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

Open to allEdited by F. Max Müller; translated by Müller, Legge, Bühler, West, Darmesteter, Palmer, Telang, Thibaut, Jolly, Rhys Davids, Oldenberg, Jacobi, Bloomfield and others500 segments · 168 pp
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The translator’s English as printed (Julius Eggeling). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.

5. ‘Inthe ocean, in the waters, is thy heart, — for the ocean is the waters, and water is sap: with that sap he thus supplies him ;—‘ may the plants and waters unite with thee! ’—he thereby supplies him with both kinds of sap, that which is in plants, and that which is in water—He goes two steps northward from out (of the water); for as much as the step is the briskness in man: with what briskness there is in him he thus leaves evil behind him.

6. With, ‘May the waters and plants be friendly unto us!’ he takes water in his joined hands; for water is a thunderbolt: he thus makes a covenant with the thunderbolt ;—and with, ‘May they be unfriendly unto him who hateth us, and whom we hate!’ let him sprinkle it in whatever direction he who is hateful to him may be, and he thereby discomfits him.

7. With (Vag. S. XX, 20), ‘As one set free (is liberated) from the stake, as he who sweateth

1 Cf. II, 5, 2, 47; IV, 4, 5, 22, where the formula has ‘ava aydsisham ’ (correct,—‘ with the help of the gods have I wiped out the sin committed against the gods’) instead of ‘ava yakshi.’

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(is cleansed) from filth by bathing, as the ghee is purified by the strainer, so may the waters cleanse me from sin!’ he causes his garment to float away: even as one would pluck out a reed from its sheath, so he plucks him from out all evil. He bathes, and (thereby) drives the darkness (of sin) from himself.

8. [He comes out ', with Vag. S. XX, 21,] ‘From out of the gloom have we risen,—gloom is evil: it is gloom, evil, he thus keeps away ;—‘ beholding the higher light?,'—this (terrestrial) world is higher than the water: it is on this world he thus establishes himself ;—‘ God Sfrya, with the gods, the highest light,—Sarya, the highest light (gyotis), is the heavenly world: it is in the heavenly world he thus finally eStablishes himself. He walks along without looking back, and approaches the Ahavantya,—

9. With (Vag. S. XX, 22), ‘Along the waters have I gone this day,—the essence of the waters he thereby secures for himself;—‘with their essence have we united,—the essence of the waters he thus takes to himself;—‘rich in sap, O Agni, have I come: do thou unite (supply) me with splendour, with offspring, and with wealth!’ he thereby invokes a blessing.

10. With (Vag. S. XX, 23),‘A kindler thou art:

1 Having put on fresh garments, the Sacrificer and his wife are led out by the Unnetr7, the mantra being muttered at the same time; and they then return with the priests to the offeringground, whilst the Amatriya- -hymn (on Aig-veda S. VIII, 48, 3, ‘we have drunk Soma. ..’) is sung: see part ii, p. 385, note 2; KAty. Sraut. X, 9, 7.

* Mahfdhara takes ‘svar’ in the sense of ‘ svarga,’ heaven ; whilst the Brahmana seems rather to take it as referring to the earth or dry land on which the Sacrificer now steps.

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..’) is sung: see part ii, p. 385, note 2; KAty. Sraut. X, 9, 7.

* Mahfdhara takes ‘svar’ in the sense of ‘ svarga,’ heaven ; whilst the Brahmana seems rather to take it as referring to the earth or dry land on which the Sacrificer now steps.

p. 268

may we prosper?!’ he takes a kindling-stick, for a kindler of Agni (the fire) the kindling-stick indeed is. With, ‘Enkindling thou art, fire thou art: lay thou fire into me!’ he puts the kindling-stick on the Ahavaniya : he thereby kindles the fire, and, thus kindled, it kindles him with fire (energy) ?.

11. Being about to offer'a pap to Aditi®, he prepares it: Aditi being this (earth), he who offers Aditi’s (pap) performs the sacrifice on this (earth), and by offering firmly establishes himself thereon. The sacrificial fee is a milch cow (with calf): the milch cow being this (earth), he milks out from the latter all his desires. The calf he gives away at the former (pap-offering to Aditi‘), and the mothercow at the latter; for when a calf sucks the mothercow, the latter gives milk when she is given away, and from her, when given away, he thus milks all his desires.

