Atharva Veda · 441 of 724
HYMN V
A glorification of a sacrificial goat 1. Seize him and bring him hither. Let him travel. foreknowing, to the regions of the pious. Crossing in many a place the mighty darkness, let the Goat mount to the third heaven above us. 2. I bring thee hither as a share for Indra; prince, at this sacrifice,. for him who worships. Grasp firmly from behind all those who hate us: so let the sacri- ficer’s men be sinless. 3. Wash from his feet all trace of evil-doing: foreknowing, with cleansed hooves let him go upward. Gazing on many a spot, crossing the darkness, let the Goat mount to the third heaven above us. 4. Cut up this skin with the grey knife, Dissector! dividing joint from joint, and mangle nothing Do him no injury: limb by limb arrange him, and send him up to the third cope of heaven. 5. With verse upon the fire I set the caldron: pour in the water; lay him down within it! Encompass him with fire, ye Immolators. Cooked, let him reach the world where dwell the righteous. 6. Hence come thou forth, vexed by no pain or torment. Mount to the third heaven from the heated vessel. As fire out of the fire hast thou arisen. Conquer and win this lucid world of splendour. 7. The Goat is Agni: light they call him, saying that living man must give him to the Brāhman. Given in this world by a devout believer, the Goat dispels and drives afar the darkness. 8. Let the Panchaudana Goat, about to visit the three lights, pass away in five divisions. Go midst the pious who have paid their worship, and parted, dwell on the third cope of heaven. 9. Rise to that world, O Goat, where dwell the righteous: pass, like a Sarabha veiled, all difficult places. The Goat Panchaudana, given to a Brāhman, shall with all ful- ness satisfy the giver. 10. The Goat Panchaudana, given to a Brāhman, sets the bestower on the pitch of heaven, In the third vault, third sky, third ridge. One only Cow omni- form art thou, that yields all wishes. 11. That is the third light that is yours, ye Fathers. He gives the Goat Panchaudana to the Brāhman. Given in this world by the devout believer, the Goat dispels and drives afar the darkness. 12. Seeking the world of good men who have worshipped, he gives the Goat Panchaudana to the Brāhman. Win thou this world as thy complete possession. Auspicious unto us be he, accepted! 13. Truly the Goat sprang from the glow of Agni, inspired as sage with all a sage’s power. Sacrifice, filled, filled full, offered with Vashat—this let the Gods arrange.at proper seasons. 14. Home-woven raiment let him give, and gold as guerdon to the priests. So he obtains completely all celestial and terrestrial worlds. 15. Near to thee, Goat! approach these streams of Soma, divine, distilling meath, bedecked with butter! Stay thou the earth and sky and fix them firmly up on the seven- rayed pitch and height of heaven. 16. Unborn art thou, O Goat: to heaven thou goest. Though thee Angirases knew that radiant region. So may I know that holy world. 17. Convey our sacrifice to heaven, that it may reach the Gods, with that Whereby thou, Agni, bearest wealth in thousands, and all pre- cious things. 18. The Goat Panchaudana, when cooked, transporteth, repelling Nirriti, to the world of Svarga. By him may we win worlds which Sūrya brightens. 19. The droppings of the Odanas attending the Goat which I have lodged with priest or people May all this know us in the world of virtue, O Agni, at the meeting of the pathways. 20. This Unborn cleft apart in the beginning: his breast became the earth, his back was heaven. His middle was the air, his sides the regions; the hollows of his belly formed both oceans. 21. His eyes were Truth and Right. The whole together was Truth: Virāj his head and Faith his breathing. This Goat Panchaudana was indeed a sacrifice unlimited. 22. A boundless sacrifice he performs, he wins himself a boundless world: Who gives the Goat Panchaudana illumined with a priestly fee. 23. Let him not break the victim’s bones, let him not suck the marrow out. Let the man, taking him entire, here, even here deposit him. 24. This, even this is his true form: the man uniteth him therewith. Food, greatness, strength he bringeth him who giveth the Goat Panchaudana illumed with guerdon. 25. The five gold pieces, and the five new garments, and the five milch-kine yield him all his wishes. Who gives the Goat Panchaudana illumined with a priestly fee. 26. The five gold pieces, area light to light him, robes become armour to defend his body; He winneth Svarga as his home who giveth the Goat Panchaud- ana illumed with bountry. 27. When she who hath been wedded finds a second husband after- ward, The twain shall not be parted if they give the Goat Panchaud- ana. 28. One world with the re-wedded wife becomes the second hus- band’s home. Who gives the Goat Panchaudana illumined with the priestly fee. 29. They who have given a cow who drops a calf each season, or an ox, A coverlet, a robe, or gold, go to the loftiest sphere of heaven. 30. Himself, the father and the son, the grandson, and the father’s sire, Mother, wife, her who bore his babes, all the beloved ones I call. 31. The man who knows the season named the Scorching—the Goat Pafichaudana is this scorching season He lives himself, he verily burns up his hated rival’s fame, Who gives the Goat Panchaudana illumined with the priestly fee. 32. The man who knows the season called the Working takes to himself the active fame, his hated rival’s active fame. The Goat Panchaudana is this Working season. He lives himself, etc. 33. The man who knows the season called the Meeting takes to him- self the gathering fame, his hated rival’s gathering fame. The Goat Panchaudana is this Meeting season. 34. The man who knows the called the Swelling takes to himself the swelling fame, his hated rival’s swelling fame. The Goat Panchaudana is this Swelling season. He lives himself, etc. 35. The man who knows the season called the Rising takes to him- self the rising fame, his hated rival’s rising fame. The Goat Panchaudana in this Rising season. 36. The man who knows the season called Surpassing takes to him- self thé conquering fame, his hated rival’s conquering fame. The Goat Panchaudana is this Conquering season. He lives himself, he verily burns up his hated rival’s fame Who gives the Goat Panchaudana illumined with a priestly fee. 37. He cooks the Goat and the five boiled rice messes. May the uni- ted Quarters, all accordant, and intermediate points, accept him from thee. 38. May these preserve him for thee. Here I offer t o these the molten butter as oblation.