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'On the instigation of god
Savitr (with these words) he takes up the pressing-stone, for instigation,
'with the arms of the Açvins', he says; for the Açvins were the Adhvaryus of
the gods; 'with the hands of Pusan', he says, for support. The Soma is cattle,
the Upançu pressing-(stone) is cross breathing; in that he measures round the
Upançu pressing-(stone), he confers cross-breathing upon cattle. 'To Indra
thee! To Indra thee!' (with these words) he measures, for the Soma is taken for
Indra. Five times he measures with the text [1]; the Pankti has five syllables,
the sacrifice is fivefold, verily he wins the sacrifice. Five times (he
measures) in silence; these make up ten; the Viraj has ten syllables, the Viraj
is food; verily he wins food by the Viraj. 'Ye are savoury, conquerors of
Vrtra', he says; this is the Soma-drinking of the waters; he who knows thus
reaches not destruction in the waters. 'With thy light which is in the sky', he
says; verily from these worlds he gathers him [2]. Soma, the king, reflected on
the quarters, he entered the quarters; 'forward, behind, upward, downward', he
says, verily from the quarters he gathers him; verily also he wins the quarters
for him. 'O mother, come forth', he says; women are likely to desire him who
knows thus. 'Thy unerring, watchful name, O Soma', he says [3]; this is Soma's
Soma-drinking; he who knows thus reaches not destruction from Soma. When they
press Soma they kill him; he keeps back shoots; verily he protects him. The
shoots are the vital airs, Soma is cattle; he later lets go the shoots; verily
he bestows vital airs upon cattle; two by two he lets them go; therefore the
vital airs are in pairs.
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