Atharvaveda 18.4

Ascend to [your] generatrix, ye Jātavedases; by [roads] that the Fathers travel I make you ascend together; the offering-carrier, sent out, hath carried the offerings; united (yuktá), set ye him who hath sacrificed in the world of the well-doing.

The gods, the seasons, arrange the sacrifice, the oblation, the sacrificial cake, the ladles (srúc), the implements (-ā́yudha) of sacrifice; with them go thou by roads that the gods travel, by which they that have sacrificed go to the heavenly (svargá) world.

Look thou happily (sādhú) along the road of righteousness, by which go the An̄girases, well-doers; by those roads go thou to heaven (svargá), where the Ādityas feed on honey; spread thou out upon the third firmament.

Three eagles (suparṇá)...upon the back of the firmament (nā́ka), at the summit (? viṣṭáp) are set (çritá); let the heavenly (svargá) worlds, filled (?) with amṛ́ta, yield (duh) food, refreshment to the sacrificer.

The sacrificial spoon (juhū́) sustains the sky, the offering spoon (upabhṛ́t) the atmosphere; the ladle (dhruvā́) sustains ⌊dhṛ⌋ the earth, the support (pratiṣṭhā́); unto me (?) let the worlds, ghee-backed, heavenly (svargá), yield every desire for the sacrificer.

O ladle, ascend the all-nourishing earth; stride, O offering spoon, unto the atmosphere; O sacrificial spoon, go to the sky (dív) in company with the sacrificer; with the little spoon (sruvá) [as] calf, milk thou all the teeming, unirritated quarters.

By fords they cross the advances (pravát) called the great ones, by what [road] the sacrifice-makers, the well-doers, go; there did they set a world for the sacrificer, when they arranged the quarters, the creatures (bhūtá).

The track (áyana) of the An̄girases is the eastern fire; the Ādityas' track is the householder's fire; the track of the sacrificial gifts is the southern fire; do thou, with thy limbs, whole (sárva), powerful (? çagmá), go unto the greatness of Agni [as] disposed by bráhman.

Let the eastern fire burn (tap) thee happily (çám) in front; let the householder's fire burn happily behind; let the southern fire burn refuge, defense for thee; from the north, from the midst, from the atmosphere, from each quarter, O Agni, protect him round about from what is terrible.

Ye, O Agni, having become back-carrying (? pṛṣṭiváh) horses, shall with most healthful forms (tanū́) carry him that has sacrificed unto the heavenly (svargá) world, where they revel in common revelry with the gods.

Burn (tap), O Agni, happily behind, happily in front; burn him happily above, happily below; being one, O Jātavedas, triply disposed, set him collectedly (samyák) in the world of the well-doers.

Let the fires, kindled, take hold happily; let the Jātavedases, making done (çṛtá) here him that is Prajāpati's [and] sacrificial, not throw him down.

The sacrifice goes, extended, adapting itself (? kḷp), [taking] him who hath sacrificed, unto the heavenly (svargá) world; let the fires enjoy it, made a whole oblation; let the Jātavedases, making done here him that is Prajāpati's [and] sacrificial, not throw him down.

He that hath sacrificed hath ascended the piled fire, about to fly up to heaven (dív) from the back of the firmament (nā́ka); for him, the well-doer, shines forth from the welkin (nábhas), full of light, the heavenly road, traveled by the gods.

Agni thine invoker, Brihaspati thine officiating priest, be Indra on the right thy supervising priest (brahmán); this offered sacrifice, being completed (sáṁsthita), goeth where is the ancient track of those offered.

Rich in cakes, rich in milk (kṣīrá-) let the dish (carú) take seat here; to the world-makers, the road-makers, do we sacrifice, whoever of you are here, sharing in the oblation of the gods.

Rich in cakes, rich in curds (dádhi-), let the dish etc. etc.

Rich in cakes, rich in drops (drapsá-), let the dish etc. etc.

Rich in cakes, rich in ghee, let the dish etc. etc.

Rich in cakes, rich in flesh (māṅsá-), let the dish etc. etc.

Rich in cakes, rich in food, let the dish etc. etc.

Rich in cakes, rich in honey, let the dish etc. etc.

Rich in cakes, rich in sap, let the dish etc. etc.

Rich in cakes, rich in water (ápa-), let the dish etc. etc.

What vessels covered with cakes the gods maintained for thee, be they for thee rich in svadhā́, rich in honey, dripping with ghee.

