QUOTES ABOUT GODS

 Ye gods of full Glory, ye gods of full healing, let your greatness become manifest

 "'King of gods,'

 "'The reading of this Mahâbhârata destroys all sin and produces virtue; so much so, that the pronunciation of a single shloka is sufficient to wipe away much guilt. This Mahâbhârata contains the history of the gods, of the Rishis in heaven and those on earth, of the Gandharvas and the Rákshasas. It also contains the life and actions of the one God, holy, immutable, and true,-who is Krishna, who is the creator and the ruler of this universe; who is seeking the welfare of his creation by means of his incomparable and indestructible power; whose actions are celebrated by all sages; who has bound human beings in a chain, of which one end is life and the other death; on whom the Rishis meditate, and a knowledge of whom imparts unalloyed happiness to their hearts, and for whose gratification and favor all the daily devotions are performed by all worshippers. If a man reads the Mahâbhârata and has faith in its doctrines, he is free from all sin, and ascends to heaven after his death.'"

 "Fair Princess! since, before all gods and men

 "Father Manu" of the Vedas, who appears to have been worshipped as a patriarchal ancestor, was, for instance, embraced in the Mahábhárata by the cult of Vishnu. He had been exalted by the ritualists as one who was greater than the gods, because he had been the first to inaugurate sacrificial rites, and he was afterwards associated with Brahma in performing some of the acts of Creation at the beginning of one of the Yugas (Ages). It was necessary, therefore, to show that he owed his power and opportunities to Vishnu

 "Ha!" and "Aho!" But from the gods and saints

 "Humbly I reverence these mighty gods

 "If she hath set a man above the gods

 "Penance I have undertaken, will unto the gods be made."

 "Shakuntala hath uttered what is true. Therefore, O Dushyanta, cherish thy son, and because thou wilt cherish him by command of the gods, let his name be Bharata ('the cherished')."

 "The dawn in truth is the head of the sacrificial horse, The sun is the eye; the wind the breath . . . the year the body, the heaven is the back . . . the constellations the bones; the sky the muscles; the rivers, arteries and veins; the liver and spleen, the mountains; the herbs and trees, the various kinds of hair." The horse is also identified with the sun: "The sun, as long as he rises is the fore part of the body; the sun, as long as he descends is the hind part of the body, & c." The horse is also day and night in turn, and its birthplace is the sea; it carries the gods and the Asuras; it is the symbol of Death, "who is voracity", from whom all things came. "There was not anything here before." Death first "created this mind, desiring, May I have a soul. He went forth worshipping. From him, when worshipping, the waters were produced. . . . The froth of the waters which was there became consistent. This became the earth. . . . He made himself threefold. His eastern quarter is the head . . . his western quartet is the tail, & c."

 "The heaven of Indra was constructed by the great artisan-god himself. Like a chariot it can be moved anywhere at will. The Assembly House has many rooms and seats, and is adorned by celestial trees. Indra sits there with his beautiful queen, wearing his crown, with gleaming bracelets on his upper arms; he is decked with flowers, and attired in white garments. He is waited upon by brilliant Maruts, and all the gods and the rishis and saints, whose sins have been washed off their pure souls, which are resplendent as fire. There is no sorrow, or fear, or suffering in Indra's abode, which is inhabited by the spirits of wind and thunder, fire and water, plants and clouds, and planets and stars, and the spirits also of Prosperity, Religion, Joy, Faith, and Intelligence. Fairies and elves (Apsaras and Gandharvas) dance and sing there to sweet music; feats of skill are performed by celestial battle heroes, auspicious rites are also practised. Divine messengers come and go in celestial chariots, looking bright as Soma himself

 "The sun", declared one of the poets, "has the nature of Agni, the moon of Soma." At the same time Agni was a great consumer of Soma; when it was poured on the altar, the fire god leapt up joyfully. The beverage was the "water of life" which was believed to sustain the Adityas and the earth, and to give immortality to all the gods; it was therefore called Amrita (ambrosia)

 "Then spake the God of gods these gracious words

 "Thereat those mightiest gods, in glorious train

 "Thou seest th' immortal gods. Indra am I

 "We, too, will go." Thereupon those high gods

 "When the gods performed a sacrifice with Purusha as the oblation, the Spring was its butter, the Summer its fuel, and the Autumn its (accompanying) offering. This victim, Purusha, born in the beginning, they immolated on the sacrificial grass."

 "When the gods, performing sacrifice, bound Purusha as a victim, there were seven sticks (stuck up) for it (around the fire). . . . With sacrifice the gods performed the sacrifice. These were the earliest rites."

 "With gods so waiting, - with the world's dread lords

 (Ananta or Shesha). Vishnu said: "The demons must share in the work of churning, but I will prevent them from tasting of the amrita, which must be kept for Indra and the gods only."

 (combatant) standing on the left of the chariot, Kandramas (the moon) the charioteer. 24. Do thou win here, do thou conquer here, overcome, win, hail! These here shall conquer, those yonder be conquered! Hail to these here, perdition to those yonder! Those yonder do I envelop in blue and red

 (May) the gods, the sacrifice

 (Saying) 'On the impulse of the god Savitr thee', he takes the sword, for impelling. 'With the arms of the Açvins', he says, for the Açvins were the Adhvaryus of the gods. 'With the hands of Pusan', he says, for restraint. 'Thou art a hundred-edged, of the tree, slayer of the foe', he says; verily he sharpens the bolt, being about to hurl it at his enemy. He throws away the grass with a Yajus. The earth is the size of the altar; verily he deprives his enemy of so much of that . Therefore they do not deprive one who has no share. He throws it away thrice; these worlds are three; verily he excludes him from these worlds. He throws it silently a fourth time; verily he excludes him from the unmeasured. He uproots it; verily what of it is impure he cuts off. He uproots it; therefore the plants perish. He cuts the root; verily he cuts the root of the enemy. If dug too deep, it has the Pitrs for its deity; so much does he dig as is measured by Prajapati as the mouth of the sacrifice. He digs until (he reaches) support; verily he causes the sacrificer to reach support. He makes it higher on the south; verily he makes it the form of the sacrificial ground. He makes it full of loose earth; loose earth is offspring and cattle; verily he makes him full of offspring and cattle. He performs the second drawing of a boundary. The earth is the size of the altar; verily having excluded his enemy from so much of it, he performs the second drawing of a boundary for himself. Cruelly he acts in making an altar. (With the words) 'Thou art the holder, thou art the self holder', it is made smooth, for healing. He places the sprinkling waters; the waters are Raksas-slaying; (verily they serve) for slaying the Raksases. He places them in the path made by the sword, for the continuity of the sacrifice. He should think of any one whom he hates; verily does he inflict trouble upon him

 (The cup) for Indra and Vayu is connected with the Gayatri, the opening day is connected with the Gayatri, and therefore on the opening day (the cup) for Indra and Vayu is drawn; verily he draws it in its own abode. The Çukra is connected with the Tristubh, the second day is connected with the Tristubh, and therefore on the second day the Çukra is drawn; verily he draws it in its own abode. The Agrayana is connected with the Jagati, the third day is connected with the Jagati, and therefore on the third day the Agrayana is drawn; verily he draws it in its own abode. In that it completes the metres, it completes the sacrifice ; in that the Agrayana is drawn on the next day, where they have seen the sacrifice, thence does he again employ it. The second three nights begin with the Jagati, the Agrayana is connected with the Jagati; in that the Agrayana is drawn on the fourth day, he draws it in its own abode; verily also they revolve round their own metre. (The cup) for Indra and Vayu is connected with the Rathantara (Saman), the fifth day is connected with the Rathantara, and therefore on the fifth day (the cup) for Indra and Vayu is drawn; verily he draws it in its own abode. The Çukra is connected with the Brhati, the sixth day is connected with the Brhati, and therefore on the sixth day the Çukra is drawn; verily he draws it in its own abode. In that it completes the metres, it completes for the second time the sacrifice; in that the Çukra is drawn on the next day, where they have seen the sacrifice, thence does he again employ it. The third three nights begin with the Tristubh, the Çukra is connected with the Tristubh ; in that the Çukra is drawn on its seventh day, he draws it in its own abode, and they revolve round their own metre. The Agrayana, is speech, the eighth day is speech, and therefore on the eighth day the Agrayana is drawn; verily he draws it in its own abode. (The cup) for Indra and Vayu is breath, the ninth day is breath, and therefore on the ninth day (the cup) for Indra and Vayu. is drawn; verily he draws it in its own abode. In that it completes the metres, it completes for the third time the sacrifice; in that (the cup) for Indra and Vayu is drawn on the next day, where they have seen the sacrifice, thence does he again employ it, and they revolve round their own metre. They go by a trackless way leaving the path who start with anything except (the cup) for Indra and Vayu. The tenth day is the end of the sacrifice, (the cup) for Indra and Vayu is drawn on the tenth day; verily having reached the end of the sacrifice , they proceed from the trackless way to the path, and it is as when men go pushing on with a strong (team). The metres set their wishes on one another's world, and the gods then interchanged them. The fourth day is the abode of (the cup) for Indra and Vayu, the Agrayana is drawn on this (day); therefore (the cup) for Indra and Vayu is drawn on the ninth day, the abode of the Agrayana. The fifth day is the abode of the Çukra , (the cup) for Indra and Vayu is drawn on this (day); therefore the Çukra is drawn on the seventh day, the abode of (the cup) for Indra and Vayu. The sixth day is the abode of the Agrayana, the Çukra is drawn on this (day); therefore the Agrayana is drawn on the eighth day, the abode of the Çukra. Verily thus does he exchange the metres, and he who knows thus obtains interchange with the richer; verily also he causes concord in the sacrifice for the gods. Therefore one gives this to another

 (The fire) to be piled is the body of Agni, Vaiçvanara is the self; in that he offers to Vaiçvanara after the piling, he prepares its body and mounts it; the sacrificer thus prepares his body, in that he piles the fire; in that he offers to Vaiçvanara after the piling, verily having pre pared his body he mounts it with the self; therefore they do not cut off from it; verily living he goes to the gods

 The following unfolds marvelous proof to our point. A brother physician, writing to Dr. Inman, says: "I was in Egypt last winter (1865-66), and there certainly are numerous figures of Gods and kings, on the walls of the temple at Thebes, depicted with the male genital erect. The great temple at Karnak is, in particular, full of such figures, and the temple of Danclesa likewise, though that is of much later date, and built merely in imitation of old Egyptian art. The same inspiring bass-reliefs are pointed out by Ezek. xxiii, 14. I remember one scene of a king (Rameses II.) returning in triumph with captives, many of whom are undergoing the operation of castration, and in the corner of the picture are numerous heaps of the balls.

