Book XXIII

The Texts of the White Yajurveda, tr. Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1899], at sacred-texts.com

p. 210

BOOK THE TWENTY-THIRD.

IN the beginning rose Hiranyagarbha, etc:
2 Taken upon a base art thou. I take thee welcome to Prajâpati.
This is thy place: Sûrya thy majesty.
The majesty that has accrued to thee in the day, in a year,
that majesty which has accrued in the wind, in the firmament,
to that majesty of thine, to Prajâpati, to the Gods,
All-hail!
3 Who, by his, grandeur hath become sole Ruler of all the.
moving world that breathes and slumbers;
He who is Sovran of these men and cattle—what God shall
we adore with our oblation?
4 Taken upon a base art thou. I take thee welcome to Prajâpati,
This is thy place: the Moon thy majesty.
Thy majesty that has accrued to thee by night, in a year,
thy majesty that has accrued in the earth, in Agni, in the
stars and in the Moon, to that majesty of thine, to Prajâpati
and to the Gods, All-hail!
5 They who stand round hills as he moves harness the bright,
the ruddy Steed:
The lights are shining in the sky.
6 On both sides to the car they yoke the two. Bay Coursers
dear to him,
Bold; tawny, bearers of the Chief.
7 When, swift as wind, the Horse has reached the form that
Indra loves, the flood,
Again, O singer, by this path bring thou our Courser hitherward.

p. 211

8 Let the Vasus anoint thee with Gâyatrî metre. Let the
Rudras anoint thee with Trishtup metre. Let the Âdityas
anoint thee with Jagatî metre. Earth! Ether! Heaven!
O Gods, eat this food, parched grains and groats in the
product of barley and in the product of cows: eat this
food, Prajâpati.
9 Who moveth single and alone? Who is brought forth to life
again?
What is the remedy of cold, or what the great receptacle?
10 The Sun moves single and alone. The Moon is brought to
life again,
Fire is the remedy of cold; Earth is the great receptacle.
11 What was the antecedent thought? What was the bird of
mighty size?
The slippery matron, who was she? Who was the
reddish-coloured one?
12 Heaven was the antecedent thought. The Courser was the
mighty bird.
The slippery matron was the earth, Night was the
reddish-coloured one.
13 Vâyu help thee with cooked viands! Blackneck with goats;
Nyagrodha with cups; Salmali with increase; this Stallion
here, good for the chariot—let him verily come with
his four feet. Brahmâkrishna help us! Obeisance to Agni!

p. 212

14 The car is fitted with the rein, the steed is fitted with the rein.
Fitted in waters, water-born, is Brahmâ following Soma's lead.
15 Steed, from thy body, of thyself, sacrifice and accept thyself.
Thy greatness can be gained by none but thee.
16 No, here thou diest not, thou art not injured: only by
fair paths to the Gods thou guest,
May Savitar the God in that world place thee where dwell
the pious, whether they have journeyed.
17 Agni was the victim. With him they sacrificed. He won this
world in which Agni is. This shall become thy world.
This shalt thou win. Drink these waters. Vâyu was the
victim. With him they sacrificed. He won this world
in which Vâyu is. This shall become, etc., as above.
Sûrya was the victim, etc, He won the world in which
Sûrya is. This shall become, etc.
18 To vital breath, Hail! To out-breathing, Hail! To diffusive
breath, Hail!
Ambâ! Ambikâ! Ambâlikâ! No one is taking me away.
The sorry horse will lie beside another, as Subhadrâ, the
dweller in Kâmpila.

p. 213

19 Thee we invoke, troop-lord of troops, Thee we invoke, the
loved ones’ lord.
Thee, lord of treasures, we invoke. My precious wealth!
.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
32 Now have I glorified with praise strong Dadhikrâvan,
conquering steed,
Sweet may he make our mouths: may he prolong the days
we have to live.
33 Gâyatrî, Trishtup, Jagatî, and Pankti with Anushtup joined,
Brihatî, Kakup, Ushnihâ pacify thee with needle-points!
34 Two-footed, those that have four feet, those with three feet
and those with five,
Metteless, with one metre; these pacify thee with needle-points!
35 May Mahânâmnîs, Revatîs, all far-spread Regions of the sky,
Voices, and lightnings from the cloud pacify thee with needle-points!
36 May married dames of human birth skilfully separate thy hair:
The Regions, Consorts of the Gods, pacify thee with needle-points!

