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

11. The gold ornament which is attached to his (neck) he then gives to the Adhvaryu: in giving it to the Adhvaryu he secures to himself immortal life, for gold means immortal life.

12. For the object of (gaining) the road, and in order not to lose the mouth (mukha) of the sacrifice, he then prepares an ishéi-offering! to Agni. For, indeed, all the deities have Agni for their mouth, and in the Asvamedha are (contained) all objects of desire: ‘Having, at the outset (mukha/ad), gratified all the gods, may I obtain all my desires!’ so he thinks.

13. For this (offering) there are fifteen kindlingverses?; for fifteenfold is the thunderbolt, and the thunderbolt means vigour: with the thunderbolt (of) vigour the Sacrificer thus from the first repels evil. The two butter-portions relate to the slaying of Vrztra®, with a view to the repelling of evil, for

1 Viz. a cake (on eight kap4las) to Agni Pathikrit, ‘the pathmaker ’—or, according to Asv, Sr. X, 6, 3, to Agni M(drdhanvat (‘forming the head,’ so called from the formulas used containing the word ‘head).’ For a similar special offering to the same deity see XII, 4, 4, 1 (cf. XI, 1, 5, 5).

* See part i, p. 95 seqq. (especially I, 3, §, 5-7).

* The two Agyabhagas, or butter-portions to Agni and Soma, are said to be ‘ Vritra-slaying’ (vartraghna), or to relate to the slaying of Vritra, when their anuvaky4s, or invitatory formulas, are the two verses Aeg-veda VI, 16, 34 (agnir vritrini ganghanat, ‘May Agni slay the Vritras’), and I, 91, 5 (tvam somAsi satpatis tvam ragota vrétraha, ‘Thou, O Soma, art the true lord, thou art the king and the slayer of Vriira,’ &c.). This is the case at the Fullmoon sacrifice, whilst at the New-moon sacrifice the two butter-

x11 KANDA, 4 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 13. 351

Vritra is evil. [The verses, Vag. S. XIII, 14, 15,] ‘Agni, the head, the summit of the sky...}, and ‘Be thou the leader of the sacrifice and the realm of space (whither thou strivest with auspicious teams: thy light-winning head hast thou raised to the sky, and thy tongue, O Agni, hast thou made the bearer of the offering), pronounced in a low voice, are the anuvaky4 and yagy4 of the chief oblation. The one contains (the word) ‘head,’ the other (the verb) ‘to be,—for the head, assuredly, is he that shines yonder : thus it is in order to secure him (the Sun) ; and as to why (the other) contains (the verb) ‘to be,—he thereby secures that which is (the real, truly existent). The Samy4gy4s? are two viragverses*; for that—to wit, the Virag—is the metre

The Samy4gy4s? are two viragverses*; for that—to wit, the Virag—is the metre portions are said to be ‘vrndhanvant,’ or ‘relating to growth,’ because the anuvakyés used on that occasion are two verses containing forms of the root vrrdh, ‘to grow,’ viz. VIII, 44, 12 (agni4 pratnena manmané ... kavir vipreza vavridhe, ‘Agni has grown strong by the old hymn,—as the wise one by the priest ’) and I, 91, 11 (Soma girbhish ‘v4 vayam vardhayamo vafovidah .. ., ‘O Soma, we magnify thee (make thee grow) by our songs, skilful in speech’). In the same way the one or the other form is used in different ishfis, At I, 6, 2, 12, the translation, ‘the two butterportions should be offered to the Vritra-slayer (Indra)’ should therefore be altered to ‘the two butter-portions relate to the slaying of Vritra’ (or, ‘are Vritra-slaying’).

1 See VII, 4, 1, 41.

* That is, the two formulas used with the oblation to Agni Svish/akrit.