 § 10. Whereas in India the fiends were daily driven farther and farther into the background, and by the prevalence of the metaphysical spirit gods and fiends came to be nothing more than changing and fleeting creatures of the everlasting, indifferent Being, Persia took her demons in real earnest; she feared them, she hated them, and the vague and unconscious dualism that lay at the bottom of the Indo-Iranian religion has. its unsteady outlines sharply defined, and became the very form and frame of Mazdeism. The conflict was no more seen and heard in the passing storm only, but it raged through all the avenues of space and time. The Evil became a power of itself, engaged in an open and never-ceasing warfare with the Good. The Good was centred in the supreme god, in Ahura Mazda, the bright god of Heaven, the all-knowing Lord, the Maker, Who, as the author of every good thing, was 'the good Spirit,' Spenta Mainyu. In front of him and opposed to him slowly rose the evil Spirit, Angra Mainyu

 § 17. It may, therefore, be fairly admitted that, on the whole, the present texts are derived from texts already existing under the Achæmenian kings. Some parts of the collection are undoubtedly older than others; thus, the Gâthas are certainly older than the rest of the Avesta, as they are often quoted and praised in the Yasna and the Vendîdâd; but it is scarcely possibly to go farther than a logical chronology. One might feel inclined, at first sight, to assign to a very recent date, perhaps to the last revision of the Avesta, those long enumerations of gods so symmetrically elaborated in the Yasna, Vispêrad, and Vendîdâd. But the Account of Mazdeism given by Plutarch shows that the

 § 23. A class of demons particularly interesting are the Varenya daêvas The phrase, an old one belonging to the Indo-European mythology, meant originally 'the gods in heaven,' {Greek ou?ranioi ðeoi'}; when the daêvas were converted into demons (see § 41), they became 'the fiends in the heavens,' the fiends who assail the sky; and later on, as the meaning of the word Varena was lost, 'the fiends of the Varena land;' and finally, nowadays, as their relation to Varena is lost to sight, they are turned by popular etymology, now into demons of lust, and now into demons of doubt

 § 27. In the conflict between gods and fiends man is active: he takes a part in it through the sacrifice

 § 3. The God that has established the laws in nature is the Heaven God. He is the greatest of gods, since there is nothing above him nor outside of him; he has made every thing, since everything is produced or takes place . in him; he is the wisest of all gods, since with his eyes, the sun, moon, and stars, he sees everything

 § 34. The Amesha Spentas projected, as it were, out of themselves, as many Daêvas or demons, who, either in their being or functions, were, most of them, hardly more than dim inverted images of the very gods they were to oppose, and whom they followed through all their successive evolutions. Haurvatât and Ameretât, health and life, were opposed by Tauru and Zairi, sickness and decay, who changed into rulers of thirst and hunger when Haurvatât and Ameretât had become the Amshaspands of waters and trees

 § 4. As to the rites by means of which the Drug is expelled, they are the performance of myths. There is nothing in worship but what existed before in mythology. What we call a practice is only an imitation of gods, as man fancies he can bring about the things he wants, by performing the acts which are supposed to have brought about things of the same kind when practised by the gods

 § 5. The spiritual attributes of the Heaven god were daily more and more strongly defined, and his material attributes were thrown farther into the background. Yet many features, though ever dimmer and dimmer, betray his former bodily or, rather, his sky nature. He is white, bright, seen afar, and his body is the greatest and fairest of all bodies; he has the sun for his eye, the rivers above for his spouses, the fire of lightning for his son; he wears the heaven as a star-spangled garment, he puts on the hard stone of heaven, be is the hardest of all gods . He dwells in the infinite luminous space, and the infinite luminous space is his place

 § 6. In the Indo-Iranian religion, the supreme Asura, although he was the supreme god, was not the only god. There were near him and within him many mighty beings, the sun, wind, lightning, thunder, rain, prayer, sacrifice, which as soon as they struck the eye or the fancy of man, were at once turned into gods. If the Heaven Asura, greater in time and space, eternal and universal, everlasting and ever present, was without effort raised to the supreme rank by his twofold infinitude, there were other gods, of shorter but mightier life, who maintained against him their right to independence. The progress of religious thought might as well have gone on to transfer power from him to any of these gods, as to make his authority unrivalled. The former was the case in India: in the middle of the Vedic period. Indra, the dazzling god of storm, rose to supremacy in the Indian Pantheon, and outshines Varuna with the roar and splendour of his feats; but soon to give way to a new and mystic king, Prayer or Brahman

 § 9. Thus came a time when Ahura was not only the maker of the world, the creator of the earth, water, trees, mountains, roads,. wind, sleep, and light, was not only he who gives to man life, shape, and food, but was also the father of Tistrya, the rain-bestowing god, of Verethraghna, the fiend-smiting god, and of Haoma, the tree of eternal life, the father of the six Amesha. Spentas, the father of all gods

 10. Soma and Pushan, kind to him who travels to the Gods, provide

 10. Soma, flow on with pleasant stream, strong and devoted to the Gods, our friend, unto the woollen sieve

 10. Soma, the mighty, when, the waters' offspring, he chose the Gods, performed that great achievement

 13 (33). 'Up! rise up, ye stars, that have in you the seed of waters, rise up above Hara Berezaiti, and produce light for the world (and mayst thou [O man!] rise up there, if thou art to abide in Garô-nmânem), along the path made by Mazda, along the way made by the gods, the watery way they opened

 13. 'Who first of the heavenly gods reaches over the Hara, before

 13. Indu, to us for this great rite, bearing as 'twere thy wave to Gods, unwearied, thou art flowing on

 16. Thy father is Ahura Mazda, the greatest of all gods, the best

 17. Praised of the gods, unoffended by the righteous, the great

 17. The friends of all gods

 2 That belongs to the gods in the heavens and to those in the

 2 Men, when raised from the dead, shall have no shadow any longer ({Greek mh'te skia`n poiou^ntas}) In India, gods have no shadows (Nalus); in Persia, Râshidaddîn was recognised to be a god from his producing no shadow (Guyard, Un grand maitre, des Assassins, Journal Asiatique, 1877, I, 392); the plant of eternal life, Haoma, has no shadow (Henry Lord)

 21 (42) . The Maker, Ahura Mazda, of high renown in the Airyana Vaêgô, by the good river Dâitya , called together a meeting of the celestial gods

 23 (76). 'Thus Vohu-manô shall be made clean, and clean shall be the man. Then he shall take up Vohu-manô with his left arm and his right, with his right arm and his left: and thou shalt lay down Vohu-manô under the mighty structure of the bright heavens, by the light of the stars made by the gods, until nine nights have passed away

 4 When a man dies, hell and paradise, fiends and gods struggle for the possession of his soul: Astôvîdhôtus, Vîzaresha, and the bad Vayu drag the souls of the wicked to hell; Mithra, Sraosha, Rashnu, and the good Vayu take the souls of the good to paradise (see Farg. XIX, 29 seq.; Yt. XXII; Mainyô-i-khard II). The struggle lasts for three days and three nights (the sadis), during which time the relatives of the dead offer up prayers and sacrifices to Sraosha, Rashnu, and Vayu, to assure him their protection (cf. IX, 56)

 45 (123). He shall learn on, during the first part of the day and the last, during the first part of the night and the last, that his mind may be increased in knowledge and wax strong in holiness: so shall he sit up, giving thanks and praying to the gods, that he may be increased in knowledge: he shall rest during the middle part of the day, during the middle part of the night, and thus shall he continue until he can say all the words which former Aêthrapaitis have said

 5 (20). 'Up! rise up and roll along! thou swift-horsed sun, above Hara Berezaiti, and produce light for the world (and mayst thou [O man!] rise up there, if thou art to abide in Garô-nmânem ), along the path made by Mazda, along the way made by the gods, the watery way they opened

 5 In the same way his Greek counterpart, Zeus, the god of heaven, the lord and father both of gods and men, when besieged by the Titans, calls Thetis, Prometheus and the Hecatonchirs to help him.]

 A god, surpassed the gods in insight

 A herald of the gods unto thee here

 A king of men is Nala, like the gods

 A strict discipline prevails among them. Every class of animals has a chief or ratu above it (Bund. XXIV). The same organisation extends to all the beings {footnote p. lxxiii} in nature: stars, men, gods have their respective ratus, Tistrya, Zoroaster, Ahura.]

 A wind before their faces, as these gods

 abide in Garô-nmânem), along the path made by Mazda, along the way made by the gods, the watery way they opened

 absurdities with which the so-called sacred books of Zoroaster teemed. It is true that Anquetil had given full scope to satire by the style he had adopted: he cared very little for literary elegance, and did not mind writing Zend and Persian in French; so the new and strange ideas he had to express looked stranger still in the outlandish garb he gave them. Yet it was less the style than the ideas that shocked the contemporary of Voltaire . His main argument was that books, full of such silly tales, of laws and rules so absurd, of descriptions of gods and demons so grotesque, could not be the work of a sage like Zoroaster, nor the code of a religion so much celebrated for its simplicity, wisdom, and purity. His conclusion was that the Avesta was a rhapsody of some modern Guebre. In fact the only thing in which Jones succeeded was to prove in a decisive manner that the ancient Persians were not equal to the lumières of the eighteenth century, and that the authors of the Avesta had not read the Encyclopédie

 According to the epics, the ambrosia, the Indian name of which is amrita (both words implying immortality), was required by the gods so as to enable them to overcome the demons. In Vishnu Parva, however, a Brahmanic addition to the myth was made so as to exalt a sage and illustrate the power he could exercise over the old Vedic deities. It is related that Durvásas obtained from a merry nymph a sweet-scented, inspiring garland which made him dance. He presented it to Indra, who

 According to Vedic myth, Indra achieved his first great victory immediately after birth. Vritra, "the encompasser", the Demon of Drought, was holding captive in his mountain fortress the cloud-cattle which he had harried in the approved manner of the Aryan raiders.

 Account has to be taken of the persistent legend regarding the ambrosia which gave strength to the gods and prolonged their existence. In "Teutonic mythology" it is snatched by Odin from the giants of the Underworld, and is concealed in the moon, which is ever pursued by the demon wolf Managarm, who seeks to devour it

 Aditi, desirous of offspring, cooked a Brahman's mess for the Sadhya gods; to her the gave the remains, she ate it, she became pregnant; of her the four Adityas were born. A second (mess) she cooked; she reflected, 'They have been born for me from the remains; if I eat first, then stronger ones will be born from me'; she ate first, she became pregnant, from her was born an egg which miscarried. She cooked a third (mess) for the Adityas, (saying) 'Let this labour be for enjoyment to me'; they said, 'Let us choose a boon; let him who shall be born hence be one of us; let him who shall be prosperous among his offspring be for our enjoyment'; then was born the Aditya Vivasvant, men are his offspring here, among them he alone is successful who sacrifices, he serves for enjoyment of the gods. The gods kept Rudra away from the sacrifice, he followed the Adityas; they took refuge in (the cups) for two deities, them they did not give up; therefore men do not give up even one worthy of death who has come for help. Therefore (the cup) for the Adityas is drawn from those for two deities, in that they were born from the remnant, therefore it is drawn from the remnant. He draws with three verses; mother, father, son, verily that is this pairing; the amnion, embryo, the chorion, verily that is this pairing. The Aditya (cup) is cattle; curds are strength; he mixes with curds in the middle; verily he places strength in the middle of cattle; (with curds) to be coagulated with boiled milk, for purity. Therefore the raw milks the cooked. The Aditya (cup) is cattle; he-draws after covering (the cup); verily he draws securing cattle for him. The Aditya (cup) is those cattle; Agni is Rudra here; he draws after covering; verily he shuts off cattle from Rudra . (The stone) for pressing out the Upançu (cup) is this Aditya Vivasvant; it lies round this Soma drink until the third pressing. 'O bright Aditya, this is thy Soma drink', he says; verily he unites the Aditya Vivasvant with the Soma drink. 'With the rain of the sky I mix thee', (with these words) he should mix for one who desires rain; verily he wins rain. If it should fall quickly, Parjanya would be likely to rain; if long, (he would) not (be likely). He does not place (the cup) down, for from that which is not depressed offspring are produced. He should not utter the secondary Vasat; if he were to do so, he would let Rudra go after his offspring; after sacrificing he should not look after (it); if he were to look after (it) his eye would be likely to be destroyed; therefore he should not look after (it)

 aditii = the mother of the gods

 After a year of purification the Creator slaughtered his horse body. "He gave up the animal to the gods. Therefore they (the gods) slaughter the purified animal, representing in its nature, as Prajápati, all deities. He (the Creator) is the Ashwameda

 After the magic spell was removed from the plants by the gods, men ate food and cattle grazed once again. Ever afterwards, at the beginning of each harvest, the first fruits were offered up to Indra and Agni. The fee of the priest was the first-born calf "for that is, as it were, the firstfruits of the cattle".

