Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
118. Now the one that burns there (viz. the sun) sacrifice) previously to the new moon, he would be offering mere milk, not imbued with, and not liable to change into, Soma, and therefore unfit for the gods. 182 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA, is, assuredly, no other than Indra, and that moon is no other than Vrztra. But the former is of a nature hostile to the latter, and for this reason, though this one (the moon, Vrztra) had previously (to the night of new moon) risen at a great distance from him (the sun, Indra), he now swims towards him and enters into his open mouth. 19. Having swallowed him, he (the sun) rises; and that (other) one is not seen either in the east or in the west. And, verily, he who knows this, swallows his spiteful enemy, and of him they say, ‘ He alone exists, his enemies exist not! 20. Having sucked him empty, he throws him out ; and the latter, thus sucked out, is seen in the western sky, and again increases ; he again increases to serve that (sun) as food: and verily if the spiteful enemy of one who knows this, thrives either by trade or in any other way, he thrives again and again in order to serve him as food. 21. Now some people offer (the SAnndyya) to (Indra under the name of) ‘ Mahendra’ (the great Indra), arguing, ‘Before the slaying of Vvztra he was Indra, it is true; but after slaying V7ttra he became Mahendra, even as (a rAgan, or king, becomes) a Mah4r4ga after obtaining the victory: hence (the SAnndyya should be offered) to Mahendra.’ Let him, nevertheless, offer it to ‘Indra;’ for Indra he was before the slaying of Vritra, and Indra he is after slaying V7ztra: therefore let him offer it to ‘Indra?’ * With this explanation of the disappearance of the moon may be compared the later notion of the sun and moon being swallowed by the demon R4hu, at the time of the eclipses. * Katy. IV, 2, 10 leaves it optional whether the libation of mixed I KANDA, 7 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, I. 183 SreventH ApuyAya. First BrRAHMANA. 1. He (the Adhvaryu) drives the calves away (from the cows) with a parza branch!. The reason why he drives the calves away with a parza branch is this. When the GéAyatrt flew towards Soma (the moon), a footless archer aiming at her while she was carrying him off, severed one of the feathers (parza) either of the GAyatrt or of king Soma’; and on falling down it became a parva (paldsa) tree; whence its name parza. ‘ May that
2When the GéAyatrt flew towards Soma (the moon), a footless archer aiming at her while she was carrying him off, severed one of the feathers (parza) either of the GAyatrt or of king Soma’; and on falling down it became a parva (paldsa) tree; whence its name parza. ‘ May that sweet and sour milk is to be offered to Indra or to Mahendra. According to IV, 5, 25, however, such option seems to be permitted only so far as the first performance is concerned, after which one is apparently bound to go on offering during the rest of one’s life to whichever deity one has chosen at the beginning. Taitt. S. II, 5, 4, 4, lays it down as the rule that only a gatasrf (one who has reached the highest grade of prosperity), viz. a brahmana versed in the three Vedas (susruvan=vedatrayabhig#ia, Sayama), the head of a village (gramanf), and araganya, can make offering to Mahendra, since he is their special deity. Others, however, may do the same, after offering the sannayyam to Indra for a whole year, and on the expiration of it a rice-cake on eight potsherds to Agni, as the Keeper of Vows. 1 Parma=palasa, Butea Frondosa. 3 Géyatryai v4 somasya v4=‘ both of G. and of S.,’ Sayama. Ap4d ast4, ‘a footless shooter,’ is a doubtful reading and perhaps an old corruption; Sayama reads ap&dhasta (? adhastat); cf. Weber, various readings, p. 133. The K&ava MS. reads, ‘ devebhyas tasy4 4harantya avadastabhy4yatya parzam prakikheda.’ According to Rig-veda IV, 27, 3, it was the archer Krisinu, who hit the falcon when it was carrying off the Soma from heaven, and brought down one of its feathers. On the whole myth, see A. Kuhn, Herabkunft des Feuers und des Gdttertranks, p. 137 seq. Cf. Taitt. S. III, 5, 7,1; Taitt. Br. I, 1, 3, 10, ‘Soma was in the third heaven from here; G4yatrf fetched him away; one of his feathers was cut off, it became a parva (palasa) tree.’ Similarly Taitt. Br. I, 2, 1, 6; see also Sat. Br. I, 8, 2, ro. 184 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA, which then was of the Soma nature! be here with us now!’ so he thinks, and for this reason he drives away the calves with a parza branch. 2. That (branch) he cuts off*, with the formula (Vag. S. I, 1 a, b), ‘For sap (I cut) thee! for pith thee !’—‘ for rain thee’ he means to say, when he says ‘for sap thee;’ and when he says ‘for pith thee’ he means to say ‘for that food-essence which springs from the rain.’ 3. They then let the calves join their mothers. He thereupon touches (each) calf (in order to drive it away from the cow), with the formula (V4g. S. I, 1c), ‘The winds are ye!’—for, indeed, it is this wind that here blows’, it is this (wind) that makes swell all the rain that falls here; it is it that makes those (cows). swell; and for this reason he says ‘the winds are ye!’ Some people add here the formula‘, ‘Going near are ye!’ but let him not say this, because thereby another (an enemy) approaches (the sacrificer).
