' Or, perhaps, — these (great) utterances are used with the * Sarvapriyaj^ittam ' (libation for expiating every mistake). Accord- ing to Kity. XXV, I, 10, five verses are also to be muttered after
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XII KkNDAy 4 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAiVA, 9. l8r
he thus makes expiation with all this (universe). Having collected the potsherds let him throw them to where the ashes have been removed. This, then, is the rite performed in that case.
9. They also say, * If any one's Agnihotra-cow were to lie down whilst being milked, what rite and what expiation would there be in that case ? ' Well, some make her get up by means of the Ya^s-formula, 'The divine Aditi hath risen/ — Aditi, doubtless, is this (earth) : — thus saying, * It is this (earth) we thus raise for him ; * — * life hath she bestowed upon the lord of sacrifice/ thereby say- ing,' It is life we thus bestow upon this (Sacrificer)/ — 'giving unto Indra his share/ thereby saying, *It is Indra s power we thus bestow upon him/ — 'and unto Mitra and Varu«a/ — Mitra and Varu«a, doubtless, are the in-breathing and the up-breathing : — thus saying, 'It is the in and up-breathing we thus bestow upon him/ At this offering he should present that (cow) to a Brihma^a whom he does not intend to visit* — (thus they enjoin) saying, *It was, indeed, after perceiving the Sacrificer s suffer- ing and evil that she lay down : we thus fasten the suffering and evil on this (Br4hma»a) K'
the libation with the three 'great words.' As regards the libation itself, it is to be made in the G&rhapatya with <bhQ^/ in the DakshiwSgni with *bhuvaV and in the Ahavantya with 'Sva^'; cf. ib. sfitra 13.
* The commentators on K%. XXV, i, 15 are. divided in interpretation of this passage ; whilst some take it in the above (and most natural) sense, others take it to mean — to the Br&hma^a who will not be coming again to his (the Sacrificer's) house.
* The reason why a Brdhman is thus chosen to serve as scape- goat doubtless is that his holy nature is supposed to be proof against such evil influences (cf. Weber, Ind. Stud. X, p. 64).
Digitized by
1 82 jatapatha-brAhmajva.
10. But on this point Y^gh avalkya said, * Surely,
the cow turns from them as from faithless ones, and
they smite the offering with trouble ; let him rather
do it in this way: — Let him make her get up by
pushing her with a staff/ And, indeed, as in the case
of one driving about here, his horse, or his mule,
or his ox yoked (to the car) might become weary,
and, by its being urged forward by means of a staff
or a goad, he completes the way he wishes to
accomplish, even so does he, by that (cow) being
urged forward by means of a staff or a goad, attain
that heavenly world which he desires to reach.
11. And Aru«i, indeed, said, 'His Agnihotra-
cow, assuredly, is the sky, her calf is that blowing
(wind), and the Agnihotra-vessel is this (earth).
And, verily, the Agnihotra-cow of him who knows
this does not perish, for how could yonder (sky)
perish ? Neither does the calf of the Agnihotra-
cow of him who knows this perish, for how could
that (wind) perish ? Nor does the Agnihotra-vessel
of him who knows this break to pieces, for how
could this (earth) break to pieces ? The rain-cloud
showers down blessings : let him therefore think,
'* Unable to bear my glory and greatness, she (the
Agnihotra-cow) has lain down : I shall become more
glorious." Let him keep her for himself^: he there-
by takes glory (prosperity) to himself,' — thus spake
Aru«i. This, then, is the rite performed in that
case.
12. They also say, * If any ones Agnihotra-cow were to low whilst he gets it milked, what rite and
* That is, he is not to give the cow to a Br&hmaiia ; cf. Kdty. XXV, I, 17.
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XII KkNDA, 4 ADHYAYA, 2 BRAhMAJVA, 2. 1 83
what expiation would there be in that case ? ' Let
him pluck a bunch of grass and make her eat
thereof. This is, the rite performed in that case.
Second Brahmaata.
1. They also say, * If any one's Agnihotra-cow were
to milk blood, what rite and what expiation would
there be in that case ? ' Let him say * Disperse ! '
and having made a stirring-spoon, let him order the
AnvShArya-paiana fire to be enclosed ; and having
boiled that (blood) thereon, let him silently offer
it in an undefined (indistinct) way ^, for Prai^pati is
undefined, and the Agnihotra is sacred to Pragf&pati;
and the undefined also means everything : he thus
makes atonement with everything. At this offering
he should give that (cow) to a Brdhmai^a whom he
does not intend to visit ; for, indeed, she who milks
blood milks it after perceiving the Sacrificers
suffering and evil : he thus fastens that suffering
and evil upon this (Brdhma^^a). Let him then
make offering with what other milk he can procure :
by that which is not unsound he thus throws out
what is unsound in the sacrifice. This, then, is the
rite performed in that case.
2. They also say, * If any one's Agnihotra-milk
were to become impure ^ whilst being milked, what
rite and what expiation would there be in that
case ? ' Now some think that it should be offered
' According to Kity. XXV, 2, 2, it is to be offered on hot cinders of the Dakshi/f&gAi with the formula, ' To Rudra, hail 1 '
* Or rather, perhaps, — if anything impure were to get (to fall) into any one's Agnihotra-milk ; cf. XII, 4, 2, 9.
Digitized by
1 84 ^ATAPATHA-BRAHMAi^TA.
