19 Giver of happiness art thou. Rejected are fiends, rejected are malignant beings. Aditi's skin art thou. May Aditi receive thee.

Bowl, rock art thou. May Aditi's skin receive thee.

Thou art the sky's supporting pillar.

Bowl from the rock art thou. The rock receive thee.

20 Grain art thou. Please the Gods. Thee for in-breathing. For out-breath thee. Thee for diffusive breathing. May I impart to life a long extension.

May Savitar the God, the golden-handed, with flawless hand unto himself receive you.

Thee for the eye. Juice art thou of the Great Ones.

21 By impulse of God Savitar I strew thee, with arms of Asvins, with the hands of Pûshan.

With plants let waters, plants with sap be mingled. United be the rich ones with the moving. The sweet ones and the sweet be joined together.

22 For generation's sake I join thee. This is Agni's. This AgniSoma's. Thee for food.

Thou art the caldron, life of all that liveth. Spread thyself widely forth, thou, widely spreading. So may thy Lord of sacrifice spread widely.

Thy skin let Agui harm not. In highest heaven let the God
Savitar bake thee.

23 Fear not. Shrink not. Let not the sacrifice be languid, not languid be the Sacrificer's offspring.

For Trita thee. For Dvita thee. For Ekata thee.

19 Giver, etc. the black-antelope's skin is again addressed. See I. 14. Bowl, rock: the nether pressing-stone now placed on the skin. Bowl from the rock: the upper and smaller stone regarded as the offspring of the nether stone.

20 Grain: the rice now poured on the nether stone is addressed. Please: dhinuhi, imperative of dhi from which Mahîdhara derives dhânyam, grain. In-breathing, etc.: three of the five or more vital airs. Life: of the sacrificer. May Savitar, etc. : repeated from I. 16. Thee: 'I look at' understood, For the eye: that the sacrificer's sight may be strengthened. Thou: the clarified sacrificial butter. Great Ones: the cows.

21 Thee: the ground rice which is now poured into a vessel which contains the two strainers (I. 12). Plants: the rice. Rich ones: the waters with which the flour is mixed. The moving: the plants, the rice.

22 For generation's sake: that children may be born to the Sacrificer. The mixture of rice and water is addressed. This: the dough is divided, one lump or cake for Agni and one for the dual deity, Agni-Soma. Thee: the clarified butter. For food: as in I. 1. Caldron the rice-cake is likened to the caldron used at the Pravargya ceremony, introductory to the Soma Sacrifice. See Sacred Books of the East, XII. p. 44, note. Agni: the fire on which the cake is put.

23 Fear not: my touch. He addresses the cake and touches it. Trita

24 By impulse of God Savitar I take thee, with arms of Agvins, with the hands of Pûshan, thee who for Gods performest sacred service.

Indra's right arm art thou: sharp with a thousand spikes, a hundred edges. The keen-edged Wind art thou, the foeman's slayer.

25 0 Earth, whereon men serve the Gods with worship, let me not do thy plant's root any damage.

Go to the pen, the cowstall. Heaven rain for thee.

On this earth's farthest end, God Savitar, bind him, with hundred fetters bind the man who hates us and whom we hate. Thence do not thou realease him.

26 May I drive Araru away from Earth, the seat of men's oblations to the Gods. Go to the pen

(as in verse 25).

release him

✪ Araru, thou shalt not soar to heaven. Let not thy drop mount upward to the sky.

release him (as in verse 25).

27 I with the metre Gâyatrî enclose thee. I lay the Trishṭup metre round about thee. With Jagatì metre I confine and gird thee.

=Tpíros third; an ancient Vedic Deity, perhaps Agni in his third or lightning form. Dvita and Ekata, formed analogically from dvi, two, and eka, one, are Brahmanical figments, and are said to be Trita's brothers. See Macdonell, Vedic Mythology, pp. 67-69. According to Mahidhara the three are Agni's brothers. Thee: 'I pour out' understood; the water with which the cooking-vessel has been rinsed.

24 Thee: the sphya, a wooden implement shaped like a sword, used for stirring the boiled rice, drawing lines on the ground, and other sacrificial purposes. Thousand spikes: like, and representing in its power, the thunderbolt of Indra. Foeman's slayer: destroyer of Asuras or fiends and of those who hate and interrupt sacrifices.

