On the hospitable reception of guests, which is as an act of worship before God.

1 Whoso will know Prayer with immediate knowledge, whose members are the stuff, whose spine the verses,

2 Whose hairs are psalms, whose heart is called the sacrificial formula, whose coverlet is verily the offering—

3 Verily when a host looks at his guests he looks at the place of worship. 4 When he salutes them reverently he undergoes preparation for a religious ceremony: when he calls for water, he solemnly brings water for worship. 5 The water that is solemnly brought at worship is this same water. 6 The drink which they bring, the animal offered for God's sake and prepared for the feast, that, verily, is this man. 7 When they arrange dwelling-rooms they arrange the hall of worship and the shed for housing the carts of provision. 8 What they spread upon the floor is just the sacred grass. 9 With the couch that the men bring, he wins for himself the Garden. 10 The pillow-coverings that they bring are the green sticks that surround the altar. 11 The ointment that they bring for inunction is just clarified liquid butter. 12 The food they bring before the general distribution represents the two sacrificial cakes of rice meal. 13 When they call the man who prepares food they summon the preparer of the offering. 14 The grains of rice and barley that are selected are just filaments of the soma plant. 15 The pestle and mortar are really the stones of the press. 16 The winnowing-basket is the filter, the chaff the dregs, the water the pressing-gear. 17 Spoon, ladle, fork, stirring-prong are the wooden tubs; the earthen cooking-pots are the mortar-shaped vessels; this earth is just the black antelope's skin.

18 Or the host acts in this way to the learned guest of a householder who institutes worship: when he looks at the furniture and utensils he says, More here! Yet more here. 19 When he says, Bring out more, he lengthens his life thereby. 20 He brings offerings: he makes the men sit down. 21 As host to the seated company he himself offers up worship. 22 With ladle, with hand, in life, at the post of offering, with the cry of Ladle! with the cry of consecration! 23 Now these guests, as teachers beloved or not beloved, bring one by God's grace to the Garden. 24 He who hath this knowledge should not eat hating, should not eat the food of one who hates him, nor of one who is doubtful, nor of one who is undecided. 25 This man whose food they eat hath all his wickedness blotted out. 26 All that man's sin whose food they do not eat remains unblotted out. 27 The man who supplies food hath always his tools adjusted, a wet filter, well prepared religious rites, and mental power to complete the arranged worship. 28 The arranged worship of the man who offers food is a worship offered to God, the Creator. 29 The man who offers food follows the way of the Giver of all sustenance. 30 The fire for the guests, the fire in the dwelling, and that whereon they cook food are each as a fire of worship.

31 Now that man who eats before the guest eats up the worship and the merit of the house. 32 He devours the milk and the sap: 33 And the vigour and prosperity: 34 And the progeny and the cattle: 35 And the fame and reputation. 36 The man who eats before the guest eats up the glory and the understanding of the house. 37 The man should not eat before the guest who is a scholar versed in holy lore. 38 When the guest hath eaten he should eat. This is the rule for the animation of the worship and the preservation of its continuity. 39 Now the sweetest portion, the produce of the cow, milk, or flesh, that verily he should not eat before the guest.

40 The man who having this knowledge pours out milk and offers it wins for himself as much thereby as he gains by the performance of a very successful great act of worship. 41 The man who having this knowledge pours out clarified butter and offers it wins for himself thereby as much as he gains by the performance of a very successful night-long act of worship. 42 He who pours out honey and offers it wins for himself thereby as much as he gains by the performance of a very successful act of worship by many hands over many days. 43 He who having this knowledge besprinkles flesh and offers it wins for himself thereby as much as he gains by the performance of a very successful twelve-day act of worship. 44 The man who having this knowledge pours out water and offers it obtains a resting-place for the procreation of living beings and becomes dear to living beings, even the man who having this knowledge pours out water and offers it.

45 For him the dawn murmurs, and the light-giving sun sings the prelude; the angels chant with vigour, and the shapers of things join in with increase; all the angels take up the conclusion. He who hath this knowledge is the abiding-place of welfare, of progeny, and of cattle. 46 For him the rising sun murmurs, and early morning sings the prelude; noon chants the psalm, afternoon joins in; the setting sun takes up the conclusion. He who hath this knowledge is the abiding-place of welfare, of progeny, and of cattle. 47 For him the rain-cloud murmurs when present, sings the prelude when thundering, joins in when lightening, chants the psalm when raining, and takes up the conclusion when it stays the downpour. He who hath this knowledge is the abiding-place of welfare, of progeny, and of cattle. 48 He looks at the guests, he utters a gentle sound; he speaks, he sings the prelude; he calls for water, he chants the psalm; he offers the residue of the offering, he takes up the conclusion.

49 When he summons the door-keeper he gives instruction. 50 He (the door-keeper) pronounces the formula in his answer to what he hears. 51 When the attendants with vessels in their hands, foremost and hindmost, come in, they are just the ministers who manage the cups. 52 Not one of

them is incompetent to worship. 53 Or if the host, having offered food to his guest, goes up to the house, he virtually enters the bath of purification. 54 When he distributes food he distributes gifts to the learned; what he performs he asks as a favour. 55 He, having been invited on earth, regales, invited, in that which wears all various forms on earth. 56 He, having been invited in the air, regales, invited, in that which wears all various forms in the air. 57 He, having been invited in the sky, regales, invited, in that which wears all various forms in the sky. 58 He, having been invited in the realms of the angels, regales, invited, in that which wears all various forms in those realms. 59 He, having been invited in the worlds, regales, invited, in that which wears all various forms in the worlds. 60 He, having been invited, hath been invited. 61 He gains this world and the world yonder. 62 He who hath this knowledge wins the luminous spheres.