1.7.1

Cattle attend the cooked offerings of him who has established a fire. The cooked offering is the Ida; it is placed in the world of the offering between the fore- and the after-offerings. Over it as it is brought up he should say, 'O thou of fair rain colour, come hither'; the cattle are the Ida; verily he summons cattle. The righteous milked the offering, the offering milked the rebellious; the rebellious, being milked by the offering, were defeated; he, who knowing the milking of the offering offers, milks another giver. 'May the blessing of this offering be fulfilled for me', he says; this is the milking of the offering; verily with it he milks it. The cow is milked willingly, and willingly the Ida is milked for the giver; these are the teats of the Ida, 'Ida is invoked'. The Wind is the calf. When the offerer summons the Ida, then the giver looking at the offerer should in mind reflect on the Wind; verily he lets the calf go to the mother. By the whole offering the righteous went to the world of heaven; Manu laboured with the cooked offering; the Ida went to Manu; the righteous and the rebellious called severally upon her, the righteous directly, the rebellious indirectly; she went to the righteous; the cattle choose the righteous, cattle deserted the rebellious. If he desire of a man, 'May he be without cattle', he should invoke the Ida indirectly for him; verily he becomes without cattle. If he desire of a man, 'May he be rich in cattle', he should invoke the Ida directly for him; verily he becomes rich in cattle. The theologians say, 'He would invoke the Ida indeed who in invoking the Ida should invoke himself in the Ida.' 'To us be she dear, victorious, bountiful', he says; verily in invoking the Ida he invokes himself in the Ida. The Ida is as it were a breach in the offering; half they eat, half they wipe; in this regard the offering of the rebellious was broken; the righteous united it by the holy power. 'May the Lord of Prayer extend this for us', he says; the Lord of Prayer is the holy power of the righteous; verily by the holy power he unites the offering. 'May he unite this scattered offering', he says, for continuity. 'May all the righteous rejoice here', he says; verily continuing the offering he indicates it to the righteous. The fee which he gives at the offering his cattle accompany; he having offered is like to become without cattle; 'the giver must so arrange', they say, 'that he may place for the sake of God what is given, but keep his cattle with himself.' 'Swell, O ruddy one', he says; the ruddy one is the offering; verily he magnifies the offering; thus he places for the sake of God what is given, but keeps his cattle with himself. 'May (my act) as I give be not destroyed', he says; verily he avoids destruction; 'May (my act) as I work not perish', he says; verily he attains prosperity.

1.7.2

Samsravas, son of Suvarchas, said to Tuminja, son of Upoditi: 'When thou hast been an offerer of long sessions, what Ida hast thou invoked?' 'Her I have invoked', he said, 'who supports the righteous by her expiration, men by her cross-breathing, and the forefathers by her inspiration.' 'Does she divide, or does she not divide' (he asked). 'She divides', he replied. 'Her body then hast thou invoked', he said. Her body is the cow; of the cow were they two talking. She who is given in the offering supports the righteous with her expiration; she by whom men live (supports) men by her cross-breathing; she whom they slay for the departed (supports) the departed by her inspiration; he who knows thus becomes rich in cattle. 'Her too I have invoked', he said, 'who is available to people as they increase.' 'Her food then hast thou invoked', he replied. This food is plants, plants are available to people as they increase; he who knows thus becomes an eater of food. 'Her too I have invoked', he said, 'who supports people in distress and succours them as they improve.' 'Her support then hast thou invoked', he replied. Her support is this (earth), this (earth) supports people in distress and succours them as they improve; he who knows thus finds support. 'Her too I have invoked', he said, 'in whose step people drink the ghee they live upon.' 'Does she divide, or does she not divide?' (he asked). 'She does not divide', he said, 'but she propagates.' 'Indeed hast thou invoked the Ida herself', he replied. The Ida is rain; in the step of rain people drink the ghee they live upon; he who knows thus is propagated with offspring; he becomes an eater of food.

