2 In performing this propitiatory rite, the priests and sacrificer lay their hands on the prastara, either both of them with the palms upwards, or only the right one, and the left in the opposite way. Katy. VIII, 2, 9. The latter mode is the one practised by the Taittiriyas. Say. on Taitt. S. I, 2, 1 1.
104 S-ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiNTA.
he means to say, * the truth for the truth-speaking ;' —
'Homage be to Heaven and to the Earth!'
whereby they make amends to these two, heaven
and earth, on whom this All is founded.
2 2. Having then picked up the prastara, he says,
'Agnidh, does the water boil ? ' — ' It boils,' replies
the Agnidh\ ' Come hither with it ! ' He holds (the
prastara) quite close over the fire. The reason why
he does not throw it into the fire is that he (the
sacrificer) is to perform therewith^ during the days
that follow ; and in that he holds it quite close over
the fire, thereby it is for him as if it were really thrown
into the fire. He hands it to the Agnidh, and the
Agnidh puts it aside (in a safe place).
THE UPASADS, or HO^IAGES. Fourth BRAHMAiVA.
I. Verily the Upasads (homages or sieges) are the
neck of the sacrifice, and the Pravargya is its head.
Hence when it is performed with the Pravargya^,
^ According to the Kawva text, this conversation takes the place of the colloquy (samudita) held by the Adhvaryu and the Agnidhra, after the prastara has been thrown into the fire at the normal ish/i ; see I, 8, 3, 20.
^ Or, ' in the shape of it (tena),' the prastara representing the sacrificer himself. This sentence seems also to imply, that the sacrificer thereby continues to live during the days that follow.
^ The Pravargya, an offering of heated milk, which precedes each performance of the Upasads, — except at the first performance of the Soma-sacrifice, when it is prohibited by many authorities, — seems originally to have been an independent ceremony, and as such it is treated by most ritualistic books apart from the exposi- tion of the Soma-cult. The -S'atapatha-brahma?/a deals with it in XIV, 1-3 (Va^. S. XXXIX). Its mystic significance appears to have been that of supplying the sacrificer with a new celestial body. There seems to have been a tendency towards exalting its
Ill KANDA, 4 ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMAiVA, 4. I05
they perform the Upasads^ after performing the Pra- vargya, and thereby they put the neck in its place.
2. The anuvakyas (invitatory prayers) in the fore-
noon are the ya^as (offering prayers) in the after-
noon ; and the ya^yas are the anuvakyas^. He thus
intcrhnks them, whence those joints and those bones
of the neck are interhnked.
3. Now the gods and the Asuras, both of them
sprung from Pra^apati, were contending against each
other ^ The Asuras then built themselves castles in
these worlds, — an iron one in this world, a silver one
in the air, and a golden one in the sky.
4. The gods then prevailed. They besieged them
by these sieges (upasad) ; and because they be-
sieged (upa-sad) them, therefore the name Upasads.
importance— if not, indeed, towards making it take the place of the Soma-cult. The hot milk (gharma) is even styled 'Samra§-' or supreme king — as against the title 'ragman' or king, assigned to Soma; and a throne is provided for it, just as for the latter. The rules for its performance, according to the Apastamba ^Srauta-siatra, have been published, with a translation, by Professor Garbe (Zeitsch. der D. M. G. XXXIV, p. 319 seq.). See also Haug's Transl. oftheAit. Br. pp. 41-43; Weber, Ind. Stud. IX. pp. 218-220.
^ The Upasada/^, consisting of three offerings of ghee to Agni, Soma, and Vishwu, followed by a Homa, have to be performed twice daily, for at least three days (the normal number at the Agnish/oma). The first day's performance is called (from the corresponding Homa) the 'aya/^i-aya' (lying in iron, made of iron), the second day's 'ra^a^j-aya' (silvern),and the third day's 'hari j'aya'(golden). If there are six, or twelve Upasad days, each of the three varieties of performance has assigned to it an equal number of successive days ; and if there are more than twelve the three varieties are to be performed alternately.
^ For the anuvakyas and ya^o-yas, as well as the kindling-verses (samidhenis) to be recited at the Upasads, see Ait. Br. I, 26 ; Asv. IV, 8.
