^ That is, according to Saya«a, on the Ahavaniya fire-place.
2 The anuvakya for the Svish/akr/t is Rig-veda X, 2, i :
piprihi devan usato yavish//^a ('gladden thou the longing gods, O
youngest!') &c. Asv. S. I, 6, 2.
^ See T, 4, 2, 16-17. These formulas (nigada) of enumeration (aya^ agnir agnc/^ priya dhamani, &c. — yakshad agner hotuA priya dhamani, &c.) form part of the offering-formula. The y<Vya proper, however, which they precede is Rig-veda VI, 15, 14, agne yad adya v'uo adhvarasya hota// [' O Agni, Hotrz' of the cult 1 when this day (thou comest) to the men '], &c.
I Kaa^Da, 7 Adhyaya, 3 Brahmajva, 1 4. 203
favourite dainties!' thereby he refers to Agni as
Hot;-/; for after the gods had set apart this obla-
tion for him, they still further propitiated him by this
(formula), and invited him to his favourite dainty ^i
this is the reason why he thus enumerates.
12. Here now some make (the name of) the deity
precede the 'may he offer (ay a/')!' thus — ' Of Agni
may he offer (the favourite dainties) !' 'Of Soma may
he offer !' But let him not do this ; for those who
make the deity precede the 'may he offer!' violate
the proper order at the sacrifice, since it is by pro-
nouncing the ' may he offer/ that he pronounces what
comes first here : let him therefore place the ' may
he offer' first.
13. [The Hotri continues to recite]: ' May he
sacrifice to his own greatness!' When, on that
occasion 2, he asks him (Agni) to bring hither the
deities, he also makes him bring hither his own
greatness ; but before this no worship of any kind
has been offered to 'his (Agni's) own greatness :' and
he therefore now gratifies him, and thus that (fire)
has been established so as to prevent failure on his
(the sacrificer's) part. This is the reason why he
says ' may he sacrifice to his own greatness.'
14. ' By sacrifice may he obtain for himself food
worthy of sacrifice^!' the food, doubtless, is these
creatures : he thereby makes them eager to sacrifice,
and these creatures go on sacrificing, worshipping
and performing austerities.
^ Or, resort, abode, dh^man.
^ Viz. at the 'devatanam avahanam,' cf. I, 4, 2, 17; p. 118, n. i.
' 'Aya^atam e^ya isha^.' ]\Iahidhara, on Va^. S. XXI, 47, interprets it thus: 'May these (isha/^) desirous (creatures), fit for sacrifice, sacrifice properly !' Similarly perhaps Sayawa on our passage.
204 i-ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
15. 'May he, the knower of beings, (perform)^
the sacred cult ; may he graciously accept the sacri-
ficial food!' Thereby he prays for success to this
sacrifice ; for when the gods graciously accept the
sacrificial food, then he (the sacrificer) gains great
things-: for this reason he says 'may he graciously
accept the sacrificial food !'
16. The reason why on this occasion the invita-
tory and offering- formulas are made closely to
correspond to each other (avak/zptatama), is that the
svish/akrz't (is equivalent to) the evening libation,
and the evening libation, doubtless, belongs to the
Visve Deva/2 (the * All-gods') 3. 'Gladden thou the
longing gods, O youngest!' this much in the in-
vitatory formula refers to the Vi^ve Deva/^^ *0
Agni, Hotrz of the cult! when this day (thou comest)
to the men^;' this much in the offering-formula
refers to the Vii-ve Deva/i. And because such is the
form of these two (formulas), therefore they are of
^ Here kr/notu is omitted in the text, but cf. Va^;^. S. XXI, 47 ; Taitt. Br. Ill, 5, 7, 6 ; Asv. S. I, 6, 5. Dr. Hillebrandt, Altind. Neu- und Vollmondsopfer, p. 118, construes it with the preceding formula: 'er mache darbringungswerth die Speisen; er, der Wesen- kenner, nelmie beim Opfer das havis an.' (?)
^ INIahat, 'grosses.'
