V KANDAf 5 ADHYAYA, 5 BRAHMA2VA, IO. I 39
Ya^us-formulas, then with the i?zk-verses, and then
with the Saman-hymns ; for thus he (Wztra) at that
time gave them up to him.
6. And that which had been his (Wztras) seat,
his retreat, that he shattered, grasping it and tearing
it out * : it became this offering. And because the
science (the Veda) that lay in that retreat was, as it
were, a threefold (tridhdtu) one, therefore this is
called the Traidhatavi (ish/i).
7. And as to why the oblation is one for Indra
and Vishnu, it is because Indra raised the thunder-
bolt, and Vish/m stood by him.
8. And why it is (a cake) on twelve potsherds, —
there are twelve months in the year, and the offering
is of equal measure with the year: therefore it is
one of twelve potsherds.
9. He prepares it of both rice and barley. He
first puts on (the fire) a ball of rice, that being a
form (symbol) of the Ya^*us-formulas ; then one of
barley, that being a form of the i?zk-verses ; then
one of rice, that being a form of the Saman-hymns.
Thus this is made to be a form of the triple science:
and this same (offering) becomes the Udavasanlya-
ishri (completing oblation) for the performer of the
Ra^asuya.
10. For, verily, he who performs the Ra£*asuya
gains for himself (the benefit of) all sacrificial rites,
all offerings, even the spoonful-oblations ; for him
the sacrifice becomes as it were exhausted, and he,
as it were, turns away from it. Now the whole
sacrifice is just as great as that triple Veda; and
this (offering) now is made a form of that (Veda, or
1 Cf. Ill, 2, 1, 28.
1 40 SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
sacrifice) ; this is its womb, its seat : thus he com-
mences once more the sacrifice by means of that
triple Veda ; and thus his sacrifice is not exhausted,
and he does not turn away from it.
11. And, verily, he who performs the Ra^asuya
gains for himself all sacrificial rites, all offerings,
even the spoonful-oblations ; and this offering, the
Traidhatavi (ishri), is instituted by the gods : ' May
this offering also be performed by me, may I be
consecrated by this one also ! ' thus he thinks, and
therefore this is the completing offering for him who
performs the Ra^astiya.
12. And also for him who would give (to the
priests) a thousand (cows) or more 1, let this be the
completing offering. For he who gives a thousand
or more becomes as it were emptied out ; and that
triple Veda is the thousandfold progeny of Va>£
(speech) : him who was emptied out he thus fills up
again with a thousand ; and therefore let it be for
him also the completing offering.
13. And also for those who would sit through
(perform) a long sacrificial session 2, for a year or
more, let this be the completing offering. For by
those who sit through a long sacrificial session,
for a year or more, everything is obtained, every-
thing conquered ; but this (offering) is everything :
let it therefore be for them also the completing
offering.
14. And indeed one may also practise magic by this (offering); for it was thereby that Aram be-
1 For a (three days') Soma-sacrifice with a sacrificial fee of a thousand cows, the Triratra Sahasradakshi^a, see part ii, p. 414.
2 See part ii, pp. 426, 440 seq.
V KAiVDA, 5 ADHYAYA, 5 BRAHMAiVA, 1 6. I4I
witched Bhadrasena A^ata^atrava1 : ' Quick,
then, spread (the barhis)!' thus Ya^avalkya used
to say. And by this (offering) indeed Indra also
shattered VWtra's retreat ; and, verily, he who there-
with practises magic shatters thereby the retreat
(of his enemy) : therefore one may also practise
magic with this (offering).
15. And, indeed, one may also heal thereby; for,
verily, whomsoever one would heal by a single rik,
by a single ya^us, by a single saman, him he would
indeed render free from disease ; how much more
so by the triple Veda ! Therefore one may also
heal by this (offering).
16. Three gold pieces of a hundred manas2 each
are the sacrificial fee for this (offering). He pre-
sents them to the Brahman ; for the Brahman neither
performs (like the Adhvaryu), nor chants (like the
Udgatrz), nor recites (like the Hotrz), and yet he
is an object of respect. And with gold they do
nothing3, and yet it is an object of respect : therefore
he presents to the Brahman three gold pieces of a
hundred manas each.
