thousandfold progeny of Vik, speech (cf. IV, 5, 8, 4 ; 6, 7, 3 ; V, 5, 6, 12)— which Khaxr^ika \would thus lose, whilst, by imparting the sacred knowledge, he would gain a seat in heaven.
* SSyana's comment is not very intelligible, the MS. being more than usually corrupt on this last page : — evamvidhe virodha udbhd- vit6 sati te dpt& CihiA, he bhagavo vidydxn md vo^a^, kshatriyasya loko na bhavishyatiti ; nanu tavanujayaA (? appanage, domain, following) sa tasya nisti ; ayaxv viva ayam eva khalu kshatriyasya lokas tasmat sauspatrater (?) evam ukte sati sadve>(enardpatra bhavdnti (!) ato vakshy&my evety uvi^.
* That is, days, — by giving up a brief life of earthly power and glory, he gains eternal life.
* That is, oblations performed with a view of 'taking hold (spri)' of something; cf. Kdty. iSrautas. XXV, 6, 11. 12.
* The particle ' iti ' here causes some difficulty of construction which would be removed by the latter clause being taken as part of the Adhvaryu's speech; though KdtySyana, it is true, does not recognise it as such. Perhaps, however, Khan^/ika's speech ends here, and what follows up to ' that one shall be thy samr^-cow ' has to be taken as a ritualistic insertion, in which case the final ' iti ' would have some such meaning as * having been told thus/
Digitized by
1 34 ^atapatha-brAhmajva.
I take thy body, hail ! " let him then say, ** Drive
up another (cow) ! '* and that one shall be thy samrS^f-
cow ! ' He then departed from thence \ and, verily,
members of the Ke5in race are born here even to
this day.
^ Sdya/ta takes this thus : — * Thus instructed, Kexin disappeared (or, passed away, vanished, utsas&da vinash/a^) from that region (tato dejit) ' — after which there is a lacuna in the MS. Perhaps, however, it is Khan^ka, rather than Ke^in, to which this refers, — he (and his race) then, indeed, passed away from that region, whilst the Kexins flourished.
Digitized by
Xii Kanda, 1 Adhyaya, I Brahmajva, 3. 1 35
TWELFTH KkNDA.
THE SACRIFICIAL SESSION (SATTRA).
First AdhyAya. First Brahmajva.
1. Verily, this sacrifice is the same as this blowing
(wind) : it is that ^ they wish to secure who take the
vow of initiation for a year. Of them the Gr^'ha-
pati is initiated first*; for the Gr^hapati is this
(terrestrial) world, and upon this world everything
here is established ; and so, indeed, are his fellow-
sacrificers established in the GWhapati : it is thus
after they have become established on a firm
foundation that they are initiated.
2. He (the Adhvaryu) then initiates the Brah-
man (priest). Now the Brahman is the moon, and
the moon is Soma, and plants belong to Soma^:
he thus connects the plants with this (terrestrial)
world. Therefore no other person should be
initiated between those two; for, assuredly, were
any one else to be initiated between those two,
he would separate (tear up) the plants from this
(terrestrial) world, and they would be liable to dry
up: let therefore no other person be initiated
between those two.
3. He then initiates the Udg4tr/. Now, the
VdgSitrt is the thunder-cloud, and from the thunder-
cloud rain is produced: he thus connects the rain
^ Viz. the wind as the vital air pervading man; see paragraph 11. ' He, as well as the first three priests, is initiated by the Adhvaryu. ' Soma is the king of plants, whence these are called ' soma- ra^f,' II, 3, 4, 4 ; V, 4, 2, 3 ; -^I'g-veda S. X, 97, 8.
Digitized by
136 DATAPATH A-BRAhMAJVA. .
with the plants. Therefore no other person should
be initiated between those two ; for, assuredly, were
any one else to be initiated between those two, he
would separate the rain from the plants, and (the
cloud) would be liable to lack rain : let therefore no
other person be initiated between those two.
4. He then initiates the Hotri. Now, the Hotrt^
is Agni in respect of the deity, and speech in respect
of the body ; and rain is food : he thus connects both
Agni (fire) and speech with food. Therefore no
other person should be initiated between those two ;
for, assuredly, were any one else to be initiated
between those two, he would separate fire and
speech from food, and (people) would be liable to
starve : let therefore no other person be initiated
between those two.
5. The Pratiprasthdtrt' then initiates the Adh-
varyu. Now, the Adhvaryu is the mind^ and the
Hotrt is speech : he thus connects mind and speech
with one another. Therefore no other person should
be initiated between those two ; for, assuredly, were
any one. else to be initiated between those two, he
would separate mind and speech, and (people) would
be liable to perish : let therefore no other person be
initiated between those two.
