iii. 1. 7.
The Adhvaryu is he that brings trouble on the sacrificer, and he that brings trouble himself is ruined before the trouble. ‘From the formula spoken, guard me, from every execration’–(with these words) he should pour a libation before the morning litany (of the Hotr). So the Adhvaryu girds himself in front with a protection, to avert trouble.
For entry thee, for rest thee, for the overcoming of the Gayatri, of the Tristubh, of the Jagati, hail! O expiration and inspiration, protect me from death, O expiration and inspiration forsake me not.
They contend as to the deities and to expiration and inspiration [1], whose Soma (offerings) compete. ‘For entry thee, for rest thee’, he says; entry and rest are the metres; verily by the metres he appropriates his metres. The Ajya (Stotras) have the word ‘forward’ in them, for conquest. The beginning verses are addressed to the Maruts, for victory. Both the Brhat and the Rathantara (Samans) are used. The Rathantara is this (earth), the What yonder (sky); verily he cuts him off from these two. The Rathantara is to-day, the Brhat to-morrow; verily he cuts him off from to-day and to-morrow. The Rathantara is the past [2], the Brhat the future; verily he cuts him off from the past and the future. The Rathantara is the measured, the Brhat the unmeasured; verily he cuts him off from the measured and the unmeasured. Viçvamitra and Jamadagni had a quarrel with Vasistha. Jamadagni saw this Vihavya (hymn), and by means of it he appropriated the power and strength of Vasistha. In that the Vihavya is recited, the sacrificer appropriates the power and strength of his enemy. ‘He who performs more rites of sacrifice’, they say, ‘appropriates the gods.’ If the Soma (sacrifice) on the other side is an Agnistoma, he should perform an Ukthya; if it is an Ukthya, he should perform an Atiratra; verily by means of rites of sacrifice he appropriates his deities; he becomes better.
iii. 1. 8.
a. Ye are the Nigrabhyas, heard by the gods. Delight my life, delight my expiration, delight my inspiration, delight my cross-breathing, delight my eye, delight my ear, delight my mind, delight my speech, delight my trunk, delight my limbs, delight my offspring, delight my cattle, delight my house, delight my troops, delight me with all my troops, delight me [1]; may my troops not go thirsty.
b. The plants are the subjects of Soma; the subjects indeed are able to give up the king; Soma is connected with Indra. ‘I have made you grow in my mind, O ye well born; O ye born of right, may we enjoy your favour; may the divine plants in accord with Indra grant us the Soma for the pressing’, he says verily having begged him from the plants, his subjects, and his deity he presses him.
c. When the Soma is pressed [2] the first drop which falls has potency to destroy the power, strength, offspring, and cattle of the sacrificer; he should pronounce over it the formula, ‘Thou hast fallen to me with offspring, with abundance of wealth; destroy not my power and strength’; verily he invokes this blessing to prevent the destruction of his power, strength, offering, and cattle.
d. The drop hath fallen on the earth, the sky, On this seat and on the one which was aforetime
The drop that wandereth over the third seat I offer in the seven Hotras.’
iii. 1. 9.
a. He who bestows upon the gods the glory of the gods, and on men the glory of men, has the divine glory among the gods, the human glory among men. The libations which he draws off before the Agrayana libation, he should draw off silently; those after with noise; verily he bestows upon the gods the glory of the gods, and on men the glory of men; verily he has the divine glory among the gods, the human glory among men.
b. May Agni protect us at the morning pressing, He that belongeth to all men, all-wealful in his might; May he, the purifier, grant us wealth [1]; May we that share the draught be long-lived
c. May the All-gods, the Maruts, Indra, Not leave us at the second pressing; Long-lived, speaking what is pleasing to them, May we enjoy the favour of the gods.
d. This third libation belongeth to the sages Who righteously set the beaker in motion; May these Saudhanvanas, who have attained heaven, Bear our good offering to what is better
e. Some libations have bases, some have not. Those which have a sprinkling have bases, those [2] of Soma have not bases. Taking (the cup) for Indra and Vayu he should sprinkle it (saying), ‘May the sacrifice be harmless for plants, for our cattle, for our folk; for all creatures harmless thou art; swell like ghee, O god Soma.’ Verily so he makes the libations of Soma to have a base. He becomes possessed of a base who knows thus. Verily also he wets with ghee the sky and earth: they being wet are to be lived upon; he is to be lived upon [3] who knows thus.
f. This is thy share, O Rudra, for which thou didst ask; rejoice in it, find (for us) the lordship of cows, abundance of wealth, with good heroes and a year’s prosperity.’
g. Manu divided his property among his sons. He deprived Nabhanedistha, who was a student, of any portion. He went to him, and said, ‘How hast thou deprived me of a portion?’ He replied, ‘I have not deprived you of a portion; the Angirases here are performing a Sattra; they [4] cannot discern the world of heaven; declare this Brahmana to them; when they go to the, world of heaven they will give thee their cattle.’ He told them it, and they when going to the world of heaven gave him their cattle. Rudra approached him as he went about with his cattle in the place of sacrifice, and said, ‘These are my cattle.’ He replied, ‘They have given them [5] to me.’ They have not the power to do that’, he replied, (whatever is left on the place of sacrifice is mine.’ Then one should not resort to a place of sacrifice. He said, ‘Give me a share in the sacrifice, and I will not have designs against your cattle. He poured out for him the remnants of the mixed (Soma). Then indeed had Rudra no designs against his cattle. When one who knows thus offers the remnants of the mixed (Soma), Rudra has no designs against his cattle.
iii. 1. 10.
