Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
12. He takes him in (by muttering, Vag. S. XIII, 1), ‘Within me I first take Agni,’ he thereby first takes Agni into his own self;—‘for increase of wealth, for healthy progeny, for vigorous manhood!’ and hereby he takes all blessings to himself;—‘and may the deities stand by me!’ and hereby he takes all the gods to himself; and thus he takes into his own self all that he is about to generate from his own self. Having taken Agni VII KANDA, 4 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 7. 363 into his own self whilst standing, he builds him up sitting ;—Agni is an animal: hence the animal, having received the foetus standing, gives birth after lying down. 3. He now sings the Satya S4man! (true hymn). For the gods then said, ‘Let us make the truth (satya) his mouth (or beginning): thus we shall become the truth, truth will turn unto us, and true will become that wish of ours for which we are about to perform this rite!’ 4. They sang that ‘true hymn’ at the outset, and thus made the truth his (Agni’s) mouth; and they became the truth ; the truth turned unto them, and true became that wish of theirs for which they performed this rite. 5. And in like manner when the Sacrificer now, at the outset, sings the ‘true hymn,’ he thereby makes the truth his (Agni’s) mouth ; and he (himself) becomes the truth; and truth turns unto him; and true becomes that wish of his for which he performs this rite. 6. Now that truth is the same as the waters, for the waters are the truth. Hence they say, ‘Whereby ? the waters flow, that is a form of the truth.’ It is the waters indeed that were made first of this universe : hence when the waters (rains) flow, then everything whatsoever exists is produced here. 7. He then puts down a lotus-leaf (in the centre of ? Probably Séma-v. S. I, 99 (Rzk S. I, 69, 4), ‘O Agni, lord of bovine food, child of strength, grant unto us, O knower of beings, great glory!’ See Weber, Ind. Stud. XII, p. 148, note 2. * ?Or, in that (or because, yena) the waters flow,—that is to say, the flowing of the waters (rain, &c.) is a manifestation of eternal truth. 364 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA. the altar-site);—the lotus-leaf is a womb: he hereby puts a womb to it (for Agni to be born from). 8. And, again, why he puts down a lotus-leaf ;— the lotus means the waters, and this earth is a leaf thereof: even as the lotus-leaf here lies spread on the water, so this earth lies spread on the waters. Now this same earth is Agni’s womb, for Agni (the fire-altar) is this earth, since thereof the whole Agni is built up: it is this earth he thus lays down. He lays it down so as not to be separated from the truth: he thereby establishes this earth on the truth ; —hence this earth is established on the truth; and hence the truth is this earth, for this earth is the most certain of these worlds.
2He lays it down so as not to be separated from the truth: he thereby establishes this earth on the truth ; —hence this earth is established on the truth; and hence the truth is this earth, for this earth is the most certain of these worlds. 9. [He lays it down, with Vag. S. XIII, 2]‘ The waters’ back thou art, the womb of Agni,’ for this earth is indeed the back of the waters, and the womb of Agni;—‘ around the swelling ocean,’ for the ocean indeed swells around this earth ;— ‘growing great on the lotus,’ that is, ‘ growing, flourish thou on the lotus;’—‘spread out with the extent, with the breadth, of the sky!’ with this he strokes along (the leaf),—for this Agni is yonder sun, and no other extent but that of the sky is able to contain him: he thus says (to the leaf), ‘Having become the sky, contain him!’ He lays it down with a Svarag verse, for self-rule (sv4ragya) belongs to the waters. Having ‘settled’ it, he pronounces the Sddadohas! upon it: the significance of this has been explained. 10. He then puts the gold plate* thereon. Now 1 See p. 301, note 3. 7 Viz, the one the Sacrificer wore round his neck during the initiation period. See VI, 7, 1, 1 seq. VII KANDA, 4 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 14. 365 this gold plate is yonder sun, for he shines over all the creatures here on earth ; and ‘rofas’ (shine) they mystically call ‘rukma’ (gold plate), for the gods love the mystic: he thus lays down yonder sun (on the altar). It is golden, and round, with one and twenty knobs,—the significance of this has been 7 explained. He puts it down with the knobs pointing downward ; for the knobs are his (the sun’s) rays, and his rays (shine) downwards. 