XIII kAjvda, 3 aDhyAya, 6 brAhmava, 2. 541
4. Mu»^ibha Audanya^ it was who discovered
this atonement for the slaying of a Brahman ; and
when one offers the oblation to the Brahmahatyi he
prepares a remedy for the slayer of a Brahman by
satisfying Death himself with an oblation, and
making a protection ^ for him (the slayer). At
whosoever's A,yvamedha, therefore, this oblation is
offered, even if in after-times * any one in his family
kills a Brahman, he thereby prepares a remedy
(expiation) for him.
Sixth BRAHMAiVA.
1. When the horse was slaughtered, the life-sap*
went out of it ; it became the A^vastomlya (set
of oblations *) : when he offers the A^vastomlya
(oblations) he indeed supplies the horse with
life-sap,
2. He performs it with ghee ; for ghee is life-sap, and the A^astomlya is life-sap : by means of life-
* That is, according to Harisv&min, the son of Udanya (Odana, St. Petersb. Diet.), Taitt. Br. Ill, 9, 15, 3, has Mundihhsi Audanyava (i.e. the son of Udanyu, Siy.) instead. The Taitt. Br., besides, makes the crime to be expiated here to be, not * brahmahatyi,' but *bhrfi«ahatyi,* the killing of an embryo. Slya«a, however, there allows to *bhr<bfa' optionally its later meaning of *a Brdhma^a versed in the three Vedas and the sacrificial art (kalpa),' and the Taitt. Br. itself, at all events, takes this oblation to ' bhriwiahatyi ' to atone likewise for the slaying of a Brihma^a.
* Harisv&min explains * paripSnam ' by ' pari^ish/a^w^vSnantam p&nam ' (?) ; whilst Sdyana, in Taitt. Br., takes it in the sense of *sarvataA p&tram,' i.e. having made the Sacrificer 'a thoroughly worthy person.'
• Harisvdmin here unwarrantably takes * aparfthii ' in the sense of ' in past times.'
^ Or, sacrificial essence.
• See p. 336, note 2.
Digitized by
34 2 DATAPATH A-BRAHMAiVA.
sap he thus puts life-sap into it. He performs
with ghee, for that — to wit, ghee — is the favourite
resource of the gods : he thus supplies them with
their favourite resource.
3. Having performed the A^vastomiya (set of)
oblations, he offers the Dvipadis*; for the A^va-
stomlya is the horse, and the Dvipadi is man, for
man is two-footed (dvip4d), supported on two (feet) :
he thus supplies him with a support
4. Concerning this they say, ' Is the A^vastomlya
to be offered first, or the DvipadA?' The A^va-
stomlya, surely, is cattle, and the DvipadA is man :
inasmuch as he performs the DvipadAs after perform-
ing the A^vastomlya, man subsequently establishes
himself amongst cattle.
5. Sixteen Arvastomlya oblations he performs,
for animals (cattle) consist of sixteen parts * : that
is the measure of cattle, and he thus supplies cattle
with their (right) measure. Were he to offer either
less or more, he would deprive cattle of their (right)
measure. Sixteen he offers, for cattle consist of
sixteen parts: that is the measure of cattle, and
he thus supplies cattle with their (right) measure.
He offers no other as a final oblation^: were he
to offer another as a final oblation, he would lose
* The formulas of the six dvipadds — i.e. (verses) consisting of two pidas— are found V^. S. XXV, 46-47.
' See XII, 8, 3, 13 ; for a highly artificial explanation of the six- teen parts of the man Pra^ipati, probably intended here, X, 4, i, 17. Elsewhere those of animals are explained as including head, neck, trunk, tail, the four legs and eight claws ; see Weber, Ind. Stud. IX, p. HI, note.
' This would seem to be directed against the practice of
performing the oblation to Heaven and Earth immediately after
the Afvastomfyas, see p. 336, note 2.
Digitized by
XIII KAiVDA, 3 adhyAya, 6 brAhmaya, 6. 343
his support. The Dvipadis he offers last, for
DvipadAs are a support: he thus finds a support
(establishes himself). With, * To 6^umbaka hail ! '
he offers, at the purificatory bath, the last oblation ' ;
for Cumbaka is Varu«a: by sacrifice he thus
manifestly redeems himself from Varu»a. He
offers it on the head of a white-spotted *, bald-
headed (man) with protruding teeth' and reddish
brown eyes ; for that is Varu;«a s form : by (that)
form (of his) he thus redeems himself from Varu;«a.
