58 Let the God Agni Svishṭakrit worship the Gods as is meet and right for each, the two Hotars, Indra, the Asvins, Vak with speech, Sarasvati, Agni, Soma. Svishṭakrit has been well worshipped, Indra Good Deliverer, Savitar, Varuna the Physician have been worshipped. The God Vanaspati, the Gods who drink clarified butter have been well worshipped, Agni by Agui. Let the Hotar Svishțakrit give the Hotar fame, great power, energy, honour, Ancestral libation.

59 To-day this Sacrificer cooking viands, cooking sacrificial rice-cakes, binding a goat for the Asvins, a ram for Sarasvati, a bull for Indra, pressing Surâ and Soma juices for the Agvins, Sarasvati, and Indra the Good Deliverer, has chosen Agni as Hotar.

60 To-day the divine Vanaspati has done good service to the Agvins with a goat, to Sarasvatî with a ram, to Indra with a bull. They have eaten these from the marrow onwards, they have accepted the cooked viands, they have waxed strong with the rice-cakes. The Agnis, Sarasvati, and Indra have drunk the Surâ and Soma draughts. 61 Thee, to-day, O Rishi, Rishi's son, descendant of Rishis, hath this Sacrificer chosen for many collected, saying: This (Agni) shall win by sacrifice for me choice-worthy treasures among the Gods. O God, what gifts the Gods have given, these do thou desire and approve. And thou art

a commissioned Hotar, a human Hotar sent forward for benediction, for good speech. Speak thou good words.

61 O Rishi: the Hotar, representative of Agni the divine Hotar, is addressed. For many: assembled Gods. O God: Agni.

BOOK THE TWENTY-SECOND.

SPLENDOUR art thou, bright, deathless, life-protector. Protector of my life be thou.

By impulse of God Savitar I take thee with arms of Agvins, 7 with the hands of Pûshar.

2 This girdle, which in their religious meetings sages assumed in earlier time of worship,.

Is present with us here at this libation, in the Law's hymn, proclaiming rich abundance.

3 Famous art thou, thou art the world, controller and upholder thou.

Go, consecrate by Svâhâ to Agni Vaiṣvânara widely-famed. 4 For Gods and for Prajâpati I fit thee. For Gods and for Prajapati, O Brahman,

Will I tie up the horse. Thence may I prosper! Binding him for Prajapati and Gods be thou successful.

5 Thee welcome to Prajapati I sprinkle. I sprinkle thee welcome to Indra-Agni. I sprinkle thee acceptable to Vayu. 2 Thee welcome to the All-Gods I besprinkle. Thee welcome to all Deities I sprinkle.

With fury Varuņa attacks the man who fain would slay the steed.

Avaunt the man! Avaunt the dog!

Books XXII-XXV. contain the formulas of the Asvamedha or Horsesacrifice, a very ancient and most important ceremony which only a King can perform. Its object is the acquisition of power and glory, acknowledged preeminence over neighbouring princes, and the general prosperity of the kingdom by the fulfilment of the wishes expressed in verse 22 of this Book.

1 The Adhvaryu ties an ornament of gold, perhaps a chain, round the neck of the Sacrificer, and makes him recite the formula. Thou: he addresses the ornament. Deathless as a symbol of the Sun, and identified with light (IV. 17), or, according to Mahidhara, because gold confers immortality by being presented to the priests. By impulse, etc.: repeated from I. 10. Thee: a rusanâ, girdle, or girth of Darbha grass, thirteen ells in length, with which the sacrificial horse is to be girded.

2 In the Law's hymn: when the Saman of sacrifice is chanted.

3 He girds and addresses the horse.

4 I fit: svagd, an indeclinable sacrificial word, Good-speed! and karomi, I make or prepare, understood.

5 He sprinkles the horse in standing water. With fury etc.: he threatens any man who kills the horse, and so prevents the sacrifice, with the vengeance of the royal Varuņa, and a dog is killed (to indicate the punishment of the sinner) by a low caste man, the son of a Sûdra by a Vaiṣya woman.

