with his fires : he thus causes him to be bom from his own (maternal) womb.
14. And some, indeed, bum him in (ordinary) fire
(procured) in the village ; but let him not do this, for
such fire is a promiscuous eater, an eater of raw flesh :
it would be capable of devouring him completely,
together with his sons and his cattle.
15. And some, indeed, burn him in a forest-fire;
but let him not do this ; for such fire is unappeased :
it would be capable of burning him up together with
his sons and his cattle.
1 6. And some, indeed, bum him in a firebrand;
but let him not do this; for such fire belongs to
Rudra : it would be capable of destroying him
together with his sons and his cattle.
1 7. And some, indeed, build up a funeral pile in
the midst of the (three) fires, and, by burning him,
unite him with his fires, thinking, * There, — to wit, in
the midst of his fires, — ^assuredly is the Sacrificer's
abode.' But let him not do this ; for if in that case
any one were to say of him, * Verily, this one has
caused a cutting up in the middle of the village :
the cutting up of him will speedily come about ^ :
he will weep for his dearest;' then that would
indeed be likely to come to pass.
Second Brahmaya,
I. Now, N&ka Maudgalya once said, 'If he
believe the Sacrificer to be about to die, let him take
^ The burning of the dead body seems to be compared here with the cutting up of the victim which is done outside the sacriBcial ground. Harisv&min, indeed, takes 'grdma' here, not in the sense of * village,' but in that of * agnisamftha ' — in the midst of the (set of) sacrificial fires — which, if it were possible, would certainly make the comparison even more striking.
Digitized by
202 ^yATAPATHA-BRAHMAJVA.
Up the two fires in the chuming-sticks, and, having
churned out (a new fire), let him continue offering
(the Agnihotra) at whatever place may have com-
mended itself to him for the immolation ^. And if
the Sacrificer should then depart this world, —
2. Let him build a pile for him^ in the midst
of his fires, and, by burning him, unite him with his
fires/ But let him not do this ; for, verily, that (fire)
does not submit thereto that they should make offer-
ing to it as for the burning of a dead body : it is
rather to sacrifice and oblations that it submits, and,
unable to endure it, it stays by him with impatience,
3. He should rather proceed thus : — let him bid
them seek three pots, and, having put therein either
(dried) cowdung or straw ^ let him place them
separately on the (three) fires ; and let them then
burn him by means of the fires produced from that
blaze: in this way he is indeed burned by (these)
fires, though not visibly, so to speak.
4. Wherefore, also, it has been said by the Rishi
(V^. S. XIII, 45*), *The Agni who was born
from Agni, from the pain of the earth or be
it of the sky; whereby Vi^vakarman begat
* Literally, at any place at which the cutting up may have com- mended itself to him (to take place). Whether this 'cutting up' is here to be taken figuratively of the burning of the corpse (diha- sthdne, Harisvdmin), or of the sacrifice of a barren cow, which may be performed in such a case, or of both, is not quite clear.
' The construction would rather seem to be, — let him build him (i. e. the dead body) up as a pile amidst his fires.
' The real meaning of * jumbala ' is not known, — ace. to the St Fetersb. Diet., some material which readily takes fire, such as straw or oakum. Harisvdmin takes it in the former sense, — tr/«dny alpa- sawsthitini. Cf. Kdty. XXV, 7, 12 (? dried cotton fibre or pods).
* Cf.VII,6, 2, 21.
Digitized by
XII kAjvda, 5 adhyAya, 2 brAhmajva, 7. 203
living beings, him, O Agni, may thy wrath spare ! ' As the verse, so its explanation.
5. Now, in the first place, he cleanses him of all
foul matter, and causes the foul matter to settle on
this (earth); for this (earth) is indeed foul matter:
he thus consigns foul matter to foul matter. For,
indeed, from that intestine of his, filled with foul
matter, when it is burnt, a jackal is produced : (hence
he removes it), * lest a jackal should be produced.'
But let him not do this, or his family will be liable
to starve. Having washed him out inside, he anoints
him with ghee, and thus makes it (the body) sacri-
ficially pure.
6. He then inserts seven chips of gold in the
seven seats of his vital airs ; for gold is light and
immortality: he thus bestows light and immortality
on him.
7. Having then built a pile for him in the midst
of his fires, and spread out a black antelope skin
with the hairy side upwards, and the neck-part
towards the east, he lays him down thereon with
the face looking upwards, and puts the ^uhft-spoon
filled with ghee on his right, and the upabhm on
his left hand, the dhruvi- on the breast, the Agni-
hotra-ladle on the mouth, two dipping-spoons on the
nostrils, two prlritra-harawas* on the ears, the cup
used for carrying forward the lustral water on the
head, two winnowing-baskets at the sides, on the
belly the vessel used for holding the cuttings (of
the id&)y filled with clotted ghee, the wedge (yoke-
pin) beside the male organ, two mallets beside the
testicles, and behind them the mortar and pestle,
* That i8, two bowls used for holding the Brahman's 'fore- portions'; see part i, p. 69, note 4.
Digitized by
204 ^ATAPATHA-BRAHMAi^A.
the Other sacrificial vessels between the thighs ; and the wooden sword on the right hand,
8. Thus supplied with the sacrificial weapons
(implements), that Sacrificer passes on to that place
which has been won by him in heaven, even as
if one who fears spoliation were to escape it;
and, verily, those fires (which are) to be enkindled
(will) lovingly touch him, even as sons lovingly
touch their father when he comes home after staying
abroad, and make everything ready for him \
9. If the Girhapatya were to reach him first, one
may know that the permanent fire has reached him
first : that he will permanently establish himself, and
that those behind him will permanently establish
themselves in this world.
