* The -^dturmdsyas are the victims enumerated Va^. S. XXIV, 14-19. The first six of them are the last (of the set of fifteen) bound to the thirteenth stake ; whilst the remaining victims make up all the seven sets of fifteen victims bound to remaining stakes (14-2 1) — ^thus amounting to 121 domesticated animals, cf. XIII, 5, i, 13, seq. In counting the stakes the central one is the first, then follows the one immediately south, and then the one immediately north of it, and thus alternately south and north. The reason why the name * A!liiurmisya ' is applied to the victims here referred to is that the deities for whose benefit they are immolated are the same, and follow the same order, as those to whom (the chief) obla- tions are made at the Seasonal sacrifices (viz. the constant ones — Agni, Soma, Savitr/', Sarasvatf, PCishan, and special ones, see II, 5, I, 8-17 ; 5, 2, 7-16; 5, 3, 2-4; 5, 4, 2-10; 6, I, 4-6 ; 6,
' That is to say, he who seeks to gain the year by immolating only the Seasonal victims, and the sets of fifteen victims, and does not offer likewise the victims of the set (or rather two sets) of eleven
Digitized by
310 5'ATAPATH A-BrAhM AiVA.
subjects) and cattle, and fails to reach heaven/
This set of eleven (stakes), indeed, is just heaven ^,
and the set of eleven (stakes) means offspring (or
people) and catde; and when he lays hands on
the (victims) of the (two) sets of eleven (stakes) he
does not fail to reach heaven, and is not deprived
of his offspring and cattle,
3. Pra^pati created the VirSj^; when created, it
went away from him, and entered the horse meet
for sacrifice. He followed it up with sets of ten^
stakes. These two sets of eleven victims, tied to the twenty-one stakes (two being tied to the central stake), are to constitute the regular * savaniy^ pajavaA ' of the pressing-days of the Ajvamedha ; and in XIII, 5, i, 3, and 5, 3, 11, the author argues against those who (on the first, and third days) would immolate only twenty- one such victims, all of them sacred to Agni. As regards the second day, the author does not mention these particular victims, but this can scarcely be interpreted as an approval of twenty-one such victims, even though the number twenty-one certainly plays an important part on that day — ^seeing that Kity&yana, XX, 4, 25, makes the two sets of eleven victims the rule for all three days. For the third day, on the other hand, the author of the Br&hma;ia (XIII, 6> 3> 11) actually recommends the immolation of twenty- four bovine victims as * savantyd^ parava^.' The deities of the first set of eleven victims (as perhaps also of the second set of the first day) are the same as those of the ordinary 'ekida^ni ' (see III, 9, i, 6- 21 ; and V^. S. XXIX, 58), whilst the second set (of the second day, at all events) has different deities (Va^. S. XXIX, 60). On the central day these victims are added to the sets of fifteen victims bound there to each of the twenty-one stakes; the mode of dis- tribution being the same as on the other two days, viz., so that the first victim of each set — that is the one devoted to Agni — is bound to the central stake, whilst of the remaining twenty victims one is assigned to each stake.
^ Viz. inasmuch as the stakes stand right in front (to the east) of the sacrificial fire and ground, and the Sacrificer would thus miss the way to heaven if he were not to pass through the * ekadajin!.'
* The Vir^ metre consists of (three) decasyllabic pidas.
Digitized by
XIII kXnDA, 2 ADHYAyA, 6 BRAHMAiVA, I. 3II
(beasts). He found it, and, having found it, he
took possession of it by means of the sets of ten :
when he seizes the sets of eleven (beasts), the
Sacrificer thereby takes possession of the Viri^.
He seizes a hundred, for man has a life of a hundred
(years) and a hundred energies: vital power and
energy, vigour, he thus takes to himself.
