THE MAKING OF THE FIRE-PAN (UKHA).
Fifth Adhyaya. First Brahma^a.
1. That water (used for working the clay) has
been boiled by means of resin of the pala^a tree
(butea frondosa), just for the sake of firmness.
And as to why (it is done) by palasa resin ; — the
palasa tree doubtless is Soma1, and Soma is the
moon, and that (moon) indeed is one of Agni's
1 See part i, p. 183.
2 30 SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
forms : it is for the obtainment of that form of Agni (that palcUa resin is used).
2. He pours it on (the clay), with (Va£\ S. XI,
50-52; jRzk S. X, 9, 1-3), * Refreshing ye are,
O wate rs x ! ' To whatever deity a i?zk-verse, and
to whatever deity a Ya^us formula applies, that
i?zk-verse is that very deity, and that Ya^us formula
is that very deity: hence this triplet (XI, 50-52) is
these waters, and they are those very waters which
appeared as one form 2 : that form he now makes it.
3. He then produces foam and puts it thereto :
the second form which was created (in the shape of)
foam 3, that form he thus makes it. And the clay
he now mixes is that very clay which was created as
the third form. It was from these forms that he
(Agni) was created at the beginning, and from them
he now produces him.
4. He then mixes it with the goat's hair, just for
the sake of firmness. And as to why with goat's
hair, — the gods then collected him (Agni) from out
of the cattle, and in like manner does this one now
collect him from out of the cattle. And as to why
with goat's hair, it is because in the he-goat (is
contained) the form of all cattle ; and as to its being
hair, form is hair 4.
5. [Va£\ S. XI, 53] 'Mitra having mixed the earth and ground with light/ — Mitra doubtless
1 The whole triplet runs thus : ' Refreshing ye are, O waters ; lead us to strength, to see great joy ! — whatever is your most benign sap, therein let us share, like loving mothers ! — For you we will readily go to him, to whose abode ye urge us, O waters, and quicken us/
2 See VI, 1, 1, 12. 8 VI, 1, 1, 13.
4 That is, the hair of cattle is the most obvious characteristic of their outward appearance.
VI KANDA, 5 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAiVA, 9. 23I
is the breath, and the breath first did this sacred
work; — 'I mix (fashion) thee, the well-born
knower of beings, for health to creatures/ — as
the text, so its meaning.
6. Then there are these three kinds of powder (dust)
— (sand of) gravel, stone, and iron-rust — therewith he
mixes (the clay), just for firmness. And as to why (it
is mixed) therewith, it is because thereof this (earth)
consisted when it was created in the beginning : thus
whatlike this (earth) was created in the beginning,
such he now makes it (the earth, or fire-pan).
7. \Vdg-. S. XI, 54] 'The Rudras, having
mixed the earth, kindled the great light;' — for
this Agni is yonder sun : thus it is that great light
which the Rudras, having mixed the earth, did
kindle ; — 'yea, never-failing and brilliant, their
light shineth among the gods;' — for that never-
failing and brilliant light of theirs does indeed shine
among the gods.
8. With two (verses) he mixes (the clay), — two-
footed is the Sacrifices and the Sacrificer is Agni : as
great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, so great
he thus mixes (fashions) him.
9. He then kneads it, with (Va^. S. XI, 55), 'Mixed
by the Vasus, the Rudras/ — for this (clay) has
indeed been mixed both by the Vasus and the
Rudras : by the Vasus, because by Mitra ; and by
the Rudras, because by the Rudras ; — ' by the wise,
the clay suitable for the work;' — for wise those
(gods) are, and suitable for the (sacred) work is
this clay; — 'making it soft with her hands, may
Sinivall fashion it!' — Sintvalt doubtless is speech :
thus, ' May she, having made it soft with her hands,
fashion it ! '
232 DATAPATH A-BRAHMA2VA.
10. [Va^. S. XI, 56] ' Sintvall, the fair-knotted,
fair-braided, fair-locked/ — for Sinivali is a
woman, and that is indeed the perfect form of
woman, to wit, the fair-knotted, fair-braided, fair-
locked : he thus makes her perfect; — ' may she
place the fire-pan into thy hands, O great
Aditi!' — the great Aditi doubtless is this earth:
it is to this earth that he says this.
