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.
{८} ह्वयामि ते मनसा मन इहेमान् गृहामुप जुजुषाण एहि । सं गच्छस्व पितृभिः सं यमेन स्योनास्त्वा वाता उप वान्तु शग्माः
I call you with my mind, with thought—come here, wishing to dwell in these homes; go together with the Fathers, together with Yama; may the gentle winds bring you here favorably.
उत्त्वा वहन्तु मरुत उदवाहा उदप्रुतः । अजेन कृण्वन्तः शीतं वर्षेणोक्षन्तु बालिति
May the Maruts carry you up, may the upward bearers lift you up; making you cool with the goat, let the rain moisten you, O child.
उदह्वमायुरायुषे क्रत्वे दक्षाय जीवसे । स्वान् गच्छतु ते मनो अधा पितॄंरुप द्रव
Rising up, may your life be for life, for strength, for skill, for living; let your mind go to its own, then run to the Fathers.
मा ते मनो मासोर्माङ्गानां मा रसस्य ते । मा ते हास्त तन्वः किं चनेह
Let not your mind go to the month, nor to the organs, nor to your sap; let not anything of your limbs or body go here.
मा त्वा वृक्षः सं बाधिष्ट मा देवी पृथिवी मही । लोकं पितृषु वित्त्वैधस्व यमराजसु
Let not the tree oppress you, nor the great divine Earth; find your place among the Fathers, among the kings of Yama.
यत्ते अङ्गमतिहितं पराचैरपानः प्राणो य उ वा ते परेतः । तत्ते संगत्य पितरः सनीडा घासाद्घासं पुनरा वेशयन्तु
Whatever part of you has gone far, whether breath or life, or whatever else has departed—may your gathered ancestors, together, seat it again, portion by portion.
अपेमं जीवा अरुधन् गृहेभ्यस्तं निर्वहत परि ग्रामादितः । मृत्युर्यमस्यासीद्दूतः प्रचेता असून् पितृभ्यो गमयां चकार
The living ones wept for him; carry him out from the houses, from the village. Death, the wise messenger of Yama, led his life-breaths to the Fathers.
ये दस्यवः पितृषु प्रविष्टा ज्ञातिमुखा अहुतादश्चरन्ति । परापुरो निपुरो ये भरन्त्यग्निष्टान् अस्मात्प्र धमाति यज्ञात्
Those evil ones who have entered among the Fathers, who move about as kin, unoffered, let them, who bear away the offerings, who carry fire, be driven far from this sacrifice.
सं विशन्त्विह पितरः स्वा नः स्योनं कृण्वन्तः प्रतिरन्त आयुः । तेभ्यः शकेम हविषा नक्षमाणा ज्योग्जीवन्तः शरदः पुरूचीः
May the Fathers enter here together, making a pleasant resting place for us, granting long life. May we, offering oblations to them, live many autumns, never failing in vigor.
यां ते धेनुं निपृणामि यमु क्षीर ओदनम् । तेना जनस्यासो भर्ता योऽत्रासदजीवनः
The cow I press for you, whose milk is food—by her, let the one who sat here alive be the sustainer of the people.