Book V
*
"The Texts of the White Yajurveda", tr. Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1899],
p. 34
Book The Fifth
Body of Agni art thou. Thee for Vishnu. Body of Soma art
thou. Thee for Vishnu. Thou art the Guest's Reception.
Thee for Vishnu. Thee for the Soma-bringing Falcon.
Thee for Vishnu. Thee for the giver of abundance, Agni.
Thee for Vishnu.
2 Birth-place art thou of Agni. Ye are sprinklers. Thou art
Urvasi. Thou art yu. Thou art Purravas.
I rub and churn thee with Gyatr metre. I rub and churn
thee with the Trishtup metre. I rub and churn thee with,
the Jagat metre.
3 Be ye for us one-minded, be one-thoughted, free from spot
and stain.
Harm not the sacrifice, harm not the sacrifice's lord. Be
kind to us this day, Omniscient Ones!
4 Preserver from the curse, Son of the Rishis, Agni is active
having entered Agni.
Here for us kindly with fair worship offer oblation to the
Gods with care unceasing. Svh!
5 For him who flies around and rushes onward I take thee,
for Tannapt the mighty, the very strong, of all-surpassing
vigour.
p. 35
Strength of the Gods, inviolate, inviolable still art thou, the
strength that turns the curse away, uncursed and never
to be cursed.
May I go straight to truth. Place me in comfort.
6 O Agni, Guardian of the Vow, O Guardian of the Vow, in
thee
Whatever form there is of thine, may that same form be
here on me: un thee be every form of mine.
O Lord of Vows, let our vows be united. May Dksh's
Lord allow my Consecration, may holy Fervour's Lord
approve my Fervour.
7 May every stalk of thine wax full and strengthen for Indra
Ekadhanavid, God Soma!
May Indra grow in strength for thee: for Indra mayest thou
grow strong.
Increase us friends with strength and mental vigour. May
all prosperity be thine, God Soma. May I attain the
solemn Soma-pressing.
May longed-for wealth come forth for strength and fortune.
Let there be truth for those whose speech is truthful. To
Heaven and Earth be adoration offered.
8 That noblest body which is thine, O Agni, laid in the lowest
deep, encased in iron, hath chased the awful word, the
word of terror. Svh!
That noblest...... encased in silver, etc. Svh
That noblest.... with gold around it, etc. Svh!
p. 36
9 For me thou art the home of the afflicted. For me thou art
the gathering-place of riches. Protect me from the, woe
of destitution.
Protect me from the state of perturbation.
May Agni know thee, he whose name is Nabhas. Go, Agni,
Angiras, with the name of yu.
Thou whom this earth containeth, down I lay thee with each
inviolate holy name thou bearest.
Thou whom the second earth, etc. Thou whom the third
earth, etc.
Thee, further, for the Gods delight.
10 A foe-subduing lioness art thou: be fitted for the Gods.
A foe-subduing lioness art thou: be purified for Gods.
A foe-subduing lioness art thou: adorn thyself for Gods.
11 Indra's shout guard thee in the front with Vasus. The Wise
One guard thee from the rear with Rudras. The Thought-swift
guard thee on the right with Fathers. The Omnific
guard thee, leftward, with dityas.
This heated water I eject and banish from the sacrifice.
12 Thou art a lioness. All-hail! Thou art a lioness winning
dityas. All-hail!
Thou art a lioness winning Brhmans and Nobles. All-hail!
Thou art a lioness that wins fair offspring, win abundant
wealth. All-hail!
A lioness art thou. Bring the Gods hither for him who
offers sacrifice. All-hail!
To living creatures; thee.
p. 37
13 Firm art thou, steady thou the earth. Firm-seated art thou,
steady thou the air.
Movelessly set art thou, steady the sky. Agni's completion
art thou.
14 The priests of him the lofty Priest well-skilled in hymns
harness their spirits, yea harness their holy thoughts.
He only knowing works assigns their priestly tasks. Yea,
lofty is the praise of Savitar the God. All-hail!
15 Forth through This All strode Vishnu: thrice his foot he
planted, and the whole was gathered in his footstep's dust.
All-hail!
16 Rich in sweet food be ye, and rich in milch-kine, with fertile
pastures, fair to do men service.
Both these worlds, Vishnu, hast thou stayed asunder, and
firmly fixed the earth with pegs around it.
17 Heard by the Gods, ye twain, to Gods proclaim it.
Go eastward, O ye twain, proclaiming worship. Swerve ye
not: bear the sacrifice straight upward.