4. Eleven decades ^ he seizes, for the Trish/ubh
consists of eleven syllables, and the Trish/ubh
means energy, vigour : thus it is for the obtainment
of energy, vigour. Eleven decades he seizes, for in
an animal there are ten vital airs, and the body
(trunk) is the eleventh : he thus supplies the animals
with vital airs. They belong to all the gods for the
completeness of the horse (sacrifice), for the horse
belongs to all the gods. They are of many forms,
whence beasts are of many forms; they are of
distinct forms, whence beasts are of distinct forms.
Sixth BRAHMAiVA.
I. [He puts the horse to the chariot ^ with V4^. S. XXni, 5], 'They harness the ruddy bay,
* After the (349) domesticated animals have been secured to the stakes, sets of thirteen wild beasts are placed on the (twenty) spaces between the (twenty-one) stakes, making in all 260 wild beasts. From the 150th beast onward (enumerated V^. S. XXIV, 30-40) these amount to 1 1 r beasts which here are called eleven decades ; the odd beast not being taken into account, whilst in paragraph 3 above the first ten decades are singled out for symbolic reasons. These beasts are spread over the twelfth (only the last seven beasts of which belong to the first decade) and following spaces.
' Along with the sacrificial horse three other horses are put to the chariot, with the formula W&g. S. XXIII, 6. Previously to this, however, the Hotri recites eleven verses in praise of the horse (cf. XIII, 5, 1, 16). Both the horses and the chariot are decorated
Digitized by
312 iSATAPATHA-BRAHMAJVA.
moving (round the moveless : the lights shine
in the heavens);' — the ruddy bay, doubtless, is
yonder sun : it is yonder sun he harnesses for him,
for the gaining of the heavenly world.
2. Concerning this they say, ' Surely, the sacrifice
goes from him whose beast, when brought up, goes
elsewhere than the vedi (altar-ground)/ [Let him,
therefore, mutter Vfi^. S. XXIII, 7,] 'Singer of
praise, make that horse come back to us by
that path!' — the singer of praise, doubtless, is
VAyu (the wind) : it is him he thereby places for
him (the Sacrificer) on the other side, and so it does
not go beyond that.
3. But, indeed, fiery mettle and energy, cattle,
and prosperity depart from him who offers the
A,yvamedha.
4. With (V&g-. S. XXIII, 8), 'May the Vasus
anoint thee with the Giyatra metre!' the
queen consort anoints (the forepart of the
unharnessed horse); — ghee is fiery mettle, and
the G&yatrl also is fiery mettle : two kinds of fiery
mettle he thus bestows together on him (the
Sacrificer).
5. With, *May the Rudras anoint thee with
the Traish/ubha metre!' the (king's) favourite
wife anoints (the middle part) : — ghee is fiery
mettle, and the •Trish/ubh is energy: both fiery
with gold ornaments. The Adhvaryu then drives with the Sacri- ficer to a pond of water to the east of the sacrificial ground (an indispensable feature in choosing the place of sacrifice), and having driven into the water he makes him pronounce the formula XXIII, y, ' When the wind hath entered the waters, the dear form of Indra, do thou, singer of praise, make that horse come back to us by that path ; * whereupon they return to the sacrificial ground.
Digitized by
XIII KANDA, 2 ADHYAyA, 6 BRAhMAJVA, 8. 313
mettle and energy he thus bestows together on him.
6. With, * May the Adityas anoint thee with
the G^Sgata metre!* a discarded wife^ (of the
king) anoints (the hindpart) ;— ghee is fiery mettle,
and the G^agatl is cattle : both fiery mettle and
cattle he thus bestows together on him.
7. It is the wives ^ that anoint (the horse), for
they — to wit, (many) wives — are a form of prosperity
(or social eminence) : it is thus prosperity he confers
on him (the Sacrificer), and neither fiery spirit, nor
energy, nor cattle, nor prosperity pass away from him.
