[[1-1-1]] [[Book-Chapter-Paragraph]] - Sanskrit Web

'O Agni, strength and fame are thine', (with these words) he scatters sand; that is the hymn of Agni
Vaiçvanara; verily with the hymn he wins (Agni) Vaiçvanara. With six (verses) he scatters; the year
has six seasons, Agni Vaiçvanara is the year; verily straightway he wins Vaiçvanara. This metre is
called the ocean; offspring are born like the ocean; in that he scatters sand with this (hymn), (it is)
for the propagation of offspring. Indra [1] hurled his bolt at Vrtra; it parted into three, one third the
wooden sword, one-third the chariot, one-third the sacrificial post; the interior reeds which were
crushed became gravel; that is the explanation of gravel; gravel is a thunderbolt, the fire is an
animal; in that he supports the fire with gravel, he encircles with the bolt cattle for him; therefore
cattle are encircled with the bolt; therefore the stronger does not receive the weaker. He should
support (the fire) with twenty-one (pieces of gravel) for one who desires cattle [2]; there are seven
breaths in the head, cattle are the breaths; verily he wins cattle for him by the breaths. With twentyseven
(should he support it) for one who has foes; thus making the threefold bolt he hurls it at his
foe, to lay him low. He should support (it) with unnumbered ones, to win what is unnumbered. If he
desire of a man, 'May he be without cattle', then without piling the gravel in support, he should
separate the sand; verily he pours forth for him the seed on all sides in (a place) not encircled; verily
he becomes without cattle [3]. If he desire of a man, 'May he be rich in cattle,' he should separate
the sand, after piling the gravel; verily he pours forth for him the seed in one direction in an
encircled (place), and he becomes rich in cattle. With (a verse) addressed to Soma he separates (the
sand); Soma is impregnator of seed; verily he impregnates seed; with a Gayatri for a Brahman, for
the Brahman is connected with the Gayatri, with a Tristubh for a Rajanya, for the Rajanya is
connected with the Tristubh. To Çamyu, son of Brhaspati, the sacrifice did not resort; it entered the
fire [4]; it departed from the fire in the form of a black antelope, it entered the horse, it became the
intermediate hoof of the horse; in that he makes the horse advance, he wins the sacrifice which has
entered the horse. 'By Prajapati must the fire be piled', they say; the horse is connected with
Prajapati; in that he makes the horse advance, by Prajapati he piles the fire. He puts down a lotus
leaf; the lotus leaf is the birthplace of the fire; verily he piles the fire with its own birthplace. 'Thou
art the back of the waters', (with these words) he puts (it) down; the lotus leaf is the back of the
waters; verily with its form he puts it down.
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'The holy power born', (with these words) he puts down the gold disk. Prajapati created creatures
with the Brahman class as first; verily the sacrificer creates offspring with the Brahman as first; 'the
holy power born', he says; therefore the Brahman is the first; the first he becomes who knows thus.
The theologians say, 'Nor on earth, nor in the atmosphere, nor on sky should the fire be piled'; if he
were to pile (it) on earth, he would afflict the earth with pain; nor trees, nor plants would [1] be
born; if he should pile (it) in the atmosphere, he would afflict the atmosphere with pain, the birds
would not be born; if he should pile (it) in the sky, he would afflict the sky with pain, Parjanya
would not rain. He puts down a gold disk; gold is immortality; verily in immortality he piles the
fire, for propagation. He puts down a golden man, to support the world of the sacrificer; if he were
to put it over the perforation in the brick, he would obstruct the breath of cattle and of the sacrificer;
he puts it down on the south side [2] with head to the east: he supports the world of the sacrificer;
he does not obstruct the breath of cattle and the sacrificer. Or rather he does place it over the
perforation of the brick, to allow the breath to pass out. 'The drop hath fallen', (with these words) he
touches it; verily he establishes it in the Hotr's offices. He puts down two ladles, one made of
Karsmarya and full of butter, one of Udumbara and full of curds; that made of Karsmarya is this
(earth), that of Udumbara is yonder (sky); verily he deposits these two (earth and sky) [3]. In silence
he puts (them) down, for he should not obtain them with a Yajus; the Karsmarya on the south, the
Udumbara on the north; therefore is yonder (sky) higher than this (earth); the Karsmarya filled with
butter, the butter is a thunderbolt, the Karsmarya is a thunderbolt; verily by the thunderbolt he
smites away the Raksases from the south of the sacrifice; the Udumbara filled with curds, curds are
cattle, the Udumbara is strength; verily he confers strength upon cattle. He puts (them) down filled;
verily filled they wait on him [4] in yonder world. 'In the Viraj should the fire be piled', they say;
the Viraj is the ladle; in that he puts down two ladles, he piles Agni in the Viraj. As each beginning
of the sacrifice is being performed, the Raksases seek to destroy the sacrifice; the golden disk is a
Keith: Taittiriya-Samhita, Translation - Page 227 of 341