The Satapatha Brahmana
THE SATAPATHA-BRÂHMANA
ACCORDING TO THE TEXT OF THE MÂDHYANDINA SCHOOL
Translated by
Julius Eggeling
Part – 5
13th Kanda
FIFTH ADHYÂYA. FIRST BRÂHMANA.
THE STOTRAS AND SASTRAS OF THE SOMA-DAYS.
13:5:1:11. Then, on the morrow, there is (used) Gotama's Stoma (form of chanting) successively increasing by four (verses) 3: the Bahishpavamâna thereof is on four, the Âgya (stotras) on eight, the Mâdhyandina Pavamâna on twelve, the Prishtha (stotras) onp. 376
sixteen, the Ârbhava Pavamâna on twenty, and the Agnishtoma-sâman on twenty-four (verses).
13:5:1:22. Now, some make its Agnishtoma-sâman a Sâman of four (verses), saying, 'It is neither an Agnishtoma, nor an Ukthya 1.' If they do so, let hire (the Hotri),
p. 377
after reciting the Stotriya 1 (strophe) together, recite the Anurûpa (strophe) together: the Rathantara Prishtha-sâman 2, the Sastra containing the Rathantara (text), and the Agnishtoma sacrifice--thereby he makes sure of this world.
13:5:1:33. 'There are twenty-one Savanîya 3 victims, all of them sacred to Agni: for these there is one and the same performance,' so say some; but, indeed, he should immolate two sets of eleven (victims), with the view of his obtainment of whatever desired object there may be in (victims) belonging to a set of eleven.
13:5:1:44. When the Agnishtoma is completed, and the Vasatîvarî water carried round, the Adhvaryu performs the Annahomas 4 (oblations of food): the import of these has been explained. With twelve
p. 378
[paragraph continues] Anuvâkas (Vâg. S. XXII, 23-34), 'To the in-breathing hail! To the off-breathing hail!' (he offers)--twelve months are a year, and the year is everything, and the Asvamedha is everything: thus it is for his obtaining and securing everything.
13:5:1:55. The central day is an ekavimsa day 1; for the twenty-one-fold is yonder sun, and he is the Asvamedha: by means of his own Stoma he thus establishes him in his own deity,--therefore it is an ekavimsa day.
13:5:1:66. And, again, as to why it is an ekavimsa day;--man is twenty-one-fold--ten fingers, ten toes, and the body (self) as the twenty-first: by means of that twenty-one-fold self he thus establishes him in the twenty-one-fold (day) as on a firm foundation,--therefore it is an ekavimsa day.
13:5:1:77. And, again, as to why it is an ekavimsa day;--the ekavimsa, assuredly, is the foundation of Stomas, and manifold is that ever-varying performance which takes place on this day,--and it is because he thinks that that manifold and ever-varying performance which takes place on this day, shall take place so as to be established on the ekavimsa as a firm foundation, that this is an ekavimsa day.
13:5:1:88. Now, as to the morning-service of this day. The Hotri, having recited as the Âgya (hymn 2) in the Paṅkti (metre) 'Agni I think on, who is good . . .,' recites thereto the one of a one-day's
p. 379
[paragraph continues] Soma-sacrifice 1. And the Bârhata Praüga and the Mâdhukhandasa one he recites both together 2 in triplets--(this being done) for the obtainment of the objects of desire which (may be contained) both in the Bârhata and the Mâdhukhandasa Praüga. The morning-service is (thus) set right.
13:5:1:99. Then as to the midday-service. For the obtainment of the Asvamedha, the atikhandas (verse, II, 22, 1), 'In the three troughs the buffalo drank the barley-draught,' is the opening verse of the Marutvatîya (sastra); for outstanding, indeed, is this atikhandas (hypercatalectic verse) amongst metres, and outstanding is the Asvamedha amongst sacrifices. This (verse), being recited thrice, amounts to a triplet, and thereby he obtains the object of desire which (may be contained) in the triplet. 'Here, O good one, is the pressed plant' (Rig-veda VIII, 2, 1-3) is the 'anukara' (sequent triplet): this same (triplet) is the constant
p. 380
connecting link of the one-day's sacrifice 1. Having recited both the paṅkti (verses, I, 80, 1-16) 'Here in the Soma-draught alone (the Brahman gave thee strength),' and the six-footed ones (VIII, 36, 1-7) 'The patron thou art of the offerer of Soma,' he inserts the Nivid in the (hymn) of the one-day's sacrifice. Thus as to the Marutvatîya (-sastra).
13:5:1:1010. Then as to the Nishkevalya (-sastra 2). The Mahânâmnî (verses) are the Prishtha (-stotra); and he recites them along with the anurûpa (verses) and pragâtha (-strophes), for the obtainment of all the objects of his desire, for in the Mahânâmnîs, as well as in the Asvamedha, are contained all objects of desire. Having recited the paṅkti verses (I, 81, 1-9) 'Indra hath grown in ebriety and strength,' and the six-footed ones (VIII, 37, 1-7) 'This sacred work didst thou protect in
p. 381
fights with Vritra,' he inserts the Nivid in the (hymn) of the one-day's sacrifice 1. The midday-service is (thus) set right.
13:5:1:1111. Then as to the evening-service. The atîkhandas verse (Vâg. S. IV, 25), 'Unto that god Savitri within the two bowls (do I sing praises 2),' is the opening verse 3 of the Vaisvadeva(-sastra 4): the mystic import thereof is the same as of the former (atikhandas verse). The Anukara 5 (Rig-veda I, 24, 3-5), 'Unto (abhi) thee, (the lord of treasures), O god Savitri, (ever helpful we come for our share . . .),' contains (the word) 'abhi,' as a form (sign) of victory (abhibhûti). Having recited the Sâvitra (triplet, VI, 71, 4-6), 'Up rose this god Savitri, the friend of the house . . .,' he inserts the Nivid in the (hymn) of the one-day's sacrifice 6. Having recited the four verses to Heaven and Earth (IV, 56, 1-4), 'The mighty Heaven and Earth, the most glorious, here . . .,' he inserts the Nivid in the (hymn I, 159) of the one-day's sacrifice. Having recited the Ârbhava (hymn, IV, 34), 'Ribhu, Vibhvan, Indra, Vâga, come ye to this our sacrifice . . .,'
p. 382
he inserts the Nivid in the (hymn, I, 111) of the one-day's sacrifice. Having recited the (hymn, V, 41) to the All-gods, 'Who is there righteous unto you, Mitra and Varuna? . . .,' he inserts the Nivid in the (hymn, I, 89) of the one-day's sacrifice. Thus as to the Vaisvadeva (-sastra).
13:5:1:1212. Then as to the Âgnimâruta 1. Having recited the (hymn, VI, 7) to (Agni) Vaisvânara, 'The head of the sky, and the disposer of the earth . . .,' he inserts the Nivid in the (hymn, III, 3) of the one-day's sacrifice. Having recited the (hymn, V, 57) to the Maruts, 'Hither, O Rudras, come ye united with Indra . . .,' he inserts the Nivid in the (hymn, I, 87) of the one-day's sacrifice. Having recited the nine verses (VI, 15, 1-9) to Gâtavedas, 'This guest of yours, the early-waking . . .,' he inserts the Nivid in the (hymn, I, 143) of the one-day's sacrifice. And as to why the (hymns) of the one-day's sacrifice are used for inserting the Nivid, it is for the sake of his (the Sacrificer's) not being deprived of a firm foundation, for the Gyotishtoma is a foundation.
13:5:1:1313. For this (day) there are those sacrificial animals--'A horse, a hornless he-goat, and a Gomriga 2,' fifteen 'paryaṅgyas': the mystic import of these has been explained. Then these wild ones--for spring he seizes (three) kapiñgalas 3, for summer sparrows, for the rainy season partridges: of these
p. 383
(wild animals) also (the mystic import) has been told 1.
13:5:1:1414. Then those (victims) for the twenty-one (stakes). He seizes twenty-one animals for each of the (eleven) deities of the Seasonal offerings 2; for as many as there are gods of the Seasonal offerings so many are all the gods; and all objects of desire are in the Asvamedha: 'by gratifying all the deities I shall gain all my desires,' so he thinks. But let him not proceed in this way.
13:5:1:1515. Let him seize seventeen victims for the central stake 3, in order that he may gain and secure every-thing,
p. 384
for the seventeenfold is Pragâpati, and the seventeenfold (stoma) is everything, and the Asvamedha is everything;--and sixteen at each of the other (stakes) in order that he may gain and secure everything, for everything here consists of sixteen parts, and the Asvamedha is everything. Thirteen wild (beasts) he seizes for each intermediate space, in order that he may gain and secure everything, for the year consists of thirteen months, and the Asvamedha is everything.
13:5:1:1616. Now, prior to the (chanting of the) Bahishpavamâna, they (the assistants of the Adhvaryu) bring up the horse, after cleansing it; and with it they glide along for the Pavamâna: the mystic import of this has been explained 1. When the Bahishpavamâna has been chanted, they make the horse step on the place of chanting: if it sniffs, or turns away, let him know that his sacrifice is successful. Having led up that (horse), the Adhvaryu says, 'Hotri, sing praises!' and the Hotri sings its praises 2 with eleven (verses, Rig-veda I, 163, 1-11)--
13:5:1:1717. 'When, first born, thou didst neigh . . .'--thrice (he praises) with the first, and thrice with the last (verse), these amount to fifteen,--fifteenfold is the thunderbolt, and the thunderbolt means vigour: with that thunderbolt, vigour, the Sacrificer thus from the very first repels evil: thus 3, indeed, it is to the Sacrificer that the thunderbolt is given in
p. 385
order to smite for him whoever is to be smitten.--[Rig-veda I, 163, 12. 13], The swift racer hath gone forward to the slaying. . . .'--'The racer hath gone forward to the highest place. . .'--
13:5:1:1818. Having omitted these two (verses), he inserts the hymn (I, 162), 'Never (shall forget us) Mitra, Varuna, Aryaman, Âyu . . .,' in the Adhrigu 1 (litany). Some, however, insert this verse (I, 162, 18), 'Thirty-four (ribs) of the steed, akin to the gods, (doth the knife hit) . . .,' before the (passage,--'twenty-six are its) ribs,' thinking lest they should place the holy syllable 'om' in the wrong place 2, or lest they should suggest the plural by a singular 3. Let him not proceed thus, but let him insert the hymn as a whole.--'The swift racer hath gone forward to the slaying . . .'--'The racer hath gone forward to the highest place . . .'--
Footnotes
375:1 'From natural fissures and incisions made in the bark (of Butea frondosa) issues during the hot season a red juice, which soon hardens into a ruby-coloured, brittle, astringent gum, similar to kino, and sold as Bengal kino.' Stewart and Brandis.375:2 See p. 331, note 1.
