^ In Taitt. Br. I, i, 2, 4-6 this myth is related as follows: ' There were Asuras, named Kalakan^as. They constructed a fire (altar) with a view to (gaining) the world of heaven. They put, every man of them, a brick to it. Indra, passing himself oflf for a Brahman, put a brick on for himself, saying, " This one, A'itra (the wonderful or bright one) by name, is for me I " They climbed up to heaven ; Indra, however, pulled out his brick, and they tumbled down. And they who tumbled down, became spiders : two of them flew up, and they became the two heavenly dogs." ' On this myth, Dr. A. Kuhn, 'Uber entwicklungsstufen der mythen- bildung,' p. 129, remarks: 'The myth given in Homer's Od. xi, 305-325, of Otos and Ephialtes, who, in order to fight the im- mortal gods, piled Ossa on Olympos, and Pelion on Ossa, Iv ovpavos (iixiiaTos (Irj, and who are destroyed by ApoUon, shows an obvious resemblance to these Indian myths ; the more so, if we divest the latter of their Brahmanical form, by which altar-bricks are sub-
II KAiVDA, I ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMAJVA, I J. 287
14. Indra then considered^ ' If they construct that
(fire-altar), they will certainly prevail over us/ He
secured a brick and proceeded thither, passing him-
self off for a Brahman.
15. ' Hark ye !' he said, ' I, too, will put on this
(brick) for myself !' * Very well,' they replied. He
put it on. That fire (altar) of theirs wanted but very
little to be completely built up, —
16. When he said, ' I shall take back this (brick)
which belongs to me.' He took hold of it and pulled
it out ; and on its being pulled out, the fire-altar
fell down ; and along with the falling fire-altar the
Asuras fell down. He then converted those bricks
into thunderbolts and clove the (Asuras') necks,
17. Thereupon the gods assembled and said,
'Wonderfully (/witram) indeed it has fared with
us who have slain so many enemies !' Hence
the wonderful nature (/^itratva)^ of the asterism
stituted for mountains; and if we bear in mind that the later versions of the myth, e. g. in the well-known passage of Ovid, put the Gigantes in the place of the Aloades.' See also Weber, Nakshatra, II, p. 372,
^ The Ka?A'a text here proceeds thus : The gods then were afraid and said, ' If those (Asuras) complete (samasyanti) that (fire- altar), they will prevail over us.' Then Indra having fastened a brick with the lightning-band (arke«a damna) went thither passing himself off for a Brahman. He said, ' I, too, will put on this (brick) for myself,' They said, 'On then (up a hi) !' He put it on. That (fire-altar) wanted but very little to be built up, when he said, 'I shall take this (brick) which is mine.' 'Take it then (a hi)!' they said. Then seizing it (tam abhihaya) he pulled it out. On its being pulled out the fire-altar tumbled down. On the fire-altar having tumbled down he made thunderbolts with those bricks and smote those (Asuras). Then the gods prevailed and the Asuras were worsted, &c.
^ Or, perhaps, its identity with (Indra's brick) A'itraj cf pre- ceding note.
2 88 a-ATAPATIIA-BRAHMAiVA.
A'itra ; and verily wonderfully it fares with him, and
he slays his rivals, his spiteful enemy, whosoever,
knowing this, sets up his fires under iiTitra. A
Kshatriya, therefore, should especially desire to
take advantage of this asterism ; since such a one
is anxious to strike, to vanquish his enemies,
1 8. Originally these (nakshatras) were so many
different powers (kshatra), just as that sun yonder.
But as soon as he rose, he took from them (a-da)
their energy, their power ; therefore he (the sun) is
called Aditya, because he took from them their
energy, their power ^
19. The gods then said, 'They who have been
powers, shall no longer (na) be powers (kshatra)-!'
Hence the powerlessness (na-kshatratvam) of the
nakshatras. For this reason also one need only
take the sun for one's nakshatra (star), since he took
away from them their energy, their power. But if
he (the sacrificer) should nevertheless be desirous of
having a nakshatra (under which to set up his fires),
then assuredly that sun is a faultless nakshatra for
him ; and through that auspicious day (marked by the
rising and setting of the sun) he should endeavour
to obtain the benefits of whichever of those asterisms
he might desire. Let him therefore take the sun
alone for his nakshatra ^.
