Cf. III, 61, 1; IV, 13, 2; V, 69, 1.

3. The laws or ordinances or institutions of the gods are sometimes taken for the sacrifices which are supposed to be enjoined by the gods, and the performance of which is, in a certain sense, the performance of the divine will.

I, 93, 8. yáh agnî´shómâ havíshâ saparyâ´t devadrî´kâ mánasâ yáh ghriténa, tásya vratám rakshatam pâtám ámhasah.

He who worships Agni and Soma with oblations, with a godly mind, or with an offering, protect his sacrifice, shield him from evil!

I, 31, 2. tvám agne prathamáh áṅgirah-tamah kavíh devâ´nâm pári bhûshasi vratám.

Agni, the first and wisest of poets, thou performest the sacrifice of the gods.

III, 3, 9. tásya vratâ´ni bhûri-poshínah vayám úpa bhûshema dáme â´ suvriktí-bhih.

Let us, who possess much wealth, perform with prayers the sacrifices of Agni within our house.

In another acceptation the vratas of the gods are what they perform and establish themselves, their own deeds:

III, 6, 5. vratâ´ te agne mahatáh mahâ´ni táva krátvâ ródasî (íti) â´ tatantha.

The deeds of thee, the great Agni, are great, by thy power thou hast stretched out heaven and earth.

VIII, 42, 1. ástabhnât dyâ´m ásurah visvá-vedâh ámimîta varimâ´nam prithivyâ´h, a asîdat vísvâ bhúvanâni sam-râ´t vísvâ ít tâ´ni várunasya vratâ´ni.

The wise spirit established the sky, and made the width of the earth, as king he approached all beings,—all these are the works of Varuna.

VI, 14, 3. tû´rvantah dásyum âyávah vrataíh sî´kshantah avratám.

Men fight the fiend, trying to overcome by their deeds him who performs no sacrifices; or, the lawless enemy.

Lastly, vratá comes to mean sway, power, or work, and the expression vraté táva signifies, at thy command, under thy auspices:

I, 24, 15. átha vayám âditya vraté táva ánâgasah áditaye syâma.

Then, O Âditya, under thy auspices may we be guiltless before Aditi.

VI, 54, 9. pû´shan táva vraté vayám ni rishyema kádâ kaná.

O Pûshan, may we never fail under thy protection.

X, 36, 13. ye savitûh satyá-savasya vísve mitrásya vraté várunasya devâ´h.

All the gods who are in the power of Savitar, Mitra, and Varuna.

V, 83, 5. yásya vraté prithivî´ námnamîti yásya vraté saphá-vat gárbhurîti, yásya vraté óshadhîh visvá-rûpâh sáh nah parganya máhi sárma yakkha.

At whose bidding the earth bows down, at whose bidding hoofed animals run about, at whose bidding the plants assume all shapes, mayest thou, O Parganya, yield us great protection!

Note 3. Dâtrá, if derived from dâ, would mean gift, and that meaning is certainly the most applicable in some passages where it occurs:

IX, 97, 55. ási bhágah ási dâtrásya dâtâ´.

Thou art Bhaga, thou art the giver of the gift.