18. Atharv Veda — Kanda 18

✦ Sukta 1 · 61 verses ✦

18.1.1

ओ चि॒त्सखा॑यंस॒ख्या व॑वृत्यां ति॒रः पु॒रु चि॑दर्ण॒वं ज॑ग॒न्वान्। पि॒तुर्नपा॑त॒मा द॑धीतवे॒धा अधि॒ क्षमि॑ प्रत॒रं दीध्या॑नः ॥

Yami: With love and desire I come to a friend of my own choice, a friend who has a long way crossed the vast ocean of life, and I solicit and pray that knowing and thinking of your fulfilment of familial obligation on earth, you beget a successor saviour of your father’s familial line and in marriage bless me with a child.

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18.1.2

न ते॒ सखा॑स॒ख्यं व॑ष्ट्ये॒तत्सल॑क्ष्मा॒ यद्विषु॑रूपा॒ भव॑ति। म॒हस्पु॒त्रासो॒ असु॑रस्यवी॒रा दि॒वो ध॒र्तार॑ उर्वि॒या परि॑ ख्यन् ॥

Yama: Your friend accepts not your proposal of friendship, love and union since, for the purpose of conjugality, you are not homogeneous with him in character and versality of merit and maturity, in fact you are the contrary. Indeed the brave progeny of the great lord of life and energy of nature refulgent with light and wisdom who maintain the light of heaven along with the earth take exception to such a union, in fact they watch, wonder and rule out such a proposal for union.

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18.1.3

उ॒शन्ति॑ घा॒ तेअ॒मृता॑स ए॒तदेक॑स्य चित्त्य॒जसं॒ मर्त्य॑स्य। नि ते॒ मनो॒ मन॑सि धाय्य॒स्मेजन्युः॒ पति॑स्त॒न्व१॒॑मा वि॑विष्याः ॥

Yami: The immortal sustainers of earth and heaven do wish that every mortal should leave at least one descendent child. I have accepted that your mind and soul be one with me, so, pray come and join me in body as husband and as life-giver of your child.

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18.1.4

न य॑त्पु॒राच॑कृ॒मा कद्ध॑ नू॒नमृ॒तं वद॑न्तो॒ अनृ॑तं॒ रपे॑म। ग॑न्ध॒र्वो अ॒प्स्वप्या॑ च॒योषा॒ सा नौ॒ नाभिः॑ पर॒मं जा॒मि तन्नौ॑ ॥

Yama: Having observed the laws of divine nature and what we have spoken as truth, shall we now do things in violation of truth and speak untruth? Sinfully? Gandharva, the sun, our father, and his light and earth sustained in waters, the mother, that is the central relationship of us both, highest and permanent. (Nothing more, no other.)

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18.1.5

गर्भे॒ नु नौ॑जनि॒ता दम्प॑ती कर्दे॒वस्त्वष्टा॑ सवि॒ता वि॒श्वरू॑पः। नकि॑रस्य॒ प्र मि॑नन्तिव्र॒तानि॒ वेद॑ नाव॒स्य पृ॑थि॒वी उ॒त द्यौः ॥

Yami: Our generator Savita, creator of the universe, Tvashta, maker of universal forms, and Kah, sustainer of created forms, made us a couple of male and female conjugality in nature’s womb of generation itself as keepers and sustainers of this earthly home. None can now violate the rules of the Lord’s discipline, no one does. Of this complementarity of natural conjugal relationship, the earth knows, the sun in heaven knows.

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18.1.6

को अ॒द्ययु॑ङ्क्ते धु॒रि गा ऋ॒तस्य॒ शिमी॑वतो भा॒मिनो॑ दुर्हृणा॒यून्।आ॒सन्नि॑षून्हृ॒त्स्वसो॑ मयो॒भून्य ए॑षां भृ॒त्यामृ॒णध॒त्स जी॑वात् ॥

Yama: The Almighty God joins the pursuants and celebrants of truth with the business of life, men of noble action, brilliant, passionate opponents of evil, who shoot arrows into the heart of contradictory forces, and bring peace and well being to life. That person lives in reality who maintains such people and promotes their mission.

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18.1.7

को अ॒स्य वे॑दप्रथ॒मस्याह्नः॒ क ईं॑ ददर्श॒ क इ॒ह प्र वो॑चत्। बृ॒हन्मि॒त्रस्य॒ वरु॑णस्य॒धाम॒ कदु॑ ब्रव आहनो॒ वीच्या॒ नॄन् ॥

Who knows of that complementarity of man and woman in conjugality created on the first day of creation by Savita-Tvashta? Who saw that? And who would speak of that here now? Only he knows who created that. As of now, who witnessed it? Who can vouchsafe it now? Vast is the distance between east, the house of Mitra, sun and the day, and west, the house of Varuna, presiding deity of the night. (We cannot meet). But O wanton dear, how do you so deceptively speak of men?

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18.1.8

य॒मस्य॑ माय॒म्यं१॒॑ काम॒ आग॑न्त्समा॒ने योनौ॑ सह॒शेय्या॑य। जा॒येव॒ पत्ये॑ त॒न्वं᳡रिरिच्यां॒ वि चि॑द्वृहेव॒ रथ्ये॑व च॒क्रा ॥

Yami: O Yama, I feel stricken and I come with desire to share life with you in one house and one bed and wish I should surrender my body to you as wife does to the husband so that we may carry on the business of life like the two wheels of a chariot.

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18.1.9

न ति॑ष्ठन्ति॒ ननि मि॑षन्त्ये॒ते दे॒वानां॒ स्पश॑ इ॒ह ये च॑रन्ति। अ॒न्येन॒ मदा॑हनो याहि॒तूयं॒ तेन॒ वि वृ॑ह॒ रथ्ये॑व च॒क्रा ॥

Yama: These watchful lights of starry divinities which sojourn here around in space neither stop nor deviate from their path, nor do they ever wink their eye. O love-lorn maiden, go soon to one such other than me and with him carry on the business of life like a chariot wheel.

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18.1.10

रात्री॑भिरस्मा॒अह॑भिर्दशस्ये॒त्सूर्य॑स्य॒ चक्षु॒र्मुहु॒रुन्मि॑मीयात्। दि॒वा पृ॑थि॒व्यामि॑थु॒ना सब॑न्धू य॒मीर्य॒मस्य॑ विवृहा॒दजा॑मि ॥

Yami: I wish the eye of the sun were to open again and again, and the days with nights and the nights with days were to favour and enlighten him that just as the sun is in union with the earth together, so would Yamis too like nights join Yama, the day, as strangers, in love.

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18.1.11

आ घा॒ ताग॑च्छा॒नुत्त॑रा यु॒गानि॒ यत्र॑ जा॒मयः॑ कृ॒णव॒न्नजा॑मि। उप॑ बर्बृहि वृष॒भाय॑बा॒हुम॒न्यमि॑च्छस्व सुभगे॒ पतिं॒ मत् ॥

O Yami, those times would follow long long ages hence when contraries would lie together and coexist without contradictions. Therefore for the time being, O sweet and debonair, extend your hand to someone else other than me, a real virile man.

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18.1.12

किंभ्राता॑स॒द्यद॑ना॒थं भवा॑ति॒ किमु॒ स्वसा॒ यन्निरृ॑तिर्नि॒गच्छा॑त्। काम॑मूताब॒ह्वे॒तद्र॑पामि त॒न्वा॑ मे त॒न्वं१॒॑ सं पि॑पृग्धि ॥

Yami: O Yama, what? Then have you become a supporter without support? And I, without support and care, become a stream of life, bereft and forlorn, going away elsewhere in search of another? Love lorn, I am babbling so much, pray join me body with body.

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18.1.13

न ते॑ ना॒थंय॒म्यत्रा॒हम॑स्मि॒ न ते॑ त॒नूं त॒न्वा॒ सम्प॑पृच्याम्। अ॒न्येन॒ मत्प्र॒मुदः॑कल्पयस्व॒ न ते॒ भ्राता॑ सुभगे वष्ट्ये॒तत् ॥

Yama: O Yami, I am not your master, not your husband, so I would not embrace your body with mine. So think of enjoying yourself with someone other than me. O fortunate one, the twin friend of yours does not like this union.

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18.1.14

न वा उ॑ ते त॒नूंत॒न्वा॒ सं पि॑पृच्यां पा॒पमा॑हु॒र्यः स्वसा॑रं नि॒गच्छा॑त्। असं॑यदे॒तन्मन॑सोहृ॒दो मे॒ भ्राता॒ स्वसुः॒ शय॑ने॒ यच्छयी॑य ॥

And I would not touch your body with mine. The wise say that for a twin it is sin to meet a sister in conjugality. It is against my mind and heart that a brother should even think of sleeping with a sister.

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18.1.15

ब॒तो ब॑तासि यम॒नैव ते॒ मनो॒ हृद॑यं चाविदा॒म। अ॒न्या किल॒ त्वां क॒क्ष्ये᳡व यु॒क्तं परि॑ष्वजातौ॒ लिबु॑जेव वृ॒क्षम् ॥

Yami: Sorry Yama, it is a pity I did not understand your mind and heart this way of nature and tradition. May be someone other than me would join you like a girdle round your waist and embrace you as a creeper clings by a tree.

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18.1.16

अ॒न्यमू॒ षुय॑म्य॒न्य उ॒ त्वां परि॑ ष्वजातै॒ लिबु॑जेव वृ॒क्षम्। तस्य॑ वा॒ त्वं मन॑ इच्छा॒स वा॒ तवाधा॑ कृणुष्व संविदं॒ सुभ॑द्राम् ॥

Yama: O Yami, you too find some other partner. Some other may embrace you, and you too embrace him like a creeper embracing the tree. Love you the other man heart and soul, and may he too love you heart and soul. Thus may you create and achieve a happy union in love and good fortune.

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18.1.17

त्रीणि॒छन्दां॑सि क॒वयो॒ वि ये॑तिरे पुरु॒रूपं॑ दर्श॒तं वि॒श्वच॑क्षणम्। आपो॒ वाता॒ओष॑धय॒स्तान्येक॑स्मि॒न्भुव॑न॒ आर्पि॑तानि ॥

Sages and scholars of Shastra and Vedas study and foster three joyous gifts of nature and divinity, versatile in form, sensitively satisfying and universally illuminative for body, sense and mind and the soul. For this purpose, they are: waters for taste and sweetness, winds for energy of prana, and herbs for strength and alleviation of pain. And all these three are vested and concentrated in the same one source, Nature.

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18.1.18

वृषा॒ वृष्णे॑दुदुहे॒ दोह॑सा दि॒वः पयां॑सि य॒ह्वो अदि॑ते॒रदा॑भ्यः। विश्वं॒ स वे॑द॒ वरु॑णो॒यथा॑ धि॒या स य॒ज्ञियो॑ यजति य॒ज्ञियाँ॑ ऋ॒तून् ॥

Generous lord divine, omnipotent and undaunted, with cosmic churning, distils the nectar sweets of heaven from mother Aditi, imperishable Prakrti, for generous humanity. He, lord omniscient of infinite wisdom knows the universe and showers the knowledge of Veda too for mankind. And the generous scholar, man of judgement, venerable as Varuna, distils universal knowledge from Veda according to his intelligence and vision, joins the divine seasons and distils the joyous gifts of food, energy and illumination from nature and Vedic vision.

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18.1.19

रप॑द्गन्ध॒र्वीरप्या॑ च॒ योष॑णा न॒दस्य॑ ना॒दे परि॑ पातु नो॒ मनः॑। इ॒ष्टस्य॒मध्ये॒ अदि॑ति॒र्नि धा॑तु नो॒ भ्राता॑ नो ज्ये॒ष्ठः प्र॑थ॒मो वि वो॑चति ॥

Gandharvi, Vedic voice that holds and expresses the voice of the Lord of the universe, which is adorable and inspiring and which eternally proclaims the divine Word, may, we pray, establish and promote our mind and soul in the celebration of the resounding flood of the divine voice. And may Aditi, Mother Nature, and her eternal voice, and Agni, leading light of life, first and highest brotherly supporter, establish us at the centre of our desire and fulfilment and continue to speak to us of nature, knowledge and wisdom.

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18.1.20

सो चि॒न्नुभ॒द्रा क्षु॒मती॒ यश॑स्वत्यु॒षा उ॑वास॒ मन॑वे॒ स्व᳡र्वती।यदी॑मु॒शन्त॑मुश॒तामनु॒ क्रतु॑म॒ग्निं होता॑रं वि॒दथा॑य॒ जीज॑नन् ॥

Surely the illuminant, auspicious, abundant, brilliant, beatifying light of the dawn of divine vision arises when the sages invoke and kindle and raise the loving divine fire of Agni, high priest of divine-human communion, in accordance with the passion and devotion of the lovers of Divinity for the success of their meditative yajna.

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18.1.21

अध॒ त्यंद्र॒प्सं वि॒भ्वं᳡ विचक्ष॒णं विराभ॑रदिषि॒रः श्ये॒नो अ॑ध्व॒रे। यदी॒ विशो॑वृ॒णते॑ द॒स्ममार्या॑ अ॒ग्निं होता॑र॒मध॒ धीर॑जायत ॥

When noble dedicated people choose, invoke and adore this blissful Agni, high priest of meditative as well as social yajna, and when the vision of clairvoyance arises, then the instant, inspiring eagle spirit of divinity brings in the infinite, illuminative nectar shower of divine bliss to the devotee in the meditative communion.

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18.1.22

सदा॑सि र॒ण्वोयव॑सेव॒ पुष्य॑ते॒ होत्रा॑भिरग्ने॒ मनु॑षः स्वध्व॒रः। विप्र॑स्य वा॒ यच्छ॑शमा॒नउ॒क्थ्यो॒ वाजं॑ सस॒वाँ उ॑प॒यासि॒ भूरि॑भिः ॥

Agni, divine spirit of man’s holy yajna of love and non-violence, you are always lovable and inspiring as sumptuous food for the mind and soul. And, served and adorable with abundant offers of homage and oblations, having accepted and enjoying the homage, you come fast and bless the vibrant devotee’s yajna with success and attainments.

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18.1.23

उदी॑रय पि॒तरा॑जा॒र आ भग॒मिय॑क्षति हर्य॒तो हृ॒त्त इ॑ष्यति। विव॑क्ति॒ वह्निः॑ स्वप॒स्यते॑म॒खस्त॑वि॒ष्यते॒ असु॑रो॒ वेप॑ते म॒ती ॥

Agni, leading light of life, inspire the parents: The sun augments honour and excellence, the lover is eager to meet the love, anxious with heart and soul, the messenger speaks and inspires, the oblations energise, pranic energy stirs the mind.

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18.1.24

यस्ते॑ अग्नेसुम॒तिं मर्तो॒ अख्य॒त्सह॑सः सूनो॒ अति॒ स प्र शृ॑ण्वे। इषं॒ दधा॑नो॒ वह॑मानो॒अश्वै॒रा स द्यु॒माँ अम॑वान्भूषति॒ द्यून् ॥

Agni, inspirer of power and patience, one who enjoys your good will, bears your light and wisdom and proclaims it,, wins the ear of his audience and rises to fame. Bearing and enjoying plenty and prosperity of food, energy and love, moving by horse drawn chariot he adds to the strength and splendour of his life and time.

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18.1.25

श्रु॒धी नो॑अग्ने॒ सद॑ने स॒धस्थे॑ यु॒क्ष्वा रथ॑म॒मृत॑स्य द्रवि॒त्नुम्। आ नो॑ वह॒ रोद॑सीदे॒वपु॑त्रे॒ माकि॑र्दे॒वाना॒मप॑ भूरि॒ह स्याः॑ ॥

O leading life of existence, Agni, listen to our voice of prayer in this hall of yajna, harness the superfast chariot of immortality and bring us here the heaven and earth with their divine children, never forsake the divinities in human form, always abide by us here itself.

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18.1.26

यद॑ग्न ए॒षासमि॑ति॒र्भवा॑ति दे॒वी दे॒वेषु॑ यज॒ता य॑जत्र। रत्ना॑ च॒ यद्वि॒भजा॑सि स्वधावोभा॒गं नो॒ अत्र॒ वसु॑मन्तं वीतात् ॥

Agni, adorable leading light and ruling lord of life, when this Samiti, assembly of the people, becomes elevated, enlightened, acceptable and companionable among noble and enlightened people and you come to distribution of the jewel valuables of life, pray give us our share of the wealth, honour and excellence of life in society.

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18.1.27

अन्व॒ग्निरु॒षसा॒मग्र॑मख्य॒दन्वहा॑नि प्रथ॒मो जा॒तवे॑दाः। अनु॒ सूर्य॑ उ॒षसो॒अनु॑ र॒श्मीननु॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी आ वि॑वेश ॥

Agni, cosmic light of existence, all pervasive, first presence, self-manifestive, omniscient of all forms, potential and actual, one with the sun, exists in advance of the dawns and days, and pervades the stars, the dawns, the radiating rays and the earth and heaven (as they come into existence).

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18.1.28

प्रत्य॒ग्निरु॒षसा॒मग्र॑मख्य॒त्प्रत्यहा॑नि प्रथ॒मो जा॒तवे॑दाः। प्रति॒सूर्य॑स्य पुरु॒धा च॑ र॒श्मीन्प्रति॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी आ त॑तान ॥

Agni, light of existence, all pervasive, first presence, self-manifestive, omniscient of all forms potential and actual, exists before and pervades and watches as they come into existence, every one of the dawns, every one of the days, and many ways extends and pervades every sun, the radiating rays and heaven and earth as they expand and multiply.

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18.1.29

द्यावा॑ ह॒क्षामा॑ प्रथ॒मे ऋ॒तेना॑भिश्रा॒वे भ॑वतः सत्य॒वाचा॑। दे॒वो यन्मर्ता॑न्य॒जथा॑यकृ॒ण्वन्त्सीद॒द्धोता॑ प्र॒त्यङ् स्वमसुं॒ यन् ॥

Heaven and earth are the first and closest divinities by virtue of the cosmic order to listen to the holy chant and proclaim their response with light and generosity when Agni, refulgent spirit of life and light of the world, chief yajamana and inspirer of cosmic yajna, calling mortals to the altar, settles in the vedi itself upfront, generating and accelerating the radiation of its own energy in the yajnic process of evolution being enacted.

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18.1.30

दे॒वोदे॒वान्प॑रि॒भूरृ॒तेन॒ वहा॑ नो ह॒व्यं प्र॑थ॒मश्चि॑कि॒त्वान्। धू॒मके॑तुःस॒मिधा भाऋजीको म॒न्द्रो होता॒ नित्यो॑ वा॒चा यजी॑यान् ॥

May Agni, supreme power and presence of the spirit over divinities of heaven and earth, first and instant cognizant of our invocation and prayers, radiate and carry our homage and oblations to the divinities of nature by the laws of its cosmic order: Agni, that is the power with the banner of light and fragrance, blazing with flames of fuel fire, adorable sublime, divine call for action and self-sacrifice, eternal and imperishable, loving and companionable, responsive to words of sincere adoration.

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18.1.31

अर्चा॑मि वां॒वर्धा॒यापो॑ घृतस्नू॒ द्यावा॑भूमी शृणु॒तं रो॑दसी मे। अहा॒ यद्दे॒वाअसु॑नीति॒माय॒न्मध्वा॑ नो॒ अत्र॑ पि॒तरा॑ शिशीताम् ॥

Listen ye both heaven and earth to my words of adoration: I celebrate you both heaven and earth as father and mother, givers of the liquid energies of life for the growth and progress of humanity and the environment, which, may the brilliant geniuses of humanity, taking forward the energy projects and policies of the world, promote day and night incessantly and which, may the parental powers and leadership of mankind refine and augment further to add to the light and sweetness of life here on earth.

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18.1.32

स्वावृ॑ग्दे॒वस्या॒मृतं॒ यदी॒ गोरतो॑ जा॒तासो॑ धारयन्त उ॒र्वी। विश्वे॑ दे॒वाअनु॒ तत्ते॒ यजु॑र्गुर्दु॒हे यदेनी॑ दि॒व्यं घृ॒तं वाः ॥

When the celestial nectar of this refulgent power’s own essence radiates, then the energies generated by it support and sustain both earth and heaven, and all divinities of nature and humanity receive and celebrate these gifts of Agni, the divine beauty, radiance and liquid energies which the divine light showers upon them.

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18.1.33

किं स्वि॑न्नो॒राजा॑ जगृहे॒ कद॒स्याति॑ व्र॒तं च॑कृमा॒ को वि वे॑द। मि॒त्रश्चि॒द्धि ष्मा॑जुहुरा॒णो दे॒वाञ्छ्लोको॒ न या॒तामपि॒ वाजो॒ अस्ति॑ ॥

Does the ruling refulgent Agni receive and accept our homage? Do we sometimes overstep its laws and limits of benediction and experimentation? Who knows this secret we ought to know? Agni is a friend after all, invoked and served with excess or remiss, it would accept our homage and adoration and convey it to the divinities, and we pray may there be success and ultimate victory.

