1 By way of illustration, Mahfdhara explains what would have happened at the inauguration of king Da^aratha (of Ayodhya), the father of Rama; viz. in that case the first formula would run, — 'Rama is the father of Da^aratha;' and the second — 'Da^aratha is the father of Rama.' According to the ceremonial of the Black Ya^-us the offering of the residue takes place at the house (first of the favourite son, according to Apastamba, and then) of the queen. Taitt. S., vol. ii, p. 154.
[4i] H
98 SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
part. He offers with, 'O Rudra, whatever
potent1, highest name is thine, therein thou
art an offering, thou art a home-offering, hail!'
Third Brahma^a.
1. North of the Ahavaniya he places a hundred,
or more than a hundred, cows of that relative of his.
The reason why he does so is this :
2. When Varu/za was consecrated, his energy, his
vigour departed from him. Probably2 that collected
essence (life-sap) of the waters wherewith they were
sprinkling him, drove out his energy, his vigour.
He found it in the cattle, and because he found it in
them, therefore cattle are an object of respect. And
having found it in the cattle, he again took to him-
self his energy, his vigour. And in like manner this
one ; — that energy does not indeed depart from him,
but he does it (thinking), ' This R^asuya is Varu/zas
consecration, and Varima did so/
3. He takes down the chariot (from the stand 3) ;
for whatever turns away from the warrior (rd^anya)
that he overtakes with his chariot : for this reason
he takes down the chariot.
4. He takes it down with (Va^*. S. X, 21), ' Thou
art Indra's thunderbolt.1. The chariot is indeed
a thunderbolt ; and the Sacrificer is Indra ; — he is
Indra for a twofold reason, namely because he is a
1 The meaning of krivi (krayi, Taitt. S.) is doubtful. Mahi- dhara derives it from * kar ' (to make or injure), in the sense of either * efficacious/ or < destructive/ — A Grantha MS. of the Kawva text reads kavi, 'wise/
2 I am now inclined to think that some such meaning as ' prob- ably, perhaps ' (more nearly, German ' wohl '), fits all the passages (in the Brahmazzas at all events) where ja^vat occurs.
3 See above, V, 1, 4, 3 seq.
V KANDA, 4 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMAiVA, 8. 99
Kshatriya, and because he is a Sacrificer : therefore he says, ' Indra's thunderbolt thou art/
5. Having turned it (so as to stand) inside the
Vedi, he yokes it with, ' I yoke thee by the direc-
tion of Mitra and Varu^a, the directors1;'
for Mitra and Varu^a are the two arms, and by his
arms the Ra^anya belongs to Mitra and Vanma :
that is why he says, ' I yoke thee by direction of
Mitra and Varu^a, the directors/
6. He yokes it with four (horses). He passes
along by the same way as that on which the
dakshi/zas 2 go, — behind the Sadas, and in front of
the hall. He stops it behind the /£citvala, and in
front of the Agnidhra.
7. He mounts it with, 'For unfeebleness (I
mount) thee, for svadha3 (I mount) thee!' — by
' for unfeebleness thee ' he means to say, ' for a state
free from afflictions (I mount) thee ; ' by * for svadha
thee ' he means to say, * for life-sap (I mount)
thee ; ' — ' I, the unharmed Ar^una ! ' Now Indra
is called Ar^una, which is his mystic name ; and this
(king) is Indra for a twofold reason, namely because
he is a Kshatriya, and because he is a Sacrificer :
therefore he says, ' the unharmed Ar^una/
8. He then goads on the right yoke-horse, with,
* Conquer thou by the impulse of the Maruts!'
For the Maruts are the clansmen, and it is by his
1 Pra^astrz', ' the director/ is also another name for the Maitra- varuwa priest.
2 That is, the cows given to priests as sacrificial fee. For par- ticulars regarding the passage by which they are driven to their destination, see part ii, p. 344, note 1.
3 Probably here ' for well-being ; ' the author, however, evidently takes it here in the sense of ' invigorating potion/ the drink offered to the deceased ancestors.
