White Yajur Veda

Category: Hindu

8:18 h

The main classical Ayurveda texts begin with accounts of the transmission of medical knowledge from the Gods to sages, and then to human physicians.

The Texts of the White Yajurveda

Or Vājasaneya-Samhitā.

Book the First.

THEE for food. Thee for vigour. Ye are breezes. To noblest work God Savitar impel you. Inviolable! swell his share for Indra. No thief, no evil-minded man shall master you rich in off-spring, free from pain and sickness. Be constant, numerous to this lord of cattle. Guard thou the cattle of the Sacrificer.

Strainer of Vasu art thou. Thou art heaven. Earth art thou. Thou art Mātarisvan’s caldron. Thou art the All-container. Stand thou firmly, secure by Law Supreme, and do not totter. Nor be thy Lord of Sacrifice unsteady.

Thou art the strainer, hundred-streamed, of Vasu.
Thou art the strainer, thousand-streamed, of Vasu.
May Savitar the God with Vasu’s strainer, thousand-streamed, rightly cleansing, purify thee.

Which didst thou milk? This is the cow Visvāyu. This Visvakarman. This is Visvadhāyas. Thee, Indra’s share, with Soma do I curdle. Be thou protector of the oblation, Vishnu.

I will observe the vow, Lord of Vows, Agni! May I have strength therefore. Success attend me. Now into truth from untruth do I enter.

Who is it that unites thee? He unites thee. For what doth he yoke thee? For that he yokes thee. You two for work, you two for its completion. pg 3

Scorched are the fiends, scorched the malignant beings. Burnt out are fiends, burnt out malignant beings. Throughout the spacious middle air I travel.

Thou art the yoke. Injure thou him who injures. Harm him who harm us. Harm the man we injure. Thou art the Gods’ best carrier, bound most firmly, filled fullest, welcomest, Gods’ best invoker.

Thou art unbent, receiver of oblations. Stand firmly in thy place and do not totter. Nor be thy Lord of sacrifice unsteady. Let Vishnu mount thee. To the wind lie open. The demons are expelled. Let the five grasp it.

By impulse of God Savitar I take thee with arms of Asvins, with the hands of Pūshan, Thee dear to Agni, dear to Agni-Soma.

Thee for abundance, not for evil spirit. May mine eye look upon the light of heaven. May those with doors stand on the earth securely. Throughout the spacious middle air I travel. Upon the navel of the earth I place thee, on Aditi’s lap. Protect the oblation, Agni!

Ye two are strainers that belong to Vishnu. By Savitar’s impulse, with this flawless strainer I purify you with the rays of Sūrya. Bright Waters, flowing forward, foremost drinkers, lead forward now this sacrifice, lead forward the Sacrifice’s Lord, the God-devoted Lord of the Sacrifice, the liberal giver.

Indra elected you in fight with Vritra: in fight with Vritra you elected Indra. By over-sprinkling are ye consecrated. I sprinkle thee agreeable to Agni. I sprinkle thee welcome to Agni-Soma. Pure for the work divine be ye, and holy, pure for the sacrifice to Gods. Whatever of yours the impure have by their touch polluted, hereby I cleanse for you from all defilement.

Giver art thou of happiness. Rejected are fiends, rejected are malignant beings. Aditi’s akin art thou. May Aditi receive thee. A wooden stone art thou. Thou art a broad-based stone. May the skin of Aditi receive thee.

Body of Agni art thou, the releaser of speech. I seize thee for the Gods’ enjoyment. A mighty stone art thou, formed out of timber. Make ready for the Deities this oblation: with careful preparation make it ready. Havishkrit, come! Havishkrit, come! Havishkrit, come!

Thou art a cock whose tongue is sweet with honey. Call to us hither sap and manly vigour. May we with thee in every fight be victors. Rain-grown art thou. May the rain-grown receive thee. Cleared off are fiends, cleared off are evil beings. Expelled are fiends. May Vāyu separate you. May Savitar the God, the golden-handed, with flawless hand unto himself receive you.

Bold art thou. Cast away the Corpse-consumer. Drive off the fire that eats raw flesh, O Agni. That which makes offerings to the Gods bring hither. Firm art thou. Make earth firm. For the foe’s slaughter I set thee on, devoted to the priesthood, devoted to the nobles and the kinsmen.