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18.1.34

दु॒र्मन्त्वत्रा॒मृत॑स्य॒ नाम॒ सल॑क्ष्मा॒ यद्विषु॑रूपा॒ भवा॑ति। य॒मस्य॒ योम॒नव॑ते सु॒मन्त्व॑ग्ने॒ तमृ॑ष्व पा॒ह्यप्र॑युच्छन् ॥

Incomprehensible is this mystery of immortal Agni and its power, for sure, since arising from the same one source and homogeneous, it grows to boundless variety of forms which, nevertheless, for the man who knows the One Supreme Agni, ordainer and controller of this existential variety, is simple and clearly understandable. This man, O lord great and gracious, protect and promote without relent.

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18.1.35

यस्मि॑न्दे॒वावि॒दथे॑ मा॒दय॑न्ते वि॒वस्व॑तः॒ सद॑ने धा॒रय॑न्ते। सूर्ये॒ज्योति॒रद॑धुर्मा॒स्य१॒॑क्तून्परि॑ द्योत॒निं च॑रतो॒ अज॑स्रा ॥

In whose being the divinities of nature and humanity rejoice in the yajnic order of existence, carry on their assigned tasks in the regions of light and in the heart and soul of humanity, vest light in the sun and dark tinge in the moon, that refulgent Agni, the sun and moon and all other divinities constantly adore and serve.

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18.1.36

यस्मि॑न्दे॒वामन्म॑नि सं॒चर॑न्त्यपी॒च्ये न व॒यम॑स्य विद्म। मि॒त्रो नो॒अत्रादि॑ति॒रना॑गान्त्सवि॒ता दे॒वो वरु॑णाय वोचत् ॥

In whose illuminative yet mysterious being all divine powers exist and act, we know not well. May the same refulgent Agni, the divine powers reveal to us who are simple, sincere and conscientious seekers of Divinity, so that we may distinctly and intelligently know and serve the divine power. May Mitra, universal spirit of divine love as the sun, Aditi, imperishable mother Nature, self-refulgent Savita, creator and inspirer, reveal the mysterious power and presence of Agni.

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18.1.37

सखा॑य॒ आशि॑षामहे ब्र॒ह्मेन्द्रा॑य व॒ज्रिणे॑। स्तु॒ष ऊ॒ षु नृत॑माय धृ॒ष्णवे॑ ॥

Come friends, let us for your sake sing a song of adoration in honour of Indra, lord of power, wielder of the thunderbolt of justice and punishment, in order to glorify the noblest leader of resolute will and inviolable command.

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18.1.38

शव॑सा॒ ह्यसि॑श्रु॒तो वृ॑त्र॒हत्ये॑न वृत्र॒हा। म॒घैर्म॒घोनो॒ अति॑ शूर दाशसि ॥

O heroic leader and ruler, by virtue of your strength and will you are renowned as destroyer of evil for having eliminated evil, want and suffering. You are famous as the lord magnanimous of glory for your wealth and generosity because your generosity exceeds the expectations of the richest generous people.

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18.1.39

स्ते॒गो नक्षामत्ये॑षि पृथि॒वीं म॒ही नो॒ वाता॑ इ॒ह वा॑न्तु॒ भूमौ॑। मि॒त्रो नो॒ अत्र॒वरु॑णो यु॒ज्यमा॑नो अ॒ग्निर्वने॒ न व्य॑सृष्ट॒ शोक॑म् ॥

Just as the sun shines upon the earth and transcends, so do you, O Indra, ruler, rule the earth. Let pleasant winds blow upon the vast earth for us. Let Mitra, divine love, and Varuna, divine judgement, as sun and air, together, remove our pain and suffering as fire releases its heat in the forest and burns away unwanted undergrowth.

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18.1.४Ÿ०

स्तु॒हि श्रु॒तंग॑र्त॒सदं॒ जना॑नां॒ राजा॑नं भी॒ममु॑पह॒त्नुमु॒ग्रम्। मृ॒डा ज॑रि॒त्रे रु॑द्र॒स्तवा॑नो अ॒न्यम॒स्मत्ते॒ नि व॑पन्तु॒ सेन्य॑म् ॥

O man, worship and adore Rudra, vibrant in the soul, self-refulgent ruler of humanity, closest at heart, terrible destroyer of evil instantly. O Rudra, celebrated and adored by humanity, be kind and gracious to the dedicated worshippers, and let the force of your punitive power fall upon other forces than us, such as hate and enmity, sin and suffering, all alien to us.

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18.1.41

सर॑स्वतींदेव॒यन्तो॑ हवन्ते॒ सर॑स्वतीमध्व॒रे ता॒यमा॑ने। सर॑स्वतीं सु॒कृतो॑ हवन्ते॒सर॑स्वती दा॒शुषे॒ वार्यं॑ दात् ॥

People dedicated to Divinity invoke and worship Sarasvati, Mother Voice of divine Omniscience. They worship her in the performance of yajna while the fragrance is expanding and light is radiating. People of holy action invoke and worship Sarasvati while they act. May Sarasvati give to the generous worshipper and yajna performer the fruit the singer of the song divine prays for.

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18.1.42

सर॑स्वतींपि॒तरो॑ हवन्ते दक्षि॒ना य॒ज्ञम॑भि॒नक्ष॑माणाः। आ॒सद्या॒स्मिन्ब॒र्हिषि॑मादयध्वमनमी॒वा इष॒ आ धे॑ह्य॒स्मे ॥

Parental house-holders eager to perform yajna with generous gifts of Dakshina invoke and worship Sarasvati, mother Spirit of Voice divine. O mother, come and grace this holy vedi with your divine presence, rejoice with the dedicated worshippers and bring us food and energy, wealth, honour and excellence free from all kinds of negativities.

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18.1.43

सर॑स्वति॒ यास॒रथं॑ य॒याथो॒क्थैः स्व॒धाभि॑र्देवि पि॒तृभि॒र्मद॑न्ती। स॑हस्रा॒र्घमि॒डोअत्र॑ भा॒गं रा॒यस्पोषं॒ यज॑मानाय धेहि ॥

Sarasvati, vibrant mother voice of Divinity who come with celestial joy in response to songs of adoration and oblations of holy fragrance, divine mother rejoicing with parental house-holders, pray come and bless the yajamana with food and energy, wealth, honour and excellence for body, mind and soul, a rightful share worth a thousand laudations.

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18.1.44

उदी॑रता॒मव॑र॒उत्परा॑स॒ उन्म॑ध्य॒माः पि॒तरः॑ सो॒म्यासः॑। असुं॒ य ई॒युर॑वृ॒का ऋ॑त॒ज्ञास्तेनो॑ऽवन्तु पि॒तरो॒ हवे॑षु ॥

May the wise and parental seniors of average, high and middle order, harbingers of peace and joy, friendly dynamic scholars and scientists of yajna who know the cosmic order and the laws of nature and living truths of life, rise, inspire us with energy and enthusiasm for life, and may all these saviour and protective powers of nature and humanity strengthen us to defend and promote ourselves in internal and external challenges of life and the environment.

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18.1.45

आहंपि॒तॄन्त्सु॑वि॒दत्राँ॑ अवित्सि॒ नपा॑तं च वि॒क्रम॑णं च॒ विष्णोः॑। ब॑र्हि॒षदो॒ये स्व॒धया॑ सु॒तस्य॒ भज॑न्त पि॒त्वस्त॑ इ॒हाग॑मिष्ठाः ॥

I know and join the holy, wise, generous and parental powers of humanity. I know the stable, radiative and expansive powers and presence of yajna and its creative effects. O scholars and scientists of yajna who join the creative fire enterprise here on the vedi with your inputs of knowledge and expertise, come and partake of the freshness and fragrance of fruits produced and given by yajna.

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18.1.46

इ॒दं पि॒तृभ्यो॒नमो॑ अस्त्व॒द्य ये पूर्वा॑सो॒ ये अप॑रास ई॒युः। ये पार्थि॑वे॒ रज॒स्यानिष॑क्ता॒ ये वा॑ नू॒नं सु॑वृ॒जना॑सु दि॒क्षु ॥

Let this yajnic homage today be for the sun rays and pranic energies radiating from the east and west, let it also be for the parental wise and seniors of the past and later ones. Let it be for the energies which abide in the earthly sphere and in space and skies, and let it be for the energy which vibrates in the living forms of nature anywhere, and for the wise anywhere in humanity.

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18.1.47

मात॑लीक॒व्यैर्य॒मो अङ्गि॑रोभि॒र्बृह॒स्पति॒रृक्व॑भिर्वावृधा॒नः। यांश्च॑ दे॒वावा॑वृ॒धुर्ये च॑ दे॒वांस्ते नो॑ऽवन्तु पि॒तरो॒ हवे॑षु ॥

May Matali, master creator of knowledge and power with wise experts of Vedic science, Yama, the yogi with vibrant pranic energies, Brhaspati, eminent scholar with all round versatility rising with the application of Rk verses, those whose natural knowledge of life and environment has raised them to eminence, and those who advance natural knowledge and extend the work of earlier dedicated scholars, may all these parental seniors protect and promote us in the serious struggles we face for the advancement of life and knowledge.

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18.1.48

स्वा॒दुष्किला॒यंमधु॑माँ उ॒तायं ती॒व्रः किला॒यं रस॑वाँ उ॒तायम्। उ॒तो न्व१॒॑स्यप॑पि॒वांस॒मिन्द्रं॒ न कश्च॒न स॑हत आह॒वेषु॑ ॥

Surely this knowledge and power, the taste of it, is delicious, it is honey sweet, it is strong and intense, and its flavour is soothing, sobering and exciting too. Whoever the soul that has tasted of it is strong, a very Indra, whom no one can challenge in the pressing battles of life.

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18.1.49

प॑रेयि॒वांसं॑प्र॒वतो॑ म॒हीरिति॑ ब॒हुभ्यः॒ पन्था॑मनुपस्पशा॒नम्। वै॑वस्व॒तं सं॒गम॑नं॒जना॑नां य॒मं राजा॑नं ह॒विषा॑ सपर्यत ॥

With homage of havi and self-sacrifice in karma, serve and worship Yama, leading light and ruler of life with justice and dispensation, who shows the paths of living for all and leads the pioneers of initiative and advancement to distant lands of their choice and who, lord of the worlds of light like regent of the Sun, is the ultimate haven and home of people.

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18.1.50

य॒मो नो॑ गा॒तुंप्र॑थ॒मो वि॑वेद॒ नैषा गव्यू॑ति॒रप॑भर्त॒वा उ॑। यत्रा॑ नः॒ पूर्वे॑ पि॒तरः॒परे॑ता ए॒ना ज॑ज्ञा॒नाः प॒थ्या॒ अनु॒ स्वाः ॥

Yama, lord of ultimate justice and dispensation, first carved, manifested and proclaimed the universal way of life according to the laws of nature. And that is the way and the law of life in existence which is neither challengeable nor changeable. That is the path by which our ancestors went forward in life, and that same is the path by which others who come later, know and go according to their own choice for themselves.

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18.1.51

बर्हि॑षदः पितरऊ॒त्य१॒॑र्वागि॒मा वो॑ ह॒व्या च॑कृमा जु॒षध्व॑म्। त आ ग॒ताव॑सा॒ शन्त॑मे॒नाधा॑ नः॒शं योर॑र॒पो द॑धात ॥

O parental powers of nature and humanity, scholars of the science of atmospheric and environmental management of the globe, for all round peace and protection of life here and here-after, we have prepared these yajnic materials for homage to you which please accept and use with love and faith. O masters, come always with peaceful modes of universal protection, bear and bring us showers of peace and freedom from sin, violence and fear.

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18.1.52

आच्या॒ जानु॑दक्षिण॒तो नि॒षद्ये॒दं नो॑ ह॒विर॒भि गृ॑णन्तु॒ विश्वे॑। मा हिं॑सिष्ट पितरः॒केन॑ चिन्नो॒ यद्व॒ आगः॑ पुरु॒षता॒ करा॑म ॥

O saviour sages of the world, with knees bent in honour of the vedi, please be seated on the right, accept our homage of havi and accomplish the yajna with specific words of appraisal. And if we happen to transgress some rule or ritual of yajnic manners, or if we happen to be impertinent to you – because we are human, after all – pray be kind, take no offence, forgive us, and let no hurt affect the yajna.

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18.1.53

त्वष्टा॑दुहि॒त्रे व॑ह॒तुं कृ॑णोति॒ तेने॒दं विश्वं॒ भुव॑नं॒ समे॑ति। य॒मस्य॑ मा॒ताप॑र्यु॒ह्यमा॑ना म॒हो जा॒या विव॑स्वतो ननाश ॥

Tvashta, cosmic maker of the forms of existence, for fulfilment of the creative urge of nature, Prakrti, initiates the onward process of evolution, and the entire universe comes into being in cosmic time. While Prakrti, consort of the self-refulgent creator Savita and mother origin of the order of evolution, is fertilized and moves on to its generative function, it disappears, that is, it transforms from its original intangible essence into the tangible creative form and generative power in existence.

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18.1.54

प्रेहि॒ प्रेहि॑प॒थिभिः॑ पू॒र्याणै॒र्येना॑ ते॒ पूर्वे॑ पि॒तरः॒ परे॑ताः। उ॒भा राजा॑नौस्व॒धया॒ मद॑न्तौ य॒मं प॑श्यासि॒ वरु॑णं च दे॒वम् ॥

Go forward, O man, move on by the paths of life earlier and universally carved for you, paths by which the ancients too went forward to complete their course of life. Intelligent you are and you see both Yama and Varuna, divine sun and divine night, allcomprehending time and the spirit of cosmic judgement, the solar region and the cosmic waters, both divine, brilliant, ecstatic, ruling strong in terms of their own powers, and agreeable by your service to them and to the environment.

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18.1.55

अपे॑त॒ वी᳡त॒ विच॑ सर्प॒तातो॒ऽस्मा ए॒तं पि॒तरो॑ लो॒कम॑क्रन्।अहो॑भिर॒द्भिर॒क्तुभि॒र्व्य᳡क्तं य॒मो द॑दात्यव॒सान॑मस्मै ॥

All disturbances to go, go away, go far, your own ways. Pitr-prana energies of solar radiation, which have carried this soul, departed, gone away, carried around by sun rays, have prepared this new phase for it, and Yama, cosmic order of law and time, has provided this other stage of its existential being with days, nights, dawns and liquid energies, all anew.

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18.1.56

उ॒शन्त॑स्त्वेधीमह्यु॒शन्तः॒ समि॑धीमहि। उ॒शन्नु॑श॒त आ व॑ह पि॒तॄन्ह॒विषे॒अत्त॑वे ॥

O sacred fire of yajna, with love and passion we light you. With love and faith we raise you into flames. You too with love and longing of heat and light bring our parental seniors and blissful energies of Mother Nature to receive our offerings and disperse them round for all.

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18.1.57

द्यु॒मन्त॑स्त्वेधीमहि द्यु॒मन्तः॒ समि॑धीमहि। द्यु॒मान्द्यु॑म॒त आ व॑हपि॒तॄन्ह॒विषे॒ अत्त॑वे ॥

Brilliant and passionate with love, we light you up. Brilliant and faithful we raise you into flames. O sacred fire of yajna, you too, brilliant and blazing, bring our senior and parental powers of nature and humanity to receive our offerings and disperse them round for all.

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18.1.58

अङ्गि॑रसो नःपि॒तरो॒ नव॑ग्वा॒ अथ॑र्वाणो॒ भृग॑वः सो॒म्यासः॑। तेषां॑ व॒यं सु॑म॒तौय॒ज्ञिया॑ना॒मपि॑ भ॒द्रे सौ॑मन॒से स्या॑म ॥

Our parents and seniors are seers and sages of holistic knowledge, scholars of latest sciences, undisturbed pursuers of technology and engineering, veteran saviours from pain and suffering, and seekers of peace and prosperity. Let us dedicate ourselves to their vision and wisdom and be the recipients of their good will so that we may enjoy their love and grace.

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18.1.59

अङ्गि॑रोभिर्य॒ज्ञियै॒रा ग॑ही॒ह यम॑ वैरू॒पैरि॒ह मा॑दयस्व। विव॑स्वन्तं हुवे॒ यःपि॒ता ते॒ऽस्मिन्ब॒र्हिष्या नि॒षद्य॑ ॥

O Yama, life time of health and age, come with nature’s pranic energies of various and versatile sort worthy of union and assimilation according to time and seasons, be happy and rejoice with me. I invoke the refulgent sun, your generative father, also to come and be seated at the holy heart core of this life yajna of mine for a full age of good health and happiness.

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18.1.60

इ॒मं य॑मप्रस्त॒रमा हि रोहाङ्गि॑रोभिः पि॒तृभिः॑ संविदा॒नः। आ त्वा॒ मन्त्राः॑कविश॒स्ता व॑हन्त्वे॒ना रा॑जन्ह॒विषो॑ मादयस्व ॥

O Yama, happy life time of health and age, come in unison with nourishing and protective pranic energies of nature and vest those energies into my yajnic body system. Let thoughts and health mantras of sages bring you here where, shining and ruling within with all these gifts, rejoice and make me happy too.

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18.1.61

इ॒त ए॒तउ॒दारु॑हन्दि॒वस्पृ॒ष्ठान्यारु॑हन्। प्र भू॒र्जयो॒ यथा॑ प॒था द्यामङ्गि॑रसोय॒युः ॥

Just as blazing brilliant Angirasas, winners of the earth, inspired with pranic spirit, march forward by paths of freedom, so do these spiritual adventurers, the pitaras, rise from here, rise to the heights of heaven, and reach the realm of freedom in Moksha.

✦ Sukta 2 · 60 verses ✦

18.2.1

य॒माय॒ सोमः॑पवते य॒माय॑ क्रियते ह॒विः। य॒मं ह॑ य॒ज्ञो ग॑च्छत्य॒ग्निदू॑तो॒ अरं॑कृतः ॥

For Yama, lord ordainer of the cosmic order, is Soma distilled and sanctified, and for Yama it flows. For Yama, the yajna havi is prepared. And to Yama goes the holy soma-yajna with all its beauty and power conducted by the holy fire, divine messenger between the yajamana and the air, sun and the lord ordainer of life and human karma.

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18.2.2

य॒माय॒मधु॑मत्तमं जु॒होता॒ प्र च॑ तिष्ठत। इ॒दं नम॒ ऋषि॑भ्यः पूर्व॒जेभ्यः॒पूर्वे॑भ्यः पथि॒कृद्भ्यः॑ ॥

Offer the sweetest and holiest honeyed oblations to Yama, lord of time and refulgent sovereign of the cosmic order, and thereby abide on the right side of karmic destiny. This homage is in honour of the sagely seers, forefathers and the ancients who carved the paths of life for us.

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18.2.3

य॑मायघृ॒तव॒त्पयो॒ राज्ञे॑ ह॒विर्जु॑होतन। स नो॑ जी॒वेष्वा य॑मेद्दी॒र्घमायुः॒ प्रजी॒वसे॑ ॥

Offer holy homage full of ghrta and milk to Yama, refulgent ruler of life and the law of Karma. And may the lord bless us with strength and efficiency of body, mind and senses and bring us a long life of good health and happiness.

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18.2.4

मैन॑मग्ने॒ विद॑हो॒ माभि॑ शूशुचो॒ मास्य॒ त्वचं॑ चिक्षिपो॒ मा शरी॑रम्। शृ॒तं य॒दा कर॑सिजातवे॒दोऽथे॑मेनं॒ प्र हि॑णुतात्पि॒तॄँरुप॑ ॥

O Agni, Jataveda, all knowing, all pervading fire of divine discipline, do not burn it wholly, do not hurt or dry it up in its identity, do not destroy its sense of perception and its body form. And when you have cleansed it of its dross and tempered it fully, send it up to the Pitaras, sustainers of living energy and life.

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18.2.5

य॒दा शृ॒तंकृ॒णवो॑ जातवे॒दोऽथे॒ममे॑नं॒ परि॑ दत्तात्पि॒तृभ्यः॑। य॒दोगच्छा॒त्यसु॑नीतिमे॒तामथ॑ दे॒वानां॑ वश॒नीर्भ॑वाति ॥

When you have cleansed it of its dross and tempered it fully, send it up to the Pitaras, sustainers of living energy and life onward, and when he connects with the process of life and life energy within the laws of nature, then he will join with the further laws and dynamics of divinities in life and nature with his own mind and intelligence. (Mantras 4 and 5 have been interpreted in connection with the antyeshti sanskara of the dead and also in relation to the education and discipline of a Brahmachari. The Agni in one case is the funeral fire, and in the other case it is the teacher who maintains the discipline of spartan fire relentlessly. In the one case, the soul concerned goes to the Pitaras, that is, sun-rays, in the other case the Brahmachari goes home to his parents. In either case, the situation is transition of the person from one stage of life to another after having passed through the crucibles of fiery discipline.)