1 Apparently the son of A^ata^atru, king of Karf, who is men- tioned as having been very proficient in speculative theology, and jealous, in this respect, of king (kanaka of Videha.
2 According to Sdyawa, these 'jatamanas' are similar to the round plate worn by the king during the Consecration-ceremony ; see p. 104, note 2. These plates (as the ' rukmas' generally, VI, 7, 1, 1 seq.) were apparently used for ornament only, not as coins.
3 Saya«a explains this to mean that gold is not used for actual consumption, but only indirectly, as for vessels on which food is served, or in traffic, as a medium of barter ; — the gold thus never losing its appearance, its ' glory/ See II, 1, 1, 5, ' Hence also one does not cleanse oneself with it (?), nor does one do anything else with it/
142 SATAPATHA-BRAHM ANA.
17. Three milch cows (he gives) to the Hotrz ; —
for three milch cows mean abundance, and the Hotrz
means abundance : therefore (he gives) three milch
cows to the Hotrz.
18. Three garments (he gives) to the Adhvaryu; —
for the Adhvaryu ' spreads ' the sacrifice, and the
garments spread themselves (over the body) x : there-
fore (he gives) three garments to the Adhvaryu,
A bullock (he gives) to the Agnfdh 2.
19. Now there are here either twelve, or thirteen
gifts 3, and there are either twelve or thirteen months
in the year ; — the offering thus is of equal measure
with the year : that is why there are either twelve
or thirteen sacrificial gifts.
1 Or, people spread the clothes (either in weaving them, or in putting them on). ' To spread the sacrifice ' is the regular term for the ceremonial practice of spreading the sacrificial fire from the Garhapatya (or household fire) over the other two hearths, and thus for the performance of the sacrifice generally.
2 See p. 119, note 2.
3 That is, taking the calves of the three milch cows into account ; and optionally counting the gift to the Agnidhra.
VI KANDA, I ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAiVA, 2. 1 43
SIXTH KANDA.
THE AGNLfiTAYANA, or BUILDING OF THE FIRE-ALTAR.
CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE. First Adhyaya. First Brahma^a.
1. Verily, in the beginning there was here the
non-existent \ As to this they say, ' What was that
non-existent ? ' The j??zshis, assuredly, — it is they
that were the non-existent2. As to this they say,
' Who were those 7?zshis ? ' The i?zshis, doubtless,
were the vital airs : inasmuch as before (the exist-
ence of) this universe, they, desiring it, wore them-
selves out (rish) with toil and austerity, therefore
(they are called) jRzshis.
2. This same vital air in the midst doubtless is
Indra. He, by his power (indriya), kindled those
(other) vital airs from the midst ; and inasmuch as
he kindled (indh), he is the kindler (indha) : the
kindler3 indeed, — him they call * Indra' mystically
1 Or, perhaps, In the beginning this (universe) was indeed non- existent. Thus J. Muir, Or. S. T. IV, p. 22, of which translation of this cosmogonic myth considerable use has been made here. It need scarcely be remarked that ' idam ' is constantly used in an adverbial sense in the Brahma/za.
2 In the original, ' the non-existent ' is the subject of the clause, not the predicate as would appear from the translation. A similar transposition seems often advisable in English, for the sake of emphasis, and on other grounds. Muir's rendering, ' The Rishis say that in the beginning there was non-existence/ is a mistake.
8 The nominative here is striking, and vivid, cf. paragraph 11 below. In corresponding passages of the preceding books, the accusative would stand here; e.g. II, 1, 2, 4, saptarshin u ha sma vai purarksha ity a^akshate; similarly III, 1, 2, 3.
1 44 tfATAPATHA-BRAHM ANA.
(esoterically), for the gods love the mystic. They
(the vital airs), being kindled, created seven separate
persons 1 (purusha).
3. They said, ' Surely, being thus, we shall not
be able to generate : let us make these seven
persons one Person!' They made those seven
persons one Person : they compressed two of
them 2 (into) what is above the navel, and two of
them (into) what is below the navel ; (one) person
was (one) wing (or side), (one) person was (the
other) wing, and one person was the base (i. e.
the feet).
