ii. 5. 8.
Without a Saman there is no sacrifice. ‘O Agni, come hither for the feast’, he says; this is the character of the Rathantara. ‘Thee with the kindling-sticks, O Angiras’, he says; this is the character of the Vamadevya. ‘The great and powerful one, O Agni’, he says. This is the character of the Brhat. In that he repeats this Trca, he makes the sacrifice have Samans. Agni was in yonder world, the sun in this; these worlds were disturbed [1]. The gods said, ‘Let us change them about.’ (Saying), ‘O Agni, come hither for the feast’, they placed Agni in this world, and (saying),’The great and powerful one, O Agni’, they placed the sun in yonder world. Then indeed these worlds became calm. In that he repeats (it) thus, (it serves) for the calming of these worlds; these worlds become calm for him who knows thus. He repeats fifteen Samidhenis [2]. The nights of the half-month are fifteen; the year is made up of half-months. There are three hundred and sixty syllables in the Samidhenis; there are as many nights in the year; verily by syllables he obtains the year. Nrmedha and Paruchepa had a theological dispute (and said), ‘Let us generate fire in the dry wood (to see) which of us two is the more of a theologian.’ Nrmedha spoke; he generated smoke. Paruchepa spoke; he generated fire. ‘O Rsi’, he said, [3], ‘seeing that our knowledge is equal, how didst thou generate fire and not I?’ ‘I know the character of the Samidhenis’, he replied. The character of the Samidhenis is the quarter-verse which is repeated with the word ‘ghee’ in it. ‘Thee with the kindling-sticks, Angiras’, he says; verily he generates light in the Samidhenis. They are feminine in that they are Rc (verses), they are feminine in that they are Gayatri (verses), they are feminine in that they are Samidhenis. He repeats a verse with the word ‘Male’ in it [4]. By it he gives them a husband, makes them possess Indra, and mates them. Agni was the messenger of the gods, Uçanas Kavya of the Asuras. They went to question Prajapati; he turned away (from Uçanas) (with the words). ‘Agni as messenger we choose.’ Then the gods prospered, the Asuras were defeated. The man for whom, knowing thus, he repeats, ‘Agni as messenger we choose, prospers himself, his enemy is defeated. He repeats a verse with the word ‘imperishable’; verily by it he causes his enemy to perish [5]. ‘The flaming locked, him we adore’, he says; that is purifying; verily with it he makes pure the sacrificer. ‘Thou art lit, O Agni, worshipped’, he says; verily he places around a barrier that may not be climbed. If he were to add anything further, it would be just as when (a libation) falls outside the barriers. There are three Agnis, the oblation bearer of the gods, the bearer of the offering of the Pitrs, the guardian of the Asuras. They repeat, ‘Me will he choose, me’ [6]. ‘Choose ye the bearer of the oblation’, he says; ‘let him choose him who is of the gods. He chooses one of a Rsi’s family; verily he departs not from the connexion, (and so it serves) for continuity. He chooses, beginning at the further end, in order of descent; therefore the Pitrs drink after men in order of descent, beginning at the further end.
ii. 5. 9.
‘O Agni, thou art great’, he says, for Agni is great. ‘O Brahman’, he says, for he is a Brahman. ‘O Bharata’,’ he says, for he bears the sacrifice to the gods. ‘Kindled by the gods’, he says, for the gods kindled him. ‘Kindled by Manu’, he says, for Manu kindled him after the gods. ‘Praised by the Rsis’, he says, for the Rsis praised him. ‘Rejoiced in by sages’, he says [1], for learned people are sages. ‘Celebrated by the poets’, he says, for learned people are the poets. ‘Quickened by the holy power (Brahman)’, he says, for he is quickened by the holy power (Brahman). ‘With ghee offering’, he says, for ghee is his dearest offering. ‘Leader of the sacrifices’, he says, for he is the leader of the sacrifices. ‘Charioteer of the rites’, he says, for he is the chariot of the gods. ‘The Hotr unsurpassed’, he says, for no one surpasses him [2]. ‘Surpassing, bearing the oblation’, he says, for he surpasses all. ‘The mouth dish, the ladle of the gods’, he says, for he is the ladle of the gods. ‘The bowl from which the gods drink’, he says, for he is the bowl from which the gods drink. ‘O Agni, like a felly the spokes, thou dost surround the gods’, he says, for he surrounds the gods. If he were to say, ‘Bring hither the gods to the pious sacrificer’, he would produce an enemy for him [3].2 ‘Bring hither the gods to the sacrificer’, he says; verily with that be makes the sacrificer to grow great. ‘O Agni, bring Agni hither, bring Soma hither’, he says; verily he summons the gods in order. ‘Bring hither the gods, O Agni; and sacrifice to them with a fair sacrifice, O Jatavedas’, he says; verily he quickens Agni, and quickened by him he bears the oblation to the gods. ‘Agni the Hotr’ [4], he says; Agni is the Hotr of the gods; him he chooses who is the Hotr of the gods. ‘We are’, he says; verily he makes himself attain reality. ‘Fair be to thee the deity, O sacrificer’, he says; verily he invokes this blessing (on him). If he were to say ‘Who hast chosen Agni as Hotr’, he would surround the sacrificer with Agni on both sides, and he would be liable to perish. The ladle has the sacrificer for its deity, the Upabhrt the enemy as its deity [5]. If he were to say two as it were, he would produce an enemy for him. ‘Take, Adhvaryu, the spoon (sruc) with ghee’, he says; verily by it he causes the sacrificer to wax great. ‘Pious’, he says, for he aids the gods, ‘With all boons’, he says, for he aids all. ‘Let us praise the gods worthy of praise; let us honour those worthy of honour; let us sacrifice to those worthy of sacrifice’, he says. Those worthy of praise are men; those worthy of honour are the Pitrs; those worthy of sacrifice are the gods; verily he sacrifices to the deities according to their portions.
