1.6.1

a By the prayer I pour on thee

Offspring, life, and wealth.

Instigated by the Lord of Prayer may the giver here come to no harm.

b Thou art butter, thou art truth, thou art the overseer of truth, thou art the oblation of the One who is for all men, of all the righteous, with pure strength, of true might; thou art power, overpowering; overpower hostility, overpower those who practise hostility; overpower enmity, overpower those who practise enmity; thou art of a thousandfold strength; do thou quicken me; thou art of butter the butter; thou art of truth the truth; thou hast true life; thou hast true strength; with truth I besprinkle thee; may I share thee that art such.

c For a prop, a support, of the five winds I take thee.

d For a prop, a support, of the five seasons I take thee.

e For a prop, a support, of the five quarters I take thee.

f For a prop, a support, of the five five-peoples I take thee.

g For a prop, a support, of the pot with five holes I take thee.

h For the brilliance of the scholar, for a prop, a support, I take thee.

i For the might of the ruling class, for a prop, a support, I take thee.

k For the people, for a prop, a support I take thee.

l For excellence of strength I take thee.

m For wealth of offspring I take thee,

n For increase of wealth I take thee.

o For splendour I take thee.

p The earth ours, the oblation for the sake of the righteous, the benedictions the givers'; for the sake of the righteous I take thee.

q For desire I take thee.

1.6.2

a Thou art secure; may I be secure among my equals, wise, a guardian, a granter of wealth.

b Thou art dread; may I be dread among my equals, dread, a guardian, a granter of wealth.

c Thou art overcoming; may I be overcoming among my equals, overcoming, a guardian, a granter of wealth.

d I yoke thee with the divine holy power,

To bear this oblation, O wise one;

Kindling thee, may we live long with good children,

With good heroes, bearing thee tribute.

e Whatever, O Radiant One, in this offering of mine may be spoiled,

Whatever of the butter, O All-Pervading, may be spilt,

Therewith do I smite the rival who is hard to slay;

I place him on the lap of destruction.

f Earth, atmosphere, heaven!

g O Radiant One, do thou strengthen the giver; weaken him who plotteth evil.

h O Radiant One, kindled by the righteous, kindled by man, with sweet tongue, I touch the head of thee, the lasting, O offerer, for increase of wealth, good offspring, strength.

i Thou art mind, derived from the Creator; with mind in true existence do thou enter me.

k Thou art speech, derived from the Mighty, destroying the foe; do thou enter me with speech, with power.

l Of the seasons spring I delight; delighted may it delight me.

m Of the seasons summer I delight; delighted may it delight me.

n Of the seasons the rains I delight; delighted may they delight me.

o Of the seasons the autumn I delight; delighted may it delight me.

p Of the seasons the winter and the cool I delight; delighted may they two delight me.

q By offering for the sake of God the Radiant and His provision, may I be possessed of sight.

r By offering for the sake of God the Radiant, may I be an eater of food.

s Thou art a deceiver; may I be undeceived.

t By offering for the sake of God the Radiant and His provision, may I be a slayer of foes.

u By offering for the sake of God the Mighty and Radiant, may I be powerful and an eater of food.

v By offering for the sake of God the Mighty, may I be powerful.

w By offering for the sake of God the Most Mighty, may I attain superiority and greatness.

x By offering for the sake of God who completes the offering, may I attain security through the offering, enjoying long life.

1.6.3

a May the Radiant One protect me from evil offering, the Light-giver from evil report.

b Him who near or afar plots evil against me, with this may I conquer.

c O thou of fair rain colour, come

To this blessed home,

Approach me in devotion.

d Touch the heads.

e O earth, come hither; O sustaining earth, come hither; O Giver of speech, come hither.

f Thou art delight, thou art delighting, thou art fair.

g O thou in whom joy is taken, may I attain joy from thee; O thou who art invoked, may I obtain invocation from thee.

h May the prayer of the giver be fulfilled for me.

i With untroubled mind may I have strength for this.

k May the offering mount the sky, may the offering reach the sky.

l The path that leadeth to the righteous, along it may the offering go for the sake of God.

m On us may the Mighty bestow power;

Us may wealth and offerings attend

Ours be blessings;

To us be she dear, victorious, bountiful.

n Thou art joy, give joy to us; thou art enjoyed by us, may I attain joy from thee.

o Mind, light, rejoice in the offering

May he unite this scattered offering;

May the Lord of Prayer extend this for us.