· · ·

18.2.6

त्रिक॑द्रुकेभिःपवते॒ षडु॒र्वीरेक॒मिद्बृ॒हत्। त्रि॒ष्टुब्गा॑य॒त्री छन्दां॑सि॒ सर्वा॒ ता य॒मआर्पि॑ता ॥

The great one, supreme, infinite, omnipotent is One, vibrates, rules and pervades the variety of existence by three dimensions of time, past, present and future, six seasons of the year, three regions of space, heaven, earth and the firmament, and the six directions. Trishtubh, Gayatri and other chhandas abide in the one Word, Aum, as all orders of matter, energy and thought abide in the infinite Shakti of Aum. And all these orders of omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence abide in One, emerge from That and converge into That: Yama, the ordainer.

· · ·

18.2.7

सूर्यं॒ चक्षु॑षागच्छ॒ वात॑मा॒त्मना॒ दिवं॑ च॒ गच्छ॑ पृथि॒वीं च॒ धर्म॑भिः। अ॒पो वा॑ गच्छ॒ यदि॒ तत्र॑ते हि॒तमोष॑धीषु॒ प्रति॑ तिष्ठा॒ शरी॑रैः ॥

O soul, with your vision of the eye go to the sun, with your pranic energy of the soul go to the wind, or in consequence of your Dharma and karmic performance go to the regions of light and joy or to the earth, or, if such be your intent and desire, go to the waters or reach into the herbs and trees there to stay in mere body form.

· · ·

18.2.8

अ॒जोभा॒गस्तप॑स॒स्तं त॑पस्व॒ तं ते॑ शो॒चिस्त॑पतु॒ तं ते॑ अ॒र्चिः। यास्ते॑शि॒वास्त॒न्वो᳡ जातवेद॒स्ताभि॑र्वहैनं सु॒कृता॑मु लो॒कम् ॥

O Jataveda, that part of human personality which is unborn and eternal, i.e., the soul, pray purify and season to its original purity by the heat of your divine discipline. May your light and fire purify and shine it to its original lustre beyond the dross. And by those divine natural potentials of yours which are holy and blissful, pray lead this soul to noble states of life in the blessed regions of meritorious souls.

· · ·

18.2.9

यास्ते॑ शो॒चयो॒रंह॑यो जातवेदो॒ याभि॑रापृ॒णासि॒ दिव॑म॒न्तरि॑क्षम्। अ॒जं यन्त॒मनु॒ ताःसमृ॑ण्वता॒मथेत॑राभिः शि॒वत॑माभिः शृ॒तं कृ॑धि ॥

O Jataveda, let all those flames of light with which you radiate and pervade the heavens, the firmament and all spaces, follow and abide by this dynamic immortal soul on its onward journey, and by other holy and blissful powers and disciplines, purify and season it to perfection.

· · ·

18.2.10

अव॑ सृज॒पुन॑रग्ने पि॒तृभ्यो॒ यस्त॒ आहु॑त॒श्चर॑ति स्व॒धावा॑न्। आयु॒र्वसा॑न॒ उप॑ यातु॒शेषः॒ सं ग॑च्छतां त॒न्वा᳡ सु॒वर्चाः॑ ॥

O Agni, form, shape out and release once again what, having been given to you, roams around with its own potential and identity so that, surviving, the soul may come to earthly parents and go round with its body and mind, wearing the vestments of life with new lustre and dignity

· · ·

18.2.11

अति॑ द्रव॒श्वानौ॑ सारमे॒यौ च॑तुर॒क्षौ श॒बलौ॑ सा॒धुना॑ प॒था। अधा॑पि॒तॄन्त्सु॑वि॒दत्राँ॒ अपी॑हि य॒मेन॒ ये स॑ध॒मादं॒ मद॑न्ति ॥

O soul, go forward by paths of divine law and rectitude to a life of day-night cycle, each being of twelve hour duration of colourful beauty, both children of dynamic energy, alert and on the move, lighted by the sun and moon, go past and come back to the auspicious enlightened parents who rejoice in the yajnic home with the lord of time and divine laws, Yama.

· · ·

18.2.12

यौ ते॒ श्वानौ॑यम रक्षि॒तारौ॑ चतुर॒क्षौ प॑थि॒षदी॑ नृ॒चक्ष॑सा। ताभ्यां॑ राज॒न्परि॑ धेह्येनंस्व॒स्त्य᳡स्मा अनमी॒वं च॑ धेहि ॥

O Yama, lord of time and laws of divine nature, those two, day and night, are your guardian sentinels of twelve hour duration each, all watching protective companions of humanity on way. O ruling lord of light, to their care entrust this soul. Let there be peace and well being for it all round, and bless it with good health and freedom from sin and ailment.

· · ·

18.2.13

उ॑रूण॒साव॑सु॒तृपा॑वुदुम्ब॒लौ य॒मस्य॑ दू॒तौ च॑रतो॒ जनाँ॒ अनु॑। ताव॒स्मभ्यं॑दृ॒शये॒ सूर्या॑य॒ पुन॑र्दाता॒मसु॑म॒द्येह भ॒द्रम् ॥

Those two, night and day, are the most perceptive, abundant and alert, mighty strong and relentless watch dogs of Yama, lord of time and karmic dispensation, immediately close ahead and on the heels of people. Let them now, again, give us happiness and well-being full of bubbling energy so that we may see the light of the sun, giver of life and light.

· · ·

18.2.14

सोम॒ एके॑भ्यःपवते घृ॒तमेक॒ उपा॑सते। येभ्यो॒ मधु॑ प्र॒धाव॑ति॒ तांश्चि॑दे॒वापि॑ गच्छतात्॥

Soma flows for many and purifies, they chant the Samans. Many love ghrta and offer it to the yajna fire, they chant the Yajus. Honey flows for those who chant the Atharva verses, and knowledge for the lovers of Rks. The spirit of life flows for all of them, universally. O soul you too be with them.

· · ·

18.2.15

ये चि॒त्पूर्व॑ऋ॒तसा॑ता ऋ॒तजा॑ता ऋता॒वृधः॑। ऋषी॒न्तप॑स्वतो यम तपो॒जाँ अपि॑ गच्छतात् ॥

Those ancients and parental seniors who are committed to the eternal truth of law, who by nature and character are established in the self-sacrificing discipline of eternal law and yajna, and who are constant observers of divine law and performers of yajna, to those sages and seers, dedicated to austerity and relentless discipline and seasoned in divine yajnic duty and discipline, O soul, you too go and join. The spirit of life flows universally.

· · ·

18.2.16

तप॑सा॒ येअ॑नाधृ॒ष्यास्तप॑सा॒ ये स्व᳡र्य॒युः। तपो॒ ये च॑क्रि॒रे मह॒स्तांश्चि॑दे॒वापि॑गच्छतात् ॥

Those who rise by tapas undaunted, those who by tapas rise to the heaven of bliss, and those who perform tapas of high order, to those, O soul, you too go and join, the spirit of life flows universally.

· · ·

18.2.17

ये युध्य॑न्तेप्र॒धने॑षु॒ शूरा॑सो॒ ये तनू॒त्यजः॑। ये वा॑ स॒हस्र॑दक्षिणा॒स्तांश्चि॑दे॒वापि॑ गच्छतात् ॥

Those brave who fight to the end in battles, who give up even their life of body for a cause, and those who give in charity a thousand ways, to those, O soul, you too go and join, the spirit of life flows universally.

· · ·

18.2.18

स॒हस्र॑णीथाःक॒वयो॒ ये गो॑पा॒यन्ति॒ सूर्य॑म्। ऋषी॒न्तप॑स्वतो यम तपो॒जाँ अपि॑

गच्छतात्॥

Poets, seers and sages of a thousandfold vision and virtue who adhere to the light of eternity at heart and the Rshis established in tapas, O soul on the sojourn of existence, to them you go and join, the spirit of life flows to all and through all, eternally.

· · ·

18.2.19

स्यो॒नास्मै॑ भवपृथिव्यनृक्ष॒रा नि॒वेश॑नी। यच्छा॑स्मै॒ शर्म॑ स॒प्रथाः॑ ॥

Mother Earth, be good and gracious, free from thorny want and suffering, wide and hospitable for this humanity, and provide us a home of peace, progress and happiness.

· · ·

18.2.20

अ॑संबा॒धेपृ॑थि॒व्या उ॒रौ लो॒के नि धी॑यस्व। स्व॒धा याश्च॑कृ॒षे जीव॒न्तास्ते॑ सन्तुमधु॒श्चुतः॑ ॥

O man, settle yourself on the open and equal plains of the vast and beautiful bosom of the earth, and while you live and do noble deeds worthy of your own potential, may they bring you showers of honey sweets.

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18.2.21

ह्वया॑मि ते॒मन॑सा॒ मन॑ इ॒हेमान्गृ॒हाँ उप॑ जुजुषा॒ण एहि॑। सं ग॑च्छस्व पि॒तृभिः॒ सं य॒मेन॑स्यो॒नास्त्वा॒ वाता॒ उप॑ वान्तु श॒ग्माः ॥

O man, I exhort your mind with all my heart and soul that you come and settle and enjoy yourself in this earthly home in the company of these people with your parents and seniors, in communion with Yama, lord of life and law of time, and may gentle breezes fan you to peace and freedom of joy.

· · ·

18.2.22

उत्त्वा॑ वहन्तुम॒रुत॑ उदवा॒हा उ॑द॒प्रुतः॑। अ॒जेन॑ कृ॒ण्वन्तः॑ शी॒तं व॒र्षेणो॑क्षन्तु॒बालिति॑ ॥

Let winds laden with vapour, rising from the oceans, raise you high up, soothing you to cool comfort of the soul and bless you with showers of rain.

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18.2.23

उद॑ह्व॒मायु॒रायु॑षे॒ क्रत्वे॒ दक्षा॑य जी॒वसे॑। स्वान्ग॑च्छतु ते॒ मनो॒ अधा॑पि॒तॄँरुप॑ द्रव ॥

O man, I exhort you to live a full age of hundred years for life’s fulfilment, for good health, for karma and for knowledge, power and expertise for good action. Let your mind reach out to people, all your own, and then, having lived a full life, join with parental seniors and sages

· · ·

18.2.24

मा ते॒ मनो॒मासो॒र्माङ्गा॑नां॒ मा रस॑स्य ते। मा ते॑ हास्त त॒न्वः१॒॑ किं च॒नेह ॥

Let nothing of your mind, pranas, limbs, body, or of the essence of your joy of being be lost or wasted here (in Grhastha).

· · ·

18.2.25

मा त्वा॑ वृ॒क्षःसं बा॑धिष्ट॒ मा दे॒वी पृ॑थि॒वी म॒ही। लो॒कं पि॒तृषु॑ वि॒त्त्वैध॑स्व य॒मरा॑जसु॥

Let the tree of worldly jungle not obstruct you in your search for life, nor the vast divine and generous earth (in Vanaprastha). Having found your place among the parental protective seniors under the rules and discipline of Yama, the laws of life and time, go forward on your way.

· · ·

18.2.26

यत्ते॒अङ्ग॒मति॑हितं परा॒चैर॑पा॒नः प्रा॒णो य उ॑ वा ते॒ परे॑तः। तत्ते॑ सं॒गत्य॑पि॒तरः॒ सनी॑डा घा॒साद्घा॒सं पुन॒रा वे॑शयन्तु ॥

If some part of your body system has been wasted away, your prana and apana energies expended, by over-strain to exhaustion, let your parental seniors in residence together rejuvenate it bit by bit from consumption to recuperation like grass regrown from grass.

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18.2.27

अपे॒मं जी॒वाअ॑रुधन्गृ॒हेभ्य॒स्तं निर्व॑हत॒ परि॒ ग्रामा॑दि॒तः। मृ॒त्युर्य॒मस्या॑सीद्दू॒तःप्रचे॑ता॒ असू॑न्पि॒तृभ्यो॑ गम॒यां च॑कार ॥

Living ones have released him from the home and the inmates, Take him away from the village here. Death, messenger of Yama, lord of life and time, as universal warner and notifier has sent his life breath away to the sun rays.

· · ·

18.2.28

ये दस्य॑वःपि॒तृषु॒ प्रवि॑ष्टा ज्ञा॒तिमु॑खा अहु॒ताद॒श्चर॑न्ति। प॑रा॒पुरो॑ नि॒पुरो॒ येभर॑न्त्य॒ग्निष्टान॒स्मात्प्र ध॑माति य॒ज्ञात् ॥

Those negative elements and personalities who live in the garb of close-knit relations, eat without offering anything for yajna but proudly roam around and join the company of our parental seniors, who bear heavy or smart figures and strain our children and grand children, all these, let Agni, leading light of life and knowledge, eliminate from our yajna and yajnic community.

· · ·

18.2.29

सं वि॑शन्त्वि॒हपि॒तरः॒ स्वा नः॑ स्यो॒नं कृ॒ण्वन्तः॑ प्रति॒रन्त॒ आयुः॑। तेभ्यः॑ शकेम ह॒विषा॒नक्ष॑माणा॒ ज्योग्जीव॑न्तः श॒रदः॑ पुरू॒चीः ॥

May our parental seniors, one with us, join our yajna here doing us good and promoting our life and health. And may we too, joining them with love and devotion, serving them with liberal hospitality, be able to live a full hundred years of life.

· · ·

18.2.30

यां ते॑ धे॒नुंनि॑पृ॒णामि॒ यमु॑ ते क्षी॒र ओ॑द॒नम्। तेना॒ जन॑स्यासो भ॒र्ता योऽत्रास॒दजी॑वनः॥

O father figure, by the cow that I give you, and by the food cooked in milk that I offer you, pray be the sustainer and life giver with nourishment for the person who lacks the means of living, here.

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18.2.31

अश्वा॑वतीं॒ प्रत॑र॒ या सु॒शेवा॒र्क्षाकं॑ वा प्रत॒रं नवी॑यः। यस्त्वा॑ ज॒घान॒ वध्यः॒ सोअ॑स्तु॒ मा सो अ॒न्यद्वि॑दत भाग॒धेय॑म् ॥

O man, win over the world of existence which is full of worldly attainments and thus satisfying. And thus with renewed energy, cross over the jungle infested with bear and boar. And whoever hurts you, thus free from fluctuations of pleasure and pain, deserves terrible punishment and forfeits all his share from life.

· · ·

18.2.32

य॒मः परोऽव॑रो॒विव॑स्वा॒न्ततः॒ परं॒ नाति॑ पश्यामि॒ किं च॒न। य॒मे अ॑ध्व॒रो अधि॑ मे॒निवि॑ष्टो॒ भुवो॒ विव॑स्वान॒न्वात॑तान ॥

Yama is far, very far indeed. Vivasvan, the sun, relatively, is close. Beyond Yama, I see nothing, nothing that I know. My yajna of love, devotion and non-violent self-sacrifice is established in Yama, and really it is the self-refulgent Yama who has spread the light of the sun also over the regions of the universe.

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18.2.33

अपा॑गूहन्न॒मृतां॒ मर्त्ये॑भ्यः कृ॒त्वा सव॑र्णामदधु॒र्विव॑स्वते।उ॒ताश्विना॑वभर॒द्यत्तदासी॒दज॑हादु॒ द्वा मि॑थु॒ना स॑र॒ण्यूः ॥

Hiding the original immortal constant Prakrti by transforming it into the mutable for the mortal forms of existence, the evolutionary powers of Divinity, i.e., the creative and dynamic Prakrti with the immant will of divinity, offers this form of itself to the self-refulgent creator and master Vivasvan, Savita, and then that dynamic state as it is then, bears a twin pair of evolved existence, the Ashvins, and thus delivers the positive and negative complementarities of the evolutionary circuit of nature’s creative dynamics: Agni and Soma, energy and matter, prana and rayi (as the two are described from different points of view).

· · ·

18.2.34

ये निखा॑ता॒ येपरो॑प्ता॒ ये द॒ग्धा ये चोद्धि॑ताः। सर्वां॒स्तान॑ग्न॒ आ व॑ह पि॒तॄन्ह॒विषे॒अत्त॑वे ॥

Those who are deep in their knowledge, those who are highly self-developed, those who are tempered in the fire of experience and discipline, and those who are raised to high eminence, O Agni, high priest of yajna, invite and bring all these parental seniors and scholars to our yajna so that they may join and enjoy the yajnic delicacies.

· · ·

18.2.35

ये अ॑ग्निद॒ग्धाये अन॑ग्निदग्धा॒ मध्ये॑ दि॒वः स्व॒धया॑ मा॒दय॑न्ते। त्वं तान्वे॑त्थ॒ यदि॒ तेजा॑तवेदः स्व॒धया॑ य॒ज्ञं स्वधि॑तिं जुषन्ताम् ॥

Those who are specialists of the science of heat and light, and those who are not specialists of heat and light but are specialists of other sciences, those who light the fire and those who do not, such as sanyasis, all those that rejoice in the light of knowledge with their own merit, all those, O Agni, if you know them and they know you, pray bring to yajna so that they may join the eassential splendour of the yajna and enjoy the sacred offerings in honour of the parental seniors.

· · ·

18.2.36

शं त॑प॒ माति॑तपो॒ अग्ने॒ मा त॒न्वं१॒॑ तपः॑। वने॑षु॒ शुष्मो॑ अस्तु ते पृथि॒व्याम॑स्तु॒यद्धरः॑ ॥

Agni, temper us for peace, do not heat to excess, do not mortify the body. O Agni, O sage, O scholar, O grhasthi, let your light and passion shine in the daily businesses of life, let it shine on earth, let it shine to alleviate the pain and suffering of life.

· · ·

18.2.37

ददा॑म्यस्माअव॒सान॑मे॒तद्य ए॒ष आग॒न्मम॒ चेदभू॑दि॒ह। य॒मश्चि॑कि॒त्वान्प्रत्ये॒तदा॑ह॒ममै॒ष रा॒य उप॑ तिष्ठतामि॒ह ॥

I give this space and time to this seeker who has come here and has become my disciple, mine: So said Yama, lord omniscient, and continued that he may stay here and share the lord’s wealth and knowledge.

· · ·

18.2.38

इ॒मां मात्रां॑मिमीमहे॒ यथाप॑रं॒ न मासा॑तै। श॒ते श॒रत्सु॑ नो पु॒रा ॥

This model and measure of life (in both quantity and quality) we work out (in the Vedic way) so that none other may have to do it any other way, and we work it out for a full hundred years, not less than that.

· · ·

18.2.39

प्रेमां मात्रां॑मिमीमहे॒ यथाप॑रं॒ न मासा॑तै। श॒ते श॒रत्सु॑ नो पु॒रा ॥

This model and measure of life we project, none other might do so in any other way, for a full hundred years, no less.

· · ·

18.2.40

अपे॒मां मात्रां॑मिमीमहे॒ यथाप॑रं॒ न मासा॑तै। श॒ते श॒रत्सु॑ नो पु॒रा ॥

This model and measure of life, we plan to accomplish, none other might do so any other way, for a full hundred years, no less.

· · ·

18.2.41

वी॒मां मात्रां॑ मिमीमहे॒ यथाप॑रं॒ न मासा॑तै। श॒ते श॒रत्सु॑ नो पु॒रा ॥

This model and measure of life we define in all details, none other might do so any other way, for a full hundred years, no less.

· · ·

18.2.42

निरि॒मांमात्रां॑ मिमीमहे॒ यथाप॑रं॒ न मासा॑तै। श॒ते श॒रत्सु॑ नो पु॒रा ॥

This model and measure of life, so defined, we plan and organise to fullness, none else might be able to do so any other way, for a full hundred years, no less.

· · ·

18.2.43

उदि॒मां मात्रां॑मिमीमहे॒ यथाप॑रं॒ न मासा॑तै। श॒ते श॒रत्सु॑ नो पु॒रा ॥

This model of life we live in full measure enthusiastically, so well that none other may do so any other way, for a full hundred years, no less.

· · ·

18.2.44

समि॒मां मात्रां॑मिमीमहे॒ यथाप॑रं॒ न मासा॑तै। श॒ते श॒रत्सु॑ नो पु॒रा ॥

This model of life we live in full measure enthusiastically and thus exemplify and define for a full hundred years, not less, and we do so in such a manner that none may define it in any other way.

· · ·

18.2.45

अमा॑सि॒ मात्रां॒स्व᳡रगा॒मायु॑ष्मान्भूयासम्। यथाप॑रं॒ न मासा॑तै श॒ते श॒रत्सु॑ नो पु॒रा ॥

I have lived and defined this model of life in full measure. I have fully realised happiness, a very paradise on earth. May I be blest with life and health more and even more. Let none have anything less or otherwise than this, not less than a full hundred years.

