Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
16. Now thirteen unmarked? bricks, measuring a foot (square), have been made: they are just like those bricks in the fire-altar. Those (altar bricks) he lays down with a formula, silently these: he thus keeps the divine separate from what belongs to the Fathers. 1 Viz. the ‘pitrzy4na,’ or path of the Fathers. See I, 9, 3, 2. * That is, not marked with lines, as those of the fire-altar are. As to the use of pebbles, instead of bricks, in the case of one who has not performed the Agnidayana, see XIII, 8, 4, 11. xu KAwpA, 8 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMANA, I2. 435 7. There are thirteen of them,—thirteen months are a year: on the seasons, on the year, he thus establishes him, as on a firm foundation. 8. They measure a foot (square),—the foot is . a foundation: a foundation he thus prepares for him. Unmarked they are, for in secret, as it were, are the Fathers, and in secret, as it were, is what is unmarked : he thus secretes what is in secret. 9. One of them he places in the middle, with the front side towards the east: this is the body (trunk) ;—three in front, fitted to (the position of) the head: that is the head ;—three on the right: that is the right wing (side) ;—three on the left: that is the left wing ;—three behind: that is the tail. Thus this his body, furnished with wings and tail, is just like that of Agni (the fire-altar). 10. He then bids them bring some soil from a cleft in the ground, for thus the Fathers’ (share) in this (earth) is not excessive; and he also thereby makes the (dead man’s) sin to be restricted’. And some, now, dig in that intermediate (south-eastern) quarter, and fetch it from there ; and others, again, do so towards the south-west, and fetch it northwards from there: he may do as he chooses. 11. Let him not make it (the sepulchral mound) too large, lest he make the (deceased’s) sin large. For a Kshatriya he may make it as high as a man with upstretched arms, for a Brahmaza reaching up to the mouth, for a woman up to the hips, for a Vaisya up to the thighs, for a Sfdra up to the knee; for suchlike is their vigour. 12. But let him rather make it so as to reach 1 See XIII, 8, 1, 15. Ff2 436 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA. below the knee: he thus leaves no room for another. While that (mound) is being made, they hold a bundle (of reed grass) to the left (north, uttarata’) of it,—that is offspring: they thus hold the (deceased's) offspring upwards (uttarataZ). Do not let him throw it down either after holding it up, or after bringing it; but let him set it up in the house?: he thus sets up offspring in the house. 13. Having prepared it, he sows barley grain (yava), thinking, ‘May they ward off (yavaya) sin from me!’ He covers it over with Avak4-plants ? in order that there may be joy (or moisture, ka) for him ; and with Darbha grass (Poa cynosuroides) he covers it for the sake of softness. Fourty BrAumana,
2Having prepared it, he sows barley grain (yava), thinking, ‘May they ward off (yavaya) sin from me!’ He covers it over with Avak4-plants ? in order that there may be joy (or moisture, ka) for him ; and with Darbha grass (Poa cynosuroides) he covers it for the sake of softness. Fourty BrAumana, 1, They now fix pegs round it*,—a Paldsa (Butea frondosa) one in front,—for the Palfsa is the Brahman (n.): he thus makes him go to the heavenly world with the Brahman for his leader ;—a Samt (Prosopis spicigera) one on the left (north corner), in order that there may be peace (sam) for him ;— a Varamza (Crataeva Roxburghii) one behind, in order that he may ward off (varaya) sin from him ;— 1 That is, fix it so as to stand upright, by means of a bambé stick to which it is tied. Cf. Katy. XXI, 3, 27 comm. * Blyxa (or Vallisneria) octandra (Roxburghii), a grass-like plant with sword-shaped leaves (A. K. Nairne, The Flowering Plants of Western India, p. 318), growing freely on the margins of tanks. Cf. VII, 5, 1,11; IX, 1, 2, 22 (where read ‘ Avak4-plant’ instead of ‘ lotus-flower ’). * According to K4ty. Sr. XXI, the pegs are driven in immediately after the measuring, and prior to the sweeping, of the site of the tumulus ; and this must certainly be the case, seeing that the cords by which the site is enclosed (XIII, 8, 1, 19) are fastened to the pegs. xm KAwpA, 8 ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMANA, 4. 