Atharva Veda · 442 of 724
HYMN VI
A glorification of hospitable reception of guests 1. Whoso will know Prayer with immediate knowledge, whose mem- bers are the stuff, whose spine the verses: 2. Whose hairs are psalms, whose heart is called the Yajus, whose coverlet is verily oblation— 3. Verily when a host looks at his guests he looks at the place of sacrifice to the Gods. 4. When he salutes them reverently he undergoes preparation for a religious ceremony: when he calls for water, he solemnly brings sacrificial water. 5. The water that is solemnly brought at a sacrifice is this same water. 6. The libation which they bring; the sacrificial victim dedicated to Agni and Soma which is tied to the post, that, verily, is this man. 7. When they arrange dwelling-rooms they arrange the sacred chamber and the shed for housing the Soma cars. 8. What they spread upon the floor is just Sacrificial Grass. 9. With the couch that the men bring, he wins for himself the world of Svarga. 10. The pillow-coverings that they bring are the green sticks that surround the sacrificial altar. 11. The ointment that they bring for injunction is just clarified liquid butter. 12. The food they bring before the general distribution represents the two sacrificial cakes of rice meal. 13. When they call the man who prepares food they summon the preparer of oblation. 14. The grains of rice and barley that are selected are just filaments of the Soma plant. 15. The pestle and mortar are really the stones of the Soma press. 16. The winnowing-basket is the filter, the chaff the Soma dregs, the water, the pressing-gear. 17. Spoon, 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. 18. Or 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. 19. When he says, Bring out more, he lengthens his life thereby. 20. He brings oblations: he makes the men sit down. 21. As the guest of the seated company he himself offers up sacrifice. 22. With ladle, with hand, in life, at the sacrificial post, with cry of Ladle! with exclamation of Vashat! 23. Now these guests, as priests beloved or not beloved, bring one to the world of Svarga. 24. He 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. 25. This man whose food they eat hath all his wickedness blotted out. 26. All that man's sin whose food they do not eat remains unblot- ted out. 27. The 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. 28. The arranged sacrifice of the man who offers food is a sacrifice to Prajāpati. 29. The man who offers food follows the steps of Prajāpati. 30. The 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. 31. Now that man who eats before the guest eats up the sacrifice and the merit of the house. 32. He devours the milk and the sap: 33. And the vigour and prosperity. 34. And the progeny and the cattle: 35. And the fame and reputation. 36. The man who eats before the guest eats up the glory and the understanding of the house. 37. The man should not eat before the guest who is a Brāhman versed in holy lore. 38. When the guest hath eaten he should eat. This is the rule for the animation of the sacrifice and the preservation of its continuity. 39. Now the sweetest portion, the produce of the cow, milk, or flesh, that verily he should not eat. 40. The 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. 41. The 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. 42. He who pours out mead and offers it wins for himself thereby as much as he gains by the performance of a very successful Sattrasadya sacrifice. 43. He 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. 44. The 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. 45. For 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. 46. For 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. 47. For him the Rain-cloud murmurs when present, sings the pre- lude when thundering, joins in when lightening, chants the 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. 48. He 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. 49. When he summons the door-keeper he gives instruction. 50. He (the door-keeper) pronounces the sacrificial formula in his answer to what he hears. 51. When the attendants with vessels in their hands, foremost and hindmost, come in, they are just the priests who manage the Soma cups. 52. Not one of them is incompetent to sacrifice. 53. Or if the host, having offered food to his guest, goes up to the house, he virtually enters the bath of purification. 54. When he distributes food he distributes priestly fees; what he performs he asks as favour. 55. He having been invited on earth, regales, invited in that, which wears all various forms on earth. 56. He, having been invited in air, regales, invited, in that which wears all various forms in air. 57. He having been invited in the sky, regales, invited, in that which wears all various forms in the sky. 58. He, having been invited among the gods, regales, invited in that which wears all various forms among the Gods. 59. He, having been invited in the worlds, regales, invited, in that which wears all various forms in the worlds. 60. He, having been invited hath been invited. 61. He gains this world and the world yonder. 62. He who hath this knowledge wins the luminous spheres.