* This is the way in which the scholiasts interpret the corres- ponding rule, K&ty. •S'r. XXI, 3, i (pitn'medha^ sa/Rvatsarismrxlau), instead of ' when they do not remember it (even once) for years, he brings it about that the sin is forgotten, even in case they should remember it,' as Prof. Delbrflck, Altind. Syntax, p. 351 translates the passage. For the subject of the verb *they remember it,' Prof. Delbrtlck supplies ' pitara^/ i. e. the dead man's deceased ancestors, instead of the living people, which seems rather improb* able. The comment is very corrupt, but it makes at least some allusion to 'people's talk': — na smi\h xrutyabh&vas {fJkm) tena iirakanu»ena agha;» p&pakara»am gamayati, kix^i xma^ana/n kurva- sx9S2M2jn (? kurvataA xrava^iam) ^unav&do«pi na xrmottty (1) artha^.
' In this way Harisv&min, as well as the scholiasts on KSty. XXI, 3, 3, construes the clause with the next paragraph, and it is difficult to see how otherwise any satisfactory sense could be extracted from it. At the same time, it can evidently only qualify the first specification of time, as the others will apply in any case.
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XIII juXnda, 8 adhyAya, i brAhmajva, 5. 423
3. Let him make it in uneven years, since the
uneven belongs to the Fathers ; and under a single
Nakshatra \ since the single Nakshatra belongs to
the Fathers ; and at new-moon, since the new-moon
is a single Nakshatra ; — for he (the Sacrificer) is
a single (person) ; and in that all the beings dwell
together during that night, thereby he obtains that
object of desire which is (contained) in all Nakshatras.
4. Let him make it in autumn, for the autumn is
the SvadhA, and the Svadhd is the food of the
Fathers : he thus places him along with food, the
SvadhA; — or in (the month of) Mdgha, thinking,
• Lest (m4) sin (agha) be in us ; ' — or in summer
(nid^gha), thinking, * May thereby be removed (ni-
dh&) our sin (agha) ! '
5. Four-cornered (is the sepulchral mound). Now
the gods and the Asuras, both of them sprung
from Pra^pati, were contending in the (four)
regions (quarters). The gods drove out the Asuras,
their rivals and enemies, from the regions, and,
being regionless, they were overcome. Wherefore
the people who are godly make their burial-places
four-cornered, whilst those who are of the Asura
nature, the Easterns and others*, (make them)
' That is, a lunar mansion consisting of a single star, such as iTitr^ and Pushya (in contradistinction to such in the dual, as PunarvasO and Viiftkhe, and to those in the plural number, as the KrrUik&s). As regards the symbolic connection of the uneven number with the deceased ancestors, the commentator reminds us of the &ct that it is the father, grandfather, and great-grandfather who represent the Fathers. — The only available MS. of the com- mentary (Ind Off. 149) terminates at this place.
' Y& isurya^ pr&i(yas t^i^d ye tvat parimai»i^l&ni (xmar&nini kurvate), — Prof. Weber, Ind. Stud. I, p. 189, takes this in the sense of ' part of the prsL^ya, the dsurya^ prs^i^ of them (hence probably
Digitized by
424 ^atapatha-brAhmaj^^a.
rounds for they (the gods) drove them out from the
regions. He arranges it so as to lie between the
two regions, the eastern and the southern*, for in
that region assuredly is the door to the world of the
Fathers : through the above he thus causes him to
enter the world of the Fathers ; and by means of
the (four) comers he (the deceased) establishes him-
self in the regions, and by means of the other body *
(of the tomb) in the intermediate regions : he thus
establishes him in all the regions.
6, Now as to the choosing of the ground. He
makes it on ground inclining towards the north, for
the north is the region of men : he thus gives him
(the deceased) a share in the world of men ; and in
that respect, indeed, the Fathers share in the world
of men that they have offspring; and his (the
deceased mans) offspring will, indeed, be more
prosperous.
