^ The author has now completed his exposition of the simplest form of Soma-sacrifice, viz. the Agnish/oma, the libations of which are accompanied by twelve chants (stotra) and as many recitations (j-astra), and which (on the press-day) requires one victim to Agni (see IV, 2, 5, 14). He has also incidentally (IV, 4, 2, 18) touched upon the characteristic features of the Ukthya sacrifice, viz. its second victim, a he-goat to Indra-Agni, and three additional Uktha stotras and jastras (p. 370 note). He now proceeds to
98 S'ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
Indra — the beings being the creatures — they were in a state of equality, as it were, with him.
2. Indra then bethought himself, * How can I
stand forth over everything here, and how may
everything here be beneath me ? ' He saw that
graha, and drew it for himself. Then he stood forth
over everything here, and everything here was
consider another libation which, with its accompanying stotra and jastra, forms the distinctive feature of the Sho^/a^in sacrifice, i.e. the one having sixteen or a sixteenth (hymn). This sacrifice also requires a third victim on the press-day, viz. a ram to Indra. By the addition, on the other hand, of the Sho^a^yin graha, with its chant and recitation, to an ordinary Agnish/oma, another form of one day's (ekaha) Soma-sacrifice is obtained, viz. the Atyagnish/oma, or redundant Agnish/oma, with thirteen stotras and jastras. This form of sacrifice is, however, comparatively rarely used, and was probably devised on mere theoretic grounds, to complete the sacri- ficial system. A somewhat more common form is the Atiratra, lit. ' that which has a night over and above,' differing as it does from the Sho<faj-in in that — besides a fourth victim (a he-goat to Sarasvati) — it has in addition a night performance of libations, with three rounds (paryayas) of four stotras and j'astras each (one for the Hotr/ and for each of his three assistants), and concluding at daybreak with one more stotra, the sandhi (twilight) stotra, and the A.yvina jastra and offering. These are the forms of Soma-sacrifice referred to in the present book, as required for the performance of sacrificial sessions (twelve days and more) of which its concluding portion treats. With another form, the Va^apeya sacrifice, the author deals in the next Ka;/</a. These — with the Aptoryama, which to the Atiratra adds another course of four Atirikta, or superadded stotras — constitute in the later ofiicial classification the seven fundamental forms (sa?;zstha) of Soma-sacrifice. This term, meaning properly ' termination, consummation,' probably applied originally to the concluding rites of the Soma-sacrifice proper, as the distinctive features of the several forms of sacrifice, but by a natural transition, became the generic terms for the complete forms of sacrifice. See Professor Weber's somewhat different explanation. Ind. Stud. IX, 229.
IV KANDA, 5 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMAiVA, 5, 399
beneath him. And, verily, for whomsoever, know-
ing this, they draw that cup of Soma, he stands
forth over everything here, and everything here is
beneath him.
3. Wherefore it has been said by the J^ish'i (Rig-
veda III, 32, 11), 'The sky hath not reached thy
greatness, when thou didst rest on the earth with
thine other thigh,' — for, verily, yonder sky did not
reach up to his other thigh ^ : so did he stand forth
over everything here, and everything here was be-
neath him. And, verily, for whomsoever, knowing
this, they draw that cup of Soma, he stands forth
over everything here, and everything here is beneath
him.
4. He draws it with a verse to the lord of the bay
steeds (Indra Harivant) ; they (the Udgatr/s) chant
verses to (Indra) Harivant, and he (the Hotr^*) after-
wards recites verses to (Indra) Harivant. For Indra
seized upon the strength, the fury (haras) of his
enemies, the Asuras ; and in like manner does he
(the sacrificer) now seize upon the strength, the fury
of his enemies : therefore he draws the graha with a
verse to (Indra) Harivant ; they chant verses to
Harivant, and he (the Hotri) afterwards recites
verses to Harivant.
5. He draws it with an Anush/ubh verse ; for the
morning press-feast belongs to the Gayatri, the mid-
day feast to the Trish/ubh, and the evening feast to
the 6^agati. The Anush/ubh, then, is over and above ^
(ati-rikta), and he thus makes that (Soma of the
^ ? Or either of his thighs. The situation depicted in this verse would seem that of the warrior Indra lying or kneeling on Vr/tra, whom he has thrown on the ground.
^ Or, additional, in excess; see IV, 4, 3, 4.
400 5'ATAPATHA-BRAHMAA'A.
Sho(T^ai-in) to remain over : hence he takes it with an Anush/ubh.
6. He draws it in a square cup ; for there are
three worlds : these same worlds he gains by three
corners, and by the fourth corner he makes that
(Soma) to remain over ; — therefore he draws it in
a square cup.
7. Let him draw it at the morning pressing, after
drawing the Agraya;za. Having been drawn at the
morning pressing, it reposes apart from that time :
he thus makes it to outlast all (three) pressings.
8. Or he may draw it at the midday pressing,
after drawing the Agraya;^a, — but this is mere
speculation : let him rather draw it at the morning
pressing, after drawing the Agraya;^a: having been
drawn at the morning pressing, it reposes apart
from that time.
9. He thus draws it therefrom with (Va^. S. VHI,
33; Rig-veda I, 84, 3), 'Mount the chariot, O
slayer of Vrnra, thy bay steeds have been
harnessed by prayer! May the stone by its
sound draw hitherward thy mind! — Thou art
taken with a support: thee to Indra Sho^a^in
(the sixteenfold) ! — This is thy womb: thee to
Indra Sho^^ai^in !'