12. As to this they say, ‘Surely, he who goes down to the water for the purificatory bath falls away from this world!’ Well, when he has come out from the bath, he offers a dish of curds to Mitra and Varuza; now Mitra is this (terrestrial) world,

1 The text of the formula ‘edhossy edhishfmahi’ is evidently
meant to suggest a connection (real or alliterative) between ‘ edha’
(root ‘indh’) and the final verb (root ‘ edh’).

® According to K4ty. XIX, 5, 20, and Mahfdhara, he now offers on the kindling-stick an oblation of ghee, with the text, Vag. S. XX, 23, ‘Hither come the earth, the dawn, the sun, and all this world.’

® See p. 213, note 2.

‘ This offering takes place at the beginning of the performance of the Sautramazt, cf. Katy. Sr. XIX, 1, 5-10. The dish of curds which according to this paragraph is to follow the second pap to Aditi, may, according to K4ty4yana, be offered before it.

x11 KANDA, 9 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMANA, 5. 269

Varuza yonder world, and the dish of curds is what there is here between (those two): thus, when he offers the dish of curds to Mitra and Varuma, he establishes himself in these worlds. And Mitra, indeed, is the in-breathing, Varuza the off-breathing, and the dish of curds the food: thus when he offers the dish of curds to Mitra and Varuma, he finally establishes himself in the vital air, in food.

Tuirp BRAHMANA.

1. Now, Dush/arttu PaumsAyana had been expelled from the kingdom which had come down to him through ten generations; and the Svzngayas also expelled Revottaras Paéava Kakra Sthapati.

2. He said to Dush/aritu Paumsdyana, ‘I will perform the Sautramamt for thee, and will confer upon thee that dominion over the S7zzgayas.’'—‘ So be it!’ he replied. So he performed it for him.

2. He said to Dush/aritu Paumsdyana, ‘I will perform the Sautramamt for thee, and will confer upon thee that dominion over the S7zzgayas.’'—‘ So be it!’ he replied. So he performed it for him.

3. Now Balhika Pratiptya, the Kauravya king, heard (people say) this—‘ There is that Dush/aritu Paumsdyana who has been expelled from the kingdom which has come down to him through ten generations: for him that Aakra Sthapati wants to perform the Sautramamt and to confer upon him the dominion over the Srzagayas.’

4. He said, ‘I will just tell him that if he wants to confer dominion upon him, he will indeed exclude him from dominion.’ He came to him at that particular time (of the sacrifice) when the cups (of milk and liquor) are drawn.

5. He said, ‘ Sthapati Xakra, they say, Sur4-liquor must not be offered in the Ahavantya-fire, nor anywhere else than in the Ahavantya: if thou offerest

p. 270

Sur4-liquor in the Ahavantya thou wilt cause social confusion and a repetition in the sacrifice !, and if anywhere else than in the Ahavantya thou wilt exclude him (the king) from dominion, and wilt neither place him in dominion, nor confer dominion upon him.’

6. He replied, ‘I shall not offer Sur4-liquor in the Ahavantya nor anywhere else than in the Ahavantya : thus I shall not cause social confusion nor a repetition in the sacrifice, and shall not exclude him from dominion ; I shall place him in dominion, and shall confer dominion upon him.’

7. He said, ‘ How, then, wilt thou do it?’ He then told him this:—At first, indeed, that Yagéa (sacrifice, m.), the Sautramazt, was with the Asuras. He went forth towards the gods. He came to the waters, and the waters welcomed him, whence people welcome a better man when he comes to them. They said to him, ‘We pray thee, come, reverend sir!’

8. He said, ‘Nay, I am afraid: lead ye me forward!’ —‘Whereof art thou afraid, reverend sir?’ they asked—‘ Of the Asuras,’ he said.— ‘Be it, then!’ they said. The waters led him forward, whence he who is the protector leads forward him who is afraid ; and inasmuch as the waters led him forward (pra-zt) therefore the waters (themselves) are ‘led forward:’ this is the reason why they are (called) Pramitah?; and, verily, firmly established is he who thus knows that nature of the Pramtta.

* Probably inasmuch as the cups of milk are offered there previously.

* For this jarful of consecrated water, used at the sacrifice, see part i, pp. 9, note; 265.

p. 271

9. Now, the fore-offerings had been performed, but the fire had not been carried round? (the oblations), when the Asuras came after him. By means of the circumambient fire the gods shut out their hostile rivals, the Asuras, from Yagia (the sacrifice); and in like manner does this one now, by means of the circumambient fire, shut out his spiteful enemy from the sacrifice.

