Krishna Yajur Veda

PRAPATHAKA IV
The Fifth Layer of Bricks (continued)

iv. 4. 1.

a. Thou art the ray; for dwelling thee! Quicken the dwelling. Thou art advance; for right thee! Quicken right. Thou art following; for sky thee! Quicken the sky. Thou art union; for atmosphere thee! Quicken the atmosphere. Thou art propping; for earth thee! Quicken earth. Thou art a prop; for rain thee! Quicken rain. Thou art blowing forward; for day thee! Quicken day.

b. Thou art blowing after; for night thee! Quicken night. Thou art eager [1]; for the Vasus thee! Quicken the Vasus. Thou art intelligence; for the-Rudras thee! Quicken the Rudras. Thou art the brilliant; for the Adityas thee! Quicken the Adityas. Thou art force; for the Pitrs thee! Quicken the Pitrs. Thou art the thread; for offspring thee! Quicken offspring. Thou dost endure the battle; for cattle thee! Quicken cattle.

c. Thou art wealthy; for plants thee! Quicken plants. Thou art the victorious with ready stone; for Indra thee! Quicken Indra. Thou art the overlord; for expiration [2] thee! Quicken expiration. Thou art the restrainer; for inspiration thee! Quicken inspiration. Thou art the glider; for the eye thee! Quicken the eye. Thou art the bestower of strength; for the ear thee! Quicken the ear. Thou art threefold.

d. Thou art Pravrt, thou art Samvrt, thou art Vivrt. Thou art the mounter, thou art the descender, thou art the fore mounter, thou art the after mounter.

e. Thou art the wealthy, thou art the brilliant, thou art the gainer of good.

iv. 4. 2.

a. Thou art the queen, the eastern quarter; the Vasus, the deities, are thine overlords, Agni stayeth missiles from thee; may the threefold Stoma support thee on earth, may the Ajya hymn establish thee in firmness, the Rathantara Saman be thy support.

b. Thou art the ruling, the southern quarter; the Rudras, the deities, are thine overlords, Indra stayeth missiles from thee; may the fifteenfold Stoma support thee on earth, may the Praüga hymn establish thee, in firmness, the Brhat Saman be thy support.

c. Thou art the sovereign, the western quarter [1]; the Adityas, the deities, are thine overlords, Soma stayeth missiles from thee; may the seventeenfold Stoma support thee on earth, the Marutvatiya hymn establish thee in firmness, the Vairupa Saman be thy support.

d. Thou art the self-ruling, the northern quarter; the All-gods are thine overlords, Varuna stayeth missiles from thee; may the twenty-onefold Stoma support thee on earth, the Niskevalya Uktha establish thee, in firmness, the Vairaja Samana be thy support.

e. Thou art the lady paramount, the great quarter; the Maruts, the deities, are thine overlords [2], Brhaspati stayeth missiles from thee; may the twenty-sevenfold and the-thirty-threefold Stomas secure thee on earth, the Vaiçvadeva and the Agnimaruta hymns establish thee in firmness, the Çakvara and Raivata Samans be thy support.

f. For the atmosphere may the Rsis firstborn among the gods extend thee with the measure, the breadth, of the sky, and be that is disposer and overlord; let all of them in unison establish thee and the sacrificer on the ridge of the vault, on the world of heaven.

iv. 4. 3.

a. This in the front, with tawny hair, with the sun’s rays; the leaders of his host and bands are Rathagrtsa and Rathaujas, and Puñjikasthala and Krtasthala his Apsarases, his missile wizards, his weapon the Raksases.

b. This on the right, all worker; the leaders of his host and bands are Rathasvana and Rathecitra, and Menaka and Sahajanya his Apsarases, his missile biting beasts, his weapon the death of men.

c. This behind, all extending; the leaders of his host and bands are Ratheprota and Asamaratha, and Pramlocanti [1] and Anumlocanti his Apsarases, his missile the serpents, his weapon tigers.

d. This on the left, collecting riches; the leaders of his host and bands are Senajit and Susena, and Viçvaci and Ghrtaci his Apsarases, his missile the waters, his weapon the wind.

e. This above, bringing riches; the leaders of his host and bands Tarksya and Aristamemi, and Urvaçi and Parvacitti his Apsarases, his missile the lightning, his weapon the thunder.

f. To them homage; be they gracious to us; him whom [2] we hate and who hateth us I place in your jaws.

g. I place thee in the seat of the living, in the shadow of the helper; homage to the ocean, homage to the splendour of the ocean.

h. May the supreme lord place thee on the ridge of the vault, encompassing, expanding, mighty, powerful, overcoming; support the sky, make firm the sky, harm not the sky; for every expiration, inspiration, cross-breathing, out-breathing, support, movement; let Surya protect thee with great prosperity, with a covering most healing; with that deity do thou sit firm in the manner of Angiras.

i. Like a horse neighing eager for the pasture,
When he hath wandered from the great enclosure,
Then the wind bloweth after his splendour,
And then thy path becometh black.

iv. 4. 4.

a. Agni is the head of the sky, the height,
Lord of the earth here,
He quickeneth the seed of the waters.

b. Thee, O Agni, from the lotus
Atharvan pressed out
From the head of every priest.

