Adhyāya 3: Agnihotra and Cāturmāsya

Serve Agui with the kindling-brand, with drops of butter

To Agui Jatavedas, to the flame, the well-enkindled God, Offer thick sacrificial oil.

Thee, such, Angiras, with brands and sacred oil we magnify, very brilliant, Youthfullest.

Rich in oblations, dropping oil, to thee, sweet Agni, let

Earth ! Ether ! Sky !

This spotted Bull hath come and sat before the Mother and

As expiration from his breath his radiance penetrates within : The Bull shines out through all the sky.

He rules supreme through thirty realms. Song is bestowed

Agni is light, and light is Agni. Hail ! Surya is light, and light is Surya. Hail ! Agni is splendour, liglit is splendour. Hail ! SCirya is splendour, light is splendour. Hail ! Light is Surya, Siirya is light. Hail I

Accordant with bright Savitar and Night with Indra at her

Approachiug sacrifice, may we pronounce a text to Agni

Agni is head and height of heaven, the Master of the earth

You two will I invoke, Indra- Agni, will please you both

This is thine ordered place of birth whence, Sprung to life,

Here by ordainera was this God appointed first Invoker, ^

After his ancient splendour they, the bold, have drawn the

Thou, Agni, art our bodies* guard. Guard thou my body. Giver of life art thou, Agni. Give me life.

Enkindled we enkindle thee through hundred winters, thee

Thou hast attained, Agni, to the splendour of Siirya, to

Ye are food, may I enjoy your food. Ye are might, may I

Sport, wealthy ones, in this abode, this fold, this spot, this

Thou: he touches and addresses the cow. To thee : he approaches the Gftrhapatya fire and reverences it. This test and verses 23, 24 are

Composed art thou of every form and colour. With sap and ownership of kiue approach me. To thee, dispeller of the night, Agni, day by day with prayer.

Be to us easy of approach, eren as a father to his son : Agni^ be wif h us fbr our weal,

Agni, be our nearest Friend ; be thou a kind deliverer

To thee then, most bright, radiant God, we come with

Ida, come, Aditi, come hither. Come hither, much-

Brahinanaspati, make him' who presses Soma glorious,

The rich, the healer of disease, who findeth wealth, increadeth

Let not the foeman's curse, let not a mortal's treachery fall

This verse and the two following form, with a variation rn 33. Hymn commonly invoked with Mitra and Varuna.

For over them, neither at home nor upon pathways perilous. The evil-minded foe hath power.

For they, the Sons of Aditi, bestow eternal light upon A mortal man that he may live.

Ne^er art thou fiiiitl<?S8, Indra, ne'er dost thou forsake thy worshipper.

Taken from R, V. III. 62. 10. This stanza is the B&vitr!, the O&yatrt par excellence^ * the celebrated verse of the Vedas which forms part of the daily devotions of the Brahmaus. and was Urst m^dtt known to English readers by Sir William Jones's translation of a paraphrastic interpretation : he renders it, Let us adore the supremacy of that diviqe sun who illumin- ates all, from whom all proceed, to whom all mnst return, whom we invoke

May thine inriolable car wherewith thou guardest worship-

Earth ! Ether j Sky ! May I be rich in offiipring, wett-man-

We have approached the Omniscient, best finder out of

May ve attain that excellent glory of Savitar the God : ~^ So may he stimulate our prayers.

Rich, furtherer of plenty is this Agni, Master of the Herd. Splendour and strength bestow on us, Agni, Master of

Fear not, nor tremble thou, House. To thee who b^arest

The home on which the wanderer thinks, where cheerfulness

Here have the cows been called to us, the goats and sheep

We invocate the Maruts, the voracious, eaters of their foes, Delighting in their mess of meal.

We expiate by sacrifice each sinful act that we have done, Whether in village or the wild, in company or corporeal

Let us not here contend with Gods, Indra, for, Fierce

The skilful workei's have performed their work with voice

ever-moving Cleansing Bath, thou movest gliding on thy

Full, fly away, spoon, and filled completely fly thou back

Give me, I give thee gifts : bestow on me, and I bestow on

Well have they eaten and regaled : the friends have risen

Thee will we reverence, thee, Lord of Bounty, who art

We call the spirit hither with a hero-celebrating strain, Yea, with the Fathers' holy hymns.

The spirit comes to us a-^^aiu for wisdom, energy, and life, That we may long behold the Sun.

Fathers, may the Heavenly Folk give us the spirit once

Soma, with the spirit still within us, blest with progeny, May we be busied in thy law.

Rudra, the fierce Tempest-Qod, destroyer of men and cattle is to be propitiated. This : a rice-cake. There is to be one cake for each living son and servant of the Sncrificer, and one over for future additions, and these cakes are all to be on one potsherd. Amhikd : the personification of Autumn with which Rudra kills. The rat : the supernumerary cake is to be buried in the earth thrown up by a rat or vole, and this symbolic sacri-

We have contented Rudra, yea, put off Tryambaka the God, That he may make us wealthier, may make us yet more

Thou art a healing medicine, a balm for cow and horse and

Tryambaka we worship, sweet au:^menter of prosperity.

This, Rudra, is thy food : with this depart beyond the

May Jamadagni's triple life, the triple life of Knsyapa, The triple life of Deities — may that same triple life be ours.

Gracious, thy name ; the thunder is thy father. Obeisance be to thee : forbear to harm nie. I shave thee for long life, for food to feed thee, for progeny, for riches in abundance, for noble children, for heroic vigour.