The Satapatha- Brahmana - Part - 4 -Books 8, 9 and 10 - Ninth Kanda - 1st Adhyaya to 3rd Adhayaya

The Satapatha Brahmana

 

translated by Julius Eggeling

THE SATAPATHA-BRÂHMANA

ACCORDING TO THE TEXT OF THE MÂDHYANDINA SCHOOL

Translated by

Julius Eggeling

NINTH KÂNDA.

THE BUILDING OF THE SACRED FIRE-ALTAR

(continued).

SATARUDRIYA LUSTRATION, INSTALMENT AND CONSECRATION OF FIRE, AND SOMA-SACRIFICE.

FIRST ADHYÂYA. FIRST BRÂHMANA.

THE SATARUDRIYA.

THIS solemn and awful ceremony consists of 425 oblations to Rudra, the representative of the fearful aspects of life and nature, accompanied by appropriate formulas addressed to the various forms of the terrible god, and his associates, with a view to appeasing their wrath. These formulas make up a complete kânda (XVI) of the Vâgasaneyi-samhitâ, and constitute a special Upanishad. Though only a few of the formulas are actually referred to in the text of the Brâhmana, the different portions of which this dismal litany consists are otherwise alluded to, and for this reason, as well as on account of its intrinsic interest, as doubtless reflecting, to a considerable extent, the popular belief in demoniac agencies to which man is constantly exposed, a complete translation of the Satarudriya formulas is here given. For a German translation of the Taittirîya recension of the text, with the various readings of the Kâthaka and Vâgasaneyin versions, see A. Weber, Ind. Stud. II, p. 14 seqq.
I. 1. Reverence, O Rudra, be to thy wrath; and to thine arrow be reverence; and to both thine arms be reverence! 2. What auspicious form there is of thine, free from terror and boding of evil, with that most propitious form look down upon us, O mountain-dweller! 3. The shaft thou bearest in thy hand to hurl, O mountain-dweller, make it harmless, O protector of mountains, injure not man nor beast! 4. With auspicious speech we call upon thee, O mountain-dweller, that all these living beings of ours may
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be healthy and of good cheer! 5. May he plead for us as our intercessor, the first divine physician: crushing all serpents, turn thou aside all practices of witchcraft! 6. That tawny one, and the ruddy and the brown one, the auspicious--the Rudras that hover around him by thousands in the quarters: their wrath do we deprecate. 7. That one who glideth downwards (the sun) blood-red and blue-necked--the cowherds have seen him and the water-bearers (f. the clouds) have seen him--be he gracious unto us, when seen! 8. Reverence be to the blue-necked, thousand-eyed showerer; and what henchmen there are of his, to them do I render homage. 9. Loose thou the string from the ends of thy bow; and cast away the arrows in thy hand, O holy one! 10. Stringless be the bow of the coil-braided one, and arrowless his quiver! may his arrows be futile, axed empty his scabbard! 11. With that plague-repelling weapon in thy hand, with thy bow, protect us, O best of showerers, on all sides! 12. May the shaft of thy bow spare us on all sides, and far from us lay down that quiver of thine! 13. Unstringing the bow, and breaking off the points of thy shafts, be thou gracious and well-disposed unto us, O thousand-eyed lord of a hundred quivers! 14. Reverence be to thine unstrung weapon, the powerful one; and reverence be to thine arms and to thy bow! 15. Neither our full-grown, nor our little one, neither the virile, nor the unborn, neither our father strike thou, nor our mother: harm not our dear bodies, O Rudra! 16. Neither to our children, and our children's children, nor to our life, neither to our kine nor to our horses do thou injury! smite not our shining warriors: with offering we ever invoke thee, O Rudra!
II. 17. Reverence be to the golden-armed leader of hosts, and to the lord of regions be reverence! reverence be to the green-haired trees, and to the lord of beasts be reverence! reverence be to the grass-hued shining one, and to the lord of roads be reverence! reverence be to the gold-locked wearer of the sacred cord, and to the lord of the strong-bodied be reverence! 18. Reverence be to the dusky smiter, and to the lord of food be reverence! reverence be to Bhava's weapon, and to the lord of moving creatures be reverence! reverence be to the strung-bowed Rudra, and to the lord of field's be reverence! reverence be to the inviolable charioteer, and to the lord of forests be reverence! 19. Reverence be to the ruddy architect, and to the lord of trees be reverence! reverence be to the ubiquitous producer of wealth, and to the lord of plants be reverence! reverence be to the wise merchant, and to the lord of forest retreats be reverence! reverence be to the loud-noised crier,
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and to the lord of wanderers be reverence! 20. Reverence be to the onward-rushing one with his (weapon) levelled everywhere, and to the lord of beings be reverence! reverence be to the victorious smiter, and to the lord of victorious (hosts) be reverence! reverence be to the matchless swordsman, and to the lord of thieves be reverence! reverence be to the prowling rover, and to the lord of the forest be reverence! 21. Reverence be to the tricking arch-trickster, and to the lord of pilferers be reverence! reverence be to the well-quivered swordsman, and to the lord of robbers be reverence! reverence be to the slaying spearmen, and to the lord of pillagers be reverence! reverence be to the night-walking sword-wielders, and to the lord of cut-throats be reverence!
III. 22. Reverence be to the turbaned mountaineer, and to the lord of spoilers be reverence! reverence be to shooters of arrows, and to ye bowmen be reverence! reverence be to the bow-stretching, and to ye that fix the arrow be reverence! reverence be to ye that pull (the bow), and to ye that hurl be reverence! 23. Reverence be to ye that shoot, and to ye that pierce be reverence! reverence be to ye that sleep, and to ye that wake be reverence! reverence he to ye, the lying, and to ye, the sitting, be reverence! reverence be to ye, the standing, and to ye, the running, be reverence! 24. Reverence be to gatherings, and to ye, lords of the gathering, be reverence! reverence be to horses, and to ye, masters of horses, be reverence! reverence be to the victorious (armies), and to ye that smite be reverence! reverence be to the serried (hosts), and to ye that crush be reverence! 25. Reverence be to the troops, and to ye, chiefs of troops, be reverence! reverence be to the bands, and to ye, chiefs of bands, be reverence! reverence be to sharpers, and to ye, chiefs of sharpers, be reverence! reverence be to the unshapen, and to ye, the all-shaped, be reverence! 26. Reverence be to armies, and to ye, leaders of armies, be reverence! reverence be to chariot-fighters, and to ye, the chariot-less, be reverence! reverence be to car-fighters, and to ye, charioteers, be reverence! reverence be to the adult, and to ye, children, be reverence!
IV. 27. Reverence be to carpenters, and to ye, wheelwrights, be reverence! reverence be to potters, and to ye, blacksmiths, be reverence! reverence be to the jungle tribes, and to ye, fishermen, be reverence! reverence be to dog-keepers, and to ye huntsmen be reverence! 28. Reverence be to dogs, and to ye masters of dogs be reverence! reverence be to Bhava and to Rudra! reverence be to Sarva and to Pasupati (lord of beasts)! reverence be to Nîlagrîva
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[paragraph continues] (the blue-necked) and to Sitikantha (the white-throated)! 29. Reverence be to him of the coiled hair and to the shaven-haired one! reverence be to the thousand-eyed and to the hundred-bowed one! reverence be to the mountain-dweller and to the bald one! reverence be to the chief of showerers and to the arrow-shooter! 30. Reverence be to the short and the dwarfish one! reverence be to the tall and the old one! reverence be to the full-grown and the growing one 1 reverence be to the topmost and first one! 31. Reverence be to the swift and agile one! reverence be to the fast and nimble one! reverence be to the surging and roaring one! reverence be to the river-dweller and the isle-dweller!
V. 32. Reverence be to the eldest and to the youngest! reverence be to the firstborn and to the afterborn! reverence be to the middlemost and to the abortive (?) one! reverence be to the hindmost and to the bottommost one! 33. Reverence be to him dwelling in the air-castles, and to him in the magic cord-ring! reverence he to him who is in Yama's (death's) power, and to him who liveth in safety! reverence be to him in (the height of his) fame, and to him who is at his end! reverence be to him on the tilled land, and to him on the threshing-floor! 34. Reverence be to him dwelling in the wood, and to him in the jungle! reverence be to the sound and to the echo! reverence be to him of the swift army, and to him of the swift chariot! reverence be to the hero and the shatterer! 35. Reverence be to the helmeted and the armoured one! reverence be to the mailed and the cuirassed one! reverence be to the famous one, and to the leader of the famous army! reverence be to him dwelling in the drum, and to him in the drumstick! 36. Reverence be to the bold, and the deliberate one! reverence he to the swordsman, and to the quiver-bearer! reverence be to the sharp-shafted and the armed one! reverence be to the well-armed one, and to the wielder of a goodly how
VI. 37. Reverence be to him dwelling in the stream, and to him on the road! reverence be to him in the mere (?), and to him in the pool! reverence be to him in the ditch, and to him in the lake! reverence be to him in the river, and to him in the pond! 38. Reverence be to him dwelling in the well, and to him in the bank! reverence be to him in the clouded sky (?), and to him in the heat of the sun! reverence be to him in the cloud, and to him in the lightning! reverence be to him in the rain, and to him in the drought! 39. Reverence be to him dwelling in the wind, and to him in the storm-cloud (?)! reverence be to him dwelling in the house, and to the guardian of the house! reverence be to Soma
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and Rudra! reverence be to the dusky and the ruddy one! 40. Reverence be to the propitious one, and to the lord of beasts! reverence be to the terrible and fearful one! reverence be to the near-hitter and the far-hitter! reverence be to the slayer and the slaughterer! reverence be to the gold-haired trees! reverence be to the deliverer!
VII. 41. Reverence be to the gentle and the friendly one! reverence be to the peaceful and pleasing one! reverence be to the kindly and the kindliest!
VIII. 42. Reverence be to him who is on the further shore, and to him on the near shore! reverence be to him who ferrieth over, and to him who bringeth ashore! reverence be to him dwelling in the ford, and to him on the bank! reverence be to him dwelling in the sward, and to him in the foam! 43. Reverence be to him dwelling in the sand, and to him in the current! reverence be to him dwelling in the stony and to him in habitable places! reverence be to the coil-haired and to the straight-haired (?) one! reverence be to him dwelling in barren land, and to him on the beaten track! 44. Reverence be to him dwelling in the cow-pen, and to him in the cattle-shed! reverence be to him dwelling in the couch, and to him in the house! reverence be to him dwelling in the heart, and to him in the whirlpool! reverence be to him dwelling in the well, and to him in the abyss! 45. Reverence be to him dwelling in what is dried up, and to him in what is green! reverence be to him dwelling in the dust, and to him in the mist! reverence be to him dwelling in the copse, and to him in the shrub! reverence be to him in the ground, and to him in the gully! 46. Reverence be to him dwelling in the leaf, and to him in the leaf-fall (sere leaf)! reverence be to the growler, and to the smiter! reverence be to the snatcher, and to the repeller (?)! reverence be to the arrow-makers, and to ye bow-makers!--Reverence be to ye, the sparkling hearts of the gods! reverence be to the discriminating, reverence to the destructive, reverence to the irremovable!
IX. 47. Chaser, lord of the (Soma) plant! blue-red cleaver! fright and hurt not these people and these cattle: let none of us sicken! 48. These prayers we bring before the mighty Rudra, the coil-braided miter of heroes, that there may be safety for the two-footed and the four-footed, and that everything in this village may be healthy and thriving. 49. That friendly form of thine, O Rudra, friendly and ever healing, friendly and healing to the stricken: therewith be gracious unto us that we may live! 50. May the shaft of Rudra spare us, and the ill-will of the violent and malevolent
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one: unstring the strong (bow) from (hurting) our patrons, O showerer (of gifts), and be gracious unto our children and our children's children! 51. Be thou kindly and well-disposed towards us, O kindliest chief of showerers, lay down thy weapon on the highest tree, and putting on the hide come and join us, bearing the spear! 52. O blood-red scatterer, reverence be unto thee, holy one, let those thousand shafts of thine lay low another than us! 53. The thousandfold thousand shafts of thine arms--turn thou away their heads from us, O holy lord! 54. What countless thousands of Rudras there are upon earth, their bows do we unstring (and cast away) at a thousand leagues. 55. The Bhavas in this great sea, the air: their bows do we unstring at a thousand leagues. 56. The blue-necked, white-throated Rudras seated in the sky: their bows do we unstring at a thousand leagues. 57. The blue-necked, white-throated Sarvas dwelling below the earth: their bows do we unstring at a thousand leagues. 58. The grass-green in the trees, the blue-necked, blood-red ones: their bows do we unstring at a thousand leagues. 59. They who are the chiefs of spirits, hairless and coil-braided: their bows do we unstring at a thousand leagues. 60. They who are the guardians of roads, food-bearers, life-fighters (?): their bows do we unstring at a thousand leagues. 61. They who haunt the bathing-places, wielders of spear and sword: their bows do we unstring at a thousand leagues. 62. They who strike men at their meals, and in their cups those that drink: their bows do we unstring at a thousand leagues. 63. What Rudras are scattered over the regions, so many and more: their bows do we unstring at a thousand leagues.--64. Reverence be to the Rudras dwelling in the sky, whose arrows the rain is! to them (I stretch) ten (fingers) eastward, ten southward, ten westward, ten northward, ten upward: to them be reverence! may they be gracious unto us and help us: whomsoever we hate, and whosoever hateth us, him we cast into their jaws! 65. Reverence be to the Rudras dwelling in the air, whose arrows the wind is! to them (I stretch) ten (fingers) eastward, ten southward, ten westward, ten northward, ten upward: to them be reverence! may they be gracious unto us and help us: whomsoever we hate, and whosoever hateth us, him we cast into their jaws! 66. Reverence be to the Rudras dwelling upon earth, whose arrows food is! to them (I stretch) ten (fingers) eastward, ten southward, ten westward, ten northward, ten upward: to them be reverence! may they be gracious unto us and help us: whomsoever we hate, and whosoever hateth us, him we cast into their jaws!
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9:1:1:11. He then performs the Satarudriya offering! This whole Agni has now 1 been completed: he now is the deity Rudra. Upon him the gods bestowed that highest form, immortality. Flaming he there stood longing for food. The gods were afraid of him lest he should hurt them.
9:1:1:22. They spake, 'Let us gather together food for him: therewith we will appease him!' They gathered for him that food, the Sântadevatya 2, and thereby appeased him; and inasmuch as they thereby appeased (sam) the god (deva), it is called Sântadevatya;--Sântadevatya, doubtless, is here called mystically 'Satarudriya 3,' for the gods love the mystic. And in like manner does this Sacrificer now bestow upon him that highest form, immortality. Flaming he there stands, longing for food. He gathers for him that food, the Sântadevatya, and thereby appeases him.
9:1:1:33. He offers wild sesamum seeds. He (Agni) grows when he is being built up: he grows for (the consumption) of every kind of food. And wild sesamum seeds represent both kinds of food, the cultivated as well as the wild-growing: inasmuch as they are sesamum seeds they are a cultivated (kind of food), and inasmuch as they ripen on unploughed land they are wild-growing; he thus satisfies him with both kinds of food, the cultivated as well as the wild-growing.
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9:1:1:44. He offers by means of an arka-leaf 1,--the Arka-tree (Calotropis gigantea) is food: he thus gratifies him with food.
9:1:1:55. He offers on (three) enclosing-stones:--these enclosing-stones are the (three) Agnis; and thus it is over Agni himself that these oblations of his become offered.
9:1:1:66. And as to why he performs the Satarudriya offering. When Pragâpati had become disjointed, the deities departed from him. Only one god did not leave him, to wit, Manyu (wrath): extended he remained within. He (Pragâpati) cried, and the tears of him that fell down settled on Manyu. He became the hundred-headed, thousand-eyed, hundred-quivered Rudra. And the other drops that fell down, spread over these worlds in countless numbers, by thousands; and inasmuch as they originated from crying (rud), they were called Rudras (roarers). That hundred-headed, thousand-eyed, hundred-quivered Rudra, with his bow strung, and his arrow fitted to the string, was inspiring fear, being in quest of food. The gods were afraid of him.
9:1:1:77. They spake unto Pragâpati 'We are afraid of this one, lest he should hurt us!' He spake, 'Gather food for him, and appease him therewith!' They gathered for him that food, the Satarudriya (offering), and thereby appeased him; and inasmuch as they thereby appeased (sam) the hundred-headed (satasîrsha) Rudra, it is called Satasîrsharudrasamanîya,--and satasîrsharudrasamanîya, doubtless, is what
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they mystically call Satarudriya, for the gods love the mystic. And in like manner does this (Sacrificer) now gather for him that food, the Satarudriya, and appease him thereby.
9:1:1:88. He offers gavedhukâ flour; for from the place where that deity lay disjointed, gavedhukâ plants (coix barbata) sprang forth: he thus gratifies him by his own portion, by his own life-sap.
9:1:1:99. He offers by means of an arka-leaf; for that tree sprang from the resting-place of that god: he thus gratifies him by his own portion, by his own life-sap.
9:1:1:1010. He offers on (three) enclosing-stones 1, for the enclosing-stones are the hair, and neither poison nor anything else injures one at the hair. He offers whilst standing on the left (north) side of Agni (the altar), with his face to the north; for in that region lies the house of that god 2: it is thus in his own region that he gratifies him, in his own region he contents him with offering.
9:1:1:1111. The first Svâhâ ('hail') he utters on the knee-high one,---what is knee-high is, as it were, below, and below, as it were, is this (terrestrial) world: he thus gratifies those Rudras who entered this world.
9:1:1:1212. Then on the navel-high one,--what is navel-high
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is, as it were, the middle; and the middle, as it were, is the air-world: he thus gratifies those Rudras who entered the air-world.
9:1:1:1313. Then on the one reaching up to the mouth,--what reaches up to the mouth is, as it were, above, and above, as it were, is yonder world: he thus gratifies those Rudras who entered yonder world. [He does so] with Svâhâ,--the Svâhâ is food: with food he thus gratifies them.
9:1:1:1414. [He offers, with, Vâg. S. XVI, 1], 'Reverence, O Rudra, be to thy wrath!' he thereby does reverence to that wrath which remained extended within him;--'And to thine arrow be reverence, and to both thine arms be reverence!' for it was by his arrow and his arms that he was inspiring fear.
9:1:1:1515. That god who became the hundred-headed (Rudra) is the chief (kshatra 1), and those others who originated from the drops are the peasants (clansmen): those peasants in the first place assigned to that chief this as his special share, to wit, this first chapter of formulas 2, and gratified him thereby. And in like manner does this (Sacrificer) now assign this to him as his special fore-share, and gratify him thereby. Hence this (section) is addressed to a single deity, to Rudra; for it is him he thereby gratifies.
9:1:1:1616. There are here fourteen formulas,--thirteen months are a year, and Pragâpati is the fourteenth;
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and Pragâpati is Agni: as great as Agni is as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus gratifies him. 'Reverence! reverence!' he says;--reverence being sacrifice, it is by sacrifice, by reverence, that he thus reveres him. Therefore he must not mention any one unworthy of sacrifice, for it would be just as if he were to say to him, 'Sacrifice be to thee!'
9:1:1:1717. He then makes offering to those forming pairs 1: 'Reverence to so and so! reverence to so and so!' It is as if he were to say, 'Thou, N. N., and this one, do not ye two injure us!' for in no wise does a man who is known and appealed to 2 injure us.
9:1:1:1818. [Vâg. S. XVI, 17], 'Reverence be to the golden-armed leader of hosts, and to the lord of regions be reverence!' for he (Rudra-Agni) is indeed the golden-armed 3 leader of hosts, and the lord of regions. And in that everything in this second chapter of formulas applies to one and the same deity, thereby he gratifies that (god Rudra), and makes the chief to have a share in the people (or the clan): hence whatever belongs to the people 4, in that the chieftain has a share. And those (Rudras) that spread over these worlds, countless, by thousands 5, they are the deities to whom he now offers.
9:1:1:1919. He thus makes offering to the tribes (of Rudras), for it was those tribes, those Rudras, that spread, and wheresoever they are there he thereby gratifies them. And thus, indeed, (he gratifies) those tribes of Rudras; and, men being after the
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manner of the gods, therefore also these tribes of men: tribe after tribe he thus gratifies them.
9:1:1:2020. Now some of these (formulas) have 'reverence' on both sides, and others on one side only;--more terrible and more unappeased, indeed, are those (Rudras) that have 'reverence' on both sides: on both sides he thereby appeases them by sacrifice, by reverence.
9:1:1:2121. With (each set of) eighty (formulas) he utters the Svâhâ 1,--on the first anuvâka, and on eighty, and on eighty; and the formulas which follow as far as the 'unstringing'-formulas (Vâg. S. XVI, 54-63),--eighties 2 mean food: by means of food he thus gratifies them.
9:1:1:2222. He thus mutters these formulas (the last four of Vâg. S. XVI, 46), 'Reverence be to you, the sparkling (hearts of the gods)!' for this is his favourite resort, either as a dear son or the heart: hence whenever he should be in fear of that god (Rudra), let him offer with those mystic utterances, for he draws nigh unto the favourite resort of that god, and so that god does not injure him.
9:1:1:2323. 'Reverence be to you, the sparkling 3,'
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for those (Rudras) produce (kar) everything here,--'hearts of the gods!'--Agni, Vâyu and Âditya (fire, wind and sun), these truly are the hearts of the gods;--'Reverence to the discriminating!'--for those (gods) discriminate everything here;--'Reverence to the destructive!'--for those (gods) destroy whom they wish to destroy;--'Reverence to the irremovable!'--for those (gods) are not (to be) removed from these worlds.
9:1:1:2424. He then mutters those that follow (Vâg. S. XVI, 47 seq.), 'Chaser! lord of the (Soma) plant!'--that (god) is indeed a repeller, for he chases away whom he wishes to chase away;--'lord of the plant'--that is, 'lord of the Soma-plant;'--'O blue-red cleaver 1;'--these are names and forms of him: he thus gratifies him by calling him by his names;--'frighten and hurt not these people and these cattle! let none of us sicken!' as the text, so the sense.
9:1:1:2525. That god (Rudra) is the kshatra (ruling power; chieftainship or chief); and for that chief these peasants set apart this special fore-share, to wit, that first section (of formulas); and now he (the Sacrificer) sets apart for him that after-share, and thereby gratifies him; and hence this (section) also belongs to a single deity, to wit, to Rudra; for it is him he thereby gratifies.
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9:1:1:2626. These are seven formulas,--of seven layers the fire-altar consists, and the year consists of seven months, and Agni is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much food he thus gratifies him. These two kinds (of formulas) amount to twenty-one,--the twelve months, the five seasons, these three worlds, and yonder sun as the twenty-first (make up) this amount.
9:1:1:2727. He then offers (the libations of the) 'unstringing'-formulas 1. For at that time the gods, having gratified those (Rudras) by that food, unstrung their bows by means of these 'unstringing'-formulas; and in like manner this (Sacrificer), having gratified them by that food, now unstrings their bows by means of these 'unstringing'-formulas; for with an unstrung bow one injures no one.
9:1:1:2828. Here now he says 'at a thousand leagues,' for a thousand leagues is the farthest distance; and he thus unstrings their bows at what is the farthest distance.
9:1:1:2929. And, again, as to why he says 'at a thousand leagues,'--a thousand leagues means this Agni (fire-altar), for neither this way nor that way is there any other thing greater than he; and it is when he makes offering in the fire that he unstrings their bows at a thousand leagues.
9:1:1:3030. 'Countless thousands,--in this great sea,'--thus, wheresover they are, there he unstrings their bows.
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9:1:1:3131. There are ten of these 'unstringing'-offerings he makes,--the Virâg consists of ten syllables, and Agni is Virâg (widely-shining or ruling); there are ten regions, and Agni is the regions; there are ten vital airs, and Agni is the vital airs: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much he thus unstrings their bows.
9:1:1:3232. He then offers the descending 1 (series of oblations). For then (in the preceding oblations) he ascends these worlds upwards from hence: this is, as it were, an ascent away from here. But this (earth) is a firm resting-place: the gods returned to this resting-place; and in like manner does the Sacrificer now return to this resting-place.
9:1:1:3333. And, again, as to why he descends. Then (in the preceding oblations) he goes after those (gods), gratifying (propitiating) them. From thence he now recovers his own self unto life; and so does he by that self of his attain all vital power.
9:1:1:3434. And., again, as to why he descends. He then (in the preceding oblations) gratifies those Rudras from hence upwards; he now does so again from thence hitherwards.
9:1:1:3535. [Vâg. S. XVI 64], 'Reverence be to the Rudras dwelling in the sky,'--he thereby does reverence to those Rudras who are in yonder world;--'whose arrows the rain is,' for the rain is
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indeed their arrows, and by the rain they injure whom they wish to injure.
9:1:1:3636. [Vâg. S. XVI, 65], 'Reverence be to the Rudras dwelling in the air,'--he thereby does reverence to those Rudras who are in the air;--'whose arrows the wind is,' for the wind is indeed their arrows, and by the wind they injure whom they wish to injure.
9:1:1:3737. [Vâg. S. XVI, 66], 'Reverence be to the Rudras dwelling upon earth,'--he thereby does reverence to those Rudras who are in this (terrestrial) world;--'whose arrows food is,' for food is indeed their arrows, and by means of food they injure whom they wish to injure.
9:1:1:3838. 'To them (I stretch) ten (fingers) forwards, ten to the right, ten backwards, ten to the left, ten upwards 1,'--of ten syllables consists the Virâg, and Agni is Virâg; there are ten seasons, and Agni is the seasons; there are ten vital airs, and Agni is the vital airs: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus gratifies them.
9:1:1:3939. And as to why he says 'ten-ten,'--there are ten fingers in the joined hands 2: he thus makes reverence to them in each direction; and hence he who is frightened places his hands together;--'To them be reverence!'--he thus does reverence to them;--'May they be gracious unto us!'--they thus are gracious unto him;--'whomsoever we hate, and whosoever hateth us, him we cast into their jaws!'--thus he casts into their jaws
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whomsoever he hates, and whosoever hates him. He may say, 'So-and-so I cast into their jaws!' naming him whom he hates, and then he has no longer any hold upon him. But let him take no notice of this (injunction), for indicated of himself is he whom he who knows this hates.
9:1:1:4040. In three turns he descends,--Agni is threefold: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much food he thus gratifies them. With 'Svâhâ' (he makes offering), for the Svâhâ is food: with food he thus gratifies them. Thrice (in three turns) he ascends from hence upwards,--that makes six: the significance of this has been explained 1.
9:1:1:4141. And as to why he descends in three turns,--it is because he ascends in three turns: thus in as many turns as he ascends, in so many turns does he descend.
9:1:1:4242. He then throws that arka-leaf 2 into the pit; for it is therewith that he performs that sacrificial work sacred to Rudra, and that same (leaf) is inauspicious; he now puts it away, lest any one should tread on this inauspicious (leaf), and suffer injury thereby: hence (he throws it) into the pit. And, again, as to why (he throws it) into the pit,--the pit, doubtless, means the fire, and thus that fire consumes it. Now as to the (symbolic) correspondence.
9:1:1:4343. As to this they say, 'How does this Satarudriya of his attain to (conformity with) the year, and Agni? how does it correspond to the year, to
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[paragraph continues] Agni?' Well, this Satarudriya includes three hundred and sixty (formulas); and (other) thirty, and thirty-five. Now, as to the three hundred and sixty which there are, so many are there days in the year: thereby it obtains the days of the year. And as to the thirty (formulas) which there are, they are the thirty nights of the month: thereby it obtains the nights of the month: thus it obtains both the days and nights of the year. And as to the thirty-five (formulas) there are, they are the thirteenth month 1, (Agni's) self,--the body (consists of) thirty (limbs 2), the feet of two, the breath of two (in-breathing and off-breathing), and the head is the thirty-fifth: so much is the year. And in this way this Satarudriya of his attains to (conformity with) the year, Agni, and corresponds to the year, Agni. And, indeed, in the Sândila fire-altar as many bricks with formulas attached to them are placed in the middle, for these bricks are indeed the same as these different Agnis (invoked in the Satarudriya); and thus these Agnis of his come to have oblations offered to them separately by means of the Satarudriya.
9:1:1:4444. As to this they say, 'How does this Satarudriya of his attain to (conformity with) the Great
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[paragraph continues] Litany 1?--how does it correspond to the Great Litany?' Well, those twenty-five formulas which there are on both sides of the eighties 2, they are the twenty-five-fold body 3; and where the body (of the altar-bird) is, that (includes) the head, and the wings and tail. And what eighties (of formulas) there are (in the Satarudriya), thereby indeed the (corresponding) eighties (of the Mahad uktham) are obtained, for by eighties the Great Litany is recited. And what there is (in the Satarudriya) after the eighties that is for him the same as what there, in the Great Litany, is after the eighties 4; and in this way this Satarudriya
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of his attains to (conformity with) the Great Litany; in this way it corresponds to the Great Litany.

