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 Vishņu. 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 Vișvâvasu 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 Hera 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. Thou, Upabhrit by name, art rich in fatness. Thou who art called Dhruvâ, art rich in fatness. On this dear On this...... On this, etc. In the Law's lap they have sat down 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 foot offend thee, Vishņu. my Agni, may I approach thy shade abounding in store of riches. Hence Indra wrought his deed of manly vigour. The sacri- 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. Súrya: 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 Upabhṛit, 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 Mabidhara. 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. 9 0 Agni, undertake the Hotar's office, take on thyself the duty of an envoy. Heaven and Earth guard thee! Guard thou Earth and Heaven. May Indra be, by this presented butter, maker to Gods of fair oblation. Svâhâ! Let light combine with light. 10 Indra bestow on me that Indra-power! May wealth in full abundance gather round us. Let blessings wait on us, yea, real blessings. Our Mother, Earth, hath been invited hither. May Earth, our Mother, in return invite us. I, through my Kindlership, am Agui. Svâhâ! 11 The Father Heaven hath been invited hither. May Heaven the Father in return invite us. By impulse of God Savitar I receive thee with arms of Asvins, with the hands of Pûshan. I feed upon thee with the mouth of Agni. 12 God Savitar, this sacrifice of thine have they proclaimed unto Brihaspati the Brahman Priest. Therefore protect the sacrifice, protect the sacrifice's lord, protect thou me. 13 The butter's rapid flow delight his spirit! Brihaspati extend this act of worship. May he restore the sacrifice uninjured. Here let all Gods rejoice. Om! Step thou forward. 14 This is the stick for kindling thee, O Agni. By means of this grow strong and swell to greatness. May we too grow in strength and swell to greatness. O Agni, thou who winnest food, I cleanse thee, thee who hast hastened to the food, Food-winner. Hotar's: sacrificer's or invoker's; he is the chief priest with whom the Adhvaryu is associated. Envoy: messenger to the Gods to whom he bears oblations. Svaha!: a sacrificial exclamation: Ave! Hail! Benedictio sit! Light combine: the butter in the Juhû with that in the Dhruvâ, which he now mixes. 10 That Indra-power: the great power which I hope for. The formula is muttered by the Sacrificer. May wealth, etc.: taken from R. V. 1. 98. 3. Earth: Prithivi; the broad, expansive one. 11 Father Heaven: or Heaven-Father; Dyaushpitâ (Dya uḥ pitṛi)=Zεùs Tarhp, Jupiter; the Universal Father, the Consort of Earth. I receive thee: said by the Brahman or directing priest as he takes his allotted portion of the oblation. 12 Brihaspati: Lord of Prayer; the Brahman Priest of the Gods, and the representative and impersonation of human priesthood. 13 OM: the sacred mystical syllable; yea; so be it; Amen. Step thou forward: the Brahman's answer to the Adhvaryu. 14 The kindling-stick is consecrated by the Hotar. Food: or spoil, wealth, the prize. 15 After the victory of Agni-Soma may I obtain the victory. By impulse of sacrificial food I speed me onward. May Agni-Soma drive off him who hates us, drive off the After the victory of Indra-Agni may I obtain the victory. May Indra-Agni I drive him. 16 For Vasus thee. For Rudras thee. Thee for Adityas. Be, Heaven and Earth, accordant with each other. With rain may Mitra-Varuņa assist thee. May the birds go, licking what is anointed. Go to the Maruts' speckled mares. Go, having become a speckled cow thyself, to heaven, and from that place bring the rain for us hither. Thou art the eye's guard: guard mine eye, O Agni. 17 The stick which thou, God Agni, laidest round thee, what time thou wast kept hidden by the Panis, this do I bring to thee for thine enjoyment. May it remain with thee and ne'er be fruitless. Approach, ye two, the place which Agni loveth. 