iii. 2. 6.
a. Thou art the milk of the great ones, the body of the All-gods; may I to-day accomplish the cup of the speckled ones; thou art the cup of the speckled ones; thou art the heart of Visnu, once hath Visnu stepped apart along thee, O vigorous one; with curds and ghee may prosperity be increased; may wealth come to me from this which is offered and enjoyed thou art the light for all men, milked from the dappled one.
b. As great as are sky and earth in mightiness, As great as the expense of the seven rivers, So great is the cup of thee, O Indra [1], Which unvanquished I draw off with strength. If a black bird touch the speckled butter, his slaves would be likely to die; if a dog touch it, his fourfooted cattle would be likely to die; if it were to be spilt, the sacrificer would be likely to die. The speckled butter is the cattle; his cattle fall, if his speckled butter falls; in that he takes again the speckled butter, he takes again cattle for him. The speckled butter is the breath; his breath [2] falls, if his speckled butter falls; in that he takes again the speckled butter, he takes again breath for him. He takes it after placing gold (in the ladle), gold is immortality, the speckled butter is the breath; verily he places immortality in his breath. It is of a hundred measures, man has a hundred years of life, a hundred powers; verily on life and power he rests. He makes a horse sniff it, the horse is connected with Prajapati; verily from his own place of origin he fashions offspring for him. His sacrifice is broken whose speckled butter is spilt. He takes it again with a Rc addressed to Visnu; Visnu is the sacrifice; verily he unites the sacrifice by the sacrifice.
iii. 2. 7.
a. O God Savitr, he hath declared that to thee; that do thou impel and offer.
b. The Brahman is Brhaspati.
c. Depart not from the life-giving Rc, from the Saman which protecteth the body.
d. Let your wishes be accomplished, let your purposes (be accomplished).
e. Speak right and truth.
f. Praise ye on the impulse of the god Savitr.
g. The praised of the praised art thou, may the praised milk strength for me, may the praised of the praised come to me.
h. Thou art the Çastra of the Çastra [1], may the Çastra milk strength for me, may the Çastra of the Çastra come to me.
i. With power may we conquer, May we milk offspring and food.
k. May my wish be accomplished among the gods.
l. May splendour come to me.
m. The sacrifice hath become, it hath come into being, It hath been born, it hath waxed great;
It hath become the overlord of the gods, May it make us overlords, May we be lords of wealth.
n. Either the sacrifice [2] milks the lord of the sacrifice, or the lord of the sacrifice milks the sacrifice. Him, who sacrifices not knowing the milking of the Stotra and the Çastra, the sacrifice milks, he after sacrificing becomes worse; he, who knowing the milking of these two sacrifices, milks the sacrifice; he after sacrificing becomes better. ‘The praised of the praised art thou, may the praised milk strength for me, may the praised of the praised come to me. The Çastra, of the Çastra thou art, may the Çastra milk strength for me, may the Çastra of the Çastra come to me’, he says; this is the milking of the Stotra and the Çastra; he who sacrifices knowing thus milks the sacrifice, and by sacrificing becomes better.
iii. 2. 8.
a. To the flying eagle hail! Vat! To him who approveth himself homage. To the support, the law, hail! Vat! To him who approveth himself homage. To the enclosing-stick which extendeth men hail! Vat! To him who approveth himself homage. To the strength of the Hotras hail! Vat! To him who approveth himself homage. To the milk of the Hotras hail! Vat! To him who approveth himself homage. To Prajapati, to Manu, hail! Vat! To him who approveth himself homage. Right, guardian of right, heaven-bearing, hail! Vat! To him who approveth himself homage.
b. Let the Hotras delight in the sweet ghee.
c. To the lord of the sacrifice the Rsis said, ‘By thy sin [1] creatures are famishing and troubled’;
He did not secure the two drops of honey; May Viçvakarman unite us with them.
d. Dread are the Rsis; homage be to them, In the union with their eye and mind;
To Brhaspati great, real, and glorious reverence; Homage to Viçvakarman; may he guard us.
