3. They then spake, ' To which of us shall this 4 belong?' They did not agree together, saying,
1 Lit. 'the mouth/ i.e. the opening or beginning, of ruin. The St. Petersburg Diet, compares Prov. xvi. 18: * Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall/
2 Prag-apati (the lord of creatures or generation) is both the sacrifice and the year (time); see III, 2, 2, 4.
3 See II, 4, 2, 1. To them (the gods) he (Prag-apati) said, ' The sacrifice (shall be) your food, immortality your sustenance (urg-), and the sun your light ! '
4 For the neuter idam — hardly here 'this universe/ or lva-
[4i] B
SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
* To me! to me!' Not being agreed, they said,
' Let us run a race for it : whichever of us shall win,
to him it shall belong ! ' — ' So be it ! ' so they ran
a race for it.
4. Then Brzhaspati hasted up to Savitrz for his
impulsion *, — Savitrz being the impeller (prasavitrz)
among the gods — saying, ' Impel this for me, (so
that) impelled by thee, I may win this ! ' Then
Savitrz, as the impeller, impelled it for him, and
impelled by Savitrz, he won : he became everything
here, he won everything here ; for he won Pra^a-
pati, and Pra^apati (the lord of creatures and pro-
creation) indeed is everything here. By offering
therewith he (Brzhaspati) ascended to that upper
region. Therefore who so knoweth, and who so
knoweth not, — they say, ' That upper region be-
longeth to Brzhaspati.'
5. Thus they who of old used to offer the Va^a-
peya, ascended to that upper region. From there
Aupavi ^ana^ruteya descended again : thence-
forward (all men) descend again.
^apeyam,' but rather 'this thing, it' — the Kawva text reads ay am 'he/ i.e. Pra^apati, or the sacrifice (ya^/za, masc); cf. note on V, i, 4, 15-
1 For want of a simpler and more homely set of terms for the derivatives of the verb su ' to animate ' here used, those used in the preceding volumes are here generally adhered to, though, as there, somewhat reluctantly. The simple ' to bless, blessing, &c/ might sometimes fit quite well, though no doubt they imply an idea altogether foreign to the etymological meaning of this verb, and could not possibly be used, as is the case here, of the animating influence of the sun. Sometimes 'to speed' has been chosen, where the etymological connection with Savitrz' is not insisted upon ; while in other passages ' to consecrate, consecration, &c/ might probably come nearer to the meaning of the original. Cp. Delbruck, Altindische Syntax, p. 256.
V KANDA, I ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAiVA, II. 3
6. Indra offered that (Va^apeya), — he became
everything here, he won everything here ; for he
won Pra^apati, and Pra^apati is everything here :
by offering therewith he ascended to that upper
region.
7. Thus they who of old used to offer the Va^a-
peya, ascended to that upper region. From there
Aupavi Gana^ruteya descended again : thencefor-
ward (all men) descend again.
8. And whosoever offers the Vafapeya, he be-
comes everything here, he wins everything here ;
for he wins Pra^apati, and Pra^apati indeed is
everything here.
9. Here now they say, ' One must not offer the
Vd^apeya ; for he who offers the V&^apeya wins
everything here, — for he wins Pra^pati, and Pra^a-
pati is everything here, — he leaves nothing remain-
ing here : his people (or offspring) is like to become
worse (off)/
10. Let him none the less sacrifice : whatever
(priests) thus know that sacrifice properly, in respect
of the Rik, the Ya^us, and the Saman, and such as
are proficient, let them assist him in offering it ; for
verily this is the perfection of that sacrifice, when
wise (priests) assist him in offering it : let him there-
fore sacrifice by all means.
11. Now truly this (the Va^apeya) is the Brdh-
ma^a's own sacrifice, inasmuch as Brzhaspati (the
lord of prayer and devotion) performed it ; for Brz-
haspati is the Brahman (priesthood, or priestly
dignity), and the Brahma^a is the Brahman. And
it is also that of the Ra^anya, inasmuch as Indra
performed it ; for Indra is the Kshatra (nobility, or
ruling power), and the Rajfanya is the Kshatra.
SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
12. To the king (ra^an) doubtless belongs the
Ra^asuya ; for by offering the Ra^asuya he becomes
king; and unsuited for kingship is the Brahma^a.
And, moreover, the Rafasuya is the lower, and the
Va^apeya the higher (sacrifice).
13. For by offering the Rajfasuya1 he becomes
king, and by the Va^apeya (he becomes) emperor
(samra^) ; and the office of king is the lower, and
that of emperor the higher : a king might indeed
wish to become emperor, for the office of king is
the lower, and that of emperor the higher ; but the
emperor would not wish to become king, for the
office of king is the lower, and that of emperor the
higher.
14. Thus that (king) who, by performing the
Va^apeya, becomes emperor, possesses himself of
everything here. Previously to each performance
(of an ish/i2) he offers that oblation to SavitW
(the sun), with the text, ' O divine Savit^z, impel
(prosper) the sacrifice, impel Pra^apati for his
portion ! '
1 Katy. Sr. XV, 1, 1-2, lays down the rule that the Ragasuya is to be performed by a king who has not yet performed the Vag-apeya. A^val. St. IX, 9, 19, on the other hand, rules: ' After performing it (the Va^apeya) let a king perform the Ra^asuya, a Brahmawa the B/Yhaspati-sava ' (cf. V, 2, 1, 19). See also Katy. XIV, 1, 2 seq. Cf. La/y. *Sr. VIII, 11, 1 seq.
2 During the bright fortnights (of the waxing moon) preceding and following the Vag-apeya ceremony proper, the sacrificer has to perform a number of so-called pariya^-^a ('surrounding or enclosing sacrifices') consisting of one-day Soma-sacrifices of different kinds, each of which is preceded by a special diksha, or initiation ceremony (cf. Ill, 1, 2, 1 seq. ; La/y. Sr. VIII, 11, 2). It is to the ish/is (dikshamyesh/i, prayamyesh/i) of these pariyagTzas that the above injunction regarding the performance of the Savitri ahuti refers.
V Kanda, I Adhyaya, 2 Brahma2va, I. 5
15. And even as then Brzhaspati hasted up to
Savitrz for his impulsion — -Savitrz being the im-
peller among the gods — saying, * Impel this for me,
(so that) impelled by thee I may win it ! ' and Savitrz,
as the impeller, impelled it for him ; and impelled
by Savitrz he won it ; even so does this (sacrificing
king) now haste up to Savitrz for his impulsion —
Savitrz being the impeller among the gods — saying,
' Impel this for me : may I win it, impelled by thee ! '
and Savitrz, as the impeller, impels it for him, and
he wins it impelled by Savitrz.
16. Wherefore he says (Va£\ S. IX, i), ' God
Savitrz, speed the sacrifice, speed the lord of
sacrifice unto his portion ! May the heavenly,
thought-cleansing Gandharva cleanse our
thought ! May the Lord of Speech render our
meat palatable, hail ! ' For the Lord of Speech
is Pra^apati, and meat means food : ' May Pra^a-
pati this day make palatable this our food ! ' thus
he thereby says. This same oblation he offers till
the day before the Soma-feast, for thus that per-
formance of his has been commenced ; and he
(Savitrz, the Sun) becomes serene during that
sacrifice.
Second Brahma^a.
1. He draws the Amsu1 (graha), just for com- pleteness sake, for it is therefore that he draws
1 Regarding this cup, or libation (consisting, it would seem, of imperfectly pressed Soma-plants in water), see part ii, p. 424, note 1. Here, and in the sequel, the author only refers to those points of ceremonial in which the performance differs from that of the ordinary Agnish/oma sacrifice, as described in part ii.
SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
the Amsu. After that he draws those recognised Agnish/oma cups1 up to the Agraya^a.
2. He then draws the Frzshtkyas2 : and what-
ever the gods (Agni, Indra, and Surya) won by
them, even that he wins by them.
3. He then draws the Shodasin: and whatever
Indra won thereby, even that he (the sacrificer) wins
thereby.
