The Texts of the White Yajurveda, tr. Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1899], at sacred-texts.com
THOU art a black-buck dwelling in the covert. I sprinkle
thee agreeable to Agni.
Thou art the altar. Thee welcome to the sacred grass I
sprinkle.
Thou art the sacred covering-grass. I sprinkle thee grateful
to the sacrificial ladles.
2 Thou art what giveth Aditi her moisture. Thou art the
hair-tuft on the head of Vishnu. I spread thee, wool-soft,
good for Gods to sit on.
Hail to the Earth's Lord! To the World's Lord Hail! Hail
to the Lord of Beings!
3 For safety of this all let the Gandharva Visvâvasu lay thee
round as a protection. Thou art the Sacrificer's guard,
thou, Agni, lauded and worthy to receive laudation.
Indra's right arm art thou. For safety . . . . . . laudation.
For safety of This Ail, with firm law, northward let Mitra.
Varuna lay thee round as keeper. Thou art the Sacrificer's
guard . . . . . . laudation.
4 Thee, Sage, who offerest to Gods their banquet, we will
enkindle till thou shinest brightly, thee mighty in the
sacrifice, O Agni.
5 Thou art a kindler. From the east let Sûrya keep thee
secure from every imprecation.
You are the arms of Savitar. I spread thee as soft as wool,
good for the Gods to sit on. On thee sit Vasus, Rudras,
and Âdityas!
6 Thou who art called Juhû art rich in fatness. On this dear
seat, with the dear home, be seated.
Thou, Upabhrit by name, art rich in fatness. On this . . . . . . . .
be seated.
Thou who art called Dhruvâ, art rich in fatness. On this, etc.
In the Law's lap they have sat down in safety
Guard these. Guard thou the Sacrifice, O Vishnu. Keep
thou the Sacrifice's Lord in safety.
7 O Agni, Winner of the Spoil, I cleanse thee, thee who wilt
hasten to the spoil, Spoil-winner.
Obeisance to the Gods! Svadhâ to Fathers! Be both of you
easy for me to handle.
8 May I to-day offer Gods unspilt butter. Let me not with
my foot offend thee, Vishnu.
Agni, may I approach thy shade abounding in store of riches.
Thou art Vishnu's mansion,
Hence Indra wrought his deed of manly vigour. The sacrifice
stood firmly elevated.
9 O Agni, undertake the Hotar's office, take on thyself the
duty of an envoy.
Heaven and Earth guard thee! Guard thou Earth and Heaven.
May Indra be, by this presented butter, maker to Gods of
fair oblation. Svâhâ! Let light combine with light.
10 Indra bestow on me that Indra-power! May wealth in full
abundance gather round us. Let blessings wait on us,
yea, real blessings.
Our Mother, Earth, hath been invited hither. May Earth,
our Mother, in return invite us. I, through my Kindlership,
am Agni. Svâhâ!
11 The Father Heaven hath been invited hither. May Heaven
the Father in return invite us.
By impulse of God Savitar I receive thee with arms of
Asvins, with the hands of Pûshan. I feed upon thee
with the mouth of Agni.
12 God Savitar, this sacrifice of thine have they proclaimed
unto Brihaspati the Brahman Priest.
Therefore protect the sacrifice, protect the sacrifice's lord,
protect thou me.
13 The butter's rapid flow delight his spirit! Brihaspati extend
this act of worship. May he restore the sacrifice uninjured.
Here let all Gods rejoice. OM! Step thou forward.
14 This is the stick for kindling thee, O Agni. By means of
this grow strong and swell to greatness. May we too grow
in strength and swell to greatness.
O Agni, thou who winnest food, I cleanse thee, thee who
hast hastened to the food, Food-winner.
15 After the victory of Agni Soma may I obtain the victory.
By impulse of sacrificial food I speed me onward.
May Agni-Soma drive off him who hates us, drive off the
man whom we detest. By impulse of sacrificial food away
I drive him.
After the victory of Indra-Agni may I obtain the victory.
By impulse of sacrificial food I speed me forward.
May Indra-Agni . . . . . . I drive him.
16 For Vasus thee. For Rudras thee. Thee for Âdityas.
Be, Heaven and Earth, accordant with each other. With
rain may Mitra-Varuna assist thee.
