50. The fires (all) know one another, that which lives in plants, and lives in the waters, and all the
I92 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
(light-) gods that glow upon the heaven. The gold
(here) becomes the light of him that cooks (the
porridge).
51. This (naked skin) among the hides is born
upon man (alone), all other animals are not naked.
Clothe yourselves, (ye Brahmans), in sheltering
garments : (even) the face of the porridge is a home-
spun garment !
52. What falsehood thou shalt speak at play
and in the assembly, or the falsehood that thou
shalt speak through lust for gain — put on together,
(O man and wife), this same garment, deposit upon
it every blemish !
53. Produce rain, go to the gods, let smoke arise
from (thy) surface ; all-embracing, about to be
covered with ghee, enter as a co-dweller this
place !
54. In many ways heaven assumes within itself
a different form, according to circumstances. It (the
heaven) has laid aside its black form, purifying itself
to a bright (form) ; the red form do I sacrifice for
thee into the fire.
55. Thee here we hand over to the eastern direc-
tion, to Agni as sovereign lord, to the black serpent
as guardian, to Aditya as bowman : do ye guard it
for us, until we arrive ! To the goal here he shall
lead us, to old age ; old age shall hand us over to
death : then shall we be united with the cooked
(porridge) !
56. Thee here we hand over to the southern
direction, to Indra as sovereign lord, to the serpent
that is striped across as guardian, to Yama as bow-
man : do ye guard it for us, until we arrive ! To the
goal here, &c.
Ix. Prayers and Imprecations for Brahmans. 1 93
57. Thee here we hand over to the western direc-
tion, to Varu^a as sovereign lord, to the przdaku-
serpent as guardian, to food as bowman : do ye guard
it for us, until we arrive. To the goal here, &c.
58. Thee here we hand over to the northern
direction, to Soma as sovereign lord, to the sva^a-
serpent as guardian, to the lightning as bowman :
do ye guard it for us, until we arrive. To the goal
here, &c.
59. Thee here we hand over to the direction of the
nadir, to Vishnu as sovereign lord, to the serpent
with black-spotted neck as guardian, to the plants
as bowmen : do ye guard it for us, until we arrive.
To the goal here, &c.
60. Thee here we hand over to the direction of
the zenith, to Brzhaspati as sovereign lord, to the
light-coloured serpent as guardian, to the rain as
bowman : do ye guard it for us, until we arrive.
To the goal here, &c.
IX, 3. Removal of a house that has been presented to a priest as sacrificial reward.
1. The fastenings of the buttresses, the supports,
and also of the connecting beams of the house, that
abounds in treasures, do we loosen.
2. O (house) rich in all treasures ! the fetter
which has been bound about thee, and the knot
which has been fastened upon thee, that with my
charm do I undo, as Brzhaspati (undid) Vala.
3. (The builder) has drawn thee together, pressed
thee together, placed firm knots upon thee. Skil-
fully, as the priest who butchers (the sacrificial
animal), do we with Indra's aid disjoint thy limbs.
194 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
4. From thy beams, thy bolts, thy frame, and
thy thatch ; from thy sides, (O house) abounding in
treasures, do we loosen the fastenings.
5. The fastenings of the dove-tailed (joints), of
the reed (-covering), of the frame-work, do we loosen
here from the ' mistress of dwelling/
6. The ropes which they have tied within thee
for comfort, these do we loosen from thee ; be thou
propitious to our persons, O mistress of dwelling,
after thou hast (again) been erected !
7. A receptacle for Soma, a house for Agni, a seat
for the mistresses (of the house), a seat (for the priests),
a seat for tlie gods art thou, O goddess house !
8. Thy covering of wicker-work, with thousand
eyes, stretched out upon thy crown, fastened down
and laid on, do we loosen with (this) charm.
9. He who receives thee as a gift, O house,
and he by whom thou hast been built, both these,
O mistress of dwelling, shall live attaining old age !
10. Return to him in the other world, firmly
bound, ornamented, (thou house), which we loosen
limb by limb, and joint by joint !
