The Satapatha-Brâhmana, Part II — SBE Vol. 26 (trans. Julius Eggeling, 1885)
The translator’s English as printed (Julius Eggeling). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
Thereupon according to the proper order.
17. Then of the tongue, for that stands out from its fore-part. Then of the breast, for that also (stands out) therefrom*. Then of the simultaneously moving (left) fore-foot*. Then of the flanks. Then of the liver. Then of the kidneys.
18. The hind-part he divides into three parts; the broad piece (he reserves) for the by-offerings®; the middle one he cuts into the guhd after dividing it in two; the narrow piece (he reserves) for the
} Literally, he makes a cutting of the heart (hvdayasya-avadyati), that is to say, he puts the entire heart into the guhf as an offeringportion.
* Etasm4d dhy ayam firdhvad praza ufsarati, Kanva rec.
® Or, that (comes) after that (tongue): tad dhi tato ’nvak, Ké4zva rec.
* According to Katy. VI, 7, 6, it is the foremost (or upper) joint (pfirvanadaka) of the left fore-foot which is taken. The K4nva text has simply ‘atha doshnaZ.’
® See III, 8, 4, 9 seq.
m1 KAWDA, 8 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMANA, 22. 205
tryanga’. Then of the simultaneously moving (right) haunch®. This much, then, he cuts into the guhd.
19. Then into the upabhvzt, he makes a portion of the upper part of the fore-foot belonging to the tryanga (viz. the right one); of the (narrow piece of the) hind-part, after dividing it in two; and of the haunch belonging to the tryanga (viz. the left). Thereupon he puts two pieces of gold on (the flesh oblations in the spoons) and pours ghee thereon.
20. He then takes the oblation of gravy® with(Vag. S. VI, 18), ‘Thou art trembling,’ for quivering, as it were, is the broth: hence he says, ‘Thou art trembling ;'—‘ May Agni prepare‘ thee!’ for the fire does indeed cook it: hence he says, ‘May Agni prepare thee !'—‘ The waters have washed thee together, for the water indeed gathers together that (fat) juice from the limbs: hence he says, ‘ The waters have washed thee together.’
21. ‘For the sweeping of the wind—thee!’ for verily yonder blower sweeps along the air, and for the air he takes it: hence he says, ‘For the sweeping of the wind (I take) thee.’
22. ‘For the speed of Pdshan,—Pfshan’s speed, forsooth, is yonder (wind)®, and for that he takes it: hence he says, ‘For the speed of Pashan.’
1 Literally, the three-limbs, the technical name of the portion for Agni Svish/akrit.
* For ‘athaikadar4yai sroneh’ the Kanva text reads ‘Ath4dhytdhasah sréneh,’ of the hip above the udder.
* Vasa, i.e. the melted fat (and juice) mixed with the water in which the portions have been cooked, and forming a rich gravy, offered with the Vas4homahavanf. ;
* Literally, ‘mix ’—srf, this root being here, as usual, confounded with s7z, to cook.
* Esha vava pdsha yo ’yam pavata etasma u hi grshnati, Kanva recension.
p. 206
23. ‘From the hot vapour may totter—,;’ the hot vapour, namely, is yonder (wind), and for that he takes it: hence he says, ‘ From the hot vapour may totter—.’ Thereupon he bastes it twice with ghee above.
p. 206
23. ‘From the hot vapour may totter—,;’ the hot vapour, namely, is yonder (wind), and for that he takes it: hence he says, ‘ From the hot vapour may totter—.’ Thereupon he bastes it twice with ghee above.
24. He then mixes it either with the crooked knife or with the chopping-knife', with ‘—Confounded hatred?!’ whereby he chases away from here those evil spirits, the Rakshas.
25. The broth which is left he pours into the Samavattadh4nt, and therein he throws the heart, tongue, breast, the broad piece (of the back part), the kidneys, and the rectum. He then bastes it twice with ghee above.
26. The reason why there is a piece of gold on ‘each side is this. When they offer up the victim in the fire, they slay it, and gold means immortal life: thereby then it rests in immortal life; and so it rises from hence, and so it lives. This is why there is a piece of gold on each side.
27. And because he cuts crossways,—of the left fore-foot and the right haunch ; and of the right forefoot and the left haunch,—therefore this animal draws forward its feet crossways. But were he to cut straight on, this animal would draw forward its feet (of the same side) simultaneously: therefore he cuts crossways. Then as to why he does not make cuttings of the head, nor the shoulders, nor the neck, nor the hind-thighs.
