* That is, the so-called * prawitd// ' used for sacrificial purposes generally, and especially for supplying what is required for press- ing the Soma. Cf. the comm. on Kdty. VI, 7, 19, where the * pra«ltipra«ayana ' is expressly referred to as a necessary element of the performance of the Agntshomtya.
* For the pouring out of the water on the south side of the Vedi, at ihe end of the Havirya^a, see I, 9, 3, i seqq.
' The Sacrificer intercepts with his hands some of the water poured out, touches his face therewith, and then strides the three Visbiu-strides ; cf. I, 9, 3, 8 seqq.
* Viz. in case of the animal sacrifice being performed on the Havirya^^a or Ish/i model ; which, strictly speaking, would involve the use of no other oflfering-material except milk, ghee, and dishes made of cereals.
* The usual order of subject and predicate would require the translation, * the morning-service is its fore-offerings,' which would hardly be in accordance with the author's reasoning.
* For the paju-puro^iSja, III, 8, 3, 1 seqq.
' That is, prior to the offering of the 'animal cake' (pajii- puTodisB.), whilst the presentation of the dakshiwas— a head of cattle, or a milch-cow, or some other desirable object — according to Kity, VI, 7, 29, should take place after the offering of the 1(&l, which marks the end of the Paru-puro^aja-ish/i.
Digitized by
XI KANDA, 7 ADHYAyA, 2 BRAHMAi^^A, 6. 121
but let him not do so, for if, in that case, any one
were to say of him, * Surely, this (Sacrificer) has
brought the Dakshi^^s outside of the vital airs (or,
of life), he has not strengthened his vital airs : he
will become either blind, or lame, or deaf, or para-
lyzed on one side ;' then that would indeed be likely
to come to pass.
5. Let him perform it in this way: — when the Idk
of the cake-offering has been invoked, he should
bring up the Dakshi^^s ; for to Indra belongs this
vital air in the centre (of the body) : by means of the
Dakshi^^ds he thus strengthens this vital air in
the centre (of the body); and to Indra also belongs
the midday Soma-service, and at the midday-service
the Dakshi«&s are brought up : therefore he should
bring up the Dakshi^&s after the invocation of the
Iflk of the cake-offering.
6. Here now they say, * Seeing that the want of
the purificatory bath in the case of the initiated is
improper, Adhvaryu, when didst thou initiate him?'
Well, let them^ sustain him till the purificatory bath,
— to wit, the Adhvaryu, the Pratiprasthdtrz, the
Ylotri, the Maitr^varuwa, the Brahman, and the
* S^yana supplies * ^niA,' * the p)eople ; ' but possibly the text of the commentary may be corrupt in this place. The author's meaning would seem to be that, as there is no purificatory bath at the end of the animal sacrifice performed on the Soma-day, the Sacrificer's strength is to be kept up by the ShzddAoiri formula (representing the six priests themselves) which will carry him as far as the purificatory bath at the end of the Soma-sacrifice. I am, however, far from sure that this is the real meaning of the passage. The ShsiddAotri is performed (at the animal sacrifice of the pressing- day) shortly after the beginning of the ceremonies connected with the Pambandha, viz. immediately after the * yfipdhuti,' see part ii, p. 162 seqq.
Digitized by
122 DATAPATH A-BRAhMAJVA.
Agnldhra, for it is through these that this (formula) is called ^ sh^ddhotri^' -. having rapidly muttered that
* s\ididdhotri^ he offers, performing either one or five
oblations of ghee^ — *The heaven is his^ back,
the air his body, O Vd^aspati, by his limbs he
gave rise to the sacrifice, by his forms to the
earth; by his flawless voice and his flawless
tongue to the god-gladdening invocation,
Hail!* This, indeed, is his initiation.
7. As to this they say, * Seeing that the want
of the purificatory bath in the case of the initiated is
improper, Adhvaryu, when didst thou take him down
to the purificatory bath ? ' Well, when they perform
with the heart-spit*, that is his purificatory bath.
