Atharva Veda: Book 9: Hymn 5: A glorification of a sacrificial goat
Hymns of the Atharva Veda, by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1895]
1Seize 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.
2I 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.
3Wash 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.
4Cut 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.
5With verse upon the fire I set the caldron: pour in the water;
lay him down within it! p. a369
Encompass him with fire, ye Immolators. Cooked, let him reach
the world where dwell the righteous.
6Hence 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.
7The 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.
8Let 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.
9Rise 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.
10The 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.
11That 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.
12Seeking 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!
13Truly 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.
14Home-woven raiment let him give, and gold as guerdon to the
priests.
So he obtains completely all celestial and terrestrial worlds.
15Near to thee, Goat! approach these streams of Soma, divine,
distilling meath, bedecked with butter! p. a370
Stay thou the earth and sky and fix them firmly up on the seven-
rayed pitch and height of heaven.
16Unborn art thou, O Goat: to heaven thou goest. Though thee
Angirases knew that radiant region.
So may I know that holy world.
17Convey our sacrifice to heaven, that it may reach the Gods, with
that
Whereby thou, Agni, bearest wealth in thousands, and all pre-
cious things.
18The Goat Panchaudana, when cooked, transporteth, repelling
Nirriti, to the world of Svarga.
By him may we win worlds which Sūrya brightens.
19The 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.
20This 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.
21His 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.
22A boundless sacrifice he performs, he wins himself a boundless
world:
Who gives the Goat Panchaudana illumined with a priestly fee.
23Let 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.
24This, 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.
25The 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.
26The 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. p. a371
27When she who hath been wedded finds a second husband after-
ward,
The twain shall not be parted if they give the Goat Panchaud-
ana.
28One world with the re-wedded wife becomes the second hus-
band's home.
Who gives the Goat Panchaudana illumined with the priestly fee.
29They 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.
30Himself, 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.
31The 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.
32The 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.
33The 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.
34The 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.
35The 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.
36The 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.
37He cooks the Goat and the five boiled rice messes. May the uni-
ted Quarters, all accordant, and intermediate points, accept
him from thee. p. a372
38May these preserve him for thee. Here I offer t o these the molten
butter as oblation.