v. 5. 9.

a O Agni, the ocean, thy arrow called the young, with it be gentle
to us; homage to this of thine; may we prosper, living on this of thine.
b O Agni, the boisterous; c the abysmal; d the strong; e the desirable;
thy arrow called young, with it be gentle to us; homage to this of thine;
may we prosper, living on this of thine.

f The layers are the five Agnis, the first is the ocean by name, the second the boisterous [1], the third the abysmal, the fourth the strong, the fifth the desirable; if he were not to offer libations to them they would burn the Adhvaryu and the sacrificer; in that he offers these libations, verily he soothes them with their proper portion; neither Adhvaryu nor sacrificer goes to ruin.

g May speech be mine in the mouth, breath in the nostrils, sight in the eyes, hearing in the ears, might in the arms, force in the thighs, may all my members be uninjured; may thy body [2] be with my body; homage to thee; harm me not.

h The breaths depart from him who piling the fire steps down on it; 'May speech be mine in the mouth, breath in the nostrils', he says; verily he bestows the breaths on himself.

i The Rudra in the fire, in the waters, in the plants, the Rudra that hath entered all beings, to that Rudra be homage.

k Some Rudras have shares in the libations (ahuti), others have shares in the oblations (havis) [3]; having offered the Çatarudriya, he should put down on the last brick an oblation of Gavidhuka; verily he soothes him with his portion. 'For him indeed is the Çatarudriya offered in truth', they say, 'for whom this (oblation) is made on the fire.'

l May the Vasus, with the Rudras, protect thee on the east; may the Pitrs whose lord is Yama, with the Pitrs, protect thee on the south; may the Adityas, with the All-gods, protect thee on the west; may Dyutana Maruta, with the Maruts, protect thee on the north [4]; may the gods, whose chief is Indra, protect thee from below and from above.

m It is not purified, nor made worthy of sacrifice, nor really anointed, if it is anointed before this point; in that he anoints it with ghee after it has been piled, thereby is it purified, made worthy of sacrifice and really anointed.