10. Or with this (verse, Va^. S. VHI, 34; Rig-
veda I, 10, 3), ' Harness thy long-maned, girth-
filling bay steeds! Come hither to us, O
Indra, drinker of Soma, to hear our songs!
Thou art taken with a support: thee to Indra
Sho^a^in! — This is thy womb : thee to Indra
Short^ai'in V
11. Thereupon he returns (to the sadas) and be- speaks the chant with, ' Soma has been left over :
Iv Kanda, 5 Adhyaya, 3 Brahmaa'a, Ii. 4oi
Turn ye back^ !' for he indeed causes it to remain
over by that (Sho^a^in graha). He (the Adhvaryu)
bespeaks it^ before the setting of the sun ; and after
sunset he (the Hotri) follows it up by reciting the
^astra : thus he thereby joins day and night toge-
ther,— therefore he bespeaks (the stotra) ^ before the
^ See IV, 2, 5, 8. The verb, here and elsewhere translated by ' to bespeak,' is upa-kr?', the proper meaning of which would seem to be ' to prepare, to introduce, to bring up ' the chant. As the same verb is, however, also used for the ' driving up, or bringing up' of cattle (to the stable), it may perhaps have a similar meaning in connection with the stotra ; the metres of the chant (which are often called the cattle of the gods) being, as it were, ' led up ' (or ' put to ') by the Adhvaryu, to be ' harnessed ' or ' yoked ' (yug) by the Udgatrz'; see p. 311, note i. Instead of the Prastara, handed to the Udgatr?" on the occasion of the Pavamanas, two stalks of sacrificial grass are generally used with other chants ; but certain stotras and samans require to be 'introduced' by special objects, such as a fan, or the two churning sticks (for producing fire), or water mixed with avaka plants, or an arrow.
^ ? Read ' tad' for ' tam ; ' or ' he calls upon him (the Udgatrz).' ^ The Sho</aji-stotra usually consists of the Gaurivita Saman (S. V. II, 302-4) ; but the Nanada Saman (ib. II, 790-3) may be used instead. It is performed in the ekaviw^a stoma, i.e. the three verses are chanted in three turns, so as, by repetitions, to produce twenty-one verses ; the usual form being aaa-bbb-c; a-bbb- ccc; aaa-b-ccc. For some modifications in the present case, see Haug, Transl. Ait. Br. p. 258 note. The first turn is to be per- formed in a low voice, while the sun is going down ; the second in a middle voice, when the sun has disappeared, but not entirely the daylight ; and the third turn in a loud voice, when darkness is closing in. If, for some reason or other, the stotra is entirely performed after sunset, it is chanted with a loud voice through- out. During the chanting a horse (black, if possible), or a bullock, or he-goat is to stand at the front (or back) gate of the sadas, facing the latter. Besides, a piece of gold is to circulate among the chanters, each of them holding it, while his turn of chanting lasts, and the Udgatr/ (or all three) doing so during the nidhana or finale.
[26] D d
402 ^-ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
setting of the sun, and after sunset he follows it up by reciting the 5astra\
THE DVADA^-AHAl Fourth Brahmajva.
1. Now, at first the gods were all alike, all good.
Of them, being all alike, all good, three desired,
' May we be superior^!' — Agni, Indra, and Surya.
2. They went on praising and toiling. They saw those Atigrahyas*, and drew (grah) them for them-
^ The Sho</aji-xastra is minutely described in the Ait. Br. IV, 3 seq. The opening verses are in the Anush/ubh metre (of sixteen syllables), but otherwise also the Hotrt has by means of pauses and insertions of formulas (nivid) to bring out its ' sixteenfold ' character so as to accord with its designation.
^ The Dvadajaha, or twelve days' performance, forms the con- necting link between the so-called Ahina sacrifices (consisting of between two and twelve press-days) and the sattras, or sacri- ficial sessions (of twelve press-days and upwards) ; since it can be performed as one or the other. As a sattra (which seems to be its usual character) it consists of the Da^aratra, or ten nights' (or days') period, preceded and followed by an Atiratra, as the praya- «iya (opening) and udayaniya (concluding) days. The Daja- ratra, on its part, consists of three tryahas (or tridua), viz. a Pr/sh/Aya shac^aha (see note 4), and three Ukthya days, the so-called ^^andomas (on which see Haug, Ait. Br.Transl. p. 347). These are followed by an Atyagnish/oma day, called Avivakya (i. e. on which there should be ' no dispute, or quarrel ').
^ Ati-tish/>^avana>^, lit. ' standing forth over (all others,' see IV, 5, 3, 2). In this, as in the preceding Brahmawa, the prefix ati has to do service repeatedly for etymological and symbolical purposes.
* I. e. cups of Soma 'to be drawn over and above ' (Weber, Ind. Stud. IX, 235 ; for a different explanation see Haug, Ait. Br. Transl. p. 490). These three grahas are required at the Pr/sh- /hya. shao'aha, which forms part of the Dvadaj-aha (see note 2), and of sacrificial sessions generally. The sha^aha, or period of six Soma days, which (though itself consisting of two tryaha, or
IV KAiVDA, 5 ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMAiVA, 3. 40-
selves over and above (ati) : hence the name Ati-
grahyas. They became superior, even as they are
now superior 1 : and verily he becomes superior for
whomsoever, knowing this, they draw those cups of
Soma.
3. And at first there was not in Agni that lustre
which is now in him. He desired, ' May that lustre
be in me!' He saw this graha, and drew it for
himself, and henceforth that lustre was in him.
