* See III, 5, 3, 11-12.
' Between the two actions referred to in paragraphs 8 and 9, the digging up of the clay takes place, and hence the spade, or trowel, has changed hands. Cf. VI, 4, a, 2. [44] G g
Digitized by
450 5Atapatha-brAhmajva.
completes it (the Pravargya) with that sap ; where-
fore he says, *0 divine Heaven and Earth/ —
*May I this day compass for you Makha's
head/ — Makha being the sacrifice, he thus says,
*May I this day accomplish for you^ the head of
the sacrifice ; ' — *on the Earth's place of divine
worship,* — for on a place of divine worship of the
earth he prepares it; — *for Makha thee! for
Makha's head thee!* — Makha being the sacrifice,
he thus says, * For the sacrifice (I consecrate) thee,
for the head of the sacrifice (I consecrate) thee.'
lo. Then an ant-hill * (he takes, and puts on the
skin), with (V^. S. XXXVII, 4), *Ye divine
ants,* — for it was they that produced this : just
in accordance with the way in which the head
of the sacrifice was there cut off, he now supplies
and completes it with those (ants); — *the first-
born of the world,' — the firstborn of the world,
doubtless, is this earth'; it thus is therewith that
^ The pronouns in this and the subsequent corresponding formulas (vim, va^, te) are taken by Mahtdhara as accusatives (* te ' according to him standing for * tvim ') to which he supplies '&ddya' — 'having taken you, may I this day compass Makha's head.' The pronouns are certainly somewhat awkward, as they can scarcely be taken as genitives of material — of you, of thee.
■ See VI, 3, 3, 5, where * valmtkavapS ' is qualified by * sushirA,' hollow. The comm. on KSty. XXVI, i, a explains ' valmtkavapfi' as the vap& (omentum)-like inner lump (? surrounded by a kind of net) of an ant-hill : in the present case, this substance is likewise placed on the black antelope-skin to be mixed with the clay.
' Whilst in the text of the formula this word must be taken as being plural 'prathama^V the Brdhma/ia (making use of the Sandhi-form) treats it as if it were singular ' prathams^/ Maht- dhara also, apparently influenced by the Br&hmana, explains, ' the earth is the firstborn of creatures, and, from their connection with it, ants also are called firstborn/
Digitized by
XIV kXnda, I adhyAya, 2 brAhmajva, 12. 451
he supplies and completes it; — *may I this day
compass for you Makha's head on the Earth's
place of divine worship: — for Makha thee!
for Makha's head thee!' — the import of this is
the same as before.
11. Then (earth) torn up by a boar (he takes),
with (Va^. S. XXXVII, 5), *Only thus large
was she in the beginning,' — for, indeed, only
so large was this earth in the beginning, of the
size of a span. A boar, called £m(isha, raised
her up, and he was her lord Prs^pati : with that
mate, his heart's delight, he thus supplies and com-
pletes him^; — 'may I this day compass for you
Makha's head on the Earth's place of divine
worship: for Makha thee! for Makha's head
thee ! ' the import of this is the same as before.
1 2. Then Adira^ (-plants), with (V&g. S. XXXVII,
6), *Indra's might ye are,' — ^for when Indra
encompassed him (Vish;^u) with might, then the
vital sap of him, thus encompassed, flowed away ;
and he lay there stinking, as it were. He said,
* Verily, after bursting open (&-dar), as it were,
this vital sap has sung praises : ' thence Addra
(-plants originated); and because he lay there
stinking (pfiy), as it were, therefore (they are also
called) PAtlka ; and hence, when placed on the fire
^ That is, he supplies Pra^pati (and hence also his counterpart, the Sacrificer) with the Earth, his mate. See J. Muir, Orig. Sansk. Texts, vol. i, p. 53 ; vol. iv, p. 27; and cp. Taitt. I, 10, 8, where the earth is said to have been uplifted by a black boar with a thousand arms.
* At IV, 5, 10, 4 we met with this plant — ^here also called Piitika, and explained, by the comm. on Kity., as=the flowers (I) of th^ Rohisha plant (? Guilandina, or Caesalpinia, Bonducella) — as a sub« stitute for Soma-plants.
