A Prayer to Kama

The foe-slaying bull Kama, adored with ghee, oblation sacrificial butter, worshipped from all sides, do I desire to aid. Do thou, O praised for thy great heroism, make my enemies fall down.

That which is not pleasing either to my mind or my sight, and that which does not give me pleasure or gnaws me, that evil dreaming do I fasten on my foe. Lauding Kama, may I go up!

O Kama, do thou fasten on him the evil-dreaming, lack of progeny, distress, homelessness, who desires to harm us, O formidable one!

Thrust forward, O Kama, let them, my foemen, go to ruin, thrust them to the nether most darkness, do thou, O Agni, burn to ashes their dwellings!

O Kama, that which fulfills our desires, is called thy daughter, the speech, and the sages call that speech as Viraj. Therewith do thou avoid my enemies, let all, the life and cattle avoid them.

With the might of Kama, of Indra, of Varuna, of Vishnu, with the strength of Savitar, with the force of Agni, the hotar-priest, do I thrust forth my foemen, as a skilled poleman thursts forth a boat on the waters.

May Kama, my mighty and formidable master, make me without enemies. May all the gods be my refuge, may all the gods come in response to this invocation of mine!

O sages, enjoying this sacrificial ghee, with Kama as your leader, revel here to render me without foes!

O Kama, allied with Indra and Agni, do ye make my foes fall down. O Agni, do thou burn to ashes the homes of them fallen to the nether most darkness!

Smite thou and make them fall down to utter darkness, O Kama, them, my enemies. Let them be all senseless, strengthless, let them not live another day.

Kama hath slain my enemies, he has rendered for me wide space to dwell and prosperity. May the four quarters do me obeisance, may the six wide ones bring ghee for me!

May they drift away downward, like a boat detached from its moorings, thrust them away from the shore with the missiles, of them let there be no return again!

Agni is repeller, Indra is repeller, Soma is repeller, may all these repelling gods repel my foes!

May my enemy, being hated by friends, deserted by heroes, being avoided by his own kinsmen, wander forth. Do thou, O formidable gods, massacre my foes like the lightning striking the earth!

The great earth bears the lightning, those that are fallen and weak and those strong and not fallen. May the Aditya, arising with might, thrust down my foes with force, the great one!

O Kama, what pleasant, triple-guarding, unpierceable armour thou hast, therewith thou thrust away my foes, let life, creatures and breath avoid them.

Wherewith the gods thrust away the demons, wherewith Indra hurled down the Rakshasas to the darkness, therewith do thou, O Kama, thrust forth far from may enemies!

Kama is the first born, not the gods, nor the Fathers, nor mortal men, attained him. Thou art superior to them all, always great, so to thee as such, O Kama, do I render my obeisance!

O Kama, thou art the eldest of all, greater than the expanse of earth and heaven, altogether mighty. To you we render obeisance!

O Kama, thou art the eldest of all, greater than the quarters and directions, the expanses and vistas of the space, altogether mighty. To you we render obeisance.

O Kama, thou art eldest of all, greater than all things moving and inanimate, than the ocean, O passion, altogether mighty. To you we render obeisance!

Verily thou art beyond the reach of wind and fire, the sun and moon thou, O Kama, art superior to them, altogether mighty. To you we render homage!

In many a beautiful form, O Kama, you manifest yourself. May all these forms be implanted in our hearts. Send forth evil things elsewhere.

Incantations Concerning a House

We hereby unfasten the bonds of the pillars of this house, of numerous treasures, of the supporters and also of the cross-beams!

What of you is bound, O you, who contain all treasures, what fetters and knots are there. I unloose with a powerful spell, like Brihaspati breaking open the cavern.

The sorcerer stretched out the rope, he tied and made the firm knots. We loosen them with Indra's aid like a skilled slaughter cleaving the joints.

We unfasten the bonds of your beams and clasps, of your thatch and of your sides, O thou house, that holds all riches.

We unfasten the bonds of clamps and clasps, of all that binds now the lady of the building.

What hanging loops are there bound within you for enjoyment, we do unfasten them. May the mistress of the house, when established within be propitious to us!

Vessel of oblation, hall of Agni, abode and domain of the wives are you. O divine dwelling, you are the seat of the gods.

The thousand-eyed net, stretched out, propped on the central beam, well tied and fastened, do we unfasten with holy word.

May he, who receives you as a gift, and by whom you are build, O queen of the houses, may both these enjoy long life and attain ripe old age!

Do thou, firmly fastened, tied and well adorned, come here to your master. Your limbs and joints we now unfasten.

He who collected the timber, O house, and constructed your walls, he the most exalted Prajapati created you for the increase of progeny!

Homage to him, homage to the giver, homage to the lord of the house, homage to Agni and homage to him who performs the rites, we pay.

Homage to kine, homage to horse, to all that is born in the house, O house, rich in progeny, we unloosen your bonds!

Within your inner most being, you cherish Agni with men and cattle. O house, rich in progeny, we unloosen your bonds!

Between heaven and earth what expanse there is, I accept that together with this house. The space that it encloses I make a container for treasures. I accept this house for the owner.

Rich in food, rich in milk, with firm foundation built upon the earth, treasure of all nourishing, O house, harm not those who receive you.

Wrapped in grass, clothed in straw, the house, like night provides rest to its dwellers. Built firm on the earth, she stands like a she-elephant on her feet.

I loosen and remove the covering of your reed. What Varuna has tightly bound, let Mitra unfasten again in the morning.

This dwelling built with worship, designed by the wise, may Indra and Agni, the gods immortal, preserve the house, the seat of Soma.

A nest is placed upon a second, a vessel laid upon another, thereby a mortal is born, from whom all things originate!

This house is built with two sides, with four sides, with six sides, with eight or ten. In this mistress building Agni lies like an unborn babe in the womb.