The Idea Of Rituals (One Example Of An Ancient Traditional Vedic Ritual) Poem by Erhard Hans Josef Lang

Satyakama the son of Jabala explained this
Doctrine of the prana (breath of life) to
Gosruti, the son of Vyaghrapada and said:
If one should tell this to a dry stump,
Branches would grow and leaves spring forth.

Now, if a man wishes to attain greatness,
He should perform the initiatory rite
On the day of the new moon and
Then on the night of the full moon
He should stir a paste of all the herbs
With curds and honey and offer it
As a libation in the fire
Where the melted butter is offered, saying:
Svaha to the oldest (jyashtha) and greatest (sreshtha) !
Then let him throw the remainder
Adhering to the ladle into the paste.

In the same manner he should offer a libation in the fire
Where the melted butter is offered, saying:
Svaha to the most excellent (vasishtha) !
Then let him throw the remainder adhering to the ladle into the paste.
In the same manner he should offer a libation in the fire
Where the melted butter is offered, saying:
Svaha to firmness (pratishthi) ! and
Then throw the remainder adhering to the ladle into the paste.
In the same manner he should offer a libation in the fire
Where the melted butter isoffered, saying:
Svaha to prosperity (sampad) ! and
Then throw the remainder adhering to the ladle into the paste.
In the same manner he should offer a libation into the fire
Where the melted butter is offered, saying:
Svaha to the abode (ayatana) ! and
Then throw the remainder adhering to the ladle into the paste.

Then, moving away a little from the fire
And holding the paste (mantha) in his hands,
He recites: Thou (prana) art ama by name,
For all this rests in thee.
He (i.e. the paste, which is the same as the prana) is the oldest,
The greatest, the king and the sovereign.
May he make me the oldest, the greatest, the king and the sovereign.
May I be all this!

Then he recites the following Rik-mantra,
Swallowing the paste (mantha) each time he utters a foot of the mantra:
We desire, of the great progenitor (i.e. the sun) -
Here he swallows a little-of the luminous, the food -
Here he swallows a little- the best and all-supporting -
Here he swallows a little -
We meditate quickly on the nature of the sun -
Here he swallows the whole.
Having cleansed the vessel made of metal or wood,
He lies down behind the fire,
On a skin or on the bare ground,
Controlling his speech and self-possessed.
If he sees a woman in a dream,
Then let him know that
His work (rite) has been a success.

If during rites performed with
A view to fulfilling certain desires,
He sees a woman in his dream,
Let him know of his success
From this vision in a dream, yea,
From this vision in a dream.