The Satapatha Brahmana
THE SATAPATHA-BRÂHMANA
ACCORDING TO THE TEXT OF THE MÂDHYANDINA SCHOOL
Translated by
Julius Eggeling
Part 5
12th Kanda
EIGHTH ADHYÂYA. FIRST BRÂHMANA.
12:8:1:11. Now, when Indra's energies, or vital powers, departed from him, the gods restored them by means of this very sacrifice. Both cups of milk and cups of Surâ-liquor are filled: they thereby restore to him his energies, or vital powers. On the northern fire they offer (from) the cups of milk, and thereby provide him 1 with the bright liquor, with the Soma-drink.12:8:1:22. He (the Adhvaryu) offers (of the three cups of milk) with (Vâg. S. XIX, 32), 'By their devotions the buffalos quicken the sacrifice,'--the buffalos, doubtless, are the officiating priests, and devotion is sacrifice: through the priests he causes the sacrifice to prosper, and through the sacrifice the sacrificer 2;--'the barhis-seated one, supplied with Surâ and goodly heroes,' supplied with Surâ, indeed, is this barhis-seated sacrifice, to wit, the Sautrâmanî: by means of the barhis (the sacred grass on the Vedi), and the sacrifice, he causes him to prosper;--'they who bestow Soma,'--they thus bestow the Soma-drink upon him;--'with the deities in heaven,'--they thus place him with the deities in heaven;--'may we enjoy ourselves,'--the Soma-juice, indeed, conduces
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to joy, and so does the Surâ-liquor: both the joy of Soma and the joy of Surâ he thus secures;--'worshipping Indra with good hymns of praise!'--for the hymn of praise is food for the gods, and the sacrifice also is food: by sacrifice, by food, he thus makes him successful. Having sacrificed, they drink (of the milk), and thereby increase what is prosperous with him.
12:8:1:33. He drinks 1 with (Vâg. S. XIX, 34), 'The (Soma) which the Asvins (brought away) from Namuki, the Asura,'--for the two Asvins indeed brought away that (Soma juice) from Namuki;--'and Sarasvatî distilled for the sake of Indra's strength,'--for Sarasvatî indeed distilled it for the sake of Indra's strength;--'that clear, sweet draught,'--for clear and sweet indeed is that draught, Soma;--'King Soma I now drink,'--it is thus king Soma that comes to be drunk by him. The cups of Surâ-liquor they offer (from) on the southern fire 2, and thereby keep him (the Sacrificer) from evil 3.
12:8:1:44. He (the Pratiprasthâtri) offers (libations from the cups of Surâ-liquor 4), with (Vâg. S. XIX, 33), 'What essence there is of thine, gathered from the plants,' for this Surâ-liquor, indeed, is the essence
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of both the waters and the plants: by the essence of both the waters and the plants he thus causes him to prosper;--'the strength of the Soma-juice together with the Surâ-liquor,'--he thereby secures what strength there is in the Soma-juice and in the Surâ-liquor;--'by that exhilarating drink quicken thou the Sacrificer,'--that is, 'by that exhilarating drink gladden thou the Sacrificer;'--'Sarasvatî, the Asvins, Indra, and Agni,'--by deities he (the priest) thus causes the sacrifice to prosper, and by deities and sacrifice the Sacrificer. Having made the offering, they drink (the liquor), and thereby cause to prosper what is unprosperous with him.
12:8:1:55. He drinks, with (Vâg. S. XIX, 35), 'Whatever is mingled herewith of the juicy Soma,'--he thereby secures for him the essence (juice) of the effused (extracted) and the infused 1 (Soma);--'which Indra drank with eagerness,'--for Indra, indeed, drank it with eagerness;--'that (essence) thereof (I drink) with propitious mind,'--for unpropitious, as it were, to a Brâhmana is that drink, the Surâ-liquor: having thus made it propitious, he takes it to himself;--'King Soma I drink,'--it is thus king Soma that comes to be drunk by him.
12:8:1:66. Here, now, other Adhvaryus hire some Râganya or Vaisya with the view that he shall drink that (liquor); but let him not do this; for, indeed, this Soma-drink falls to the share of the fathers and grandfathers of whoever drinks (the liquor 2) on
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this occasion. Having shifted three coals of the southern fire to outside the enclosing-stones 1, he may there offer (of the liquor) with these (three) utterances (Vâg. S. XIX, 36):--
12:8:1:77. 'To the Svadhâ-loving Fathers be Svadhâ, adoration!' he thereby places the Fathers with the Svadhâ in the world of the Fathers.--'To the Svadhâ-loving grandfathers he Svadhâ, adoration!' he thereby places the grandfathers with the Svadhâ in the world of the grandfathers.--'To the Svadhâ-loving great-grandfathers be Svadhâ, adoration!' he thereby places the great-grandfathers with the Svadhâ in the world of the great-grandfathers.
12:8:1:88. Having fetched water, he pours it (into the cups) with, 'The Fathers have drunk:' he thereby bestows food on them;--'the Fathers have enjoyed themselves:' he thereby causes them to enjoy themselves;--'the Fathers have become satisfied:' he thereby satisfies them;--'may the Fathers cleanse themselves!' he thereby purifies all of them from the first downwards, for the Sautrâmanî is a means of purification 2.
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12:8:1:99. By three implements of purification he purifies,--three in number are these worlds: by means of these worlds he thus purifies him.
12:8:1:1010. With 'pâvamânî 1 (verses)' they purify; for pâvamânîs are a means of purification: by a means of purification they thus purify him.
12:8:1:1111. With three (verses) they purify each time,--there are three vital airs, the in-breathing, the up-breathing, and the through-breathing: it is by means of these that they purify him.
12:8:1:1212. With nine (verses) they purify,--there are nine vital airs: by means of the vital airs they purify him, and when purified they establish him again in the vital airs.
12:8:1:1313. They purify by means of a (goat's hair and sheep's wool) strainer,--such a strainer doubtless is a form (symbol) of goats and sheep: by means of goats and sheep they thus purify him.
12:8:1:1414. They purify by means of a tail-whisk,--such a tail-whisk doubtless is a form of kine and horses: with kine and horses they thus purify him.
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12:8:1:1515. They purify by means of gold,--that (metal), to wit, gold, doubtless is a form of the gods: by means of a form of the gods they thus purify him.
12:8:1:1616. They purify him by means of Surâ-liquor, for the Surâ is purified: they thus purify him by that which is purified; and even as the liquor, whilst being purified, is cleared of impure matter 1, so is that Sacrificer thereby freed from all evil who, knowing this, performs the Sautrâmanî, or who even knows this.
12:8:1:1717. Here, now, they ask, 'Is the Sautrâmanî to be performed, or is it not to be performed, seeing that (in any case) they continuously repel from him all evil?' As to this Revottaras Sthapati Pâtava Kâkra once said, 'Even after making the surrender, one ought certainly to perform the sacrifice; for the Sacrificer is the body of the sacrifice, and the officiating priests are its limbs; and wherever the body is pure there the limbs also are pure; both of them, indeed, purify him, and both of them repel the evil from him: therefore even after making the surrender (of one's own self) one ought certainly to sacrifice.'
12:8:1:1818. But, indeed, those who perform at the southern fire, go down to the world of the Fathers. He offers an oblation of ghee: ghee being (material of) sacrifice, it is by sacrifice that they establish themselves in the sacrifice.
12:8:1:1919. He (the Sacrificer) offers, with (Vâg. S. XIX, 45), 'The Fathers who, one in form and one in mind, live in Yama's realm,--may their world,
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the Svadhâ, adoration, and sacrifice prosper among the gods!' he thereby commits the Fathers to Yama, and he also conquers the world of the Fathers. Having, all of them, invested themselves sacrificially 1, they betake themselves to the northern fire, for the northern fire 2 is this (terrestrial) world 3: they thus establish themselves in this world. He offers an oblation of ghee: ghee being sacrifice, it is from out of the sacrifice that they establish themselves in the sacrifice.
12:8:1:2020. He (the Sacrificer) offers, with (Vâg. S. XIX, 46), 'Mine own (people) who are one in form and one in mind, living among the living,--may their fortune prosper with me, in this world, for a hundred years!' he thereby secures the good fortune of his own people, and he also confers long life on them. Whilst they hold on to each other, he (the Adhvaryu) offers milk, for milk is vital air and food: in the vital air, in food, they thus finally establish themselves.
12:8:1:2121. He offers, with (Vâg. S. XIX, 47), 'Two paths for mortals have I heard of, (that of the Fathers and that of the gods 4),'--'two paths
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indeed there are,' they say, 'those of the gods and of the Fathers,'--'thereon all that liveth here passeth,' for thereon, indeed, everything living here passes;--'what there is between the father and the mother,'--the father, doubtless, is yonder (sky), and the mother is this (earth): by means of these two he leads the Fathers to the world of heaven. He (the Sacrificer) alone drinks what is left from the offering 1: to himself alone he thus takes prosperity, for milk is prosperity.