^ See Vag'. S. XIX, 26. Here the author, as usual (cf. p. 5 note), attempts to enhance the solemnity of the ceremony by identifying it with the tr/tiya-savana, or evening libation at the Soma-sacrifice, both offerings constituting the final ceremonies in the main per- formance of the respective sacrifices. We shall, however, see (cf. I, 8, 3, 25) that as at the evening libation the remains of the Soma are offered up, so also are the remains of havis offered to the v'lsve deva^ at the conclusion of the present sacrifice. At IV, 4,5,17 it is more especially the offering of rice-cake to Agni and Varuwa, at the evening libation, which is identified with the svish- /akr/t.
* See p. 202, note 2. "* See p. 202, note 3.
I KAiVDA, 7 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMAiVA, t8. 205
the form of the evening libation ; and this is why
the invitatory and offering-formulas on this occasion
are made closely to correspond to each other.
17. They are both trish/ubh verses; for the
svish^'akrzt is, as it were, the residue (or site,
vastii) of the sacrifice, and the residue (or, a vacant
site) is without energy\ Now the trish/ubh means
manly power ^ energy : hence he thereby imparts
manly power, energy to that residue, the svish/akr/t.
This is why they are both trish/ubh verses.
18. Or they are both anush/ubh verses. The
anush/ubh is residue (or site, vastu), and the svish-
/ak7^/t also is residue : hence he thereby puts a
residue to a residue ^. And, verily, one who knows
this, and whose (invitatory and offering-formulas)
are two anush/ubh verses, his homestead (vastu)
is prosperous, and he himself prospers in regard
to progeny and cattle.
^ Aviryam; cf. II, i, 2, 9, where the (jarira) empty body (of Pra^apati) is called a vastu aya^^liyam aviryam. See also above, I, 7, 3, 7, where we met with vastu in the sense of 'remainder, that which remains,' as Sayawa also seems to take it here.
2 Indriyam, literally ' Indra's power.' The trish/ubh often (e.g. Rig-veda X, 130, 5) appears specially related to Indra; and the hymns addressed to him are almost entirely in this metre. Taitt. S. VII, I, I, 4 it is said to have been created by Pra^apati from his own chest and arms, immediately after Indra, and together with the Br/hat-saman, the Ra^anya, and the ram ; and that these are therefore viryavant, having been created out of virya (i.e. the seats of ' manly power ').
^ For this symboHcal explanation see Taitt. S. VII, i, i, 5, where the anush/ubh is said to have been created by Pra^^apati, by his fourth and last creative act, from his feet, together with the Vaira^^a- saman, the 6'udra, and the horse ; the two last named being, there- fore, styled ' bhuta-sahkramin (? subservient to creatures).' I do not find it stated anywhere, what anush/ubh verses may optionally be taken for the anuvakya and yagya. of the svish/akM.
206 SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
19. Now here Bhallabeya^ made the invita-
tory formula (consist of) an aniish/ubh verse, and
the offering-formula of a trish/ubh verse, thinking,
' I thus obtain (the benefits of) both.' He fell from
the cart, and in fallino-, broke his arm. He reflected:
' This has befallen because of something or other
I have done.' He then bethought himself of this :
'(It has befallen) because of some violation, on
my part, of the proper course of the sacrifice.' Hence
one must not violate the proper course (of sacrificial
performance); but let both (formulas) be verses of
the same metre, either both anush/ubh verses, or
both trish/ubh verses.
20. He cuts (the portions for Agni Svish/akr/t)
from the north part (of the sacrificial dishes) -, and
offers them up on the north part (of the fire): for
this is the region of that god, and therefore he cuts
from the north part and offers on the north part.
From that side, indeed, he arose ^ and there
they (the gods) appeased him : for this reason he
cuts from the north part, and offers on the north
part.
21. He offers on this side (in front), as it were, of
the other oblations. Following the other oblations
cattle are produced, and the Svish/akm represents
Rudra's power : he would impose Rudra's power on
^ That is, Indradyumna Bhallabeya, as the Kaz/va recension reads here and II, 1,4, 6. Cf. X, 6, i, i.
^ He makes, as usual, an under-layer (upastara;/a) of butter in the ^--uhu ; cuts a piece from the north part of each of the two cakes (or of the one cake and of bolh the sweet and the sour milk consti- tuting the sannayya); and thereupon bastes the pieces twice (not once) with butter.
^ See above, par. 3. The same quarter is assigned to Rudra, IX, 1, 1, 10. See also Weber, Ind. Stud. I, p. 225.
