sweet and sour milk is to be offered to Indra or to Mahendra. According to IV, 5, 25, however, such option seems to be per- mitted only so far as the first performance is concerned, after which one is apparently bound to go on offering during the rest of one's life to whichever deity one has chosen at the beginning. Taitt. S. II, 5, 4, 4, lays it down as the rule that only a gata-fri (one who has reached the highest grade of prosperity), viz. a brahmawa versed in the three Vedas (jujruvan = vedatraya- bhi^'-fta, Sayawa), the head of a village (grama«i), and a ra^anya, can make offering to Mahendra, since he is their special deity. Others, however, may do the same, after offering the s an nay yam to Indra for a whole year, and on the expiration of it a rice-cake on eight potsherds to Agni, as the Keeper of Vows.
^ Par«a=palaja, Butea Frondosa.
2 Gayatryai va somasya va=' both of G. and of S.,' Saya;;a. Apad asta, 'a footless shooter,' is a doubtful reading and perhaps an old corruption; Saya;/a reads apad hast a (? adhastat) ; cf. Weber, various readings, p. 133. The Kanva. MS. reads, ' deve- bhyas tasya aharantya avadastabhyayatya par«a»z pra-('i/('/^eda.' Ac- cording to Rig-veda IV, 27, 3, it was the archer Kmanu, who hit the falcon when it was carrying off the Soma from heaven, and brought down one of its feathers. On the whole myth, see A. Kuhn, Herabkunft des Feuers und des Gottertranks, p. 137 seq. Cf. Taitt. S. Ill, 5, 7, i; Taitt. Br. I, i, 3, 10, 'Soma was in the third heaven from here ; Gayatri fetched him away ; one of his feathers was cut off, it became a par«a (palaja) tree.' Similarly Taitt. Br. I, 2, i, 6; see also .Sat. Br. I, 8, 2, ro.
184 5ATAPATHA-BRAHMA^A.
which then was of the Soma nature^ be here with
us now !' so he thinks, and for this reason he drives
away the calves with a par/^a branch.
2. That (branch) he cuts off 2, with the formula
(Vaf. S. I, I a, b), ' For sap (I cut) thee! for pith
thee!' — 'for rain thee' he means to say, when he
says 'for sap thee;' and when he says 'for pith
thee ' he means to say ' for that food-essence which
springs from the rain.'
3. They then let the calves join their mothers.
He thereupon touches (each) calf (in order to drive
it away from the cow), with the formula (Vaf. S. I,
I c), 'The winds are yel' — for, indeed, it is this
wind that here blows ^ it is this (wind) that makes
swell all the rain that falls here ; it is it that
makes those (cows) swell ; and for this reason he
says ' the winds are yel' Some people add here the
formula^, ' Going near are ye!' but let him not say
this, because thereby another (an enemy) approaches
(the sacrificer).
4. After separating one of the mothers from her
calf, he touches her, with the text (Vif. S. I, i d),
' May the divine Savit?7 animate you — ' for Savitr/,
indeed, is the impeller (prasavitrz) of the gods:
^ 'Somasya nyaktam,' see p. 167, note 2.
" This act as well as that of letting the calves join the cows, of course, precedes the driving away of the calves. These proceedings take place on the day before the new moon, after the agnyanvadhana. According to Katy., the sacrificer enters on the vow of abstinence, after the branch has been cut. Previously to these rites, however, the so-called Vinda.-pitriya.gna., or oblation of obsequial pifidas (balls, dumplings) to the deceased ancestors, has to be performed ; for which see II, 4, 2, i seq.
" Pavate, 'blows, purifies.'
' Thus Taitt. S. I, i, i, i.
I KANDA, 7 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAiVA, 9. 1 85
'may they, impelled by Savitr/, prepare the sacrifice!'
so he thinks, and for this reason he says, ' May the
divine Savit?^/ animate you !'
5. ' — To the most glorious work !' for assuredly
the sacrifice is the most Qrlorious work : hence, when
he says 'to the most glorious work!' he means to
say * to the sacrifice.'
6. ' Make swell, ye invincible (or inviolable) ones,
the share for Indra!' In like manner as then \ in
taking the sacrificial food (rice), he announces it to
the deity, so now also he announces that (libation
of milk) to the deity when he says ' make swell, ye
invincible ones, the share for Indra !'
