Adhyāya 11: Agnicayana — fire-altar construction (1)

Hamtuing : applying to the holy work. Savitar: the Impeller, here meaning PrajUpati, the Lord of creatures, who is identified with Agni, th4t w the Fire Altar which is now to be built. Them : oblations ; or bricks, according to Mahtdhara. With this and the seven following formulas the

To win the heavenly : to merit heaven by the due performance of our

Savitar, having harnessed Gods who go to light and heaven- ly thought,

I yoke with prayer your ancient inspiration : may the laud rise as on the prince's pathway. All Sons of the Immortal One shall hear it, who have resorted to celastial dwellings.

Even he, the God whose goi»ig forth aud majesty the other

Our sacrifice, God Savitar I speed foi'ward ; speed to his share

God Savitar, speed this God-loved sacrifice of ours, friend-

By impulse of God Savitar 1 take thee, with arms of A^vins,

Spade art thou ; woman art thou. Ours be power with the©

A formula to be used on taking up the spade.

Run hither, urged to speed, Horse, along the most extend-

Upon this course, lords of wealth, harness, ye twain, the

In every need, in every race We call, as friends, to succour as, Indra, the mightiest of all.

Without touching the animals he makes them go eastward. He ad- drei>8es the horse. Jmprecatiwu : ill-wishes, or slauderous words of ih*s Sacrificer's enemies. Rudra: as Pasupati, Lord of Beasts. Speed: here he addresses the ass, the steed of the A^vins. PHehan : here said to mean Earth.

From the Earth's seat, like Angiras, bring thou Purishya

Agni hath looked along the van of Mornings, looked on the

The Courser, started on his way, shakes from him all hosti-

Courser, having come to earth, seek Agni with a longing

Heaven is thy back, the earth thy seat, the air thy soul,

Wealth-giver, Courser, from this place step forth to great

Down hath he stepped, wealth-giver, racer, courser. Good

I thoughtfiilly besprinkle thee with butter, thee dwelling

I sprinkle him who moves in all directions : may he accept

Round the oblatipn hath he paced, Agni the wise, the Lord

We set thee round us as a fort, victorious Agni, thee a Sage, Of hero lineage, day by day destroyer of our treacherous foes.

Thou, Agni, with the days, fain to shine hitherward, art

At Savitar*s, the Shining One's, impulsion, with arms of

Thou art the Waters' back, the womb of Agni, around the

Yea are a, shelter and a shield, uninjured both, and widely

Cover him, finders of the light, united both with breast and

Thou art Purishya, thou support of all. Atharvan was the

Thee too as V^itra-slayer, thee breaker of forts, the Sage

Pathya the Bui], too, kiDdled thee the Dasyus' most desttuc-

Sir^ Hotar, in the Hotar'a place, observant J lay down the

Accustomed to the Hotar's place, the Hotaf hath seated bim,

Seat thee, for thoti art mighty : shine, beat entertaitter of

Pour heaveul / Waters honey-sweet here for our health, for

May Vayu Matarisvan heal and comfort thy broken heart as

He, nobly bofn with lustre, shield and fefuge, hath sat down

Lord of fair sachfice, arise ! With Godlike thought pfoteet

^Rke up erect to give us aid, stand up like Savitar the God ; Erect as strength-bestower wlieu we call aloud, with un- guents and with priests on thee,

Thou, being born, art Child of Earth and Heaven, parted, fair

Steady be thou, and firm of limb. Steed, be a racer fleet of

Be thou propitious, Angiras, to creatures of the human race. Set not on tire the heaven and eartli, nor air's mid-region,

Forth with loud neighing go the Steed, the Ass that shouteth

The Law the Truth, the Law the Truth, As Angiras was

Welcome him jojfuUy, je Plants, laden with bloom and

Resplendent with thy wide-extending lustre dispel the ter-

Ye, Waters, are beneficent, so help ye us to energy That we may look on great delight.

Give us a portion of the sap, the most propitious that ye

To you we gladly come for him to whose abode ye lead us.

Mitra, having commingled earth and ground together with

The Rudras, having mixed the earth, set all aglow the lofty

The lump of clay that hath been mixed by Vasus, Rudras^

May Siniv^li with fair braids, with beauteous crest, with

Aditi shape the Fire-pan with her power, her arms, her in- tellect,

He spreads the clay which is to form the bottom of the Fire-pan. Th^ Rudras: here he lays down the first lower side of the pan. Adityas: here he adds the upper side. With the rest of the formulas he continues the work.

The zone of Aditi art thou. Aditi seize thy hollow space. She, haviug made the great Fire-pan, a womb for Agni,

The Vasus make thee fragrant, as Angiras did, with G&yatri I The Rudras make thee fragrant with the Trishtup, as did

Pit! Anglraa-like may Aditi the Goddess, beloved by all

The gainful grace of Miti*a, God, supporter of the race of

With lovely arms, with lovely hands, with lovely fingere

Having arisen wax thou great, yea, stand thou upi im-

Thee may the Vasus, Angiras-like, fill with the metre

Ha.yiDg offSered Hxe ^ve Amdgrabba^a oblations customary M> Soma •acrifices ( see IV. 7 ), be now offers seven connected with the building of the Fire-altar, and recites the appropriate formulas. Intention : our aeter- mination to buil4 the alti^i^ Mmu : ibe represeota|«ve H(ia, ideutifisd with Prajdpati.

He offers to Savitar with the text from B. V. Y. 50. 1, repeated from Book IV. 8.

With Gclyatri, like Angiras the Vasus form and fashion thee I Stedfast art thou, thou art the Earth. Establish in me pro- geny, command of cattle, growth of wealth, kinsmen for me the worshipper. With Trishtup may the Rudras, like Angiras, form and fashion thee.

When the fire has burnt up, be places.on it a Uadtiag-sdoii «f Krimuica wood ( a tree unknown to European botanists ) with Ute text taken from E. V. U. 7. 6. Son of Stnngtk : Agni, as sprung from the violent agitation of the fire-drill.

Abandoning the foeman's host, pass hither to this /company ; Assist the men with whom I stand.

From the remotest distauoe come. Lord of the Bed Steeds,

Agui, wbatsoever be the fuel that we lay oo thee,

That which the termite eats away, that over which the

BriDging to him, with care unceasing, fodder day after day

While on earth's navel Agni is enkindled, we call, for^

Whatever hosts there are, fiercely assailant, ehai^og In

Devour the burglaifs with both tusks, destroy the robbefs

The burglars living among naen, the thieves and rohbers in

Him who would seek to injure us, the man who looks on

Quickeoed is this my priestly mk, quickened is manly

The arms of these men have I raised, have raised their

A share of food, Lord of Food, vouchsafe us, invigorating