a. May I be pleasing to speech; pleasing to the lord of speech, O divine speech. The sweetness of speech place in me; hail to Sarasvati.
b. By the Rc make the Soma to prosper, By the Gayatra the Rathantara, The Brhat with the Gayatri for its metre.
c. The drop that falleth of them, that shoot, Shaken by the arms, from the womb of the pressing-planks,
Or from the filter of the Adhvaryu, Over it I say Hail! and offer it to Indra.
d. The drop, the shoot, that hath fallen on the ground, From the rice grains [1], the cake, the mush, From the Soma with grain, from the mixed, O Indra, from the pure, Over it I say Hail! and offer it to Indra.
e. Thy sweet drop, powerful, Over which Hail! is said and which goeth back to the gods From the sky, the earth, the atmosphere Over it I say Hail! and offer it to Indra.
f. The Adhvaryu is the first of the priests to start work, verily they say the Stoma should be started by him.
g. ‘May speech that goes in front go in front, going straight to the gods, placing glory in me, breath in cattle, offspring in me [2] and in the sacrificer’, he says; verily he yokes speech at the beginning of the sacrifice. The place of the sacrifice is made when having drawn off the libations they creep to the Bahispavamana; for they go away, and they praise with verses which go away; he returns, and with a verse addressed to Visnu reverences (the Soma); Visnu is the sacrifice; verily he makes the sacrifice. ‘O Visnu, as our nearest, O mighty one, grant us protection; the streams dripping honey milk for thee the unfailing source’, he says; verily he makes to swell by it whatever of the Soma has dried up through lying (in the barrels).
iii. i. 11.
a. By Agni may one win wealth And abundance day by day, Glory, full of heroes.
b. Rich in cattle, in sheep, O Agni, in horses is the sacrifice; With manly companions, ever unalterable;
Rich in food is this, O Asura, in offspring, Enduring, wealth, deep based and rich in houses.
C. Swell up.
d. Together for thee.
e. Here Tvastr the first, Of all forms, I call. May he be ours only.
f. That procreant strength for us do thou, O God Tvastr, graciously lot loose, Whence is born a hero [1] of great deeds, of skill, Who wieldeth the pressing-stone and loveth the gods.
g. Come hither, O Tvastr, propitious, Pervasive for abundance, and of thy own will, Aid us in every sacrifice.,
h. The hero is born, loving the gods, Of brilliant hue, strong, and full of vigour;, Tvastr accord us offspring and descendants; May he go to the place of the gods.
i. Forth for us, O goddess.
k. From the sky.
l May we milk offspring and food From Sarasvant’s breast, Swelling for all to see [2].1
m. May we enjoy the favour Of thy waves, O Sarasvant, Which are full of honey and drip ghee.
n. Let us call for aid on this Sarasvant, Whose ordinance all cattle follow, Whose ordinance the waters obey,
And in whose ordinance the lord of increase doth rest.
o. The divine, well-feathered bird, the great one, Germ of the waters, male of the plants, Who delighteth with rain from near, This Sarasvant let us call on for aid.
p. O Sinivali, with broad braids, Who art the sister of the gods, Accept the offering [3] which is made;
Reveal, O goddess, offspring unto us.
q. To her that hath fair hands, fair fingers, Prolific, and mother of many, To her the queen Sinivali,
Pour the offering.
r. Indra from all sides.
s. Indra men.
t. The dark-coloured steeds with fair feathers, Clad in the mist, spring up to the sky; They turn hitherward having established their abodes; Then the earth is wet with ghee.
u. He hath golden tresses in the expanse of the air, A raging serpent like the rushing wind, With pure radiance [4], knowing the dawn, Like true, glorious and toiling (women).
v. Thy winged (steeds) have charged them as they are wont; The dark bull hath roared when this was;
He hath come hither with (lightnings) that smile like kindly (women); The rains fall, the clouds thunder.
w Like a cow the lightning loweth; It tendeth its young like a mother, When their rain hath been let loose.
x The mountain that hath waxed great is afraid Even the ridge of heaven trembleth at your roaring; When ye sport, O Maruts [5], with your spears, Ye speed along together like the waters.
y. Roar and thunder, deposit a germ, Fly around with thy chariot water-laden; Draw downward thy opened water-skin, And let the heights and the depths be level.
z. Even these immovable things (dost thou eat), O Agni, like a beast at grass; What time, O immortal, the hosts of thee, The strong, rend the woods.
aa O Agni, many are the hosts of the immortal all-knower, O God, powerful; and (many) the [6] wiles of the wily Which of yore they deposited in thee, O thou that impellest all, O seeker of friends.
bb From the sky grant us rain, O ye Maruts; Make ye to swell the streams of the strong steed Come hither with this thunder, Pouring the waters, the Asura our father.
cc. The bounteous Maruts make to swell the waters Which yield milk with ghee for the sacrifices; The strong steer they lead about as it were for rain; They milk the thundering and never-failing spring.
dd. O ye Maruts, swimming in water, send forth The rain [7], which all the Maruts strengthen;
May it call aloud like a maiden, Like a wife with her husband in union.
ee With ghee anoint sky and earth, with honey; Make the plants rich in milk, the waters;
Make to swell strength and goodwill, When, O hero Maruts, ye pour the honey,
ff. Upwards that. gg The radiant.
hh. Like Aurva, like Bhrgu, like Apnavana, I summon the pure Agni who is clothed with the sea.
ii. As the impulse of Savitr, The favour of Bhaga, I call Agni who is clothed with the sea.
kk. I call the wise one, who soundeth like the wind, The might that roareth like Parjanya,
Agni who is clothed with the sea.