375:3 Regarding the Katushtoma, see p. 329, note 1.
376:1 According to the practice here referred to, the Agnishtomasâman would not consist merely of the one triplet (usually Sâmav. II, 53-4 i.e. the so-called yagñâyagñîya triplet) ordinarily used for it, but of four different Sâmans, inasmuch as three of the triplets which may be used for the Uktha-stotras (of the Ukthya and other sacrifices) are added to that yagñâyagñîya triplet. In that case, however, the latter is not chanted to its own 'yagñâyagñîya' tune, but the Vâravantîya tune is used for all the four triplets. This practice is somewhat vaguely referred to in Tândya-Br. XIX, 5, 10-11. 'One Sâman (tune), many metres (texts): therefore one (man) feeds many creatures. Verily, the Agnishtoma (sâman) is the self, and the metres (hymn-texts) are cattle: he thus secures cattle for his own self. It is neither an Ukthya nor an Agnishtoma (sacrifice), for cattle are neither (entirely) domestic nor wild (viz. because though kept "in the village," they also freely graze "in the forest").' Here the passage 'One Sâman, many metres,' according to the commentary, refers to the Vâravantîya tune as being employed, on this occasion, for the texts of the Yagñâyagñîya, the Sâkamasva (II, 55-57, here the Calc. ed., by mistake, calls the second tune figured for chanting, like the first, Sâkamasva, instead of Vâravantîya), the Saubhara (II, 230-2, where the Calc. ed., by mistake, omits the name Vâravantîya), and the Tairaska (II, 233-5; curiously enough, the Tairaska is not mentioned, in Lâty. Sr. VIII, 9-10, amongst the Sâmans that may be used for the third--or the Akkhâvâka's--Uktha, but Sâyana, on Sâmav. II, 233, states distinctly, 'tairaskam tritîyam uktham'). Whilst, as Uktha-stotras, the last three texts would usually he chanted in the ekavimsa, or twenty-one-versed form, in the present instance, as part of the katushtoma, they would be chanted (along with the Yagñâyagñîya) in the twenty-four-versed form. Thus, though an Agnishtoma sacrifice, inasmuch as it has twelve stotras, yet it is not a regular one; neither is it an Ukthya, because the Ukthas are not chanted as so many Stotras, followed by the recitation of separate Sastras. In the Âsv. Sr. X, 6, different alternatives are proposed for the chanting of the Agnishtoma-sâman p. 377 in the 'Gotamastoma (i.e. Katushtoma) antarukthya' and the corresponding Sastra, including apparently the employment of the Yagñâyagñîya-sâman either for all the four triplets, or for the Yagñâyagñîya triplet alone with the respective Sâmans used for the other triplets; different modes of recitation being thereby implied with regard to the Stotriya and Anurûpa pragâthas.
377:1 For the Âgnimâruta-sastra, recited by the Hotri after the chanting of the Agnishtoma-sâman, and containing, amongst various hymns and detached verses, the triplet which forms the text of the Stotra, i.e. the 'Stotriya pragâtha,' as well as a corresponding antistrophe, the 'Anurûpa pragâtha,' see part ii, p. 369 note. On the present occasion, however, this constituent element of the Sastra would have to include the triplets of all the four Sâmans, as well as four 'antistrophes' which are thus 'recited together.'
377:2 Or, Prishtha-stotra, viz. the first stotra of that name at the midday-service, for which that Sâman is used in the Agnishtoma sacrifice (part ii, p. 339, note 2).
377:3 That is, victims sacrificed on the Sutyâs, or Soma-days. Two complete sets of eleven such victims are, however, required on each of the three days, see p. 309, note 2.
377:4 See XIII, 2, 1, 1 seqq., and p. 297, note 1.
378:1 That is one on which all Stotras are chanted in the 'ekavimsa' Stoma, or twenty-one-versed hymn-form.
378:2 Viz. Rig-veda V, 6, forming the special feature of the Âgyasastra at the Asvamedha.
379:1 Viz. the Âgya-sûkta, Rig-veda III, 13, forming the chief part of the Hotri's Âgya-sastra, or first Sastra of the Agnishtoma, for which see part ii, p. 327 note.
379:2 The Bârhata Praüga, or Praüga-sastra in the Brihatî metre,--being the one recited on the fifth day of the Prishthya-shadaha (Âsv. Sr. VII, 12, 7), and consisting of the seven different triplets, addressed to as many different deities,--is to be recited also on this occasion; and along with it (or rather, intertwined with it, triplet by triplet) the ordinary Praüga-sastra of the Agnishtoma, made up of the two hymns Rig-veda I, 2 and 3 which are ascribed to Madhukhandas, and consist of nine and twelve verses, or together seven triplets. I do not understand why Harisvâmin mentions 'Vâyur agregâh' (? Vâg. S. XXVII, 31) as being the first triplet of the Mâdhukhandasa Praüga, instead of I, 2, 1-3 'vâyav â yâhi darsata.' The Praüga is the Hotri's second Sastra of the morning-service, being preceded by the chanting of the first Âgya-stotra; see part ii, p. 325.
380:1 See part ii, p. 337, where the same triplet forms the anukara of this Sastra at the Agnishtoma. It is followed there by the Pragâthas VIII, 53, 5-6; I, 40, 5-6 (read thus! each two counting as one triplet); three Dhâyyâ verses, and the Marutvatîya Pragâthas VIII, 89, 3-4 (!), These are to be followed up, on the present occasion, by the two hymns I, 80, and VIII, 36, after which the Indra hymn X, 73, the chief part of the normal Marutvatîya Sastra, is to be recited, with the Nivid formula inserted after the sixth verse.
380:2 That is, the Sastra succeeding the chanting of the first, or Hotri's, Prishtha-stotra (see part ii, p. 339). Whilst, however, in the one-day's sacrifice, the Rathantara (or the Brihat) sâman is used for that stotra, the Mahânâmni verses (see part iii, introd. p. xx, note 2), with the Sâkvara tune, are to be used as the Stotriyâs on this occasion, and are therefore likewise to be recited by the Hotri as Stotriya-pragâthas (cf. Âsv. VII, 12, 10 seqq.), to be followed up by the antistrophe (anurûpa)--here consisting of the triplets I, 84, 10-12; VIII, 93, 31-3; I, 11, 1-3--and the Sâma-pragâtha, VIII, 3, 1-2.
381:1 Viz. after the eighth verse of the hymn Rig-veda I, 32, the chief part of the normal Nishkevalya-sastra.
381:2 For the complete verse see III, 3, 2, 1 2.
381:3 This verse is again recited thrice, and thus takes the place of the ordinary opening triplet.
381:4 For this Sastra, recited after the Ârbhava-Pavamâna-stotra, see part ii, p. 361.
381:5 Âsv. Sr. X, 10, 6 prescribes the ordinary anukara V, 82, 4-7; whence Sâyana on I, 24, 3 (-5) offers no indication of the ritualistic use of that triplet on this occasion.
381:6 Viz. IV, 54, before the last verse of which the Nivid is inserted.
382:1 Viz. the final Sastra of the evening-service, preceded by the chanting of the Agnishtoma-sâman; see part ii, p. 369.
382:2 See p. 298, note 4; p. 338, note 1.
382:3 The 'Kapiñgala' is a kind of wildfowl, apparently of the quail or partridge species--a hazel-cock, or francoline partridge. Some of the later authorities, however, identify it with the 'kâtaka' p. 383 ('cuculus melanoleucus'). With regard to some of the wild animals referred to in the corresponding section of the Vâg. S., the commentator Mahîdhara significantly remarks (Vâg. S. XXIV, 29; cf. Kâty. XX, 6, 6 scholl.) that the meaning of such names as are not understood must be made out with the help of quotations (nigama), Vedic vocabularies (nighantu) and their comments (nirukta), grammar (vyâkarana), the Unâdivritti, and dictionaries.
383:1 Viz. XIII, 2, 4, 1 seqq. It is not easy to see why the text should break off abruptly with the birds representing the rainy season. For autumn there are to be (three) quails, for winter 'kakara,' and for the dewy season 'vikakara.' Then follow, to the end of the 260 wild animals, a long series of divinities to each of which (or sometimes to allied deities) three animals are consigned. Thirteen of these wild animals are placed on each of the twenty spaces between the twenty-one stakes.
383:2 Or, perhaps, for the (eleven) deities of the Seasonal offerings he seizes twenty-one animals for each (stake); which would certainly simplify the distribution of those animals. Regarding the victims actually consecrated to the deities of the Kâturmâsya offerings, see p. 309, note 2.
383:3 This does not include the twelve 'paryaṅgyas' tied to the horse's limbs, but only the horse and two other victims sacred to Pragâpati, and twelve of a long series of beasts, of which three are dedicated to each successive deity (or allied group of deities). To these are afterwards added Agni's two victims belonging to the two sets of eleven victims (of the other twenty of which one is assigned to each of the other stakes).
384:1 XIII, 2, 3, 1.
384:2 The mode of recitation is similar to that of the kindling-verses (likewise eleven, brought up, by repetitions of the first and last, to fifteen), viz. by making a pause after each half-verse, but without adding the syllable 'om' thereto. Âsv. Sr. X, 8, 5.
384:3 Harisvâmin explains 'tad vai' as standing for 'sa vai' (liṅgavyatyayena)--viz. that fifteenfold thunderbolt.