May all the righteous rejoice here.

p Swell, O ruddy one.

q May (my act) as I give be not destroyed; may (my act) as I work not perish.

r Thou art the portion of the Creator, full of strength and milk.

s Protect my expiration and inspiration; protect my breathing together and cross-breathing; protect my out-breathing and cross-breathing.

t Thou art imperishable, for imperishableness thee; mayst thou not perish for me, yonder, in yonder world.

1.6.4

a By offering to the divine straw, may I be possessed of children.

b By offering for the sake of God praised by men, may I be possessed of cattle.

c By offering for the sake of God who completes the offering, may I attain security through the offering, having long life.

d May I be victorious through the victory of the Radiant One.

e May I be victorious through the victory of the provision of God.

f May I be victorious through the victory of the Radiant One.

g May I be victorious through the victory of the Radiant One and His provision.

h May I be victorious through the victory of the Mighty and Radiant.

i May I be victorious through the victory of the Mighty.

k May I be victorious through the victory of the Most Mighty.

l May I be victorious through the victory of the Radiant One who completes the offering.

m With the impulse of strength,

With elevation he hath seized me; then the Mighty hath made my enemies

Humble with depression.

n The righteous have increased my prayer

Which is elevation and depression;

Then do ye, O Mighty and Radiant,

Scatter my foes on every side.

o Hither these blessings have come, fain for milking,

Possessing the Mighty, may we win,

May we milk offspring and food.

p With the red steed may the Radiant One convey thee for the sake of God; with the tawny ones may the Mighty convey thee for the sake of God; with the dappled mare may the sun convey thee for the sake of God.

q I unyoke thy head ropes, thy reins,

Thy yokings, thy harness;

Bestow upon us wealth and what is good;

Proclaim us sharers among the righteous.

r By offering for the sake of God the All-Pervading, by the offering, may I attain health and wealth, and security.

s By offering for the sake of God, the Lord of good seed, may I be blessed with offspring.

t By offering for the sake of God the Fashioner, may I prosper the form of cattle.

u The households of the righteous, the lord of the house, are the pair of the offering; by offering for their sake, may I be blessed with a pair.

v Thou art the bundle, thou art gain, may I gain.

w Thou art action, thou art making, may I make.

x Thou art winning, thou art the winner, may I win.

y May the bundle bestow increase of wealth,

Rich in ghee, rich in houses,

A thousandfold, strong.

1.6.5

a Let the firm one swell with ghee,

For each offering for the worshippers;

In the udder of the sun's daughter, in the lap of the earth,

Broad streamed be the earth at this offering.

b The Creator's is the world called Vibhan. In it I place thee along with the giver.

c Thou art real, be real for me; thou art all, be all for me; thou art full, be full for me; thou art imperishable, perish not for me.

d In the eastern quarter may the righteous, the priests, make (me) bright; in the southern quarter may the months, the forefathers, make (me) bright; in the western quarter may the houses, the cattle, make (me) bright; in the northern quarter may the waters, the plants, the trees make (me) bright; in the zenith may the offering, the year, the giver of the offering make (me) bright.

e Thou art the step of the All-Pervading, smiting enmity; with the Gayatri metre I step across the earth; excluded is he whom we hate.

f Thou art the step of the All-Pervading, smiting imprecations; with the Tristubh metre I step across the atmosphere; excluded is he whom we hate.

g Thou art the step of the All-Pervading, smiter of him who practiseth evil; with the Jagati metre I step across the sky; excluded is he whom we hate.

h Thou art the step of the All-Pervading, smiter of the hostile one; with the Anustubh metre I step across the quarters; excluded is he whom we hate.

1.6.6

a We have come to the heaven; to the heaven we have come.

b May I not be cut off from seeing thee; what heat is thine, to that of thee may I not be brought low.

c Thou art good, the best of rays, thou art life-bestowing, bestow life upon me; thou art radiance-bestowing, bestow radiance upon me.

d Here do I exclude my enemy, N. N., from these quarters, this sky, this atmosphere, this earth, this food. Excluded is he whom we hate.

e I have been united with the light.

f I turn the turning of the Mighty.

g May I be united with offspring, offspring with me.

h May I be united with increase of wealth, increase of wealth with me.

i Kindled, O Radiant One, shine for me; kindling thee, O Radiant One, may I shine.

k Be rich the offering; may I be rich.

l O Radiant One, thou purifiest life;

Do thou give food and strength to us;

Far away drive ill-fortune.

m O Radiant One, good worker, purify for us

Glory in good heroes,

Giving increase and wealth to me.

n O Radiant One, lord of the house, through thee as lord of the house, may I be a good lord of the house; through me as lord of the house, mayst thou be a good lord of the house; for a hundred winters; this blessing I invoke bringing light for the race; this blessing I invoke bringing light for N. N.

o Who yoketh thee? Let him set thee free.

p O Radiant One, lord of vows, I have performed my vow; for that I have had strength; that hath been accomplished by me.

q The offering hath become, it hath come into being,

It hath been born, it hath waxed great;

It hath become the overlord of the righteous,

May it make us overlords,

May we be lords of wealth.

r Rich in cattle, in sheep, O Radiant One, in horses, is the offering,

With manly companions, ever unalterable;

Rich in food is this, O Lord, rich in offspring,

Enduring wealth, deep based and rich in houses.