11. [Vaf. S. XI, 57] 'Let Aditi fashion the
fire-pan, by her skill, her arms, her wisdom!'
— for by her skill, by her arms, and by her wisdom
she does indeed fashion it ; — 'may she bear Agni
in her womb, even as a mother (bears) her son in
her lap ! ' — that is, ' as a mother would bear her son
in her lap, so may she (Aditi) bear Agni in her
womb ! '
1 2. With three (formulas) he kneads (the clay), —
threefold is Agni : as great as Agni is, as great as
is his measure, with so much he thus kneads him.
With two (verses) he mixes, — that makes five ; — of
five layers consists the fire-altar (Agni) ; five seasons
are a year, and the year is Agni : as great as Agni
is, as great as is his measure, so great does this
become. With three (formulas) he pours water
thereto, — that makes eight ; — of eight syllables the
Gayatrl metre consists, and Agni is Gayatra : as
great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, so great
does this become. And, moreover, as one of eight
syllables 1 this (earth) was created in the beginning :
thus as great as this (earth) was created in the
beginning, so great he thus makes this (fire-pan
representing the earth).
1 See VI, 1, 2, 6-7.
vi kanda, 5 adhyaya, 2 brahmaiva, 4. 233
Second Brahma^a.
1. He then takes a lump of clay, as much as he
thinks sufficient for the bottom part, with, 'Makha's
head thou art! ' — Makha, doubtless, is the sacrifice,
and this is its head ; for the Ahavanfya fire is the
head of the sacrifice, and that Ahavaniya (fire-altar)
he is now about to build : hence he says, ' Makhas
head thou art ! '
2. And, again, as to why he says, ' Makhas head
thou art ! ' — when he (Agni) is built up, then he is
born, and it is by the head (issuing first), by the
top, that he who is born is born : ' when he is born,
may he be born by the head, by the top !' so he
thinks.
3. He spreads it out, with (Va£*. S. XI, 58),
'May the Vasus, Angiras-like, fashion thee by
the G&yatri metre!' — for the bottom part is this
(terrestrial) world, and this the Vasus fashioned by
means of the Gayatri metre; and in like manner does
this one now fashion it by means of the Gayatri metre ;
— ' Angiras-like/ he says, for Ahgiras is the breath.
'Thou art steadfast!' — that is, ' thou art firm/ or,
1 thou art fixed ; ' — ' Thou art the earth ! ' — for this
bottom part is indeed the earth; — 'Establish in
me offspring, increase of wealth, lordship of
cattle, manhood, clansmen for the Sacrificed'
For the Vasus, having fashioned this (terrestrial)
world, invoked this blessing thereon; and in like
manner does the Sacrificer, having fashioned this
world, now invoke this blessing thereon. Having
made it of the measure of a span (in each direction),
he then turns up its edge on each side.
