' See III, 3, 3, II.
^ For these oblations poured upon burning bundles of chips and grass held over the several hearth-fires, see IV, 4, 2, 7.
' Yad va uparyupari somam bibhrata// sa;«>^arishyanti, Kawva rec. (? holding the Soma close above the dhishwyas). This passage
Ill KANDA, 6 ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMAiVA, 23, 1 53
Wherefore let not the Adhvaryu pass between^ the
hearths, for the Adhvaryu carries the Soma, and
they sit waiting for him (Soma) with open mouths,
and he would enter into their open mouths ; and
either Agni would burn him, or else that god who
rules over beasts (Rudra) would seek after him ;
hence whenever the Adhvaryu should have busi-
ness in the hall, let him pass north of the Agnidhra
shed.
21. Now it is for the protection of Soma that
those (hearths) are thrown up, to wit the Ahava-
niya in front (on the high altar), the Mar^aliya in the
south, and the Agnidhriya in the north ; and those
that are in the Sadas (protect him) from behind.
22. They are in part raised^, in part they are
assigned ^ And, in truth, they themselves insisted
thereon, saying, ' They shall in part raise us, and
in part they shall assign us ; thus we shall know
again that heavenly world from which we have
come, thus we shall not go astray.'
23. And whichever of them are raised they are
apparently refers to the i^amasa-Adhvaryus or cup-bearers, who at the time of the Savanas hold up their cups filled with Soma, which, after libations have been made of it on the fire, is drunk by the priests.
^ Samaya; the Ka«va text has ' pratyah (in going to the back)' instead.
^ That is, bestrewed with gravel.
^ When the dhishwyas have been completed, the Adhvaryu, standing east of the front door of the Sadas, has to point at the Ahavaniya, the Bahishpavamana-place, the pit whence the earth for the hearths and high altar was taken, the slaughtering place, the Udumbara post, the Brahman's seat, the (old Ahavaniya at the) hall-door, the old Garhapatya, and the Utkara (heap of rubbish) one by one with the texts, Va^. S. V, 32, 2, &c. Katy. VIII, 6, 23, 24.
154 iSATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
thereby visibly in this world ; but whichever of
them are assigned they are thereby visibly in
yonder world.
24. They have two names ; for, in truth, they
themselves insisted thereon, saying, ' We have not
prospered with these names, since Soma has been
taken away from us ; well, then, let us take each
a second name ! ' They took each a second name,
and therewith prospered, inasmuch as they from
whom the Soma-draught had been taken had a
share in the sacrifice assigned to them ; hence they
have two names. Wherefore let a Brahman, if
he prosper not, take a second name, for verily he
prospers, whosoever, knowing this, takes a second
name.
25. Now what he offers in the fire, that he offers
unto the gods, thereby the gods exist ; and what
(Soma) is consumed in the Sadas, that he offers
unto men, thereby men exist ; and in that the
Nara5'a;;/sa^ (cups of Soma) stand with the Soma-
carts, thereby he offers unto the Fathers, thereby
the Fathers exist.
26. But those creatures which are not admitted
to the sacrifice are forlorn ; wherefore he now admits
to the sacrifice those creatures here on earth that
are not forlorn ; behind^ the men are the beasts ;
and behind the gods are the birds, the plants, and
^ Narajawzsa, 'pertaining to Nara^awzsa (man's praise, i.e. Agni, or Soma, or the Fathers),' is the name given to certain remains of Soma-Iibations (or potations) sacred to the Fathers, which, in the nine Soma-cups, are temporarily deposited under the axle of the southern Soma-cart, till they are drunk by the priests at the end of the libation.
^ Or, alongside of, corresponding to, included in, them (anu).
Til KAiVDA, 6 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMAA'A, 3. 1 55
the trees ; and thus whatsoever exists here on earth
all that is admitted to the sacrifice. And verily
both the gods and men, and the Fathers drink
together^, and this is their symposium ; of old they
drank together visibly, but now they do so unseen.
THE VAISARGINA OFFERINGS AND LEADING FORWARD OF AGNI AND SOMA.
Third Brahmaa^a.
