हिन्दी
The human body is like a sacrifice, and the first twenty-four years are like the morning libation. The gāyatrī has twenty-four syllables, and the morning libation is accompanied by the gāyatrī. The Vasus reside in this morning libation. The Vasus are the vital breaths and the sense organs, for the word vasu means those who make others live and who live themselves.
If, within these first twenty-four years of his life, he has some ailment, he should then say: ‘O Prāṇas, O Vasus, please extend this first libation to the midday libation. As the sacrifice, may I not disappear among the Vasus, who are my prāṇas (i.e., who are like my life).’ (If he prays like this) he gets rid of his ailment and becomes fully well.
Then the next forty-four years are like the midday libation. The triṣṭubh metre has forty-four syllables, and the midday libation is accompanied by a hymn which is in the triṣṭubh metre. The Rudras are connected with this midday libation. The prāṇas are called Rudras because they (are cruel and) make everyone in this world weep.
If, within these next forty-four years of his life, he has some ailment, he should then say: ‘O Prāṇas, O Rudras, please extend my midday libation and join it to the third libation. As the sacrifice, may I not disappear among the Rudras, who are my prāṇas (i.e., who are like my life).’ If he prays like this, he gets rid of his ailment and becomes fully well.
Then the next forty-eight years are the third libation. The jagatī metre has forty-eight syllables, and the third libation is accompanied by a hymn which is in the jagatī metre. The Ādityas are connected with this third libation. The prāṇas are called Ādityas because they accept all things.
If, within the next forty-eight years of his life, he has some ailment, he should then say: ‘O Prāṇas, O Ādityas, please extend my evening libation to the end of my life. As the sacrifice, may I not disappear among the Ādityas, who are my prāṇas (i.e., who are like my life).’ If he prays like this, he gets rid of his ailment and becomes well.
Having known this, Itarā’s son Mahidāsa said: ‘O disease, why are you troubling me so? Rest assured; I am not going to die (of this disease).’ He lived for one hundred and sixteen years. A person who knows this also lives that long.
