A continuation of the hymn of questions on creation, speech and the One God.

1 How on the Gayatri the Gayatri was based; how from the Trishtup they fashioned the Trishtup forth; how on the Jagati was based the Jagati—they who know this have won themselves the life everlasting.

2 With Gayatri he measures out the praise-song, Saman with praise-song, triplet with the Trishtup, the triplet with the two or four-foot measure, and with the syllable they form seven metres.

3 With Jagati the flood in heaven he stablished, and saw the sun in the Rathantara Saman. Gayatri hath, they say, three logs for burning: hence it excels in majesty and vigour.

4 I call this milch-cow good at milking, so that the milker, deft of hand, may milk her. May God give goodliest stimulation. The caldron is made hot: he will proclaim it.

5 She, Lady of all treasures, hath come hither, yearning in spirit for her calf, and lowing. May this Cow yield her milk for the offering, and may she prosper to our high advantage.

6 The Cow hath lowed after her blinking youngling: she licks his forehead as she lows, to form it. His mouth she fondly calls to her warm udder, and suckles him with milk while gently lowing.

7 He also snorts, by whom encompassed round the Cow lows as she closely clings to him who sheds the rain. She with her shrilling cries hath humbled mortal men, and, turned to lightning, hath stripped off her covering robe.

8 That which hath breath and life and speed and motion lies firmly stablished in the midst of houses. The living moves by the powers of those who have gone before: the soul that dies not with the body is companion of the mortal.

9 The old hath waked the young moon from his slumber, who runs his circling course with many round him. Behold God's high wisdom in its greatness: he who died yesterday to-day is living.

10 He who hath made him doth not comprehend him: from him who saw him surely he is hidden. He, yet enveloped in his mother's bosom, source of much life, hath sunk into destruction.

11 I saw the Herdsman, him who never stumbles, approaching by his pathways and departing. He, clothed with gathered and diffusive splendours, within the worlds continually travels.

12 Heaven is as a father to us, our nourisher: kinship is here. This great Earth is our kin and mother. Between the wide-spread halves of the world is the birthplace; heaven laid the germ of rain within it.

13 I bid thee tell me earth's extremest limit, about the stallion's genial flow I ask thee; I ask about the universe's centre, and touching highest heaven where Speech abideth.

14 The earth's most distant limit is this place of worship: this offering is the stallion's genial humour; this worship is the universe's centre: this scholar, highest heaven where Speech abideth.

15 What thing I truly am I know not clearly: mysterious, fettered in my mind I wander. When the first-born of holy Law approached me, then of this Speech I first obtain a portion.

16 Back, forward goes he, grasped by power inherent, the soul that dies not, companion of the mortal. Ceaseless they move in opposite directions: men mark the one and fail to mark the other.

17 Seven germs unripened yet are Heaven's prolific seed: their functions they maintain by God's ordinance. Endued with wisdom through intelligence and thought, present on every side they compass us about.

18 Upon what syllable of holy praise-hymn, as 'twere their highest heaven, the angels repose them—who knows not this, what will he do with praise-hymn? But they who know it well sit here assembled.

19 They, ordering the verse's foot by measure, with the half-verse arranged each thing that moveth. Prayer was diffused in many forms three-footed: thereby the world's four regions have their being.

20 Fortunate mayst thou be with goodly pasture, and may we also be exceeding wealthy. Feed on the grass, O Cow, through all the seasons, and coming hitherward drink limpid water.

21 Forming the water-floods the Cow herself hath lowed, one-footed or two-footed or four-footed, she, who hath become eight-footed or acquired nine feet, the universe's thousand-syllabled Pankti. From her descend in streams the seas of water.

22 Dark the descent: the birds are golden-coloured. Robed in the floods they fly aloft to heaven. Again from Order's seat have they descended, and inundated all the earth with fatness.

23 The footless Maid precedeth footed creatures. Who marketh, O God, All-Seeing Friend, this Thy doing? The unborn babe, the sun, bears this world's burden: by God's command he supports the right and watches wrong and falsehood.

24 The Radiant Order is the speech, and the earth, and the air's mid-region: all are His signs. He is the Creator, and He is the Lord Imperial of the heavenly host. He rules what is and what shall be hereafter. May He make me steward of what is and shall be.

25 I saw from far away the smoke of fuel with spires that rose on high o'er that beneath it. The heroes cooked and dressed the spotted bullock. These were the customs in the days aforetime.

26 Three with long tresses show in ordered season. One of them sheareth when the year is ended. One with his powers the universe regardeth. Of one the sweep is seen, but not the figure.

27 Speech hath been measured out in four divisions: the learned who have wisdom comprehend them. Three, kept in close concealment, cause no motion. Of Speech men speak the fourth division only.

28 They call Him the Mighty, the Friend, the All-Seeing, the Radiant; and the sun, the heavenly nobly-winged, is but His sign. That which is One bards call by many a title: they call Him the Radiant, the Controller, the Life-giving Wind.