पर्जन्यो वा अग्निर्गौतम; तस्य संवत्सर एव समित्, अभ्राणि धूमः, विद्युदर्चिः, अशनिरङ्गाराः, ह्रादुनयो विस्फुलिङ्गाः; तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवाः सोमं राजानं जुह्वति; तस्या आहुत्यै वृष्टिः संभवति ॥ १० ॥
parjanyo vā agnirgautama; tasya saṃvatsara eva samit, abhrāṇi dhūmaḥ, vidyudarciḥ, aśaniraṅgārāḥ, hrādunayo visphuliṅgāḥ; tasminnetasminnagnau devāḥ somaṃ rājānaṃ juhvati; tasyā āhutyai vṛṣṭiḥ saṃbhavati || 10 ||
10. Parjanya (the god of rain), O Gautama, is fire, the year is its fuel, the clouds its smoke, lightning its flame, thunder its cinder, and the rumblings its sparks. In this fire the gods offer King Moon. Out of that offering rain is produced.
Parjanya, O Gautama, is fire, the second receptacle of the two oblations in the order of their return. Parjanya is a god identifying himself with the materials of rain. The year is its fuel, for this fire of Parjanya is kindled by that as it revolves with its parts commencing with autumn and ending with summer. The clouds its smoke, being produced from smoke, or because of its cloudy appearance. Lightning its flame, since both are luminous. Thunder its cinder, because both represent a pacified state and are hard. The rumblings of the clouds its sparks, because both scatter and are numerous. In this receptacle of the two oblations the gods, those very priests mentioned above, offer King Moon, who was produced out of the offering of ‘faith’ in the fire of heaven; he is offered in the second fire, that of Parjanya, and out of that offering of the moon rain is produced.