Footnotes

156:1 Or, here, in this (atra), in the shape of this (altar) on which the fire is to be deposited.
156:2 That is, that whereby the deity is propitiated or appeased.
156:3 A fanciful etymology of Sata-rudriya, as if it were sânta (propitiated) + rudriya, instead of 'that which relates to a hundred Rudras'; cf. paragraph 7.
157:1 That is to say, the leaf is used in lieu of the ordinary offering-spoon. Whilst making continual oblations on one of the three stones from this leaf, held in his right hand, the priest holds a piece of arka wood in his left hand. Mahîdh. on Vâg. S. XVI, 1.
158:1 The site of the altar is enclosed within a continuous line of 261 parisrits, about half a foot in width, running along its edge. Their height is indeterminate, with the exception of three of them, dug in at the back (west) corner of the left wing, of which one is to reach up to the knee, the second up to the navel, and the third up to the mouth; each of the latter two standing to the left (north) of the preceding one.
158:2 See I, 7, 3, 20, with note. Agni, in the form of the formidable Rudra (who is to be kept at a distance), is referred to.
159:1 Literally, the ruling power.
159:2 The first anuvâka of kânda XVI of the Vâg. S. consists of sixteen verses; which of these the fourteen referred to in the next paragraph are is not clear to me.
160:1 That is from Vâg. S. XVI, 17 seqq.
160:2 Or, who is appealed to as being known to us, i.e. in terms showing that he is known to us.
160:3 That is, aureis brachiis instructus.
160:4 Pragâyâ yad dhanam asti, Sây.
160:5 See paragraph 28.
161:1 The calculation here, as so often in regard to metres, is rather a loose one. Anuvâka I, consisting of sixteen verses, is taken as amounting to the first fourscore formulas; anuvâkas II and III, consisting of ten kandikâs (each of which is calculated to consist of eight mantras), constitute the second fourscore; anuvâkas IV and V again form the third fourscore; anuvâkas VI-VIII (save the last four formulas, see parag. 22), the fourth fourscore; and from there to the 'unstringing'-formulas, that is, from within XVI, 46 to 53, the fifth fourscore. At the end of each eighty formulas he is to utter one Svâhâ (sakrit svâhâkârah, Sây.).
161:2 An etymological play on the word 'asîti,' as if derived from as, to eat.
161:3 ? Or, scatterers, sprinklers (kirika), root krî. The author of the p. 162 Brâhmana, on the other hand, evidently takes it in the sense of 'maker, producer.'
162:1 Thus ('Zerspalter') daridra is probably correctly interpreted (from root 'dar,' to split) by Prof. Weber; whilst the commentators take it in its ordinary sense of 'poor' (i.e. without an assistant, Mahîdh.); blue-red Rudra is called inasmuch as he is the 'nîlakantha' blue-necked, and red all over the rest of his body.
163:1 Viz. Vâg. S. XVI, 54-63: 'What countless thousands of Rudras there are upon earth, their bows do we unstring at a thousand leagues.--The Bhavas that are in this great sea, in the air, their bow do we unstring at a thousand leagues.' Thus each formula ends with the 'unstringing' refrain.
164:1 Vâg. S. XVI, 64-66. In making these three oblations to the Rudras in the sky, the air, and on earth respectively, the procedure is the reverse from that described in paragraphs 11-13, viz. first on the enclosing-stone which reaches up to his mouth, then on that reaching up to his navel, and lastly on that reaching up to his knee.
165:1 These words, as well as the spaced words in the next paragraph, are added to each of the three formulas in paragraphs 35-37.
165:2 The joining of the hollow of the hands, by placing the tips of the fingers together, is a sign of reverence.
166:1 Of objects numbering six, the seasons commonly occur, e. g. VI, 7, 1, 16.
166:2 See paragraph 4. According to Kâty. Srautas. 18, 1, 6 both offering-utensils (the arka-leaf and the arka-stick) are thrown into the pit.
167:1 As Prof. Weber, 'Die vedischen Nachrichten von den Nakshatra,' p. 298, points out, this passage points to a six years’ period of intercalation, since, in counting 360 days in the year, the remainder accumulates in six years to an intercalary month of thirty-five days (or thirty-six according to Sat. Br. X, 5, 4, 5); and accordingly in Vâg. S. XXX, 15, and Taitt. Âr. IV, 19, 1, the names of the six years of such a period of intercalation are mentioned; while a five years’ period and the names of the respective years are more frequently referred to.
167:2 Viz. twenty fingers and toes, the upper and lower arms, the thighs and shanks, and the hands.
168:1 For the mahad uktham, or Great Litany, recited on the Mahâvrata day, see p. 110, note 3. According to Sâyana, however, this does not refer to the Mahad uktham, or Great Litany, itself, but to its Stotra, the Mahâvrata-sâman (cf. note on X, 1, 1, 5), by the chanting of which it is preceded, and which, like the Great Litany itself, is represented as being composed of the different parts of Agni-Pragâpati's bird-shaped body. Now, that part of the chant which corresponds to the god's trunk (âtman) is the only part of this Stotra which is chanted in the Pañkavimsastoma, or twenty-five-versed hymn-form, which, indeed, is the characteristic Stoma of the Mahâvrata day, all other Stotras of that rite being chanted in that form. It is, however, doubtful to me whether it is not rather the opening part of the Great Litany itself representing the trunk that is here referred to, and which, indeed, consists of twenty-five verses; cf. F. Max Müller, Upanishads, I, p. 183. Besides, it has always to be borne in mind that the particular arrangement of the Great Litany which the authors of the Brâhmana had before them, may have differed in some respects from those known to us.
168:2 See p. 112, note 1.
168:3 That is, the body with its twenty-four limbs, viz. the two arms, two legs, and the twenty fingers and toes.
168:4 According to Sâyana, the Pañkavimsa-stotra, chanted after the Mahad uktham, is here referred to. See p. 111, note 1. Sâyana takes it to refer to the prose-formulas at the end of the Sastra, which, he says, represent the mind (buddhi) of Pragâpati.

