1 For you with bridal train they first escorted the bride to her home. Give to the husband in return, O Radiant One, the wife with future sons.

2 The Radiant One has given the bride again with splendour and a lengthened life. Long-lived be he who is her lord; a hundred autumns let him live.

5 Your favouring grace has come, you who are rich in spoil! Our longings are stored up within your hearts. You, lords of splendour, have become our twofold guard: may we as dear friends reach the dwelling of the friend.

6 You, dame, rejoicing, take with kindly spirit wealth worthy to be famed, with all your heroes. Give, O lords of light, a fair ford, good to drink at; remove the spiteful stump that blocks the pathway.

7 May all the rivers, all the plants, may all the forests, all the fields, O bride, protect you from evil, and guard his mother for her lord.

8 Our feet are on this pleasant path, easy to travel, bringing bliss, whereon no hero suffers harm, which wins the wealth of other men.

9 Hear these my words, you men, the benediction through which the wedded pair have found high fortune. May the angels who are protectors of these fruitful trees regard this bride with their auspicious favour, nor harm the nuptial pomp as it advances.

10 Consumptions, which, through various folk, attack the bride's resplendent train, these let the holy angels again bear to the place from which they sprang.

11 Let not the highway thieves who lie in ambush find the wedded pair. Let wicked men's malignities go elsewhere by an easy path.

12 I look upon the house and the bride's procession with prayer and with the gentle eye of friendship. All that is covered there in perfect beauty may God the Life-giver make pleasant to the husband.

13 She has come home, this dame, come home to bless us; this her appointed world the Sustainer has shown her. So may the Creator and the twin helpers, the Friend, the Bestower, gladden her with offspring.

14 This dame has come, an animated corn-field: there sow, you man, the seed of future harvest. She from her teeming side shall bear you children, and feed them from the fountain of her bosom.

15 Take your stand, a queen are you. Let her bear children, and live in peace in the grace of the Bestower.

16 So let your wave bear up the pins, and you, O waters, spare the thongs; and never may the holy pair, sinless and innocent, suffer harm.

17 Not evil-eyed, no slayer of your husband, be strong, mild, kind, and gentle to your household. Mother of heroes, love your husband's father; be happy; and through you may we too prosper.

18 No slayer of your husband or his father, gentle and bright, bring blessing on the cattle. Loving your husband's father, bring forth heroes. Tend well this household fire; be soft and pleasant.

19 Up and begone, malignity! Vain is the hope that brought you. Fly off, malignity; stay here no longer.

20 As first of all this woman has adored the sacred household fire, so do you, dame, pay homage to the forefathers, and remember God's grace.

21 Take this wrapper as a screen, to be a covering for the bride. Let her bear children, and live in the bounty of her Lord.

22 Let her who shall be blest with sons, the maid who finds a husband, step upon the rough grass that you spread and on the skin you lay beneath.

23 Over the ruddy-coloured skin strew the grass. Let her, the mother of good sons, sit there and serve this household fire here.

24 Step on the skin and wait upon this fire: it drives away evil. Here bear children to this man your husband; let this your boy be happy in his birthright.

25 Let many babes of varied form and nature spring in succession from this fruitful mother. Tend this fire, you bringer of good fortune. Here with your husband serve God with worship.

26 Bliss-bringer, furthering your household's welfare, dear, gladdening your husband and his father, enter this home, mild to your husband's mother.

27 Be pleasant to your husband's sire, sweet to your household and your lord. To all this clan be gentle, and favour these men's prosperity.

28 Signs of good fortune mark the bride. Come all of you and look at her. Wish her prosperity; take on you her evil luck and go your way.

29 You youthful maidens, ill-disposed, and all you ancient women here, give all your brilliance to the bride, then to your several homes depart!

30 The bride, in high felicity, mounted her litter with its cloth of gold, wearing all forms of loveliness.

31 Rise, mount the bridal bed with cheerful spirit. Here bring forth children to this man your husband. Watchful and understanding, wake before the earliest light of morning.

32 The righteous lay down beside their consorts, body with body met in close embracement. O dame, perfect in your grandeur, here rich in future children, meet your husband.

37 In your due season, parents, come together. Mother and sire be you of future children. Embrace this woman like a happy lover. Raise up offspring here; increase your riches.

38 Send her, most rich in every charm, O Nourisher, her who shall be the sharer of my joys; her who shall twine her eager arms about me, and welcome all my love and soft embraces.

39 Up, happy bridegroom! with a joyous spirit caress your wife and throw your arm around her. Here take your pleasure, procreate your offspring. May God bestow long life upon you.