 After this, Indra and the other gods

 Age, being probably associated with a group of abstract deities :: his attributes symbolized :: who are represented by the Adityas. The Mitra-Varuna group of Celestials were the source of all heavenly gifts; they regulated sun and moon, the winds and waters and the seasons. If we assume that they were of Babylonian or Sumerian origin :: deities imported by a branch of Aryan settlers who had been in contact with Babylonian civilization :: their rivalry with the older Aryan gods, Indra and Agni, can be understood. Ultimately they were superseded, but the influence exercised by their cult remained and left its impress upon later Aryan religious thought

 Agni is full of life; he is full of life through the trees; with this life I make thee full of life. Soma is full of life; he is (full) through the plants; the sacrifice is full of life; it is (full) through the sacrificial fees; the Brahman is full of life; that is full of life through the Brahmans; the gods are full of life; they are (full of life) through the ambrosia; the Pitrs are full of life; they are full of life through the Svadha-call with this life I make thee full of life

 Agni is more closely associated with human life than any other deity. He is the only god called grhá-pati lord of the house, and is constantly spoken of as a guest (átithi) in human dwellings. He is an immortal who has taken up his abode among mortals. Thus be comes to be termed the nearest kinsman of men. He is oftenest described as a father, sometimes also as a brother or even as a son of his worshippers. He both takes the offerings of men to the gods and brings the gods to the sacrifice. He is thus characteristically a messenger (dutá) appointed by gods and by men to be an 'oblation-bearer'

 Agni is the god who is invoked by the other deities, "Make straight the pathways that lead to the gods; be kind to us, and carry the sacrifice for us".

 Agni the Fire God :: Source of Life :: The Divine Priest :: Myths regarding his Origin :: The Child God :: Resemblances to Heimdal and Scyld :: Messenger of the Gods :: Martin Elginbrodde :: Vayu or Vata, the Wind God :: Teutonic Vate and Odin :: The Hindu "Wild Huntsman" :: Rudra the Howler :: The Rain God :: Sublime Varuna :: The Omniscient One :: Forgiver of Sins :: Mitra, an ancient Deity :: Babylonian Prototype :: A Sun God :: A Corn God :: Mitanni Deities :: Surya, the Sun God :: The Adityas :: Ushas, Goddess of Dawn :: Ratri, Night :: Chandra, the Moon :: Identified with Soma :: The Mead of the Gods :: A Humorous Hymn :: Sources of Life :: Origin of Spitting Ceremonies

 Agni was the messenger of the gods; he interceded with the gods on behalf of mankind and conducted the bright Celestials to the sacrifice. The priest chanted at the altar

 Agni when tied up is connected with Varuna; 'With extending blaze', (with these words) he unloosens (him); verily, instigated by Savitr, he lets loose on all sides the wrath of Varuna that is in him. He pours water down; the waters are appeased; verily by the waters appeased he calms his pain; with three (verses) he pours (it) down, Agni is three fold; verily he calms Agni's pain throughout his whole extent. 'Mitra having united the earth', he says; Mitra is the auspicious one of the gods; verily with him he unites him, for atonement. If he were to unite him with sherds of domestic pots, he would afflict domestic pots with pain; he unites (him) with fragments of broken pots; these are not used for life; verily he afflicts them with pain. He unites (him) with sand, for support, and for healing. He unites (him) with goat-hair; the female goat is Agni's dear form; verily he unites him with his dear form, and thus with brilliance. He unites him with the hairs of a black antelope skin ; the black antelope skin is the sacrifice; verily he unites the sacrifice with the sacrifice. 'The Rudras, having gathered together the earth', he says; these deities first gathered him together; verily with them he gathers him together. 'Thou art the head of Makha', he says; Makha is the sacrifice, the firepan is his head; therefore he says thus. 'Ye are the two feet of the sacrifice', he says, for these are the two feet of the sacrifice ; and also (it serves) for support. He hands (the pan) over with one set (of verses), and addresses it with another, to make a pairing. He makes it with a triple stand; these worlds are three; (verily it serves) to obtain these worlds. He makes (it) with the metres; the metres are strength; verily he makes it with strength. He makes a hole with a Yajus, for discrimination. He makes it so great, of equal girth with Prajapati, the beginning of the sacrifice. He makes it with two breasts, for the milking of sky and earth; he makes it of four breasts, for the milking of cattle; he makes it of eight breasts, for the milking of the metres. For him who practises witchcraft he should make it nine cornered; verily gathering together the threefold thunderbolt he hurls it at his foe, to lay him low. 'Having made the great pan', (with these words) he deposits (it); verily he establishes it among the deities

 Agni, as a messenger between gods and men, was known to the Vedas as Narâ-sansa; hence came the Avesta messenger of Ahura, Nairyô-sangha

 Agni, on thy most easy car, entreated, hither bring the Gods

 Agni, this day to him who pays oblations bring the Gods who waken with the morn

 Agni, whatever sacrifice and worship thou encompassest on every side, that indeed goes to the gods. Thou art King of all worship. . . . Conduct the gods hither in an easy-moving chariot.

 Agni,well kindled bring the Gods for him who offers holy gifts

 Alert thou bearest off the sacrifleer's gift, and then thou shinest to the Gods

 All' the metres are to be recited in this sacrifice', they say; the Kakubh is the strength of the Tristubh, the Usnih of the Jagati; in that he repeats the Usnih and the Kakubh, thereby he wins all the metres. The Usnih is the Gayatri; the four syllables over are fourfooted cattle; just as cake is over cake, so it is with the syllables which are over the verse; if he were to close with a Jagati, he would end the sacrifice; he closes with a Tristubh, the Tristubh is power and strength; verily he establishes the sacrifice on power and strength, he does not end it. 'O Agni, three are thy strengths, three thy abodes', with this (verse) containing the word 'three' he closes, for similarity of form: that which has three constituents is the whole of the sacrifice; for every desire it is employed, for the sacrifice is employed for all desires. He who is practising witchcraft should sacrifice with that of three constituents; that which has three constituents is the whole of the sacrifice ; verily with the whole of the sacrifice he bewitches him, and lays him low. With the same (offering) should he sacrifice who is practised against, that which has three constituents is the whole of the sacrifice; verily he sacrifices with the whole of the sacrifice, and he who practises witchcraft does not lay him low. With the same (offering) should he sacrifice who is going to sacrifice with a thousand; verily he produces and gives (it). He who has sacrificed with a thousand should sacrifice with the same (offering) he goes to the end of cattle who sacrifices with a thousand; Prajapati created cattle; he created them with (the offering) of three constituents; he who knowing thus sacrifices, desirous of cattle, with (the offering) of three constituents, creates cattle from the very source whence Prajapati created them; and the thousand resorts to him. He becomes a prey to the gods who having said, 'I shall sacrifice', does not sacrifice; he should sacrifice with (the offering) of three constituents; (the offering) of three constituents is the whole of the sacrifice; verily he sacrifices with the whole of the sacrifice, and does not become a prey to the gods. The cake is on twelve potsherds; these are three (sets of) four potsherds, to bring about the three. There are three cakes, these worlds are three; (verily they serve) to win these worlds. Each one above the other is larger, for so as it were are these worlds. The middle one is made of barley, that is the form of the atmosphere; (verily it serves) for prosperity. He cuts off from all (the cakes) as he sets them up without making a failure. He gives gold; verily he wins brilliance ; he gives the silken garment; verily he wins cattle; he gives a cow; verily he wins his prayers; gold is the colour of the Saman, the silken garment of the formulae, the cow of the praises and rejoicings; verily he wins all these colours

 All changes; and the gods are mortal, too

 All classical writers, from Herodotus down to Ammianus, agree in pointing to Media as the seat and native place of the Magi. 'In Media,' says Marcellinus (XXIII, 6), 'are the fertile fields of the Magi . . . (having been taught in the magic science by King Hystaspes) they handed it down to their posterity, and thus from Hystaspes to the present age an immense family was developed, hereditarily devoted to the worship of the gods. . . . In former times their number was very scanty . . . , but they grew up by and by into the number and name of a nation, and inhabiting towns without walls they were allowed to live according to their own laws, protected by religious awe.' Putting aside the legendary account of their origin, one sees from this passage that in the time of Marcellinus (fourth cent. A.D.) there was in Media a tribe, called Magi, which had the hereditary privilege of providing Iran with priests. Strabo, writing three centuries before Marcellinus, considered the Magi as a sacerdotal tribe spread over the land . Lastly, we see in Herodotus (III, 65) that the usurpation of the Magian Smerdis was interpreted

 All the features in Zarathustra point to a god: that the god may have grown up from a man, that pre-existent mythic elements may have gathered around the name of a man, born on earth, and by and by surrounded the human face with the aureole of a god, . may of course be maintained, but only on condition that one may distinctly express what was the real work of Zoroaster. That he, raised a new religion against the Vedic religion, and cast down into hell the gods of older days can no longer be maintained, since the gods, the ideas, and the worship of Mazdeism are shown to emanate directly from the old religion, and have nothing more of a reaction against it than Zend has against Sanskrit

 All the gods have surrounded me

 All the gods who purified themselves for the sacrifice waxed great. He who knowing thus purifies himself for the sacrifice waxes great. Having purified him without he makes him go within. Verily having purified him in the world of men, he leads him forward purified to the world of the gods. 'He is not consecrated by one oblation ', they say; verily he offers four with the dipping-ladle for consecration; the fifth he offers with the offering-ladle; the Pankti has five syllables, the sacrifice is fivefold; verily he wins the sacrifice. 'To the purpose, to the impulse, to Agni, hail!' he says, for with purpose does a man employ the sacrifice, planning to sacrifice. 'To wisdom, to thought, to Agni, hail!' he says, for by wisdom and thought man approaches the sacrifice. 'To Sarasvati, to Pusan, to Agni, hail! 'he says. Sarasvati is speech, Pusan the earth;. verily with speech and the earth he performs the sacrifice. 'O ye divine, vast, all-soothing waters', he says. The waters of the rain are the divine, vast, all-soothing waters; if he said not that praise, the divine waters would descend in anger on this world. He says, 'O ye divine, vast, all-soothing waters.' Verily he makes them soothing for this world; accordingly being soothed they approach this world. 'Heaven and earth', he says, for the sacrifice is in heaven and earth. 'Wide atmosphere', he says, for the sacrifice is in the atmosphere. 'May Brhaspati rejoice in our oblation', he says. Brhaspati is the holy power (Brahman) of the gods; verily by the holy power he wins this sacrifice for him. If he were to say vidheh then he would stumble on the sacrificial post; he says vrdhatu; verily he avoids the sacrificial post. Prajapati created the sacrifice. Being created it went away. It crushed the Yajus, it crushed the Saman; the Rc raised it; in that the Rc raised (it), hence the elevating offering has the name. With a Rc he sacrifices, to support the sacrifice. 'It was the Anustubh among the metres which supported it', they say. Therefore he sacrifices with an Anustubh, to support the sacrifice. 'It was the twelve "calf-binders" which supported it', they say. Therefore with twelve those who know the 'calf-binders', consecrate. This Rc is an Anustubh; the Anustubh is speech; in that he consecrates him with this Rc, he consecrates him with the whole of speech. 'Let every (man) of the god who leads ', he says. By that (the Rc) is connected with Savitr. '(Let every) man choose the companionship' , he says. By that (the Rc) has the Pitrs for its deity.' 'Every man prayeth for wealth', he says. By that (the Rc) is connected with the All-gods. 'Let him choose glory that he may prosper', he says. By that (the Rc) is connected with Pusan. This Rc indeed is connected with all the gods. In that he consecrates with this Rc, he consecrates him with all the gods. The first quarter-verse is of seven syllables; the other three are of eight syllables. The three approach the eight; the four the eight. Because it has eight syllables it is a Gayatri. Because it has eleven syllables it is a Tristubh. Because it has twelve syllables, it is a Jagati. This Rc indeed is all the metres. In that he consecrates him with this Rc, he consecrates him with all the metres. The first quarter verse is of seven syllables; the Çakvari is of seven syllables, the Çakvari is cattle; verily he wins cattle. The first quarter-verse is defective by one syllable. Therefore men live on what of speech is defective. He offers with a full (verse) to win Prajapati; full as it were is Prajapati. He offers with a defective (verse), for the creation of offspring, for from what is defective Prajapati created offspring

 All this the Adhvaryu, as he begins, begins for the Udgatrs; 'May these gods who support breath bestow breath upon me', he says; verily he bestows all this on himself

