^ For the three days' libations, called Upasada^ (homages or sieges), at the Soma-sacrifice, see part ii, p. 104 seqq. I do not quite understand the reference to the * backward direction ' (pratyag- apavargatvain vopasad-dharma^, Siy.) of the Upasads, unless it be that the libations are offered to Agni, Soma and Vishmi, who are compared with the point, barb and socket (?) of an arrow
Digitized by
44 s-atapatha-brAhmajva.
Full and New-moon sacrifices, whence they are
performed in a backward direction after the manner
of the Upasads.
28. The Sfiktav&ka is the completion ; and, verily,
whosoever knows the Sftktav&ka to be the completion
secures for himself the completion ; and whatever is
to be gained by the completion all that he now gains :
he obtains the completion of his (full) lifetime.
29. The .Samyorvika is the resting-place; and,
verily, whosoever knows the .Samyuv&ka to be the
resting-place secures for himself a resting-place;
and whatever is to be gained by a resting-place all
that he now gains : he reaches a resting-place.
30. The gods fortified the Patnlsawy&^s by a
mound from behind \ and placed a couple thereon
for the sake of procreation : thus when the Patnt-
s^LfnySigSLS are performed, he places a couple thereon
for the sake of procreation ; for, indeed, after the
procreation of the gods offspring is produced, and
offspring is produced by pair after pair (of men
and beasts) for him who knows this.
31. The Samish/aya/ns is food; and, verily, who-
soever knows the Samish/ayafus to be food secures
for himself food ; and whatever is to be gained by
food all that he now gains.
32. The Sacrificer is the Year; and the Seasons officiate for him. The Agnldhra is the Spring,
respectively (III, 4, 4, 14), or that in filling the spoons with ghee, the procedure is the reverse of that usually followed (III, 4, 4, 7. 8).
^ The Patnisa/»yS^s (by which ofifering is made to Soma, Tvash/r/, and Agni, along with the wives of the gods) are performed on the Gdrhapatya fire, and hence at the back (western) part of the sacrificial ground where the Sacrificer's wife is seated. For the symbolical import of the rite see I, 9, 2, 5.
Digitized by
XI kXnDA, 2 ADHYAYA, 7 BRAhMAJVA, 33. 45
whence forest-fires take place in spring, for that
is a form of Agni. The Adhvaryu is the Summer,
for summer is, as it were, scorched ; and the Adh-
varyu comes forth (from the sacrificial ground) like
something scorched ^ The VdgSitrt is the Rainy
season; whence, when it rains hard, a sound as
that of a chant is produced. The Brahman is the
Autumn; whence, when the corn ripens, they say,
*The creatures are rich in growth (brahma;tvat)/
The Hotrt is the Winter, whence in winter cattle
waste away, having the Vasha/ uttered over them.
These, then, are the divinities that officiate for him ;
and even if Aish&vlrfiA ■ were to officiate for him,
let him think in his mind of those divinities, and
those deities, indeed, officiate for him,
33. Now, as to that balance, the right (south)
edge of the Vedi'. Whatever good deed man
does that is inside the Vedi ; and whatever evil
deed he does that is outside the Vedi. Let him
therefore sit down, touching the right edge of the
Vedi; for, indeed, they place him on the balance
in yonder world ; and whichever of the two will
rise* that he will follow, whether it be the good
or the evil. And, verily, whosoever knows this,
mounts the balance even in this world, and escapes
being placed on the balance in yonder world ; for
his good deed rises, and not his evil deed.
^ Viz. from his constant attendance on the sacrificial fires.
' According to Sdya^a, Eshavfra is the name of a BrShma^ical family held in general contempt. See Weber, Ind. Stud. I, p. 228.
' That is, the altar-ground covered with sacrificial grass, serving as a seat for the gods.
* Literally, will force down (the other). On this ordeal see £. Schlagintweit, Die Gottesurtheile der Indier, Nachtr^ge ; A. Weber, Ind. Streifen I, p. 21 ; II, p. 363.
