WHITE YAJURVEDA OR VÂJASANEYA-SAMHITÂ

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.

p. 2

2 Strainer of Vasu art thou. Thou art heaven. Earth art
thou. Thou art Mâtarisvan'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.
3 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.
4 Which didst thou milk? This is the cow Visvâyu. This
Visvakarman. This is Visvadhâyas.
Thee, Indra's share, with Soma do I curdle. Be thou protector
of the oblation, Vishnu.
5 I will observe the vow, Lord of Vows, Agni! May I have
strength therefor. Success attend me.
Now into truth from untruth do I enter.
6 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.

p. 3

7 Scorched are the fiends, scorched the malignant beings.
Burnt out are fiends, burnt out malignant beings.
Throughout the spacious middle air I travel.
8 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.
9 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.
10 By impulse of God Savitar I take thee with arms of Asvins,
with the hands of Pûshan,
Thee dear to Agni, dear to Agni-Soma.
11 Thee for abundance, not for evil spirit. May mine eye look
upon the light of heaven.

p. 4

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!
12 Ye two are strainers that belong to Vishnu. By Savitar's
impulse, with this flawless strainer I purify you with the
rays of Sûrya.
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.
13 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.
14 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.
15 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.

p. 5

Make ready for the Deities this oblation: with careful preparation
make it ready.
Havishkrit, come! Havishkrit, come! Havishkrit, come!
16 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 Vâyu separate you. May Savitar the
God, the golden-handed, with flawless hand unto himself
receive you.
17 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.
18 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.

p. 6

19 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.
20 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.
21 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.
22 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.
23 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.

p. 7

24 By impulse of God Savitar I take thee, with arms of Asvins,
with the hands of Pûshan, 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.
25 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.
26 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).
27 I with the metre Gâyatrî enclose thee. I lay the Trishtup
metre round about thee. With Jagatî metre I confine
and gird thee.

p. 8

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.
28 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.
29 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.
30 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.
31 By Savitar's impulsion do I cleanse thee, with flawless
strainer, with the rays of Sûrya.
By Savitar's impulsion do I cleanse you, with flawless strainer,
with the rays of Sûrya.
Light art thou; thou art splendid; thou art Amrit. Thou,
truly, art the Gods’ beloved station, inviolable means of
holy worship.

p. 9

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.
2 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!
3 For safety of this all let the Gandharva Visvâvasu 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.
4 Thee, Sage, who offerest to Gods their banquet, we will
enkindle till thou shinest brightly, thee mighty in the
sacrifice, O Agni.

p. 10

5 Thou art a kindler. From the east let Sûrya 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 Âdityas!
6 Thou who art called Juhû 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 Dhruvâ, 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.
7 O Agni, Winner of the Spoil, I cleanse thee, thee who wilt
hasten to the spoil, Spoil-winner.
Obeisance to the Gods! Svadhâ to Fathers! Be both of you
easy for me to handle.
8 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.

p. 11

9 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. Svâhâ! Let light combine with light.
10 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. Svâhâ!
11 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 Pûshan. I feed upon thee
with the mouth of Agni.
12 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.
13 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.
14 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.

p. 12

15 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.
16 For Vasus thee. For Rudras thee. Thee for Âdityas.
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.
I7 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.
18 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. Svâhâ! Vât!

p. 13

19 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.
20 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. Svâhâ! Vât!
Hail to the Lord of close embracements, Agni! Hail to Sarasvatî
enriched with glory!
21 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.
22 Blest be the Grass with sacred food and butter. Let Indra
be united with the Âdityas, the Vasus, Maruts, and the
Visvedevas. Let Svâhâ-offerings rise to heavenly ether.

