v. 1. 5.

In that he digs he acts as it were harshly to this (earth); he pours water down, the waters are appeased; verily with the waters appeased he calms her pain. 'May for thee Vayu, Matariçvan unite', he says; Vayu is breath; verily with breath he unites her breath; 'may for thee Vayu', he says; therefore the rain speeds from the sky, made to fall by Vayu. 'To him, O goddess, be Vasat with thee' [1], he says; the seasons are six; verily upon the seasons he bestows rain; therefore in all the seasons it rains. If he were to utter the Vasat cry, his Vasat cry would be exhausted; if he were not to utter the Vasat cry, the Raksases would destroy the sacrifice; 'Vat', he says; verily, mysteriously he utters the Vasat cry; his Vasat cry is not exhausted, the Raksases do not destroy the sacrifice. 'Well born with light', (with these words) he ties up with an Anustubh verse; all the metres are the Anustubh [2], Agni's dear body is the metres; verily he encircles him with his dear body; likely to win a garment is he who knows thus. Agni when tied up is connected with Varuna; 'Arise, thou of fair sacrifice', 'Arise, erect, to aid us', with two (verses) addressed to Savitr he rises up; verily, instigated by Savitr, he sends aloft the wrath of Varuna that is in him; with two (verses) (he arises), for support. 'Born, thou art the child [3] of the two worlds, he says; the two worlds are these two (sky and earth), Agni is the child of the two; therefore he says thus. 'O Agni, brilliant, distributed among the plants', he says, for when they distribute him, then he becomes more brilliant. 'Thou didst come thundering from thy mothers', he says; his mothers are the plants; verily from them he makes him to fall. 'Be firm, of strong limbs', (with these words) he places (Agni) on the ass [4]; verily thereby he yokes it for strength. He gathers with the ass; therefore the ass is the best burden-gatherer of animals. He gathers with the ass; therefore the ass, even when grazing is bad, becomes fat beyond other animals, for by it they gather food and light. He gathers with the ass; therefore the ass, being of double seed, is born as the least of animals, for Agni burns his place of birth. Now he is mounted upon offspring [5], and is strong to burn with pain offspring. 'Be auspicious, for offspring', he says; verily he makes him calm for offspring. '(For offspring) of man, O Angiras', he says, for offspring are of men. 'Scorch not sky and earth, nor the atmosphere, nor the trees', he says; verily he makes him calm for these worlds. 'Let the steed advance, thundering', he says, for he is a steed. 'The sounding, the donkey, the flier' [6], he says, for the seers called him the 'donkey'. 'Bearing Agni of the dust', he says, for he bears Agni. 'May he fall not before his day', he says; verily he bestows life upon him; therefore an ass lives all its days; therefore are men afraid when an ass perishes before its day. 'The strong, bearing the strong Agni', he says, for he is strong, and Agni is strong. 'Germ of the waters [7], him of the ocean', he says, for Agni is the germ of the waters. 'O Agni, come hither for enjoyment', (at these words) the two worlds burst apart; in that he says, 'O Agni, come hither for enjoyment', it is for the separation (vityai) of these worlds. He, having left his place and not having reached a support, then thinks of the Adhvaryu and the sacrificer; 'holy order and truth', he says; holy order is this (earth), truth [8] is yonder (sky); verily in these two he establishes him, and neither the Adhvaryu nor the sacrificer is ruined. Agni when tied up, as Varuna, attacks the sacrificer; 'O plants, do ye accept Agni here', he says, for atonement. 'Casting aside all hostilities, all evil imaginings', he says, to smite away the Raksases. 'Sitting down, may he smite away from us misfortune', he says, for support. 'O plants, do ye rejoice [9] in him', he says; Agni's portion is the plants; verily he unites him with them. 'Rich in flowers and having fair leaves', he says; therefore plants produce fruit. 'This germ of yours, of due season, hath sat him in his ancient seat', he says; verily in those he establishes them from whom he makes him to fall. With two verses he deposits (it), for support.