Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1ns the roots of the plants : thereby these plants become root-moistened ; and even if their tops are dry, their roots at least remain moist. 5. Having thereupon untied the knot, he takes the prastara bunch from the front (of the barhis), with the text (Va^. S. II, 2), ' Vish;m's crest art thou!' Vish;m, namely, is the sacrifice, and this (the prastara) is his top-knot or crest: this he thereby makes it at this sacrificed From the front he takes it, because this top-knot also is (worn) on the front (of the head) : for this reason he takes it from the front. 6. He then undoes the band (of the barhis), ' His (the sacrificer's) wife is sure to bring forth without difificulty^,' thinking thus he undoes the band. He puts it down on the right hip (of the altar) ; for this represents his (the sacrificer's) waist-band, and it is on the right side that the waist-band is (tied) : this is the reason why he puts it down on the right hip. He again covers it over (with sacrificial grass) ; for the waist-band also is covered (by the upper gar- ment) : for this reason he again covers it. 7. He now spreads the barhis (on the altar). For the prastara is the top-knot; and this other ^ Because, according to Sayawa, it lies on the front, or eastern side of the altar, near the Ahavaniya fire, and men also wear their top- knot (in the form of a ball or Imiip) on the fore-part of their head. The prastara he hands to the Brahman-priest. Katy. II, 7, 22. 2 Prak/z'ptam; Sayawa takes it in the sense of 'a completely formed (child).' S6 ^ATAPATHA-BRAHMAJVA. sacrificial grass is for this (sacrifice) what other hair there is below that (top-knot, viz. the beard, &c.) : — that (hair) he thereby puts on it, and for this reason he spreads the barhis. 8. Now the altar (vedi, fern.) is a woman, and around her sit the gods and those priests who have studied and teach revealed lore ^ ; and as they thus sit around her, he makes her not naked : hence it is in order to avoid nudity (on her or the altar's part) that he spreads the barhis. 9. As large as the altar is, so large is the earth ; and the plants (are represented by) the barhis; so that he thereby furnishes the earth with plants ; and those plants are firmly established in this earth : for this reason he spreads the barhis. I o.
29. As large as the altar is, so large is the earth ; and the plants (are represented by) the barhis; so that he thereby furnishes the earth with plants ; and those plants are firmly established in this earth : for this reason he spreads the barhis. I o. H ere now they say, ' Let him strew abundantly ; for where the plants are most abundant on her, there the means of subsistence are most amply afforded by her: let him therefore strew abundantly!' It is in favour of him (the sacrificer) who procures (the sacrificial grass), then, (that this is done.) He strews it threefold -, for threefold is the sacrifice. Or he may also spread it whilst lifting up (the tops) ^ ; for ^ 'Around her on the south sit the gods and those man-gods (manushyadeva/i), the priests who have studied and teach revealed lore.' Kawva recension. ^ Viz. in three layers, one beside the other, each consisting of one handful of grass. He first spreads a layer on the east side from the southern to the northern shoulder of the altar, with the tops of the blades turned towards the east ; then a second one west of it, so as to cover the roots of the first with the tops of the second layer ; and in the same way a third one on the west side of the altar. If he thinks fit, he may make more than three layers, but their number shouKl be uneven. Katy. II, 7, 22-26 (schol.). ^ That is to say, he is to begin on the west side, and in laying down the successive layers, he is to lift up (with a stick or some I KANDA, 3 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMAiVA, 1 3. S"/ it has been said by the seer (Va^. S. VII, 32), 'They spread the barhis continuously.' He spreads it with the roots below (the tops); for it is with their roots below that those plants are firmly established in this earth : for this reason he spreads it with the roots below. 11. He spreads it, with the text (Va^. S. II, 2), ' I spread thee, soft as wool, pleasant to sit upon for the gods ! ' — when he says ' thee, soft as wool,' he thereby means to say 'agreeable to the gods;' and by ' pleasant to sit upon for the gods,' he means to say ' forming a good seat for the gods.' 12. He now trims the fire ^ The Ahavaniya, doubtless, is the head of the sacrifice, for the head is the fore-part ^ : that fore-part of the sacrifice he thereby trims. He trims it while holding the prastara (which he has received back from the Brahman) close over it; for the prastara is the top-knot, and it is this which he thereby puts on it : for this reason he trims (the fire) while holding the prastara close over it. 13.
