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'Along the eastern quarter
do thou advance, wise one', he says; verily with this (verse) he moves to the
world of heaven. 'Mount ye, with Agni, to the vault', he says; verily with this
he mounts these worlds. 'From earth have I mounted to the atmosphere,' he says;
verily with it he mounts these worlds. 'Going to the heaven they look not
away', he says; verily he goes to the world of heaven. 'O Agni, advance [1]
first of worshippers', he says; verily with it he bestows eyesight upon both
gods and men. He steps upon (the altar) with five (verses); the sacrifice is
fivefold; verily he goes to the world of heaven with the full extent of the
sacrifice. 'Night and dawn', he recites as the Puronuvakya, for preparation. O
Agni, of a thousand eyes', he says; Prajapati is of a thousand; (verily it
serves) to obtain Prajapati. 'To thee as such let us pay honour; to strength
hail!' he says; strength is food; verily he wins food [2]. He offers on the
naturally perforated brick (a ladle) of Udumbara wood filled with curds; curds
are strength, the Udumbara is strength, the naturally perforated is yonder
(sky); verily he places strength in yonder (sky); therefore we live on strength
coming hitherward from yonder. He puts (it) in place with three (verses); the
fire is threefold; verily be makes the whole extent of the fire attain support.
'Enkindled, O Agni, shine before us', (with these words) he takes (the
kindling-stick) of Udumbara wood; this is a pipe with projections; by it [3]
the gods made piercings of hundreds of the Asuras; in that he takes up the
kindling-stick with this (verse), the sacrificer hurls the hundred-slaying
(verse) as a bolt at his enemy, to lay him low without fail. 'Let us pay homage
to thee in thy highest birth, O Agni ', (with these words) he takes up (the
kindling-stick) of Vikankata wood; verily he wins radiance. 'That various of
Savitr, the adorable', (with these words) be takes up (the kindling-stick) of
Çami wood, for soothing. The fire milks the piler-up of the fire; the piler-up,
milks the fire; 'that [4] various of Savitr, the adorable', he says; this is
the milking of the fire. This of it Kanva Çrayasa knew, and with it he was wont
to milk it; in that be takes up the kindling-stick with the verse, the piler-up
of the fire milks the fire. 'Seven are thy kindling-sticks, O Agni, seven
tongues'; verily he delights seven sevens of his. With a full (ladle) he offers,
for Prajapati is as it were full, to obtain Prajapati [5]. He offers with a
half-filled (ladle), for from the half-filled Prajapati created creatures, for
the creation of offspring. Agni departed from the gods; he entered the
quarters; he who sacrifices should think in his mind of the quarters; verily
from the quarters he wins him; with curds he offers at first, with butter
afterwards; verily he bestows upon him brilliance and power in accord. There is
(an offering) to Vaiçvanara on twelve potsherds; the year has twelve months,
Agni Vaiçvanara is the year; verily straightway [6] he wins Vaiçvanara. If he
were to offer the fore- and after-sacrifices, there would be a bursting of the
sacrifice; he offers an oblation with a ladle, for the support of the
sacrifice. Vaiçvanara is the kingly power, the Maruts the people; having
offered the offering to Vaiçvanara, he offers those to the Maruts; verily he
attaches the people to the kingly power. He utters aloud (the direction to the
Agnidh) for Vaiçvanara, he offers the offerings of the Maruts muttering;
therefore the kingly power speaks above the people. (The offerings) are for the
Maruts; the people of the gods are the Maruts; verily he wins for him by the
people of the gods the people among men. There are seven; the Maruts are in
seven troops; verily in troops he wins the people for him; running over troop
by troop he offers; verily he makes the people obedient to him.
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