with that text, but with the Mahan&mni verses (ed. Bibl. Ind. II, p. 371). The TaWya Br. XIII, 4 (and comm.), gives minute directions as to the par- ticular padas of the first three Malianamni triplets which are singled out as of a jakvara (potent) nature, and are supposed to form the three stotriya verses of the jakvara- saman, consisting of seven, six, and five padas respectively. The ajakvara padas are, however, likewise chanted in their respective places, as is also the additional tenth verse, the five padas of which are treated as mere supple- mentary (or * filling in ') matter.
1 That is, the Varavantiya-tune adapted to the ' Revati ' verses. The Vara- vantiya-tune is named after its original text, Rig-veda I, 27, 1, ' awaw na tva varavantam* (Sama-veda, ed. Bibl. Ind. I, p. 121). When used as one of the Przsh//£a-samans it is not, however, this, its original text, that is chanted to it, but the verses Rig-veda I, 30, 13-15, 'revatir n&k sadhamada' (Sama-veda II, 434-6, ed. vol. iv, p. 56), whence the tune, as adapted to this triplet, is usually called Raivata. The Raivata-saman, thus, is a signal instance of the use of the term ' saman ' in the sense of a chanted verse or triplet.
2 The statement, in part ii, p. 403 note (and repeated in the present part, p. 6, note 2), that, while the Pr*sh/>&a-stotras of the Abhiplava-shadaha are performed in the ordinary (Agnishfoma) way, the PrzshMya-shaakha requires their per- formance in the proper Yrishtfta. form, is not correct. In both kinds of sha^/aha, the PrzshMa- stotras are performed in the ordinary way (viz. in the Agnish/oma or Ukthya way, see p. 4 note) ; but whilst, in the Abhiplava, the Rathantara and Brz'hat samans are used for the Hotrz's Przsh/^a-stotra on alternate days, the P^z'sh/^ya-shaafaha requires a different P/Vsh^a-saman on each of the six days. The two kinds of sha^/ahas also differ entirely in regard to the sequence of stomas prescribed for the performance of the stotras.
XX11 SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
1 Either the Rathantara or the Brz'hat also forms the * przsh^a,' or enclosing saman, of the first PmhMa-stotra.
2 Whenever the stotra is not performed in the ' przsh///a ' form, but consists of a single saman or triplet, the repetitions required to make up the number of verses implied in the respective stoma, are distributed over the three verses of the saman in such a way that the whole saman is chanted thrice, each time with various repetitions of the single verses. The usual form in which the
Introduction. Xx111
To illustrate this tripartite composition, the Hotri's Przsh//za-stotra, performed in the twenty-one-versed stoma, may be taken as an example. For the 'pr/sh^a,' the manuals give the Bnhat-saman, on its original text (Sama- veda II, 159, 160, s tvam id dhi havamahe,' arranged so as to form three verses), though the Rathantara may be used instead 1. For the ' garbha/ or enclosed saman, on the other hand, the Vaira^a-saman (with its original text, S. V. II, 277-9, *piba somam indra mandatu tva') is to be used, a most elaborate tune 2, with long sets of stobhas, or musical ejaculations, inserted in the text. Of the twenty-one verses, of which the stoma consists, seven verses would thus fall to the share of the ' garbha/ and seven verses to that of the ' prishtfta,,9 as chanted before and after the ' garbha/ Thus, in accordance with the for- mula set forth in p. xxii, note 2, the three verses (a, b, c) of the Br/hat would be chanted in the form aaa-bbb-c ; then the verses of the Vaira^*a-saman (as ' garbha ') in the form a-^bbb-ccc ; and finally again the Brz'hat in the form aaa-b-ccc. Stotras, the total number of verses of which is not divisible by three, of course require a slightly different distribution. Thus, of the third Pr/sh/^a-stotra, the stoma of which consists of forty-four verses, the two parts of the ' prisht/ia. ' obtain fifteen verses each, whilst the ' garbha ' has only fourteen verses for its share.
