25. He then lays down a Visva^yotis (all-light brick) 3 ; — the first 'all-light' (brick)4 is Agni, for Agni
1 Or, the wide-shining . . . the self-shining one.
2 The two Reta^si/£ bricks are laid down immediately in front (east) of the Dviya^us one, one on each side of the ' spine/ which thus coincides with their line of separation.
8 See VI, 5, 3, 3.
4 As in the case of the Svayamatr/««as (naturally-perforated bricks, see pp. 155, note 8; 187, note 2), so there are three Vuva- ^yotis or ' all-light ' bricks, placed in the first, third, and fifth layers
VII KA2VDA, 4 ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMAiVA, 28. 385
is all the light in this (terrestrial) world : it is Agni
he thus lays down. He lays it down close to the
seed-shedding ones, — the seed-shedding ones being
these two worlds, he thus places Agni together with
these two worlds. He lays it down between (the
two Reta^si/£ x), for Agni (the fire) is within these
two worlds.
26. And, again, why he lays down an ' all-light '
(brick) ; — the * all-light ' (brick) is progeny, for pro-
geny is all the light : he thus lays generative power
(into Agni). He lays it down so as not to be sepa-
rated from the seed-shedding (bricks), — the seed-
shedders being the testicles, he thus makes the
generative power inseparable from the testicles.
He lays it down between (those two), for within
the testicles progeny is produced.
27. [He lays it down, with Va£*. S. XIII, 24]
'May Pra^apati settle thee' — for Pra^apati saw
this first layer 2; — ' on the back of the earth, thee
the brilliant one ! ' for on the back of the earth this
brilliant Agni indeed is.
28. i For all breathing, out-breathing,
through-breathing,' — the all-light (brick) is breath,
and breath is (necessary) for this entire universe ; —
'give all the light!' that is, ' give the whole light;'
— 'Agni is thine over-lord,' he thus makes Agni
the over-lord of this earth. Having ' settled' it3, he
of the altar, and representing the light (or ruling deity) of the re- spective world represented by the svayamatrmwa of the same layer.
1 In reality the VLrva^yotis brick is not placed between the two Reta^si^, but in front of the line separating them from each other.
2 He 'saw* the first naturally-perforated brick, which, as the central brick of the first layer, represents the latter, as well as the lowest of the three worlds, the earth. See VI, 2, 3, 1.
8 Viz. by adding, ' by that deity, Angiras-like, lie thou steady I '
[41] C C
386 SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiSTA.
pronounces the Sudadohas upon it : the significance of this has been explained.
29. He then lays down two i?ztavya (seasonal
bricks) ; — the two seasonal (bricks) being the same
as the seasons, it is the seasons he thus lays down.
[V^. S. XIII, 25] 'Madhu and Madhava, the
two spring seasons/ — these are the names of
those two : it is thus by their names that he lays
them down. There are two (such) bricks, for two
months are a season. He 'settles' them once1 : he
thereby makes (the two months) one season.
30. And as to why he now lays down these two ;
— this Agni (fire-altar) is the year, and the year is
these worlds ; the first layer is this (terrestrial) world
thereof, and the spring season also is this world
thereof; and when he now lays down those two
(bricks), he thereby puts back into him (Agni-
Pra^apati) what those two (the first layer and the
spring) are to that body of his2 : this is why he now
lays down those two (bricks).
31. And, again, why he now lays down these
two ; — this Agni is Pra^apati, and Pra^apati is the
year ; the first layer is his foundation, and the
spring season also is his foundation ; — thus when he
now lays down these two (bricks), he thereby puts
back into him what those two are to that body of
his : this is why he now lays down those two (bricks).
He lays them down close to the 'all-light' brick:
the ' all-light ' brick being progeny, he thus lays
progeny close together with the seasons ; whence
progeny is produced in accordance with the seasons,
for by seasons people compute (the age of man)
1 That is, he pronounces the sadana-formula once only.
2 Viz. its foundation.
VII KANDA, 4 ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMAiVA, 35. 387
whilst in the state of embryo, and by seasons when he is born.
