विश्वे देवाः उपरिष्टादुब्जन्तो यन्त्वोजसा । मध्येन घ्नन्तो यन्तु सेनामङ्गिरसो महीम्
All the gods above spread the net with power; let the Angirases strike the army in the middle, and on the earth.
वनस्पतीन् वानस्पत्यान् ओषधीरुत वीरुधः । द्विपाच्चतुष्पादिष्णामि यथा सेनाममूं हनन्
The forest trees, the woodland beings, the herbs, and the grasses; the two-footed and the four-footed—I send them forth so that they may strike down that army.
गन्धर्वाप्सरसः सर्पान् देवान् पुण्यजनान् पितॄन् । दृष्टान् अदृष्टान् इष्णामि यथा सेनाममूं हनन्
The Gandharvas, Apsarases, serpents, gods, the blessed beings, and ancestors; the seen and the unseen—I send them forth so that they may strike down that army.
इम उप्ता मृत्युपाशा यान् आक्रम्य न मुच्यसे । अमुष्या हन्तु सेनाया इदं कूटं सहस्रशः
These are the snares of death that, once seized, do not release; may this pitfall, a thousandfold, destroy that army.
घर्मः समिद्धो अग्निनायं होमः सहस्रहः । भवश्च पृश्निबाहुश्च शर्व सेनाममूं हतम्
The heated libation is kindled with fire; this offering is made a thousand times. Bhava and Pṛśnibāhu, and Śarva, strike down that hostile army.
मृत्योराषमा पद्यन्तां क्षुधं सेदिं वधं भयम् । इन्द्रश्चाक्षुजालाभ्यां शर्व सेनाममूं हतम्
Let them fall into the grasp of death, into hunger, decay, slaughter, and fear. O Indra, with your two thunderbolts, and Śarva, strike down that hostile army.
पराजिताः प्र त्रसतामित्रा नुत्ता धावत ब्रह्मणा । बृहस्पतिप्रनुत्तानां मामीषां मोचि कश्चन
Let the enemies, defeated, flee in terror, driven away by the sacred word. Of those whom Bṛhaspati has repelled, let none among them release me.
अव पद्यन्तामेषामायुधानि मा शकन् प्रतिधामिषुम् । अथैषां बहु बिभ्यतामिषवः घ्नन्तु मर्मणि
Let their weapons fall down; let them not be able to aim an arrow at me. Then, as they tremble greatly, let their arrows strike their own vital parts.
सं क्रोशतामेनान् द्यावापृथिवी समन्तरिक्षं सह देवताभिः । मा ज्ञातारं मा प्रतिष्ठां विदन्त मिथो विघ्नाना उप यन्तु मृत्युम्
Let them cry out together; may heaven and earth, the midspace, with the deities, be against them. Let them not recognize their kin or their place; let obstacles come between them, and let them approach death.
दिशश्चतस्रोऽश्वतर्यो देवरथस्य पुरोडाशाः शफा अन्तरिक्षमुद्धिः । द्यावापृथिवी पक्षसी ऋतवोऽभीशवोऽन्तर्देशाः किम्करा वाक्परिरथ्यम्
The four directions are the horses, the sacrificial cakes are the foreparts of the divine chariot, the hooves are the midspace, the upper space is the yoke. Heaven and earth are the wings, the seasons are the reins, the regions between are the attendants, speech is the path around the chariot.
संवत्सरो रथः परिवत्सरो रथोपस्थो विराडीषाग्नी रथमुखम् । इन्द्रः सव्यष्ठाश्चन्द्रमाः सारथिः
The year is the chariot, the half-year is the chariot's seat, the shining ones are the fires at the chariot's front. Indra is the left shaft, the Moon is the charioteer.
इतो जयेतो वि जय सं जय जय स्वाहा । इमे जयन्तु परामी जयन्तां स्वाहैभ्यो दुराहामीभ्यः । नीललोहितेनामून् अभ्यवतनोमि
From here, conquer, surpass, unite, and be victorious—svāhā! May these win, may my adversaries be overcome—svāhā! I subdue them with the blue-red one.
कुतस्तौ जातौ कतमः सो अर्धः कस्माल्लोकात्कतमस्याः पृथिव्याः । वत्सौ विराजः सलिलादुदैतां तौ त्वा पृछामि कतरेण दुग्धा
From where were those two born? Which is that half? From which world, from which part of the earth? The two calves of Virāj arose from the waters; I ask you, by which one were they milked?
यो अक्रन्दयत्सलिलं महित्वा योनिं कृत्वा त्रिभुजं शयानः । वत्सः कामदुघो विराजः स गुहा चक्रे तन्वः पराचैः
He who made the waters cry out in greatness, having made the womb, lying with three bends— the wish-fulfilling calf, Virāj, he made his forms hidden away.
यानि त्रीणि बृहन्ति येषां चतुर्थं वियुनक्ति वाचम् । ब्रह्मैनद्विद्यात्तपसा विपश्चिद्यस्मिन्न् एकं युज्यते यस्मिन्न् एकम्
Those three great ones, of whom the fourth divides speech—let the wise one know this by sacred knowledge and austerity, in which the one is yoked, in which the one is.
बृहतः परि सामानि षष्ठात्पञ्चाधि निर्मिता । बृहद्बृहत्या निर्मितं कुतोऽधि बृहती मिता
Around the great one, the Sāmans are arranged, five above the sixth. The great is made from the great one; from where is the great meter measured?