The Va£*apeya, the last of the seven forms of a com- plete Soma-sacrifice, occupies an independent position beside the Atiratra and Aptoryama, whose special features it does not share. Like them, it starts from the Sho^/a^in, to the characteristic (sixteenth) chant (and recitation) of which it adds one more stotra, the Va£*apeya-saman, chanted to the Brzhat-tune, in the Saptada^a (seventeen-versed) stoma, and followed by the recitation of the Va^apeya- ^astra. The Saptada^a-stoma, indeed, is so characteristic of this sacrifice that — as has been set forth at p. 8 note
ekavi//wa is performed may be represented by the formula aaa-bbb-c ; a-bbb- cec ; aaa-b-ccc, making together twenty-one verses.
1 Ajval. .Sr. IX, 3, 4-5.
2 It is given somewhat imperfectly in the ed. Bibl. Ind. V, p. 391.
XXIV SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
below — all the preceding chants, from the Bahishpavamana onward, are remodelled in accordance with it. Besides, over and above the three victims of the Sho^a^in-sacrifice, the Va^apeya requires, not only a fourth one, sacred to Sarasvati, the goddess of speech, but also a set of seventeen victims for Pra^apati, the god of creatures and procreation. As regards other rites peculiar to the Va^apeya, the most interesting, doubtless, is the chariot-race in which the sacri- ficer, who must be either of the royal or of the priestly order, is allowed to carry off the palm, and from which this sacri- fice perhaps derives its name. Professor Hillebrandt 1, indeed, would claim for this feature of the sacrifice the cha- racter of a relic of an old national festival, a kind of Indian Olympic games; and though there is perhaps hardly sufficient evidence to bear out this conjecture, it cannot at least be denied that this feature has a certain popular look about it.
Somewhat peculiar are the relations between the V%a- peya and the Ra^asuya on the one hand, and between the Va£*apeya and the BnTiaspatisava on the other. In the first chapter of the fifth book, the author of this part of our Brahma^a is at some pains to impress the fact that the Vag-apeya is a ceremony of superior value and import to the Ra§*asuya ; and hence Katyayana (XV, i, 1-2) has two rules to the effect that the Ra£*asftya may be performed by a king who has not yet performed the Va^apeya. These authorities would thus seem to consider the drinking of the Va^apeya-cup a more than sufficient equivalent for the Ra^-asftya, or inauguration of a king ; they do not, how- ever, say that the Ra^asuya must be performed prior to the Va^apeya, but only maintain that the Va^apeya cannot be performed after the Ra^asuya. The Ra^asuya, according to the Brahma^a, confers on the sacrificer royal dignity (ra^ya), and the Va^*apeya paramount sovereignty (sam- ra^ya). It might almost seem as if the relatively loose posi- tions here assigned to the Ra^asuya were entirely owing to the fact that it is a purely Kshatriya ceremony to which the
1 Vedische Mythologie, p. 247.
Introduction. Xxv
Brahma^a has no right, whilst the Va^apeya may be per- formed by Brahma/zas as well as Kshatriyas. But on what- ever grounds this appreciation of the two ceremonies may be based, it certainly goes right in the face of the rule laid down by A^valayana (IX, 9, 19) that, ' after performing the Va^iapeya, a king may perform the Ra^asuya, and a Brah- ma/za the Brzhaspatisava.' With this rule would seem to accord the relative value assigned to the two ceremonies in the Taittiriya Sa/^hita (V, 6, 2, 1) and Brahma^a (II, 7, 6, 1), according to which the Va^apeya is a ' samr^sava/ or con- secration to the dignity of a paramount sovereign, while the Ra£*asuya is called a ' varu/zasava,' i.e., according to Saya^a, a consecration to the universal sway wielded by Varu/za 1. In much the same sense we have doubtless to understand the rule in which Lazyayana defines the object of the Va^apeya (VIII, 11, 1), viz. * Whomsoever the Brahma/zas and kings (or nobles) may place at their head, let him per- form the Va^apeya/ All these authorities, with the excep- tion of the .Satapatria-Brahma/za and Katyayana, are thus agreed in making the Va^*apeya a preliminary ceremony, performed by a Brahma^a who is raised to the dignity of a Purohita, or head-priest (so to speak, a minister of worship, and court-priest), or by a king who is elected paramount sovereign by a number of petty ra^as ; this sacrifice being in due time followed by the respective installation and consecration ceremony, viz. the BrzTiaspatisava, in the case of the Purohita ; and the Ra^asuya, in that of the king. In regard to the Brzliaspatisava, which these authorities place on an equality with the R&g-asuya, our Brahma/za finds itself in a somewhat awkward position, and it gets out of its difficulty (V, 2, 1, 19) by simply identifying the BrzTiaspatisava with the Va^apeya, and making the Va^apeya itself to be * the consecration of BrzTiaspati ; ' and Katyayana (XIV, r, 2) compromises matters by com- bining the two ceremonies in this way that he who performs the Va£*apeya is to perform the Bnhaspatisava for a fort- night before and after the Va^apeya.