Gg2
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
452 s-atapatha-brAhma/va.
as an offering, they blaze ; and hence also they
are fragrant, for they originated from the vital
sap of the sacrifice. And inasmuch as Indra,
on that occasion, encompassed him with might,
therefore he says, * Indra's might ye are;' — *may
I this day compass for you Makha's head
on the Earth's place of divine worship: for
Makha thee! for Makha's head thee!' the
import of this is the same as before,
13. Then goat's milk; — for when the sacrifice
had its head cut off, its heat went out of it, where-
from the goat was produced: it is with that heat^
that he thereby supplies and completes it; — with,
*For Makha thee! for Makha's head thee!'
the import of this is the same as before.
14. These, then, are the five equipments with
which he equips (the Pravargya), — fivefold is the
sacrifice, and fivefold the victims, and five seasons
are in the year, and the year is he that shines
yonder, and the Pravargya also is that (sun): it
is him he thus gratifies. These (objects), thus
brought together, he touches with, *For Makha
(I consecrate) thee! for Makha's head thee!'
the import of this is the same as before.
15. Now there is an enclosed space* on the north
* Thus perhaps ' suk ' should also have been rendered at VI, 4, 4, 7, where it is used in connection with the ass.
* Viz. a space five cubits square enclosed with mats on all sides, and with a door on the east side, the ground being raised in the middle so as to form a mound covered with sand (cf. Ill, i, a, a). The object of this enclosed space is to prevent any unauthorised person (such as the Sacriiicer's wife, and people uninstructed in the scriptures) from seeing the manufacturing of the Mahivfra (during which the door is kept closed), as well as the completed pot.
Digitized by
i^g l»*ig- ii.jjaB' ,^^ .
XIV kAjvda, I adhvAya, 2 brAhmaata, .17. 453
side: whilst proceeding towards that (shed) they
mutter (V4f. S. XXXVII, 7 ; Rig-^v. I, 40, 3), ' May
Brahmanaspati go forward f ' — Brahma^aspati
(the lord of devotion) doubtless is he that shines
yonder, and the Pravargya also is that one : it is
him he thus gratifies ; hence he says, * May Brah-
manaspati go forward ; ' — * may the goddess
Gladness go forward!' — for the goddess Glad-
ness she (y&Jk^) is; — *unto the hero*, kindly to
men and the dispenser of fivefold (offerings),' —
he thereby praises and magnifies it (the Pravargya),
— ' unto the sacrifice may the gods lead us ! ' —
he thereby makes all the gods its guardians.
16. It is an enclosed space ; — for at that time the
gods were afraid, thinking, * We hope that the fiends,
the Rakshas, will not injure here this our (Pra-
vargya):' they accordingly enclosed for it this strong-
hold, and in like manner does this (Sacrificer) now
enclose for it this stronghold.
17. He then deposits (the sambhAras') on the
mound with, *For Makha thee! for Makha's
head thee!' the import of this is the same as
before. He then takes a lump of clay and makes
the Mah4vlra (pot) with, 'For Makha thee!
for Makha's head thee,' — the import of this is
The place is to the north of the anta^p&tya peg, the black antelope- skin being spread to the south of it (and immediately north of the materials used in making the pot).
* Thus Mahtdhara, on VS^. S. XXXIII, 89.
* * Vfra,' apparently an allusion to * Maht-vtra' (great hero), the name of the pot used at the Pravargya.
' Viz. as placed on the black antelope-skin which is carried northwards to the encbsed place by the Adhvaryu and his assistants taking hold of it on all sides.
Digitized by
454 ^ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiyrA.
the same as before; — a span high\ for the head
is, as it were, a span high; — contracted in the
middle *, for the head is, as it were, contracted in
the middle. At the top he then draws it out (so
as to form) a spout' of three thumbs' breadths
(high) : he thereby makes a nose to this (Mahivira,
or Pravargya). When it is complete, he touches
it with (V4^. S. XXXVII, 8), 'Makha's head
thou art,' — ^for it indeed is the head of Makha
Saumya (the Soma-sacrifice). In the same way
(he makes) the other two (MahAvlra pots*);
silently two milking-bowls (pinvana*), and silently
two Rauhi»a-plates •.
