17. The next hymn, ganisht#A ugrah# sahase tu- raya (Rv. I, 73, 1), forms a Nividdhdna?, and,
' Cf. Ait. Brahm. V, 16. SGfotitArsE at ee
* The hymn consists of eleven verses. In the middle, after the sixth verse, nivids or invocations, such as indro marutvdn, are in- serted, and therefore it is called a nividdh4na hymn.
I Aranyaka, 2 Adhyaya, 2 Khanda, 18. 171
according to the one-day (ekaha) ceremonial, is perfect
in form. On that day much is done now and then
which has to be hidden, and has to be atoned for
(by recitation of hymns). Atonement is rest, the
one-day sacrifice. Therefore at the end of the year
(on the last day but one of the sacrifice that lasts a
whole year) the sacrificers rest on this atonement as
their rest.
He who knows this rests firm, and they also for
whom a Hotrz priest who knows this, recites this
hymn’.
18. These, if recited straight on, are ninety-seven
verses’, The ninety are three Virag, each consisting
of thirty, and then the seven verses which are over.
Whatever is the praise of the seven, is the praise of
ninety also.
1 With this hymn the Marutvattya-sastra is finished. All the hymns from 4 tv4 ratham to asat su me garitar are simply taken over from the Xaturvimsa ceremonial, the rest are peculiar to the Mahavrata day, the day preceding the Udayanfya or final day of the Gavamayana sattra. All this is more fully described in the fifth Aranyaka (V, 1, 1, 8) containing the Sftras or rules of Saunaka, while the earlier Arazyakas are reckoned as Brahmanas, and are therefore mixed up with matters not actually required for the per- formance of the sacrifice.
2 The first Stotriya and Anurdpa
ikea ‘ : pore. (ying t, vy.
The six Pragathas, each of 2 verses
raised to 3 (but the text gives
seven Pragathas)= . sbne (1a,1, 8; 4; 5 6} £1252; 19).
Three Dnayyis= thas, 2. Eg),
Asat su= . ; ; a A UE, 2, By Tc
Piba somam= . ; ; ri tig 4; 3, °P),
Kaya subha= . , = 3h Ub, By ay 9)
Marutvaz indra= tx veh isca, 4, 13).
Ganish¢ha ugrahk : ; 4-(1,.4, 2, 37).
oT
172 AITAREYA-ARANYAKA.
a ee eee
19. By repeating the first and last verses three
times each, they become one hundred and one
verses.
20. There are five fingers, of four joints each, two
pits (in the elbow and the arm), the arm, the eye, the
shoulder-blade ; this makes twenty-five. The other
three parts have likewise twenty-five each'. That
makes a hundred, and the trunk is the one hundred
and first.
21. Hundred is life, health, strength, brightness.
The sacrificer as the one hundred and first rests in
life, health, strength, and brightness.
22. These verses become Trish/ubh2, for the noonday-libation consists of Trish¢ubh verses.
Tuirp Kyanpa 3,
1. They say: ‘What is the meaning of prenkha,
swing?’ Verily, he is the swing, who blows (the
wind). He indeed goes forward (pra+inkhate) in
these worlds, and that is why the swing is called
prenkha.
2. Some say, that there should be one plank,
because the wind blows in one way, and it should
be like the wind.
3. That is not to be regarded.
4. Some say, there should be three planks, be-
cause there are these three threefold worlds, and it
should be like them.
1 The left side as well as the right, and then the left and right side of the lower body. Thus we have twenty joints of the five toes, a thigh, a leg, and three joints, making twenty-five on each side.
” Approach the Trish/ubh metre of the last hymn. Comm.
* After having considered the Marutvatiya, he proceeds to con- sider the Nishkevalya. This has to be recited by the Hotr? while sitting on a swing.
I Aranyaka, 2 Adhyaya, 4 Khanda, 3. 173
5. That is not to be regarded.
6. Let there be two, for these two worlds (the
earth and heaven) are seen as if most real, while the
ether (space) between the two is the sky (antariksha).