3swell; and for this reason he says ‘the winds are ye!’ Some people add here the formula‘, ‘Going near are ye!’ but let him not say this, because thereby another (an enemy) approaches (the sacrificer). 4. After separating one of the mothers from her calf, he touches her, with the text (V4g. S. I, 1 d), ‘May the divine Savitvz animate you—’ for Savitrz, indeed, is the impeller (prasavitrz) of the gods: 1 «Somasya nyaktam,’ see p. 167, note 2. 2 This act as well as that of letting the calves join the cows, of — course, precedes the driving away of the calves. These proceedings take place on the day before the new moon, after the agnyanvadh4na. According to K4ty., the sacrificer enters on the vow of abstinence, after the branch has been cut. Previously to these rites, however, the so-called Pinda-pitrzyagiia, or oblation of obsequial pixdas (balls, dumplings) to the deceased ancestors, has to be performed ; for which see II, 4, 2, 1 seq. 5 Pavate, ‘blows, purifies.’ * Thus Taitt. S. I, 1, 1,14. I KANDA, 7 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 9. 185 ‘may they, impelled by Savitz, prepare the sacrifice!’ so he thinks, and for this reason he says, ‘May the divine Savitvz animate you!’ : 5. ‘—To the most glorious work!’ for assuredly the sacrifice is the most glorious work: hence, when he says ‘to the most glorious work!’ he means to say ‘to the sacrifice.’ 6. ‘ Make swell, ye invincible (or inviolable) ones, the share for Indra!’ In like manner as then}, in taking the sacrificial food (rice), he announces it to the deity, so now also he announces that (libation of milk) to the deity when he says ‘make swell, ye invincible ones, the share for Indra!’ 7. ‘Over you that are rich in offspring, over you that are free from suffering and disease—;’ in this there is nothing that is obscure ; ‘—no thief, no illwisher may lord it!’—he thereby means to say, ‘may the evil spirits, the Rakshas, not lord it over you!’— ‘May ye be numerous and constant to this lord of cattle !'—thereby he means to say ‘may ye be numerous with this sacrificer, and not abandon him.’ 8. He then hides the branch on the front (eastern) side either of the Ahavantya orthe Garhapatya house, with the formula (Vag. S. I, 1 e), ‘ Protect the sacrificer's cattle!’ he thus makes over the sacrificer’s cattle to it for protection by means of the Brahman (sacred writ). 9. On it he fastens a strainer (pavitram)?%, with | * Viz. on the occasion of his taking from the cart the rice for the oblations, see I, 1, 2, 17-19. 2 See p.19, note 1. According to Karka this takes place before the hiding of the branch, Scholl. on K4ty. IV, 2,15. According to Katy. IV, 2, 12,13, the upavesha (see I, 2, 1, 3) is cut at this juncture—with the text, ‘Accomplishing (vesha) art thou’— from the bottom part of the palasa branch on the remaining part 186 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
118. Now the one that burns there (viz. the sun) sacrifice) previously to the new moon, he would be offering mere milk, not imbued with, and not liable to change into, Soma, and therefore unfit for the gods. 182 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA, is, assuredly, no other than Indra, and that moon is no other than Vrztra. But the former is of a nature hostile to the latter, and for this reason, though this one (the moon, Vrztra) had previously (to the night of new moon) risen at a great distance from him (the sun, Indra), he now swims towards him and enters into his open mouth. 19. Having swallowed him, he (the sun) rises; and that (other) one is not seen either in the east or in the west. And, verily, he who knows this, swallows his spiteful enemy, and of him they say, ‘ He alone exists, his enemies exist not! 20. Having sucked him empty, he throws him out ; and the latter, thus sucked out, is seen in the western sky, and again increases ; he again increases to serve that (sun) as food: and verily if the spiteful enemy of one who knows this, thrives either by trade or in any other way, he thrives again and again in order to serve him as food. 21. Now some people offer (the SAnndyya) to (Indra under the name of) ‘ Mahendra’ (the great Indra), arguing, ‘Before the slaying of Vvztra he was Indra, it is true; but after slaying V7ttra he became Mahendra, even as (a rAgan, or king, becomes) a Mah4r4ga after obtaining the victory: hence (the SAnndyya should be offered) to Mahendra.’ Let him, nevertheless, offer it to ‘Indra;’ for Indra he was before the slaying of Vritra, and Indra he is after slaying V7ztra: therefore let him offer it to ‘Indra?’ * With this explanation of the disappearance of the moon may be compared the later notion of the sun and moon being swallowed by the demon R4hu, at the time of the eclipses. * Katy. IV, 2, 10 leaves it optional whether the libation of mixed I KANDA, 7 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, I. 183 SreventH ApuyAya. First BrRAHMANA. 1. He (the Adhvaryu) drives the calves away (from the cows) with a parza branch!. The reason why he drives the calves away with a parza branch is this. When the GéAyatrt flew towards Soma (the moon), a footless archer aiming at her while she was carrying him off, severed one of the feathers (parza) either of the GAyatrt or of king Soma’; and on falling down it became a parva (paldsa) tree; whence its name parza. ‘ May that
2When the GéAyatrt flew towards Soma (the moon), a footless archer aiming at her while she was carrying him off, severed one of the feathers (parza) either of the GAyatrt or of king Soma’; and on falling down it became a parva (paldsa) tree; whence its name parza. ‘ May that sweet and sour milk is to be offered to Indra or to Mahendra. According to IV, 5, 25, however, such option seems to be permitted only so far as the first performance is concerned, after which one is apparently bound to go on offering during the rest of one’s life to whichever deity one has chosen at the beginning. Taitt. S. II, 5, 4, 4, lays it down as the rule that only a gatasrf (one who has reached the highest grade of prosperity), viz. a brahmana versed in the three Vedas (susruvan=vedatrayabhig#ia, Sayama), the head of a village (gramanf), and araganya, can make offering to Mahendra, since he is their special deity. Others, however, may do the same, after offering the sannayyam to Indra for a whole year, and on the expiration of it a rice-cake on eight potsherds to Agni, as the Keeper of Vows. 1 Parma=palasa, Butea Frondosa. 3 Géyatryai v4 somasya v4=‘ both of G. and of S.,’ Sayama. Ap4d ast4, ‘a footless shooter,’ is a doubtful reading and perhaps an old corruption; Sayama reads ap&dhasta (? adhastat); cf. Weber, various readings, p. 133. The K&ava MS. reads, ‘ devebhyas tasy4 4harantya avadastabhy4yatya parzam prakikheda.’ According to Rig-veda IV, 27, 3, it was the archer Krisinu, who hit the falcon when it was carrying off the Soma from heaven, and brought down one of its feathers. On the whole myth, see A. Kuhn, Herabkunft des Feuers und des Gdttertranks, p. 137 seq. Cf. Taitt. S. III, 5, 7,1; Taitt. Br. I, 1, 3, 10, ‘Soma was in the third heaven from here; G4yatrf fetched him away; one of his feathers was cut off, it became a parva (palasa) tree.’ Similarly Taitt. Br. I, 2, 1, 6; see also Sat. Br. I, 8, 2, ro. 184 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA, which then was of the Soma nature! be here with us now!’ so he thinks, and for this reason he drives away the calves with a parza branch. 2. That (branch) he cuts off*, with the formula (Vag. S. I, 1 a, b), ‘For sap (I cut) thee! for pith thee !’—‘ for rain thee’ he means to say, when he says ‘for sap thee;’ and when he says ‘for pith thee’ he means to say ‘for that food-essence which springs from the rain.’ 3. They then let the calves join their mothers. He thereupon touches (each) calf (in order to drive it away from the cow), with the formula (V4g. S. I, 1c), ‘The winds are ye!’—for, indeed, it is this wind that here blows’, it is this (wind) that makes swell all the rain that falls here; it is it that makes those (cows). swell; and for this reason he says ‘the winds are ye!’ Some people add here the formula‘, ‘Going near are ye!’ but let him not say this, because thereby another (an enemy) approaches (the sacrificer).
