? Having recited the verses which form the body, neck, head, wings, and tail of the bird, also the food intended for the bird, he now describes the Vasa hymn, i.e. the hymn composed by Vasa, Rv. VIII, 46. That hymn takes the place of the stomach, which receives the food intended for the bird. Cf. Ait. Ar. V, 2, 5. In I, 5, 2, 4 it is called a Nivid.
- Verses 1-20 of the Vasa hymn, and one Sfidadohas.
* Pramavam means ‘with pramava,’ i.e. inserting Om in the proper places.
* According as the metres of the different verses are fixed by Saunaka, Ait. Ar. V, 2, 5, who says that verse 15 is Dvipada, and that the last four words, ninam atha, form an Ekapada.
® According to rule, i.e. so that they should come right as Asvalayana has prescribed the recitation of Dvipadi and Eka- pada verses. In a Dvipada there should be a stop after the first foot, and Om at the end of the second. In an Ekapada there should be Om at the beginning and at the end.
194 AITAREYA-ARANYAKA.
leaves it off there. These prdzas are verily twelve-
fold, seven in the head, two on the breast, three
below. In these twelve places the prazas are con-
tained, there they are perfect. Therefore he leaves
it off there’.
8. The hymn indragni yuvam su na (Rv. VIII,
40) forms the two thighs (of the bird) belonging to
Indra and Agni, the two supports with broad bones.
9. These (verses) consist of six feet, so that they
may stand firm. Man stands firm on two feet,
animals on four. He thus places man (the sacri-
ficer), standing on two feet, among four-footed
cattle.
10. The second verse has seven feet, and he
makes it into a Gayatri and Anush¢ubh. Gayatri is
Brahman, Anush¢ubh is speech; and he thus puts
together speech with Brahman.
11. He recites a Trish¢ubh at the end. Trish¢ubh
is strength, and thus does he come round animals
by strength. Therefore animals come near where
there is strength (of command, &c.); they come to
be roused and to rise up, (they obey the commands
of a strong shepherd.)
1. When he recites the Nishkevalya hymn ad-
dressed to Indra (Rv. X, 50), pra vo mahe, he inserts
a Nivid? (between the fourth and fifth verses). Thus
he clearly places strength in himself (in the sastra,
in the bird, in himself).
2. They are Trishéubhs and Gagatis.
ed
' He repeats the Sidadohas verse no more. Comm. * Sentences like indro devak somam pibatu.
I Aranyaka, 5 Adhyaya, 2 Khanda, 8. 195
3. There they say: ‘Why does he insert a Nivid
among mixed Trishéubhs and Gagatts’??’ But surely
one metre would never support the Nivid of this
day, nor fill it: therefore he inserts the Nivid
among mixed Trish¢ubhs and Gagatts.
4. Let him know that this day has three Nivids:
the Vasa hymn is a Nivid, the VAlakhilyas? are a
Nivid, and the Nivid itself is a Nivid. Thus let
him know that day as having three Nivids.
5. Then follow the hymns vane na va (Rv. X,
29). and yo gata eva (Rv. II, 12). In the fourth
verse of the former hymn occur the words anne
samasya yad asan manisha4, and they serve for the
winning of proper food.
6. Then comes an insertion. As many Trishéubh
and Gagati verses*, taken from the ten Mazdalas
and addressed to Indra, as they insert (between the
two above-mentioned hymns), after changing them
into Brzhatis, so many years do they live beyond
the (usual) age (of one hundred years). By this
insertion age is obtained.
7. After that he recites the Saganiya hymn,
wishing that cattle may always come to his off-
spring.
8. Then he recites the Tarkshya hymn‘. Tar-
kshya is verily welfare, and the hymn leads to wel-
fare. Thus (by reciting the hymn) he fares well °.
1 According to the Prakreti of the Agnishfoma they ought to be all Trish/ubhs. Comm.
2 These hymns occur in the eighty Brzhatt tristichs.
8 From the Samhita, which consists of ten thousand verses. Comm.
* Rv. X, 178. Tarksha Garuda being the deity of the hymn, it is called ‘T’arkshya.
