Atharva Veda: Book 11: Hymn 3: A glorification of the Odana or oblation of boiled rice
Hymns of the Atharva Veda, by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1895]
11. Of that Odana Brihaspati is the head, Brahma the mouth.
22. Heaven and Earth are the ears, the Sun and Moon are the
eyes, the seven Rishis are the vital airs inhaled and exhaled. p. 50
3. Vision is the pestle, Desire the mortar. 4. Diti is the
winnowing basket, Aditi is she who holds it, Vāta is the sifter.
5. Horses are the grains, oxen the winnowed ricegrains, gnats
the husks. 6. Kabru is the husked grain, the rain cloud is the
reed. 7. Grey iron is its flesh, copper its blood. 8. Tin is its
ashes, gold its colour, the blue lotus flower its scent. 9. The
threshing-floor is its dish, the wooden swords its shoulders,
the car-shafts its backbones. 10. Collar-bones are its entrails,
straps its intestines. 11. This earth, verily becomes the jar,
and heaven the cover of the Odana as it is cooking.
12. Furrows are its ribs, sandy soils the undigested contents
of its stomach. 13. Law is its water for the hands and family
custom its aspersion. 14. The jar covered with the Rich has
been solemnly directed by the priestly office. 15. Received by
the Brāhman, it has been carried round. 16. The Brihat is,
the stirring-spoon, the Rathantara the ladle. 17. The Seasons
are the dressers, the Groups of Seasons kindle the fire.
18. The caldron flames round the oblation (charu) whose
mouth consists of five openings.
1919. The sacrificial word, all worlds are to be won with Odana.
2020. Whereon in order rest the three, the ocean, and the heaven, and
earth.
2121. Within the residue whereof the Gods arranged six eightieth
parts—
2222. I ask thee, of this Odana what is the mighty magnitude.
2323. He who may know the magnitude of the Odana. 24. Would say,
Not small, nor devoid of moistening sauce; not this, nor any-
thing whatever. 25. He would not declare it to be greater than
the giver imagines it to be. 26. The theologians say, Thou
hast eaten the averted Odana and the Odana turned hither-
ward. 27. Thou hast eaten the Odana and the Odana will eat
thee. 28. Thou hast eaten this averted; thy inward breath will
leave thee; so he said to this one. 29. Thou hast eaten this
turned hitherward; thy downward breath will leave thee; so
he said to this one. 30. I indeed have not eaten the Odana,
nor has the Odana eaten me. 31. The Odana has just eaten
the Odana.
3232. And thence he said to this one, Thou hast eaten this with ap. 51
different head from that with which the ancient Rishis ate:
thy offspring, reckoning from the eldest, will die. I have eaten
it neither turned downward, nor turned away, nor turned
hitherward. With Brihaspati as head: with him I have eaten,
with him have I come to it. Now this Odana is complete with
all members, joints, and body. Complete, verily, with all his
members, joints, and body is he who possess this knowledge.
33. And thence he said to him, Thou hast eaten this with
other ears than those with which the ancient Rishis ate it.
Thou wilt be deaf. I have eaten it neither, etc. (as in verse 32).
With Heaven and Earth as ears, with these I have eaten it,
with these I have come to it. Now this Odana, etc. (as in 32).
34. And thence he said to him. Thou hast eaten this with
other eyes . . . thou wilt be blind. With Sun and Moon, etc.
35. And thence, etc. . . with other month. Thy offspring will
die, reckoning from the head . . . With Brahma as mouth.
36. And thence, etc. . . . with other tongue . . . Thy tongue
will die . . . With the tongue of Agni. 37. And thence, etc. . .
With other teeth . . . Thy teeth will fall out . . . With the
Seasons as teeth. 38. And thence, etc. . . . with other vital
airs. . . . Thy vital airs will leave thee . . . With the Seven
Rishis as the vital airs. 39. And thence, etc. . . . with other
expanse . . . Consumption will destroy thee . . . With the
firmament as expanse. 40 And thence, etc. . . . with other
back. . . . Lightning will slay thee. . . With the heaven as
back. 41. And thence, etc. . . . with other breast . . . Thou
wilt fail in agriculture. . . . With the earth as breast. 42. And
thence, etc. . . . with other belly . . . colic will destroy thee . . .
With truth as belly. 43. And thence, etc. . . . with other
abdomen . . . Thou wilt die in the water . . . With the sea as
abdomen. 44. And thence, etc. . . . with other thighs . . .
Thy thigh will perish . . . With Mitra-Varuna as thighs.
45. And thence, etc. . . . with other knees . . . Thou wilt
become a sick man . . . With the knees of Tvashtar. 46. And
thence, etc. . . . with other feet . . . Thou wilt become a
wanderer . . . With the feet of the Asvins. 47. And thence,
etc. . . with other fore-parts of the feet . . . A serpent will
kill thee . . . With the fore-parts of Savitar's feet. 48. And
thence, etc. . . . with other hands . . . The Brāhmana (divine
power) will kill thee . . . With the hands of Right. 49. And p. 52
thence, etc. . . . with other basis . . . Without standing-ground
and resting-place thou wilt die . . . Having taken my stand on
truth. With this I ate it, with this I came to it. Now this
Odana is complete with all members, joints, and body.
Complete, verily, with all his members, joints, and body is he
who possesses this knowledge.