^ The corresponding myth of Taitt. Br. I, i, 3, 5, though very different from ours, yet presents one or two points of resemblance. According to it, nothing was to be seen in the beginning except water and a lotus-leaf standing out above it. Pra^^apati (being bent on creating the firm ground) bethought himself that the lotus-stalk must rest on something; and having assumed the form of a boar, he dived and brought up some of the earth. This he spread out (prath) on the lotus-leaf, whence originated the earth (pnthivi), which he then fastened down by means of pebbles. Hence the latter are put on the hearth in order to afford a firm foundation for the fire.
^ According to the authorities of the Black Ya^^ur-veda there are not five, but fourteen sambharas, seven of which are taken from the earth, viz. sand, salt, a mole-hill, an ant-hill, mire from a dried- up pool, pebbles, and gold ; while the remaining seven consist of pieces of wood from the ajvattha, udumbara, palaja ( ? two pieces), jami, and vikankata trees, and from some tree that has been struck by lightning. The sprinkling of water about the fire-place is not counted by them as a sambhara, but as one of the usual acts of lustration. Taitt. Br. I, i, 3 seq.
II KANDA, I ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAiVA, 1 4. 28 1
13. Now, as to this, they say, 'Six seasons there
are in the year.' And in that case the very defi-
ciency (nyuna) itself is rendered a productive union^,
since it is from the lower part (nyuna, i.e. of the
body) that offspring is here brought forth. Thus
also a progressive improvement ^ (is assured to the
sacrificer) : for this reason there are five equipments.
And when (it is nevertheless insisted on that) there
are six seasons in the year, then Agni is the sixth
of them, and thus there is no deficiency.
14. Here also they say, ' He should not equip it even with a single equipment ! ' For (they argue) all those (objects) are on this earth, and hence, when he establishes the fire on this earth, the latter of itself obtains all those equipments : he need not, therefore, equip it with a single equipment. But let him never- theless bring (those objects) together ; for when he establishes the fire on this (earth), then it obtains all the equipments ; and what (benefit) accrues from the equipments being brought together, that also accrues to it ^ Let him for that reason bring (the objects) together.
^ Or, a deficient pairing is effected (on account of the uneven number). I do not quite understand Sayawa's interpretation of the passage, the published text of the commentary being apparently corrupt in one or two places. The Kawva text reads : Tad ahu^ sha^ va r/tava^ saz'zvatsarasyeti yadi vai sha/ r/tava^ sa/«vatsarasya nyunam u vai pra_^anana»/ nyunad va ima// pra_o-a^ pra^ayante, &c.
2 Literally, ' a prevailing (or advancing) better-to-morrow,' svah- jreyasam uttaravat.
^ The drift of the author's reasoning evidently is that it is safer, by putting those objects on the fire-place, to make sure of the magic benefits of those symbols being really secured to the fire, and thereby to the sacrificer. The Kawva text of this paragraph, though differently worded, yields the same sense ; except that it refers to
282 5'ATArATIIA-BRAIIMAiVA.
Second Braiimana.
1. He may set up the two fires^ under the Kr/t-
tikis; for they, the Kr/ttikas, are doubtless Agni's
asterism, so that if he sets up his fires under Agni's
asterism, (he will bring about) a correspondence
(between his fires and the asterism) : for this reason
he may set up his fires under the Krz'ttikas.
2. Moreover, the other lunar asterisms (consist
of) one, two, three or four (stars), so that the Krit-
tikas are the most numerous (of asterisms) - : hence
he thereby obtains an abundance. For this reason
he may set up his fires under the Kr/ttikas.
3. And again, they do not move away from the
eastern quarter, whilst the other asterisms do move
from the eastern quarter. Thus his (two fires) are
established in the eastern quarter : for this reason
he may set up his fires under the Kr/ttikas.
4. On the other hand (it is argued) why he should
not set up the fires under the Krzttikas. Origi-
nally, namely, the latter were the wives of the Bears
(r/ksha) ; for the seven 7?/shis ^ were in former times
the sacrificer himself and to the wishes he entertains in collecting the objects.