May the birds go, licking what is anointed.
Go to the Maruts’ speckled mares. Go, having become a
speckled cow thyself, to heaven, and from that place bring
the rain for us hither.
Thou art the eye's guard: guard mine eye, O Agni.
I7 The stick which thou, God Agni, laidest round thee, what
time thou wast kept hidden by the Panis, this do I bring
to thee for thine enjoyment. May it remain with thee
and ne’er be fruitless.
Approach, ye two, the place which Agni loveth.
18 The residue ye have to be your portion, mighty by food, ye
Gods, ye who are stationed on the grass-bunch, and to be
laid as fences.
All ye, applauding this my speech, be seated on this grass-bunch
and there be joyful. Svâhâ! Vât!
19 Rich in oil are ye. Guard the two yoke-fellows. Ye two
are full of grace, to grace conduct me.
Glory to thee, O Sacrifice, and increase! Stand firm in my
auspicious, righteous worship.
20 O Agni of unweakened strength, far-reaching, protect me
from the lightning-flash, protect me from bondage. from
defect in sacrificing, from food injurious to health protect
me.
Make thou the food that feeds us free from poison in the
home good to sit in. Svâhâ! Vât!
Hail to the Lord of close embracements, Agni! Hail to Sarasvatî
enriched with glory!
21 Veda art thou, whereby, O godlike Veda, thou hast become
for Deities their Veda: thereby mayst thou become for
me a Veda.
O Deities, ye knowers of the Pathway, walk on the pathway
having known the Pathway.
God, Lord of Spirit, hail! bestow upon the Wind this sacrifice.
22 Blest be the Grass with sacred food and butter. Let Indra
be united with the Âdityas, the Vasus, Maruts, and the
Visvedevas. Let Svâhâ-offerings rise to heavenly ether.
23 Who liberates thee from the yoke? He frees thee. For whom?
For him he looses thee. For plenty.
Thou art the Râkshasas’ allotted portion.
24 We have combined with lustre, vigour, bodies; we have
united with the blessèd spirit. May Tvashtar, bounteous
giver, grant us riches, and clear each fault and blemish
from the body.
25 By Jagatî metre in the sky strode Vishnu. Therefrom excluded
is the man who hates us and whom we detest.
By Trishtup metre in the air strode Vishnu. Therefrom, etc.
By Gâyatrî upon the earth strode Vishnu. Therefrom, etc.
From this food From this resting-place excluded.
We have reached heaven. We have combined with lustre.
26 Thou, noblest ray of light, art Self-existent. Giver art thou
of splendour. Give me splendour.
I move along the path that Sûrya travels.
27 Agni, may I become a good householder, through thee,
Home-master, O Householder Agni. Mayst thou become
an excellent Householder through me the master of the
house, O Agni.
Through hundred winters may our household matters—not
like a one-ox car—be smoothly managed.
I move along the path that Sûrya travels.
28 I have performed the vow, Lord of Vows, Agni! Full power
was mine, and it has proved successful.
Now am I he I truly am, no other.
29 To Agni Hail! who bears gifts due to Sages. To Soma Hail!
accompanied by Fathers.
Expelled are Asuras and fiends who sate upon the covering
grass.
30 The Asuras, attracted by oblation, who roam at will assuming
varied figures, from this our world may Agni drive
them, whether they clothe themselves in large or little
bodies.
31 O Fathers, here enjoy yourselves. Come hither, like bulls,
come each to his allotted portion.
The Fathers have enjoyed themselves, and hither, like bulls,
come each to his allotted portion.
32 Obeisance to your genial sap, O Fathers! Fathers, obeisance
unto you for Ardour! Fathers, obeisance Onto you for
Svadhâ! Obeisance unto you for Life, O Fathers!
Fathers, to you obeisance for the Awful! Fathers, obeisance
unto you for Passion! O Fathers, unto you be adoration.
Bestow upon us houses, O ye Fathers, what is ours, O
Fathers, will we give you. With this your raiment clothe
yourselves, O Fathers.
33 Fathers, bestow on me a babe, a boy enwreathed with
lotuses, so that there may be here a man.
34 Bearers of vigour and immortal fatness, milk and sweet beverage
and foaming liquor, ye are a freshening draught.
Delight my Fathers.