1 Sasena va parsvena v4, Kazva text.
? This forms part of the preceding formula (as subject to the verb ‘may totter’), though the author seems to separate it therefrom, as does Mahidhara. The meaning of the formula seems to be, ‘May the enemies perish, confounded by (?) the hot vapour!’
III KANDA, 8 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMANA, 30, 207
28. Now the Asuras, in the beginning, seized a
victim. The gods, from fear, did not go near it’.
The Earth? then said unto them, ‘Heed ye not this:
I will myself be an eye-witness thereof, in whatsoever
manner they will perform this (offering).’
29. She said, ‘ Only one oblation have they offered, the other they have left over.’ Now that which they left over are these same portions. Thereupon the gods made over three limbs to (Agni) Svishéakv7t, whence the Tryanga oblations. The Asuras then made portions of the head, the shoulders, the neck,and the hind-thighs: therefore let him not make portions of these. And since Tvash¢vz spat upon the neck, therefore let him not make a portion of the neck. Thereupon he says (to the Hotrz), ‘ Recite (the invitatory prayer) to Agni and Soma for the havis of the buck!’ Having called for the Srausha¢, he says (to the Maitravaruza), ‘Prompt (the Hotz to recite the offering-prayer® for) the havis of the buck to Agni and Soma!’ He does not say ‘(the havis) made ready:’ when the Soma has been pressed he says ‘ made ready.’
30. In the interval between the two half-verses of the offering-prayer he offers the oblation of gravy. It is from out of this that that essence (juice) has risen upwards here,—that sap of this earth whereby creatures exist on this side of the sky‘; for the
* The St. Petersburg Dict. takes ‘Na-upaveyu’ in the sense of ‘they did not fall in therewith; they did not feel inclined for it;’ as above, III, 7, 3, 3. Sdyana explains it by ‘nopigatas’ (MSS. napagatah).
? That is, Aditi, according to the Kaava recension.
* The yagya and anuvakyé are I, 93, 3 and 7 respectively.
“Ito va ayam Ordhva ufshrito raso yam idam ima’ prag& upagivanty arvag divo ’sminn antarikshe, Kazva recension,p. 208 oblation of gravy is sap, and essence is sap: thus he renders the sap strong by means of sap, whence this sap when eaten does not perish.
31. And as to why he offers the oblation of gravy in the interval between the two half-verses of the
- offering-prayer,— one half-verse, forsooth, is this earth, and the other half-verse is yonder sky. Now between the sky and the earth is the air, and it is to the air that he offers: therefore he offers the oblation of gravy between the two half-verses of the offeringprayer.
32. He offers with (Vag. S. VI, 19), ‘Drink the ghee, ye drinkers of ghee! Drink the gravy, ye drinkersof gravy! thou art the havis of the air, Hail!’ With this prayer to the All-gods he offers, for the air belongs to the All-gods: because creatures move about here in the air breathing in and breathing out therewith, therefore it belongs to the All-gods. As the Vashaé (of the offering-prayer for the meat portions) is pronounced, he offers the portions that are in the guhd.
33. Thereupon, while taking clotted ghee with the guhd, he says (to the Hotvz), ‘ Recite (the invitatory prayer) to the Lord of the forest!’ Having called for the Srausha¢, he says (to the MaitrAvaruza), ‘Prompt (the Hotz to recite the offering-prayer) to the lord of the forest!’ and offers, as the Vasha¢ is pronounced', The reason why he offers to the lord of the forest (the tree) is——he thereby makes that thunderbolt, the sacrificial stake, a sharer (in the sacrifice) ; and, the lord of the forest being Soma’,
1 For the formulas used with this oblation, as well as the Svishéakrit, see Haug, Transl. Ait. Br. pp. 95-96 notes. * Or, Soma being a tree (plant).
p. 111
he thereby makes the victim to be Soma. And as to his offering (to the tree) between the two oblations, he thus fills both completely: therefore he offers between the two oblations.
34. Thereupon, while pouring together the meat portions that are for the upabhvzt, he says (to the Hotrz), ‘Recite (the invitatory prayer) to Agni Svishéakrzt (the maker of good offering)!’ Having called for the Srausha¢, he says (to the Maitravaruza), ‘Prompt for Agni Svish/akvzt!’ and offers as the Vashaé is pronounced.