1.7.3

Secretly offering is made for the sake of one set, openly for another. For those who receive offering secretly, he thus offers in worship; in that he brings the southern mess—the scholars are the righteous openly—them he verily delights. This is his sacrificial fee: verily he mends the rent in the offering; whatever in the offering is harsh or is injured, that he makes good with the southern mess, and that is why it has its name. Now the priests are the messengers of the righteous; in that he brings the southern mess, he delights the messengers of the righteous. The Creator distributed the offering; he reflected that he was empty; he perceived this southern mess unallotted; he conferred it upon himself. The southern mess is connected with the Creator; he, who knowing thus brings the southern mess, assuredly enjoys the Creator. An unlimited amount should be poured out, the Creator is unlimited; (verily it serves) to win the Creator. Whatever the righteous did in the offering, the rebellious did; the righteous perceived the southern mess connected with the Creator; they seized it—then the righteous prospered, the rebellious were defeated; he who knowing thus brings the southern mess prospers himself, his foe is defeated. By the offering there is offering, by the cooked food satisfying. He who knowing thus brings the southern mess, accomplishes at once offering and satisfaction. 'Thou art the portion of the Creator', he says; verily he unites the Creator with his own portion. 'Full of strength and milk', he says; verily he confers upon him strength and milk. 'Protect my expiration and inspiration; protect my breathing together and cross-breathing', he says; verily he invokes this blessing. 'Thou art imperishable, for imperishableness thee; mayst thou not perish for me, yonder, in yonder world', he says. Food perishes in yonder world, for given hence in yonder world people live upon it; in that he touches thus, he makes it imperishable; his food perishes not in yonder world.

1.7.4

'By offering to the divine straw, may I be possessed of children', he says; by the straw the Creator created offspring, verily he creates offspring. 'By offering for the sake of God praised by men, may I be possessed of cattle', he says; by this the Creator created cattle; verily he creates cattle. 'By offering for the sake of God who completes the offering, may I attain security through the offering, having long life', he says; verily he confers life on himself, and finds support through the offering. With the victory of the new and full moon offerings the righteous conquered, and by means of the new and full moon offerings they drove away the rebellious. 'May I be victorious through the victory of the Radiant One', he says; verily through the victory of the powers in the new and full moon offerings the giver is victorious, and by means of the new and full moon offerings drives away his enemies. With two verses containing the word 'strength', he accompanies the separation (of the ladles); strength is food; verily he wins food; (he uses) two, for support. He who offers knowing the two milkings of the offering milks thus the offering on both sides, in front and behind; this is one milking of the offering, another is in the Ida. When the offerer utters the name of the giver, then he should say, 'Hither these blessings have come, fain for milking'; verily he milks the powers which he praises together; verily he milks the offering on both sides, in front and behind. 'With the red steed may the Radiant One convey thee for the sake of God', he says; these are the steeds, the straw is the giver; in that he casts forward the straw with them, he makes the givers to go by the steeds to the world of heaven. 'I unyoke thy head ropes, thy reins', he says; that is the unyoking of the fire; verily thereby he unyokes him. 'By offering for the sake of God the All-Pervading, by the offering may I attain health and wealth and security', he says; the All-Pervading is the one to whom the offering is made; verily the offering finds support at the end. 'By offering for the sake of God, the Lord of good seed, may I be blessed with offspring', he says; verily he confers offspring upon himself. 'By offering for the sake of God the Fashioner, may I prosper the form of cattle'; the Fashioner is the form-maker of the pairings of cattle, and thereby he confers upon himself the form of cattle. '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.' 'Thou art the bundle, thou art gain, may I gain', he says; by the bundle the righteous won the desirable wealth of the rebellious, and that is why the bundle has its name. Whatever of his foe's he may covet, the name of that he should utter; verily he wins it all from him. 'May the bundle bestow increase of wealth, rich in ghee, rich in houses, a thousandfold, strong', he says; he obtains a thousand cattle. In his offspring a strong one is born who knows thus.