' That is, the Garhapatya and Ahavaniya, the two principal fires.
' Whilst the Kr/ttikas, or Pleiades, are supposed to consist of seven (or, according to others, of six) stars, the remaining twenty- six nakshatras or lunar mansions, according to our author, vary between one and four stars. Hence the Kr/ttikas are also called Bahulas, ' the numerous.' In the later accounts, however, a larger number of stars is attributed to several nakshatras. Cf. Weber, Nakshatra, II, pp. 368, 381. The Ka/n-a text has: 'Other naksha- tras are {i. e. consist of) four ; and there is here an abundance, so that he thereby obtains abundance.'
^ Saptarshi, or the seven -^/shis, is the designation of the
II KAiVDA, I ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMAiVA, 7. 283
called the 7?2kshas (bears). They were, however,
precluded from intercourse (with their husbands), for
the latter, the seven 7?2shis, rise in the north, and
they (the Kr/ttikas) in the east. Now it is a mis-
fortune for one to be precluded from intercourse
(with his wife) : he should therefore not set up his
fires under the Kr/ttikas, lest he should thereby be
precluded from intercourse,
5. But he may nevertheless set up (his fire under
the Krz'ttikas) ; for Agni doubtless is their mate, and
it is with Agni that they have intercourse : for this
reason he may set up (the fire under the Krettikas).
6. He may also set up his fires under (the asterism
of) Rohi;n. For under Rohi;d it was that Pra^a-
pati, when desirous of progeny (or creatures), set up
his fires. He created beings, and the creatures pro-
duced by him remained invariable and constant \
like (red) cows (rohi;?i) : hence the cow-like nature
of Roh'ml Rich in cattle and offspring therefore he
becomes whosoever, knowing this, sets up his fires
under Rohi/zi.
7. Under Rohi/zi, indeed, the cattle set up their
fires, thinking that they might attain to (ruh) the
desire (or love) of men. They did attain to the
constellation of Ursa Major, or the Wain. In the Rig-veda, rtksMk (bears) occurs once (I, 24, 10), either in the same restricted sense, or in that of stars generally.
* ' Ta asya pva.g^/i snsh/a ekarupa upastabdhas tasthu rohi;/ya iva.' The Ka«va text reads : Tam ima./i pv3.ga./i snsh/a rohiwya ivopastabdhas tasthur ekarupa iva. Sayawa interprets upastab- dha-^ ('propped up, erect,' established) by ' pratibaddha^ataya,^ (of continuous lineage),' and ekarupa^ ('uniform') by ' a.v\M/i\n- napravaha/i (of uninterrupted flow or succession).' In Taitt. Br, I, I, 2, 2, it is stated that Pra^apati created Agni under (the aste- rism) Rohi«i, and that the gods then set up that fire under the same asterism.
284 S-ATAPATIIA-BRAHMAiVA.
desire of men ; and whatever desire the cattle then
obtained in regard to men, that same desire he ob-
tains, in regard to cattle, whosoever, knowing this,
sets up his fire under Rohi;^!.
8. He may also set up his fires under (the aste-
rism of) Mr/ga^irsha. For M7^/gai"irsha, indeed, is
the head of Pra,^apati\- and the head (j^iras) means
excellence (sri), for the head does indeed mean ex-
cellence : hence they say of him who is the most
excellent (^resh/z^a) of a community, that he is
the head of that community. Excellence therefore
he attains whosoever, knowing this, sets up his fire
under Mr/gai"irsha.