* Ch ight se
196 ALTAREYA-ARANYAKA.
9. Then he recites the Ekapada (indro visvam
vi ragati), wishing, May I be everything at once,
and may I thus finish the whole work of metres '.
10. In reciting the hymn indraw visva avivre-
dhan (Rv. I, 11) he intertwines the first seven verses
by intertwining their feet’. There are seven prazas
(openings) in the head, and he thus places seven
prazas in the head. The eighth verse (half-verse)
he does not intertwine*. The eighth is speech,
and he thinks, May my speech never be intertwined
with the other prdwas. Speech therefore, though
dwelling in the same abode as the other prdvas, is
not intertwined with them.
11. He recites the Virag verses*. Verily, Virag
verses are food, and they thus serve for the gaining
of food.
12. He ends with the hymn of Vasish¢ha', wishing, May I be Vasish¢ha!
13. But let him end with the fifth verse, esha
stomo maha ugrdya vahe, which, possessing the
word mahat, is auspicious.
14. In the second foot of the fifth verse the word
dhuri occurs. Verily, dhu% (the place where the
horse is fastened to the car) is the end (of the car).
This day also is the end (of the sacrifice which lasts
a whole year)*® Thus the verse is fit for the day.
1 The Ekapada forms the last metre in this ceremony.
* The first and last half-verses of the hymn are not to be intertwined. Of the remaining fourteen half-verses he joins, for instance, the fourth foot of the first verse with the second foot of the second verse, and so on. Comm.
* Because nothing more follows. Comm.
* Rv. VII, 22, 1-6. * Ry ViL- 24,
* The last day is the udavanfyatiratra. Comm. |
I Aranyaka, 5 Adhyaya, 3 Khanda, 3. 197
15. In the third foot the word arka is auspicious.
16. The last foot is: ‘Make our glory high as
heaven over heaven.’ Thus wherever Brahmanic
speech is uttered, there his glory will be, when he
who knows this finishes with that verse. Therefore
let a man who knows this, finish (the Nishkevalya)
with that verse.
THirp KuHanpa!.
1. Tat savitur vzzmimahe (Rv. V, 82, 1-3) and
adya no deva savitar (Rv. V, 82, 4-6) are the
beginning (pratipad) and the next step (anuéara) of
the Vaisvadeva hymn, taken from the Ek4ha cere-
monial and therefore proper ”.
2. On that day* much is done now and then
which has to be hidden, and has to be atoned for.
Atonement is rest, the one-day sacrifice. Therefore
at the end of the year the sacrificers rest on this
atonement as their rest. He who knows this rests
firm, and they also for whom a Hotvz priest who
knows this, recites this hymn.
3. Then (follows) the hymn addressed to Savi-
tvz, tad devasya savitur varyam mahat (Rv. IV, 53).
Verily, mahat, great, (in this foot) is the end‘.
This day too is the end. Thus the verse is fit for
the day.
' After finishing the Nishkevalya of the noon-libation, he explains the vaisvadevasastra of the third libation.
* The norm of the Mahfvrata is the Visvagit, and the norm of that, the Agnishfoma Ekaéha. The verses to be used for the Vaisvadeva hymn are prescribed in those normal sacrifices, and are here adopted.
* Cf. Ait. Ar. I, 2, 1, 2. |
‘ Nothing higher than the great can be wished for or obtained. Comm,
198 AITAREYA-ARANYAKA.
4. The hymn katar& parva katara parayo/ (Rv.
I, 185), addressed to Dy4dv4przthivi, is one in which
many verses have ruc same ending. Verily, this day
also (the mahavrata) is one in which many receive
the same reward'. Thus it is fit for the day.
5. The hymn anasvo gato anabhisur ukthyad (Rv. IV, 26) is addressed to the Azbhus.
6. In the first verse the word tri (Aakra%) occurs,
and trivat? is verily the end. This day also is the
end (of the sacrifice). Thus the verse is fit for the
day. |
7. The hymn asya vamasya palitasya hotud (Rv. I, 164), addressed to the Visvedevas, is multiform. This day also is multiform®. Thus the verse is fit for the day.
