Item List

Section1

1. Harih, Om. He who knows the first and the best, becomes himself the first and the best among his people. Breath is indeed the first and the best. He who knows this, becomes the first and the best among his people, and among whomsoever he wishes to be so.

2. He who knows the richest 2, becomes himself the richest among his people. Speech is the richest. He who knows this, becomes the richest among his people, and among whomsoever he wishes to be so.

3. He who knows the firm rest, becomes himself firm on even and uneven ground. The eye indeed is the firm rest, for by means of the eye a man stands firm on even and uneven ground. He who knows this, stands firm on even and uneven ground.

4. He who knows success, whatever desire he desires, it succeeds to him. The ear indeed is success. For in the ear are all these Vedas successful. He who knows this, whatever desire he desires, it succeeds to him.

5. He who knows the home, becomes a home of his own people, a home of all men. The mind

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indeed is the home. He who knows this, becomes a home of his own people and a home of all men.

6. He who knows generation 1, becomes rich in offspring and cattle. Seed indeed is generation. He who knows this, becomes rich in offspring and cattle.

7. These Prânas (senses), when quarrelling together as to who was the best, went to Brahman 2 and said: 'Who is the richest of us?' He replied: 'He by whose departure this body seems worst, he is the richest.'

8. The tongue (speech) departed, and having been absent for a year, it came back and said: 'How have you been able to live without me?' They replied: 'Like unto people, not speaking with the tongue, but breathing with breath, seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear, knowing with the mind, generating with seed. Thus we have lived.' Then speech entered in.

9. The eye (sight) departed, and having been absent for a year, it came back and said: 'How have you been able to live without me?' They replied: 'Like blind people, not seeing with the eye, but breathing with the breath, speaking with the tongue, hearing with the ear, knowing with the mind, generating with seed. Thus we have lived.' Then the eye entered in.

10. The ear (hearing) departed, and having been absent for a year, it came back and said: 'How have you been able to live without me?' They replied: 'Like deaf people, not hearing with the ear,

Section2

1. Svetaketu Âruneya went to the settlement of the Pañkâlas. He came near to Pravâhana Gaivali 4, who was walking about (surrounded by his men). As soon as he (the king) saw him, he said: 'My boy!' Svetaketu replied: 'Sir!'

Then the king said: 'Have you been taught by your father!' 'Yes,' he replied.

2. The king said: 'Do you know how men, when they depart from here, separate from each other?' 'No,' he replied.

'Do you know how they come back to this world?' 'No,' he replied 5.

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'Do you know how that world does never become full with the many who again and again depart thither?' 'No,' he replied.

'Do you know at the offering of which libation the waters become endowed with a human voice and rise and speak?' 'No,' he replied.

'Do you know the access to the path leading to the Devas and to the path leading to the Fathers, i.e. by what deeds men gain access to the path leading to the Devas or to that leading to the Fathers? For we have heard even the saying of a Rishi: "I heard of two paths for men, one leading to the Fathers, the other leading to the Devas. On those paths all that lives moves on, whatever there is between father (sky) and mother (earth)."'

Svetaketu said: 'I do not know even one of all these questions.'

3. Then the king invited him to stay and accept his hospitality. But the boy, not caring for hospitality, ran away, went back to his father, and said: 'Thus then you called me formerly well-instructed!' The father said: 'What then, you sage?' The son replied: 'That fellow of a Râganya asked me five questions, and I did not know one of them.'

'What were they?' said the father.

'These were they,' the son replied, mentioning the different heads.

4. The father said: 'You know me, child, that whatever I know, I told you. But come, we shall go thither, and dwell there as students.'

'You may go, Sir,' the son replied.

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Then Gautama went where (the place of) Pravâhana Gaivali was, and the king offered him a seat, ordered water for him, and gave him the proper offerings. Then he said to him: 'Sir, we offer a boon to Gautama.'

5. Gautama said: 'That boon is promised to me; tell me the same speech which you made in the presence of my boy.'

6. He said: 'That belongs to divine boons, name one of the human boons.'

7. He said: 'You know well that I have plenty of gold, plenty of cows, horses, slaves, attendants, and apparel; do not heap on me 1 what I have already in plenty, in abundance, and superabundance.'

The king said: 'Gautama, do you wish (for instruction from me) in the proper way?'

Gautama replied: 'I come to you as a pupil.'

In word only have former sages (though Brahmans) come as pupils (to people of lower rank), but Gautama actually dwelt as a pupil (of Pravâhana, who was a Râganya) in order to obtain the fame of having respectfully served his master 2.

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8. The king said: 'Do not be offended with us, neither you nor your forefathers, because this knowledge has before now never dwelt with any Brâhmana 1. But I shall tell it to you, for who could refuse you when you speak thus?