40 So may the Lord of Life vouchsafe you children; may the Friend bind you, day and night, together. Enter your husband's house with happy omens; bring blessing to our quadrupeds and bipeds.

41 Sent by the angels, associate with Manu, the vesture of the bride, the nuptial garment: he who bestows this on a thoughtful scholar drives from the marriage-bed all evil.

42 The priestly meed wherewith you twain present me, the vesture of the bride, the nuptial garment: this do you both, O Lord of Prayer and Mighty One, bestow with loving-kindness on the scholar.

43 On your soft couch awaking both together, revelling heartily with joy and laughter, rich with brave sons, good cattle, goodly homestead, live long to look on many radiant mornings.

44 Clad in few garments, fragrant, well-apparelled, to meet the refulgent dawn have I arisen. I, like a bird that quits the egg, am freed from sin and purified.

45 Splendid are heaven and earth, still near to bless us, mighty in their power; the seven streams have flowed: may they free us from distress.

46 To the sun and the angels, to the Friend and to the All-Seeing, who know aright the thing that is, this adoration have I paid, to God alone.

47 He without ligature, before making incision in the neck, closed up the wound again, most wealthy Bounteous Lord who heals the dissevered parts.

51 May all the hems and borders, all the threads that form the web and woof, the garment woven by the bride, be soft and pleasant to our touch.

53 Her whom the Lord of Prayer has loosed, the hosts of servants keep secure; with all the splendour that is stored in cows do we enrich this girl.

54 Her whom the Lord of Prayer has loosed, the hosts of servants keep secure; with all the vigour that is stored in cows do we enrich this girl.

55 Her whom the Lord of Prayer has loosed, the hosts of servants keep secure; with all good fortune do we enrich this girl.

56 Her whom the Lord of Prayer has loosed, the hosts of servants keep secure; with all the glory do we enrich this girl.

57 Her whom the Lord of Prayer has loosed, the hosts of servants keep secure; with all the milky store possessed by cows do we enrich this girl.

58 Her whom the Lord of Prayer has freed, the hosts of servants keep secure; with all the store of sap that cows contain do we enrich this girl.

59 If, wearing long loose hair, these men have danced together in your house, committing sin with shout and cry, may God free you from that guilt, may the Life-giver deliver you.

60 If in your house your daughter has wept, with wild dishevelled locks, committing sin with her lament, may God free you from that guilt, may the Life-giver deliver you.

61 If the bride's sisters, if young maids have danced together in your house, committing sin with shout and cry, may God free you from that guilt, may the Life-giver deliver you.

62 If any evil has been wrought by mischief-makers that affects your cattle, progeny or house, may God free you from the woe, may the Life-giver deliver you.

63 This woman utters wish and prayer, as down she casts the husks of corn: Long live my lord and master! yea, a hundred autumns let him live!

64 Join this couple, O Mighty One, like the chakravaka bird and his mate: may they attain to full old age with children in their happy home.

65 Whatever evil has been wrought on cushion, chair, or canopy, each plan to mar the wedding rites, all this we throw away into the bath.

66 Whatever fault or error was in marriage or in bridal pomp, this woe we wipe away upon the cloak the intercessor wears.

67 We, having laid the stain and fault upon the intercessor's cloak, are pure and meet for sacrifice. May He prolong our lives for us.

68 Now let this comb, wrought with a hundred teeth, remove whatever impurity dims the hair upon this woman's head.

69 We take away consumption from each limb and member of the bride. Let not this reach the earth, nor the angels in heaven, let it not reach the sky or air's wide region; let not this dust that sullies reach the waters, nor the fire, nor the host of forefathers.

70 With all the milk that is in the earth I gird you, with all the milk that plants contain I dress you. I gird you round with children and with riches. Do you, thus girt, receive the offered treasure.

71 I am this man, that dame are you; I am the psalm and you the verse; I am the heaven and you the earth. So will we dwell together here, parents of children yet to be.

72 Unmarried men desire to wed; bountiful givers wish for sons. Together may we dwell with strength unscathed for high prosperity.

73 May they, the forefathers who, to view the bride, have joined this nuptial train, grant to this lady and her lord children and peaceful happiness.

74 Her who first, guided by a rein, came hither, giving the bride here offspring and possessions, let them convey along the future's pathway. Splendid, with noble children, she has conquered.

75 Wake to long life, watchful and understanding, yea, to a life that shall last a hundred autumns. Enter the house to be the household's mistress. A long long life may God vouchsafe you.