4. He then lays thereon the first (lower) side-part,
234 DATAPATH A-BRAHMA2VA.
with, 'May the Rudras, Angiras-like, fashion
thee by the Trish/ubh metre.1, — for this side-
part is the air, and this the Rudras fashioned
by means of the Trish/ubh metre ; and in like
manner does this one now fashion it by means of
the Trish/ubh metre ; — ' Angiras-like/ he says, for
Angiras is the breath; — 'Thou art steadfast!' —
that is, ' thou art firm/ or ' thou art fixed ; ' — ' Thou
art the air! ' for this side-part is indeed the air; —
' Establish in me offspring, increase of wealth,
lordship of cattle, manhood, clansmen for the
Sacrificer ! 9 For the Rudras, having fashioned the
air, invoked this blessing thereon ; and in like manner
does this Sacrificer, having fashioned the air, now
invoke this blessing thereon. Having stroked and
smoothed it all over —
5. He lays on the upper side-part, with, 'May
the Adityas, Angiras-like, fashion thee by
the £agati metre!' for this side-part is yonder
sky, and this the Adityas fashioned by means of the
Gagati metre ; and in like manner does this one now
fashion it by means of the Gagati metre ; — ' Angiras-
like/ he says, for Angiras is the breath; — 'Thou
art steadfast!' — that is, 'thou art firm/ or 'thou
art fixed ; ' — ' Thou art the sky ! ' for that side-part
is indeed the sky; — 'Establish in me offspring,
increase of wealth, lordship of cattle, man-
hood, clansmen for the Sacrificer!' For the
Adityas, having fashioned the sky, invoked this
blessing thereon ; and in like manner the Sacrificer,
having fashioned the sky, now invokes this blessing
thereon.
6. He then makes it (complete), with this fourth prayer, 'May the All-gods, the friends of all
VI KAiVDA, 5 ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMAtfA, 9. 235
men, fashion thee, Angiras-like, by the Anu-
sh/ubh metre V — this prayer, doubtless, is the (four)
quarters, and the All-gods, the friends of all men,
did then, by means of this prayer, put the quarters
into these worlds, (that is) into the fire-pan ; and in
like manner does the Sacrificer, by means of this
prayer, now put the quarters into these worlds,
into the fire-pan ; — ' Angiras-like/ he says, because
Angiras is the breath; — 'Thou art steadfast!'
— that is, ' thou art firm/ or ' thou art fixed ; ' —
'Thou art the quarters!' for this prayer indeed
is the quarters; — 'Establish in me offspring,
increase of wealth, lordship of cattle, manhood,
clansmen for the Sacrificer ! ' For the All-gods,
the friends of all men, having fashioned the quarters,
invoked this blessing on them ; and in like manner
the Sacrificer, having fashioned the quarters, now
invokes this blessing on them.
7. With that same formula he fashions it both
inside and outside, whence the quarters are both
inside and outside these worlds. He therewith
fashions it without restriction (to any part of the
pan), for unrestricted are the quarters.
8. He makes it just a span high, and a span side-
ways ; for Vishmi, when an embryo, was a span long,
and this (fire-pan) is the womb : he thus makes the
womb of equal size with the embryo \
9. Were it larger than a span, he would make it
smaller by that prayer; and were it smaller, (he
would make it) larger thereby 2.
1 Vishrau is identical with Agni, inasmuch as both are the sacrifice.
2 That is to say, if the pan, thus fashioned, is not quite of the exact measure, the formula is supposed to set this right.
236 SATAPATHA-BRAHMAJVA.
10. If there be one victim, let him make it (the
pan) one span wide ; and if there be five victims,
let him make it five spans wide, or an arrow's
width ; for the arrow means strength : he thus makes
it to be composed of strength. But, indeed, an
arrow formerly used to be five spans long \
11. He then lays round the horizontal belt (or
rim) ; — that is the quarters ; for the gods, having
made these worlds, the fire-pan, strengthened and
encircled them by the quarters ; and in like manner
the Sacrificer, having made these worlds, the fire-
pan, thus strengthens and encircles them by the
quarters.
12. He lays this (rim) on the upper third (of the
side), for it is there the ends of these worlds meet,
and he thus makes them firm thereby.
13. [He does so, with Va^*. S. XI, 59] 'Thou art
Aditi's girdle!' — in the sacrifice the string relates
to Varu/za: he thus lays this belt round after
(expressly) making it one not relating to Varu/za.
14. He then silently makes four upright (bands),
for these are the quarters ; — for the gods, having
made these worlds, the fire-pan, made them firm on
all sides by means of the quarters 2 ; and in like
manner the Sacrificer, having made these worlds, the
fire-pan, now makes them firm on all sides by means
of the quarters.
1 5 . These (vertical bands) run up to (the rim of)
it, for they did then support it, and so do they now
support it : thus that upper part of it becomes firm