9. 'The altar (fire), O Gautama, is that world (heaven) 2; the fuel is the sun itself, the smoke his rays, the light the day, the coals the quarters, the sparks the intermediate quarters. On that altar the Devas offer the sraddhâ libation (consisting of water 3). From that oblation rises Soma, the king (the moon).

10. 'The altar, O Gautama, is Parganya (the god of rain); the fuel is the year itself, the smoke the clouds, the light the lightning, the coals the thunderbolt, the sparks the thunderings. On that altar the Devas offer Soma, the king (the moon). From that oblation rises rain.

11. 'The altar, O Gautama, is this world 4; the fuel is the earth itself, the smoke the fire, the light the night, the coals the moon, the sparks the stars. On that altar the Devas offer rain. From that oblation rises food.

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12. 'The altar, O Gautama, is man; the fuel the opened mouth, the smoke the breath, the light the tongue, the coals the eye, the sparks the ear. On that altar the Devas offer food. From that oblation rises seed.

13. 'The altar, O Gautama, is woman 1. On that altar the Devas offer seed. From that oblation rises man. He lives so long as he lives, and then when he dies,

14. 'They take him to the fire (the funeral pile), and then the altar-fire is indeed fire, the fuel fuel, the smoke smoke, the light light, the coals coals, the sparks sparks. In that very altar-fire the Devas offer man, and from that oblation man rises, brilliant in colour.

15. 'Those who thus know this (even Grihasthas), and those who in the forest worship faith and the True 2 (Brahman Hiranyagarbha), go to light (arkis), from light to day, from day to the increasing half, from the increasing half to the six months when the sun goes to the north, from those six months to the world of the Devas (Devaloka), from the world of the Devas to the sun, from the sun to the place of lightning. When they have thus reached the place of lightning a spirit 3 comes near them, and leads them to the worlds of the (conditioned) Brahman. In these worlds of Brahman they dwell exalted for ages. There is no returning for them.

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16. 'But they who conquer the worlds (future states) by means of sacrifice, charity, and austerity, go to smoke, from smoke to night, from night to the decreasing half of the moon, from the decreasing half of the moon to the six months when the sun goes to the south, from these months to the world of the fathers, from the world of the fathers to the moon. Having reached the moon, they become food, and then the Devas feed on them there, as sacrificers feed on Soma, as it increases and decreases 1. But when this (the result of their good works on earth) ceases, they return again to that ether, from ether to the air, from the air to rain, from rain to the earth. And when they have reached the earth, they become food, they are offered again in the altar-fire, which is man (see § 11), and thence are born in the fire of woman. Thus they rise up towards the worlds, and go the same round as before.

'Those, however, who know neither of these two paths, become worms, birds,, and creeping things.'

Section3

1. If a man wishes to reach greatness (wealth for performing sacrifices), he performs the upasad rule during twelve days 3 (i. e. he lives on small quantities of milk), beginning on an auspicious day of the light half of the moon during the northern progress of the sun, collecting at the same time in a cup or a dish

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made of Udumbara wood all sorts of herbs, including fruits. He sweeps the floor (near the house-altar, âvasathya), sprinkles it, lays the fire, spreads grass round it according to rule 1, prepares the clarified butter (âgya), and on a day, presided over by a male star (nakshatra), after having properly mixed the Mantha 2 (the herbs, fruits, milk, honey, &c.), he sacrifices (he pours âgya into the fire), saying 3: 'O Gâtavedas, whatever adverse gods there are in thee, who defeat the desires of men, to them I offer this portion; may they, being pleased, please me with all desires.' Svâhâ!

'That cross deity who lies down 4, thinking that all things are kept asunder by her, I worship thee as propitious with this stream of ghee.' Svâhâ!

2. He then says, Svâhâ to the First, Svâhâ to the Best, pours ghee into the fire, and throws what remains into the Mantha (mortar).

He then says, Svâhâ to Breath, Svâhâ to her who is the richest, pours ghee into the fire, and throws what remains into the Mantha (mortar).

He then says, Svâhâ to Speech, Svâhâ to the Support, pours ghee into the fire, and throws what remains into the Mantha (mortar).

He then says, Svâhâ to the Eye, Svâhâ to Success, pours ghee into the fire, and throws what remains into the Mantha (mortar).

He then says, Svâhâ to the Ear, Svâhâ to the

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[paragraph continues]Home, pours ghee into the fire, and throws what remains into the Mantha (mortar).

He then says, Svâhâ to the Mind, Svâhâ to Offspring, pours ghee into the fire, and throws what remains into the Mantha (mortar).

