Come, Agni, praised with song, to feast and sacrificial offering: sit
As Hotar on the holy grass!
O Agni, thou hast been ordained Hotar of every sacrifice,
By Gods, among the race of men.
Agni we choose as envoy, skilled performer of this holy rite,
Hotar, possessor of all wealth.
THE warrior's look is like a thunderous rain-cloud's, when, armed with mail, he seeks the lap of battle.
Be thou victorious with unwounded body: so let the thickness of thy mail protect thee.
With Bow let us win kine, with Bow the battle, with Bow be victors in our hot encounters.
The Bow brings grief and sorrow to the foeman: armed with the Bow may we subdue all regions.
THE mortal man whom ye, the Twain, Indra and Agni, help in fight,
Breaks through e’en strongly-guarded wealth as Tṛta burst his way through reeds.
The Twain invincible in war, worthy to be renowned in frays,
Lords of the Fivefold. People, these, Indra and Agni, we invoke.
Impetuous is their strength, and keen the lightning of the mighty Pair,
Which from their arms speeds with the car to Vṛtra's slayer for the kine.
Of Savitar the God, the sapient Asura, we crave this great gift which is worthy of our choice,
Wherewith he freely grants his worshiper defence. This with his rays the Great God hath vouchsafed to us. Sustainer of the heaven, Lord of the whole world's life, the Sage, he putteth on his golden-coloured mail. Clear-sighted, spreading far, filling the spacious realm, Savitar hath brought forth bliss that deserveth laud.
Mitra sustaineth both the earth and heaven. Mitra beholdeth men with eyes that close not. To Mitra bring, with holy oil, oblation. Foremost be he who brings thee food, O Mitra, who strives to keep thy sacred Law, Aditya. He whom thou helpest ne’er is slain or conquered, on him, from near or far, falls no affliction. Joying in sacred food and free from sickness, with knees bent lowly on the earth's broad surface.
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Each of the two half-monthly sacrifices, the regular performance of which is enjoined on the Brahmanical householder for a period of thirty years from the time of his performance of the ceremony of agny-adhana, or setting up of a fire of his own,--according to some authorities even for the rest of his life--usually occupies the greater part of two consecutive days.
Now follows the Mahavrata ceremony. After having killed Vritra, Indra became great. When he became great, then there was the Mahavrata (the great work). This is why the Mahaivrata ceremony is called...
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Like the eye spread in the akas, so the wise always see the supreme abode of Vishnu. Brahmans with divine eyes who are always spiritually awake, praise in diverse ways and illuminate the supreme abode of Vishnu. Thus is the teaching of the Vedas for salvation.
Whoever sees this as manifold passes from death to death. In the centre of the heart-lotus is Brahman, which is the All, which has Prajna as Its eye and which is established in Prajnana alone.
Through attaining Atma, one gets liberation. Just as fire without fuel is absorbed into its own womb, so Chiṭṭa through the destruction of its modifications is absorbed into its own womb. To a mind that has attained quiescence and truth, and which is not affected by sense-objects, the events that occur to it through the bondage of Karma are merely unreal.
What is Karma? Karma is that action alone which is performed by the organs and ascribed to Āṭmā as "I do". What is Akarma? Akarma is the performance, without any desire for the fruits, of the daily and occasional rites, sacrifices, vows, austerities, gifts and other actions that are associated with the egoism of the actor and the enjoyer, and that are productive of bondage, rebirth, etc.
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