32. He then lays down the Asha^a (invincible
brick)1, — the 'invincible one' being this earth, it is
this, earth he thus lays down. He puts it on the
fore-part (of the altar-site), for this earth was created
first.
33. And as to its being called Asha^a. The
gods and the Asuras, both of them sprung from
Pra^apati, strove together. The gods saw this in-
vincible brick, even this earth ; they put it on (the
altar) ; and having put it on, they conquered (and
drove) the Asuras, the enemies, the rivals, from this
universe; and inasmuch as (thereby) they conquered
(asahanta), it is called AshadM. In like manner
the Sacrificer, after putting on that (brick), conquers
(and drives) his spiteful rival from this universe (or,
from everything here).
34. And, again, why he lays down the Ashaa^a.
The AshadM is speech, and by speech 2 the gods
then indeed conquered (and drove) the Asuras, the
enemies, the rivals, from this universe ; and in like
manner the Sacrificer, by means of speech, conquers
(and drives) his spiteful rival from this universe : it
was speech the gods then laid down (or bestowed on
Agni), and in like manner the Sacrificer now lays
down speech.
35. This earth is the bearer of what is desirable;
for — the desirable being the vital airs — this earth
bears everything that breathes, and for that reason
this earth is the bearer of what is desirable. But
1 See VI, 5, 3, 1-2.
2 Viz. by threats, vituperation, &c, Say.
C C 2
88 SATAPATHA-BRAHMA2VA,
speech (the mouth) also indeed is the bearer of what
is desirable ; for the desirable is the vital airs, and
for the (channels of) the vital airs food is put into
the mouth : therefore speech is the bearer of what
is desirable.
36. Now the Ashad^a is the same as those vital
airs ; he lays it down in the fore-part (of the altar) :
he thus bestows (on Agni the organs of) the vital
airs in front ; whence there are here (organs of) the
vital airs in front (of the body). Let him not in this
layer enclose this (Ashaa^a) in front by any other
brick which has a special prayer of its own, lest he
close up (the organs of) the vital airs.
37. And as to why he lays down in front five
Apasy&s \ — water (ap) is food, and by food (the
organs of) the vital airs are not closed up. He lays
down (the AshadM) close to the two seasonal ones :
he thereby establishes speech in the seasons, and
hence speech (the mouth) speaks here, firmly esta-
blished in the seasons.
38. Here now they say, l If the Visva^yotis (brick)
is progeny, and the Ashaa?M speech, why does he
put the two seasonal ones between them ? ' Well,
the seasonal ones being the year, he thus separates
speech from progeny by the year, and hence children
utter speech at the time (or age) of a year.
39. [He lays down the AshaafM, with V&f. S.
XIII, 26] * Thou art Ashaa^a, the conquering/
for the gods thereby conquered the Asuras, — 'con-
quer the enemies ! conquer the hostile ! ' as the
text, so the meaning; — 'thou hast a thousand
energies : do thou speed me ! ' a thousand means
1 See VII, 5, 2, 40 seq.
VII KANDA, 5 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAiVA, 3. 389
all : thus, ' thou hast all energies, do thou speed
me ! ' When he has ' settled ' it, he pronounces the
Sudadohas on it : the significance of this has been
explained.
40. Here now they say, 'Why are those other
bricks placed in front of the naturally-perforated
one ? ' Let him say, There are two wombs (birth-
places)— the one being the womb of the gods, the
other the womb of men : the gods have their birth-
place in the east, and men in the west ; and when he
lays down those (bricks) in front, he thereby causes
the Sacrificer to be born from the womb of the gods.
Fifth Adhyaya. First Brahmajva.
1. He then puts down a (living) tortoise; — the
tortoise means life-sap : it is life-sap (blood) he thus
bestows on (Agni). This tortoise is that life-sap of
these worlds which flowed away from them when
plunged into the waters 1 : that (life-sap) he now
bestows on (Agni). As far as the life-sap extends,
so far the body extends : that (tortoise) thus is these
worlds.