He then says, Svâhâ to Seed, pours ghee into the fire, and throws what remains into the Mantha (mortar).

3. He then says, Svâhâ to Agni (fire), pours ghee into the fire, and throws what remains into the Mantha (mortar).

He then says, Svâhâ to Soma, pours ghee into the fire, and throws what remains into the Mantha (mortar).

He then says, Bhûh (earth), Svâhâ, pours ghee into the fire, and throws what remains into the Mantha (mortar).

He then says, Bhuvah (sky), Svâhâ, pours ghee into the fire, and throws what remains into the Mantha (mortar).

He then says, Svah (heaven), Svâhâ, pours ghee into the fire, and throws what remains into the Mantha (mortar).

He then says, Bhûr, Bhuvah, Svah, Svâhâ, pours ghee into the fire, and throws what remains into the Mantha (mortar).

He then says, Svâhâ to Brahman (the priesthood), pours ghee into the fire, and throws what remains into the Mantha (mortar).

He then says, Svâhâ to Kshatra (the knighthood), pours ghee into the fire, and throws what remains into the Mantha (mortar).

He then says, Svâhâ to the Past, pours ghee into the fire, and throws what remains into the Mantha (mortar).

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He then says, Svâhâ to the Future, pours ghee into the fire, and throws what remains into the Mantha (mortar).

He then says, Svâhâ to the Universe, pours ghee into the fire, and throws what remains into the Mantha (mortar).

He then says, Svâhâ to all things, pours ghee into the fire, and throws what remains into the Mantha (mortar).

He then says, Svâhâ to Pragâpati, pours ghee into the fire, and throws what remains into the Mantha (mortar).

4. Then he touches it (the Mantha, which is dedicated to Prâna, breath), saying: 'Thou art fleet (as breath). Thou art burning (as fire). Thou art full (as Brahman). Thou art firm (as the sky). Thou art the abode of all (as the earth). Thou hast been saluted with Hiṅ (at the beginning of the sacrifice by the prastotri). Thou art saluted with Hiṅ (in the middle of the sacrifice by the prastotri). Thou hast been sung (by the udgâtri at the beginning of the sacrifice). Thou art sung (by the udgâtri in the middle of the sacrifice). Thou hast been celebrated (by the adhvaryu at the beginning of the sacrifice). Thou art celebrated again (by the âgnîdhra in the middle of the sacrifice). Thou art bright in the wet (cloud). Thou art great. Thou art powerful. Thou art food (as Soma). Thou art light (as Agni, fire, the eater). Thou art the end. Thou art the absorption (of all things).'

5. Then he holds it (the Mantha) forth, saying

'Thou 1 knowest all, we know thy greatness. He is

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indeed a king, a ruler, the highest lord. May that king, that ruler make me the highest lord.'

6. Then he eats it, saying: 'Tat savitur varenyam 1 (We meditate on that adorable light)--The winds drop honey for the righteous, the rivers drop honey, may our plants be sweet as honey! Bhûh (earth) Svâhâ!

'Bhargo devasya dhîmahi (of the divine Savitri)--May the night be honey in the morning, may the air above the earth, may heaven, our father, be honey! Bhuvah (sky) Svâhâ!'

'Dhiyo yo nah prokodayât (who should rouse our thoughts)--May the tree be full of honey, may the sun be full of honey, may our cows be sweet like honey! Svah (heaven) Svâhâ!'

He repeats the whole Sâvitrî verse, and all the verses about the honey, thinking, May I be all this! Bhûr, Bhuvah, Svah, Svâhâ! Having thus swallowed all, he washes his hands, and sits down behind the altar, turning his head to the East. In the morning he worships Âditya (the sun), with the hymn, 'Thou art the best lotus of the four quarters, may I become the best lotus among men.' Then returning as he came, he sits down behind the altar and recites the genealogical list 2.

7. Uddâlaka Âruni told this (Mantha-doctrine) to his pupil Vâgasaneya Yâgñavalkya, and said: 'If a man were to pour it on a dry stick, branches would grow, and leaves spring forth.'

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8. Vâgasaneya Yâgñavalkya told the same to his pupil Madhuka Paiṅgya, and said: 'If a man were to pour it on a dry stick, branches would grow, and leaves spring forth.'

9. Madhuka Paiṅgya told the same to his pupil Kûla Bhâgavitti, and said: 'If a man were to pour it on a dry stick, branches would grow, and leaves spring forth.'

10. Kûla Bhâgavitti told the same to his pupil Gânaki Âyasthûna, and said: 'If a man were to pour it on a dry stick, branches would grow, and leaves spring forth.'

11. Gânaki Âyasthûna told the same to his pupil Satyakâma Gâbâla, and said: 'If a man were to pour it on a dry stick, branches would grow, and leaves spring forth.'