12:8:1:2222. He drinks it, with (Vâg. S. XIX, 48), 'May this oblation be productive for me,'--for productive indeed it is, whether it be milk or Soma;--'possessed of ten heroes,'--the ten heroes, doubtless, are the vital airs: vital airs he thus takes to himself;--'possessed of all the troops,'--all the troops, doubtless, are the limbs: it is limbs he thus takes to himself;--'for well-being: breath-winning,'--the breath of life he thus wins;--'race-winning,'--a race (offspring) he thus wins;--'cattle-winning,'--cattle he thus wins;--'place-winning'--for it is for a place (in heaven) that he sacrifices: it is that he gains;--'safety-winning,'--the (place of) safety, doubtless, is the heavenly world: in the heavenly world he thus finally establishes himself;--'May Agni raise for me abundant offspring,
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and bestow ye upon us food, milk, and seed!' it is to those (priests) who offer for him that he thus says, 'Bestow ye all this upon me!' By means of gold they cleanse themselves 1; for gold is immortal life: in immortal life they thus finally establish themselves.
Footnotes
231:1 Or, cause him to prosper, render him successful by means of the liquor; MS. I. O. 311 reads 'samardhayanti.'231:2 Or, perhaps, he provides the sacrifice with priests, and the Sacrificer with sacrifice. For obvious reasons the first two pâdas of the verse have been transposed in the translation.
232:1 For particulars as to the persons who partake of the respective cups of milk and Surâ-liquor, see XII, 8, 2, 22 seqq.
232:2 That is, on the fire of the southern of the two special Vedis, see p. 225, note.
232:3 Viz. inasmuch as the libations of liquor are not made on the offering-fire proper, the (northern) Âhavanîya, where the oblations from the cups of milk are made.
232:4 These cups are of the same kind as those used for the draughts of Soma, being made of palâsa-wood, and resembling mortars in shape; cf. part ii, p. 259, note 1, towards the end.
233:1 For the distinction between 'suta' and 'âsuta' (not 'asuta'), cf. XII, 8, 2, 12.
233:2 According to Kâty. Sr. XIX, 3, 15, some authorities, however, p. 234 think the inhaling of the fumes of the liquor to be sufficient for this purpose.
234:1 The coals are to be placed on the south side of the southern fire, from north to south, and the libation from the Âsvina cup is made on the northernmost coal, that from the Sârasvata cup on the central one, and that from the Aindra cup on the southern one. According to Kâty. XIX, 3, 17, and Mahîdhara on Vâg. S. XIX, 36, this is a fourth alternative of disposing of the liquor (in favour of the Fathers), the others being actual drinking, or smelling it, or hiring some one to drink it.
234:2 At XII, 7, 2, 13 a perforated pot (with a hundred holes) was mentioned as being used at this sacrifice. According to Kâty. Sr. p. 235 XIX, 3, 20, and Mahîdhara on Vâg. S. XIX, 37, use is made of this pot at this juncture in much the same way as is described in V, 5, 4, 27 seqq.; viz. two poles are driven into the ground north and south of the southern fire, and a bamboo stick laid thereon: on a string fastened to this stick the pot, containing a tail-whisk (for straining) and a piece of gold, is then made to hang over the fire, and the remains of the Surâ-liquor poured into it; and whilst it trickles through into the fire, the priest makes the Sacrificer pronounce the verses Vâg. S. XIX, 37-44, 52-60, addressed to the different kinds of departed ancestors.
235:1 That is, verses recited at the Soma-sacrifice whilst the Soma-juice is clarifying; the term being usually confined to the verses of hymns of the ninth mandala of the Riksamhitâ, whence indeed most of the verses used on this occasion (Vâg. S. XIX, 37-44) are taken.
236:1 The term 'balkasa' (apparently connected with 'valkala') would seem to mean vegetable matter, esp. chaff or husks. The comm. explains it by 'kidisa' (? kilbisha or kiknasa).
237:1 That is, by shifting their Brâhmanical cord so as to hang across the breast from the left shoulder to the right hip.
237:2 That is, the fire on the uttara-vedi of the northern of the two special Vedis, see p. 225, note.
237:3 They are supposed to return to the earth from the world of the Fathers below.
237:4 Not only is the second pâda of the verse omitted here (as also in MS. I. O. 311), but the construction of the first half of the verse is also rather peculiar, the most natural rendering being, 'Two paths of the Fathers have I heard of, (those) of the gods and of men.' The same verse occurs Riks. X, 88, 15 (with the reading 'dve srutî' instead of 'dve sritî'), where Grassmann translates,--p. 238 'Two paths there are, so the Fathers have told me, passable for gods and men;' whilst Ludwig takes it in the way just referred to. The above interpretation is that of Mahîdhara, who refers to Sat.-Br. I, 9, 2, 3; whilst Sâyana (on Riks.) seems to take the two paths to be that of the Fathers and gods, and that of men (pitrînâm devânâm kotâpi martyânâm ka dve srutî dvau mârgau); though he afterwards calls them 'devayâna' and 'pitriyâna.'
238:1 That is to say, the milk which remains in the pot (ukhâ), from which the milk used for the oblation was taken.
239:1 Kâty. Sr. XIX, 3, 27, 'Over the kâtvâla (pit) they cleanse themselves, with their wives, putting gold between;' that is to say, whilst the water is poured on their hands a piece of gold is held between, over which the water flows.
SECOND BRÂHMANA.
12:8:2:11. Pragâpati created the (Soma-)sacrifice. He took it and performed it. When he had performed it, he felt like one emptied out. He saw this sacrificial performance, the Sautrâmanî, and performed it, and then he was again replenished; and, indeed, he who performs the Soma-sacrifice is, as it were, emptied out, for his wealth, his prosperity is, as it were, taken from him.12:8:2:22. Having performed a Soma-sacrifice one ought to perform the Sautrâmanî: as a cow that has been milked would replenish again, even so, indeed, does he replenish himself,--he replenishes himself by offspring and cattle; and, verily, he who, knowing this, performs the Sautrâmanî, or he who (even) knows this, establishes himself in this world, and wins the heavenly world.
12:8:2:33. As to this Suplan Sârñgaya asked Pratîdarsa Aibhâvata 2, 'Seeing that neither does one
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become initiated, nor are Soma-shoots 1 thrown down (to be pressed), how then does the Sautrâmanî become a Soma-sacrifice?'
12:8:2:44. He replied, 'The observance of the fast, assuredly, is the head of the sacrifice, and the initiation its body. And the truth, doubtless, is of the form of the fast-observance, and faith of that of the initiation. And mind is of the form of the Sacrificer, and speech of that of the sacrifice.'
12:8:2:55. Thus, when he enters upon the fast-observance, he thereby restores the head to the body of the sacrifice, and he puts truth into faith, and the Sacrificer into the sacrifice.
12:8:2:66. Therefore at this sacrifice (the Sautrâmanî) the fast-observance 2 is the initiation. Now, the fast-observance is a male, and the initiation a female; and the truth is a male, and faith a female; and the mind is a male, and speech a female; and the Sacrificer is the male to his wife, whence wherever there is a husband there is a wife: and at the very outset of the sacrifice he thus sets up couples with a view to production.
12:8:2:77. 'And, indeed, those (materials) are the Soma-shoots at this sacrifice,' they say, 'to wit, the malted rice, the malted barley, and the fried rice.'
12:8:2:88. The malted rice 3, indeed, is of the form of the
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morning-pressing, for the morning-pressing is this (terrestrial) world, and the latter relates to the Asvins, and Âsvina milk he pours (into the Surâ-liquor) the first night: he thus provides him (the Sacrificer 1) with the morning-pressing--with its own world, with its own deity, with its own form 2.
12:8:2:99. And the malted barley is of the form of the midday-pressing, for the midday-pressing is the air, and the latter relates to Sarasvatî 3, and the Sârasvata milk he pours (into the Surâ) the second night: he thus provides him with the midday-pressing--with its own world, with its own deity, with its own form.
12:8:2:1010. And the fried rice is of the form of the evening-pressing, for the evening-pressing is the sky, and the latter relates to Indra, and Aindra milk he pours (into the Surâ) the third night: he thus provides him with the evening-pressing--with its own world, with its own deity, with its own form.
12:8:2:1111. The milk of one (cow) he pours (into the Surâ) the first night, the milk of two the second
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night, and the milk of three the third night: he thus provides him with the pressings, in accordance with their forms, and in accordance with their deities.
12:8:2:1212. With (Vâg. S. XIX, 2), 'Hereof pour ye to the juice,' he pours in (the milk) for the sake of (conformity with) the Soma-pressing;--'(to) the Soma who is the supreme offering,'--for this, to wit, Soma, is indeed the supreme offering (-material): he thus makes it 1 to be the supreme offering;--'the manly one who hath rushed into the waters,' for both with water and between it is he (Soma) indeed pressed out;--'I have pressed out Soma by stones,' for by means of stones Soma is indeed pressed out: it is thus by means of stones he presses it out for the sake of (conformity with) the Soma-pressing.
12:8:2:1313. As to this they say, ‘That Sautrâmanî, surely, is of the form of both effused (extracted) and infused 2 (Soma);--to wit, that essence of both water and plants, the milk, is of the form of the effused (Soma); and that essence of food, the liquor, is of the form of infused (Soma): by both (kinds of) pressings he thus expresses it, by both pressings he secures it.