11. He puts it down on the lotus-leaf ;—the lotusleaf is a womb: in the womb he thus places him (Agni). 12. And, again, why he puts it on the lotus-leaf ;— the lotus-leaf is a foundation, for the lotus-leaf is this earth, and this earth is the foundation: he who is not settled on this earth, is unsettled even as one who is far away. Now by means of his rays that (sun) is settled on this earth: he thus settles him (Agni) on this earth, as his foundation. 13. And, again, why he puts it on the lotus-leaf. When Indra had smitten V7tra, he, thinking that he had not laid him low, entered the waters. He said to them, ‘I am afraid: make ye a stronghold for me!’ Now what essence of the waters there was that they gathered upwards (on the surface), and made it a stronghold for him ; and because they made (kar) a stronghold (pt) for him, therefore it is ‘ pdshkara ;’ ‘pfishkara’ being what is mystically called ‘ pushkara’ (lotus-leaf), for the gods love the mystic. Now when he puts it (the gold plate) on the lotus-leaf, he then establishes him (Agni) in that essence which the waters gathered together for him (Indra), and in that stronghold which they made for him. 14. [He puts it down, with Vag. S. XIII, 3] 366 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
3Now when he puts it (the gold plate) on the lotus-leaf, he then establishes him (Agni) in that essence which the waters gathered together for him (Indra), and in that stronghold which they made for him. 14. [He puts it down, with Vag. S. XIII, 3] 366 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA. ‘The Brahman first born in front;’ the Brahman doubtless is yonder sun, and he is born day by day in front (in the east);—‘from the summit! he, the longing, overspread the shining,’ the summit doubtless is the middle, the shining ones are these worlds, and the longing one is yonder sun,— he is the longing one inasmuch as he longed to be born; and in rising he overspreads? these (worlds) from the summit, from the middle ;—‘he (overspread) the nighest extents of the deep,’ his nighest extents of the deep doubtless are the regions, for he (the sun) does extend nigh to them ;—‘the womb of the existent and of the non-existent did he overspread !’ the womb of the existent and of the non-existent doubtless are these worlds; for both what exists and what does not exist is born from these worlds. He puts it on with a trish¢ubh verse, for yonder (sun) is related to the Trishtubh*. Having ‘ settled ’ it, he pronounces the Sidadohas* verse upon it: the significance of this has been explained. 15. He then lays the (gold) man thereon,—he is Pragapati, he is Agni, he is the Sacrificer. He is made of gold, for gold is light, and fire is light ; gold is immortality, and fire is immortality. It is a man (purusha), for PragApati is the Man. 1 <Stmatah’ would rather seem to mean ‘from the boundary line,’ but the author here takes-‘stman’ in the sense of (simanta) ‘hair-line, parting of the hair, crown of the head (Scheitel).’ 2 In the Sanskrit participial (or gerundial) construction, the relation between the primary and secondary notions is usually the reverse of ours, —thus ‘he rises in overspreading.’ * It is usually with Indra that the Trish/ubh metre is connected— see part i, introduction, p. xviii ; Sat. Br. IX, 4, 3, 7 (cf. VIII, 5, 1, 10) —the Trish/ubh being also the emblem of the nobility (III, 4, 1, 10). * See p. 301, note 3. vil KANDA, 4 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 18. 367 16. And, again, why he lays down the man, When PragApati was relaxed, his pleasing form went out from within ; when it had gone out of him, the gods left him. When the gods restored him, they put that pleasing form into him, and the gods were pleased with that (form) of his; and inasmuch as the gods were pleased (ram) with that pleasing (ramya) form of his, it is called ‘ hiramya ;’ ‘ hiramya’ being what is mystically called ‘hirazya’ (gold), for the gods love the mystic. And in like manner does this (Sacrificer) now put that pleasing form into him (Agni), and the gods are pleased with that (form) of his. “But that pleasing form of his is the vital air: it - is that vital air he thus puts into him.
