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Indra opened the hole of
Vrtra; the topmost cattle he grasped by the back and pulled out; a thousand
cattle followed it, it became hump backed. He who desires cattle should offer
this humpbacked (one) to Indra; verily he has recourse to Indra with his own
share; verily he bestows cattle upon him; he becomes possessed of cattle. It is
humpbacked [1]; the hump backed is fortune a thousandfold; verily by fortune he
wins cattle. When he obtains a thousand cattle, he should offer a dwarf (beast)
to Visnu; upon it the thousand rested; therefore the dwarf, stretched out,
affords support to cattle when born. 'Who can obtain a thousand cattle?' they
say; verily he should make up a thousand days and nights and sacrifice. The
days and nights [2] are cattle; verily he gives support to cattle when born. He
who desires offspring should offer a barren cow to the plants, the plants
hinder him from offspring who being fit for offspring does not obtain
offspring; the plants indeed destroy the pregnancy of that one which becomes
barren, verily he has recourse to the plants with their own share; verily they
from his own self beget him offspring; he obtains offspring [3]. The plants are
the waters, man is what is not; verily the waters give him being from
non-existence; therefore they say, both he who knows thus and who (knows) not,
'The waters verily give being from non-existence.' He who desires prosperity
should offer to Indra (a cow) which is barren after one birth; he is unborn who
being fit for prosperity obtains it not; the (cow) became barren after bearing
Indra, [4]; verily he has recourse to Indra with his own share; verily he
causes him to attain prosperity; he prospers. He should offer to Indra (the
calf) through bearing which (the cow) became barren; that indeed is power (indriyá);
verily straightway he obtains power. He whose ancestors and himself for three
generations have not drunk Soma should offer (a bull) which has again been let
loose to Indra and Agni; the Soma drinking of a Brahman is interrupted if his
ancestors and himself for three generations have not drunk Soma [5]; verily he
has recourse to Indra and Agni with their own share; verily they bestow on him
the drinking of Soma, the drinking of Soma comes to him. In that it is offered
to Indra, the Soma drink is power; verily he wins power, the Soma-drink. In
that it is offered to Agni, the Brahman is connected with Agni, verily he
continues his own deity. It is let loose again, for his drinking of Soma is as
it were let loose again [6]; (verily it serves) for prosperity. When practising
witchcraft, he should offer a hornless (beast) to Brahmanaspati; verily he has
recourse to Brahmanaspati with his own share; verily he cuts him down to him;
swiftly he reaches destruction. It is a hornless one; prosperity is
razor-edged; in that it is hornless, (it serves) for prosperity. The
sacrificial post is shaped like a wooden sword; the wooden sword is a
thunderbolt; verily he hurls a thunderbolt against him; the strew is made of
Çara grass; verily he crushes him; the kindling-wood is of Vibhidaka; verily he
splits him.
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