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5. ‘Inthe ocean, in the waters, is your heart, — for the ocean is the waters, and water is sap: with that sap he thus supplies him ;—‘ may the plants and waters unite with you! ’—he thereby supplies him with both kinds of sap, that which is in plants, and that which is in water—He goes two steps northward from out (of the water); for as much as the step is the briskness in man: with what briskness there is in him he thus leaves evil behind him.

6. With, ‘May the waters and plants be friendly unto us!’ he takes water in his joined hands; for water is a thunderbolt: he thus makes a covenant with the thunderbolt ;—and with, ‘May they be unfriendly unto him who hates us, and whom we hate!’ let him sprinkle it in whatever direction he who is hateful to him may be, and he thereby discomfits him.

7. With (Vag. S. XX, 20), ‘As one set free (is liberated) from the stake, as he who sweats

1 Cf. II, 5, 2, 47; IV, 4, 5, 22, where the formula has ‘ava aydsisham ’ (correct,—‘ with the help of the gods have I wiped out the sin committed against the gods’) instead of ‘ava yakshi.’

p. 267

(is cleansed) from filth by bathing, as the ghee is purified by the strainer, so may the waters cleanse me from sin!’ he causes his garment to float away: even as one would pluck out a reed from its sheath, so he plucks him from out all evil. He bathes, and (thereby) drives the darkness (of sin) from himself.

8. [He comes out ', with Vag. S. XX, 21,] ‘From out of the gloom have we risen,—gloom is evil: it is gloom, evil, he thus keeps away ;—‘ beholding the higher light?,'—this (terrestrial) world is higher than the water: it is on this world he thus establishes himself ;—‘ God Sfrya, with the gods, the highest light,—Sarya, the highest light (gyotis), is the heavenly world: it is in the heavenly world he thus finally eStablishes himself. He walks along without looking back, and approaches the Ahavantya,—

9. With (Vag. S. XX, 22), ‘Along the waters have I gone this day,—the essence of the waters he thereby secures for himself;—‘with their essence have we united,—the essence of the waters he thus takes to himself;—‘rich in sap, O Agni, have I come: do you unite (supply) me with splendour, with offspring, and with wealth!’ he thereby invokes a blessing.

10. With (Vag. S. XX, 23),‘A kindler you are:

1 Having put on fresh garments, the Sacrificer and his wife are led out by the Unnetr7, the mantra being muttered at the same time; and they then return with the priests to the offeringground, whilst the Amatriya- -hymn (on Aig-veda S. VIII, 48, 3, ‘we have drunk Soma. ..’) is sung: see part ii, p. 385, note 2; KAty. Sraut. X, 9, 7.

* Mahfdhara takes ‘svar’ in the sense of ‘ svarga,’ heaven ; whilst the Brahmana seems rather to take it as referring to the earth or dry land on which the Sacrificer now steps.

p. 268

..’) is sung: see part ii, p. 385, note 2; KAty. Sraut. X, 9, 7.

* Mahfdhara takes ‘svar’ in the sense of ‘ svarga,’ heaven ; whilst the Brahmana seems rather to take it as referring to the earth or dry land on which the Sacrificer now steps.

p. 268

may we prosper?!’ he takes a kindling-stick, for a kindler of Agni (the fire) the kindling-stick indeed is. With, ‘Enkindling you are, fire you are: lay you fire into me!’ he puts the kindling-stick on the Ahavaniya : he thereby kindles the fire, and, thus kindled, it kindles him with fire (energy) ?.

11. Being about to offer'a pap to Aditi®, he prepares it: Aditi being this (earth), he who offers Aditi’s (pap) performs the sacrifice on this (earth), and by offering firmly establishes himself thereon. The sacrificial fee is a milch cow (with calf): the milch cow being this (earth), he milks out from the latter all his desires. The calf he gives away at the former (pap-offering to Aditi‘), and the mothercow at the latter; for when a calf sucks the mothercow, the latter gives milk when she is given away, and from her, when given away, he thus milks all his desires.

