^ This is the meaning assigned here to ' vayas ' by Mahidhara ; but the other meaning of * vayas,' viz. * youthful vigour, or age, (generally),' would seem to suit much better, or at least to be implied. And Harisvdmin accordingly takes it in the sense of 'vdrdhakam' (old age, or long life). Mahtdhara, moreover, identifies the horse with the horse-sacrifice, which, in the shape of a bird, carries the Sacrificer up to heaven. On this notion cp. part iv, introduction, pp. xxi-xxii.
" Instead of * ^rt^,' the answer given to this question in V^. S. XXIIIy 12 was ' avi^ ' which would either mean * the gentle, kindly one,' or 'the sheep (f.),' but which Mahtdhara (in the former sense)
Digitized by
3 1 6 ^ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
17. *Who was the tawny one?' — the two
tawny ones, doubtless, are the day and the
night ^ : in the day and night he thus establishes
himself.
Seventh BnAHMAiVA.
1. When the victims have been bound (to the
stakes), the Adhvaryu takes the sprinkling-water
in order to sprinkle the horse. Whilst the Sacrificer
holds on to him. behind, he (in sprinkling the horse)
runs rapidly through the formula used at the Soma-
sacrifice^, and then commences the one for the
Arvamedha,
2. [V^. S. XXIII, 13,] 'May VAyu favour
thee with cooked kinds of foodV — Vjiyu (the
wind) indeed cooks it*; — *the dark-necked one
with he-goats,' — the dark-necked one, doubtless,
* Here the original text in Va^. S. XXIII, 12, has simply * the pijangili was the night/ Mahidhara explains ' pi^hgila ' by * pija/«- gila,' * beauty-devouring,' inasmuch as the night swallows, or conceals, all beauty (or form). Neither this nor the other explanation (=pi^hga, ruddy-brown) suits the day ; but Harisvimin, who does not explain the name, remarks that the night here is taken to include the day. Cf. XIII, 5, 2, 18.
« Viz.V^.S.VI,9; see III, 7. 4, 4-5.
' The author seems to take * pa^taii^ ' in the sense of * cooking.'
* Viz. inasmuch as it causes the fire to blaze up, comm.
Digitized by
XIII KANDA, 2 ADHYAya, 7 BRAHMAiVA, 7. 317
is Agni (the fire) ; and the fire indeed cooks it (the horse) together with the he-goats.
3. *The Nyagrodha with cups/ — for when the
gods were performing sacrifice, they tilted over
those Soma-cups, and, turned downwards, they took
root, whence the Nyagrodhas (ficus indica), when
turned downwards (nyai), take root (roha ^).
4. *The cotton-tree with growth,' — he confers
growth on the cotton-tree (salmalia malabarica),
whence the cotton-tree grows largest amongst
trees \
5. ' This male, fit for the chariot,' — he supplies
the chariot with a horse, whence the horse draws
nothing else than a chariot
6. *Hath come hither on his four feet,' —
therefore the horse, when standing, stands on three
feet, but, when harnessed, it pulls with all its feet
at one and the same time,
7. *May the spotless Brahman protect us!' — the spotless'* Brahman (m.), doubtless, is the moon:
* Or, whence the Nyagrodhas grow downwards. This refers to the habit of the Indian fig-tree, of sending down from the branches numerous slender roots which afterwards become fresh stems. Cp. the corresponding legend in Ait. Br. VII, 30, told there by way of explaining why Kshatriyas, being forbidden to drmk Soma, should drink the juice extracted from the descending roots of the Indian fig-tree. Another reason why the Indian fig-tree (also called * va/a ') is here connected with the priests' Soma-cups (i^amasa), is that this is one of the kinds of wood used in making those cups (cf. Kity. I, 3, 36 comm.),
* According to Stewart and Brandis, Forest Flora, p. 31, the cotton-tree (or silk-cotton tree) is a very large tree of rapid growth, attaining a height of 150 ft., and a girth of 40 ft.
' Lit. *the non-black Brahman,' explained as one who has no black spots ; though it is difficult to see why the moon should be favoured with this epithet.
