“Let us meditate on that excellent glory of the Divine Son (or
     Vivifier); may he enlighten our understandings!”

It has always been frequently repeated in important rites.

[Sidenote:  Atharva Veda.  Inferior morally and spiritually to the Rig Veda.  Explanation of deterioration.] So far we have referred almost exclusively to the Rig Veda.  The next in importance is the Atharva, sometimes termed the Brahma Veda; which we may render the Veda of incantations.  It contains six hundred and seventy hymns.  Of these a few are equal to those in the Rig Veda; but, as a whole, the Atharva is far inferior to the other in a moral and spiritual point of view.  It abounds in imprecations, charms for the destruction of enemies, and so forth.  Talismans, plants, or gems are invoked, as possessed of irresistible might to kill or heal.  The deities are often different from those of the Rig Veda.  The Atharva manifests a great dread of malignant beings, whose wrath it deprecates.  We have thus simple demon-worship.  How is this great falling-off to be explained?  In one of two ways.  Either a considerable time intervened between the composition of the two books, during which the original faith had rapidly degenerated, probably through contact with aboriginal races who worshiped dark and sanguinary deities; or else there had existed from the beginning two forms of the religion—­the higher of which is embodied in the hymns of the Rig Veda, and the lower in the Atharva.  We believe the latter explanation to be correct, although doubtless the superstitions of the aborigines must all along have exerted an influence on the faith of the invaders.

[Sidenote:  The offerings.] The offerings presented to the gods consisted chiefly of clarified butter, curdled milk, rice-cakes, and fermented Soma juice, which was generally mixed with water or milk.  All was thrown into the fire, which bore them or their essences to the gods.  The Soma was also sprinkled on the sacred grass, which was strewn on the floor, and on which the gods and fathers were invited to come and seat themselves that they might enjoy the cheering beverage.  The remainder was drunk by the officiating priests.  The offerings were understood to nourish and gratify the gods as corporeal beings.

[Sidenote:  Animal victims.] Animal victims are also offered up.  We hear of sheep, goats, bulls, cows, and buffaloes being sacrificed, and sometimes in large numbers.  But the great offering was the Asvamedha, or sacrifice of the horse.  The body of the horse was hacked to pieces; the fragments were dressed—­part was boiled, part roasted; some of the flesh was then eaten by the persons present, and the rest was offered to the gods.  Tremendous was the potency—­at least as stated in later times—­of a hundred such sacrifices; it rendered the offerer equal or superior to the gods; even the mighty Indra trembled for his sovereignty and strove to hinder the consummation of the awful rite.