^ The Ka«va text reads : Tani ha va etani kshatrawi nanaiva tepur yathasau va suryaj ^andramd va ; tesha/// hodyann evadityaA kshatraw virya/w te^a// praliilopa, tad vaisham adade.
"^ This etymology of nakshatra is of course quite fanciful. For Aufrecht's probably correct derivation of the word from nakta-tra, ' night-protector,' cf. Zeitschrift fiir vergl. Sprachf.,VIII, pp. 71,72. See also Weber, Nakshatra, II, p. 268.
^ The Kawva text reads : Tasman na nakshatram adriyeta yadaivaisha kada ^odiyad apy adadhitaisha hi sarva;/i kshatram;
II KAiVDA, 1 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMAiVA, 4. 289
Third BRAHMAiVA.
1. The spring, the summer, and the rains, these
seasons (represent) the gods ; and the autumn, the
winter, and the dewy season represent the fathers.
That half-moon which increases represents the gods,
and that which decreases represents the fathers. The
day represents the gods, and the night represents
the fathers. And, further, the forenoon represents
the gods, and the afternoon the fathers.
2. Those seasons, then, are the gods and the
fathers ; and whosoever, knowing this, invokes them
as the gods and fathers, with his invocation of the
gods the gods comply, and with his invocation of the
fathers the fathers comply. Him the gods favour
at his invocation of the gods, and him the fathers
favour at his invocation of the fathers, whosoever,
knowing this, invokes (the seasons) as the gods and
fathers.
3. Now when he (the sun) moves northwards, then
he is among the gods, then he guards the gods ; and
when he moves southwards, then he is among the
fathers, then he guards the fathers \
4. When he (the sun) moves northwards, then one may set up his fires; — -the gods have the evil dis-
yadyu nakshatrakama/^ syad upo asita nakshatram ahasya bhavati no etasyanudayo 'sti tasmad v apy upaina(m a)sita, 'he need therefore not attend to any nakshatra ; but may set up his fires at any time when that (sun) rises, for he (the sun) is all the kshatras. Should he nevertheless be desirous of a nakshatra, let him ap- proach (the sun) with veneration ; for then there is a nakshatra for him, and that (sun) does not fail to rise : for this reason let him approach (the sun) with veneration.'
^ According to the Kawva text, it is the rising sun, that guards
the god-seasons and father-seasons respectively.
[12] U
290 5ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
pelled from them (by the sun) : he (the sacrificer)
therefore dispels the evil from himself; — the gods
are immortal : he therefore, though there is for him
no prospect of immortality, attains the (full measure
of) life, whosoever sets up his fires during that time.
Whosoever, on the other hand, sets up his fires when
(the sun) moves southwards, he does not dispel the
evil from him, — since the fathers have not the evil
dispelled from them (by the sun). The fathers are
mortal : hence he dies before (he has attained the
full measure of) life, whosoever sets up his fires
during that time.
5. The spring is the priesthood, the summer the
nobility, and the rainy season the common people
{vis) : a Brahman therefore should set up his fires
in spring, since the spring is the priesthood ; and a
Kshatriya should set them up in summer, since the
summer is the nobility ; and a Vaii^ya should set
them up in the rainy season, since the rainy season
is the common people.
6. And whosoever^ desires to become endowed
with holy lustre (brahmavar-l'asin), let him set up his
fires in spring, — for the spring is the priesthood, — and
he will certainly become endowed with holy lustre.
7. And whosoever desires to become a power
(kshatra)^ in prosperity and renown, let him set up
his fires in summer, — for the summer is the nobility
(kshatra), — and he will certainly become a power
in prosperity and renown.
8. And whosoever may desire to be rich in pro-
' I. e. whatsoever Brahman, as the Kawva text reads.
2 Kshatra;« jriya ya^asa syam iti. The Ka«va text reads : Ksha- trasya pratima syaw sriya ya^aseti, ' whosoever should wish to be an image of the kshatra in wealth and glory.'
