०८

यस्तेजो ब्रह्मवर्चसमिछेत्प्रयाजाहुतिभिः प्राङ्स इयात् ।

He who wishes for beauty and acquirement of sacred knowledge, should turn towards the east when making the offerings for the Prayāja deities.[12]

[12]They are formulas addressed to the following deities: samidh, the wooden sticks thrown into the fire; tanûnapát, a name of Agni; idá, the sacrificial food; barhis, the kuśa grass spread over the sacrificial ground; and sváhákára, the call sváhá! at the end of Yájyá verses, See Aśva. Br. S. 1, 5.

यस्तेजो ब्रह्मवर्चसमिछेत्प्रयाजाहुतिभिः प्राङ्स इयात् ।

तेजो वै ब्रह्मवर्चसम्प्राची दिक् ।

For the eastern direction is beauty and sacred knowledge.

तेजो वै ब्रह्मवर्चसम्प्राची दिक् ।

तेजस्वी ब्रह्मवर्चसी भवति य एवं विद्वान्प्राङेति ।

He who having this knowledge turns eastward (when making the Prayājas) obtains beauty and sacred knowledge.

तेजस्वी ब्रह्मवर्चसी भवति य एवं विद्वान्प्राङेति ।

यो ऽन्नाद्यमिछेत्प्रयाजाहुतिभिर्दक्षिणा स इयात् ।

He who wishes for food, should turn towards the south when making the offerings for the Prayāja deities.

यो ऽन्नाद्यमिछेत्प्रयाजाहुतिभिर्दक्षिणा स इयात् ।

अन्नादो वा एषो ऽन्नपतिर्यदग्निः ।

For Agni (who is posted at the southern direction) is the eater of food, and master of food.

अन्नादो वा एषो ऽन्नपतिर्यदग्निः ।

अन्नादो ऽन्नपतिर्भवत्यश्नुते प्रजयान्नाद्यं य एवं विद्वान्दक्षिणैति ।

He who having this knowledge goes towards the south (when making the Prayājas) becomes an eater of food, a master of food; he obtains nourishment along with offspring.

यः पशूनिछेत्प्रयाजाहुतिभिः प्रत्यङ्स इयात् ।

He who desires cattle, should go towards the west when making the Prayāja offerings.

यः पशूनिछेत्प्रयाजाहुतिभिः प्रत्यङ्स इयात् ।

पशवो वा एते यदापः ।

For cattle are the waters (which are in the western direction).

पशवो वा एते यदापः ।

पशुमान्भवति य एवं विद्वान्प्रत्यङ्ङेति ।

He who having such a knowledge goes westwards becomes rich in cattle.

पशुमान्भवति य एवं विद्वान्प्रत्यङ्ङेति ।

यः सोमपीथमिछेत्प्रयाजाहुतिभिरुदङ्स इयात् ।

He who desires the drinking of the Soma, should go towards the north when making the Prayāja offerings.

यः सोमपीथमिछेत्प्रयाजाहुतिभिरुदङ्स इयात् ।

उत्तरा ह वै सोमो राजा ।

For the northern direction is the king Soma.

उत्तरा ह वै सोमो राजा ।

प्र सोमपीथमाप्नोति य एवं विद्वानुदङ्ङेति ।

He who having such a knowledge goes northwards (when making the Prayājas) obtains the drinking of the Soma.

प्र सोमपीथमाप्नोति य एवं विद्वानुदङ्ङेति ।

स्वर्ग्यैवोर्ध्वा दिक् ।

The upper direction (ūrdhvā) leads to heaven.

स्वर्ग्यैवोर्ध्वा दिक् ।

सर्वासु दिक्षु राध्नोति ।

He who performs the Prayāja offerings when standing in the upper direction[13] becomes successful in all directions.

[13]That is, in the middle of the north and west of the Âhavanîya fire.

सर्वासु दिक्षु राध्नोति ।

सम्यञ्चो वा इमे लोकाः ।

For these (three) worlds are linked together.

सम्यञ्चो वा इमे लोकाः ।

सम्यञ्चो ऽस्मा इमे लोकाः श्रियै दीद्यति य एवं वेद ।

They being in such a condition shine for the welfare of him who has such a knowledge.

सम्यञ्चो ऽस्मा इमे लोकाः श्रियै दीद्यति य एवं वेद ।

पथ्यां यजति ।

He repeats the Yājyā for the Pathyā.[14]

[14]This refers to the words: ये यजामहे (i.e., we who worship) पथ्यां स्वस्तिं which are repeated by the Hotar, after the Anuvákyá is over, and before the commencement of the proper Yájyá verse. These words are introductory to the latter. Before all Yájyá verses (as is generally done), the words ये यजामहे with the name of the respective deity are to be found.- Saptahâ utra.

