The Yajurveda – Chapter I

Verse 1: Prayer for Food, Cows, and Prosperity
Verse 2: The Power of Yajna
Verse 3: Yajna Purifies Worlds
Verse 4: Vedas as True Source of Knowledge
Verse 5: The Vow of Truth
Verse 6: Guidance to Do Good Deeds
Verse 7: Eliminating Evil and Promoting Humanity
Verse 8: Life, Agriculture, and Domestic Happiness
Verse 9: Performing Homa and Yajnas
Verse 10: Comfortable Houses and Knowledge of Nature

Verse 1: O Lord, we resort to Thee for the supply of foodstuffs and vigour. May the Creator, the fountain of happiness and knowledge, inspire us for the performance of noblest deeds with our organs. May the cows, which should never be killed, be healthy and strong. For the attainment of prosperity and wealth, may the cows be full of calves, free from consumption and other diseases. May Maya thief and a sinner be never born amongst us. May the lord of land and cattle be in constant and full possession of these. May Ye protect the cattle, wealth, and progeny of the virtuous soul.

Verse 2: Yajna acts as purifier, makes explicit, true and perfect knowledge, spreads in space through the rays of the sun, purifies the air, is the mainstay of the universe, and also adds to our comfort through its exalted office. It behoves all the learned and their followers not to give up the performance of yajnas.

Verse 3: The yajna of the Great Lord is the supporter of innumerable worlds and purifies us all. May the Self-Effulgent Lord lead us aright on the path of virtue. May He purify us through the store of true knowledge and all sciences contained in the Vedas, elevating selfless deeds. O ye men, which branches of true knowledge do ye want to comprehend?

Verse 4: Vedas are the true source of knowledge, and their study enables us to enjoy the full span of life. They contain detailed instructions concerning various duties. May we, through His grace, be firmly convinced of the utility of industrial achievements, and may He, the Omnipresent Lord, protect our yajnas and the knowledge and means thereof.

Verse 5: O God, the Lord of Vows, I will observe the vow. May I have strength for that. Pray grant me success in the fulfilment of my vow. I take the vow of renouncing untruth and embracing truth.

Verse 6: Who prompts you to do good deeds? It is He, the Great Lord, Who guides us on the path of virtue. Why does He do so? For the performance of noble, virtuous deeds and the fulfilment of the vow of leading a truthful life. The Lord enjoins the workers and their organisers, the teacher and the taught, to be constantly engaged in doing good deeds and achieving fine qualities and true knowledge.

Verse 7: May we root out the evil tendencies of the wicked, the unsympathetic, and uncharitable exploiters of humanity. May we take to task the disturbers of peace and expose the wicked. O ye men, increase the store of goods acquired by honest and fair means to be used in the service of humanity. May your life be constantly dedicated to this principle. May the spiritually minded people also not give up this humanitarian work. May your lives be constantly consecrated to the performance of five daily duties. The heat of the sun destroys dirt and odor and draws substances consigned to fire, in their atomic form, for the purification of air.

Verse 8: In this universe created by the All-Effulgent God, I realize the power and influence of the sun and moon, feel the inhalation and exhalation of life-giving breath, and appreciate the efforts made by the votaries of knowledge for mastering the science of electricity. I follow the researches made by the learned in the applications of water and fire. I resort to agriculture and craft for removing poverty and ministering happiness to all. May I feel joy in my domestic life. May our houses be sufficiently commodious, airy, fully comfortable, and built in the middle of an open space. May our life be in conformity with Vedic teachings. O Lord, we pray unto Thee to preserve and protect whatever gives us happiness.

Verse 9: O learned persons, just as in this world created by God, inhaling and exhaling breaths are purified by the faultless and pure rays of the sun, just as charming and beautiful waters, which run to the ocean and go up in the atmosphere and nourish medicines, are purified by these rays, so do ye perform Homa with pure substances. I always promote this yajna and sanctify the worshiper with pure mind and strong body, the worshiper full of learning and noble qualities. O performers of yajnas, as the sun receives the aforesaid waters and the air to dispel clouds, and absorbs them for the fast-moving clouds, hence ye should always perform yajnas. We all should perform agreeable yajnas for the attainment of God, for noble acts, for the acquisition of fine virtues, and for temporal and spiritual advancement. With the aid of yajnas, purify all substances and human beings. Yajnas will remove all your physical and mental defects. I, the Revealer of the Veda, advance this purificatory act of yours.

Verse 10: May your house be comfortable. It should afford no shelter to the wicked and the uncharitable. May your house serve as the skin of the Earth. May all persons acquire such a house through the grace of God. Clouds receive moisture from forests, reside in the vast space, and receive water from air. May God impart you this knowledge of clouds and building houses. May the learned understand the building of houses, which serve as the skin of the earth.