BOOK THE SECOND.
1. 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!
