BOOK THE FOURTH.
1. WE have reached this earth’s place of sacrificing, the place wherein all Deities delighted. Crossing by Rik, by Sâman, and by Yajus, may we rejoice in food and growth of riches. Gracious to me be these Celestial Waters! Protect me, Plant. O Knife, forbear to harm him.
2. The Mother Floods shall make us bright and shining, cleansers of holy oil, with oil shall cleanse us. For, Goddesses, they bear off all defilement. I rise up from them purified and brightened. The form of Consecration and of Fervour art thou. I put thee on, the kind and blissful, maintaining an agreeable appearance.
3. The Great Ones’ milk art thou. Giver of splendour art thou: bestow on me the gift of splendour. Pupil art thou of Vritra’s eye. The giver of eyes art thou. Give me the gift of vision.
4. Purify me the Lord of Thought! Purify me the Lord of Speech! Purify me God Savitar with perfect strainer, with the beams of Sûrya! Of thee, Lord of the Strainer! who art by the strainer purified, With what desire I purify myself, may I accomplish it.
5. We come to you for precious wealth, O Gods, as sacrifice proceeds. O Gods, we call on you to give blessings that wait on sacrifice.
6. Svâhâ! from mind the sacrifice. Svâhâ! from spacious firmament. Svâhâ! from Dyaus and Prithivî. Svâhâ! from Wind I seize. Svâhâ!
7. To Resolution, Motive, Agni, Svâhâ! All-hail to Wisdom, and to Mind, and Agni! All-hail to Consecration, Fervour, Agni! Hail to Sarasvatî, Pûshan, and Agni! Ye vast, divine, all-beneficial Waters, ye Heaven and Earth and spacious Air between them, Let us adore Brihaspati with oblation. All-hail!
8. May every mortal man elect the friendship of the guiding God. Each one solicits him for wealth: let him seek fame to prosper him.
9. Rik’s, Sâman’s counterparts are ye. I touch you. Protect me till the sacrifice be ended. Thou art a place of refuge. Give me refuge. Obeisance unto thee! Forbear to harm me.
10. Strength of Angirases art thou. Wool-soft, bestow thou strength on me. Thou art the garment-knot of Soma. Vishnu’s refuge art thou, the Sacrificer’s refuge. Thou art the womb of Indra. Make the crops produce abundant grain. Stand up erect, O Tree. Protect me from harm until this sacrifice be ended.
11. Prepare ye vow-food. Agni is the Brahman, Agni is sacrifice, the tree is holy. For aid we meditate divine Intelligence, most merciful, Free-giver, bringing worship May it guide us gently, as we would. Favour us Gods, mind-horn, endowed with mind and intellectual might! All-hail to them! May they be our protectors.
12. Waters that we have drunk! become refreshing, become auspicious draughts within our belly. Free from all sin and malady and sickness, may they be pleasant to our taste, divine Ones, immortal, strengtheners of eternal Order.
13. This is thy sacrificial form. Not offspring, waters I discharge. Freeing from sin and consecrate by Svâhâ enter ye the earth. Be thou united with the earth.
14. O Agni, watch thou well. May we take joy in most refreshing sleep. Protect us with unceasing care. From slumber waken us again.
15. Thought hath returned to me, and life; my breath and soul have come again. Our bodies’ guard, unscathed, Vaisvânara Agni preserve us from misfortune and dishonour.
16. Thou, Agni, art the guardian God of sacred vows among mankind, thou meet for praise at holy rites. Grant this much, Soma! bring yet more. God Savitar who giveth wealth hath given treasure unto us.
17. This is thy form, O Bright One, this thy lustre. Combine with this thy form and go to splendour. Impetuous art thou, upheld by mind, and Vishnu loveth thee.
18. Moved by thine impulse who hast true impulsion, may I obtain a prop to stay my body. Pure art thou, glistering art thou, immortal, dear to all the Gods.
19. Thought art thou, mind, intelligence, the Guerdon, royal, worshipful, Aditi with a double head. Succeed for us in going forth, succeed for us in thy return. May Mitra bind thee by the foot. May Pûshan guard thy pathways for Indra whose eye is over all.
20. Thy mother give thee leave to go, thy father, thine own brother, and thy friend of the same herd with thee! Go thou, O Goddess, to the God. To Soma go for Indra’s sake. May Rudra turn thee back. Return safely with Soma as thy friend.
21. Thou art a Vasvî, thou art Aditi, thou art an Âdityâ, thou art a Rudrâ, thou art a Chandrâ. Brihaspati vouchsafe thee rest and comfort! Rudra with Vasus looks on thee with favour.
22. On Aditi’s head I sprinkle thee, on the earth’s place of sacrifice. Footstep of Idâ art thou, filled with fatness. Hail! Rejoice in us. Thy kinship is in us. In thee are riches. Mine be riches! Let us not be deprived of abundant riches. Thine, thine are riches.
23. I with my thought have commerced with divine far-sighted Dakshinâ. Steal not my life. I will not thine. May I, O Goddess, in thy sight find for myself a hero son.
24. Tell Soma this for me: This is thy share allied with Gâyatrî. For me say this to Soma: This is thine allotted Trishtup share. Tell Soma this for me: This is thy share allied with Jagatî. Tell Soma this for me: Win thou sole lordship of the metres’ names. Ours art thou: pure thy juice for draught. Let separators pick thee out.
