23 All hail to Agni, Master of the Household! All hail to Soma, Sovran of the Forest !

All-hail to the great vigour of the Maruts! All-hail to the effectual might of Indra!

Injure me not, O Mother Earth, and may I never injure thee. 24 The Hamsa throned in light, the Vasu in mid-air, the Priest beside the altar, Guest within the house,

Dwelling in noblest place, mid men, in truth, in sky, born of flood, kine, truth, mountain, he is mighty Law.

25 So great art thou: life art thou; give me life. Mate art thou: thou art splendour; give me splendour. Strength art thou: give me strength. I draw you downward, two arms of Indra mighty in achievement.

26 Fair art thou, good to sit on, womb of kingship.

Sit on the fair one, sit on that which offers a pleasant seat : sit in the womb of kingship.

27 Varuna, Law's maintaiuer, hath sat down among his people, he Most wise, for universal sway.

28 Supreme Lord art thou. May these five regions of thine be prosperous. Brahman! Thou art Brahman. Savitar art thou, faithful in impulsion. Varuna art thou, he whose power is real. Indra art thou, whose strength is of the people. Rudra art thou, the very kind and gracious.

then passes on in front of the Sacrificial Stake and stops the chariot before the hall where he recites the text which is partly taken, with variations, from R. V. V. 33. 3.

23 He offers the four Rathavimochanîya or Car-unharnessing oblations with their respective formulas.

24 He dismounts from the chariot reciting the text taken from R. V. IV. 40. 5. Hamsa: or Swan; the Sun who floats through the sky.

In truth or in the sacrifice. Kine: or rays of light. Mountain: cloud behind which he rises. Mighty Law: 'the great truth': Eggeling.

25 The Sacrificer touches one of two gold discs or beads fastened on the right wheel of the car-stand, and addresses it with the text. Life: cf. X.15. Strength art thou: he touches and addresses a branch of an Udumbara tree which has been hidden in the wheel-track. I draw: the Adhvaryu draws the Sacrificer's arms down to the mess of curds placed on the tiger-skin.

26 Fair art thou: the Adhvaryu addresses a throne of Khadira wood (Acacia Catechu) which has been placed on the tiger-skin. Good to sit on: he spreads a mantle on the seat. Womb of kingship: investing the embryo King. Sit: he addresses the Sacrificer.

27 The Adhvaryu touches the Sacrificer's breast with the text from R. V. I. 25. 10. Varuna: the moral Governor of the world, typifying the new King.

28 He puts five dice into the Sacrificer's hand, in the shape of golden shells, representing the four quarters of the sky and the zenith. See S. B. E. XLI. 10. 6. note, Brahman!: the Sacrificer addresses the Brahman priest.

Doer of much, Improver, Wealth-increaser!

Indra's bolt art thou. Be therewith my vassal.

29 May spacious Agni, Lord of Duty, gladly, vast Agni, Duty's Lord, accept the butter.

All-hail !

Hallowed by Svâhâ, with the beams of Surya, strive for his central place among the kinsmen.

30 I creep forth urged onward by Savitar the Impeller; by Sarasvati, Speech; by Tvashtar, created forms; by Pushan, cattle; by this Indra; by Brihaspati, Devotion; by Varuna, Power; by Agni, Brilliance; by Soma, the King; by Vishnu the tenth Deity.

31 Get dressed for the Asvins. Get dressed for Sarasvati. Get dressed for Indra the Good Deliverer.

Soma the Wind, purified by the strainer, Indra's meet friend, hath gone o'erflowing backward.

32 What then? As men whose fields are full of barley reap the ripe corn, removing it in order,

So bring the food of these men, bring it hither, who pay the Sacred Grass their spoken homage.

Taken upon a base art thou. Thee for the Aşvins.

Thee for Sarasvati, and thee for Indra, for the Excellent
Protector.

Thou art Brahman: the priest's reply. Varuna, etc.: the priest's second reply to the Sacrificer's second address. Indra art thou: the third reply to the address repeated for the third time. Rudra: as above, the fourth time. Doer of much the priest addresses the Sacrificer for the fifth time. Indra's bolt the wooden sacrificial sword is addressed, which the Purohita or the Adhvaryu hands to the Sacrificer. It is to be used for marking out the gaming-ground; on which the dice are thrown, and the winning numbers presented to the King as tokens of victory and supremacy.

30 Formulas for the Daṣapeya (To be Drunk by Ten) Libations or Sacrifices. The priests, officiating and others, a hundred in number, meet toge ther at the ceremony on a Soma-pressing day, and having each counted ten ancestors who have offered Soma sacrifices, perform the Samsṛip or Creeping oblation, so called because the priests creep along to their respective fire-hearths. The formula is recited by each of the priests.

31 Formulas follow for the performance of the Sautrâmani, a ceremony originally instituted to obviate or atone for excess in Soma drinking, subsequently a supplement to other sacrificial rites. Get dressed: he addresses the Surâ (see IX. 4) prepared for the ceremony. Good Deliverer: Sutrâman, whence the name of the sacrifice is formed. Soma: he purifies the Sura in a vessel with blades of Darbha grass. The Wind: meaning, according to Mahîdhara, (purified) by the wind. According to the St. Petersburg Lexicon, vayu here means 'inviting,' a rendering adopted by Prof. Eggeling. The word may, perhaps, mean 'purifying.' Cf. the plural váyavaḥ, ‘breezes," I. 1.

32 He throws meal of Badarf or Jujube fruit into the purified Surâ and draws a draught of the liquor in a vessel of Vaikaňkata (Flacourtia Sapida) wood, with the text, taken, with an important variation in the last Pâda, from R. V. X. 131. 2.