11. He who built thee, O house, brought together
(thy) timbers, he, a Pra^apati on high, did construct
thee, O house, for his progeny (pra^*ayai).
12. We render obeisance to him (the builder);
obeisance to the giver, the lord of the house ;
obeisance to Agni who serves (the sacrifice) ; and
obeisance to thy (attendant) man !
13. Reverence to the cattle and the horses, and
to that which is born in the house ! Thou that hast
produced, art rich in offspring, thy fetters do we
loosen.
14. Thou dost shelter Agni within, (and) the
Ix. Prayers and Imprecations for Brahmans. 1 95
domestics together with the cattle. Thou that hast
produced, art rich in offspring, thy fetters do we
loosen.
15. The expanse which is between heaven and
earth, with that do I receive as a gift this house of
thine ; the middle region wrhich is stretched out
from the sky, that do I make into a receptacle for
treasures ; with that do I receive the house for
this one.
16. Full of nurture, full of milk, fixed upon the
earth, erected, holding food for all, O house, do
thou not injure them that receive thee as a gift !
17. Enveloped in grass, clothed in reeds, like
night does the house lodge the cattle ; erected
thou dost stand upon the earth, like a she-elephant,
firm of foot.
18. The part of thee that was covered with
mats unfolding do I loosen. Thee that hast been
enfolded by Varu/za may Mitra uncover in the
morning !
19. The house built with pious word, built by
seers, erected — may Indra and Agni, the two
immortals, protect the house, the seat of Soma !
20. Chest is crowded upon chest, basket upon
basket; there mortal man is begotten from whom
all things spring.
21. In the house which is built with two facades,
four facades, six facades ; in the house with eight
facades, with ten facades, in the ' mistress of dwell-
ing/ Agni rests as if in the womb.
22. Turning towards thee that art turned towards
me, O house, I come to thee that injurest me not.
For Agni and the waters, the first door to divine
order, are within.
I96 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
23. These waters, free from disease, destructive
of disease, do I bring here. The chambers do
I enter in upon in company with the immortal
Agni (fire).
24. Do thou not fasten a fetter upon us ; though
a heavy load, become thou light ! As a bride do we
carry thee, O house, wherever we please.
25. From the easterly direction of the house
reverence (be) to greatness, hail to the gods who
are to be addressed with hail !
26. From the southerly direction of the house, &c. !
27. From the westerly direction of the house, &c. !
28. From the northerly direction of the house, &c. !
29. From the firm direction (nadir) of the house, &c. !
30. From the upright direction (zenith) of the house, &c. !
31. From every direction of the house reverence
(be) to greatness, hail to the gods who are to be
addressed with hail !
VI, 71. Brahmanical prayer at the receipt of
gifts.
1. The varied food which I consume in many
places, my gold, my horses, and, too, my cows, goats,
and sheep : everything whatsoever that I have re-
ceived as a gift — may Agni, the priest, render that
an auspicious offering !
2. The gift that has come to me by sacrifice, or
without sacrifice, bestowed by the Fathers, granted
by men, through which my heart, as it were, lights
up with joy — may Agni, the priest, render that an
auspicious offering!
3. The food that I, O gods, improperly consume,
Ix. Prayers and Imprecations for Brahmans. 1 97
(the food) I promise, intending to give of it (to the
Brahmans), or not to give of it, by the might of
mighty Vaisvanara (Agni) may (that) food be for
me auspicious and full of honey!
XX, 127. A kuntapa-hymn.
1. Listen, ye folks, to this : (a song) in praise of
a hero shall be sung ! Six thousand and ninety
(cows) did we get (when we were) with Kaurama
among the Rasamas, —
2. Whose twice ten buffaloes move right along,
together with their cows ; the height of his chariot
just misses the heaven which recedes from its touch.
3. This one (Kaurama) presented the seer with
a hundred jewels, ten chaplets, three hundred steeds,
and ten thousand cattle.
4. Disport thyself, O chanter, disport thyself as
a bird upon a flowering tree ; thy tongue glides
quickly over the lips as a razor over the strop.
5. The chanters with their pious song hurry on
blithely as cows ; at home are their children, and at
home the cows do they attend.