I OO -S'ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
clan that the chieftain wins what he desires to win :
therefore he says, * Conquer thou by the impulse of
the Maruts ! '
9. He then stops (the chariot) in the midst of the
cows1, with, * May we obtain by the mind!' For
it is by the mind that everything here (that is ob-
tained) is obtained ; and by the mind therefore he
now obtains everything : therefore he says, ' May
we obtain by the mind ! '
10. He then touches a cow with the end of the
bow, with, * Together with energy!' — energy
means vigour, kine : it is energy, vigour, he thereby
takes to himself. And he adds, ' I overpower them,
I seize them ! '
11. Now as to why he stops amidst the cows of
his relative, — whatever is tending away from a man,
be it either fame, or anything else, that passes over
to his relative foremost of all ; — that energy, or
vigour, he now takes again from his relative to
himself: that is why he stops amidst the cows of
his relative.
12. In return he presents to him just as many (cows) 2, or more. For assuredly he, the Sacrificer,
1 In the ceremonial of the Black Yagns a sham-fight takes place here. East or north of the sacrificial ground a Ra^anya has posted himself with bow in hand. The king discharges the arrows at him, with, ' Obtained is the mind ! ' and having thus, as it were, over- powered the enemy, he wheels round in a sunwise direction, with, ' I (have become endowed) with energy, with vigour ! ' He then puts on shoes of boar's skin, with, ' Thou art the mettle of cattle,' gets down from the chariot, and puts on ornaments of silver, copper (as Saya/za here interprets audumbara), and gold (afterwards to be given to the Brahman). Then follow the oblations relating to the unyoking of the chariot. Taitt. S. I, 8, 15, with commentary.
2 Viz. as many as he has taken from him, a hundred or more.
V Kanda, 4 Adhyaya, 3 Brahma2va, I 5. Ioi
is not capable of a cruel deed ; but cruelly indeed
he acts when he says, ' I overpower them, I seize
them ; ' and thus that is done by him without
cruelty: this is why, in return, he presents to him
just as many (cows) or more.
13. He then pulls the right-side (horses, or reins).
He passes along on the same way as that on which
the dakshi^a (cows) go, — in front of the sacrificial
post, and along the south of the Vedi. Behind the
Sadas, and in front of the hall, he stops that (car).
14. [V&f. S. X, 22], 'Lest, O Indra, over-
powerer of the mighty, we be wanting thee,
heedless through ungodliness, — mount thou,
O divine wielder of the thunderbolt, the
chariot which thou restrainest (as well as its)
well-horsed reins1/ With this (verse) he stops
(the chariot) ; — reins (rasmi 2) means bridle (abhfru) :
therefore he says, ' Thou restrainest the well-horsed
reins/ Thereupon he offers the (four oblations)
relating to the unyoking of the chariot. 'Well-
pleased the chariot shall be when unyoked/ he thinks,
and therefore he offers the (oblations) relating to
the unyoking of the chariot.
15. He offers with (Va^*. S. X, 23), 'To Agni,
the House-lord, hail!' He thereby pleases the
part of the chariot relating to Agni ; and it is the
shoulder-pieces of the chariot that relate to Agni :
it is the shoulder-pieces (of the yoke) he thereby
pleases. And the house-lord's position means
prosperity : as much as he (the king) rules over, for
1 For a different version of this somewhat awkwardly constructed verse, see Rik S. V, 33, 3.
2 The explanation is given because the word has also the mean- ing ' ray/
1 02 DATAPATH A-BRAHMA2VA.
the prosperity, the house-lordship, of that his king- ship is thereby rendered free (unopposed).
16. 'To Soma, the wood-lord (tree), hail!'
There are two kinds of (objects) coming from trees,
the wheels of chariots and waggons, for both of these
he thereby ensures safety. And the wood-lord
(tree) being Soma, — whatever part of the chariot
comes from the tree, that he thereby pleases. Now
the parts of the chariot coming from trees are the
wooden pieces of the chariot : hence it is the wooden
pieces he thereby pleases. And Soma being the
nobility, it is over the nobility that his kingship is
thereby rendered free.
