‘Wherewith thoughts, what is to be understood and desires ?’ ‘With intelligence’, he should say. To him he says, ‘The waters, verily, indeed are my world. That is yours ? Whatever victory is Brahma’s, whatever attainment, that victory he wins, that attainment he attains, who knows this, who knows thus’.
II-1. ‘Prana (the vital Breath) is Brahma, thus indeed Kausitaki used to say. Of this same vital Breath which is Brahma, verily mind is the messenger; the eye the protector; the ear the announcer; speech the encloser. He who verily knows mind as the messenger of this Vital Breath that is Brahma becomes the messenger. He who knows eye as the protector becomes possessed of a protector; he who knows the ear as the announcer becomes possessed of an announcer: he who knows speech as the encloser becomes possessed of an encloser.
To this vital Breath as Brahma all these gods (i.e., mind, age, ear, speech) bring offerings unbegged. Likewise, indeed, to this vital Breath all beings bring offerings unbegged.
The secret doctrine of him who knows this: One should not beg. It is as if, having begged of a village and not having received (anything), one should sit down saying, ‘I shall not eat (anything) that is given from here’. Those very ones who previously refused now invite him. This is the law for one who begs not. But those who invite him are the givers of food (saying) ‘Let us give it to you’.
II-2. ‘The vital Breath is Brahma’. Thus indeed Paingya used to say. Of this vital Breath on Brahma behind the speech the eye is enclosed; behind the eye the ear is enclosed; behind the ear, the mind is enclosed; behind the mind the vital Breath is enclosed. To this same vital Breath as Brahma all these gods bring offering unbegged. Even so to this same vital Breath all beings living bring offering unbegged only. Of him who knows this the secret doctrine is: ‘One should not beg’. It is as if, having begged and not having received (anything), one should sit down saying ‘I shall not eat (anything) that is given from here’. Those very ones who previously refused now invite him. This is the law for one who begs not. But those who invite him are the givers of food (saying) ‘Let us give to you’.
II-3. Now, next, the procuring of the highest treasure.
If one should covet the highest treasure, either on the night of a full moon or on the night of a new moon or during the bright half of the moon under an auspicious constellation – at one of these periods – having built up a fire, having swept around, having shown the sacred grass, having sprinkled around, having bent the right knee, with a spoon or with a wooden bowl, or with a metal cup, he offers oblations of melted butter (with the words);
The divinity named speech is a procurer.
May it procure this thing for me from so and so. To it hail !
The divinity named vital Breath is a procurer.
May it procure this thing for me from so and so. To it hail !
The divinity named eye is a procurer. May it procure this thing for me from so and so.
To it hail !
The divinity named ear is a procurer. May it procure this thing for me from so and so.
To it hail !
The divinity named mind is a procurer. May it procure this thing for me from so and so.
To it hail !
The divinity named intelligence is a procurer. May it procure this thing for me from so and so. To it hail !
Then having inhaled the smell of the smoke, having rubbed his limbs over with the ointment of melted butter, silently he should go forth, declare his object or send a messenger. He obtains here indeed.
II-4. Now next the longing to be realized with the divine powers.
If one should desire to become beloved of a man or of a woman or of men or of women, at one of these same points of time, having built up a fire, he offers in exactly the same manner, oblations of melted butter, saying I ‘Your speech I sacrifice in me, you so and so; Hail !
Your vital Breath I sacrifice in me, you so and so; Hail !
Your eye I sacrifice in me, you so and so; Hail !
Your ear I sacrifice in me, you so and so; Hail !
Your mind I sacrifice in me, you so and so; Hail !
Your intelligence I sacrifice in me, you so and so; Hail !
Then having inhaled the smell of the smoke, having rubbed his limbs over with a smearing of the melted butter, silently he should go forth and desire to approach and touch or he may simply stand and converse from windward. He becomes beloved indeed.
The longing for him indeed.
II-5. Now, next, self-restraint according to Pratardana or the Inner Agnihotra as they call it. Verily as long as a person is peaking, he is not able to breathe. Then he is sacrificing vital breath in speech. As long, verily, as a person is breathing, he is not able to speak. Then he is sacrificing speech in breath. These two are unending immortal oblations. Waking or sleeping, one is continuously, uninterruptedly making them. Now whatever other oblations there are, they have an end, for they consist of works. Knowing this very thing, verily, the ancients did not offer the Agnihotra sacrifice.