1.6.7

Even as the offerings of the provision come together in competition, so the new and full moon offerings are offerings which come together in competition. Whose offering then do the righteous approach and whose not? He, who among many givers first appropriates the righteous, offers to them when the next day comes. The fire of the offering is the abode of the righteous, between the fires of cattle, the household fire of men, the southern fire of the forefathers. He takes the fire; verily he appropriates the righteous in their own abode; to them he offers when the next day comes. By means of a vow is the Radiant One, lord of vows, pure, the scholar is a supporter of vows. When about to undertake a vow he should say, 'O Radiant One, lord of vows, I shall perform the vow.' The Radiant One is the lord of vows among the righteous; verily after announcement to him he undertakes the vow. At the full moon he undertakes his vow with the (strewing of the) straw, with the (driving away of the) calves at new moon; for that is their abode. 'The fires, both in the front and at the back, must be bestrewed', they say; men indeed desire what is bestrewed, and, how much more the righteous whose is a new dwelling. With him, when offering is to be made on the next day, do the righteous dwell, who knowing this bestrews the fire. 'The giver should win both beasts of the wild and of the village', they say; in that he refrains from those of the village, thereby he wins them; in that he eats of the wild, thereby he wins them of the wild. If he were to fast without eating, the forefathers would be his portion; he eats of the wild, the wild is power, and so he bestows power upon himself. If he were to fast without eating, he would be hungry; if he were to eat, harm would come to his cattle; he partakes of water; that is neither eaten nor not eaten; he is not hungry and harm does not come to his cattle. The giver is a bolt, the enemy of man is hunger; in that he fasts without eating, he straightway smites with the bolt the enemy, hunger.

1.6.8

He who offers without faith, they place not faith in his offering. He brings waters forward, the waters are faith; verily with faith he offers, and both the righteous and men place faith in his offering. They say, 'They foam over the barrier, they foam over speech, but over mind they do not foam.' He brings them forward with mind; mind is this (earth); verily with this (earth) he brings them forward. The offering of him who knows thus does not spill. He collects the implements of the offering; the implements of the offering are the offering; verily he collects the offering. If he were to collect them one by one, they would have the forefathers as their portion; if all together, (they would have) men as their portion. He collects them in pairs, and so he makes the form of the invocation and the response, and thus there is a pair. If a man knows the ten implements of the offering, his offering is in order at the beginning. The wooden sword, the potsherds, the offering-spoon, the basket, the black antelope skin, the pin, the mortar and pestle, the lower and upper millstones, these are the ten implements of the offering; the offering of him who knows thus is in order at the beginning. If a man offers after announcing the offering to the righteous, they delight in his offering. He should as the oblation is being offered recite (the words), 'The Radiant One, the priest, him I summon hither'. Thus he announces the offering and offers, and the righteous delight in his offering. This is the taking of the offering and so after taking the offering he offers. After speaking he remains silent, to support the offering. Now the Creator performed the offering with mind; verily he performs the offering with mind to prevent the evil ones following. He who yokes the offering when the yoking time arrives yokes it indeed among the yokers. 'Who (Ka) yoketh thee? Let him yoke thee', he says. Ka is the Creator, the One who is; verily by the Creator he yokes it; he yokes indeed among the yokers.

1.6.9

The Creator ordained the offerings, the morning and evening offering, the Agnistoma, the full moon offering, the Ukthya, the new moon offering and the Atiratra. These he meted out; the Agnistoma was the size of the morning and evening offering, the Ukthya that of the full moon offering, the Atiratra that of the new moon offering. He who knowing thus makes the morning and evening offering obtains as much as by making the Agnistoma; he who knowing thus makes the full moon offering obtains as much as by making the Ukthya; he who knowing thus makes the new moon offering obtains as much as by making the Atiratra. This offering was in the beginning that of Paramesthin, and by means of it he reached the supreme goal. He furnished Prajapati with it, and by means of it Prajapati reached the supreme goal. He furnished the Mighty with it, and by means of it the Mighty reached the supreme goal. He furnished the Radiant One and the provision with it, and by means of it they reached the supreme goal. He who knowing thus makes the new and full moon offerings reaches the supreme goal. He who offers with an abundant offering is multiplied with offspring, with cattle, with pairings. 'The year has twelve months, there are twelve pairs of new and full moon offerings; these are to be produced', they say. He lets the calf go free and puts the pot on the fire: he puts down (the rice), and beats the millstones together; he scatters (the grains) and collects the potsherds; the cake he puts on the fire and the melted butter; he throws the clump of grass, and gathers it in; he surrounds the altar and he girds the wife (of the giver); he puts in place the anointing waters and the melted butter. These are the twelve pairs in the new and full moon offerings. He, who thus offers with these, offers with an abundant offering and is multiplied with offspring, with cattle, with pairings.