I KANDA, 7 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMAiVA, 26. 20 7
the cattle if he were to bring it (the Svish/akm)
into contact with the other oblations ; and his (the
sacrificer's) household and cattle would be destroyed.
For this reason he offers on this side, as it were, of
the other oblations.
22. That (fire) — to wit, the Ahavaniya — is, indeed,
that sacrifice by which the gods then ascended to
heaven ; and that (other fire) which was left behind
here, is the Garhapatya : hence they take out the
former from the Garhapatya, (so as to be) before
(east) of it.
23. He may lay it (the Ahavaniya) down at the
distance of eight steps (from the Garhapatya); for
of eight syllables, doubtless, consists the gayatri:
hence he thereby ascends to heaven by means of
the gayatri.
24. Or he may lay it down at the distance of
eleven steps \- for of eleven syllables, indeed, consists
the trish/ubh : hence he thereby ascends to heaven
by means of the trish/ubh.
25. Or he may lay it down at the distance of
twelve steps; for of twelve syllables, indeed, consists
the^agati : hence he thereby ascends to heaven by
means of the ^agati. Here, however, there is no
(fixed) measure: let him, therefore, lay it down where
in his own mind he may think proper-. If he takes
it ever so little east (of the Garhapatya), he ascends
to heaven by it.
26. Here now they say, 'Let them cook the sacri-
^ The Baudhay. 6'ulvas. (66) lays it down as the rule that the Brahma;/a has to construct his Ahavaniya fire at the distance of eight prakramas (step of two padas or feet each) to the east of the Garhapatya, the Ra^-anya at the distance of eleven, and the Vaijya at the distance of twelve, steps. Thibaut, Pandit X, p. 22.
- See I, 2, 5, 14.
208 5ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
ficlal dishes on the Ahavaniya ; for thence, assuredly,
the gods ascended to heaven, and therewith they
went on worshipping and toiHng : therein we will
cook the sacrificial dishes ; therein we will perform
the sacrifice ! For, as it were, a displacement ^ of
the sacrificial dishes would take place, if they were
to cook them on the Garhapatya. The Ahavaniya
is the sacrifice : we will perform the sacrifice in the
sacrifice ! '
27. However, they also do cook on the Garha-
patya, arguing, 'The former is indeed ahavaniya
(i.e. "suitable for a burnt-offering"); but that one,
surely, is not (intended) for this, — viz. that they
should cook uncooked (food) on it ; but it is (intended)
for this, — viz. that they should offer up cooked (food)
on it.' He may therefore do it on whichever (fire)
he pleases.
28. That sacrifice spake, ' I dread nakedness.'
* What is unnakedness for thee ?' ' Let them strew
(sacrificial grass) all round me!' For this reason
they strew (sacrificial grass) all round the fire. * I
dread thirst.* 'How art thou to be satiated ?' 'May
I satiate myself after the priest has been satisfied!'
Let him therefore, on the completion of the sacrifice,
order that the priest be satisfied; for then he satisfies
the sacrifice.
Fourth BRAHMAivA. I. Pra^dpati conceived a passion for his own
^ Apaskhala. Sayawa takes skhala to mean winnowing- (or threshing-) floor (Pkhala): hence apaskhala would mean ' the leaping (of the husk, &c.) out of the winnowing-floor.' The Ka«va MS. reads, ' apaskhala iva sa havishaw yad garhapatya^^ ' (? ' the Garhapatya is to the sacrificial food the outside of a winnowing- floor, as it were.')
I KANDA, 7 ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMAiVA, 4. 209
daughter, — either the Sky or the Dawn ^ * May I pair with her!' thus (thinking) he united with her.
2. This, assuredly, was a sin in the eyes of the
gods. ' He who acts thus towards his own daughter,
our sister, [commits a sin],' they thought.
3. The gods then said to this god who rules over
the beasts (Rudra)^ 'This one, surely, commits
a sin who acts thus towards his own daughter, our
sister. Pierce him!' Rudra, taking aim, pierced
him. Half of his seed fell to the ground. And
thus it came to pass.
4. Accordingly it has been said by the i?/shi ^
with reference to that (incident), ' When the father
embraced his daughter, uniting with her, he dropped
his seed on the earth.' This (became) the chant
(uktha) called agnimiruta^; in (connection with)