Page:Atharva-Veda samhita volume 2.djvu/177

633 6. The herbs, being rained on, have talked with breath: "verily thou hast extended our life-time; thou hast made us all fragrant."

7. Homage be to thee coming, homage be to [thee] going away; homage to thee, O breath, standing; to thee sitting also [be] homage.

8. Homage to thee breathing, O breath; homage be to [thee] making expiration; homage to thee turned away, homage to thee turned toward [us]; to the whole of thee [be] this homage.

9. The dear body that is thine, O breath, and the dearer one that is thine, O breath, likewise what remedy is thine, assign thou of it to us in order to life (jīvás).

10. Breath clothes (anu-vas) human beings (prajā́), as a father a dear son; breath is lord of all, both what breathes and what does not.

11. Breath [is] death, breath takmán; breath the gods worship (upa-ās); breath may set the truth-speaker in the highest world.

12. Breath is virā́j, breath the directress; breath all worship; breath is the sun, the moon; breath they call Prajāpati.

13. Breath-and-expiration are rice-and-barley; breath is called the draft-ox; breath is set in barley; expiration is called rice.

14. A man breathes out (ápānati), breathes (prā́ṇati) within the womb; when, O breath, thou quickenest, then he is born again.

15. Breath they call Mātariçvan; breath is called the wind; in breath what has been and what will be, in breath is all established (prátiṣṭhita).