7. For this (offering) there are fifteen kindling-
^ One would expect an * iti ' here.
" Or, furnished with bundles of arrows, — ^ishuparshi»a^, for which Kdty. XX, 2, 11, has 'kaldpina^' (=^rdvapanabhastrS- vanta^ schol.). HarisvSmin explains it as if it were equivalent to * ishuvarshi«ai5,' * showering arrows/
^ Harisvdmin takes ' kshdttra ' as the body of revenue-ofiScers (tax-gatherers, &c.), ' dyavyayddhyakshasamAha^.'
* That is, according to Harisvdmin, over twenty-four years old ; his explanation being based on the etymology of ' nirash/am ' as ' outside the eight ' (viz. characteristics of age in horses, each of which is supposed to hold good for three years).
' The three ish/is to Savitri', treated of in paragraphs 6-17, as well as the proceedings subsequent thereto, are repeated every day during the twelvemonth during which the sacred horse is allowed to roam about.
A a 2
Digitized by
356 ^atapatha-brAhmaata.
verses; and the two butter-portions relate to the
slaying of Vr/tra \ [The verses, Hig-vcda, V, 82, 9 ;
VII,. 45, i], *He who calleth forth all these
beings (with his call, may he, Savitr/, quicken
us) !' and * May the divine SavitW come hither,
treasure-laden, (filling the air whilst driving
with his steeds; holding in his hand many
things meet for man; and laying to rest and
awakening the world),' pronounced in a low
voice, are the invitatory and offering formulas of
the chief oblation. Those of the Svish/akr/t are
two vir4f- verses \ The priests' fee is gold weigh-
ing a hundred (grains) : the meaning of this has
been explained.
8. Whilst the fore-offerings of this (ish/i) are
being performed, a Br4hman lute-player, striking
up the uttaramandrA (tune*), sings three strophes
composed by himself (on topics * such as), * Such
a sacrifice he offered, — Such gifts he gave:' the
meaning of this has been explained*.
9. He then prepares a second (offering) — ^a cake
on twelve potsherds to Savitr/ Asavitr^' — think-
ing, *May Savitri propel this my sacrifice!' for
Savitz-e, indeed, is the propeller (isavitr/).
* See p. 350, note 3. * See p. 351, note 3.
* Or, touching the uttaramandri lute,— literally, the 'upper deep' one, i.e. perhaps one the chords of which are pitched in the upper notes of the lower key. Cf. SchoU. on Kdty. XX, 2, 8 uttaramandrft ka, g^yanaprasiddhd ; — uttaramandrfi-saivs^g^y&ffi \iniyim. Harisv&min does not explain the term.
* Taitt. Br. Ill, 9, 14, 3 mentions three topics — one for each stanza, — viz. * ^hus (such and such gifts) thou gavest, /kus (by such and such sacrifices) thou didst sacrifice, fAus thou didst cook (i.e. with such and such food thou didst regale the priests).'
* See XIII, I, 6, 6.
Digitized by
XIII kAjVDA, 4 ADIIYAYA, 2 BRAhMAJVA, 12. 357
10. For this (offering) there are seventeen
kindling- verses ; and the two butter-portions are
possessed of that which is^: the (truly) existent
he thereby obtains. [The verses, Htg-veda, V, 82, 5 ;
VII, 45, 3,] 'All troubles, O divine Savitr/,
(keep from us, do thou send us that which
is good)!' and* May that mighty god Savitr/
(the lord of treasure, send us treasure;
shedding wide-spread lustre, may he bestow
upon us the joys of mortal life)!' pronounced
in a low voice, are the invitatory and offering
formulas of the chief oblation. Those of the
Svish/akm are. two anush/ubh verses *• Silver is
the priests' fee, — for the sake of variety of colour,
and also for the sake of (the horse's) going outside '
and not going away. It weighs a hundred (grains),
for man has a life of a hundred (years), and
a hundred energies : it is life, and energy, vigour,
he thus secures for himself.
11. Whilst the fore-offerings of this (ish/i) are
being performed, a BrAhman lute-player, striking up
the uttaramandri (tune), sings three strophes com-
posed by himself (on topics such as), * Such
a sacrifice he offered, — Such gifts he gave:' the
meaning of this has been explained.