4. And what excellence, what life-sap (rasa) there
was in those seven persons, that they concentrated
above, that became his head. And because (in it)
they concentrated the excellence (sri), therefore it is
(called) the head (siras). It was thereto that the
breaths resorted (sri) ; therefore also it is the head
(siras). And because the breaths did so resort (sri)
thereto, therefore also the breaths (vital airs, and
their organs) are elements of excellence (sri). And
because they resorted to the whole (system) there-
fore (this is called) body (sarira).
5. That same Person became Pra^apati (lord
of generation). And that Person which became
Pra^apati is this very Agni (fire -altar), who is now
(to be) built.
6. He verily is composed of seven persons, for this Person (Agni) is composed of seven persons 3,
1 That is, living beings or souls, individualities, which, in their combined form, are here imagined to take the shape of a bird. Muir's rendering, ' males/ can scarcely commend itself.
2 Literally, ' those two/
3 The fire-altar is usually constructed so as to measure seven
VI KAiVDA, I ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAiVA, 9. 1 45
to wit, the body (trunk) of four, and the wings and
tail of three ; for the body of that (first) Person
(was composed of) four, and the wings and tail of
three. And inasmuch as he makes the body larger
by one person, by that force the body raises the
wings and tail.
7. And as to the fire which is deposited on the
built (altar), — whatever excellence, whatever life-
sap there was in those seven persons, that they
now concentrate above, that is his (Pra^apati's)
head. On that same (head) all the gods are
dependent (^rita), for it is there that offering is
made to all the gods : therefore also it is the head
(riras).
8. Now this Person Pra^apati desired, 'May I
be more (than one), may I be reproduced ! ' He
toiled, he practised austerity. Being worn out with
toil and austerity, he created first of all the Brah-
man (neut), the triple science. It became to him a
foundation : hence they say, ' the Brahman (Veda) is
the foundation of everything here/ Wherefore,
having studied (the Veda) one rests on a foundation ;
for this, to wit, the Veda, is his foundation. Resting
on that foundation, he (again) practised austerity.
9. He created the waters out of Va/£ (speech, that is) the world ; for speech belonged to it 1 : that was
man s lengths square ; the particular length being that of the Sacri- ficer. This, however, is the smallest size allowed for an altar, there being altogether ninety-five different sizes specified, varying be- tween seven and 101 man's lengths square.
1 Or, perhaps, to him (Pra^apati). Saya/za merely says, — vag evasya sasrzgyata, vak sahakari rasanam abhavat, tad asrz^yatety artha^ ; sa vak sahakari rasanam pra^apatya(w) srzsh/aw sad idam sarvam apnot. — On the part which Vai (the personification of the Brahman or Veda) takes by the side of Pra^apati in the creation [41] L
1 46 SATAPATHA-BRAHM A^A.
created (set free). It pervaded everything here ;
and because it pervaded (ap) whatsoever there was
here, therefore (it is called) water (apa>£) ; and
because it covered (var), therefore also it (is called)
water (var).
10. He desired, 'May I be reproduced from these
waters ! ' He entered the waters with that triple
science. Thence an egg arose. He touched it.
' Let it exist ! let it exist and multiply ! ' so he said.
From it the Brahman (neut.) was first created, the
triple science. Hence they say, ' The Brahman (n.)
is the first-born of this All/ For even before that
Person the Brahman was created 2 : it was created
as his mouth. Hence they say of him who has
studied the Veda, that ' he is like Agni ; ' for it, the
Brahman (Veda), is Agni's mouth.
11. Now the embryo which was inside was
created as the foremost (agri) : inasmuch as it was
created foremost (agram) of this All, therefore (it is
called) Agri : Agri, indeed, is he whom they mys-
tically call2 Agni; for the gods love the mystic.
And the tear (ami, n.) which had formed itself 3
become the * ami ' (m.) : * ami ' indeed is what they
mystically call ' a^va' (horse), for the gods love the