The Five Layers of Bricks

4.3.1

a I place thee in the going of the waters; I place thee in the rising of the waters; I place thee in the ashes of the waters; I place thee in the light of the waters; I place thee in the movement of the waters.

b Sit on the billows as thy place of rest; sit on the ocean as thy place of rest; sit on the stream as thy place of rest; sit in the abode of the waters; sit on the seat of the waters.

c I place thee in the seat of the waters; I place thee in the dwelling of the waters; I place thee in the dust of the waters; I place thee in the womb of the waters; I place thee in the stronghold of the waters.

d The metre the Gayatri; the metre the Tristubh; the metre the Jagati; the metre the Anustubh; the metre the Pankti.

4.3.2

a This one in front, the existent; his, the existent's breath; spring born of the breath; the Gayatri born of the spring; from the Gayatri the Gayatri chant; from the Gayatra the Upansu cup; from the Upansu cup the threefold chant; from the threefold chant the Rathantara; from the Rathantara Vasistha, the seer; with thee taken by the Creator, I take breath for offspring.

b This one on the right, the all-worker; his, the all-worker's, mind; summer born of mind; the Tristubh born of summer; from the Tristubh the Aida chant; from the Aida the Antaryama cup; from the Antaryama the fifteenfold chant; from the fifteenfold the Brhat; from the Brhat Bharadvaja, the seer; with thee taken by the Creator, I take mind for offspring.

c This one behind, the all-extending; his, the all-extending's, eye; the rains born of the eye; the Jagati born of the rains; from the Jagati the Rksama chant; from the Rksama the Sukra cup; from the Sukra the seventeenfold chant; from the seventeenfold the Vairupa; from the Vairupa Visvamitra, the seer; with thee taken by the Creator, I take the eye for my offspring.

d This one on the left, the light; his, the light's, ear; the autumn born of the ear; the Anustubh connected with the autumn; from the Anustubh the Svara chant; from the Svara the Manthin cup; from the Manthin the twenty-onefold chant; from the twenty-onefold the Vairaja; from the Vairaja Jamadagni, the seer; with thee taken by the Creator, I take the ear for offspring.

e This one above, thought; his, thought's, speech; the winter born of speech; the Pankti born of winter; from the Pankti that which has finales; from that which has finales the Agrayana cup; from the Agrayana the twenty-sevenfold and the thirty-threefold chants; from the twenty-sevenfold and the thirty-threefold the Sakvara and Raivata; from the Sakvara and Raivata Visvakarman, the seer; with thee taken by the Creator, I take speech for offspring.

4.3.3

a The east of the quarters; the spring of the seasons; the Radiant One the attribute; holy power the wealth; the threefold the chant, and it forming the path of the fifteenfold chant; the eighteen-month-old calf the strength; the first throw of the dice; the east wind the wind; Sanaga the seer.

b The south of the quarters; the summer of the seasons; the Mighty One the attribute; the kingly power the wealth; the fifteenfold the chant, and it forming the path of the seventeenfold chant; the two-year-old the strength; the second throw; the south wind the wind; Sanatana, the seer.

c The west of the quarters; the rains of the seasons; the angels the powers; the peasants the wealth; the seventeenfold the chant, and it forming the path of the twenty-onefold chant; the three-year-old the strength; the third throw; the west wind the wind; Ahabuna the seer.

d The north of the quarters; the autumn of the seasons; the Friend and the All-Seeing the attribute; prosperity the wealth; the twenty-onefold the chant, and it forming a path of the twenty-sevenfold chant; the four-year-old the strength; the fourth throw; the north wind the wind; Pratna the seer.

e The zenith of the quarters; the winter and the cool season of the seasons; the Lord of Prayer the attribute; radiance the wealth; the twenty-sevenfold the chant, and it forming a path of the thirty-threefold; the draught ox the strength; the highest throw; the wind all through the wind; Suparna the seer.

f Fathers, grandfathers, near and far, may they be guided to protect us, may they help us, in this holy power, this lordly power, this prayer, this priestly office, this rite, this invocation of the righteous.