6. Having stepped out (of the water) he prepares
twelve messes of cooked rice for the priests, or
performs twelve ish/is. Concerning this they say,
* These — to wit, ish/is — are a form of sacrifice : were
he to perform ish/is, the sacrifice would be ready
to incline towards him; but he would become the
worse for it, for, surely, of exhausted strength now
are the metres (offering formulas) of him who has
performed the Soma-sacrifice ; — how could he make
use of them • so soon ? For when the sacrifice is
complete, Va>& (speech and sacred writ ^) is wholly
gained, and, being gained, it now is exhausted in
strength, and, as it were, wounded and mangled;
but sacrifice is speech : hence he should not make
use of it/
* See p. 336, note i.
* ? Or, pale. Siya«a, on Taiit. Br. Ill, 9, 15, 3» explains * jukla' by '>&itrin' (? having white spots, or affected with white leprosy). Harisvamin does not explain the word.
» Harisvamin explains 'viklidha' by 'dantura,' i.e. one who has projecting teeth; whilst Siyana, l.c., explains it by either 'given to perspiring (svedanafllajartra),' or * moist-bodied (? leprous, or, old, in bodily decay, viklinnadeha).'
* Cf. V, 6, 5, 13 * that triple Veda is the thousandfold progeny
Digitized by
344 ^atapatha-brAhma^va.
7. Having stepped out (of the water) he should
certainly prepare twelve messes of rice for the
priests ; for cooked rice is Pra^pati, and Pra^pati
is the year, Praj^pati is the sacrifice : it is the year,
the sacrifice, he thus gains, and the sacrifice becomes
ready to incline towards him, and he does not
become the worse for it.
SEVENTH BrAhMAJVA.
1. Verily, this is the sacrifice called Strengthful :
wherever they worship with this sacrifice, everything
indeed becomes strong.
2. Verily, this is the sacrifice called Plenteous:
wherever they worship with this sacrifice, everything
indeed becomes plentiful.
3. Verily, this is the sacrifice called Obtainment :
wherever they worship with this sacrifice, everything
indeed becomes obtained.
4. Verily, this is the sacrifice called Distinction :
wherever they worship with this sacrifice, everything
indeed becomes distinct ^.
5. Verily, this is the sacrifice called Severance:
wherever they worship with this sacrifice, every-
thing indeed becomes severed*.
6. Verily, this is the sacrifice called Food-
abounding: wherever they worship with this sacri-
fice, everything indeed becomes abounding in food.
7. Verily, this is the sacrifice called Sapful :
' Svakarmasu bhigena sthdpltam (? confined respectively to its own functions), comm.
* Harisv&min supplies ' ak&ryebhyaA ' — is kept away from what it is forbidden to do, or from what is not one's business.
Digitized by
XIII KkNDA, 3 adhyAya, 8 brAhma^va, I. 345
wherever they worship with this sacrifice, every- thing indeed becomes rich in sap (or drink).
8. Verily, this is the sacrifice called Abounding in
holiness : wherever they worship with this sacrifice,
the Br&hmafia is bom as one rich in holiness.
9. Verily, this is the sacrifice called Excelling in
hitting: wherever they worship with this sacrifice,
the Ri^nya is born as one excelling in hitting (the
mark).
ID. Verily, this is the sacrifice called the Long
(wide) one : wherever they worship with this
sacrifice, a wide tract of forest-land will be
provided \
11. Verily, this is the sacrifice called Fitness:
wherever they worship with this sacrifice, everything
indeed becomes fit and proper.
12. Verily, this is the sacrifice called Support
(foundation) : wherever they worship with this
sacrifice, everything indeed becomes supported
(firmly established).
EiGHTfl Brahmaj^^a.
Expiatory Offerings.
I. Now, then, of the expiations. If the sacrificial
horse were to couple with a mare, let him in addition
prepare a milk (oblation) to V&yu ; — Viyu doubtless
is the transformer of seeds, for Vdyu (the wind)
is the vital air, and the vital air is the transformer
* That is, as would seem, either as a protection from neighbour- ing countries, or as room for spreading, and as pasture-land. Cf., however, XIII, 2-4, 2, 4, where, as in Ait. Br. Ill, 44 ; VI, 23, such a belt of jungle is referred to as a source of danger to the inhabitants of a country.