SECOND BRÂHMANA.

9:1:2:11. He then sprinkles him (Agni-Rudra, the fire-altar). For the gods, having now appeased him by the Satarudriya, thereby appeased him still further; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), now that he has appeased him by the Satarudriya, still further appease him thereby.
9:1:2:22. With water he sprinkles him 1,--water is a means of appeasing (soothing): he thus appeases him thereby. He sprinkles him all over; he thus appeases him all over. Thrice he sprinkles,--threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus appeases him.
9:1:2:33. And, again, as to why he sprinkles him,--that Agni (the fire-altar), doubtless, is these worlds: by water he thus encompasses these worlds, by the ocean, indeed, he encompasses them. On every side (he sprinkles the altar): hence the ocean flows round these worlds on every side. From left to right (he sprinkles): hence the ocean flows round these worlds from left to right.
9:1:2:44. For safety from injury it is the Agnîdh who sprinkles, for the Agnîdh is the same as Agni, and no one injures his own self. From a stone (he sprinkles), for from the rock water springs forth;--from the arm-pit, for from the arm-pit water springs forth; from the right arm-pit 2, for from the right arm-pit water springs forth.
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9:1:2:55. [He sprinkles the stone, with, Vâg. S. XVII, 1], 'The food that is lying in the rock, in the mountain,'--for that food, water, is indeed contained in the rock, in the mountains;--'the drink that is gathered from waters, plants and trees,'--for from all that that drink is indeed gathered;--'that sap and food bring ye unto us, O Maruts, as bountiful givers!'--for the Maruts are the rulers of the rain. With 'In the rock is thy hunger,' he (after watering the altar) sets down (the pitcher on the stone): he thus lays hunger into the stone, whence the stone is not fit for eating. But hard also is the stone, and hard is hunger: he thus puts the hard along with the hard. With, 'In me thy food!' he takes up (the pitcher): he thereby takes up the food into his own self. Thus (he does) a second and a third time.
9:1:2:66. Having (finally) set down the pitcher, he perambulates thrice (the altar); for when (in sprinkling) he walks all round it, he, as it were, makes light of him (Agni-Rudra). He now makes amends to him, for (his own) safety.
9:1:2:77. And, again, as to why he perambulates it,--he then (in sprinkling the altar) goes after him 1 (Agni-Rudra): thereupon he now recovers his own self unto life, and so does he by that self of his obtain all vital power.
9:1:2:88. Thrice he perambulates it, for thrice he walks round it (whilst sprinkling): thus as many times as he walks round it, so many times does he perambulate it.
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9:1:2:99. Having thereupon put that stone into the water-pitcher, they throw it in that (south-western) direction, for that is Nirriti's region: he thus consigns pain 1 to Nirriti's region.
9:1:2:1010. For at that time, the gods, having appeased him by the Satarudriya and the water, thereby drove out his pain, his evil; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer) now, after appeasing him by the Satarudriya and the water, cast away his pain, his evil.
9:1:2:1111. Outside the fire-altar he throws it; for this fire-altar indeed is the same as these (three) worlds: he thus puts pain outside these worlds;--outside the sacrificial ground (vedi); for the Vedi is this (earth): he thus puts pain outside this earth.
9:1:2:1212. Whilst standing at the right thigh of the Vedi, with his face to the east, he throws it southwards, with, 'Let thy pain enter him whom we hate!' and thus its pain enters whomsoever he hates. He may say, 'Let thy pain enter so-and-so!' naming him whom he hates, and then he has no longer any hold upon him; but let him take no notice of this, for indicated of himself is he whom he who knows this hates. If it 2 should remain unbroken, let him bid (the Pratiprasthâtri) to break it; for only when it is broken, the pain enters him whom he hates. They return (to the altar) without looking back: they thus leave pain and evil behind without looking back to them.
9:1:2:1313. Having returned, he makes the bricks his own
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milch cows; for the gods, having now appeased him (Agni-Rudra) by the Satarudriya and the water, and having driven out his pain and evil, returned (to the altar) and made the bricks their own milch cows; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer) now, after appeasing him by the Satarudriya and the water, and casting off his pain and evil, return and make the bricks his own milch cows.
9:1:2:1414. And some say, 'Let him make them his own whilst sitting, for sitting one milks the cow.' But let him rather make them his own standing; for that fire-altar is these worlds, and these worlds are, as it were, standing. And, moreover, one is stronger whilst standing.
9:1:2:1515. [He does so], whilst standing (near the right thigh of the altar) with his face towards the north-east; in front stands that cow by the Sacrificer with her face towards the west (back), for from the right side they approach the cow which stands with its face towards the back (west).
9:1:2:1616. And wherever he reaches (whilst stretching his arms over the altar), there he touches it and mutters this formula (Vâg. S. XVII, 2), 'Let these bricks be mine own milch cows, O Agni!' for Agni rules over this making of cows, whence he addresses Agni out of so many deities;--'One, and ten 1 . . . . and a hundred thousand millions, and a billion;'--for the one, to wit, one and ten, is the lowest quantity, and the other, to wit, a hundred thousand millions, and a billion, is the highest quantity; thus, having comprehended them by the
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lowest and the highest quantity, the gods made them their own milch cows; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), having thus comprehended them by the lowest and the highest quantity, make them his own milch cows. Hence also he need not care to make many (cows) his own 1, for in yonder world that (Sacrificer), by means of the Brahman (holy writ), the Yagus, will make many (cows) his own. And in that he carries on (the numbers) uninterruptedly, thereby he carries on, without interruption, his objects of desire.
9:1:2:1717. And as to why he makes the bricks his own milch cows,--this fire-altar is speech, for with speech it is built up; and when he says, 'One, and ten, . . . and a hundred thousand millions, and a billion,'--'one' is speech, and a hundred thousand millions is speech, and a billion is speech: it is Speech herself that the gods thereby made their own milch cow; and in like manner does the Sacrificer thereby make Speech herself his own milch cow. And in that he carries on (the numbers) uninterruptedly, thereby it is Speech herself that he carries on:--'Let these bricks be mine own milch cows, O Agni, hereafter in yonder world!' He thereby makes them his own milch cows in this world, and he also makes them his own milch cows in yonder world; and thus they are profitable to him in both worlds, in this one and in the other.
9:1:2:1818. [Vâg. S. XVII, 3], 'The seasons ye are,'--for these (bricks) are indeed the seasons;--'law-sustaining,' that is, 'truth-sustaining;'--'be ye season-abiding, law-sustaining!--for the bricks
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are the days and nights, and the days and nights indeed abide in the seasons;--'fat-showering, honey-showering,'--he thereby makes them fat-showering and honey-showering for himself.
9:1:2:1919. 'The widely-shining by name,'--for the gods then called those bricks to them by their names, and in the same way in which they called them, they turned unto them; but the 'space-fillers' alone stood with averted faces discharging water, having no names applied to them. They called them by the name 'the widely-shining,' and they turned unto them. Hence, each time he has laid down ten bricks, he addresses them with the 'space-filling 1 (verse)': he thereby makes them widely-shining (virâg), for the Virâg (metre) consists of ten syllables:--'wish-milking, never-failing,'--he thereby makes them wish-milking and never-failing.
9:1:2:2020. He then draws a frog, a lotus-flower, and a bamboo-shoot across (the central part of the altar). For the gods having now appeased him by the Satarudriya and the water, and having driven out his pain and evil, thereby still further appeased him; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), now that he has appeased him by the Satarudriya and the water, and driven out his pain and evil, still further appease him thereby. In every direction he draws them: he thus appeases him everywhere.
9:1:2:2121. And, again, as to why he draws them across. Now, in the beginning, when the Rishis, the vital airs, made up that Agni 2, they sprinkled him with water: that water dripped off and became the frogs.
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9:1:2:2222. They (the waters) said to Pragâpati, 'Whatever moisture 1 we had, has gone down.' He said, 'This tree shall know it!'--he shall know (vettu), he shall taste it (sam vettu)--that one, indeed, they mystically call 'vetasa' (bamboo), for the gods love the mystic. And because they said, 'Down (avâk) has gone our moisture (ka),' they became avâkkâs;--'avâkkâs,' they mystically call 'avakâs (lotuses),' for the gods love the mystic. These, then, are those three kinds of water, to wit, the frog, the lotus-flower, and the bamboo-shoot: by means of these three kinds of water he appeases him.
9:1:2:2323. And, again, why he draws them across it;--when he (Agni, the fire-altar) is built up, he is being born, and he is born for every kind of food; and these are every kind of food, to wit, the frog, the lotus-flower, and the bamboo-shoot, for these, indeed, are animals, water, and trees: with all this food he gratifies him.
9:1:2:2424. With the frog, on the part of animals, whence, of animals, the frog is the one affording least subsistence, for he is used up;--with the lotus-flower, on the part of water, whence of the kinds of water (plants), lotus-flowers are those affording least subsistence, for they are used up;--and with the bamboo-shoot, on the part of trees; whence, of trees, the bamboo is the one affording least subsistence, for it is used up.
9:1:2:2525. Having tied them to a cane, he, in the first place, draws them eastwards along the right (south) part of the (body of the) altar inside the enclosing-stones,
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with (Vâg. S. XVII, 4), 'With the lotus-flower of the ocean we encompass thee, O Agni: be thou bright and propitious unto us!' that is, 'With the waters of the ocean we appease thee.'
9:1:2:2626. Then northwards along the hind part (of the altar), with (Vâg. S. XVII, 5), 'With an outer vesture of cold we encompass thee, O Agni: be thou bright and propitious unto us!'--that part of the cold which is frozen hard is an outer vesture of cold: thus, 'By the frozen part of cold we appease thee!'
9:1:2:2727. Then eastwards along the left (north) part, with (Vâg. S. XVII, 6), 'Upon the earth, into the reed, into the rivers descend thou, O Agni, thou art the bile 1 of waters: with them, come thou, O she-frog, and make the sacrifice bright-coloured and propitious for us!' as the text, so the meaning.
9:1:2:2828. Then southwards along the forepart, with (Vâg. S. XVII, 7), 'Thou art the receptacle of waters, the abode of the ocean: let thy darts burn others than us! unto us be thou bright and propitious!' as the text, so the meaning. He first draws them thus 2, then thus, then thus, then thus: that is from left to right, for so it is with the gods.
9:1:2:2929. Over the body (of the altar) he draws them
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first, for of (the bird, or Agni) that is born the body is born first, then the right wing, then the tail, then the left wing: that is from left to right, for so it is with the gods.
9:1:2:3030. Over the wings and tail he draws them in the direction of the body (self): he thus lays calmness into his own self;--from the further end (he draws) hitherwards: he thus lays calmness into his own self from the further end hitherwards. The right wing, with (Vâg. S. XVII, 8), 'O bright Agni, with thy light, (with thy dainty tongue, O god, bring hither the gods, and worship them)!' The tail, with (Vâg. S. XVII, 9), 'O bright and shining Agni, (bring hither the gods to our sacrifice and our offering)!' The left wing, with (Vâg. S. XVII, 10), 'He who with bright and glittering light (shineth upon the earth, as the dawns with their glow, who, the ever young, speeding, as in the race, in the battle, of the steed, thirsteth not in the heat).' 'Bright,' he says each time, for whatever is kindly and propitious is bright: he thus propitiates him thereby.
9:1:2:3131. With seven (formulas) he draws them across,--the altar consists of seven layers, and seven seasons are a year, and Agni is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus crosses him. Having thrown the cane on the heap of rubbish;--
9:1:2:3232. [The Adhvaryu] then sings hymns round it (the altar);--for therein that whole Agni is completed; and the gods laid into him that highest form, immortality; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer) thereby lay into him that highest form, immortality. Sâman-hymns are (used), for sâmans are vital airs,
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and the vital airs are immortality: immortality, that highest form, he thus lays into him. On every side he sings around it: everywhere he thus lays immortality, that highest form, into him.
9:1:2:3333. And, again, as to why he sings sâman-hymns round about it;--the gods then desired, 'Let us make this body of ours boneless and immortal.' They spake, 'Think ye upon this, how we may make this body of ours boneless and immortal!' They spake, 'Meditate (kit) ye!' whereby indeed they meant to say, 'Seek ye a layer (kiti)! seek ye how we may make this body of ours boneless and immortal!
9:1:2:3434. Whilst meditating, they saw those sâman-hymns, and sang them round about it, and by means of them they made that body of theirs boneless and immortal; and in like manner does the Sacrificer, when he sings the sâman-hymns round about it, make that body of his boneless and immortal. On every side he sings: everywhere he thus makes that body of his boneless and immortal. Standing he sings, for these worlds stand, as it were; and whilst standing one doubtless is stronger. He sings, after uttering (the syllable) 'him,' for therein the sâman-hymn becomes whole and complete.
9:1:2:3535. He first sings the Gâyatra hymn 1, for the Gâyatrî metre is Agni: he thus makes Agni his
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head, and that head of his (or of him, Agni) he thus makes boneless and immortal.
9:1:2:3636. The Rathantara 1 (hymn he sings) at the right wing; for the Rathantara is this (earth), and this (earth), doubtless, is the most essential (rasatama) of these worlds, for it is in her that all these essences (rasa) are contained, and 'rasantama,' indeed, they call mystically, 'rathantara,' for the gods love the mystic: he thus makes this (earth) his right wing, and that right wing of his he thus makes boneless and immortal.
9:1:2:3737. The Brihat 1 (hymn he sings) at the left wing; the Brihat (great), doubtless, is the sky, for the sky is the greatest (of worlds): he thus makes the sky his (Agni's) left wing, and that left wing of his he thus makes boneless and immortal.
9:1:2:3838. The Vâmadevya 1 (hymn he sings) on the body (of the altar); for the Vâmadevya is the breath, and the breath is air (vâyu, the wind), and he, Vâyu, doubtless, is the self (body) of all the gods: he thus makes the air (wind) his body, and that body of his he thus makes boneless and immortal.
9:1:2:3939. The Yagñâyagñiya 1 (hymn he sings) near the tail;--the Yagñâyagñiya, doubtless, is the moon; for whenever a sacrifice becomes completed 2, the essence of its oblations goes up to him (the moon);
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and inasmuch as sacrifice after sacrifice (yagña) goes up to him, the moon is the Yagñâyagñiya: he thus makes the moon his (Agni's) tail, and that tail of his he thus makes boneless and immortal.
9:1:2:4040. He then sings the heart of Pragâpati 1;--the heart assuredly is yonder sun, for he (the sun) is smooth, and the heart is smooth; he is round, and the heart is round. On the body (of the altar) he sings, for the heart is in the body;--at the armpit 2, for the heart is in (the vicinity of) the armpit;--
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at the right armpit, for the heart is nearer thereto 1: he thus makes the sun his (Agni's) heart, and that heart of his he thus makes boneless and immortal.
9:1:2:4141. He sings about offspring (pragâ) and Pragâpati (the lord of creatures and procreation);--when he sings about offspring, he lays the heart into offspring; and when he sings about Pragâpati, he lays the heart into Agni.
9:1:2:4242. And, again, as to why he sings about offspring and Pragâpati;--this Agni, doubtless, is both offspring and the lord of offspring, and hence, when he sings about Agni, he lays the heart both into the offspring and into the lord of offspring.
9:1:2:4343. These (hymns) are the immortal bricks; he lays them down last (highest) of all:--he thereby makes immortality the highest thing of all this (universe), and hence immortality is the highest thing of all this (universe). Let none other but the Adhvaryu 2 sing; for these (hymns) are bricks, and he (Agni, the fire-altar) would be built up in the wrong way 3, were any other than the Adhvaryu to sing.