ii. 5. 10.
In the case of a Rajanya let him repeat the Trcas thrice three other sorts of men are there besides the warrior, the Brahman, Vaiçya and Çudra; verily he makes them obedient to him. He should repeat fifteen (Samidhenis) in the case of a Rajanya; the Rajanya is fifteenfold; verily he makes him find support in his own Stoma. Let him surround it with a Tristubh; the Tristubh is power, the Rajanya sacrifices in desire of power; verily by the Tristubh he secures power for him. If he desires [1], ‘May there be splendour’, he should surround it with a Gayatri, the Gayatri is splendour; verily there is splendour. He should repeat seventeen for a Vaiçya; the Vaiçya is seventeenfold; verily he makes him find support in his own Stoma. He should surround it with a Jagati; cattle are connected with the Jagati, the Vaiçya sacrifices in desire of cattle; verily by the Jagati he secures cattle for him. He should repeat twenty one for one who desires support; the Ekavinça is the support of the Stomas; (verily twenty-one serve) for support [2]. He should repeat twenty-four for one who desires splendour: the Gayatri has twenty-four syllables, splendour is the Gayatri; verily by the Gayatri he secures splendour for him. He should repeat thirty for one who desires food; the Viraj has thirty syllables, the Viraj is food; verily by the Viraj he secures food for him. He should repeat thirty-two, for one who desires support; the Anustubh has thirty-two syllables, the Anustubh is the support of the metres; (verily thirty-two serve) for support. He should repeat thirty-six for one who desires cattle; the Brhati has thirty-six syllables, cattle are connected with the Brhati; verily by the Brhati he secures cattle for him [3]. He should repeat forty-four for one who desires power, the Tristubh has forty-four syllables, the Tristubh is power; verily by the Tristubh he secures power for him. He should repeat forty-eight for one who desires cattle; the Jagati has forty-eight syllables, cattle are connected with the Jagati; verily with the Jagati he secures cattle for him. He should repeat all the metres for one who makes many sacrifices, for all the metres are won by him who makes many sacrifices. He should repeat indefinitely to win that which is not definite.
ii. 5. 11.
The thread is worn around the neck for men, over the right shoulder for the Pitrs, over the left for the gods. He puts it over the left shoulder; verily he makes the mark of the gods. He repeats standing, for standing he speaks more audibly. He repeats standing, to conquer the world of heaven. He sacrifices sitting; verily he finds support in this world. In that he repeats in the Krauñca, note, that is connected with the Asuras, in the low note, that is connected with men, in the intermediate note, that is connected with the gods. One should repeat in the intermediate note, to secure the gods. Clever indeed [1] were the Hotrs of old; there fore the ways were held apart, and the paths did not conflict. One foot should be within the sacrificial altar, the other outside; then he repeats, to hold the ways apart and to avoid conflict of the paths. Then does he win the past and the future, the measured and the unmeasured does he win, domestic and wild cattle both does he win [2]; verily also the world of the gods and the world of men he conquers.