· · ·

18.2.46

प्रा॒णो अ॑पा॒नोव्या॒न आयु॒श्चक्षु॑र्दृ॒शये॒ सूर्या॑य। अप॑रिपरेण प॒था य॒मरा॑ज्ञः पि॒तॄन्ग॑च्छ॥

Let pranic energy for inhalation, exhalation, systemic efficiency and good health for full age, and the eye for the vision of divine sun, be with you. And living thus, go by the simple and clear path free from crookedness to be with parental seniors and sages who abide by the laws of Yama, lord divine of life and law over time

· · ·

18.2.47

ये अग्र॑वःशशमा॒नाः प॑रे॒युर्हि॒त्वा द्वेषां॒स्यन॑पत्यवन्तः। ते द्यामु॒दित्या॑विदन्तलो॒कं नाक॑स्य पृ॒ष्ठे अधि॒ दीध्या॑नाः ॥

Those pioneers of peace and enlightenment, who were free from the pitfalls of ordinary humanity, gave up hate and enmity and rose to the light of heaven, they all, shining with the light of divinity, attained to the top of the regions of bliss.

· · ·

18.2.48

उ॑द॒न्वती॒द्यौर॑व॒मा पी॒लुम॒तीति॑ मध्य॒मा। तृ॒तीया॑ ह प्र॒द्यौरिति॒ यस्यां॑ पि॒तर॒आस॑ते ॥

This lowest region of the heaven of light is Dyau, full of water vapour, the middle region of heaven, Madhyama, is full of molecules, and the third and highest region of light is Pradyau where abide the blessed souls and the original creative pranic energies.

· · ·

18.2.49

ये न॑ पि॒तुःपि॒तरो॒ ये पि॑ताम॒हा य आ॑विवि॒शुरु॒र्व१॒॑न्तरि॑क्षम्। य आ॑क्षि॒यन्ति॑पृथि॒वीमु॒त द्यां तेभ्यः॑ पि॒तृभ्यो॒ नम॑सा विधेम ॥

To those senior souls who are our father’s parents and grand parents, those who sojourn in the vast skies, and those who live on earth and have reached the regions of light, to all these parental souls, we offer our homage of reverence.

· · ·

18.2.50

इ॒दमिद्वा उ॒नाप॑रं दि॒वि प॑श्यसि॒ सूर्य॑म्। मा॒ता पु॒त्रं यथा॑ सि॒चाभ्ये᳡नं भूम ऊर्णुहि॥

O man, soul born on earth, this now is your haven and home in life, no other. Being here, see the Sun in heaven. O Mother Earth, just as a mother covers her baby with the hem of her shawl, so pray cover this child with your motherly protection.

· · ·

18.2.51

इ॒दमिद्वा उ॒नाप॑रं ज॒रस्य॒न्यदि॒तोऽप॑रम्। जा॒या पति॑मिव॒ वास॑सा॒भ्ये᳡नं भूम ऊर्णुहि॥

O man, soul born on earth, this now is your haven and home, no other. In old age there is another from this home life of Grhastha. O Mother Earth, just as the wife covers her husband with her garment, so pray cover this child with your love and caress.

· · ·

18.2.52

अ॒भि त्वो॑र्णोमिपृथि॒व्या मा॒तुर्वस्त्रे॑ण भ॒द्रया॑। जी॒वेषु॑ भ॒द्रं तन्मयि॑ स्व॒धा पि॒तृषु॒सा त्वयि॑ ॥

O child born on earth, I protect you happily all round with the earthly vestments of mother nature. May all that what is in living beings be in me, and may all the essential power and potential that is in parents and seniors be in you

· · ·

18.2.53

अग्नी॑षोमा॒पथि॑कृता स्यो॒नं दे॒वेभ्यो॒ रत्नं॑ दधथु॒र्वि लो॒कम्। उप॒ प्रेष्य॑न्तंपू॒षणं॒ यो वहा॑त्यञ्जो॒यानैः॑ प॒थिभि॒स्तत्र॑ गच्छतम् ॥

Agni-Soma, passion and peace of nature’s divine energies, men and women, teachers and parents, who carve out simple and clear paths of life, bring auspicious jewels and create a beautiful environment on earth for noble souls in the world. You too, O man and wife, move by simple and clear paths further and join that divine process of lord creator which directs and brings auspicious nutriments for the growth and enlightenment of the rising generation.

· · ·

18.2.54

पू॒षात्वे॒तश्च्या॑वयतु॒ प्र वि॒द्वानन॑ष्टपशु॒र्भुव॑नस्य गो॒पाः। स त्वै॒तेभ्यः॒परि॑ ददत्पि॒तृभ्यो॒ऽग्निर्दे॒वेभ्यः॑ सुविद॒त्रिये॑भ्यः ॥

O man on the rising path of life, may the omniscient lord of life, protector of the world, Pusha, giver of nourishment, who promotes life and never destroys any living being, move you forward to advancement from here, and may Agni, lord and leader of advancement, hand you over to these parental, enlightened and gracious masters of the wealth of noble knowledge.

· · ·

18.2.55

आयु॑र्वि॒श्वायुः॒ परि॑ पातु त्वा पू॒षा त्वा॑ पातु॒ प्रप॑थे पु॒रस्ता॑त्।यत्रास॑ते सु॒कृतो॒ यत्र॒ त ई॒युस्तत्र॑ त्वा दे॒वः स॑वि॒ता द॑धातु ॥

O man on the forward journey of life, may good health and universal life energy protect and promote you all round. May Pusha, lord of universal growth and advancement, protect and promote you upfront on the way forward. And may self-refulgent Savita, lord of light and life’s inspiration, establish you there where men of noble action reach and abide in peace and joy.

· · ·

18.2.56

इ॒मौ यु॑नज्मिते॒ वह्नी॒ असु॑नीताय॒ वोढ॑वे। ताभ्यां॑ य॒मस्य॒ सद॑नं॒ समि॑ति॒श्चाव॑ गच्छतात्॥

O man, I appoint and engage these two, Agni and Soma, mother and father, parent and teacher, prana and apana, as your guides, leaders and carriers in order to lead you to the house of Yama, lord of life and time, freedom and justice, so that you learn new knowledge and training in moral, social and spiritual discipline and join the assemblies in which you will have to take part later.

· · ·

18.2.57

ए॒तत्त्वा॒ वासः॑प्रथ॒मं न्वाग॒न्नपै॒तदू॑ह॒ यदि॒हाबि॑भः पु॒रा। इ॑ष्टापू॒र्तम॑नु॒संक्रा॑मवि॒द्वान्यत्र॑ ते द॒त्तं ब॑हु॒धा विब॑न्धुषु ॥

This is your new attire, prime seat and abode now come to you. Give up that you wore before. And move on, knowing well, in accordance with your desired and contributive acts and policies, performed and yet to be performed, wherever you be in various roles among your people and others.

· · ·

18.2.58

अ॒ग्नेर्वर्म॒परि॒ गोभि॑र्व्ययस्व॒ सं प्रोर्णु॑ष्व॒ मेद॑सा॒ पीव॑सा च। नेत्त्वा॑धृ॒ष्णुर्हर॑सा॒ जर्हृ॑षाणो द॒धृग्वि॑ध॒क्षन्प॑री॒ङ्खया॑तै ॥

Put on the armour of fire with lazer beams of Vedic voice, cover yourself with intense force and graces of plenty so that no ambitious adventurer, mad with passion for victory, may suddenly rise and try to shake you all around.

· · ·

18.2.59

द॒ण्डंहस्ता॑दा॒ददा॑नो ग॒तासोः॑ स॒ह श्रोत्रे॑ण॒ वर्च॑सा॒ बले॑न। अत्रै॒व त्वमि॒हव॒यं सु॒वीरा॒ विश्वा॒ मृधो॑ अ॒भिमा॑तीर्जयेम ॥

Take away the power from the hands of the weak and the enervated along with their strength and splendour and the power to hear and adjudicate, and be here strong at the centre, and let us all, brave and well provided with the brave, win over our rivals and adversaries and achieve the goals of all battles of life.

· · ·

18.2.60

धनु॒र्हस्ता॑दा॒ददा॑नो मृ॒तस्य॑ स॒ह क्ष॒त्रेण॒ वर्च॑सा॒ बले॑न। स॒मागृ॑भाय॒वसु॑ भूरि पु॒ष्टम॒र्वाङ्त्वमेह्युप॑ जीवलो॒कम् ॥

Taking over the power and defence forces from the possession of the dead along with the dominion, strength and splendour, taking over fully and appropriately the wealth and finance of the nation, well built, managed and preserved, come forward and move ahead with the people for the welfare of the living world.

✦ Sukta 3 · 73 verses ✦

18.3.1

इ॒यं नारी॑पतिलो॒कं वृ॑णा॒ना नि प॑द्यत॒ उप॑ त्वा मर्त्य॒ प्रेत॑म्। धर्मं॑पुरा॒णम॑नुपा॒लय॑न्ती॒ तस्यै॑ प्र॒जां द्रवि॑णं चे॒ह धे॑हि ॥

O man, this woman, having lost her husband, has chosen to live on the house-hold life of a married woman under the care of a husband and, in conformity with the ancient Dharma of house-hold and matrimony, she comes to you for succour and support. O man, accept her and provide her the life and wealth of the house-hold with the joy of progeny.

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18.3.2

उदी॑र्ष्वनार्य॒भि जी॑वलो॒कं ग॒तासु॑मे॒तमुप॑ शेष॒ एहि॑। ह॑स्तग्रा॒भस्य॑ दधि॒षोस्तवे॒दंपत्यु॑र्जनि॒त्वम॒भि सं ब॑भूथ ॥

Rise, O woman, toward the world of the living, leave the dead where you lie, come and join the state of conjugality with this man who offers to hold your hand as your second husband and life partner.

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18.3.3

अप॑श्यं युव॒तिंनी॒यमा॑नां जी॒वां मृ॒तेभ्यः॑ परिणी॒यमा॑नाम्। अ॒न्धेन॒ यत्तम॑सा॒प्रावृ॒तासी॑त्प्रा॒क्तो अपा॑चीमनयं॒ तदे॑नाम् ॥

I have seen the young woman, lover of life, being led away from the dead (husband) and getting married. When she was deeply sunk in darkness, I brought her back to the world of life from that former state of despair.

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18.3.4

प्र॑जान॒त्य᳡घ्न्ये जीवलो॒कं दे॒वानां॒ पन्था॑मनुसं॒चर॑न्ती। अ॒यं ते॒गोप॑ति॒स्तं जु॑षस्व स्व॒र्गं लो॒कमधि॑ रोहयैनम् ॥

O woman, you are inviolable, never to be hurt in any way. You know the ways and mores of the living world, and you follow the paths of the divinities. This man (who offered his hand in marriage to you) is now the protector of your person, mind and senses. He is your husband, love him, and with your love, rise and raise him to the heights of happiness in the world.

· · ·

18.3.5

उप॒ द्यामुप॑वेत॒समव॑त्तरो न॒दीना॑म्। अग्ने॑ पि॒त्तम॒पाम॑सि ॥

O Agni, you pervade in the heaven of light, you vibrate in the reeds, and you flow in the currents of rivers. O Agni, you are the life and energy of waters too.

· · ·

18.3.6

यं त्वम॑ग्नेस॒मद॑ह॒स्तमु॒ निर्वा॑पया॒ पुनः॑। क्याम्बू॒रत्र॑ रोहतु शाण्डदू॒र्वा व्य᳡ल्कशा॥

O Agni, whatever you have burnt, bring back to fertility again. Let kyambu, shanda vyalkasha, soothing, beautiful and ornamental plants and grasses grow there.

· · ·

18.3.7

इ॒दं त॒एकं॑ प॒र ऊ॑ त॒ एकं॑ तृ॒तीये॑न॒ ज्योति॑षा॒ सं वि॑शस्व। सं॒वेश॑ने त॒न्वा॒चारु॑रेधि प्रि॒यो दे॒वानां॑ पर॒मे स॒धस्थे॑ ॥

O man, this body with perceptions is one light of yours. Beyond this there is another light, that of the mind. Then there is the third light, that of clear and transparent Buddhi, intelligence with discrimination. With that third light join the presence of Divinity. And when you are joining that, with your causal body, go forward happy, darling of divinities, and reach and abide in the Supreme Presence and divine Bliss.

· · ·

18.3.8

उत्ति॑ष्ठ॒प्रेहि॒ प्र द्र॒वौकः॑ कृणुष्व सलि॒ले स॒धस्थे॑। तत्र॒ त्वं पि॒तृभिः॑संविदा॒नः सं सोमे॑न॒ मद॑स्व॒ सं स्व॒धाभिः॑ ॥

Rise, O soul, move forward, go fast, find a home in the living waters in the mother’s womb, and then there in the parental home, one with mother, father and others, enjoy yourself with soma delicacies and gifts of love and affection.

· · ·

18.3.9

प्र च्य॑वस्वत॒न्वं१॒॑ सं भ॑रस्व॒ मा ते॒ गात्रा॒ वि हा॑यि॒ मो शरी॑रम्। मनो॒निवि॑ष्टमनु॒संवि॑शस्व॒ यत्र॒ भूमे॑र्जु॒षसे॒ तत्र॑ गच्छ ॥

Move on and grow, develop and strengthen your body, let not your limbs weaken, let not your body weaken, fall down and forsake you. Wherever your mind is inclined, there go, wherever you wish and love to be on earth, there go.

· · ·

18.3.10

वर्च॑सा॒ मांपि॒तरः॑ सो॒म्यासो॒ अञ्ज॑न्तु दे॒वा मधु॑ना घृ॒तेन॑। चक्षु॑षे मा प्रत॒रंता॒रय॑न्तो ज॒रसे॑ मा ज॒रद॑ष्टिं वर्धन्तु ॥

May my parents, seniors and divinities of nature and humanity, all lovers of peace, honour and excellence of life, develop, educate and refine me with culture, sweetness and graces of life. Advancing me over the streams of life, blessing me with fine vision for a full life of thankfulness and gratitude, may they strengthen and exalt me to live happy and healthy till a full ripe old age.

· · ·

18.3.11

वर्च॑सा॒ मांसम॑नक्त्व॒ग्निर्मे॒धां मे॒ विष्णु॒र्न्य᳡नक्त्वा॒सन्। र॒यिं मे॒ विश्वे॒ निय॑च्छन्तु दे॒वाः स्यो॒ना मापः॒ पव॑नैः पुनन्तु ॥

May Agni, light of life and fire of yajna, bless me with splendour. May Vishnu, divine spirit of omnipresent omniscience, bless me with genius and the divine Word in my mouth. May divinities of the world bless me with wealth, honour and excellence. And may the sacred waters along with the winds purify and sanctify me.

· · ·

18.3.12

मि॒त्रावरु॑णा॒परि॒ माम॑धातामादि॒त्या मा॒ स्वर॑वो वर्धयन्तु। वर्चो॑ म॒ इन्द्रो॒ न्य᳡नक्तु॒हस्त॑योर्ज॒रद॑ष्टिं मा सवि॒ता कृ॑णोतु ॥

May Mitra and Varuna, divine spirit of love and judgement, parents and teachers, hold, protect and promote me all round. May the Adityas, sun in the zodiacs and Aditya scholars of eloquence promote and exalt me. May Indra, spirit of divine omnipotence, and ruling powers, bring me lustre and splendour of action and achievement in hands, and may Savita, lord creator and inspirer of life, and the sun bless me with health and vitality to live a full life unto completion till old age.

· · ·

18.3.13

यो म॒मार॑प्रथ॒मो मर्त्या॑नां॒ यः प्रे॒याय॑ प्रथ॒मो लो॒कमे॒तम्। वै॑वस्व॒तं सं॒गम॑नं॒जना॑नां य॒मं राजा॑नं ह॒विषा॑ सपर्यत ॥

Man is the highest among mortals that dies, and the first that returns to this world of the living and goes forward. O men and women, offer homage with yajna and prayer to Yama, ruling lord of light and time and ordainer of the life and death of the transmigration of humanity.

· · ·

18.3.14

परा॑ यात पितर॒ आच॑ याता॒यं वो॑ य॒ज्ञो मधु॑ना॒ सम॑क्तः। द॒त्तो अ॒स्मभ्यं॒ द्रवि॑णे॒ह भ॒द्रंर॒यिं च॑ नः॒ सर्व॑वीरं दधात ॥

O Pitaras, parents, teachers and senior scholars, go to yajna and come back here again. This yajna, rich in honey sweets, is in your honour. Pray give us noble strength and power, auspicious wealth, honour and excellence, and brave children worthy of a noble community.

· · ·

18.3.15

कण्वः॑क॒क्षीवा॑न्पुरुमी॒ढो अ॒गस्त्यः॑ श्या॒वाश्वः॒ सोभ॑र्यर्च॒नानाः॑।वि॒श्वामि॑त्रो॒ऽयं ज॒मद॑ग्नि॒रत्रि॒रव॑न्तु नः क॒श्यपो॑ वा॒मदे॑वः ॥

Kanva, man of steady wisdom, Kakshivan, socially motivated administrator, Purumidha, man of prosperity dedicated to charity, Agastya, challenging destroyer of evil, Shyavashva, dynamic scholar, Sobhari, destroyer of want and suffering, Archanana, man of piety and prayer, Vishvamitra, universal friend, Jamadagni, harbinger of enlightenment, Atri, man of freedom from pain and suffering, Kashyapa, man of acute vision, and Vamadeva, lover of truth, beauty and goodness, may all these protect and promote us.

· · ·

18.3.16

विश्वा॑मित्र॒जम॑दग्ने॒ वसि॑ष्ठ॒ भर॑द्वाज॒ गोत॑म॒ वाम॑देव। श॒र्दिर्नो॒अत्रि॑रग्रभी॒न्नमो॑भिः॒ सुसं॑शासः॒ पित॑रो मृ॒डता॑ नः ॥

O Vishvamitra, loving sage and the faculty of hearing, Jamadagni, visionary sage and the discriminating eye, Vasishtha, brilliant sage, pranic energy and peaceful settlement, Bharadvaja, mind and memory and abundance of food and energy, Gotama, master of the divine Word and highest efficiency of sense and mind, Vamadeva, worshipper and the spirit of the love of Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram, i.e., Truth, Goodness and Beauty, all noble sages and seers,, pitaras, protectors, promoters and sustainers, celebrated harbingers of discipline, pray bless us with peace and happiness. Indeed, with our prayers, homage and submissions, Attri, divine spirit of freedom from suffering, has stopped and eliminated our disintegration and maintained our integrity with holistic nature and character.

· · ·

18.3.17

क॒स्ये मृ॑जाना॒अति॑ यन्ति रि॒प्रमायु॒र्दधा॑नाः प्रत॒रं नवी॑यः। आ॒प्याय॑मानाः प्र॒जया॒धने॒नाध॑ स्याम सुर॒भयो॑ गृ॒हेषु॑ ॥

Cleansed and self-shining through selfexamination and self-control, we go forward over and across the world of evil, bearing life and culture ever renewed and elevated. Let us, then, live and move on rising higher with wealth and progeny, more and more refined and fragrant in our life and homes.

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18.3.18

अ॒ञ्जते॒व्य᳡ञ्जते॒ सम॑ञ्जते॒ क्रतुं॑ रिहन्ति॒ मधु॑ना॒भ्य᳡ञ्जते। सिन्धो॑रुच्छ्वा॒सेप॒तय॑न्तमु॒क्षणं॑ हिरण्यपा॒वाः प॒शुमा॑सु गृह्णते ॥

They all, in happy homes, love and adore, refine, intensify, diversify, wholly integrate with culture and sweetness, and openly display their joint creative acts of yajnic development and progress and, themselves refined and purified at heart, receive and experience the joyous vision of divinity emerging and rising in the golden swell of the oceanic depths of their heart through these creative activities.

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18.3.19

यद्वो॑ मु॒द्रंपि॑तरः सो॒म्यं च॒ तेनो॑ सचध्वं॒ स्वय॑शसो॒ हि भू॒त। ते अ॑र्वाणः कवय॒ आ शृ॑णोतसुवि॒दत्रा॑ वि॒दथे॑ हू॒यमा॑नाः ॥

O Pitaras, parental seniors, honoured and beatified by these achievements, join us with the gracious joy of your heart and accept the honour and adoration which is your rightful due. Progressive visionaries of the past, present and future, pray listen to our call and, thus invoked and invited, be generous benefactors for us all in our joint creative enterprise for progress and development.