4.3.4

a Firm is thy dwelling, thy place of birth, firm art thou

Settle thou duly in thy firm place of birth;

Banner of the fire in the pan,

May the two Healers, the physicians, set thee here first in the east.

b In thine own skill sit thou whose sire is skill,

As the great earth bountiful among the created,

Be of kindly approach and come with thy body,

Kindly as a father to his son;

May the two Healers, the physicians, set thee here.

c Nesting, rich in wealth, strength bestowing,

Increase for us wealth, abundant, rich in heroes,

Driving away hostility and enmity,

Granting the lord of the sacrifice a share in increase of wealth,

Do thou bestow the heaven as increase to the sacrificer;

May the two Healers, the physicians, set thee here.

d Thou art the dust of the fire, the leader of the angels;

May all the angels favour thee as such;

With chants for thy back, rich in ghee, sit thou here,

And win to us by sacrifice riches with offspring.

May the two Healers, the physicians, set thee here!

e Thou art the head of sky, the navel of earth, the holder apart of the quarters, the lady paramount of the worlds, the wave, the drop of the waters thou art; the Maker of all is thy seer; may the two Healers, the physicians, set thee here.

f In unison with the seasons, in unison with the ordainers, in unison with the Vasus, in unison with the Healers, in unison with the Adityas, in unison with the angels, in unison with the angels establishing strength, to the Radiant One, common to all men, thee; may the two Healers, the physicians, set thee here.

g Protect my expiration; protect my inspiration; protect my cross-breathing; make my eye to shine widely; make my ear to hear.

h Make thick the waters; quicken the plants; protect bipeds; help quadrupeds; from the sky make rain to start.

4.3.5

a Thou art the calf of eighteen months in strength, the Tristubh metre; the two-year-old in strength, the Viraj metre; the two-and-a-half-year-old in strength, the Gayatri metre; the three-year-old in strength, the Usnih metre; the four-year-old in strength, the Anustubh metre; the draught ox in strength, the Brhati metre; the bull in strength, the Satobrhati metre; the bullock in strength, the Kakubh metre; the milch cow in strength, the Jagati metre; the beast of burden in strength, the Pankti metre; the goat in strength, the spacious metre; the ram in strength, the slow metre; the tiger in strength, the unassailable metre; the lion in strength, the covering metre; the support in strength, the overlord metre; the lordly power in strength, the delight-giving metre; the all-creating in strength, the supreme lord metre; the head in strength, the Creator's metre.

4.3.6

a O Mighty One and Radiant One, do Ye two make firm

The brick that quakes not;

And let it with its back repel

The sky and earth and atmosphere.

b Let the Maker of all place thee in the ridge of the atmosphere, encompassing, expanding, resplendent, possessing the sun, thee that dost illumine the sky, the earth, the broad atmosphere, support the atmosphere, make firm the atmosphere, harm not the atmosphere; for every expiration, inspiration, cross-breathing, out-breathing, support, movement; let the wind, God's sign, protect thee with great prosperity, with a covering most healing; with that power do thou sit firm in the manner of Angiras.

c Thou art the queen, the eastern quarter; thou art the ruling, the southern quarter; thou art the sovereign, the western quarter; thou art the self-ruling, the northern quarter; thou art the lady paramount, the great quarter.

d Protect my life; protect my expiration; protect my inspiration; protect my cross-breathing; protect my eye; protect my ear; quicken my mind; strengthen my voice; protect my breath; accord me light.

