आच्या जानु दक्षिणतो निषद्येदं नो हविरभि गृणन्तु विश्वे । मा हिंसिष्ट पितरः केन चिन् नो यद्व आगः पुरुषता कराम
Sitting with the right knee bent, let all the gods accept this our offering; let not the Fathers harm us in any way, for whatever human error we may have committed.
त्वष्टा दुहित्रे वहतुं कृणोति तेनेदं विश्वं भुवनं समेति । यमस्य माता पर्युह्यमाना महो जाया विवस्वतो ननाश
Tvaṣṭṛ makes a husband for his daughter; by this, the whole world is united. The mother of Yama, being embraced, vanished as the wife of Vivasvat in greatness.
प्रेहि प्रेहि पथिभिः पूर्याणैर्येना ते पूर्वे पितरः परेताः । उभा राजानौ स्वधया मदन्तौ यमं पश्यासि वरुणं च देवम्
Go forth, go forth on the ancient paths by which your forefathers have departed. There you will see Yama and Varuṇa, both kings, rejoicing in their own domain.
अपेत वीत वि च सर्पतातोऽस्मा एतं पितरो लोकमक्रन् । अहोभिरद्भिरक्तुभिर्व्यक्तं यमो ददात्यवसानमस्मै
Depart, move away, scatter in all directions; our Fathers have made this world for him. By days, by waters, by nights, clearly Yama grants him his resting place.
उशन्तस्त्वेधीमह्युशन्तः समिधीमहि । उशन्न् उशत आ वह पितॄन् हविषे अत्तवे
With brightness we kindle you, with brightness we set you ablaze. O bright one, bring the Fathers here to the offering, to the sacrificial fire.
द्युमन्तस्त्वेधीमहि द्युमन्तः समिधीमहि । द्युमान् द्युमत आ वह पितॄन् हविषे अत्तवे
With radiance we kindle you, with radiance we set you ablaze. O radiant one, bring the radiant Fathers here to the offering, to the sacrificial fire.
अङ्गिरसो नः पितरो नवग्वा अथर्वाणो भृगवः सोम्यासः । तेषां वयं सुमतौ यज्ञियानामपि भद्रे सौमनसे स्याम
May the Angirases, our Fathers, the Navagvas, the Atharvans, the Bhṛgus, the Soma-rich ones—may we be in the good favor and gracious mind of these worthy of sacrifice.
अङ्गिरोभिर्यज्ञियैरा गहीह यम वैरूपैरिह मादयस्व । विवस्वन्तं हुवे यः पिता तेऽस्मिन् बर्हिष्या निषद्य
Come here, Yama, with the worthy Angirases, delight here with the multiform ones. I call Vivasvat, your father; sit here on this sacred grass.
इमं यम प्रस्तरमा हि रोहाङ्गिरोभिः पितृभिः संविदानः । आ त्वा मन्त्राः कविशस्ता वहन्त्वेना राजन् हविषो मादयस्व
Do not ascend this sacred grass, O Yama, but join with the Angirases and the Fathers. To you, O king, let the hymns composed by the sages bring you; rejoice in this offering.
इत एत उदारुहन् दिवस्पृष्ठान्वारुहन् । प्र भूर्जयो यथा पथा द्यामङ्गिरसो ययुः
From here they have ascended, they have risen to the heights of heaven. As victorious ones, as on a path, the Angirases have gone to the sky.
18.2 यमाय सोमः पवते यमाय क्रियते हविः । यमं ह यज्ञो गच्छत्यग्निदूतो अरंकृतः
For Yama, Soma is purified; for Yama, the offering is made. To Yama, indeed, the sacrifice goes, sent by Agni as messenger, well prepared.
यमाय मधुमत्तमं जुहोता प्र च तिष्ठत । इदं नम ऋषिभ्यः पूर्वजेभ्यः पूर्वेभ्यः पथिकृद्भ्यः
Offer the sweetest honeyed oblation to Yama, and stand forth. This is homage to the ancient seers, to the forefathers, to those who made the paths before us.
यमाय घृतवत्पयो राज्ञे हविर्जुहोतन । स नो जीवेष्वा यमेद्दीर्घमायुः प्र जीवसे
Offer to Yama, the king, the oblation of ghee and milk. May he grant us long life among the living, for the sake of living on.
मैनमग्ने वि दहो माभि शूशुचो मास्य त्वचं चिक्षिपो मा शरीरम् । शृतं यदा करसि जातवेदोऽथेमेनं प्र हिणुतात्पितॄंरुप
Do not burn him up, O Agni, do not scorch him fiercely, do not consume his skin or his body. When you have cooked him, O Jātavedas, then send him forth to the Fathers.
यदा शृतं कृणवो जातवेदोऽथेममेनं परि दत्तात्पितृभ्यः । यदो गछात्यसुनीतिमेतामथ देवानां वशनीर्भवाति
When you have cooked him, O Jātavedas, then deliver him over to the Fathers. If he goes to the path of unrighteousness, then he becomes subject to the powers of the gods.