6. He then initiates the Br5lhma«d>&^a»isin for
the Brahman, for under him the former is. He then
initiates the Prastotrz for the UdgStr/, for under
' Viz. as the offering-priest kqt i^xjl^, he who, by the recita- tion of his * invitatory ' and * offering' verses, like Agni, draws the gods to the offering, and causes them to graciously accept it.
• The Adhvaryu is the head of the sacrifice (IV, i, 5. 16) ; and, as the mind, he marches in front. See also III, 2, 4, 11. 'Mind goes before Speech (prompting her), *' Speak thus ! say not this 1 " '
Digitized by
XII kAaTDA, I ADHYAyA, I BRAHMAiVA, lO. 1 37
him the former is. He then initiates the Maitri-
varu«a for the Hotr/, for under him the former is.
These four the Pratiprasthdtre initiates.
7. The Nesh/rz then initiates the Pratipra-
sthfttre for the Adhvaryu, for under him the former
is. It is after the fitting out ^ of these nine that the
others are fitted out ; for there are nine vital airs :
he thus lays the vital airs into them ; and so they
attain the full term of life, and so they do not depart
this world before their (full) term of life.
8. He then initiates the Potr^ for the Brahman,
for under him the former is. He then initiates the
Pratihartre for the Udgkirt, for under him the
former is. He then initiates the A^^dv&ka for
the Hotrt, for under him the former is. These
four the Neshiri initiates.
9. The Vnnetrt then initiates the Nesh/rz for
the Adhvaryu, for under him the former is. He
then initiate^ the Agnldhra for the Brahman, for
under him the former is. He then initiates the
Subrahma»yA for the Udg&trt, for under him
the former is. He then initiates the GrAvastut
for the Hotri, for under him the former is. These
four the Unnetr/ initiates.
10. Either a SnAtaka^, or a Brahma^irin, or
some one else who is not initiated, then initiates
the Unnetr^; for they say, * No pure one should
purify.' This is the regular order of initiation';
* Or, after getting them ready, or prepared (k/Zpti).
• That is, one who has completed his course of theological study (brahma^rya), and has taken the bath (sndta) marking the end of that course, and his return to the bosom of his family. See above, pp. 4»-6o (esp. XI, 3, 3, 7).
' Literally, the initiation in the regular succession.
Digitized by
1 38 ^atapatha-brAhmajva.
and, assuredly, only when, knowing this\ they
become initiated, they make ready the sacrifice
even whilst being initiated, and along with the
getting ready of the sacrifice security of property
accrues to the performers of the sacrificial session
(Sattra) ; and, along with the accruing of security of
property to the performers of the session, security
of property also accrues to that district in which
they perform the sacrifice.
II. Now, the Unnetr^' is initiated last of these,
and when they come out from the purificatory bath
it is he that comes out first ; for the Unnetr/ is the
vital air : he thus lays vital air into them on both
sides ; and so they attain the full term of life, and
so they do not depart this world before their (full)
term of life. This is the regular order of initia-
tion : and, assuredly, he should become initiated
only where such as know this become initiated.
Second Brahmajva.
I. Verily, from out of faith the gods fashioned
the initiation, from out of Aditi the opening (sacri-
fice^), from out of Soma the buying (of Soma-
plants), from out of Vish;^u the guest-offering, from
out of the sun the Pravargya, from out of the
Svadhi (the food of departed ancestors) the Upa-
^ That is to say, when they become initiated in accordance with this knowledge.
' For the Praya«fyesh/i of the ordinary Soma*sacrifice, see part ii, p. 47 seqq. For the subsequent ceremonies, cf. the table of contents of the same part. They are here alluded to for the reason that they are essential parts of every day's performance during the year's session.
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XII KANDAy I ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMAiVA, 2. 1 39
sads, from out of Agni and Soma the day of fasting, and from out of this world the opening Atirdtra ^.
2. From out of the year (they fashioned) the
Aaturvi;;wa day, from out of the priesthood the
Abhiplava (sha^aha), from out of the nobility
the Pr/shMya (shafliaha) ^ from out of Agni the
Abhi^t, from out of the waters the Svarasiman
days, from out of the sun the Vishuvat, — the Svara-
s4man days have been told ; — ^from out of Indra the
Vi^vs^t, — the Pr/shMya and Abhiplava have been
told ; — from out of Mitra and Varu«a the Go and
^ The Prdyawfya Atirdtra is the first day of the sacrificial session called G a vim ay a nam, the performance ofwhich lasts a year, and in- cludes the following sacrificial periods and days (cf. part ii,p. 427): — Pr4ya«iya Atiratra, or opening day. -^aturviwja day, an Ukthya, all the stotras ofwhich are in the ^aturviw^a-stoma. 5 months, each consisting of 4 Abhiplava sha^/ahas, and
I Pr/sh/Aya sha^faha (=30 days).