To your own cow-pen speak, ye godlike dwellings.
Speak not away my life, speak not away my children.
On the earth's summit here may ye be joyful.
p. 38
18 Now will I tell the mighty deeds of Vishnu, of him who
measured out the earthly regions.
Who propped the highest place of congregation, thrice setting
down his foot and widely striding.
For Vishnu thee.
19 Either from heaven or from the earth, O Vishnu, or, Vishnu,
from the vast wide air's mid-region,
Fill both thy hands full with abundant riches, and from the
right and from the left bestow them.
For Vishnu thee.
20 For this his mighty deed is Vishnu lauded, like some wild
beast, dread, prowling, mountain-roaming,
He within whose three wide-extended paces all living creatures
have their habitation,
21 Thou art the frontlet for the brow of Vishnu. Ye are the
corners of the mouth of Vishnu. Thou art the needle
for the work of Vishnu. Thou art the firmly-fastened knot
of Vishnu. To Vishnu thou belongest. Thee for Vishnu.
22 By impulse of God Savitar I take thee with arms of Asvins
and with hands of Pshan.
Thou art a woman. Here I cut the necks of Rkshasas away.
Mighty art thou, mighty the sound thou makest. Utter thy
mighty-sounding voice to Indra:
23 Fiend-killing, charm-destroying voice of Vishnu.
Here I cast out that charm of magic power which stranger
or housemate for me hath buried.
p. 39
Here I cast out the charm of magic power buried for me
by equal or unequal.
Here I cast out the charm that hath been buried for me by
non-relation or relation.
I cast the charm of magic out.
24 Self-ruler art thou, conquering foes. Ruler for ever art
thou, killing enemies.
Men's ruler art thou, slaying fiends. All ruler, killing foes,
art thou.
25 I sprinkle you whom Vishnu owns, killers of fiends and evil
charms.
I buy down you whom Vishnu loves, killers of fiends and
wicked charms.
I scatter you whom Vishnu loves, killers of fiends and
wicked charms.
You two whom Vishnu loves, who kill fiends and ill charms
do I lay down.
You two whom Vishnu loves, who kill fiends and ill charms
I compass round.
To Vishnu thou belongest. Ye are Vishnu's.
26 By impulse of God Savitar I take thee with arms of Asvins,
with the hands of Peahen.
Thou art a woman. Here I cut the necks of Rkshasas away.
Barley art thou. Bar off from us our haters, bar our enemies.
Thee for heaven, thee for earth, thee for air's region.
Pure be the worlds, the Fathers dwelling-places. Thou art
the habitation of the Fathers.
p. 40
27 Prop heaven, fill full the air, on earth stand firmly. Dyutna,
offspring of the Maruts, plant thee!, Mitra and Varuna
with firm upholding.
I close thee in, thou winner of the Brahmans, winner of
Nobles and abundant riches.
Strengthen the Brahmans, strengthen thou the Nobler,
strengthen our vital power, strengthen our offspring.
28 Firm-set art thou. Firm be this Sacrificer within this home
with offspring and with cattle.
O Heaven and Earth, be ye filled full of fatness.
Indra's mat art thou, shelter of all people.
29 Lover of song, may these our songs encompass thee on every
side;
Strengthening thee of lengthened life, may they be dear
delights to thee
30 Thou art the needle for the work of Indra. Thou art the
firmly fastened knot of Indra. Indra's art thou. Thou art
the Visvedevas.
31 All-present art thou, carrying off. Oblation-bearing priest
art thou.
Thou art the Swift, the Very Wise. Tutha art thou, who
knoweth all.
32 Thou art the yearning one, the sage. Angnri, Bambhri
art thou.
p. 41
Aid-seeker art thou, worshipping. Cleanser art thou, the
cleansing-place. Krisnu, Sovran Lord, art thou.
Thou art the Pavamna of the assembly. Thou art the
welkin ever moving forward. Swept clean art thou, preparer
of oblations. Thou art the seat of Law, heaven's light
and lustre.
33 A sea art thou of all-embracing compass. Aja art thou, who
hath one foot to bear him. Thou art the Dragon of the
Depths of ocean. Speech art thou, thou the Sadas, thou
art Indra's. Doors of the sacrifice, do not distress me!
Lord, Ruler of the pathways, lead me onward. In this God-reaching
path may I be happy.