 Aloft to heaven as ruddy smoke thou mountest: Agni, thou speedest to the Gods as envoy

 Along the eastern quarter do thou advance, wise one', he says; verily with this (verse) he moves to the world of heaven. 'Mount ye, with Agni, to the vault', he says; verily with this he mounts these worlds. 'From earth have I mounted to the atmosphere,' he says; verily with it he mounts these worlds. 'Going to the heaven they look not away', he says; verily he goes to the world of heaven. 'O Agni, advance first of worshippers', he says; verily with it he bestows eyesight upon both gods and men. He steps upon (the altar) with five (verses); the sacrifice is fivefold; verily he goes to the world of heaven with the full extent of the sacrifice. 'Night and dawn', he recites as the Puronuvakya, for preparation. O Agni, of a thousand eyes', he says; Prajapati is of a thousand; (verily it serves) to obtain Prajapati. 'To thee as such let us pay honour; to strength hail!' he says; strength is food; verily he wins food . He offers on the naturally perforated brick (a ladle) of Udumbara wood filled with curds; curds are strength, the Udumbara is strength, the naturally perforated is yonder (sky); verily he places strength in yonder (sky); therefore we live on strength coming hitherward from yonder. He puts (it) in place with three (verses); the fire is threefold; verily be makes the whole extent of the fire attain support. 'Enkindled, O Agni, shine before us', (with these words) he takes (the kindling-stick) of Udumbara wood; this is a pipe with projections; by it the gods made piercings of hundreds of the Asuras; in that he takes up the kindling-stick with this (verse), the sacrificer hurls the hundred-slaying (verse) as a bolt at his enemy, to lay him low without fail. 'Let us pay homage to thee in thy highest birth, O Agni ', (with these words) he takes up (the kindling-stick) of Vikankata wood; verily he wins radiance. 'That various of Savitr, the adorable', (with these words) be takes up (the kindling-stick) of Çami wood, for soothing. The fire milks the piler-up of the fire; the piler-up, milks the fire; 'that various of Savitr, the adorable', he says; this is the milking of the fire. This of it Kanva Çrayasa knew, and with it he was wont to milk it; in that be takes up the kindling-stick with the verse, the piler-up of the fire milks the fire. 'Seven are thy kindling-sticks, O Agni, seven tongues'; verily he delights seven sevens of his. With a full (ladle) he offers, for Prajapati is as it were full, to obtain Prajapati . He offers with a half-filled (ladle), for from the half-filled Prajapati created creatures, for the creation of offspring. Agni departed from the gods; he entered the quarters; he who sacrifices should think in his mind of the quarters; verily from the quarters he wins him; with curds he offers at first, with butter afterwards; verily he bestows upon him brilliance and power in accord. There is (an offering) to Vaiçvanara on twelve potsherds; the year has twelve months, Agni Vaiçvanara is the year; verily straightway he wins Vaiçvanara. If he were to offer the fore- and after-sacrifices, there would be a bursting of the sacrifice; he offers an oblation with a ladle, for the support of the sacrifice. Vaiçvanara is the kingly power, the Maruts the people; having offered the offering to Vaiçvanara, he offers those to the Maruts; verily he attaches the people to the kingly power. He utters aloud (the direction to the Agnidh) for Vaiçvanara, he offers the offerings of the Maruts muttering; therefore the kingly power speaks above the people. (The offerings) are for the Maruts; the people of the gods are the Maruts; verily he wins for him by the people of the gods the people among men. There are seven; the Maruts are in seven troops; verily in troops he wins the people for him; running over troop by troop he offers; verily he makes the people obedient to him

 along the path made by the gods, along the way appointed for him

 although the association of the idea of "intellect" with Ammon-ra must have been of late date, if the original nature of Ammon be what I have suggested

 Although the political prominence of Vishnu and Shiva belong to the Age of reformed Brahmanism, it is undoubted that both deities were worshipped throughout the long period of Buddhistic ascendancy. The Greek ambassador Megasthenes, who resided in India between B.C. 311 and 302, and wrote Ta Indika, furnishes interesting evidence in this connection. "By his description of the god Dionysus, whom they worshipped in the mountains, Shiva", says Professor Macdonell, "must be intended, and by Herakles, adored in the plains . . . no other can be meant than Vishnu and his incarnation Krishna. . . . These statements seem to justify the conclusion that Shiva and Vishnu were already prominent as highest gods, the former in the mountains, the latter in the Ganges valley. . . . We also learn from Megasthenes that the doctrine of the four Ages of the World (Yugas) was fully developed in India by this time."

 am invoked by my own name, as they worship the other gods with

 Amid the gods; splendidly sat that Prince

 Among gods and men, do thou, O Savitr

 Among the Assyrians, the supreme god, Bel, was styled the "procreator"; and his wife, the goddess Mylitta, represented the productive principle of nature, and received the title of the queen of fertility. Another deity, the god Vul, the god of the atmosphere, is styled the beneficent chief, the giver of abundance, the lord of fecundity. On Assyrian cylinders he is represented as a phallic deity. With him is associated a goddess Shala, whose ordinary title is "Sarrat," queen, the feminine of the word "Sar," which means chief. Sir Henry Rawlinson remarks, with regard to the Assyrian San, or Shamas, the sun-god, that the idea of the motive influence of the sun-god in all human affairs arose from the manifest agency of the material sun in stimulating the functions of nature. In Phoenician mythology, Ouranos (heaven) weds Ghe (the earth), and by her becomes father of Oceanus, Hyperon, Iapetus, Cronos, and other gods. In conformity with the religious ideas of the Greeks and Romans, Virgil describes the products of the earth as the result of the conjugal act between Jupiter (the sky) and Juno (the earth). According to St. Augustin, the sexual organ of man was consecrated in the temple of Liber, that of woman in the sanctuaries of Libera; these two divinities were named father and mother.

 Among the gods and men

 Among the gods and mortals

 Among the gods favour our sacrifice

 Among the gods, strong limbed, good praisers

 Amorous gods your birth imparted, so they say, in days of yore

 An oblation was afterwards offered to the gods, who came to the place of sacrifice with the music-loving Gandharvas, the Celestial saints, the Siddhas

 And Aryaman in accord with Gods

 And Gods bring to our rite which yields a fivefold gift the hero, lover of mankind

 And gratify our hearts' desires'-the Goddesses combined with Gods

 and ground between "pounding stones". Barley and wheaten cakes, milk, curds, butter, and cheese, and wild fruits were the chief articles of diet; the products of the chase were also eaten, but there appears to have been at the earliest period a restriction in the consumption of certain foods. Beef was not eaten at meals. Bulls were sacrificed to the gods. Two kinds of intoxicating liquors were brewed :: the mysterious Soma, beloved by deities, and a mead or ale called "sura", the Avestan "hura", prepared probably from grain, which had ever an evil reputation as a cause of peace-breaking, like dice, and of wrongdoing generally

 And I, the Almighty God, before all gods

 And madest wide room for the gods

 and of all those gods, such as Hermes and Seth, who can be connected with him. This is true also of the third member of the primitive Chaldean triad, Hea or Hoa. According to Sir Henry Rawlinson, the most important titles of this deity refer "to his functions as the source of all knowledge and science." Not only is he "the intelligent fish," but his name may be read as signifying both "life" and a "serpent," and he may be considered as "figured by the great serpent which occupies so conspicuous a place among the symbols of the gods on the black stones recording Babylonian benefactions."

 And sacred songs which bear the Dames of Gods have supplicated him

 and seven Deva-rishis. Brahma came with Vishnu and Shiva, and

 And so to topmost Himalay, where gods

 and subject to the sway of Varuna. Like the Norse giants, they will be let loose to take part in the "Last Battle". An "Asura fire" burns constantly in Patala, fed by water; it is "bound and confined", but cannot be extinguished; when the end of all comes, it will burst forth and burn up the three worlds.

 and the household charms, or idols, of the Semitic worshippers of the sun-god, to whom the serpent was sacred

 And they prayed to Gods and Fathers with each rite and duty doue

 And us do ye aid, O gods, at our invocations

 and we shall see that the religion of the Phoenicians, as, indeed, that of the Hebrews themselves, was the worship of Saturn, the erect pillar-god, who, under different names, appears to have been at the head of the pantheons of most of the peoples of antiquity. The reference in Hebrew history to the teraphim of Jacob's family recalls the fact that the name assigned to Abraham's father was Terah, a "maker of images." The teraphim were, doubtless, the same as the seraphim, which were serpent-images

 and, in fact, Plutarch asserts that he was everywhere represented with the phallus exposed.

 And, O god, for us do thou the gods

 Angra Mainyu, who is all death, said: "All the gods together

 Araru is smitten away from the earth, he that sacrifices not to the gods

 Archer Arjun pious-hearted to the gods performed a rite

 Aryans; a tribal significance is also given to the Rakshasas and the Gandharvas. But this tendency to identify the creatures of the spirit world with human beings may be carried too far. If "Dasyus" were really "dark folk"

 as Buddhism, in debased form, recognizes Buddha and his disciples as gods, and allows the worship here of a tooth and there of a hair of the Enlightener, as well as sacred mounds connected with his pilgrimages. In the gloomy creed of the Jainites it is taught that "emancipation" may be hastened by rigid austerities which entail systematic starvation. Many Jainites have in their holy places given up their lives in this manner, but the practice is now obsolete

 As children of the gods. Then, quite undone

 As dear to the gods they offer

 As Heimdal, in his Scef-child form, was sent to mankind by the gods, "Matarisvan

 As in Teutonic mythology, the Hindu giants desired greatly to possess the "mead" to which the gods owed their power and supremacy. The association of Soma with the moon recalls the Germanic belief that the magic mead was kept for Odin, "the champion drinker", by Mani, the moon god, who snatched it from the mythical children who are the prototypes of "Jack and Jill" of the nursery rhyme.

 As Indra 'midst the gods, so he of kings was kingliest one

 As Indra is more addicted to Soma than any of the other gods, the common epithet 'Soma-drinker' (Somapá) is characteristic of him. This beverage stimulates him to carry out his warlike deeds; thus for the slaughter of Vrtra he is said to have drunk three lakes of Soma. One whole hymn (x. 119) is a monologue in which Indra, intoxicated with Soma, boasts of his greatness and his might

 As the best of the plants thou art reputed, O herb: turn this man for me to-day into a eunuch that wears his hair dressed! Turn him into a eunuch that wears his hair dressed, and into one that wears a hood! Then Indra with a pair of stones shall break his testicles both! 3. O eunuch, into a eunuch thee I have turned;O castrate, into a castrate thee I have turned; O weakling, into a weakling thee I have turned! A hood upon his head, and a hair-net do we place. 4. The two canals, fashioned by the gods, in which man's power rests, in thy testicles . . . . . . . . . . . . I break them with a club. 5. As women break reeds for a mattress with a stone, thus do I break thy member

 As the Gods in BRAHMA'S mansions, exiles in their cottage dwelt

 As the gods in heaven to Indra, when with them he comes to live."