Digitized by
3i8 .^atapatha-brAhmajva.
to the moon he thus commits it; — 'Reverence to Agni!' — to Agni he thus makes reverence.
8. [V4^. S. XXIII, 14,] 'Trimmed up is the
car with the cord,' — with cord one indeed com-
pletes the car\ whence a car, when enveloped
(with cords*), is very handsome.
9. * Trimmed up is the steed with the rein,'
— ^with the rein one indeed completes the horse,
whence the horse, when curbed by the rein, looks
most beautifult
10. 'Trimmed up in the waters was the
water-born,' — the horse, indeed, has sprung from
the womb of the waters ' : with its own (mother s)
womb he thus supplies it; — ' Brahman (m.), with
Soma for his leader/ — he thus makes it go to
heaven with Soma for its leader.
11. [V&^. S. XXIII, 15,] 'Thyself, fit out thy
body, O racer,' — 'Take thyself the form which
thou wishest,' he thereby says to him; — 'make
offering thyself,' — sovereign rule (independence)
he thereby confers on it ; — 'rejoice thou thyself,'
— ' enjoy (rule) thou thyself the world as far as thou
wishest,' he thereby says to him; — 'thy glory is
not to be equalled by any one!' — ^with glory
he thereby endows the horse.
12. [VS^. S. XXIII, 16*,] 'Thou shalt not die
^ In Indian vehicles the different parts are held together by cords. For a drawing see Sir H. M. Elliot, The Races of the N. W. Provinces of India, II, p. 342. The word for * cord ' and 'rein ' is the same in Sanskrit.
' Paryuta^=parivesh4to ra^^bhi^, comm. ; hardly 'hung all round (with ornaments)/ as the St. Petersb. Diet, takes it.
» See V, I, 4,5; VI, I, I, II.
^ The first two p&das of this verse form the first half-verse of J?xg-veda S. I, 162, 21.
Digitized by
XIII kAjvjda, 2 adhyAya, 7 brAhmajva, 14. 319
here, neither suffer harm/ — he thereby cheers
it; — 'on easy paths thou goest to the gods,' —
he thereby shows him the paths leading to the
gods; — 'where dwell the pious, whither they
have gone,' — he thereby makes it one who shares
the same world with the pious; — * thither the god
Ssivitri shall lead thee,' — it is, indeed, Ssvitrz
that leads him to the heavenly world. — Whilst
whispering^ *I sprinkle thee, acceptable unto
Pra^fipati,' he then holds (the sprinkling water)
under (its mouth).
13- [V4f. S. XXIII, 17,] 'Agni was an animal;
they sacrificed him, and he gained that world
wherein Agni (ruleth) : that shall be thy
world, that thou shalt gain, — drink thou this
water!' — *As great as Agni's conquest was, as
great as is his world, as great as is his lordship,
so great shall be thy conquest, so great thy world,
so great thy lordship,' this is what he thereby says
to him.
14. *V&yu was an animal; they sacrificed
him, and he gained that world wherein V4yu
(ruleth): that shall be thy world, that thou
shalt gain, — drink thou this water ! ' — * As great
as Viyu s conquest was, as great as is his world, as
great as is his lordship, so great shall be thy
conquest, so great thy world, so great thy lordship/
this is what he thereby says to him.
* Cp. I, 4, 5, 1 2 : ' Hence whatever at the sacrifice is performed for Pra^pati, that is performed in a low voice (under the breath) ; for speech would not act as oblation-bearer for Pra^pati.' Pra^pati, as representing generation, is often spoken of as ' undefined ' or ' unexpressed (secret) ' ; and so is what is muttered in a low voice.
Digitized by
320 DATAPATH A- BkAHMAiVA,
15. 'SArya was an animal; they sacrificed
him, and he gained that world wherein Sflrya
(ruleth) : that shall be thy world, that thou
shalt gain, — drink thou this water!' — * As great
as SOrya's conquest was, as great as is his world, as
great as is his lordship, so great shall be thy
conquest, so great thy world, so great thy lordship/
this is what he thereby says to him. Having
satisfied the horse, and consecrated again the
sprinkling water, he sprinkles the other victims:
thereof hereafter.
