Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1390 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA. world, ghee of the air, and honey of yonder sky: he thus supplies it (the tortoise) with its own form. Or, sour curds are the life-sap of this (earth-)world, ghee that of the air, and honey that of yonder sky: he thus supplies it with its own life-sap. 4. [He anoints it, with Vag. S. XIII, 27-29; Rzk S. I, 90, 6-8] ‘ Honey the winds pour forth for the righteous, honey the rivers; full of honey may the plants be for us!—Honey by night and morn, rich in honey may the region of the earth be for us, honey the father Heaven !— rich in honey may the tree be for us, rich in honey the sun, full of honey the kine!’ To whatever deity a Azk-verse, and to whatever (deity) a Yagus formula applies, that very deity the verse is, and that very deity the sacrificial formula is?. This triplet then is honey (madhu) ; and honey being life-sap, it is life-sap he thus puts into him (Agni). With three Gayatri verses (he performs): the significance of this has been explained. “5. And as to its being called ‘karma’ (tortoise) ;— PragApati, having assumed that form, created living beings. Now what he created, he made; and inasmuch as he made (kar), he is (called) ‘kQrma;’ and ‘karma’ being (the same as) ‘kasyapa’ (a tortoise), therefore all creatures are said to be descended from Kasyapa. 6. Now this tortoise is the same as yonder sun: it is yonder sun he thus lays down (on the altar). He lays it down in front with the head towards the back (west) : he thus places yonder sun in the east 1 That is to say, each Vedic text is identical with the deity to which it is addressed. Cf. VI, 5, 1, 2. VII KANDA, 5 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 8, 391 looking thitherwards (or moving westward); and hence yonder sun is placed in the east looking thitherwards. On the right (south) of the AshadsA (he places it), for the tortoise (karma, masc.) is a male, and the Ash4d4 a female, and the male lies on the right side of the female ;—at a cubit’s distance}, for at a cubit’s distance the male lies by the female. That Ash4d#4 is the consecrated queen (mahishi) of all the bricks, hence being on the right (south) side of her, it (the tortoise) is on the right side of all the bricks. 7. And, again, why he puts down a tortoise ;—the tortoise (krma) is the breath, for the breath makes (kar) all these creatures: it is breath he thus puts into him (Agni). He puts it down in front looking towards the back: he thus puts in the breath in front tending towards the back ; whence the breath is taken in from the front backwards. [He puts it down so as to be] turned towards the (gold) man: he thus puts breath into the Sacrificer. South of the Asha@Za (he puts it), for the tortoise is breath, and the Ashad@#4 speech; and the breath (praza, masc.) is the male, the mate, of speech (v4é, fem.).
2[He puts it down so as to be] turned towards the (gold) man: he thus puts breath into the Sacrificer. South of the Asha@Za (he puts it), for the tortoise is breath, and the Ashad@#4 speech; and the breath (praza, masc.) is the male, the mate, of speech (v4é, fem.). 8. [He sets it down, with Vag. S. XIII, 30-32] ‘Seat thee in the depth of the waters!’ for that indeed is the deepest (place) of the (heavenly) waters where yonder (sun) burns ;—‘lest the sun, lest Agni Vaisvanara should scorch thee!’ that is, lest the Sun, lest Agni Vaisvanara injure thee ;—‘ Overlook the creatures with unbroken wings, that is, overlook all these uninjured, unharmed creatures, that is, these bricks;—‘may 1 While the bricks generally measure a pada or foot square, the cubit measures about two feet. 392 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA, heaven’s rain favour thee!’ this he says in order that the rain of heaven may favour him. 9g. He then makes it move’, with, ‘Over the heaven-reaching three oceans he crept,’ the three heaven-reaching oceans doubtless are these worlds, and over them he crept in the shape of a tortoise ;—‘the lord of waters, the bull of the bricks,’ for he (the tortoise) indeed is the lord of waters, and the bull of the bricks ;—‘induing the covering of him, the well-made, in the world, the covering (purisha) means the cattle : thus, entering the (form of the) cattle of the well-made (Agni) in the world;—‘go thither whither the former have passed away!’ that is, go thither whither by this performance former (tortoises) went. 10. ‘The mighty sky and the earth,’ that is, the great sky and the earth ;—‘ shall mix (prepare) this our sacrifice!’ that is, shall favour this sacrifice ;—‘they shall fill us with nourishments!’ that is, they shall nourish us with nourishments ! With the last (verse) relating to heaven and earth he puts it down, for the tortoise represents heaven and earth. 11. With three (formulas) he puts it on (the altar);—three are these worlds, and threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much he thus puts it on. With three (formulas) he anoints it ; that makes six: the significance of this (number) has been explained. There are avak4-plants? below and avak4-plants above (the 1 He sets the tortoise down with three verses; and in muttering the second verse he makes it move while he still holds it in his hand. * Blyxa octandra, a grassy plant growing in marshy land (‘ lotusflower,’ Weber, Ind, Stud. XIII, p. 2g0). vil KANDA, § ADHYAYA, 1 BRAHMANA, 14. 393 tortoise),—the avak4-plant means water: he thus places it in the midst of water. Having ‘settled’ it, he pronounces the Sfidadohas upon it: the significance of this has been explained.
3XIII, p. 2g0). vil KANDA, § ADHYAYA, 1 BRAHMANA, 14. 393 tortoise),—the avak4-plant means water: he thus places it in the midst of water. Having ‘settled’ it, he pronounces the Sfidadohas upon it: the significance of this has been explained. 12. He then puts down a mortar and pestle. Vishzu desired, ‘May I be an eater of food!’ He saw these two bricks, the mortar and pestle. He placed them on (the altar); and by placing them thereon, he became an eater of food. In like manner, when the Sacrificer now places a mortar and pestle thereon, (he does so) thinking, ‘I want to be an eater of food by the same means (rfpa), by performing the same rite by which Vishzu became an eater of food.’ Now the mortar and pestle mean all (kinds of) food; for by the mortar and pestle food is prepared, and by means of them it is eaten. 13. He puts them down at the distance of the two retaksié !,—the retahsié being the ribs, and the ribs being the middle: he thus puts food into the middle of him (Agni) ;—on the north (upper) side (of the central brick): he thus puts the food upon him ; —at the distance of a cubit, for from a cubit’s distance food is (taken by the hand and) eaten. 14. They measure a span, for Vishzu, when an embryo, was a span long; and these (mortar and pestle) being food, he thus puts food into him (Agni- Vishzu) proportionate to his body. And indeed the food which is proportionate to the body satisfies, * The mortar and pestle are to be placed as far north of the central (naturally-perforated) brick, as the two retafsié lie in front (towards the east) of it. This distance is ascertained by means of a cord stretched across the bricks hitherto laid down (from the Svayamftrinn& to the Ashidha), and knots made in the cord over the centre of the respective bricks. 394 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA, and does no harm ; but that which is excessive does harm; and that which is too little does not satisfy. 15. They are made of Udumbara wood ;—the Udumbara (ficus glomerata) being strength, life-sap, he thus puts strength, life-sap into him. And, again, the Udumbara being all the trees, by putting on those two, he puts all trees on (the altar). At the distance of the two retahsié (bricks, he places the mortar and pestle),—the ‘ seed-shedders’ being these two (worlds'), he thus puts the trees in these two (worlds), and hence there are trees in these two (worlds). It (the mortar) is four-cornered,—there being four quarters, he thus places trees in all the quarters ; whence there are trees in all the quarters. It is contracted in the middle, to give it the form of a (real) mortar. 16. And, again, why he places a mortar and pestle thereon. From Pragdpati, when relaxed, the breath wanted to go out from within. He kept it back by means of food: hence the breath is kept back by food, for he who eats food, breathes.
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.