 As the great earth bountiful among the gods

 As the high gods created Nishadh's chief

 As the personification of the sacrificial fire, Agni is second in importance to Indra (ii. 12) only, being addressed in at least 200 hymns. The anthropomorphism of his physical appearance is only rudimentary, and is connected chiefly with the sacrificial aspect of fire. Thus he is butter-backed, flame-haired, and has a tawny beard, sharp jaws, and golden teeth. Mention is often made of his tongue, with which the gods eat the oblation. With a burning head he faces in all directions

 As the queens of gods encircle INDRA'S daughter in her pride

 As, on Meru's golden mountain, queens of heavenly gods ascend

 ASURA, demon, enemies of gods

 At last, resolved to make the gods themselves

 At the barley harvest in spring and the rice harvest in autumn offerings were made to the gods. A sacrificial cake of the new barley or rice was offered to Indra and Agni, a mess of old grain boiled and mixed with milk and water was given to the other gods, and a cake was also offered to Father Heaven and Mother Earth in which clarified butter was an important ingredient; or the offering might consist entirely of butter, because "clarified butter is manifestly the sap of these two, Heaven and Earth; . . . he (the offerer) therefore gladdens these two with their own sap or essence"

 At the Trikadrukas the Gods span sacrifice that stirs the mind

 Attend (on them), as the gods on Indra

 attributes of the seven gods had not been as yet defined, nor could they be then; after the separation of the two religions, these gods, named Âditya, 'the infinite ones,' in India, were by and by identified there with the sun, and their number was afterwards raised to twelve, to correspond to the twelve successive aspects of the sun. In Persia, the seven gods are known as Amesha Spentas, 'the undying and well-doing ones;' they by and by, according to the new spirit that breathed in the religion, received the names of the deified abstractions', Vohu-manô (good thought), Asha Vahista (excellent holiness), Khshathra vairya (perfect sovereignty), Spenta Ârmaiti (divine piety), Haurvatât and Ameretât (health and immortality). The first of them all was and remained Ahura Mazda; but whereas formerly he had been only the first of them, he was now their father. 'I invoke the glory of the Amesha Spentas, who all seven have one and the same thinking, one and the same speaking, one and the same doing, one and the same father and lord, Ahura Mazda

 Auasuya, wife of Atri, votaress of Gods above

 away death. Indrajorsooth, by his holy disciplehood brought the light to the gods. 20. The plants, that which was and shall be, day and night, the tree, the year along with the seasons, have sprung from the Brahmakârin. 21. The earthly and the heavenly animals, the wild and the domestic, the wingless and the winged (animals), have sprung from the Brahmakârin. 2 All the creatures of Pragâpati (the creator) severally carry breath in their souls. All these the brahma, which has been brought hither in the Brahmakârin, protects. 23. This, that was set into motion by the gods, that is insurmountable, that moves shining, from it has sprung the brâhmanam (Brahmanical life), the highest brahma, and all the gods, together with immortality (amrita). 24, 25. The Brahmakârin carries the shining brahma: into this all the gods are woven. Producing in-breathing and out-breathing, as well as through-breathing; speech, mind, heart, brahma, and wisdom, do thou furnish us with sight, hearing, glory, food, semen, blood, and belly! 26. These things the Brahmakârin fashioned upon the back of the (heavenly) water. He stood in the sea kindled with tapas (creative fervour). He, when he has bathed, shines vigorously upon the earth, brown and ruddy

 away, like the Teutonic elves and dwarfs. The Gandharvas are renowned musicians and bards and singers. When they play on their divine instruments the fairy-like Apsaras, who are all females, dance merrily. In the various Aryan heavens these elves and fairies delight and allure with music and song and dance the gods, and the souls of those who have attained to a state of bliss. The Apsara dancing girls are "voluptuous and beautiful", and inspire love in Paradise as well as upon earth. Their lovers include gods, Gandharvas, and mortals. Arjuna, the human son of Indra, who was transported in a Celestial chariot to Swarga over Suravithi, "the Milky Way", was enchanted by the music and songs and dances of the Celestial elves and fairies. He followed bands of Gandharvas who were "skilled in music sacred and profane", and he saw the bewitching Apsaras, including the notorious Menaka, "with eyes like lotus blooms, employed in enticing hearts"; they had "fair round hips and slim waists", and "began to perform various evolutions, shaking their deep bosoms and casting their glances around, and exhibiting other attractive attitudes capable of stealing the hearts and resolutions and minds of the spectators".

 Awe-struck to gaze upon those gods. But He

 Be prosperity ours from our friendship with the gods. May we be not severed from our service of the gods

 Be pure for the gods; be bright for the gods

 Be pure for the lord of speech, O strong one; male, purified by the arms with the shoots of the male; thou art the god purifier of gods; to those thee whose portion thou art

 Be that given to the eager gods

 Be this oblation acceptable to the gods

 Be this offering rich in ghee pleasing to the gods; hail

 Be thou (good) for every sacrifice, for the gods, for every prayer

 Be ye pure for the divine rite, for the sacrifice to the gods

 Be ye pure for the divine rite, the sacrifice to the gods

 Beautiful be thy union with the body, beloved in the Gods' sublimest birthplace

 became shallow. In Mathura the two brothers performed miraculous feats during their youth. Indeed, the myths connected with them suggest that their prototypes were voluptuous pastoral gods. Krishna, the flute-player and dancer, is the shepherd lover of the Gopis or herdsmaids, his favourite being Radhá. He was opposed to the worship of Indra, and taught the people to make offerings to a sacred mountain

 Become an eagle and fly away to the place in the house of the sacrificer which we have prepared with the gods (for thee). Thou art the good luck of the sacrificer

 Before great Agni and the gods they passed

 Before the gods I chose him for my lord

 Before the gods the message of the King."

 belong either to Ormazd or Ahriman according as they are useful or hurtful to man; but, in fact, they belonged originally to either the one or the other, according as they had been incarnations of the god or of the fiend, that is, as they chanced to have lent their forms to either in the storm tales . In a few cases, of course, the habits of the animal had not been without influence upon its mythic destiny: but the determinative cause was different. The fiend was not described as a serpent because the serpent is a subtle and crafty reptile, but because the storm fiend envelops the goddess of light, or the milch cows of the raining heavens, with the coils of the cloud as with a snake's folds. It was not animal psychology that disguised gods and fiends as dogs, otters, hedge-hogs, and cocks, or as snakes, tortoises, frogs, and ants, but the accidents of physical qualities and the caprice of popular fancy, as both the god and the fiend might be compared with, and transformed into, any object, the idea of which was suggested by the uproar of the storm, the blazing of the lightning, the streaming of the water, or the hue and shape of the clouds

 Beside Indra (ii. 12) Varuna is the greatest of the gods of the RV., though the number of the hymns in which he is celebrated alone (apart from Mitra) is small, numbering hardly a dozen

 best-armed of the heavenly gods?'

 best-armed of the heavenly gods?' Ahura Mazda answered: 'It is

 Bestowing with thyself among the gods

 Better than good have the gods brought together

 Beyond the gods, what is secret from the Asuras

 Blaze high, thou youngest of the Gods

 Both Gods, devoid of guile, wax strong

 Both in India and in Egypt the ancient doctrine of Metempsychosis was coloured by the theologies of the various cults which had accepted it. It has survived, however, in primitive form in the folk tales. Apparently the early exponents of the doctrine took no account of beginning or end; they simply recognized "the wide circle of necessity" round which the soul wandered, just as the worshippers of primitive nature gods and goddesses recognized the eternity of matter by symbolizing earth, air, and heaven as deities long ere they had conceived of a single act of creation

 Bound by my promise for the gods to sue

 Brahma heard the gods, and then conducted them to Vishnu's dwelling in the Ocean of Milk. Indra and the others honoured the Preserver, and cried: "O Lord of the Universe, remove the afflictions which press heavily upon us. Brahma hath blessed Ravana, nor can recall his gift. Save us, therefore, from the oppression of the demon king."

 Brahman of Gods, the leader of the poets, Rishi of sages, chief of savage creatures

 Brahman of the gods, leader of poets

 Brhaspati the gods desire to win

 Brhaspati was the Purohita of the gods, Çanda and Marka of the Asuras; the gods had the holy power (Brahman), the Asuras had the holy power (Brahman); they could not overcome one another; the gods invited Çanda and Marka; they replied, 'Let us choose a boon; let cups be drawn for us also herein.' For them they drew these cups for Çukra and Manthin; then did the gods prosper, the Asuras were defeated. He for whom knowing thus these Çukra and Manthin (cups) are drawn, prospers himself, his foe is defeated. Having driven away these two, the gods offered to themselves,' to Indra. 'Driven away are Çanda and Marka together with N.N.', he should say of whom he hates; with him whom he hates he thus drives them away. 'This is the first preparer, all maker', (with these words) they offered to themselves, to Indra, these (cups), for Indra kept making these forms. The Çukra is yonder sun, the Manthin is the moon; they depart towards the east, closing their eyes ; therefore men do not see them as they go east. Turning back towards the west they sacrifice, therefore men see them going west. The Çukra and the Manthin are the eyes of the sacrifice, the high altar is the nose. They offer having gone round (the altar) on both sides; therefore the eyes are on either side of the nose; therefore the eyes are held apart by the nose; they walk round on all sides, to smite away the Raksases. Now the offerings the gods made on the east, with them they drove away the Asuras who were in front ; with those on the west they drove away the Asuras who were behind; other sacrifices are made in the east, the Çukra and Manthin on the west; verily behind and in front the sacrificer drives away his foes; therefore offspring are engendered behind and are brought forth in front. In accordance with the Çukra and Manthin are offspring born, the eaters and the eaten. 'Engendering heroic off spring), come forth, Çukra, with pure radiance', 'Engendering prolific offspring, come forth, Manthin, with mixed radiance', he says; 'the eaters are those who are heroic, the eaten those that are prolific. The offspring of him who knows thus becomes an eater, not eaten. The eye of Prajapati swelled; it fell away, it entered the Vikankata, it did not stay in the Vikankata; it entered barley, it stayed in barley; that is why barley has its name . In that the Manthin vessel is of Vikankata and he mixes with groats, verily thus he gathers together the eye of Prajapati. For what reason does the Manthin vessel not go to the Sadas?' 'It is the vessel of misfortune', he should say; if it were to go there, the Adhvaryu would be blind, he would be ruined; therefore it does not go there

 Bring hither the gods, and sacrifice

 Bring hither the gods and sacrifice

 Bring Mitra, Varukia, bring the Gods hither to. our great sacrifice

 Bring the Gods hither, Agni, born for him who trims the Sacred grass

 Bring thou the Gods and worship them

 brought Agni to Bhrigu as a gift, precious like wealth, of double birth, the carrier, the famous, the beacon of the sacrifice, the ready, the immediately successful messenger. . . . The Bhrigus worshipping him in the abode of the waters have verily established him among the clans of Ayu. The people have established beloved Agni among the human clans as (people) going to settle (establish) Mitra" (i, 60). Oldenberg explains that people going anywhere secure safety by ceremonies addressed to Mitra, i.e. by concluding alliances under the protection of Mitra. Another reference reads, "Agni has been established among the tribes of men, the son of the waters, Mitra acting in the right way". Oldenberg notes that Mitra is here identified with Agni; Mitra also means "friend" or "ally" (iii, 5. 3, and note). Scyld in Beowulf, the mysterious child of the sea, became a king over men. Agni "indeed is king, leading all beings to gloriousness. As soon as born from here, he looks over the whole world. . . . Agni, who has been looked and longed for in Heaven, who has been looked for on earth :: he who has been looked for has entered all herbs" (i, 98).