1.6.10

'Thou art secure; may I be secure among my equals', he says; verily he makes them secure. 'Thou art dread; may I be dread among my equals'; verily he makes them harmonious. 'Thou art overcoming; may I be overcoming among my equals,' he says; verily he overthrows him who rises against him. 'I yoke thee with the divine holy power', he says; this is the yoking of the fire; verily with it he yokes it. With the prosperous part of the offering the righteous went to the world of heaven, with the unsuccessful part they overcame the rebellious. 'Whatever, O Radiant One, in this offering of mine may be spoiled', he says; verily with the prosperous part of the offering the giver goes to the world of heaven, with the unsuccessful part he overcomes the foes. With these three utterances (earth, atmosphere, heaven) he should set down the morning and evening offering. The morning and evening offering is the beginning of the offering, these utterances are the holy power; verily at the beginning of the offering he makes the holy power. When the year is completed he should thus with these perform the setting down; verily with the holy power he surrounds the year on both sides. He who is undertaking the new and full moon and the four monthly offerings should set in place the oblations with these utterances. The new and full moon and the four monthly offerings are the beginning of the offering, these utterances are the holy power; verily at the beginning of the offering he makes the holy power. When the year is completed, he should thus with them set down (the oblations), and so with the holy power he surrounds the year on both sides. To the ruling class falls the blessing of the part of the offering which is performed with the chant; to the people (falls) the blessing of what (is performed) with the verse; now the scholar offers with an offering without a blessing; when he is about to recite the kindling-verses he should first insert the utterances; verily he makes the holy power the commencement, and thus the scholar offers with an offering which has a blessing. If he desire of a giver, 'May the blessing of his offering fall to his foe', he should insert for him those utterances in the opening verse; the opening verse has the foe for its subject; verily the blessing of his offering falls to his foe. If he desire of givers, 'May the blessing of the offering fall to them equally', he should place for them one of the utterances at the half-verse of the opening verse, one before the invocation, and one at the half-verse of the invocation, and thus the blessing of the offering falls to them equally. Even as the rain-giver rains down good rain, so the offering rains for the giver; they surround the water with a mound, the giver surrounds the offering with a blessing. 'Thou art mind derived from the Creator, with mind and true existence do thou enter me', he says; mind is derived from the Creator, the offering is derived from the Creator; verily he confers upon himself mind and the offering. 'Thou art speech, derived from the Mighty, destroying the foe; do thou enter me with speech, with power', he says; speech is derived from the Mighty; verily he confers upon himself speech as connected with the Mighty.