1390 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA. world, ghee of the air, and honey of yonder sky: he thus supplies it (the tortoise) with its own form. Or, sour curds are the life-sap of this (earth-)world, ghee that of the air, and honey that of yonder sky: he thus supplies it with its own life-sap. 4. [He anoints it, with Vag. S. XIII, 27-29; Rzk S. I, 90, 6-8] ‘ Honey the winds pour forth for the righteous, honey the rivers; full of honey may the plants be for us!—Honey by night and morn, rich in honey may the region of the earth be for us, honey the father Heaven !— rich in honey may the tree be for us, rich in honey the sun, full of honey the kine!’ To whatever deity a Azk-verse, and to whatever (deity) a Yagus formula applies, that very deity the verse is, and that very deity the sacrificial formula is?. This triplet then is honey (madhu) ; and honey being life-sap, it is life-sap he thus puts into him (Agni). With three Gayatri verses (he performs): the significance of this has been explained. “5. And as to its being called ‘karma’ (tortoise) ;— PragApati, having assumed that form, created living beings. Now what he created, he made; and inasmuch as he made (kar), he is (called) ‘kQrma;’ and ‘karma’ being (the same as) ‘kasyapa’ (a tortoise), therefore all creatures are said to be descended from Kasyapa. 6. Now this tortoise is the same as yonder sun: it is yonder sun he thus lays down (on the altar). He lays it down in front with the head towards the back (west) : he thus places yonder sun in the east 1 That is to say, each Vedic text is identical with the deity to which it is addressed. Cf. VI, 5, 1, 2. VII KANDA, 5 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 8, 391 looking thitherwards (or moving westward); and hence yonder sun is placed in the east looking thitherwards. On the right (south) of the AshadsA (he places it), for the tortoise (karma, masc.) is a male, and the Ash4d4 a female, and the male lies on the right side of the female ;—at a cubit’s distance}, for at a cubit’s distance the male lies by the female. That Ash4d#4 is the consecrated queen (mahishi) of all the bricks, hence being on the right (south) side of her, it (the tortoise) is on the right side of all the bricks. 7. And, again, why he puts down a tortoise ;—the tortoise (krma) is the breath, for the breath makes (kar) all these creatures: it is breath he thus puts into him (Agni). He puts it down in front looking towards the back: he thus puts in the breath in front tending towards the back ; whence the breath is taken in from the front backwards. [He puts it down so as to be] turned towards the (gold) man: he thus puts breath into the Sacrificer. South of the Asha@Za (he puts it), for the tortoise is breath, and the Ashad@#4 speech; and the breath (praza, masc.) is the male, the mate, of speech (v4é, fem.).
2[He puts it down so as to be] turned towards the (gold) man: he thus puts breath into the Sacrificer. South of the Asha@Za (he puts it), for the tortoise is breath, and the Ashad@#4 speech; and the breath (praza, masc.) is the male, the mate, of speech (v4é, fem.). 8. [He sets it down, with Vag. S. XIII, 30-32] ‘Seat thee in the depth of the waters!’ for that indeed is the deepest (place) of the (heavenly) waters where yonder (sun) burns ;—‘lest the sun, lest Agni Vaisvanara should scorch thee!’ that is, lest the Sun, lest Agni Vaisvanara injure thee ;—‘ Overlook the creatures with unbroken wings, that is, overlook all these uninjured, unharmed creatures, that is, these bricks;—‘may 1 While the bricks generally measure a pada or foot square, the cubit measures about two feet. 392 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA, heaven’s rain favour thee!’ this he says in order that the rain of heaven may favour him. 9g. He then makes it move’, with, ‘Over the heaven-reaching three oceans he crept,’ the three heaven-reaching oceans doubtless are these worlds, and over them he crept in the shape of a tortoise ;—‘the lord of waters, the bull of the bricks,’ for he (the tortoise) indeed is the lord of waters, and the bull of the bricks ;—‘induing the covering of him, the well-made, in the world, the covering (purisha) means the cattle : thus, entering the (form of the) cattle of the well-made (Agni) in the world;—‘go thither whither the former have passed away!’ that is, go thither whither by this performance former (tortoises) went. 10. ‘The mighty sky and the earth,’ that is, the great sky and the earth ;—‘ shall mix (prepare) this our sacrifice!’ that is, shall favour this sacrifice ;—‘they shall fill us with nourishments!’ that is, they shall nourish us with nourishments ! With the last (verse) relating to heaven and earth he puts it down, for the tortoise represents heaven and earth. 11. With three (formulas) he puts it on (the altar);—three are these worlds, and threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much he thus puts it on. With three (formulas) he anoints it ; that makes six: the significance of this (number) has been explained. There are avak4-plants? below and avak4-plants above (the 1 He sets the tortoise down with three verses; and in muttering the second verse he makes it move while he still holds it in his hand. * Blyxa octandra, a grassy plant growing in marshy land (‘ lotusflower,’ Weber, Ind, Stud. XIII, p. 2g0). vil KANDA, § ADHYAYA, 1 BRAHMANA, 14. 393 tortoise),—the avak4-plant means water: he thus places it in the midst of water. Having ‘settled’ it, he pronounces the Sfidadohas upon it: the significance of this has been explained.
3XIII, p. 2g0). vil KANDA, § ADHYAYA, 1 BRAHMANA, 14. 393 tortoise),—the avak4-plant means water: he thus places it in the midst of water. Having ‘settled’ it, he pronounces the Sfidadohas upon it: the significance of this has been explained. 12. He then puts down a mortar and pestle. Vishzu desired, ‘May I be an eater of food!’ He saw these two bricks, the mortar and pestle. He placed them on (the altar); and by placing them thereon, he became an eater of food. In like manner, when the Sacrificer now places a mortar and pestle thereon, (he does so) thinking, ‘I want to be an eater of food by the same means (rfpa), by performing the same rite by which Vishzu became an eater of food.’ Now the mortar and pestle mean all (kinds of) food; for by the mortar and pestle food is prepared, and by means of them it is eaten. 13. He puts them down at the distance of the two retaksié !,—the retahsié being the ribs, and the ribs being the middle: he thus puts food into the middle of him (Agni) ;—on the north (upper) side (of the central brick): he thus puts the food upon him ; —at the distance of a cubit, for from a cubit’s distance food is (taken by the hand and) eaten. 14. They measure a span, for Vishzu, when an embryo, was a span long; and these (mortar and pestle) being food, he thus puts food into him (Agni- Vishzu) proportionate to his body. And indeed the food which is proportionate to the body satisfies, * The mortar and pestle are to be placed as far north of the central (naturally-perforated) brick, as the two retafsié lie in front (towards the east) of it. This distance is ascertained by means of a cord stretched across the bricks hitherto laid down (from the Svayamftrinn& to the Ashidha), and knots made in the cord over the centre of the respective bricks. 394 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA, and does no harm ; but that which is excessive does harm; and that which is too little does not satisfy. 15. They are made of Udumbara wood ;—the Udumbara (ficus glomerata) being strength, life-sap, he thus puts strength, life-sap into him. And, again, the Udumbara being all the trees, by putting on those two, he puts all trees on (the altar). At the distance of the two retahsié (bricks, he places the mortar and pestle),—the ‘ seed-shedders’ being these two (worlds'), he thus puts the trees in these two (worlds), and hence there are trees in these two (worlds). It (the mortar) is four-cornered,—there being four quarters, he thus places trees in all the quarters ; whence there are trees in all the quarters. It is contracted in the middle, to give it the form of a (real) mortar. 16. And, again, why he places a mortar and pestle thereon. From Pragdpati, when relaxed, the breath wanted to go out from within. He kept it back by means of food: hence the breath is kept back by food, for he who eats food, breathes.
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.