 Burn best servant of the gods

 Burning for rightful vengeance. Ye are gods

 But although Dasaratha was mighty and powerful, and prospered greatly, his heart was full of sorrow because that no son had been born to him by either of his three queens, Kausalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra. . . . At length he resolved to perform the Aswamedha (horse sacrifice) so that the gods might be prevailed upon to grant him an heir who would perpetuate his race. When his will was made known to the queens, their faces brightened as the lotus brightens at the promise of spring

 But although his name, which has been deciphered as "In-da-ra" at Boghaz-Köi in Asia Minor, may belong to the early Iranian period, the Vedic "King of the gods"

 But as the Magi of that time sang songs of their gods during sacrifice, it is very likely that there was already a sacred literature in existence. The very fact that no sacrifice could be performed without the assistance of the Magi makes it highly probable that they were in possession of rites, prayers, and hymns very well composed and arranged, and not unlike those of the Brahmans; their authority can only be accounted for by the power of a strongly defined ritual and liturgy. There must, therefore, have been a collection of formulae and hymns, and it is quite possible that Herodotus may have heard the Magi sing, in the fifth century B. C., the very same Gâthas which are sung nowadays by the Mobeds in Bombay. A part of the Avesta, the liturgical part, would therefore have been, in fact, a sacred book for the Persians. It had not been written by them, but it was sung for their benefit. That Zend hymns should have been sung before a Persian-speaking people is not stranger than Latin words being sung by Frenchmen, Germans, and Italians; the only difference being that, owing to the close affinity of Zend to Persian, the Persians may have been able to understand the prayers of their priests

 By fire he surmounted fervour, by speech holy power, by a gem forms, by Indra the gods, by the wind the breaths, by the sun the sky, by the moon the Naksatras, by Yama the Pitrs, by the king men, by fruit the flavours, by the boa constrictor serpents, by the tiger wild beasts, by the eagle birds, by the stallion horses, by the bull kine, by the he-goat goats, by the ram sheep, by rice food, by barley plants, by the banyan trees, by the Udumbara strength, by the Gayatri the metres, by the Trivrt the Stomas, by the Brahmana speech

 By generation long ago this God, engendered for the Gods

 By generation long ago, this God, engendered for the Gods

 By Gods, among the race of men

 By means of Agni as Hotr the gods defeated the Asuras. Recite for Agni as he is kindled', he says, for the overcoming of foes. He recites seventeen kindling-verses; Prajapati is seventeenfold; (verily it serves) to win Prajapati. He recites seventeen; there are twelve months and seven seasons, that is the year; offspring are born in the course of the year; (verily it serves) for the propagation of offspring. The gods, after reciting the kindling-verses, could not discern the sacrifice; Prajapati silently performed the libation of ghee; then did the gods discern the sacrifice; in that silently he performs the libation of ghee, (it serves) for the revelation of the sacrifice. The sacrifice was with the Asuras; the gods took it by the silent offering; in that silently he performs the libation of ghee, he takes away the sacrifice of his foe. He rubs the enclosing-sticks; verily he purifies them. Thrice each he rubs them, for the sacrifice is thrice repeated; also (it serves) to smite away the Raksases. They make up twelve; the year has twelve months; verily he delights the year, verily also he endows him with the year, for the gaining of the world of heaven. The libation of ghee is the head of the sacrifice, the fire is all the gods; in that he performs the libation of ghee, verily the sacrificer at the beginning of the sacrifice wins all the gods. The libation of ghee is the head of the sacrifice, the beast is the body; having performed the libation of ghee he anoints the beast; verily on the body of the sacrifice he places the head. 'Let thy breath be united with the wind', he says; the breath has the wind for its deity; verily he offers its breath in the wind. 'Thy limbs with the sacrificers, the lord of the sacrifice with his prayer', he says; verily he causes the lord of the sacrifice to obtain its blessing. Viçvarupa, Tvastr's son, vomited over the beast from above; therefore they do not cut off (portions) from the beast above; in that he anoints the beast from above, verily he makes it pure . He chooses the priests, verily he chooses the metres, he chooses seven; there are seven tame animals, seven wild; there are seven metres, (and so it serves) to win both. He offers eleven fore-sacrifices; ten are the vital airs of the beast, the body is the eleventh; verily his fore-offerings are of the same size as the beast. One (of them) lies around the omentum; verily the body lies around the body. The axe is a thunderbolt, the splinter of the sacrificial post is a thunderbolt, the gods by making a thunderbolt of the ghee smote Soma. 'Anointed with ghee, do ye guard the beast', he says; verily, overpowering it by means of the thunderbolt, he offers it

 By means of the sacrifice the gods went to the world of heaven; they reflected, 'Men will follow after us here'; they blocked (the way) by the year and went to the world of heaven. It the Rsis discerned by means of the season-cups; in that the season-cups are drawn, (they serve) to reveal, the world of heaven. Twelve are drawn; the year consists of twelve months; (verily they serve) to reveal the year. The first two are drawn together, the last two together; therefore the seasons are in pairs. The season-vessel has mouths on both sides, for who knows where is the mouth of the seasons? 'Give directions for the season', six times he says,' the seasons are six; verily he delights the seasons; 'For the seasons', four times; verily he delights four-footed cattle; twice again he says, 'For the season'; verily he delights two-footed (cattle). 'Give directions for the season', six times he says; 'For the seasons', four times; therefore four-footed cattle depend upon the seasons; twice again, 'For the season', he says; therefore bipeds live upon quadrupeds. 'Give directions for the season', six times he says; 'For the seasons', four times; twice again, 'For the season'; verily the sacrificer makes himself a ladder and bridge to attain the world of heaven. One should not follow the other; if one were to follow the other, season would follow season, the seasons would be confused ; therefore in order the Adhvaryu sets out by the southern (door), the Pratiprasthatr by the northern; therefore the sun goes south for six months, north for six months.' 'Thou art taken with a support; thou art Samsarpa; to Anhaspatya thee!' he says; 'There is a thirteenth month', they say; verily he delights it

 By sacrifice to the gods, Agni and Soma, may I be a slayer of foes

 By sacrifice to the gods, Agni and Soma, may I be possessed of sight

 By sacrifice to the gods, Indra and Agni, may I be powerful and an eater of food

 By Sarasvati, by Visnu, by the gods

 By that sincerity I call ye, Gods

 By the 'sitters on the vault' the gods went to the world of heaven; that is why the 'sitters on the vault' have their name. In that he puts down the 'sitters on the vault', the sacrificer thus goes by the 'sitters on the vault' to the world of heaven; the vault is the world of heaven; for him for whom these are put down there is no misfortune (ná-ákam); the 'sitters on the vault' are the home of the sacrificer; in that he puts down the 'sitters on the vault', the sacrificer thus makes himself a home. The 'sitters on the vault' are the collected brilliance of the Prstha (Stotras); in that he puts down the 'sitters on the vault', verily he wins the brilliance of the Prsthas. He puts down the five crested; verily becoming Apsarases they wait on him in yonder world; verily also they are the bodyguards of the sacrificer. He should think of whomever he hates as he puts (them) down; verily he cuts him off for these deities; swiftly he goes to ruin. He puts (them) above the 'sitters on the vault'; that is as when having taken a wife one seats her in the house ; he puts the highest on the west, pointing east; therefore the wife attends on the west, facing east. He puts as the highest the naturally perforated and the earless (bricks); the naturally perforated is breath, the earless is life; verily he places breath and life as the highest of the breaths; therefore are breath and life the highest of the breaths. No brick higher (than these) should he put down; if he were to put another brick higher, he would obstruct the breath and life of cattle and of the sacrificer; there fore no other brick should be put down higher. He puts down the naturally perforated brick; the naturally perforated brick is yonder (sky); verily he puts down yonder (sky). He makes the horse sniff it; verily be places breath in it; again the horse is connected with Prajapati; verily by Prajapati he piles the fire. It is naturally perforated, to let out the breaths, and also to light up the world of heaven. The earless is the triumph of the gods; in that he puts down the earless, he triumphs with the triumph of the gods; to the north he puts it down; therefore to the north of the fire is action carried on; (the verse) has the word 'wind', for kindling

 By the sacrifice the gods sacrificed the sacrifice

 By the thousandth the sacrifice goes to the world of heaven. She makes him go to the world of heaven. 'Do thou make me go to the world of heaven', he says; verily she makes him go to the world of heaven. 'Do thou make me go to the world of light', he says; verily she makes him go to the world of light. 'Do thou make me go to all holy worlds', he says; verily she makes him go to all holy worlds . 'Do thou make me go to a secure place, with offspring and cattle, let wealth again visit me', (he says); verily she establishes him with offspring and cattle in wealth. Rich in offspring, cattle, and wealth he becomes who knows thus. He should give her to the Agnidh, or the Brahman, or the Hotr or the Udgatr, or the Adhvaryu. In giving her, he gives a thousand. A thousand he accepts who not knowing accepts her. He should accept her, (saying), 'Thou art one, not a thousand. Thee as one I accept, not a thousand; come to me as one, not as a thousand'; verily he who knows thus accepts her as one, not as a thousand. 'Thou art gentle, resting well, auspicious; come to me as gentle, well resting, auspicious,' he says; verily she becoming gentle, well resting, auspicious, comes to him, and harms him not. Does the thousandth follow the thousand? or the thou sand the thousandth?' If he were to let her go to the east, the thousandth would follow the thousand; now the thousand has no understanding, and would not recognize the world of heaven. He lets her go to the west; the thousand follow after her. She knowing goes to the world of heaven. He lets her go towards the sacrificer. Quickly a thousand springs up. The (thousandth) is the last to be taken, but the first to go to the gods

 By whom they won the fame of lovely Amrita in the felicity of Gods

 c With the light wherewith the gods went upward

 Call Agni to the feast of Gods

 call the all-knowing gods to make me know

 Carry it to the dear place of the gods

 Cattle belong to Prajapati; their overlord is Rudra. In that he prepares (them) with these two (verses), verily by addressing him with them he secures him, so that his self is not injured. He prepares (them) with two; the sacrificer has two feet; (verily it serves) for support. Having prepared them, he offers five libations; cattle are fivefold; I verily he wins cattle. Now the victim is led to death, and if he should lay hold on it, the sacrificer would be likely to die. ' The breath of the sacrifice is apart from the victim', he says, for distinction . 'If the victim has uttered a cry' :: (with these words) he offers a libation, for calming. 'O ye slayers, come to the sacrifices', he says; that is according to the text. When the omentum. is being taken, the strength goes away from Agni. 'Thee they keep to carry the offering' :: (with these words) he pours a libation over the omentum; verily he wins the strength of Agni; (it serves) also for making (the victim) ready. In the case of some gods the cry of 'hail!' is uttered before (an offering), in the case of others the cry of 'hail!' is uttered after. 'Hail to the gods, to the gods hail!' :: (with these words) he pours a libation on either side of the omentum; verily he delights both (sets of gods)

 Children of Ocean, mighty ones, discoverers of riches, Gods

 Clans in the birthplace of the gods

 Come hither, bring the Gods to us to taste the sacrificial feast

 Common, unending is the sisters' pathway: taught by the Gods alternately they travel

 Cosmogonic hymns. :: About half a dozen hymns consist of speculations on the origin of the world through the agency of a Creator (called by various names) as distinct from any of the ordinary gods. One of them (x. 129, p. 207), which describes the world as due to the development of the existent (sat) from the non-existent (a-sat), is particularly interesting as the starting-point of the evolutional philosophy which in later times assumed shape in the Sankhya system

 dadhichii = a sage who gave his bones to the gods to make a thunderbolt

 Darius rebuilt the temples which the Magus Gaumata had destroyed (Behistun I, 63). The Magi, it is said, wanted the gods not to be imprisoned within four walls (Cic. de Legibus II, 10). Xerxes behaved himself as their disciple, at least in Greece. Still the Magi seem to have at last given way on that point to the Perso-Assyrian customs, and there were temples even under the Sassanians

 Dearest to Gods in sacred rites, pour on us fatness with thy stream

 Delight the eager gods, O thou most young

 Delighted go by paths on which the gods go

 desired to possess the world, and plotted against the gods with her horde of giant serpents, "raging dogs, scorpion men, fish men, and other terrible beings". The gods then selected Belus (Bel-Merodach) as their leader, and proclaimed him their king. He slew Tiawath and covered the heavens with one part of her body, and fashioned the earth with the other half. Then he set the moon and the stars in the sky, and afterwards created man: "he divided the darkness, separated the heavens from the earth, and reduced the universe to order".

