Philosophy and Religion / White Yajurveda (Vâjasaneyi-Sanhitâ)

The White Yajurveda (Vâjasaneyi-Sanhitâ)

Book the thirteenth

1. I TAKE within me Agni first, for increase of my wealth, good offspring, manly strength:
So may the Deities wait on me.

2. Thou art the waters’ back, the womb of Agni, around the ocean as it swells and surges.
Waxing to greatness, resting on the lotus, spread forth in amplitude with heaven's own measure.

3. Eastward at first was Brahma generated. Vena o’erspread the bright Ones from the summit,
Disclosed his deepest nearest revelations, womb of existent and of non-existent.

4. In the beginning rose Hiranyagarbha, born Only Lord of all created being.
He fixed and holdeth up this earth and heaven. Worship we Ka the God with our oblation.

5. The Drop leaped onward through the earth and heaven, along this place and that which was before it.
I offer up, throughout the seven oblations, the Drop still moving to the common dwelling.

6. Homage be paid to Serpents unto all of them that are on earth,
To those that dwell in air, to those that dwell in sky be homage paid.

7. To those that are the demons’ darts, to those that live upon the trees,
To all the Serpents that lie low in holes be adoration paid.

8. Or those that are in heaven's bright sphere, or those that dwell in the Sun's beams:
Serpents, whose home has been prepared in waters, homage unto them!

9. Put forth like a wide-spreading net thy vigour: go like a mighty King with his attendants.
Thou, following thy swift net, shootest arrows: transfix the fiends with darts that burn most fiercely.

10. Forth go in rapid flight thy whirling weapons: follow them closely glowing in thy fury.
Spread with thy tongue the wingèd flames, O Agni: unfettered cast thy firebrands all around thee.

11. Send thy spies forward, fleetest in thy motion: be, ne’er deceived, the guardian of this people
From him who, near or far, is bent on evil, and let no trouble sent from thee o’ercome us.

12. Rise up, O Agni, spread thee out before us, burn down our foes, thou who hast sharpened arrows.
Him, blazing Agni! who hath worked us mischief, consume thou utterly like dried-up stubble.

13. Rise, Agni, drive off those who fight against us: make manifest thine own celestial vigour.
Slacken the strong bows of the demon-driven: destroy our foemen whether kin or stranger.
I settle thee with Agni's fiery ardour.

14. Agni is head and height of heaven, the Master of the earth is he: He quickeneth the waters’ seed.
I settle thee with the great strength of Indra.

15. Thou art the leader of the rite and region to which with thine auspicious teams thou tendest.
Thy light-bestowing head to heaven thou liftest, making thy tongue the oblation-bearer, Agni!

16. Steady art thou, sustainer, laid by Visvakarman in thy place.
Let not the ocean nor the bird harm thee: unshaking, steady earth.

17. Thee let Prajâpati settle on the waters’ back, in Ocean's course,
Thee the capacious, widely spread. Thou art the Wide One: spread thee wide

18. Thou art the earth, the ground, thou art the all-sustaining Aditi, she who supporteth all the world.
Control the earth, steady the earth, do thou the earth no injury.

19. For all breath, out-breath; through-breath, upward-breathing, for high position, for prescribed observance,
May Agni keep thee safe with great well-being, with the securest shelter. As aforetime with Angiras, with that Deity lie steady.

20. Upspringing from thine every joint, upspringing from each knot of thine,
Thus with a thousand, Dûrvâ! with a hundred do thou stretch us out.

21. Thou spreading with a hundred, thou that branched with a thousand shoots,
Thee, such, with our oblation will we worship, O celestial Brick.

22. Thy lights, O Agni, in the Sun that with their beams o’erspread the sky,—
With all of those assist thou us to-day to light and progeny.

23. Lights of yours in the Sun, O Gods, or lights that are in kine and steeds,
O Indra-Agni, with all those vouchsafe us light, Brihaspati!