385:1 On this recitation, consisting of a lengthy set of formulas, addressed to the slaughterers, see part ii, p, 188, note 2. The whole of the formulas are given Ait. Br. II, 6-7. The hymn, according to Âsv. X, 8, 7; is to be inserted either before the last formula of the litany, or somewhat further back--viz. before the formula 'shadvimsatir asya vaṅkrayas,' 'twenty-six are its ribs'--whilst our Brâhmana rather allows the alternative of the eighteenth verse of I, 162 being inserted at the latter place,--unless, indeed, the insertion in that case is to be made immediately before the word 'vaṅkrayah' which is scarcely likely.
385:2 Harisvâmin seems to take this to mean that as this verse is of the same nature as the formulas of the Adhrigu litany, he is to treat it as such, as otherwise, in reciting he would have to pronounce 'om' after that verse, which is not done after those formulas.
385:3 Or, the plurality by the individual. Owing to the corrupt state of the MS., the commentator's explanation of this passage is not clear. He seems, however, at any rate, to take the 'plural' to refer to the formula 'shadvimsatir asya vaṅkrayas,' where apparently 'eshâm' has to be substituted for 'asya' on this occasion, as many victims are immolated, and the ribs of a plurality of beasts are thus indicated, whilst in verse eighteen of the hymn, on the p. 386 contrary, only the ribs of one horse (thus forming a kind of unit) are referred to; and if that verse were recited, along with the whole hymn, before the final formula which refers to all the victims, the necessary connection would be interrupted.
SECOND BRÂHMANA.
13:5:2:11. Having uttered these two (verses), he pronounces what remains of the Adhrigu. 'A cloth, an upper cloth, and gold,' this is what they spread out for the horse 1: thereon they 'quiet' (slaughter) it. When the victims have been 'quieted,' the (king's) wives come up with water for washing the feet,--four wives; and a young maiden as the fifth, and four hundred female attendants.13:5:2:22. When the foot-water is ready, they cause the Mahishî to lie down near the horse, and cover her up with the upper cloth, with 'In heaven ye envelop yourselves,'--for that indeed is heaven where they immolate the victim, . . ., 'May the vigorous male, the layer of seed, lay seed!' she says 2 for the completeness of union.
13:5:2:33. Whilst they are lying there, the Sacrificer addresses the horse (Vâg. S. XXIII, 21), 'Utsakhyâ ava gudam dhehi!' No one replies to him, lest there should be some one to rival the Sacrificer.
13:5:2:44. The Adhvaryu then addresses the maiden, 'Hey hey maiden, that little bird . . .'--The maiden replies to him, 'Adhvaryu! that little bird . . .'
13:5:2:55. And the Brahman addresses the Mahishî, 'Mahishî, hey hey Mahishî, thy mother and father mount to the top of the tree . . .'--She has a hundred daughters of kings attending upon her: these
p. 387
reply to the Brahman, 'Brahman, hey hey Brahman, thy mother and father play on the top of the tree. . .'
13:5:2:66. And the Udgâtri addresses the favourite, 'Vâvâtâ, hey hey Vâvâtâ, turn upwards!' She has a hundred noble-women (râganyâ) attending upon her: these reply to the Udgâtri, 'Hey hey Udgâtri, turn upwards!'
13:5:2:77. And the Hotri says to the discarded wife, 'Parivriktâ, hey hey Parivriktâ, when large meets small in this amhubhedî . . .'--She has a hundred daughters of heralds and head-men of villages attending upon her: these reply to the Hotri, 'Hotri, hey hey Hotri, when the gods favoured the lalâmagu . . .'
13:5:2:88. Then the chamberlain addresses the fourth wife, 'Pâlâgalî, hey hey Pâlâgalî, when the deer eats the corn, one thinks not of the fat cattle . . .'--She has a hundred daughters of chamberlains and charioteers attending upon her: these reply to the chamberlain, 'Chamberlain, hey hey chamberlain, when the deer eats the corn, one thinks not of the fat cattle. . .'
13:5:2:99. These speeches, the derisive discourses, indeed are every kind of attainment, and in the Asvamedha all objects of desire are contained: 'By every kind of speech may we obtain all objects of our desire' thus thinking, they cause the Mahishî to rise, Those (women) then walk back in the same way as they had come; and the others finally utter the verse containing (the word) 'fragrant' (Rig-v. IV, 39, 6), 'To Dadhikrâvan have I sung praises. . .'
13:5:2:1010. For, indeed, life and the deities depart from those who at the sacrifice speak impure speech: it is their speech they thereby purify so that the deities may not depart from the divine service.
p. 388
[paragraph continues] Now (some) put the omentum of the Gomriga and that of the hornless he-goat upon the horse and then take it (to the Âhavanîya), saying, 'The horse has no omentum.' Let him not do so: of the horse he should certainly take the fat; the (omenta of the) others are normal.
13:5:2:1111. When the omenta have been roasted, and when they have performed (the oblations) with the Svâhâs 1, and returned to the back (of the sacrificial ground), they hold a Brahmodya 2 (theological discussion) in the Sadas. Having entered by the front door, they sit down at their several hearths.
13:5:2:1212. The Hotri asks the Adhvaryu (Vâg. S. XXIII, 45), 'Who is it that walketh singly 3?. . .' He replies to him (ib. 46), 'Sûrya (the sun) walketh singly. . .'
13:5:2:1313. The Adhvaryu then asks the Hotri (Vâg. S. XXIII, 47), 'Whose light is there equal to the sun?. . .' He replies to him (ib. 48), 'The Brahman (n.) is the light equal to the sun. . .'
13:5:2:1414. The Brahman then asks the Udgâtri (Vâg. S. XXIII, 49), 'I ask thee for the sake of knowledge, O friend of the gods [if thou hast applied thy mind thereto: hath Vishnu entered the whole world at those three places at which offering is made unto him?]' and he replies (ib. 50), 'I too am at those three places [at which he entered the whole world:
p. 389
daily do I, with the one body 1, go round the earth, the sky, and the back of yonder sky].'
13:5:2:1515. The Udgâtri then asks the Brahman (Vâg. S. XXIII, 51), 'Into what (things) hath the Spirit 2 entered, [and what (things) are established in the spirit? this, O Brahman, we crave of thee: what answer dost thou give unto us thereon?]' and he replies (ib. 52), 'Into five (things) hath the spirit entered, and they are established in the spirit: this I reply unto thee thereon; not superior in wisdom art thou (to me).'
13:5:2:1616. When this (verse) has been uttered, they rise and betake themselves from the Sadas eastwards to the Sacrificer. Haying come to him, seated in front of the Havirdhâna 3 (shed), they sit down in their several places.
13:5:2:1717. The Hotri then asks the Adhvaryu (Vâg. S. XXIII, 53), 'What was the first conception 4?. . .' and he replies (ib. 54), 'The sky was the first conception. . .'
13:5:2:1818. The Adhvaryu then asks the Hotri (ib. 55), 'Who, pray, is the tawny one (pisaṅgilâ)? [who is the kurupisaṅgilâ? who moveth in leaps? who creepeth along the path?]' and he replies (ib. 56), 'The tawny one is the uncreated (night) 5; [the kurupisaṅgilâ is the porcupine; the hare
p. 390
moveth in leaps; the snake creepeth along the path].'
13:5:2:1919. The Brahman then asks the Udgâtri (Vâg. S. XXIII, 57), 'How many kinds are thereof this (sacrifice), how many syllables?--[how many oblations? how often is (the fire) enkindled? The ordinances of sacrifice have I now asked of thee: how many priests offer in due form?]' and he replies (ib. 58), 'Six kinds there are of this (sacrifice), a hundred syllables, [eighty oblations, and three kindling-sticks; the ordinances of sacrifice do I declare unto thee: seven priests offer in due form].'
13:5:2:2020. The Udgâtri then asks the Brahman (Vâg. S. XXIII, 59), 'Who knoweth the navel of this world? [who heaven and earth and the air? who knoweth the birth-place of the great Sun? who knoweth the Moon, whence it was born?]' and he replies (ib. 60), 'I know the navel of this world, [I know heaven and earth and the air; I know the birth-place of the great Sun, and I know the Moon, whence it was born]'
13:5:2:2121. The Sacrificer then asks the Adhvaryu (Vâg. S. XXIII, 61), 'I ask thee about the farthest end of the earth, [I ask where is the navel of the world; I ask thee about the seed of the vigorous steed; I ask thee about the highest seat of speech];' and he replies (ib. 62), 'This altar-ground is the farthest end of the earth; [this sacrifice is the navel of the world; this Soma-juice is the seed of the vigorous
p. 391
steed; this Brahman (priest) is the highest seat of speech].'
13:5:2:2222. Verily, this is the complete attainment of speech, to wit the Brahmodya, and in the Asvamedha all desires are contained: 'By means of all speech may we obtain all our desires!' so (they think).
13:5:2:2323. When the colloquy has been held, the Adhvaryu enters the (Havirdhâna), and draws Pragâpati's (first) Mahiman cup (of Soma) in a gold vessel. The Puroruk formula 1 thereof is (Vâg. S. XXIII, 1; Rig-v. X, 121, 1), 'The golden germ was first produced . . .' And its Puroऽnuvâkyâ is (Vâg. S. XXIII, 63), 'Of good nature, self-existent at first (within the great ocean: I verily place the right germ whence is born Pragâpati).'--'May the Hotri offer to Pragâpati: [of the Mahiman Soma (cup); may he relish, may he drink the Soma! Hotri, utter the offering-formula!]' is the Praisha (ib. 64). The Hotri utters the offering-formula (ib. 65), 'O Pragâpati, none other than thee hath encompassed all these forms 2 . . . ;' and as the Vashat is pronounced, he (the Adhvaryu) offers with (Vâg. S. XXIII, 2), 'What greatness of thine there hath been in the day, and the year, [what greatness of thine there hath been in the wind and the air; what greatness of thine there hath been in the heavens and the sun, to that greatness of thine, to Pragâpati, hail, to the gods 3!]' He does not repeat the Vashat, for he offers the cup of Soma all at once.
Footnotes
386:1 See XIII, 2, 8, 1.386:2 Nirâyatyâsvasya sisnam mahishy upasthe nidhatte 'vrishâ vâgî retodhâ reto dadhâtv' iti mithunasyaiva sarvatvâya.