34 Look ye upon me with the eye of Mitra.
O Agnis, ye, receivers of oblations, are by a lauded name
lauded together. Protect me, Agnis! with your glittering
army. Fill me with riches, Agnis! be my keepers. To
you be adoration. Do not harm me.
35 Thou art a light that wears all forms and figures, serving
the general host of Gods as Kindler.
p. 42
Thou, Soma, wilt withhold thy wide protection from body-wounding
hatreds shown by others. All-hail!
Let the Swift graciously enjoy the butter. All-hail!
36 By goodly paths lead us to riches, Agni, thou God who
knowest every sacred duty.
Remove the sin that makes us stray and wander: most
ample adoration will we bring thee.
37 Wide room and comfort may this Agni give us, and go before
us cleaving down our foemen.
May he win booty in the fight for booty: May he quell foes
in his triumphant onset.
38 O Vishnu, stride thou widely forth, give ample room for our
abode.
Drink butter, homed in butter! Still speed on the sacrifice's
lord. All-hail!
39 To thee, God Savitar, belongs this Soma. Guard him securely:
let not demons harm thee.
Now hast thou joined the Gods as God, God Soma: men
have I joined here through abundant riches.
All-hail! from Varuna's noose am I delivered.
40 O Agni, Guardian of the Vow, O Guardian of the Vow, on
me whatever form of thine path been, may that same
form be upon thee. Whatever form of mine hath been on
thee, may that he here on me.
O Lord of Vows, our vows have been accomplished. Dksh's
Lord hath approved my Consecration, and holy Fervour's
Lord allowed my Fervour.
41 O Vishnu, stride thou widely forth, make ample room for
our abode.
Drink butter, homed in butter! Still speed on the sacrifice's
lord. All Hail!
p. 43
42 I have passed others, not approached to others. On the near
side of those that were more distant, and farther than
the nearer have I found thee.
So, for the worship of the Gods, with gladness we welcome
thee God, Sovran of the Forest! Let the Gods welcome
thee for the Gods service. For Vishnu thee. Plant, guard!
Axe, do not harm it!
43 Graze not the sky. Harm not mid-air. Be in accordance with
the earth.
For this well-sharpened axe hath led thee forth to great
felicity.
Hence, with a hundred branches, God, Lord of the Forest,
grow thou up.
May we grow spreading with a hundred branches.
"The Texts of the White Yajurveda", tr. Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1899],
p. 34
Book The Fifth
Body of Agni art thou. Thee for Vishnu. Body of Soma art
thou. Thee for Vishnu. Thou art the Guest's Reception.
Thee for Vishnu. Thee for the Soma-bringing Falcon.
Thee for Vishnu. Thee for the giver of abundance, Agni.
Thee for Vishnu.
2 Birth-place art thou of Agni. Ye are sprinklers. Thou art
Urvasi. Thou art yu. Thou art Purravas.
I rub and churn thee with Gyatr metre. I rub and churn
thee with the Trishtup metre. I rub and churn thee with,
the Jagat metre.
3 Be ye for us one-minded, be one-thoughted, free from spot
and stain.
Harm not the sacrifice, harm not the sacrifice's lord. Be
kind to us this day, Omniscient Ones!
4 Preserver from the curse, Son of the Rishis, Agni is active
having entered Agni.
Here for us kindly with fair worship offer oblation to the
Gods with care unceasing. Svh!
5 For him who flies around and rushes onward I take thee,
for Tannapt the mighty, the very strong, of all-surpassing
vigour.
p. 35
Strength of the Gods, inviolate, inviolable still art thou, the
strength that turns the curse away, uncursed and never
to be cursed.
May I go straight to truth. Place me in comfort.
6 O Agni, Guardian of the Vow, O Guardian of the Vow, in
thee
Whatever form there is of thine, may that same form be
here on me: un thee be every form of mine.
O Lord of Vows, let our vows be united. May Dksh's
Lord allow my Consecration, may holy Fervour's Lord
approve my Fervour.
7 May every stalk of thine wax full and strengthen for Indra
Ekadhanavid, God Soma!
May Indra grow in strength for thee: for Indra mayest thou
grow strong.
Increase us friends with strength and mental vigour. May
all prosperity be thine, God Soma. May I attain the
solemn Soma-pressing.
May longed-for wealth come forth for strength and fortune.
Let there be truth for those whose speech is truthful. To
Heaven and Earth be adoration offered.
8 That noblest body which is thine, O Agni, laid in the lowest
deep, encased in iron, hath chased the awful word, the
word of terror. Svh!
