The Placing of the Fire in the Fire-pan

4.1.1

a Yoking the mind first,

Extending his thoughts, the Light-giver

Discerning the light,

Has brought the fire from the earth.

b Yoking with mind the righteous,

Going to the heaven, the sky, with thought,

Those that are to make great light,

The Light-giver instigates.

c With mind well yoked are we

In the instigation of God the Light-giver,

For strength to go to the heaven.

d They yoke their minds, they yoke their thoughts,

The priests of the mighty wise Priest,

He alone, who knows the way, appoints their functions;

Great is the praise of God the Light-giver.

e I yoke with honour your ancient prayer;

The praises go like heroes on their way;

All the sons of immortality hear it,

Who have achieved dwellings divine.

f He whose advance others followed,

The angels, praising the might of God,

He who meted out the regions of earth,

He is the brilliant God the Light-giver in greatness.

g O God the Light-giver, instigate the sacrifice, instigate the lord of the sacrifice to good luck; may the angel who purifies thoughts purify our thought; may the Lord of speech today make sweet our utterance.

h This sacrifice for us, O God the Light-giver,

Do Thou instigate, serving the righteous,

Finding comrades, ever victorious,

Winning booty, winning heaven.

i By the verse make the chant to prosper,

By the Gayatra the Rathantara,

The Brhat with the Gayatri for its metre.

k On the impulse of God the Light-giver, with the arms of the two angelic Healers, with the hands of the Nourisher, with the Gayatri metre, I take thee, in the manner of Angiras.

l Thou art the spade, thou art the woman; from the abode of the earth I bear the fire of the dust in the manner of Angiras; with the Tristubh metre I grasp thee in the manner of Angiras.

m Thou art the bearer, thou art the woman; through thee may we be strong to dig the fire of the dust in its place; with the Jagati metre I grasp thee in the manner of Angiras.

n Grasping in Thy hand, O Light-giver,

Bearing the spade of gold,

Therewith digging out the fire

Do Thou bring for us light unperishing.

With the Anustubh metre I grasp thee in the manner of Angiras.

4.1.2

a This bond of order they grasped

At their assemblies in ages gone by, the sages;

Therewith the righteous mastered the pressed juice;

In the chant of order proclaiming the stream.

b Swiftly run hither, O steed,

Along the most extended space;

In the sky is thy highest birth,

In the atmosphere thy navel, on the earth thy birthplace.

c Yoke ye two the ass,

In this course, O ye of mighty wealth,

Which bears the fire, serving us.

d In each need more strong,

In each contest, we invoke,

As friends, the Mighty One to aid us.

e Hastening come hither, trampling the enemy,

Come with wondrous skill from the leadership of the Healer;

Fare along the broad atmosphere,

With happy pastures, bestowing security.

f With the Nourisher as fellow, from the abode of the earth do thou approach

the fire of the dust in the manner of Angiras.

g We approach the fire of the dust in the manner of Angiras.

h We will bear the fire of the dust in the manner of Angiras.

i We bear the fire of the dust in the manner of Angiras.

k The Radiant One gazed along the forefront of the dawns,

Along the days first, the All-Knower,

And in many ways along the rays of the sun,

He has extended along sky and earth.

l The steed coming from the way

Drives every foe;

He is fain to gaze with his eye

On the fire in its great abode.

m Coming to earth, O steed,

Do thou seek the fire with thy radiance;

Turning from earth tell us

Whence we shall dig it up.

n Thy back is the sky, thy abode earth,

Thy breath the atmosphere, thy birthplace the ocean;

Discerning with thine eye,

Do thou overcome the enemy.

o Arise for great prosperity

From this abode, giving wealth, O steed;

May we enjoy the loving favour of earth,

That are about to dig fire in her lap.

p The strong steed has stepped forward, giving wealth;

He has made the place of earth well wrought;

Thence let us dig the fire of fair aspect,

Mounting the heaven on the top of the vault.

q The water of heaven do Thou pour, full of sweetness

To avert diseases for men,

From their place let arise

Plants with fair leaves.

r I touch the fire with mind, with ghee,

Which lords it over all the worlds by God's leave,

Broad, vast, with pervading vital power,

Most extensive, impetuous, winning food.

s I touch thee with speech, with ghee,

With friendly mind accept it;

With mortal glory, with engaging colour,

The fire, with body full of life, may not be touched.

t Round the offerings the flame has gone,

The sage, the lord of strength,

Bestowing jewels on the donor.

u May we set Thee around us, O Radiant One,

The sage, O strong One, as a fort,

Of daring due, day by day,

Destroyer of that which may be broken.

v Thou, O Radiant One, with days, fain to shine towards us,

Thou from the waters, Thou from the rock,

Thou from the woods, Thou from the plants,

Thou, O lord of men, art born pure.

4.1.3

a On the impulse of God the Light-giver, with the arms of the two Healers, with the hands of the Nourisher, in the abode of earth, I dig the fire of the dust in the manner of Angiras.

b Full of light, Thou, O Radiant One; of fair aspect,

Shining with unaging radiance,

Auspicious and harmless to offspring,

In the abode of earth, I dig the fire of the dust in the manner of Angiras.

c Thou art the back of the waters, expansive, wide,

About to bear the fire, least to be laid aside;