24. The Far.-Refulgent held the light. The Self-Refulgent held the light.
Thee, luminous, may Prajâpati settle upon the back of Earth.
Give, to all breathing, all the light, to out-breath, to diffusive breath.
Thy Sovran Lord is Agni. With that Deity, as with Angiras, lie firmly settled in thy place.

25. Madhu and Mâdhava, the two Spring seasons—thou art the innermost cement of Agni.
May Heaven and Earth, may Waters, Plants and Agnis help, separate, accordant, my precedence.
May all the Fires ’twixt heaven and earth, one-minded, well-fitted, gather round these two Spring seasons,
As the Gods gathering encompass Indra: firm with that Deity, Angiras-like, be seated.

26. Thou art Ashâdhâ, Conquering One. Conquer our foemen, conquer thou the men who fain would-fight with us.
A thousand manly powers hast thou: so do thou aid and quicken me.

27. The winds waft sweets, the rivers pour sweets for the man who keeps the Law:
So may the plants be sweet for us.

28. Sweet be the night and sweet the dawns, sweet the terrestrial atmosphere:
Sweet be our Father Heaven to us.

29. May the tall tree be full of sweets for us and, and full of sweets the Sun:
May our milch-kine be sweet for us.

30. Seat thyself in the deepness of the waters, lest Sûrya, lest Vaisvânara Agni scorch thee.
With wing unclipped, survey created beings: may rain that cometh down from heaven attend thee.

31. He crept across the three heaven-reaching oceans, the Bull of Bricks, the Master of the Waters.
Clad in the world with his, the Well-Made's, vesture, go whither those before thee have departed.

32. May Heaven and Earth, the Mighty Pair, besprinkle this our sacrifice,
And feed us full with nourishments.

33. Look ye on Vishnu's works whereby the Friend of Indra, close allied,
Hath let his holy ways be seen.

34. Firm art thou, a sustainer. Hence engendered, forth from these wombs at first came Jâtavedas.
By Gâyatrî, by Trishtup, by Anushtup, may he who knows bear to the Gods oblation.

35. Take thou thine ease for food, for store of riches, for might in splendour, and for strength and offspring.
Thou art all-ruling, independent Ruler: both fountains of Sarasvatî protect thee!

36. O radiant Agni, harness thou thy steeds which are most excellent!
They bear thee as thy spirit wills.

37. Yoke, Agni, as a charioteer, thy steeds who best invoke the Gods:
As ancient Hotar take thy seat.

38. Like rivers our libations flow together, cleansing themselves in inmost heart and spirit.
I look upon the flowing streams of butter: the golden reed is in the midst of Agni.

39. Thee for the praise-verse, thee for sheen, thee for bright splendour, thee for light.
This hath become the energetic spirit of all the world and of Vaisvânara Agni.

40. Agni, all-luminous with light, splendid with splendour, golden One.
Giver of thousands art thou: for a thousand thee.

41. Balm thou with milk the unborn babe Âditya, wearing all forms, creator of a thousand.
Spare, him with heat, nor plot against him: give him a hundred years of life while thou art building.

42. The wind's impetuous rush, Varuna's navel! the horse that springs to life amid the waters!
The rivers’ tawny child, based on the mountain, harm not, O Agni, in the loftiest region.

43. Unwasting Drop, red, eager, pressing forward, Agni I worship with repeated homage.
Forming thyself with joints in proper order, harm not the Cow, Aditi widely ruling!

44. Her who is Tvashtar's guardian, Varuna's navel, the Ewe brought forth from out the loftiest region,
The Asura's mighty thousandfold contrivance, injure not in the highest sphere, O Agni.

45. The Agni who from Agni had his being, from heat of Earth or also heat of Heaven,
Whereby the Omnific One engendered creatures, him may thy fierce displeasure spare, O Agni.

46. The brilliant presence of the Gods hath risen, the eye of Mitra, Varuna, and Agni.
The soul of all that moveth not or moveth, the Sun hath filled the air, and earth and heaven.

47. Injure not, thousand-eyed, while thou art building for sacrifice, this animal, the biped.
Accept as pith man's counterfeit the victim, Agni: therewith building thy forms, be settled.
Let thy flame reach man's counterfeit: let thy flame reach the man we hate.