That noblest...... encased in silver, etc. Svh
That noblest.... with gold around it, etc. Svh!
p. 36
9 For me thou art the home of the afflicted. For me thou art
the gathering-place of riches. Protect me from the, woe
of destitution.
Protect me from the state of perturbation.
May Agni know thee, he whose name is Nabhas. Go, Agni,
Angiras, with the name of yu.
Thou whom this earth containeth, down I lay thee with each
inviolate holy name thou bearest.
Thou whom the second earth, etc. Thou whom the third
earth, etc.
Thee, further, for the Gods delight.
10 A foe-subduing lioness art thou: be fitted for the Gods.
A foe-subduing lioness art thou: be purified for Gods.
A foe-subduing lioness art thou: adorn thyself for Gods.
11 Indra's shout guard thee in the front with Vasus. The Wise
One guard thee from the rear with Rudras. The Thought-swift
guard thee on the right with Fathers. The Omnific
guard thee, leftward, with dityas.
This heated water I eject and banish from the sacrifice.
12 Thou art a lioness. All-hail! Thou art a lioness winning
dityas. All-hail!
Thou art a lioness winning Brhmans and Nobles. All-hail!
Thou art a lioness that wins fair offspring, win abundant
wealth. All-hail!
A lioness art thou. Bring the Gods hither for him who
offers sacrifice. All-hail!
To living creatures; thee.
p. 37
13 Firm art thou, steady thou the earth. Firm-seated art thou,
steady thou the air.
Movelessly set art thou, steady the sky. Agni's completion
art thou.
14 The priests of him the lofty Priest well-skilled in hymns
harness their spirits, yea harness their holy thoughts.
He only knowing works assigns their priestly tasks. Yea,
lofty is the praise of Savitar the God. All-hail!
15 Forth through This All strode Vishnu: thrice his foot he
planted, and the whole was gathered in his footstep's dust.
All-hail!
16 Rich in sweet food be ye, and rich in milch-kine, with fertile
pastures, fair to do men service.
Both these worlds, Vishnu, hast thou stayed asunder, and
firmly fixed the earth with pegs around it.
17 Heard by the Gods, ye twain, to Gods proclaim it.
Go eastward, O ye twain, proclaiming worship. Swerve ye
not: bear the sacrifice straight upward.
To your own cow-pen speak, ye godlike dwellings.
Speak not away my life, speak not away my children.
On the earth's summit here may ye be joyful.
p. 38
18 Now will I tell the mighty deeds of Vishnu, of him who
measured out the earthly regions.
Who propped the highest place of congregation, thrice setting
down his foot and widely striding.
For Vishnu thee.
19 Either from heaven or from the earth, O Vishnu, or, Vishnu,
from the vast wide air's mid-region,
Fill both thy hands full with abundant riches, and from the
right and from the left bestow them.
For Vishnu thee.
20 For this his mighty deed is Vishnu lauded, like some wild
beast, dread, prowling, mountain-roaming,
He within whose three wide-extended paces all living creatures
have their habitation,
21 Thou art the frontlet for the brow of Vishnu. Ye are the
corners of the mouth of Vishnu. Thou art the needle
for the work of Vishnu. Thou art the firmly-fastened knot
of Vishnu. To Vishnu thou belongest. Thee for Vishnu.
22 By impulse of God Savitar I take thee with arms of Asvins
and with hands of Pshan.
Thou art a woman. Here I cut the necks of Rkshasas away.
Mighty art thou, mighty the sound thou makest. Utter thy
mighty-sounding voice to Indra:
23 Fiend-killing, charm-destroying voice of Vishnu.
Here I cast out that charm of magic power which stranger
or housemate for me hath buried.
p. 39
Here I cast out the charm of magic power buried for me
by equal or unequal.
Here I cast out the charm that hath been buried for me by
non-relation or relation.
I cast the charm of magic out.
24 Self-ruler art thou, conquering foes. Ruler for ever art
thou, killing enemies.
Men's ruler art thou, slaying fiends. All ruler, killing foes,
art thou.
25 I sprinkle you whom Vishnu owns, killers of fiends and evil
charms.
I buy down you whom Vishnu loves, killers of fiends and
wicked charms.
I scatter you whom Vishnu loves, killers of fiends and
wicked charms.
You two whom Vishnu loves, who kill fiends and ill charms
do I lay down.
You two whom Vishnu loves, who kill fiends and ill charms
I compass round.
To Vishnu thou belongest. Ye are Vishnu's.