2. That lower shell of it is this (terrestrial) world ;
it is, as it were, fixed ; for fixed, as it were, is this
(earth-)world. And that upper shell of it is yonder
sky; it has its ends, as it were, bent down; for
yonder sky has its ends, as it were, bent down.
And what is between (the shells) is the air ; — that
(tortoise) thus is these worlds : it is these worlds he
thus lays down (to form part of the altar).
3. He anoints it with sour curds, honey, and ghee, — sour curds doubtless are a form of this (earth-)
1 See VI, 1, 1, 12.
390 SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
world, ghee of the air, and honey of yonder sky : he
thus supplies it (the tortoise) with its own form.
Or, sour curds are the life-sap of this (earth-)world,
ghee that of the air, and honey that of yonder sky :
he thus supplies it with its own life-sap.
4. [He anoints it, with Vag\ S. XIII, 27-29 ; Rik
S. I, 90, 6-8] ' Honey the winds pour forth for
the righteous, honey the rivers; full of honey
may the plants be for us! — Honey by night
and morn, rich in honey may the region of the
earth be for us, honey the father Heaven! —
rich in honey may the tree be for us, rich in
honey the sun, full of honey the kine!' To
whatever deity a ./?zk-verse, and to whatever (deity)
a Ya^us formula applies, that very deity the verse
is, and that very deity the sacrificial formula is1.
This triplet then is honey (madhu) ; and honey being
life-sap, it is life-sap he thus puts into him (Agni).
With three Gayatrl verses (he performs) : the signi-
ficance of this has been explained.
5. And as to its being called ' kurma' (tortoise) ; —
Pra^apati, having assumed that form, created living
beings. Now what he created, he made ; and inas-
much as he made (kar), he is (called) ' ktirma ; ' and
' kurma ' being (the same as) ' kasyapa ' (a tortoise),
therefore all creatures are said to be descended from
Kasyapa.
6. Now this tortoise is the same as yonder sun :
it is yonder sun he thus lays down (on the altar).
He lays it down in front with the head towards the
back (west) : he thus places yonder sun in the east
1 That is to say, each Vedic text is identical with the deity to which it is addressed. Cf. VI, 5, 1, 2.
VII KAiVDA, 5 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAiVA, 8. 39 1
looking thitherwards (or moving westward) ; and
hence yonder sun is placed in the east looking
thitherwards. On the right (south) of the AshadM
(he places it), for the tortoise (kftrma, masc.) is a
male, and the Asha^M a female, and the male lies
on the right side of the female ; — at a cubit's dis-
tance1, for at a cubit's distance the male lies by the
female. That AshadM is the consecrated queen
(mahishi) of all the bricks, hence being on the right
(south) side of her, it (the tortoise) is on the right
side of all the bricks.
7. And, again, why he puts down a tortoise ; — the
tortoise (kurma) is the breath, for the breath makes
(kar) all these creatures : it is breath he thus puts
into him (Agni). He puts it down in front looking
towards the back : he thus puts in the breath in
front tending towards the back ; whence the breath
is taken in from the front backwards. [He puts it
down so as to be] turned towards the (gold) man :
he thus puts breath into the Sacrificer. South of
the Asha^M (he puts it), for the tortoise is breath,
and the Asha^M speech ; and the breath (pra^a,
masc.) is the male, the mate, of speech (va/£, fern.).
8. [He sets it down, with Va^*. S. XI 1 1, '30-32]
' Seat thee in the depth of the waters ! ' for that
indeed is the deepest (place) of the (heavenly)
waters where yonder (sun) burns ; — 'lest the sun,
lest Agni Vai^vanara should scorch thee!'
that is, lest the Sun, lest Agni Vaisvanara injure
thee ; — ' Overlook the creatures with unbroken
wings/ that is, overlook all these uninjured, un-
harmed creatures, that is, these bricks; — 'may