" Or, the Githis and NdrSjawsts. S&ya«a, in the first place, takes the two as one, meaning ' stanzas (or verses) telling about men ;' but he then refers to the interpretation by others, according to which the G^th&s are such verses as that about * the great snake driven from the lake * (XI, 5, 5, 8) ; whilst the N&rlrawsts would be (verses * telling about men ') such as that regarding GsLoajneg^y^ and his horses (XI, 5, 5, 12). On Aitareyir. II, 3, 6, 8, Sdyana quotes ' pr&ta^ prdtar ann'ta/v te vadanti ' as an instance of a Gith&.
Digitized by
XI kXnda, 5 adhyAya, 7 brAhmajva, i. 99
9. Now, for this sacrifice to the Brahman there
are four VashaZ-calls ^, — to wit, when the wind
blows, when it lightens, when it thunders, and when
it rumbles^: whence he who knows this should
certainly study' when the wind is blowing, and
when it lightens, or thunders, or rumbles, so as
not to lose his VashaZ-calls ; and verily he is freed
from recurring death, and attains to community of
nature (or, being) with the Brahman. And should
he be altogether unable (to study), let him at least
read a single divine word ; and thus he is not shut
out from beings *.
Seventh BRAHMAiVA.
I. Now, then, the praise of the study (of the
scriptures). The study and teaching (of the Veda)
are a source of pleasure to him, he becomes ready-
minded*, and independent of others, and day by
day he acquires wealth. He sleeps peacefully; he
is the best physician for himself; and (peculiar)
to him are restraint of the senses, delight in the
one thing®, growth of intelligence, fame, and the
(task of) perfecting the people^. The growing
* That is, the call *Vausha/!' with which, at the end of the offering-formula, the oblation is poured into the fire.
* That is, when the rumbling of distant thunder is heard ; or, perhaps, when there is a rattling sound, as from hail-stones.
' Hardly, should only study, — adhtyttaiva.
* Or, from (the world of) spirits (?).
* Or, as SiyansL takes it to mean, of intent, undistracted mind, — yuktam avikshiptam ekkgrzm mano yasya sa yuktamani^.
* Saya«a seems to take 'ek^rimatd' in the sense of * remaining always the same,' — eka eva sann & samantdd bhavatity ekirdmas tasya bhivaA.
' Or, perfecting the world, — tadyukto yo lokas tasya paktiii pari- pdko bhavati, Sdy.
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I OO DATAPATH A-BRAHMAiSTA.
intelligence gives rise to four duties attaching to the
Brihmawa — Brdhma«ical descent, a befitting deport-
ment, fame, and the perfecting of the people ; and the
people that are being perfected guard the Br&hma;^
by four duties — by (showing him) respect, and
liberality, (and by granting him) security against
oppression, and security against capital punishment.
2. And, truly, whatever may be the toils here
between heaven and earth, the study (of the scrip-
tures) is their last stage, their goal (limit) for him
who, knowing this, studies his lesson : therefore
one s (daily) lesson should be studied.
3. And, verily, whatever portion of the sacred
poetry (^^^iandas) he studies for his lesson with that
sacrificial rite ^, offering is made by him who, know-
ing this, studies his lesson : therefore one's (daily)
lesson should be studied.
4. And, verily, if he studies his lesson, even
though lying on a soft couch, anointed, adorned
and completely satisfied, he is burned (with holy
fire ^) up to the tips of his nails, whosoever, know-
ing this, studies his lesson : therefore one s (daily)
lesson should be studied.
5. The Rtk-texts, truly, are honey, the Sdman-
texts ghee, and the Ya^s-texts ambrosia; and,
indeed, when he studies the dialogue that (speech
and reply) is a mess of milk and a mess of meat.
* The study of the Veda being " the sacrifice of the Brahman,' the reading of a portion is, as it were, a special rite, or form of offering, belonging to that sacrifice. Saya»a, on the other hand, takes it to mean that the student performs, as it were, the particular rite, or offering, to which the portion he reads may refer. It may, indeed, be implied, though it certainly is not expressed in the text.
■ Thus A. Weber, Ind. Stud. X, p. 112 ; — ^artrapi^nena tapas- tapto travail, Say.
Digitized by
XI kXnpa, 5 adhyAya, 7 brAhmajva, 10. 10 1
6. And, indeed, he who, knowing this, studies
day by day the -^zk-texts for his lesson, satisfies
the gods with honey, and, thus satisfied, they satisfy
him by every object of desire, by every kind of
enjoyment
7. And he who, knowing this, studies day by day
the S&man-texts for his lesson, satisfies the gods
with ghee ; and, being satisfied, they satisfy him by
every object of desire, by every kind of enjoyment.