 DEVA, gods

 devabhogaan.h = the pleasures of the gods

 Didst free the gods from misfortune

 dispute then arose among the gods as to who should partake of the offerings of the firstfruits :: that is, of the new plants which replaced those the demons had poisoned. It was decided to run a race to settle the matter. Indra and Agni won the race and were therefore awarded the cake. These two gods were divine Kshatriyas (noblemen), the others were "common people". Whatever Kshatriyas conquer, the commoners are permitted to share; therefore the other gods received the mess of old grain

 Do thou go; let the gods eat the oblation duly

 Do thou instigate, serving the gods

 Do thou not spoil the share of the gods

 Do thou with good labour elaborate this offering for the gods

 Do thou, O drum, in unison with Indra and the gods

 Do thou, the barren, go eagerly to the gods

 Do ye eat, mingled with the gods

 Do ye further the sacrificer, O gods

 Do ye, O goddesses, place this sacrifice among the gods

 Duly presenting sacred gifts, enjoy the Gods' protecting help

 Dwelt in Panchavati's cottage as the Bright Gods dwell above

 Eager for the gods, do thou sacrifice to them with oblation

 earth as the strongest of all gods, the most valiant of all gods

 Earth in depth, sky in breadth,' he says; with this benediction he establishes it. The serpents thought that they were growing worn out; Kasarnira Kadraveya beheld this Mantra; then did they strike off their worn-out skins. With the verses of the queen of serpents he establishes the Garhapatya, and so renewing it he establishes it as immortal. Pure food did not come to the earth; she beheld this Mantra; then food came to her. In that he establishes the Garhapatya with the verses of the serpent queen (it serves) for the winning of food; verily he establishes it firm in the (earth). 'If thee in anger I have scattered', he says; verily he conceals it from him. 'Again thee we relight', he says; verily he kindles him all together. 'Whatever of thee scattered in rage', he says; verily by means of the deities he unites him. The sacrifice of him who removes the fire is split; he pays reverence with a verse containing the word Brhaspati; Brhaspati is the holy power (Brahman) of the gods; verily by holy power (Brahman) he unites the sacrifice. 'May he unite this scattered sacrifice', he says, for continuity, 'May the All-gods rejoice herein', he says; verily continuing the sacrifice he points it out to the gods. 'Seven are thy kindling-sticks, O Agni, seven thy tongues', he says, for sevenfold in seven-wise are the dear forms of Agni; verily he wins them. 'Return with strength', 'Return with wealth', (with these words) he offers oblations on either side of the sacrificial cake; verily with strength and with wealth he surrounds on either side the sacrificer. The Adityas went from this world to yonder world, they were thirsty in yonder world, having returned to this world and having established the fire, they offered these oblations; they prospered, they went to the world of heaven. He, who establishes a fire after the second establishment, should offer these oblations; be prospers with the prosperity where with the Adityas prospered

 Effused to entertain the Gods

 Effused, the source of Indra's joy: may your strong juices reach the Gods

 Elijah. This innocent is weighted with the names of two Gods at once, the El of the Chaldees, and Jah of the Hebrews, which signifies "El is Jah."

 Enjoy our presents, Gods, at sacrifices: wax strong by hymns, rejoice in our oblation

 Even as she spake, the gods disclosed themselves

 Even as the Soma (sacrifices) come together in competition, so the new and full moon (sacrifices) are sacrifices which come together in competition. Whose sacrifice then do the gods approach and whose not? He, who among many sacrificers first appropriates the gods, sacrifices to them when the next day comes. The Ahavaniya is the abode of the gods, between the fires of cattle, the Garhapatya of men, the Anvaharya pacana of the fathers. He takes the fire; verily he appropriates the gods in their own abode; to them he sacrifices when the next day comes. By means of a vow is Agni, lord of vows, pure, the Brahman is a supporter of vows. When about to undertake a vow he should say, 'O Agni, lord of vows, I shall perform the vow.' Agni is the lord of vows among the gods; verily after announcement to him he undertakes the vow. At the full moon be undertakes his vow with the (strewing of the) straw, with the (driving away of the) calves at new moon; for that is their abode. 'The fires, both in the front and at the back, must be bestrewed', they say; men indeed desire what is bestrewed, and, how much more the gods whose is a new dwelling. With him, when sacrifice is to be made on the next day, do the gods dwell, who knowing this bestrews the fire. 'The sacrificer should win both beasts of the wild and of the village', they say; in that he refrains from those of the village, thereby be wins them; in that he eats of the wild, thereby he wins them of the wild. If be were to fast without eating, the Pitrs would be his divinity ; he eats of the wild, the wild is power, and so he bestows power upon himself. If he were to fast without eating, he would be hungry; if he were to eat, Rudra would plan evil against his cattle; he partakes of water; that is neither eaten nor not eaten; he is not hungry and Rudra does not plot evil against his cattle. The sacrificer is a bolt, the enemy of man is hunger; in that he fasts without eating, he straightway smites with the bolt the enemy, hunger

 Even as the waters from the mountain ridges, so sprang the; Gods, through lauds, from thee, O Agni

 Even the gods become dependent upon the priests, who provided them by offering sacrifices with the "food" they required, and also with the Soma which gave them length of years. Indra could not combat against the Asuras without the assistance of the priests who chanted formulas to ensure victory; it was, therefore, due to the power exercised, in the first place, by the priests that the drought demon was overcome and rain fell in abundance

 Even the great Carthaginian god Melekh, who was also held in universal honor throughout all Phoenicia, appears, although Bunsen does not thus identify him, to be no other than Lamekh, the father of Noah.

 Ewald, indeed, says that both Lamekh and Enoch were gods or demi-gods, and that Methuselah was a sort of Mars, while Mahahal-el was a god of light, and Jareda a god of the lowland or of the water.

 Extolling you with still strong limbs and bodies, may we attain the age by Gods appointed

 Eye of gods and mortals

 Fain to pay worship to the Gods

 Fair is the juice beloved of Gods, washed in the waters, pressed by men

 Faith in Gods and faith in virtue on thy bosom hold their sway

 Family books. :: In these the first group of hymns is invariably addressed to Agni, the second to Indra, and those that follow to gods of less importance. The hymns within these deity groups are arranged according to the diminishing number of stanzas contained in them. Thus in the second Book the Agni group of ten hymns begins with one of sixteen stanzas and ends with one of only six. The first hymn of the next group in the same book has twenty-one, the last only four stanzas. The entire group of the family books is, moreover, arranged according to the increasing number of the hymns in each of those books, if allowance is made for later additions. Thus the second Book has forty-three, the third sixty-two, the sixth seventy-five, and the seventh one hundred and four hymns. The homogeneity of the family books renders it highly probable that they formed the nucleus of the RV., which gradually assumed its final shape by successive additions to these books

 Fashioned by the gods hast thou come with ambrosia

 Father's hope and joy of mother, gift of kindly gods on high

 Father, begetter of the Gods, most skilful, the buttress of the heavens and earth's supporter

 Fathers, grandfathers, near and far, may they protect us, may they help us, in this holy power, this lordly power, this prayer, this Purohita-ship, this rite, this invocation of the gods

 fiend-smiting of all gods, he, Mithra, the lord of wide pastures

 First, the meditator has to swing up his consciousness to a certain pitch of intensity, steadiness, quiet, determination and expectancy. Having tuned it to the required pitch, he fixes it on a simple center of attention which is to serve as a starting-point or gate through which his imagination shall well up as the water of a fountain comes forth through the opening of the water-pipe. From this central point the mental pictures come forth. They are placed round the central conception. From simple to complex in orderly progression the imaginative structure is elaborated. The chief Gods appear successively, followed by the minor deities. Spaces, regions, directions are carefully determined. Attributes, colors, symbols, sounds are all minutely prescribed and deftly worked in, and explications carefully given. A miniature world is evolved, seething with elemental forces working in the universe as cosmic forces and in man as forces of body and spirit. Most of the quantities on this elaborate notation are taken from the body of indigenous religious teaching and mythology. Some are so universal and transparent that the non-Tibetan reader can appreciate them even without a knowledge of the religious technical terms of Tibet. But anyhow, an attentive reading and re-reading reveals something, even to the outsider, of the force of this symbological structure, and makes him intuitively feel that here we are assisting in the unfolding of a grand spiritual drama, sweeping up the mind to heights of exaltation and nobility

 flow Effused, the source of Indra's joy: may you strong juices reach the Gods

 Flow on, best winner of the spoil, to precious gifts of every sort! Thou art a sea according to the highest law, joy-giver, Soma! to the Gods

 Flow on, O Soma, radiant for the Gods, blissful to heaven and earth and living things

 Flow onward with that juice of thine most excellent, that brings delight, slaying the wicked, dear to Gods

 Flow onward, Soma, as a mighty sea, as Father of the Gods, to every form

 Flow, Soma, Indu, dear to Gods, swift through the purifying sieve

 Foe-slayer, dearest to the Gods

 Food is cattle, he takes it himself; verily by himself he fills his desires of cattle, for no one else can grant him his desire of cattle. 'Thee offered to the lord of speech I eat', he says; verily he delights speech with a share. 'Thee offered to the lord of the Sadas I eat', he says, for completion.' (The food) is divided. in four; what is divided in four is the offering, what is divided in four is cattle; if the Hotr were to eat it, the Hotr would experience misfortune; if he were to offer it in the fire, he would give the cattle to Rudra, and the sacrificer would be without cattle. 'Thee offered to the lord of speech I eat', he says; verily secretly does he offer it. 'Thee offered to the lord of the Sadas', he says, for completion. They eat; they eat at a suitable moment; he gives a sacrificial gift; at a suitable moment be gives a gift. They cleave the sacrifice, if they eat in the middle. They purify it with water; all the gods are the waters; verily they connect the sacrifice with the gods. The gods excluded Rudra from the sacrifice; he pierced the sacrifice, the gods gathered round it (saying), 'May it be right for us.' They said, 'Well offered will this be for us, if we propitiate him.' That is why Agni is called the 'well offerer' (svistakrt). When it was pierced (by him) they cut off (a piece) of the size of a barleycorn; therefore one should cut off (a piece) the size of a barleycorn. If one were to cut off more, he would confuse that part of the sacrifice. If he were to make a layer and then to sprinkle, lie would make it swell on both sides. He cuts it off and sprinkles it; there are two operations; the sacrificer has two feet, for support. If he were to transfer it (to the Brahman) crosswise, he would pierce the unwounded part of the sacrifice; lie transfers it in front; verily he transfers it in the proper way. They transferred it for Pusan . Pusan having eaten it lost his teeth; therefore Pusan has pounded food for his share, for he has no teeth. The gods said of him, 'He has lost (his teeth), he is not fit for the offering.' They transferred it to Brhaspati. Brhaspati was afraid, 'Thus indeed will this one fall on misfortune.' He saw this Mantra; 'With the eye of the sun I gaze on thee', he said, for the eye of the sun harms no one . He was afraid, 'It will harm me as I take it.' 'On the impulse of the god Savitr, with the arms of the Açvins, with the hands of Pusan I take thee', he says; verily, impelled by Savitr, he took it with the holy power (Brahman) and with the gods. He was afraid, 'It will harm me as I eat.' 'Thee with the mouth of Agni I eat', he said, for nothing harms the mouth of Agni. He was afraid , 'It will harm me when I have eaten.' 'With the belly of the Brahman', he said, for nothing harms the belly of the Brahman. 'With the holy power (Brahman) of Brhaspati', (he said), for he is fullest of the holy power (Brahman). The breaths indeed depart from him who eats this offering; by purifying it with water he grasps the breaths; the breaths are ambrosia, the waters ambrosia; verily he summons the breaths according to their places

 For all the gods is the fire piled up; if he were not to put (them) down in unison, the gods would divert his fire; in that he puts (them) down in unison, verily he piles them in unison with himself; he is not deprived of his fire; moreover, just as man is held together by his sinews, so is the fire held together by these (bricks). By the fire the gods went to the world of heaven; they became yonder Krttikas; he for whom these are put down goes to the world of heaven, attains brilliance, and becomes a resplendent thing. He puts down the circular bricks; the circular bricks are these worlds; the citadels of the gods are these worlds; verily he enters the citadels of the gods; he is not ruined who has piled up the fire. He puts down the all-light (bricks); verily by them he makes these worlds full of light; verily also they support the breaths of the sacrificer; they are the deities of heaven; verily grasping them he goes to the world of heaven

 For all the gods thee

 For barley, for milk, this food eat, O ye gods; this food eat, O Prajapati

 For expiration, for cross-breathing, for inspiration; for speech thee; for sight thee; with that deity, in the manner of Angiras, do thou sit firm. By Agni the gods sought to go to the world of heaven, with him they could not fly; they saw these four naturally perforated bricks, they put them down in the quarters, with him with eyes on all sides they went to the world of heaven. In that he puts down four naturally perforated bricks in the quarters, the sacrificer with Agni with eyes on all sides goes to the world of heaven