9. On the other hand (it is argued) wh)- one should
not set up his fire under Mr/gai'irsha ". The latter,
indeed, is Pra^apati's body. Now, when they (the
gods) on that occasion pierced him^ with what is
called ' the three-knotted arrow,' he abandoned that
' For the mythical allusions in this and the succeeding para- graphs, we have to compare ^S'at. Br. I, 7, 4, i ; Ait. Br. Ill, 33. According to the version of the myth given in the latter work, Pra^apati transformed himself into a roe-buck (mya) and ap- proached his own daughter (either the sky, or the dawn), who had assumed the shape of a doe (rohit). Out of their most fearful forms the gods then fashioned a divine being called Bhiitavat (i. e. Rudra), in order to punish Pra^o-apati for his incestuous deed. The latter was accordingly pierced by Bhutavat's arrow and bounded up to the sky, where he became tine constellation called Mr;'ga (i.e. Mrigajirsha), while his daughter became the asterism Rohi«i. The arrow on the other hand, with which Pra^apati was pierced, became the constellation called ' the three-knotted arrow (perhaps the girdle of Orion).'
^ The Black Ya^nis does not recommend this asterism for the performance of agnyadheya.
' The Ka;/va text reads, ' When, on that occasion, that god (viz. Rudra) pierced him with the three-knotted arrow.'
II KAiVJDA, I ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMAA^A, II. 285
body, for the body is a mere relic (or dwelling,
vastu), unholy and sapless. He should therefore
not set up his fires under Mr/ga^irsha.
10. But he may, nevertheless, set them up (under
Mr?ga5irsha). For, assuredly, the body of that god,
Pra^apati, is neither a relic nor unholy ^ : he may
therefore set up (his fires under Mrzga^irsha).
' Under the Punarvasu he should perform the
Punaradheya^' thus (it is prescribed).
11. He may also set up his fires under the Phal-
gunis. They, the Phalgunis, are Indra's asterism ^,
and even correspond to him in name ; for indeed
Indra is also called Ar^una, this being his mystic
name ; and they (the Phalgunis) are also called Ar-
^unis. Hence he overtly calls them Phalgunis, for
who dares to use his (the god's) mystic name ?
Moreover, the sacrificer himself is Indra, so that
he in that case sets up his fires under his own
asterism. Indra is the deity of the sacrifice; and
accordingly his Agnyadheya is thereby brought
^ Na va etasya devasya vastu naya^n\yar?i na jariram asti. — Na vai tasya vastu na nivirya;;; naya^Tiiyam asti, ' for the relic of that (god) is neither sapless nor impure.' Ka«va recension.
2 I.e. the repetition of the adheya, or setting up of his fires, a ceremony which has to be performed in the event of the adheya having proved unsuccessful ; that is, in case he should not have prospered or even sustained losses. The direction has been in- serted in this place on account of the position of Punarvasil, as the fifth mansion, between M/-%a/irsha, the third, and (Pur va and Uttara) Phalgunis, the ninth and tenth mansions, in the original order of the nakshatras.
' In Taitt. Br. I, i, 2, 4, the Purve Phalguni are assigned to Aryaman, and the Uttare Phalguni to Bhaga. While, however, both these asterisms are there recommended for the agnyadheya, the Piirve Phalguni are rejected as unsuitable further on, in par. 8 (.'' a later addition).
2 86 S-ATAPATIIA-ERAHMAJVA.
into relation with Indra. He may set up the fires
under the first (Purva-phalgunis) — whereby an
advancing (successful) sacrifice accrues to him ; or
he may set them up under the second (Uttara-
phalgunis) — whereby a progressive (uttaravat)
improvement accrues to him.
12. Let him set up his fires under the asterism
Hasta\ whosoever should wish that (presents)
should be offered him : then indeed (that will take
place) forthwith ; for whatever is offered with the
hand (hasta), that indeed is given to him.
13. He may also set up his fires under A'itra.
Now the gods and the Asuras, both of them sprung
from Pra^^'apati, were contending for superiority.
Both parties were desirous of rising to yonder world,
the sky. The Asuras then constructed the fire (altar)
called rauhi?2a(fit to ascend by), thinking, 'Thereby
we shall ascend (a-ruh) to the sky 2.'
^ In the Taitt. Br. this asterism is not mentioned as suitable for the agnyadheya. The Asv. S. II, 1, 10 omits both Hasta and Altra; but permits the asterismsVi^akhe and Uttare Prosh///apade.