1 Viz. because three of the recipients of these libations — A^a, Bhaga and Aryaman — belong to the deities called Adityas, or sons of Aditi.
2 The water in the Udumbara vessel is now distributed into these four (smaller) vessels.
3 That is, by its pendant branches. It is well known that the ficus indica, or banyan-tree, as it is ordinarily called, has the habit of bending its branches down to the ground, which then strike root and develop new secondary trunks, so that a single tree may in course of time form a large grove. Hence the name here used for the tree (nyag-rodha, the downward-growing one). ' A family tends to multiply families around it, till it becomes the centre of a tribe, just as the banyan tends to surround itself with a forest of its own offspring/ Maclennan, Primitive Marriage, p. 269.
84 tfATAPATHA-BRAHMAJVA.
nyagrodha tree is supported, and by the friend (mitra)
the Ra£*anya (nobleman or king) is supported:
therefore a friendly Ra^anya sprinkles with (the
water of a vessel) made of the foot of a nyagrodha0
14. There is an a^vattha (ficus religiosa) one :
therewith a VaLsya sprinkles. Because Indra on
that (former) occasion called upon the Maruts
staying on the Asvattha tree1, therefore a Vaisya
sprinkles with an a^vattha (vessel). These are the
consecration vessels.
15. He then prepares two strainers (pavitra),
with (Va£*. S. X, 6), ' Purifiers ye are, Vishnu's
own ; ' — the significance is the same (as before 2).
He weaves gold (threads) into them. With them
he purifies those consecration waters. As to why
he weaves gold (threads) in, — gold is immortal life :
that immortal life he lays into these (waters), and
hence he weaves gold (threads) in.
16. He purifies with, ' By the impulse of
Savitrz I purify you with a flawless purifier,
with the rays of the sun/ The significance
is the same (as before3). ' Not downfallen thou
art, the friend of Speech, born of heat/ —
' unimpaired by the Rakshas ' he means to say when
he says, ' not downfallen ; ' — ' the friend of Speech '
— as long as there is water in the vital airs, so long
(man) speaks with speech : therefore he says, * the
friend of Speech/
1 See above, p. 34, note 1. The Maruts are constantly identi- fied with the Vi,r, or people (peasants, &c.) generally, whilst Indra is taken as the divine representative of the ruling class (the king and nobleman).
2 See 1, 1, 3, 1 (part i, p. 19).
3 See I, 1, 3, 6 (part i, p. 21).
V KAiVJDA, 3 ADHYAYA, 5 BRAHMA2VA, 20. 85
1 7. ' Born of heat ' he says, for from fire springs
smoke, from smoke the cloud, from the cloud rain, —
it is from fire that these are produced : hence he
says, ' born of heat/
18. 'Soma's portion thou art;' for when they
consecrate him with those (waters), then there is an
oblation : therefore he says ' Soma's portion thou
art;' — 'Hail, spiriters of kings!' — it is with
' Hail' that he thus purifies them.
19. He distributes them over those (consecration)
vessels, with (Va£\ S. X, 7), ' Playmates are these
glorious waters;' — 'not overbearing' he means
to say, when he says ' playmates ; ' and by ' these
glorious waters ' he means to say ' the powerful
ones ; ' — ' unimpaired, active, enveloping,' he
thereby means to say ' ye are unimpaired by the
Rakshas;' — 'In the habitations Varu/za hath
made a home;' — the habitations are the people
(clans) : ' in the people Varu^a has made a support '
he thereby says; — 'he, the child of the waters,
in the best of mothers;' — for he who performs
the Ra£*asftya is indeed the child of the waters :
therefore he says, 'the child of the waters, in the
best of mothers/
20. He then makes him (the king) put on garments. There is that one called tarpya 1 ; therein are
1 This is variously explained, by Katyayana and Saya/ia, as a linen one, or simply one soaked in ghee, or a tripa/za one — i. e. one made of triparwa plants, or a thrice saturated one (with ghee) — or one woven out of materials derived from the tr/pa plant. It is quite evident that they did not exactly know what to make of it. Indeed, it would almost seem as if the author of the Brahma/za himself was already doubtful as to the meaning of the term. Goldstiicker (s.v. abhishe^aniya) perhaps rightly takes it to mean a silk wider-garment.