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.
12. He takes him in (by muttering, Vag. S. XIII, 1), ‘Within me I first take Agni,’ he thereby first takes Agni into his own self;—‘for increase of wealth, for healthy progeny, for vigorous manhood!’ and hereby he takes all blessings to himself;—‘and may the deities stand by me!’ and hereby he takes all the gods to himself; and thus he takes into his own self all that he is about to generate from his own self. Having taken Agni VII KANDA, 4 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 7. 363 into his own self whilst standing, he builds him up sitting ;—Agni is an animal: hence the animal, having received the foetus standing, gives birth after lying down. 3. He now sings the Satya S4man! (true hymn). For the gods then said, ‘Let us make the truth (satya) his mouth (or beginning): thus we shall become the truth, truth will turn unto us, and true will become that wish of ours for which we are about to perform this rite!’ 4. They sang that ‘true hymn’ at the outset, and thus made the truth his (Agni’s) mouth; and they became the truth ; the truth turned unto them, and true became that wish of theirs for which they performed this rite. 5. And in like manner when the Sacrificer now, at the outset, sings the ‘true hymn,’ he thereby makes the truth his (Agni’s) mouth ; and he (himself) becomes the truth; and truth turns unto him; and true becomes that wish of his for which he performs this rite. 6. Now that truth is the same as the waters, for the waters are the truth. Hence they say, ‘Whereby ? the waters flow, that is a form of the truth.’ It is the waters indeed that were made first of this universe : hence when the waters (rains) flow, then everything whatsoever exists is produced here. 7. He then puts down a lotus-leaf (in the centre of ? Probably Séma-v. S. I, 99 (Rzk S. I, 69, 4), ‘O Agni, lord of bovine food, child of strength, grant unto us, O knower of beings, great glory!’ See Weber, Ind. Stud. XII, p. 148, note 2. * ?Or, in that (or because, yena) the waters flow,—that is to say, the flowing of the waters (rain, &c.) is a manifestation of eternal truth. 364 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA. the altar-site);—the lotus-leaf is a womb: he hereby puts a womb to it (for Agni to be born from). 8. And, again, why he puts down a lotus-leaf ;— the lotus means the waters, and this earth is a leaf thereof: even as the lotus-leaf here lies spread on the water, so this earth lies spread on the waters. Now this same earth is Agni’s womb, for Agni (the fire-altar) is this earth, since thereof the whole Agni is built up: it is this earth he thus lays down. He lays it down so as not to be separated from the truth: he thereby establishes this earth on the truth ; —hence this earth is established on the truth; and hence the truth is this earth, for this earth is the most certain of these worlds.
2He lays it down so as not to be separated from the truth: he thereby establishes this earth on the truth ; —hence this earth is established on the truth; and hence the truth is this earth, for this earth is the most certain of these worlds. 9. [He lays it down, with Vag. S. XIII, 2]‘ The waters’ back thou art, the womb of Agni,’ for this earth is indeed the back of the waters, and the womb of Agni;—‘ around the swelling ocean,’ for the ocean indeed swells around this earth ;— ‘growing great on the lotus,’ that is, ‘ growing, flourish thou on the lotus;’—‘spread out with the extent, with the breadth, of the sky!’ with this he strokes along (the leaf),—for this Agni is yonder sun, and no other extent but that of the sky is able to contain him: he thus says (to the leaf), ‘Having become the sky, contain him!’ He lays it down with a Svarag verse, for self-rule (sv4ragya) belongs to the waters. Having ‘settled’ it, he pronounces the Sddadohas! upon it: the significance of this has been explained. 10. He then puts the gold plate* thereon. Now 1 See p. 301, note 3. 7 Viz, the one the Sacrificer wore round his neck during the initiation period. See VI, 7, 1, 1 seq. VII KANDA, 4 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 14. 365 this gold plate is yonder sun, for he shines over all the creatures here on earth ; and ‘rofas’ (shine) they mystically call ‘rukma’ (gold plate), for the gods love the mystic: he thus lays down yonder sun (on the altar). It is golden, and round, with one and twenty knobs,—the significance of this has been 7 explained. He puts it down with the knobs pointing downward ; for the knobs are his (the sun’s) rays, and his rays (shine) downwards. 