त्रिकद्रुकेभिः पवते षडुर्वीरेकमिद्बृहत्। त्रिष्टुब्गायत्री छन्दांसि सर्वा ता यम आर्पिता
With the three Kadrus, Soma is purified; with six broad vessels, this great one. All the meters—Triṣṭubh, Gāyatrī—are offered to Yama.
सूर्यं चक्षुषा गच्छ वातमात्मना दिवं च गच्छ पृथिवीं च धर्मभिः । अपो वा गच्छ यदि तत्र ते हितमोषधीषु प्रति तिष्ठा शरीरैः
Go with your eye to the sun, with your breath to the wind; go to heaven and to earth by righteousness. Or go to the waters if that is your wish; remain among the plants with your body.
अजो भागस्तपसस्तं तपस्व तं ते शोचिस्तपतु तं ते अर्चिः । यास्ते शिवास्तन्वो जातवेदस्ताभिर्वहैनं सुकृतामु लोकम्
The unborn portion is of austerity; practice austerity for that. Let your flame burn for that, let your light shine for that. With those auspicious forms of yours, O Jātavedas, carry him to the world of the righteous.
यास्ते शोचयो रंहयो जातवेदो याभिरापृणासि दिवमन्तरिक्षम् । अजं यन्तमनु ताः समृण्वतामथेतराभिः शिवतमाभिः शृतं कृधि
O Jātavedas, those flames of yours, swift and shining, by which you fill the sky and midspace—let them follow the one who is led forth, and with those other most auspicious flames, make him pure.
अव सृज पुनरग्ने पितृभ्यो यस्त आहुतश्चरति स्वधावान् । आयुर्वसान उप यातु शेषः सं गच्छतां तन्वा सुवर्चाः
Release again, O Agni, to the Fathers, the one who, offered, moves about with oblations; let the remainder, clothed in life, approach, shining in body, and join together.
{७} अति द्रव श्वानौ सारमेयौ चतुरक्षौ शबलौ साधुना पथा । अधा पितॄन्त्सुविदत्रामपीहि यमेन ये सधमादं मदन्ति
Go past the two dogs of Yama, Sārameya, four-eyed, mottled, along the good path; then approach the Fathers, who rejoice at the feast with Yama.
यौ ते श्वानौ यम रक्षितारौ चतुरक्षौ पथिषदी नृचक्षसा । ताभ्यां राजन् परि धेह्येनं स्वस्त्यस्मा अनमीवं च धेहि
Those two dogs of yours, O Yama, guardians, four-eyed, who sit on the path and observe men—O King, entrust this one to their care; grant us safety and freedom from harm.
उरूणसावसुतृपावुदुम्बलौ यमस्य दूतौ चरतो जनामनु । तावस्मभ्यं दृशये सूर्याय पुनर्दातामसुमद्येह भद्रम्
Wide-nosed, eager for the offering, fig-wood colored, the messengers of Yama roam among people; may they give us back to sight, to the Sun, here, granting us a life of well-being.
सोम एकेभ्यः पवते घृतमेक उपासते । येभ्यो मधु प्रधावति तांश्चिदेवापि गच्छतात्
Soma flows for some, clarified butter for others is their offering; to those for whom honey streams forth—may he too go to them, O gods.
ये चित्पूर्व ऋतसाता ऋतजाता ऋतावृधः । ऋषीन् तपस्वतो यम तपोजामपि गच्छतात्
Those who, even before, were followers of truth, born of truth, grown by truth—the seers, ascetic, O Yama, born of austerity—may he go to them as well.
तपसा ये अनाधृष्यास्तपसा ये स्वर्ययुः । तपो ये चक्रिरे महस्तांश्चिदेवापि गच्छतात्
Those who are invincible through austerity, who have reached heaven by austerity, who have performed great austerities—may he go to them as well, O gods.
ये युध्यन्ते प्रधनेषु शूरासो ये स्वर्तनूत्यजः । ये वा सहस्रदक्षिणास्तां चिदेवापि गच्छतात्
Those who fight in battles, the heroes, those who have abandoned their bodies for their own people, and those who have given a thousand gifts—may he go to them as well, O gods.
सहस्रणीथाः कवयो ये गोपायन्ति सूर्यम् । ऋषीन् तपस्वतो यम तपोजामपि गच्छतात्
The thousand-guided sages who guard the Sun—the seers, ascetic, O Yama, born of austerity—may he go to them as well.
स्योनास्मै भव पृथिव्यनृक्षरा निवेशनी । यछास्मै शर्म सप्रथाः
Be gentle to him, O Earth, unshaking, a secure resting place; grant him shelter, broad and wide.
असंबाधे पृथिव्या उरौ लोके नि धीयस्व । स्वधा याश्चकृषे जीवन् तास्ते सन्तु मधुश्चुतः
In the unconfined, wide space of the earth, lay him down; may the offerings you have made, living, be for him, flowing with sweetness.