Yajurveda

By Rajbali Pandey

Veda’  literally means 'knowledge' in Sanskrit. It is because the term was derived when the ancients thought of putting their experiences in an organised manner. It can't be said in the written form because it is certain that in that hoary past period writing had not been invented. Nevertheless, the four  Vedasy  viz.  Rigveda, Saamveda, Yajurveda  and  Atharvaveda,  are known to contain the pristine gems of Indian wisdom. They appear universally important because they constitute one of the first records of the human 'awakened' experiences. They can be said to be the very fount of Indian wisdom. It is their status, apart from the contents, that made them universally popular. It is to highlight their extreme significance that we are undertaking this project of revealing before the curious readers their  Sookta  or aphorism- wise translation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Diamond Books
• Release date: Oct 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9788128822841

Book preview

Chapter

PART I

First Chapter

[Addressed by Rishis (sages) Prajapati¹] : O men; May Savita Dev (the Sun, Lord Supreme) make your life force, inner conscience and all senses devoted to the best deeds like the performances of yagyas. We seek shelter under Savita to get the best of the material wealth. May you follow the same path for getting success. O Lord! May the earth and other realms made available to us for the best of the sensual perceptions, the cattle wealth and other means of progress. May we, our cattle, wealth and progeny be not damaged by any one. May all material ensure us all kinds of happiness. ||1||

O Man! Never forsake the practice of performing the yagyas which purify the atmosphere and make the wind cover every nook and corner of this world. These practices sustain the world and enhance our happiness. ||2||

May the sustainer of the world, the purifier, the happiness endower Savita Dev keep our yagyas clean and pious. O lord, ensure our piety through the yagyas that we perform. ||3||

O Lord! I want to adopt to the three (main) voices emerging from the Vedas : that which make us educated, that which make us perform a variety of actions and that which ensure all happiness to our body and soul! O Lord! Please ensure protection of our yagya’s offering (the oblation to be offered to the sacrificial fire):

O Agni! The Lord of all resolve! (Lord Supreme) I want to take the pledge of being ever veridicious. May I follow those rules and become capable of fulfilling this vow. ||5||

Who gives the command to perform good deeds? It is Lord Supreme. It is he only who goads one to ever follow the noble conduct and acquire good education. ||6||

May I exterminate the wicked and make them suffer severely. And acting this way, I get a happy dwelling place and infinite pleasure. ||7||

O Lord Supreme! You are the Saviour as you destroy all affliction and short comings (in your devotees). That is why the scholars advice us to hymn you. They also get happiness by doing so as you make every education complete in itself. Please torture the wicked. O man! You must hymn Agni and destroy the thieves and the wicked. ||8||

O Ritwik! You must advance Hauirdhan (yagya) and never forsake it. With the five consecrated action you must put oblation into Agni. May the Sun send that oblation (‘s fume) through the wind to the space for its eventual purification. ||9||

In order to master the Agni-Vidya for learning as to how the best should be accepted and the worst rejected from this world created by Lord Supreme, the fount of all bliss, I follow the path shown by the scholars and accept the consequence of following the lessons - in Agni-Jala Vidya—as desired by the scholars. ||10||

In order to end all sorrow and grief of the world for its beings I consecratedly establish Agni the protector of all material (from decay). May I through performance of the best deeds enjoy all kinds of happiness. May my family also prosper; may I never forsake Agni. ||11||

O scholars! May the ultimate purifiers of this world created by God, also purify all kinds of winds including the life-breath and water. I use that water in the yagyas to purify those involved in the yagya’s performance. ||12||

As Indra holds water to slay Vritra; as water accept wind for their purification - the same way, O men! You must also accept these water and become pure. I am performing their purifying yagya and make it (its fume) reach the cluster of the clouds. May this yagya-fume also purify the water reporting in the clouds. ||13-14||

O men! May your house be pleasant with the wicked and the enemies remaining far-off from it—May your all the yagya performers enhance happiness of the world by keeping air and water duly purified with yagya’s performance. O Scholars! pontify us over the procedure of the yagya performance. May we learn about the yagya that induces rains. May that yagya destroy the wicked and the enemies. ||15-18||

O men! Learn about that happiness endowing and the wicked destroying yagya which is like the skin-like covering to this earth and space. The performance of the yagya enhances one’s wisdom. ||19||

Yagya performance make us receive the pure materials, happiness and age with good health. The yagyas are to be performed every day as also the worship of God. ||20||