10. And if the Ahavantya were to do so, one may
know that the foremost fire has reached him first : that
he has been foremost in conquering the (other) world,
and that those behind him will be foremost in this
world.
11. And if the Anvihiryapaiana were to do so,
one may know that the food-eating fire has reached
him first : that he will eat food, and that those behind
him will eat food (be prosperous) in this world.
1 2. And if they all (were to reach him) at the same
time, one may know that he has conquered a blessed
world. Such, then, are the distinctions in this respect.
13. This, then, is that offering of the Sacrificer s
body which he performs at the end: from out of
that place which has been won by him in heaven
he arises immortal in the form of an oblation.
* That is, they make everything comfortable for him, make him feel at home : — prakri'sh/am evainam svarge kalpayanti pratish/^i* tarn; nityasthitatv&t pratishMd girhapatya^ ; comm.
Digitized by
XII KANDA, 6 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAiNTA, 2. 205
14. Whatever stone and earthen (vessels of the
deceased) there are they may be given to a Brih-
ma«a^ ; but, verily, he who accepts them is regarded
as a remover of corpses. Let them rather throw
these (vessels) into the water, for the waters are the
foundation of all this (universe) : he thus establishes
him firmly on the waters.
1 5. Either a son (of the deceased), or a brother,
or some other Brihma»a then performs that offering*,
with (Vdf. S. XXXV, 22), ' From out of him thou
(O Agni) art born: from out of thee let this
N. N. be born again into the heavenly world,
hail!* They then go away without looking back,
and touch water.
Sixth AdhyAya. First Brahmajva. Expiatory Oblations of Soma-sacrifice.
1. Verily, Prs^pati, the sacrifice, is King Soma;
and these deities to whom he offers, and these obla-
tions which he offers, are forms of him.
2. If any part of the sacrifice were to fail, let him
make an oblation with regard to that same deity for
whom he may have intended (that part), — on the
Ahavantya, if it is during the initiation and the
' According to Katy. XXV, 7, 32, 33 the stone and earthen implements are to be thrown into the water ; and metal ones may optionally be given to a Brdhman (or likewise be thrown into the wate;-).
* According to Kdty. XXV, 7, 34-37 a sterile cow may be offered prior to (or along with) the burning of the body : in which case the victim is to be killed by a blow behind the ear, and its kidneys are to be placed in the deceased's hands, whilst his face is to be covered with the omentum or membrane enclosing the intestines. The final offering referred to in the above passage consists of an oblation of ghee. \
Digitized by
206 iSATAPATHA-BRAHMAJyrA.
Upasads ; on the Agnidhra, if it is at the Soma-
pressing ; — ^for whatever joint of the sacrifice fails,
that breaks ; and whichever then is the deity in that
(part of the sacrifice) through that deity he heals the
sacrifice, through that one he makes the sacrifice
complete again K
3. If, however, the sacrifice, resolved upon in his
mind, were not to incline to him ^, let him perform
an oblation with, * To ParameshMin hail!' for
Paramesh/Ain (the most high) he (Soma ^) then is :
he repels evil, and the sacrifice inclines to him,
4. And if the sacrifice, bespoken by his speech *,
were not to incline to him, let him perform an
oblation with, *To Pra^dpati hail!' for Pra^pati
(the lord of creatures) he then is : he repels evil,
and the sacrifice inclines to him.
5. And if any one's (people), having gone in quest
of the King (Soma), do not come back bringing
(Soma-plants), let him perform an oblation with,
* To the plant hail I ' for the plant he then is : he
repels evil, and the sacrifice inclines to him.
6. And if, when acquired, (his Soma) were to
meet with any mishap, let him perform an oblation
with, *To Savitrz hail!' for Savitrt he then is :
he repels evil, and the sacrifice inclines to him.
7. And if during the initiation (his Soma) were
^ Cf. IV, 6, 7, 6.
* That is to say, if untoward circumstances were to arise threatening to prevent the intended Soma-sacrifice. The mental resolve (sa/«kalpa), on the part of the Sacrificer, is the first act in the performance of a sacrifice.
' Or, it (the sacrifice), as Harisvdmin takes it.
* That is, after he has announced his intention to perform a Soma-sacrifice, by saying * Somena yakshye,' * I will sacrifice by means of Soma/
Digitized by
XII kAnda, 6 adhyAya, i brAhma^a, 13. 207
to meet with any mishap, let him perform an obla-
tion with, *To Vi^vakarman hail !' for Vi,9vakar-
man he then is : he repels evil, and the sacrifice
inclines to him.
8. And if (his Soma) were to meet with any
mishap in regard to the (cow) given in exchange
for the Soma, let him perform an oblation with,
* To PAshan hail!* for PAshan he then is: he
repels evil, and the sacrifice inclines to him.
9. And if (his Soma) were to meet with any mis-
hap when forthcoming for the purchase, let him
perform an oblation with, *To Indra and the
Maruts hail ! ' for Indra and the Maruts he (Soma)
then is : he repels evil, and the sacrifice inclines
to him.
ID. And if (his Soma) were to meet with any
mishap whilst being bargained for, let him perform
an oblation with, *To the Asura hail!' for the
Asura he then is : he repels evil, and the sacrifice
inclines to him.
11. And if (his Soma) were to meet with any
mishap after he has been bought, let him perform an
oblation with, *To Mitra hail !' for Mitra he then
is : he repels evil, and the sacrifice inclines to him.
12. And if (his Soma) were to meet with any
mishap whilst seated on (the Sacrificer's) lap\ let
him perform an oblation with, *To Vishnu ^'ipi-
vish/a hail I' for Vishnu 61pivish/a he then is : he
repels evil, and the sacrifice inclines to him.
