PRAPATHAKA VI
The Piling of the Fire Altar (continued)
v. 6. 1.
a. Golden of colour, pure, purifying,
In which was born Kaçyapa, in which Indra,
They have conceived Agni as a germ, of varied forms;
May these waters be gentle and kindly to us.
b. Those in whose midst Varuna doth go,
Gazing on the truth and falsehood of men,
Dripping honey, pure, purifying;
May these waters be gentle and kindly to us.
c. Those of which in the sky the gods make their food,
Those that are in many places in the sky,
Those that inundate the earth with their sap [1], the pure ones
May these waters be gentle and kindly to us.
d. With auspicious eye gaze on me, O waters;
With auspicious body, do ye touch my skin;
I invoke all you Agnis that sit in the waters;
Do ye confer upon me radiance and might and force.
e. When as ye went below
Ye cried (ánadata) on the slaying of the serpent,
Therefore are yo criers (nadyáh) by name;
f. These are your names, O streams.
When instigated by Varuna
Ye wallowed speedily [2],
Then Indra obtained (apnot) you as ye went
Therefore ye are waters (ápah).
g. As ye glided against his will,
He stayed (ávivarata) your courses,
Indra with his might, O goddesses;
Therefore your name is water (váh).
h. One god stepped upon them,
As they glided, according to his will,
(Saying) ‘The great ones have breathed forth (úd)
Therefore they are called water.
i. The waters are kindly, the waters were ghee;
These waters bear Agni and Soma;
The bitter sap of those dispensing sweetness [3], the satisfying,
Hath come to me with breath, with radiance.
k. I behold, or I hear;
The cry cometh to me, the voice of them to us;
I consider that I have enjoyed the ambrosia then,
When I delighted you, O ye of golden hue.
l. Ye, waters, are healing;
Further us to strength,
To see great joy.
m. The most auspicious flavour that is yours,
Accord to us here,
Like eager mothers.
n. To him may we come with satisfaction,
To whose dwelling ye quicken us,
O waters, and propagate us.
O Arise to the sky, aim at the atmosphere, be united with the earth;
thou art splendour; for splendour thee!
v. 6. 2.
He draws cups of water; the cups are the royal consecration; the fire is the consecration; the royal consecration is the consecration of Varuna; (the fire) to be piled is Agni’s consecration; verily by them is he consecrated; verily also he conquers both the worlds, that of him who has offered the royal consecration and that of the piler of the fire. There are waters; the waters are foes of Agni; in that he puts the waters down below the fire, (they serve) to overcome his foe; he prospers himself, his foe is defeated. The waters are ambrosia [1]; therefore they sprinkle with water him who is faint; he does not go to ruin, he lives all his life, for whom these are put down, and who knows them thus. The waters are food, the waters are cattle, cattle are food; an eater of food and rich in cattle he becomes, for whom these are put down, and who knows them thus. They are twelve; the year has twelve months; verily by the year he wins food for him [2]; there are vessels used; in a vessel is food eaten; verily he wins food with its birthplace; up to the twelfth generation he eats food; moreover, he is not cut off from his vessel for whom these are put down, nor he who knows them thus. The pots and the pans make pairs, for the propagation of pairing; with offspring, with cattle, with pairings is he propagated for whom these are put down and he who [3] knows them thus. Agni is pain; he afflicts the Adhvaryu, the sacrificer, and offspring with pain; in that he puts down water, he soothes his pain; neither Adhvaryu nor sacrificer goes to ruin; offspring are soothed where these are put down. The waters are the hearts of the waters; in that he puts these down, he unites these with (the waters) of the sky; Parjanya becomes likely to rain [4]. He who knows their home and their arrangement becomes possessed of a home, things go in order for him. Along the furrows he puts (them) down; this is their home, their arrangements; he who knows thus becomes possessed of a home, and things go in order for him. The others he puts down in pairs, but four in the middle, for support. The bricks are food, this oblation is food in very presence; in that he puts down this oblation, verily straightway [5] he wins food for him; in the middle he puts (them) down; verily he bestows food on him in the middle; therefore in the middle is food eaten. It is offered to Brhaspati; Brhaspati is the holy power of the gods: verily by holy power he wins food for him. ‘Thou art splendour; for splendour thee!’ he says; brilliant and resplendent does he become, for whom these are put down, and he who knows it thus.
v. 6. 3.
He puts down the bricks of being; in every place is death born; wherever death is born, thence he removes it by sacrifice; therefore the piler of the fire lives all his life, for all deaths are removed by him; therefore the piler of the fire is not to be practised against; his witchcraft turns upon him (who does so) and lays him low. He who piles the fire is consecrated; these are the offerings of the divine consecrators; so many are the consecrations of the gods, and they [1] confer consecrations upon him; they consecrate him, the fire is consecration; the royal consecration is the consecration of Varuna; (the fire) to be piled is the consecration of holy power. ‘On the instigation of the god Savitr, thee’, he says; verily instigated by Savitr he consecrates him with holy power, with the deities. He pours down every sort of food, to win every sort of food. He pours down over him from the front face to face; for from the front face to face is food eaten. He pours down from the head, for from the head is food eaten; he causes (the water) to flow over up to the mouth [2]; verily on the mouth he bestows food-eating upon him. ‘With the lordship of Agni I consecrate thee’, he says; this is the consecration of Agni; verily he consecrates him with it. ‘With the lordship of Brhaspati I consecrate thee’, he says; Brhaspati is the holy power of the gods; verily with holy power he consecrates him. ‘With the lordship of Indra I consecrate thee’, he says; verily he confers power from above upon him. That [3] is the form of the royal consecration. He who knowing thus piles the fire conquers both the worlds, that of him who has offered the royal consecration and that of the piler of the fire. When Indra had been consecrated, his power and strength fell away in ten places; the gods brought it together with the Sautramani; he who piles the fire is consecrated; having piled the fire he should sacrifice with the Sautramani; verily collecting power and strength he places them in himself.