12:8:2:1414. As to this they say, 'Seeing that the Soma-juice is pressed out by stones, how as to the Sautrâmanî?' Let him reply, 'By the directions 3 and the
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[paragraph continues] Âprî-verses;' for the directions (praisha) are in the Brihatî (metre), and the pressing-stones are of bârhata nature: by means of stones the Soma-juice is indeed pressed out, and by means of stones he now presses it out for the sake of (conformity with) the Soma-pressing.
12:8:2:1515. All (the praishas) contain (the word) 'payas' (milk), for in the form of milk Soma is (here) pressed 1; they all contain (the word) 'Soma,' for the sake of (conformity with) the Soma-pressing; they all contain (the word) 'parisrut' (spirituous liquor), for in the form of spirituous liquor Soma is (here) pressed; they all contain (the word) 'ghrita' (ghee), for this--to wit, ghee--doubtless is manifestly a form of the sacrifice: he thus makes it to be manifestly a form of the sacrifice; they all contain (the word) 'madhu' (honey), for this--to wit, honey--is manifestly a form of Soma: he thus makes it to be manifestly a form of Soma.
12:8:2:1616. They all refer to the Asvins 2, for the sake of healing-power 3; they all refer to Sarasvatî, for the obtainment of food; they all refer to Indra, for the obtainment of energy, or vital power.
12:8:2:1717. And, again, as to why they all refer to the Asvins, all of them to Sarasvatî, and all of them to Indra,--these, indeed, were the deities who first
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prepared this sacrifice (the Sautrâmanî); with the help of these deities he thus prepares it; and, besides, he also provides these deities with a share.
12:8:2:1818. The invitatory and offering formulas are made continuous 1, and relate to the same deities,--for the sake of continuity and uninterruptedness of the race (offspring). All of them relate to the Asvins, all of them to Sarasvatî, and all of them to Indra: the significance of this is the same as before.
12:8:2:1919. The Âprî-formulas 2 are anushtubh verses; for the Anushtubh is speech, and with speech Soma is pressed: he thus presses it with speech, for the sake of (conformity with) the Soma-sacrifice. All of them relate to the Asvins, all of them to Sarasvatî, and all of them to Indra: the significance of this is the same as before.
12:8:2:2020. The anupraishas 3 (after-directions) are in the
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gâgata metre; for the Gagatî is this (earth), and by means of her Soma is pressed: by means of her he thus presses it for the sake of (conformity with) the Soma-pressing. All of them relate to the Asvins, all of them to Sarasvatî, and all of them to Indra: the significance of this is the same as before.
12:8:2:2121. This Sautrâmanî, then, is manifestly a Soma-sacrifice; and were the Sacrificer alone to drink (the liquor), it would be either an ishti-offering, or an animal sacrifice; but, for the sake of conformity of the liquor) to the Soma, all the priests drink thereof, for all the priests drink of the Soma-juice.
12:8:2:2222. The Adhvaryus 1 drink (the contents of) the Âsvina (cup), for the Asvins are the Adhvaryus of the gods: they thus consume each his own share in his own abode.
12:8:2:2323. The Hotri, Brahman, and Maitrâvaruna (drink that) of the Sârasvata (cup), for the Hotri is the voice of the sacrifice, the Brahman its heart, and the Maitrâvaruna its mind: they thus consume each his own share in his own abode.
12:8:2:2424. The Sacrificer drinks (that of) the Aindra (cup), for this sacrifice, the Sautrâmanî, belongs to Indra, and even now he who sacrifices has his abode along with Indra: he thus consumes his own share in his own abode.
12:8:2:2525. The Âsvina cup, indeed, is the eye, the Sârasvata one the vital air, and the Aindra one
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speech. From the Âsvina (cup) he pours (the remains) into the Sârasvata one, whereby he combines his eye with the vital airs; from the Sârasvata cup) into the Aindra one, whereby he combines his vital airs with his speech, and also establishes his vital airs in (the channel of) speech, whence all the vital airs are established on speech.
12:8:2:2626. Three (men) drink the Âsvina (cup), to wit, the Adhvaryu, Pratiprasthâtri, and Agnîdh; for this eye is threefold--the white, the black, and the pupil: he thus bestows on him the eye in accordance with its form.
12:8:2:2727. Three (drink) the Sârasvata (cup), the Hotri, Brahman, and Maitrâvaruna; for threefold divided is this vital air--the in (and out)-breathing, the up-breathing, and the through-breathing: he thus bestows on him the vital air in accordance with its form.
12:8:2:2828. Singly the Sacrificer drinks the Aindra (cup), for single is that distinction of the vital airs, speech: singly and solely to himself does he take that distinction, speech; whence he who has performed the Sautrâmanî becomes singly and solely the most distinguished among his own people, and so does even he who knows this.
12:8:2:2929. The officiating priests (ritvig), doubtless, are the seasons (ritu), and the draughts (of liquor) are the months;--six priests drink, for there are six seasons: by means of the priests he thus secures the seasons.
12:8:2:3030. There are twelve draughts 1, and twelve
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months: by means of the draughts he thus secures the months. The priests drink again and again by turns, whence the seasons and months succeed one another by turns.
12:8:2:3131. The thirteenth draught the Sacrificer takes, for, indeed, that thirteenth month is manifestly the year itself: it is this he secures by obtaining (that draught). And, indeed, the Sautrâmanî is the same as the year, and by means of this he wins everything, and secures everything for himself.
12:8:2:3232. There are three victims, for three in number are these worlds: it is these worlds he thereby secures,--to wit, this (terrestrial) world by that of the Asvins, the air by that of Sarasvatî, and the sky by that of Indra: he thus wins and secures these worlds for himself in accordance with their (peculiar) form and deity.
12:8:2:3333. There are three sacrificial cakes, for there are three seasons: it is the seasons he thereby secures,--to wit, the summer by that of Indra, the rainy season by that of Savitri, and the winter by that of Varuna: he thus wins and secures the seasons for himself in accordance with their (peculiar) form and deity.
12:8:2:3434. There are six cups (of milk and liquor), for there are six seasons: it is the seasons he thereby secures,--to wit, the spring and summer by the two Âsvina (cups), the rainy season and autumn by the two Sârasvata ones, and the winter and dewy season by the two Aindra ones: he thus wins and secures the seasons for himself in accordance with their form and deity.
12:8:2:3535. The invitatory and offering formulas are made continuous, and relate to the same deities--
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for the sake of the continuity and uninterruptedness of the seasons. They are all of them invitatory-formulas and all offering-formulas 1, whence all the seasons pass onwards, and all of them return. All (the formulas) are first, all of them intermediate, and all of them last, whence all the seasons are first, all of them intermediate, and all of them last. All the cups have two (formulas, an) invitatory and (an) offering-formula,--this is of the form of day and night: it is the day and the night he thus secures for himself; whence both the seasons and the months are established on day and night.
12:8:2:3636. The Sautrâmanî, truly, is the same as the year, and the same as the moon; and the Sacrificer is manifestly the sun: his vedi (altar-ground) is this earth, his uttara-vedi the air, his barhis the sky, his officiating priests the quarters, his fuel the trees, his ghee the waters, his oblations the plants, his fire Agni himself, his samsthâ (the particular form of sacrifice) the year--and, indeed, everything here, whatever there is, is the year; whence he who has performed the Sautrâmanî wins everything, and secures everything for himself.
Footnotes
239:2 Cf. II, 4, 4, 3-4, where the latter is called Pratîdarsa Svaikna (king of the Svikna), whilst the former, after studying with him, is said to have been called Sahadeva Sârñgaya.240:1 The 'Somâmsava iva' would seem to have here the force of 'Soma-shoots proper,' only substitutes (milk and liquor) being used instead.
240:2 That is to say, the observance of the fast--by which the Sacrificer during the four days of the performance of the Sautrâmanî, lives solely on the remains of the Agnihotra--takes the place of the ordinary initiation of the Soma-sacrifice, there being no Dîkshâ at the Sautrâmanî.
240:3 The malted rice, malted barley, and fried rice, referred to in p. 241 this and the next two paragraphs, refer to the remnants of these materials, not used at first in the preparation of the Surâ, and amounting to one-third of the original quantity of each; these being added successively during the three nights during which the Surâ has to mature; cf. p. 223, note 2.
241:1 Or, he renders him, the Sacrificer (or, perhaps, it, the sacrifice), successful by means of the morning-pressing.
241:2 The literal translation would seem to be,--he thus provides him with the respective (sva) world, with the respective deity, and with the respective form,--(hence) with the morning-pressing. It may be remarked, however, that the deities here connected with the three services (the Asvins, Sarasvatî, and Indra) are not those elsewhere associated with them (Vasus, Rudras, and Âdityas, IV, 3, 5, 1; or Agni, Indra, Visve Devâh, XI, 5, 9, 7).
241:3 Viz. inasmuch as it is full of moisture (saras).
242:1 The 'enam' must refer to the Surâ-liquor, treated as identical with Soma.