p. 14

23 Who liberates thee from the yoke? He frees thee. For whom?
For him he looses thee. For plenty.
Thou art the Râkshasas’ allotted portion.
24 We have combined with lustre, vigour, bodies; we have
united with the blessèd spirit. May Tvashtar, bounteous
giver, grant us riches, and clear each fault and blemish
from the body.
25 By Jagatî metre in the sky strode Vishnu. Therefrom excluded
is the man who hates us and whom we detest.
By Trishtup metre in the air strode Vishnu. Therefrom, etc.
By Gâyatrî upon the earth strode Vishnu. Therefrom, etc.
From this food From this resting-place excluded.
We have reached heaven. We have combined with lustre.
26 Thou, noblest ray of light, art Self-existent. Giver art thou
of splendour. Give me splendour.
I move along the path that Sûrya travels.
27 Agni, may I become a good householder, through thee,
Home-master, O Householder Agni. Mayst thou become
an excellent Householder through me the master of the
house, O Agni.
Through hundred winters may our household matters—not
like a one-ox car—be smoothly managed.
I move along the path that Sûrya travels.
28 I have performed the vow, Lord of Vows, Agni! Full power
was mine, and it has proved successful.
Now am I he I truly am, no other.

p. 15

29 To Agni Hail! who bears gifts due to Sages. To Soma Hail!
accompanied by Fathers.
Expelled are Asuras and fiends who sate upon the covering
grass.
30 The Asuras, attracted by oblation, who roam at will assuming
varied figures, from this our world may Agni drive
them, whether they clothe themselves in large or little
bodies.
31 O Fathers, here enjoy yourselves. Come hither, like bulls,
come each to his allotted portion.
The Fathers have enjoyed themselves, and hither, like bulls,
come each to his allotted portion.
32 Obeisance to your genial sap, O Fathers! Fathers, obeisance
unto you for Ardour! Fathers, obeisance Onto you for
Svadhâ! Obeisance unto you for Life, O Fathers!
Fathers, to you obeisance for the Awful! Fathers, obeisance
unto you for Passion! O Fathers, unto you be adoration.
Bestow upon us houses, O ye Fathers, what is ours, O
Fathers, will we give you. With this your raiment clothe
yourselves, O Fathers.
33 Fathers, bestow on me a babe, a boy enwreathed with
lotuses, so that there may be here a man.

p. 16

34 Bearers of vigour and immortal fatness, milk and sweet beverage
and foaming liquor, ye are a freshening draught.
Delight my Fathers.

BOOK THE THIRD.

SERVE Agni with the kindling-brand, with drops of butter
wake the Guest.
In him pay offerings to the Gods.
2 To Agni Jâtavedas, to the flame, the well-enkindled God,
Offer thick sacrificial oil.
3 Thee, such, O Angiras, with brands and sacred oil we magnify,
O very brilliant, Youthfullest.
4 Rich in oblations, dropping oil, to thee, sweet Agni, let
them go.
Accept with favour these my brands.
5 Earth! Ether! Sky!
Like heaven in plenty and like earth in compass! Upon thy
back, Earth, place of sacrificing to Gods, for gain of food
I lay food-eating Agni.
6 This spotted Bull hath come and sat before the Mother and
before
The Father, mounting up to heaven.

p. 18

7 As expiration from his breath his radiance penetrates within:
The Bull shines out through all the sky.
8 He rules supreme through thirty realms. Song is bestowed
upon the Bird
Throughout the days at break of morn.
9 Agni is light, and light is Agni. Hail!
Sûrya is light, and light is Sûrya. Hail!
Agni is splendour, light is splendour. Hail!
Sûrya is splendour, light is splendour. Hail!
Light is Sûrya, Sûrya is light. Hail!
10 Accordant with bright Savitar and Night with Indra at her
side,
May Agni, being pleased, enjoy. All-hail!
11 Approaching sacrifice, may we pronounce a text to Agni
who
Heareth us even when afar.
12 Agni is head and height of heaven, the Master of the earth
is he:
He quickeneth the waters’ seed.
13 You two will I invoke, O Indra-Agni, will please you both
together with oblation.
Givers, you twain, of vigorous strength and riches, you
twain do I invoke for gain of vigour.
14 This is thine ordered place of birth whence, sprung to life,
thou shonest forth.
Knowing this, Agni, rise thou up and cause our riches to
increase.
15 Here by ordainers was this God appointed first Invoker,
best at worship, to be praised at rites,
Whom Apnavâna and the Bhrigus caused to shine, bright-coloured
in the wood, spreading to every house.