4.3.7

a Thou art Ma metre, Prama metre, Pratima metre, Asrivis metre, Pankti metre, Usnih metre, Brhati metre, Anustubh metre, Viraj metre, Gayatri metre, Tristubh metre, Jagati metre. Thou art earth metre, atmosphere metre, sky metre, seasons metre, asterisms metre, mind metre, speech metre, ploughing metre, gold metre, cow metre, female goat metre, horse metre. Thou art the Radiant One, the attribute; the Wind, the attribute; the Sun, the attribute; the Moon, the attribute; the Vasus, the angels; the Healers, the angels; the Adityas, the angels; all the angels; the Maruts, the angels; the Lord of Prayer, the attribute; the Mighty One, the attribute; the All-Seeing, the attribute.

b The head thou art, ruling; thou art the firm, the supporting; thou art the prop, the restrainer; for food thee; for strength thee; for ploughing thee; for safety thee! Thou art the prop, ruling; thou art the firm, the supporting; thou art the holder, the sustainer; for life thee; for radiance thee; for force thee; for might thee!

4.3.8

Thou art the swift, the triple chant; the shining, the fifteenfold; the sky, the seventeenfold; speed, the eighteenfold; fervour, the nineteenfold; attack, the twentyfold; support, the twenty-onefold; radiance, the twenty-twofold; maintenance, the twenty-threefold; the womb, the twenty-fourfold; the embryo, the twenty-fivefold; might, the twenty-sevenfold; inspiration, the thirty-onefold; support, the thirty-threefold; the surface of the tawny one, the thirty-fourfold; the vault, the thirty-sixfold; the revolving, the forty-eightfold; the support, the fourfold chant.

4.3.9

a Thou art the portion of the Radiant One, the overlordship of consecration, the holy power saved, the threefold chant.

b Thou art the portion of the Mighty One, the overlordship of the All-Pervading, the lordly power saved, the fifteenfold chant.

c Thou art the portion of them that gaze on men, the overlordship of the Ordainer, the birthplace saved, the seventeenfold chant.

d Thou art the portion of the Friend, the overlordship of the All-Seeing, the rain from the sky, the winds saved, the twenty-onefold chant.

e Thou art the portion of the Boundless One, the overlordship of the Nourisher, force saved, the twenty-sevenfold chant.

f Thou art the portion of the Vasus, the overlordship of the Healers, the quadruped saved, the twenty-fourfold chant.

g Thou art the portion of the Adityas, the overlordship of the Maruts, offspring saved, the twenty-fivefold chant.

h Thou art the portion of God the Light-giver, the overlordship of the Lord of Prayer, all the quarters saved, the fourfold chant.

i Thou art the portion of the Yavas, the overlordship of the Ayavas, offspring saved, the forty-fourfold chant.

k Thou art the portion of the Rbhus, the overlordship of all the angels, being calmed and saved, the thirty-threefold chant.

4.3.10

They praised with one, creatures were established, the Creator was overlord. They praised with three, holy power was created, the Lord of holy power was overlord. They praised with five, beings were created, the Lord of beings was the overlord. They praised with seven, the seven seers were created, the Ordainer was the overlord. They praised with nine, the fathers were created, the Boundless One was the overlady. They praised with eleven, the seasons were created, the Lord of the seasons was the overlord. They praised with thirteen, the months were created, the year was the overlord. They praised with fifteen, the lordly class was created, the Mighty One was the overlord. They praised with seventeen, cattle were created, the Lord of Prayer was overlord. They praised with nineteen, the servant and the free were created, day and night were the overlords. They praised with twenty-one, the whole-hooved cattle were created, the All-Seeing was the overlord. They praised with twenty-three, small cattle were created, the Nourisher was overlord. They praised with twenty-five, wild cattle were created, the Wind was overlord. They praised with twenty-seven, sky and earth went apart, the Vasus, Healers, and Adityas followed their example, theirs was the overlordship. They praised with twenty-nine, trees were created, the Lord of provision was the overlord. They praised with thirty-one, creatures were created, the Yavas and the Ayavas had the overlordship. They praised with thirty-three, creatures came to rest, the Creator was the overlord and chief.