12. Satyakâma Gâbâla told the same to his pupils, and said: 'If a man were to pour it on a dry stick, branches would grow, and leaves spring forth.'

Let no one tell this 1 to any one, except to a son or to a pupil 2.

13. Four things are made of the wood of the Udumbara tree, the sacrificial ladle (sruva), the cup (kamasa), the fuel, and the two churning sticks.

There are ten kinds of village (cultivated) seeds, viz. rice and barley (brîhiyavâs), sesamum and kidney-beans (tilamâshâs), millet and panic seed (anupriyaṅgavas), wheat (godhûmâs), lentils (masûrâs), pulse (khalvâs), and vetches (khalakulâs 3) . After having

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ground these he sprinkles them with curds (dadhi), honey, and ghee, and then offers (the proper portions) of clarified butter 1 (âgya).

Section4

1. The earth is the essence of all these things, water is the essence of the earth, plants of water, flowers of plants, fruits of flowers, man of fruits, seed of man.

2. And Pragâpati thought, let me make an abode for him, and he created a woman (Satarûpâ).

Tâm 3 srishtvâdha upâsta, tasmât striyam adha upâsîta. Sa etam prâñkam grâvânam âtmana eva samudapârayat, tenainâm abhyasrigat.

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3. Tasyâ vedir upastho, lomâni barhis, karmâdhishavane, samiddho 1 madhyatas, tau mushkau. Sa yâvân ha vai vâgapeyena yagamânasya loko bhavati tâvân asya loko bhavati ya evam vidvân adhopahâsam karaty a sa 2 strînam sukritam vriṅkte 'tha ya idam avidvân adhopahâsam karaty âsya striyah sukritam vriñgate.

4. Etad dha sma vai tadvidvân Uddâlaka Ârunir âhaitad dha sma vai tadvidvân Nâko Maudgalya âhaitad dha sma vai tadvidvân Kumârahârita âha, bahavo maryâ brâhmanâyanâ 3 nirindriyâ visukrito'smâl lokât prayanti 4 ya idam avidvâmso 'dhopahâsam karantîti. Bahu vâ 5 idam suptasya va gâgrato vâ retah skandati,

5. Tad abhimrised anu vâ mantrayeta yan me 'dya retah prithivîm askântsîd yad oshadhîr apy asarad yad apah, idam aham tad reta âdade punar mâm aitv indriyam punas tegah punar bhagah, punar agnayo 6 dhishnyâ yathâsthânam kalpantâm, ity anâmikâṅgushthâbhyâm âdâyântarena stanau vâ bhruvau vâ nimriñgyât 7.

6. If a man see himself in the water 8, he should

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recite the following verse: 'May there be in me splendour, strength, glory, wealth, virtue.'

She is the best of women whose garments are pure 1. Therefore let him approach a woman whose garments are pure, and whose fame is pure, and address her.

7. If she do not give in 2, let him, as he likes, bribe her (with presents). And if she then do not give in, let him, as he likes, beat her with a stick or with his hand, and overcome her 3, saying: 'With manly strength and glory I take away thy glory,'--and thus she becomes unglorious 4.

8. If she give in, he says: 'With manly strength and glory I give thee glory,'--and thus they both become glorious.

9. Sa yâm ikkhet kâmayeta meti tasyâm artham nishtâya 5 mukhena mukham sandhâyopastham asyâ abhimrisya gaped aṅgâdaṅgât sambhavasi hridayâd adhi gâyase, sa tvam aṅgakashâyo 6 'si digdhaviddhâm 7 iva mâdayemâm amûm mayîti 8.

10. Atha yâm ikkhen na garbham dadhîteti 9 tasyâm artham nishtâya mukhena mukham sandhâyâbhiprânyâpânyâd indriyena te retasâ reta âdada ity aretâ 10 eva bhavati.

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11. Atha yâm ikkhed garbham dadhîteti tasyâm artham nishtâya mukhena mukham sandhâyâpânyâbhiprânyâd indriyena te retâsa reta âdadhâmîti garbhiny eva bhavati.

12. Now again, if a man's wife has a lover and the husband hates him, let him (according to rule) 1 place fire by an unbaked jar, spread a layer of arrows in inverse order 2, anoint these three arrow-heads 3 with butter in inverse order, and sacrifice, saying: 'Thou hast sacrificed in my fire, I take away thy up and down breathing, I here 4.'

'Thou hast sacrificed in my fire, I take away thy sons and cattle, I here.'

'Thou hast sacrificed in my fire, I take away thy sacred and thy good works, I here.'

'Thou hast sacrificed in my fire, I take away thy hope and expectation, I here.'

