Book 9: Hymn 6: A glorification of hospitable reception of guests

1Whoso will know Prayer with immediate knowledge, whose mem- bers are the stuff, whose spine the verses: 2Whose hairs are psalms, whose heart is called the Yajus, whose coverlet is verily oblation— 3Verily when a host looks at his guests he looks at the place of sacrifice to the Gods. 4When he salutes them reverently he undergoes preparation for a religious ceremony: when he calls for water, he solemnly brings sacrificial water. 5The water that is solemnly brought at a sacrifice is this same water. 6The libation which they bring; the sacrificial victim dedicated to Agni and Soma which is tied to the post, that, verily, is this man. 7When they arrange dwelling-rooms they arrange the sacred chamber and the shed for housing the Soma cars. 8What they spread upon the floor is just Sacrificial Grass. 9With the couch that the men bring, he wins for himself the world of Svarga. 10The pillow-coverings that they bring are the green sticks that surround the sacrificial altar. 11The ointment that they bring for injunction is just clarified liquid butter. 12The food they bring before the general distribution represents the two sacrificial cakes of rice meal. p. a374 13When they call the man who prepares food they summon the preparer of oblation.

preparer of oblation. 14The grains of rice and barley that are selected are just filaments of the Soma plant. 15The pestle and mortar are really the stones of the Soma press. 16The winnowing-basket is the filter, the chaff the Soma dregs, the water, the pressing-gear. 17Spoon, ladle, fork, stirring-prong are the wooden Soma tubs; the earthen cooking-pots are the mortar-shaped Soma vessels; this earth is just the black-antelope's skin. 18Or the host acts in this way to a Yajamāna's Brāhman: when he looks at the furniture and utensils he says, More here t yet more here. 19When he says, Bring out more, he lengthens his life thereby. 20He brings oblations: he makes the men sit down. 21As the guest of the seated company he himself offers up sacrifice. 22With ladle, with hand, in life, at the sacrificial post, with cry of Ladle! with exclamation of Vashat! 23Now these guests, as priests beloved or not beloved, bring one to the world of Svarga. 24He who hath this knowledge should not eat hating, should not eat the food of one who hates him, nor of one who is doubt- ful, nor of one who is undecided. 25This man whose food they eat hath all his wickedness blotted out. 26All that man's sin whose food they do not eat remains unblot- ted out. 27The man who supplies food hath always pressing stones adjusted, a wet Soma filter, well prepared religious rites, and mental power to complete the arranged sacrifice.

power to complete the arranged sacrifice. 28The arranged sacrifice of the man who offers food is a sacrifice to Prajāpati. 29The man who offers food follows the steps of Prajāpati. 30The fire of the guests is the Āhavaniya, the fire in the dwelling is the Gārhapatya, that whereon they cook food is the South- ern Sacrificial Fire. 31Now that man who eats before the guest eats up the sacrifice and the merit of the house. 32He devours the milk and the sap: p. a375 33And the vigour and prosperity. 34And the progeny and the cattle: 35And the fame and reputation. 36The man who eats before the guest eats up the glory and the understanding of the house. 37The man should not eat before the guest who is a Brāhman versed in holy lore. 38When the guest hath eaten he should eat. This is the rule for the animation of the sacrifice and the preservation of its continuity. 39Now the sweetest portion, the produce of the cow, milk, or flesh, that verily he should not eat. 40The man who having this knowledge pours out milk and offers it wins for himself as much thereby as he gains by the perfor- mance of a very successful Agnishtoma sacrifice. 41The man who having this knowledge pours out clarified butter and offers it wins for himself thereby as much as he gains by the performance of a very successful Atirātra sacrifice. 42He who pours out mead and offers it wins for himself thereby as much as he gains by the performance of a very successful

as much as he gains by the performance of a very successful Sattrasadya sacrifice. 43He who having this knowledge besprinkles flesh and offers it wins for himself thereby as much as he gains by the perfor- mance of a very successful Twelve-Day sacrifice. 44The man who having this knowledge pours out water and offers it obtains a resting-place for the procreation of living beings and becomes dear to living beings, even the man who having this knowledge pours out water and offers it. 45For him Dawn murmurs, and Savitar sings the prelude; Brihas- pati chants with vigour, and Tvashtar joins in with increase; the Visve Devāh take up conclusion. He who hath this know- ledge is the abiding-place of welfare, of progeny, and of cattle. 46For him the rising Sun murmurs, and Early Morning sings the prelude; Noon chants the psalm, Afternoon joins in; the setting Sun takes up the conclusion. He who hath this know- ledge is the abiding place of welfare, of progeny, and of cattle. 47For him the Rain-cloud murmurs when present, sings the pre- lude when thundering, joins in when lightening, chants the p. a376 psalm when raining, and takes up the conclusion when it stays the downpour. He who hath this knowledge is the abiding- place of welfare, of progeny, and of cattle. 48He looks at the guests, he utters a gentle sound; he speaks, he signs the prelude; he calls for water, he chants the psalm; he

offers the residue of the sacrifice, he takes up the conclusion. 49When he summons the door-keeper he gives instruction. 50He (the door-keeper) pronounces the sacrificial formula in his answer to what he hears. 51When the attendants with vessels in their hands, foremost and hindmost, come in, they are just the priests who manage the Soma cups. 52Not one of them is incompetent to sacrifice. 53Or if the host, having offered food to his guest, goes up to the house, he virtually enters the bath of purification. 54When he distributes food he distributes priestly fees; what he performs he asks as favour. 55He having been invited on earth, regales, invited in that, which wears all various forms on earth. 56He, having been invited in air, regales, invited, in that which wears all various forms in air. 57He having been invited in the sky, regales, invited, in that which wears all various forms in the sky. 58He, having been invited among the gods, regales, invited in that which wears all various forms among the Gods. 59He, having been invited in the worlds, regales, invited, in that which wears all various forms in the worlds. 60He, having been invited hath been invited. 61He gains this world and the world yonder. 62He who hath this knowledge wins the luminous spheres.