® Whilst the normal performance of an ishA requires two trishfubh-verses (Aig-veda X, 2,1; VI, 15, 14; cf. part i, p. 202, notes 2 and 3) for the invitatory and offering formulas of the oblations to Agni Svishfakrit, two virig-verses are frequently prescribed, certain verses of the Virag-hymn Arg-veda VII, 1, being chiefly used for this purpose; e. g. v. 3 as the anuvaky4, and v. 18 as the y4gya for the Svish/akrit of the oblation to Aditi at thep. 352 belonging to all the gods, and all objects of desire are (contained) in the Asvamedha : ‘ Having gratified all the gods, may I obtain all my desires!’ so he thinks. The sacrificial fee is gold weighing a hundred (grains): the meaning of this has been explained.

14. He then prepares a (pap) for Pdshan, for Pashan is the overlord of roads: he thus secures successful progress to the horse. But Pfshan is also this (earth): he thus makes this (earth) its guardian, for neither injury nor failure befals him whom this (earth) guards on the way; and this (earth) he thus makes its guardian.

15. For this (offering) there are seventeen kindling-verses', for the obtainment of the Asvamedha, for Prag4pati is seventeenfold, and the Asvamedha is Pragapati. The two butter-portions are possessed of ‘growth’, even for the growth of the Sacrificer. [The verses, Vag. S. XXXIV, 41, 42,]‘ Pdshan, in thy sway we [shall never suffer harm, we (who) here are singers of thy praises], and ‘The hymn (?) lovingly composed by desire of praise hath reached

Adbâna (see part i, p. 307, note 3), and the DtkshastyeshA; and w. 14, 15 as yagya and anuvaky4 of the Svish/akr:t of the Prayantyeshfi. It is doubtless the two former verses, commonly employed at special ishéis (cf. part i, p. 164, note 3), which are to be used on the present occasion.

1 See part i, p. 112, note 1.

307, note 3), and the DtkshastyeshA; and w. 14, 15 as yagya and anuvaky4 of the Svish/akr:t of the Prayantyeshfi. It is doubtless the two former verses, commonly employed at special ishéis (cf. part i, p. 164, note 3), which are to be used on the present occasion.

1 See part i, p. 112, note 1.

* That is, they are performed with two invitatory formulas containing the verb ‘to grow,’ see p. 350, note 3. Whilst our Bréhmava thus prescribes the two invitatory formulas used for the butter-portions of the New-moon sacrifice, Asvalfyana (Sr. X, 6, 6) prescribes two verses containing the verb ‘as’ (or ‘bh4’), viz. Rig-veda V, 13, 4, tvam agne sapratha asi; and I, g1, 9, soma yas te mayobhuva fitaya# santi disushe tabhir nos vita bhava.

xu KAnpa, 4 ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMANA, I. 353

the guardian of every path: (may he, Pdshan, grant unto us draughts of light (?), and fulfil our every prayer!’), pronounced in a low voice, are the anuvdky4 and y4gy4 of the chief oblation. The one contains (the word) ‘sway,’ the other (the word) ‘path’; for sway is vigour: (thus it is) in order to his gaining and securing vigour; and as to why (the other) contains (the word) ‘ path,’ he thereby secures successful progress to the horse. The invitatory and offering formulas of the Svish/akrzt are two anush¢ubh verses!; for the Anush/ubh is speech, and Pragdpati is speech, and the Asvamedha is Pragdpati: thus it is for the obtainment of the Asvamedha. The priests’ fee consists of a hundred garments, for that—to wit, the garment— is man’s outward appearance, whence people (on. seeing) any well-clad man, ask, ‘Who can this be ?’ for he is perfect in his outward appearance: with outward appearance he thus endows him. There are a hundred of them, for man has a life of a hundred (years), and a hundred energies: life, and energy, vigour, he thus gains for himself.

Srconp BrRAHMANA.

1. Whilst this (offering to Pashan) is being performed, the horse, having been cleansed, is led up— being one which is marked with all colours, or which is perfect in speed, worth a thousand (cows), in its prime, and without its match under the right-side yoke 2.

1 Viz. according to Asv, Sr. X, 6, 4, —Rig-veda I, 45, 6 (tvam kitrasravastama) and V, 25, 7 (yad vasish‘ham yad agnaye). * Thus Harisvimin,—‘ anyebhyo dakshixadhuryebhya utkrish-

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