i. 6. 11.

He who knows the seventeenfold Prajapati as connected with the sacrifice rests secure through the sacrifice, and falls not away from the sacrifice. 'Do thou proclaim' has four syllables; 'Be it proclaimed' has four syllables; 'Utter' has two syllables; 'We that do utter' has five syllables; the Vasat has two syllables; this is the seventeenfold Prajapati as connected with the sacrifice; he who knows thus rests secure through the sacrifice and does not fall away from the sacrifice. He who knows the beginning, the support, the end of the sacrifice [1] reaches the end with a secure and uninjured sacrifice. 'Do thou proclaim'; 'Be it proclaimed'; 'Utter'; 'We that do utter'; the Vasat call, these are the beginning, the support, the end of the sacrifice; he who knows thus reaches the end with a secure and uninjured sacrifice. He who knows the milking of the generous one milks her indeed. The generous one is the sacrifice; (with the words) 'Do thou proclaim', he calls her; with 'Be it proclaimed' [2], he lets (the calf) go up to her; with 'Utter', he raises (the pail); with 'We that do utter', he sits down beside her, and with the Vasat call he milks. This is the milking of the generous one; he who knows thus milks her indeed. The gods performed a sacrificial session; the quarters were dried up; they discerned this moist set of five; (with the words) 'Do thou proclaim', they produced the east wind; with 'Be it proclaimed', they caused the clouds to mass together; with 'Utter' they begat [3] the lightning; with 'We that do sacrifice' they made rain to fall, and with the Vasat call they caused the thunder to roll. Then for them the quarters were made to swell; for him who knows thus the quarters are made to swell. One knows Prajapati, Prajapati knows one; whom Prajapati knows, he becomes pure. This is the Prajapati of the texts, 'Do thou proclaim', 'Be it proclaimed', 'Utter', 'We that do utter', the Vasat call; he who knows thus becomes pure. 'Of the seasons spring [4] I delight', he says; the fore-sacrifices are the seasons; verily he delights the seasons; they delighted place themselves in order for him; the seasons are in order for him who knows thus. 'By sacrifice to the gods, Agni and Soma, may I be possessed of sight', he says; the sacrifice is possessed of sight through Agni and Soma; verily by means of them he confers sight upon himself. 'By sacrifice to the god Agni, may I be an eater of food', he says; Agni is among the gods the eater of food; verily by means of him [5] he confers the eating of food upon himself. 'Thou art a deceiver; may I be undeceived; may I deceive N. N.', he says; by that deceit the gods deceived the Asuras; verily by this he deceives his foe. 'By sacrifice to the gods, Agni and Soma, may I be a slayer of foes', he says; by means of Agni and Soma Indra slew Vrtra; verily by means of them he lays low his foe. 'By sacrifice to the gods, Indra and Agni, may I be powerful and an eater of food', he says; verily he becomes powerful and an eater of food. 'By sacrifice to the god Indra, may I be powerful', he says; verily he becomes powerful. 'By sacrifice to the god Mahendra, may I attain superiority and greatness', he says; verily he attains superiority and greatness. 'By sacrifice to the god Agni Svistakrt, may I attain security through the sacrifice, enjoying long life', he says; verily he confers long life upon himself and attains security through the sacrifice.