388:1 See III, 8, 2, 21-23.
388:2 For a similar discussion between the Brahman and Hotri, prior to the binding of the victims to the stakes, see XIII, 2, 6, 9 seqq.
388:3 For the complete verse, comprising four questions, see XIII, 2, 6, 10-13; the answers being given there in the form of explanations.
389:1 Or, with the one limb (ekenâṅgena) which Mahîdhara takes to mean 'with the mind, in mind.' Possibly 'asya' may have to be taken together with it--'with the one body of his (Vishnu's).'
389:2 Or, man (purusha). The five things, according to Mahîdhara, are the vital airs, or breathings.
389:3 That is, behind the uttaravedi, according to Kâty. XX, 7, 22.
389:4 See XIII, 2, 6, 14 seqq.
389:5 Mahîdhara takes 'agâ' (the eternal) here as meaning either the p. 390 night, or Mâyâ; cf. XIII, 2, 6, 17. Perhaps, however, 'agâ' may mean 'goat' here.
391:1 That is, the preliminary formula, or formulas, preceding the upayâma' ('Thou art taken with a support . . .').
391:2 See V, 4, 2, 9.
391:3 See XIII, 2, 11, 2 with note.
THIRD BRÂHMANA.
THE VAPÂ-OFFERINGS.
13:5:3:11. Now as to the offering of the omenta. 'They should proceed with them singly up to the omentum of the Vaisvadeva (victim) 1; and when the omentum of the Vaisvadeva has been offered, they should thereupon offer the others,' said Satyakâma Gâbâla; 'for, doubtless, the All-Gods (Visve Devâh) are all (sarve) the gods: it is in this way he gratifies them deity after deity.'13:5:3:22. 'When the omentum of the Aindrâgna (victim) has been offered, they should thereupon offer the others,' said the two Saumapa Mânutantavya;'for, doubtless, Indra and Agni are all the gods: it is in this way he gratifies them deity after deity.'
13:5:3:33. 'When the omentum of the (victim) sacred to Ka has been offered, they should thereupon offer
p. 393
the others,' said Sailâli; 'for, doubtless, Ka is Pragâpati, and behind Pragâpati are all the gods: it is in this way he gratifies them deity after deity.'
13:5:3:44. 'Having gone through the twenty-one deities of the Seasonal 1 (victims), let them proceed by dividing (the omenta) into twenty-one parts 2,' said Bhâllaveya; 'for as many as there are Seasonal deities so many are all the gods: it is in this way he gratifies them deity after deity.'
13:5:3:55. 'Let them proceed (with the omenta) singly and not otherwise,' said Indrota Saunaka; 'why, indeed, should they hasten? It is in this way he gratifies them deity after deity.' This, then, is what these have said, but the established practice is different therefrom.
13:5:3:66. Now Yâgñavalkya said, 'They should proceed simultaneously with the (omenta) of Pragâpati's 3 (victims), and simultaneously with those consecrated to single gods: it is in this way that he gratifies them deity after deity, that he goes straightway to the completion of the sacrifice, and does not stumble.'
13:5:3:77. When the omenta have been offered, the Adhvaryu enters (the Havirdhâna shed) and draws
p. 394
[paragraph continues] Pragâpati's second Mahiman cup of Soma in a silver vessel. The Puroruk thereof is (Vâg. XXIII, 3), 'He who by his greatness hath become the one king of the breathing and blinking world, [and who here ruleth over the two-footed and the four-footed: to the god Ka (Who?) will we pay homage by offering].' The Anuvâkyâ and Yâgyâ are interchanged so as to (ensure) unimpaired vigour 1, and the Praisha (direction to Hotri) is the same (as that of the first cup). As the Vashat is uttered, he offers with (Vâg. S. XXIII, 4), 'What greatness of thine there hath been in the night, and the year, [what greatness of thine there hath been in the earth and the fire; what greatness of thine there hath been in the Nakshatras and the moon, to that greatness of thine, to Pragâpati, to the gods, hail 2].' He does not repeat the Vashat: the significance of this has been explained.
13:5:3:88. Of the blood of the other victims they make no sacrificial portions; of (that of) the horse they do make portions 3. Of (the blood of) the others they make portions 4 on the south side, of (that of) the horse on the north side (of the altar); of (the blood of) the others he makes portions on (a mat of) plaksha (ficus infectoria) twigs, of (that of) the horse on rattan twigs.
p. 395
13:5:3:99. But concerning this, Sâtyayagñi said, 'They may indeed do it in either way, only one must not depart from the (right) path.' But the former, indeed, is the established practice. The sacrifice (of the second day) is an Ukthya: thereby he causes the air-world to prosper. The last day is an Atirâtra with all the Stomas, for him to obtain and secure everything, for the Atirâtra with all the Stomas is everything, and the Asvamedha is everything.
13:5:3:1010. Its Bahishpavamâna (stotra) is in the Trivrit (9-versed Stoma), the Âgya (stotras) in the Pañkadasa (15-versed), the Mâdhyandina-pavamâna in the Saptadasa (17), the Prishthas in the Ekavimsa (21), the Tritîya Pavamâna in the Trinava (27), the Agnishtoma-sâman in the Trayastrimsa (33), the Ukthas in the Ekavimsa (21), the Shodasin in the Ekavimsa, the night (chants) in the Pañkadasa, the Sandhi (twilight chant) in the Trivrit (9). Whatever Sastra is (recited) for the second day of the Prishthya Shadaha that is (used at) the Atirâtra sacrifice 1; thereby he causes yonder (heavenly) world to prosper.
13:5:3:1111. 'There are twenty-one Savanîya victims, all of them consecrated to Agni, and there is one and the same performance for them,' so say some; but let him rather immolate those twenty-four bovine (victims 2) for twelve deities,--twelve months are a year, and the year is everything, and the Asvamedha
p. 396
is everything: thus it is for the sake of his obtaining and securing everything.
Footnotes
392:1 Whilst there are amongst the victims immolated on the second day, several others consecrated to the Visve Devâh, Indra and Agni, and Ka,--the Vaisvadeva, Aindrâgna, and Kâya victims, referred to in this and the following two paragraphs, belong to the Kâturmâsya, or Seasonal victims, being amongst those tied to the fourteenth and sixteenth stakes. Though the text speaks only of one Vaisvadeva &c. victim, there are really three such victims in each case. According to the views referred to in these paragraphs (cf. comm. on Kâty. XX, 7, 23), the omenta of all the preceding victims (from the 'paryaṅgya' onwards) up to the beginning of the Kâturmâsyas, would be offered together after (or along with) the vapâs of those of the respective victims (Vaisvadeva &c.) specified in these paragraphs; and along therewith the vapâs of all the subsequent Seasonal victims. The deities to which this heap of omenta would be offered, would thus be either the Visve Devâh, or Indra and Agni, or Ka, as representing all the deities. Âsv. S. X, 9, 7, assigns the omenta of all the victims, except the three Prâgâpatya ones, to the Visve Devâh.393:1 See p. 309, note 2.
393:2 According to this view, the omenta of all the victims after the three first (Prâgâpatya) ones,--i.e. beginning from the 'paryaṅgya' animals (see p. 299, note 2) up to the end of the Kâturmâsya, or Seasonal victims, which are the last of the domesticated animals--would be put together in one heap and divided into twenty-one portions, which would then be offered to the first twenty-one deities of the Seasonal offerings, that is to say, to those of the Vaisvadeva, Varunapraghâsa, Sâkamedha, and Mahâhavis offerings, thus omitting the deities of the Pitryeshti and the Sunâsîriya offerings.
393:3 That is the first three victims, viz. the horse, the hornless he-goat, and the Gomriga.
394:1 By simple repetition this would be impaired.
394:2 See XIII, 2, 11, 2 with note.
394:3 See XIII, 3, 4, 2-5.
394:4 This would be an alternative view. According to the scholl. on Katy. XX, 8, 1-3, this would seem to refer to the other Prâgâpatya victims, in which case one would, however, expect the dual here, as there are only two of them besides the horse.
395:1 In the same way Âsv. S. X, 4, 8 lays down the rule that the Sastras of the second day are those of the fifth day of the Vyûdha Prishthya-shadaha; cf. above, XIII, 5, 1, 7 seqq.
395:2 See XIII, 3, 2, 3.
FOURTH BRÂHMANA.
DIFFERENT ARRANGEMENTS OF THE CHANTS OF THE ASVAMEDHA.
13:5:4:11. Now, Indrota Daivâpa Saunaka once performed this sacrifice for Ganamegaya Pârikshita, and by performing it he extinguished all evil-doing, all Brahman-slaughter; and, verily, he who performs the Asvamedha extinguishes (the guilt incurred by) all evil-doing, all Brahman-slaughter.13:5:4:22. It is of this, indeed, that the Gâthâ (strophe) sings,--'In Âsandîvat 1, Ganamegaya bound for the gods a black-spotted, grain-eating horse, adorned with a golden ornament and with yellow garlands.'
13:5:4:33. [There are] those same first two days 2, and a Gyotis 3 Atirâtra: therewith (they sacrificed) for Bhîmasena;--those same first two days, and a Go Atirâtra: therewith (they sacrificed) for Ugrasena;--those same first two days, and an Âyus Atirâtra: therewith (they sacrificed) for Srutasena. These are the Pârikshitîyas 4, and it is of this that the Gâthâ sings,--'The righteous Pârikshitas, performing horse-sacrifices, by their righteous work did away with sinful work one after another.'
p. 397
13:5:4:44. Those same first two days, and an Abhigit 1 Atirâtra,--therewith Para Âtnâra, the Kausalya king, once sacrificed: it is of this that Gâthâ sings,--'Atnâra's son, the Kausalya Para, Hairanyanâbha, caused a horse, meet for sacrifice, to be bound, and gave away the replete regions.'
13:5:4:55. Those same first two days, and a Visvagit 1 Atirâtra,--therewith Purukutsa, the Aikshvâka king, once on a time performed a horse (daurgaha)-sacrifice, whence it is of this that the Rishi sings (Rig-v. IV, 42, 8),--'These, the seven Rishis, were then our fathers when Daurgaha 2 was bound.'