1 Cf. £ankh. *Sr. XV, 13, 4, ' for it is Varuwa whom they consecrate.'
XXVI SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
The R&^asuya, or inauguration of a king, is a complex ceremony which, according to the Srauta-sutras, consists of a long succession of sacrificial performances, spread over a period of upwards of two years. It includes seven distinct Soma-sacrifices, viz. i,the Pavitra, an Agnish/oma serving as the opening sacrifice, and followed, after an interval of a year (during which the seasonal sacrifices have to be per- formed), by 3, the Abhishe^antya, an Ukthya-sacrifice, being the consecration (or anointing) ceremony. Then follows 3, the Da^apeya, or i drink of ten/ an Agnishfoma, so- called because ten priests take part in drinking the Soma- liquor contained in each of the ten cups. After another year's interval \ during which monthly ' offerings to the beams (i.e. the months)' are made, takes place 4, the Ke^a- vapaniya, or hair-cutting ceremony, an Atiratra-sacrifice ; followed, after a month or fortnight, by 5, and 6, the Vyush/i-dviratra, or two nights' ceremony of the dawning, consisting of an Agnish/oma and an Atiratra ; and finally 7, the Kshatra-dhrzti, or 'the wielding of the (royal) power,' an Agnish/oma performed a month later. The round of ceremonies concludes with the Sautrdmaan, an ish/I the object of which is to make amends for any excess committed in the consumption of Soma-liquor.
The fifth book completes the dogmatic discussion of the ordinary circle of sacrifices, some less common, or altogether obsolete, ceremonies, such as the A^vamedha (horse- sacrifice), Purushamedha (human sacrifice), Sarvamedha (sacrifice for universal rule), being dealt with, by way of supplement, in the thirteenth book.
With the sixth Ka^ia, we enter on the detailed ex-
planation of the Agni^ayana, or building of the fire-altar,
a very solemn ceremony which would seem originally to
have stood apart from, if not in actual opposition to,
the ordinary sacrificial system, but which, in the end,
apparently by some ecclesiastical compromise, was added
1 The Brahma/za (V. 5, 2, 2), however, would rather seem to dispense with this interval by combining the twelve oblations so as to form two sets of six each.
Introduction. Xxv11
on to the Soma ritual as an important, though not in- dispensable, element of it. The avowed object of this ceremony is the super-exaltation of Agni, the Fire, who, in the elaborate cosmogenic legend with which this section begins, is identified with Pra^apati, the lord of Generation, and the source of life in the world. As the present volume contains, however, only a portion of the Agni^ayana ritual, any further remarks on this subject may be reserved for a future occasion.
Since the time when this volume went to press, the literature of the Soma myth has been enriched by the appearance of an important book, the first volume of Professor A. Hillebrandt's Vedische Mythologie, dealing with Soma and cognate gods. As it is impossible for me here to enter into a detailed discussion of the numerous points raised in the work, I must content myself for the present with the remark that I believe Professor Hillebrandt to have fully established the main point of his position, viz. the identity of Soma with the Moon in early Vedic mythology.
DATAPATH A-BRAHMATVA.
FIFTH KANDK.
A. THE VACAPEYA.
First Adhyaya. First Brahmajva.
i. Once upon a time the gods and the Asuras,
both of them sprung from Pra^apati, strove together.
And the Asuras, even through arrogance, thinking,
* Unto whom, forsooth, should we make offering ?'
went on offering into their own mouths. They
came to naught, even through arrogance : where-
fore let no one be arrogant, for verily arrogance is
the cause 3 of ruin.
2. But the gods went on making offerings unto
one another. Pra^apati gave himself up to them :
thus the sacrifice 2 became theirs ; and indeed the
sacrifice is the food of the gods 3.