^ See p. 80, note 2. The objection here raised is, that the low- voiced offering, which is intermediate between the two above-men- tioned oblations to Agni-Soma, is made to the same two deities.
'^ When the two butter-portions to Agni and Soma are offered the Hotn recites the verses Rig-veda VI, 16, 34 (Va^. S. 33, 9), and Rig-veda I, 95, 5 (Va^. S. 19, 42) respectively, as anuvakyas, or invitatory prayers, each of which is followed by the ya^}'^ (offer- ing-formula) : ' We who pronounce the offering-prayer to Agni (or Soma respectively), — may Agni (Soma) pleased (^usha«a//) accept of the butter-oblation! Vausha/1' At the low-voiced offer- ing (upaw/j-uya^a) to Agni-Soma, on the other hand, he first utters (in a low voice) as anuvakya the verse Rig-veda I, 93, 2, and thereupon as ya^'-ya Rig-veda I, 93, 6.
I KANDA, 6 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMAiVA, 30. I7I
voiced offering) an anush/ubh-verse as the invita-
tory formula (anuvakya), for the anush/ubh repre-
sents speech, and Pra^apati also is speech.
28. By means of that low- voiced offering the
o^ods stealing near slew, with that thunderbolt, the
vasha/-call, whichever they wished of the Asuras ;
and so does this one, after stealing near by means
of that low-voiced offering, slay with that thunder-
bolt, the vasha^call, the wicked, spiteful enemy^
This is why he performs the low-voiced offering.
29. Having recited (at the butter-portions) a J^ik-
verse as the anuvakya, he recites the ya^ya with
the word ' pleased :' in consequence of this, creatures
are brought forth here with teeth on one side (in one
jaw) ; for the J^ik means bone and the tooth also is
bone, so that he thereby produces bone on one side.
30. Having recited (at the low- voiced offering) a
7?/k-verse as the anuvakya, he recites as the ya^ya
a (second) Rik-verse : in consequence of this, creatures
with teeth on both sides are brought forth here ; for
the Rik means bone and the tooth also is bone, so
that he thereby produces bone on both sides. These
creatures, indeed, are of two kinds, viz. such as have
teeth on one side only, and such as have teeth on
both sides - ; and verily he who sacrifices, knowing
^ The two prayers of the low-voiced offering are muttered in a low voice ; but the ' Vausha/ ! ' at the end of the offering-prayer (as the 'Om!' at the end of the invitatory prayer) is uttered aloud. Hence the above symbolical explanation.
^ The same distinction is made in Rig-veda X, 90, lo, where it is stated that from the Purusha sprang the horse and what other animals with two rows of teeth (viz. the ass and mule, according to Saya«a) on the one hand, and cows, goats, and sheep on the other. In Taitt. II, 2, 6, 3, also the horse is mentioned along with man as belonging to the former class of living beings. Cf. also Taitt. V, I, 2, 6; Ath.-vedaV, 19, 2; 31, 3; Weber, Ind. Stud. X, 58.
1 72 ^ATAPATHA-BRAHMAJVA.
thus the generative power of Agni and Soma, becomes rich in offspring and cattle.
31. When he (the sacrificer) is about to enter upon
the fast of the full-moon ceremony, he may not be
entirely sated. He therefore now compresses (that
part of) his belly which relates to the Asuras ; and
next morning, by means of the oblations, that which
relates to the gods. Now the practice regarding the
full-moon ceremony is as follows :
32. One may (enter on the) fast at the very time
(of full moon), thinking, ' Now I will slay Vmra,
now I will slay the spiteful enemy ! '
33. One may also fast only on the following day. Now he who (enters on the) fast at the very time (of full moon), gets, as it were, into collision ^ (with some one); and when two come into collision with one another, it is indeed doubtful which of the two will get the better of the other. He, on the other hand, who prefers to fast on the second day (only), is as one who crushes from behind a retreating (enemy) before he is able to resist the attack : strikino; in one direc- tion^, in fact, is he who thus keeps the fast on the second day only.
34. Let him therefore enter on the fast at the very
time (of full moon). He who keeps the fast on the
following day only is as one who finally crushes one
struck down by some one else ; he only does what
has been done before by some one else, he only
^ Sam-kramate, literally 'comes together with, meets (some- body).' This symbolical explanation was probably suggested by the circumstance that the full moon marks the junction (sandhi) of the two pakshas or half months; whereas the new moon (ama- vasy a, ' dwelling together') marks the point of least distance between sun and moon.
^ Anyatoghatin, ?thus St. Petersburg Dictionary.
I KANDA, 6 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMAiVA, 38. 1 73
follows another's lead; let him therefore enter on the fast at the very time (of full moon).
35. After Pra^apati had created the living beings,
his joints (par van) were relaxed. Now Pra^apati,
doubtless, is the year, and his joints are the two
junctions of day and night (i. e. the twilights), the
full moon and new moon, and the beginnino-s of
the seasons.
36. He was unable to rise with his relaxed joints;
and the gods healed him by means of these havis-
offerings: by means of the Agnihotra they healed
that joint (which consists of) the two junctions of
day and night, joined that together; by means of
the full-moon and the new-moon sacrifice they
healed that joint (which consists of) the full and
new moon, joined that together ; and by means of
the (three) A'aturmasyas (seasonal offerings) they
healed that joint (which consists of) the beginnings
of the seasons, joined that together.
3,7. With his joints thus repaired he betook him-
self to this food, — to the food which is here (offered)
to Pra^apati ; and he who, knowing this, enters upon
the fast at the very time (of full moon), heals Pra-
^apati's joint at the proper time, and Pra^apati
favours him. Thus he who, knowing this, enters
upon the fast at the very time (of full moon) be-
comes a consumer of food : let him therefore enter
on the fast at the very time (of full moon).