He whom a Brâhmana who knows this curses, departs from this world without strength and without good works. Therefore let no one wish even for sport with the wife of a Srotriya 5 who knows this, for he who knows this, is a dangerous enemy.

13. When the monthly illness seizes his wife, she

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should for three days not drink from a metal vessel, and wear a fresh dress. Let no Vrishala or Vrishalî (a Sûdra man or woman) touch her. At the end of the three days, when she has bathed, the husband should make her pound rice 1.

14. And if a man wishes that a white son should be born to him, and that he should know one Veda, and live to his full age, then, after having prepared boiled rice with milk and butter, they should both eat, being fit to have offspring.

15. And if a man wishes that a reddish 2 son with tawny eyes should be born to him, and that he should know two Vedas, and live to his full age, then, after having prepared boiled rice with coagulated milk and butter, they should both eat, being fit to have offspring.

16. And if a man wishes that a dark son should be born to him with red eyes, and that he should know three Vedas, and live to his full age, then, after having prepared boiled rice with water and butter, they should both eat, being fit to have offspring.

17. And if a man wishes that a learned daughter should be born to him, and that she should live to her full age, then, after having prepared boiled rice with sesamum and butter, they should both eat, being fit to have offspring.

18. And if a man wishes that a learned son should be born to him, famous, a public man, a popular speaker, that he should know all the Vedas, and that

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he should live to his full age, then, after having prepared boiled rice with meat and butter, they should both eat, being fit to have offspring. The meat should be of a young or of an old bull.

19. And then toward morning, after having, according to the rule of the Sthâlîpâka (pot-boiling), performed the preparation of the Âgya (clarified butter 1), he sacrifices from the Sthâlîpâka bit by bit, saying: 'This is for Agni, Svâhâ! This is for Anumati, Svâhâ! This is for the divine Savitri, the true creator, Svâhâ!' Having sacrificed, he takes out the rest of the rice and eats it, and after having eaten, he gives it to his wife. Then he washes his hands, fills a water-jar, and sprinkles her thrice with it, saying: 'Rise hence, O Visvâvasu 2, seek another blooming girl, a wife with her husband.'

20. Then he embraces her, and says: 'I am Ama (breath), thou art Sâ (speech) 3. Thou art Sâ (speech), I am Ama (breath). I am the Sâman, thou art the Rik 4. I am the sky, thou art the earth. Come, let us strive together, that a male child may be begotten 5.'

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21. Athâsyâ ûrû vihâpayati, vigihîthâm dyâvâprithivî iti tasyâm artham nishtâya mukhena mukham sandhâya trir enâm anulomâm 1 anumârshti, Vishnur yonim kalpayatu, Tvashtâ rûpâni pimsatu, âsiñkatu Pragâpatir Dhâtâ garbham dadhatu te. Garbham dhehi Sinîvâli, garbham dhehi prithushtuke, garbham te Asvinau devâv âdhattâm pushkarasragau.

22. Hiranmayî aranî yâbhyâm nirmanthatâm 2 asvinau 3, tam te garbham havâmahe 4 dasame mâsi sûtave. Yathâgnigarbhâ prithivî, yathâ dyaur indrena garbhinî, vâyur disâm yathâ garbha evam garbham dadhâmî te 'sav iti 5.

23. Soshyantîm 6 adbhir abhyukshati. Yathâ vâyuh 7 pushkarinîm samiñgayati sarvatah, evâ te garbha egatu sahâvaitu garâyunâ. Indrasyâyam vragah kritah sârgalah 8 saparisrayah 9, tam indra nirgahi garbhena sâvarâm 10 saheti.

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24 1. When the child is born, he prepares the fire, places the child on his lap, and having poured prishadâgya, i.e. dadhi (thick milk) mixed with ghrita (clarified butter) into a metal jug, he sacrifices bit by bit of that prishadâgya, saying: 'May I, as I increase in this my house, nourish a thousand! May fortune never fail in his race, with offspring and cattle, Svâhâ!'

'I offer to thee. in my mind the vital breaths which are in me, Svâhâ!'

'Whatever 2 in my work I have done too much, or whatever I have here done too little, may the wise Agni Svishtakrit make this right and proper for us, Svâhâ!'

25. Then putting his mouth near the child's right ear, he says thrice, Speech, speech 3! After

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that he pours together thick milk, honey, and clarified butter, and feeds the child with (a ladle of) pure gold 1, saying: 'I give thee Bhûh, I give thee Bhuvah, I give thee Svah 2. Bhûr, Bhuvah, Svah, I give thee all 3.'

26 4. Then he gives him his name, saying: 'Thou art Veda;' but this is his secret name 5.