1. Verily he who consecrates himself, consecrates
himself for the sake of this All ; for he consecrates
himself for the sacrifice, and this All indeed results
from ^ the sacrifice ; having prepared the sacrifice
for which he consecrates himself, he now sets
free (or produces) this All.
2. The reason why he performs the Vaisar^ina
offerings is this. They are called Vaisar^ina, because
he sets free (vi-sar^) this All ; wherefore let him
who takes part in the rite^ touch (the sacrificer)
from behind ; but if he have to go elsewhere (on
business) he need not heed this. When he sacri-
fices, he sets free this All.
3. And again why he performs the Vaisar^ina
offerings. Vish;^u, forsooth, is the sacrifice ; by his
strides he obtained (vi-kram) for the gods that all-
pervading power (vikranti) which now belongs to
them ; by his first step he gained this same (earth) ;
by the second, the region of air ; and by the last,
^ ' Sma' does not seem here to have its usual force, which it has in the next sentence, combined with ' pura.'
^ Or, corresponds to (anu).
^ That is, a blood-relation of the sacrificer, dwelling together with him. Cf. also p. 40, note i.
156 ^-ATAPATHA-BRAHMAA^A.
the heaven. And that same pervading power
Vish;2u, the sacrifice, obtains by his strides for this
(sacrificer) when he sacrifices : this is why he per-
forms the Vaisar^ina offerings.
4. In the afternoon, having covered the ahar
(with sacrificial grass), and handed (to the sacrificer
and his wife) one half of the fast-milk, they enter
(the hall), put fire-wood on\ and prepare the under-
layer (of gravel). He (the Adhvaryu) puts the
butter on (the old Garhapatya), and cleans the
spoons. The sacrificer takes the king (Soma) on
his lap. He (the Adhvaryu) scatters about the
(dust of the) foot-print of the Soma-cow behind
the (new) Garhapatya for the sake of a firm stand-
ing, for it is with the foot that one stands firmly.
5. Now some divide it (the dust) into four
parts ^: one fourth part (they put) into the under-
layer whereon they take up the Ahavaniya (for
transferring it to the high altar) ; with one fourth
part they anoint the axle ; one fourth part (they
put) into this underlayer (for taking out the Agni-
dhriya fire); and one fourth part he scatters about
behind the Garhapatya.
6. But let him not do this ; let him rather scatter
it about entirely behind the Garhapatya. Having
then purified the ghee, he takes thereof four ladlings
(with the sruva), both in the ^uhu and in the upa-
bhm ; and clotted ghee^ in five ladlings, with (Va^.
^ Viz. on the Ahavaniya of the Vva.km^.va.msa. (hall) now serving as the Garhapatya, and generally called jaladvarya, i. e. the one near the (front or eastern) hall-door.
^ See p. 121, note 2.
^ Pnshad-ag-ya (lit. mottled butter) is clarified butter mixed with sour milk.
Ill KANDA, 6 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMAiVA, 9. I 57
S- V, 35), 'Thou art a light endowed with all
forms, the flame of the All-gods;' for the
clotted ghee belongs to the All-gods. When the
wood is well kindled, they hold the spoons for him.
7. He then offers \ with, 'Thou, O Soma, wilt
widely withhold thy protection from the life-
injuring^ hatreds put forth by others, Hail!'
Thereby he takes a firm stand on this resting-place,
the earth, and gains this world.
8. He then offers the second oblation to (Soma)
the Nimble, with, 'May the Nimble graciously
accept the butter, Hail!' For he (Soma) spake
upon that time, ' Verily I am afraid of the Rakshas : do
ye make me to be too small for their deadly shaft, so
that the evil spirits (the Rakshas) shall not injure me
on the way; and take me across in the form of a
drop, for the drop is nimble.' And accordingly,
having made him too small for the deadly shaft,
they lead him safely across in the form of a drop,
from fear of the Rakshas, for the drop is nimble :
this is why he offers the second oblation to (Soma)
the Nimble.
9. They lift the (burning) fire-wood, and place it on the support. He then says (to the Hotrz),
* Recite for Agni, taken forward ! ' or (say some),
* — for Soma, led forward.' But let him say, ' Recite for Agni, taken forward ^ !'