Footnotes

169:1 Or rather, he pours water on it (the altar).
169:2 That is, from the lower (or hindmost) point where the right p. 170 wing joins the body of the altar. Re there places a stone, from which he begins the sprinkling of the altar.
170:1 See IX, I, 1, 33.
171:1 The burning heat of the fire, and all physical and mental suffering.
171:2 Viz. the stone, or the pot, according to others; cf. Katy. Srautas. XVIII, 2, 5-8. According to Prof. Weber the stone is meant to represent the hungry greed of the fire.
172:1 The intervening numbers here omitted increase by multiples of ten.
173:1 ? That is to say, he need not touch the altar more than once.
174:1 That is with the verse Vâg. S. XII, 54, beginning 'Lokam prina,' 'Fill thou the space;' see part iii, p. 153 note.
174:2 See VI, 1, 1, 1-5.
175:1 Thus, or essence (rasa), according to Sâyana; cf. X, 6, 5, 1. The word 'ka' has, however, also the meaning 'joy.'
176:1 That is, 'the heat' which is considered the chief property of the bilious humour.
176:2 The procedure in this case is an exact counterpart of the ploughing of the altar-site, for which see VII, 2, 2, 8-12, with notes. Hence also the verbs expressive of the two actions are closely analogous, viz. vikrishati and vikarshati.
178:1 The Gâyatra-sâman is the hymn-tune composed on the verse called 'the Gâyatrî,' par excellence, or 'Sâvitrî' (tat savitur varenyam, Rig-veda III, 62, 10), which plays an important part in the religious fife of the Hindu. The verse, as figured for chanting, is given, Sâma-v. Calc. ed. vol. v, p. 60 1. On the present occasion, according to Lâty. Sr. I, 5, 11, a different text, viz. Sâma-v. II, 8, 14 (Rig-veda IX, 66, 19, agna âyûmshi payase), is to be sung to this tune.
179:1 The Rathantara, Brihat, Vâmadevya, and Yagñâyagñiya tunes are apparently to be sung here on their original texts (Sâma-v. II, 30, 31, abhi tvâ sûra nonumah; II, 159, 160, tvâm id dhi havâmahe; II, 32, 33, kayâ nas kitra â bhuvat; and II, 53, 54, yagñâ-yagñâ vo agnaye), though hardly in their elaborate setting, as performed in chanting.
179:2 It should be remembered that the chanting of the Yagñâyagñiya (or Agnishtoma)-sâman marks the completion (samsthâ) of the ordinary (Agnishtoma) Soma-sacrifice.
180:1 The Pragâpati-hridaya, or Pragâpater hridayam, as figured for chanting, is given, Sâma-v. Calc. ed. vol. ii, p. 499. It consists of the words, imâh pragâh pragâpate(r) hridayam pragârûpam agîgane, with inserted stobhas and modulations. It is followed by a simpler form, which is perhaps the one used on the present occasion.
180:2 Viz. on the place where the right wing joins the body of the altar. According to other authorities, the Syaita hymn-tune is likewise to be sung near the left arm-pit (or, according to Sândilya, at the place where the Adhvaryu mounts the altar). For other variations, see Weber, Ind. Stud. XIII, p. 276. I do not think that the ritual of the White Yagus, in omitting the left arm-pit, shows any gap or inconsistency, since the right arm-pit is marked out, not for any bodily parallelism, but for the simple reason that it is supposed to indicate the position of the heart. Whilst all the other places on which hymns are sung are essential parts of the bird Agni, the arm-pit is not an essential part, but is merely indicative of the central organ of the body. Lâty. I, 5, 11 seqq. supplies the following directions, apparently implying a somewhat different order of procedure from that followed in our text: He passes along the south, and whilst standing (east of the altar) with his face towards the west, he sings the Gâyatra at the head. Returning, he sings the Rathantara at the right wing. Going round behind, he sings the Brihat at the left wing. Going back, and standing behind the tail, with his face towards the east, he sings the Yagñâyagñiya. The Vâmadevya he sings at the right, and the Pragâpati-hridaya at the left, arm-pit. Then follow different views held by different teachers.--With this ceremony, by which homage is paid to the different parts of Agni-Pragâpati's body, compare the similar, but more elaborate, ceremony of the Parimâdah at the Mahâvrata, X, 1, 2, 9 with note.
181:1 That is, by taking the auricles as parts of the heart.
181:2 According to Lâty. I, 5, 1 seq., it is the Prastotri who sings these sâmans. A similar conflict of competence in this respect is referred to not only in regard to detached sâmans (cf. Kâty. IV, 9, 6-9), but even in regard to such solemn performances as the chanting of the Mahâvrata-sâman (cf. note on X, 1, 1, 5).
181:3 Vi-kita, in this sense, appears to be a ἅπαξ λεγόμενον. Sâyana seems to have read vigita (parâbhûta, defeated) instead.

SECOND ADHYÂYA. FIRST BRÂHMANA.

DAY OF PREPARATION FOR SOMA-SACRIFICE.

9:2:1:11. On the day of preparation, early in the morning, when the sun has risen, he releases his speech.
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[paragraph continues] Having released his speech, he takes clarified butter, in five ladlings, and throws five chips of gold thereon. Then these three (materials), sour curds, honey and ghee, are poured together, either into a dish, or a pot with a wide mouth; and he puts a handful of sacrificial grass thereon.
9:2:1:22. He then mounts the fire-altar, with (Vâg. S. XVII, II), 'Homage be to thy heat, thy fire 1! homage be to thy flame!'--for that Agni has now been completely restored, and he now is equal to injuring whomever he might wish to injure; and whomever he injures, he injures either by his heat, or by his fire, or by his flame; in this way he does not injure him thereby (etaih);--'Let thy darts burn others than us! unto us be thou bright and propitious!' as the text, so the sense.
9:2:1:33. Having mounted the altar, he makes the libation of fivefold-taken ghee on the naturally-perforated (brick): the significance of this has been explained 2.
9:2:1:44. On the naturally-perforated (brick) he makes the libation--the naturally-perforated one is the breath: into (the channel of) the breath he thus puts food.
9:2:1:55. And, again, as to why he offers on the naturally-perforated one;--this (brick) is an uttara-vedi (high-altar) of Agni (the fire-altar); and that former libation which he makes 3 belongs to the
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[paragraph continues] Soma-sacrifice, but this one belongs to the fire-altar; this he now offers.
9:2:1:66. On that (former) occasion he makes the libation whilst looking at the gold; for distinct is what one sees, and distinct was that high-altar; and thrown down 1, indeed, are (the gold chips) on this occasion, and indistinct is what is thrown down, and indistinct is this high-altar.
9:2:1:77. With the Svâhâ-call he makes the libation on that (high-altar), for distinct (manifest) is the Svâhâ, and distinct is that high-altar; but with the Vet-call (he offers) on this (brick), for indistinct is the Vet-call, and indistinct is this high-altar. With ghee (they offer), for with ghee they offer on the high-altar;--with fivefold-taken (ghee), for with fivefold-taken (ghee) they offer on the high-altar:--by turns (he makes the libations), for by turns 2 they make the libations on the high-altar.
9:2:1:88. [He offers, with, Vâg. S. XVII, 12, a-c resp.], 'To the man-seated, vet!'--the man-seated one, doubtless, is the breath, and men mean human beings: he thereby gratifies that fire (or Agni), the breath, which is in human beings;--'To the water-seated, vet!--he thereby gratifies the fire which is in the waters;--'To the barhis-seated, vet!' he
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thereby gratifies the fire which is in plants 1;--'To the wood-seated, vet!'--he thereby gratifies the fire which is in trees;--'To the heaven-winning, vet!'--the heaven-winning one is this Agni (kitya): it is this Agni he thereby gratifies.
9:2:1:99. And as to why he says, 'To the man-seated, vet! To the water-seated, vet!' &c., these are names of this Agni: these names he thereby pleases. By means of the oblation he makes them a deity: for whatever deity the oblation is prepared, that deity (they are), not that deity for whom it is not prepared. And, in calling them by their names, he also thereby places those fires along with this fire.
9:2:1:1010. These are five oblations he offers,--the fire-altar consists of five layers, the year of five seasons, and Agni is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus gratifies him.
9:2:1:1111. He then sprinkles him (Agni, the fire-altar) with the sour curds, honey and ghee; when he is built up, he is born, and he is born for every (kind of) food; and these, to wit, sour curds, honey and ghee, are every (kind of) food: with every (kind of) food he thus gratifies him. Everywhere (he sprinkles the altar): everywhere he thus gratifies him with every (kind of) food.
9:2:1:1212. And, again, as to why he sprinkles him;--here that Agni has been built up complete: on him the gods now bestowed the highest (or last) form; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer) now bestow on him the highest (or last) form; but form means
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food, and these, to wit, sour curds, honey and ghee, are the most excellent kind of food: this, the most excellent form he thus bestows upon him as his highest (property). Everywhere he sprinkles, even outside the enclosing-stones; everywhere he thus bestows on him the highest form;--by means of sacrificial grass-stalks (he sprinkles), for they are pure and meet for sacrifice; by means of their tops (he sprinkles), for the top (is sacred) to the gods.
9:2:1:1313. And, again, as to why he sprinkles them;--of old, when the Rishis, the vital airs, joined him together, they made that 'sagûrabdîya' (oblation) 1 his special fore-share, and, when he had been built up, they made this (sprinkling) his after-share: thus, in sprinkling him, he gratifies those Rishis, the vital airs, who, when he (Agni) had been built up, made this his after-share. With sour curds, honey and ghee (he sprinkles): the significance of this has been explained.
9:2:1:1414. [He sprinkles, with, Vâg. S. XVII, 13, 14], 'The gods of the gods, the worshipful of the worshipful,'--'for they (the vital airs) are indeed the gods of (among) the gods, and the worshipful of the worshipful';--'who draw nigh unto the yearlong share,' for they do indeed draw near to this their year-long share;--'not eaters of oblations,--at this offering of sacrificial food,'--for the vital airs, indeed, are not eaters of oblations;--'may themselves drink of the honey and the ghee!'
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that is, 'should themselves drink of this honey and ghee.'
9:2:1:1515. 'The gods who attained godhead over the gods,'--for these gods have indeed attained a divine state over the gods; 'who are the forerunners of this holy work,'--the holy work is this fire-altar (and sacrifice), and they are the forerunners thereof;--'without whom no dwelling-place becometh pure;' for without the vital airs no dwelling-place becomes pure 1;--'they are not on the backs of the sky and the earth,'--that is, 'they are neither in the sky nor on earth: whatever breathes therein they are.'
9:2:1:1616. With two (verses) he sprinkles, two-footed is the Sacrificer, and the Sacrificer is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus sprinkles him.
9:2:1:1717. He then descends again (from the altar), with (Vâg. S. XVII, 15), 'Givers of in-breathing, givers of off-breathing,'--for this Agni who has been built up is all these breathings; were he not to utter at this time this (declaration of) self-surrender, then that (Agni) would possess himself of those breathings of his (the Sacrificer's); but now that he gives utterance to this self-surrender, that (Agni) does not possess himself of those breathings of his;--'Givers of in-breathing, givers of off-breathing, givers of through-breathing, givers of lustre, givers of room,'--he thereby says, 'A giver of this thou art to me,'--'let thy darts burn
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others than us! unto us be thou bright and propitious!'--as the text, so the meaning.
9:2:1:1818. Having returned (to the hall-fire) he proceeds with the (forenoon performance of the) Pravargya 1 and Upasad 1; and having performed the Pravargya and Upasad, he hands to him (the Sacrificer) the fast-food or semi-fast-food. He then (proceeds) with the (afternoon performance of the) Pravargya and Upasad, and having obtained the object for which he puts the (Pravargya-) cauldron on the fire, he sets out (the apparatus of) the Pravargya.
9:2:1:1919. Let him set it out on an island; for, when heated, that (cauldron) is suffering pain; and were he to set it out on this (earth) its pain would enter this (earth); and were he to set it out on water, its pain would enter the water; but when he sets it out on an island, then it does not injure either the water or this (earth): in that he does not throw it into the water, it does not injure the water; and in that the water goes all round it--water being a means of soothing--it does not injure this earth;--let him therefore set it out on an island.
9:2:1:2020. But let him rather set it out on the fire-altar;--for that fire-altar is these worlds, and the enclosing-stones are the waters;--so that when he sets it out on the fire-altar, he indeed sets it out on an island.
9:2:1:2121. And, again, as to why he sets it out on the fire-altar;--that fire-altar is these worlds, and those Pravargya (vessels) are Agni (fire), Vâyu (wind), and Âditya (sun): hence, were he to set them out in any other place than the fire-altar, he would place those gods outside these worlds; but in that he sets them
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out on the fire-altar, he places those gods in these worlds.
9:2:1:2222. And, again, as to why he sets it out on the fire-altar,--the Pravargya is the head of the sacrifice, and this built-up fire-altar is the body: hence were he to set it out in any other place than the fire-altar, he would place that head away from that (body), but in that he sets it out on the fire-altar, he, having put together that body of him (Agni), restores the head to it.
9:2:1:2323. The first Pravargya (vessel) he sets out close to the naturally-perforated (brick);--the naturally-perforated one is the breath, and the Pravargya is the head, and this built-up Agni is the body: he thus connects and puts together the head and the body by means of (the channel of) the breath. Having set out the Pravargya as is the way of its setting out,--

Footnotes

182:1 Or, 'Homage be to thy burning (consuming) fire!' as Mahîdhara takes 'harase sokishe,' and perhaps also the Brâhmana, though 'etaih,' used in reference to Agni's weapons, would rather seem to indicate a plurality of them.
182:2 See VII, 2, 3, 4; VIII, 6, 3, 15.
182:3 See III, 5, 2, 9-11; the libation of ghee there offered on the p. 183 uttara-vedi being preparatory to the leading forward of the fire to the high-altar.
183:1 Each time he has poured out some of the ghee on one of the corners, or in the centre, of the stone; he throws one of the chips of gold thereon, without looking at it.
183:2 That libation was made crosswise--first on the right shoulder, then on the left thigh, then on the right thigh, then on the left shoulder, and finally in the centre, of the (navel of the) high-altar. In the same way he offers crosswise on the svayamâtrinnâ brick.
184:1 Inasmuch as 'barhis' is the sacrificial grass spread over the vedi, or altar-ground.
185:1 That is, the oblation (made on the bunch of sacrificial grass placed in the centre of the freshly ploughed altar-site, where the furrows meet) with the formula (Vâg. S. XII, 74) beginning 'sagûr abdo.' See VII, 2, 3, 8.
186:1 It is doubtful in what sense the author understands this part of the verse. Mahîdhara takes it to mean, 'without whom no body moves.'
187:1 For the Pravargya, see part i, p. 44 note; and the Upasads, part ii, p. 104 seq.