17. 'To the strength of the Maruts, hail!'
He thereby pleases the part of the chariot belonging
to the Maruts, — there are four horses, the chariot the
fifth, and the warrior (chariot-fighter) and charioteer
two — these are seven, and the host of the Maruts
consists of (troops of) seven each : he thereby pleases
the whole chariot ; and the Maruts being the peasants,
it is over the peasantry that his kingship is thereby
rendered free*
18. 'To Indra's energy, hail!' He thereby
pleases the part of the chariot that belongs to
Indra. Now the warrior relates to Indra, and it
is the warrior he thereby pleases. And Indra's
energy (indriya) means the vigour in Indra1: it
is in regard to energy, vigour, that his kingship is
thereby rendered free.
19. He then puts on shoes of boar's skin. Now
the gods once put a pot of ghee on the fire. There-
from a boar was produced : hence the boar is fat,
1 ? Or, means vigour, Indra.
V Kanda, 4 Adhyaya, 3 Brahma2va, 2 2. 103
for it was produced from ghee. Hence also cows
readily take to a boar : it is indeed their own essence
(life-sap, blood) they are readily taking to. Thus he
firmly establishes himself in the essence of the
cattle : therefore he puts on shoes of boars skin.
20. Looking down on this (earth) he then mutters,
'O mother Earth, injure me not, nor I thee!'
For the Earth was once afraid of Varu^a, when he
had been consecrated, thinking, ' Something great
surely has he become now that he has been
consecrated : I fear lest he may rend me asunder ! '
And Vanma also was afraid of the Earth, thinking,
'I fear lest she may shake me off! Hence by
that (formula) he entered into a friendly relation
with her ; for a mother does not injure her son, nor
does a son injure his mother.
21. Now this R^asuya is Varu^as consecration;
and the Earth is afraid of him, thinking, 'Something
great surely has he become now that he has been
consecrated : I fear lest he may rend me asunder ! '
And he also is afraid of her, thinking, ' I fear lest
she may shake me off.' Hence he thereby enters
into a friendly relation with her ; for a mother does
not injure her son, nor does a son injure his mother :
therefore he mutters thus.
22. He steps down (from the chariot), muttering
this atiMandas verse (Vfif. S. X, 24; Rik S. IV, 40, 5),
'The swan dwelling in the light, the Vasu
dwelling in the air, the priest seated on the
altar, the guest dwelling in the retreat (house),
— the man-dwelling, the space-dwelling1, the
law-dwelling, the sphere-dwelling, the water-
1 Or perhaps, 'in the best place (vara).' See VI, 7, 3, 11.
1 04 SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
born, cow-born, law-born, rock-born (is) the
great truth/ For that ati^andas (or excessive
metre) comprises all the metres: thus evil does not
descend along with him.
23. Let not the charioteer get down along with (or,
after) him, lest he should descend on the same world
on which the anointed (king) has just descended.
They put him up, along with the chariot, on the car-
stand. Thence he leaps down : thus he does not
descend on the same world on which the anointed
has just descended 1.
24. North of the Ahavaniya is the original fire, taken
up (from the hearth 2). Behind the right hind-wheel
of the cart-stand he fastens two round ^atamanas 3.
25. He then hides an udumbara (ficus glomerata)
branch (in the wheel-track). He touches one of
those two (plates), with (Va£\ S. X, 25), 'So great
thou art, life thou art: bestow life upon me!
A yoke-mate thou art, lustre thou art : bestow
lustre upon me!' He thereby takes life and
lustre to himself.
26. He then touches the udumbara branch, with,
'Sustenance thou art : bestow sustenance upon
me!' He thereby takes sustenance (strength) to
himself. Those same two round satamanas are
the fee for this ceremony. He gives them to the