Digitized by
46 iSATAPATHA-BRAHMAi^A.
Third AdhyAya. First BRAHMAi^^A, The Agnihotra.
1. Verily, the Agnihotrt cow is the speech of the
Agnihotra, and her calf is its mind. Now these
two, mind and speech, whilst being one and the
same, are, as it were, distinct from each other:
therefore they tie up the calf and its mother with
one and the same rope; and the fire^, indeed, is
faith, and the ghee truth.
2. Now, as to this 6^anaka of Videha once
asked Yal^^avalkya, * Knowest thou the Agni-
hotra, Y4f »avalkya ? ' — * I know it, O king,' he said.
—' What is it ? '—' Milk, indeed.'
3. ' If there were no milk, wherewith wouldst thou sacrifice ? ' — * With rice and barley/ — ' If there were no rice and barley, wherewith wouldst thou sacrifice ? ' — * With what other herbs there are/ — * If there were no other herbs, wherewith wouldst thou sacrifice?' — 'With what forest herbs there are.' — ' If there were no forest herbs, wherewith wouldst thou sacrifice ? ' — ' With fruit of trees.' — * If there were no fruit of trees, wherewith wouldst thou sacrifice ?' — * With water/ — 'If there were no water, wherewith wouldst thou sacrifice ? '
4. He spake, 'Then, indeed, there would be
nothing whatsoever here, and yet there would be
offered — the truth in faith/ — 'Thou knowest the
Agnihotra, Yif»avalkya: I give thee a hundred
cows,' said 6^anaka.
5. Concerning this point there are also these
* That is, according to Siya^ia, the fire, or beat, produced by the rope. Instead of 'te^ eva ^raddh^' one would rather expect '^raddhaiva tq^a^.'
Digitized by
XI KkNDA, 3 adhyAya, I brAhmaiva, 8. 47
verses : — * Knowing what S does the offerer of the
Agnihotra stay away from his house ? how is his
wisdom (manifested) * ? how is he kept up by his
fires*?' — ^whereby he means to say, ' How, then, is
there no staying away from home on his part * ? '
6. * He who is the swiftest in the worlds*, that
wise one is found staying abroad : thus (is mani-
fested) his wisdom, thus he is kept up by his fires ; '
— he thereby means the mind: it is owing to his
mind that there is no staying away from home on
his part
7. * When, having gone far away, he heedeth not
there his duty, wherein is that offering of his offered;
(and wherein) do they, at his house, perform the
offering of the progress ? ' — ^that is to say, — * When,
having gone far away, he there heeds not his
duty, wherein does that offering of his come to
be offered ? '
8. * He who waketh in the worlds and sustaineth
all beings, in him that offering of his is offered, (and
in him) do they, at his house, perform the offering
* That is, according to Sdya>ya, — What form of Agnihotra does he recognise, when he goes to stay abroad ?
' That is, — How does he show his knciwledge of the sacred obligation that one ought to perform the Agnihotra regularly twice a day for life ?
' That is to say, How is the continuity in the constant attendance to his sacred fires kept up by him ?
* Literally, * How is non-staying abroad (brought about) ? ' that is to say, — How, though having to stay abroad, does he ensure the spiritual benefits of remaining at home? or, as Siya/ia puts it, How is the fault of staying abroad, avoided?— asy a pravasato y^g^mi- nasya anapaproshitam pravSsadoshdbh&va^.
* Or, among (or in) beings* Sfiya^ia supplies 'ys^^am^na^' to 'yo^vishMa^/
Digitized by
48 ^ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
of the progress ; ' — he thereby means the breath ; whence they say, * The Agnihotra is breath/
Second Brahmajnta.
