23. She unties it. Should she wish to do so
^ Haiisvamin derives ajitama and a.s\sh//ia from as, 'to eat' (instead of from as, 'to reach, penetrate'), hence 'the greatest eater.' Mahidhara gives both derivations.
262 5ATAPATHA-BRAHMAJVA.
with a Ya^s-text, let her do so with this one (Va^.
S. II, 2 1 a), ' The Veda art thou: whereby thou,
O divine Veda, hast become Veda for the gods,
thereby mayest thou become Veda for meM'
24. (The Hotr/) strews it (from the Garhapatya)
as far as (the east end of) the akar-; for the akar is
female and the veda is male ; and from behind the
male approaches the female: from behind (i. e. west)
he accordingly causes it (the altar) to be approached
by that male, the veda. For this reason he strews
(the grass of the veda) as far as (the east end of)
the altar.
Concluding Ceremonies.
25. He (the Adhvaryu) now makes the samish/a-
ya^iis-oblation, thinking, ' In the east my sacrifice
shall be completed!' Were he to perform the
samish/aya^us-oblation first and then the patni-
sa?;/ya,fas, that sacrifice of his would be completed
in the west (behind the sacrificer)^: hence he makes
^ According to Katy. Ill, 8, 2, the lady thereupon unties the grass-cord with which she was girt (see I, 3, i, 12), with the text, * I free myself from Varu«a's noose wherewith the gracious Savitr/ bound me ; place me unscathed, together with my husband, in the lap of eternal law, in the world of righteousness!' Asv. 1, 11, 3, however, assigns this ceremony to the Hot;-/; and no doubt rightly, since it is not mentioned by our author, and the Va^. S. does not give the formula. Thereby also the original form of the text (Rig- veda X, 85, 24), 'I free thee,' &c., is preserved. IMahidhara on Yag. S. here takes 'veda' either in the sense of 'the Veda (^/1<, &c.)/ or as ' the knower.' Perhaps it should rather be taken as ' the obtainer.'
2 Thus a vede^ is explained by Harisvamin (according to
comm. on Katy. Ill, 8, 3). Others take it in the sense of ' up to
where the barhis begins.'
•'' The patnisaw^ya^as were performed in the Garhapatya fire, and therefore west of the altar; and on their completion, the priests betake themselves back to the Ahavaniya.
I KANDA, 9 ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMAiVA, 28. 263
the samish/aya^us-oblation at this particular time,
thinking, ' In the east my sacrifice shall be com-
pleted ! '
26. Now as to why it is called samish/aya^us':
whatever deities he invites through this (new or
full-moon) sacrifice, and for whichever deities this
sacrifice is performed, all those are thereby 'sacri-
ficed to together' (sam-ish/a); and because he
now makes a (butter) oblation- to all those deities,
who have been ' sacrificed to together/ therefore
this (oblation) is called samish/aya^us.
2"/. And "again as to why he performs the sam-
ish/aya^us : whatever deities he invites through this
sacrifice, and for whichever deities this sacrifice is
performed, they continue waiting until the samish/a-
ya^us is performed, thinking, ' This he must offer to
us ! ' These same (deities) he thereby dismisses in
due form ; and whatever be the practice in their
case in accordance with that he has, in thus per-
forming it, produced the sacrifice, and having thus
produced it he now establishes it safely where there
is a safe basis for it : this is why he performs the
samish/aya^us.
28, He makes the offering, with the text (Va^. S. II, 21 b), 'Ye path-finding gods,'— for the gods
^ The real original meaning of the term would rather seem to have been ' the formula marking the completion of the sacrifice,' it having afterwards come to be applied to the oblation (to the wind-god) itself Cf par, 30 and Weber, Ind. Stud. IX, 232.
2 Or rather, 'because to all those deities to whom an ish/i (or ya^ati-offering, made by the Adhvaryu standing south of the altar; and followed or accompanied by the vasha/-call) has been offered in common, he now makes an ahuti (or ^uhoti-oflfering, made by him whilst standing north of the altar, with the svaha-call).'