33 Ye Agvins, Lords of Splendour, drank full draughts of grateful Soma juice,

And aided Indra in his deeds with Namuchi of Asura birth. 34 As parents aid a son, both Aṣvins aided thee, Indra, with their wondrous powers and wisdom.

When thou with might hadst drunk the draught that gladdens, Sarasvati, O Bounteous Lord, refreshed thee.

33 The Sacrificer recites two Inviting Texts taken from R. V. X. 131. 4, 5. Namuchi: see X. 14. This Asura, the friend of Indra, is said to have drunk up, with Surâ and Soma, the manly strength of Indra who, on his complaining to the Asvins and Sarasvati, received from them a thunderbolt in the shape of the waters' foam with which he cut or tore off Namuchi's head.

BOOK THE ELEVENTH.

HARNESSING, first of all, the mind, Savitar having stretched the thought

With reverent look upon the light of Agni bore them up from earth.

2 By impulse of God Savitar we with our spirit harnessed strive With might to win the heavenly.

3 Savitar, having harnessed Gods who go to light and heavenly thought,

Who will create the lofty light-Savitar urge them on their way!

4 The priests of him the lofty priest well skilled in hymns, harness their spirit, yea, harness their holy thoughts.

He only, skilled in rules, assigns their priestly tasks. Yea, lofty is the praise of Savitar the God.

5 I yoke with prayer your ancient inspiration: may the laud rise as on the prince's pathway.

All Sons of the Immortal One shall hear it, who have resorted to celestial dwellings.

Books XI.-XVIII. contain formulas for the construction of altars or hearths for the various sacrificial fires, and first and chiefly for building up with about 10,800 brieks, all laid with special consecrating texts, the Uttaravedi or High Altar which represents the Universe and is identified with Agni himself. This ceremony, called the Agnichayana requires a year for its complete performance and is of corresponding importance (see Sacred Books of the East, XLIII., Introduction). The High Altar is constructed in the shape of an outspread bird, probably an eagle or a falcon.

1 Harnessing: applying to the holy work. Savitar: the Impeller, here mearing Prajapati, the Lord of creatures, who is identified with Agni, that is the Fire Altar which is now to be built. Them: oblations; or bricks, according to Mabidhara. With this and the seven following formulas the Adhvaryu offers an eightfold oblation, that is, a single oblation of eight dipping-spoonfuls of clarified butter poured into the offering-ladle.

2 To win the heavenly: to merit heaven by the due performance of our task.

3 Having harnessed: engaged them in Agni's service. By thought: or devotion, or skill. Lofty light: the Sun, Agni. On their way to perform their task.

4 Taken from R. V. V. 81. 1. The lofty Priest: Savitar; or Agni-Prajâpati. Well skilled in hymns: or 'inspirer of devotion': Eggeling. Rules: that regulate sacrifice.

5 Taken from R. V. X. 13. 1. Your: referring to the Sacrificer and his wife, according to Mahidhara. Inspiration : brahma; according to Mahidhara, the vital airs, the Seven Rishis, and Brahmans who are engaged in the holy work. The prince's pathway: the prince or noble is the Sacrificer, whose praise is to pervade earth and heaven. Sons of the Immortal One: the Gods whose father is Prajapati.

6 Even he, the God whose going forth and majesty the other Deities have followed with their might,

He who hath measured the celestial regions out by his great power, he is the Courser Savitar.

7 Our sacrifice, God Savitar! speed forward: speed to his share the sacrifice's patron.

May the celestial Gandharva, cleanser of thought and will, make clean our thoughts and wishes.

The Lord of Speech sweeten the words we utter!

8 God Savitar, speed this God-loved sacrifice of ours, friendfinding, ever-conquering, winuing wealth and heaven. Speed praise-song with the sacred verse, Rathantara with Gâyatra, Brihat that runs in Gâyatra. All-hail!

9 By impulse of God Savitar I take thee, with arms of Aşvins, with the hands of Pûshan, in Angiras' manner, with Gayatri metre.

From the earth's seat bring thou Purîshya Agni, as Angiras was wont, with Trishṭup metre.

10 Spade art thou; woman art thou. Ours be power with thee to dig out Agui in his dwelling, as Angiras was wont, with Jagatî metre.

11 Savitar, bearing in his hand the gold spade which he took therewith,

Looking with reverence on the light of Agni, raised it from the earth,

With the Anushṭup metre and as Angiras was wont to do. 12 Run hither, urged to speed, O Horse, along the most extended space.

6 Taken from R. V. V. 81. 3.

7 Repeated from IX. 1. Celestial Gandharva: Savitar, the Sun-God 8 Praise-song: stoma. Sacred verse: rich; recited verse of praise. Rathantara: see X. 10. Brihat: see VII. 22; X. 11.

9 Thee the spade (see V. 22; VI. 1.) that is to be used for digging up earth and clay for the construction of the Altar. In Angiras' manner: as Angiras, one of the institutors of Agni's worship, and the priestly members of his family did aforetime. Purishya: an epithet of Agni identified with the Altar, abiding in the loose earth or rubble used as mortar to fill the spaces between the bricks and to bind them together. Mahidhara gives another meaning also: good to purishas, that is, cattle. See III. 40.

10 Woman: niri; the word for spade, abhri, being feminine. According to Mahidhara, nårî=nu + ariḥ, may mean, not having an enemy. See V. 22, note.

11 A formula to be used on taking up the spade.

12 Holding the spade, he addresses the animals, a horse, an ass, and a he-goat, that have been posted looking eastward. First the horse is addressed as representing the Sun in heaven, Vâyu in mid-air, and Agni on earth.