पथ्यां यजति ।

यत्पथ्यां यजति वाचमेव तद्यज्ञमुखे सम्भरति ।

By doing so, he places speech (represented by Pathyā) at the beginning of the sacrifice.

यत्पथ्यां यजति वाचमेव तद्यज्ञमुखे सम्भरति ।

प्राणापानावग्नीषोमौ प्रसवाय सविता प्रतिष्ठित्या अदितिः ।

The breath (coming out of the mouth and the nostrils) is Agni; the breath (being within the mouth and nostrils) is Soma. Savitar is to set into motion (the ceremonial machinery), and Aditi is to establish a firm footing.

प्राणापानावग्नीषोमौ प्रसवाय सविता प्रतिष्ठित्या अदितिः ।

पथ्यामेव यजति यत्पथ्यामेव यजति वाचैव तद्यज्ञम्पन्थामपिनयति ।

When he repeats a Yājyā to Pathyā, then he carries the sacrifice on its path.

पथ्यामेव यजति यत्पथ्यामेव यजति वाचैव तद्यज्ञम्पन्थामपिनयति ।

चक्षुषी एवाग्नीषोमौ प्रसवाय सविता प्रतिष्ठित्या अदितिः ।

Agni and Soma verily are the two eyes; Savitar serves for moving it, and Aditi for establishing a firm footing (to it).

चक्षुषी एवाग्नीषोमौ प्रसवाय सविता प्रतिष्ठित्या अदितिः ।

चक्षुषा वै देवा यज्ञम्प्राजानन् ।

For through the eye the gods got aware of the sacrifice.

चक्षुषा वै देवा यज्ञम्प्राजानन् ।

चक्षुषा वा एतत्प्रज्ञायते यदप्रज्ञेयम् ।

For what is not perceivable (elsewhere) is to be perceived by the eye.

चक्षुषा वा एतत्प्रज्ञायते यदप्रज्ञेयम् ।

तस्मादपि मुग्धश्चरित्व यदैवानुष्ठ्या चक्षुषा प्रजानात्यथ प्रजानाति ।

If any one even after having run astray gets aware (of any thing) by exerting his eye successively[15] (in consequence of the successive exertions of the faculty of seeing), then he (really) knows it.

[15]Anuṣṭyâ is explained by Sây.: केनापि प्रयत्नविशेषेण. It no doubt, literally means, one standing by the other, one after the other. The substantive anuṣṭhanâ is the most general word for performance of a religious ceremony, being a succession of several acts. The meaning given to the word in Böhtlingk and Roth’s Samskrit Dictionary (I. page 124) “with his own eyes,” is nothing but a bad guess unsupported by any authority and contrary to etymology and usage. The phrase anuṣṭyâ prajânáti properly means, he gets aware of the chief object after having got sight of an intermediate one which alone leads to the first. The sacrificer whose principal object is to reach heaven, must first see the medium by means of which he can ascend to the celestial world. This is the sacrifice. Therefore ho first sees the sacrifice and then he casts a glance at the celestial world. A traveller who has run astray, must first recognise the direction, and then he may find the way to his homely village.

तस्मादपि मुग्धश्चरित्व यदैवानुष्ठ्या चक्षुषा प्रजानात्यथ प्रजानाति ।

यद्वै तद्देवा यज्ञम्प्राजानन्नस्यां वाव तत्प्राजानन् ।

When the gods (were exerting their eyes repeatedly, and looking from one object to the other) they got sight of the sacrifice. Thus they got sight of it on this earth;

यद्वै तद्देवा यज्ञम्प्राजानन्नस्यां वाव तत्प्राजानन् ।

अस्यां समभरन् ।

on the earth (therefore) they acquired the implements (required for performing the sacrifice).

अस्यां समभरन् ।

अस्यै वै यज्ञस्तायते ऽस्यै क्रियते ऽस्यै सम्भ्रियत ।

On her (the earth) the sacrifice is spread; on her it is performed; on her the sacrificial implements are acquired.

अस्यै वै यज्ञस्तायते ऽस्यै क्रियते ऽस्यै सम्भ्रियत ।

इयं ह्यदितिश्तदुत्तमामदितिं यजति ।

This earth is Aditi; therefore the last Yājyā verse repeated is addressed to her,

इयं ह्यदितिश्तदुत्तमामदितिं यजति ।

यदुत्तमामदितिं यजति यज्ञस्य प्रज्ञात्यै स्वर्गस्य लोकस्यानुख्यात्यै ।

This is done (in order to enable the sacrificer) to get aware of the sacrifice (the mystical sacrificial man) and to behold afterwards the celestial world.

यदुत्तमामदितिं यजति यज्ञस्य प्रज्ञात्यै स्वर्गस्य लोकस्यानुख्यात्यै ।