264 DATAPATH A-BRAHMAiVA.
are indeed the finders of the path^ — ' Having found the path — ,'thereby he says, 'having found the sacri- fice;'— 'Walk in the path!' thereby he dismisses them in due form ; — ' O divine Lord of mind, this sacri- fiQQ — Svaha!— give to the wind!' for the sacrifice, indeed, is that blowing one (the wind). Having accordingly prepared this (special) sacrifice, he thereby establishes it safely in that (chief, full or new-moon) sacrifice, and thus unites sacrifice with sacrifice : for this reason he says, 'Svaha! give (it) to the wind !'
29. He then offers up the barhis. The barhis,
truly, is this world, and the barhis (consists of)
plants : hence he thereby bestows plants on this
world, and these plants are safely established in this
world : for this reason he offers up the barhis.
30. This offering he makes as an additional one,
since the samish/ayafus is the end of the sacrifice,
and consequently what comes after the samish/a-
ya^s is additional ; and because, in performing the
samish/ayaf us, he offers to those (deities 2), and thence
additional unlimited plants are here produced.
31. He offers it, with the text (Vaf. S. H, 22).
' May the barhis combine with the sacrificial food,
with the butter! May Indra combine with the
Adityas, the Vasus, the Maruts, and the Vi^ve
Deva/^! May what (has been offered with) 'Svaha'
go up to the heavenly ether M'
32. Having thereupon walked round (from the
^ Mahidhara refers gatu-vida^ and vittva to vid, 'to know.' ^ According to Harisvamin, he does so, since that offering is
made for the sake of dismissing (satisfying) the deities.
^ Mahidhara interprets, ' May Indra — together with the Adityas,
the Vasus, the Maruts, and the Y'lsve Deva/i — anoint the barhis
thoroughly with the havis-Hke ghee,' &c.
I KANDA, 9 ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMAiNTA, 35. 265
north side of the Ahavantya fire) to the south,
he pours the pra?^ita-water ^ out (on the altar).
Now, when he spreads the sacrifice, he yokes it.
But were he not to pour out (the pra;zlta-water),
the sacrifice, being unyoked, would, in moving back-
ward, injure the sacrificer. In this way, however,
the sacrifice does not injure the sacrificer ; and for
this reason he pours out the pra/^ita-water, after
walking round to the south.
33. He pours it out, with the text (Va^. S. II, 23 a),
' Who ^ unyokes thee ? He unyokes thee ! For whom
does he unyoke thee ? For him he unyokes thee !
For plenty!' He thereby announces to the sacri-
ficer the highest prosperity. He pours it out with
the same (vessel) with which he brings it forward ;
for wherewith they )'oke the team, therewith they
also unyoke it : with the yoke-tie they yoke it, and
with the yoke-tie they unyoke it. By means of a
potsherd he now throws the refuse from the cleaning
of the rice ^ right under the black antelope skin ;
with the text (Va^. S. II, 23 b), 'The Rakshas' share
art thou ! '
34. Now the gods and the Asuras, both of them
sprung from Pracr^pati, were contending about this
sacrifice, (that is, their) father Pra^apati, the year.
' Ours it (he) shall be ! ours it shall be,' they said.
35. Thereupon the gods obtained possession of the whole of the sacrifice, and dispossessed those
^ See p. 9, note i.
^ Or, Pra^apati . . . , see I, i, i, 13, with note.
' See I, I, 4, 23-24. According to the Paddhati on Katy. Ill, 8, the Adhvaryu holds the deer-skin with his left hand over the utkara, or heap of rubbish, and pours the refuse under the skin on the utkara.