c. This Agni is lord of a thousandfold,
A hundredfold, strength;
The sage, the head of wealth.

d. Leader of the sacrifice and the region art thou,
Where with steeds auspicious thou dost resort;
Thou placest in the sky thy head winning light,
Thou makest, O Agni, thy tongue to bear the oblation.

e. Agni hath been awakened by the kindling-stick of men
To meet the dawn that cometh on like a cow [1];
Like young ones rising up to a branch,
The rays rise towards the vault.

f. We have uttered to the sage, the worshipful,
Our voice of praise, to the strong bull;
Gavisthira with his homage hath raised to Agni this laud,
Wide extending like brilliance in the sky.

g. He hath been born as guardian of men, wakeful,
Agni, skilful, for fresh prosperity;
Ghee-faced, with mighty sky-reaching (blaze)
He shineth gloriously, pure for the Bharatas.

h. Thee, O Agni [2], the Angirases found
When hidden in secret, resting in every wood;
Thou when rubbed art born as mighty strength;
Son of strength they call thee, O Angiras.

i. Banner of the sacrifice, first domestic priest,
Agni men kindle in the three stations;
With Indra and the gods conjoined on the strew
Let him sit, as Hotr, well skilled for sacrificing.

k. Thee of most resplendent fame
Men invoke in their dwellings,
With flaming hair, O dear to many,
O Agni, to bear the oblation.

l. O friends, together (offer) fit [3]
Food and praise to Agni,
Highest over the folk,
The son of strength, the mighty.

m. Thou gatherest, O strong one,
O Agni, all that belongeth to the niggard;
Thou art kindled in the place of offering;
Do thou bear us good things.

n. With this homage Agni,
Son of strength, I invoke,
Dear, most effectual messenger, the good sacrificer,
The envoy of all, immortal.

o. He, the ruddy, shall yoke (his steeds) all cherishing,
He shall hasten when well adored;
The sacrifice hath good prayer and strong effort [4],
Of the Vasus, the divine gift of men.

p. The radiance of the bounteous offerer
Hath mounted on high,
The ruddy smoke (riseth) touching the sky;
Men in unison kindle Agni.

q. O Agni, lording it over strength rich in kine,
Youthful son of strength,
Bestow upon us, O all-knower, great fame.

r. Being kindled, bright, sage,
Agni, to be praised with song,
Do thou shine with wealth for us, O thou of many faces.

s. O Agni, lord of the night,
And of the morning, and of the dawn,
Do thou burn against the Raksases with sharp jaws [5].

t. May we kindle thee, O Agni,
Radiant, O god, and unaging;
When this most desirable
Kindling-stick maketh radiance for thee in the sky,
Do thou bear food to thy praisers.

u. With the song, O Agni, the oblation,
O lord of brilliant light,
Bright shining, wonderworker, lord of the people,
O bearer of the oblation, is offered to thee;
Do thou bear food to thy praisers.

v. O bright one, in thy mouth thou cookest
Both ladles (full) of butter;
Do thou make us full [6],
For our hymns, O lord of strength;
Do thou bear food to thy praisers.

w. O Agni to-day, let us make to prosper by praises,
By devotions, for thee this (sacrifice) like a (good) steed,
Like a noble resolve which toucheth the heart.

x. O Agni, thou hast become master
Of noble resolve, of true inspiration,
Of mighty holy order.

y. With these songs singing to thee, O Agni,
This day let us pay worship;
Thy strengths thunder forth as from the sky.

z. At these our hymns of praise do thou be propitious [7],
Like the light of heaven,
O Agni, propitious with all thy faces.

aa. Agni I deem the Hotr, the generous wealth-giver,
The son of strength, the all-knower,
Who knoweth all as a sage,

bb. Who offereth sacrifice well,
With beauty soaring aloft towards the gods, the god,
Following the flames of the ghee,
Of the butter of brilliant radiance when offered up.

c.c O Agni, be thou our nearest,
Our protector, kindly, a shield;

dd. Thee, O shining and most radiant one,
We implore for favour, for our friends.

ee. Agni, bright, of bright fame,
Come hither in thy greatest splendour and give us wealth.

iv. 4. 5.

a. I yoke thee in bonds of fellowship with Indra and Agni, with the ghee sprinklings, with brilliance, with radiance, with the hymns, with the Stomas, with the metres, for the increase of wealth, for pro-eminence among thy fellows; I yoke thee in bonds of fellowship with me.

b. Amba, Duhi, Nitatni, Abhrayanti, Meghayanti, Varsayanti, Cupunika, art thou by name, with Prajapati, with our every prayer, I deposit thee.

c. The earth penetrated by food, a reservoir of water (thou art), men are thy guardians, Agni is placed in this (brick), to it I resort, and may it [1] be my protection and my refuge.

d. The over-sky penetrated by holy power, the atmosphere (thou art); the Maruts are thy guardians, Vayu is placed in this (brick), to it I resort, and may it be my protection and my refuge.

e. The sky, penetrated by ambrosia, the unconquered (thou art); the Adityas are thy guardians, the sun is deposited in this (brick), to it I resort, and may it be my protection and my refuge.