The gods having repeated the Samidhenis could not see the sacrifice. Prajapati in silence performed the sprinkling of the butter. Then indeed did the gods see the sacrifice. In that he silently sprinkles, (it serves) to light up the sacrifice. Verily also he anoints the kindling-sticks. He who knows thus becomes soft. Verily also he delights them. He delights in offspring and cattle [3] who knows thus. If he were to sprinkle with one (verse), he would delight one; if with two, (he would delight) two; if with three, he would make (the offering) go beyond (all others). He sprinkles (repeating the verse) in the mind, for what is imperfect is made perfect by mind. He sprinkles across so as not to make a failure. Speech and mind disputed; ‘I will bear the offering to the gods’, speech said; ‘I to the gods’, mind said. They went to question Prajapati; he said [4], Prajapati, ‘Thou art the messenger of mind, for what one thinks of in the mind, one utters in speech’. ‘Then assuredly they will not sacrifice to you with speech’, said (speech). Therefore in the mind they offer to Prajapati, for Prajapati is, as it were, the mind; (verily it serves) to obtain Prajapati. He rubs the enclosing-sticks; verily he purifies them. (He rubs) the middle one thrice; the breaths are three; verily he conquers the breaths. (He rubs) the southern one thrice; these worlds are three [5]; verily he conquers these worlds. (He rubs) the northern one thrice; three are the paths leading to the gods; verily he conquers them. Thrice he fans (the fire); the worlds of the gods are three; verily he conquers the worlds of the gods. They make twelve; the year has twelve months; verily he delights the year; verily also he brings up the year for him, to gain the world of heaven. He sprinkles; the world of heaven is as it were secret [6]; verily he makes the world of heaven resplendent for him. He sprinkles straight, for the breath is as it were straight. He sprinkles continuously, for the continuity of the breaths and of food and for the smiting away of the Raksases. If he desire of a man, ‘May he be likely to perish’, he should sprinkle crookedly for him; verily he leads his breath crookedly from him, and swiftly he perishes. The sprinkling is the head of the sacrifice, the ladle is the body [7]. Having sprinkled, he anoints the ladle; verily he places the head of the sacrifice on its body. Agni was the messenger of the gods, Daivya of the Asuras; they went to question Prajapati. Prajapati spake to a Brahman (saying), ‘Explain the phrase, “Make announcement”‘, ‘Hearken to this, O ye gods’, he said; ‘Agni the god is the Hotr’, (he said). He chose him of the gods. Then the gods [8] prospered, the Asuras were defeated. The man, who knows thus and for whom they chose his list of ancestors, prospers himself, his enemy is defeated. If a Brahman and a non-Brahman have a litigation, one should support the Brahman; if one supports the Brahman, one supports oneself; if one opposes the Brahman, one opposes oneself therefore one should not oppose a Brahman.
ii. 5. 12.
a Life to thee.
b. Life-giving, O Agni,
c. Swell up.
d. Together thee.
e. Thy wrath.
f. The uppermost.
g. Forward, O goddess.
h. From the sky to us.
i. O Agni and Visnu.
k. O Agni and Visnu.
l. This for me, O Varuna.
m. To thee for that I go.
n. Upwards that.
o. The radiant.
p. The child of the waters hath mounted the lap Of the devious ones, rising up and clothed in the lightning;
Bearing his highest greatness The golden-coloured young ones go about.
q. Some [1] meet, some go up, The streams fill their common stall; Round the pure shining son of the waters
The pure waters stand.
r. The austere maidens, go around the youth; The waters, making him clean; Agni shineth forth with pure radiance with wealth, Unkindled, butter-clad in the waters.
s I seek the help Of Mitra and Varuna, joint kings; May they be gracious to such as I.
t. O Indra and Varuna, grant ye great protection To our tribe, our people, for the sacrifice [2] May we conquer in battle the evil-minded, Him who is fain to overpower the man who long sacrificeth.
u. To us, O Mitra and Varuna.
v. Forth your arms.
w. O Agni, do thou, wise one, Appease by sacrifice for us the wrath of Varuna; Best sacrificer, best of bearers, radiant, Free us from every foe.
x. Do thou, O Agni, be nearest to us, Closest to help, at the dawning of this dawn; Appease for us by sacrifice Varuna [3], bestowing (on him); Show thy mercy and be ready to hear our call.
y. Far-famed is this Agni of Bharata, Since his great light shineth like the sun; He who overcame Puru in battle,
Hath shone forth, the heavenly guest, propitious for us.
z. I sacrifice to thee, I cast forward my prayer to thee, That thou mayst be invoked at our invocation; Thou art like a well in the desert, Thou, O Agni, to the man eager to worship, O ancient king [4].
aa. With his lustre.
bb. With light.
cc. Agni, with thy front, Burn the sorceresses, Shining in the broad dwellings.
dd. Thee of fair face, of fair look, the rapid one, The wiser, let us ignorant people follow; Let him sacrifice who knoweth all the ways, Let him proclaim the oblation among the immortals.
ee. To the freer from trouble.
ff. Which hath entered me.
gg. Away for us, O Indra.
hh. O Indra, might.
ii. Powers, O Çatakratu.
kk. To thee hath been given.