27. Then he hands the boy to his mother and gives him her breast, saying: 'O Sarasvatî, that breast of thine which is inexhaustible, delightful, abundant, wealthy, generous, by which thou cherishest all blessings, make that to flow here 6.'

28 7. Then he addresses the mother of the boy:

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'Thou art Ilâ Maitrâvarunî: thou strong woman hast born a strong boy. Be thou blessed with strong children thou who hast blessed me with a strong child.'

And they say of such a boy: 'Ah, thou art better than thy father; ah, thou art better than thy grandfather. Truly he has reached the highest point in happiness, praise, and Vedic glory who is born as the son of a Brâhmana that knows this.'

Section4-Hume Translation

1. Verily, of created things here earth is the essence; of earth, water; of water, plants; of plants, flowers; of flowers, fruits; of fruits, man (purusa); of man, semen.

2. Prajâpati ('Lord of creatures') bethought himself: 'Come, let me provide him a firm basis!' So he created woman. When he had created her, he revered her below.--Therefore one should revere woman below.--He stretched out for himself that stone which projects. With that he impregnated her.

3. Her lap is a sacrificial altar; her hairs, the sacrificial grass; her skin, the soma-press. The two labia of the vulva are the fire in the middle. Verily, indeed, as great as is the world of him who sacrifices with the Vâjapeya ('Strength-libation') sacrifice, so great is the world of him who practises sexual intercourse, knowing this; he turns the good deeds of women to himself. But he who practises sexual intercourse without knowing this-women turn his good deeds unto themselves.

4. This, verily, indeed, it was that Uddâlaka Âruṅi knew when he said:--

This, verily, indeed, it was that Nâka Maudgalya knew when he said:--

This, verily, indeed, it was that Kumârahârita knew when he said: 'Many mortal men, Brahmans by descent, go forth from this world, impotent and devoid of merit, namely those who practise sexual intercourse without knowing this.'

[If] even this much 1 semen is spilled, whether of one asleep or of one awake, [5] then he should touch it, or [without touching] repeat:--

'What semen has of mine to earth been spilt now,
Whate'er to herb has flowed, whate'er to water--

This very semen I reclaim!
Again to me let vigor come!
Again, my strength; again, my glow!
Again the altars and the fire
Be found in their accustomed place!'



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Having spoken thus, he should take it with ring-finger and thumb, and rub it on between his breasts or his eye-brows.

6. Now, if one should see himself in water, he should recite over it the formula: 'In me be vigor, power, beauty, wealth, merit!'

This, verily, indeed, is loveliness among women: when she has removed the clothes of her impurity. Therefore when she has removed the clothes of her impurity and is beautiful, one should approach and invite her.

7. If she should not grant him his desire, he should bribe her. If she still does not grant him his desire, he should hit her with a stick or with his hand, and overcome her, saying: 'With power, with glory I take away your glory!' Thus she becomes inglorious.

8. If she should yield to him, he says: 'With power, with glory I give you glory!' Thus they two become glorious.

9. The woman whom one may desire with the thought, 'May she enjoy love with me!'--after inserting the member in her, joining mouth with mouth, and stroking her lap, he should mutter:--

'Thou that from every limb art come,
That from the heart art generate,
Thou art the essence of the limbs!
Distract this woman here in me,
As if by poisoned arrow pierced!'

10. Now, the woman whom one may desire with the thought, 'May she not conceive offspring!'--after inserting the member in her and joining mouth with mouth, he should first inhale, then exhale, and say: 'With power, with semen, I reclaim the semen from you!' Thus she comes to be without seed.

12. Now, the woman whom one may desire with the thought, 'May she conceive!'--after inserting the member in her and joining mouth with mouth, he should first exhale, then inhale, and say: 'With power, with semen, I deposit semen in you!' Thus she becomes pregnant.

12. Now, if one's wife have a paramour, and he hate him, let him put fire in an unannealed vessel, spread out a row of reed arrows in inverse order, and therein sacrifice in inverse

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order those reed arrows, their heads smeared with ghee, saying:--

'You have made a libation in my fire! I take away your in-breath and out-breath (prâṅâpânau)--you, so-and-so!

You have made a libation in my fire! I take away your sons and cattle 1--you, so-and-so!

You have made a libation in my fire! I take away your sacrifices and meritorious deeds 1--you, so-and-so!

You have made a libation in my fire! I take away your hope and expectation 1--you, so-and-so!'