What grains I scatter along for thee, mixed with sesame, rich in svadhā́, be they for thee uprising (udbhú), prevailing; them let king Yama approve for thee.

A more abundant inexhaustibleness.

The drop leaped (skand) toward the earth, the sky (dív), toward both this lair (yóni) and the one that was of old; of the drop that goes about toward the same lair do I make oblation, after seven invocations (hótrā).

A hundred-streamed Vāyu, a heaven-finding sun (? arká), wealth, do those men-beholders look upon; whoso bestow (pṛ) and present (prayam) always, they milk a sacrificial gift having seven mothers.

They milk a receptacle (kóça), a jar with four orifices, iḍā [as] milch-cow rich in honey, in order to well-being; reveling refreshment, Aditi among the people, injure thou not, O Agni, in the highest firmament (vyòman).

This garment god Savitar gives thee to wear (bhṛ); putting on that, which is tārpyà, do thou go about in Yama's realm.

The grains became a milch-cow; the sesame became her calf; upon her, unexhausted, one lives in Yama's realm.

Be these, O so-and-so, thy milch-kine that yield what is desired; variegated, white, of like form, of different form, with sesame as calf, let them wait upon (upa-sthā) thee there.

Grains variegated, yellow, white, grains black, red, [be] thy milch-kine here; with sesame as calf, yielding (duh) him refreshment, be they ever unresisting.

In Vāiçvānara I offer this oblation, a thousand-fold, hundred-streamed fountain (útsa); it supports (bhṛ) [our] father, grandfathers; [our] great-grandfathers it supports, swelling.

A thousand-streamed, hundred-streamed fountain, unexhausted, expanded upon the back of the sea, yielding refreshment, unresisting, do the Fathers wait on at their will (? svadhā́bhis).

This funeral pile (? kásāmbu) [is] piled with piling; come, ye [his] fellows, look down at it; this mortal goeth to immortality; make ye houses for him according to his kindred.

Be thou just here, winning riches, with thought here, with ability here; be thou here, very heroic, vigor-bestowing, not smitten away.

These waters, rich in honey, satisfying (abhi-tṛp) son [and] grandson, yielding to the Fathers svadhā́ [and] amṛ́ta—let the heavenly waters gratify both sides.

O waters, send forth (pra-hi) Agni unto the Fathers; this sacrifice of mine let the Fathers enjoy; they who attach themselves unto a sitting refreshment, may they confirm to us wealth having all heroes.

They kindle the immortal one, oblation-carrying, ghee-loving; he knoweth the deposited deposits, the Fathers that are gone away to the distances.

What stirabout for thee, what rice-dish, what flesh I offer (ni-pṛ) to thee, be they for thee rich in svadhā́, rich in honey, dripping with ghee.

What grains I scatter along for thee, mixed with sesame, rich in svadhā́, be they for thee abundant, prevailing; them let king Yama approve for thee.

This [is] the former, the after down-track, by which thy former Fathers went away; they who are the forerunners, the followers (? abhiṣác) of it, they carry thee to the world of the well-doing.

On Sarasvatī do the pious call; on Sarasvatī, while the sacrifice is being extended; on Sarasvatī do the well-doers call; may Sarasvatī give what is desirable to the worshiper.

On Sarasvatī do the Fathers call, arriving at the sacrifice on the south; sitting on this barhís, do ye revel; assign thou to us food free from disease.

O Sarasvatī, that wentest in company with the songs, with the svadhā́s, O goddess, reveling with the Fathers, assign thou to the sacrificer here a portion of refreshment of thousand-fold value, abundance of wealth.

Thee, being earth, I make enter into earth; may god Dhātar lengthen out our life-time; let him that goeth very far away be a finder of good for you; then may the dead (pl.) come to be (sam-bhū) among the Fathers.

Start ye (du.) forward hither, wipe off that which the portents (? abhibhā́) have said there of you; from that come ye, inviolable ones, to this which is better, being bestowers here on me, a giver to the Fathers.

This sacrificial gift hath come excellently to us, given by him, well-milking, vigor-bestowing; old age, coming close to (? upa-pṛc) them living in youth, shall lead these away together unto the Fathers.

This barhís I bring forward for the Fathers; a living, higher one I strew for the gods; that do thou ascend, O man, becoming sacrificial; let the Fathers acknowledge thee who art departed.

Thou hast sat upon this barhís, thou hast become sacrificial; let the Fathers acknowledge thee who art departed; collect thy body according to its joints; I arrange thy members with bráhman.