6 To Agni Hail! To Soma Hail! Hail to the Waters' Joy! Hail

to Savitar! Hail to Vâyu! Hail to Vishņu! Hail to Indra! Hail to Brihaspati ! Hail to Mitra! Hail to Varuna!

7 Hail to the sound hin! Hail to the uttered hin! Hail to the neigh Hail to the down-neigh! Hail to the snort! Hail to the roar! Hail to his smell! Hail to him smelt at! Hail to him seated! Hail to him seated down! Hail to him weary! Hail to him going! Hail to him sitting! Hail to him lying! Hail to him sleeping! Hail to him waking! Hail to him whinnying! Hail to him wakened! Hail to him yawning! Hail to him outstretched! Hail to him drawn together! Hail to him risen! Hail to his going! Hail to his good going! Hail!

8 Hail to him as he goes! Hail to him running! Hail to him
running away! Hail to him when he has run away!
Hail to the cry Shoo! Hail to him scared with Shoo!
Hail to him seated! Hail to him risen! Hail to his
speed! Hail to his strength! Hail to him rolling! Hail
to him when he has rolled! Hail to him tossing about!
Hail to him when he has tossed about! Hail to him
listening! Hail to him hearing. Hail to him looking!
Hail to him looked at! Hail to him closely looked at!
Hail to his closing his eye! Hail to his food! Hail to
his drink! Hail to his stale! Hail to him in action!
Hail to what he has done!

9 May we attain that excellent glory of Savitar the God:
So may he stimulate our prayers.

10 For our protection I invoke the golden-handed Savitar :
He knoweth, as a God, the place.

11 We specially invoke the grace of Savitar, observant God, The great good-will that gives true boons.

12 We seek the eulogy and gift of Savitar who strengthens grace, Yea, of the God who knows our thoughts.

13 I invocate the heroes' Lord, free-giving Savitar, and call The Cheerer to the feast of Gods.

6 The horse is led back to the sacrificial fire, and ten oblations of clarified butter are offered, with their respective formulas to the deities mentioned. The Waters' Joy: Soma who delights the waters with which he is sprinkled.

7 He offers an oblation in the Southern fire. Hin: onomatopoetic; the horse's low neigh or whinny: originally, the syllable to be uttered, or the sound to be made in reciting Sâma hymns.

9 Six verses follow constituting the Inviting and Offering Prayers of oblations presented to Savitar. The first verse is the famous Savitri, the Gayatri par excellence, repeated from III. 35, and taken from R. V. III. 62 10. 10 Taken from R. V. I. 22. 5.

14 The judgment of bright Savitar, that cheers the All-Gods'

company,

With prayer we estimate as bliss.

15 Wake Agui with thy laud and set the Immortal One aflame, let him

Bestow our offerings on the Gods.

16 Oblation-bearer, well-inclined, immortal, eager Messenger, Agni comes near us with the thought.

17 Agui, Envoy, I place in frout, the oblation-bearer I address: Here let him seat the Deities.

18 Yea, Pavamâna, thou didst generate the Sun and spread the moisture out with power,

Hasting to us with plenty vivified with milk.

19 Mighty through thy dam, eminent through thy sire, thou art a horse, thou art a steed, thou art a courser, thou

art a comfort, thou art a racer, thou art a yoke-horse, 6 thou art a strong steed, thou art a stallion, thou art 4.2.15manly-minded. Thou art called Yayu, thou art called Sişu. Follow thou the flight of the Adityas.

Gods, Warders of the Regions, protect for the Gods this
horse besprinkled for sacrifice.

Here is delight. Here take thy pleasure. Here is content.
Here is self-content.

20 Hail to Ka! Hail to Who?! Hail to Which ?! Hail to him who has experienced pain! Hail to Prajapati who kuows the mind! Hail to him who discerns the thought!

15 Three Inviting Verses to Agni follow. 16 Taken from R. V. III. 11. 2.

or pray to, him.