266 5ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
(Asuras) of it by (giving them) what was the worst
part of the sacrifice, to wit, with the blood of the
victim (they dispossessed them) of the animal sacri-
fice, and with the refuse of the rice of the havir-
yacr/^a. ' May they be duly dispossessed of the
sacrifice,' they thought ; for he indeed is duly
dispossessed, who is dispossessed even while obtain-
ing a (worthless) share. He, on the other hand, who
is dispossessed without any share whatever, hopes
for a while, and when it occurs to him, he says,
'What share hast thou given me?' Hence what
share the gods set apart for those (Asuras), that
same share he now makes over to them in pouring
(the refuse of the rice) right under the black ante-
lope skin. He thereby casts it into blind darkness,
where there is no (sacrificial) fire. And in the same
way he casts the blood of the victim into blind
darkness, where there is no fire; thinking, 'Thou
art the Rakshas' share ! ' For this reason they use
not the gore of the victim (for sacrificial purposes),
since it is the Rakshas' share.
Third BRAHMAivA.
I. The sacrifice being noAv complete, he (the
Adhvaryu) walks round (the fire) to the south, and
pours out a vessel (of water); for thus it is
(poured out) towards north : therefore he pours
it out after walking round to the south. He who
sacrifices, doubtless, sacrifices with a desire that he
also may obtain a place in the world of the gods.
That sacrifice of his then goes forth towards the
world of the gods : after it follows the fee which he
gives (to the priests), and holding on to the priests'
fee (follows) the sacrificer.
I KANDA, 9 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMAiVA, 6. 267
2. That same path leads either to the gods or to
the fathers ^ On both sides two flames are ever
burning : they scorch him who deserves to be
scorched, and allow him to pass who deserves to
pass I Now, water is (a means of) lustration : hence
he thereby lustrates that path.
3. A full (vessel) he pours out, because full means
all : hence he thereby lustrates that (path) by means
of the All. He pours it out continuously, uninter-
ruptedly : hence he thereby lustrates that (path) in
a continuous, uninterrupted manner.
4. And again why he pours out a vessel (of
water) is : where anything is done wrongly at the
sacrifice, there they tear or wound it ; and — water
being (a means of) lustration — he lustrates it by that
(means of) lustration, water ; he heals it with water.
5. A full (vessel) he pours out, because full means
all : hence he thereby heals it by means of the
All. Continuously, uninterruptedly he pours it out:
hence he thereby heals it in a continuous (lasting),
uninterrupted manner.
6. He (the sacrificer) intercepts it with his open hands held together, while reciting the text (Va/.
^ Cf. Mahabh. XII, 525, 'Two paths are known, one leading to the gods, and one leading to the fathers;' and ib. XIII, 1082, ' That sun is said to be the gate of the paths leading to the gods ; and that moon is said to be the gate of the paths leading to the fathers.' See also A7/and. Up. V, 3. In ^at. Br. VI, 6, 2, 4 the gate of the heavenly world is said to be situated in the north- east ; whilst that of the world of the fathers, according to XIII, 8, I, 5, lies in the south-east. Cf Kaushit. Up. I, 2 seq. (j\Iax Miiller, Up. I, p. 274), ' Verily, the moon is the door of the heavenly world,' &c.
2 According to Harisvamin, they scorch him who has not ful- filled his duties, and allow him to pass who has done so.
268 ^ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
S. II, 24), ' We have united with lustre, with vigour,
with the bodies ^ with the happy spirit. May
Tvash/7'/, the dispenser of boons, grant us riches,
and make even what was injured in our body!'
What was torn, that he thereby heals.
7. He then touches his face (with the water in
his hands). The reason why he thus touches his face
is twofold : water means ambrosia, and with ambrosia
he accordingly touches himself; also he thereby
transfers to himself that sacred work (the sacrifice) :
for these reasons he touches his face.
8. He now strides the (three) Vish;2u-strides. He
who sacrifices assuredly gratifies the gods. In
gratifying the gods by that sacrifice — partly by 7'iks,
partly by ya^us, partly by oblations — he acquires
a share among them; and having acquired a share
among them, he goes to them.
9. And again why he strides the Vish;m-
strides, is : Vish;m, truly, is the sacrifice, by
striding (vi-kram) he obtained for the gods that
all -pervading power (vikranti) which now belongs
to them. By his first step he gained this same
(earth), by the second this aerial expanse, and by
his last (step) the sky. And this same pervading
power Vish;ai, as the sacrifice, obtains by his strides
for him (the sacrificer): for this reason he strides