13:5:4:66. Those same first two days, and a Mahâvrata 3 Atirâtra,--therewith Marutta Âvikshita, the Âyogava king, once performed sacrifice; whence the Maruts became his guards-men, Agni his chamberlain, and the Visve Devâh his counsellors: it is of this that the Gâthâ sings,--'The Maruts dwelt as guards-men in Marutta Âvikshita's house, Agni as his chamberlain, and the Visve Devâh as his counsellors.' And, verily, the Maruts become the guards-men, Agni the chamberlain, and the Visve Devâh the counsellors of him who performs the horse-sacrifice.
13:5:4:77. Those same first two days, and an Aptoryâma 4 Atirâtra,--it was therewith that Kraivya, the Pâñkâla king, once performed sacrifice,--for Krivis they formerly called the Pañkâlas: it is of this that the Gâthâ sings,--'At Parivakrâ, the
p. 398
[paragraph continues] Pâñkâla overlord of the Krivis seized a horse, meet for sacrifice, with offering-gifts of a hundred thousand (head of cattle).'
13:5:4:88. And a second (Gâthâ),--'A thousand myriads there were, and five-and-twenty hundreds, which the Brâhmanas of the Pañkâlas from every quarter divided between them.'
13:5:4:99. The Agnishtoma in the Trivrit (stoma); the Ukthya in the Pañkadasa; and the third day, with the Uktha (stotras), in the Saptadasa; the Shodasin (stotra) in the Ekavimsa, the night (stotras) in the Pañkadasa, and the Sandhi (stotra) in the Trivrit,--this is the (sacrifice) resulting in the Anushtubh 1: it is therewith that sacrifice was performed by Dhvasan Dvaitavana, the king of the Matsyas, where there is the lake Dvaitavana; and it is of this that the Gâthâ sings,--'Fourteen steeds did king Dvaitavana, victorious in battle, bind for Indra Vritrahan, whence the lake Dvaitavana (took its name).'
13:5:4:1010. The (three) Pavamâna (stotras) in the Katurvimsa (stoma), and (those performed) by repetitions 2 in the Trivrit; the Pavamânas in the Katuskatvârimsa (44-versed stoma), and (those performed) by repetition 3 in the Ekavimsa; the Pavamânas in
p. 399
the Ashtâkatvârimsa (48), and (those performed) by repetition in the Trayastrimsa (33) up to the Agnishtoma-sâman, the Uktha (stotras) in the Dvâtrimsa (32), the Shodasin in the Ekavimsa, the night (stotras) in the Pañkadasa, and the Sandhi (stotra) in the Trivrit
13:5:4:1111. Suchlike is Vishnu's striding 1,--it was therewith that Bharata Dauhshanti once performed sacrifice, and attained that wide sway which now belongs to the Bharatas: it is of this that the Gâthâ sings,--'Seventy-eight steeds did Bharata Dauhshanti bind for the Vritra-slayer on the Yamunâ, and fifty-five near the Gaṅgâ.'
13:5:4:1212. And a second (Gâthâ),--'Having bound a hundred and thirty-three horses, meet for sacrifice, king Saudyumni, more shifty, overcame the other shiftless ones.'
13:5:4:1313. And a third,--'At Nâdapit 2, the Apsaras Sakuntalâ conceived Bharata, who, after conquering the whole earth, brought to Indra more than a thousand horses, meet for sacrifice.'
13:5:4:1414. And a fourth 3,--'The greatness of Bharata neither the men before nor those after him attained, nor did the five (tribes of) men, even as a mortal man (does not touch) the sky with his arms.'
13:5:4:1515. With the Ekavimsa-stoma 4 Rishabha Yâgñatura,
p. 400
king of the Sviknas, performed sacrifice: it is of this that the Gâthâ sings,--'When Rishabha Yâgñatura was sacrificing, the Brahman-folk, having received wealth at the Asvamedha, divided the offering-gifts between them.'
13:5:4:1616. With the Trayastrimsa-stoma Sona Sâtrâsâha, the Pâñkâla king, performed sacrifice: it is of this that the Gâthâ sings,--'When Sâtrâsâha performs the horse-sacrifice, the Trayastrimsa (stomas) come forth as (Taurvasa) horses, and six thousand mail-clad men 1.'
13:5:4:1717. And a second (Gâthâ),--'At the sacrifice of thee, Koka's father, the Trayastrimsa (stomas) come forth, each as six times six thousand 2 (horses), and six thousand mail-clad men.'
13:5:4:1818. And a third,--'When Sâtrâsâha, the Pâñkâla king, was sacrificing, wearing beautiful garlands, Indra revelled in Soma, and the Brâhmanas became satiated with wealth.'
13:5:4:1919. Satânîka Sâtrâgita performed the Govinata (form of Asvamedha), after taking away the
p. 401
horse of the Kâsya (king); and since that time the Kâsis do not keep up the (sacrificial) fires, saying, 'The Soma-drink has been taken from us.'
13:5:4:2020. The mode (of chanting) for this (Govinata form) is:--the Pavamâna (stotras) in the Katurvimsa (stoma), and (those chanted) by repetitions in the Trivrit;--the Pavamânas in the Katuskatvârimsa, the Âgya (stotras) in the Ekavimsa, the Ukthas 1 In the Trinava, the Prishthas in the Ekavimsa;--the Pavamânas in the Shattrimsa (36-versed), and (those chanted) by repetitions in the Trayastrimsa (33) up to the Agnishtoma-sâman, the Ukthas in the Ekavimsa, the Shodasin in the Ekavimsa, the night (stotras) in the Pañkadasa, and the Sandhi (stotra) in the Trivrit.
13:5:4:2121. It is of this that the Gâthâ sings,--'Satânîka Sâtrâgita seized a sacrificial horse, in the neighbourhood, the sacrifice of the Kâsis, even as Bharata (seized that) of the Satvats.'
13:5:4:2222. And a second,--'The mighty Satânîka, having seized, in the neighbourhood, Dhritarâshtra's white sacrificial horse, roaming at will in its tenth month, Satânîka 2 performed the Govinata-sacrifice.'
13:5:4:2323. And a fourth 3,--'The greatness of the Bharatas neither the men before nor those after them attained, nor did the seven (tribes of) men, even as a mortal man (does not touch) the sky with his flanks.'
p. 402
13:5:4:2424. Now as to the sacrificial gifts. Whatever there is towards the middle of the kingdom other than the land, the men, and the property of the Brâhmana, of that the eastern region belongs to the Hotri, the southern to the Brahman, the western to the Adhvaryu, the northern to the Udgâtri; and the Hotrikas share this along with them.
13:5:4:2525. When the Udayanîyâ (completing offering) is finished, he seizes twenty-one barren cows, sacred to Mitra-Varuna, the Visve Devâh, and Brihaspati, with the view of his gaining those deities. And the reason why those sacred to Brihaspati come last is that Brihaspati is the Brahman (n.), and he thus establishes himself finally in the Brahman.
13:5:4:2626. And as to their being twenty-one of them,--the twenty-one-fold is he who shines yonder: twelve months, five seasons, these three worlds, and yonder sun as the twenty-first--this consummation (he thereby obtains).
13:5:4:2727. When the Udavasânîyâ (closing offering) is completed, they give, for a sacrificial gift, four women, with a maiden as the fifth, and four hundred female attendants according to agreement.
13:5:4:2828. And during the following year he performs the animal sacrifices of the seasons,--six (victims) sacred to Agni in the spring, six to Indra in the summer, six to Parganya, or to the Maruts, in the rainy season, six to Mitra and Varuna in the autumn, six to Indra and Vishnu in the winter, and six to Indra and Brihaspati in the dewy season,--six seasons are a year: in the seasons, in the year, he thus establishes himself. These amount to thirty-six animals,--the Brihatî (metre) consists of thirty-six syllables, and the heavenly world is established
p. 403
upon the Brihatî: and thus he finally establishes himself, by means of the Brihatî metre, in the heavenly world.
Footnotes
396:1 Lit., (in the city, nagare, Harisvâmin) possessed of a throne. Cf. Ait. Br. VIII, 2 1.396:2 Viz., as stated before, an Agnishtoma and an Ukthya.
396:3 As to the difference between the Gyotis, Go, and Âyus forms of the Agnishtoma sacrifice, see part iv, p. 287, note 2.
396:4 That is, according to Harisvâmin (and the Gâthâ), the brothers of (Ganamegaya) Pârikshita, though one would rather have thought of his sons, the grandsons of Parikshit.
397:1 Regarding the Abhigit and Visvagit, see part iv, p. 320, note 2.
397:2 Sâyana, differently from our Brâhmana, takes Daurgaha as the patronymic of Purukutsa (son of Durgaha).
397:3 See part iv, p. 282, note 5.
397:4 See part iii, introd. p. xx.
398:1 Viz. inasmuch as, according to Harisvâmin, all the Stotras amount together to 798 verses, which make twenty-five anushtubh verses (of 32 syllables each) or thereabouts.
398:2 That is to say, all the remaining nine stotras of this, the Agnishtoma, day, the so-called Dhuryas, viz. the Âgya-stotras, the Prishtha-stotras, and the Agnishtoma-sâman, in all of which the respective Stoma is obtained by repetitions of the three stotriyâ-verses.
398:3 In this, the Ukthya, day, this includes also the three Uktha-stotras, as being, as it were, the Dhuryas of the Hotri's assistants p. 399 (cf. part iii, introd. p. xiv seqq.); whilst in the directions regarding the next day they are not included, as requiring a different Stoma.
399:1 Just as there are here wide intervals between the Stomas, so Vishnu, in his three strides, passes over wide distances, comm.
399:2 This, according to Harisvâmin, is the name of Kanva's hermitage. Cf. Leumann, Zeitsch. d. D. M. G., XLVIII, p. 81.
399:3 Cf. Ait. Br. VIII, 23; Weber, Ind. Stud. I, p. 202.
399:4 That is, using the 21-versed form throughout the three days.