King leaf is the cover of the dishes; the strength of refreshment, the power, vigor, hath come to us, dispensing (vi-dhā) life-time to the living (pl.), in order to length of life for a hundred autumns.

The share of refreshment that generated this man;—the stone attained (gam) the overlordship of the foods;—him praise ye, all-befriended, with oblations; may that Yama make (dhā) us to live further.

As the five clans (mānavá) scattered (vap) a dwelling (harmyá) for Yama, so do I scatter a dwelling, that there may be many of me (?).

Wear (bhṛ) thou this gold, which thy father wore before; of thy father, going to heaven (svargá), do thou wipe off the right hand.

Both those who are living and those who are dead; those who are born and those who are worshipful—for them let there go a brook of ghee, honey-streamed, overflowing.

There purifies itself the conspicuous bull of the prayers, the sun of days, lengthener out of dawns, of the sky (dív); the breath of the rivers hath made the jars to resound loudly; entering Indra's heart with skill.

Let thy sparkling (? tveṣá) smoke cover, being in the sky, extended bright; for thou, O purifier, shinest like the sun with luster, with beauty (kṛpā́).

Soma (índu) verily goes forward to Indra's rendezvous; the comrade does not violate (pra-mī) the comrade's agreements; thou rushest to join, as a male after females—soma, in the jar, by a road of a hundred tracks.

They have eaten; they have revelled ⌊surely⌋; they have shaken off (áva) those that are dear; having own brightness (svábhānu), they have praised; inspired, youngest, we implore.

Come ye, O Fathers, delectable, by profound roads that the Fathers travel, assigning to us lifetime and progeny; and do ye attach yourselves to us with abundances of wealth.

Go away, O Fathers, delectable, by profound roads that go to the stronghold (pūryā́ṇa); then, in a month, come ye again to our houses to eat the oblation, with good progeny, with good heroes.

What one limb of you Agni Jātavedas left when making you go to the Fathers' world, that same for you I fill up again; revel ye, O Fathers, in heaven (svargá) with [all] your limbs.

Jātavedas has been the messenger sent forth, at evening, at close of day to be honored by men;—thou hast given to the Fathers; they have eaten after their wont; eat thou, O god, the presented oblations.

Thou yonder, ho! hither thy mind! as sisters (jāmí) a kákutsala, do thou cover him, O earth.

Let the worlds where the Fathers sit adorn themselves (çumbh); I make thee to sit in the world where the Fathers sit.

Thou art the barhís of them that are our Fathers.

Loosen up the uppermost fetter from us, O Varuṇa, [loosen] down the lowest, off the midmost; then may we in thy sphere, O Āditya, be guiltless unto Aditi.

Release from us all fetters, O Varuṇa, with which one is bound crosswise, with which lengthwise; so may we live hundreds of autumns, by thee, O king, guarded, defended.

To Agni, carrier of the kavyás, [be] svadhā́ [and] homage.

To Soma with the Fathers [be] svadhā́ [and] homage.

To the Fathers with Soma, svadhā́ [and] homage.

To Yama with the Fathers, svadhā́ [and] homage.

Here is svadhā́ for thee, O great-grandfather, and for them that are after (ánu) thee.

Here is svadhā́ for thee, O grandfather, and for them that are after thee.

Here is svadhā́ for thee, O father.

Svadhā́ to the Fathers that sit upon the earth.

Svadhā́ to the Fathers that sit in the atmosphere.

Svadhā́ to the Fathers that sit in the sky (dív).

Homage, O Fathers, to your refreshment (ū́rj); homage, O Fathers, to your sap.

Homage, O Fathers, to your terror* (bhā́ma); homage, O Fathers, to your fury.

Homage, O Fathers, to that of yours which is terrible; homage, O Fathers, to that of yours which is cruel.

Homage, O Fathers, to that of yours which is propitious; homage, O Fathers, to that of yours which is pleasant.

Homage to you, O Fathers; svadhā́ to you, O Fathers.

They who are there, O Fathers—Fathers there are ye—[be] they after you; may ye be the best of them.

They who are here, O Fathers—alive here are we—[be] they after us; may we be the best of them.

Thee, O Agni, would we kindle, full of light (dyumánt), O god, unwasting; as that very wondrous fuel of thine shall shine in the sky (dív), bring thou food for thy praisers.

The moon among the waters runs, an eagle in the sky (dív); they find not your track, O golden-rimmed lightnings: know me as such, O firmaments (ródasī).