p. 214

37 They, made of silver, gold, and lead, are used as helpers in
the work.
As lines on the strong Courser's skin may they console and
give thee rest.
38 What then? As men whose fields are full of barley, etc., as
in X. 32.
39 Who flays thee? Who dissects thee? Who prepares thy limbs
for sacrifice?
Who is the Sage that slaughters thee?
40 In due time let the seasons as thy Slaughterers divide thy
joints,
And with the splendour of the Year sacrifice thee with holy
rites.
41 Let the Half-months and let the Months, while sacrificing,
flay thy limbs:
Let Day and Night and Maruts mend each fault in sacrificing
thee.
42 Let the divine Adhvaryus flay thy body and dissect thy
frame,
And let the sacrificing lines prepare thy members joint by
joint,
43 May Sky, Earth, Air, and Wind supply each failing and
defect of thine:
May Sûrya with the Stars of heaven duly prepare a world
for thee.
44 Well be it with thine upper parts, well be it with the parts
below!
Well he it with thy bones and with thy marrow and with all
thy frame!
45 Who moveth singly? etc., as in verse 9.
46 The Sun moves singly, etc., as in verse 10.
47 What lustre is like Sûrya's light? What lake is equal to the
Sea?

p. 215

What is more spacious than the Earth? What thing is that
which naught can mete?
48 Brahma is lustre like the Sea. Heaven is a flood to match
the Sea.
Indra is vaster than the Earth. Beyond all measure is the
Cow.
49 Friend of the Gods, I ask, for information, if thou in spirit
hast obtained the knowledge,
Hath Vishnu this whole Universe pervaded in the three steps
wherein the God is worshipped?
50 I also am in those three steps of Vishnu wherewith this Universe
he permeated.
The earth and heaven I circle in a moment and this heaven's
summit with a single organ.
51 What are the things which Purusha hath entered? What
things hath Purusha contained within him?
This riddle we propound to thee, O Brahman. Why dost
thou give no answer to my question?
52 Within five things hath Purusha found entrance; these
Purusha hath within himself connected.
This is the thought which I return in answer. Thou art
not my superior in wisdom.
53 What was the antecedent thought? etc., as in verse 11.
54 Heaven was the antecedent thought, etc., as in 12.
55 Who, tell me, is the yellowish she? Who is the darkly-
yellowish?
Who moves with rapid spring and bound? Who glides and
winds along the path?

p. 216

56 The she-goat, Sir, is yellowish, dark-yellowish is the porcupine.
The hare moves swift with leap and bound: the snake creeps
winding on the path.
57 How many different forms hath this, how many syllables,
burnt-oblations, brands for kindling?
Here, of the rites of sacrifice I ask thee. How many Hotars
in due season worship?
68 Sixfold its form, its syllables a hundred, eighty burnt-offerings,
just three brands for kindling.
To thee I tell the rites of sacrificing. Seven Hotars worship
in appointed season.
59 Who knoweth this world's central point? Who knoweth the
heaven, the earth, and the wide air between them?
Who knows the birthplace of the mighty Sûrya? Who knows
the Moon, whence he was generated?
60 I know the centre of the world about us. I know heaven,
earth, and the wide air between them.
I know the birthplace of the mighty Sûrya. I know the
Moon, whence he was generated.
61 I ask thee of the earth's extremest limit, where is the
centre of the world, I ask thee.
I ask thee of the Stallion's genial humour, I ask of highest
heaven where Speech abideth.
62 This altar is the earth's extremest limit; this sacrifice of
ours is the world's centre.
This Soma is the Stallion's genial humour, this Brahman
highest heaven where Speech abideth.

p. 217

63 The Strong, the Self-existent One, the First, within the
mighty flood
Laid down the timely embryo from which Prajâpati was born.
64 Let the Hotar sacrifice to Prajâpati from the Mahiman-Soma.
Let him accept. Let him drink the Soma. Hotar, sacrifice.
65 Prajâpati, thou only, etc., as in X. 20.