Fetching
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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1119, note 2. 5 That is, taking the calves of the three milch cows into account ; and optionally counting the gift to the Agnidhra. vi KANDA, 1 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 2. 143 SIXTH KAWDA. THE AGNIKAYANA, oR BUILDING OF THE FIRE-ALTAR. CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE. First ApuyAya. First BRAHMANA. 1. Verily, in the beginning there was here the non-existent!. As to this they say, ‘What was that non-existent ?’ The Azshis, assuredly,—it is they that were the non-existent. As to this they say, ‘Who were those Azshis?’ The Aishis, doubtless, were the vital airs: inasmuch as before (the existence of) this universe, they, desiring it, wore themselves out (rish) with toil and austerity, therefore (they are called) Rzshis. 2. This same vital air in the midst doubtless is _ Indra. He, by his power (indriya), kindled those (other) vital airs from the midst ; and inasmuch as he kindled (indh), he is the kindler (indha): the kindler? indeed,—him they call ‘Indra’ mystically * Or, perhaps, In the beginning this (universe) was indeed nonexistent. Thus J. Muir, Or. S. T. IV, p. 22, of which translation of this cosmogonic myth considerable use has been made here. It need scarcely be remarked that ‘idam’ is constantly used in an adverbial sense in the Brahmaza. ? In the original, ‘the non-existent’ is the subject of the clause, not the predicate as would appear from the translation. A similar transposition seems often advisable in English, for the sake of emphasis, and on other grounds. Muir’s rendering, ‘ The Rishis say that in the beginning there was non-existence,’ is a mistake. ® The nominative here is striking, and vivid, cf. paragraph 11 below. In corresponding passages of the preceding books, the accusative would stand here; e.g. II, 1, 2, 4, saptarshin u ha sma vai purarksha ity 4éakshate ; similarly III, 1, 2, 3. 144 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA. (esoterically), for the gods love the mystic. They (the vital airs), being kindled, created seven separate persons ! (purusha). 3. They said, ‘Surely, being thus, we shall not be able to generate: let us make these seven persons one Person!’ They made those seven persons one Person: they compressed two of them? (into) what is above the navel, and two of them (into) what is below the navel; (one) person was (one) wing (or side), (one) person was (the other) wing, and one person was the base (i.e. the feet). 4. And what excellence, what life-sap (rasa) there was in those seven persons, that they concentrated above, that became his head. And because (in it) they concentrated the excellence (sri), therefore it is (called) the head (siras). It was thereto that the breaths resorted (sri): therefore also it is the head (siras). And because the breaths did so resort (sri) thereto, therefore also the breaths (vital airs, and their.organs) are elements of excellence (sri). And because they resorted to the whole (system) therefore (this is called) body (sartra).
2And because the breaths did so resort (sri) thereto, therefore also the breaths (vital airs, and their.organs) are elements of excellence (sri). And because they resorted to the whole (system) therefore (this is called) body (sartra). 5. That same Person became Prag&pati (lord of generation). And that Person which became PragApati is this very Agni (fire-altar), who is now ; (to be) built. 6. He verily is composed of seven persons, for this Person (Agni) is composed of seven persons , 1 That is, living beings or souls, individualities, which, in their combined form, are here imagined to take the shape of a bird. Muir’s rendering, ‘ males,’ can scarcely commend itself. 3 Literally, ‘those two,’ > The fire-altar is usually constructed so as to measure seven VI KANDA, I ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 9. 145 to wit, the body (trunk) of four, and the wings and tail of three; for the body of that (first) Person (was composed of) four, and the wings and tail of three. And inasmuch as he makes the body larger by one person, by that force the body raises the wings and tail. 7. And as to the fire which is deposited on the built (altar), —whatever excellence, whatever lifesap there was in those seven persons, that they now concentrate above, that is his. (Pragdpati’s) head. On that same (head) all the gods are dependent (srita), for it is there that offering is made to all the gods: therefore also it is the head (siras). . 