8. Madhuka Paingya once said, *Some perform
the animal sacrifice without Soma, and others do so
with Soma. Now, Soma was in the heavens, and
G&yatrl, having become a bird, fetched him ; and in-
asmuch as one of his leaves (par«a) was cut off*,
* That is, one containing (mentioning), or requiring, six ofFering- priests, the number required for the animal sacrifice.
' In either case the offering consists of five ladlings of ghee ; and in the case of a single oblation, according to Saya«a, a dif- ferent dipping-spoon (sruva) would seem to be used for each ladling ; unless, indeed, * ekaikena sruvena ' mean * with one sruva- fuU each.' According to Kdty. VI, i, 36, the formula is merely
* run through mentally.*
' Sdya«a interprets *thy back'; and he apparently supplies 'prdpnoti' at the end of the first half- verse, whilst *airayat' he takes to stand fgr the second person singular.
* That is, when the heart is roasted on the spit prior to its being offered ; see III, 8, 3, 16. This use of the spit is to take the place of the purificatory baih, the technical term of which is * spit-bath ' (xfllivabhr/tha), the spit being on that occasion buried at the point
* where the dry and the moist meet/ see III, 8, 5, 8-10.
* Either a leaf of Soma or a feather of Gayatri was cut off by an
Digitized by
XI KANDA, 7 ADHyAyA, 3 BRAHMAiVA, 2. 123
that was how the Par«a-tree arose :' such, indeed, is
(the passage in) the Br^hma^a that is told. And
some, it is true, perform the animal sacrifice without
Soma, and others with Soma ; for he who makes the
sacrificial stake other than of Pallya wood, performs
the animal sacrifice without Soma; and he who
makes the sacrificial stake of Pal^a performs the
animal sacrifice with Soma : therefore let him make
his sacrificial stake of PalA^a wood.
Third BKAHMAiVA.
1. Such a (sacrificial stake) as has much substance*
is not auspicious to cattle, whence he who desires to
have cattle should not make such a one his sacrificial
stake : but such a one as is of little hardness is
auspicious to cattle, whence he who desires to
have cattle should make such a one his sacrificial
stake.
2. And such a one as, while being crooked, has
a top like a spit, is called 'kapotl^'; and whoever
makes such a one his sacrificial stake certainly goes
to yonder world before his full measure of life :
therefore let no one wishing for long life make such
a one his sacrificial stake.
anx>w shot by an archer pursuing Gtyatrt, and, on its falling to the earth, a Pallra, or Panta, tree (Butea frondosa) sprang forth, see III, 3, 4, lo.
^ That is, as would seem, made of very hard wood. It cannot mean ' pithy,' because at XIII, 4, 4, 9, the Khadira (acacia catechu), a tree of very hard, solid wood, is mentioned as ' bahus&ra/
" Either * that which has a pigeon (sitting) on it ' (kapoiin, viz. yQpa), or, as Siyana takes it, fem. of * kapota,' — a female pigeon ; i. e. a tree too much pointed at the top.
Digitized by
1 24 ^atapatha-brAhmajva.
3. And such a one as is bent at the top, and bent
outwards' in the middle, is a type of hunger (poverty) ;
and if any one makes such a one his sacrificial stake,
his dependants will certainly be hungry; therefore
let no one wishing for food make such a one his
sacrificial stake. But such a one as is bent at the
top and bent inwards in the middle, is a type of food
(prosperity): therefore let him who wishes for food
make such a one his sacrificial stake.
Fourth Brahmajva.
1. Now, when he who is about to perform an
animal sacrifice makes a stake one cubit long, he
thereby gains this (terrestrial) world; and when
(he makes) one two cubits long, he thereby gains the
air-world ; and when he makes one three cubits long,
he thereby gains the heavens ; and when he makes
one four cubits long, he thereby gains the regions.