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18.3.20

ये अत्र॑यो॒अङ्गि॑रसो॒ नव॑ग्वा इ॒ष्टाव॑न्तो राति॒षाचो॒ दधा॑नाः। दक्षि॑णावन्तः सु॒कृतो॒ यउ॒ स्थासद्या॒स्मिन्ब॒र्हिषि॑ मादयध्वम् ॥

O Pitaras, parental seniors, who are Atris, free from the threefold suffering of body, mind and soul, Angirasas, vibrant scholars and scientists of energy, Navagva, innovative and progressive, Ishtavanta, experts in achieving what is valuable and desirable, Ratishacha, abundant in wealth, knowledge and positive generosity, thereby bearing noble gifts of creativity, sustaining the common human family and deserving deep gratitude, noble masters of holy action, pray come, join our yajna, be seated on this vedi and rejoice with us (in anticipation of still higher achievements).

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18.3.21

अधा॒ यथा॑ नःपि॒तरः॒ परा॑सः प्र॒त्नासो॑ अग्न ऋ॒तमा॑शशा॒नाः। शुचीद॑य॒न्दीध्य॑त उक्थ॒शासः॒क्षामा॑ भि॒न्दन्तो॑ अरु॒णीरप॑ व्रन् ॥

O Agni, harbinger of light and leader of humanity, as our forefathers, ancients and later, and our parental seniors, pure and sanctified, dedicated to truth and rectitude, refining, intensifying and expanding yajna, rising and shining, singing songs of divine praise, broke new grounds on the earth and discovered new lights of existence, so should we rise, march forward and shine.

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18.3.22

सु॒कर्मा॑णःसु॒रुचो॑ देव॒यन्तो॒ अयो॒ न दे॒वा जनि॑मा॒ धम॑न्तः। शु॒चन्तो॑ अ॒ग्निंवा॑वृ॒धन्त॒ इन्द्र॑मु॒र्वीं गव्यां॑ परि॒षदं॑ नो अक्रन् ॥

Brilliant people of noble action deeply committed to holy pursuits and aspiring to rise to the stars, tempering their life to purity in the crucibles of knowledge and experience as they refine gold and temper steel in the furnace, raising the flames of fire and exalting the nation, sitting and discussing in conferences, extend the bounds of terrific energy and knowledge of the earth and skies unto the birth of stars for us.

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18.3.23

आ यू॒थेव॑क्षु॒मति॑ प॒श्वो अ॑ख्यद्दे॒वानां॒ जनि॒मान्त्यु॒ग्रः।मर्ता॑सश्चिदु॒र्वशीर॑कृप्रन्वृ॒धे चि॑द॒र्य उप॑रस्या॒योः ॥

As the master surveys and assesses the material wealth of his house and prosperity, as the commander assesses and declares the forces under his command, so do you, O lustrous ruler, watch and confirm the presence and continuance around you of noble and brilliant scholars and leaders. So do the people, like the rise of dawns, plan and prepare for the rise of the land like the producer master praying for the generous cloud and seeking for the health and age of life’s longevity.

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18.3.24

अक॑र्म ते॒स्वप॑सो अभूम ऋ॒तम॑वस्रन्नु॒षसो॑ विभा॒तीः। विश्वं॒ तद्भ॒द्रं यदव॑न्ति दे॒वाबृ॒हद्व॑देम वि॒दथे॑ सु॒वीराः॑ ॥

We act in service to you, O lord Agni, by which we can be called good performers. The brilliant dawns, wearing the mantle of light and truth, adorn the fire divine which is the sun. All that is good for humanity and the world, the divinities protect and promote, so that we, brave and blest with the brave, may celebrate your high glory profusely and ecstatically in our acts of yajnic piety.

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18.3.25

इन्द्रो॑ माम॒रुत्वा॒न्प्राच्या॑ दि॒शः पा॑तु बाहु॒च्युता॑ पृथि॒वी द्यामि॑वो॒परि॑।लो॑क॒कृतः॑ पथि॒कृतो॑ यजामहे॒ ये दे॒वानां॑ हु॒तभा॑गा इ॒ह स्थ ॥

Indra, lord of winds and stormy heroes, may protect me from the eastern direction like the earth and heaven above moved in harmony by the dynamic complementarities of nature’s divine forces in the cosmic circuit. O divine performers of yajna for the divinities, benefactors of the world and path makers of humanity, we invoke and adore you who stay here with us and partake of our holy offerings.

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18.3.26

धा॒ता मा॒निरृ॑त्या॒ दक्षि॑णाया दि॒शः पा॑तु बाहु॒च्युता॑ पृथि॒वी द्यामि॑इवो॒परि॑।लो॑क॒कृतः॑ पथि॒कृतो॑ यजामहे॒ ये दे॒वानां॑ हु॒तभा॑गा इ॒ह स्थ ॥

May Dhata, lord sustainer of the universe, protect me from adversity from the southern direction like the earth and heaven above moved in harmony by the dynamic complementarities of nature’s divine forces in the cosmic circuit. O divine performers of yajna for the divinities, benefactors of the world and path makers of humanity, we invoke and adore you who stay here with us and partake of our holy offerings.

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18.3.27

अदि॑तिर्मादि॒त्यैः प्र॒तीच्या॑ दि॒शः पा॑तु बाहु॒च्युता॑ पृथि॒वीद्यामि॑वो॒परि॑। लो॑क॒कृतः॑ पथि॒कृतो॑ यजामहे॒ ये दे॒वानां॑ हु॒तभा॑गा इ॒ह स्थ॥

May Aditi, mother Infinity with Adityas, lazer beams of the sun in the zodiacs, protect me from the western direction like the earth and heaven above moved in harmony by the dynamic complementarities of nature’s divine forces in the cosmic circuit. O divine performers of yajna for the divinities, benefactors of the world and path makers of humanity, we invoke and adore you who stay here with us and partake of our holy offerings.

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18.3.28

सोमो॑ मा॒विश्वै॑र्दे॒वैरुदी॑च्या दि॒शः पा॑तु बाहु॒च्युता॑ पृथि॒वी द्यामि॑वो॒परि॑।लो॑क॒कृतः॑ पथि॒कृतो॑ यजामहे॒ ये दे॒वानां॑ हु॒तभा॑गा इ॒ह स्थ ॥

May Soma, lord creator and harbinger of peace and joy, with all divine powers of the world protect me from the northern direction like the earth and heaven above moved in harmony by the dynamic complementarities of nature’s divine forces in the cosmic circuit. O divine performers of yajna for the divinities, benefactors of the world and path makers of humanity, we invoke and adore you who stay with us here and partake of our holy offerings.

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18.3.29

ध॒र्ता ह॑ त्वाध॒रुणो॑ धारयाता ऊ॒र्ध्वं भा॒नुं स॑वि॒ता द्यामि॑वो॒परि॑। लो॑क॒कृतः॑ पथि॒कृतो॑यजामहे॒ ये दे॒वानां॑ हु॒तभा॑गा इ॒ह स्थ ॥

May Dharta, supreme wielder of the universe, centre hold of all world’s diversity, hold you high as Savita, lord creator, holds the sun and heaven above. O divine performers of yajna for the divinities, benefactors of the world and path makers of humanity, we invoke and adore you who stay with us here and partake of our holy offerings.

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18.3.30

प्राच्यां॑ त्वादि॒शि पु॒रा सं॒वृतः॑ स्व॒धाया॒मा द॑धामि बाहु॒च्युता॑ पृथि॒वी द्यामि॑वो॒परि॑। लो॑क॒कृतः॑ पथि॒कृतो॑ यजामहे॒ ये दे॒वानां॑ हु॒तभा॑गा इ॒ह स्थ ॥

In the eastern direction, in cosmic stability, I hold you, as ever before held in protected existence in your own identity in constant motion like the earth and heaven above ever moved in harmony by complementary natural forces of the cosmic cycle. O divine performers of yajna for the divinities, benefactors, of the world and path makers of humanity, we invoke and adore you who stay with us here and partake of our holy offerings.

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18.3.31

दक्षि॑णायां त्वादि॒शि पु॒रा सं॒वृतः॑ स्व॒धाया॒मा द॑धामि बाहु॒च्युता॑ पृथि॒वी द्यामि॑वो॒परि॑।लो॑क॒कृतः॑ पथि॒कृतो॑ यजामहे॒ ये दे॒वानां॑ हु॒तभा॑गा इ॒ह स्थ ॥

In the southern direction, in cosmic stability, I hold you as ever before in existence, protected in your own essential identity in constant motion like the earth and heaven above moved in harmony by complementary natural forces of the cosmic cycle. O divine performers of yajna for the divinities, benefactors of the world and path makers of humanity, we invoke and adore you who stay with us here and partake of our holy offerings.

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18.3.32

प्र॒तीच्यां॑त्वा दि॒शि पु॒रा सं॒वृतः॑ स्व॒धाया॒मा द॑धामि बाहु॒च्युता॑ पृथि॒वीद्यामि॑वो॒परि॑। लो॑क॒कृतः॑ पथि॒कृतो॑ यजामहे॒ ये दे॒वानां॑ हु॒तभा॑गा इ॒ह स्थ॥

In the western direction, in cosmic stability, I hold you as ever before in existence, protected in your own essential identity in constant motion like the earth and heaven above moved in harmony by complementary natural forces of the cosmic cycle. O divine performers of yajna for the divinities, benefactors of the world and path makers of humanity, we invoke and adore you who stay with us here and partake of our holy offerings.

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18.3.33

उदी॑च्यां त्वादि॒शि पु॒रा सं॒वृतः॑ स्व॒धाया॒मा द॑धामि बाहु॒च्युता॑ पृथि॒वी द्यामि॑वो॒परि॑। लो॑क॒कृतः॑ पथि॒कृतो॑ यजामहे॒ ये दे॒वानां॑ हु॒तभा॑गा इ॒ह स्थ ॥

In the northern direction, in cosmic stability, I hold you protected as ever before in existence, clad in your own essential identity, in constant motion like the earth and heaven above moved in harmony by complementary natural forces of the cosmic cycle. O divine performers of yajna for the divinities, benefactors of the world and path makers of humanity, we invoke and adore you who stay with us here and partake of our holy offerings.

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18.3.34

ध्रु॑वायां त्वादि॒शि पु॒रा सं॒वृतः॑ स्व॒धाया॒मा द॑धामि बाहु॒च्युता॑ पृथि॒वी द्यामि॑वो॒परि॑।लो॑क॒कृतः॑ पथि॒कृतो॑ यजामहे॒ ये दे॒वानां॑ हु॒तभा॑गा इ॒ह स्थ ॥

In the lower direction, in cosmic stability, I hold you protected as ever before in existence, clad in your own essential identity in constant motion like the earth and heaven above moved in harmony by complementary natural forces of the cosmic cycle. O divine performers of yajna for the divinities, benefactors of the world and path makers of humanity, we invoke and adore you who stay with us here and partake of our holy offerings.

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18.3.35

ऊ॑र्ध्वायां त्वादि॒शि पु॒रा सं॒वृतः॑ स्व॒धाया॒मा द॑धामि बाहु॒च्युता॑ पृथि॒वी द्यामि॑वो॒परि॑। लो॑क॒कृतः॑ पथि॒कृतो॑ यजामहे॒ ये दे॒वानां॑ हु॒तभा॑गा इ॒ह स्थ ॥

In the higher direction above, in cosmic stability, I place you protected as ever before in existence, clad in your own essential identity in constant motion like the earth and heaven above moved in harmony by complementary natural forces of the cosmic cycle. O divine performers of yajna, benefactors of the world and path makers of humanity, we invoke and adore you who stay with us here and partake of our holy offerings.

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18.3.36

ध॒र्तासि॑ध॒रुणो॑ऽसि॒ वंस॑गोऽसि ॥

O lord, you are the sustainer of existence. You are the firm centre-hold of existence. You are the treasure-hold of all that is valuable and worth having.

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18.3.37

उ॑द॒पूर॑सिमधु॒पूर॑सि वात॒पूर॑सि ॥

You are the treasure-hold, giver and purifier of the waters of life, you are the treasure-hold, giver and purifier of the honey sweets of life, you are the treasurehold, giver and purifier of prana and pranic energies of life.

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18.3.38

इ॒तश्च॑मा॒मुत॑श्चावतां य॒मे इ॑व॒ यत॑माने॒ यदै॒तम्। प्र वां॑ भर॒न्मानु॑षा देव॒यन्त॒आ सी॑दतां॒ स्वमु॑ लो॒कं विदा॑ने ॥

O complementarities of life, nature and existence, men and women, heaven and earth, Prakrti and Purusha, mother and father, who move together in action like twins, pray save me from the sufferance of life here and there in the other beyond. Let the people dedicated to divinity serve you both together for prosperity and self-fulfilment. You know your own place in the world of existence, pray come and be seated there with us.

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18.3.39

स्वा॑स॒स्थेभ॑वत॒मिन्द॑वे नो यु॒जे वां॒ ब्रह्म॑ पू॒र्व्यं नमो॑भिः। वि श्लोक॑ एतिप॒थ्ये᳡व सू॒रिः शृ॒ण्वन्तु॒ विश्वे॑ अ॒मृता॑स ए॒तत् ॥

Pray be present to our mind and vision in your seat in our heart. I join you with submission and homage of salutations and offer divine songs of ancient and eternal time in homage of adoration to you. This mighty song of adoration rises and reaches you by the straight and clear path of love and adoration, and may all the immortal souls of the world listen and rejoice in this song which shines bright as the sun.

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18.3.40

त्रीणि॑ प॒दानि॑रु॒पो अन्व॑रोह॒च्चतु॑ष्पदी॒मन्वे॑तद्व्र॒तेन॑। अ॒क्षरे॑ण॒ प्रति॑ मिमीतेअ॒र्कमृ॒तस्य॒ नाभा॑व॒भि सं पु॑नाति ॥

Man through meditation on Aum rises and covers three phases of the existential world and the corresponding three pervasive phases of Supreme Brahma, and moves on to the fourth, Turiya phase, the silent phase of Aum and transcendent phase of Brahma, through continued meditation in relentless discipline. Thus by Akshara, the Word, Aum, he realises the selfrefulgent eternal Brahma and ultimately sanctifies himself absolutely at the very centre seed and origin of Rtam, constant existence beyond the mutable.

(Reference for four phases of Aum and Brahma may be made to Mandukyopanishad, and to Chhandogyopanishad 1, 1-7 for meditative study of Aum).

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18.3.41

दे॒वेभ्यः॒कम॑वृणीत मृ॒त्युं प्र॒जायै॒ किम॒मृतं॒ नावृ॑णीत। बृह॒स्पति॑र्य॒ज्ञम॑तनुत॒ऋषिः॑ प्रि॒यां य॒मस्त॒न्व१॒॑मा रि॑रेच ॥

Brhaspati, lord of the expanding universe, chooses joyous death for the devas, people of enlightenment and piety. Does he not choose, provide for, freedom from death for his children? Brhaspati, all seeing visionary creator, laid out the provision and process for all, and thereby Yama, lord of life and law, releases all from the dear mortal body and supplants the mortal body with freedom of the soul.

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18.3.42

त्वम॑ग्न ईडि॒तोजा॑तवे॒दोऽवा॑ड्ढ॒व्यानि॑ सुर॒भीणि॑ कृ॒त्वा। प्रादाः॑ पि॒तृभ्यः॑ स्व॒धया॒ तेअ॑क्षन्न॒द्धि त्वं दे॑व॒ प्रय॑ता ह॒वींषि॑ ॥

Leading light of life, Agni, harbinger of fresh life and energy, all pervasive, all knowing, invoked and adored, you receive the holy materials offered in yajnic oblations, convert and intensify them to fragrant refinement and catalytic efficacy and send them on to life nourishing divinities of nature and humanity. Let the pranic energies feed upon these offerings by their own nature and character and be replenished and energised, and you too, O refulgent divinity, consume your share in the natural process for life sustenance.

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18.3.43

आसी॑नासोअरु॒णीना॑मु॒पस्थे॑ र॒यिं ध॑त्त दा॒शुषे॒ मर्त्या॑य। पु॒त्रेभ्यः॑ पितर॒स्तस्य॒वस्वः॒ प्र य॑च्छत॒ त इ॒होर्जं॑ दधात ॥

O Pitaras,

parental seniors and life giving natural powers of vital sustenance, abiding close by the flames of fire and morning rays of the dawn, pray bear and bring wealth, honour and excellence for the generous human performer of yajna. Bear and bring wealth peace and settlement in happiness for his children and bless them with food and energy for body, mind and soul in happy homes here.

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18.3.44

अग्नि॑ष्वात्ताःपितर॒ एह ग॑च्छत॒ सदः॑सदः सदत सुप्रणीतयः। अ॒त्तो ह॒वींषि॒ प्रय॑तानि ब॒र्हिषि॑र॒यिं च॑ नः॒ सर्व॑वीरं दधात ॥

O Pitaras, parental seniors and divinities of nature’s pranic energies, leading lights of life and harbingers of love and advancement, performers of yajna and recipients of the gifts of fire and the dawns, pray come here, visit and be seated in every home, partake of the holy offerings here on the vedi, and bear and bring for us wealth, honour and excellence with progeny worthy of the brave.

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18.3.45

उप॑हूता नःपि॒तरः॑ सो॒म्यासो॑ बर्हि॒ष्ये᳡षु नि॒धिषु॑ प्रि॒येषु॑। त आ ग॑मन्तु॒ त इ॒हश्रु॑व॒न्त्वधि॑ ब्रुवन्तु॒ ते᳡ऽव॑न्त्व॒स्मान् ॥

May our Pitaras, parental seniors, lovers of soma, peace and joy, invited with reverence to our yajnic programmes of prosperity in knowledge, joint action and valuable achievements, come here to our vedi, listen to us patiently and sympathetically, speak to us and advise us from their high position, and thus save, protect and advance us in life.

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18.3.46

ये नः॑ पि॒तुःपि॒तरो॒ ये पि॑ताम॒हा अ॑नूजहि॒रे सो॑मपी॒थं वसि॑ष्ठाः। तेभि॑र्य॒मः सं॑ररा॒णोह॒वींष्यु॒शन्नु॒शद्भिः॑ प्रतिका॒मम॑त्तु ॥

Great and most brilliant, Vasishthas, are our Pitaras, parental seniors, parents and grand parents of our parents, lovers and creators of soma, peace, prosperity and joy, who come and join our soma-yajna. With those loving and enthusiastic pitaras, may Yama, lord ordainer of life and time, and the keeper of individual and social discipline, too, happy, loving and rejoicing with them all, we pray, come and partake of the delicacies of yajna as he pleases in every aspect of our yajna.

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18.3.47

येता॑तृ॒षुर्दे॑व॒त्रा जेह॑माना होत्रा॒विदः॒ स्तोम॑तष्टासो अ॒र्कैः। आग्ने॑ याहिस॒हस्रं॑ देवव॒न्दैः स॒त्यैः क॒विभि॒रृषि॑भिर्घर्म॒सद्भिः॑ ॥

Those who thirst for and strive after love of the divinities, who know the hymns and processes of yajna, who are shaped in mind and character by Vedic hymns and yajnic discipline with prayers and worship of divinities, and who are honoured a thousandfold by the divines, with such poets, sages and seers, O leading light of life, Agni, come, they are dedicated to truth and steeped in the science of yajna, heat and light.

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18.3.48

ये स॒त्यासो॑हवि॒रदो॑ हवि॒ष्पा इन्द्रे॑ण दे॒वैः स॒रथं॑ तु॒रेण॑। आग्ने॑ याहिसुवि॒दत्रे॑भिर॒र्वाङ्परैः॒ पूर्वै॒रृषि॑भिर्घर्म॒सद्भिः॑ ॥

Those who are dedicated to the pursuit of truth, receive and consume holy offerings of yajnic inputs and develop, refine, protect and further promote the holy inputs, and move along with Indra, divine omnipotence and energies of nature at a velocity faster than anything else, with these generous performers and pioneers, sages and seers, and visionary creators ancient and modern steeped in the science of yajna, heat and light, O Agni, leading light of life and path maker of the future, come to us.

· · ·

18.3.49

उप॑ सर्प मा॒तरं॒भूमि॑मे॒तामु॑रु॒व्यच॑सं पृथि॒वीं सु॒शेवा॑म्। ऊर्ण॑म्रदाः पृथि॒वी दक्षि॑णावतए॒षा त्वा॑ पातु॒ प्रप॑थे पु॒रस्ता॑त् ॥

O soul, go close to this seat of your existence, vast, auspicious and comfortable Mother Earth. And may this earth, silken soft for the man of generosity, nurse, nourish, protect and promote you forward on the path of life in the front direction.

· · ·

18.3.50

उच्छ्व॑ञ्चस्वपृथिवि॒ मा नि बा॑धथाः सूपाय॒नास्मै॑ भव सूपसर्प॒णा। मा॒ता पु॒त्रं यथा॑सि॒चाभ्ये᳡नं भूम ऊर्णुहि ॥

O Mother Earth, wax and bloom and swell for this soul, pray do not suppress it, be kind as mother for the child, pleasant for it to walk upon and move forward. O Mother Earth, cover him with your protection as a mother covers the child with the hem of her sari.