400:1 This seems to be Harisvâmin's interpretation of the verse:--torvasâ asvâ gyeshthe tam api srigyeran iti (?) trayastrimsâ stomâ udgakkhanti, sa hi Sonas trayastrimsân eva stomân trishv api divaseshu prayuṅkte nânyân iti to udgakkhantîty âha, shat tu sahasrâni varminâm râgaputrânâm kavakinâm asvapâlânâm udîrata iti vartate varshe prâptâ eva drashtavyâh. The St. Petersb. Dict., on the other hand, construes 'trayastrimsâh' along with 'shat sahasrâni' = 6033 (? horses of mail-clad men). This interpretation seems to me to involve serious difficulties. The use of those Stomas doubtless is supposed to result in the advantages here enumerated.
400:2 Koko nâma nâthah, ke te asvâ udîrata iti prathamâyâm gâthâyâm uktam tad atrâpy anuvartate; teshâm tatra parimânam noktam atra shattrimsad asvasahasrâni rakshinâm anukarabhntâny udgakkhantîty âha; trayastrimsâs kodîrate shad dhi(?) varminâm padânetâsu (?) gakkhantîti. Harisvâmin.
401:1 Why these are here put before the Prishthas, is not clear.
401:2 Perhaps we ought here to read 'Sâtrâgita.'
401:3 Unless the Gâthâ in the preceding paragraph (being in the Trishtubh metre) is really counted as two, the author seems here purposely to have omitted a verse. Possibly, however, it may mean, 'the fourth,' viz. referring to paragraph 14.
SIXTH ADHYÂYA. FIRST BRÂHMANA.
THE PURUSHAMEDHA, OR HUMAN SACRIFICE.
13:6:1:11. Purusha Nârâyana desired, 'Would that I overpassed all beings! would that I alone were everything here (this universe)!' He beheld this five-days’ sacrificial performance, the Purushamedha, and took it 1, and performed offering therewith; and having performed offering therewith, he overpassed all beings, and became everything here. And, verily, he who, knowing this, performs the Purushamedha, or who even knows this, overpasses all beings, and becomes everything here.13:6:1:22. For this (offering) there are twenty-three Dîkshâs, twelve Upasads, and five Sutyâs (Soma-days). This, then, being a forty-days’ (performance), including the Dîkshâs and Upasads, amounts to a Virâg 2, for the Virâg consists of forty syllables: [Vâg. S. XXXI, 5.] 'Thence 3 Virâg (f.) was born, and from out of Virâg the Pûrusha.'
p. 404
[paragraph continues] This, then, is that Virâg, and from out of that Virâg he (the Sacrificer) generates the Purusha, the Sacrifice.
13:6:1:33. Now these (forty days) are four decades; and as to there being these four decades, it is for the obtainment of these worlds, as well as of the regions: by the first decade they 1 obtained even this (terrestrial) world, by the second the air, by the third the sky, and by the fourth the regions (quarters); and in like manner does the Sacrificer, by the first decade, obtain even this (terrestrial) world, by the second the air, by the third the sky, and by the fourth the regions--and, indeed, as much as these worlds and the regions are, so much is all this (universe); and the Purushamedha is everything: thus it is for the sake of his obtaining and securing everything.
13:6:1:44. On the Upavasatha 2 (day) there are eleven victims sacred to Agni and Soma: the performance for these is one and the same. There are eleven stakes,--the Trishtubh (verse) consists of eleven syllables, and the Trishtubh is a thunderbolt, and the Trishtubh is vigour: with the thunderbolt, with vigour, the Sacrificer thus from the first repels evil.
13:6:1:55. On the Sutyâ (days) there are the (Savanîya) victims of the set of eleven 3 (stakes),--the Trishtubh consists of eleven syllables, and the Trishtubh is a thunderbolt, and the Trishtubh is vigour: with the thunderbolt, with vigour, the Sacrificer thus from the first repels evil.
p. 405
13:6:1:66. And, again, as to why there are (the victims) of the set of eleven (stakes): it is for the sake of his obtaining and securing everything, for the set of eleven (stakes) is everything, since the set of eleven (stakes) is Pragâpati, and Pragâpati is everything, and the Purushamedha is everything.
13:6:1:77. Now this Purushamedha is a five-days’ sacrificial performance--the sacrifice is fivefold, the victim is fivefold, and five seasons are a year: whatsoever of five kinds there is, either concerning the deity or the self (body), all that he thereby obtains.
13:6:1:88. The first day thereof is an Agnishtoma; then (follows) an Ukthya, then an Atirâtra, then an Ukthya, then an Agnishtoma: this (sacrifice) thus has light (gyotis 1) on both sides, and an Ukthya on both sides (of the central Atirâtra).
13:6:1:99. It is a five-days’ (sacrifice), like a barley-corn in the middle 2; for the Purushamedha is these worlds, and these worlds have light on both sides--through Agni (the sacrificial fire) on this side, and through Âditya (the Sun) on the other: therefore it has light on both sides. And the Ukthya is food, and the Atirâtra the body (self); and because there are these Ukthyas on both sides of the Atirâtra, therefore this body is surrounded by food. And that Atirâtra which is the largest of them is in. the middle, it is thereby that it (the body, or sacrifice) is like a barley-corn (yava) in the middle; and, verily,
p. 406
whosoever knows this repels (yu) his hateful enemy: 'He alone exists, not his hateful enemy,' thus they say of him.
13:6:1:1010. The first day is for it this same (terrestrial) world, and the spring season 1 also is this its (terrestrial) world; and the second day is what there is above this (terrestrial) world and below the air, and the summer season also is that (part) of it; and the central day is its air, and the rainy and autumn seasons also are its air; and the fourth day is what is above the air, and below the sky, and the winter season also is that (part) of it; and its fifth day is the sky, and the dewy season also is its sky: thus as to the deities.
13:6:1:1111. Then as to the body 2. The first day is its feet, and the spring season also is its feet; and the second day is what is above the feet, and below the waist, and the summer season also is that (part) of it; and the central day is its waist, and the rainy and autumn seasons also are its waist; the fourth day is what is above the waist and below the head, and the winter season also is that (part) of it; and the fifth day is its head, and the dewy season also is its head:--thus these worlds, as well as the year and the (sacrificer's) self, pass into the Purushamedha for the obtainment and securing of everything, for, indeed, these worlds are everything, and the year is everything, and the self is everything, and the Purushamedha is everything.
Footnotes
403:1 That is, according to Harisvâmin, he brought its powers into play, and accomplished all his desires:--tatsâdhanâny upâpâdayat, tenâyam yaganena samîhitam sakalam sâdhitavân ity arthah.403:2 The Virâg-verse consists of decasyllabic pâdas, the most common form of the verse being one of three pâdas (or thirty syllables), whilst here the one consisting of four pâdas is alluded to, and Virâg-verses of one and two pâdas likewise occur. There is also a parallel form of the Virâg-metre consisting of (usually three) hendeca-syllabic pâdas.
403:3 That is, from the Purusha; cf. Rig-v. S. X, 90, 5.
404:1 Harisvâmin supplies 'pûrve purushâh' (? former men, or the first seven purushâh, the seven Rishis).
404:2 That is, the day before the Soma-sacrifice.
404:3 See III, 7, 2, 1 seqq.
405:1 Viz. an Agnishtoma form of the Gyotishtoma order of sacrifice. Cf. part iv, p. 287, note 2.
405:2 That is, becoming larger towards the middle, inasmuch as the Ukthya is--as far as Stotras and Sastras, and cups of Soma are concerned--a larger sacrifice than the Agnishtoma; and the Atirâtra is the largest form of all.
406:1 It should be borne in mind here that the sacrifice (Pragâpati) is identical with the Sacrificer on the one hand, and with the year on the other.
406:2 Or, as to the self, viz. of Pragâpati (and the Sacrificer), which the sacrifice is supposed to reproduce.
SECOND BRÂHMANA.
13:6:2:11. And as to why it is called Purushamedha:--The stronghold (pur) doubtless is these worlds, and the Purusha (spirit) is he that blows here (the wind), he bides (sî) in this stronghold (pur): hence he is the Purusha. And whatever food there is in these worlds that is its 'medha,' its food; and inasmuch as this is its 'medha,' its food, therefore (it is called) Purushamedha. And inasmuch as at this (sacrifice) he seizes 1 men (purusha) meet for sacrifice (medhya), therefore also it is called Purushamedha.13:6:2:22. He seizes them on the central day, for the central day is the air, and the air is the abode of all beings; and, indeed, these victims are also food, and the central day is the belly: he thus puts food in the belly.
13:6:2:33. He seizes them by decades 2 for the obtainment
p. 408
of all food, for the Virâg consists of ten syllables, and the Virâg is all food 1.
13:6:2:44. Eleven decades 2 he seizes;--the Trishtubh consists of eleven syllables, and the Trishtubh is the thunderbolt, and vigour: with the thunderbolt, with vigour, the Sacrificer thus repels evil from within him.
13:6:2:55. Forty-eight he seizes at the central stake;--the Gagatî consists of forty-eight syllables, and cattle are of Gâgata (movable) nature: by means of the Gagatî he (the priest) secures cattle for him.
13:6:2:66. Eleven at each of the others;--the Trishtubh consists of eleven syllables, and the Trishtubh is the thunderbolt, and vigour: with the thunderbolt,
p. 409
with vigour, the Sacrificer thus repels evil from about him.
13:6:2:77. Last of all he seizes eight;--the Gâyatrî consists of eight syllables, and the Gâyatrî is the Brahman (n.): he thus makes the Brahman to be the ultimate thing of this universe, whence they say that the Brahman is the ultimate thing of this universe.
13:6:2:88. These (eight) are sacred to Pragâpati, Pragâpati assuredly is the Brahman, for Pragâpati is of the nature of the Brahman 1: therefore they are sacred to Pragâpati.
13:6:2:99. When about to bring up the victims, he offers those three oblations to Savitri, with (Vâg. S. XXX, 1-3), 'God Savitri, (speed the sacrifice, speed the lord of sacrifice unto his share)!'--'May we obtain that glorious light of the God Savitri, (who shall inspire our prayers)!'--'All troubles remove thou from us, O God Savitri: bestow unto us what is auspicious!' He thus pleases Savitri, and thus pleased with him, he (Savitri) impels (speeds) those (sacrificial) men, and he seizes them impelled by that (Savitri).