p. 19

16 After his ancient splendour they, the bold, have drawn the
bright milk from
The Sage who wins a thousand gifts.
17 Thou, Agni, art our bodies’ guard. Guard thou my body.
Giver of life art thou, O Agni. Give me life.
Giver of splendour art thou, Agni. Give me splendour.
All that is wanting in my body, Agni, supply for me.
18 Enkindled we enkindle thee through hundred winters, thee
the bright;
We healthy, thee who givest health; we strong, thee author
of our strength;
We, never injured, Agni, thee uninjured injurer of foes.
O rich in shining lights, may I in safety rich the end of thee.
19 Thou hast attained, O Agni, to the splendour of Sûrya, to
the eulogy of Rishis, and to the habitation which thou
lovest.
May I attain to lengthened life, to splendour, to offspring
and abundant store of riches.
20 Ye are food, may I enjoy your food. Ye are might, may I
enjoy your might. Ye are energy, may I enjoy your
energy. Ye are abundant riches, may I enjoy your abundant
riches.
21 Sport, wealthy ones, in this abode, this fold, this spot, this
dwelling-place.
Remain just here, and go not hence.
22 Composed art thou of every form and colour. With sap and.
ownership of kine approach me.
To thee, dispeller of the night, O Agni, day by day with
prayer,
Bringing thee reverence, we come;

p. 20

23 Ruler of sacrifices, guard of Law eternal, radiant One,
Increasing in thine own abode.
24 Be to us easy of approach, even as a father to his son:
Agni, be with us for our weal.
25 O Agni, be our nearest Friend; be thou a kind deliverer
and gracious Friend.
Excellent Agni, come thou nigh to us, and give us wealth
most splendidly renowned.
26 To thee then, O most bright, O radiant God, we come with
prayer for happiness for our friends.
So hear us, listen to this call of ours, and keep us far from
every evil man.
27 O Ida, come, O Aditi, come hither. Come hither, much-desired!
From you may I obtain my heart's desire.
28 O Brahmanaspati, make him who presses Soma glorious,
Even Kakshîvân Ausija.
29 The rich, the healer of disease, who findeth wealth, increaseth
store,
The prompt,—may he be with us still.
30 Let not the foeman's curse, let not a mortal's treachery fall
on us:
Preserve us, Brahmanaspati!
31 Great, heavenly, unassailable, ours be the favour of the Three,
Aryaman, Mitra, Varuna.
32 For over them, neither at home nor upon pathways perilous,
The evil-minded foe hath power.
33 For they, the Sons of Aditi, bestow eternal light upon
A mortal man that he may live.

p. 21

34 Ne’er art thou fruitless, Indra, ne’er dost thou forsake thy
worshipper.
But now. O Liberal Lord, thy bounty as a God is ever poured
forth more and more.
35 May we attain that excellent glory of Savitar the God:
So may he stimulate our prayers.
36 May thine inviolable car wherewith thou guardest worshippers
Come near to us from every side.
37 Earth! Ether! Sky! May I be rich in offspring, well-manned
with men and opulent with riches. Friendly to men!
do thou protect my offspring. Worthy of praise! do thou
protect my cattle.
O pointed One, protect the food that feeds me.
38 We have approached the Omniscient, best finder-out of
wealth for us. Splendour and strength bestow on us,
O Agni, thou Imperial Lord.
39 Lord of the Home, this Agni Gârhapatya is best at finding
riches for our children.
Splendour and strength bestow on us, O Agni, Master of the
Home.
40 Rich, furtherer of plenty is this Agni, Master-of the Herd.
Splendour and strength bestow on us, O Agni, Master of
the Herd.
41 Fear not, nor tremble thou, O House. To thee who bearest
strength we come.

p. 22