3trims it while holding the prastara (which he has received back from the Brahman) close over it; for the prastara is the top-knot, and it is this which he thereby puts on it : for this reason he trims (the fire) while holding the prastara close over it. 13. He then lays the (three) enclosing-sticks (paridhi) around (the fire). The reason why he lays the enclosing-sticks around (is this). When at first the gods chose Agni for the office of Hotri, he said : ' Verily, I am not equal to this, that I should be your Hotrz, and that I should carry your oblation. Already you have chosen three before, other object) the heads of the preceding layer and push the roots of the succeeding one under them. lb. 27 (schol.). ^ He takes one stick from the fuel and gets the fire ready (for the oblations, either by throwing the stick into it, or by stirring it with the stick). lb. 29. ^ The Ahavamya is at the foremost or eastern end of the sacri- ficial ground. 5ATAPATHA-BRAHMAA^A. and they have passed away \ Restore them to me : then I shall be equal to this, that I should be your Hot;-/ and that I should carry your oblation !' They said, ' So be it ! ' and they restored to him those (three former Agnis) : they are these enclosing-sticks. 14. He then said, 'The thunderbolt, (in the shape of) the vasha/-calP, has struck these down: I am afraid of that thunderbolt, the vasha/-call. Lest that thunderbolt, the vashaZ-call, should strike me down, enclose me by those (three Agnis, or pari- dhis); and thus that thunderbolt, the vasha/-call, will not strike me down.' They said, 'So be it!' and they enclosed him with those (three sticks), and that thunderbolt, the vashaAcall, did not strike him down. When he encloses Agni with those (sticks) he buckles armour on him. 15. They (the other three Agnis) then said, 'If you join us with the sacrifice in this wise, then let us also have a share in the sacrifice !' 16. The gods said: 'So be it! What shall fall out- side the enclosure, that is offered unto you ; and what they shall offer just upon you, that will sate ^ See I, 2, 3, I. ^ The call 'vasha/' (or vausha/), apparently signifying 'may he (Agni) carry it (the oblation) up!' (from vah, to bear, carry), is pronounced by the Hotr/ at the end of the ya_^yas or offering prayers (see note on I, 5, i, 16). Professor Weber has somewhere proposed to derive it from vaksh, to grow, increase, hence 'may it prosper, or agree, with youl' Different, but quite fanciful, inter- pretations of vasha/ are given .S'at. Br. I, 5, 2, 18 ; Ait. Br. 3, 6.
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.
1ns the roots of the plants : thereby these plants become root-moistened ; and even if their tops are dry, their roots at least remain moist. 5. Having thereupon untied the knot, he takes the prastara bunch from the front (of the barhis), with the text (Va^. S. II, 2), ' Vish;m's crest art thou!' Vish;m, namely, is the sacrifice, and this (the prastara) is his top-knot or crest: this he thereby makes it at this sacrificed From the front he takes it, because this top-knot also is (worn) on the front (of the head) : for this reason he takes it from the front. 6. He then undoes the band (of the barhis), ' His (the sacrificer's) wife is sure to bring forth without difificulty^,' thinking thus he undoes the band. He puts it down on the right hip (of the altar) ; for this represents his (the sacrificer's) waist-band, and it is on the right side that the waist-band is (tied) : this is the reason why he puts it down on the right hip. He again covers it over (with sacrificial grass) ; for the waist-band also is covered (by the upper gar- ment) : for this reason he again covers it. 7. He now spreads the barhis (on the altar). For the prastara is the top-knot; and this other ^ Because, according to Sayawa, it lies on the front, or eastern side of the altar, near the Ahavaniya fire, and men also wear their top- knot (in the form of a ball or Imiip) on the fore-part of their head. The prastara he hands to the Brahman-priest. Katy. II, 7, 22. 2 Prak/z'ptam; Sayawa takes it in the sense of 'a completely formed (child).' S6 ^ATAPATHA-BRAHMAJVA. sacrificial grass is for this (sacrifice) what other hair there is below that (top-knot, viz. the beard, &c.) : — that (hair) he thereby puts on it, and for this reason he spreads the barhis. 8. Now the altar (vedi, fern.) is a woman, and around her sit the gods and those priests who have studied and teach revealed lore ^ ; and as they thus sit around her, he makes her not naked : hence it is in order to avoid nudity (on her or the altar's part) that he spreads the barhis. 9. As large as the altar is, so large is the earth ; and the plants (are represented by) the barhis; so that he thereby furnishes the earth with plants ; and those plants are firmly established in this earth : for this reason he spreads the barhis. I o.