242:2 I do not quite understand the distinction between suta' and 'âsuta '; cf. XII, 8, 1, 6; unless the former be the pure Soma-juice, and the latter that mixed with other ingredients.
242:3 The 'praisha' are the directions by which the Maitrâvaruna calls on the Hotri to recite the offering-formulas (cf. part ii, p. 183, note 2). For the fore-offerings of the three victims, these directions are given, Vâg. S. XXI, 29-40. They all commence with 'Hotâ p. 243 yakshat' (may the Hotri worship!), and end with 'payah somah parisrutâ ghritam madhu vyantv âgyasya hotar yaga' (milk, Soma, with parisrut-liquor, ghee, honey,--may they partake of the butter, Hotri worship!).
243:1 ? Literally, 'by (way of) milk'--or, perhaps, 'by the admixture of milk--Soma is (here, as it were) produced.'
243:2 In all the directions referred to, the three deities are named.
243:3 The two Asvins are the physicians of the gods. Cf. IV, 1, 5, 8 seqq.; XII, 7, 2, 3.
244:1 This refers to the puroऽnuvâkyâs and yâgyâs of the oblations of omentum (vapâ) of the three victims. For these formulas the three verses, Vâg. S. XX, 67-69, are used in such a way that verse 1 forms the anuvâkyâ, and verse 2 the yâgyâ, of the Asvins’ oblation; verse 2 the anuvâkyâ, and verse 3 the yâgyâ, of Sarasvatî's oblation; and verse 3 the anuvâkyâ, and verse 1 the yâgyâ, of Indra's oblation. In each of the three verses all the three deities are mentioned.--In exactly the same way the three verses, XX, 70-72, are used as the anuvâkyâs and yâgyâs of the three pasupurodâsas; and 73-75 as those of the chief oblations (havis) of meat-portions.
244:2 The Âprîs (propitiatory verses, cf. part ii, p. 185) are the offering-formulas (yâgyâ) of the eleven (or twelve) fore-offerings (prayâga) of the animal sacrifice. Those used on the present occasion are the twelve verses given, Vâg. S. XX, 55-66; there being on this occasion (in the second and third places) fore-offerings both to Tanûnapât and Narâsamsa. In each of these verses, again, all three deities are referred to.
244:3 I do not exactly know what formulas are thereby referred to. p. 245 It can hardly be the praishas of the anuyâgas (Vâg. S. XXI, 48-58), as these are not in the gagatî, but in the (ârshî) trishtubh metre; though certainly each of them contains the names of the three deities.
245:1 Viz. the Adhvaryu, and his two assistants, the Pratiprasthâtri and Agnîdh. Cf. XII, 8, 1, 3 seqq.
246:1 Viz. inasmuch as three priests partake of each of the first two cups of milk, and of the first two cups of Surd-liquor, and each priest drinks twice.
248:1 See p. 244, note , where it is shown that each of the three verses serves successively as puroऽnuvâkyâ and as yâgyâ.
THIRD BRÂHMANA.
12:8:3:11. Tvashtri, seeing his son slain, brought Soma suitable for witchery, and withheld from Indra. Indra, committing a desecration of the sacrifice, by main force drank off his (Tvashtri's) Soma juice. He went asunder in every direction,--from his mouth and vital airs his excellence and fame passedp. 249
away, and entered the cattle, whence cattle are one's fame: and famous, indeed, is he who, knowing this, is consecrated 1 by the Sautrâmanî.
12:8:3:22. The two Asvins and Sarasvatî then prepared for him this sacrifice, the Sautrâmanî, for the purpose of healing him, and thereby consecrated him: thereby he became the highest of gods, and so does he who is consecrated by that (offering) become the highest among his own people.
12:8:3:33. He consecrates him on a black antelope skin; for the black antelope skin is the sacrifice 2: it is at the sacrifice he thus consecrates him; on the hairy side (of the skin), for the hair is the metres: it is on the metres (or sacred writ) he thus consecrates him.
12:8:3:44. On a throne-seat he consecrates him, for imperial dignity is seated (established) on a throne-seat: by means of imperial dignity he thus causes him to attain imperial dignity.
12:8:3:55. It is made of udumbara wood, for the udumbara (ficus glomerata) is strength: for the sake of strength he thus is consecrated. It is knee-high, for knee-high is this (terrestrial) world, and it is for (the rule of) this world that the Kshatriya is consecrated; and the ruler (kshatra) indeed he becomes who is consecrated by the Sautrâmanî: therefore it is knee-high, and of unlimited size horizontally (in width and depth),--
12:8:3:66. For the throne-seat means royal dignity, and of unlimited prosperity is royal dignity. It is covered with plaited reed-work, for reed-grass is meet for sacrifice. Two of its feet stand on the
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northern, and two on the southern altar-ground 1, for the northern vedi is this (terrestrial) world, and the southern one the world of the Fathers: he thus consecrates him for both worlds.
12:8:3:77. Concerning this, Gaurîviti Sâktya, knowing this, once said, 'Like rulers 2, assuredly, we shall be in yonder world!' Perhaps 3 it was Rishabha Yâgñatura, king of the Svikna, who had told him so.
12:8:3:88. He places the throne-seat, with (Vâg. S. XX, 1), 'Thou art the womb of the Kshatra, thou art the navel of the Kshatra!' for it indeed is the womb and navel of the Kshatra (ruling power).
12:8:3:99. He then spreads the black antelope skin thereon, with, 'May it not injure thee! do not
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injure me!' for the black antelope skin is the sacrifice: (thus it is spread) for the safety of the sacrifice and his own self.
12:8:3:1010. He then mounts it, with a verse to Varuna (Vâg. S. XX, 2), for Varuna is the king of the gods: by means of his own deity he thus consecrates him 1,--'He hath sat down, the upholder of the sacred law, Varuna, in the home-steads, for supreme rule, he the wise!'
12:8:3:1111. He then throws down a gold and a silver plate (beneath his feet, the silver one beneath the left foot) with, 'Protect (me) from death!' (the gold one beneath the right foot 2 with,) 'Protect (me) from lightning!' The Virâg, doubtless, is the rain, and of this there are these two terrible forms, lightning and hail; of these the gold plate is of the form of lightning, and the silver one of that of hail: against these two deities he affords protection to him, whence he who has performed the Sautrâmanî has no fear of these two deities, as he also who thus knows this.
12:8:3:1212. He consecrates him by sprinkling him with the fat gravy of the sacrificial animals, for the gravy of the animals means excellence: with that excellence, the essence of cattle, he thus sprinkles him. But that gravy is also the highest kind of food: with the highest kind of food he thus sprinkles him.
12:8:3:1313. There are hoof-cups (of gravy), for on hoofs cattle support themselves: he thus causes him to obtain a support. There are thirty-three (such)
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cupfuls, for thirty-three in number are all the deities: by means of all the deities he thus consecrates him. He offers them with gagatî verses, for animals are of gâgata (movable) nature: by means of the Gagatî he thus secures cattle for him. With sixteen verses (Vâg. S. XIX, 80-94) he offers, for animals are of sixteen parts: he thus bestows excellence (or prosperity) on him part by part.
12:8:3:1414. 'With lead the wise, with wool and thread 1 the sages weave the web, the sacrifice: the Asvins, Savitri, Sarasvatî, and Varuna healed the form of Indra 2.' Each time he has offered two (cupfuls) together, he pours the residue into a bowl (sata): he thereby establishes the days and nights, the half-months, the months, and the seasons in the year, and hence these days and nights, half-months, months, and seasons are established (contained) in the year.
12:8:3:1515. The bowl is made of reed, for the reed has its birth-place in the waters, and the waters are all the deities: by means of all the deities he thus consecrates him.
16. A rubbing down (of the Sacrificer) with all manner of sweet-smelling substances takes place (before sprinkling him with fat), for such a rubbing down with all manner of sweet-smelling substances means supreme fragrance: with fragrance he thus consecrates (anoints) him.
12:8:3:1717. He sprinkles him (with the fat gravy) in front while (himself) looking towards the back (west), for
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from the front food is visibly eaten. On. every side (he sprinkles him) whilst moving round: he thus bestows food on him from all quarters, whence food is secured from all quarters by him who has performed the Sautrâmanî, or even by him who thus knows this.
12:8:3:1818. With a formula to the Asvins he sprinkles him first 1, then with one to Sarasvatî, then with one to Indra: it is by means of these deities he thus consecrates him. Now, some consecrate him by means both of these deities and those utterances, 'bhûh bhuvah, svar,' 'for,' say they, 'these utterances ("earth, air, heaven") mean all this (universe) it is by means of all this (universe) we thus consecrate him.' Let him, however, not do so, but let him only consecrate him by means of those deities, for those deities, indeed, are all this (universe).
12:8:3:1919. He consecrates him prior to the Svishtakrit (offering), for the Svishtakrit is the Kshatra: he thus consecrates him by means of the Kshatra (or, by a Kshatriya). And he consecrates him between (the oblation to) the Lord of the Forest 2 and the
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[paragraph continues] Svishtakrit, for the lord of the forest (or the tree) is Soma, and the Svishtakrit (maker of good offering) is Agni: he thus consecrates him after encompassing him by Agni and Soma; whence both those who know, and those who do not, say, 'A Kshatriya is the consecrator of a Kshatriya 1.'