25 0 Earth, etc.: with this formula the Adhvaryu throws the sphya on a clump of grass placed between him and the altar. Go to the pen, etc.: be not wasted; mix with the droppings of the cows. He addresses the earth raised up by the sphya. Rain for thee: he addresses the altar. Earth's furthest end: that is, Naraka or hell. With this formula the loose soil is thrown upon the rubbish-heap.

26 The sphya is thrown a second time. Araru: a certain Asura or fiend. See R. V. X. 99. 10; A. V. VI. 46. 1. Thy drop: earth, or the altar in the shape of the earth, is addressed, while the sphya is thrown a third time. The drop is earth's life sustaining moisture which must not mount upward and be lost.

27 The names of the three chief Vedic metres are given to the three lines drawn with the sphya on three sides of the altar. Thee Vishnu, that is, the sacrifice. Sprung from good soil: the Vedi or altar is addressed.

Sprung from good soil art thou, and bliss-bestowing. Pleasant art thou, and a fair seat to rest on. Thou hast both strengthening food and drink in plenty.

28 Before the cruel foe's secret departure, Mighty One, raising high earth, life-bestower, which to the Moon they lifted by oblations, that earth the sages still point out and worship.

Deposit in its place the sprinkling-water. Thou art the slayer of the man who hates us.

29 Scorched are the demons, scorched the evil beings. Burnt out are fiends, burnt out malignant creatures. Unsharpened, thou art slayer of the foemen. food, I cleanse for the food's kindling.

Thee, rich in

Thee rich in food, I cleanse for the food's kindling.

30 A zone for Aditi art thou. Pervader of Vishnu art thou. For great strength I take thee. I look upon thee with an eye uninjured.

Thou art the tongue of Agni. Good invoker of Gods be thou at every holy station, at every sacrificial text I utter. 31 By Savitar's impulsion do I cleanse thee, with flawless strainer, with the rays of Surya.

By Savitar's impulsion do I cleanse you, with flawless strainer, with the rays of Sûrya.

Light art thou; thou art splendid; thou art Amrit. Thou, truly, art the Gods' beloved station, inviolable means of holy worship.

28 The cruel foe's: probably the demon Araru is meant. Mighty One: Vishnu, or the sacrifice, is addressed. Point out in the spots of the Moon. Deposit: the Agnidhra or Fire-kindling priest is addressed. Its place the altar. Thou: the water, which is called on to aid in defending the sacrifice from interruption.

29 Scorched, etc.: the formula is repeated from I. 7. The sruva or dipping-spoon is symbolically heated. I cleanse by wiping it with sacred For the food's kindling: with sacrificial butter. With this formula he cleanses the sruk or offering-spoon.

grass.

30 The Adhvaryu girds the Sacrificer's wife with a triple cord of Muñja grass (Saccharum Munja), and initiates her as her husband's associate in the ceremony. Aditi: Earth, represented by the Sacrificer's wife. Pervader the southward end of the girdle is addressed. : Vishnu: the Sacrifice. I: the matron speaks as she looks down on the pot of sacrificial butter which the Adhvaryu places before her.

31 The Adhvaryu speaks. Thee: the clarified butter. You: the sprinkling waters, Thou: the butter. Amrit: nectar, the drink of the Gods; or, immortal. Beloved station: 'favourite resort (or, dainty)': Eggeling.

BOOK THE SECOND.

THOU art a black-buck dwelling in the covert. I sprinkle thee agreeable to Agni.

Thou art the altar. Thee welcome to the sacred grass I sprinkle.

Thou art the sacred covering-grass. I sprinkle thee grateful to the sacrificial ladles.

2 Thou art what giveth Aditi her moisture. Thou art the hair-tuft on the head of Vishnu. I spread thee, woolsoft, good for Gods to sit on.

Hail to the Earth's Lord! To the World's Lord Hail! Hail to the Lord of Beings!

3 For safety of this all let the Gandharva Viṣvâvasu lay thee round as a protection. Thou art the Sacrificer's guard, thou, Agni, lauded and worthy to receive laudation. Indra's right arm art thou. For safety.........laudation. For safety of This Ail, with firm law, northward let MitraVaruna lay thee round as keeper. Thou art the Sacrificer's guard......laudation.

4 Thee, Sage, who offerest to Gods their banquet, we will enkindle till thou shinest brightly, thee mighty in the sacrifice, O Agni.