8. And he who, knowing this, studies day by day
the Ya^s-texts for his lesson, satisfies the gods with
ambrosia ; and, being satisfied, they satisfy him by
every object of desire, by every kind of enjoyment.
9. And he who, knowing this, studies day by day
the dialogue, the traditional myths and legends, for
his lesson, satisfies the gods by messes of milk and
meat ; and, being satisfied, they satisfy him by every
object of desire, by every kind of enjoyment.
ID. Moving, indeed, are the waters, moving is the
sun, moving the moon, and moving the stars ; and,
verily, as if these deities did not move and act, even
so will the Br&hma/^ be on that day on which he
does not study his lesson : therefore one's (daily)
lesson should be studied. And hence let him at least
pronounce either a jRzk-vers^ or a Ys^s-formula,
or a S&man-verse, or a GSth4, or a Kumby4\ to
ensure continuity of the Vrata*.
* A *Kumbyi,' according to SSya«a, is a Brihmawa-passage explanatory of some sacrificial precept or rite (vidhyarthavdd^t- makaiTt br&hma^m-v&kyam) ; whilst, on Aitareydr. II, 3, 6, 8, the same commentator explains it as a verse (r/g-vi^sha) conveying some precept of conduct (&>f&rajikshslrOpa), such as 'brahma- kiryzsyiTpos&nzm karma kuru, divS m& svdpstA,* &c. Cf. Prof. F. Max Mtiller's transl, Upanishads I, p. 230, note 2.
' This is in keeping with the mystic representation of this and
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I O 2 DATAPATH A-BRAhMA2VA.
Eighth BrAhmajva.
1. Verily, in the beginning, Pra^pati alone was
here. He desired, * May I exist, may I be generated/
He wearied himself and performed fervid devo-
tions: from him, thus wearied and heated, the
three worlds were created — the earth, the air, and
the sky.
2. He heated these three worlds, and from them,
thus heated, three lights (^otis) were produced —
Agni (the fire), he who blows here (V^yu), and
Sflrya (the sun).
3. He heated these three lights, and from them,
thus heated, the three Vedas were produced — the
-fffg-veda from Agni, the Ya^r-veda from VAyu,
and the SAma-veda from Sdrya.
4. He heated these three Vedas, and from them, thus heated, three luminous essences \ were pro-
the preceding chapters which represent the daily study of the scriptural lesson as a sacrifice continued day by day. The student, as the sacriiicer, has accordingly, during the sacrifice (that is, during the period of his study of the Vedas, or for life), as it were, to limit his daily food to the drinking of the Vrata-milk, which rule he obeys symbolically by reciting such a verse or formula.
* ? S&yzm, takes * jukra' here in die sense of 'flame, light' (vy&hr/tirQpa;ii tegimsi) ; whilst the St. Petersb. Diet, assigns to it the meaning of * sap, juice ' (Saft, Seim, cf. next note). Ait. Br. V, 32, contains a very similar passage in which the same process of evolution is set forth: — Prs^pati first creates the three worlds, earth, air, and heaven. From them, being heated by him, three lights (^yotis) are produced — ^Agni from the earth, V^yu from the air, and Aditya from the sky (or heaven). From them, being heated, the three Vedas are produced — the i?/g-veda from Agni, the Ya^r-veda from Vdyu, and the Sima-veda from Aditya, From the Vedas, being heated, three flames (jukra, luminaries, Haug) are produced — ^BhfiA from the i?«'g-veda, Bhuva^^ from the Y^giir-
Digitized by
, XI kXnda, 5 adhyAya, 8 brAhmaya, 6, 103
duced — 'bh6A' from the i?/g-veda, 'bhuva^' from the
Yafur-veda, and * svar ' from the Sfima-veda. And
with the i?/g-veda they then performed the work of
the Hotri priest, with the Yagiir-veda the work of
the Adhvaryu, and with the SAma-veda the work
of the IJdgSitrz; and what luminous essence^ there
was in the threefold science, therewith the work of
the Brahman priest then proceeded.
5. The gods spake unto Pra^pati, * If our sacri-
fice were to fail in respect of either the Rtk, or
the Ysifus, or the Sdman, whereby should we
heal it?'
veda, and Svar from the Sima-veda. From these in the same way are produced three sounds (or letters, vama), d, u and m, which being combined yield the syllable ' Om.' Cp. J. Muir, Original Sanskrit Texts, vol. iii, p. 4.