बृहती परि मात्राया मातुर्मात्राधि निर्मिता । माया ह जज्ञे मायाया मायाया मातली परि
The great meter is measured by the measure, made above the mother's measure. Māyā was born from Māyā; Mātalī is around Māyā.
वैश्वानरस्य प्रतिमोपरि द्यौर्यावद्रोदसी विबबाधे अग्निः । ततः षष्ठादामुतो यन्ति स्तोमा उदितो यन्त्यभि षष्ठमह्नः
Upon the likeness of Vaiśvānara, heaven pressed down upon both worlds; Agni restrained them. From the sixth, the hymns proceed; those that have arisen go toward the sixth day.
षट् त्वा पृच्छाम ऋषयः कश्यपेमे त्वं हि युक्तं युयुक्षे योग्यं च । विराजमाहुर्ब्रह्मणः पितरं तां नो वि धेहि यतिधा सखिभ्यः
Six questions we ask you, O seer Kaśyapa, for you are fit and have yoked what is to be yoked. They call Virāj the father of Brahman; assign that to us as a share among friends.
यां प्रच्युतामनु यज्ञाः प्रच्यवन्त उपतिष्ठन्त उपतिष्ठमानाम् । यस्या व्रते प्रसवे यक्षमेजति सा विराडृषयः परमे व्योमन्
That which, when fallen away, the sacrifices follow, approaching her who is being approached—by whose vow, by whose impulse, the yakṣa moves—she is Virāj, the seers in the highest heaven.
अप्राणैति प्राणेन प्राणतीनां विराट्स्वराजमभ्येति पश्चात्। विश्वं मृशन्तीमभिरूपां विराजं पश्यन्ति त्वे न त्वे पश्यन्त्येनाम्
She who is without breath goes with the breath of the breathing; Virāj, the sovereign, comes after. All, examining her, see the beautiful Virāj—some see her, some do not.
को विराजो मिथुनत्वं प्र वेद क ऋतून् क उ कल्पमस्याः । क्रमान् को अस्याः कतिधा विदुग्धान् को अस्या धाम कतिधा व्युष्टीः
Who knows the duality of Virāj? Who knows her seasons, who her order? Who knows her steps, how many times she has been milked? Who knows her abode, how many dawns she has?
{२२} इयमेव सा या प्रथमा व्यौच्छदास्वितरासु चरति प्रविष्टा । महान्तो अस्यां महिमानो अन्तर्वधूर्जिगाय नवगज्जनित्री
This indeed is she, the first among them, who moves among the others, having entered in; great are her powers within her—she, the bride, has prevailed, the mother of nine generations.
छन्दःपक्षे उषसा पेपिशाने समानं योनिमनु सं चरेते । सूर्यपत्नी सं चरतः प्रजानती केतुमती अजरे भूरिरेतसा
In the waxing phase of the moon, the Dawns shine forth, moving together to the same womb; the wife of the Sun moves together, knowing, adorned with signs, ageless, rich in seed.
ऋतस्य पन्थामनु तिस्र आगुस्त्रयो घर्मा अनु रेत आगुः । प्रजामेका जिन्वत्यूर्जमेका राष्ट्रमेका रक्षति देवयूनाम्
Three have come along the path of truth; three hot seasons have come along with the seed; one brings forth offspring, one brings strength, one protects the realm of the gods.
अग्नीषोमावदधुर्या तुरीयासीद्यज्ञस्य पक्षावृषयः कल्पयन्तः । गायत्रीं त्रिष्टुभं जगतीमनुष्टुभं बृहदर्कीं यजमानाय स्वराभरन्तीम्
Agni and Soma established her as the fourth, as the two wings of the sacrifice, arranging the stallions; Gayatri, Trishtubh, Jagati, Anushtubh, and Brihati—these meters, bearing sound for the sacrificer.
पञ्च व्युष्टीरनु पञ्च दोहा गां पञ्चनाम्नीमृतवोऽनु पञ्च । पञ्च दिशः पञ्चदशेन कॢप्तास्ता एकमूर्ध्नीरभि लोकमेकम्
Five dawnings, five milkings, the cow of five names, five seasons follow after five; the five directions are arranged with the fifteenth, all with one head, encompassing the one world.
षड्जाता भूता प्रथमजा ऋतस्य षडु सामानि षडहं वहन्ति । षड्योगं सीरमनु सामसाम षडााहुर्द्यावापृथिवीः षडुर्वीः
Six beings are born, the firstborn of truth; six are the Saman hymns, six days they carry; following the sixfold connection, the Sama upon Sama; they say the heavens and earth are six, and six are the wide spaces.
षडाहुः शीतान् षडु मास उष्णान् ऋतुं नो ब्रूत यतमोऽतिरिक्तः । सप्त सुपर्णाः कवयो नि षेदुः सप्त छन्दांस्यनु सप्त दीक्षाः
They say there are six cold seasons, and six hot months; tell us, O season, which one is in excess; seven swans, the sages, have settled down, seven meters, and after them, seven initiations.
सप्त होमाः समिधो ह सप्त मधूनि सप्त ऋतवो ह सप्त । सप्ताज्यानि परि भूतमायन् ताः सप्तगृध्रा इति शुश्रुमा वयम्
Seven offerings, seven kindling sticks, indeed, seven sweet things, seven seasons, indeed, seven; seven clarified butters have encompassed the being—these are the seven vultures, so we have heard.