SECOND BRÂHMANA.

LEADING FORWARD OF AGNI TO THE FIRE-ALTAR.

9:2:2:11. Having returned to the (Gârhapatya 1) in order to take forward the fire, he offers oblations, and puts on pieces of firewood. For now that Agni was about to go forward (to the fire-altar), the gods regaled him with food, both with oblations and pieces of firewood; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), now that he (Agni) is about to go forward, regale him with food, both with oblations and pieces of firewood. He takes (ghee) in five ladlings: the meaning of this has been explained.
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9:2:2:22. He then takes (ghee) in sixteen ladlings 1,--Pragâpati consists of sixteen parts, and Pragâpati is Agni: he thus regales him with food proportionate to his body; and the food which is proportionate to the body satisfies and does no injury; but that which is excessive does injury, and that which is too little does not satisfy. He takes (the oblations) in the same offering-ladle, for one and the same (Agni) is he whom he regales therewith. With two (verses) addressed to Visvakarman he offers; for this Agni is Visvakarman (the all-worker): it is him he thereby gratifies. Three oblations he offers,--threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus regales him.
9:2:2:33. He then puts on the pieces of firewood: this is as if, after regaling some one, one were to attend upon him. They are of udumbara (ficus glomerata) wood; for the Udumbara is food and sap: with food and sap he thus regales him. They are fresh (green), for that part of trees which is fresh is uninjured and living: he thus regales him with what is uninjured and living in trees. They are soaked in ghee; for ghee is sacred to Agni: with his own portion, with his own sap he thus regales him. They remain the whole night in it, for there they become imbued with sap. Three pieces of wood he puts on,--threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus regales him.
9:2:2:44. And; again, as to why he offers those oblations;--now that he (Agni) was about to go forward,
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the gods restored (recruited) him beforehand with food, with these oblations; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), now that he (Agni) is about to go forward, restore him beforehand with food, with these oblations.
9:2:2:55. He takes (ghee) in five ladlings, for fivefold divided is that vital air in the head,--the mind, speech, the breath, the eye, and the ear,--he thus lays that fivefold divided vital air into this head. [He offers it, with, Vâg. S. XVII, 16], 'Agni, with sharp flame, (may destroy every demon! Agni gaineth wealth for us)' thus with a (verse) containing (the word) 'sharp': he therewith sharpens his head so as to become sharp.
9:2:2:66. He then takes (ghee) in sixteen ladlings: eight vital airs, and eight limbs 1,--this (the symbolical) amount. He takes it in the same spoon, for, indeed, the vital airs and the limbs are in the same body. Separately 2 he offers: he thereby makes a distinction between the vital airs and the limbs. With two (verses) addressed to Visvakarman he offers: Visvakarman is this Agni, it is him he thus puts together. Three oblations he offers,--threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus restores him. With seventeen verses (he offers) 3,--Pragâpati is seventeenfold, and Pragâpati is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus restores him.
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[paragraph continues] With (ghee) taken in twenty-one ladlings (he offers the two oblations),--there are twelve months, five seasons, these three worlds, and yonder sun as the twenty-first: this is the (symbolical) amount (or, correspondence).
9:2:2:77. And, again, as to why he puts the pieces of firewood on; the gods having set him up wholly and completely, now regaled him with this food, these pieces of firewood; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), now that he has set him up wholly and completely, regale him with this food, these pieces of firewood. They are of udumbara wood, and fresh, and remain for a whole night (being) soaked in ghee: the significance of this has been explained. [He puts them on, with, Vâg. S. XVII, 50-52], 'Upwards lead thou him, O Agni! . . . Forward lead thou him, O Indra! . . . In whose house we make offering . . .,' as the text, so the meaning. Three pieces of firewood he puts on,--threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus regales him. Three oblations he offers,--that makes six: the significance of this has been explained.

Footnotes

188:1 That is, the newly-built Gârhapatya-hearth (part iii, p. 302) on which the Ukhya fire has been deposited.
189:1 That is, he ladles sixteen sruva-spoonfuls of ghee into the sruk or offering-ladle.
190:1 Viz. the upper and fore-arms, the thighs and legs.
190:2 That is, he offers this ladleful (obtained by sixteen ladlings with the dipping-spoon) in two separate libations (âhuti) or, according to Kâty., in two halves.
190:3 Viz. Vâg. S. XVII, 17-32 (sixteen verses, eight for each oblation) and verse 16 (given above) used with the oblation of five ladlings.

THIRD BRÂHMANA.

9:2:3:11. He (the Adhvaryu) then gives orders (to his assistant, the Pratiprasthâtri); 'Lift the log 1! hold up the underlayer!'--[To the Hotri], 'Recite for
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[paragraph continues] Agni as he is taken forward!'--'Agnîdh, follow up with the single sword (-line)!'--'Brahman, mutter the Apratiratha (hymn)!'
9:2:3:22. For at that time, as the gods were about to come up in order to perform this sacrifice, the Asuras, the mischievous fiends, tried to smite them from the south, saying, 'Ye shall not sacrifice! ye shall not perform the sacrifice!'
9:2:3:33. The gods said to Indra, 'Thou art the highest and mightiest, and strongest of us: do thou hold those fiends in check!'--'Let the Brahman (n.) be my ally!' he said.--'So be it!' They made Brihaspati his ally, for Brihaspati is the Brahman (the priesthood); and having had the Asuras, the mischievous fiends, chased away in the south by Brihaspati and Indra, they spread this sacrifice in a place free from danger and devilry.
9:2:3:44. Now what the gods did then, that is done on this occasion. Those fiends, it is true, have now been chased away by the gods themselves, but when he does this, he does so thinking, 'I will do what the gods did;' and having had the Asuras, the mischievous fiends, chased away in the south by Indra and Brihaspati, he performs this sacrifice in a place free from danger and devilry.
9:2:3:55. As to that Indra, he is that Apratiratha (irresistible hymn); and as to that Brihaspati, he is the Brahman (priest) thus, when the Brahman mutters the Apratiratha (hymn) he (the Sacrificer), having the Asuras, the mischievous fiends, chased away in the south, by Indra and Brihaspati, performs this sacrifice in a place free from danger and devilry. This is why the Brahman mutters the Apratiratha (hymn, Vâg. S. XVII, 33-44; Rig v. S. X, 103,1-12).
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9:2:3:66. 'The swift (Indra), sharpening (his weapon), like a terrible bull,'--these are twelve suitable (verses) relating to Indra,--a year consists of twelve months, and Agni (the fire-altar) is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much he drives off the Asuras, the mischievous fiends, in the south. With trishtubh 1 (verses he does so),--the Trishtubh is the thunderbolt: by the thunderbolt he thus drives off the Asuras, the mischievous fiends, in the south. They amount to twenty-two Gâyatrîs 1, and thus they relate to Agni, for this is Agni's performance.
9:2:3:77. He then takes him up (in the form of a burning piece of firewood), with [Vâg. S. XVII, 53], 'Upwards may the All-gods bear thee, O Agni, by their thoughts! . . .' the meaning of this has been explained 2.
9:2:3:88. They then go forward, with (Vâg. S. XVII, 54-58), 'May the divine regions, the goddesses, protect the sacrifice!'--The gods and the Asuras, both of them sprung from Pragâpati, were contending for the regions, and the gods wrested the regions from the Asuras; and in like manner does the Sacrificer now wrest the regions from his hateful rival. 'Divine' he says, and thereby makes them divine for himself;--'may the goddesses protect the sacrifice,' that is, 'may the goddesses protect this sacrifice!'--'keeping off want and ill-will,'--want is hunger: thus, 'keeping off hunger;'--'granting
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to the lord of the sacrifice a share in wealth-affluence,' that is, 'granting to the lord of the sacrifice a share in wealth and in affluence;' 'may the sacrifice be founded on wealth-affluence!'--that is, 'may the sacrifice be founded on wealth and affluence!'
9:2:3:99. 'Glorifying on the kindled fire,'--the glorifying one is the Sacrificer;--'the hymn-winged,'--for hymns are his wings;--'taken,'--that is, 'held;'--'praiseworthy,'--that is, 'worthy of worship;'--'(when) they sacrificed, encircling the heated cauldron,'--for they did sacrifice, whilst encircling the heated (Pravargya) cauldron; 'when the gods offered the sacrifice with food,'--for the gods did offer this sacrifice with food.
9:2:3:1010. 'To the divine, fostering upholder,'--for he, Agni, is the divine upholder, the most fostering;--'he, the approacher of gods, the well-disposed, of a hundred draughts,'--for he is indeed an approacher of the gods, and well-disposed, and possessed of a hundred draughts;--'encircling, the gods drew nigh unto the sacrifice,'--for encircling him (Agni), the gods drew nigh to the sacrifice;--'the gods stood ready to perform the cult unto the gods,'--the cult, doubtless, is the sacrifice, thus, 'the gods stood ready to perform the sacrifice to the gods.'
9:2:3:1111. 'The welcome oblation slaughtered by the slaughterer 1 to sacrifice;'--that is, 'wished-for, much wished-for;'--'where the fourth sacrifice goeth to the offering,'--the Adhvaryu first mutters the formulas, the Hotri afterwards recites
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the verses, the Brahman mutters the Apratiratha (hymn) on the south side; this (set of verses), then, is the fourth sacrifice;--'may the prayers, the blessings favour us 1!'--that is, 'may both prayers and blessings favour us!'
9:2:3:1212. 'The sun-rayed, golden-haired Savitri ever lifted up 2 the light in front,'--this Agni, doubtless, is yonder sun, and that sun-rayed, golden-haired Savitri in front ever lifts up that light;--'at his behest Pûshan goeth, the wise,'--Pûshan, doubtless, means cattle, and they indeed start forth at his (Agni-Sûrya's) behest;--'viewing all beings as their guardian,'--for he indeed views everything here, and he is the protector of all this world.
9:2:3:1313. Now, the gods thereby (viz. by these five verses) wrested from the Asuras the five regions which are on this side of yonder sun, and then ascended them; and so does the Sacrificer now wrest them from his hateful rival, and then ascend them. And by means of them the gods reached this place, and in like manner does this (Sacrificer) by means of them reach this place 3.
9:2:3:1414. He then sets up a variegated stone;--the
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variegated stone, doubtless, is yonder sun: it is thus yonder sun that is set up. It is variegated, for by means of its rays that disk is variegated. He sets it up between the Âhavanîya and the Gârhapatya; for the Gârhapatya is this (terrestrial) world, and the Âhavanîya is the sky: he thus places him (the sun) between these two worlds, whence he shines between these two worlds.
9:2:3:1515. On the Âgnîdhra range 1 (he places it), for the Âgnîdhra's fire-shed is the air; he thus places it in the air, whence that (sun) has the air for his seat. Halfway (between the two fires he places it); for that (sun) is halfway from this (earth).
9:2:3:1616. This (stone) is the breath,--he thus puts the breath into the body; and it is the vital power,--he thus puts vital power into the body; it is food, for it is vital power, and vital power is indeed food. It is a stone, for a stone is firm: he thus makes the vital power firm. It is variegated, for food is variegated (varied).
9:2:3:1717. He sets it up (with, Vâg. S. XVII, 59, 60), 'Measuring he keeps in the middle of the sky,'--for that (sun) indeed keeps measuring in the middle of the sky;--'filling the two worlds and the air,' for even in rising he fills these (three) worlds, 'he scans the all-reaching, the butter-reaching,'--he thereby means the offering-ladles and the offering-grounds;--'between the front and back lights,'--that is, between this world and that one; or that (fire-altar) which is here at this moment being built, and that which was there built at first.
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9:2:3:1818. 'The showering ocean, the ruddy bird,'--for he (the sun) is indeed a showering ocean, and a ruddy bird,--'hath entered the seat of his easterly father,'--for he indeed enters that seat of his easterly 1 father;--'the many-hued rock set up in the middle of the sky,'--for that variegated stone is indeed set up in the middle of the sky;--'hath traversed and guardeth the two ends of the atmosphere;'--for in traversing he guards the ends of these worlds.
9:2:3:1919. With two (verses) he sets it up;--two-footed is the Sacrificer, and the Sacrificer is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus sets him (the sun, Agni) up. With trishtubh (verses he sets him up),--for that (sun) is related to the Trishtubh. He does not 'settle' (the stone), for unsettled is that (sun); nor does he pronounce the Sûdadohas over it;--the Sûdadohas means the breath, and that (sun) is the breath, and why should he put breath into (or on) the breath? Having deposited it in such a way that it is not lost;--
9:2:3:2020. They now approach (the fire-altar, with, Vâg. S. XVII, 61-64), They all have magnified Indra,'--the meaning of this has been explained 2. 'Let the god-invoking sacrifice lead hither, let the favour-invoking sacrifice lead hither (the gods)!'--both god-invoking and favour-invoking indeed is the sacrifice; 'let Agni, the god, make offering and lead hither the gods!' that is, 'may
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[paragraph continues] Agni, the god, both make offering and bring hither the gods!'
9:2:3:2121. 'The creation of strength hath upheaved me with upheaval, and Indra hath laid low mine enemies by subdual,'--as the text, so the meaning.
9:2:3:2222. 'May the gods advance the Brahman both by upheaval and subdual; and may Indra and Agni scatter asunder mine enemies!'--as the text, so the meaning.
9:2:3:2323. Now, the gods thereby (viz. by these four verses) wrested from the Asuras the four regions which are above yonder sun, and then ascended them; and in like manner does the Sacrificer thereby wrest them from his hateful enemy, and then ascend them. And by means of them the gods then attained to that place; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer) by means of them attain thither.
9:2:3:2424. They then mount the fire-altar, with (Vâg. S. XVII, 65-69), 'By Agni ascend ye to the firmament!'--the firmament, doubtless, is the heavenly world: thus, 'by means of this Agni (fire-altar) ascend ye to that heavenly world!'--'holding the Ukhya in your hands,'--for the Ukhya (the fire in the pan) they do hold in their hands 1;--'having gone to the back of the sky, to heaven, keep ye mingling with the gods!'--that is, 'having gone to the back of the sky, to the heavenly world, keep ye mingling with the gods!'
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9:2:3:2525. 'Go thou forth to the eastern quarter, knowing!'--the eastern quarter, doubtless, is Agni's: thus, 'To thine own quarter go thou forth, knowing!'--'be thou Agni's fore-fire here, O Agni!'--that is, 'Of this Agni (kitya) be thou, O Agni, the fore-fire 1!'--'Shine thou, illumining all regions!'--that is, 'shine thou, illuminating every region!'--'Grant thou food to our two-footed and four-footed one!' he thereby invokes a blessing.
9:2:3:2626. 'From the earth have I ascended the air; from the air have I ascended the sky;'--for from the Gârhapatya they go to the Âgnîdhrîya, and from the Âgnîdhrîya to the Âhavanîya;--'from the sky, the back of the firmament, have I gone to heaven, to the light;'--that is, 'from the sky, the back of the firmament, have I gone to the heavenly world.'
9:2:3:2727. 'The heaven-going look not round, they ascend the heaven, the two worlds,'--those who go to the heavenly world do not indeed look round  2; 'the wise who performed the all-sustaining sacrifice,'--for that sacrifice is indeed all-sustaining 3, and they who perform it are indeed wise.
9:2:3:2828. 'Go forward, Agni, first of the godward-going,'--he thereby says to this Agni (that is carried forward), 'Go thou forward, as the first of these godward-going ones; the eye of the gods
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and of mortals,'--for this (Agni) is indeed the eye of both gods and men;--'they who love to sacrifice together with the Bhrigus,'--that is, 'sacrificing together with the Bhrigus,'--'let the offerers go unto heaven, hail!'--that is, 'may the offerers go to the heavenly world, hail!'
9:2:3:2929. Now, the gods thereby (viz. by these five verses) wrested from the Asuras the five regions which are in yonder world, and then ascended them; and so does the Sacrificer thereby wrest them from his hateful enemy, and then ascend them. And by means of them the gods attained thither, and so also does this (Sacrificer) by means of them attain thither.
9:2:3:3030. He then makes offering on that (firebrand);--for now that he (Agni) had arrived the gods thereupon gratified him with food, this oblation; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), now that he (Agni) has arrived, thereupon gratify him with food, this oblation. With milk from a black (cow) which has a white calf (he makes offering); the black (cow) with a white calf is the night, and her calf is yonder sun: he thus regales him with his own share, with his own relish. On it (the firebrand, he offers) while it is held above (the naturally-perforated brick); for above (everything) is he whom he thereby gratifies. By means of the milk-pail (he offers), for with the milk-pail milk is given away.
9:2:3:3131. And, again, as to why he makes offering upon it. That (Âhavanîya) fire is the head of the sacrifice, and milk means breath: he thus puts breath into the head. He should make the offering so that it (the milk) flows on the naturally-perforated (brick);--the naturally-perforated one is breath, and this
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[paragraph continues] (milk) is vital sap: he thus connects and puts together the head and the breath by means of vital sap. [He pours it out, with, Vâg. S. XVII, 70, 71], 'Night and Dawn, of one mind, unlike in form,'--the meaning of this has been explained 1.
9:2:3:3232. 'O Agni, thousand-eyed!--through the chips of gold 2 Agni is indeed thousand-eyed;--hundred-headed,'--inasmuch as, at that time 3, he was created as the hundred-headed Rudra;--'thine are a hundred out-breathings, and a thousand through-breathings,'--his indeed are a hundred out-breathings and a thousand through-breathings who is hundred-headed and thousand-eyed;--'thou art the master of wealth,'--that is, 'thou art the master of all wealth;'--'to thee, our strength, do we give honour!'--he (Agni) is indeed the strength 4: it is him he thereby gratifies.
9:2:3:3333. With two (verses) he makes offering thereon,--two-footed is the Sacrificer, and the Sacrificer is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus makes offering to him.
9:2:3:3434. He then lays it (the firebrand) down, with (Vâg. S. XVII, 72, 73), 'A well-winged bird thou art,'--for on that former occasion he, by means of the fashioning-formula, fashions him into a well-winged bird 5; that well-winged bird he builds up, and having fashioned that well-winged bird, he finally sets him down;--'seat thee on the back
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of the earth, fill the air with thy shine, prop the sky with thy light, and uphold the quarters by thy lustre!'--for that one (Agni) indeed does all this.
9:2:3:3535. 'Receiving offering, kind-faced, in front,'--that is, 'receiving offering, kind-faced for us, in front;'--'seat thee, O Agni, aright in thine own seat!'--for this (fire-altar) is his (Agni's) own seat: thus, 'do thou rightly seat thee in it!'--'in this higher abode,'--the higher abode, doubtless, is the sky;--'sit ye down, the All-gods and the Sacrificer!'--he thus establishes the Sacrificer together with the All-gods. With two (verses) he deposits it: the significance of this has been explained,--with the Vashat-call: the significance of this (will be explained) farther on.
9:2:3:3636. He then puts pieces of firewood thereon; for now that he (Agni) had arrived, the gods thereupon gratified him with food, both pieces of firewood and oblations; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), now that he has arrived, thereupon gratify him with food, both pieces of wood and oblations.
9:2:3:3737. He first puts on one of samî-wood (acacia suma). For at that time, when this oblation had been offered, he (Agni) was enkindled and blazed up. The gods were afraid of him, lest he might injure them. They saw this samî tree, and therewith appeased him; and inasmuch as they appeased (sam) him by that samî, it is (called) Samî; and in like manner this (Sacrificer) now appeases him by means of that samî (wood),--just with a view to appeasement, not for food.
9:2:3:3838. [He puts it on, with, Vâg. S. XVII, 74], 'I desire the manifest favour of the admirable
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[paragraph continues] Savitri, enjoyed by all men; that great cow of his, the thousand-streamed, teeming with milk, which Kanva was wont to milk;'--for Kanva indeed saw her, and she, the thousand-streamed, milked him all his wishes (objects of desire); and in like manner does the thousand-streamed one now milk to the Sacrificer all his objects of desire.
9:2:3:3939. He then puts on one of vikaṅkata (flacourtia sapida) wood--the significance whereof has been explained--with (Vâg. S. XVII, 75), 'To thee give we honour, O Agni, in the highest home;'--his highest home, doubtless, is the sky;--'to thee give we honour, in hymns of praise, in the lower abode;'--the lower abode, doubtless, is the air;--'the birth-place whence thou hast arisen do I worship,'--that is, 'this is his (Agni's) own birth-place: that I worship;'--'on thee, when kindled, offerings are poured forth;'--for when he (the fire) is kindled, they make offerings on him.
9:2:3:4040. He then puts on one of udumbara (ficus glomerata) wood;--the Udumbara means strength and sap: with strength and sap he thus gratifies him. It has forking branches 1,--forking branches mean cattle: with cattle, as food, he thus gratifies him. If he cannot get one with bifurcate branches, let him take up a globule of sour curds and put it on (the wood): that globule of sour curds which supervenes is a form of cattle. With the virâg (verse, Vâg. S. XVII, 76; Rig-veda VII, I, 3),
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[paragraph continues] 'Kindled, blaze forth, O Agni, before us, (with inexhaustible flame, O youngest! perpetual viands accrue unto thee!)'--he puts it on;--the Virâg means food: with food he thus gratifies him. Three pieces of wood he puts on,--threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus gratifies him.
9:2:3:4141. He then offers oblations,--this is just as if, after serving food to some one, one gives him something to drink. With the dipping-spoon (sruva) he offers the first two, with the offering-ladle (sruk) the last (oblation); (the first) with (Vâg. S. XVII, 77), 'O Agni, may we, with hymns and thoughts, speed this day this (sacrifice) of thine, even as a steed, as a noble, heart-stirring deed!'--that is, 'whatever heart-stirring hymn is thine, may I speed (perform) that for thee.' With a paṅkti (verse) he offers,--of five feet consists the Paṅkti, of five layers the fire-altar, five seasons are a year, and Agni is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus gratifies him.
9:2:3:4242. He then offers (the second oblation), the one for Visvakarman,--Visvakarman (the all-worker) is this Agni: it is him he thereby gratifies,--with (Vâg. S. XVII, 78), 'Thought I offer, with mind and ghee,'--that is, 'The thought of these (priests and Sacrificer) I offer with mind and ghee;'--'that the gods come hither,'--that is, 'that the gods may come hither;'--'enjoying their offering-meal, the holy-minded,'--that is, the true-minded;--'to Visvakarman, the lord of all existence, I offer,'--that is, 'to that Visvakarman who is the lord of all that here exists I offer;'--'every day the
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unimpaired oblation,'--that is, 'always the uninjured oblation.'
9:2:3:4343. He then offers a full (-spoon) oblation,--the full means everything: with everything he thus gratifies him.
9:2:3:4444. [He offers, with, Vâg. S. XVII, 79], Thine, O Agni, are seven logs,'--logs mean vital airs, for the vital airs do kindle him;--'seven tongues,'--this he says with regard to those seven persons which they made into one person 1;--'seven Rishis,'--for seven Rishis they indeed were;--'seven beloved seats,'--this he says with regard to the metres, for his seven beloved seats are the metres;--'sevenfold the seven priests worship thee,'--for in a sevenfold way the seven priests indeed worship him;--'the seven homes,'--he thereby means the seven layers (of the altar);--'fill thou!'--that is, 'generate thou;'--'with ghee,'--ghee means seed: he thus lays seed into these worlds;--'svâhâ!'--the svâhâ (hail!) is the sacrifice; he thus at once makes everything here fit for sacrifice.
9:2:3:4545. 'Seven' he says each time,--of seven layers the fire-altar consists, and of seven seasons the year, and Agni is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus gratifies him. Three oblations he offers,--threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus gratifies him. Three logs he puts on,--that makes six: the significance of this has been explained.
9:2:3:4646. Standing he puts on the logs,--the logs are bones, and bones stand, so to speak. Sitting he
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offers the oblations,--oblations are the flesh, and the flesh sits (lies), so to speak. The logs are inside (the fire), and the oblations outside, for the bones are inside, and the flesh is outside.
9:2:3:4747. Now, then, as to the (mystic) correspondence (or, amount). Six he offers before (the leading forward of the fire), and six afterwards; with six (formulas) they proceed up to the variegated stone; with two he lays down the variegated stone; with four they proceed as far as the fire-altar; with five they mount the fire-altar: that makes twenty-nine, and the oblation itself is the thirtieth. With two (verses) he deposits the fire,--that makes thirty-two, and of thirty-two syllables consists the Anushtubh: such, then, is this Anushtubh.
9:2:3:4848. And this one (Anushtubh) they bring hither from those three Anushtubhs which they make up on the Gârhapatya 1; and inasmuch as they bring this (therefrom) hither, thereby this whole Agni (fire-altar) becomes completed. But now he was not yet fit to eat food 2.
9:2:3:4949. He said to Agni 3, 'By thee I will eat food!'--So be it!' Hence it is only when they bring him hither, that this (kityâgni) becomes fit to eat food, to eat oblations.
9:2:3:5050. Moreover, they say, 'It is Pragâpati himself who takes this (Agni) as his dear son to his bosom;' and verily, whosoever so knows this, takes thus a dear son to his bosom.
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9:2:3:5151. And, again, as to why they bring it here,--the Agni (fire-altar) which is built up here is the same as those seven persons which they made into one person; and that excellence and life-sap of them which they concentrated above, that is the fire which they now bring here,--hence, when they now bring it here, they concentrate above (in the head) that excellence and life-sap which belonged to those seven persons,--that is his (Agni's) head, and this built-up fire-altar is the body: having thus completed his body, he restores the head to it.