86 DATAPATH A-BRAHMAiVA.
wrought 1 all forms of sacrifice : that he makes him
put on, with (Va£\ S. X, 8), ' Thou art the inner
caul of knighthood (kshatra)!' He thus causes
him to be born from out of what is the inner caul
(amnion) of knighthood.
21. He then makes him put on one of undyed
wool, with, 'Thou art the outer caul of knight-
hood!' He thus causes him to be born from what
is the outer caul (chorion) of knighthood.
22. He then throws over the mantle, with, 'Thou
art the womb of knighthood!' He thus causes
him to be born from what is the womb of knight-
hood.
23. He then draws the head-band together, and
conceals it (tucks it under) in front2, with, 'Thou
art the navel of knighthood!' He thus places
him in what is the navel of knighthood.
24. Now some wind it quite round about (the
navel) saying, ' that (band) is his navel, and this
navel goes all round.' But let him not do this, but
let him merely tuck it under in front, for this navel
is in front. And as to why he makes him put on
the garments ; — he thereby causes him to be born 3,
1 According to the commentators, figures of sacrificial spoons, cups, &c, are sewn in by means of a needle.
2 The commentators do not seem to be quite in accord in regard to this particular item of the ceremonial. The most natural expla- nation, however, seems to be this : the head-band (turban, ushmsha) is wound (? once) round the head and tied behind ; the ends being then drawn over the shoulders so as to hang down from the neck in the manner of a brahmanical cord (or like the ribbon of an order); and being finally tucked in under the mantle somewhere near the navel.
3 Viz. inasmuch as the garments are intended to symbolically represent the vestures of the embryo and stages of birth.
V KANDAy 3 ADHYAYA, 5 BRAHMAiVA, 27. 87
thinking, ' I will anoint him when born : ' that is why he makes him put on the garments.
25. Now some put off those garments1, and
make him put on again the garment of initiation.
But let him not do this ; for, the limbs 2 being his
natural vestments, they deprive him of his limbs, of
his native bodily form. The garment of initiation
belongs to Varu^a. Let him put on one of those
same garments : he (the priest) thereby causes him
to be furnished with his limbs, his native bodily form.
The garment of initiation belongs to Varu/za : he thus
saves him from the Varumc garment of initiation.
26. And when he enters the bath 3 they throw it
into (the water). This is a congruous 4 performance.
After putting on one of those same garments he
comes out (of the bath). Let him give away those
(garments) either when the omentum of the barren
cow has been offered5, or at the completing oblation6.
27. He (the Adhvaryu) then strings the bow, with, 'Thou art Indra's VWtra-killer ;' for the bow
1 This change of garments takes place optionally when the Ma- hendra libation is about to be offered. Katy. XV, 5, 16 ; 7, 23-26.
2 That is, according to Sayawa, the skin, &c.
3 That is, at the end of the Ra^asuya. In case of the change of garments before the Mahendra libation, the king keeps on the initiation garment in entering and coming out of the bath. This paragraph is of course put in here by anticipation, merely in order to state all that relates to the garments.
4 Viz. inasmuch as it is in accordance with what is done at an ordinary Soma-sacrifice, at the end of which the Sacrificer and his wife enter the bath and come forth with fresh garments. See part n\ P- 385- In the present case the king is to enter the bath clothed in one of those three garments, and in coming out he is to put on another of them.