12:8:3:2020. They then lift him up 2 knee-high, then navel-high, then as high as the mouth; for the Vâgapeya doubtless is the same as the consecration, and the Sautrâmanî is a consecration; and even as there, at the Vâgapeya, he (the Sacrificer) mounts the sacrificial stake 3, like that is this rite.
12:8:3:2121. As to this they say, 'But, surely, he who is consecrated by the Sautrâmanî moves away from this world.' Well, he descends again upon the black antelope skin, and, the black antelope skin being the sacrifice, he thus finally establishes himself on the sacrifice.
12:8:3:2222. [He descends 4, with Vâg. S. XX, 10,] 'Firmly 5 I establish myself in the Kshatra (lordship), in royal sway,'--in lordship and royal sway he thus establishes himself so as not to lose lordship and royal sway;--'firmly in horses I establish
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myself, and in kine,'--in the midst of horses and kine he thus establishes himself so as not to lose horses and kine;--'firmly in the limbs I establish myself, and in the body,'--in the limbs and in the body he thus establishes himself so as not to lose his limbs and his body;--'firmly in the vital airs I establish myself, and in prosperity,'--in the vital airs and in prosperity he thus establishes himself so as not to lose the vital airs and prosperity;--'firmly in heaven and on earth I establish myself, and in the sacrifice,'--he thus establishes himself in these two, heaven and earth, within which is all this (universe).
12:8:3:2323. He 1 then sings a Sâman (hymn-tune), for the Sâman means lordship (kshatra): with lordship he thus consecrates him; or the Sâman means imperial sway: by means of imperial sway he thus causes him to attain imperial sway. And, indeed, the Sâman is the essence of all the Vedas: he thus consecrates him with the essence of all the Vedas.
12:8:3:2424. He sings it on a brihatî verse 2, for established on the Brihatî, as his excellence and foundation,
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that sun shines 1: he thus establishes him on the Brihatî, as his excellence and foundation.
12:8:3:2525. He sings it on a brihatî verse relating to Indra, for this sacrifice, the Sautrâmanî, belongs to Indra, and even now he who sacrifices has Indra for his support: he thus consecrates him on his own support (or resting-place).
12:8:3:2626. And as to why (these hymns) are called 'bracers 2;' it is because by means of these Sâmans the gods braced Indra up to energy, or vital power: in like manner do the officiating priests, by means of these Sâmans, brace the Sacrificer up to energy, or vital power. 'Samsravase, visravase, satyasravase, sravase 3'--these are the Sâmans: they proclaim
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him in these worlds. There are four finales, for there are four quarters: they thus establish him in all the quarters. All (the priests) join in the finale: with one mind they thus bestow excellence upon him.
12:8:3:2727. As to this they say, 'Seeing that this Sâman is sung, wherein then does the recitation (uktha) of this Sâman consist, and what is its foundation; for unsuccessful is what is chanted unless it be followed by a recitation?'
12:8:3:2828. 'Thrice eleven are the gods;' this, indeed, is the recitation 1 belonging to that Sâman, this its foundation.
12:8:3:2929. Or he (the Adhvaryu) takes a thirty-third cupful (of gravy), with (Vâg. S. XX, 11-12 1), 'Thrice
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eleven are the gods,'--for there are indeed thrice eleven gods;--'three-and-thirty, bountiful,'--for there are thirty-three gods; 'with Brihaspati for their Purohita,'--Brihaspati is the Brahman (n.): he thus means to say, 'With the Brahman for their Purohita (family-priest);'--'at the impulse (sava) of the god Savitri,'--that is, 'impelled by the god Savitri;'--'may the gods protect me through the gods!' for the gods indeed consecrate him through the gods.
12:8:3:3030. 'The first with the second,'--for the first (gods, on earth) consecrate him along with the second ones (in the air);--'the second with the third,'--for the second ones consecrate him along with the third ones (in the sky);--'the third with 1 the truth,'--for the third ones consecrate him with the truth;--'the truth with the sacrifice,'--for the truth consecrates him with the sacrifice;--'the sacrifice with sacrificial texts,'--for the sacrifice consecrates him with sacrificial texts;--'sacrificial texts with hymn-tunes,'--for sacrificial texts (yagus) consecrate him along with hymn-tunes 'hymn-tunes with hymn-verses,'--for hymn-tunes consecrate him along with hymn-verses (rik):--'hymn-verses with invitatory verses,'--for hymn-verses consecrate him along with invitatory verses;--'invitatory verses with offering-verses,'--for invitatory verses consecrate him along with offering-verses;--'offering-verses with Vashat-calls,'--for offering-verses consecrate him
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along with Vashat-calls;--'Vashat-calls with oblations,'--for Vashat-calls consecrate him along with oblations;--'May the oblations render successful my wishes! bhûh! svâhâ!'--having thus consecrated him by means of those deities from first to last, he thus, by means of oblations, renders all his wishes successful. Having then solicited an invitation from the officiating priests, he (the Sacrificer) drinks 1 (the remains of the cup of vasâ), for the officiating priests are the seasons: it is thus in the seasons that he solicits art invitation.
12:8:3:3131. He drinks it, with (Vâg. S. XX, 13), 'My hair is endeavour 2, my skin submission and approach 3, my flesh inclination, my bone wealth, and my marrow submission,'--for he who is consecrated by the Sautrâmanî enters the worlds and among the deities; he now has himself, invited amongst them 4, and thus he arises (in the other world) complete, with a whole body, and with (all) limbs.
Footnotes
249:1 Literally, sprinkled, i.e. anointed, with the 'vasâ,' or fat gravy obtained from the cooking of the sacrificial animals.249:2 See part i, p. 23, note 2.
250:1 For the two special Vedis, see p. 225, note 1.
250:2 'A kind of Kshatriyas,' Delbrück, Altind. Synt., p. 494.
250:3 For this or some such meaning ('probably'--German, 'wohl' or 'vielleicht') which seems to me to suit best the use of 'sasvat' in the Brâhmanas, see part iii, p. 98, note 2.--Thus, at I, 2, 3, 2, I would now translate 'and perhaps it was Trita who slew him,--Indra at all events was exonerated from that (guilt), for he is a god.' Similarly, I, 8, 1, 4, 'perhaps it was a ghasha, for that (fish) grows best (fastest);' II, 2, 1, 2, 'If, on the other hand, that oblation were not offered up in him, he would perhaps burn either the Adhvaryu, or the Sacrificer.' Somewhat peculiar is the passage, I, 6, 3, 10, where sasvat occurs both in the relative and in the demonstrative clause, and where we can hardly translate otherwise than 'If, perchance, he had said, "Grow thou, the foe of Indra!" he (Vritra) would perhaps have slain Indra.'--Hätte er vielleicht (etwa) gesagt: 'Wachse, du Feind Indras!' so würde er (Vritra) vielleicht (? gewiss) Indra erschlagen haben.--If this be the right interpretation of these passages, they would have td be transferred, in the St. Petersb. Dict., from meaning b (?) to c, where 'vielleicht' would have to be added, as it certainly suits better than 'gewiss' (most likely) the last of the foregoing passages, at all events. The comm. explains 'sasvat' by 'bahukritvah.'
251:1 Cf. V, 4, 4, 5, where the verse is explained.
251:2 Or, on the head, according to others. The plates are of the usual round shape.
252:1 See p. 219, note 3.
252:2 Only the first pâda of this, the first of the sixteen verses, is given in the text. Regarding the allusions in this verse, see XII, 7, 1, 10 seqq.; 2, 17; 7, 3, 3.
253:1 According to Katy. Sr. XIX, 4, 14-17, he sprinkles him up to the mouth, letting it flow down on all four sides; and with each sprinkling he pronounces one of the formulas, first, the Sâvitra one, Vâg. S. XX, 3, 'At the impulse of God Savitri (I consecrate) thee by the arms of the Asvins, and the heads of Pûshan!' followed by the Âsvina one, 'with the healing medicine of the Asvins I sprinkle thee for energy and holy lustre!' and the Sârasvata one, 'with the healing medicine of Sarasvatî I sprinkle thee for vigour and food!' Then a fourth time with a formula referring to all the deities (or with the three great utterances), or with the Aindra text, 'With Indra's power I sprinkle thee for strength, for excellence, and for fame!'
253:2 For this oblation, see III, 8, 3, 33; IV, 5, 2, 11; in both cases it is followed immediately by the oblation to Agni Svishtakrit.
254:1 Kshatriyo râgñoऽbhishektâ bhavati, pûrvam hi râgaiva vriddhah kumâram kâbhishiñkatîty arthah; comm.
254:2 According to Kâty. Sr. XIX, 4, 19-2I, the Adhvaryu first touches him, with (Vâg. S. XX, 4), 'Thou art Ka, thou art Katama,--to Ka thee!' and the Sacrificer replies, 'O thou of good fame! O most propitious one! O true king!' and touches his limbs one after another with XX, 5-9.
254:3 See part iii, p. 32 (V, 2, 1, 9 seqq.).
