The Satapatha-Brâhmana, Part V — SBE Vol. 44 (trans. Julius Eggeling, 1900)

12, With (V4g. S. XIX, 5), ‘The Brahman

1 This performance thus takes place on the fourth day. Behind the mound of the southern Vedi a hole is dug, and an ox-hide spread over it. On this skin the unstrained liquor (parisrut) is either poured, a fine strainer (made of bamboo) being then laid thereon so that the clear liquor percolates through the holes, and the dregs remain below; or the strainer is placed on the skin, and the unstrained liquor is poured on it so as to allow the clear liquor to flow through on the skin. The liquor is then poured into a pan (sata), and further purified by a whisk of cow and horse-hair being drawn through it, or the liquor being strained through the hair.

p. 227

and Kshatra he purifieth,’ he purifies the milk’: he thus produces the Kshatra from out of the Brahman, for from out of the priesthood the nobility is produced;—‘the fiery spirit and energy;’ fiery spirit and energy, vital power, he thus bestows on him ;—' with the Sura the Soma, for with the Sur4-liquor is Soma;—‘the juice, is distilled, for from the distilled the juice is obtained ;—‘ for joy,’ to joy (intoxication), indeed, the Soma-juice contributes, and to joy also does the Suré-liquor: he thus secures both the joy of the Soma, and the joy of the Sura ;—‘with the pure juice, O god, satiate the deities!’ that is, ‘with the pure juice satisfy thou the deities ;’—‘ with sap bestow thou food on the Sacrificer, sap and food he thereby bestows on the Sacrificer. The cups of milk are taken first, then the cups of Surdliquor: he thereby makes the peasantry obedient to the nobility.

13. With (V4g. S. XIX, 6), ‘Yea, even as the owners of barley cut their barley% ..,’ (the Adhvaryu) fills (three) cups of milk,—barley-stalks are Soma-stems, and milk is Soma-juice: by means of Soma he thus makes it Soma-juice. With a single (verse) he fills them: singly and solely on the Sacrificer he thus bestows prosperity, for milk is prosperity.

14. With (Vag. S. XIX, 7), ‘Separately, indeed, a seat, acceptable to the gods, hath been prepared for you two,’ he fills the (three) cups

? This takes place on the northern Vedi, by means of a wooden (reed) vessel and a strainer of goat’s and sheep’s hair. * For the complete verse, see V, 5, 4, 24.

Q2

p. 228

This takes place on the northern Vedi, by means of a wooden
(reed) vessel and a strainer of goat’s and sheep’s hair.
* For the complete verse, see V, 5, 4, 24.

Q2

p. 228

of Sur4-liquor; for ‘separate, indeed, are the Somajuice and the Sur4-liquor; and ‘acceptable to the gods’ he says, because these two are indeed acceptable to the gods; and ‘separately a seat hath been prepared’ he says, because there are two altargrounds ;—‘do not ye mingle in the highest heaven!’ he thereby keeps him (the Sacrificer) from evil;—‘the potent Sur4-liquor thou art, he thereby makes Surd to be Sur4 ;—‘and this is Soma,’ he thereby makes Soma to be Soma ;— ‘entering thine own seat, injure me not!’ he thereby turns it (the Surd-liquor) away to its own seat for his own safety. With a single (verse) he fills them: singly and solely on the Sacrificer he thus bestows fame, for the Sur4-liquor is fame.

15. Verily, the cups of milk are the nobility (chieftaincy), and the cups of Surd-liquor are the peasantry (clan): thus, were he to draw (the cups) without interlinking them, he would detach the peasantry from the nobility, and the nobility from the peasantry, and would cause confusion between the higher and lower, and a failure of the sacrifice. He draws them so as to be interlinked', and thereby combines the peasantry with the nobility, and the nobility with the peasantry, for the prevention of confusion between the higher and lower, and for the success of the sacrifice.

16. And the cups of milk are the vital airs, and the cups of Sur4-liquor the body: thus, were he

! That is to say, in drawing the cups he draws alternately a cup of milk, and a cup of Sura; Katy. Sr. XIX, 2, 21. According to ib. 22, the three cups of milk may, however, be drawn first, and then the cups of liquor.

XII KANDA, 7 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMANA, 20. 229°

to draw (the .cups) without interlinking them, he would detach the body from the vital airs, and the vital airs from the body, and the Sacrificer would be liable to perish. He draws them so as to be interlinked, and thereby combines the body with the vital airs, and the vital airs with the body ; and, indeed, he also lays vital power (or life) into him: whence he who has performed the Sautramamt, and even he who thus knows this, attains the full (measure of) life.

17. And the cups of milk are Soma, and the cups of Sur4-liquor food: thus, in that both cups of milk and cups of Sur4-liquor are taken, he indeed secures . for himself both the Soma-drink and food.

18. And the cups of milk are cattle, and the cups of Sur4-liquor food: thus, in that both cups of milk and cups of Sur4-liquor are taken, he indeed secures for himself both cattle and food.

for himself both the Soma-drink and food.

18. And the cups of milk are cattle, and the cups of Sur4-liquor food: thus, in that both cups of milk and cups of Sur4-liquor are taken, he indeed secures for himself both cattle and food.

19. And the cups of milk are domestic animals, and the cups of Sur4-liquor wild animals: thus, in that both cups of milk and cups of Surd-liquor are taken, he indeed secures for himself both domestic and wild animals. And he mixes the cups of milk with both cultivated and wild-growing (fruit), whereby both cultivated and wild-growing food is secured to the domestic animals.

20. As to this they say, ‘In that there are those wild beasts, this is a form of that cruel deity; and if he were to mix the cups of milk with hairs of those beasts, he would thrust the cattle into the mouth of Rudra, and the Sacrificer would be without cattle : let him not mix them, or cattle would not be secured by him, for Rudra is the ruler of animals.’ The cups of Sura-liquor alone he mixes with hairs of thosep. 230 beasts : he thus puts into the Sur4 what belongs to Rudra, whence by drinking Sur4-liquor one becomes _of violent (raudra) mind; and on the wild beasts alone he thus directs Rudra’s shaft so as to insure safety to the domestic animals; and cattle are secured by him and he does not thrust the cattle into the mouth of Rudra.

21. [V4g. S. XIX, 10; 11,] ‘That dysentery which spareth both the tiger and the wolf, the winged eagle and the lion, may it spare this (Sacrificer) trouble !—Whereas, as a child, joyfully sucking, I chafed my mother, so now, O Agni, I become freed from my debt: unharmed by me are my parents.’

22, With two eagle-feathers, the Adhvaryu and Pratiprasthatz purify the Sacrificer, turned towards the east behind the altar-ground}, both upwards and downwards,—this is a form of the in-breathing and the upward breathing: the in-breathing and the upward breathing he thereby secures ; for both upwards and downwards this breath passes along the body. With (Vag. S. XIX, 11), ‘ Uniting ye are: unite me with happiness?®!’ he touches the cups of milk: with prosperity and fame he thereby endows him. With, ‘Disuniting ye are: disunite me from evil!’ he touches the cups of Sur4-liquor: he thereby keeps him from evil.

! That is, behind the mah4-vedi, near the antakpftya-peg, where the purchase of the ingredients for the preparation of the Sura had taken place.

* Cf. V, 1, 2, 18, where the same two formulas are used whilst the Soma and Sur4-cups are first held together, and then withdrawn from each other; and the terms ‘sampri&’ and ‘viprik’ were accordingly taken in a passive sense, ‘united’ and ‘disunited ;’

XII KANDA, 8 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 2, 231

Eigutu ApuyAya. First BRAHMANA.