apparatus are then in solemn fashion (carried round in front of the Ahavantya, and) placed on the throne-seat, and consecrated (or appeased) by being sprinkled with water.
* That is, at a sacrifice for which this constitutes the sacri* licial fee.
Digitized by
XIV kAnDA, 2 ADHYAyA, 2 BRAHMAi\rA, 49. 49 1
perform it for all (the Sacrificers) property; for
all one's property means everything, and this (Pra-
vargya) is everything. One may perform it at
a Vixvafit with all the Pr/sh/Aas ^ ; for the Vixva^t
(all-conquering day) with all the Pr^shMas means
everything, and this (Pravargya) is everything.
One may perform it at the Vd^peya (and) RS/a-
sflya, for such (a ceremony) means everything.
One may perform it at a sacrificial session, for the
session means everything, and this (Pravargya) is
everything. These are (the occasions for) his
performances of the Pravargya, and (let him perform
it) nowhere else but at these.
48. Here now they say, * Seeing that the Pra-
vargya is headless, whereby, then, does the Agni-
hotra become possessed of a head for him } * Let
him say, * By the Ahavanlya.' — * How the New
and Full-moon sacrifices ? ' Let him say, ' By the
ghee and the cake.' — ' How the Seasonal sacri-
fices ? ' Let him say, * By the oblation of clotted
curds \* — * How the animal sacrifice ? ' Let him
say, * By the victim and the cake.' — 'How the Soma-
sacrifice ? ' Let him say, * By the Havirdhina '.'
49. And they also say, — when the sacrifice had
its head cut off, the gods on that occasion restored
it as the hospitable reception * (of King Soma), and
verily for him who so knows this offering is not
made with any headless sacrifice whatever.
* See p. 139, note i ; and XII, 3, 3, 6.
* For the * payasyi ' see part i, p. 178, note 4 ; p. 381, note a.
' That is, the cart or carts on which the ofifering-material (indading the Soma-plants) is contained, as also the shed in which they are placed.
* See III, 2,3, 20; 4, I, I.
Digitized by
492 JAtAPATHA-BRAHMAJVA.
50. And, again, they say, 'Seeing that at the
sacrifice they lead forward the Pra«Iti * (water),
wherefore do they not lead it forward on this
occasion ? * Well, this — to wit, the Pra»iti (water)
— being the head of the sacrifice, and the Pravargya
also being its head, (he does so) thinking, * Lest
I cause the head to be overtopped by a head/
51. And, again, they say, * Seeing that elsewhere
there are fore-offerings and after-offerings, where-
fore are there not any on this occasion ? ' Well,
the fore-offerings and after-offerings being the vital
airs, and so also the Avaklrais *, and the pieces of
wood, (it is so) lest he should cause the vital airs
to be overtopped by vital airs.
52. And, again, they say, 'Seeing that elsewhere
they offer two butter-portions, wherefore does he
not offer them on this occasion ? ' Well, those
two — to wit, the butter-portions — being the eyes
of the sacrifice, and so also the two Rauhi^ia
(cakes) — (it is so) lest he should overtop eye
by eye.
53. And, again, they say, * Seeing that they make
offering to the gods by means of wooden (vessels),
wherefore does he offer this (Gharnia) by means
of one made of clay ? * When the Sacrifice had
its head cut off, its life-sap flowed away and entered
the heaven and the earth. Now this (earth) is clay,
and yonder (sky) is water; and the Mahdvlra
(vessels) are made of clay and water: thus he
supplies and completes it (the Pravargya) with that
life-sap.
54. But if it were made of wood, it would be
' See part i, p. 9, note. ' See p. 469, note i.
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
XIV KkNDA, 3 adhyAya, I brAhmajvta, I. 493
burnt ; and if of gold, it would dissolve ; and if of
copper, it would melt ; and if of stone, it would
burn the two handling-sticks; and that (Gharma)
itself submitted to that (earthen vessel) : therefore
it is by means of an earthen one that he offers it
55. And, verily, whosoever either teaches, or
partakes of, this (Pravargya) enters that life, and
that light : the observance thereof is the same as
at the creation ^
Third AdhyAya. First BrAhmaya.
