2. Let the sacrifice proceed like a swift courser (to the gods): elevate, (priests), with one accord, your ladles, charged with butter: spread for the solemnity the sacred grass: let the flames (of the burnt-offering) to the gods ascend on high.

3. Let the gods sit down on the summit of the sacred grass, like children nursed on the (lap of the) mother: let the full ladle, AGNI, pour (the oblation) on the sacrificial flame: give us not up to our adversaries in battle.

4. May the adorable deities, who are the bestowers of water, the shedders of showers, be fully propitiated (by our praises): may the most precious and commendable of your treasures (be ours) to-day: and do with one accord come hither.1

you

5. Be glorified, AGNI: grant us (wealth) among the people may we, vigorous AGNI, ever be undeserted by thee, but always be rejoicing and unmolested in the possession of riches and do you, (gods), ever cherish us with blessings.

SÚKTA XI. (XLIV.)

The deity is DADHIKRÁ; the metre of the first stanza is Jagati, of the rest, Trishṭubh.

1. For your preservation, (worshippers), I invoke, Varga XI.

1 Agantana samanasah are followed by yatistha, which are unexplained, apparently through a hiatus in the manuscripts: stha may be the second pers. plur. pres. of as, to be; but it is difficult to assign a meaning to yati, unless it be intended, or an error, for yadi, if, when the sentence may be rendered, if you are of one mind.

Varga XII.

first, DADHIKRÁ, then the AṣWINS, the Dawn, the kindled AGNI, BHAGA, INDRA, VISHNU, PUSHAN, BRAHMANASPATI, the ADITYAS, heaven and earth, the waters, the sun.

2. Arousing and animating DADHIKRÁ, proceeding diligently with the sacrifice: seating the divine ILÁ on the sacred grass, let us invoke the intelligent and worthily-invoked AṣWINS.

3. Propitiating DADHIKRÁVAN, I glorify AGNI, USHAS, the sun, the earth, the great brown horse of VARUNA, who is mindful of his adorers: may they put far away from us all iniquities.

4. DADHIKRÁVAN, the swift steed, the first (of horses), knowing (his office), is in the front of the chariots (of the gods), consentient with USHAS, with SÚRYA, with the ADITYAS, with the VASUS, with the ANGIRASAS.

5. May DADHIKRÁ sprinkle our path (with water), that we may follow the road of sacrifice: may AGNI, the strength of the gods, hear our (invocation): may the mighty, unperplexed, universal deities hear it.

SUKTA XII. (XLV.)

The deity is SAVITRI; the metre Trishṭubh.

1. Borne by his steeds, may the divine SAVITRI, who is possessed of precious treasure, and filling the firmament (with radiance), come hither, holding in his hands many things good for man, and (both) tranquillizing and animating living beings.'

1 Niveṣayan cha prastuvan cha bhúma is explained bhútáni

2. May the outspread, vast, and golden arms of SAVITRI extend to the ends of the sky: verily his greatness is glorified (by us): may the sun impart energy unto him.1

3. May the divine SAVITRI, who is endowed with energy, the lord of treasure, bestow treasures upon us concentrating infinite lustre: may he bestow upon us wealth, the source of the enjoyment of mortals.

4. These praises glorify the eloquent-tongued, dextrous-handed, whose hands are full (of wealth); may he bestow upon us manifold and abundant food: and do you, (gods), ever cherish us with blessings.

SÚKTA XIII. (XLVI.)

The deity is RUDRA; the metre of the first verse is Trishṭubh, of the rest, Jagati.

1. Offer these praises to the divine RUDRA, armed Varga XIII. with the strong bow and fast-flying arrows, the bestower of food, the invincible, the conqueror, the creator, the wielder of sharp weapons: may he hear our (praises).

2. He is known by his rule over those of terrestrial birth, by his sovereignty over those of celestial (origin): protecting our progeny, RUDRA, propitiating thee (by

rátṛishu sve stháne sthápayanscha ahahsu prerayanscha, placing beings at night in their own stations, and urging them on by day.

1 Súraschid asmá anudád apasyam is explained, Súryo asmin Savitre karmechchhám anudadátu, may Súrya subsequently give to that Savitri the desire for acts.

Varga XIV.

praise), come to our dwellings, and be to them a guardian against disease.

3. May thy blazing (weapon), which, discharged from heaven, traverses the earth, avoid us: thine, appeaser of the wind,' are a thousand medicaments: inflict not evil upon our sons and grandsons.

4. Harm us not, RUDRA: abandon us not: let us not fall under the bondage of thee when displeased: make us partakers of the life-promoting sacrifice: and do you, (gods), ever cherish us with blessings.

SUKTA XIV. (XLVII.)

The deities are the WATERS; the metre is Trishṭubh. 1. We solicit from you, Waters, to-day, that pure, faultless, rain-shedding, sweet essence of the earth,2 which the devout have first consecrated as the beverage of INDRA.

2. May the swift-moving grandson of the waters protect, Waters, your most sweet essence, wherewith may INDRA and the VASUS be delighted: and may we, devoted to the gods, partake (of it).

1 Swapiváta, which is left untranslated by the scholiast: it is somewhat difficult to assign it a meaning: swapi may be derived from swap, to sleep, and váta is usually the wind; or it may mean disorders arising from the windy humour which Rudra, as the deity of medicines, may be supposed to allay: this, however, would be an early indication of the humoral pathology.

2 Prathamam úrmím akrinvata ilah: úrmi is said here to imply the Soma juice, bhúmyáh sambhútam, produced from the earth.

3. The divine Waters, the purifiers of many, gratifying men with food, pursue the paths of the gods: they impede not the sacred rites of INDRA: offer, (priests), the butter-charged oblation to the rivers.

4. Waters, whom the sun has evaporized by his rays, for whom INDRA has opened a path by which to issue,' bestow upon us wealth: and do you (also) ever cherish us with blessings.

SÚKTA XV. (XLVIII.)

The RIBHUS are the deities; the metre is as before.

1. RIBHU, (VIBHU), and VÁJA,2 leaders of rites, Varga XV. possessors of opulence, be exhilarated by our effused (libation): may your active and powerful (horses) bring to our presence your chariot, beneficial to man

kind.

2. Mighty with the RIBHUS, opulent with the VIBHUS,3 may we overcome by strength the strength (of our foes): may VAJA defend us in battle with INDRA, our ally, may we destroy the enemy.

1 The sun having converted the waters of the earth into clouds, Indra, by his thunderbolt, cleaves the latter, and the water condensed falls as rain.

2 The text has Ribuksháno Vájáh, the use of the plurals implying, according to the scholiast, that the three brothers are intended.

3 Ṛibhur ribhubhih vibhvo vibhubhih are rather unintelligible phrases: the commentator explains ribhu by uru, great, and vibhu, vibhavah, rich or powerful; but he leaves unexplained why the first should be in the singular and the second in the plural: it is an evident play upon words, as is the following, vájo vájasátau.