48. Harm not this animal whose hooves are solid, the courser neighing in the midst of coursers.
I dedicate to thee the forest Gaura: building thy bodies up with him be settled.
Let thy flame reach the Gaura, let thy flame reach him whom we detest.

49. Thousandfold, with a hundred streams, this fountain, expanded in the middle of the waters,
Infinite, yielding butter for the people, harm not, O Agni, in the highest region.
This wild bull of the forest I assign thee: building thy bodies up therewith be settled.
Let thy flame reach the wild hull, etc. (as in 48).

50. This creature clothed in wool, Varuna's navel, the skin of animals quadruped and biped,
The first that was produced of Tvashtar's creatures, O Agni, harm not in the highest region.
The forest buffalo do I assign thee: building, etc., as above mutato mutando.

51. From Agni's warmth the he-goat had his being: he looked at first upon his generator.
Thereby the Gods at first attained to Godhead: those meet for worship to the height ascended.
The forest Sarabha do I assign thee: building, etc.

52. Do thou, Most Youthful God, protect the men who offer, hear their songs,
Protect his offspring and himself.

53. I set thee in the passage of the waters. I set thee in the swelling of the waters. I set thee in the ashes of the waters. I set thee in the lustre of the waters. I set thee in the way which waters travel. I set thee in the flood, the place to test in. I set thee in the sea, the place to rest in. I set thee in the stream, the place to rest in.
I set thee in the water's habitation. I set thee in the resting-place of waters. I set thee in the station of the waters. I set thee in the meeting-place of waters. I set thee in the birthplace of the waters. I set thee in the refuse of the waters. I set thee in the residence of waters.
I settle thee with the Gâyatrî metre. I settle thee with the Trishtup metre. I settle thee with the Jagatî metre.
I settle thee with the Anushtup metre. I settle thee with the Pankti metre.

54. This, in front, is Bhuva. His offspring, Breath, is Bhauvâyana.
Spring is Prânâyana. The Gâyatrî is the daughter of Spring. From the Gâyatrî comes the Gâyatra tune.
From the Gâyatra the Upâmsu. From the Upâmsu the Trivrit. From the Trivrit the Rathantara. The Rishi
Vasishtha. By thee, taken by Prajâpati, I take vital breath for creatures.

55. This on the right, the Omnific. His, the Omnific's offspring, Mind. Summer sprang from Mind. The Trishtup is the daughter of Summer. From the Trishtup came the Svâra song. From the Svâra the Antaryâma. From the Antaryâma the Pañchadasa. From the Pañchadasa the Brihat. The Rishi Bharadvâja. By thee, taken by Prajâpati, I take Mind for creatures.

56. This on the western side, the All-Embracer. His, the All-Embracer's offspring, the Eye. The Rains sprang from the Eye. The Jagatî is the daughter of the Rains.
From the Jagatî came the Riksama. From the Riksama the Sukra. From the Sukra the Saptadasa. From the Saptadasa the Vairûpa. The Rishi Jamadagni. By thee, taken by Prajâpati, I take the Eye for creatures.

57. This on the north side, heaven. This, heaven's offspring, the Ear. Autumn, the daughter of the Ear. The Anushtup sprang from Autumn. From the Anushtup came the Aida. From the Aida the Manthin. From the Manthin the Ekavimsa. From the Ekavimsa the Vairâja. The Rishi Visvâmitra. By thee, taken by Prajâpati, I take the Ear for creatures.

58. This above, Intellect. Its, Intellect's offspring, Speech.
Winter the offspring of Speech. Pankti sprang from Winter. From Pankti the Nidhanavat. From the Nidhanavat came the Âgrayana. From the Âgrayana the Trinava and the Trayastrimsa. From the Trinava and the Trayastrimsa the Sâkvara and the Raivata. The Rishi Visvakarman. By thee, taken by Visvakarman, I take Speech for people.
Fill up the room, etc. The dappled kine, etc. All sacred songs, etc., three texts repeated from XII. 54-56.

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