Adhyāya III, Kaṇḍikā 11

1^[1]. If unknown danger from all sides (menaces him), he should sacrifice eight Ājya oblations with (the formulas),

'Pṛthivī (the earth) is covered; she is covered by Agni. By her, the covered one, the covering one, I ward off the danger of which I am in fear. Svāhā!

'Antarikṣa (the air) is covered; it is covered by Vāyu. By it, the covered, the covering, I ward off the danger of which I am in fear. Svāhā!

'Dyaus (the heaven) is covered; she is covered by Āditya (the sun). By her, &c.

'The quarters (of the horizon) are covered; they are covered by Candramas (the moon). By them, &c.

'The waters are covered; they are covered by Varuṇa. By them, &c.

'The creatures are covered; they are covered by Prāṇa (the breath). By them, &c.

'The Vedas are covered; they are covered by the metres. By them, &c.

'All is covered; it is covered by Brahman. By it, &c. Svāhā!'

2^[2]. Then, stationing himself towards the north, east, he murmurs the Svasti-Ātreya and, 'Of what we are in fear, Indra' (Rig-veda VIII, 61, 13 seqq.), down to the end of the hymn.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

11, 1. 'Covered' is vṛta; 'I ward off' is the causative of the same verb, vāraye.

[2]:

The Svasti-Ātreya is the part of the hymn V, 51, which very frequently contains the word svasti (vv. 11-15). There is a Khila appended to that hymn (Rig-veda, vol. iii, p. 30), which, according to Nārāyaṇa, is also to be murmured on this occasion.