13:6:2:1010. For the priesthood he seizes a Brâhmana, for the Brâhmana is the priesthood: he thus joins priesthood to priesthood 2;--for the nobility he seizes a Râganya, for the Râganya is the nobility: he thus joins nobility to nobility;--for the Maruts (he seizes) a Vaisya, for the Maruts are the clans (peasants): he thus joins peasantry to peasantry;--
p. 410
for (religious) toil (he seizes) a Sûdra, for the Sûdra is toil: he thus joins toil to toil;--according to their particular form he thus supplies these divinities with victims, and, thus supplied, they supply him with all his objects of desire.
13:6:2:1111. He makes offering with ghee, for ghee is fiery mettle: by means of fiery mettle he thus endows him (the Sacrificer) with fiery mettle. He makes offering with ghee, for that--to wit, ghee--is the dear resource of the gods: he thus supplies them with their dear resource, and, thus supplied, they supply him with all his objects of desire.
13:6:2:1212. By means of the Purusha Nârâyana (litany), the Brahman priest (seated) to the right (south) of them, praises the men bound (to the stakes) with this sixteen-versed (hymn, Rig-v. X, 90, Vâg. S. XXXI, 1-16), 'The thousand-headed Purusha, thousand-eyed, thousand-footed 1 . . .;'--thus (he does) for the obtainment and the securing of everything, for everything here consists of sixteen parts, and the Purushamedha is everything: in thus saying, 'So and so thou art, so and so thou art,' he praises and thereby indeed magnifies him (Purusha); but he also thereby speaks of him, such as he is. Now, the victims had had the fire carried round them, but they were not yet slaughtered,--
13:6:2:1313. Then a voice 2 said to him, 'Purusha, do not
p. 411
consummate (these human victims 1): if thou wert to consummate them, man (purusha) would eat man.' Accordingly, as soon as fire had been carried round them, he set them free, and offered oblations to the same divinities 2, and thereby gratified those divinities, and, thus gratified, they, gratified him with all objects of desire.
13:6:2:1414. He makes offering with ghee, for ghee is fiery mettle: with fiery mettle he thus bestows fiery mettle upon him.
13:6:2:1515. He concludes with those of the set of eleven (stakes),--the Trishtubh consists of eleven syllables, and the Trishtubh is the thunderbolt, and vigour: with the thunderbolt, with vigour, the Sacrificer thus repels evil from within.
13:6:2:1616. The Udayanîyâ (concluding oblation) having been completed, he seizes eleven barren cows, sacred to Mitra-Varuna, the Visve Devâh, and Brihaspati 3, with the view of winning these deities. And as to those of Brihaspati being last,--Brihaspati truly is the Brahman (n.), and thus he finally establishes himself in the Brahman.
p. 412
13:6:2:1717. And as to why there are eleven of them,--the Trishtubh consists of eleven syllables, and the Trishtubh is the thunderbolt, and vigour: with the thunderbolt, with vigour, the Sacrificer thus repels evil from within. The Traidhâtavî is the final offering (Udavasânîyâ): the mystic import is the same (as before 1).
13:6:2:1818. Now as to the sacrificial fees. What there is towards the middle of the kingdom other than the land and the property of the Brâhmana, but including the men, of that the eastern quarter belongs to the Hotri, the southern to the Brahman, the western to the Adhvaryu, and the northern to the Udgâtri; and the Hotrikas share this along with them.
13:6:2:1919. And if a Brâhmana performs the sacrifice, he should bestow all his property in order to obtain and secure everything, for the Brâhmana is everything, and all one's property is everything, and the Purushamedha is everything.
13:6:2:2020. And having taken up the two fires within his own self 2, and worshipped the sun with the Uttara-Nârâyana (litany, viz. Vâg. S. XXXI, 17-22), let him betake himself to the forest without looking round; and that (place), indeed, is apart from men. But should he wish to live in the village, let him take up again the two fires in the churning-sticks, and having worshipped the sun with the Uttara-Nârâyana (litany) let him dwell at his home, and let him offer such sacrifices as he may
p. 413
be able to afford. But, indeed, this (sacrifice) is not to be imparted to any and every one, lest one should impart everything to any and every one, for the Purushamedha is everything; but one may only impart it to one who is known to him, and who is versed in sacred writ, and who may be dear to him, but not to any and every one.
THE (SYMBOLICAL) VICTIMS OF THE PURUSHAMEDHA 1.
I. 1. To the priesthood (he consecrates) a Brâhmana--2. To the nobility a Kshatriya--3. To the Maruts a Vaisya--4. To penance (hardship, tapas) a Sidra--5. To darkness a thief--6. To hell a man-slayer--7. To evil a eunuch--8. To barter an unchaste woman (ayobhû 2)--9. To desire a harlot (pumskalû)--10. To the shriek (atikrushta) a minstrel (mâgadha)--11. To dancing a herald (bard, sûta)--12. To singing an actor (sailûsha)--13. To the law a counsellor (sabhâkara)--14. To joking a timorous man--15. To fun (narma) a chatterer--16. To laughter (hasa) an artizan (kâri,? singer of praises)--17. To pleasure (ânanda) a woman's friend--18. To enjoyment a maiden's son--19. To skill a wheelwright--20. To perseverance a carpenter--21. To heat (tapas) a potter--22. To craft a mechanic--23. To handsome form a jeweller--24. To beauty a barber 3--25. To the arrow-shot an arrow-maker--26. To the weapon a bow-maker--27. To work a bowstring-maker--28. To fate a rope-maker--29. To death a huntsman--30. To the end (antaka) a dog-keeper--31. To rivers a fisherman (pauñgishtha)--32. To the ogress (of waste lands) ap. 414
[paragraph continues] Nishâda 1--33. To the man-tiger (? werwolf) a mono-maniac--34. To the Gandharvas and Apsaras a roving outcast (vrâtya)--35. To the teams (? prayug) a madman--36. To serpents and demons a blockhead (? apratipad)--37. To dice a gambler--38. To impassibility 2 a non-gambler--39. To the devils (pisâkas) a female cane-worker (basket-maker)--40. To the hobgoblins (yâtudhâna) a female worker in thorns--41. To intercourse a gallant--42. To the house a paramour--43. To trouble an unmarried elder brother whose younger brother is married--44. To calamity a younger brother married before his elder brother--45. To failure 3 the husband of a younger sister whose elder sister is unmarried--46. To reparation an artiste in embroidery--47. To agreement a female practiser of love-spells--48. To garrulity (prakâmodya) an attendant.
II. 1. To colour a devoted adherent--2. To strength a giver of gifts--3. To excrescences 4 hunchback--4. To merriment a dwarf--5. To the doors a lame one 5--6. To sleep a blind one--7. To injustice a deaf one--8. To the means of purification (? purging) a physician--9. To knowledge a star-gazer--10. To desire of learning one who asks questions--11. To the desire of adding to one's knowledge one given to ask questions about (everything).
III. 1. To the bounds (of land or propriety) an arbitrator--2. To ruins an elephant-keeper--3. To speed a groom--4. To thrift a cowherd--5. To vigour a shepherd--6. To fiery mettle a goatherd--7. To refreshment (? food) a cultivator of the soil--8. To the sweet beverage (? nectar) the distiller of liquor--9. To happiness the guardian of a house--10. To prosperity a possessor of wealth--11. To superintendence an assistant doorkeeper 6.
IV. 1. To the light a gatherer of fire-wood--2: To brilliance
p. 415
a fire-kindler--3. To the sun's sphere a sprinkler (anointer of a king)--4. To the highest heaven a distributer (of portions)--5. To the world of the gods a carver (of portions)--6. To the world of men a scatterer (? seasoner 1)--7. To all the worlds a pourer out (of drink 2)--8. To decay and murder a churner 3--9. To the (animal) sacrifice (or, sacrificial essence) a washer-woman--10. To concupiscence a female dyer--11. To quarrelling one of a thievish disposition.
V. 1. To manslaughter an informer--2. To discrimination a doorkeeper--3. To oversight an assistant doorkeeper 4--4. To strength (cf. II, 2) an attendant--5. To plenty a servant--6. To the pleasant one speaking pleasantly--7. To security one mounted on a horse--8. To heaven (svarga loka) a dealer out of portions (cf. IV, 5)--9. To the highest heaven a distributer (of portions; cf. IV, 4)--10. To wrath one who makes iron red-hot--11. To anger an absconder (? a yielder, coward).
VI. 1. To application a yoker--2. To grief one ready to attack--3. To peaceful dwelling an unyoker--4. To up-hills and down-hills one standing on three legs (of firm character)--5. To bodily form a haughty one (?)--6. To virtue a woman who prepares unguents--7. To calamity (cf. I, 44) a woman who makes scabbards--8. To Yama (the god of death) a barren woman--9. To Yama 5 one who bears twins--10. To Atharvan one who has miscarried--11. To the samvatsara (the first year of the five years’ cycle) one in her courses.
VII. 1. To the parivatsara (the second year) tine who has not yet borne children--2. To the idâvatsara (the third year) one who transgresses (the matrimonial bonds)--3. To the idvatsara (the fourth year) one who oversteps (the bounds of propriety)--4. To the vatsara (the fifth year) one who is worn out--5. To the year a gray-haired one--6. To the Ribhus a furrier--7. To the Sâdhyas a tanner--8. To the lakes a fisherman (dhaivara)--9. To stagnant (waters) a boatsman--10. To pools a Bainda 6--11. To reed-marshes one living on dried meat (or fish).
p. 416
VIII. 1. To the opposite bank a 'mârgâra 1'--2. To the near bank a fisherman (kevarta)--3. To shallows an Ânda 2--4. To uneven (? deep) places a fisher (mainâla)--5. To sounds (svana) a Parnaka 3--6. To caverns a Kirâta (woodman)--7. To mountain-ridges a Gambhaka 4--8. To the mountains a Kimpurusha 5--9. To loathing a Paulkasa 6--10. To colour a worker in gold (cf. I, 23)--11. To the balance (pair of scales) a merchant.
