Sacrificer within this home with offspring and with cattle. O Heaven and Earth, be ye filled full of fatness. 29 Lover of song, may these our songs encompass thee on every side; Strengthening thee of lengthened life, may they be dear delights to thee. 30 Thou art the needle for the work of Indra. Thou art the firmly fastened knot of Indra. Indra's art thou. Thou art the Visvedevas'. 31 All-present art thou, carrying off. Oblation-bearing priest art thou. Thou art the Swift, the Very Wise. Tutha art thou, who knoweth all. 32 Thou art the yearning one, the sage. Anghâri, Bambhâri art thou. 27 He raises and addresses the branch or post. Dyutana: the name of a Vedic Risbi, seer of R. V. VIII. 85. It is said to mean Vâyu, the son or attendant of the Storm-Gods. I close thee in: with earth put round it. 28 Thou: the Udumbara post, which he (the Sacrificer) touches. O Heaven and Earth: he pours clarified butter on the forked top of the post. Indra's mat: of grass, to thatch the Sadas or Priests' shed. All people: the Sacrificer and the officiating priests. 29 After enclosing the shed with mats, he addresses Indra as Lord of the Sadas with the text taken from R. V. I. 10. 12. 30 Thou: he addresses the rope with which the mats are fastened. Needle: 'Sewer': Eggeling. See verse 21. Thou art Indra's: he addresses the enclosed Sadas. Visvedevas': belonging to the All-Gods. See II. 18. 31 and 32 contain formulas for the consecration of the eight Dhishnyas, side-altars or hearths, each of which is addressed in turn: (1) the Âguidhriya or hearth of the Agnidhra or Fire-kindler (carrying off, meaning bearing oblations to the Gods'); (2) the Hotar's hearth; (3) the hearth of the Maitrâvaruna or first Assistant of the Hotar; (4) the hearth of the Brahmanâchhansi (Tutha meaning 'Brahman priest,' who knows how priestly fees are to be distributed). 32 (5) The hearth of the Potar or Cleansing Priest is addressed as the yearning one; (6) the hearth of the Neshtar, the priest who leads forward the Sacrificer's wife, is addressed by the names of Anghâri and |