II-6. Now, what is Brahman ! The Uktha (Recitation) is Brahman (sacred word) – Thus indeed was Sushkabhangara wont to say. One should meditate on it as the Rig (the hymn of praise); Unto him indeed all beings sing praise for his greatness. One should meditate on it as the Yajus (the sacrificial formula); Unto him indeed are all beings united for his greatness. One should meditate on it as the Saman (chant); Unto him indeed all beings bow down for his greatness. One should meditate on it as Sri (beauty). One should meditate on it as Yasas (glory); One should meditate on it as Tejas (splendour). As this (Uktha) is the most beautiful, the most glorious, the most splendid among the invocations of praise (Shastras), even so is he who knows this the most beautiful, the most glorious, the most splendid among all beings.
So the Adhvaryu priest prepares this self which is related to the sacrifice and which consists of work. In it he weaves what consists of the Yajus. In what consists of the Yajus, the Hotir priest weaves what consists of the Rig. In what consists of the Rig the Udgatir priest weaves what consists of the Saman. This is the self of all the three-fold knowledge. And thus he who knows this becomes the self of Indra.
II-7. The all-conquering Kausitaki indeed was wont to worship the rising sun, having performed the investiture with the sacred thread, having fetched water, having thrice sprinkled the water vessel saying, ‘ You are a deliverer; take my sin away’. In the same way he was (wont to worship the sun) when it was in the mind-heaven saying, ‘You are the high deliverer, take my sin away !’ In the same way he was (wont to worship the sun) when it was setting saying. ‘You are the full deliverer; take my sin fully away’. Whatever sin he committed by day or by night that it takes away.
Likewise also he who knows this worships the sun in the same manner. Whatever sin one commits by day or by night it takes away fully.
II-8. Now, month by month at the time of the new moon when it comes round one should, in the same way, worship the moon as it appears in the west or throw two blades of grass towards it saying:
That heart of mind, of fair outlines
Which in the sky in moon doth rest,
I think I am knower of that,
May I not weep for children’s ill.
Indeed his children do not pre-decease him. Thus is it with one to whom a son has been born.
Now in the case of one to whom a son has not been born. ‘Increase. May (vigour) enter thee. May milk and food gather in thee, may that which the Adityas gladden.’ Having muttered these three ‘me, verses, he says: Do not increase by our vital breath, by our offspring, by our cattle. He who hates us and him whom we hate, increase by his breath, by his offspring, by his cattle. I turn myself with Indra’s turn; I turn myself along with the turn of the sun’. Thus he turns himself towards the right arm.
II-9. Thus on the night of the full moon one should worship in the same way the moon as it appears in the east saying: ‘You are the far shining King Soma, the five-mouthed, the Lord of creation. The Brahmana is one mouth of you. With that mouth you eat the Kings. With that mouth make me an eater of food. The King is one mouth of you. With that mouth you eat the people. With that mouth make me an eater of food. The hawk is one mouth of you. With that mouth you eat birds. With that mouth make me an eater of food. Fire is one mouth of you. With that mouth you eat this world. With that mouth make me an eater of food. In you is a fifth mouth. With that mouth you eat all beings. With that mouth make me an eater of food.’
II-10. Waste not away with our vital breath, our offspring, or cattle. He who hates us and him whom we hate – waste away with his vital breath, his offspring, his cattle.
Thus I turn myself with the turn of the gods; I turn myself with the turn of the sun. Afterwards, he turns himself towards the right arm.
Now, when about to lie down with a wife one should touch her heart and say:
That which in thy heart, O fair one, is placed-within Prajapati.
Therewith, O Queen of Immortality, may you not come on children’s ill.
Her children do not then pre-decease her.
II-11. Now, when one has been away, on returning, he should kiss his son’s head and say: From every limb of mine are you born. ‘From my heart are you born; O son, you are indeed myself. May you live a hundred autumns long ! So and so, he takes his name. ‘Become a stone ! Become an axe. Become unconquerable gold. A brilliance, son, indeed you are, so live a hundred autumns long !’ So and so, he takes his name.
Then he embraces him saying, ‘Wherewith Prajapati embraced his creatures for their welfare, therewith I embrace you, so and so.
Then he mutters in his right ear: ‘Confer on him, O Maghavan, O Onrusher’ and in his left (ear), ‘O Indra, grant most excellent possessions. Do not cut off (the line of our race). Be not afraid; live a hundred autumns of life. Son I kiss your head with your name’. Thrice he should kiss his head. ‘I make a lowing over you with a lowing of cows’. Thrice he should make a lowing over his head.