8. Now this Person Pragdpati desired, ‘May I be more (than one), may I be reproduced!’ He toiled, he practised austerity. Being worn out with toil and austerity, he created first of all the Brahman (neut.), the triple science. It became to him a foundation : hence they say, ‘ the Brahman (Veda) is the foundation of everything here.’ Wherefore, having studied (the Veda) one rests on a foundation ; for this, to wit, the Veda, is his foundation. Resting on that foundation, he (again) practised austerity. 9. He created the waters out of Vaé (speech, that is) the world; for speech belonged to it': that was man’s lengths square ; the particular length being that of the Sacrificer. This, however, is the smallest size allowed for an altar, there being altogether ninety-five different sizes specified, varying between s¢ven and ror man’s lengths square. 1 Or, perhaps, to him (Pragapati). Sayava merely says,—vag evasya sdsrigyata, vik sahakari rasanam abhavat, tad asrigyatety arthah; s4 vak sahakdri rasanam prag4patya(m) srishfam sad idam sarvam Apnot.—On the part which V4é (the personification of the Brahman or Veda) takes by the side of Pragdpati in the creation (41) L 146 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA. created (set free). It pervaded everything here; and because it pervaded (4p) whatsoever there was here, therefore (it is called) water (Apak); and because it covered (var), therefore also it (is called) water (var).
3created (set free). It pervaded everything here; and because it pervaded (4p) whatsoever there was here, therefore (it is called) water (Apak); and because it covered (var), therefore also it (is called) water (var). 10. He desired, ‘May I be reproduced from these waters!’ He entered the waters with that triple science. Thence an egg arose. He touched it. ‘ Let it exist! let it exist and multiply!’ so he said. From it the Brahman (neut.) was first created, the triple science. Hence they say, ‘ The Brahman (n.) is the first-born of this All.’ For even before that Person the Brahman was created’: it was created as his mouth. Hence they say of him who has studied the Veda, that ‘he is like Agni ;’ for it, the Brahman (Veda), is Agni’s mouth. 11. Now the embryo which was inside was: created as the foremost (agri): inasmuch as it was created foremost (agram) of this All, therefore (it is called) Agri: Agri, indeed, is he whom they mystically call? Agni; for the gods love the mystic. ' And the tear (asru, n.) which had formed itself ® become the ‘asru’ (m.); ‘asru’ indeed is what they mystically call ‘asva’ (horse), for the gods love the of the universe, and the parallelism between V4’ and Adyos, see Weber, Ind. Stud. IX, p. 473 seq.; Muir, Or. S. T. V, p. 391. Thus Pa#k. Br. XX, 14, 2, ‘ PragApati alone existed here. He had VA4k indeed as his own, as a second to him.’ 1 Muir takes this differently —Further, (as) the Veda was first created from that Male, therefore it was created his mouth. This translation, however, takes no account of the particle ‘hi.’ 4 For the construction, see above, paragraph 2, with note. * Literally, which had flowed together. It is explained as the embryonic liquid in the amnion, or innermost membrane enveloping the foetus. viI KANDA, I ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 15. 147 mystic. And that which, as it were, cried? (ras), became the ass (rasabha). And the juice which was adhering to the shell (of the egg) became the he-goat (aga’). And that which was the shell became the earth. 12. He desired, ‘May I generate this (earth) from these waters!’ He compressed it? and threw it into the water. The juice which flowed from it became a tortoise; and that which was spirted upwards (became) what is produced above here over the waters. This whole (earth) dissolved itself all over the water : all this (universe) appeared as one form only, namely, water. 13. He desired, ‘ May it become more than one, may it reproduce itself!’ He toiled and practised austerity ; and worn out with toil and austerity, he created foam, He was aware that ‘this indeed looks different, it is becoming more (than one); I must toil, indeed!’ Worn out with toil and austerity, he created clay, mud, saline soil and sand, gravel (pebble), rock, ore, gold, plants and trees: therewith he clothed this earth.