Agni, do thou accept our holy service. Keeper art thou: make firm the Air’s mid-region. For the foe’s death I set thee on, devoted to priesthood and nobility and kinsmen. Thou art a stay: uphold the sky securely. For the foe’s death, etc. I set thee on for sake of all the regions. Formers of layers are ye, and heap-formers, With Bhrigus’ and Angirases’ heat be heated. pg 6

Giver of happiness art thou. Rejected are fiends, rejected are malignant beings. Aditi’s skin art thou, May Aditi receive thee. Bowl, rock art thou. May Aditi’s skin receive thee. Thou art the sky’s supporting pillar. Bowl from the rock art thou. The rock receive thee.

Grain art thou. Please the Gods. Thee for in-breathing. For out-breath thee. Thee for diffusive breathing. May I impart to life a long extension. May Savitar the God, the golden-handed, with flawless hand unto himself receive you. Thee for the eye. Juice art thou of the Great Ones.

By impulse of God Savitar I strew thee, with arms of Asvins, with the hands of Basilan. With plants let waters, plants with sap he mingled. United be the rich ones with the moving. The sweet ones and the sweet be joined together.

For generation’s sake I join thee. This is Agni’s. This Agni-Soma’s. Thee for food. Thou art the caldron, life of all that liveth. Spread thyself widely forth, thou, widely spreading. So may thy Lord of sacrifice spread widely. Thy skin let Agni harm not. In highest heaven let the God Savitar hake thee.

Fear not. Shrink not. Let not the sacrifice be languid, not languid he the Sacrificer’s offspring. For Trita thee. For Dvita thee. For Ekata thee. pg 7

By impulse of God Savitar I take thee, with arms of Asvins, with the hands of Pūshan, thee who for Gods performest sacred service. Indra’s right arm art thou: sharp with a thousand spikes, a hundred edges. The keen-edged Wind art thou, the foeman’s slayer.

O Earth, whereon men serve the Gods with worship, let me not do thy plant’s root any damage. Go to the pen, the cowstall. Heaven rain for thee. On this earth’s farthest end, God Savitar, bind him, with hundred fetters bind the man who hates us and whom we hate. Thence do not thou release him.

May I drive Araru away from Earth, the seat of men’s oblations to the Gods. Go to the pen … … . release him (as in verse 25). O Araru, thou shalt not soar to heaven. Let not thy drop mount upward to the sky. Go to the pen … … . release him (as in verse 25).

I with the metre Gāyatrī enclose thee. I lay the Trishtup metre round about thee. With Jagatī metre I confine and gird thee. Sprung from good soil art thou, and bliss-bestowing. Pleasant art thou, and a fair seat to rest on. Thou hast both strengthening food and drink in plenty.

Before the cruel foe’s secret departure, Mighty One, raising high earth, life-bestower, which to the Moon they lifted by oblations, that earth the sages still point out and worship. Deposit in its place the sprinkling-water, Thou art the slayer of the man who hates us.

Scorched are the demons, scorched the evil beings. Burnt out are fiends, burnt out malignant creatures. Unsharpened, thou art slayer of the foemen. Thee, rich in food, I cleanse for the food’s kindling. Scorched … . . creatures (as above). Thee rich in food, I cleanse for the food’s kindling.

A zone for Aditi art thou. Pervader of Vishnu art thou. For great strength I take thee. I look upon thee with an eye uninjured. Thou art the tongue of Agni. Good invoker of Gods be thou at every holy station, at every sacrificial text I utter.

By Savitar’s impulsion do I cleanse thee, with flawless strainer, with the rays of Sūrya. By Savitar’s impulsion do I cleanse you, with flawless strainer, with the rays of Sūrya. Light art thou; thou art splendid; thou art Amrit. Thou, truly, art the Gods’ beloved station, inviolable means of holy worship.

Book the Second.

THOU art a black-buck dwelling in the covert. I sprinkle thee agreeable to Agni. Thou art the altar. Thee welcome to the sacred grass I sprinkle. Thou art the sacred covering-grass. I sprinkle thee grateful to the sacrificial ladles.

Thou art what giveth Aditi her moisture. Thou art the hair-tuft on the head of Vishnu. I spread thee, wool-soft, good for Gods to sit on. Hail to the Earth’s Lord! To the World’s Lord Hail! Hail to the Lord of Beings!

For safety of this all let the Gandharva Visvāvasu lay thee round as a protection. Thou art the Sacrificer’s guard, thou, Agni, lauded and worthy to receive laudation. Indra’s right arm art thou. For safety … … laudation. For safety of This Ail, with firm law, northward let Mitra. Varuna lay thee round as keeper. Thou art the Sacrificer’s guard … … laudation.

Thee, Sage, who offerest to Gods their banquet, we will enkindle till thou shinest brightly, thee mighty in the sacrifice, O Agni. pg 10

Thou art a kindler. From the east let Sūrya keep thee secure from every imprecation. You are the arms of Savitar. I spread thee as soft as wool, good for the Gods to sit on. On thee sit Vasus, Rudras, and Ādityas!