Verily, he whom a Brahman who knows this curses--he departs from this world impotent and devoid of merit. Therefore one should not desire dalliance with the spouse of a person learned in sacred lore (s'rotriya) who knows this, for indeed he who knows this becomes superior. 2

13. Now, when the monthly sickness comes upon anyone's wife, for three days she should not drink from a metal cup, nor put on fresh clothes. Neither a low-caste man nor a low-caste woman should touch her. At the end of the three nights she should bathe and should have rice threshed.

14. In case one wishes, 'That a white son be born to me! that he be able to repeat a Veda! that he attain the full length of life!'--they two should have rice cooked with milk and should eat it prepared with ghee. They two are likely to beget [him].

15. Now, in case one wishes, 'That a tawny son with reddish-brown eyes be born to me! that he be able to recite two Vedas! that he attain the full length of life!'--they two should have rice cooked with sour milk and should eat it prepared with ghee. They two are likely to beget [him].

16. Now, in case one wishes, 'That a swarthy son with red eyes be born to me! that he be able to repeat three Vedas! that he attain the full length of life!'--they two should have rice boiled with water and should eat it prepared with ghee. They two are likely to beget [him].

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17. Now, in case one wishes, 'That a learned (pandita) daughter be born to me! that she attain the full length of life!'--they two should have rice boiled with sesame and should eat it prepared with ghee. They two are likely to beget [her].

A. Now, in case one wishes, 'That a son, learned, famed, a frequenter of council-assemblies, a speaker of discourse desired to be heard, be born to me! that he be able to repeat all the Vedas! that he attain the full length of life!'--they two should have rice boiled with meat and should eat it prepared with ghee. They two are likely to beget [him], with meat, either veal or beef.

19. Now, toward morning, having prepared melted butter in the manner of the Sthâlîpâka, 1 he takes of the Sthâlîpâka and makes a libation, saying: 'To Agni, hail! To Anumati, 2 hail! To the god Savitri ('Enlivener,' the Sun), whose is true procreation 3 (satya-prasava), hail!' Having made the libation, he takes and eats, Having eaten, he offers to the other [i.e. to her]. Having washed his hands, he fills a vessel with water and therewith sprinkles her thrice, saying:--

'Arise from hence, Vis'vavasu! 4
Some other choicer maiden seek!
This wife together with her lord ----' 5

20. Then he comes to her and says:--

'This man (ama) am I; that woman (sâ), thou!
That woman, thou; this man am I!
I am the Sâman; thou, the Rig!
I am the heaven; thou, the earth!

Come, let us two together clasp!
Together let us semen mix,
A male, a son for to procure!'



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21. Then he spreads apart her thighs, saying: 'Spread yourselves apart, heaven and earth!' Inserting the member in her and joining mouth with mouth, he strokes her three times as the hair lies, saying:--

'Let Vishṅu make the womb prepared!
Let Tyashtri shape the various forms!
Prajâpati--let him pour in!
Let Dhâtri place the germ for thee!

O Sinîvâlî, give the germ;
O give the germ, thou broad-tressed dame!
Let the Twin Gods implace thy germ--
The Asvins, crowned with lotus-wreaths!

22. With twain attrition-sticks of gold
The As'vin Twins twirl forth a flame;
'Tis such a germ we beg for thee,
In the tenth month to be brought forth. 1

As earth contains the germ of Fire (agni),
As heaven is pregnant with the Storm (indra),
As of the points the Wind (vâyu) is germ,
E'en so a germ I place in thee,
So-and-so!'

23. When she is about to bring forth, he sprinkles her with water, saying.--

Like as the wind doth agitate
A lotus-pond on every side,
So also let thy fetus stir.
Let it come with its chorion.

This fold of Indra's has been made
With barricade enclosed around.
O Indra, cause him to come forth--
The after-birth along with babe!' 2

24. When [the son] is born, he [i. e. the father] builds up a fire, places him on his lap, mingles ghee and coagulated milk in a metal dish, and makes an oblation, ladling out of the mingled ghee and coagulated milk, and saying-

p. 173hume

'In this son may I be increased,
And have a thousand in mine house!
May nothing rob his retinue
Of offspring or of animals!
Hail!

The vital powers (prâna) which are in me, my mind, I offer in you.

Hail!
What in this rite I overdid,
Or what I have here scanty made--
Let Agni, wise, the Prosperer,
Make fit and good our sacrifice!
Hail!'

25. Then he draws down to the child's right ear and says 'Speech! Speech!' three times. Then he mingles coagulated milk, honey, and ghee and feeds [his son] out of a gold [spoon] which is not placed within [the mouth], 1 saying: 'I place in you Bhûr! I place in you Bhuvas! I place in you Svar! Bhûr, Bhuvas, Svar---everything 2 I place in you!'