Therefore let there be two planks.
7. Let them be made of Udumbara wood. Verily,
the Udumbara tree is sap and eatable food, and thus
it serves to obtain sap and eatable food.
8. Let them be elevated in the middle (between
the earth and the cross-beam). Food, if placed in
the middle, delights man, and thus he places the
sacrificer in the middle of eatable food.
9g. There are two kinds of rope, twisted towards
the right and twisted towards the left. The right
ropes serve for some animals, the left ropes for
others. If there are both kinds of rope, they serve
for the attainment of both kinds of cattle.
10. Let them be made of Darbha (Kusa grass), for
among plants Darbha is free from evil, therefore
they should be made of Darbha grass.
FourtH KHANDA.
1. Some say: ‘Let the swing be one ell (aratni)
above the ground, for by that measure verily the
Svarga worlds are measured.’ That is not to be
regarded.
2. Others say: ‘Let it be one span (pradesa), for
by that measure verily the vital airs were measured.’
That is not to be regarded’.
3. Let it be one fist (mush/i), for by that measure verily all eatable food is made, and by that measure
' They rise one span above the heart, and they proceed one span from out the mouth. Comm.
174 AITAREYA-ARANYAKA.
all eatable food is taken; therefore let it be one fist above the ground.
4. They say: ‘Let him mount the swing from
east to west, like he who shines; for the sun
mounts these worlds from east to west.’ That is
not to be regarded.
3. Others say: ‘Let him mount the swing side-
ways, for people mount a horse sideways 1, thinking
that thus they will obtain all desires.’ That is not
to be regarded.
6. They say: ‘Let him mount the swing? from
behind, for people mount a ship from behind, and
this swing is a ship in which to go to heaven.’
Therefore let him mount it from behind.
7. Let him touch the swing with his chin (&hu-
buka). The parrot (suka) thus mounts a tree, and
he is of all birds the one who eats most food.
Therefore let him touch it with his chin.
8. Let him mount the swing with his arms*, The
hawk swoops thus on birds and on trees, and he is of
all birds the strongest. Therefore let him mount
with his arms.
9. Let him not withdraw one foot (the right or
left) from the earth, for fear that he may’ lose his
hold.
10. The Hots? mounts the swing, the Udgatzz
the seat made of Udumbara wood. The swing is
masculine, the seat feminine, and they form a union.
Thus he makes a union at the beginning of the
uktha in order to get offspring.
1 Here we have clearly riding on horseback.
* While the swing points to the east, let him stand west, and thus mount.
* The fore-arms, from the elbow to the end, the aratni. Comm.
1 Aranvaka, 2 Adhyaya, 4 Khanda, 17. 175
SE Ne
11. He who knows this, gets offspring and cattle.
12, Next the swing is food, the seat fortune. Thus he mounts and obtains food and fortune.
13. The Hotrakas (the Prasdstyz, Brahmamné-
tkhamsin, Potr7, Nesh/ri, Agnidhra, and A#é4vaka)
together with the Brahman sit down on cushions
made of grass, reeds, leaves, &c.
14. Plants and trees, after they have grown up,
bear fruit. Thus if the priests mount on that day
altogether (on their seats), they mount on solid and
fluid as their proper food. Therefore this serves
for the attainment of solid as proper food".
15. Some say: ‘Let him descend after saying
vasha¢*.’ ‘That is not to be regarded. For, verily,
that respect is not shown which is shown to one
who does not see it,
16. Others say: ‘Let him descend after he has
taken the food in his hand.” That is not to be re-
garded. For, verily, that respect is not shown
which is shown to one after he has approached
quite close.
17. Let him descend after he has seen the food.
For, verily, that is real respect which is shown to
one when he sees it. Only after having actually
ee re |
1 One expects isha’ before firgah, but it is wanting in both text and commentary, and in other MSS. also.
* The word by which the Hotr? invites the Adhvaryu to offer the oblation to the gods, The descending from the swing belongs, of course, to a later part of the sacrifice.