254:4 That is, when the throne-seat has been lowered again, he rises from it and stands on the deer-skin.
254:5 The function of 'prati' here seems to be to strengthen the preposition in the verb 'prati-tishthâmi.'
255:1 According to the commentator on Kâty. XIX, 5, 1, the Brahman sings, whilst Lâty. V, 4, 16-19 gives directions from which the Udgâtri would seem to be expected to perform this duty. When the Sacrificer is being anointed, the Udgâtri is to step between the (northern and southern) fires and, as soon as he is called upon by the Adhvaryu, he is to commence the Sâman. It would probably depend on the Brahman's previous studies, whether or not he was sufficiently conversant with the complicated details of the hymnology.
255:2 Viz. Vâg. S. XX, 30 (Riks. VIII, 89, 1), 'To Indra, O Maruts, sing ye the great (hymn), most destructive to Vritra, whereby the promoters of sacred rites produced the light, the wakeful god for the god.'
256:1 Professor Weber, Ind. Stud. VIII, p. 42, refers to a parallel passage in Tândya-Br. VII, 4, 7--'By means of the Bahishpavamâna (of the morning service) the gods carried off Âditya, the sun, to heaven; but he did not stop there. At midday they then fixed him by means of the Brihatî, and for this reason the Brihatî metre is used for the Pavamâna-stotra at the midday service.'
256:2 Literally, sharpeners or sharpenings (samsâna).
256:3 These words--apparently meaning 'for fame all round, for fame far and wide, for true fame, for fame' (or, perhaps, for hearing, or, rather, being heard of all round,' &c.)--are used to form the finales (nidhana) in which all the priests are to join; cf. Sâmav., Calc. ed., I, pp. 533-4, where the figured text is given. According to Katy. XIX, 5, 4-5; Lâty. V, 4, 19, the words, 'samgityai, vigityai, satyagityai, gityai' (for complete victory, victory far and wide, &c.), and 'sampushtyai, vipushtyai,' &c. (for complete prosperity, &c.), are to be used instead, in the case of a Kshatriya and Vaisya respectively, either optionally or necessarily. Though these four words are here, and elsewhere, spoken of as so many different Sâmans, only 'the last of them ('sravase') forms the finale of a Sâman in the ordinary sense of the word; the others being merely combined with certain musical ejaculations, or expletives (stobhas). All the four 'Sâmans' begin with the same phrase (varying only in the verb)--'sam tvâ hinvanti (rinanti, p. 257 tatakshur, sisanti) dhîtibhih,' i, e. 'they make thee up (or urge thee on) with prayers,' serving as a kind of prelude (prastâva) the single words of which are given among the Stobhas (Sâmav„ Calc. ed., II, p. 522, last line), as, indeed, the words 'samsravase,' &c., themselves are (ib., p. 520). In the first three Sâmans this phrase is followed by the finale consisting of the respective characteristic word preceded by the Stobha 'auhovâ.' In the last Sâman, on the other hand, the introductory phrase is followed by the choral setting of the verse 'Brihad indrâya gâyata' (see p. 255, n. 2), which, in its turn, is followed again by the first phrase, with a slightly modified modulation, ending with 'auhovâ sravase.' Whilst joining in the finale, the priests, according to Lâty. V, 4, 17, are to lay their hands on the head of the Sacrificer.
257:1 According to Katy. Sr. XIX, 4, 24; 5, 8 seq.; 7, 1 seq., the thirty-third libation of gravy is taken with the text, XX, 32, 'yo bhûtânâm adhipatih (he who is the over-lord of creatures),' &c.; whilst, on the conclusion of the Sastra, or Hotri's recitation, the Sacrificer offers the libation from that last cup with XX, 11-12, and drinks the remainder with XX, 13. The Sastra, recited in response to the Sâman, consists of the section of .eleven verses, Vâg. S. XX, 80-90, the first and last verses of which are recited thrice; whilst the 'âhâva' (somsâvom, 'let us praise, om!') is inserted by him before each triplet of the remaining nine verses. The two verses used whilst the Sacrificer offers (XX, 11-12) are likewise recited by the p. 258 Hotri, as a 'nivid,' being either added at the end of the Sastra, or inserted before the ninth or tenth verse; the whole recitation thus consisting of seventeen verses.
258:1 Mahîdhara takes the instrumental throughout as a sociative (saha satyena).
259:1 According to Kâty. XIX, 5, 9, the priests themselves first smell the remainder of the fat gravy, with the text (XX, 34), 'The protector of my breath thou art,' &c. Cf. also XIV, 2, 2, 42, with note.
259:2 The use of 'prayati' in this sense (here and Vâg. S. XVIII, 1) is peculiar; being apparently derived from 'pra-yam,' one would expect it to have some such meaning as 'offer, gift.' This and the other predicates, according to Mahîdhara, are to show the state of feeling of beings towards the (royal) Sacrificer. The repetition of 'ânati' (bowing, prostration, submission) is strange. A strong alliterative cadence is noticeable in the verse.
259:3 ? Hardly 'return' here; rather, perhaps, 'attaining to (the other worlds),' or, possibly, 'the turning to him, gathering round him (of the people).'
259:4 ? Or, he now calls these to himself in the meantime.
NINTH ADHYÂYA. FIRST BRÂHMANA.
12:9:1:11. Verily, from this sacrifice the man 5 is bornp. 260
and whatever food a man consumes in this world, that (food), in return, consumes him in yonder world. Now this sacrifice is performed by means of spirituous liquor, and spirituous liquor (parisrut) is not to be consumed by a Brâhmana: he thus is born from that which is not (to be) consumed, and the food does not, in return, consume him in yonder world. Therefore this (sacrifice), the Sautrâmanî, is a Brâhmana's sacrifice 1.
12:9:1:22. The malted rice is the same as his (the man's) hair, the malted barley his skin, the fried rice his flesh, the filtering-cloth his bones, the mash his marrow, the raw liquor (parisrut) his life-sap (serum), the seasoning (and fermentative substances) his blood, the milk his seed, the mature liquor (surâ) his urine, and the impure matter the contents of the stomach.
12:9:1:33. Indra's cake is his heart, that of Savitri his liver, that of Varuna his lung, the asvattha and udumbara vessels his kidneys, the nyagrodha one his bile, the pan (sthâlî) his intestines 2, the supernumerary (vessels) his bowels 2, the two eagle feathers 3 the milt, the throne-seat his navel, the pot his rectum, the (pan) perforated with a hundred holes, the male organ,--and inasmuch as that (pan) is much perforated, therefore that organ is much divided,--the bowl (sata) is his mouth, the strainer
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his tongue, the dish (kapya) his anus, the tail (whisk) his bladder,
12:9:1:44. And the sacrificial animal of the Asvins is his limbs, that of Sarasvatî his trunk, Indra's bull his form,--whence they say that man's form (wealth) is kine,--the gold (plate) is his vital strength; it is of the weight of a hundred (grains), whence mark has a life of a hundred (years).
12:9:1:55. The two cups of the Asvins are his eyes, and the ground wheat and kuvala (jujubes) his eyelashes; the two cups of Sarasvatî are his nostrils, and the ground Indra-grain and badara (jujubes) the hair in his nostrils; the two cups of Indra are his ears, and the ground barley and karkandhu (jujubes) the hair of his ears and his eyebrows.
12:9:1:66. And the hairs of wolf are the hair on his abdomen and that below; and the hairs of tiger are the hair on his chest and that of his armpits; and the hairs of lion are the hair of his head and his beard.
12:9:1:77. There are three sacrificial animals, for this body of man consists of three parts: it is the body he thereby wins (in heaven) for him;--what is below the navel (he wins) by that of the Asvins, what is above the navel and below the head by that of Sarasvatî, and the head itself by that of Indra: both as to its (bodily) form and as to its deities he thus delivers his own self from death, and makes it immortal.
12:9:1:88. There are three sacrificial cakes, for this life of man consists of three parts: it is life he thereby wins for him;--the early life (he wins) by that of Indra, the middle (part of) life by that of Savitri, and the last (part of) life by that of Varuna: both as to its (bodily) form and as to its deities he thus delivers his life from death, and makes it immortal.
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12:9:1:99. There are six cups (of milk and liquor), for there are these six (channels of) vital airs in the head: it is the vital airs he thereby wins for him;--his eyes (he wins) by the two (cups) of the Asvins, his nostrils by those of Sarasvatî, and his ears by those of Indra: both as to its (bodily) form and as to its deities he thus delivers his own self from death, and makes it immortal.
12:9:1:1010. The invitatory and offering-formulas are made continuous 1, and relate to the same deities--for the continuity and uninterruptedness of the vital airs. They are all of them invitatory formulas and all offering-formulas, whence all the vital airs pass onwards and all of them backwards. All (the formulas) are first, all of them intermediate, and all of them last, whence all the vital airs are first, all of them intermediate, and all of them last. All the cups have two (formulas, an) invitatory and (an) offering-formula,--this is of the form of the in (and out)-breathing and the up-breathing: it is the in-breathing and the up-breathing he thus secures for himself, and therefore all the vital airs are established on the in-breathing and the up-breathing.