5 See part ii, pp. 391-2.
6 For the Udavasaniya-ish/i, see ib. p. 389.
88 SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
is indeed a Wztra-killer, and the Sacrificer is Indra,
— he is Indra in a twofold way, both as a Kshatriya,
and as Sacrificer : therefore he says, * Thou art
Indra's Wztra-killer. '
28. He then strokes the two arms \ with, * Mitra's
thou art, — Varu/za's thou art;' for the bow is
within the two arms, and by his two arms the
Ra^anya pertains to Mitra and Varu/za : therefore
he says, ' Mitras thou art, Varu/za s thou art/ He
hands it to him, with, 'May he slay Wztra by
thee ! ' whereby he means to say, ' May he slay by
thee his spiteful enemy ! '
29. He then hands him three arrows. That first
one by which he pierces on shooting 2, that is one,
that one is this earth, that one is called 'drz'ba.'
And the one by which (the enemy) being pierced
lies either living or dead, that is the second, that is
this air, that is called ' ru^a/ And the one with
which he misses (his aim) 3, that is the third, that is
yonder sky, that is called ' kshuma.' For these are
the three (kinds of) arrows : therefore he hands him
three arrows.
30. These he hands to him with, ' Protect ye
him in front4! — Protect ye him from behind!
— Protect ye him from the side! — Protect ye
1 Viz. the arms of the king, as it would seem, according to Sayawa; but the arms (or ends) of the bow, according to Karka and Mahidhara.
2 Literally, on fixing (the arrow on the string) ; or perhaps, on hitting (the enemy).
3 Saya^a takes apa-radhnoti in the sense of 'he hurts (or hits) ' the enemy. In the Ka^va text (Grantha MS.) the three arrows are called rugsi, drzva, and kshupsi resp.
4 Or perhaps, — whilst (he is) moving forward, — whilst moving backward, — whilst moving sideways.
V Kanda, 3 Adhyaya, 5 Brahma2va, 35. 89
him from (all) quarters !' Thus he makes all the
quarters safe from arrows for him. And as to why-
he hands the bow to him ; — this, the bow, truly is
the nobleman's strength : it is because he thinks,
* I will consecrate him when endowed with strength ! '
that he hands the weapon to him l.
31. Thereupon he makes him pronounce the avid
formulas 2 (Va^*. S. X, 9), ' In sight, ye mortals ! '
This is mysterious, for mysterious is Pra^apati : he
thus announces him to Pra^apati, and this one
approves of his consecration ; and approved by him
he is consecrated.
32. ' Present is Agni, the house-lord ;' — Agni
is the priesthood (brahman) ; he thus announces him
to the priesthood ; and it approves of his consecra-
tion, and approved by it he is consecrated.
33. * Present is Indra, the far-famed;' — Indra
is the nobility : he thus announces him to the
nobility ; and it approves of his consecration, and
approved by it he is consecrated.
34. 'Present are Mitra and Varu/za, the up-
holders of the law;' — Mitra and Varu^a are the
out-breathing and in-breathing : he thus announces
him to the out-breathing and in-breathing, and they
approve of his consecration, and approved by them
he is consecrated.
35. ' Present is Piishan, the all-possessing ; '
1 For a sham fight with arrows forming part of the ceremony in the Black Ya^us ritual, see p. 100, note 1.
2 That is, as would seem, the formulas of information (or per- haps of announcement, introduction) ; the first of these formulas beginning with avis (in sight), the others with the participle avitta, i.e. ' obtained, present;' Sayawa and Mahidhara, however, taking it in the sense of ' informed/ — a meaning which, indeed, the word may perhaps have been intended to convey in these formulas.
90 SATAPATIIA-BRAHMAiVA.
Pushan is (the lord of) cattle : he thus announces
him to the cattle, and they approve of his consecra-
tion ; and approved by them he is consecrated.
36. ' Present are Heaven and Earth, the all-
propitious ;' — he thus announces him to those
two, the heaven and the earth, and they approve
of his consecration ; and approved by them he is
consecrated.
37. 'Present is Aditi, of wide shelter ;' — Aditi
is this earth : he thus announces him to this earth,
and she approves of his consecration, and approved
by her he is consecrated. Thus to whatever deities
he announces him, they approve of his consecration,
and approved by them he is consecrated.