Thou who art called Juhū art rich in fatness. On this dear seat, with the dear home, be seated. Thou, Upabhrit by name, art rich in fatness. On this … … . . be seated. Thou who art called Dhruvā, art rich in fatness. On this, etc. In the Law’s lap they have sat down in safety Guard these. Guard thou the Sacrifice, O Vishnu. Keep thou the Sacrifice’s Lord in safety.

O Agni, Winner of the Spoil, I cleanse thee, thee who wilt hasten to the spoil, Spoil-winner. Obeisance to the Gods! Svadhā to Fathers! Be both of you easy for me to handle.

May I to-day offer Gods unspilt butter. Let me not with my foot offend thee, Vishnu. Agni, may I approach thy shade abounding in store of riches. Thou art Vishnu’s mansion, Hence Indra wrought his deed of manly vigour. The sacrifice stood firmly elevated. pg 11

O Agni, undertake the Hotar’s office, take on thyself the duty of an envoy. Heaven and Earth guard thee! Guard thou Earth and Heaven. May Indra be, by this presented butter, maker to Gods of fair oblation. Svāhā! Let light combine with light.

Indra bestow on me that Indra-power! May wealth in full abundance gather round us. Let blessings wait on us, yea, real blessings. Our Mother, Earth, hath been invited hither. May Earth, our Mother, in return invite us. I, through my Kindlership, am Agni. Svāhā!

The Father Heaven hath been invited hither. May Heaven the Father in return invite us. By impulse of God Savitar I receive thee with arms of Asvins, with the hands of Pūshan. I feed upon thee with the mouth of Agni.

God Savitar, this sacrifice of thine have they proclaimed unto Brihaspati the Brahman Priest. Therefore protect the sacrifice, protect the sacrifice’s lord, protect thou me.

The butter’s rapid flow delight his spirit! Brihaspati extend this act of worship. May he restore the sacrifice uninjured. Here let all Gods rejoice. OM! Step thou forward.

This is the stick for kindling thee, O Agni. By means of this grow strong and swell to greatness. May we too grow in strength and swell to greatness. O Agni, thou who winnest food, I cleanse thee, thee who hast hastened to the food, Food-winner. pg 12

After the victory of Agni Soma may I obtain the victory. By impulse of sacrificial food I speed me onward. May Agni-Soma drive off him who hates us, drive off the man whom we detest. By impulse of sacrificial food away I drive him. After the victory of Indra-Agni may I obtain the victory. By impulse of sacrificial food I speed me forward. May Indra-Agni … I drive him.

For Vasus thee. For Rudras thee. Thee for Ādityas. Be, Heaven and Earth, accordant with each other. With rain may Mitra-Varuna assist thee. May the birds go, licking what is anointed. Go to the Maruts’ speckled mares. Go, having become a speckled cow thyself, to heaven, and from that place bring the rain for us hither. Thou art the eye’s guard: guard mine eye, O Agni.

The stick which thou, God Agni, laidest round thee, what time thou wast kept hidden by the Panis, this do I bring to thee for thine enjoyment. May it remain with thee and ne’er be fruitless. Approach, ye two, the place which Agni loveth.

The residue ye have to be your portion, mighty by food, ye Gods, ye who are stationed on the grass-bunch, and to be laid as fences. All ye, applauding this my speech, be seated on this grass-bunch and there be joyful. Svāhā! Vāt! pg 13

Rich in oil are ye. Guard the two yoke-fellows. Ye two are full of grace, to grace conduct me. Glory to thee, O Sacrifice, and increase! Stand firm in my auspicious, righteous worship.

O Agni of unweakened strength, far-reaching, protect me from the lightning-flash, protect me from bondage, from defect in sacrificing, from food injurious to health protect me. Make thou the food that feeds us free from poison in the home good to sit in. Svāhā! Vāt! Hail to the Lord of close embracements, Agni! Hail to Sarasvatī enriched with glory!

Veda art thou, whereby, O godlike Veda, thou hast become for Deities their Veda: thereby mayst thou become for me a Veda. O Deities, ye knowers of the Pathway, walk on the pathway having known the Pathway. God, Lord of Spirit, hail! bestow upon the Wind this sacrifice.

Blest be the Grass with sacred food and butter. Let Indra be united with the Ādityas, the Vasus, Maruts, and the Visvedevas. Let Svāhā-offerings rise to heavenly ether. pg 14

Who liberates thee from the yoke? He frees thee. For whom? For him he looses thee. For plenty. Thou art the Rākshasas’ allotted portion.