437 and a Vrztra-peg ' on the right (south corner) for sin not to pass beyond. 2. On the right (south) side they then dig two somewhat curved (furrows *), and fill them with milk and water,—these, indeed, are two inexhaustible streams (that) flow to him in the other world ;—and seven (they dig) on the left (north) side, and fill them with water, for sin not to pass beyond, for indeed sin cannot pass beyond seven rivers *. 3. They* throw three stones each (into the northern furrows), and pass over them, with (Vag. S. XXXV, 10; Rig-v. X, 53, 8): ‘Here floweth the stony one: hold on to each other, rise, and cross over, ye friends: here will we leave behind what unkind spirits there be, and will cross over to auspicious nourishments;’ —as the text so its import. 4. They cleanse themselves with ApAmarga plants’—they thereby wipe away (apa-marg) sin— 1 The exact meaning of ‘vritra-sanku’ is doubtful. Katy. Sr. XXI, 3, 31 has ‘deha-sanku’ instead, to which the commentary _ assigns the rather improbable meaning of ‘ stone-pillar,’ in favour of which he refers to IV, 2, 5,15 of our Brahmasza—‘ Soma, in truth, was Vritra : the mountains and stones are his body ;’ whence he makes ‘ vritra’=‘asman’ (stone). % Or narrow trenches or ditches—kufile karshf, Katy. XXI, 4, 20. They are apparently semicircular, probably with their open part towards the grave. 8 These seven furrows are straight, running from west to east; thus separating the grave from the north, the world of men. * That is, the Adhvaryu and the members of the Sacrificer’s family. .
3XXI, 4, 20. They are apparently semicircular, probably with their open part towards the grave. 8 These seven furrows are straight, running from west to east; thus separating the grave from the north, the world of men. * That is, the Adhvaryu and the members of the Sacrificer’s family. . 5 Lit. ‘cleansing-plants’ or ‘ wiping-plants,’ Achyranthes aspera ; also called the burr-plant (Birdwood), a common hairy weed found all over India, and much used for incantations and sacrificial purposes, 438 ° + ° SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA. with (Vag. S. XX XV, 11), ‘O ApAamarga, drive thou away from us sin, away guilt, away witchery, away infirmity, away evil dreams!’ —as the text so its import. 5. They bathe at any place where there is water. With (Vag. S. XX XV, 12), ‘May the waters and plants be friendly unto us!’ he takes water with his joined hands,—for water is a thunderbolt: with the thunderbolt he thus makes friendship,—and with, ’ Unfriendly may they be unto him who hateth us, and whom we hate!’ he throws it in the direction in which he who is hateful to him may be, and thereby overthrows him. 6. And if it be standing water, it makes their (the bathers’) evil stop; and if it flows, it carries away their evil. Having bathed, and put on garments that have never yet been washed, they hold on to the tail of an ox', and return (to their home),—for the ox is of Agni’s nature: headed by Agni they thus return from the world of the Fathers to the world of the living. And Agni, indeed, is he who leads one over the paths (one has to travel), and it is he who leads these over. 1 That is to say, one of them takes hold of the tail, whilst the others follow in single file, each holding on to the one walking in from of him. Prof. Weber, Ind. Stud. IX, p. 21, note, refers to the somewhat analogous practice of tying to the left arm of a dead man the tail of the anustarazi-cow slain at the funeral sacrifice, whereby the deceased is supposed to be led safely—across the river Vaitarant (Styx); see Say. on Shadv. Br., as quoted Ind. Stud. I, p. 39; cf. also Colebrooke, Misc. Essays, second ed., p. 192—to the world of the Fathers. According to K&ty. XXI, 4, 24 the ceremony of taking hold of the tail is performed with the verse, Vag. S. XXXV, 13, ‘For our well-being we hold on to the ox, sprung from Surabhi: even as Indra to the gods, so be thou a saving leader unto us!’ xu KAwpA, 8 ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMANA, 10. 439 7. They proceed (towards the village) muttering this verse (V4g. S. XX XV, 14), ‘From out of the gloom have we risen'...’—from the gloom, the world of the Fathers, they now indeed approach the light, the sun. When they have arrived, ointments for the eyes and the feet are given them: such, indeed, are human means of embellishment, and therewith they keep off death from themselves..