12. As to this they say, ‘Surely, he who goes down to the water for the purificatory bath falls away from this world!’ Well, when he has come out from the bath, he offers a dish of curds to Mitra and Varuza; now Mitra is this (terrestrial) world,

1 The text of the formula ‘edhossy edhishfmahi’ is evidently
meant to suggest a connection (real or alliterative) between ‘ edha’
(root ‘indh’) and the final verb (root ‘ edh’).

® According to K4ty. XIX, 5, 20, and Mahfdhara, he now offers on the kindling-stick an oblation of ghee, with the text, Vag. S. XX, 23, ‘Hither come the earth, the dawn, the sun, and all this world.’

® See p. 213, note 2.

‘ This offering takes place at the beginning of the performance of the Sautramazt, cf. Katy. Sr. XIX, 1, 5-10. The dish of curds which according to this paragraph is to follow the second pap to Aditi, may, according to K4ty4yana, be offered before it.

x11 KANDA, 9 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMANA, 5. 269

Varuza yonder world, and the dish of curds is what there is here between (those two): thus, when he offers the dish of curds to Mitra and Varuma, he establishes himself in these worlds. And Mitra, indeed, is the in-breathing, Varuza the off-breathing, and the dish of curds the food: thus when he offers the dish of curds to Mitra and Varuma, he finally establishes himself in the vital air, in food.

Tuirp BRAHMANA.

1. Now, Dush/arttu PaumsAyana had been expelled from the kingdom which had come down to him through ten generations; and the Svz#gayas also expelled Revottaras Paéava Kakra Sthapati.

2. He said to Dush/aritu Paumsdyana, ‘I will perform the Sautramamt for you, and will confer upon you that dominion over the S7zzgayas.’'—‘ So be it!’ he replied. So he performed it for him.

2. He said to Dush/aritu Paumsdyana, ‘I will perform the Sautramamt for you, and will confer upon you that dominion over the S7zzgayas.’'—‘ So be it!’ he replied. So he performed it for him.

3. Now Balhika Pratiptya, the Kauravya king, heard (people say) this—‘ There is that Dush/aritu Paumsdyana who has been expelled from the kingdom which has come down to him through ten generations: for him that Aakra Sthapati wants to perform the Sautramamt and to confer upon him the dominion over the Srzagayas.’

4. He said, ‘I will just tell him that if he wants to confer dominion upon him, he will indeed exclude him from dominion.’ He came to him at that particular time (of the sacrifice) when the cups (of milk and liquor) are drawn.

5. He said, ‘ Sthapati Xakra, they say, Sur4-liquor must not be offered in the Ahavantya-fire, nor anywhere else than in the Ahavantya: if you offerest

p. 270

Sur4-liquor in the Ahavantya you will cause social confusion and a repetition in the sacrifice !, and if anywhere else than in the Ahavantya you will exclude him (the king) from dominion, and will neither place him in dominion, nor confer dominion upon him.’

6. He replied, ‘I shall not offer Sur4-liquor in the Ahavantya nor anywhere else than in the Ahavantya : thus I shall not cause social confusion nor a repetition in the sacrifice, and shall not exclude him from dominion ; I shall place him in dominion, and shall confer dominion upon him.’

7. He said, ‘ How, then, will you do it?’ He then told him this:—At first, indeed, that Yagéa (sacrifice, m.), the Sautramazt, was with the Asuras. He went forth towards the gods. He came to the waters, and the waters welcomed him, whence people welcome a better man when he comes to them. They said to him, ‘We pray you, come, reverend sir!’

8. He said, ‘Nay, I am afraid: lead you me forward!’ —‘Whereof art you afraid, reverend sir?’ they asked—‘ Of the Asuras,’ he said.— ‘Be it, then!’ they said. The waters led him forward, whence he who is the protector leads forward him who is afraid ; and inasmuch as the waters led him forward (pra-zt) therefore the waters (themselves) are ‘led forward:’ this is the reason why they are (called) Pramitah?; and, verily, firmly established is he who thus knows that nature of the Pramtta.

* Probably inasmuch as the cups of milk are offered there previously.

* For this jarful of consecrated water, used at the sacrifice, see part i, pp. 9, note; 265.

p. 271

9. Now, the fore-offerings had been performed, but the fire had not been carried round? (the oblations), when the Asuras came after him. By means of the circumambient fire the gods shut out their hostile rivals, the Asuras, from Yagia (the sacrifice); and in like manner does this one now, by means of the circumambient fire, shut out his spiteful enemy from the sacrifice.

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