IX. 1. To the latter part of the evening one exhausted--2. To all beings (spirits) a leper (sidhmala)--3. To good fortune a wakeful one--4. To ill-fortune a sleepy one--5. To trouble (cf. I, 43) a newsmonger--6. To adversity a spiritless one--7. To collapse a waster 7--8. To the king of dice a gambler (cf. I, 37)--9. To the Krita (-die) one who takes advantage of mistakes in the game 8--10. To the Tretâ (-die) one who plays on a (regular) plan 9--11. To the Dvâpara (-die) one who plans to over-reach 9 (his fellow-player).
X. 1. To the Âskanda 10 (-die) a post of the gaming-room 11--2. (cf. I, 29) one who 'approaches' a cow--3. To the end (antaka, cf. I, 30) a cow-slayer--4. To hunger one who goes begging of one cutting up a cow--5. To evil-doing a Karaka-teacher--6. To evil (cf. I, 7) a robber--7. To the echo a reviler--8. To the noise a
p. 417
growler--9. To the end (anta) a babbler--10. To the endless a dumb one--11. To articulate sound (sabda) a drum-beater.
XI. 1. To festive joy a lute-player--2. To the cry a flute-player--3. To the confused (noise) a conch-blower--4. To the forest a forester--5. To broken woodlands one who watches woods on fire--6. To fun (narma I, 15) a harlot (I, 9)--7. To laughter an artizan (I, 16)--8. To the sea-monster (?) a mottled woman 1 (?)--9-11. To power a village-headman, an astrologer, and a herald (? abhikrosaka).
XII. (Added to those at the second post):--1-3. To dancing (I, 11) a lute-player (XI, I), a hand-clapper, and a flute-player (XI, 2)--4. To pleasure (I, 17) a musician--5. To fire a fat man--6. To the earth a cripple--7. To the wind a Kândâla (outcast)--8. To the air a staff-dancer 2--9. To the sky a bald-headed one-to. To the sun a yellow-eyed one-11. To the stars one of variegated colour--12. To the moon a leprous one (kilâsa, cf. IX, 2)--13. To the day a light-coloured one with yellow eyes--14. To the night a black one with yellow eyes.--He then seizes these eight misshapen ones--15. One who is too tall--16. One too short--17. One too stout--18. One too lean--19. One too light-coloured--20. One too black--21. One too bald--22. One with too much hair:--these (are to be) neither Sûdras nor Brâhmanas, and are sacred to Pragâpati;--23. A minstrel (mâgadha, I, 10)--24. A harlot (pumskalî, cf. I, 9)--25. A gambler (I, 37)--26. A eunuch (I, 7):--these (also are to be) neither Sûdras nor Brâhmanas, and are sacred to Pragâpati.
Footnotes
407:1 That is, he (symbolically) immolates them.407:2 The statement in paragraphs 3 and 4, according to which there are eleven decades of human victims, does not refer to the actual distribution of victims over the eleven stakes, but it is apparently made purely for symbolical reasons (viz. with reference to the Virâg and Trishtubh metres), and is probably based on the way in which the victims are enumerated in the Vâgasaneyi-samhitâ, XXX, 5-22 (see the Translation at the end of this chapter, where they are, however, numbered according to the stakes). There the first eleven Kandikâs (5-15) are made up of the names and deities of ten victims each, hence together of eleven decades; whilst of the subsequent Kandikâs--k. 16 consists of twelve, ks. 17-22 of ten each, and k. 22 of twelve victims. The actual mode of distribution over the several stakes is that referred to in paragraphs 5-8, viz. the first forty-eight victims are tied to the central stake, after which eleven victims are tied to each of the other ten stakes. After these, amounting to 258 victims, the Samhitâ p. 408 enumerates twenty-six additional victims, which, according to Mahîdhara (cf. Kâty. XXI, 1, so), are to be added to the eleven victims of the second stake,--viz. fourteen victims dedicated to various so-called deities; eight victims, sacred to Pragâpati and belonging neither to the Sûdra nor to the Brâhmana castes; and finally four more victims, characterised in exactly the same way as the eight preceding ones. It will be seen that of these twenty-six victims only the first set of (eight) Prâgâpatya victims are referred to in the Brâhmana, and that as the victims seized last of all. This circumstance clearly characterises the last four victims of the Samhitâ as not recognised by the Brâhmana; and seeing that all four of these are such as have already occurred amongst the previously enumerated victims (though there assigned to different divinities) they must be considered (as they are by Prof. Weber, Ind. Streifen, I, p. 68) as having been added to the list of the Samhitâ subsequently to the composition of the Brâhmana. A similar inference will probably apply to the fourteen victims preceding the eight Prâgâpatya ones, though all that can be urged against them is that they are not referred to in the Brâhmana.
408:1 Hardly,--and all food is virâg (widely ruling or shining). In double clauses with a middle term, such as this, the position of subject and predicate seems often reversed in the second clause (cf. for instance, XIII, 8, 1, 4),
408:2 See note 2 on p. 407.
409:1 That is, of the divine spirit, the world-soul, of which Pragâpati is, as it were, the personification, or phenomenal representative.
409:2 Or, he perfects, completes, the priesthood by (adding to it a member of) the priesthood.
410:1 For a complete translation of this hymn, the Purusha-sûkta, see J. Muir, Orig. Sanskrit Texts, vol. i, p. 9 seqq. Cp. also part iv, introduction, p. xiv.
410:2 'A bodiless voice,' comm.; cf. XI, 4, 2, 16 where likewise 'an invisible voice' is introduced censuring the priest who burns the oblations. Perhaps, however, Vâk may be intended from whom Pragâpati, in the beginning, produced the waters; cf. VI, 1, 1, 9.
411:1 Thus (i.e. do not go through with this human sacrifice) the commentator, probably correctly, interprets 'samsthâpaya' (instead of 'do not kill,' St. Petersb. Dict., though, practically, it would, of course, come to the same thing),--Purusha, etân purushapasûn mâ samtishtipah, udaṅnayâdikâny aṅgâny eshâm mâ krithâ ityarthah; yadi samsthâpayishyasi tatah seshabhakshânukârena lokeऽpi purushah purusham bhakshayishyati tak kâyuktam ity abhiprâyah. In the same way the verse ought accordingly to have been translated in III, 7, 2, 8.
411:2 That is, he offers with the formulas 'To the Brahman, hail! to the Kshatra, hail!' &c., running through the whole series of so-called divinities of the released victims.
411:3 Viz. three for each of the first two deities, and five for Brihaspati.
412:1 Viz. as set forth V, 5, 5, 6 seqq.
412:2 Viz. by thrice inhaling the heat (or smoke) emitted by the fires, Cf. Mânava-Dh. VI, 38; Baudhâyana-Dharmas. II, 17, 26.
413:1 Comp. Prof. Weber's German translation (Zeitschr. D. M. G., XVIII, p. 262 seqq.; Indische Streifen, I, p. 76 seqq.), where the variants from the Taitt. Br. and the explanations of the commentaries are given. Not a few of the terms used (some of which are, indeed, explained in a different way by the commentators) are, however, still of doubtful meaning. Vâg. S. XXX, 5-22.
413:2 ? The patronymic, or matronymic, of this, 'âyobhava' is said to be the son of a Sûdra from a Vaisya woman.
413:3 Or, as Mahîdhara takes 'subhe vapam,' to well-being the seed-sower--einen Sämann dein Gedeihen, Weber.
414:1 One of the wild aboriginal tribesmen.
414:2 ? îryatâ, lit. the state of one requiring to be roused.
414:3 ? 'envy' St. Petersb. Dict. (arâddhi),
414:4 The meaning of 'utsâda' is doubtful; it might be 'removal,' only the etymological meaning of 'ut-sad' having probably suggested the combination.
414:5 Mahîdhara takes 'srâma' in the sense of one affected with ophthalmia (cf. srâva): in both senses the association of ideas is intelligible, though apparently (as in other cases) of a jocular nature.
414:6 Or, the assistant of a charioteer, according to Mah. and Sây. (cf. V, 3).
415:1 Mahîdhara takes 'prakaritri' in the sense of 'viksheptri'; Sây. in that of 'sower of discord.'
415:2 ? Sây. makes 'upasektri' a composer of feuds (!).
415:3 ? 'a stirrer up of discord,' Sây.
415:4 Thus also Mahîdhara; charioteer, Sây.; cf. III, 11.
415:5 Yamî, Taitt. Br.
415:6 According to Mahîdhara, a wild tribesman (inhabitant of the jungle); 'one living by the net,' Sây.
416:1 'The son of a mrigâri (? huntsman),' Mahîdhara; 'one who catches fish with his hands,' Sây.
416:2 According to Mahîdhara, the maker of 'bandhanâni (? strings, or dams);'--according to Sây., one who catches fish by means of dikes.
416:3 ? A Bhilla (Bheel, mountaineer, woodman);--one catching fish by means of feathers (parna), Sây.
416:4 Apparently a man of a voracious, flesh-eating tribe.
416:5 Apparently a low, despicable man.
416:6 Explained as one of very low birth, or more particularly, as the son of a Nishâda from a Kshatriya woman.
416:7 Lit. a cutter away (? a spendthrift).
416:8 Thus Mahîdhara explains 'âdinavadarsa'; 'one who works for his fellow-player's ruin,' St. Petersb. Dict.
416:9 The terms 'kalpin' and 'adhikalpin' are of doubtful meaning--'arranger' and 'head-arranger,' Weber.
416:10 Lit. 'the assailer,' apparently another name for the die usually called Kali. On these dice see part iii, p. 106, note 1.
416:11 Explained as a jocular expression for the habitual frequenter of the gambling-house.
417:1 St. Petersb. Dict. conjectures 'To lust a sportive woman (? dancer or singer).'
417:2 'Vamsanartin' explained by Mahîdhara as one who practises dancing by means of a bamboo-staff (vamsena nartanasîla); by Sây. as one who makes his living by dancing on the top of a bamboo-staff (vamsâgranrittagîvin); hardly a 'family-dancer,' Monier-Williams.
(My humble salutations to the translator Sreeman Julius Eggeling for the collection)
No comments:
Post a Comment