7. * Let him make it on ground inclining towards
the south,' they say, * for the world of the Fathers
inclines towards the south : he thus gives him a
share in the world of the Fathers.' Let him not do
so, however, for, indeed, such a one is an opening
tomb, and certainly another of these (members of
the dead man's family) quickly follows him in
death.
the non-Aryan portion of them), have round nnarina.' J. Muir, Orig. Sansk. Texts, vol. ii, p. 485, takes no account of the words ' ivad ye tvat/ For our rendering of these words, cp. V, 3, 2, 2 j(idr&ms tvad y&ms tvat, 'iStldras and others,' or '.Sfidras and suchlike people/
^ That is to say, its front side is towards the south-east. Cp. p. 428, note 4.
* That is, by means of the sides of the grave which are to face the intermediate points of the compass.
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XIII KkNDAf 8 ADHyAyA, I BRAHMAYA, 9. 425
8. And some, indeed, say, 'Let him make it on
a counter-cutting^ in ground inclined towards the
south, for such (a tomb) indeed becomes rising sin K*
But one must not do so, for indeed such (a burial
place) alone becomes rising sin which one makes on
ground inclining towards the north.
9. On any level (ground) where the waters,
flowing thither from a south-easterly direction',
and coming to a stand-still, will» on reaching that
(north-westerly) quarter, without pressing forward *,
join imperishable water •, on that (ground) one may
make (the tomb) ; for, water being food, one thereby
offers food to him from the front towards the back ;
and, water being the drink of immortality, apd
that region between the rising of the seven ^/shis *
and the setting of the sun being the quarter of the
living, one thereby bestows the drink of immortality
upon the living : — and such a one, indeed, is a clos-
ing tomb ; and verily what is good for the living
that is also good for the Fathers.
' This 18 meant as a literal rendering of ' pratyarsha/ What is intended thereby would seem to be either a cutting made into south- ward sloping ground, in such a way as to make the cut piece of ground rise towards the south, or perhaps such a part of the south- ward inclined ground as naturally rises towards the south. The St. Petersburg Diet suggests 'steep bank (escarpment), or side (of a hill).' Kdty. XXI, 3, 15 (kakshe) seems also to imply some kind of hollow ground, surrounded by bushes and trees.
' That is, apparently, lightened, or improving, sin.
' It might also mean, in a south-easterly direction, but the comparison with food introduced into the mouth from the front (east) and the specification of the opposite direction evidently point to the above meaning.
* That is, without urging forward the standing water which they join, but quickly flowing into it
* That is, apparently, such a lake as never dries up.
* That is, [/rsa major ^ the Great Bear, or Charles's Wain.
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426 ^ATAPATHA-BRAHMAi^A,
10. Let him make it in a pleasant (spot), in order
that there should be pleasure for him; and in a
peaceful (spot), in order that there should be peace
for him. He must not make it either on a path, or
in an open space, lest he should make his (the
deceased's) sin manifest.
11. Whilst being secluded it should have the sun
shining on it from above ' : in that it is secluded
one hides his sin ; and in that it has the sun shining
on it from above — yonder sun being the remover of
evil — he, indeed, removes the evil from him, and he
also causes him to be endowed with the radiance of
the sun.
12. Let him not make it where it would be
visible from here *, for assuredly it is beckoning,
and another of these (members of his family) quickly
follows (the deceased) in death.
13. Let there be beautiful objects ' at the back, —
for beautiful objects mean offspring: beautiful
objects, offspring, will thus accrue to him. If there
be no beautiful objects, let there be water either at
the back or on the left (north) side, for water is
indeed a beautiful object; and beautiful objects,
offspring, will indeed accrue to him.
14. He makes it on salt (barren) §oil, for salt
means seed ; the productive thus makes him partake
in productiveness, and in that respect, indeed, the
* That is, it should be in a place where at midday the rays of the sun do not fall obliquely on it, KSty. XXI, 3, 15 comm.