4.3.11

a This is she that first dawned;

Within this earth she has entered and moves;

The new-made bride as mother bears the mothers;

Three greatnesses attend her.

b Charming, the dawns, adorned,

Moving along a common birthplace,

Wives of the sun, they move, wise ones,

Making a banner of light, unaging, rich in seed.

c Three have followed the path of holy order,

Three cauldrons have come with the light,

Offspring one guards, strength one,

Another the law of the pious guards.

d The fourth has become that of four chants,

Becoming the two wings of the sacrifice, O seers;

Yoking the Gayatri, Tristubh, Jagati, and Anustubh, the Brhat,

The hymn, they have borne forward this heaven.

e By five the Creator disposed this world,

What time He produced sisters of them, five by five,

By their mingling go five strengths

Clad in various forms.

f Thirty sisters go to the appointed place,

Putting on the same badge,

The sages spread out the seasons, the knowing ones

With the metres in their midst, go about in brilliance.

g The shining one puts on clouds,

The ways of the sun, the night divine;

The beasts of many forms that are born

Look around on the lap of their mother.

h The eighth-day rite, undergoing penance,

Has borne a child, the great one of might;

Therewith the righteous overpowered the rebellious;

Slayer of the rebellious he became in his might.

i Ye have made me, who am not younger, the younger;

Speaking the truth I desire this;

May I enjoy his lovingkindness as do ye;

May not one of you supplant another.

k He has enjoyed my lovingkindness, the all-knower;

He has found a support, for he has won the shallow;

May I enjoy his lovingkindness as do ye;

May not one of you supplant another.

l On the five dawns follow the five milkings,

On the cow with five names the five seasons;

The five quarters are established by the fifteenfold chant,

With equal heads over the one world.

m She who first shone forth is the child of holy order;

One supports the might of the waters;

One moves in the places of the sun,

And one in those of the heat; the Light-giver governs one.

n She who first shone forth

Has become a cow with the appointed term;

Do thou, rich in milk, milk for us

Season after season.

o She of bright bulls has come with the cloud, the light,

She of all forms, the motley, whose banner is fire;

Accomplishing thy common task,

Bringing old age, thou hast come, O unaging dawn.

p Lady, of seasons the first, she has come hither,

Leading the days, and bearer of offspring;

Though one, O dawn, in many places dost thou shine forth

Unaging thou dost make to age all else.

4.3.12

a O Radiant One, drive away those foes of ours that are born;

Drive away those too that are unborn, O all-knower;

Shine out for us in kindliness and without anger,

In Thy protection may I be with threefold protection and victorious.

b O Radiant One, drive away those foes of ours that are born with force;

Drive away those that are unborn, O all-knower;

Favour us in kindliness,

May we enjoy Thy protection; drive away our foes.

c Thou art the forty-fourfold chant, radiance the wealth.

d Thou art the sixteenfold chant, force the wealth.

e Thou art the dust of earth, called Apsas.

f Thou art the course metre; the space metre; the health-bringing metre; the overpowering metre; the covering metre; the mind metre; the expanse metre; the river metre; the sea metre; the water metre; the uniting metre; the separating metre; the Brhat metre; the Rathantara metre; the collecting metre; the parting metre; the voices metre; the radiant metre; the Sastubh metre; the Anustubh metre; the Kakubh metre; the Trikakubh metre; the poetic metre; the water metre; the Padapankti metre, the Aksarapankti metre, the Vistarapankti metre; the razor-with-strop metre; the enveloping metre; the side metre; the course metre; the space metre; the strength metre; the maker of strength metre; the expansive metre; the conflict metre; the covering metre; the difficult of access metre; the slow metre; the Ankanka metre.