12:9:1:1111. Verily the Sautrâmanî is this body (of man): the Sacrificer is the mind, (that is) speech manifestly; the vedi (altar-ground) is the trunk, the uttara-vedi (high-altar) offspring, the barhis (grass-covering) cattle, the officiating priests the limbs, the fuel the hones, the ghee the marrow, the fire the mouth, the oblation is food, and the concluding rite is life, whence he who has performed the Sautrâmanî attains life.
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12:9:1:1212. And, verily, these two men that seem to be in the eyes, they belong to the Asvins, and the black (in the eye) belongs to Sarasvatî, and the white to Indra; and in that, when the victim of the Asvins is being (offered), he makes offering to these deities in common, thereby he puts those (parts of the body) together and takes them to himself.
12:9:1:1313. Indra, assuredly, is the mind, Sarasvatî speech, and the two Asvins are the ears. Now, whatever one thinks in his mind of that he speaks with his speech, and what he speaks with his speech that one hears with one's ears: thus, in that, when the victim of Sarasvatî is being (offered), he makes offering to these deities together, thereby he puts these (parts of the body) together and takes them to himself.
12:9:1:1414. Indra, assuredly, is the breath, Sarasvatî the tongue, and the two Asvins the nostrils; and inasmuch as through (the channel of) the breath (prâna) one introduces (prâ-nî) food into himself that is the reason of its being (called) 'prâna.' By means of the tongue one distinguishes the essence (taste) of food, and the nostrils, indeed, are the path of the breath; and in that, when the victim of Indra. is being (offered), he makes offering to these deities in common, thereby he puts those (parts of the body) together and takes them to himself.
12:9:1:1515. Indra, assuredly, is the heart, Savitri the liver, and Varuna the lung; and in that, when Indra's cake is being (offered), he makes offering to these deities in common, thereby he puts those (parts of the body) together and takes them to himself.
12:9:1:1616. Savitri, assuredly, is the breath, Varuna the
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through-breathing, and Indra the generative organ; and whatever food one eats by means of (the channel of) the breath through that he breathes with his through-breathing, and by means of the generative organ he sheds the essence of food as seed; and in that, when Savitri's cake is being (offered), he makes offering to these deities in common, thereby he puts those (parts of the body) together and takes them to himself.
12:9:1:1717. Varuna, assuredly, is the womb, Indra the seed, and Savitri the generator of the seed; and in that, when Varuna's cake is being (offered), he makes offering to these deities in common, thereby he puts those (parts of the body) together and takes them to himself. And whosoever thus knows this comes into being along with these deities, and is born again (so as to be) along with these deities; he increases in offspring and cattle; he becomes firmly established in this world, and wins the heavenly world, whosoever, knowing this, performs the Sautrâmanî, or whosoever thus knows this.
Footnotes
259:5 That is, the Purusha, Agni-Pragâpati; and the Sacrificer.260:1 That is, because to a man of another caste the spirituous liquor would not be 'anâdyâ,' but consumable, and hence it would consume him in the other world.
260:2 The two terms 'ântrâni' and gudâh' are usually taken as synonymous; the latter term probably means the lower or larger intestines; cf. Vâg. S. XIX, 86.
260:3 See XII, 7, 3, 22.
262:1 See p. 244, note 1.
SECOND BRÂHMANA.
12:9:2:11. Having performed the sacrifice they betake themselves to the purificatory bath; for after a Soma-sacrifice they do betake themselves to the purificatory bath, and the Sautrâmanî is the same as the Soma (sacrifice).12:9:2:22. [He plunges the mash-pot into the water, with Vâg. S. XX, 14-18 1,] 'Whatever contumely
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against the gods, O divine gods, we have committed, from that sin may Agni deliver me; may he deliver me from all trouble!'--he thereby delivers him from the sin committed against the gods.--'Whether by day, whether by night we have committed sins, from that sin may Vâyu deliver me; may he deliver me from all trouble!'--he thereby delivers him from whatever sin he commits by day and night.---'Whether waking, whether in sleep we have committed sins, from that sin may Sûrya deliver me; may he deliver me from all trouble!'--what is awake is men, and what is asleep is the Fathers: he thus delivers him from guilt against men and Fathers.
12:9:2:33. 'Whatever sin we have committed in the village, in the forest'--for either in the village or in the forest sin is committed: therefrom he delivers him;--'whatever in the assembly'--from the sin of the assembly he thereby delivers him;--'whatever in our organs of sense'--from the sin against the gods he thereby delivers him;--'whatever against the Sûdra or the Arya, whatever against the right of any one, thereof thou art the expiation,'--from all that sin he thereby delivers him.
12:9:2:44. 'That we swear by the Inviolable Waters 1, by Varuna, therefrom deliver us, O Varuna!'--he thereby delivers him from sin against Varuna.[He then immerses the pot, with Vâg. S. XII, 18; 19,]
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[paragraph continues] 'O laving bath, laving thou glidest along,'--the bath, indeed, is that whirlpool (now produced) in the water, and that indeed is either Varuna's son or brother: it is him he thereby praises;--'with the help of the gods have I expiated 1 the sin committed against gods,'--he thereby expiates the sin committed against gods;--'with the help of mortals that committed against mortals,'--he thereby expiates the sin committed against mortals;--'preserve me, O God, from injury from the fiercely-howling (demon)!' whereby he means to say, 'Protect me against all inflictions!'
12:9:2:55. 'In the ocean, in the waters, is thy heart,'--for the ocean is the waters, and water is sap: with that sap he thus supplies him;--'may the plants and waters unite with thee!'--he thereby supplies him with both kinds of sap, that which is in plants, and that which is in water--He goes two steps northward from out (of the water); for as much as the step is the briskness in man: with what briskness there is in him he thus leaves evil behind him.
12:9:2:66. With, 'May the waters and plants be friendly unto us!' he takes water in his joined hands; for water is a thunderbolt: he thus makes a covenant with the thunderbolt;--and with, 'May they he unfriendly unto him who hateth us, and whom we hate!' let him sprinkle it in whatever direction he who is hateful to him may be, and he thereby discomfits him.
12:9:2:77. With (Vâg. S. XX, 20), 'As one set free (is liberated) from the stake, as he who sweateth
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[paragraph continues] (is cleansed) from filth by bathing, as the ghee is purified by the strainer, so may the waters cleanse me from sin!' he causes his garment to float away: even as one would pluck out a reed from its sheath, so he plucks him from out all evil. He bathes, and (thereby) drives the darkness (of sin) from himself.
12:9:2:88. [He comes out 1, with Vâg. S. XX, 21,] 'From out of the gloom have we risen,'--gloom is evil: it is gloom, evil, he thus keeps away;--'beholding the higher light 2,'--this (terrestrial) world is higher than the water: it is on this world he thus establishes himself;--'God Sûrya, with the gods, the highest light,'--Sûrya, the highest light (gyotis), is the heavenly world: it is in the heavenly world he thus finally establishes himself. He walks along without looking back, and approaches the Âhavanîya,--
12:9:2:99. With (Vâg. S. XX, 22), 'Along the waters have I gone this day,'--the essence of the waters he thereby secures for himself;---'with their essence have we united,'--the essence of the waters he thus takes to himself;--'rich in sap, O Agni, have I come: do thou unite (supply) me with splendour, with offspring, and with wealth!' he thereby invokes a blessing.
12:9:2:1010. With (Vâg. S. XX, 23), 'A kindler thou art:
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may we prosper 1!' he takes a kindling-stick, for a kindler of Agni (the fire) the kindling-stick indeed is. With, 'Enkindling thou art, fire thou art: lay thou fire into me!' he puts the kindling-stick on the Âhavanîya: he thereby kindles the fire, and, thus kindled, it kindles him with fire (energy) 2.
12:9:2:1111. Being about to offer a pap to Aditi 3, he prepares it: Aditi being this (earth), he who offers Aditi's (pap) performs the sacrifice on this (earth), and by offering firmly establishes himself thereon. The sacrificial fee is a milch cow (with calf): the milch cow being this (earth), he milks out from the latter all his desires. The calf he gives away at the former (pap-offering to Aditi 4), and the mother-cow at the latter; for when a calf sucks the mother-cow, the latter gives milk when she is given away, and from her, when given away, he thus milks all his desires.
12:9:2:1212. As to this they say, 'Surely, he who goes down to the water for the purificatory bath falls away from this world!' Well, when he has come out from the bath, he offers a dish of curds to Mitra and Varuna; now Mitra is this (terrestrial) world,
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[paragraph continues] Varuna yonder world, and the dish of curds is what there is here between (those two): thus, when he offers the dish of curds to Mitra and Varuna, he establishes himself in these worlds. And Mitra, indeed, is the in-breathing, Varuna the off-breathing, and the dish of curds the food: thus when he offers the dish of curds to Mitra and Varuna, he finally establishes himself in the vital air, in food.
Footnotes
264:1 Of the first three verses the text quotes only the first pâda, the rest having been supplied in the translation.265:1 Cf. III, 8, 5, 10, where the text varies slightly--'That they say, we swear by the Inviolable (cows, or waters), by Varuna, therefrom deliver us, O Varuna!'