29. As large as the altar is, so large is the earth ; and the plants (are represented by) the barhis; so that he thereby furnishes the earth with plants ; and those plants are firmly established in this earth : for this reason he spreads the barhis. I o. H ere now they say, ' Let him strew abundantly ; for where the plants are most abundant on her, there the means of subsistence are most amply afforded by her: let him therefore strew abundantly!' It is in favour of him (the sacrificer) who procures (the sacrificial grass), then, (that this is done.) He strews it threefold -, for threefold is the sacrifice. Or he may also spread it whilst lifting up (the tops) ^ ; for ^ 'Around her on the south sit the gods and those man-gods (manushyadeva/i), the priests who have studied and teach revealed lore.' Kawva recension. ^ Viz. in three layers, one beside the other, each consisting of one handful of grass. He first spreads a layer on the east side from the southern to the northern shoulder of the altar, with the tops of the blades turned towards the east ; then a second one west of it, so as to cover the roots of the first with the tops of the second layer ; and in the same way a third one on the west side of the altar. If he thinks fit, he may make more than three layers, but their number shouKl be uneven. Katy. II, 7, 22-26 (schol.). ^ That is to say, he is to begin on the west side, and in laying down the successive layers, he is to lift up (with a stick or some I KANDA, 3 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMAiVA, 1 3. S"/ it has been said by the seer (Va^. S. VII, 32), 'They spread the barhis continuously.' He spreads it with the roots below (the tops); for it is with their roots below that those plants are firmly established in this earth : for this reason he spreads it with the roots below. 11. He spreads it, with the text (Va^. S. II, 2), ' I spread thee, soft as wool, pleasant to sit upon for the gods ! ' — when he says ' thee, soft as wool,' he thereby means to say 'agreeable to the gods;' and by ' pleasant to sit upon for the gods,' he means to say ' forming a good seat for the gods.' 12. He now trims the fire ^ The Ahavaniya, doubtless, is the head of the sacrifice, for the head is the fore-part ^ : that fore-part of the sacrifice he thereby trims. He trims it while holding the prastara (which he has received back from the Brahman) close over it; for the prastara is the top-knot, and it is this which he thereby puts on it : for this reason he trims (the fire) while holding the prastara close over it. 13.
3trims it while holding the prastara (which he has received back from the Brahman) close over it; for the prastara is the top-knot, and it is this which he thereby puts on it : for this reason he trims (the fire) while holding the prastara close over it. 13. He then lays the (three) enclosing-sticks (paridhi) around (the fire). The reason why he lays the enclosing-sticks around (is this). When at first the gods chose Agni for the office of Hotri, he said : ' Verily, I am not equal to this, that I should be your Hotrz, and that I should carry your oblation. Already you have chosen three before, other object) the heads of the preceding layer and push the roots of the succeeding one under them. lb. 27 (schol.). ^ He takes one stick from the fuel and gets the fire ready (for the oblations, either by throwing the stick into it, or by stirring it with the stick). lb. 29. ^ The Ahavamya is at the foremost or eastern end of the sacri- ficial ground. 5ATAPATHA-BRAHMAA^A. and they have passed away \ Restore them to me : then I shall be equal to this, that I should be your Hot;-/ and that I should carry your oblation !' They said, ' So be it ! ' and they restored to him those (three former Agnis) : they are these enclosing-sticks. 14. He then said, 'The thunderbolt, (in the shape of) the vasha/-calP, has struck these down: I am afraid of that thunderbolt, the vasha/-call. Lest that thunderbolt, the vashaZ-call, should strike me down, enclose me by those (three Agnis, or pari- dhis); and thus that thunderbolt, the vasha/-call, will not strike me down.' They said, 'So be it!' and they enclosed him with those (three sticks), and that thunderbolt, the vashaAcall, did not strike him down. When he encloses Agni with those (sticks) he buckles armour on him. 15. They (the other three Agnis) then said, 'If you join us with the sacrifice in this wise, then let us also have a share in the sacrifice !' 16. The gods said: 'So be it! What shall fall out- side the enclosure, that is offered unto you ; and what they shall offer just upon you, that will sate ^ See I, 2, 3, I. ^ The call 'vasha/' (or vausha/), apparently signifying 'may he (Agni) carry it (the oblation) up!' (from vah, to bear, carry), is pronounced by the Hotr/ at the end of the ya_^yas or offering prayers (see note on I, 5, i, 16). Professor Weber has somewhere proposed to derive it from vaksh, to grow, increase, hence 'may it prosper, or agree, with youl' Different, but quite fanciful, inter- pretations of vasha/ are given .S'at. Br. I, 5, 2, 18 ; Ait. Br. 3, 6.
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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