4.3.13

a May the Radiant One slay the foe,

Eager for wealth, joyfully,

Kindled, pure as offered.

b Thou, O Lord, art very lord,

Thou art king, and slayer of foes;

Thou art favouring strength.

c Favouring is Thy look, O fair-faced Radiant One,

That art dread and extending, pleasant is it;

Thy radiance they cover not with the darkness;

The defiling leave no stain in Thy body.

d Favouring is Thy face, O mighty One;

Even by the side of the sun it is bright,

Radiant to behold it is seen even by night,

Pleasant to the sight is food in Thy form.

e With His countenance the kindly One

Will sacrifice to the angels for us, most skilled to win prosperity by sacrifice;

Guardian undeceived and protector of us,

O Radiant One, shine forth with radiance and with wealth.

f Prosperity for us from sky, O Radiant One, from earth,

With full life do Thou procure, O God, for worship;

That splendid thing, O sky-born, which we ask,

Do Thou bestow upon us that radiant wealth.

g As thou, O invoking priest, in man's worship,

O son of strength, shalt sacrifice with offerings,

Verily do thou today, gladly, offer sacrifice

To the glad angels together assembled.

h I praise the Radiant One, domestic priest,

God of the sacrifice and priest,

The invoking priest, best bestower of jewels.

i Thou art strong, O Lord, and bright,

Thou art strong, O God, and strong Thy rule,

Strong laws dost Thou establish.

k O Maruts, that burn, this offering is yours

Do ye rejoice in it,

For your aid, ye destroyers of the foe.

l The man of evil heart, O bright ones, O Maruts,

Who is fain to smite us contrary to right,

In the noose of destruction may he be caught,

Slay him with your most burning heat.

m The Maruts, of the year, fair singers,

With wide abodes, in troops among men,

May they from us unloosen the bonds of tribulation,

Those that burn, delighting, granting delight.

n Delight the eager angels, O thou most young,

Knowing the seasons, O lord of the season, do thou sacrifice here;

With the priests divine, O Radiant One,

Thou art the best sacrificer of invoking priests.

o O Radiant One, whatever today, O offering priest of the people,

O pure and radiant one, thou dost enjoy, for thou art the sacrificer,

Rightly shalt thou sacrifice, since thou hast grown in might,

Carry the oblations that are thine today, O thou most young.

p By the Radiant One may one win wealth

And abundance, day by day,

Glory full of heroes.

q Enricher, slayer of disease,

Wealth-finder, prospering prosperity,

O Lord, be a good friend to us.

r Come hither, O ye that tend the house,

Depart not, O Maruts,

Freeing us from tribulation.

s For in autumns gone by

We have paid worship, O Maruts,

With the means of mortal men.

t Your greatness surges forth from the depths,

Make known your names, O active ones;

O Maruts, accept the thousandth share of the house,

Of the householder's offering.

u Him to whom, the strong, the youthful maiden,

Rich in oblation, bearing ghee, approaches night and morning,

To him his own devotion approaches seeking wealth.

v O Radiant One, these most acceptable oblations,

Immortal One, bear for the divine worship;

Let them accept our fragrant offerings.

w The playful horde of the Maruts,

Sporting, resplendent on the chariot,

O Kanvas, do ye celebrate.

x The Maruts, speeding like steeds,

Disport themselves like youths gazing at a spectacle,

Standing in the home like beauteous younglings,

Bestowing milk, like playful calves.

y At their advance the earth moves as if trembling,

When they yoke their teams for their journeys, for brilliance;

Playing, resounding, with flaming weapons,

They display their own greatness, the shakers.

z What time on the steeps ye pile the moving one,

Like birds, O Maruts, on whatever path,

The clouds spill their water on your chariots;

Do ye sprinkle for the praiser ghee of honey hue.

aa The Radiant One with invocations

They ever invoke, lord of the people,

Bearer of the oblation, dear to many.

bb For him they ever praise,

The God with ladle dripping ghee,

The Radiant One to bear the oblation.

cc O Mighty One and Radiant One, the spaces of sky.

dd Pierce the foe.

ee The Mighty One from all sides.

ff The Mighty One, men.

gg O Maker of all, waxing great with the oblation.

hh O Maker of all, with the oblation as strengthening.