7. ' Over you that are rich in offspring, over you
that are free from suffering and disease — ;' in this
there is nothing that is obscure ; ' — no thief, no ill-
wisher may lord it!' — he thereby means to say, 'may
the evil spirits, the Rakshas, not lord it over you ! ' —
* May ye be numerous and constant to this lord of
cattle ! ' — thereby he means to say ' may ye be nume-
rous with this sacrificer, and not abandon him.'
8. He then hides the branch on the front (eastern)
side either of the Ahavaniya orthe Garhapatya house,
wath the formula (Va^^. S. I, i e), ' Protect the sacri-
ficer's cattle ! ' he thus makes over the sacrificer's
cattle to it for protection by means of the Brahman
(sacred writ).
9. On it he fastens a strainer (pavitram)-, with
^ Viz. on the occasion of his taking from the cart the rice for the oblations, see I, i, 2, 17-19.
^ See p. 19, note i. According to Karka this takes place before the hiding of the branch, SchoU. on Katy. IV, 2, 15. Accord- ing to Katy. IV, 2, 12, 13, the upavesha (see I, 2, i, 3) is cut at this juncture — with the text, 'Accomplishing (vesha) art thou' — from the bottom part of the palaja branch on the remaining part
1 86 S'ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
the formula (Vaf. S. I, 2 a), ' Vasu's means of
purification (ventilator, strainer, pavitram) art
thou !' Vasu, indeed, is the sacrifice : for this reason
he says, ' Vasu's means of purification art thou !'
10. That night he performs the Agnihotra with
rice-gruel (yavagii). That milk, namely, (which he
milks that night) has already been announced as
sacrificial food to a (special) deity ; hence, if he were
to make the offering with milk, he would oifer to
one deity that which has been set apart as sacrificial
food for another deity : this is the reason why on
that night he performs the Agnihotra with rice-gruel.
As soon as they have performed the Agnihotra, the
pot is made ready. He (the Adhvaryu) thereupon
says, ' Announce that she (the cow) has been let
loose to (the calf) !' When he (or she, the milker^)
announces, ' She has been let loose !' —
11. He puts the pot on (the Garhapatya hearth),
with the text (Vaf. S. I, 2 b, c) : 'Thou art the
sky! thou art the earth!' — he praises and eulogises
her by thus saying, ' thou art the sky ! thou art
the earth!' — ' Matari^van's cauldron (gharma) art
thou-!' he thereby makes it (a means of) sacrifice,
and puts it on just as if he were putting on the
of which he thereupon fixes the strainer. When the sannayya oblation is not made (and consequently no pala^a branch is used), the upavesha is made of varawa wood.
^ The milker may be anybody except a 6"udra, Taitt. Br. Ill, 2, 3, 9 ; Katy. IV, 2, 22 ; Apast. I, 12, 15.
^ JNIatari^van's cauldron is identified in Taitt. Br. Ill, 2, 3. 2 with the atmosphere. IMatarijvan, though sometimes identified with the wind, is more generally either a name of Agni, or the name of a mythic personage who (Prometheus-like) is supposed to have fetched the fire from heaven and brought it to the Bhr/gus, who communicated it to man. See Roth, Nir. p. 1 1 1 ; Kuhn, Herab- kunft des Feuers und des Gottertranks, p. 5 seq.
I KANDA, 7 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAiVA, 1 4. 1^
(pravargya-) cauldron (gharma)^ — 'All-holding
art thou ! stand firm by the highest law ! do not
waver!' — thereby he steadies it, renders it firm. —
'May thy Lord of Sacrifice not waver!' — the Lord
of Sacrifice, doubtless, is the sacrificer, hence it is for
the sacrificer that he thereby prays for steadiness.
12. He then puts the strainer (on the pot). He
puts it down with the top turned eastwards, for
the east is the region of the gods ; or with the top
turned northwards, for the north is the region of the
men ; means of purification (pavitram) assuredly is
that (wind) which here blows, it sweeps across these
worlds : let him therefore put it down with the front
northwards^.