^ For other versions of this myth, see Ait. Br. I, 23; Taitt. S. VI, 2, 3.
I06 DATAPATH A-BRAHMAiVA.
They clove the castles and conquered these worlds.
Hence they say, 'A castle is conquered by siege;'
for it is indeed by beleaguering that one of these
human castles is taken.
5. By means of these sieges, then, the gods clove
the castles and conquered these worlds. And so
does this one (the sacrificer) now, — no one, it is true,
builds for himself castles against him in this world ;
he cleaves these same worlds, he conquers these
worlds : therefore he offers with the Upasads.
6. They have clarified butter for their offering
material. For ghee is a thunderbolt, and by that
thunderbolt, the ghee, the gods clove the strong-
holds and conquered these worlds. And so does
he cleave these worlds by that thunderbolt, the
ghee, and conquer these worlds ; therefore they
(the Upasads) have ghee for their offering material.
7. He takes eight times (ghee) in the ^hu, and
four times in the upabhr^t ; or conversely, they say,
he is to take of it only four times in the ^uhu and
eight times in the upabhm\
8. He takes eight times in the ^hii, and four
times in the upabhm. He thereby makes the
thunderbolt heavy in front, and with that thunder-
bolt heavy in front he cleaves these worlds, and
conquers these worlds.
9. Agni and Soma verily are yoke-fellows among
the gods : for these two he takes (ghee) in common 2.
For Vishnu (he takes) singly. He makes only the
one libation (aghara) which (he makes) with the
dipping-spoon (sruva)^ For when he has made
^ This would be the regular mode of ladling. See I, 3, 2, 8 seq.
^ See p. 108, note i.
^ For the two aghara, or libations of ghee, made with the
Ill KANDA, 4 ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMAiVA, LT^. TO7
the northern (higher) Hbation he retires ^ : ' May
I conquer for conquest' so he thinks, and there-
fore he makes only the one hbation, that with the
dipping-spoon.
10. When he has called (on the Agnidhra) for
the K^rausha/, he does not elect the Hotrz'\ ' Seat
thee, O Hotril' he says. The Hotri sits down
on the Hotr2's seat. Having sat down he urges
the Adhvaryu ; and he, thus urged, takes the two
offering-spoons ^
11. While passing over (to the south side of the
fire and altar) he says'^ (to the Hotri), ' Recite the
invitatory prayer to Agni !' and having called for
the ^'rausha^, he says, ' Pronounce the offering prayer
to Agni !' and pours out the oblation when the Va-
sha/ is uttered.
1 2. Thereupon he says, ' Recite the invitatory
prayer to Soma ! ' and having called for the vSrau-
sha/*, he says, ' Pronounce the offering prayer to
Soma!' and pours out the oblation when the Va-
sha/ is uttered.
13. Thereupon, while pouring the ghee which is
in the upabhrn^, together (with what is left in the
^uhu), he says, ' Recite the invitatory prayer to
Vish;/u!' and, having called for the ^'rausha/, he
says, 'Pronounce the offering prayer to Vish;^u!'
sruva north of the fire and^uhu south of the fire respectively, see I, 4, 4, 1 seq. At the Upasad-ish/i neither fore-offerings (praya^a) nor after-offerings (anuya§-a) are performed.
^ Viz. to the offering place on the south side of the fire. The covert meaning is that, were he to make the second libation, he would have to recede from the higher (uttara, northern) position already gained.
^ See I, 5, 1, 1 seq. ^ See I, 5, 2, i seq. * See I, 7, 2, i seq.
^ Of the ghee in the ^uhu (obtained from eight ladlings with the
1 08 5'ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
and pours out the oblation when the Vasha^ is uttered.
14. The reason why in offering he remains stand-
ing in one and the same place, and does not move
about as he is wont to do here in performing, isthat
he thinks ' I will conquer for conquest^ !' And the
reason why he offers to those deities is that he
thereby constructs the thunderbolt : Agni (he makes)
the point (anika), Soma the barb (i-alya), and Vish;m
the connecting piece (kulmala)l
15. For the thunderbolt is the year: the day is
Agni, the night Soma, and what is between the two,
that is Vish;m. Thus he makes the revolving year.