T,S. These two butter-portions (to Agni and Soma),
truly, are the eyes of the sacrifice ; he, therefore,
offers them in front (of, or before, the havis), for
these eyes are in the front (of the head). Hence he
thereby places the eyes in the front ; and for this
reason these eyes are in the front (of the head).
174 ^ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
39. Some people offer Agni's butter-portion in
the north-eastern part (of the fire), and Soma's
butter-portion in the south-eastern part, thinking,
* Thereby we place the eyes in the front (of the
head).' This, however, is rather unintelligible ; for
the several dishes of sacrificial food (ha vis) repre-
sent the body of the sacrifice ; when therefore he
offers in front of (or before) the havis, he thereby
places the eyes in the front. Let him rather make
the offerings (in that part of the fire) where he
thinks the fiercest blaze is ; for only by being
offered in blazing (fire) are oblations successful^
40. Having recited (at the butter-portions) a Rik-
verse as anuvakya (invitatory formula), he recites
by way of ya^ya (offering-prayer) the (formula con-
taining the word) ' pleased ; ' thereby these boneless
eyes are set in what is bone. If, on the other
hand, after reciting a -Rik-verse as anuvakya, he
^ Katy. Ill, 3, 20-22 admits either mode of offering the butter- portions. These oblations are effected in the following way : — The Adhvaryu, having called on the Holri to recite the anuvakya, takes with the dipping-spoon (sruva) butter from the dhruva and puts it into the j^uhu ; he then draws some with the sruva from the butter- pot and replenishes the dhruva with it [according to the KamSLS, with the text ' May the dhruva fatten with the havis-butter, sacrifice after sacrifice, for those who go to the gods, — the udder of Surya in the lap of Aditi : may the earth flow abundantly at this sacrifice !']. The same process is then repeated three (additional) times (with a Gamadagni four times): hence the offering is said to consist of four (or five) cuttings. The Holri then recites the anuvakya (see note on I, 6, 3, 27), which is followed by the Adhvaryu's call 'om i'ravaya ' and the Agnidhra's response ' astu jrausha/.' Thereupon the Hot/-/', having been called upon by the Adhvaryu to give the offering-prayer to Agni (or Soma), recites the respective ya^ya, at the concluding vausha/ of which the oblation is poured into the fire, (whilst the sacrificer utters the usual dedicatory formula, ' This for Agni (Soma), not for me !')
I KANDA, 6 ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMAiVA, 2. I 75
were to use a /?/k-verse as the ya^ya, he would make it bone instead of eye.
41, Those two (quaUties), truly, are related to the
natures of Agni and Soma : that which is white is
related to Agni, and that which is black is related
to Soma. If, however (it were asserted), on the
contrary, that what is black is related to Agni, and
what is white is related to Soma, — [the answer would
be : — ] what sees is of the nature of Agni, for dry, as
it were, are the eyes of one who looks, and that
which is dry relates to Agni ; — and what sleeps is of
the nature of Soma, for moist, as it were, are the
eyes of one who is asleep, and moist also is Soma.
And, verily, he who thus knows those two butter-
portions to be eyes, remains endowed with eye-sight
till old age in this world, and starts in yonder world
possessed of eye-sight.
Fourth Brahmajva. Special Preliminary Rites of the New-moon Sacrifice.
1. When Indra had hurled the thunderbolt at
Vmra, thinking himself to be the weaker, and
fearing lest he had not brought him down, he con-
cealed himself and went to the farthest distances ^
Now the gods knew that Vr/tra had been slain and
that Indra had concealed himself.
2. Agni of the deities, H ira;^yastupa^ of the
7?/shis, and the Brthati of the metres, set about
searching for him. Agni discovered him and stayed
^ Para>^ paravata^, literally 'to the most distant distances,' ' zu den fernsten Fernen.'
^ Hirawyastupa, of the family of the Afigiras, is' the reputed author (or seer) of the hymns Rig-veda I, 31-35; IX, 4; 69. Of these, I, 32 and 33, which celebrate the exploits of Indra, seem to have been especially prized.
176 DATAPATH A-BRAHMAiVA.
with him (as a guest) that (day and) night. He
(Indra), namely, is the Vasu^ of the gods, for he
is their hero.
3. The gods said, ' Our Vasu, who has gone to
live away from us, is this day dwelling together
(a ma vas, viz. with Agni");' and as one would cook
a dish of rice or a goat in common for two relatives
or friends who have come to stay with him, — for
such-like is human (fare), as the sacrificial food
(ha vis) is that of the gods, — in like manner they
offered to those two together that sacrificial food,
the rice-cake on twelve potsherds for Indra and Agni.
This is the reason why there is a rice-cake on twelve
potsherds for Indra and Agni.
4. Indra said, ' When I had hurled the thunder-
bolt at Vr/tra, I was terrified, and (in consequence
of this fright) I am much emaciated. This (cake)
does not satiate me : prepare for me what will satiate
me!' The gods replied, 'So be it!'
5. The gods said, ' Nothing but Soma will satiate
him: let us prepare Soma for him !' They prepared
Soma for him. Now this king Soma, the food of
the gods, is no other than the moonl When he
^ That is, as would seem, the benefactor, or the treasure (dh an a- r(ipa, Sayawa) of the gods. Indra is the chief of the Vasus. Indra being so beneficent and important a personage, it was, according to Saya«a, worth Agni's while to stay with him. Possibly also a play on the word Vasu, and vas, ' to dwell,' is intended here.
2 Thus Sayawa ; but it probably means, ' he is sta}ing at a home, or at home (ama) to-day.'