8. But even as some of the offering-material may
get spilled before it is offered, so (part of) the victim
is here spilled in that the hair of it when wetted
comes off. When they (the wives) weave pearls (into
the mane and tail) they gather up its hair. They are
made of gold : the significance of this has been
explained. A hundred and one pearls they weave
into (the hair of) each part*; for man has a life
of a hundred (years), and his own self (or body)
is the one hundred and first : in vital power, in the
self, he establishes himself. They weave them in
(each) with (one of) the (sacred utterings) relating
to Pra^pati, *BQ^! bhuva^ft! svar (earth, air.
' That is, a former favourite, but now neglected ; or, according to others, one who has borne no son.
* The fourth and lowest wife of the King the Palagalt (cf. XIII, 4, 1,8; 5, 2, 8), though present at the sacrifice, does not take part in this ceremony, probably on account of her low-caste origin, as the daughter of a messenger, or courier.
' Viz. either the mane on both sides, and the tail, or the hair of the head, the neck (mane) and the tail ; each of the ladies apparendy taking one of these parts.
Digitized by
314 ^ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
heaven)!' for the horse is sacred to Prai^pati:
with its own deity he thus supplies it With,
* Parched grain, or parched groats ? — in grain-
food and in food from the cow' — ^he takes down
the remaining food ^ (from the cart) for the horse :
he thereby makes the (king's) people eaters of food ,
(prosperous); — * eat ye, gods, this food! eat
thou, Fra^Apati, this food!' he thereby supplies
the people with food.
9. Verily, fiery spirit and spiritual lustre pass
away from him who performs the Ai'vamedha.
The Hot^* and the Brahman engage in a Brah-
modya* (theological discussion); for the Hotri
relates to Agni, and the Brahman (priest) to
Brzhaspati, B/^ehaspati being the Brahman (n.) :
fiery spirit^ and spiritual lustre he thus bestows
together on him. With the (central) sacrificial
stake between them, they discourse together; for
the stake is the Sacrificer*: he thus encompasses
the Sacrificer on both sides with fiery spirit and
spiritual lustre.
ID. [The Brahman asks, VS^. S. XXIII, 9,]
'Who is it that walketh singly?' — it is yonder
sun, doubtless, that walks singly *, and he is spiritual
^ Viz. the material left over after what was taken for the Anna- homas, XIII, 2, i, i seqq.
' For a similar discussion between the four priests, prior to the offering of the omenta, see XIII, 5, 2, 11 seq.
* * Te^as * is pre-eminently the quality assigned to Agni.
* It must be remembered that the sacrificial horse here repre- sented by the stake is identified with both Pn^dpad and the Sacrificer.
* The actual replies to the questions in W^g. S. XXIII, 9 and 1 1, are contained in the corresponding verses ten and twelve ; being given here in an expository way, with certain variations and
Digitized by
XIII kAndA, 2 ADHYAYA, 6 BRAHMAiVA, 1 6. 315
lustre : spiritual lustre the two (priests) thus bestow on him.
11. *Who is it that is born again?' — it is
the moon, doubtless, that is born again (and again) :
vitality they thus bestow on him.
12. *What is the remedy for cold?' — the
remedy for cold, doubtless, is Agni (fire): fiery
spirit they thus bestow on him.
13. *And what is the great vessel?' — the
great vessel, doubtless, is this (terrestrial) world :
on this earth he thus establishes himself.
14. [The Hotrt asks the Brahman, VSf. S. XXIII, II,] 'What was the first conception?' — the first conception, doubtless, was the sky, rain : the sky, rain, he thus secures for himself.
15. *Who was the great bird^?' — the great
bird, doubtless, was the horse : vital power he thus
secures for himself.
16. *Who was the smooth one?' — the smooth
one (pilippiU), doubtless, was beauty (^rl *) : beauty
he thus secures for himself.
occasional explanatory words (such as *vnsh/i,'rain,in paragraph 14). The answers to the first four questions are supposed to be given by the Hotri', and the last four by the Brahman.