· · ·

18.3.51

उच्छ्वञ्च॑मानापृथि॒वी सु ति॑ष्ठतु स॒हस्रं॒ मित॒ उप॒ हि श्रय॑न्ताम्। ते गृ॒हासो॑घृत॒श्चुतः॑ स्यो॒ना वि॒श्वाहा॑स्मै शर॒णाः स॒न्त्वत्र॑ ॥

Waxing and blooming, let the earth be stable and peaceful. Let a thousand homes and people abide at peace and observe measured ways of life. And let those homes, abundant in ghrta and prosperity, full of comfort and joy, be a happy haven for this man for all time.

· · ·

18.3.52

उत्ते॑ स्तभ्नामिपृथि॒वीं त्वत्परी॒मं लो॒गं नि॒दध॒न्मो अ॒हं रि॑षम्। ए॒तां स्थूणां॑ पि॒तरो॑धारयन्ति ते॒ तत्र॑ य॒मः साद॑ना ते कृणोतु ॥

O man, I hold up, support and sustain this earth for you. Bearing this house of clay all around for you, let me never feel embarrassed (on your account). The Pitaras, parental seniors and natural energies, bear this central column firm, and there may Yama, ruler of time and law, build the house for you. (This mantra is highly and variously open ended: Who speaks the first sentence? Supreme Divinity. What is the house of clay? Could be the earth itself, could be the family home built over generations, could be the body itself built and given over successive births in the cycle of existence.)

· · ·

18.3.53

इ॒मम॑ग्ने चम॒संमा वि जि॒ह्वरः॑ प्रि॒यो दे॒वाना॑मु॒त सो॒म्याना॑म्। अ॒यं यश्च॑म॒सोदे॑व॒पान॒स्तस्मि॑न्दे॒वा अ॒मृता॑ मादयन्ताम् ॥

Agni, leading light of life, pray do not distort and vitiate this chamas, ladle of life’s yajna (full of exciting gifts for the fire of life). It is the darling of Devas and lovers of soma, those who create as well as enjoy the ecstasy of yajnic living. It is the ladle in which and from which the divinities receive the nectar of life. Let the immortal Devas here in this life rejoice in their acts of creativity and the consequent fruits.

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18.3.54

अथ॑र्वापू॒र्णं च॑म॒सं यमि॑न्द्रा॒याबि॑भर्वा॒जिनी॑वते। तस्मि॑न्कृणोति सुकृ॒तस्य॑भ॒क्षं तस्मि॒न्निन्दुः॑ पवते विश्व॒दानीम् ॥

The ladle of life which Atharva, eternal lord of constancy, fills and provides for the vibrant, energetic and winsome soul is full, in which the lord provides the man’s share of potential food and joy for noble action, and therein flows the nectar of life constantly in the state of purity (unless it is polluted through ignorance or by one’s own negative choice).

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18.3.55

यत्ते॑ कृ॒ष्णःश॑कु॒न आ॑तु॒तोद॑ पिपी॒लः स॒र्प उ॒त वा॒ श्वाप॑दः। अ॒ग्निष्टद्वि॒श्वाद॑ग॒दंकृ॑णोतु॒ सोम॑श्च॒ यो ब्रा॑ह्म॒णाँ आ॑वि॒वेश॑ ॥

O soul, in the course of life, whatever fear, harm or injury, ignorance, or the dark ones, birds, beasts, insects or reptiles may do to your person, all these, may Agni, all purifying, and soma, and soma science known to experts, heal and restore, back to your good health.

· · ·

18.3.56

पय॑स्वती॒रोष॑धयः॒ पय॑स्वन्माम॒कं पयः॑। अ॒पां पय॑सो॒ यत्पय॒स्तेन॑ मा स॒हशु॑म्भतु ॥

Let the herbs and trees be full of nectar. Let the nectar vested in me be full of its own divine purity through the life time. May the nectar which is the essence of the purity of life’s divine flow, with all the purity of nature’s constancy, purify me.

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18.3.57

इ॒मानारी॑रविध॒वाः सु॒पत्नी॒राञ्ज॑नेन स॒र्पिषा॒ सं स्पृ॑शन्ताम्। अ॑न॒श्रवो॑अनमी॒वाः सु॒रत्ना॒ आ रो॑हन्तु॒ जन॑यो॒ योनि॒मग्रे॑ ॥

And these women, noble wives happily married with their husbands, should anoint themselves with cream and collyrium, and let them, free from tears and sorrow, free from ill health, wearing jewels and ornaments, go forward in life as proud mothers in their home.

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18.3.५८ž

सं ग॑च्छस्वपि॒तृभिः॒ सं य॒मेने॑ष्टापू॒र्तेन॑ पर॒मे व्यो᳡मन्। हि॒त्वाव॒द्यंपुन॒रस्त॒मेहि॒ सं ग॑च्छतां त॒न्वा᳡ सु॒वर्चाः॑ ॥

O soul, join with pitrpranic energies and go forward, join with another life time for future existence and go forward, join with your acts of choice and obligation and go forward to the highest space. Having left the imperfect and exhausted life, go to a new home, join with another vigorous bright body full of fresh life again.

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18.3.59

ये नः॑ पि॒तुःपि॒तरो॒ ये पि॑ताम॒हा य आ॑विवि॒शुरु॒र्व॑१॒॑न्तरि॑क्षम्। तेभ्यः॑स्व॒राडसु॑नीतिर्नो अ॒द्य व॑थाव॒शं त॒न्वः᳡ कल्पयाति ॥

Those who are our parents’ parents and grand parents, who have gone forward and entered into the wide space, for those forefathers of ours, the selfrefulgent ordainer of the cycle of life and pranic energy creates new bodies always according to their inner desires recorded in the mind.

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18.3.60

शं॑ ते नीहा॒रोभ॑वतु॒ शं ते॑ प्रु॒ष्वाव॑ शीयताम्। शीति॑के॒ शीति॑कावति॒ ह्लादि॑के॒ह्लादि॑कावति। म॑ण्डू॒क्य१॒॑प्सु शं भु॑व इ॒मं स्व१॒॑ग्निं श॑मय ॥

Let the fog and mists be cool and comfortable to you. Let rain showers come cool and refreshing to you for peace. O cool and refreshing herbs and plants, O happy and delightful people in quality of mind and in response and vibrations, be calm, happy and comfortable in home life as a frog in cool comfortable water and calm this heat and fire of the mind and body.

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18.3.61

वि॒वस्वा॑न्नो॒अभ॑यं कृणोतु॒ यः सु॒त्रामा॑ जी॒रदा॑नुः सु॒दानुः॑। इ॒हेमे वी॒रा ब॒हवो॑भवन्तु॒ गोम॒दश्व॑व॒न्मय्य॑स्तु पु॒ष्टम् ॥

Let the self-refulgent lord of the world who is all-protective, giver of life energy, and all beneficent, grant us freedom from fear. Let all these brave heroes be many and for me, and may there be growth and progress in lands, cows and horses, and culture, and let there be great achievements of health and prosperity for me.

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18.3.62

वि॒वस्वा॑न्नोअमृत॒त्वे द॑धातु॒ परै॑तु मृ॒त्युर॒मृतं॑ न॒ ऐतु॑। इ॑मान्रक्षतु॒ पुरु॑षा॒नाज॑रि॒म्णो मो ष्वे᳡षा॒मस॑वो य॒मं गुः॑ ॥

May the lord self-refulgent establish us in the nectar sweetness of immortality. Let death and adversity go off, let immortality come and bless us. May the lord protect these mature men against old age and infirmity. Let pranic energies protect these old people, and may their pranic energies never forsake them and fly to Yama, lord of time and death.

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18.3.63

यो द॒ध्रेअ॒न्तरि॑क्षे॒ न म॑ह्ना पितॄ॒णां क॒विः प्रम॑तिर्मती॒नाम्। तम॑र्चतवि॒श्वमि॑त्रा ह॒विर्भिः॒ स नो॑ य॒मः प्र॑त॒रं जी॒वसे॑ धात् ॥

O men and women, friends of the world of life, worship him, with homage of faith, love and havi, who is the creative visionary and wisest of the wise and parental powers of nature and humanity, and who, surely with his sole omnipotence, holds and sustains the stars and planets in space. May he, Yama, lord ordainer of life and time, sustain us too unto a long and full life of high quality beyond sorrow and suffering.

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18.3.64

आ रो॑हत॒दिव॑मुत्त॒मामृष॑यो॒ मा बि॑भीतन। सोम॑पाः॒ सोम॑पायिन इ॒दं वः॑ क्रियतेह॒विरग॑न्म॒ ज्योति॑रुत्त॒मम् ॥

O saintly seers of Vedic mantras, lovers, protectors and developers of the science of soma and the health and happiness of life, fear not, rise to the best and highest light of life, knowledge and bliss. This homage of faith and reverence is prepared and offered to you. Let us all rise and reach the highest light of bliss in the presence of Divinity.

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18.3.65

प्र के॒तुना॑बृह॒ता भा॑त्य॒ग्निरा रोद॑सी वृष॒भो रो॑रवीति।दि॒वश्चि॒दन्ता॑दुप॒मामुदा॑नड॒पामु॒पस्थे॑ महि॒षो व॑वर्ध ॥

Self-refulgent Agni, light and fire of life, blazes and rises by topless banners of flame and, like a mighty mountainous cloud, roars over heaven and earth. Unto the ends of earth and heaven it assumes and reveals its presence in the semblance of stars and planets and waxes mighty and mightier at the heart of cosmic oceans.

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18.3.66

नाके॑सुप॒र्णमुप॒ यत्पत॑न्तं॒ हृ॒दा वेन॑न्तो अ॒भ्यच॑क्षत त्वा। हिर॑ण्यपक्षं॒वरु॑णस्य दू॒तं य॒मस्य॒ योनौ॑ शकु॒नं भु॑र॒ण्युम् ॥

O Agni, saints and sages loving you with their heart and soul, realise and see you in meditation, flying like a bird of golden wings in the heaven of light and bliss, the messenger and harbinger of the oceanic waters of Varuna in space, and a blazing bird at the centre of Yama, sustaining omnipotence wielding and ordaining the world of cosmic existence with love and justice.

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18.3.67

इन्द्र॒ क्रतुं॑न॒ आ भ॑र पि॒ता पु॒त्रेभ्यो॒ यथा॑। शिक्षा॑ णो अ॒स्मिन्पु॑रुहूत॒ याम॑नि जी॒वाज्योति॑रशीमहि ॥

Indra, bring us the divine vision, will and intelligence as does the father for his children. O lord universally invoked and worshipped, instruct us as a teacher at this modern time so that we, ordinary souls, may have the light of life and living experience of Divinity in the prevailing darkness.

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18.3.68

अ॑पू॒पापि॑हितान्कु॒म्भान्यांस्ते॑ दे॒वा अधा॑रयन्। ते ते॑ सन्तु स्व॒धाव॑न्तो॒मधु॑मन्तो घृत॒श्चुतः॑ ॥

O lord, those generous and brilliant people, saints, sages and performers of yajna, bear, hold and offer jars full of rich delicacies for yajnic worship and hospitality to you, may those jars, we pray, be rich in their own essential yajnic wealth, honey sweets and abundance of ghrta.

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18.3.69

यास्ते॑ धा॒नाअ॑नुकि॒रामि॑ ति॒लमि॑श्राः स्व॒धाव॑तीः। तास्ते॑ सन्तु वि॒भ्वीःप्र॒भ्वीस्तास्ते॑ य॒मो राजानु॑ मन्यताम् ॥

O man, whatever grains of rice mixed with sesamum seeds I sow, raise and give you according to the seasons, may they be abundantly sufficient and nourishing for you, and may Yama, master ordainer of time, health and age, approve for you.

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18.3.70

पुन॑र्देहिवनस्पते॒ य ए॒ष निहि॑त॒स्त्वयि॑। यथा॑ य॒मस्य॒ साद॑न॒ आसा॑तै वि॒दथा॒ वद॑न्॥

Vanaspate, lord of love, beauty and goodness, give us this love and dedication again which abides deep and safe at heart in you so that man may abide in the house of Yama, the world of justice and noble action, knowing, pursuing and also speaking of knowledge and karma to others.

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18.3.71

आ र॑भस्वजातवेद॒स्तेज॑स्व॒द्धरो॑ अस्तु ते। शरी॑रमस्य॒ सं द॒हाथै॑नं धेहि सु॒कृता॑मुलो॒के ॥

O Jataveda, leading light of life and the ways of life and action in active life, pray begin the process of teaching and discipline. Let your heat of discipline and light of knowledge be impressive and powerfully attractive. Pray heat up and temper the body and mind of this initiate and help him settle in the world of noble house-holders dedicated to knowledge and holy action.

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18.3.72

ये ते॒ पूर्वे॒परा॑गता॒ अप॑रे पि॒तर॑श्च॒ ये। तेभ्यो॑ घृ॒तस्य॑ कु॒ल्यै᳡तु श॒तधा॑राव्युन्द॒ती ॥

O man of knowledge and yajnic action, for all those parental seniors and ancestors of yours, ancient and later ones, who have gone before, let the streams of ghrta overflow abundant in a hundred ways of yajna in their honour.

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18.3.73

ए॒तदा रो॑ह॒ वय॑उन्मृजा॒नः स्वा इ॒ह बृ॒हदु॑ दीदयन्ते। अ॒भि प्रेहि॑ मध्य॒तो माप॑ हास्थाःपितॄ॒णां लो॒कं प्र॑थ॒मो यो अत्र॑ ॥

O man, mount and rise high on this life’s ladder, cleansing and raising yourself in knowledge, morals and yajnic action. Your own qualities of character and your own people here highly shine. Go forward and rise in their midst. Do not forsake the world of your parents and seniors which is of the first importance and value to you here.

✦ Sukta 4 · 89 verses ✦

18.4.1

आ रो॑हत॒जनि॑त्रीं जातवेदसः पितृ॒याणैः॒ सं व॒ आ रो॑हयामि। अवा॑ड्ढ॒व्येषि॒तो ह॑व्यवा॒हई॑जा॒नं यु॒क्ताः सु॒कृतां॑ धत्त लो॒के ॥

O jatavedas, intelligent men and women selfaware of all that is born, lives and completes its existential life cycle, arise, move forward by the paths shown by seniors and ancestral traditions and reach the universal mother spirit of existence. I help you all together and show the path to the ascent. Agni, leading light of life, receiver and carrier of your offerings, loved, invoked and adored, has accepted your offerings. O men and women dedicated to Divinity, O mother powers of divine nature, establish the performer of yajna in the state of earthly paradise created by people of noble action.

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18.4.2

दे॒वाय॒ज्ञमृ॒तवः॑ कल्पयन्ति ह॒विः पु॑रो॒डाशं॑ स्रु॒चो य॑ज्ञायु॒धानि॑।तेभि॒र्याहि॑ प॒थिभि॑र्देव॒यानै॒र्यैरी॑जा॒नाः स्व॒र्गं य॑न्ति लो॒कम् ॥

Noble, generous and brilliant people of creative mind and the seasons in harmony design and structure the yajnic programmes, they prepare the yajnic inputs, the holy food, the ladles for offering and the entire infrastructure of yajna. With them, by their programmes, and by the paths shown by divinities of nature and humanity, the people who perform yajna rise to the state of peace and paradisal bliss on earth. O man, you too perform yajna and rise.

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18.4.3

ऋ॒तस्य॒पन्था॒मनु॑ पश्य सा॒ध्वङ्गि॑रसः सु॒कृतो॒ येन॒ यन्ति॑। तेभि॒र्याहि॑ प॒थिभिः॑स्व॒र्गं यत्रा॑दि॒त्या मधु॑ भ॒क्षय॑न्ति तृ॒तीये॒ नाके॒ अधि॒ वि श्र॑यस्व॥

O man, watch the path of nature’s divine law and yajnic performance by which Angirasas, vibrant leaders of science and holy action, go forward in life to the state of paradisal bliss. By those very paths of knowledge, law and yajna, you too go forward and reach the state of bliss where Adityas, brilliant sages of the highest order of knowledge and disciplined performance, feed on the honey sweets of bliss in the third and highest state of heaven. Go and be established there.

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18.4.4

त्रयः॑ सुप॒र्णाउप॑रस्य मा॒यू नाक॑स्य पृ॒ष्ठे अधि॑ वि॒ष्टपि॑ श्रि॒ताः। स्व॑र्गा लो॒काअ॒मृते॑न वि॒ष्ठा इष॒मूर्जं॒ यज॑मानाय दुह्राम् ॥

Three ‘Birds’ of golden wing, that is, Ishvara, Jiva, and Prakrti, or heaven, firmament and the earth, or sun, moon and the earth, or Adityas, Angirasas and the yajnic people going by Devayana and Pitryana paths of living, and thunder and lightning of the rain bearer cloud, all these are sustained by the Lord Supreme on top of heaven over the middle regions. All these, by the laws of Rtam and yajnic performance, are ‘regions’, natural and human, replete with immortal nectar, leading to the state of joy and divine bliss. May all these bear and bring food and energy of body, mind and soul for the yajamana.

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18.4.5

जु॒हूर्दा॑धार॒द्यामु॑प॒भृद॒न्तरि॑क्षं ध्रु॒वा दा॑धार पृथि॒वीं प्र॑ति॒ष्ठाम्। प्रती॒मांलो॒का घृ॒तपृ॑ष्ठाः स्व॒र्गाः कामं॑कामं॒ यज॑मानाय दुह्राम् ॥

uhu, the ladle that holds the havi for the fire, the cosmic process of giving, sustains the high region of light. Upabhrt, the vessel that holds the havi for the Juhu, the process of nature that holds the wealth of abundance for release towards the process of offering, sustains the middle region of the firmament. And Dhruva, the fixed and settled container of havi, nature’s process of divine stability, sustains the earth. May all regions bright with the shine of ghrta, which lead to paradisal joy, bear and bring to the stable earth fulfilment of desire for the yajamana. (The cosmic process of sustenance is a circuitous balance of centrifugal and centripetal forces, the centre being the lord Supreme, dimensionless Infinity, smaller than the smallest, greater than the greatest. Reference may be made to Rgveda 1, 164, 35 and Atharva-veda 9, 10, 13-14, and to Kathopanishad 1, 2, 20 and Shvetashvataropanishad 3, 20, yajna thus is a symbol of the universe and the structure and process of yajna, a symbol of the structure and process of the universe.)

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18.4.6

ध्रुव॒ आ रो॑हपृथि॒वीं वि॒श्वभो॑जसम॒न्तरि॑क्षमुप॒भृदा क्र॑मस्व। जुहु॒ द्यां ग॑च्छ॒ यज॑मानेनसा॒कं स्रु॒वेण॑ व॒त्सेन॒ दिशः॒ प्रपी॑नाः॒ सर्वा॑ धु॒क्ष्वाहृ॑णीयमानः ॥

Come, O Dhruva, divine stability of Nature, rise and rule the earth which provides food and sustenance to all forms of life. O Upabhrt, come, rise and take over the middle regions. O Juhu, rise and go to the heavenly regions of light along with the yajamana. O Yajamana, come up without hesitation and, with the ladle of ghrta which is the calf of Mother Nature, distil the milky wealth of all abundant directions of space. (The yajna thus is a symbol of cosmic economy which is boundlessly creative and infinitely beneficent.)

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18.4.7

ती॒र्थैस्त॑रन्तिप्र॒वतो॑ म॒हीरिति॑ यज्ञ॒कृतः॑ सु॒कृतो॒ येन॒ यन्ति॑। अत्रा॑दधु॒र्यज॑मानायलो॒कं दिशो॑ भू॒तानि॒ यदक॑ल्पयन्त ॥

Bold pioneers cross mighty seas with boats they design. They are mighty men of yajna, heroic doing and great achievement, and, by the ways they perform, others learn and they too cross the hurdles. And when thenatural processes of divine evolution create the spaces and forms of existence, they assign a place of prominence to the yajamana in life.

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18.4.8

अङ्गि॑रसा॒मय॑नं॒पूर्वो॑ अ॒ग्निरा॑दि॒त्याना॒मय॑नं॒ गार्ह॑पत्यो॒ दक्षि॑णाना॒मय॑नं दक्षिणा॒ग्निः। म॑हि॒मान॑म॒ग्नेर्विहि॑तस्य॒ ब्रह्म॑णा॒ सम॑ङ्गः॒ सर्व॒ उप॑ याहि श॒ग्मः॥

The original and primeval fire of cosmic yajna, Purvagni, is the love and ambition of Angirasas, vibrant scholars. Garhapatyagni, home fire of yajna, is the way of the Adityas, brilliant Brahmacharis settled as Grhasthis. And Dakshinagni, fire for pure being and creative generosity, is the way of generous people of knowledge, creative action and wide experience as on way to Vanaprastha. O man, grow whole, full and perfect, attain to the power and grandeur of Agni prescribed in the Veda, and realise the ultimate peace and freedom of life.