e Deeming that the Soma-drinkers are his own, Knowing the breath like a valiant man in battle,–
He hath committed a great sin and is bound by them– Him set free, O Viçvakarman [2], for safety.
f. Those who eating deserved not riches, Whom the fires of the hearths did trouble,
That is their offering to expiate the ill sacrifice A good sacrifice for us may Viçvakarman make it.
g. Homage to the Pitrs, who have watched around us,Making the sacrifice, loving the sacrifice, the benignant deities; We have not brought you the offering without desires;
Trouble us not for this sin.
h. All those who are in the Sadas must have presents; he who did not [3] give them a present would fall a victim to them; in that he offers the libations to Viçvakarman, he thus delights those who are in the Sadas.
i. Ye gods, have regard to this wonder, The good thing which the husband and wife win with the milk admixture; A male child is born, be findeth riches, And all the house prospereth unhurt.
k. May the husband and wife who give the milk admixture win good; May wealth unharmed attend them dwelling in harmony; May he, who poureth that which hath been milked together with the pot (of Soma),
By the sacrifice leave misfortune on his way.
l. Butter-necked [4], fat is his wife; Fat his sons and not meagre,
Who with his wife eager to offer a good sacrifice Hath given to Indra the milk admixture together with the pot (of Soma).,
m. May the milk admixture place in me strength and good offspring And food, wealth and fair fame,
(Me that am) conquering the fields with might, O Indra, And casting down my rivals.
n. Thou art being, place me in being; thou art the mouth, may I be
the mouth.
o. From sky and earth I take thee.
p. May the All-gods, belonging to all men [5], move thee forward.
q. In the sky make firm the gods, in the atmosphere the birds, on earth the creatures of earth.
r. With the firm offering the firm Soma, we transfer,
That the whole world may be for us Free of sickness and of kindly intent;
s. That Indra may make All the clans for us of one mind, That all the quarters May be ours alone.
iii. 2. 9.
In that the Hotr addresses the Adhvaryu, he makes the thunder bolt advance towards him; ‘O reciter of hymns’, he says in response at the morning pressing; the syllables herein are three, the Gayatri has three Padas, the morning pressing is connected with the Gayatri; verily with the Gayatri he places the thunderbolt within the morning pressing. ‘The hymn hath been uttered’, he says in response at the midday pressing; the syllables herein are four, the Tristubh has four Padas, the midday pressing is connected with the Tristubh; verily with the Tristubh he places the thunderbolt within the midday pressing [1]. ‘The hymn hath been uttered to Indra’, he says in response at the third pressing; the syllables herein are seven, the Çakvari has seven Padas, the thunder bolt is connected with the Çakvari; verily with the thunderbolt he places the thunderbolt within the third pressing. The theologians say, ‘He indeed would be an Adhvaryu who should produce the metres in the responses according to the pressings; he would bestow brilliance upon himself at the morning pressing, power at the midday pressing, and cattle at the third pressing.’ ‘O reciter of hymns’, he says in response at the morning pressing; the syllables herein are three, [2], the Gayatri has three Padas, the morning pressing is connected with the Gayatri; verily at the morning pressing he produces the metres in the response; now the Gayatri is brilliance, the morning pressing is brilliance; verily at the morning pressing he bestows brilliance upon himself. ‘The hymn hath been uttered’, he says in response at the midday pressing; the syllables herein are four, the Tristubh has four Padas, the midday pressing is connected with the Tristubh; verily at the midday pressing he produces the metres in the response; now the Tristubh is power, the midday pressing is power [3]; verily at the midday pressing he bestows power upon himself. ‘The hymn hath been uttered to Indra’, he says in response at the third pressing; the syllables herein are seven, the Çakvari has seven Padas, cattle are connected with the Çakvari, the third pressing is connected with the Jagati; verily at the third pressing he produces the metres in the response; now the Jagati is cattle, the third pressing is cattle; verily at the third