The Setting Out of thk Pravargya.
I. Now, on the third, or the sixth, or the twelfth
day^ having combined (the two performances of)
the Pravargya and Upasads', he 'sets out** the
Pravargya, for set out (removed), as it were, is
this head (from the trunk). Having gathered
together all around it* (the Mah&vlra pot), they
* See p. 458, note i.
» That is, according to whether there are three, six, or twelve Upasad days to the particular form of Soma-sacrifice about to be performed. On each of these days there would be two performances of the Upasads, — and in case the Pravargya is to be performed— as many performances of that sacrifice.
' On the day before the Soma-sacrifice, the two performances of the Pravargya and the Upasads are combined and gone through in the forenoon, instead of the forenoon and afternoon as is otherwise the case. K&ty. XXVI, 7, i does not refer to the performance of the Pravargya on this day, but merely remarks that * at the end of the Upasads (i. e. of the combination of the Upasads, comm.) the removal of the Pravargya' takes place. Apast. XV, 12, 4-6, on the other hand, states distincdy that the total number of perform- ances of the Pravargya is to be double that of the Upasad days.
^ The ' setting out ' (uts&dana) of the Pravargya is the technical phrase for the removal and orderly laying out (in the form of a man) of the apparatus used for the Pravargya ceremony.
* After collecting the implements they take them out of the AH
Digitized by
494 5ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
meet together upon the Vedi in the •Saifi, (entering) by the front door.
2. The Agnidhra then brings three bundles of
faggots to the Ahavantya, and kindling one of them,
he offers (thereon) whilst holding it ^ on a level with
(the Sacrificer s) mouth. When the sacrifice had
its head cut off its heat went out of it, and entered
these worlds : it is with that heat he thus supplies
and completes it.
3. And as to why (it is held) on a level with the
mouth, — well, what is level with the mouth is, as
it were, above; and above, as it were, is yonder
(heavenly) world : thus he thereby supplies and
completes it (the Pravargya) with that heat which
had entered yonder world.
4. [He offers, with Vftf. S. XXXVIII, 18,]
*What heavenly fire of thine there is,
O Gharma,' — just the fire which is heavenly; —
*what is in the Giyatri and in the Havir-
and lay them down near the Anta^p&tya peg at a few steps from the front door (whilst Apast. makes them to be put on the throne* seat placed north of the Ahavantya).
* According to the comm. on Kdty. XXVI, 7, 4, it is the Adhvaryu who — after ladling four times into the offering-spoon — distributes this ghee successively over the three bundles of sticks, — ^viz. pouring some upon the first two whilst they are held, at the specified height over the Ahavaniya fire, by the Agnfdh (who immediately after the offering throws them into the fire), and upon the third after it has been held knee-high by the Agntdh, and then thrown into the fire by the Adhvaryu. According to Apastamba, who makes the Pratipraslhdtri and Adhvaryu the two performers, the third portion of the ghee is offered on the bundle of sticks whilst it is still held knee-high over the fire. As noted by KdtySyana, the ceremony is analogous (though reversed as regards the order of height) to the offering on the three enclosing-stones at the .Sataru^ driya ceremony, IX, i, i, 5 seqq.
Digitized by
XIV kXnDAj 3 ADHYAYA, I BRAhMAJVA, 9, 495
dh&na/ — ju^t that which is in the Gdyatrl (metre)
and Havirdh&na (shed); — *may that (fire) of
thine increase and become firm: to that
(fire) of thine, hail!' in this there is nothing
hidden, so to speak.
5. Then, having kindled the second (bundle),
he offers (thereon) whilst holding it navel-high ;
for in the middle, as it were, is what is navel-
high, and in the middle, as it were, is the air-world :
thus he thereby supplies and completes it with that
heat which had entered the air-world.
6. 'What fire of thine is in the air,' — just
the fire which is in the air; — *what is in the
Trish/ubh and in the Agnldhra,' — just that
which is in the Trish/ubh (metre) and Agnldhra
(fire-shed); — 'may that (fire) of thine increase
and become firm: to that (fire) of thine,
hail ! ' in this there is nothing hidden, so to speak.