Like I perform the yagya to ensure prosperity, this world created by God, O men! You must also follow suit. Like water makes medicines more efficacious, may our yagya also keep our air and water scrupulously clean. Yagya performance ensures the world’s righteous growth like the appearance of the sun every day ||20-21||

O Men! The oblations offered in the yagya ensure happiness of the world so you must perform yagya like I do May the heat generated by the yagya performance strengthen your body as well. ||22-23||

May by the inspiration received from Savita Dev (Lord Supreme), all planets and stars, like the sun-moon and Poosha-grant me divine happiness. It is with this prayer that I perform this yagya. ||24||

O Lord Supreme! May we receive rain laden clouds, by your grace, through my this yagya performance so that we may be happy and prosperous. May the benefit results of this yagya put them into trouble who create obstructions for us. May they not receive any benefit from them. ||25||

O Dev Savita! May the enemies be destroyed by the worship of God on this earth. May we get best of the virtues. May we convey the Vedas’ teachings in the most aesthetical manner. O Savita Dev! Fetter those rogues into bonds we carry a grudge against, and who trouble us. O wicked persons! May you never prosper. May your educational qualities give you no happiness. May our wishes be fulfilled as copiously as this sun-light illuminates the whole space. May savita Dev (the Sun) keep them under fetters who carry a grudge against us or even those against whom we carry grudge. ||26||

I perform to perfection this Yagya with the holy meters like Gayatri and other aesthetical combination which help us make this earth bedight with comelines; replete with all pleasures and fertile with the cereals of the most tasty varieties. I also keep that Agni well served which cause all these perfections ||27||

O Lord of the world! You have raised up-this earth a little higher and placed it close to the realm of the moon. This earth is your creation which grants life to being with the help of the best quality edibles. Hence this is a noble land on which men must perform yagya to ensure their victory over-their enemies and for getting all the best material riches. O men! You must ever worship Lord and this way to ensure destruction of your enemies. ||28||

I purgate all my forces and combat-enemies of all these shortcomings for punishing the opponents of truth and the disturbing elements in this struggle. I use those forces to identify and separate all criminal elements and endow them with the best training so that this purpose may be achieved. ||29||

O Lord of the world! You are the cause of every growth on the earth and is manifest in all the materials available there-on as well. You are the veritable tongue of Agni. I behold food material (i.e. I consume it) so that I could easily comprehend the meaning of the Yajurveda and communicate their message and learn in advance about the birth, place and name the scholars to be born on this earth [That is, I develop the discernment to identify as to who is a scholar and who is a dunce]. May you accept worship. ||30||

That yagya which helps purify this world, a creation of God, with the help of the sun-rays is the endeavour that I indulge in for the sake of ensuring even my own purification. O Lord Supreme, since you are ever pure, radiant, hymnable and beloved of the learned, I seek your shelter only. ||31||

1.Literally, Progenitor. These sages and Prajapati chant these Sooktas.

Second Chapter

[Rishi (sages): Prajapati]

O Idhm (wood meant for yagya)! You reside in fire. I clean you with water. O Alter! You are the navel of the water (reserve). I clean you with water. O Darbha (the consecreted grass). I also clean you with water. ||1||

O Water! You irrigate this altar! O Kushas! You are the crown-tail of the yagya! O Altar! You are soft. I unfurl the mattress for having you seated on it. May these incense-material be fully acceptable to Lord supreme. ||2||

O Paridhi [circumference]. You must establish yourself in the westerly direction and may Vishwa-Vasu be your protector. Protect the hosts (of the yagya) from the demons. May the Lord of the Bhuvan (world) be present in the yagya. O Paridhi, be you Indra’s right arm. So you must protect the host from all disturbance in the yagya. May your protection be ensured by Mitra Varuna, Vayu and Aditya from the northern direction. You must ensure the host (Yajaman) from all disturbance. ||3||

O Great Agni! You are the bestower of all the wealth, prosperity and progeny. We make you brighter by pouring in more incense.