$ It is supposed that the Hotr? rises from the swing to show respect to the sacrificial food, when it is brought near. But as it is not brought near, immediately after the Hotr? has finished his part with the word vasha/, the food could not see the Hotr‘ rise, and this mark of respect, intended for the food, would thus be lost.
176 AITAREYA-ARANYAKA.
a a i a a
seen the food (that is brought to the sacrifice), let him descend from the swing.
18. Let him descend turning towards the east,
for in the east the seed ot the gods springs up’.
Therefore let him rise turning towards the east,
yea, turning towards the east.
Third Adhyaya
First KHANDA.
i. Let him begin this dav? with singing ‘ Him, thus they say.
2. Verily, the sound Him is Brahman, that day
also is Brahman. He who knows this, obtains
Brahman even by Brahman.
3. As he begins with the sound Him, surely
that mascuijine sound of Him and the feminine
Rik {the verse) make a couple. Thus he makes
a couple at the beginning of the hymn in order
to get offspring*. He who knows this, gets cattle
and offspring,
4. Or as he begins with the sound Him, surely
like a wooden spade, so the sound Him serves to
dig up Brahman (the sap of the Veda). And as a
man wishes to dig up any, even the hardest soil,
with a spade, thus he digs up Brahman.
5. He who knows this digs up, by means of the sound Him, everything he may desire.
6. li he begins with the sound Him, that sound is the holding apart of divine and human speech.
* Should it be devaretah samprayayate, or devaretasam pragayate? * The Nishkevalya-sastra, of the noon-libation; cf. I, 2, 2, 1. * Chl, s, eraci
I Aranyaka, 3 Adhyaya, 2 Khanda, 9. L77
Therefore, he who begins, after having uttered the sound Him, holds apart divine and human speech '.
1. And here they ask: ‘What is the beginning of this day ?’ Let him say: ‘Mind and speech 2%.’
2. All desires dwell in the one (mind), the other yields all desires.
3. All desires dwell in the mind, for with the mind he conceives all desires.
4. All desires come to him who knows this.
5. Speech yields all desires, for with speech he declares all his desires.
6. Speech yields all desires to him who knows this.
7. Here they say: ‘Let him not begin this day
with a Azk, a Yagus, or a Sdman verse (divine
speech), for it is said, he should not start with a
Rik, a Yagus, or a SAman 4,’
8. Therefore, let him say these Vyahv7tis (sacred interjections) first.
9. These interjections Bhfs, Bhuvas, Svar are
the three Vedas, Bhis the Azg-veda, Bhuvas the
Yagur-veda, Svar the Sdma-veda. Therefore (by
* Human speech is the ordinary speech, divine speech that of the Veda. Thus between the hymns, or the divine speech, and the ordinary language of conversation the sound Him is inter- posed as a barrier.
2 Mind, to think about the hymns which have to be recited; speech, to recite them without a flaw.
* It is doubtful whether neyad rzkah and apagakshet can have this meaning. However, what is intended is clear, viz. that the priest, even after having uttered the sound Him, should not imme- diately begin with verses from the Vedas, but should intercalate the three syllables bhir bhuva/ svar, or, if taken singly, bhfs, bhuvas, svar.
ey a Ms ae Tre ay» RIP a
At
178 AITAREYA-ARANYAKA.
intercalating these) he does not begin simply with a
Rik, Yagus, or SAman verse, he does not start with
a Rik, Yagus, or Sdman verse.
TuHirRD KHANDA.
1. He begins with tad, this, (the first word of the
first hymn, tad id Asa). Verily ‘this, this’ is food,
and thus he obtains food.
2. PragApati indeed uttered this as the first word,
consisting of one or two syllables, viz. tata and tata
(or tat)’. And thus does a child, as soon as he
begins to speak, utter the word, consisting of one
or two syllables, viz. tata and tata (or tat). With
this very word, consisting of tat or tatta, he begins.