Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 42.djvu/122

 and rich in honey, do I call to exempt him from injury.

7. Hither shall come the intelligent (plants) that understand my speech, that we may bring this man into safety out of misery!

8. They that are the food of Agni (the fire), the offspring of the waters, that grow ever renewing themselves, the firm (plants) that bear a thousand names, the healing (plants), shall be brought hither!

9. The plants, whose womb is the avaki (blyxa octandra), whose essence are the waters, shall with their sharp horns thrust aside evil!

10. The plants which release, exempt from Varuna (dropsy), are strong, and destroy poison; those, too, that remove (the disease) baldsa, and ward off witchcraft shall come hither!'

11. The plants that have been bought, that are right potent, and are praised, shall protect in this village cow, horse, man, and cattle!

12. Honied are the roots of these herbs, honied their tops, honied their middles, honied their leaves, honied their blossoms; they share in honey, are the food of immortality. May they yield ghee, and food, and cattle chief of all!

13. As many in number and in kind the plants here are upon the earth, may they, furnished with a thousand leaves, release me from death and misery!

14. Tiger-like is the amulet (made of) herbs, a saviour, a protector against hostile schemes: may it drive off far away from us all diseases and the Rakshas!

15. As if at the roar of the lion they start with fright, as if (at the roar) of fire they tremble before