Philosophy and Religion / White Yajurveda (Vâjasaneyi-Sanhitâ)

The White Yajurveda (Vâjasaneyi-Sanhitâ)

Book the second

1. THOU art a black-buck dwelling in the covert. I sprinkle thee agreeable to Agni.
Thou art the altar. Thee welcome to the sacred grass I sprinkle.
Thou art the sacred covering-grass. I sprinkle thee grateful to the sacrificial ladles.

2. Thou art what giveth Aditi her moisture. Thou art the hair-tuft on the head of Vishnu. I spread thee, wool-soft, good for Gods to sit on.
Hail to the Earth's Lord! To the World's Lord Hail! Hail to the Lord of Beings!

3. For safety of this all let the Gandharva Visvâvasu lay thee round as a protection. Thou art the Sacrificer's guard, thou, Agni, lauded and worthy to receive laudation.
Indra's right arm art thou. For safety . . . . . . laudation.
For safety of This Ail, with firm law, northward let Mitra.
Varuna lay thee round as keeper. Thou art the Sacrificer's guard . . . . . . laudation.

4. Thee, Sage, who offerest to Gods their banquet, we will enkindle till thou shinest brightly, thee mighty in the sacrifice, O Agni.

5. Thou art a kindler. From the east let Sûrya keep thee secure from every imprecation.
You are the arms of Savitar. I spread thee as soft as wool, good for the Gods to sit on. On thee sit Vasus, Rudras, and Âdityas!

6. Thou who art called Juhû art rich in fatness. On this dear seat, with the dear home, be seated.
Thou, Upabhrit by name, art rich in fatness. On this . . . . . . . . be seated.
Thou who art called Dhruvâ, art rich in fatness. On this, etc.
In the Law's lap they have sat down in safety Guard these. Guard thou the Sacrifice, O Vishnu. Keep thou the Sacrifice's Lord in safety.

7. O Agni, Winner of the Spoil, I cleanse thee, thee who wilt hasten to the spoil, Spoil-winner.
Obeisance to the Gods! Svadhâ to Fathers! Be both of you easy for me to handle.

8. May I to-day offer Gods unspilt butter. Let me not with my foot offend thee, Vishnu.
Agni, may I approach thy shade abounding in store of riches.
Thou art Vishnu's mansion, Hence Indra wrought his deed of manly vigour. The sacrifice stood firmly elevated.

9. O Agni, undertake the Hotar's office, take on thyself the duty of an envoy.
Heaven and Earth guard thee! Guard thou Earth and Heaven.
May Indra be, by this presented butter, maker to Gods of fair oblation. Svâhâ! Let light combine with light.

10. Indra bestow on me that Indra-power! May wealth in full abundance gather round us. Let blessings wait on us, yea, real blessings.
Our Mother, Earth, hath been invited hither. May Earth, our Mother, in return invite us. I, through my Kindlership, am Agni. Svâhâ!

11. The Father Heaven hath been invited hither. May Heaven the Father in return invite us.
By impulse of God Savitar I receive thee with arms of Asvins, with the hands of Pûshan. I feed upon thee with the mouth of Agni.

12. God Savitar, this sacrifice of thine have they proclaimed unto Brihaspati the Brahman Priest.
Therefore protect the sacrifice, protect the sacrifice's lord, protect thou me.

13. The butter's rapid flow delight his spirit! Brihaspati extend this act of worship. May he restore the sacrifice uninjured.
Here let all Gods rejoice. OM! Step thou forward.

14. This is the stick for kindling thee, O Agni. By means of this grow strong and swell to greatness. May we too grow in strength and swell to greatness.
O Agni, thou who winnest food, I cleanse thee, thee who hast hastened to the food, Food-winner.

15. After the victory of Agni Soma may I obtain the victory. By impulse of sacrificial food I speed me onward.
May Agni-Soma drive off him who hates us, drive off the man whom we detest. By impulse of sacrificial food away I drive him.
After the victory of Indra-Agni may I obtain the victory. By impulse of sacrificial food I speed me forward.
May Indra-Agni . . . . . . I drive him.