But, indeed, that sacrificial stake of the (ordinary)
animal sacrifice is either three or four cubits long,
and one that is above that belongs to the Soma-
sacrifice.
2. As to this they say, * Should he offer the butter-
portiojis or not?' — * Let him offer them,' they say ;
* for the two butter-portions are the eyes of the sac-
rifice, and what were man without eyes ? ' For as
long as a co-sharer is not bought off by (receiving)
a share of his own, so long does he consider himself
not bought off; but when he is bought off by a share
of his own, then, indeed, he considers himself bought
* That is, as would seem, bent to the opposite side from that towards which the top tends.
Digitized by
XI KANDA, 7 ADHVAyA, 4 BRAHMAiVA, 4. 1 25
off: when the Hotrt, on that occasion \ recites,
* Endow the Rakshas with blood ! ' he buys him off
by (assigning to him) a share of his own.
3. For on that occasion* the anguish of the victim,
in being slaughtered, becomes concentrated in the
heart, and from the heart (it flows) into the spit.
Thus, if they (were to) cook the animal together
with the heart, the anguish would again spread all
over the animal : let him therefore cook it (the heart)
after spitting it from the side on a stick.
4. He makes an underlayer of ghee (in the offer-
ing-ladle) : this he makes a type of the earth ; he
then puts a chip of gold thereon : this he makes
a type of fire ; he then puts the omentum thereon :
this he makes a type of the air ; he then puts a chip
of gold thereon : this he makes a type of the sun ;
and what (ghee) he pours upon it, that he makes
a type of the heavens. This, then, is that five-
portioned omentum, — fivefold is the sacrifice, fivefold
the sacrificial animal, and five seasons there are in
the year : this is why the omentum consists of five
portions ^
^ Viz. at ihe time when the victim is cut up. Cf. Ait. Br. II, 7, —
* Endow ye the Rakshas with blood !' he says ; for by (assigning to them) the husks and the sweepings of the grain the gods deprived the Rakshas of their share in the Havirya^^a, and by the blood (they deprived them) of that in the great (Soma-) sacrifice : thus by saying, * Endow ye the Rakshas with blood I' he dispossesses the Rakshas of the sacrifice by assigning to them their own share. — The Adhvaryu then smears a stalk of grass with the blood with,
• Thou art the Rakshas' share,' throws it on the heap of rubbish, and treads on it with, ' Herewith I tread down the Rakshas/ &c. Cf. Ill, 8. 2, 13-15.
« See III, 8, 5, 8.
' Or, cuttings; see III, 8, 2, 26.
Digitized by
1 26 ^ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
Eighth Adhyaya. First Brahmaj^ta.
1. Verily, even as this cart-wheel, or a potters
wheel, would creak* if not steadied, so, indeed, were
these worlds unfirm and unsteadied.
2. Pra^pati then bethought him, * How may these
worlds become firm and steadied ? ' By means of
the mountains and rivers he stablished this (earth),
by means of the birds and sun-motes^ the air, and
by means of the clouds and stars the sky.
3. He then exclaimed, 'Wealth!' — now, wealth*
(mahas) means cattle, whence they (cattle) thrive
(mahiyante*) exceedingly in the homestead of one
who possesses many of them ; and this (Sacrificer),
indeed, possesses many of them, and in his home-
stead they do thrive exceedingly. Wherefore, if
people were either to forcibly drive him from his
home, or to bid him go forth, let him, after performing
the Agni-hotra, approach (the fires) saying, * Wealth';
and he becomes firmly established by offspring and
cattle, and is not deprived of his home.
* Sayawa apparently takes * krand ' in the sense of * to shake, or wabble,' — ' even as a cart-wheel or some other wheel, not standing on the ground for want of the wooden rest (dlambana-kSsh/Aa, ? axle-pin) or some other thing, would wabble •(h valet).' What Sdyawa means to say, probably, is that the verb used by the author expresses the effect of the action intended.