266:1 Cf. II, 5, 2, 47; IV, 4, 5, 22, where the formula has 'ava ayâsisham' (correct,--'with the help of the gods have I wiped out the sin committed against the gods') instead of 'ava yakshi.'
267:1 Having put on fresh garments, the Sacrificer and his wife are led out by the Unnetri, the mantra being muttered at the same time; and they then return with the priests to the offering-ground, whilst the Âmatrîyâ-hymn (on Rig-veda S. VIII, 48, 3, 'we have drunk Soma . . .') is sung: see part ii, p. 385, note 2; Kâty. Sraut. X, 9, 7.
267:2 Mahîdhara takes 'svar' in the sense of 'svarga,' heaven; whilst the Brâhmana seems rather to take it as referring to the earth or dry land on which the Sacrificer now steps.
268:1 The text of the formula 'edhoऽsy edhishîmahi' is evidently meant to suggest a connection (real or alliterative) between 'edha' (root 'indh') and the final verb (root 'edh').
268:2 According to Kâty. XIX, 5, 20, and Mahîdhara, he now offers on the kindling-stick an oblation of ghee, with the text, Vâg. S. XX, 23, 'Hither come the earth, the dawn, the sun, and all this world.'
268:3 See p. 213, note 2.
268:4 This offering takes place at the beginning of the performance of the Sautrâmanî, cf. Kâty. Sr. XIX, 1, 5-10. The dish of curds which according to this paragraph is to follow the second pap to Aditi, may, according to Kâtyâyana, be offered before it.
THIRD BRÂHMANA.
12:9:3:11. Now, Dushtarîtu Paumsâyana had been expelled from the kingdom which had come down to him through ten generations; and the Sriñgayas also expelled Revottaras Pâtava Kâkra Sthapati.12:9:3:22. He said to Dushtarîtu Paumsâyana, 'I will perform the Sautrâmanî for thee, and will comer upon thee that dominion over the Sriñgayas.'--'So be it!' he replied. So he performed it for him.
12:9:3:33. Now Balhika Prâtipîya, the Kauravya king, heard (people say) this--'There is that Dushtarîtu Paumsâyana who has been expelled from the kingdom which has come down to him through ten generations: for him that Kâkra Sthapati wants to perform the Sautrâmanî and to confer upon him the dominion over the Sriñgayas.'
12:9:3:44. He said, 'I will just tell him that if he wants to confer dominion upon him, he will indeed exclude him from dominion.' He came to him at that particular time (of the sacrifice) when the cups (of milk and liquor) are drawn.
12:9:3:55. He said, 'Sthapati Kâkra, they say, Surâ-liquor must not be offered in the Âhavanîya-fire, nor anywhere else than in the Âhavanîya: if thou offerest
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[paragraph continues] Surâ-liquor in the Âhavanîya thou wilt cause social confusion and a repetition in the sacrifice 1, and if anywhere else than in the Âhavanîya thou wilt exclude him (the king) from dominion, and wilt neither place him in dominion, nor confer dominion upon him.'
12:9:3:66. He replied, 'I shall not offer Surâ-liquor in the Âhavanîya nor anywhere else than in the Âhavanîya thus I shall not cause social confusion nor a repetition in the sacrifice, and shall not exclude him from dominion; I shall place him in dominion, and shall confer dominion upon him.'
12:9:3:77. He said, 'How, then, wilt thou do it?' He then told him this:--At first, indeed, that Yagña (sacrifice, m.), the Sautrâmanî, was with the Asuras. He went forth towards the gods. He came to the waters, and the waters welcomed him, whence people welcome a better man when he comes to them. They said to him, 'We pray thee, come, reverend sir!'
12:9:3:88. He said, 'Nay, I am afraid: lead ye me forward!'--'Whereof art thou afraid, reverend sir?' they asked.--'Of the Asuras,' he said.--'Be it, then!' they said. The waters led him forward, whence he who is the protector leads forward him who is afraid; and inasmuch as the waters led him forward (pra-nî) therefore the waters (themselves) are 'led forward:' this is the reason why they are (called) Pranîtâh 2; and, verily, firmly established is he who thus knows that nature of the Pranîtâh.
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12:9:3:99. Now, the fore-offerings had been performed, but the fire had not been carried round 1 (the oblations), when the Asuras came after him. By means of the circumambient fire the gods shut out their hostile rivals, the Asuras, from Yagña (the sacrifice); and in like manner does this one now, by means of the circumambient fire, shut out his spiteful enemy from the sacrifice.
12:9:3:1010. Verily, that Âhavanîya is the womb (seat) of the gods, and those two fires 2 on either side thereof are its immortal wings: thus, when they perform the sacrifice on the Âhavanîya, they indeed perform the sacrifice for the gods in the womb of the gods; and, verily, the continued sacrifice inclines to him, and the sacrifice is not cut off from him who thus knows this, or for whom, knowing this, this sacrificial rite is performed.
12:9:3:1111. On the northern fire they offer (libations from) the cups of milk, on the northern fire they cook the sacrificial animals: the sacrificial animals, whilst being mortal, he thus places in the immortal womb, and them that are mortal he causes to be born (again) from out of the immortal womb; and, verily, whosoever thus knows this, or he for whom, knowing this, this sacrificial rite is performed, wards off the recurring death of his cattle, and the sacrifice is not cut off from him.
12:9:3:1212. On the southern fire they offer (libations from) the cups of Surâ-liquor, near the southern fire
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they purify (the liquor) with triple strainers: the Fathers, whilst being mortal, he thus places in the immortal womb, and them that are mortal he causes to be born (again) from out of the immortal womb; and, verily, whosoever thus knows this, or he for whom, knowing this, this sacrificial rite is performed, wards off the recurring death of the Fathers, and the sacrifice is not cut off from him.
12:9:3:1313. Now, inasmuch as these two fires are taken from the Âhavanîya, they are Âhavanîyas (offering-fires), and inasmuch as they do not again reach the Âhavanîya, they are not Âhavanîyas: he thereby obtains both kinds of oblations, that -which is (offered) on the Âhavanîya, and that which is (offered) on what is not an Âhavanîya--both what is offered and what is not offered.
He (Balhika Prâtipîya) then went home, and said, 'It is not so (as we had thought): that kingdom of the Sriñgayas now belongs to Dushtarîtu;--in. such and such a manner has that Kâkra Sthapati this day performed at the sacrifice.'
12:9:3:1414. On the northern fire they thus perform the rites of the sacrificial animals, the (animal) cakes, and the cups of milk, and what other (rite) there is: it is the gods, in the world of the gods, he thereby gratifies, and, thus gratified, they gratify him, and he wins the world of the gods.
12:9:3:1515. In the southern fire they offer (libations from) the cups of Surâ-liquor, near the southern fire they purify (the liquor) with triple strainers: it is the Fathers, in the world of the Fathers, he thereby gratifies, and, thus gratified, they gratify him, and he wins the world of the Fathers.
12:9:3:1616. Verily, the Sautrâmanî is the same as the
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body, whence it is (clearly) defined, for defined is the body. And (Indra) Vayodhas (the bestower of strength), is the world, whence he is undefined 1, for undefined is the world. The Sautrâmanî is the body (trunk), and the Aindra (victim) and (the one to) Vayodhas 2 are the two arms; and inasmuch as there are those two animal offerings on both sides (of the Sautrâmanî), therefore these two arms are on both sides of the body. And as the sacrificial animal, so the sacrificial stake; and inasmuch as there are those two stakes on both sides of the stake of the Sautrâmanî (bull of Indra), therefore these two arms are on both sides of the body 3.
Footnotes
270:1 Probably inasmuch as the cups of milk are offered there previously.270:2 For this jarful of consecrated water, used at the sacrifice, see part i, pp. 9, note; 265.
271:1 On the ceremony called 'paryagnikaranam,' see part i, p. 145, note; part ii, p. 187, note.
271:2 See p. 225, note 1. Properly speaking, the two fires of the two special Vedis are in front (or, rather, north-east and south-east) of the Âhavanîya.
273:1 The term 'vayodhas' is said to be undefined inasmuch as, though it is meant to apply to Indra, the name of this god is not mentioned along with it in the formulas.
273:2 During the performance of the Sautrâmanî proper (on the fourth day) three victims are immolated, a he-goat to the Asvins, a ram to Sarasvatî, and another bull to Indra. But at the beginning of the whole performance--either before or after the first pap to Aditi (cf. XII, 9, 2, 11)--a bull is sacrificed to Indra; and at the end--after the second pap to Aditi and the dish of curds to Mitra and Varuna (see p. 252, note 4 (This note does not exist.--JBH))--another animal sacrifice is performed to Indra Vayodhas. The sacrificial stakes for the first and last of the three victims sacred to Indra, are to be placed north and south of that of Indra's second bull, the one sacrificed as part of the Sautrâmanî proper.
273:3 The object of identifying different ceremonial acts and features with certain parts of the body is of course to impress upon the mind of the Sacrificer the efficacy of the Sautrâmanî in securing to him a new, complete body for the other life.
(My humble salutations to the translator Sreeman Julius Eggeling for the collection)
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