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18.4.9

पूर्वो॑अ॒ग्निष्ट्वा॑ तपतु॒ शं पु॒रस्ता॒च्छं प॒श्चात्त॑पतु॒ गार्ह॑पत्यः।द॑क्षिणा॒ग्निष्टे॑ तपतु॒ शर्म॒ वर्मो॑त्तर॒तो म॑ध्य॒तोअ॒न्तरि॑क्षाद्दि॒शोदि॑शो अग्ने॒ परि॑ पाहि घो॒रात् ॥

Let Purvagni heat, shine and temper you topeace and perfection from the front. Let Garhapatyagni shine and temper you to sobriety, peace and perfection from behind, and let Dakshinagni temper and sober you to peace, perfection and protective fearlessness from above, middle and the space on all sides from all directions. O Agni, leading light of life, pray protect him all round against the violence, cruelty, awe and terrors of existence.

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18.4.10

यू॒यम॑ग्नेशन्तमाभिस्त॒नूभि॑रीजा॒नम॒भि लो॒कं स्व॒र्गम्। अश्वा॑ भू॒त्वा पृ॑ष्टि॒वाहो॑वहाथ॒ यत्र॑ दे॒वैः स॑ध॒मादं॒ मद॑न्ति ॥

O saints and sages, O holy fire of yajna, with the expansive powers and persuasion of your knowledge and action, be like strong pioneers, leaders and guides of unbreakable strength and, with his physical, subtle and causal bodies, take the yajamana to the most happy and paradisal state of bliss and freedom where noble souls celebrate and enjoy themselves with the divinities.

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18.4.11

शम॑ग्नेप॒श्चात्त॑प॒ शं पु॒रस्ता॒च्छमु॑त्त॒राच्छम॑ध॒रात्त॑पैनम्। एक॑स्त्रे॒धाविहि॑तो जातवेदः स॒म्यगे॑नं धेहि सु॒कृता॑मु लो॒के ॥

O Jataveda Agni, lord omnipresent and omniscient, leading light and fire of life, though One, you are three-way self-manifestive (As Agni on earth,as Vayu in the firmament, and as Aditya in the regions of light, as Vishva, Taijas and Prajna, as Virat, Hiranyagarbha and Ishvara, as Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha, and as A, U, M of Aum). Pray heat, temper and shine this yajamana to peace, purity and sanctity from the back, from front, from above and from below (in meditation on Sushumna, in watchful perception upfront, in thought and intelligence in the brain and lower senses and emotions in the lowers regions), and thus secure him in the world of noble action and noble fruit with people of noble action and integrity.

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18.4.12

शम॒ग्नयः॒समि॑द्धा॒ आ र॑भन्तां प्राजाप॒त्यं मेध्यं॑ जा॒तवे॑दसः। शृ॒तं कृ॒ण्वन्त॑ इ॒हमाव॑ चिक्षिपन् ॥

O Jatavedas, three-way manifestive and functional fires, i.e., Ahavaniya, Garhapatya and Dakshina fires, kindled and raised by the yajamana, start the new holy Prajapatya yajna of the wedded couple and bring peace and security into the home. Confirm the house-holder in the performance of social and spiritual obligations, and let the yajamana never suffer remiss, abuse or disrepute while you bless him with peace and prosperity.

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18.4.13

य॒ज्ञ ए॑ति॒वित॑तः॒ कल्प॑मान ईजा॒नम॒भि लो॒कं स्व॒र्गम्। तम॒ग्नयः॒ सर्व॑हुतं जुषन्तांप्राजाप॒त्यं मेध्यं॑ जा॒तवे॑दसः। शृ॒तं कृ॒ण्वन्त॑ इ॒हमाव॑ चिक्षिपन् ॥

Prajapatya yajna, organised, expanded and elevated by the house-holder according to time and seasons, leads the yajamana towards paradisal regions of life and bliss. May the sacred fires love and favour that yajamana and accept his prajapatya yajna. And thereby, may the fires love and favour, temper and shine the yajamana and never allow him to be insulted, abused and disreputed.

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18.4.14

ई॑जा॒नश्चि॒तमारु॑क्षद॒ग्निं नाक॑स्य पृ॒ष्ठाद्दिव॑मुत्पति॒ष्यन्। तस्मै॒ प्रभा॑ति॒ नभ॑सो॒ ज्योति॑षीमान्त्स्व॒र्गः पन्थाः॑ सु॒कृते॑ देव॒यानः॑ ॥

The yajamana dedicated to Prajapatya yajna raises the sacred fire in the vedi and rises by the flames of fire wishing to reach the light of heaven from the top of paradisal joy, and then for that man of pious action, from the depth of his clairvoyant mind, arises the light divine, jyotishmati, and the path to the light and bliss of Svah, Light Divine, worthy of divinities, shines bright and clear. (Refer to Patanjali’s Yogasutras, chapter 1, sutras 36, 47-48, and 3.)

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18.4.15

अ॒ग्निर्होता॑ध्व॒र्युष्टे॒ बृह॒स्पति॒रिन्द्रो॑ ब्र॒ह्मा द॑क्षिण॒तस्ते॑ अस्तु। हु॒तोऽयं संस्थि॑तो य॒ज्ञ ए॑ति॒ यत्र॒ पूर्व॒मय॑नं हु॒ताना॑म् ॥

O yajamana of Prajapatya yajna, let the man of enlightenment, like Agni, be the Hota, giver of oblations, let the scholar of holy speech and Veda, like Brhaspati, be the Adhvaryu, chief organiser, let the man of Vedic vision and power, like Indra, be the Brahma, the high priest on your right, and this yajna, the offerings made and the process properly completed, reaches there for you where there is the prime entry gate of the great performers and achievers.

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18.4.16

अ॑पू॒पवा॑न्क्षी॒रवां॑श्च॒रुरेह सी॑दतु। लो॑क॒कृतः॑ पथि॒कृतो॑ यजामहे॒ येदे॒वानां॑ हु॒तभा॑गा इ॒ह स्थ ॥

Let the holy vessel full of delicacies prepared with milk and ghrta be here on the vedi. O divine performers of yajna for the divinities, benefactors of the world and path makers of humanity, we invoke and adore you who stay here with us and partake of our offerings.

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18.4.17

अ॑पू॒पवा॒न्दधि॑वांश्च॒रुरेह सी॑दतु। लो॑क॒कृतः॑ पथि॒कृतो॑ यजामहे॒ येदे॒वानां॑ हु॒तभा॑गा इ॒ह स्थ ॥

Let the holy vessel full of delicacies prepared with milk and ghrta be here on the vedi. O divine performers of yajna for the divinities, benefactors of the world and path makers of humanity, we invoke and adore you who stay here with us and partake of our offerings.

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18.4.18

अ॑पू॒पवा॑न्द्र॒प्सवां॑श्च॒रुरेह सी॑दतु। लो॑क॒कृतः॑ पथि॒कृतो॑ यजामहे॒ येदे॒वानां॑ हु॒तभा॑गा इ॒ह स्थ ॥

Let the holy vessel full of delicacies prepared with butter and liquid curds be here on the vedi. O divine performers of yajna for the divinities, benefactors of the world and path makers of humanity, we invoke and adore you who stay here with us and partake of our offerings

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18.4.19

अ॑पू॒पवा॑न्घृ॒तवां॑श्च॒रुरेह सी॑दतु। लो॑क॒कृतः॑ पथि॒कृतो॑ यजामहे॒ येदे॒वानां॑ हु॒तभा॑गा इ॒ह स्थ ॥

Let the holy vessel full of delicacies prepared with ghrta and ghrta itself be here on the vedi. O divine performers of yajna for the divinities, benefactors of the world and path makers of humanity, we invoke and adore you who stay here with us and partake of our offerings.

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18.4.20

अ॑पू॒पवा॑न्मां॒सवां॑श्च॒रुरेह सी॑दतु। लो॑क॒कृतः॑ पथि॒कृतो॑ यजामहे॒ येदे॒वानां॑ हु॒तभा॑गा इ॒ह स्थ ॥

Let the holy vessel full of delicacies prepared with ghrta and cheese and fruit pulp be here on the vedi. O divine performers of yajna for the divinities, benefactors of the world and path makers of humanity, we invoke and adore you who stay with us here and partake of our offerings.

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18.4.21

अपू॒पवा॒नन्न॑वांश्च॒रुरेह सी॑दतु। लो॑क॒कृतः॑ पथि॒कृतो॑ यजामहे॒ ये दे॒वानां॑हु॒तभा॑गा इ॒ह स्थ ॥

Let the holy vessel full of delicacies prepared with butter and food and food grains be here on the vedi. O divine performers of yajna for the divinities, benefactors of the world and path makers of humanity, we invoke and adore you who stay with us here and partake of our offerings.

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18.4.22

अ॑पू॒पवा॒न्मधु॑मांश्च॒रुरेह सी॑दतु। लो॑क॒कृतः॑ पथि॒कृतो॑ यजामहे॒ येदे॒वानां॑ हु॒तभा॑गा इ॒ह स्थ ॥

Let the holy vessel full of delicacies prepared with butter and honey be here on the vedi. O divine performers of yajna for the divinities, benefactors of the world and path makers of humanity, we invoke andadore you who stay with us here and partake of our offerings.

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18.4.23

अ॑पू॒पवा॒न्रस॑वांश्च॒रुरेह सी॑दतु। लो॑क॒कृतः॑ पथि॒कृतो॑ यजामहे॒ ये दे॒वानां॑हु॒तभा॑गा इ॒ह स्थ ॥

Let the holy vessel full of delicacies prepared with butter and delicious juice be here on the vedi. O divine performers of yajna for the divinities, benefactors of the world and path makers of humanity, we invoke and adore you who stay with us here and partake of our offerings.

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18.4.24

अ॑पू॒पवा॒नप॑वांश्च॒रुरेह सी॑दतु। लो॑क॒कृतः॑ पथि॒कृतो॑ यजामहे॒ ये दे॒वानां॑हु॒तभा॑गा इ॒ह स्थ ॥

Let the holy vessel full of delicacies prepared with butter and delicious waters and other liquids be here on the vedi. O divine performers of yajna for the divinities, benefactors of the world and path makers of humanity, we invoke and adore you who stay with us here and partake of our offerings.

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18.4.25

अ॑पू॒पापि॑हितान्कु॒म्भान्यांस्ते॑ दे॒वा अधा॑रयन्। ते ते॑ सन्तु स्व॒धाव॑न्तो॒मधु॑मन्तो घृत॒श्चुतः॑ ॥

O yajamana, all those jars full of rich delicacies for yajnic worship and hospitality which generous and brilliant divinities hold, bear and offer to you may, we pray, be ever full, abundant in food, honey and ghrta.

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18.4.26

यास्ते॑ धा॒नाअ॑नुकि॒रामि॑ ति॒लमि॑श्राः स्व॒धाव॑तीः। तास्ते॑ सन्तू॒द्भ्वीःप्र॒भ्वीस्तास्ते॑ य॒मो राजानु॑ मन्यताम् ॥

O yajamana, whatever rice mixed with sesamum I sow, raise and give for you may be full of nourishment, promotive and ever more and more abundant, and may Yama, master ordainer of time, health and age, approve and grant for you.

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18.4.27

अक्षि॑तिं॒भूय॑सीम् ॥

May there be nothing wanting, may there be inexhaustible abundance, more and ever more, by the grace of Yama.

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18.4.28

द्र॒प्सश्च॑स्कन्द पृथि॒वीमनु॒ द्यामि॒मं च॒ योनि॒मनु॒ यश्च॒ पूर्वः॑। स॑मा॒नंयोनि॒मनु॑ सं॒चर॑न्तं द्र॒प्सं जु॑हो॒म्यनु॑ स॒प्त होत्राः॑ ॥

That eternal, perfect and primordial divine presence and joy (Ananda) which pervades and blesses the earth, the heaven and the original cause of existence Prakrti, the same joy which universally subsists with its origin, the Sole Creator, I adore with all my life breath, sense and mind, the seven priests, five pranas, mind and senses.

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18.4.29

श॒तधा॑रंवा॒युम॒र्कं स्व॒र्विदं॑ नृ॒चक्ष॑स॒स्ते अ॒भि च॑क्षते र॒यिम्। ये पृ॒णन्ति॒ प्रच॒ यच्छ॑न्ति सर्व॒दा ते दु॑ह्रते॒ दक्षि॑णां स॒प्तमा॑तरम् ॥

Men of vision and discrimination who watch life and humanity have a vision of the eternal wealth of Divinity, omnipresent as Vayu, self-refulgent as Sun, and Infinite Bliss Itself, which bears all a thousand ways, and radiates and flows in a thousand streams into human consciousness. Those distill this sublime gift of Divinity, mother of seven worlds, Bhu, Bhuvah, Svah, Mahah, Janah, Tapah, Satyam, who always fill their consciousness with this presence and express it as a gift for others.

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18.4.30

कोशं॑ दुहन्तिक॒लशं॒ चतु॑र्बिल॒मिडां॑ धे॒नुं मधु॑मतीं स्व॒स्तये॑। ऊर्जं॒ मद॑न्ती॒मदि॑तिं॒जने॒ष्वग्ने॒ मा हिं॑सीः पर॒मे व्यो᳡मन् ॥

People milk the treasure trove of life-giving milk for their well being all round: It is the Cow with four udders, giving life energy. It is Ida, Eternal Speech of Divinity with knowledge of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. It is Aditi, Eternal Nature, indivisible, imperishable, indestructible. It is Energy Itself abiding in the highest space, rejoicing among people. O Agni, leading light of life and ruler of the earth, do not kill, do not even hurt the Cow, the Ida, the Aditi, the Energy.

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18.4.31

ए॒तत्ते॑ दे॒वःस॑वि॒ता वासो॑ ददाति॒ भर्त॑वे। तत्त्वं॑ य॒मस्य॒ राज्ये॒ वसा॑नस्ता॒र्प्यं᳡ चर॥

O man, this is your vestment, this body, this wear, this home, this earth, which Savita, lord creator and giver of life and light, the ruler and sustainer, gives you for your sustenance and well being. Wearing that vestment for self-fulfilment, live, move around and enjoy yourself in the dominion of Yama, lord ruler of time and the law of life.

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18.4.32

धा॒नाधे॒नुर॑भवद्व॒त्सो अ॑स्यास्ति॒लो᳡ऽभ॑वत्। तां वै य॒मस्य॒ राज्ये॒ अक्षि॑ता॒मुप॑जीवति ॥

From this Aditi, Nature, the cows are born, of this, the calf was born, there is the rice grain, there is the sesamum grain. All sacred. Thus in the dominion of the Ruling Yama, man lives by that Aditi Cow, unhurt, undiminished, unexhausted, unpolluted mother source

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18.4.33

ए॒तास्ते॑ असौधे॒नवः॑ काम॒दुघा॑ भवन्तु। एनीः॒ श्येनीः॒ सरू॑पा॒ विरू॑पास्ति॒लव॑त्सा॒ उप॑तिष्ठन्तु॒ त्वात्र॑ ॥

Then, and thus, O man, these are your cows, let these be your givers of the fulfilment of desire : variegated, white, samely, different, with little calves having sesamum mole on the forehead. Let these be by you here in the home.

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18.4.34

एनी॑र्धा॒नाहरि॑णीः॒ श्येनी॑रस्य कृ॒ष्णा धा॒ना रोहि॑णीर्धे॒नव॑स्ते। ति॒लव॑त्सा॒ऊर्ज॑म॒स्मै दुहा॑ना वि॒श्वाहा॑ स॒न्त्वन॑पस्पुरन्तीः ॥

Variegated, yellow, white, black, ruddy, those with little calves having sesamum moles on the forehead, bearing and yielding nourishing milk and energy for this man always without any disturbance, let these be by him without any break

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18.4.35

वै॑श्वान॒रेह॒विरि॒दं जु॑होमि साह॒स्रं श॒तधा॑र॒मुत्स॑म्। स बि॑भर्ति पि॒तरं॑पिताम॒हान्प्र॑पिताम॒हान्बि॑भर्ति॒ पिन्व॑मानः ॥

I raise and offer this havi, sacred milk and the wealth of cows and their milky treasure of a hundred and thousandfold streams of energy and nourishment in the service of Vaishvanara, divine heat and vitality of the life of world humanity. This Vaishvanara, waxing and rising strong by the inputs of milk, protects and sustains our parents and grand parents and it protects and sustains our great grand parents.

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18.4.36

स॒हस्र॑धारंश॒तधा॑र॒मुत्स॒मक्षि॑तं व्य॒च्यमा॑नं सलि॒लस्य॑ पृ॒ष्ठे। ऊर्जं॒दुहा॑न॒मन॑पस्पुरन्त॒मुपा॑सते पि॒तरः॑ स्व॒धाभिः॑ ॥

Parents, people, social organisations and government agencies, with their own inputs, serve, augment and benefit from the hundred and thousandstreamed, undiminishing and expanding milky spring of food and energy, undisturbed and steady in the midst of the green, plenteous world on the earth, among flowing waters.

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18.4.37

इ॒दं कसा॑म्बु॒चय॑नेन चि॒तं तत्स॑जाता॒ अव॑ पश्य॒तेत॑। मर्त्यो॒ऽयम॑मृत॒त्वमे॑ति॒ तस्मै॑गृ॒हान्कृ॑णुत याव॒त्सब॑न्धु ॥

This kasambu, shining beaming liquid energy, distilled, developed and collected through natural process and human efforts, O friends and relatives, watch carefully and realise. Thereby, from here, the mortal man moves toward immortal joy through food and yajna. O kinsmen, build homes for that as far as you can for further development.

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18.4.38

इ॒हैवैधि॑धन॒सनि॑रि॒हचि॑त्त इ॒हक्र॑तुः। इ॒हैधि॑ वी॒र्य᳡वत्तरो वयो॒धा अप॑राहतः ॥

O man, seeker of immortal wealth as you are, abide here in life, well aware of yourself and busy with noble yajnic action. Here itself grow from strength to higher strength, bearing and enjoying good health, ample wealth and long age, unhurt, unconquered by anyone.

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18.4.39

पु॒त्रंपौत्र॑मभित॒र्पय॑न्ती॒रापो॒ मधु॑मतीरि॒माः। स्व॒धां पि॒तृभ्यो॑ अ॒मृतं॒दुहा॑ना॒ आपो॑ दे॒वीरु॒भयां॑स्तर्पयन्तु ॥

These honey sweet waters, milk, honey and water leading to noble action, pleasing, satisfying and energising children and grand children, giving immortal energy and fulfilment to parents and grand parents, may, we pray, bring total fulfilment and salvation to both parents and children, all past, present and future generatious – divine flow of energy and joy as they are.

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18.4.40

आपो॑ अ॒ग्निं प्रहि॑णुत पि॒तॄँरुपे॒मं य॒ज्ञं पि॒तरो॑ मे जुषन्ताम्। आसी॑ना॒मूर्ज॒मुप॒ येसच॑न्ते॒ ते नो॑ र॒यिं सर्व॑वीरं॒ नि य॑च्छान् ॥

Let the people and their noble actions kindle, raise and set in continuous motion this holy fire of yajna for the honour and self-fulfilment of our parents and forefathers. May our parents and seniors join and approve of this yajna closely and happily. And may those parents and seniors who share and enjoy that food and energy created and presented to them bless us with wealth, honour and excellence and progeny worthy of the brave.

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18.4.41

समि॑न्धते॒अम॑र्त्यं हव्य॒वाहं॑ घृत॒प्रिय॑म्। स वे॑द॒ निहि॑तान्नि॒धीन्पि॒तॄन्प॑रा॒वतो॑ग॒तान् ॥

People of piety and devotion light the fire which is the lover, receiver, carrier and disseminator of the havi offered into the vedi and thus worship the immortal Agni which knows and begets the hidden treasures, also those which were known to our forefathers now gone far away.

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18.4.42

यं ते॑ म॒न्थंयमो॑द॒नं यन्मां॒सं नि॑पृ॒णामि॑ ते। ते ते॑ सन्तु स्व॒धाव॑न्तो॒ मधु॑मन्तोघृत॒श्चुतः॑ ॥

What barley meal mixed and stirred with milk, what rice meal or cheese or fruit pulp I offer to you, may all those be full of energy, honey sweet and abundant in ghrta.

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18.4.43

यास्ते॑ धा॒नाअ॑नुकि॒रामि॑ ति॒लमि॑श्राः स्व॒धाव॑तीः। तास्ते॑ सन्तू॒द्भ्वीःप्र॒भ्वीस्तास्ते॑ य॒मो राजानु॑ मन्यताम् ॥

O man, whatever rice mixed with sesamum I sow, raise and give for you may be full of nourishment, promotive and more and more abundant, and may Yama, master ordainer of time, health and age, approve and grant you the same in plenty.

