iii. 5. 7.
The Vasat call cleft the head of the Gayatri; its sap fell away, it entered the earth, it became the Khadira; he, whose dipping-spoon is make of Khadira wood, cuts off with the sap of the metres; his oblations are full of sap. Soma was in the third sky from hence; the Gayatri fetched it, a leaf of it was cut off, that became the Parna, that is why the Parna is so called. He whose ladle is made of Parna wood [1] has his oblations acceptable; the gods rejoice in his oblation. The gods discussed regarding holy power; the Parna overheard it; he whose ladle is made of Parna wood is styled famous; he hears no evil bruit. The Parna is holy power, the Maruts are the people, the people are food, the Açvattha is connected with the Maruts; he whose ladle is made of Parna wood, and his spoon (upabhrt) is of Açvattha, by holy power wins food, and the holy class [2] puts over the people. The Parna is the royalty, the Açvattha is the people; in that the ladle is made of Parna wood and the spoon of Açvattha, verily he puts the royalty over the people. Prajapati sacrificed; where the oblation found support, thence sprung the Vikankata; there he created offspring; the oblation of him whose Dhruva, is made of Vikankata, wood finds rest; verily he is propagated. That is the form of the offering-spoons; on him whose spoons are so formed all forms of cattle attend, nothing unshapely is born in him.
iii. 6. 8.
a. Thou art taken with a support; for Prajapati thee, for him full of light, thee full of light I take; for Daksa who increases cleverness, (thee) that are acceptable to the gods, thee for those whose tongue is Agni, who are righteous, whose highest is Indra, whose king is Varuna, whose friend is Vata, whose breath is Parjanya, for sky thee, for atmosphere thee, for earth thee!
b. Smite away, O Indra, the mind of him who hateth us,
Who desireth to oppress us,
Smite him away who practiseth evil against us.
c. For expiration thee, for inspiration thee, for cross-breathing thee for
being thee, for not being thee; for the waters thee, for the plants for
all beings thee; whence offspring arose unhurt, for that thee, for Prajapati, of bounteous gifts, full of light, (thee) full of light I offer.
iii. 5. 9.
To that deity whom the Adhvaryu and the sacrificer overlook do they fall victims; he should draw the cup of curd for Prajapati, all the gods are Prajapati; verily they make reparation to the gods. This is the foremost of cups; verily he for whom it is drawn attains a foremost place. This cup is the form of all the deities; on him for whom it is drawn all forms of cattle attend. ‘Thou are taken with a support [1]; for Prajapati thee, for him full of light, (thee) full of light I take’, he says; verily he makes him a light of his equals. ‘For those whose tongue is Agni, who are righteous’, he says; so many are the deities; verily for all of them he draws it. ‘Smite away, O Indra, the mind of him who hateth us’, he says, for the smiting away of foes. ‘For expiration thee, for inspiration thee’, he says; verily he bestows the breaths on the sacrificer. ‘For that thee, for Prajapati, of bounteous gifts, full of light, (thee) full of light I offer’ [2], he says; all the deities are Prajapati; verily for all the deities he offers it. He should draw the cup of butter for one who desires brilliance; butter is brilliance; verily he becomes brilliant; he should draw the cup of Soma for one who desires splendour; Soma is splendour; verily he becomes resplendent; he should draw the cup of curd for one who desires cattle; curd is strength, cattle are strength; verily by strength he wins him strength and cattle.
iii. 5. 10.
a. All turn their minds towards thee
When these twice or thrice become helpers;
Mix with the sweet what is sweeter than sweet,
I have won with the mead the mead.
b. Thou art taken with a support; to Prajapati I take thee acceptably; this is thy birthplace; for Prajapati thee!
He draws the Prana, cups; so much is there as are these cups, these Stomas, these metres, these Prstha (Stotras), these quarters; whatever there is [1] that he wins. The highest Brahmans have proclaimed these before; they have therefore won all the quarters. He for whom these are drawn attains supremacy, he conquers the quarters. Five are drawn, the quarters are five; verily they prosper in all the quarters. Nine each are drawn; nine are the vital airs in man; verily upon the sacrificers he bestows the vital airs. At the beginning and at the end they are drawn; the Prana cups are the vital airs [2]; verily they begin with the vital airs, and end with the vital airs. Now offspring leave their vital airs in that the Vamadevya (Saman) departs from its norm; on the tenth day the Vamadevya departs from its norm; in that they are drawn on the tenth day, offspring leave not their vital airs.
iii. 5. 11.
a. Bring onward with meditation divine
The god, who knoweth all;
May he duly bear our sacrifices.
b. He, the Hotr is led forward for the sacrifice,
The servant of the gods;
Like a covered chariot glowing
He himself knoweth health.
c. This Agni rescueth
Us from the immortal race,
He that is stronger than strength,
The god made for life.
d. In the place of Ida we set thee down,
On the navel of the earth,
O Agni, all-knower,
To bear the oblation [1].
e. O Agni of kindly aspect, do thou with the All-gods
Sit first on the birthplace made of wool,
Nest-like, rich in ghee, for Savitr
Do thou lead well the sacrifice, for the sacrificer.
f. Sit thou, O Hotr, in thine own world, wise,
Place thou the sacrifice in the birthplace of good deeds
Eager for the gods, do thou sacrifice to them with oblation;
O Agni, bestow great strength on the sacrificer.
g. The Hotr hath sat him down in the place of the Hotr wise,
Glittering, shining, skilful,
With vows and foresight undeceived, most wealthy,
Bearing a thousand, pure-tongued Agni.
h. Thou art the envoy, thou [2] our guardian,
Thou, O bull, leadest us to better fortune;
0 Agni, be thou the guardian of our offspring, our descendants
In their bodies, unfailing and radiant.
i. To thee, O god Savitr,
Lord of things delightful,
We come for fortune, O thou of constant help.
k. May the great ones, sky and earth,
Mingle for us this sacrifice,
May they sustain us with support.
l. Thee, O Agni, from the lotus
Atharvan passed out,
From the head of every priest.
m. Thee [3] the sage, Dadhyañc,
Son of Atharvan, doth kindle,
Slayer of Vrtra, destroyer of forts.
n. Thee Pathya Vrsan doth kindle,
Best slayer of foes,
Winner of booty in every conflict.
o. Let men say too,
‘Agni hath been born, slayer of Vrtra,
Winning booty in every conflict.’
p. Whom, like a quoit in their bands,
Like a child at birth, they bear,
Agni, fair sacrificer of the folk.
q. Bring forward the god, best finder of riches,
For offering to the gods;
May he sit down in his own birthplace [4].
r. In the all-knower cause to rest
The dear guest on birth,
In a pleasant place, the lord of the house.
s. By Agni is Agni kindled,
The wise, the young, the lord of the house,
The bearer of the oblation, with ladle in his mouth.
t. Thou, O Agni, by Agni,
The sage by the sage, the good by the good,
The comrade by the comrade, art kindled.
u. Him they make bright, the wise,
Victorious in the contests,
Strong in his abodes.
v. By the sacrifice the gods sacrificed the sacrifice;
These were the first ordinances;
These mighty powers frequent the vault
Where are the ancient Sadhya gods.