16. For Vasus thee. For Rudras thee. Thee for Âdityas.
Be, Heaven and Earth, accordant with each other. With rain may Mitra-Varuna assist thee.
May the birds go, licking what is anointed.
Go to the Maruts’ speckled mares. Go, having become a speckled cow thyself, to heaven, and from that place bring the rain for us hither.
Thou art the eye's guard: guard mine eye, O Agni.

17. The stick which thou, God Agni, laidest round thee, what time thou wast kept hidden by the Panis, this do I bring to thee for thine enjoyment. May it remain with thee and ne’er be fruitless.
Approach, ye two, the place which Agni loveth.

18. The residue ye have to be your portion, mighty by food, ye Gods, ye who are stationed on the grass-bunch, and to be laid as fences.
All ye, applauding this my speech, be seated on this grass-bunch and there be joyful. Svâhâ! Vât!

19. Rich in oil are ye. Guard the two yoke-fellows. Ye two are full of grace, to grace conduct me.
Glory to thee, O Sacrifice, and increase! Stand firm in my auspicious, righteous worship.

20. O Agni of unweakened strength, far-reaching, protect me from the lightning-flash, protect me from bondage. from defect in sacrificing, from food injurious to health protect me.
Make thou the food that feeds us free from poison in the home good to sit in. Svâhâ! Vât!
Hail to the Lord of close embracements, Agni! Hail to Sarasvatî enriched with glory!

21. Veda art thou, whereby, O godlike Veda, thou hast become for Deities their Veda: thereby mayst thou become for me a Veda.
O Deities, ye knowers of the Pathway, walk on the pathway having known the Pathway.
God, Lord of Spirit, hail! bestow upon the Wind this sacrifice.

22. Blest be the Grass with sacred food and butter. Let Indra be united with the Âdityas, the Vasus, Maruts, and the Visvedevas. Let Svâhâ-offerings rise to heavenly ether.

23. Who liberates thee from the yoke? He frees thee. For whom?
For him he looses thee. For plenty. Thou art the Râkshasas’ allotted portion.

24. We have combined with lustre, vigour, bodies; we have united with the blessèd spirit. May Tvashtar, bounteous giver, grant us riches, and clear each fault and blemish from the body.

25. By Jagatî metre in the sky strode Vishnu. Therefrom excluded is the man who hates us and whom we detest.
By Trishtup metre in the air strode Vishnu. Therefrom, etc.
By Gâyatrî upon the earth strode Vishnu. Therefrom, etc.
From this food From this resting-place excluded. We have reached heaven. We have combined with lustre.

26. Thou, noblest ray of light, art Self-existent. Giver art thou of splendour. Give me splendour.
I move along the path that Sûrya travels.

27. Agni, may I become a good householder, through thee, Home-master, O Householder Agni. Mayst thou become an excellent Householder through me the master of the house, O Agni.
Through hundred winters may our household matters—not like a one-ox car—be smoothly managed. I move along the path that Sûrya travels.

28. I have performed the vow, Lord of Vows, Agni! Full power was mine, and it has proved successful.
Now am I he I truly am, no other.

29. To Agni Hail! who bears gifts due to Sages. To Soma Hail! accompanied by Fathers.
Expelled are Asuras and fiends who sate upon the covering grass.

30. The Asuras, attracted by oblation, who roam at will assuming varied figures, from this our world may Agni drive them, whether they clothe themselves in large or little bodies.

31. O Fathers, here enjoy yourselves. Come hither, like bulls, come each to his allotted portion.
The Fathers have enjoyed themselves, and hither, like bulls, come each to his allotted portion.

32. Obeisance to your genial sap, O Fathers! Fathers, obeisance unto you for Ardour! Fathers, obeisance Onto you for Svadhâ! Obeisance unto you for Life, O Fathers!
Fathers, to you obeisance for the Awful! Fathers, obeisance unto you for Passion! O Fathers, unto you be adoration.
Bestow upon us houses, O ye Fathers, what is ours, O Fathers, will we give you. With this your raiment clothe yourselves, O Fathers.

33. Fathers, bestow on me a babe, a boy enwreathed with lotuses, so that there may be here a man.

34. Bearers of vigour and immortal fatness, milk and sweet beverage and foaming liquor, ye are a freshening draught.
Delight my Fathers.

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