I. Verily, whosoever knows the six pairs in the
Agnihotra, has oflfspring born to him by pair after
pair, by all generations. The Sacrificer and his
wife — this is one pair: through it his Agnihotra
would be possessed of a wife, — * May I obtain this
pair ! ' he thinks K The calf and the Agnihotra-cow
— this is another pair: through it his Agnihotra-
cow would become possessed of a male calf, — * May
I obtain this pair!' he thinks. The pot and the
coals — this is another pair; the offering-spoon and
the dipping-spoon — this is another pair ; the Ahava-
n!ya fire and the log — this is another pair; the
libation and the Sv4h4-call — this is another pair:
these, doubtless, are the six pairs in the Agnihotra ;
and he who thus knows them, has offspring born to
him by pair after pair, by all generations.
Third Brahmajva.
1. The Brahman delivered the creatures over to
Death, the Brahmai&rin (religious student) alone
it did not deliver over to him. He (Death) said,
* Let me have a share in this one also.' — * Only the
night on which he shall not bring his* fire-wood,'
said (the Brahman). On whatever night, therefore,
the BrahmaiArin does not bring fire-wood, that
^ Or, perhaps, it (the Agnihotra) thinks.
' Prof. Delbrdck, Altind. Syntax, p. 260, doubtless rightly takes the middle fonn (dharitai) here to imply 'for his own self/ i.e. for his own protection from death.
Digitized by
XI kXnda, 3 adhyAya, 3 brAhma^va, 5. 49
(night) he passes * cutting it off from his own life :
therefore the Brahmsu^rin should bring fire-wood,
lest he should pass (his nights) cutting off (as much)
from his life,
2. He who enters on a Brahmai&rin's life, indeed,
enters on a long sacrificial session : the log he puts
on the fire in entering thereon is the opening (offer-
ing), and that which (he puts on the fire) when he
is about to bathe * is the concluding (offering) ; and
what (logs) there are between these, are just his
(logs) of the sacrificial session. When a Brihma^a
enters on a Brahma/^rin's life —
3. He enters beings in four parts: with one
fourth part (he enters) the fire, with another part
death, with another part his religious teacher ; and
his fourth part remains in his own self
4. Now, when he brings a log for the fire, he
redeems that fourth part of his which is in the fire ;
and having cleansed ' it, he takes it to his own self,
and it enters him.
5. And when, having made himself poor, as it
were, and become devoid of shame, he begs alms,
then he redeems that part of his which is in death ;
* Or, perhaps better, — that (night) he keeps cutting off from his life, — in which case the verb * vas ' would be construed with the gerund in much the same way as * sth& ' commonly is. This construction would suit even better the second passage (without the object ' tdm ') at the end of the paragraph. In any case we have to understand that, during every night passed with his teacher without his having brought fire-wood, he cuts off a night, or day, from (the latter end of) his life. Cf. Delbriick, Altind. Syntax, pp. 360, 334, 405.
' That is, prior to his leaving the house of his teacher and returning to his own family.
* Sa>n8krftya=:utkrish/aj!n kr^tva, S&yana.
Digitized by
50 ^atapatha-brAhmajva.
and, having cleansed it, he takes it to himself, and it enters him.
6. And when he does the teacher s bidding, and
when he does any work for the teacher, he redeems
that part of his which is in the teacher ; and, having
cleansed it, he takes it to himself, and it enters him.
7. Let him not beg alms after he has bathed (at
the end of his studentship), for by bathing he drives
off beggary, and drives off hunger from his kinsmen
and his deceased ancestors, * Let him who knows
this beg alms only from her in whom he has the
greatest confidence V they say, * for that makes for
heaven/ And should he find no other woman from
whom alms could be begged, he may even beg from
his own teacher's wife, and thereafter from his own
mother ^ The seventh (night) should not pass by
for him without begging : him who knows this and
practises this all the Vedas enter ; for, verily, even
as the fire shines when kindled, so does he, after
bathing, shine, who, knowing this, lives a Brahma-
Finn's life.
Fourth AdhyAya. First BRAHMAi\rA.
I. Now Udd&laka Aru;ti* was driving about*, as a chosen (offering-priest), amongst the people of