(arguing that) it is ready (for offering), and it would
be improper if it were not offered; and that the
gods have no loathing for anything. But the gods
have indeed loathings : — let him rather proceed
in the following way. Having shifted some hot
cinders from the GArhapatya, let him -silently pour
that (milk) on these hot cinders. He then pours
water thereon, and thus secures (ap) it by means of
the water (&p). Let him then make offering with
what other (milk) he can procure. This, then, is the
rite performed in that case.
3. They also say, * If any one s Agnihotra-milk
were to become impure after he has had it milked,
what rite and what expiation would there be in that
case ? ' Let him shift back the coals which were
shifted away (from the fire) and on which he was
going to put (the Agnihotra-milk) ; and let him
then pour it silently on these hot cinders. He
then pours water thereon, and secures it by means
of the water. Let him then make offering with
what other (milk) he can procure.
4. They also say, * If any one's Agnihotra-milk
were to become impure after being put on the fire,
what rite and what expiation would there be in that
case ? ' Let him offer it silently on the coals which
were shifted away (from the fire), and on which
it had been placed : thus it is both offered and
not offered ; for inasmuch as he offers it on those
(hot coals) it is offered, and inasmuch as he extin-
guishes it along with them it is not offered. He
pours water thereon, and secures it by means of
the water. Let him then make offering with what
other (milk) he can procure.
5. They also say, * If the Sacrificer were to die
Digitized by
XII kXndAj 4 adhyAya, 2 brAhmajnta, 8. 185
when the Agnihotra-milk has been put on the fire,
what rite and what expiation would there be in
that case?' Having enclosed it, let him pour it
out: and such, indeed, they say, is the expiation
(in that case) for every Haviryaf»a. This, then,
is the rite performed in that case.
6. They also say, * If any ones Agnihotra-milk
were to be spilled after being ladled out into the
offering-spoon, what rite and what expiation would
there be in that case ? * Let him touch it with
the (formula of) atonement for spilling, and, having
poured water thereon, let him make offering with
what (milk) there is left. And if the spoon be
turned upside down, or if it were to break, let him
touch (the spilled milk) with the (formula of)
atonement for spilling, and, having poured -water
thereon, let him make offering with what (milk)
is left in the pot
7. Now some go back (to the Gftrhapatya) and
make offering with what (milk) is left in the pot ;
but let him not do this, for, indeed, that Agnihotra
is conducive to heaven, and if any one, in that case,
were to say of him, ' Surely, this one has descended
again from the heavenly world : this (offering) will
be in no wise conducive to heaven for him,' then
that would indeed be likely to come to pass.
8. Let him rather do it in this way : — let him
sit down there and then, and let them ladle out
and bring to him what (milk) there is left in the
pot. Now some perplex him, saying, * Surely, this
(milk) is the remainder of an offering ; surely, this
is exhausted : offering should not be made thereof;'
but let him give no heed to this ; for, surely, when
that (milk) is of unexhausted strength it is used for
Digitized by
1 86 DATAPATH A-BRAHMAiVA.
curdling the offering-material ^ : let them therefore
ladle out and bring to him what (milk) there is left
in the pot; and if there should not be any in it,
let him put on the fire what other (milk) he can
procure ; and when he has made the light fall on
it^, and poured water to it, and taken it off (the
fire), — then on that (former) occasion* he (the
Adhvaryu) says, * I will ladle out* ; ' but on the
present occasion let them ladle it out in the way
it is (there) ladled out and bring it to him ; and
let him by all means make offering ther<swith. This,
then, is the rite performed in that case.
9. They also say, * If any ones Agnihotra-milk
were to become impure after it has been ladled into
the offering-spoon, what rite and what expiation
would there be in that case ? ' Now some think it
should be offered, on the ground that it is ready (for
offering), and it would be improper if it were not
offered, for the gods have no loathing for anything.
And some fill it to overflowing and let it flow off^; —
but let him not do this ; for if, in that case, any one
were to say of him, ' Surely, this (priest) has poured
away the Agnihotra : this Sacrificer will be poured
away,' then that would indeed be likely to come to
pass. Let him rather do it in this way : — let him put
' Literally, they make it the means of curdling the havis ; — cf. XI, I, 4, I, where the sour milk from last night's milking is so used. In the same way the milk not used for the Agnihotra might have served for curdling next morning's milk.
'^ Viz. by means of a lighted straw, cf. II, 3, i, 16.
* Viz. at the evening-oflFering of the Agnihotra; the Sacrificer then replying, 'Om, ladle out!' At the morning-offering the Adhvaryu says, *I ladle out,' instead. Cf. part i, p. 331, note i.
* Or, < shall I ladle out ? ' as the Paddhati on Kity. I V, 1 4, 8 takes it '^ That is to say, they let the impure matter flow off.
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XII KANDA, 4 ADHYAyA, 3 BRAHMAJVA, 2. 187
fuel on the Ahavantya, and, having shifted some hot
cinders away from the Ahavantya, let him silently
pour it on these hot cinders. He then pours water
on it, and secures it by means of the water ; and let
him then make offering with what other (milk) he can
procure. This, then, is the rite performed in that case.
10. They also say, * If it were to rain upon
(uparish/fit) any one's Agnihotra-milk when it has
been ladled into the offering-spoon, what rite and
what expiation would there be in that case ? ' Let
him know, * Light (or sap) has come to me from
above (uparish/4t) ; the gods have helped me :
I shall become more glorious;' and let him by
all means make offering therewith. This, then, is
the rite performed in that case.