Thereupon according to the proper order.
17. Then of the tongue, for that stands out from its fore-part. Then of the breast, for that also (stands out) therefrom*. Then of the simultaneously moving (left) fore-foot*. Then of the flanks. Then of the liver. Then of the kidneys.
18. The hind-part he divides into three parts; the broad piece (he reserves) for the by-offerings®; the middle one he cuts into the guhd after dividing it in two; the narrow piece (he reserves) for the
} Literally, he makes a cutting of the heart (hvdayasya-avadyati), that is to say, he puts the entire heart into the guhf as an offeringportion.
* Etasm4d dhy ayam firdhvad praza ufsarati, Kanva rec.
® Or, that (comes) after that (tongue): tad dhi tato ’nvak, Ké4zva rec.
* According to Katy. VI, 7, 6, it is the foremost (or upper) joint (pfirvanadaka) of the left fore-foot which is taken. The K4nva text has simply ‘atha doshnaZ.’
® See III, 8, 4, 9 seq.
m1 KAWDA, 8 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMANA, 22. 205 tryanga’. Then of the simultaneously moving (right) haunch®. This much, then, he cuts into the guhd.
19. Then into the upabhvzt, he makes a portion of the upper part of the fore-foot belonging to the tryanga (viz. the right one); of the (narrow piece of the) hind-part, after dividing it in two; and of the haunch belonging to the tryanga (viz. the left). Thereupon he puts two pieces of gold on (the flesh oblations in the spoons) and pours ghee thereon.
20. He then takes the oblation of gravy® with(Vag. S. VI, 18), ‘You are trembling,’ for quivering, as it were, is the broth: hence he says, ‘You are trembling ;'—‘ May Agni prepare‘ you!’ for the fire does indeed cook it: hence he says, ‘May Agni prepare you !'—‘ The waters have washed you together, for the water indeed gathers together that (fat) juice from the limbs: hence he says, ‘ The waters have washed you together.’
21. ‘For the sweeping of the wind—you!’ for verily yonder blower sweeps along the air, and for the air he takes it: hence he says, ‘For the sweeping of the wind (I take) you.’
22. ‘For the speed of Pdshan,—Pfshan’s speed, forsooth, is yonder (wind)®, and for that he takes it: hence he says, ‘For the speed of Pashan.’
1 Literally, the three-limbs, the technical name of the portion for Agni Svish/akrit.
* For ‘athaikadar4yai sroneh’ the Kanva text reads ‘Ath4dhytdhasah sréneh,’ of the hip above the udder.
* Vasa, i.e. the melted fat (and juice) mixed with the water in which the portions have been cooked, and forming a rich gravy, offered with the Vas4homahavanf. ;
* Literally, ‘mix ’—srf, this root being here, as usual, confounded with s7z, to cook.
* Esha vava pdsha yo ’yam pavata etasma u hi grshnati, Kanva recension.
p. 206
23. ‘From the hot vapour may totter—,;’ the hot vapour, namely, is yonder (wind), and for that he takes it: hence he says, ‘ From the hot vapour may totter—.’ Thereupon he bastes it twice with ghee above.
p. 206
23. ‘From the hot vapour may totter—,;’ the hot vapour, namely, is yonder (wind), and for that he takes it: hence he says, ‘ From the hot vapour may totter—.’ Thereupon he bastes it twice with ghee above.
24. He then mixes it either with the crooked knife or with the chopping-knife', with ‘—Confounded hatred?!’ whereby he chases away from here those evil spirits, the Rakshas.
25. The broth which is left he pours into the Samavattadh4nt, and therein he throws the heart, tongue, breast, the broad piece (of the back part), the kidneys, and the rectum. He then bastes it twice with ghee above.
26. The reason why there is a piece of gold on ‘each side is this. When they offer up the victim in the fire, they slay it, and gold means immortal life: thereby then it rests in immortal life; and so it rises from hence, and so it lives. This is why there is a piece of gold on each side.
27. And because he cuts crossways,—of the left fore-foot and the right haunch ; and of the right forefoot and the left haunch,—therefore this animal draws forward its feet crossways. But were he to cut straight on, this animal would draw forward its feet (of the same side) simultaneously: therefore he cuts crossways. Then as to why he does not make cuttings of the head, nor the shoulders, nor the neck, nor the hind-thighs.
