A charm to accompany the symbolical loosing of sacrificial victims

Hymns of the Atharva Veda, by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1895], at sacred-texts.com

p. a239

HYMN LXXXIV

A charm to accompany the symbolical loosing of sacrificial victims

1Thou in whose dread mouth I present oblation, that these bound
   victims may obtain their freedom,
  The people deem that thou art Earth: I know thee thoroughly,
   and I say thou art Destruction.
2Be thou enriched, O Welfare, with oblations, here among us is
   thine allotted portion.
  Free—Hail to thee!—from sin those here and yonder.
3Do thou, Destruction, thus, without a rival, release us from the
   iron bonds that hind us.
  To me doth Yama verily restore thee. To him, to Yama, yea, to
  Death be worship!
4Thou hast been fastened to an iron pillar, here compassed with
   a thousand deaths around thee.
  In full accord with Yama and the Fathers, send this man up-
   ward to the loftiest heaven.