3swell; and for this reason he says ‘the winds are ye!’ Some people add here the formula‘, ‘Going near are ye!’ but let him not say this, because thereby another (an enemy) approaches (the sacrificer). 4. After separating one of the mothers from her calf, he touches her, with the text (V4g. S. I, 1 d), ‘May the divine Savitvz animate you—’ for Savitrz, indeed, is the impeller (prasavitrz) of the gods: 1 «Somasya nyaktam,’ see p. 167, note 2. 2 This act as well as that of letting the calves join the cows, of — course, precedes the driving away of the calves. These proceedings take place on the day before the new moon, after the agnyanvadh4na. According to K4ty., the sacrificer enters on the vow of abstinence, after the branch has been cut. Previously to these rites, however, the so-called Pinda-pitrzyagiia, or oblation of obsequial pixdas (balls, dumplings) to the deceased ancestors, has to be performed ; for which see II, 4, 2, 1 seq. 5 Pavate, ‘blows, purifies.’ * Thus Taitt. S. I, 1, 1,14. I KANDA, 7 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 9. 185 ‘may they, impelled by Savitz, prepare the sacrifice!’ so he thinks, and for this reason he says, ‘May the divine Savitvz animate you!’ : 5. ‘—To the most glorious work!’ for assuredly the sacrifice is the most glorious work: hence, when he says ‘to the most glorious work!’ he means to say ‘to the sacrifice.’ 6. ‘ Make swell, ye invincible (or inviolable) ones, the share for Indra!’ In like manner as then}, in taking the sacrificial food (rice), he announces it to the deity, so now also he announces that (libation of milk) to the deity when he says ‘make swell, ye invincible ones, the share for Indra!’ 7. ‘Over you that are rich in offspring, over you that are free from suffering and disease—;’ in this there is nothing that is obscure ; ‘—no thief, no illwisher may lord it!’—he thereby means to say, ‘may the evil spirits, the Rakshas, not lord it over you!’— ‘May ye be numerous and constant to this lord of cattle !'—thereby he means to say ‘may ye be numerous with this sacrificer, and not abandon him.’ 8. He then hides the branch on the front (eastern) side either of the Ahavantya orthe Garhapatya house, with the formula (Vag. S. I, 1 e), ‘ Protect the sacrificer's cattle!’ he thus makes over the sacrificer’s cattle to it for protection by means of the Brahman (sacred writ). 9. On it he fastens a strainer (pavitram)?%, with | * Viz. on the occasion of his taking from the cart the rice for the oblations, see I, 1, 2, 17-19. 2 See p.19, note 1. According to Karka this takes place before the hiding of the branch, Scholl. on K4ty. IV, 2,15. According to Katy. IV, 2, 12,13, the upavesha (see I, 2, 1, 3) is cut at this juncture—with the text, ‘Accomplishing (vesha) art thou’— from the bottom part of the palasa branch on the remaining part 186 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
No commentary for this page.