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18.4.44

इ॒दं पूर्व॒मप॑रंनि॒यानं॒ येना॑ ते॒ पूर्वे॑ पि॒तरः॒ परे॑ताः। पु॑रोग॒वा ये अ॑भि॒शाचो॑ अस्य॒ तेत्वा॑ वहन्ति सु॒कृता॑मु लो॒कम् ॥

This is your path ancient and modern by which your ancient forefathers have gone, those that were pioneers as well as those who were admirers and followers of it. May they lead you too to the world of the noble performers of pious action.

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18.4.45

सर॑स्वतींदेव॒यन्तो॑ हवन्ते॒ सर॑स्वतीमध्व॒रे ता॒यमा॑ने। सर॑स्वतीं सु॒कृतो॑ हवन्ते॒सर॑स्वती दा॒शुषे॒ वार्यं॑ दात् ॥

Lovers of Divinity invoke and adore Sarasvati, ever vibrant and flowing mother stream of knowledge from the Veda onward. They invoke and worship her in their expansive yajna of love and non-violence for the advancement of knowledge. Men of noble action invoke and adore Sarasvati for constant improvement and advancement of their skill and knowledge. May mother Sarasvati, we pray, give gifts of knowledge and expertise to the generous yajamana in the field of his choice.

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18.4.46

सर॑स्वतींपि॒तरो॑ हवन्ते दक्षि॒णा य॒ज्ञम॑भि॒नक्ष॑माणाः। आ॒सद्या॒स्मिन्ब॒र्हिषि॑मादयध्वमनमी॒वा इष॒ आ धे॑ह्य॒स्मे ॥

Pitaras, parental seniors, invoke and adore Sarasvati when they organise and accomplish Dakshina yajna for simple and natural gifts of skill, knowledge and expertise. O lovers of yajna and knowledge, come, sit on this vedi and enjoy, and spread the joy of learning all round. O Mother, bless us with pure, uncontaminated, nourishing gifts of food and energy for body, mind and soul.

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18.4.47

सर॑स्वति॒ यास॒रथं॑ य॒याथो॒क्थैः स्व॒धाभि॑र्देवि पि॒तृभि॒र्मद॑न्ती। स॑हस्रा॒र्घमि॒डोअत्र॑ भा॒गं रा॒यस्पोषं॒ यज॑मानाय धेहि ॥

Mother Sarasvati, refulgent spirit of divine light and knowledge, who move with essential powers and cosmic hymns, rejoicing with veteran souls of creative vision on the same clairvoyant medium of imagination as they, like a goddess on chariot, pray bring and vest the yajamana here with his characteristic share of universal wealth, honour, excellence and living energy of infinite vision and inspiration flowing in a thousand streams of divinity.

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18.4.48

पृ॑थि॒वीं त्वा॑पृथि॒व्यामा वे॑शयामि दे॒वो नो॑ धा॒ता प्र

ति॑रा॒त्यायुः॑। परा॑परैतावसु॒विद्वो॑ अ॒स्त्वधा॑ मृ॒ताः पि॒तृषु॒ सं भ॑वन्तु ॥

O vedi, I place and establish you on the earth, and may Dhata, generous and self-refulgent sustainer of the world, protect and promote our life. May the Supreme Lord Divine, farther than the farthest, be the treasure-hold and giver of wealth, honour and excellence for us so that the dead also may reincarnate and come to life again among the parents and live.

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18.4.49

आ प्रच्य॑वेथा॒मप॒ तन्मृ॑जेथां॒ यद्वा॑मभि॒भा अत्रो॒चुः। अ॒स्मादेत॑म॒घ्न्यौतद्वशी॑यो दा॒तुः पि॒तृष्वि॒हभो॑जनौ॒ मम॑ ॥

Arise, O men and women, move forward, give up all that which the brilliant wise advise you should, and having left that, come both of you, sinless and inviolable, to this better way and, among parents and seniors, be sharers with me of the gifts and joy of the great giver.

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18.4.50

एयम॑ग॒न्दक्षि॑णाभद्र॒तो नो॑ अ॒नेन॑ द॒त्ता सु॒दुघा॑ वयो॒धाः। यौव॑ने जी॒वानु॑पपृञ्च॒ती ज॒रापि॒तृभ्य॑ उपसं॒परा॑णयादि॒मान् ॥

This gift of life and joy at the full has come to us from the noble treasure-hold, given by this divine giver. During the period of youth, maturity approaches people, slow but sure, which may, we pray, take them close to the parental seniors (in wisdom and vision).

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18.4.51

इ॒दं पि॒तृभ्यः॒प्र भ॑रामि ब॒र्हिर्जी॒वं दे॒वेभ्य॒ उत्त॑रं स्तृणामि। तदा रो॑ह पुरुष॒ मेध्यो॒भव॒न्प्रति॑ त्वा जानन्तु पि॒तरः॒ परे॑तम् ॥

I bear and bring this holy seat for the parental seniors, this life itself made better and higher, which I spread as an open book for the divines on the vedi. O man, raising yourself and being thus sacred and revered, rise and occupy this holy position, and, in response, let the parents and seniors know and recognise you rising to the highest sanctity of your being.

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18.4.52

एदं ब॒र्हिर॑सदो॒मेध्यो॑ऽभूः॒ प्रति॑ त्वा जानन्तु पि॒तरः॒ परे॑तम्। य॑थाप॒रु त॒न्वं१॒॑ संभ॑रस्व गात्राणि ते॒ ब्रह्म॑णा कल्पयामि ॥

O man, self-raised and sanctified, you now occupy this holy seat. Let the parental seniors know and recognise you thus rising higher and higher. Fill in and accomplish your body and mind part by part completely. I order and sanctify the parts and systems of your personality with Vedic mantras and initiate you into higher life.

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18.4.53

प॒र्णोराजा॑पि॒धानं॑ चरू॒णामू॒र्जो बलं॒ सह॒ ओजो॑ न॒ आग॑न्। आयु॑र्जी॒वेभ्यो॒विद॑धद्दीर्घायु॒त्वाय॑ श॒तशा॑रदाय ॥

Self-refulgent ruling lord of the universe is the ultimate treasure-hold of the sustenance and security of the regions of life (which is nothing short of the cosmic yajna). From there strength and energy, courage and lustre comes to us. May the lord bring us health and vitality for all living people for a long and healthy life of full hundred years.

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18.4.54

ऊ॒र्जो भा॒गो यइ॒मं ज॒जानाश्मान्ना॑ना॒माधि॑पत्यं ज॒गाम॑। तम॑र्चत वि॒श्वमि॑त्रा ह॒विर्भिः॒ सनो॑ य॒मः प्र॑त॒रं जी॒वसे॑ धात् ॥

He that is the giver of food and energy, who has created this world of life, He that is pervasive and holds control over all life-giving food substances, Him alone, O friends of all the world, worship with offers of havi in yajnic oblations, and pray that He, Yama, lord of time, life and law, may bless us with higher and saviour food and energy for body, mind and soul so that we may live a long and full life of health and joy.

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18.4.55

यथा॑ य॒माय॑ह॒र्म्यमव॑प॒न्पञ्च॑ मान॒वाः। ए॒वा व॑पामि ह॒र्म्यं यथा॑ मे॒ भूर॒योऽस॑त॥

As all five classes of people over the world join, form and found the house of Yama, lord of time, life and age, so do I found the house for the family so that there may be plenty and prosperity for us.

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18.4.56

इ॒दं हिर॑ण्यंबिभृहि॒ यत्ते॑ पि॒ताबि॑भः पु॒रा। स्व॒र्गं य॒तः पि॒तुर्हस्तं॒ निर्मृ॑ड्ढि॒दक्षि॑णम् ॥

Bear this golden gift of life as your father bore it before. Thereby you would glorify the right hand expertise and performance of your father leading to paradisal bliss.

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18.4.57

ये च॑ जी॒वा येच॑ मृ॒ता ये जा॒ता ये च॑ य॒ज्ञियाः॑। तेभ्यो॑ घृ॒तस्य॑ कु॒ल्यै᳡तु॒ मधु॑धाराव्युन्द॒ती ॥

All those people who are living, who are dead, who are born and who are worthy of homage and company, for all of them, I pray, the stream of ghrta, abundant and overflowing with honey, may run incessantly.

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18.4.58

वृषा॑ मती॒नांप॑वते विचक्ष॒णः सूरो॒ अह्नां॑ प्र॒तरी॑तो॒षसां॑ दि॒वः। प्रा॒णः सिन्धू॑नांक॒लशाँ॑ अचिक्रद॒दिन्द्र॑स्य॒ हार्दि॑मावि॒शन्म॑नी॒षया॑ ॥

Lord Almighty, giver of showers of the wealth and knowledge of existence, all watching guard and protector, light of the days, augmentor of the light of dawns and heavens, life energy of flowing floods, makes the clouds roar and, having entered the heart core of the soul with the light of intelligence and awareness, vibrates, sanctifies and volubly enlivens the five koshas of the soul.

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18.4.59

त्वे॒षस्ते॑ धू॒मऊ॑र्णोतु दि॒वि षं छु॒क्र आत॑तः। सूरो॒ न हि द्यु॒ता त्वं॑ कृ॒पा पा॑वक॒ रोच॑से॥

O lord all pervasive, your divine refulgence, vibrant fragrance, pure and powerful, pervading extensively over the heavens may, we pray, cover and protect us as an umbrella. Like the sun, with light and grace, O lord purifier and sanctifier, you shine and bless.

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18.4.60

प्र वाए॒तीन्दु॒रिन्द्र॑स्य॒ निष्कृ॑तिं॒ सखा॒ सख्यु॒र्न प्र मि॑नाति संगि॒रः। मर्य॑इव॒ योषाः॒ सम॑र्षसे॒ सोमः॑ क॒लशे॑ श॒तया॑मना प॒था ॥

Indu, the human soul which is enlightened, goes forward and rises to attain to the light of the grace of Indra. Neither the soul nor Indra violates the covenant of love between the human and the divine as a friend never violates the love and trust with another friend. Just as a man abides faithfully by the love of his beloved, so do you, O Soma, lord of peace and inspiration, proceed and emerge in the heart core of the devotee in a hundred ways.

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18.4.61

अक्ष॒न्नमी॑मदन्त॒ ह्यव॑ प्रि॒याँ अ॑धूषत। अस्तो॑षत॒ स्वभा॑नवो॒ विप्रा॒यवि॑ष्ठा ईमहे ॥

Indu, the human soul which is enlightened, goes forward and rises to attain to the light of the grace of Indra. Neither the soul nor Indra violates the covenant of love between the human and the divine as a friend never violates the love and trust with another friend. Just as a man abides faithfully by the love of his beloved, so do you, O Soma, lord of peace and inspiration, proceed and emerge in the heart core of the devotee in a hundred ways.

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18.4.62

आ या॑त पितरःसो॒म्यासो॑ गम्भी॒रैः प॒थिभिः॑ पितृ॒याणैः॑। आयु॑र॒स्मभ्यं॒ दध॑तः प्र॒जां च॑रा॒यश्च॒ पोषै॑र॒भि नः॑ सचध्वम् ॥

O parental seniors and sages, lovers of peace dedicated to soma and divine inspiration, come by the serious and awesome paths carved out by forefathers. Bear and bring us good health and full age, wealth, honour and excellence, bless us and our children and help us with progress and prosperity

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18.4.63

परा॑ यात पितरःसो॒म्यासो॑ गम्भी॒रैः प॒थिभिः॑ पू॒र्याणैः॑। अधा॑ मासि॒ पुन॒रा या॑त नोगृ॒हान्ह॒विरत्तुं॑ सुप्र॒जसः॑ सु॒वीराः॑ ॥

O parental seniors and sages, pitaras, lovers of peace and soma of good cheer, go far by great and awesome paths and highways leading to cities and citadels, and then at the end of the month come again and visit our homes to partake of our hospitality and meet your noble people and their progeny, your own, worthy of the brave.

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18.4.64

यद्वो॑अ॒ग्निरज॑हा॒देक॒मङ्गं॑ पितृलो॒कं ग॒मयं॑ जा॒तवे॑दाः। तद्व॑ ए॒तत्पुन॒राप्या॑ययामि सा॒ङ्गाः स्व॒र्गे पि॒तरो॑ मादयध्वम् ॥

O pitaras, if Jataveda Agni, leading light of life and duty, while leading you to the stage of retirement, i.e., Vanaprastha or Sanyasa, left over some part of your obligations towards the seniors and sages, unaccomplished, I would complete and fulfil those for you so that you be happy at peace at your full and best in that state of life leading you to heavenly joy.

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18.4.65

अभू॑द्दू॒तःप्रहि॑तो जा॒तवे॑दाः सा॒यं न्यह्न॑ उप॒वन्द्यो॒ नृभिः॑। प्रादाः॑ पि॒तृभ्यः॑स्व॒धया॒ ते अ॑क्षन्न॒द्धि त्वं दे॑व॒ प्रय॑ता ह॒वींषि॑ ॥

Jataveda Agni, that is, the Ahavaniya, Garhapatya and Dakshinagni, yajnic fires of the householder, are a messenger, an agent on natural and divine duty, and this yajnic fire is sacred, worthy of adoration and service every morning and evening by the householders. O Jataveda Agni, sacred messenger, take to the pitaras the homage offered, let them share and consume it as their own rightful share, and you too have and consume your share of the offerings, O divine and refulgent fire.

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18.4.66

असौ॒ हा इ॒ह ते॒मनः॒ ककु॑त्सलमिव जा॒मयः॑। अ॒भ्ये᳡नं भूम ऊर्णुहि ॥

O father figure, let your mind be here at peace in the hermitage. O mother land, just as women of the home wrap a dear child in soft clothes, you too keep this hermit here and cover him with protection and sustenance and provide a soft and comfortable environment for him.

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18.4.67

शुम्भ॑न्तांलो॒काः पि॑तृ॒षद॑नाः पितृ॒षद॑ने त्वा लो॒क आ सा॑दयामि ॥

Let the hermitages for the residence of parental seniors and sages be bright and beautiful places. O father figure, I honour your Reverence in this beautiful hermitage with all the comfort and care you need

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18.4.68

ये॒स्माकं॑पि॒तर॒स्तेषां॑ ब॒र्हिर॑सि ॥

All those our father figures, seniors and sages who are among us, here is the seat and sustenance for them.

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18.4.69

उदु॑त्त॒मंव॑रुण॒ पाश॑म॒स्मदवा॑ध॒मं वि म॑ध्य॒मं श्र॑थाय। अधा॑ व॒यमा॑दित्य व्र॒ते तवाना॑गसो॒ अदि॑तयेस्याम ॥

O Varuna, lord of freedom and justice, loosen and untie our chains of bondage of the highest, medium and lowest order and let them drop from us. And then, O Aditya, lord of refulgent majesty, we shall be free from sin and crime, and, dedicated to your law and discipline, we shall be all for the service of mother Aditi, the lord’s inviolable creation and Nature’s law.

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18.4.70

प्रास्मत्पाशा॑न्वरुण मुञ्च॒ सर्वा॒न्यैः स॑मा॒मे ब॒ध्यते॒ यैर्व्या॒मे। अधा॑जीवेम श॒रदं॑ शतानि॒ त्वया॑ राजन्गुपि॒ता रक्ष॑माणाः ॥

O Varuna, remove and shed away all chains of bondage from us, chains by which the soul is tied in space and time, by laws made by man and laws of cosmic justice. And then, O lord self-refulgent, preserved, protected and promoted by you, we would live happy for a full hundred years.

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18.4.71

अ॒ग्नये॑कव्य॒वाह॑नाय स्व॒धा नमः॑ ॥

Homage and food for Agni, leading light of life and inspirer of reason, imagination and vision.

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18.4.72

सोमा॑य पितृ॒मते॑स्व॒धा नमः॑ ॥

Homage,food and best wishes, for the man blest and dedicated to father, mother and the sagely seniors

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18.4.73

पि॒तृभ्यः॒सोम॑वद्भ्यः स्व॒धा नमः॑ ॥

Homage, food and reverence, to parents, forefathers and seniors refulgent in peace and soma joy of life.

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18.4.74

य॒माय॑ पितृ॒मते॑स्व॒धा नमः॑ ॥

Homage, food and reverence, to Yama, man of law and justice dedicated to parents and seniors.

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18.4.75

ए॒तत्ते॑प्रततामह स्व॒धा ये च॒ त्वामनु॑ ॥

Homage of food and reverence, is here, O great grandfather, to you and yours with you.

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18.4.76

ए॒तत्ते॑ ततामहस्व॒धा ये च॒ त्वामनु॑ ॥

Here is homage of food and reverence, O grandfather, to you and yours with you.

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18.4.77

ए॒तत्ते॑ ततस्व॒धा ॥

Here is homage of food and reverence, O father, to you.

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18.4.78

स्व॒धापि॒तृभ्यः॑ पृथिवि॒षद्भ्यः॑ ॥

Homage of food and reverence, to parents and parental seniors on earth.

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18.4.79

स्व॑धापि॒तृभ्यो॑ अन्तरिक्ष॒सद्भ्यः॑ ॥

Homage of food and reverence, to parents and parental veterans, sojourners of the skies and intermediate space

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18.4.80

स्व॒धापि॒तृभ्यो॑ दिवि॒षद्भ्यः॑ ॥

Homage of food and reverence, to parents and parental veterans, sojourners of the light of heaven and the solar system.

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18.4.81

नमो॑ वः पितरऊ॒र्जे नमो॑ वः पितरो॒ रसा॑य ॥

Homage and salutations to you, parents and parental seniors, for energy. Homage to you, parents and parental seniors, for the beauty, pleasure and flavour of life.

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18.4.82

नमो॑ वः पितरो॒भामा॑य॒ नमो॑ वः पितरो म॒न्यवे॑ ॥

Homage and salutations to you, for blazing grandeur, homage and salutations to you, pitaras, for fiery passion.

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18.4.83

नमो॑ वः पितरो॒यद्घो॒रं तस्मै॒ नमो॑ वः पितरो॒ यत्क्रू॒रं तस्मै॑ ॥

Homage to you, O Pitaras, for all that was awesome about you, for all that was terrible and sublime.

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18.4.84

नमो॑ वः पितरो॒यच्छि॒वं तस्मै॒ नमो॑ वः पितरो॒ यत्स्यो॒नं तस्मै॑ ॥

Homage to you, O Pitaras, for all that is gracious and blissful about you, for all that is beautiful and inspiring with love.

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18.4.85

नमो॑ वः पितरःस्व॒धा वः॑ पितरः ॥

Homage to you, O Pitaras, sustainers of life. Food and reverence to you for replenishment, O pranic powers.

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18.4.86

येऽत्र॑ पि॒तरः॑पि॒तरो॒ येऽत्र॑ यू॒यं स्थ यु॒ष्मांस्तेऽनु॑ यू॒यं तेषां॒ श्रेष्ठा॑ भूयास्थ॥

All those pitaras that are and have been here on earth, and all of you, pitaras that are here right now, may they, be in harmony with you, and may you all be in harmony with them, and the best of them, and stay so too.

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18.4.87

य इ॒ह पि॒तरो॑जी॒वा इ॒ह व॒यं स्मः॑। अ॒स्माँस्तेऽनु॑ व॒यं तेषां॒ श्रेष्ठा॑ भूयास्म ॥

All those pitaras that are and have been here on earth, and all of us alive here right now, may they be in harmony with us, and may we be in harmony with them, and the best of them, and stay so too.

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18.4.88

आ त्वा॑ग्नइधीमहि द्यु॒मन्तं॑ देवा॒जर॑म्। यद्घ॒ सा ते॒ पनी॑यसी स॒मिद्दी॒दय॑ति॒ द्यवि॑।इषं॑ स्तो॒तृभ्य॒ आ भ॑र ॥

O light and fire divine of cosmic yajna, may we kindle and raise you here on earth and in the heart, bright, radiant, unaging and generous. And may that admirable fuel fire of yours, wondrous more and ever more, that shines and blazes in heaven as the sun, bring us food, energy and enlightenment to the celebrants.

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18.4.89

च॒न्द्रमा॑अ॒प्स्व१॒॑न्तरा सु॑प॒र्णो धा॑वते दि॒वि। न वो॑ हिरण्यनेमयः प॒दं वि॑न्दन्तिविद्युतो वि॒त्तं मे॑ अ॒स्य रो॑दसी ॥

The moon, celestial bird of golden wings, flies in the midst of spatial waters in the light of heaven. O lights and lightnings of heaven, O worlds of golden rings revolving in Infinite Divinity, mortals reach not the bounds of the Boundless. Let heaven and earth know of this, know this of me