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.
1119, note 2. 5 That is, taking the calves of the three milch cows into account ; and optionally counting the gift to the Agnidhra. vi KANDA, 1 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 2. 143 SIXTH KAWDA. THE AGNIKAYANA, oR BUILDING OF THE FIRE-ALTAR. CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE. First ApuyAya. First BRAHMANA. 1. Verily, in the beginning there was here the non-existent!. As to this they say, ‘What was that non-existent ?’ The Azshis, assuredly,—it is they that were the non-existent. As to this they say, ‘Who were those Azshis?’ The Aishis, doubtless, were the vital airs: inasmuch as before (the existence of) this universe, they, desiring it, wore themselves out (rish) with toil and austerity, therefore (they are called) Rzshis. 2. This same vital air in the midst doubtless is _ Indra. He, by his power (indriya), kindled those (other) vital airs from the midst ; and inasmuch as he kindled (indh), he is the kindler (indha): the kindler? indeed,—him they call ‘Indra’ mystically * Or, perhaps, In the beginning this (universe) was indeed nonexistent. Thus J. Muir, Or. S. T. IV, p. 22, of which translation of this cosmogonic myth considerable use has been made here. It need scarcely be remarked that ‘idam’ is constantly used in an adverbial sense in the Brahmaza. ? In the original, ‘the non-existent’ is the subject of the clause, not the predicate as would appear from the translation. A similar transposition seems often advisable in English, for the sake of emphasis, and on other grounds. Muir’s rendering, ‘ The Rishis say that in the beginning there was non-existence,’ is a mistake. ® The nominative here is striking, and vivid, cf. paragraph 11 below. In corresponding passages of the preceding books, the accusative would stand here; e.g. II, 1, 2, 4, saptarshin u ha sma vai purarksha ity 4éakshate ; similarly III, 1, 2, 3. 144 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA. (esoterically), for the gods love the mystic. They (the vital airs), being kindled, created seven separate persons ! (purusha). 3. They said, ‘Surely, being thus, we shall not be able to generate: let us make these seven persons one Person!’ They made those seven persons one Person: they compressed two of them? (into) what is above the navel, and two of them (into) what is below the navel; (one) person was (one) wing (or side), (one) person was (the other) wing, and one person was the base (i.e. the feet). 4. And what excellence, what life-sap (rasa) there was in those seven persons, that they concentrated above, that became his head. And because (in it) they concentrated the excellence (sri), therefore it is (called) the head (siras). It was thereto that the breaths resorted (sri): therefore also it is the head (siras). And because the breaths did so resort (sri) thereto, therefore also the breaths (vital airs, and their.organs) are elements of excellence (sri). And because they resorted to the whole (system) therefore (this is called) body (sartra).
2And because the breaths did so resort (sri) thereto, therefore also the breaths (vital airs, and their.organs) are elements of excellence (sri). And because they resorted to the whole (system) therefore (this is called) body (sartra). 5. That same Person became Prag&pati (lord of generation). And that Person which became PragApati is this very Agni (fire-altar), who is now ; (to be) built. 6. He verily is composed of seven persons, for this Person (Agni) is composed of seven persons , 1 That is, living beings or souls, individualities, which, in their combined form, are here imagined to take the shape of a bird. Muir’s rendering, ‘ males,’ can scarcely commend itself. 3 Literally, ‘those two,’ > The fire-altar is usually constructed so as to measure seven VI KANDA, I ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 9. 145 to wit, the body (trunk) of four, and the wings and tail of three; for the body of that (first) Person (was composed of) four, and the wings and tail of three. And inasmuch as he makes the body larger by one person, by that force the body raises the wings and tail. 7. And as to the fire which is deposited on the built (altar), —whatever excellence, whatever lifesap there was in those seven persons, that they now concentrate above, that is his. (Pragdpati’s) head. On that same (head) all the gods are dependent (srita), for it is there that offering is made to all the gods: therefore also it is the head (siras). . 