4. He then draws those five Va^apeya cups (for
Indra; the first) with the text (V. S. IX, 2), ' Thee,
the firm-seated, the man-seated, the mind-
seated! Thou art taken with a support3:
I take thee, agreeable to Indra! This is thy
womb3 (i.e. thy home): thee, most agreeable
to Indra !' therewith he deposits it; for of these
1 Viz. the Upa/rcju and Antaryama; the Aindravayava,
Maitrdvaruwa and A^vina; the -Sukra and Manthin; and the
Agrayawa. Part ii, pp. 256 seq.
2 That is, the three Atigrahyas (part ii, p. 402, note 2), required for the PrzshMa-stotras at the midday feast, when performed in their proper ' przshMa ' form, as they are at the Pr/sh/%a sha^aha, and at a Virva^it-ekaha with all the Pr*sh//fcas. See IV, 5, 4, 14. The authorities of the Black Ya^us adopt a somewhat different arrangement. The Va^apeya cups are likewise called by them Atigrahyas (Taitt. S. I, 7, 12; T. B. I, 3, 9), and these are apparently drawn by them immediately after the second of the ordinary three Atigrahyas, the one belonging to Indra (T. S. vol. i, p. 996, — but see ib. p. 1055, where it is stated that they are drawn immediately after the Agrayawa, — that is, probably, if the ordinary Atigrahyas are not required). Then follows (the third ordinary Atigrahya?), then the Shodajin, and thereupon the seventeen cups for Prag-apati. — Sayaraa remarks on our passage, — tesham (atigrahyawam) prakr/'tigatd tritvasazrckhyaiva jakhantaravat saw- khyantarctnupadejsit. MS. I. O. 657.
3 For an explanation of these notions, see part ii, p. 260, notes i and 2.
V KANDA, I ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMAiVA, 8. 7
worlds this one, to wit the earth, is the firm one : this same world he thereby wins.
5. [The second with,] 'Thee, the water-seated,
the ghee-seated, the ether-seated! Thou art
taken with a support: I take thee, agreeable
to Indra! This is thy womb : thee most agree-
able to Indra!' therewith he deposits it; for among
these worlds that ether (mentioned in the formula)
is this air : he thereby wins this air-world.
6. [The third with,] 'Thee, the earth-seated,
the air-seated, the sky-seated, the god-seated,
the heaven-seated ! Thou art taken with a
support: I take thee, agreeable to Indra!
This is thy womb : thee, most agreeable to
Indra T therewith he deposits it; for god-seated,
heaven-seated indeed is yonder world of the gods :
the world of the gods he thereby wins.
7. [The fourth with V. S. IX, 3,] < The waters*
invigorating essence, being contained in the
sun, — that which is the essence of the waters
essence, that, the most excellent, I take for
you! Thou art taken with a support: I take
thee, agreeable to Indra ! This is thy womb :
thee, most agreeable to Indra!' therewith he
deposits it ; for the waters essence is he that blows
(or purifies) yonder (the wind), and he is contained
in the sun, he blows from the sun : that same essence
he thereby wins.
8. [The fifth with IX, 4,] < Ye cups, of strength-
ening libations, inspiring the sage with
thought, — I have gathered together the pith
and sap of you, the handleless! Thou art
taken with a support : thee, agreeable to I ndra !
This is thy womb: thee, most agreeable to
8 SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
Indra!' therewith he deposits it; — pith means essence : it is the essence he thereby wins.
9. These, then, are five Va^apeya cups he draws;
for he who offers the Va^apeya wins Pra^apati ; and
Pra^apati is the year, and there are five seasons in
the year, — he thus wins Pra^apati : therefore he
draws five Va^*apeya cups.
10. He (the Adhvaryu) then draws seventeen
(other) cups of Soma, and (the Nesh/rz) seventeen
cups of Sura (spirituous liquor), for to Pra^apati
belong these two (saps of) plants, to wit the Soma
and the Sura ; — and of these two the Soma is truth,
prosperity, light; and the Sura untruth, misery,
darkness : both these (saps of) plants he thereby
wins ; for he who offers the Va^apeya wins every-
thing here, since he wins Pra^apati, and Pra^apati
indeed is everything here.
11. Now as to why he draws seventeen cups of
Soma ; — Pra^apati is seventeenfold, Pra^apati is the
sacrifice 1 : as great as the sacrifice is, as great as is