1 8. Verily this sacrifice is Pra^pati, and Praglpati
' That is, from bottom to top, a belt (mekhali) ninning round it at the distance of three thumbs' breadths from the top (Mahtdhara, and comm. on Kdty.). This top part above the belt — ^here simply called * mouth,' whilst in the Apast. St. XV, 2, 14 it is called • back' (s^nu) — ends in a hole for pouring the liquid in and out
' That is, for taking hold of it (mush/igraha^^ayogyam, comm. on KSty.).
* « Mukha,' for which Kiiy. XXVI, i, 16 has * ise^ana ' explained by the commentator as a hole (garta ; comm. on Ajv. GriTiyas. IV, 3 bila), apparently serving as the mouth, or open part of the vessel which seems to be otherwise closed. The edge of the hole would seem to protract sufficiently from the surface to suggest a similarity to the nose. In making the vessel, it seems first to be left solid, the open part which is to hold the milk being then hollowed out by means of a reed from the top hole to the depth of less than the upper half, the remainder remaining solid. Cf. Ajv. ^r. XV, 3, 4.
* Only the first of the three pots is, however, actually used ; unless it gets broken by accident.
* According to the comm. on Kdty. St., these vessels are of the form of the (hand-shaped) bowl of an oflfering-ladle (srui, cf. part i, p. 67, note 2).
* The Rauhi»a-kap&]a8 are two round, flat dishes for baking the Rauhi»a cakes on.
Digitized by
XIV kXnda, I adhyAya, 2 brAhmajva, 20. 455
is both of this, defined and undefined, limited and
unlimited ^ Whatever one does with a Ya^s
formula, by that one makes up that form of him
(Prs^pati) which is defined and limited; and what-
ever one does silently, by that one makes up that
form of him which is undefined and unlimited: verily,
then, whosoever, knowing this, does it on this wise,
makes up that whole and complete Pra^pati. But
he also leaves over a lump of spare (clay) for
expiations.
19. He then smooths * it by means of Gavedhuki
grass (Coix barbata), — ^for when the sacrifice had
its head cut off, its vital sap flowed away, and
therefrom those plants grew up : with that vital
sap he thus supplies and completes it; — with,
'For Makha thee! for Makha's head thee!'
the import of this is the same as before. In
the same way the other two (Mahdvlra pots);
silently the two milking-bowls, silently the two
Rauhi^a-plates.
20. He then fumigates these (vessels) with (VA^.
S. XXXVH, 9), 'With dung of the stallion,
the impregnator, I fumigate thee,* — for the
* Cf. J. Muir, Orig. Sansk. Texts, vol. v, p. 393, where a passage is quoted from Prof. Cowell's translation of the Maitri-Upanishad (VI, 3), * There are two forms of Brahma, the embodied (mftrta) and the miembodied (ami^rta) : the former is unreal (asatya), the latter real (satya).'— Cf. ^at. Br. VI, 5, 3, 7.
■ The Sfitras use the verbs ' jlakshwayati, jlaksbitkurvanti ' (to make smooth, or soft), and this, I think, must indeed be the meaning of *hinv.' It would also suit very well the passage III, 5, i, 35, where it is said that the Vedi is a woman, and that, by sprinkling the former with water, one * makes her smooth ' for the gods. The polishing of the vessels is done by rubbing them with Gavedhukft grass, whether with the spike, stem, or leaves is not specified.
Digitized by
456 iSATAPATHA-BRAHMAi^TA.
Stallion is an impregnator, and the impregnator
means vigour: with vigour he thus supplies and
completes it, — 'on the Earth's place of divine
worship: for Makha thee, for Makha's head
thee!' the import of this is the same as before.
In the same way (he fumigates) the other two
(Mahdvtra pots) ; silently the two milking-bowls, and
silently the two Rauhi^ira-plates.
21, He then bakes them, for what is baked
belongs to the gods. He bakes them by means
of bricks, for they it was that did so on that
occasion * : just in accordance with the way in
which the head of the sacrifice was there cut off,
he now supplies and completes it with those
(bricks). But, indeed, let him bake them with
anything* whereby they may become properly
baked. Having laid down the fuel for baking*,
he puts down the Mah4vlra (pot), with, * For
Makha thee, for Makha's head thee!' the
import of this is the same as before. In the
same way the other two MahAvlra (pots) ; silently
the two milking-bowls, silently the two Rauhi«a-
plates. By day he should bury them (in the hole),
and by day he should take them out, for the day
belongs to the gods.