Footnotes

191:1 Viz. a burning piece of wood taken from the Gârhapatya hearth to serve as the new Âhavanîya on the great fire-altar. The Gârhapatya fire, it will be remembered, was the Ukhya Agni, or the sacred fire carried in a pan (ukhâ) by the Sacrificer during his time of initiation (dîkshâ) lasting for a year (or some other definite period), till, at the end of that period, at the beginning of the Prâyanîya, or opening-offering, it was transferred from the pan to the newly-built Gârhapatya hearth.
193:1 The trishtubh verse consists of 4 × 11 syllables, hence the twelve verses of together 528 syllables. The gâyatrî verse, on the other hand, consists of 3 × 8 syllables; and twenty-two such verses would thus consist of altogether 528 syllables.
193:2 Viz. VI, 8, 1, 7.
194:1 Mahîdhara takes 'samitâ' to stand for 'samitrâ.'
195:1 ? Or, 'May they favour our prayers and blessings!' These verses are rather enigmatical.
195:2 The author of the Brâhmana connects 'udayâm' with 'yam,' Mahîdhara with 'yâ' (udayân for udayât).
195:3 ? Or, reach that place; Sâyana, in the first instance, takes it to mean 'as far as this place' (from beyond the sun down to the end of the air); but in the second instance, he takes it as referring to the particular spot on the sacrificial ground near which this part of the ceremonial is performed, viz. the Âgnîdhra's fire-shed (as representing the air), south of which the Adhvaryu lays down a variegated stone close to the 'spine.'
196:1 That is, where the Âgnîdhra shed and hearth will afterwards have to be erected (see IX, 4, 3, 5-6) on the northern edge of the Vedi, midway between the Gârhapatya and Âhavanîya fire-places.
197:1 Thus Mahîdhara here takes 'pûrva,' and apparently also the author of the Brâhmana; the easterly father being the Âhavanîya, and hence the sky. In the formula it would rather seem to mean former, old.'
197:2 See VIII, 7, 3, 7.
198:1 Viz. inasmuch as the firebrand now being carried forward to the great fire-altar, where it is henceforth to serve as Âhavanîya, was taken from the Gârhapatya fire, which itself is identical with the Ukhya Agni, or fire carried about by the Sacrificer in the Ukhâ, or pan, during his period of initiation. See p. 191, note 1.
199:1 Mahîdhara takes 'puro’gni' in the sense of fore-goer (puras agre aṅgati gakkhati).
199:2 That is, according to Mahîdhara, they think not of their sons, cattle, &c.
199:3 Thus Mahîdhara takes 'visvatodhâra;' 'flowing in every direction' (visvato + dhârâ), St. Petersb. Dict.
201:1 Viz. VI, 7, 2, 2.
201:2 See IX, 2, 1, 1.
201:3 See IX, 1, 1, 6.
201:4 ? Or, that (firebrand) is indeed food (vâga). Mahîdhara interprets this part of the formula thus: To thee do we give food (vâgâya for vâgam).
201:5 See VI, 7, 2, 5 seq.
203:1 Weber, Ind. Stud. XIII, 281, takes 'karnakavat' to mean 'one that has a knot-hole;' but Deva's explanation, 'karnako dvitîyasâkhodbhedah,' probably means nothing else than 'showing the appearance of a second branch,' or 'one in which a second branch (side branch) has struck out.'
205:1 See VI, 1, 1, 1 seq.
206:1 See VII, 1, 2, 16-19.
206:2 Literally, he was not equal thereto that he should eat food.
206:3 That is, the Kityâgni (fire-altar) said to the Agni (fire) about to be led forward.

The Satapatha Brahmana, Part IV

translated by Julius Eggeling

Ninth Kanda

THIRD ADHYÂYA. FIRST BRÂHMANA.

INSTALLATION AND CONSECRATION OF AGNI.