II KANDA, I ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMAiVA, 2. 29I
geny and cattle, let him set up his fires in the rainy
seasons — for the rainy season is the common people,
and the people means food,— and he certainly be-
comes rich in progeny and cattle, whosoever, knowing
this, sets up his fires in the rainy season.
9. [In the opinion of others] both these (classes
of) seasons have the evil dispelled from them, for
the sun is the dispeller of their evil, and as soon as
he rises he dispels the evil from both these (classes
of seasons). He should therefore set up his fires at
any time, when he feels called upon to sacrifice ; and
should not put it off from one day to the morrow :
for who knows the morrow of man ^ ?
Fourth BRAiiMAiVA.
1. On the day preceding his Agnyadheya, he (the
sacrificer with his wife) should take his food in the
day-time. For the gods know the minds of man :
they are, therefore, aware that his Agnyadheya is to
take place on the morrow ; and all the gods betake
themselves to his house and stay(upa-vas)in his house;
whence this day is called upavasatha (fast-day) ^
2. Now, as it would be unbecoming for him to
take food before men (who are staying with him as
his guests) have eaten ; how much more would it be
so, if he were to take food before the gods have eaten :
let him therefore take his food In the day-time. How-
ever, he may also, if he choose, take food at night,
^ The Black Ya^us recommends i-arad, autumn, for the Agnya- dheya in the case of aVaijya.
2 Ko hi manushyasya svo veda. The Ka«va text has : Na vai manushya/^ ^vastanam veda (veda) ko hi (!) tasmai manushyo ya/z jvastana?;? vidyat, ' in truth no man knows the morrow, for what jnan, that knows the morrow, is there for him?'
3 See I, I, I, 7 seq.
292 i-ATAPATHA-BRAHMAA'A.
since the observance of the vow Is not necessary for
him who has not performed Agnyadheya. For so
long as he has not set up a (sacrificial) fire of his
own, he is merely a man, and may therefore, if he
choose, take food at night.
3. Here now some tie up a he-goat\ arguing that
the goat is sacred to Agni and that (this is done) for
the completeness of the fire. But he need not do
this. Should he possess a he-goat, let him present
it to the Agnidhra on the next morning ; for it is
thereby that he obtains the object he desires. He
need, therefore, take no notice of that (practice).
4. They^ then cook a rice-pap sufficient for (the)
four (priests) to eat. 'Hereby we gratify the metres,'
so they say, arguing that this is done in the same
way as if one were to order a team, which he is going
to use for driving, to be well fed. He need not, how-
ever, do this : for indeed that same wish (which he
entertains in so doing) he obtains by the very fact
that Brahmans, be they sacrificial priests or not, are
residing in his family (kula)^ : he need, therefore, take
no notice of that (practice).
5. Having then made a hollow in it (the pap) for
* This practice is perhaps the remnant of a former animal offer- ing. See I, 2, 3, 6, where the goat is mentioned as the last of the animals meet for sacrifice.
"^ That is, as would seem, those ritualists who maintain that a goat should be tied up for that night. The Ka«va text reads, ' Here some cook that night that Htu//prajya rice-pap, saying (vadanta^), " Hereby we gratify the metres." ' According to the Paddhati on Katy. IV, 8, the quotation ' Hereby we gratify the metres' seems to form the last of the formulas pronounced by the sacrificer, while washing the feet of the priests and offering them food.
' ' The fulfilment of that wish he obtains through Brahmans, whether officiating priests or not, staying in his house (kula) and takino; food there.' Kawva text.
II KAiVDA, I ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMAA^A, 6. 293
clarified butter to be poured in, and having poured
clarified butter into it, they anoint three sticks of
ai^vattha wood with this butter and put them on the
fire with the (three) Rtk-verses containing the words
' kindling-stick (samidh)' and ' butter (ghma) ^ ;' argu-
ing that thereby they obtain what has grown out of a
ssLmi^. It is, however, only by (daily) putting (three
kindling-sticks) on the fire for a whole year previous
(to the Adhana) that one obtains that object : let him
therefore take no notice of that (practice).