13. Just as then (i.e. at the Soma-sacrifice) they
clarify king Soma with a strainer, in like manner
he now clarifies (the milk) ; and since the strainer
wherewith on that occasion they clarify king Soma
has its fringe directed towards the north, therefore let
him now also put it down with the top northward.
14. He puts it down, with the text (Va^ . S. I, 3 a),
' Vasu's means of purification (pavitram) art thou !'
— Vasu, indeed. Is the sacrifice : for this reason he
says, ' Vasu's means of purification art thou !' — 'flow-
ing in a hundred streams, flowing in a thousand
streams ! ' — he praises and eulogises it when he says,
' flowing in a hundred streams, flowing in a thousand
streams.'
^ See I, 2, 2, 7, and note. Compare also the interesting intro- duction to Dr. Garbe's edition and translation of Apastamba's aphorisms on the Pravargya ceremony, Zeitsch. der D. ]Morg. Ges. XXXIV, p. 319 seq.
^ The direction from west to east is the chief one in all sacrificial arrangements : hence that from south to north is the one that lies across the former.
1 88 .SATAPATHA-BRAHMAJVA.
15. He now maintains silence as long as the
milking- of the three (cows) lasts, for the sacrifice,
doubtless, is speech : ' May I perform the sacrifice
undisturbed!' so he thinks.
16. When it (the milk of each of the three cows) is
poured (by the milker from the wooden pail through
the strainer into the pot), he (the Adhvaryu) con-
secrates it by (whispering each time) the formula
(Vac^. S. 1,3 b),' May the divine Savit;'/ purify thee
with Vasu's means of purification, well cleansing and
flowing in a hundred streams!' for just as then
(at the Soma-sacrifice) they clarify king Soma with
a strainer, so he thereby clarifies (the milk).
17. He then says (Va^. S. I, 3-4), 'Which didst
thou milk?' 'Such and such a one,' (the milker
replies.) * This one is Vii-vayu (containing all life),'
he (the Adhvaryu) says. He then^ asks regarding
the second one, 'Which didst thou milk?' 'Such
and such a one,' is the reply. ' This one is Vi^va-
karman (all-doing),' he says. He then asks re-
garding the third, 'Which didst thou milk?' 'Such
and such a one,' is the reply. 'This one is Vii'va-
d hay as (all-sustaining),' he says. The reason why he
thus asks is that he thereby bestows certain energies
on them. Three (cows) he milks, for three are these
worlds : he thereby renders them fit for these worlds.
He is now at liberty to speak.
^ That is, when the milk has been poured through the strainer as before. The Taittiriya school make the mystic names (or epithets) of the three cows Vijvayu, Vijvavya^'as (all-embrac- ing), and Vijvakarman, cf Taitt. S. I, i, 3 ; Taitt. Br. Ill, 2, 3, 7. In the latter passage these names are, as here, identified with the earth, atmosphere, and heavens respectively. The milker, in reply- ing to the Adhvaryu, apparently calls the cows by their ordinary names. Cf. p. 178, note 4.
I Kanda, 7 Adhyaya, I Brahmaa^a, 20. 1 89
18. After having the last (cow) milked, and having
poured a drop of water into the pail which he has
made the milker use, and stirred it, he pours it to
(the milk)\ thinking * what milk was left there, let
that also be here!' — (he does so) for the complete-
ness of the sap ; for when it rains here, then plants
spring up, and on the plants being eaten and the
water drunk, thence is this juice produced : and
therefore (the water is poured to the milk) for the
completeness of the sap. Having then taken it off
(the fire), he coagulates it^: he thereby makes it sharp
(pungent) ; for this reason he coagulates it, after
taking it off (the fire),
19. He coagulates it, with the formula (Va^. S. I,
4 d), ' With Soma I coagulate thee, the portion of
Indra!' Just as on a former occasion', when taking
sacrificial food for a deity, he announces it (to that
deity), in like manner he now announces it to the
deity, saying, 'Thee, the portion of Indra!' By
saying 'with Soma I coagulate thee,' he makes it
palatable to the gods.
20. He then covers it over by a vessel*, with the
hollow part upwards and containing water, 'lest
the evil spirits, the Rakshas, should touch it from
above;' for water, indeed, is a thunderbolt; hence