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He offers to the
kindling-sticks; verily he wins spring among the seasons. He offers to
Tanunapat; verily he wins the hot season. He offers to the oblations; verily he
wins the rains. He offers to the sacrificial strew, verily lie wins autumn. He
offers with the cry of 'Hail!'; verily he wins the winter. Therefore in winter
animals over which the cry of 'Hail!' is raised perish. He offers to the
kindling-sticks; verily he wins the dawns of the goddesses. He offers to
Tanunapat; verily he wins the sacrifice [1]. He offers to the oblations; verily
he wins cattle. He offers to the sacrificial strew; verily he wins offspring. He
takes (the oblation) from the Upabhrt. The oblation is brilliance, the
sacrificial strew off spring; verily he places brilliance in offspring. He
offers with the cry of 'Hail!'; verily he wins speech. They make up ten, the
Viraj has ten syllables, the Viraj is food; verily he wins food by the Viraj. He
offers to the kindling-sticks; verily he finds support in this world. He offers
to Tanunapat [2]; verily in the sacrifice and in the atmosphere he finds
support. He offers to the oblations; verily in cattle he finds support. He
offers to the sacrificial strew; verily he finds support in the paths that lead
to the gods. He offers with the cry of 'Hail!'; verily he finds support in the
world of heaven. So many are the worlds of the gods; verily in them in order he
finds support. The gods and the Asuras contended as to these worlds. The gods
by the fore-sacrifices drove the Asuras away from these worlds; that is why the
fore-sacrifices [3] are so called. He for whom knowing thus are offered the
fore-sacrifices, drives his enemy away from these worlds. He offers stepping
near, for conquest. He who knows the pairing of the fore sacrifices is propagated
with offspring, with cattle, with pairings. He offers to the kindling-sticks as
many, to Tanunapat as one, and that makes a pair. He offers to the
kindling-sticks as many, to the sacrificial strew as one, and that makes a
pair. That is the pairing of the fore-sacrifices. He who knows thus [4] is
propagated with offspring, with cattle, with pairings. These deities were not
sacrificed to by the gods; then the Asuras were fain to harm the sacrifice. The
gods divided the Gayatri, five syllables in front and three behind. Then the
sacrifice was protected, and the sacrificer. In that the fore- and
after-sacrifices are offered, protection is afforded to the sacrifice and to
the sacrificer, for the overcoming of the enemy. Therefore a covering is larger
in front and smaller behind. The gods thought that the sacrifice must be
completed (in the fore-sacrifice) before the Raksases [5] with the cry of
'Hail!' They completed it with the cry of 'Hail!' in the fore-sacrifices. They
split the sacrifice who complete it with the cry of 'Hail!' in the
fore-sacrifices. Having offered the fore sacrifices he sprinkles the oblations,
for the continuity of the sacrifice; then verily he makes the oblation, and
then he proceeds in order. The fore-sacrifices are the father, the
after-sacrifices the son; in that having offered the fore-sacrifices he
sprinkles the oblations, the father makes common property with the son [6]. Therefore
they say, who know it or who know not, 'How is it the son's only, how is the
father's common?' That which spills when the fore-sacrifices are offered is not
really spilt. The Gayatri conceives through it, and produces offspring and
cattle for the sacrificer.
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