^ He offers some ghee from a substitute spoon (pra>^ara«i), as the proper offering-spoons now filled with ghee and clotted ghee have to be carried with the fire to the Agnidhra.
^ Mahidhara explains ' tanukm ' by ' ta.ntim krzhtanti /^indanti.' It ought rather to mean ' body -making/ — ? from the enemies that assume (various) forms.'
' The Kawva text, on the contrary, enjoins that he is to say, 'Recite for Soma . . .!' In the Hotr/'s ritual this is called the
IZS DATAPATH A'BR A HMAiVA.
TO. They take the pressing-stones, the Soma-
trough (dro;^a-kala5a), Vayu's cups S the (twenty
pieces of) fire-wood, the enclosing-sticks of karsh-
marya wood (GmeHna Arborea), one prastara of
a^vavala grass ^ and the two Vidhrztis of sugar-
cane ; that barhis (which was used before^) is tied
up therewith. Further, the two spits for (roasting)
the omenta ^, the two ropes (for binding the stake
and victims), the two churning-sticks (for producing
fire), the adhimanthana chip, and the two vr^sha/^a^
— having taken up all these they go forward (to the
Agnidhra) : thus the sacrifice goes upwards <^.
II. While they proceed thither, he makes (the
sacrificer) say the text (Va^. S. V, 36 ; Rig-veda I,
189, i), 'O Agni, lead us on a good path unto
wealth, thou, O God, that knowest all works !
keep thou from us the sin that leadeth astray,
and we will offer unto thee most ample adora-
tion!' He thereby places Agni in front, and Agni
marches in front repelling the evil spirits ; and they
take him thither on a (way) free from danger and
Agmshoma-prawayana. For the seventeen verses (brought up to twenty-one by repetitions) of the Hotrz", see Ait. Br. I, 30 (Haug, Translation, p. 68); A^v. IV, 10. The Soma is carried either by the Brahman himself or by the sacrificer. Katy. XI, i, 13, 14-
^ The ' Vayavya ' are wooden cups shaped like a mortar. It seems here to include all the Soma-cups, see IV, 1,3,7-10; Katy .VIII, 7, 5.
2 See 111,4,1, 17-18.
' Viz. at the guest-offering, see p. 103, note 3. It was tied up with the three objects mentioned immediately before.
* The vapajrapawi are sticks of karshmarya w^ood.
^ For these objects, see p. 90, note 5.
® * Thus that sacrifice goes upwards to yonder heavenly world, and, the sacrifice being the sacrificer, the sacrificer thus goes thither,' Ka«va text. See III, 6, i, 28, where the gods are said to have attained immortality from the Agnidhriya.
Ill KANDA, 6 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMAiVA, I 5. I 59
injury. They proceed, and reach the Agnidhra ;
and he (the Adhvaryu) puts (the fire) down on the
Agnidhra hearth.
1 2. Thereon, when laid down, he offers with the
text (Va^. S. V, 37), ' May this Agni make wide
room for us; may he march in front smiting
the haters! May he gain riches in the win-
ning of riches : may he, fiercely rushing, con-
quer the enemies, Hail!' By means of him (Agni)
he thus takes a firm stand in that resting-place,
the aerial region, and gains that world.
13. In the same place they deposit the pressing-
stones, the Soma-trough, and Vayu's cups'. Having
then taken up the other (objects), they proceed and
deposit them north of the Ahavaniya.
14. The Adhvaryu takes the sprinkling-water, and
sprinkles first the fire-wood, and then the altar. They
then hand to him the altar-grass. He puts it down
wnth the knot towards the east, and sprinkles it.
Having poured (the remaining sprinkling- water)
upon (the root ends of the altar-grass), and untied
the knot, — the Prastara-bunch of a^vavala grass is
tied together (with the altar-grass), — he takes that ;
and having taken the Prastara, he spreads the altar-
grass in a single layer. Having spread the altar-
grass, he lays the enclosing-sticks of karshmarya-
wood round (the fire). Having laid the enclosing-
sticks around, he puts two kindling-sticks (on the
fire) ; and having put on the two kindling-sticks,
15. He offers with the text (Va^. S.V, 38),' Stride
thou widely, O Vish^^u, make wide room for
our abode ! drink the ghee, thou born of ghee,
