25. He may cut it fifteen cubits long, for the
Ill KANDA, 7 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAA^A, 2, 167
fifteen- versed chant is a thunderbolt ^ as the sacri-
ficial stake is a thunderbolt : therefore he may cut
it fifteen cubits long.
26. The sacrificial stake of the Va^apeya sacrifice
is seventeen cubits long. Indeed, it may be un-
measured^, for with that same unmeasured thunder-
bolt did the gods conquer the unmeasured ; and in
like manner does he now conquer the unmeasured
with that unmeasured thunderbolt : therefore it may
even be unmeasured.
27. It is (made to be) eight-cornered, for eight
syllables has the Gayatri, and the Gayatri is the
fore-part of the sacrifice, as this (stake) is the fore-
part of the sacrifice : therefore it is eight-cornered.
Seventh Adhyaya. First Brahmajva.
1. He takes the spade, with (Va^. S. VI, i), * I take
thee, at the impulse of the divine Savitri,
with the arms of the Ai'vins, with the hands
ofPushan: thou art a woman.' The significance
of that formula is the same (as before) ; and that
spade (abhri, fem.) is indeed female : therefore he
says ' thou art a woman.'
2. He thus draws the outline of the hole (for the stake ^), with, 'Herewith I cut off the necks of
^ On the connection of the Pa/l/^ada^a-stoma with Indra, the wielder of the thunderbolt, see part i, introduction, p. xviii.
^ The Ka«va text leaves an option first between stakes six, eight, eleven, fifteen (and for the Va^apeya seventeen) cubits long; and finally lays down the rule that no regard is to be had to any fixed measure.
^ According to the Kawva text, one half of it is to be within, and one half outside of the altar. See Katy. VI, 2, 8.
1 68 S-ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
the Rakshas!' The spade is the thunderbolt : with
the thunderbolt he thus cuts off the necks of the
Rakshas.
3. He then digs, and throws up a heap of earth
towards the east. He digs the hole, making it equal
(in depth) with the (unhewn) bottom part (of the
stake). In front of it he lays down the stake
with the top towards the east. Thereon he puts
sacrificial grass of the same size, and thereupon he
puts the chip of the stake. In front on the (north)
side (of the stake) he puts down the head-pieced
The sprinkling-water has barley-corns mixed with
it : the significance of this is the same (as before^).
4. He throws the barley-corns in with, 'Thou
art barley (yava), keep thou (yavaya) from us
the haters, keep from us the enemies!' There
is nothing obscure in this. He then sprinkles : the
significance of the sprinkling is one and the same :
he thereby renders it sacrificially pure.
5. He sprinkles (the top, middle, and bottom parts)
with, * For the sky — thee! for the air — thee!
for the earth — thee!' the stake being a thunder-
bolt (he does so) for the protection of these worlds^ :
' I sprinkle thee for the protection of these worlds,'
is what he thereby means to say.
6. The sprinkling -water that remains he then pours into the hole with, * Be the worlds pure
^ Of the part of the tree cut off from the sacrificial stake, a top- piece or head-ring (>^ashala) is made some eight or nine inches high, eight-cornered (like the sacrificial stake); narrower in the middle like a mortar, and hollowed out so as to allow its being fixed on the stake.
"^ See III, 6, I, 7 seq.
^ For the construction, see p. 15, note 3.
Ill KANDA, 7 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAiVA, lO. 1 69
wherein the Fathers reside!' for a pit that is
dug is sacred to the Fathers : this he thereby renders
sacrificially pure.
7. Thereupon he strews barhis-grass therein, both
eastward-pointed and northward-pointed, with, 'Thou
art the seat of the Fathers!' for that part of it
(the stake) which is dug into the ground is sacred to
the Fathers : as though it were (naturally) established
among plants, and not dug in, so does it become
established among those plants.
8. He then throws in the (first) chip^ of the stake.
Now that chip of the outer (bark) doubtless is the
vigour of trees ; hence, when a chip of their outer
(bark) is cut off they dry up, for it is their vigour.
Hence, when he throws in the chip of the stake,
he does so thinking, ' I will plant it (the stake) full
of vigour.' The reason why it is this (chip) and no
other, is that this one has been produced with a for-
mula, is sacrificially pure : therefore he throws in the
chip of the stake.
9. He throws it in with (Va^. S. VI, 2), 'Thou
art a leader, easy of access to the Unnetr/s^;'
for that (chip) is cut from it in front, wherefore he
says, ' Thou art a leader, easy of access to the Un-
netrzs.' 'Be thou mindful of this : it will stand
upon thee!' for it (the stake) will indeed stand on
it, wherefore he says, ' Be thou mindful of this : it
will stand upon thee.'
10. Having then taken out ghee with the dipping-
spoon, he offers it into the hole, ' lest the evil spirits
should rise from below : ' ghee is a thunderbolt, he
^ See III, 6, 4, II.
^ The Unnetrzs are the priests that have to draw the Soma.
I 70 S-ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVrA.
thus repels the evil spirits by means of the thunder-
bolt, and thus the evil spirits do not rise from below.
Having then gone round to the front, he sits down
facing the north and anoints the stake. He says (to
the Hotrz), ' Recite to the stake as it is anointed ^ !'
11. He anoints it with, 'The divine Savitre
anoint thee with sweet drink (milk) !' for Savitr/
is the impeller (prasavitr?) of the gods, and that stake
is in reality the sacrificer himself; and sweet drink
is everything here ; he thus puts it in connection
with all that, and Ssivitrz, the impeller, impels it for
him : therefore he says, ' The divine Savitr/ anoint
thee with sweet drink !'