6. Bring hither, O chanter, thy poem, that which
earns cattle and earns good things ! Among the
gods (kings) place thy voice as a manly archer his
arrow !
7. Listen ye to the high praise of the king who
rules over all peoples, the god who is above mortals,
of Vaisvanara Parikshit !
I98 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
8. ' Parikshit has procured for us a secure dwell-
ing, when he, the most excellent one, went to his
seat/ (Thus) the husband in Kuru-land, when he
founds his household, converses with his wife.
9. ' What may I bring to thee, curds, stirred
drink, or liquor ? ' (Thus) the wife asks her husband
in the kingdom of king Parikshit.
10. Like light the ripe barley runs over beyond
the mouth (of the vessels). The people thrive
merrily in the kingdom of king Parikshit.
1 1. Indra has awakened the poet, saying : ' Arise,
move about, and sing ; of me, the strong, verily, sing
the praises ; full every pious one shall offer thee
(sacrificial reward) ! '
12. Here, O cattle, ye shall be born, here, ye
horses, here, ye domestics ! And Pfishan also, who
bestows a thousand (cows) as sacrificial reward,
settles down here.
13. May these cattle, O Indra, not suffer harm,
and may their owner not suffer harm ; may the
hostile folk, O Indra, may the thief not gain posses-
sion of them !
14. We shout to the hero with hymn and song,
we (shout) with a pleasing song. Take delight in
our songs ; may we not ever suffer harm !
COSMOGONIC AND THEOSOPHIC HYMNS.
XII, i. Hymn to goddess Earth.
i. Truth, greatness, universal order (rzta), strength,
consecration, creative fervour (tapas), spiritual ex-
altation (brahma), the sacrifice, support the earth.
May this earth, the mistress of that which was and
shall be, prepare for us a broad domain !
2. The earth that has heights, and slopes, and
great plains, that supports the plants of manifold
virtue, free from the pressure that comes from the
midst of men, she shall spread out for us, and fit
herself for us!
3. The earth upon which the sea, and the rivers
and the waters, upon which food and the tribes of
men have arisen, upon which this breathing, moving
life exists, shall afford us precedence in drinking !
4. The earth whose are the four regions of space,
upon which food and the tribes of men have arisen,
which supports the manifold breathing, moving
things, shall afford us cattle and other possessions
also !
5. The earth upon which of old the first men
unfolded themselves, upon which the gods overcame
the Asuras, shall procure for us (all) kinds of cattle,
horses, and fowls, good fortune, and glory !
6. The earth that supports all, furnishes wealth,
200 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
the foundation, the golden-breasted resting-place of
all living creatures, she that supports Agni VaLsva-
nara (the fire), and mates with Indra, the bull, shall
furnish us with property !
7. The broad earth, which the sleepless gods
ever attentively guard, shall milk for us precious
honey, and, moreover, besprinkle us with glory !
8. That earth which formerly was water upon
the ocean (of space), which the wise (seers) found
out by their skilful devices ; whose heart is in the
highest heaven, immortal, surrounded by truth, shall
bestow upon us brilliancy and strength, (and place
us) in supreme sovereignty !
9. That earth upon which the attendant waters
jointly flow by day and night unceasingly, shall
pour out milk for us in rich streams, and, moreover,
besprinkle us with glory !
10. The earth which the Asvins have measured,
upon which Vishmi has stepped out, which Indra,
the lord of might, has made friendly to himself; she,
the mother, shall pour forth milk for me, the son !
1 1. Thy snowy mountain heights, and thy forests,
O earth, shall be kind to us ! The brown, the black,
the red, the multi-coloured, the firm earth, that is
protected by Indra, I have settled upon, not sup-
pressed, not slain, not wounded.
12. Into thy middle set us, O earth, and into thy
navel, into the nourishing strength that has grown
up from thy body ; purify thyself for us ! The earth
is the mother, and I the son of the earth ; Par^anya
is the father ; he, too, shall save us !
13. The earth upon which they (the priests) in-
close the altar (vedi), upon which they, devoted to
all (holy) works, unfold the sacrifice, upon which