11. He puts it down on the lotus-leaf ;—the lotusleaf is a womb: in the womb he thus places him (Agni). 12. And, again, why he puts it on the lotus-leaf ;— the lotus-leaf is a foundation, for the lotus-leaf is this earth, and this earth is the foundation: he who is not settled on this earth, is unsettled even as one who is far away. Now by means of his rays that (sun) is settled on this earth: he thus settles him (Agni) on this earth, as his foundation. 13. And, again, why he puts it on the lotus-leaf. When Indra had smitten V7tra, he, thinking that he had not laid him low, entered the waters. He said to them, ‘I am afraid: make ye a stronghold for me!’ Now what essence of the waters there was that they gathered upwards (on the surface), and made it a stronghold for him ; and because they made (kar) a stronghold (pt) for him, therefore it is ‘ pdshkara ;’ ‘pfishkara’ being what is mystically called ‘ pushkara’ (lotus-leaf), for the gods love the mystic. Now when he puts it (the gold plate) on the lotus-leaf, he then establishes him (Agni) in that essence which the waters gathered together for him (Indra), and in that stronghold which they made for him. 14. [He puts it down, with Vag. S. XIII, 3] 366 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
3Now when he puts it (the gold plate) on the lotus-leaf, he then establishes him (Agni) in that essence which the waters gathered together for him (Indra), and in that stronghold which they made for him. 14. [He puts it down, with Vag. S. XIII, 3] 366 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA. ‘The Brahman first born in front;’ the Brahman doubtless is yonder sun, and he is born day by day in front (in the east);—‘from the summit! he, the longing, overspread the shining,’ the summit doubtless is the middle, the shining ones are these worlds, and the longing one is yonder sun,— he is the longing one inasmuch as he longed to be born; and in rising he overspreads? these (worlds) from the summit, from the middle ;—‘he (overspread) the nighest extents of the deep,’ his nighest extents of the deep doubtless are the regions, for he (the sun) does extend nigh to them ;—‘the womb of the existent and of the non-existent did he overspread !’ the womb of the existent and of the non-existent doubtless are these worlds; for both what exists and what does not exist is born from these worlds. He puts it on with a trish¢ubh verse, for yonder (sun) is related to the Trishtubh*. Having ‘ settled ’ it, he pronounces the Sidadohas* verse upon it: the significance of this has been explained. 15. He then lays the (gold) man thereon,—he is Pragapati, he is Agni, he is the Sacrificer. He is made of gold, for gold is light, and fire is light ; gold is immortality, and fire is immortality. It is a man (purusha), for PragApati is the Man. 1 <Stmatah’ would rather seem to mean ‘from the boundary line,’ but the author here takes-‘stman’ in the sense of (simanta) ‘hair-line, parting of the hair, crown of the head (Scheitel).’ 2 In the Sanskrit participial (or gerundial) construction, the relation between the primary and secondary notions is usually the reverse of ours, —thus ‘he rises in overspreading.’ * It is usually with Indra that the Trish/ubh metre is connected— see part i, introduction, p. xviii ; Sat. Br. IX, 4, 3, 7 (cf. VIII, 5, 1, 10) —the Trish/ubh being also the emblem of the nobility (III, 4, 1, 10). * See p. 301, note 3. vil KANDA, 4 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 18. 367 16. And, again, why he lays down the man, When PragApati was relaxed, his pleasing form went out from within ; when it had gone out of him, the gods left him. When the gods restored him, they put that pleasing form into him, and the gods were pleased with that (form) of his; and inasmuch as the gods were pleased (ram) with that pleasing (ramya) form of his, it is called ‘ hiramya ;’ ‘ hiramya’ being what is mystically called ‘hirazya’ (gold), for the gods love the mystic. And in like manner does this (Sacrificer) now put that pleasing form into him (Agni), and the gods are pleased with that (form) of his. “But that pleasing form of his is the vital air: it - is that vital air he thus puts into him.
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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