 For food thee!' (with these words) he takes up the strew, for he who sacrifices strives (icháte) as it were. 'Thou art the impeller', he says, for he brings them up. 'To the gods the servants of the gods have come', he says, for being the servants of the gods they go to the gods. 'The priests, the eager ones', he says; the priests are the priests, the eager ones, therefore he says thus. 'O Brhaspati, guard wealth', he says; Brhaspati is the holy power (Brahman) of the gods; verily by the holy power he wins cattle for him. 'Let thy oblations taste sweet', be says; verily he makes them sweet. 'O god Tvastr, make pleasant our possessions', he says; Tvastr is the form-maker of the pairings of cattle; verily he places form in cattle. 'Stay, ye wealthy ones', he says; the wealthy ones are cattle; verily he makes cattle abide for him. 'On the impulse of god Savitr', (with these words) he takes up the rope, for instigation. 'With the arms of the Açvins', he says, for the Açvins were the Adhvaryus of the gods. 'With the hands of Pusan', he says, for restraining. 'O offering to the gods, I seize thee with the noose of sacred order', he says; sacred order is truth; verily with truth which is sacred order he seizes it. He winds (the rope) round transversely, for they fasten a (beast) for killing in front; (verily it serves) for distinction. 'Fear not men', (with these words) he fastens it, for security. 'For the waters thee, for the plants thee I sprinkle', be says, for from the waters, from the plants, the beast is born. 'Thou art a drinker of the waters', he says, for he is a drinker of the waters who is offered in sacrifice. 'O ye divine waters, make it palatable, a very palatable offering for the gods', he says; verily he makes it palatable. From above he sprinkles (it); verily he makes it pure from above; he makes it drink; verily within he makes it pure; from below he besprinkles (it); verily all over he makes it pure

 For his name, and for mine, I call the gods

 For offering to the gods

 For the atmosphere may the Rsis firstborn among the gods extend thee with the measure, the breadth, of the sky, and be that is disposer and overlord; let all of them in unison establish thee and the sacrificer on the ridge of the vault, on the world of heaven

 For the Gods' worship hath the priest been wakened: kind Agni hath arisen erect at morning

 For the gods thee

 For the prosperity of the gods a good friend have we made

 For the rite you two, for the gods may I be strong

 For this, most mighty Gods! How should a man

 For verily the Gods will hear

 For when our latest thought is raised and on Vivasvan centred well, then do our holy songs go forward on their way, our songs as 'twere unto the Gods

 Formerly Agni would not burn what was not cut by the axe, but Prayoga, the seer, made that acceptable to him. 'Whatever logs we place on thee', (with these words) he puts on a kindling-stick; verily he makes what is not cut by the axe acceptable to him; all is acceptable to him who knows thus. He puts on one of Udumbara wood; the Udumbara is strength; verily he confers strength upon him. Prajapati created Agni; him on creation the Raksases were fain to destroy; he saw that (hymn) of the Raksas-slaying (one); therewith he smote away the Raksases; in that it is (the hymn) of the Raksas-slaying one, thereby he drives away the Raksases from Agni when born. He puts on one of Açvattha wood; of trees the Açvattha is the overcomer of foes; (verily it serves) for victory. He puts on one of Vikankata; verily he wins light. He puts on one of Çami wood, for atonement. 'Sharpened is my holy power', 'Their arms have I uplifted', (with these words) he makes him speak over the last two Udumbara (sticks) ; verily by means of the holy power he quickens the kingly power, and by the kingly power the holy power; therefore a Brahman who has a princely person is superior to another Brahman; therefore a prince who has a Brahman is superior to another prince. Now Agni is death, gold is immortality; he puts a gold plate within; verily he severs immortality from death; it has twenty-one projections, the worlds of the gods are twenty-one, the twelve months, the four seasons, these three worlds, and as twenty-first yonder sun ; so many are the worlds of the gods; verily from them he severs his foe. By means of the projections the gods reduced the Asuras to straits (nirbadé); that is the reason why projections (nirbadháh) have their names; it is covered with projections; verily he reduces his foes to straits. He puts (it) on with a verse addressed to Savitr, for instigation. 'Night and the dawn', with (this as) second; verily he raises him with day and night. 'The gods, granters of wealth, support Agni', be says; the gods, granters of wealth, are the breaths; verily having raised him with day and night he supports him with the breaths. Sitting he puts (it) on; therefore offspring are born sitting; the black antelope skin is above; gold is brilliance, the black antelope skin is holy power; verily on both sides he encircles him, with brilliance and with holy power. The sling is of six fathoms in extent; the seasons are six; verily he raises him with the seasons; if it is of twelve fathoms, (he raises him) with the year. It is of Muñja grass; the Muñja is strength; verily he unites him with strength. 'Thou art the bird of fair feathers', (with these words) he gazes; verily he declares his greatness in that form. 'Go to the sky, fly to the heaven', he says; verily he makes him to go to the world of heaven

 From deed of men or gods

 From the pit he scatters (earth) on the altars; the pit is the birthplace of the sacrifice; (verily it serves) to unite the sacrifice with its birthplace. The gods lost by conquest the sacrifice; they won it again from the Agnidh's altar; the Agnidh's altar is the invincible part of the sacrifice. In that he draws off the altar fires from that of the Agnidh, he renews the sacrifice from the invincible part of it. Conquered as it were they go who creep to the Bahispavamana (Stotra) when the Bahispavamana has been sung, he says, 'Agnidh, draw off the fires, spread the strew, make ready the sacrificial cake.' Verily having re-won the sacrifice they keep renewing it. At two pressings he draws off by means of embers, at the third with (flaming) splinters, to give it glory verily he completes it. The altars guarded the Soma in yonder world they took away the Soma from them; they followed it and surrounded it. He who knows thus wins an attendant. They were deprived of the Soma drink; they besought the gods for the Soma drink; the gods said to them, 'Take two names each; then shall ye gain it, or not.' Then the altars became fires (also); therefore a Brahman who has two names is likely to prosper. Those which came nearest gained the Soma drink viz. the Ahavaniya, the Agnidh's altar, the Hotr's, and the Marjaliya; therefore they sacrifice on them. He leaves them out in uttering the cry for sacrifice, for they were deprived of the Soma drink. The gods drove away the Asuras who were in front by the sacrifices which they offered on the eastern side, and the Asuras who were behind by those which they offered on the western side. Soma libations are offered in the east, seated to the west he besprinkles the altars; verily from behind and from in front the sacrificer smites away his enemies; therefore offspring are engendered behind, and are brought forth in front . The altars are the breaths; if the Adhvaryu were to go past the altars to the west, he would mingle the breaths, he would be liable to die. The Hotr is the navel of the sacrifice; the expiration is above the navel, the inspiration is below; if the Adhvaryu were to go past the Hotr to the west, he would place the expiration in the inspiration, he would be liable to die. The Adhvaryu should not accompany the song; the Adhvaryu's strength is his voice; if the Adhvaryu were to accompany the song, he would confer his voice on the Udgatr , and his voice would fail. The Adhvaryu should not go beyond the Sadas to the west before the Soma offering is completed. Then how is he to go to offer the sacrifices in the southern fire? Because that is the end of the fires. But how are the gods to know whether it is the end or not?' He goes round the Agnidh's altar to the north and offers the sacrifices in the southern fire; verily he does not mingle the breaths. Some of the altars are besprinkled, some not; those which he besprinkles he delights; those which he does not besprinkle he delights by indicating them

 From the sins which knowingly or unknowingly we have committed, do ye, all gods, of one accord release us. If awake or asleep, to sin inclined, I have committed a sin, may what has been, and what shall be, as if from a wooden post, release me. Atharva-veda, vi, 115. 1-

 From the sins which knowingly or unknowingly we have committed, do ye, all gods, of one accord, release us! If awake, or if asleep, to sin inclined, I have committed a sin, may what has been, and what shall be, as if from a wooden post, release me! 3. As one released from a wooden post, as one in a sweat by bathing (is cleansed) of filth, as ghee is clarified by the sieve, may all (the gods) clear me from sin

 From the worship of the Pitris was developed in Iran the worship of the Fravashis, who being at first identical with the Pitris, with the souls of the departed, became by and by a distinct principle. The Fravashi was independent of the circumstances of life or death, in immortal part of the individual which existed before man and outlived him. Not only man was endowed with a Fravashi, but gods too, and the sky, fire, waters, and plants (Orm. Ahr. §§ 112-113).]

 Full on the west; what the gods placed

 g-spoons (into the fire) and the post; they reflected, 'Here we are making a disturbance of the sacrifice', they saw a ransom in the bunch of grass for the offering-spoons, in the chip for the post. When the Soma sacrifice is complete he casts (in the fire) the bunch of grass, he offers the chip, to avoid disturbing the sacrifice

 Gift of heaven! to archer Arjun kindly gods this weapon sent

 Girt by faithful friends and forces, blest by righteous Gods above

 Give to the gods among the gods

 Given by us, go to the gods, full of sweetness; enter the giver; without leaving us fare by the path leading to the gods; sit in the world of the righteous

 Gladden the Gods, gladden the host of Maruts: make Heaven and Earth rejoice, O God, O Soma

 Go alive to the place of the gods

 Go to heaven by the paths which lead to the gods

 Go to the gods in due season to their abode

 Go ye two to the place of the gods

 God, god among gods

 Godesses play an insignificant part in the RV. The only one of importance is Usas (p. 92). Next come Sarasvati, celebrated in two whole hymns (vi. 61; vii. 95) as well as parts of others, and Vac, 'Speech' (x, 71. 125). With one hymn each are addressed Prthivi, 'Earth' (v. 84), Ratri, 'Night' (x, 127, p. 203), and Aranyani, 'Goddess of the Forest' (x. 146). Others are only sporadically mentioned. The wives of the great gods are still more insignificant, being mere names formed from those of their consorts, and altogether lacking in individuality: such are Agnayi, Indrani, Varunani, spouses of Agni, Indra, and Varuna respectively

 Gods glorified among the Gods

 Gods, may our ears hear that which is auspicious, may our eyes see that which is good, ye holy

 Goeth dear to the gods

 Gold-Hued! as one who giveth strength flow on for Gods to drink, a draught

 Gold-hued! as one who giveth strength flow on for Gods to drink, a draught for Vayu and the Marut host

 Guide us, ye Gods! the gloom spreads fast around

 Hadah, the wife of Lamekh as well as of Esau, the Phoenician Usov, is identified with the goddess worshipped at BabyIon as Hera (Juno), and, notwithstanding Sir Gardner Wilkinson's dictum to the contrary, her names, Hera, Hadah, point to the connection with the Egyptian Her Her, or Hathor, who was the daughter of Seb and Netpe, as Hera was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea. The name of the god Kiyun, or Kivan, who was worshipped by the Hebrews, and who in Syria was said to devour children, is connected with the root kun, to erect, and therefore doubtless with the antediluvian Kain or Kevan. Kon, derived from the same root, was, according to Bunsen, a Phoenician designation of Saturn.

 Hanuman said: "At that Age the universe was not as it is now. Thou canst not behold the form I erstwhile had. . . . In Krita Yuga there was one state of things and in the Treta Yuga another; greater change came with Dwãpara Yuga, and in the present Yuga there is lessening, and I am not what I have been. The gods, the saints, and all things that are have changed. I have conformed with the tendency of the present age and the influence of Time."

 Haoma, the Indian Soma, is an intoxicating plant, the juice of which is drunk by the faithful for their own benefit and for the benefit of their gods. It comprises in it the powers of life of all the vegetable kingdom

 Have the Gods made familiar friends

 Having done the deed to the gods go ye

 Having kept the fire in the pan for a year in the second year he should offer on eight potsherds to Agni, to Indra on eleven potsherds, to the All-gods on twelve