1.7.5

Through the emptying of the firm vessel the offering is emptied, through the offering the giver, through the giver offspring. Through the swelling of the firm vessel, the offering is made to swell, through the offering the giver, through the giver offspring. 'Let the firm one swell with ghee', he says; verily he makes the firm vessel to swell; through its swelling the offering is made to swell, through the offering the giver, through the giver offspring. 'The Creator's is the world called Vibhan. In it I place thee along with the giver', he says; the world of the Creator, named Vibhan, is this (world); verily he places it in it along with the giver. In that he offers he is as it were emptied; in that he eats the giver's portion, he fills himself. The offering is the size of the giver's portion, the giver is the offering; in that he eats the giver's portion, he places the offering in the offering. There is good grass and good water where the straw and the waters are; the altar is the abode of the giver; in that he places the full bowl within the altar, he establishes good grass and good water in his own abode. 'Thou art real, be real for me', he says; the offering is the waters, the water is life-giving; verily he bestows upon himself the offering and the waters. All creatures attend him who is performing the vow. 'In the eastern quarter may the righteous, the priests, make (me) bright', he says; this is the concluding bath of the new and full moon offerings. He goes to the bath along with the creatures which attend him as he performs the vow. Headed by the All-Pervading the righteous won these worlds by the metres so as to be irrecoverable; in that he takes the steps of the All-Pervading the giver wins these worlds by the metres so as to be irrecoverable. 'Thou art the step of the All-Pervading, smiting imprecations', he says; the earth is the Gayatri, the atmosphere is connected with the Tristubh, the sky is the Jagati, the quarters are connected with the Anustubh; verily by the metres he wins these worlds in order.

1.7.6

'We have come to the heaven; to the heaven we have come', he says; verily he goes to the world of heaven. 'May I not be cut off from seeing thee; what heat is thine, to that of thee may I not be brought low', he says; that is according to the text. 'Thou art good, the best of rays; thou art life-bestowing, bestow life upon me', he says; verily he invokes this blessing. He falls away from this world, who takes the steps of the All-Pervading, for from the world of heaven the steps are taken. The theologians say, 'He indeed would take the steps who after acquiring these worlds of his foe should descend again to this world.' This is his return descent to this world, in that he says, 'Here do I exclude my enemy from these quarters, from this sky'; verily having acquired these worlds of his foe he descends again to this world. 'I have been united with the light', he says; verily he rests on this world. 'I turn the turning of the Mighty', he says; the Mighty is the sign of yonder sun; verily he turns his turning. He turns to the right; verily he revolves round his own strength; therefore the right side of a man is the stronger; verily also he turns the turning of the sun. 'May I be united with offspring, offspring with me', he says; verily he invokes this blessing. 'Kindled, O Radiant One, shine for me; kindling thee, O Radiant One, may I shine', he says; that is according to the text. 'Be rich the offering; may I be rich', he says; verily he invokes this blessing. Within the household fire much variegated work is performed; with two verses to the Radiant One, the purifier, he pays reverence to the household fire; verily he purifies the fire, he purifies himself; (he uses) two for support. 'O Radiant One, lord of the house', he says; that is according to the text. 'For a hundred winters', he says; 'for a hundred winters may I kindle thee', he says in effect. He utters the name of his son; verily he makes him an eater of food. 'This prayer I utter, bringing light for the race', he should say who has no son born to him; verily is born to him a brilliant and resplendent son. 'This prayer I utter, bringing light to N. N.', he should say who has a son born; verily he bestows upon him brilliance and splendour. He who having yoked the offering does not let it free becomes without a support. 'Who yoketh thee? Let him set thee free', he says; Who (Ka) is the Creator; verily by the Creator he yokes him, by the Creator he lets him free, for support. The vow if not released is liable to consume (the giver); 'O Radiant One, lord of vows, I have performed my vow', he says; verily he releases his vow, for atonement, to prevent burning. The offering goes away, and turns not back; to him who offers knowing the restoration of the offering it does turn back; 'The offering hath become, it hath come into being', he says; this is the restoration of the offering, and thereby he restores it. Excellence has not been obtained by him who having established a fire has no retinue; cattle indeed are the retinue of a scholar. Having offered, he should step forward to the east and say, 'Rich in cattle, in sheep, O Radiant One, in horses is the giver'; he wins his retinue, he obtains a thousand cattle, in his offspring a strong one is born.