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.
16. Now thirteen unmarked? bricks, measuring a foot (square), have been made: they are just like those bricks in the fire-altar. Those (altar bricks) he lays down with a formula, silently these: he thus keeps the divine separate from what belongs to the Fathers. 1 Viz. the ‘pitrzy4na,’ or path of the Fathers. See I, 9, 3, 2. * That is, not marked with lines, as those of the fire-altar are. As to the use of pebbles, instead of bricks, in the case of one who has not performed the Agnidayana, see XIII, 8, 4, 11. xu KAwpA, 8 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMANA, I2. 435 7. There are thirteen of them,—thirteen months are a year: on the seasons, on the year, he thus establishes him, as on a firm foundation. 8. They measure a foot (square),—the foot is . a foundation: a foundation he thus prepares for him. Unmarked they are, for in secret, as it were, are the Fathers, and in secret, as it were, is what is unmarked : he thus secretes what is in secret. 9. One of them he places in the middle, with the front side towards the east: this is the body (trunk) ;—three in front, fitted to (the position of) the head: that is the head ;—three on the right: that is the right wing (side) ;—three on the left: that is the left wing ;—three behind: that is the tail. Thus this his body, furnished with wings and tail, is just like that of Agni (the fire-altar). 10. He then bids them bring some soil from a cleft in the ground, for thus the Fathers’ (share) in this (earth) is not excessive; and he also thereby makes the (dead man’s) sin to be restricted’. And some, now, dig in that intermediate (south-eastern) quarter, and fetch it from there ; and others, again, do so towards the south-west, and fetch it northwards from there: he may do as he chooses. 11. Let him not make it (the sepulchral mound) too large, lest he make the (deceased’s) sin large. For a Kshatriya he may make it as high as a man with upstretched arms, for a Brahmaza reaching up to the mouth, for a woman up to the hips, for a Vaisya up to the thighs, for a Sfdra up to the knee; for suchlike is their vigour. 12. But let him rather make it so as to reach 1 See XIII, 8, 1, 15. Ff2 436 SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA. below the knee: he thus leaves no room for another. While that (mound) is being made, they hold a bundle (of reed grass) to the left (north, uttarata’) of it,—that is offspring: they thus hold the (deceased's) offspring upwards (uttarataZ). Do not let him throw it down either after holding it up, or after bringing it; but let him set it up in the house?: he thus sets up offspring in the house. 13. Having prepared it, he sows barley grain (yava), thinking, ‘May they ward off (yavaya) sin from me!’ He covers it over with Avak4-plants ? in order that there may be joy (or moisture, ka) for him ; and with Darbha grass (Poa cynosuroides) he covers it for the sake of softness. Fourty BrAumana,
2Having prepared it, he sows barley grain (yava), thinking, ‘May they ward off (yavaya) sin from me!’ He covers it over with Avak4-plants ? in order that there may be joy (or moisture, ka) for him ; and with Darbha grass (Poa cynosuroides) he covers it for the sake of softness. Fourty BrAumana, 1, They now fix pegs round it*,—a Paldsa (Butea frondosa) one in front,—for the Palfsa is the Brahman (n.): he thus makes him go to the heavenly world with the Brahman for his leader ;—a Samt (Prosopis spicigera) one on the left (north corner), in order that there may be peace (sam) for him ;— a Varamza (Crataeva Roxburghii) one behind, in order that he may ward off (varaya) sin from him ;— 1 That is, fix it so as to stand upright, by means of a bambé stick to which it is tied. Cf. Katy. XXI, 3, 27 comm. * Blyxa (or Vallisneria) octandra (Roxburghii), a grass-like plant with sword-shaped leaves (A. K. Nairne, The Flowering Plants of Western India, p. 318), growing freely on the margins of tanks. Cf. VII, 5, 1,11; IX, 1, 2, 22 (where read ‘ Avak4-plant’ instead of ‘ lotus-flower ’). * According to K4ty. Sr. XXI, the pegs are driven in immediately after the measuring, and prior to the sweeping, of the site of the tumulus ; and this must certainly be the case, seeing that the cords by which the site is enclosed (XIII, 8, 1, 19) are fastened to the pegs. xm KAwpA, 8 ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMANA, 4. 437 and a Vrztra-peg ' on the right (south corner) for sin not to pass beyond. 