Eighth BRAHMAiVA.
I. Now the gods, when going upwards, did not
know (the way to) the heavenly world, but the
horse knew it : when they go upwards with the
horse, it is in order to know (the way to) the
heavenly world. 'A cloth, an upper cloth, and
gold,' this ^ is what they spread out for the horse * :
* The * iti * seems superfluous ; Harisv&min explains it by * ctat trayam/ For a similar use of the particle, see XIII, 2, 2, i.
' That is, they spread them on the ground for the horse to lie upon. Differently St. Petersb. Diet., * they spread over the horse ; ' but see Katy. XX, 6, 10 comm. ; and Harisvamin :~vaso yad antardh&n^ydlam, adhivdso yad i^^Mdaniyilam, taii >hi vdsasa upari stara^fyam, tayor upari hiranya^n nidheyam, tasmims traye enam adhi upari sa/»^^apayanti ; — and he then remarks that these three objects here do not take the place of the stalk of grass which, in the ordinary animal sacrifice, is thrown on the place where the victim is to be killed and cut up (III, 8, i, 14 ; K4ty. VI, 5, 15- 16), but that the stalk is likewise put down on this occasion. Similarly the comm. on Kdtydyana, where it is stated that the stalk of grass (or straw) is first laid down, and then the others thereon. Indeed, as was the case in regard to the stalk of grass — representing the barhis, or layer of sacrificial grass on the vedi— so here the fourfold underlayer is intended to prevent any part of the sacrificial material (havis)— the victim in this case — from being spilt. The
Digitized by
XIII kAnda, 2 adhyAya, 8 brAhmaj^a, 3. 321
thereon they quiet (slay) it, as (is done) for no other
victim; and thus they separate it from the other
victims.
2. When they quiet a victim they kill it. Whilst
it is being quieted, he (the Adhvaryu) offers (three)
oblations ^ with (Va^. S. XXIII, 18), 'To the
breath hail! to the off-breathing hail! to
the through-breathing hail!' he thereby lays
the vital airs into it, and thus offering is made by
him with this victim as a living one \
3. With, 'Amb4! Ambik4! Ambalika»! there is no one to lead me,' — he leads up the (four)
upper garment (or cloth) must be sufficiently large to allow its being afterwards turned up so as to cover the horse and the queen consort.
' Prior to these, however, he offers the two 'Pariparavya,' i. e. * oblations relating to the victim,' — or, perhaps, 'oblations per- formed in connection with the carrying of fire round the victim,' for this last ceremony is performed for all the victims (whereupon the wild beasts placed between the stakes are let loose) before the killing of the horse. See III, 8, i, 6-16.
* For the symbolic import of this, see III, 8, 2, 4.
' These are just three variants used in addressing a mother (Mutter, Matterchen, Matterlein), or, indeed, as here, any woman (good lady! good woman!). Ace. to KSty. XX, 6, 12, this is the formula which the assistant priest (the Nesh/n', or, according to others, the Praiiprasthdiri, cf. K&ty. VI, 5, 27-28) makes the king*s wives say whilst leading them up to the slain horse to cleanse it. It is, moreover, to be preceded by the formula used, at this juncture, at the ordinary animal sacrifice, viz. * Homage be to thee, O wide-stretched one, advance unresisted unto the rivers of ghee, along the paths of sacred truth 1 Ye divine, pure waters, carry ye (the sacrifice) to the gods, well-prepared I may ye be well-prepared preparers!' (Ill, 8, 2, 2-3). The words *Amb4!' &c. are, according to Mahtdhara, addressed by the women to one another. The latter part of the formula as given in the V5^. Samh. (viz. ' the horse sleeps near Subhadriki, dwelling in K&mp!la') is apparently
Digitized by
3? 2 DATAPATH A-BrAhMAJVA,
wives ^ : he thereby has called upon them (to come), and, indeed, also renders them sacrificially pure.
4. With (Vfi^. S. XXIII, 19), 'We call upon
thee, the host-leader of (divine) hosts, O my
true lord!' the wives walk round ^ (the horse),
and thus make amends to it for that (slaughtering*):
even thereby they (already) make amends to it ; but,