26. Then he gives him a name, saying: 'You are Veda.' 3 So this becomes his secret name. 4

27. Then he presents him to the mother and offers the breast, saying:--

'Thy breast which is unfailing and refreshing,
Wealth-bearer, treasure-finder, rich bestower,
With which thou nourishest all things esteeméd--
Give it here, O Sarasvatî, to suck from. 5'

28. Then he addresses the child's mother:--

'You are Ilâ, 6 of the lineage of Mitra and Varuṅa!
O heroine! She has borne a hero!' 7
Continue to be such a woman abounding in heroes--
She who has made us abound in a hero!'



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Of such a son, verily, they say: 'Ah, you have gone beyond your father! Ah, you have gone beyond your grandfather!'

Ah, he reaches the highest pinnacle of splendor, glory, and sacred knowledge who is born as the son of a Brahman who knows this!

Section5

1. Now follows the stem 1:

1. Pautimâshîputra from Kâtyâyanîputra,



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2. Kâtyâyanîputra from Gotamîputra,
3. Gotamîputra from Bhâradvâgîputra,
4. Bhâradvâgîputra from Pârâsarîputra,
5. Pârâsarîputra from Aupasvatîputra,
6. Aupasvatîputra from Pârâsarîputra,
7. Pârâsarîputra from Kâtyâyanîputra,
8. Kâtyâyanîputra from Kausikîputra,
9. Kausikîputra from Âlambîputra and Vaiyâghrapadîputra,
10. Âlambîputra and Vaiyâghrapadîputra from Kânvîputra,
11. Kânvîputra from Kâpîputra,
12. Kâpîputra

2. from Âtreyîputra,

13. Âtreyîputra from Gautamîputra,
14. Gautamîputra from Bhâradvâgîputra,
15. Bhâradvâgîputra from Pârasarîputra,
16. Pârasarîputra from Vâtsîputra,
17. Vâtsîputra from Pârasarîputra,
18 1. Pârasarîputra from Vârkârunîputra,
19. Vârkârunîputra from Vârkârunîputra,
20. Vârkârunîputra from Ârtabhagîputra,
21. Ârtabhagîputra from Sauṅgîputra,
22. Sauṅgîputra from Sâṅkritîputra,
23 2. Sâṅkritîputra from Âlambâyanîputra,
24. Âlambâyanîputra from Âlambîputra,
25. Âlambîputra from Gayantîputra,
26. Gayantîputra from Mândûkâyanîputra,
27. Mândûkâyanîputra from Mândûkîputra,
28. Mândûkîputra from Sândilîputra,
29. Sândilîputra from Râthîtarîputra,
30 3. Râthîtarîputra from Bhâlukîputra,

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31. Bhâlukîputra from Krauñkikîputrau,
32. Krauñkikîputrau from Vaittabhatîputra 1,
33. Vaittabhatîputra from Kârsakeyîputra 2,
34. Kârsakeyîputra from Prâkînayogîputra,
35. Prâkînayogîputra from Sâñgîvîputra 3,
36. Sâñgîvîputra from Prâsñîputra Âsurivâsin,
37. Prâsñîputra Âsurivâsin from Âsurâyana,
38. Âsurâyana from Âsuri,
39. Âsuri

3. from Yâgñavalkya,

40. Yâgñavalkya from Uddâlaka,
41. Uddâlaka from Aruna,
42. Aruna from Upavesi,
43. Upavesi from Kusri,
44. Kusri from Vâgasravas,
45. Vâgasravas from Gihvâvat Vâdhyoga,
46. Gihvâvat Vâdhyoga from Asita Vârshagana,
47. Asita Vârshagana from Harita Kasyapa,
48. Harita Kasyapa from Silpa Kasyapa,
49. Silpa Kasyapa from Kasyapa Naidhruvi,
50. Kasyapa Naidhruvi from Vâk,
51. Vâk from Ambhinî,
52. Ambhinî from Âditya, the Sun.

As coming from Âditya, the Sun, these pure 4 Yagus verses have been proclaimed by Yâgñavalkya Vâgasaneya.

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4 1. The same as far as Sâñgîvîputra (No. 36), then

36. Sâñgîvîputra from Mândûkâyani,
37. Mândûkâyani from Mândavya,
38. Mândavya from Kautsa,
39. Kautsa from Mâhitthi,
40. Mâhitthi from Vâmakakshâyana,
41. Vâmakakshâyana from Sândilya,
42. Sândilya from Vâtsya,
43. Vâtsya from Kusri,
44. Kusri from Yagñavakas Râgastambâyana,
45. Yagñavakas Râgastambâyana from Tura Kâvasheya,
46. Tura Kâvasheya from Pragâpati,
47. Pragâpati from Brahman,
48. Brahman is Svayambhu, self-existent.

Adoration to Brahman!