16. The thunderbolt is the year: by that year,
as a thunderbolt, the gods clove the strongholds
and conquered these worlds. And so does he now
by that year, as a thunderbolt, cleave these worlds,
and conquer these worlds. This is why he offers to
those gods.
17. Let him undertake three Upasads ; for, there
being three seasons in the year, it is thereby made
of the form of the year : he thus makes up the year.
He performs twice each.
sruva) he first offers one half each to Agni and Soma. There- upon he pours the ghee from the upabhr/t (obtained from four ladlings with the sruva) into the ^uhu and offers it to Vish;m.
^ ' It is for conquest that he does not move about as he (does when he) performs here in any other sacrifice.' Kawva recension.
2 ?The socket; compare Ait. Br. I, 25, 'The gods constructed that arrow, the Upasads : Agni was its point (? anika, shaft, Haug), Soma its barb (jalya, steel, H.), Vish/m its shaft (te^anam, point, H.), and Varuwa its feathers (par^a) .... For the arrow consists of three parts, anika, jalya, and te^ana .... For the arrow consists of two parts, jalya and te^ana.' Here ^alya would seem to be the barbed head- piece (with the point, anika), and te^ana the shaft or reed of the arrow.
Ill KAiVDA, 4 ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMAiVA, 23. IO9
18. These amount to six; for, there being six
seasons in the year, it is thereby made of the form
of the year : he thus makes up the year.
19. And should he undertake twelve Upasads, —
there being twelve months in the year, it is thereby
made of the form of the year : he thus makes up the
year. He performs twice each.
20. These amount to twenty-four; — there being
twenty-four half-moons in the year, it is thereby
made of the form of the year : he thus makes up
the year.
21. As to his performing in the evening and in
the morning, — it is because only thus completeness is
obtained. When he performs in the forenoon, then
he gains the victory ; — and when he performs in the
afternoon, he does so that it may be a good (com-
plete) victory ; — and when he offers the Homa, (it is
as if) people fight here for a stronghold, and having
conquered it, they enter it as their own.
22. When he performs (the upasads), he fights ;
and when (the performance) is completed, he con-
quers; and when he offers the Homa\ he enters
that (stronghold) now his own.
23. He offers it (with the verse) with which he
^ On the completion of each performance of the Upasad offerings, after the anointing of the prastara (see I, 8, 3, 11-14) and pre- viously to taking up the enclosing-sticks (ib. 22), a homa (or ^u- hoti) offering (parti, p. 263, note 2), called Upasad-homa, has to be performed with the dipping-spoon ; the sacrificer holding on to Adhvaryu from behind, while the ghee is poured into the fire. Its performance over, the Upasads are brought to an end by a repetition of the ceremony with the prastara (which is not burnt) described above, III, 4, 3, 22, and the minor concluding ceremonies (I, 8, 3, 23 seq.; 9, 2, 19 seq.) ; whereupon the Subrahma/zya litany (III, 3, 4, 17) is recited.
no S-ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
will have to perform twice in one day^ (Va^. S.
V, 8), 'What most excellent iron-clad body is
thine, O Agni, established in the deep, it hath
chased away the cruel word, it hath chased
away the fearful word; Hail!' for such-like it
was, it was indeed iron.
24. Again he offers (with the verse) with which
he will have to perform twice in one day, 'What
most excellent silver-clad body is thine, O
Agni, established in the deep, it hath chased
away the cruel word, it hath chased away the
fearful word; Hail!' for such-like it was, it was
indeed silver.
25. And again he offers (with the verse) with
which he will have to perform twice in one day, 'What
most excellent gold-clad body is thine, O Agni,
established In the deep, it hath chased away
the cruel word, it hath chased away the fear-
ful word ; Hail !' for such-like it was, it was Indeed
golden. If he undertakes twelve Upasads, let him
perform each of them for four days.
26. Now then of the fast-homages. Some Upa-
sads get wider and wider, others narrower and nar-
rower : those at which he milks out one (teat)- on
the first day, then two, and then three, are those
that get wider and wider ; and those at which he