1.6.11

He who knows the seventeenfold Creator as connected with the offering rests secure through the offering, and falls not away from the offering. 'Do thou proclaim' has four syllables; 'Be it proclaimed' has four syllables; 'Utter' has two syllables; 'We that do utter' has five syllables; the call of praise has two syllables; this is the seventeenfold Creator as connected with the offering; he who knows thus rests secure through the offering and does not fall away from the offering. He who knows the beginning, the support, the end of the offering reaches the end with a secure and uninjured offering. 'Do thou proclaim'; 'Be it proclaimed'; 'Utter'; 'We that do utter'; the call of praise, these are the beginning, the support, the end of the offering; he who knows thus reaches the end with a secure and uninjured offering. He who knows the milking of the generous one milks her indeed. The generous one is the offering; (with the words) 'Do thou proclaim', he calls her; with 'Be it proclaimed', he lets (the calf) go up to her; with 'Utter', he raises (the pail); with 'We that do utter', he sits down beside her, and with the call of praise he milks. This is the milking of the generous one; he who knows thus milks her indeed. The righteous performed a long session of worship; the quarters were dried up; they discerned this moist set of five; (with the words) 'Do thou proclaim', they produced the east wind; with 'Be it proclaimed', they caused the clouds to mass together; with 'Utter' they brought forth the lightning; with 'We that do offer' they made rain to fall, and with the call of praise they caused the thunder to roll. Then for them the quarters were made to swell; for him who knows thus the quarters are made to swell. One knows the Creator, the Creator knows one; whom the Creator knows, he becomes pure. This is the Creator of the texts, 'Do thou proclaim', 'Be it proclaimed', 'Utter', 'We that do utter', the call of praise; he who knows thus becomes pure. 'Of the seasons spring I delight', he says; the fore-offerings are the seasons; verily he delights the seasons; they delighted place themselves in order for him; the seasons are in order for him who knows thus. 'By offering for the sake of God the Radiant and His provision, may I be possessed of sight', he says; the offering is possessed of sight through the Radiant and His provision; verily by means of them he confers sight upon himself. 'By offering for the sake of God the Radiant, may I be an eater of food', he says; the Radiant One is among the righteous the eater of food; verily by means of him he confers the eating of food upon himself. 'Thou art a deceiver; may I be undeceived', he says; verily he is undeceived by this. 'By offering for the sake of God the Radiant and His provision, may I be a slayer of foes', he says; verily he lays low his foe. 'By offering for the sake of God the Mighty and Radiant, may I be powerful and an eater of food', he says; verily he becomes powerful and an eater of food. 'By offering for the sake of God the Mighty, may I be powerful', he says; verily he becomes powerful. 'By offering for the sake of God the Most Mighty, may I attain superiority and greatness', he says; verily he attains superiority and greatness. 'By offering for the sake of God who completes the offering, may I attain security through the offering, enjoying long life', he says; verily he confers long life upon himself and attains security through the offering.

1.6.12

a The Mighty for you we invoke

On all sides from other men;

Be he ours only.

b The Mighty men call in reverence

That he may cause their prayers to be accomplished;

Hero, men overpowering, delighting in strength,

Do thou confer upon us a stall full of kine.

c O Lord of a hundred powers, the strength of thine

That is in the five folks,

That do I choose of thee.

d To thee hath been assigned for mighty power,

For ever, in the overcoming of the adversary,

All lordship, and all strength, O thou that art worthy of worship

In the overcoming of man, by the righteous, O Mighty One.

e In whom the seven bountiful ones rest

As it were firm rooted,

The seer of farthest hearing,

The glowing pot is the guest of the Mighty.

f In the raw thou didst produce the cooked,

And madest the sun to mount in the sky;

Like the glowing pot heat ye the chant

With good prayers, delightful to the lover of song.

g The Mighty the singers aloud,

The Mighty with praises the praisers,

The Mighty the songs have praised.

h The singers sing thee;

The praisers hymn thy praise;

The scholars raise thee,

O Lord of a hundred powers, like a pole.

i Let us offer our praise to him who delivereth from trouble,

Swiftest to give, celebrating his loving kindness;

O Mighty One, accept this oblation;

May the desires of the giver be fulfilled.

k That to which the divine vessel impelled me have I produced;

I shall praise the Mighty before the decisive day;

Him that goeth as with a ship

Both parties invoke that there he may rescue us.

l First lord of offerings,

Freeing from trouble, the best of those worthy of offering,

Offspring of the waters, the impeller, O ye two Helpers;

Do ye confer power and strength on this one.

m Smite away our foes, O Mighty One;

Cast down the warriors;

Make him low

Who is hostile to us.

n O Mighty One, thou wast born for rule, for prosperous strength

Of the people, O strong one;

Thou didst smite away the unfriendly folk,

And madest wide room for the righteous.

o Like a dread beast, evil, roaming the mountains,

He hath come from the furthest place;

Sharpening thy lance, thy sharp edge, O Mighty One,

Smite the foes, drive away the enemy.

p Drive away the foe, the enemy,

Smash the jaws of the adversary;

In rage do thou avert the anger

Of him who is hostile to us.

q The guardian, the Mighty, the helper, the Mighty,

The hero ready to hear at every call, the Mighty,

I invoke the strong one, invoked of many, the Mighty;

May the Mighty in his bounty bestow on us prosperity.

r May we not, O strong one, in this distress,

Be handed over to evil, O lord of the ways;

Guard us with true protection;

May we be dear to you among the princes.

s The Anus have wrought a chariot for thy steed;

The Fashioner a glorious bolt, O thou invoked of many;

The scholars magnifying the Mighty with their praises

Have strengthened him for the slaying of the serpent,

t What time the strong sang praise to the strong,

O Mighty One, the stones and the earth in unison,

Without steeds or chariots were the fellies

Which, sped by the Mighty, rolled against the oppressors.