2. On the right (south) side they then dig two somewhat curved (furrows *), and fill them with milk and water,—these, indeed, are two inexhaustible streams (that) flow to him in the other world ;—and seven (they dig) on the left (north) side, and fill them with water, for sin not to pass beyond, for indeed sin cannot pass beyond seven rivers *. 3. They* throw three stones each (into the northern furrows), and pass over them, with (Vag. S. XXXV, 10; Rig-v. X, 53, 8): ‘Here floweth the stony one: hold on to each other, rise, and cross over, ye friends: here will we leave behind what unkind spirits there be, and will cross over to auspicious nourishments;’ —as the text so its import. 4. They cleanse themselves with ApAmarga plants’—they thereby wipe away (apa-marg) sin— 1 The exact meaning of ‘vritra-sanku’ is doubtful. Katy. Sr. XXI, 3, 31 has ‘deha-sanku’ instead, to which the commentary _ assigns the rather improbable meaning of ‘ stone-pillar,’ in favour of which he refers to IV, 2, 5,15 of our Brahmasza—‘ Soma, in truth, was Vritra : the mountains and stones are his body ;’ whence he makes ‘ vritra’=‘asman’ (stone). % Or narrow trenches or ditches—kufile karshf, Katy. XXI, 4, 20. They are apparently semicircular, probably with their open part towards the grave. 8 These seven furrows are straight, running from west to east; thus separating the grave from the north, the world of men. * That is, the Adhvaryu and the members of the Sacrificer’s family. .
3XXI, 4, 20. They are apparently semicircular, probably with their open part towards the grave. 8 These seven furrows are straight, running from west to east; thus separating the grave from the north, the world of men. * That is, the Adhvaryu and the members of the Sacrificer’s family. . 5 Lit. ‘cleansing-plants’ or ‘ wiping-plants,’ Achyranthes aspera ; also called the burr-plant (Birdwood), a common hairy weed found all over India, and much used for incantations and sacrificial purposes, 438 ° + ° SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA. with (Vag. S. XX XV, 11), ‘O ApAamarga, drive thou away from us sin, away guilt, away witchery, away infirmity, away evil dreams!’ —as the text so its import. 5. They bathe at any place where there is water. With (Vag. S. XX XV, 12), ‘May the waters and plants be friendly unto us!’ he takes water with his joined hands,—for water is a thunderbolt: with the thunderbolt he thus makes friendship,—and with, ’ Unfriendly may they be unto him who hateth us, and whom we hate!’ he throws it in the direction in which he who is hateful to him may be, and thereby overthrows him. 6. And if it be standing water, it makes their (the bathers’) evil stop; and if it flows, it carries away their evil. Having bathed, and put on garments that have never yet been washed, they hold on to the tail of an ox', and return (to their home),—for the ox is of Agni’s nature: headed by Agni they thus return from the world of the Fathers to the world of the living. And Agni, indeed, is he who leads one over the paths (one has to travel), and it is he who leads these over. 1 That is to say, one of them takes hold of the tail, whilst the others follow in single file, each holding on to the one walking in from of him. Prof. Weber, Ind. Stud. IX, p. 21, note, refers to the somewhat analogous practice of tying to the left arm of a dead man the tail of the anustarazi-cow slain at the funeral sacrifice, whereby the deceased is supposed to be led safely—across the river Vaitarant (Styx); see Say. on Shadv. Br., as quoted Ind. Stud. I, p. 39; cf. also Colebrooke, Misc. Essays, second ed., p. 192—to the world of the Fathers. According to K&ty. XXI, 4, 24 the ceremony of taking hold of the tail is performed with the verse, Vag. S. XXXV, 13, ‘For our well-being we hold on to the ox, sprung from Surabhi: even as Indra to the gods, so be thou a saving leader unto us!’ xu KAwpA, 8 ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMANA, 10. 439 7. They proceed (towards the village) muttering this verse (V4g. S. XX XV, 14), ‘From out of the gloom have we risen'...’—from the gloom, the world of the Fathers, they now indeed approach the light, the sun. When they have arrived, ointments for the eyes and the feet are given them: such, indeed, are human means of embellishment, and therewith they keep off death from themselves..
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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