8. Now this Person Pragdpati desired, ‘May I be more (than one), may I be reproduced!’ He toiled, he practised austerity. Being worn out with toil and austerity, he created first of all the Brahman (neut.), the triple science. It became to him a foundation : hence they say, ‘ the Brahman (Veda) is the foundation of everything here.’ Wherefore, having studied (the Veda) one rests on a foundation ; for this, to wit, the Veda, is his foundation. Resting on that foundation, he (again) practised austerity. 9. He created the waters out of Vaé (speech, that is) the world; for speech belonged to it': that was man’s lengths square ; the particular length being that of the Sacrificer. This, however, is the smallest size allowed for an altar, there being altogether ninety-five different sizes specified, varying between s¢ven and ror man’s lengths square. 1 Or, perhaps, to him (Pragapati). Sayava merely says,—vag evasya sdsrigyata, vik sahakari rasanam abhavat, tad asrigyatety arthah; s4 vak sahakdri rasanam prag4patya(m) srishfam sad idam sarvam Apnot.—On the part which V4é (the personification of the Brahman or Veda) takes by the side of Pragdpati in the creation (41) L 146 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA. created (set free). It pervaded everything here; and because it pervaded (4p) whatsoever there was here, therefore (it is called) water (Apak); and because it covered (var), therefore also it (is called) water (var).
3created (set free). It pervaded everything here; and because it pervaded (4p) whatsoever there was here, therefore (it is called) water (Apak); and because it covered (var), therefore also it (is called) water (var). 10. He desired, ‘May I be reproduced from these waters!’ He entered the waters with that triple science. Thence an egg arose. He touched it. ‘ Let it exist! let it exist and multiply!’ so he said. From it the Brahman (neut.) was first created, the triple science. Hence they say, ‘ The Brahman (n.) is the first-born of this All.’ For even before that Person the Brahman was created’: it was created as his mouth. Hence they say of him who has studied the Veda, that ‘he is like Agni ;’ for it, the Brahman (Veda), is Agni’s mouth. 11. Now the embryo which was inside was: created as the foremost (agri): inasmuch as it was created foremost (agram) of this All, therefore (it is called) Agri: Agri, indeed, is he whom they mystically call? Agni; for the gods love the mystic. ' And the tear (asru, n.) which had formed itself ® become the ‘asru’ (m.); ‘asru’ indeed is what they mystically call ‘asva’ (horse), for the gods love the of the universe, and the parallelism between V4’ and Adyos, see Weber, Ind. Stud. IX, p. 473 seq.; Muir, Or. S. T. V, p. 391. Thus Pa#k. Br. XX, 14, 2, ‘ PragApati alone existed here. He had VA4k indeed as his own, as a second to him.’ 1 Muir takes this differently —Further, (as) the Veda was first created from that Male, therefore it was created his mouth. This translation, however, takes no account of the particle ‘hi.’ 4 For the construction, see above, paragraph 2, with note. * Literally, which had flowed together. It is explained as the embryonic liquid in the amnion, or innermost membrane enveloping the foetus. viI KANDA, I ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 15. 147 mystic. And that which, as it were, cried? (ras), became the ass (rasabha). And the juice which was adhering to the shell (of the egg) became the he-goat (aga’). And that which was the shell became the earth. 12. He desired, ‘May I generate this (earth) from these waters!’ He compressed it? and threw it into the water. The juice which flowed from it became a tortoise; and that which was spirted upwards (became) what is produced above here over the waters. This whole (earth) dissolved itself all over the water : all this (universe) appeared as one form only, namely, water. 13. He desired, ‘ May it become more than one, may it reproduce itself!’ He toiled and practised austerity ; and worn out with toil and austerity, he created foam, He was aware that ‘this indeed looks different, it is becoming more (than one); I must toil, indeed!’ Worn out with toil and austerity, he created clay, mud, saline soil and sand, gravel (pebble), rock, ore, gold, plants and trees: therewith he clothed this earth.
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.
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