26 By impulse of God Savitar I take thee with arms of Asvins,
with the hands of Peahen.
Thou art a woman. Here I cut the necks of Rkshasas away.
Barley art thou. Bar off from us our haters, bar our enemies.
Thee for heaven, thee for earth, thee for air's region.
Pure be the worlds, the Fathers dwelling-places. Thou art
the habitation of the Fathers.
p. 40
27 Prop heaven, fill full the air, on earth stand firmly. Dyutna,
offspring of the Maruts, plant thee!, Mitra and Varuna
with firm upholding.
I close thee in, thou winner of the Brahmans, winner of
Nobles and abundant riches.
Strengthen the Brahmans, strengthen thou the Nobler,
strengthen our vital power, strengthen our offspring.
28 Firm-set art thou. Firm be this Sacrificer within this home
with offspring and with cattle.
O Heaven and Earth, be ye filled full of fatness.
Indra's mat art thou, shelter of all people.
29 Lover of song, may these our songs encompass thee on every
side;
Strengthening thee of lengthened life, may they be dear
delights to thee
30 Thou art the needle for the work of Indra. Thou art the
firmly fastened knot of Indra. Indra's art thou. Thou art
the Visvedevas.
31 All-present art thou, carrying off. Oblation-bearing priest
art thou.
Thou art the Swift, the Very Wise. Tutha art thou, who
knoweth all.
32 Thou art the yearning one, the sage. Angnri, Bambhri
art thou.
p. 41
Aid-seeker art thou, worshipping. Cleanser art thou, the
cleansing-place. Krisnu, Sovran Lord, art thou.
Thou art the Pavamna of the assembly. Thou art the
welkin ever moving forward. Swept clean art thou, preparer
of oblations. Thou art the seat of Law, heaven's light
and lustre.
33 A sea art thou of all-embracing compass. Aja art thou, who
hath one foot to bear him. Thou art the Dragon of the
Depths of ocean. Speech art thou, thou the Sadas, thou
art Indra's. Doors of the sacrifice, do not distress me!
Lord, Ruler of the pathways, lead me onward. In this God-reaching
path may I be happy.
34 Look ye upon me with the eye of Mitra.
O Agnis, ye, receivers of oblations, are by a lauded name
lauded together. Protect me, Agnis! with your glittering
army. Fill me with riches, Agnis! be my keepers. To
you be adoration. Do not harm me.
35 Thou art a light that wears all forms and figures, serving
the general host of Gods as Kindler.
p. 42
Thou, Soma, wilt withhold thy wide protection from body-wounding
hatreds shown by others. All-hail!
Let the Swift graciously enjoy the butter. All-hail!
36 By goodly paths lead us to riches, Agni, thou God who
knowest every sacred duty.
Remove the sin that makes us stray and wander: most
ample adoration will we bring thee.
37 Wide room and comfort may this Agni give us, and go before
us cleaving down our foemen.
May he win booty in the fight for booty: May he quell foes
in his triumphant onset.
38 O Vishnu, stride thou widely forth, give ample room for our
abode.
Drink butter, homed in butter! Still speed on the sacrifice's
lord. All-hail!
39 To thee, God Savitar, belongs this Soma. Guard him securely:
let not demons harm thee.
Now hast thou joined the Gods as God, God Soma: men
have I joined here through abundant riches.
All-hail! from Varuna's noose am I delivered.
40 O Agni, Guardian of the Vow, O Guardian of the Vow, on
me whatever form of thine path been, may that same
form be upon thee. Whatever form of mine hath been on
thee, may that he here on me.
O Lord of Vows, our vows have been accomplished. Dksh's
Lord hath approved my Consecration, and holy Fervour's
Lord allowed my Fervour.
41 O Vishnu, stride thou widely forth, make ample room for
our abode.
Drink butter, homed in butter! Still speed on the sacrifice's
lord. All Hail!
p. 43
42 I have passed others, not approached to others. On the near
side of those that were more distant, and farther than
the nearer have I found thee.
So, for the worship of the Gods, with gladness we welcome
thee God, Sovran of the Forest! Let the Gods welcome
thee for the Gods service. For Vishnu thee. Plant, guard!
Axe, do not harm it!
43 Graze not the sky. Harm not mid-air. Be in accordance with
the earth.
For this well-sharpened axe hath led thee forth to great
felicity.
Hence, with a hundred branches, God, Lord of the Forest,
grow thou up.
May we grow spreading with a hundred branches.