With the thought: when we think of,

17 Taken from R. V. VIII. 44. 3. Place in front: for adoration. 18 Taken from R. V. IX. 110. 3. Praise and prayer addressed to Soma. 19 The Adhvaryu and the Sacrificer whisper the formula in the horse's right ear. Then the horse (who must be more than twenty-four, and less than a hundred years old) is loosed towards the North-east to wander free for a year (or for half a year or a still shorter time according to some authorities), as a sign that his master's paramount sovereignty is acknowledged by all neighbouring princes. The wandering horse is attended by a hundred young men, sons of princes or high Court officials, armed with all sorts of walike weapons, who are to watch and guard him from all dangers and inconvenience. During the absence of the horse an uninterrupted series of prescribed ceremonies is performed at the Sacrificer's home.

Yayu: meaning Goer or Sacrificial. Şişu: or Colt; a euphemism for a horse of somewhat mature age.

20 Oblations are offered and homage is paid to various Deities. Ka... Who? Which?: Prajapati. See I. 6, note. Of the highways: Pûshan as a Sun-God is guardian of roads and guide of travellers. Many forms: of living beings created by him. Nibhayapa: the origin and meaning of the word are unknown. According to Mahîdhara the title means Preserver by means of his repeated incarnations of the Fish, the Tortoise, etc. Sipivishta: another title of uncertain me ning. See XVI. 29, note.

Hail to Aditi! Hail to good Aditi! Hail to gracious
Aditi! Heil to Sarasvatî! Hail to purifying Sarasvati!
Hail to great Sarasvati! Hail to Pûshan! Hail to
Pushan of the highways! Hail to Púshan observer of
men! Hail to Tvashṭar! Hail to swift Tvashṭar! Hail
to Tvashtar of many forms! Hail to Vishnu! Hail to
Vishnu Nibhûyapa! Hail to Vishnu Sipivishta!

21 Let every mortal man elect, etc., repeated from IV. 8.
22 0 Brahman, let there be born in the kingdom the Brâhman
illustrious for religious knowledge; let there be born the
Rajanya, heroic, skilled archer, piercing with shafts,
mighty warrior; the cow giving abundant milk; the ox
good at carrying; the swift courser; the industrious
woman. May Parjanya send rain according to our desire;
may our fruit-bearing plants ripen; may acquisition and
preservation of property be secured to us.

23 Kail to vital breath! Hail to out-breathing! Hail to dif
fusive breath! Hail to the eye! Hail to the ear! Hail
to Speech! Hail to Mind!

24 Hail to the Eastern Region! Hail to the hitherward Region! Hail to the Southern Region! Hail to the hitherward Region! Hail to the Western Region! Hail to the hitherward Region! Hail to the Northern Region! Hail to the hitherward Region! Hail to the Upward Region! Hail to the hitherward Region! Hail to the Downward Region! Hail to the hitherward Region!

25 Hail to waters! Hail to floods! Hail to water! Hail to standing waters! Hail to flowing waters! Hail to trickling waters! Hail to well waters! Hail to spring waters! Hail to the foaming sea! Hail to the ocean! Hail to the deep! 26 Hail to wind! Hail to mist! Hail to vapour! Hail to cloud! Hail to cloud lightening! Hail to cloud thundering! Hail to it bursting! Hail to it raining! Hail to it pouring! Hail to it violently raining! Hail to it swiftly raining! Hail to it holding up! Hail to it when it has held up ! Hail to it sprinkling! Hail to it drizzling! Hail to its drops! Hail to thunderbolts! Hail to hoar frosts! 27 Hail to Agni! Hail to Soma! Hail to Indra! Hail to Earth! Hail to Firmament! Hail to Sky! Hail to Regions? Hail to Quarters! Hail to the Upward Region! Hail to the Downward Region !

22 The Adhvaryu whispers to the Brahman priest the blessings which the King hopes the sacrifice will secure to his kingdom.

23 The remaining verses of this Book contain formulas af homage to various Gods and natural and terrestrial objects, accompanying the presen tation of oblations made of various materials.