^ Here S&yana also seems to take ' xukra' in the sense of 'pure, essential part ' — ^nirmala/n rCkpajw sdratval&mja^ (I).
* That is, the Dakshinigni. At the Havirys^^:^ (of which class of sacrifices, performed in the Pr&i^navamxa hall, the full and new moon serves as model) there is no Agntdhrtya, which is, however, required for the Soma-sacrifice. See the plan in part ii, p. 475.
Digitized by
1 04 5^ATAPATH A-BRAh M AiV^A.
ing rapidly all (the three sacred words ^) : thus one
heals the y?ag-veda by the -^zg-veda*, the Ysi^ur-
veda by the Ya^r-veda, and the SAma-veda by the
Sima-veda ; — even as one would put together joint
with joint ^ so does he put together (the broken
part of the sacrifice) whoever heals it by means
of these (three sacred words). But if he heals it
in any other way than this, it would be just as if
one tried to put together something that is broken
with something else that is broken, or as if one
were to apply some poison as lotion to a broken
part*. Let him therefore appoint only one who
knows this (to officiate as) his Brahman, and not
one who does not know this.
7. As to this they say, * Seeing that the work of
the Hotrt is performed with the y?2g-veda, that
of the Adhvaryu with the Ya^r-veda, and that of
the UdgSitri with the Sima-veda, wherewith then
is the work of the Brahman (performed).^' Let
him reply, * With that threefold science/
^ According to Sdya;ia, offering would be used with the formula * Bhfir bhuvaA sva^, svdh4 1 '
* Viz. by the word * bhdih/ representing that Veda.
' Yathi khalu loke bhagna;;! hastapdd^diparva tatsannihiteni- nyena parvaifd purush&ya samdadhydt saiTi^leshayet, evam evinena vydhr/'ti^dnena tat tad avedokta;7i prabhr/sh/am angam puna^ sahita^n bhavati, Sdy.
* ? Or, as if one were to put some fluid into some broken (vessel ; or, on some broken part), — ^yathS^ ^^r»ena bhagnena anyai khtrnzm bhagna/n vastu sa/ndhitset samdh&tum MAet ; yathd vi strne gara;n bhaktdvayave garam abhinidadhyat pra^dattipeta (? prakshipet),
say.
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XI kAnda, 5 adhyAya, 9 brAhmajva, 5. 105
Ninth Brahmajva. The Ad^bhta-Graha.
1. Now, the Amsu (cup of Soma)\ indeed, is no
other than Pra^pati; and it is the body of this
(sacrifice), for Pra^pati, indeed, is the body. And
the Addbhya* (cup of Soma) is no other than
speech. When he draws the Aw^u-cup, and then
the Adabhya-cup, he thereby constructs the body
of this (sacrifice) and then establishes that speech
therein.
2. And, indeed, the Amsu is also the mind, and
the Adibhya speech ; and the Amsu is the out-
breathing, and the Adfibhya the up-breathing; and
the Amsu is the eye, and the AdSbhya^ the ear :
these two cups they draw for the sake of wholeness
and completeness.
3. Now, the gods and the Asuras, both of them
sprung from Pra^pati, were contending, — it was for
this very sacrifice, for Pra^pati, that they were
contending, saying, * Ours he shall be ! ours he
shall be!'
4. The gods then went on singing praises, and
toiling. They saw this cup of Soma, this Addbhya,
and drew it : they seized upon the (three) Soma-
services, and possessed themselves of the whole
sacrifice, and excluded the Asuras from the sacrifice.
5. They spake, * Surely, we have destroyed (ada-
bhdma) them ; ' whence (the cup is called) Ad^bhya ;
— *they have not destroyed (dabh) us;' whence
also (it is called) AdAbhya. And the Ad^bhya
* See IV, I, I, 2; 6, i, i. ' See part ii, p. 424, note i.
Digitized by
I06 ^ATAPATHA-BRAHMAi^TA.
being speech, this speech is indestructible, whence
also it is (called) AdAbhya; and, verily, in like
manner does he who knows this possess himself
of the whole sacrifice of his spiteful enemy, and
exclude and shut out his spiteful enemy from all
participation in the sacrifice.
6. Into the same vessel with which he draws the
Amsu^ he pours water from the Nigr&bhy^A*,
and therein puts those Soma-plants ^ with (VS^. S.