1 Sasena va parsvena v4, Kazva text.
? This forms part of the preceding formula (as subject to the verb ‘may totter’), though the author seems to separate it therefrom, as does Mahidhara. The meaning of the formula seems to be, ‘May the enemies perish, confounded by (?) the hot vapour!’
p. 207
28. Now the Asuras, in the beginning, seized a
victim. The gods, from fear, did not go near it’.
The Earth? then said unto them, ‘Heed you not this:
I will myself be an eye-witness thereof, in whatsoever
manner they will perform this (offering).’
29. She said, ‘ Only one oblation have they offered, the other they have left over.’ Now that which they left over are these same portions. Thereupon the gods made over three limbs to (Agni) Svishéakv7t, whence the Tryanga oblations. The Asuras then made portions of the head, the shoulders, the neck,and the hind-thighs: therefore let him not make portions of these. And since Tvash¢vz spat upon the neck, therefore let him not make a portion of the neck. Thereupon he says (to the Hotrz), ‘ Recite (the invitatory prayer) to Agni and Soma for the havis of the buck!’ Having called for the Srausha¢, he says (to the Maitravaruza), ‘Prompt (the Hotz to recite the offering-prayer® for) the havis of the buck to Agni and Soma!’ He does not say ‘(the havis) made ready:’ when the Soma has been pressed he says ‘ made ready.’
30. In the interval between the two half-verses of the offering-prayer he offers the oblation of gravy. It is from out of this that that essence (juice) has risen upwards here,—that sap of this earth whereby creatures exist on this side of the sky‘; for the
* The St. Petersburg Dict. takes ‘Na-upaveyu’ in the sense of ‘they did not fall in therewith; they did not feel inclined for it;’ as above, III, 7, 3, 3. Sdyana explains it by ‘nopigatas’ (MSS. napagatah).
? That is, Aditi, according to the Kaava recension.
* The yagya and anuvakyé are I, 93, 3 and 7 respectively.
“Ito va ayam Ordhva ufshrito raso yam idam ima’ prag& upagivanty arvag divo ’sminn antarikshe, Kazva recension,p. 208 oblation of gravy is sap, and essence is sap: thus he renders the sap strong by means of sap, whence this sap when eaten does not perish.
31. And as to why he offers the oblation of gravy in the interval between the two half-verses of the
- offering-prayer,— one half-verse, forsooth, is this earth, and the other half-verse is yonder sky. Now between the sky and the earth is the air, and it is to the air that he offers: therefore he offers the oblation of gravy between the two half-verses of the offeringprayer.
32. He offers with (Vag. S. VI, 19), ‘Drink the ghee, you drinkers of ghee! Drink the gravy, you drinkersof gravy! you are the havis of the air, Hail!’ With this prayer to the All-gods he offers, for the air belongs to the All-gods: because creatures move about here in the air breathing in and breathing out therewith, therefore it belongs to the All-gods. As the Vashaé (of the offering-prayer for the meat portions) is pronounced, he offers the portions that are in the guhd.
33. Thereupon, while taking clotted ghee with the guhd, he says (to the Hotvz), ‘ Recite (the invitatory prayer) to the Lord of the forest!’ Having called for the Srausha¢, he says (to the MaitrAvaruza), ‘Prompt (the Hotz to recite the offering-prayer) to the lord of the forest!’ and offers, as the Vasha¢ is pronounced', The reason why he offers to the lord of the forest (the tree) is——he thereby makes that thunderbolt, the sacrificial stake, a sharer (in the sacrifice) ; and, the lord of the forest being Soma’,
1 For the formulas used with this oblation, as well as the Svishéakrit, see Haug, Transl. Ait. Br. pp. 95-96 notes. * Or, Soma being a tree (plant).
p. 209
he thereby makes the victim to be Soma. And as to his offering (to the tree) between the two oblations, he thus fills both completely: therefore he offers between the two oblations.
34. Thereupon, while pouring together the meat portions that are for the upabhvzt, he says (to the Hotrz), ‘Recite (the invitatory prayer) to Agni Svishéakrzt (the maker of good offering)!’ Having called for the Srausha¢, he says (to the Maitravaruza), ‘Prompt for Agni Svish/akvzt!’ and offers as the Vashaé is pronounced.
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