« That is, from the village, cf. Kdty. XXI, 3, 18.
' Or, beautiful ground (^tra). According to the comments on K&ty. XXI, 3, 23 this means that the site of the grave should be so chosen that there are at the back (or west) of it, either woods of various kinds, or ground diversified by woods, hills, temples (!) ftc.
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XIII KksDAy 8 adhyAya, I brAhmaj^a, 1 6. 427
Fathers partake in productiveness that they have
oflFspring: his offspring assuredly will be more
prosperous.
15. On such (ground) as is filled with roots, for to
the Fathers belongs the (sod) filled with roots ; — it
is (sod) of vlri»a (Andropogon muricatus) and other
grasses, for thus the Fathers' share in this (earth)
is not excessive ^ ; and he also thereby makes (the
deceased's) sin to be restricted K
16. Let him not put it near (where grows)
BhClmiplya*, or reeds, or A^magandhi*, or Adh-
y&nd&, or Prwnipar«l (* speckled-leaf,' Hemionitis
cordifolia); nor let him make it near either an
A,fvattha (Ficus religiosa), or a Vibhltaka (Termin-
alia bellerica), or a Tilvaka (Symplocos racemosa), or
a SphClr^ka (Diospyros embryopteris), or a Haridru
(Pinus deodora), or a Nyagrodha (Ficus indica), or
* Whilst their share would have been excessive, if all the ground covered with vegetation were assigned to them. It is also worthy of note that Kdty. Sr, XXV, 7, 17, in enumerating the plants which are to be removed from the site of the funeral pile, mentions (apparently in the place of our Bhdmip^S) the Vi^kha, explained by the commentator as identical with 'diirvi' ; and Sir H. M. Elliott, Races of the N. W. Province of India, II, p. 303, remarks, on the Diib grass (Agrestis linearis, or Cynodon dactylon), that 'its tenacity whenever it once fixes its roots has caused it to be used in a common simile when the attachment of Zamihddrs to their native soil is spoken of.'
" Apparently lit. 'binding (itself),* ?i.e. either restricted in quantity, or limited to his own person, not transmitted to his son. Cf. XIII, 8, 3, 10. It can hardiy be taken in the sense of • binding the sin.'
' Literally, 'Earth-net,' apparently some troublesome creeping plant corresponding to our rest-harrow (Ononis arvensis or spinosa), or couch-grass (Triticum repens), but of tropical dimensions.
* Lit. * rock-smell,' perhaps identical with Arvagandhi (lit * horse^ smell,' Physalis flexuosa).
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428 ^ATAPATHA-BRAHMAi^A.
any other (trees) of evil name\ so as to avoid (such) names from a desire of good luck.
17. Now as to the order of procedure. For an
Agniiit (builder of a fire-altar) one makes the tomb
after the manner of the fire-altar ; for when a Sacri-
ficer builds a fire-altar he thereby constructs for
himself by sacrifice a (new) body for yonder world ;
but that sacrificial performance is not complete until
the making of a tomb; and when he makes the
tomb of the Agni^t after the manner of the fire-
altar, it is thereby he completes the Agni^tyi,
18. One must not make it (too) large lest he
should make the sin (of the deceased) large. * Let
him make it as large as the fire-altar without wings
and tail/ say some, ' for like that of the fire-altar is
this his (the Sacrificer's) body.'
19. But let him rather make it just of man's size :
he thus leaves no room for another ; —broader
(vartyas) behind*, for what is (left) behind is off-
spring : he thus makes the (dead man's) offspring
more excellent ^ (varlyas) ; — and broader on the left
(north * or higher, uttara) side, for the later (uttara)
' The commentator, on K4ty. XXI, 3, 20, and VS^. S. XXXV, I, instances the jleshmantaka (' antiphlegmatic/ i. e. Cordia latifolia or myxa) and the kovid&ra {* bad for splitting,' Bauhinia varie- gata; which, according to Stewart and Brandis, shows vertical cracks in the bark).