pressing he bestows cattle upon himself that the Hotr addresses the Adhvaryu, he puts fear in him; if be were not to smite it off [4], they would have fear in his house before the year (was over). ‘Recite, let us two rejoice’,’ he responds, and thereby he smites it off. Just as one looks for the exact interval, so the Adhvaryu looks for the response. If he were to respond in advance, that would be as when one goes to meets the exact interval. If the (response) were to be omitted after the half-verse, that would be as when one is left behind those that are running. The Udgithas are similar for the priests, the Udgitha for the Udgatrs, [5], the Rces and the Pranavas for the singers of hymns, the response for the Adhvaryus. He, who knowing thus responds, becomes an eater of food, a strong one is born among his offspring. The Hotr is this (earth), the Adhvaryu yonder (sky); in that he recites sitting, so the Hotr goes not away from the (earth), for this (earth) is seated as it were; verily thereby the sacrifice milks this (earth). In that he responds standing, so the Adhvaryu goes not away from yonder (sky) [6], for yonder (sky) stands as it were; verily thereby the sacrificer milks yonder (sky). In that he recites sitting, therefore the gods live on that which is given hence; in that he responds standing, therefore men live on what is given thence. In that he recites seated towards the east, and he responds standing towards the west, therefore seed is impregnated in front, offspring are born behind. In that the Hotr addresses the Adhvaryu, he makes the thunderbolt advance towards him; he turns towards the West; verily he overcomes the thunderbolt.
iii. 2. 10.
a. Thou art taken with a support; thou art seated in speech for the guardians of speech, for the guardians of insight, for the overseers of this established sacrifice do I take thee.
b. Thou art taken with a support; thou art seated in holy order; for the guardians of sight, &c., do I take thee.
c. Thou art taken with a support; thou art seated in holy lore; for the guardians of the ear, &c., do I take thee.
d. For the gods thee!
e. For the All-gods thee!
f. For all the gods thee!
g. O Visnu, wide striding, this is thy Soma; guard it [1] let not the evil-eyed one espy this of thine.
h. In me is the Vasu, whom wealth precedeth, who guardeth the voice; guard my voice.
i. In me is the Vasu, who winneth wealth, who guardeth the eye; guard my eye.
k. In me is the Vasu, who keepeth wealth together, who guardeth the ear; guard my ear.
l. Thou art Bhuh, best of rays, guardian of expiration; guard my expiration.
m. Thou art Dhuh, best of rays, guardian of inspiration; guard my inspiration.
n. The foe who, O Indra and Vayu, is hostile to us, Who seeketh to assail us, O lords of splendour,
May I here burl him below my feet, So that, O Indra, I may shine as the highest.
o. (The foe who), O Mitra and Varuna, &c.
p. (The foe who), O Açvins, &c.
iii. 2. 11.
a. He by thy help, O Agni,
With good heroes, making strength, is victorious,
Whose companionship thou dost favour.
b. Your ancient lofty praise bear
To Agni, the Hotr
The creator who beareth as it were the light of songs.
c. O Agni, three are thy powers, three thy stations,
Three are thine ancient tongues, O born of holy order;
Three are thy bodies in which the gods find pleasure,
With them guard thou our songs unfailing.
d. With the rite, with food [1] I impel you,
O Indra and Visnu, to the end of this work;
Rejoice in the sacrifice and bestow wealth,
Furthering us with safe ways.
e. Both are victorious, they are not defeated
Neither of them at any time hath been defeated;
When, with Indra, O Visnu, ye did strive,
Then did ye in three divide the thousand.
f. Three ages are thine, O All-knower,
Three births in the dawns, O Agni;
With them, knowing, do thou propitiate the gods,
And [2] be for the sacrificer health and wealth.
g. Agni abideth in three abodes
Of three foundations, the sage;
May he offer and may he satisfy for us,
The three sets of eleven (gods);
The wise envoy made ready,
Let the others all be rent asunder.
h. O Indra and Visnu, ye overthrew
The nine and ninety strong forts of Çambara;
Of Varcin, the Asura, a hundred and a thousand heroes
Do ye slay irresistibly.
i. Then did his mother seek to persuade him,
‘O son, these gods are abandoning thee.’
Then said Indra, about to slay Vrtra,
‘O friend Visnu, step thou more widely.’