3 Abhiplavas and i PrishMya. ^28 days which, with the
Abhi^it day (performed with all
the stomas).
3 Svarasdman days.
Vishuvat, or Divdkirtya day (Ekaviwja-stoma).
3 Svaras&man days. s 28 days which, with the
two opening days,
complete the sixth
month.
two concluding days,
complete the s e v e n t h
month.
Vijva^it day (performed with all
the pr/shMas).
I PnshMya and 3 Abhiplavas.
4 months, each consisting of i Trishf/iyz sluu/aha and four
Abhiplava sha^ahas. 3 Abhiplava sha^ahas (18 days). I Gosh/oma (Agnish/oma). I Ayush/oma (Ukthya). I Dafar&tra (10 days). Mahdvrata day (Agnish/oma). Udayantya Atiritra, or concluding day, • For the difference between these two sacrificial periods of six days, see part iii, introd., p. xxi, note 2.
30 days (t w e 1 f t h month).
Digitized by
1 40 ^ATAPATHA-BRAHMAJVA.
AyusS from out of the Virve Dev&A the Da^a-
r^traS from out of the regions the Pr/sh/Aya-
sha^aha of the Da^ardtra, from out of these worlds,
the A^i^andoma days.
3. From out of the year (they fashioned) the
tenth day, from out of Pra^pati the Mahdvrata,
and from out of the world of heaven the Udayanlya
Atirdtra: — such was the birth of the Year; and,
verily, whosoever thus knows that birth of the Year
becomes more (and more) glorious to (the end of)
it, he becomes possessed of a (new) body, he
becomes the Year, and, as the Year*, he goes to
the gods.
Third BRAHMAj\rA.
1. Now, when they are initiated they indeed offer
sacrifice to the deities Agni and V^sh;^u : they
become the deities Agni and Vish^/u, and attain to
fellowship and co-existence with Agni and Vish^^u.
2. And when they perform the opening sacrifice
they indeed offer sacrifice to the deity Aditi : they
become the deity Aditi, and attain to fellowship and
co-existence with Aditi.
3. And when they proceed with the buying (of
Soma-plants) they indeed offer sacrifice to the deity
Soma : they become the deity Soma, and attain to
fellowship and co-existence with Soma.
* For the diflferences between the three modes of chanting the Stotras of the Agnish/oma and Ukthya Soma-sacrifices — viz. (ryotish/oma, Gosh/oma, Ayush/oma — see part iv, p. 287, note 2.
* The Da^ardtra, or central ten days of the Dvddajdha (twelve days' period), consists of a Pr/sh%a sha</aha, three ^iiandoma days (of the Ukthya order), and a final (tenth) Atyagnish/oma day called Avivikya.
* For the Sacrificer as father Time, see part iv, introd., p. xxii.
Digitized by
XII kXnda, I adhyAya, 3 brAhmaj^ta, 9. 141
4. And when they perform the guest-offering
they indeed offer sacrifice to the deity Vish«u :
they become the deity Vishnu, and attain to fellow-
ship and co-existence with Vishnu.
5. And when they perform the Pravargya-offering*
they indeed offer sacrifice to the deity Aditya : they
become the deity Aditya, and attain to fellowship
and co-existence with Aditya (the sun).
6. And when they enter upon the Upasads they
indeed offer sacrifice to those very deities* who
(receive oblations) at the Upasads : they become
those deities, and attain to fellowship and co-exis-
tence with those deities.
7. And when they perform the animal sacrifice
to Agni and Soma* they indeed offer sacrifice to
the deities Agni and Soma : they become the deities
Agni and Soma, and attain to fellowship and co-ex-
istence with Agni and Soma.
8. And when they perform the opening Atirfitra
(of the sacrificial session) they indeed offer sacrifice
to those deities, the Day and Night * : they become
those deities, the Day and Night, and attain to
fellowship and co-existence with the Day and Night.
9. And when they enter upon the A'aturvi^^^
day they indeed offer sacrifice to that deity, the
Year * : they become that deity, the Year, and
attain to fellowship and co-existence with the Year.