1 Thou the Adhvaryu addresses the fuel placed on the altar, as he unties and sprinkles it. Black-buck: sacrifice in the shape of a black deer: Mahidhara. Altar: which he sprinkles. Sacred grass: the Barhis or sacrificial grass with which the altar is covered.

2 Thou: the remainder of the water, which he pours on the roots of the grass. Aditi: the earth. Hair-tuft: this formula is addressed to the Prastara, a tied-up bunch of grass put upon the sacred grass which covers the altar. Thee: the sacred grass. Hail! etc.: the fire is enclosed with three fenders or fencing sticks. Any part of the oblation that falls outside these sticks is offered to Agni's three brothers who are here called respectively Earth's Lord, World's Lord, and Lord of Beings.

3 Here begins the ceremony of laying the paridhis or enclosing-sticks, made of Palâșa or other sacred wood, round the sacrificial fire. Visvavasu: Lord of all Treasure (see R. V. X. 85. 21; 139. 4, 5.), chief of the Gandharvas, a class of celestial beings closely connected with light and the aerial waters. Thee: the first enclosing-stick, placed on the west side of the fire. Indra's arm: the second stick, placed on the south side. The third stick is laid on the north side. Mitra-Varuna: Mitra (the Friend) is the Iranian Mithra and identified with the Sun. Varuna (Encompasser), originally the starry heaven, is the chief Vedic deity next to Indra.

4 A samidh or kindling stick is applied to light the fire. Thee: the Âhavaniya fire.

5 Thou art a kindler. From the east let Sûrya keep thee secure from every imprecation.

You are the arms of Savitar. I spread thee as soft as wool, good for the Gods to sit on. On thee sit Vasus, Rudras,

and Âdityas!

6 Thou who art called Juhû art rich in fatness. On this dear seat, with the dear home, be seated.

Thou, Upabhrit by name, art rich in fatness.

be seated.

On this......

Thou who art called Dhruvâ, art rich in fatness. On this, etc.
In the Law's lap they have sat down in safety.

Guard these. Guard thou the Sacrifice, O Vishnu. Keep
thou the Sacrifice's Lord in safety.

7 0 Agni, Winner of the Spoil, I cleanse thee, thee who wilt hasten to the spoil, Spoil-winner.

Obeisance to the Gods! Svadhâ to Fathers! Be both of you easy for me to handle.

8 May I to-day offer Gods unspilt butter. Let me not with my foot offend thee, Vishnu.

Agni, may I approach thy shade abounding in store of riches.
Thou art Vishnu's mansion.

Hence Indra wrought his deed of manly vigour. The sacri-
fice stood firmly elevated.

5 Thou: a second kindling-stick is applied and addressed. From the east: as it is protected by enclosing-sticks on the three other sides. Surya : the Sun God, the expeller of evil spirits who would disturb the sacrifice. You: two blades of grass laid cross-wise on the grass which covers the altar. Thee the Prastara (II. 2), which he unties and spreads. Vasus: a group

of deities eight in number, associated with Indra, and, in later texts, with Agni. Rudras: a group of deities, sons of Rudra, eleven or thirty-three in number. Adityas: sons of Aditi, a class of Gods of whom Varuna is chief. Six are enumerated in R. V. II. 27. 1. In R. V. IX. 114. 3 they are said to be seven in number, and in R. V. X. 72. 8 eight.

6 The Adhvaryu addresses and takes hold of three offering-spoons or ladles made of different sorts of wood, the Juhû, the Upabhrit, and the Dhruvâ, which he lays down in order, the first on the Prastara and the others on the Barhis or altar-grass beneath it. The Law's lap the bosom of sacrifice. Vishnu: the sacrifice.

:

7 Spoil: or food, according to Mahidbara. I cleanse: he trims the fire. Svadha: the prescribed sacrificial exclamation or prayer on presenting an oblation to the Fathers, Manes or Spirits of deceased ancestors. The word means also the food offered to them. Both of you: the offering spoons called Juhû and Upabhṛit.

8 With my foot: he must step to the south side of the altar with the left foot in advance of the right, and return with the right foot before the left. Vishnu: the personified Sacrifice. Shade: shelter; place of refuge. Hence: starting from this place of sacrifice. His deed; the slaughter of the droughtdemon Vritra. Firmly elevated; securely established and uninterrupted after Indra's victory.