7. Then, having put the third (bundle) on the
fire, he offers on it whilst sitting ; for below, as it
were, is he who is sitting; and below, as it were,
is this (terrestrial) world : thus he thereby supplies
and completes it with that heat which had entered
this (terrestrial) world,
8. 'What fire of thine is in the earth,' —
just that fire which is in the earth; — 'what is
in the G^agatt and in the Sadas,' — just that
which is in the G^agad (metre) and the Sadas
(shed); — 'may that (fire) of thine increase and
become firm: to that (fire) of thine, hail!* in
this there is nothing hidden, so to speak.
9. He (the Adhvaryu) then steps out\ with
^ Viz. out of the siii, with the Sacrificer's wife in front of him,
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
496 DATAPATH A-BR A HMAJV^A.
(V4f. S. XXXVIII. 19), 'Thee (we will follow)
for the protection of the Kshatra/— for he
who shines yonder * is indeed the divine nder :
* for the protection of this human ruler/ he thereby
means to say; — 'guard thou the Brahman's
body!' — that is to say, 'preserve thou the Brah-
man's person (itman);* — 'Thee (we will follow)
as a stay for the Vis,' — the Vi^ (people, clan)
doubtless is the sacrifice : ' for the safety of the
sacrifice,' he thus means to say; — 'we will follow
to new prosperity,' — it is for the safety and the
stability of the sacrifice that he says this.
10. He then says (to the Prastotrr), ' Sing the
SAman ! ' or * Recite the S&man ! ' but let him
rather say, ' Sing the Siman ! ' for they indeed sing
the S&man. When he sings the Siman it is in order
that the fiends, the Rakshas, should not injure these
and followed by the others. According to Apast. XV, 13, 4, the Pratiprasthitr/ now leads the Sacrificer's wife within the enclosure ; and whilst attendants carry away the objects not immediately connected with the Pravargya ceremony (post, peg, strings, sand, &c.), the Adhvaryu places the throne-seat (with the chief vessels) so as to stand with two feet on the Vedi, and with the other two outside it, and calls on the Prastotri to sing the S&man. This (as is usual in chanting) is done three times — ^the Adhvaryu, however, repeating his summons each time — and each time all of them (including the Patnf) sing or utter a special finale, — the first time in the si\i, the second time midway between the ^ala and the Uttaravedi, and the third time when they have arrived behind the Uttaravedi; the finales corresponding to the formulas of this paragraph, viz. — * For the protection (or protector) of heaven (we follow) thee!* — * For the protection of the Brahman — theel' — ' For the protection of the self — thee I '
^ It should be borne in mind that the Mah&vtra by which tbey are supposing themselves to be led now, is looked upon as a symbol of the sun.
Digitized by
XIV KANDAy 3 ADHyAyA, I BRAHMAJVA, J 4. 497
outside the sacrifice, the body; for the S&man is a repeller of the fiends, the Rakshas.
!!• He sings it on a (verse) relating to Agni, for
Agni is the repeller of the Rakshas. On an
Ati>t>t^andas (verse) he sings it, for that — to wit,
the Ati^^andas (redundant metre) is all metres,
therefore he sings it on an Atii^^andas (verse).
12. He sings \ 'Agni burneth, encountereth
with flames, Ahivo! Ah^vo^'' — it is thus he
repels the fiends, the Rakshas, from here.
13. They walk out (from the sacrificial ground)
northwards*, along the back of the pit and the
front side of the Agnldhra (fire-house) — for this
is the gate of the sacrifice — and proceed in what-
ever direction from there water is (to be found).
14. Let him *set out' that (Pravargya) on an
island; for, when heated, it becomes burning-hot^;
and were he to set it out on this (earth), its heat
would enter this (earth) ; and were he to set it
out on water, its heat would enter the water;
but when he sets it out on an island — thus, indeed,
it does not injure either the water or this (earth),
for inasmuch as he does not throw it into the
water, it does not injure the water; and inasmuch
as the water flows all round it — water being a means