12. He then prepares a third (offering) — a cake
* That is, their anuviky&s contain forms of the root *as' (or 'bhQ'), to be; cf. p. 352, note 2.
« See XIII, 4, I, 15, p. 353, note i.
' Viz. going outside the sacrificial ground, and yet not running away from its keepers, — ^this, according to the text, would be symbolically expressed by the gold (which was given as the priests' fee for the first offering) giving place to silver at the second offering, but coming in again at the third.
Digitized by
358 ^ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA,
on twelve potsherds to Savitr/ Satyaprasava
(*of true impulse'); for that, indeed, is the true
impulse which is Savitrzs: 'May he impel with
true impulse this my sacrifice ! ' so he thinks.
13. For this (ish/i) there are again seventeen
kindling- verses. The two butter -portions are
possessed of 'wealth^,' with a view to his obtain-
ing and securing vigour, for wealth is vigour
(strength). [The verses, /?/g-veda V, 82, 7 ; IV, 54,
4,] *The all-divine, true lord (we hope to
gain this day by our hymns, Savitr/ of true
impulsion),' and * Indestructible is that (work)
of the divine Savitre, (that he will ever
sustain the whole world: whatever he, the
fair-fingered, bringeth forth over the extent
of the earth and the expanse of the sky, that
is truly his own),' pronounced in a low voice, are
the invitatory and offering formulas of the chief
offering. Those of the Svish/akrzt (he makes) the
regular ones *, thinking, * Lest I should depart from
the path of sacrifice : ' he thus finally establishes
himself in the well-ordered sacrifice. Trish/ubh-
verses they are for the sake of his gaining and
securing (Indra's) energy, vigour, for the Trish/ubh
is the vigour in Indra. The priests' fee is gold
weighing a hundred (grains) : the meaning of this
has been explained ^
14. Whilst the fore-offerings of this (ish/i) are
* That is, their invitatory formulas contain the word * raji ' (wealth). What particular verses are intended here, I do not know.
" Viz. the trish/ubh-verses J?/g-veda X, 2, i ; VI, 15, 14; see p. 351, note 3.
' XII, 7, 2, 13.
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XIII kXnda, 4 adhyAya, 2 brAhma^a, 17, 359
being performed, a BrAhman lute-player, striking
up the uttaramandrA (tune), sings three strophes
composed by himself (on topics such as), *Such
a sacrifice he offered, — Such gifts he gave:' the
meaning of this has been explained.
15. When this (offering) is completed, the
Adhvaryu and the Sacrificer rise, and whisper in
the horse s right ear (Va^?-. S. 5^X11, 19), ' Plenteous
by thy mother, strengthful by thy father . . . ! '
the meaning of this has been explained ^ They
then set it free towards the north-east, for that —
to wit, the north-east — is the region of both gods
and men : they thus consign it to its own region,
in order to its suffering no injury, for one who is
established in his own home suffers no injury.
16. He says, 'O ye gods, guardians of the
regions, guard ye this horse, consecrated for
offering unto the gods!' The (four kinds of)
human guardians of the (four) regions have been
told, and these now are the divine ones, to wit, the
Apyas, SAdhyas, Anv4dhyas * and Maruts ; and
both of these, gods and men, of one mind, guard
it for a year without turning (driving) it back. The
reason why they do not turn it back, is that it is
he that shines yonder,-^and who, forsooth, is able
to turn him back ? But were they to turn it back,
everything here assuredly would go backward (go
to ruin) : therefore they guard it without turning
it back.
17. He says, * Ye guardians of the quarters, those who go on to the end of this (horse-sacrifice) will
* See XIII, I, 6, i seqq., 3, 7. 1-2 seqq,
* On these divine beings see Weber, Ind. Stud. IX, p. 6, note.