9:3:1:11. He then offers the Vaisvânara (cake). That Agni has now been completely restored; he now is that deity, (Agni) Vaisvânara (belonging to all men): to him he offers this oblation, and by the oblation he makes him a deity, for whatever deity an oblation is prepared that is a deity, but not one for whom no (oblation) is prepared. It is one of twelve potsherds: twelve months are a year, and Vaisvânara is the year.
9:3:1:22. And, again, as to why he offers the Vaisvânara (cake),--it is as the Vaisvânara that he is about to produce that Agni: on that former occasion, at the initiation-offering 1, he pours him out in the form of seed: and what the seed is like that is poured.
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into the womb, such like (is the child that) is born; and inasmuch as there he pours out Vaisvânara in the form of seed, therefore he now is born as Vaisvânara. Silently 1 it is (performed) there, for there seed (is implied) in the sacrifice, and silently seed is infused; but distinctly on the present occasion, for distinct (manifest) is the seed when born.
9:3:1:33. Now, that Vaisvânara is all these worlds: this earth is the All (visva), and Agni is its man (nara); the air is the All, and Vâyu (the wind) is its man (ruler); the sky is the All, and Âditya (the sun) is its man.
9:3:1:44. And these worlds are the same as this head,--this (lower part of the head) is the earth, the plants (being) the hair of its beard: this is the All, and Agni is Speech, he is the man. That (speech) is at the top thereof, for Agni is on the top of this (earth).
9:3:1:55. This (central part of the face) is the air, whence it is hairless, for hairless, as it were, is the air; it is this All, and Vâyu (the wind) is the breath, he is the man; he is in the middle thereof, for the wind is in the middle of the air.
9:3:1:66. The sky is the (upper part of the) head, and the stars are the hair; it is the All, and Âditya (the sun) is the eye, he is the man: it is in the lower part of the (upper) head, for the sun is below the sky. Vaisvânara is the head thereof, and this built-up Agni (the altar) is the body: thus, having completed his body, he restores the head thereto.
9:3:1:77. He then offers the (cakes) to the Maruts;--
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the Maruts’ (cakes) are the vital airs: he thus puts the vital airs into him (Agni). [He does so] after offering the Vaisvânara; for the Vaisvânara is the head: he thus puts vital airs into the head.
9:3:1:88. That (Vaisvânara oblation) is a single one, for single, as it were, is the head; the others (viz. the Mârutas) are seven in number, of seven potsherds each; and though 'seven-seven' means 'many times,' here it is only seven 1: he thus places seven vital airs in the head.
9:3:1:99. That (Vaisvânara oblation) is (performed in a) distinct (voice), for the head is distinct; but indistinct the other (oblations), for indistinct, as it were, are the vital airs. Standing he offers the former, for the head stands, so to speak; sitting the others, for the vital airs are, so to speak, seated.
9:3:1:1010. Now, the first two Mâruta (oblations) he offers are these two vital airs (in the ears): he offers them in the middle 2 of the Vaisvânara (oblations), for these two vital airs are in the middle of the head.
9:3:1:1111. And the second pair are these two (vital airs
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in the eyes); he offers them closer together, for closer together, as it were, are these two vital airs.
9:3:1:1212. And the third pair are these two (vital airs in the nostrils). He offers them closer together, for closer together, as it were, are these two vital airs. The one to be recited in the forest 1 is speech: it is to be recited in the forest, for by speech one gets into much terrible (trouble).
9:3:1:1313. And, again, as to why he offers the Vaisvânara and Mârutas,--the Vaisvânara is the ruling power (chieftaincy), and the Mârutas are the clan: he thus sets up both the chief and the clan. The Vaisvânara he offers first: thus, having set up the chief, he sets up the clan.
9:3:1:1414. The former is a single (oblation): he thus makes the ruling power (chieftaincy) to attach to a single (person), and (social) distinction to attach to a single (person). The others are numerous: he thus bestows multiplicity on the clan.
9:3:1:1515. The former is (offered in a) distinct (voice), for the ruling power is something distinct, so to speak; and the others are indistinct, for indistinct, so to speak, is the clan. Standing he offers the former, for the ruling power (the chief) stands, so to speak; and sitting (he offers) the others, for the clan sits, so to speak.
9:3:1:1616. The former he offers with the offering-ladle,
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when the Vashat is uttered, with both an invitatory formula (anuvâkyâ) and an offering-formula (yâgyâ); with the hand the others sitting, with the Svâhâ-call: he thus makes the clan subservient and obedient to the chieftain.
9:3:1:1717. As to this they say, 'How do these (Mâruta oblations) also come to be offered for him by the offering-ladle, at the Vashat-call, and with invitatory and offering formulas?' Well, the first three feet of those seven-footed Mâruta (verses), being a three-footed Gâyatrî, are the invitatory formula, and the last four, being a four-footed Trishtubh, are the offering-formula. The one is the bowl, and the other the handle (of the offering-ladle), and the Svâhâ-call is the Vashat-call: in this way, then, these (Mâruta oblations) also become offered for him by the offering-ladle, at the Vashat-call, and with invitatory and offering-formulas.
9:3:1:1818. And the first Mâruta (cake) which he offers on the right (south) side, is the seven (rivers) which flow eastwards. It is one of seven potsherds, for there are seven of. those (rivers) which flow eastwards.
9:3:1:1919. And the first (cake) which he offers on the left (north) side, is the seasons; it is one of seven potsherds, for there are seven seasons.
9:3:1:2020. And the second (cake) which he offers on the right side, is animals; it is one of seven potsherds, for there are seven domestic animals. He offers it close to the preceding one (representing the rivers): he thus settles animals near water.
9:3:1:2121. And the second (cake) which he offers on the left side, is the seven Rishis; it is one of seven potsherds, for the seven Rishis are seven in number.
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[paragraph continues] He offers it close to the preceding one: he thus establishes the seven Rishis in the seasons.
9:3:1:2222. And the third (cake) which he offers on the right side, is the vital airs; it is one of seven potsherds, for there are seven vital airs in the head. He offers it close to the preceding one: he thus puts the vital airs so as to be close to (not separated from) the head.
9:3:1:2323. And the third (cake) which he offers on the left side, is the metres; it is one of seven potsherds, for there are seven metres increasing by four (syllables respectively). He offers it close to the preceding one: he thus places the metres close to the Rishis.
9:3:1:2424. And the Aranye^ऽnûkya is the seven (rivers) which flow westwards; it is one of seven potsherds, for there are seven of those (rivers) which flow westwards. It is that downward vital air of his. That Aranye^ऽnûkya belongs to this Pragâpati; for the forest (aranya) is, as it were, concealed, and concealed, as it were, is that downward vital air; whence those who drink of these (downward flowing) rivers become most vile, most blasphemous, most lascivious in their speech. Whenever he here speaks of them as belonging to the Maruts, he makes them food for him (Agni) 1 and offers it to him, and gratifies him thereby.
9:3:1:2525. That Vaisvânara (cake), doubtless, is yonder sun, and the Mâruta (cakes) are those rays. They are of seven potsherds each, for the troops of the Maruts consist of seven each.
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9:3:1:2626. He offers (the first Mâruta cake), with (Vâg. S. XVII, 80), 'The clear-lighted, and the bright- lighted, and the true-lighted, and the light, and the clear, and the law-observing, and the sinless one!'--these are their names: having completed that disk (of the sun, in the shape of the Vaisvânara), he bestows those rays on it by calling them by their names.

Footnotes

207:1 Cp. VI, 6, 1, 6. Whilst the initiation-offering of the ordinary Soma-sacrifice consists only of a cake on eleven potsherds to Agni and Vishnu, that of the Agnikayana requires two further oblations, viz. a cake on twelve potsherds to Vaisvânara, and a rice-pap with ghee to the Âdityas; cf. part iii, p. 247 note.
208:1 Or, rather, in a low voice, the name of the deity being pronounced in an undertone while the oblation is poured into the fire; see VI, 6, 1, 11. No special formula is, however, used on either occasion.
209:1 See VIII, 1, 1, 2. Also VI, 5, 3, 11, where the translation should be altered accordingly.
209:2 In baking the cakes, the Vaisvânara is placed on the centre of the fire, and the first two Mâruta cakes are placed north and south of it, then the following pair of cakes behind the first, but more closely together, and behind these the third pair, still more closely together, and finally the last cake forming, as it were, the apex of a phalanx of Mâruta cakes (or wind-deities) protecting (that of) Agni Vaisvânara. In offering the cakes a similar method is to be followed; except that the first pair of Mâruta cakes may be offered, not in the fire itself, but on the previously flattened out Vaisvânara cake lying on the fire. Whilst the Kâtîya-sûtra (XVIII, 4, 23) admits this as an alternative mode (though not very clearly expressed), our passage seems to require it as the only possible mode. Both the Vaisvânara and the Mâruta cakes are offered whole.
210:1 'Aranye^ऽnûkya' is the technical term applied to the odd, or seventh, Mâruta oblation. According to Sâyana it is so called after an anuvâka of the Samhitâ, to be recited only in the forest. Possibly, however, it is to the particular formula (Vâg. S. XXXIX, 7), also called 'vimukha' (? to be pronounced 'with averted face'), and containing the names of the seven most terrible Maruts, that the name applies.
212:1 Probably, inasmuch as the Maruts (and the Mâruta oblations) represent the clansmen who are considered the legitimate 'food' or the chief, Agni Vaisvânara.

SECOND BRÂHMANA.

THE SHOWER OF WEALTH AND OTHER OBLATIONS.

9:3:2:11. Thereupon 1 he (the Sacrificer 2) offers the Vasor dhârâ. That whole Agni has now been completed, and he is here the Vasu (good one): to that Vasu the gods offered this shower (dhârâ), whence it is called 'Vasor dhârâ 3;' and in like manner this (Sacrificer) offers to him this shower, and gratifies him thereby.
9:3:2:22. And, again, as to why he offers the 'Vasor dhârâ;'--this is his (Agni's) Abhisheka 4; for the
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gods, having now completed him wholly and entirely, showered upon him those wishes (or, objects of desire), this 'Vasor dhârâ;' and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), now that he has completed him wholly and entirely, shower upon him those wishes, this 'Vasor dhârâ.' With ghee taken in five ladlings, and an offering-ladle of udumbara wood (he offers): the significance of this has been explained.
9:3:2:33. [He offers it] after offering the Vaisvânara (cake)--for the Vaisvânara is the head, and food is taken in from the head. (downwards); and, besides, it is from the head (downwards) that he who is anointed is anointed;--and after offering the Mâruta (cakes), for the Mârutas are the vital airs, and through (the channels of) the vital airs food is eaten; and, besides, it is at (the openings of) the vital airs that he who is anointed is anointed 1.
9:3:2:44. And, furthermore, (it is offered) upon the Aranye^ऽnûkya 2; for the Aranye^ऽnûkya is speech, and it is through (the channel of) speech that food is eaten; and, besides, it is with speech that he who
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is anointed is anointed. And everything here is wealth (vasu), for all these (cake-offerings) are (connected with special) wishes 1; and in order that this shower, be it of milk or of ghee, (may be) fraught with wealth, this oblation of ghee is thus offered for the beginning; and inasmuch as this shower is fraught with wealth, it is called 'shower of wealth.'
9:3:2:55. He (as it were) says, 'This is mine, and that is mine;'--that is, 'Herewith I gratify thee, and therewith;--herewith I anoint thee, and therewith;' or, 'Give me this, and that!' And as soon as that shower reaches the fire, that prayer is fulfilled.
9:3:2:66. Now the gods, having gratified him (Agni) by this food, or by these objects of desire 2, and having anointed him by this shower of wealth, solicited from him these objects of desire 3; and having received offering, and being gratified and anointed, he granted them these objects of desire; and in like manner this (Sacrificer), having gratified him by this food, and by these offerings of desire, and anointed him with this shower of wealth, now solicits from him these objects of desire; and having received offering, and being gratified and anointed, he (Agni) grants him these objects of desire. In order to avoid discontinuance, he each time embraces two wishes,--even as one would connect those living away from one another,--thinking, 'In this way shall they prosper by sacrifice!'
9:3:2:77. The gods now spake, 'Through whom shall we receive these objects of desire? By our own
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self,' they said; for the sacrifice is the self of the gods, and so is the sacrifice that of the Sacrificer; and when he says, 'By the sacrifice they shall prosper!' he means to say, 'By my own self they shall prosper!'
9:3:2:88. In twelve (things) he causes them to prosper 1, the year consists of twelve months, and Agni is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much food he thus gratifies him, and by so much food he thus consecrates him. In fourteen he causes them to prosper; in eight he causes them to prosper; in ten he causes them to prosper; in thirteen he causes them to prosper.
9:3:2:99. He then offers the Ardhendra (libations) 2;the ardhendras are everything here 3: he thus gratifies him (Agni) with everything, and with everything he thus consecrates him.
9:3:2:1010. He then offers (the libations relating to) the Grahas 4;--the grahas (cups of soma, offered to
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the deities), doubtless, are sacrifice: by sacrifice, by food, he thus gratifies him; and by sacrifice he thus consecrates him.

Footnotes

213:1 That is, after offering all the seven Mâruta cakes, the formulas of the last six of which (Vâg. S. XVII, 81-85; XXXIX, 7) are not given in the Brâhmana. At the end the Adhvaryu mutters the verse XVII, 86, and thereupon he either makes the Sacrificer mutter (or mutters himself) verses 87-99 in praise of Agni. Kâty. Sr. XVIII, 4, 25; 26.
213:2 Thus, according to Kâty. XVIII, 5, 1 (the Adhvaryu, according to Weber, Ind. Stud. XIII, p. 283).
213:3 It would rather seem to mean 'stream, or shower, of wealth;' cf. paragraph 4.
213:4 That is, the consecration ceremony, in which the king is sprinkled' with sacred water, or, so to speak, anointed. The 'Vasor dhârâ,' or 'shower of wealth,' consisting of an uninterrupted series of 401 libations to Agni (through which all the powers of the god are to be secured to the Sacrificer), is intended as the p. 214 equivalent of that ceremony for the consecration of Agni as king; and, indeed, as a kind of superior consecration ceremony for the (royal) Sacrificer himself, more potent than the Râgasûya and Vâgapeya. There is thus to be noticed here the same tendency as elsewhere of exalting the efficacy of the Agnikayana, and of making it take the place of the whole of the ordinary sacrificial ceremonial.
214:1 When anointed, or consecrated, the king is first sprinkled from the front and then from behind, and finally rubbed all over, with the consecrated water; see V, 4, 2, 1 seq.
214:2 That is, as soon as the Adhvaryu has put the Aranye^ऽnûkya cake in the fire the Sacrificer begins to pour the ghee on it with a large offering-ladle of udumbara wood, and the Adhvaryu begins to mutter the formulas.
215:1 Or, all these (objects) for which offerings are made are objects of desire.
215:2 Or, perhaps, 'for (prompted by) these objects of desire.'
215:3 Or, asked him these wishes (boons).
216:1 That is, he makes the objects of desire mentioned in the formulas used during the Vasor dhârâ, accrue to himself, or turn out well for himself. The formulas usually contain the names of twelve such objects (in six pairs), those in XVIII, 1 being--'(may) strength and gain, endeavour and attempt, thought and wisdom, sound and praise, fame and hearing, light and heaven, prosper for (or accrue to) me by sacrifice!' In XVIII, 4, however, fourteen objects are enumerated, in XVIII, 15 (and 27) eight, in XVIII, 23 (and 26). ten, in XVIII, 28 thirteen.
216:2 Literally, 'the half-Indra ones,' the technical term for the formulas of three sets of libations (XVIII, 16-18), in which three sets of twelve deities are named, each pair of whom consists of Indra coupled with some other deity, thus 'May Agni and Indra, Soma and Indra, &c., prosper for (or accrue to) me by sacrifice!'
216:3 Viz. inasmuch as Indra represents the ruling power, and everything submits to him (III, 9, 4, 15); or inasmuch as Indra and Agni are the whole universe (IV, 2, 2, 14).
216:4 These are three sets of libations (still forming part of the continuous p. 217 'Vasor dhârâ,' or 'wealth-stream'), the formulas of which (XVIII, 19-21) enumerate each six pairs of cups of Soma (graha) and of sacrificial implements.

THIRD BRÂHMANA.