O Idhm! You make Agni burn more brightly. O Sun! Protect us from the disturbance that we face from the east. O Kusha! You are arms of Savita Dev! You are sweet and soft. I roll out you so that the divinities may be seated comfortably. ||5||

O Juhu! O Upamrita! Steeped in ghee may you also be seated. O Sruva (leddle)! O Havya (incense), be seated please. O Vishnu! Protect this yagya and its oblation - the whole exercise is being performed with the desire of getting the cherished fruit. O Lord Supreme! Protect the Adhavaryu. ||6||

O Agni, the creator of food grains! I seek your indulgence and brighten you so that the process of ford-grain-creation may remain unhampered. I bow to the gods and the manes with the hope that they will bestow their favour to see my yagya endeavour successfully reaching its culmination. O Juhu! O Upamrita! You should carefully carry the ghrita (Ghee-the clarified butter). ||7||

O Vishnu! I don’t step on the altar to escape this blame assiduously. O Agni! I sit near you! O Vasumati, for me you are the yagya-venue yourself! This yagya is being conducted to ensure Indra going for killing our enemies right after the completion of this yagya. He is our chief Lord in this yagya. ||8||

O Agni! You are not only the messenger of the yagya but its Hota (performer) as well. May you protect sky and earth and they protect you. Satisfied along with the deities by our yagya performance may Indra fulfil all our desires. ||9||

May Indra grant to the Hota all divine and earthly affluences fulfil his all desire and allow his wish to be fruitful. May hymned Mother earth permit me to consume the offerings. I, in the form of Agni, may consume them. ||10||

May Father Sun order me to consume the offerings and I do so. O Prashini! With the inspiration received from Savita Dev (Sun), with Ashwini Kumara’s two arms and through hands of Poosha Dev I accept you (the offerings) and consume you into the mouth of Agni (Fire). ||11||

O Savita! You are the object of this yagya protect this yagya, its host and myself. ||12||

May this Aajyaghrita service Savita Lord. May Vrihaspati extend this yagya and protect it. May the divinities be satisfied with this yagya. May Savita Dev not go against us. ||13||

O Agni ! Become radiant with the pouring of the incense, you must enlighten us and make us prosperous. It is when you attain your full glory that we may be gifted with progeny and other assets. May Agni and Soma and other gods destroy the demons destroying the yagya. ||14||

Agni-Soma have consumed (or accepted) this offering. Hence my securing victory. Puradosha, Juhu and Upamrita have served me well in this yagya performance. May Agni-Somadeva trounce upon our demon enemies. ||15||

O Madhyams Paridhi! I drench you with ghee for performing the yagya to please Vasus! O South Paridhi! I drench you with ghee for performing yagya to please Rudras! O Uttara Paridhi! I drench you with ghee to perform yagya for pleasing Adityas. O Sky & Earth! May the sun, wind and its tributaries protect you from the pelting-heavy rain. O Prastar! In the space you must follow the Marudganas and become our messenger to convey our message and return with rains. ||16||

O Vishvvadevas! It is by consuming ghee mixed incense that you attained greatness and sit on the holy stone covered by the Paridhi! In order to make this yagya obstruction-free you must grace this yagya. This offering is particularly meant for you. ||18||

O Juhu! O Upamrita! May you both be drenched with ghee! O cart-carrier! Anoint both the bulls with ghee, O Sukharoop! Grant me this happiness! O Altar! Be awakened and make this yagya a best performance. I salute to you! ||19||

O Agni! Spread all around for universal welfare. Save me from my enemy’s tricks and unprocedured yagya. Save me from poisoned food and water! This Aahuti (offering) is particularly meant for Agni and Saraswati. ||20||

O Material made from Kusha-Paste (the mattress or seat made of Kusha grass)! You are onmiscient, well versed in the yagya rituals - help me do this auspicious work! O Divinities! Grace this yagya! O God, may this yagya be dedicated to you. May its oblations also reach wind god. ||21||

O Indra! You are extremely affluent and hence you must drench the Kusha grass with the ghee meant or this yagya. May this be received by Bahir-Aditya. ||22||

O receptacles in use! Who leaves you with what intention? He forsakes your use for Progemitor’ satisfaction and I forsake you for ensuring satisfaction to my host (the yagya performer) and his progeny. ||23||

May we be endowed with Divine-glow, milk and its other products, capable senses and peace giving actions and mind. May Twashta give us wealth and health. That Vishnu who climbed on to heaven with his Jagati Chhanda like feet, the all Pervading Lord with His Trishtup Chhanda like feet and all pervading Lord has covered the entire earth with his Gayatri Chhanda against us or those against whom we carry ill-will, those fate-less enemies have now been discarded from heaven, space and Earth. ||24||

As the merit-giving consequence of this yagya, we observe the rising sun in the east. We have now be equipped it with a warm glow. ||25||

O Sun! You are self-created, golden-hued and covered with rays. Give me some divine glow. I now circumambulate the rising sun. ||26||

O Agni! I establish you as the Lord of the House in the hope that you also make me such a lord.