12. Having then anointed the top-ring on both
sides, he puts it on (the stake) with, 'To the full-
berried plants — thee !' for that (top-ring) is as its
berry. And as to its being, as it were, contracted in
the middle, the berry ^ here on trees is fastened (to
the stalk) sideways; what connecting part there is
between (the fruit and stalk) pressed in, as it were,
that he thereby makes it. This is why it is, as it
were, contracted in the middle.
13. He anoints from top to bottom the (corner)
facing the fire ; for the (corner) facing the fire is the
sacrificer, and the ghee is sap : with sap he thus
anoints the sacrificer ; therefore he anoints from top
to bottom the (corner) facing the fire. He then
^ 'Recite to the stake being anointed!' or, Sve anoint the stake : Recite !' Ka«va rec. The latter is the formula mentioned Ait. Br. II, 2 (but 'angmo yupam,' for Ka«va 'yiipam angmo'); where the seven verses recited by the Hotn (brought up to eleven as usual) are given. See also A.yv. Ill, i, 8.
2 Pippala refers especially to the berry or fruit of the Ficus
Religiosa.
Ill KANDA, 7 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAA^A, 1 7. I7I
grasps the girding-part all round, and says (to the Hotr^*), ' Recite to the (stake) being set up !'
14. He raises it with, 'With thy crest thou
hast touched the sky; with thy middle thou
hast filled the air; with thy foot thou hast
steadied the earth;' — the sacrificial stake being
a thunderbolt, (he raises it) for the conquering of
these worlds ; with that thunderbolt he gains these
worlds, and deprives his enemies of their share in
these worlds.
15. He then plants it (in the hole) with (Vaf. S.
VI, 3), 'To what resorts of thine we long to
go where are the swift-footed, many-horned
kine; there, forsooth, was imprinted wide-
striding Vish;^u's highest mighty foot-step.'
With this trish^'ubh verse he plants it ; the trish/ubh
is a thunderbolt, as the sacrificial stake is a thunder-
bolt ; therefore he plants it with a trish/ubh verse.
16. That (corner which was) facing the fire he
places opposite the fire ; for the (corner) facing the
fire is the sacrificer, and the sacrifice is fire. Hence
were he to turn the fire-corner aside from the
fire, the sacrificer would assuredly turn aside from
the sacrifice ; therefore he places the (corner which
was) facing the fire opposite the fire. He then
heaps up (earth) round it and presses it firmly all
round, and pours water thereon ^
17. Thereupon he makes (the sacrificer) say
while touching it (Va^. S. VI, 4; Rig-veda I, 22,
19), 'See ye the deeds ofVish^^u, whereby he
beheld the sacred ordinances, Indra's allied
^ The same formulas are used on this occasion as at III, 6, i, 17-18.
172 5'ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
friend!' For he who has set up the sacrificial
stake has hurled the thunderbolt : ' See ye Vish/m's
conquest!' he means to say when he says, 'See ye
the deeds of Vish;m, whereby he beheld the sacred
ordinances, Indra's allied friend.' Indra, forsooth,
is the deity of the sacrifice, and the sacrificial stake
belongs to Vish;m ; he thereby connects it with
Indra ; therefore he says, ' Indra's allied friend.'
18. He then looks up at the top-ring with (Va^.
S. VI, 5; Rig-veda I, 22, 20), 'The wise ever
behold that highest step of Vish/^u, fixed like
an eye in the heaven.' For he who has set up
the sacrificial stake has hurled the thunderbolt : ' See
ye that conquest of Vish?m!' he means to say when
he says, ' The wise ever behold that highest step of
Vish;m, fixed like an eye in the heaven.'
19. He then girds (the stake with a rope of ku^a-
grass). Now it is to cover its nakedness that he
girds it ; wherefore he girds it in this place (viz. on
a level with the sacrificer's navel), for it is thus
that this (nether) garment is (slung round) \ He
thereby puts food into him, for it is there that the
food settles ; therefore he girds it at that place.
20. He girds it with a triple (rope), for threefold
is food, and food means cattle; and (there is) the
father and the mother, and what is born is the
third ; therefore he girds it with a triple (rope).
21. He girds it with (Va^. S. VI, 6), 'Thou art enfolded; may the heavenly hosts enfold
^ According to the Kawva text it is to be slung round nivi- daghne, 'on a level with the nether garment' (nabhidaghne, Taitt. S. VI, 3, 4, 5). According to Katy. VI, 3, i, the girding is pre- ceded by a call on the Hotr?' to recite to the post being anointed ; but neither recension mentions this.
Ill KANDA, 7 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAiVA, 25. 1 73
thee ! may riches enfold this sacrificer among
men!' He invokes a blessing on the sacrificer,
when he says, ' May riches enfold this sacrificer
among men.'
22. Thereupon he inserts a chip of the stake
(under the rope) with, 'Thou art the son of the
sky.' For it is doubtless the offspring of that (sacri-
ficial stake) ; hence if there be the full number of
eleven stakes \ let him insert in each its own (chip)
without confounding them ; and his offspring is
born orderly and not foolish. But whosoever inserts
them in confusion, not its own in each, verily his
offspring is born disorderly and foolish ; therefore let
him insert its own in each without confoundinor them.
23. Moreover, that chip of the stake is made an
ascent to the heavenly world ; there is this girdle-
rope ; after the rope the chip of the stake ; after
the chip of the stake the top-ring; and from the
top-ring one reaches the heavenly world,
24. And as to why it is called svaru ('very
sore'), — that (chip) is cut oif from that (stake), and
thus is its own (sva) sore (arus) ; therefore it is
called ' svaru.'
25. With that part of it which is dug in, he gains
the world of the Fathers ; and with what is above
the dug-in part, up to the girdle-rope, he gains the
world of men ; and with what is above the rope,
up to the top-ring, he gains the world of the gods ;
and what (space of) two or three fingers' breadths