Digitized by
346 jatapatha-brAhma^ta.
of seeds: by means of seed he thus puts seed into it.
2. And if disease were to befal it, let him in
addition prepare a pap to P Ash an, for Pflshan
rules over beasts (cattle); and, indeed, he thereby
gratifies him who owns cattle and rules over cattle ;
and it (the horse) thereby indeed becomes free from
disease.
3. And if sickness without (visible) injury ^ were
to befal it, let him in addition prepare for (Agni)
Vai^v&nara a cake on twelve potsherds, with the
earth serving for potsherds * ; for Vai^&nara is this
(earth) : he thereby gratifies this (earth), and it (the
horse) becomes free from disease.
4. And if an eye-disease were to befal it, let him
in addition prepare a pap to SGrya; — the Sun,
doubtless, is the eye of creatures, for when he rises
everything here moves : by means of the eye (of
the world) he thus bestows the eye upon it. And
as to why it is a pap (^aru), it is because by means
of the eye this self (body or mind) moves (ifcir).
5. And if it were to die in water, let him in
addition prepare a barley pap to Varu»a, for
Varu»a seizes him who dies in water : he thereby
thus gratifies that very deity who seizes it, and,
thus gratified, he approves his slaughtering another
(horse), and he slaughters it as one approved by
that (deity). And as to why it is (prepared) of
barley, it is because barley belongs to Varu;^a.
6. And if it were to get lost, let him in addition
* Viz. such as fever, comm.
* That is, spreading them on the earth, or on clods of earth, comm.
Digitized by
XIII kAnDA, 4 ADHYAyA, I BRAHMAiVA, 3. 347
perform an ish/i with three sacrificial dishes — a cake
on one potsherd for Heaven and Earth, a milk
(oblation) for Viyu, and a pap for Sflrya; — for
whatsoever is lost, is lost within heaven and earth ;
and the wind blows upon it, and the sun shines
upon it; and nothing whatever is lost out of (the
reach of) these deities. And even by itself^ this
(ish/i) is the recoverer of what is lost; and even
if any other thing of his were to get lost let him
perform this very offering, and he verily finds it.
And if enemies were to obtain the horse, or if it
were to die (either in any other way) or in water *,
let them bring another (horse) and consecrate it by
sprinkling: this, indeed, is the expiation in that
case.
Fourth AdhyAya. First BRAHMAiVA.
1. Pra^pati desired, 'Would that I obtained all
my desires ! would that I attained all attainments ! '
He beheld this three days' Soma-sacrifice, the
Aivamedha, and took possession of it, and sacrificed
with it : by sacrificing therewith he obtained all his
desires, and attained all attainments; and, verily,
whosoever performs the A^vamedha sacrifice obtains
all his desires, and attains all attainments.
2. Concerning this they say, ' In what season is
the beginning (to be made)?' — 'Let him begin it
in summer,' say some, ' for summer is the Kshatriya's
season, and truly this — to wit, the A^vamedha — is
the Kshatriya's sacrifice.'
3. But let him rather begin it in spring; for
* That is, even independently of the horse-sacrifice.
• That is to say, if it were to die by getting drowned, or in any other way.
Digitized by
348 ^atapatha-brAhma^a,
spring is the Br&hma^ia*s season, and truly who>
soever sacrifices, sacrifices after becoming, as it
were, a Brihma^ta : let him therefore by all means
begin it in spring.*
4. And six days, or seven days, before that full-
moon of Phfilguna, the officiating priests meet
together — to wit, the Adhvaryu, the Hotri, the
Brahman, and the Vdgktri; for under these* the
other priests are.
5. The Adhvaryu prepares for them a priest's
mess of rice sufficient for four persons : the meaning
of this has been explained ^ Four bowlfuls, four
double handfuls, four handfuls : twelvefold this is —
twelve months are a year, and the year is every-
thing, and the Ajvamedha is everything — thus it is
in order to his gaining and securing everything.
6. Those four priests eat it : the meaning of this
has been explained. He (the Sacrificer) gives to
them four thousand (cows) in order to his gaining
and securing everything, for a thousand means
everything, and the A^vamedha is everything.
And (he gives them) four gold plates weighing
a hundred (grains) : the meaning of this has been
explained *.
7. The Adhvaryu then, hanging a gold ornament
(nishka) round him, makes him mutter (Vfi^. S.
XXII, i), *Fire thou art, light and immor-
tality,'— for gold, indeed, is fire, light*, and