Digitized by
360 ^ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
become (sharers of) the royal power, they will
become kings worthy of being consecrated; but
those who do not go on to the end of this (sacrifice)
will be excluded from royal power, they will not
become kings, but nobles and peasants, unworthy
of being consecrated : do not ye therefore be heed-
less, and keep it (the horse) from water suitable for
bathing and from mares ! And whenever ye meet
with any kind of Br&hmanas, ask ye them, ** O Br&h-
mawas, how much know ye of the A^amedha ? "
and those who know naught thereof ye may
despoil; for the A^amedha is everything, and he
who, whilst being a 6r&hma»a, knows naught of the
A^vamedha, knows naught of anything, he is not
a Brihma»a, and as such liable to be despoiled.
Ye shall give it drink, and throw down fodder for
it; and whatever prepared food there is in the
country all that shall be prepared for you. Your
abode shall be in the house of a carpenter of
these (sacrificers ^), for there is the horse's resting-
place.'
Third BrAhmajva.
I. Having set free the horse, he (the Adhvaryu)
spreads a cushion wrought of gold (threads) south
of the Vedi : thereon the Hotrt seats himself. On
the right (south) of the Hotrt, the Sacrificer on
a gold stool ^ ; on the right of him, the Brahman
^ Thus Harisvftmin, — teshdm ksL ya^mdnin&/» madhye ratha- kdro yas tasya grille yushm&ka>9i vasata^. The plural is probably meant as including the subjects of the king (cf. XI, 8, 4, i), and the villages within reach of which the horse will roam.
' At XI, 5, 3, 4 ; 7 ' ktvksL ' seems to mean a bunch or pad of grass, used as a seat. In the present instance it is explained as
Digitized by
XIII kAjvda, 4 adhyAya, 3 brAhmajva, 3, 361
and Udg&tri on cushions wrought of gold ; in front
of them, with his face to the west, the Adhvaryu on
a gold stool, or a slab of gold.
2. When they are seated together, the Adhvaryu
calls upon (the Hotri), saying, * Hotr/, recount the
beings : raise thou this Sacrificer above the beings ^*'
Thus called upon, the Hotrz, being about to tell the
Pariplava* Legend, addresses (the Adhvaryu),
* Adhvaryu !'—* Havai » hotar!' replies the Adh-
varyu.
3. * King Manu Vaivasvata,* he says; — *his people are Men, and they are staying here*;' —
a seat with feet (sap&dam isanam, Schol. on Kity. XX, 2, 19), or as a seat or stool which has the appearance of a pad (pi/Aam ktLrkikrtii, ? i.e. with a pad on it). According to Asv. Sr, X, 6, 10 the king is surrounded by his sons and ministers.
* Or, perhaps, * raise this Sacrificer above (or, up to) the things of the past ; ' but see paragraph 15.
* That is, the * revolving, recurrent, or cyclic legend,' so called because it is renewed every ten days during the year.
' Harisvdmin explains this interjection, as if it were 'hvayai'= pratihvayai, ' I will respond, I am ready to respond ; ' and, though this is probably a fanciful explanation, the arrangements made on this occasion are clearly such as to suggest a studied resemblance to the call and counter-call of the two priests on all occasions of a solemn utterance of sacrificial formulas, or the recitation of hymns, as at the Pr&taranuv&ka (part ii, p. 226 seqq.). Kdty. XX, 3, 2, accordingly, calls it the Adhvaryu's 'pratigara,' or response. Asw. Sr. X, 6, 13 makes the Adhvaryu's answer 'ho hotar'; and Sihkh. St. XVI, i ' hoyi hotar/
* The Hotr/'s utterances on the ten days of the revolving period (as set forth in passages 2-14) occur also, with some variations of detail, in the manuals defining the Hotrx^s duties, viz. the AjvalSyana (X, 7) and .Sihkhayana (XVI, 2) Sfitras (whilst the works of the Taittiriyakas seem to have nothing corresponding to this performance). Both Sfitras omit ^rigi' each time. Arval^- yana, moreover, omits also the ' iti ' along with it, because he does not interrupt the formula by an insertion, as is done here (ity &ha)
Digitized by
362 ^-atapatha-brAhmaj^a.
householders, unlearned in the scriptures, have
come thither M it is these he instructs ; — ' The
Rik (verses) are the Veda*: this it is;' thus
saying, let him go over a hymn of the Rik, as if
reciting it^ Masters of lute-players have come
