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The Texts of the White Yajurveda, tr. Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1899], at sacred-texts.com
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.