9:3:3:11. He then offers these Yagñakratus 1 (sacrificial rites), with,' May the Agni and the Gharma (prosper) for me!'--by these sacrificial rites he thus gratifies him, and by these sacrificial rites he thus consecrates him.
9:3:3:22. He then offers (the libations relating to) the Uneven Stomas 2;--for the gods, having now obtained their desires, by means of the uneven Stomas went up to heaven; and in like manner does the Sacrificer, now that he has obtained all his desires, by means of the uneven Stomas go up to heaven.
9:3:3:33. Now this (set runs) up to the thirty-three-versed (hymn-form), for the Trayastrimsa is the last of the uneven Stomas: at the last the gods thus
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went up to heaven; and in like manner does the Sacrificer thereby at the last go up to heaven.
9:3:3:44. He then offers (those relating to) the Even (Stomas) 1;--for the metres then said, 'The uneven stomas are worn out, by means of the even ones we will go up to heaven!' By means of the even stomas they went up to heaven; and in like manner does the Sacrificer thus, by means of the even stomas, go up to heaven.
9:3:3:55. This (set runs) up to the forty-eight-versed (hymn-form), for the Ashtâkatvârimsa is the last of the even stomas: at the last the metres thus went up to heaven; and in like manner does the Sacrificer thereby at the last go up to heaven.
9:3:3:66. He says, 'May the One and the Three (prosper) for me!'--'May the Four and the Eight (prosper) for me!'--even as one climbing a tree would climb up by taking hold of an ever higher branch, so is this. And as to why he offers the Stomas,--the stomas are food: it is with food he thus consecrates him.
9:3:3:77. He then offers (the libations relating to) the Age-grades 2 (of cattle),--age-grades mean cattle: it is by cattle, for his food, that he thus gratifies
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him; and by cattle, for his food, he thus consecrates him.
9:3:3:88. He then offers whilst mentioning names 1;--for the gods, having obtained all their wishes, now gratified him directly; and in like manner does the Sacrificer, having obtained all his wishes, now gratify him directly. 'To Strength, hail! to Gain, hail!'--these are his (Agni's) names: it is by mentioning his names that he thus gratifies him.
9:3:3:99. There are thirteen of these names,--a year consists of thirteen months, and the layers and fillings of the fire-altar amount to thirteen: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus gratifies him. And as to why he offers while mentioning names,--it is thus in mentioning his (Agni's) names that he consecrates him.
9:3:3:1010. He then says, 'This is thy realm; a supporter and sustainer art thou for the friend: for sustenance, for rain, for the lordship of creatures (do I consecrate) thee;'--sustenance, doubtless, means food, and rain means food: by food he thus gratifies him.
9:3:3:1111. And when he says, 'This is thy realm; a supporter and sustainer art thou for the friend: for sustenance, for rain, for the lordship of creatures--thee!' this is to say, 'This is thy kingdom; thou art consecrated (anointed)! thou art thy friend's supporter and sustainer: for our sustenance art thou, for rain unto us art thou, for our lordship of
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creatures art thou!' They thereby entreat him, 'For all this art thou unto us: for all this have we consecrated thee!' And therefore people thus entreat a human king who has been consecrated.
9:3:3:1212. He then offers the Prospering 1 (libations);--the prospering (libations) are the vital airs: it is the vital airs he thus puts into him.--'May the vital strength prosper by sacrifice! may the vital air prosper by sacrifice! . . .' He thus puts proper vital airs into him.
9:3:3:1313. Twelve prospering (libations) he offers,--a year consists of twelve months, and Agni is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much he thus puts proper vital airs into him. And as to why he offers the prospering (libations),--the prospering (libations) are vital airs, and the vital airs are the immortal element: with the immortal element he thus consecrates him.
9:3:3:1414. He then says, 'The Stoma, and the Yagus, and the Rik, and the Sâman, and the Brihat, and the Rathantara,'--this, doubtless, is the triple science, and the triple science is food: it is with food he thus gratifies him, and with food he thus consecrates him;--'to the heavenly light we gods have gone, we have become immortal,'--for he indeed goes to the heavenly light, and becomes immortal;--'Pragâpati's children have we become!'--for he indeed becomes Pragâpati's child,--'vet! svâhâ!'--the Vet-call, doubtless, is
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esoterically the same as the Vashat-call, and either with the Vashat-call, or the Svâhâ-call is food offered to the gods: he thus gratifies him by both the Vashat and the Svâhâ, and also consecrates him by both of them. He now throws the offering-ladle after (the ghee into the fire) lest what there is anointed with ghee should remain outside of the fire.
9:3:3:1515. Now as to this same shower of wealth, the body (from which it flows) is the sky, the udder the cloud, the teat the lightning, and the shower (of ghee) is the (rain-) shower: from the sky it comes to the cow.
9:3:3:1616. Its body is the cow, its udder the (cow's) udder, its teat the (cow's) teat, its shower the shower (of milk): from the cow (it comes) to the Sacrificer.
9:3:3:1717. Its body is the Sacrificer, its udder his arm, its teat the offering-ladle, its shower (of milk) the shower of (ghee): from the Sacrificer (it goes) to the gods; from the gods to the cow, from the cow to the Sacrificer: thus circulates this perpetual, never-ending food of the gods. And, verily, for whosoever knows this, there will thus be perpetual, never-ending food. Now as to the (mystic) correspondence.
9:3:3:1818. As to this they say, 'How does this wealth-shower of his obtain (conformity with) the year, and Agni? how does it correspond to the year, to Agni?' Well, this shower of wealth consists of three hundred and sixty (libations), and of (other) six, and of thirty-five. Now, the three hundred and sixty which there are,--so many being the days in the year,--thereby it obtains the days of the year. And what six there are,--the seasons being
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six in number,--thereby it obtains the nights of the seasons: thus it obtains both the days and nights of the year. And what thirty-five there are, they are the (intercalary) thirteenth month 1, and that is the body,--the body (consists) of thirty (limbs), the feet of two, the breath of two (in-breathing and up-breathing), and the head is the thirty-fifth: so much is the year; and thus that shower of wealth of his obtains (conformity with) the year, and Agni; and thus it corresponds to the year, to Agni. And so many are the bricks with special formulas which are placed in the centre of a Sândila fire-altar; for these bricks indeed are the same as these different Agnis 2; and thus these Agnis of his come to have oblations offered to them separately by means of the shower of wealth.
9:3:3:1919. As to this they say, 'How does this shower of wealth of his attain to (conformity with) the Great Litany, how does it correspond to the Great Litany?' Well, the first nine formulas of this shower of wealth are the threefold 3 head; and the forty-eight which follow are the twenty-four-fold wings 4; and the twenty-five which follow are the twenty-five-fold body 5; and the twenty-one which follow are the tail, as the twenty-first 6; and the
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thirty-five which follow are the Vasa (hymn); and by the eighties (of verses) which follow those eighties (Of the mahad uktham) are obtained, for by eighties the Great Litany is counted; and what there is after the eighties, that to him (corresponds to) what, in the Great Litany, there is after the eighties 1; and thus this shower of wealth of his attains to (conformity with) the Great Litany, and corresponds to the Great Litany.

Footnotes

217:1 These are two sets of libations in the formulas of which (XVIII, 22; 23) objects connected with 'special sacrifices' are enumerated. Thus, of the first pair, 'Agni and Gharma,' 'Agni,' according to Mahîdhara, represents either the Agnikayana or the Agnishtoma (ordinary Soma-sacrifice); whilst the 'Gharma (cauldron)' stands for the Pravargya offering (part i, p. 44 note).
217:2 The formula of this set of libations (XVIII, 24) enumerates the seventeen uneven numbers (in the feminine gender) from 1 to 33, repeating the second number of each pair, so as to be the first number of the next pair (thus, 1 and 3, 3 and 5, &c.). These numbers are meant to represent the corresponding Stomas, consisting of an uneven number of verses, up to the Trayastrimsa, or thirty-three-versed hymn-form.
218:1 The formula of this set of libations (XVIII, 25) enumerates (the twelve quadruples of 4 (in the feminine gender), from 4 to 48 again repeating each number, except the first and last), as representing the Stomas consisting of an even number of verses, up to the Ashtâkatvârimsa, or forty-eight-versed hymn-form.
218:2 The two formulas relating to these two sets of libations (XVIII, 26; 27) contain respectively five and four pairs of teams of cattle of different ages, beginning with 'tryavi and tryavî,' 'an eighteen-months bull and an eighteen-months cow;' and ending with 'a bullock and a milch cow.'
219:1 This set of thirteen libations (XVIII, 28) is offered to the months Vâga, Prasava, &c., here apparently considered as manifestations of Agni (the year). Each name is followed by 'svâhâ (hail!);' and the last of these dedicatory formulas is followed by the special benedictory formula, referred to in paragraph 10.
220:1 This final set of twelve (? sixteen) libations is called thus (kalpa), because, in the formulas used with them (Vâg. S. XVIII, 29), the verb 'klip (to prosper, to be right and proper)' is repeated each time. At the conclusion of these twelve formulas the priest mutters the final benediction given in full in paragraph 14.
222:1 See p. 167, note 1.
222:2 Viz. the different forms, or powers, of Agni, to which the 401 libations are offered. See IX, 1, 1, 43, where the very same calculations are applied to the Satarudriya.
222:3 See p. 114, note 1.
222:4 Paksha, wing, also means half-month, fortnight, of which there are twenty-four in the year.
222:5 See p. 168, note 3.
222:6 Apparently in addition to the fingers and toes (? of monkeys).
223:1 See pp. 110, note 3; 112, n. 1; 113, n. 1.

FOURTH BRÂHMANA.

9:3:4:11. He then offers the Vâgaprasavîya 2 (set of fourteen libations),--'vâga' (strength, sustenance) means food (anna): it thus is an 'anna-prasavîya' for him, and it is food he thereby raises (pra-sû) for him (Agni).
9:3:4:22. For the gods, now that they had gratified him by that food, and consecrated him by those objects of desire, (to wit) by that stream of wealth 3, hereby gratified him once more; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), now that he has gratified him by that food, and consecrated him by those objects of desire, that shower of wealth, hereby gratify him once more.
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9:3:4:33. And, again, as to why he offers the Vâgaprasavîya. This, to be sure, is his (Agni's) Abhisheka. For, the gods, having gratified him by that food, and consecrated him by those objects of desire, (to wit) by that shower of wealth, then by this (offering) consecrated him once more; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), having gratified him by that food, and consecrated him by those objects of desire, that shower of wealth, hereby consecrate him once more.
9:3:4:44. It consists of (seeds of) all (kinds of) plants,--that which consists of all plants is all food: he thus gratifies him with all food, and with all food he thus consecrates him. Let him set aside one of these kinds of food, and not eat thereof as long as he lives. With an udumbara (ficus glomerata) cup 1 and an udumbara dipping-spoon (he offers): the significance of these two has been explained. They are both four-cornered,--there are four quarters: he thus gratifies him with food from every quarter, and by means of food from every quarter he thus consecrates him.
9:3:4:55. And, again, as to why he performs the Vâgaprasavîya;--he thereby gratifies those same deities who have been consecrated by this very rite of consecration by which he is now about to be consecrated, and, thus gratified by offering, they grant him permission (to perform) this rite of consecration, and, permitted by them, he becomes consecrated; for only he becomes king whom the (other) kings allow to assume the royal dignity, but not he whom
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they do not (allow to do so). Thus when he offers in the fire he consecrates Agni, and when he offers to these deities, he gratifies those gods who rule over this consecration ceremony.
9:3:4:66. And, indeed, he offers here also the Pârtha 1 (oblations);--for the gods now desired, 'May we be consecrated even on this occasion by all the rites of consecration!' They were indeed consecrated on this occasion by all the rites of consecration; and in like manner is the Sacrificer on this occasion consecrated by all the rites of consecration.
9:3:4:77. Now these Pârtha (oblations) are the Vâgaprasavîya of the Râgasûya; and by offering these (oblations) he is consecrated by the Râgasûya; and the first seven of the succeeding fourteen (Vâgaprasavîya oblations) are the Vâgaprasavîya ceremony of the Vâgapeya 2: thus, by offering these he is consecrated by the Vâgapeya. And what other seven there are, they belong to Agni (or, the Agnikayana): by offering these, he is consecrated by the Agni-consecration.
9:3:4:88. He first offers those of the Râgasûya, then those of the Vâgapeya; for by performing the Râgasûya one becomes king (râgâ) and by the Vâgapeya emperor (samrâg), and the position of king is (obtained) first, and thereafter that of
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emperor 1: hence after performing the Vâgapeya, one could not perform the Râgasûya,--it would be a descent, just as if one who is emperor were to become king.
9:3:4:99. Those (seven Vâgaprasavîya oblations) of the fire-altar he offers last, for the Agni-consecration indeed is (equal to) all those rites of consecration, and he who is consecrated by the Agni-consecration rite becomes everything, king and emperor: therefore he offers those of the fire-altar last of all.
9:3:4:1010. He then anoints him on a black antelope skin,--for the black antelope skin is (a symbol of) the sacrifice: it is thus at the sacrifice that he anoints him. On the hairy side (of the skin),--for the hairs are the metres: on the metres he thus anoints him. On the left (north) side (of the fire-altar he anoints him): the significance of this (will be explained) further on. On (the skin laid down) with the neck-part towards the front, for that (tends) godwards.
9:3:4:1111. Some, however, anoint him on the right (south) side of the fire-altar, on the ground that it is from the right side that food is served, and that they thus anoint him from the food-side. But let him not do so, for that (southern) region belongs to the Fathers, and quickly he goes to that region whom they anoint in that way.
9:3:4:1212. And some, indeed, anoint him on the Âhavanîya, on the ground that the Âhavanîya is the world of heaven, and that they thus anoint him in the world of heaven. But let him not do so, for that (Âhavanîya, the fire-altar,) is his (the Sacrificer's)
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divine body, and this (Sacrificer, or Sacrificer's real body) is his human one: they thus attach that divine body of his to this his mortal body, if they anoint him in this way.
9:3:4:1313. Let him anoint him on the left (north) side and nowhere else, for that north-eastern region belongs to both gods and men: they thus anoint him whilst seated and established in his own region, for he who is established in his own seat suffers no injury.
9:3:4:1414. One who has gained a position in the world should be anointed sitting, for one who has gained a position is seated, so to speak;--and one who is striving to gain one standing, for one who wishes to gain a position, stands, so to speak. On a he-goat's skin should be anointed one desirous of prosperity, on a black-antelope skin one desirous of spiritual lustre, on both (kinds of skins) one desirous of both: that (skin) he spreads north of the tail (of the fire-altar) with its hair uppermost and its neck-part towards the east.
9:3:4:1515. Close to the enclosing-stones 1: inasmuch as the black-antelope skin is close to the enclosing-stones, so that divine body of his is consecrated on the black-antelope skin; and inasmuch as he is consecrated whilst keeping hold of the fire-altar he is not cut off from that divine consecration (of the Fire).
9:3:4:1616. He anoints him after making offering on the fire-altar, for that (altar) is his divine body, and
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this (Sacrificer himself) is his human one; and the gods indeed were first, and thereafter the men: therefore, after making offering, he anoints him with what remains over of that same (offering-material) 1. He then throws the dipping-spoon after (the oblations into the fire).
9:3:4:1717. Placing himself near the (Sacrificer's) right arm, he then anoints him 2, with (Vâg. S. XVIII, 3-7), 'At the impulse of the divine Savitri, I anoint thee, by the arms of the Asvins, by the hands of Pûshan, by the support of Sarasvatî Vâk, the supporter, by the universal sovereignty of Agni!'--for Sarasvatî is Vâk (speech), and hers is all this support. Impelled by Savitri, he thus anoints him by all this support of Sarasvatî Vâk, the supporter, and by the universal sovereignty of Agni. Here he throws the cup (into the fire), lest what is anointed (with offering material) should remain outside the fire.
9:3:4:1818. He anoints him h the middle of the Pârtha oblations, for the Pârtha oblations are the year: he thus places him in the middle of the year. Six he offers before, and six after (the consecration ceremony), for there are six seasons: by the seasons he thus encloses (guards) him who is consecrated on both sides. Brihaspati is the last of the first (six 3), and Indra the first of the
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last (six),--Brihaspati is the priesthood (or priestly office), and Indra is the nobility (or political power): by the priesthood and the nobility he thus encloses him who is consecrated on both sides.

Footnotes

223:2 That is, oblations capable of promoting or quickening strength (or food,--vâga); see part iii, p. 37 (where read Vâgaprasavîya). While the formulas of the first seven of these oblations are the same as those used for those of the Vâgapeya (see V, 2, 2, 5-11), the formulas of the last seven of these oblations are Vâg. S. XVIII, 30-36 (for the first of which, being the same as IX, 5, see VI, 1, 4, 4).
223:3 This seems to be in apposition to both 'that food,' and 'those objects of desire.'
224:1 Or, pan. It has a handle, and serves on this occasion in place of the offering-ladle as well as for anointing the Sacrificer.
225:1 In the same way as, at the Râgasûya, six Pârtha oblations were offered before, and as many immediately after, the Consecration ceremony, or 'anointment' (see part iii, p. 8 1 seq.), so also on the present occasion, except that, between the first six Pârthas and the consecration ceremony, the Vâgaprasavîya set, referred to in the preceding paragraphs, is inserted.
225:2 For these seven oblations, see V, 2, 2, 6-11. Only the second set of seven thus is peculiar to the Agnikayana.
226:1 See V, 1, 1, 12.
227:1 Sâyana takes 'âsprishtam parisritah' to mean 'lightly touched (just touched) by an enclosing-stone.' The participle would rather seem here to have an active meaning, like 'anvârabdha' in the same paragraph.
228:1 That is, with the remainder of the mess of different kinds of seed mixed with milk and water.
228:2 That is, by sprinkling him with the liquid, or pouring it on him.
228:3 The formulas of the twelve Pârtha oblations are the same as those used on the occasion of the Râgasûya (V, 3, 5, 8. 9), the sixth of which is 'To Brihaspati hail!' and the seventh 'To Indra hail!'

(My humble salutations to the translator Sreeman Julius Eggeling for the collection)