18 The residue ye have to be your portion, mighty by food, ye Gods, ye who are stationed on the grass-bunch, and to be laid as fences. All ye, applauding this my speech, be seated on this grassbunch and there be joyful. Svâhâ! Vâț! 15 The formula is recited by the Sacrificer as he separates the Juhû and the Upabhrit spoons and moves the former eastward. Victory: their undisturbed appropriation of the rice-cake offered to the dual Deity at the Full Moon sacrifice. Indra-Agui: as in the case of Agni-Soma, but the formula is to be used at the New Moon sacrifice. 16 With the first three formulas the Adhvaryu anoints the three enclosing-sticks in the order in which they were laid down. Thee: I anoint being understood. Accordant: in producing rain. Mitra-Varuna: who are especially Rain-Gods (see R. V. V. 63 and 69). Birds: the metres Gâyatrî and others, according to Mahidhara. What is anointed: the Prastara. According to the Satapatha-Brahmaṇa, the formula is: 'May (the Gods) eat, licking the anointed bird (the Prastara).' See Sacred Books of the East, XII. p. 242. Speckled mares: which convey the Maruts, the Gods of storm and rain. Speckled cow: representing the Earth. 17 The stick the Adhvaryu throws the western enclosing-stick on the fire. Panis: demons of darkness who steal the Gods' cows, the rays of light, and hide them in caverns. Ye two the remaining sticks which are now thrown into the fire. Visve devaḥ, the Fences: that is, reVât: a sacrificial 18 The residue: of the sacrificial butter. Ye Gods Visvedevas or All-Gods. Grass-bunch: the Prastara. presentatives of the enclosing-sticks. Svaha : All hail! exclamation on making an offering of clarified butter, meaning, probably, Take, or carry (to the Gods). 19 Rich in oil are ye. Guard the two yoke-fellows. Ye two are full of grace, to grace conduct me. Glory to thee, O Sacrifice, and increase! Stand firm in my auspicious, righteous worship. 20 O Agni of unweakened strength, far-reaching, protect me from the lightning-flash, protect me from bondage, from defect in sacrificing, from food injurious to health protect me. Make thou the food that feeds us free from poison in the home good to sit in. Svâhâ! Vâț! Hail to the Lord of close embracements, Agni! Hail to Sarasvatî enriched with glory! 21 Veda art thou, whereby, O godlike Veda, thou hast become for Deities their Veda: thereby mayst thou become for me a Veda. O Deities, ye knowers of the Pathway, walk on the pathway having known the Pathway. God, Lord of Spirit, hail! bestow upon the Wind this sacrifice. 22 Blest be the Grass with sacred food and butter. Let Indra be united with the Adityas, the Vasus, Maruts, and the Visvedevas. Let Svåhâ-offerings rise to heavenly ether. 19 Ye: the Juhû and Upabhṛit spoons. Yoke-fellows: the two oxen who draw the cart containing the sacrificial elements. 20 O Agni: he grasps the two spoons, the sruk or Juhû and the sruva. In the home good to sit in: Mahidhara alternatively supplies, 'establish me.' Lord of close embracements: oblation is offered to Agni as a God who presides over the production of children, and to Sarasvati or Vâk, Goddess of Speech and Eloquence, who will make them famous. 21 The Matron, the Sacrificer's wife, unties the Veda, the tied-up bunch of sacred grass used for various purposes in sacrifice, passed from one priest to another, and handed to the Sacrificer, and to his wife when she recites a text or formula, as she does in this place. Their Veda: (from vid, to know, or obtain) their knower, or finder. For me a Veda: a finder, or obtainer. O Deities; he addresses all the invited Gods. Pathway: the sacrifice. Walk on the pathway: go your several ways; the formula of dismissing the Gods who are present at the sacrifice. Lord of Spirit: Genius of man's spiritual power and life; the Moon, according to Mahidhara, or Parameṣvara the Supreme Lord. The Wind: representative of the New or Full Moon sacrifice. This sacrifice: special sacrifice, which is to be established in, or united with, the other. 22 The Grass: the Barhis or altar grass. Mahidhara explains the verse differently Together with Adityas, Vasus, Maruts, and Visvedevas, thoroughly may Indra anoint the Grass with butter like to havis (sacred food). Svaha-offerings: duly consecrated oblations. Heavenly ether: the Sun in heaven. |