8. He recites the end of it, beginning with gaurir mimaya (Rv. I, 164, 41).
9. The hymn 4 no bhadrad kratavo yantu visvatah
(Rv. I, 89), addressed to the Visvedevas, forms the
Nividdhana, taken from the Ekaha ceremonial, and
therefore proper.
10. On that day much is done now and then
which has to be hidden, and has to be atoned for.
Atonement is rest, the one-day sacrifice. Therefore
at the end of the year the sacrificers rest on this
atonement as their rest. He who knows this rests
firm, and they also for whom a Hotvz priest who
knows this, recites this hymn.
11. The hymn vaisvanaraya dhishaz4m rcta-
' All who perform the ceremony obtain Brahman. Cf. § 12.
* The third wheel, in addition to the usual two wheels, forms the end of a carriage, as before the dhuZ, cf. I, 5, 2, 14. This day also is the end.
* Consisting of Vedic hymns and dances, &c. Comm.
I Aranyaka, 5 Adhyaya, 3 Khanda, 14. 199
vvidhe (Rv. III, 2) forms the beginning of the
Agnimaruta. DhishawA, thought, is verily the end,
this day also is the end. Thus it is fit for the
day.
12. The hymn prayagyavo maruto bhragadrzshéa-
yah (Rv. V, 55), addressed to the Maruts, is one in
which many verses have the same ending. Verily,
this day also is one in which many receive the same
reward. ‘Thus it is fit for the day’.
13. He recites the verse gatavedase sunavama
somam (Rv. I, 99, 1), addressed to Gatavedas, before
the (next following) hymn. That verse addressed to
Gatavedas is verily welfare, and leads to welfare.
Thus (by reciting it) he fares well *.
14. The hymn imam stomam arhate gatavedase
(Rv. I, 94), addressed to GAtavedas, is one in which
many verses have the same ending. Verily, this day
also (the mah4vrata) is one in which many receive
the same reward. Thus it is fit for the day, yea, it
is fit for the day.
A Ol Sox: Cf. I, 5, 2, 8.
SECOND ARANYAKA.
First KHANDA.
The character of the three component portions of the Upanishad can best be described in Sankara’s own words (Ar. III, 1, 1, Introd.
p. 306): ‘There are three classes of men who want to acquire aie The highest consists of those who have turned away from the world, whose minds are fixed on one subject and col- lected, and who yearn to be free at once. For these a knowledge of Brahman is intended, as taught in the Ait. Ar. Il, 4-6. The middle class are those who wish to become free gradually by attaining to the world of Hiravyagarbha. For them the knowledge and worship of Praza (breath and life) is intended, as explained in the Ait. Ar. II, 1-3. The lowest class consists of those who do not care either for immediate or gradual freedom, but who desire nothing but offspring, cattle, &c. For these the meditative worship of the Samhit4 is intended, as explained in the third Aramyaka. They cling too strongly to the letter of the sacred text to be able to surrender it for a knowledge either of Praza (life) or of Brahman.’
The connexion between the Upanishad or rather the three Upanishads and the first Aranyaka seems at first sight very slight. Still we soon perceive that it would be impossible to understand the first Upanishad, without a previous knowledge of the Maha- vrata ceremony as described in the first Arazyaka.
On this point too there are some pertinent remarks in Sankara’s commentary on the Aranyaka II, 1, 2. ‘Our first duty,’ he says,
‘consists in performing sacrifices, such as are described in the first portion of the Veda, the Samhitaés, Brahmazas, and, to a certain extent, in the Aramyakas also. Afterwards arises a desire for knowledge, which cannot be satisfied except a man has first attained
Ii Aranyaka, I Adhyaya, I Khanda, 2.201
complete concentration of thought (ekagraté). In order to acquire that concentration, the performance of certain updsanas or medita- tions is enjoined, such as we find described in our Upanishad, viz. in Ar. II, 1-3.’
This meditation or, as it is sometimes translated, worship is of two kinds, either brahmop4sana or pratikopasana. Brahmo- pasana or meditation on Brahman consists in thinking of him as distinguished by certain qualities. Pratikopfésana or meditation on symbols consists in looking upon certain worldly objects as if they were Brahman, in order.thus to withdraw the mind from the too powerful influence of external objects.