^ Viz. the wind indicated by the backward-turned flame of the fire, as it is carried eastwards to the Ahavaniya.
2 The Adhvaryu sits down and makes the horse put its right fore-foot on the recently prepared hearth-mound. Having then led it eastwards and turned it round, he calls on the Brahman to chant the Bnliat-saman (see p. 196, note 2),
300 SATAPATHA-BRAIIMAJVA.
Stand there facing the west. The horse doubtless
represents strength : hence he makes it turn round
again in order that this strength shall not turn away
from him (the sacrificer).
24. He lays that (fire) down on the horse's foot-
print^; for the horse represents strength, so that
he thereby lays it down on strength : for this reason
he lays it down on the horse's foot-print.
25. In the first place he silently touches (the foot-
print with the burning fire-wood). He then lifts it
up and touches once more with it ; and at the third
time he lays it down with (Va^. S. HI, 5) 'Earth!
ether ! heaven ! ' For there are three worlds indeed ;
so that he thereby obtains these (three) worlds. This
now is one (mode of laying down the fire).
26. Then there is this other. Silently he touches
(the foot-print with it) in the first place ; he then
lifts it up, and at the second time lays it down
with ' Earth ! ether ! heaven ! ' For he who wants
to lift a load without havinQ- a firm footinij on this
(earth), cannot lift it ; nay, it crushes him.
27. Now, when he touches it silently he thereby
takes a firm footing on this resting-place ; and
having obtained a firm, footing on it, he lays down
(the fire) : and thus he wavers not. Here now
Asuri, Fdiu/ci, and Madhuki held it (the fire)
slightly to the back (or west of the fire-place) =^. ' For,'
they argued, 'everything else (that is on the hearth)
^ Taitt. Br. I, i, 5, 9, on tlie contrary, forbids the fire to be laid down on the horse's foot-print, as the sacrificer's cattle is thereby surrendered to Rudra. Moreover, the horse is there made to step beside, not upon, the hearth-mound.
^ The Ka«va text reads : Tad v AsuriA Pa?l^ir Madhukir iti dadhrire, 'here now they held it thus.*
Ii Kanda, I Adhyaya, 4 Brahmaa^a, 29. 3oi
becomes, as it were, relaxed (on being touched by
the fire) : he should therefore, after holding it up,
lay it down at the first (touching) with " Earth !
ether ! heaven ! " for thus no relaxation takes place.'
Let him then do this in whichever way he may
deem proper.
28. He (the sacrificer) then goes round to the
east side (of the fire), and taking hold of the top
part of the burning sticks he mutters (Va^. S. Ill,
5) : * Like unto the sky in plenty, like unto the
earth in greatness!' When he says, 'Like unto
the sky in plenty,' he means to say, ' Like as yonder
sky is plenteous with stars, so may I become plen-
teous!' and when he says, 'Like unto the earth in
greatness,' he means to say, 'As great as this earth is
so great may I become!' — 'On that back of thine,
O Earth, that art meet for the worship of the
gods' — for on her back he lays down that (fire) —
* I lay down Agni, the eater of food, for the
obtainment of food.' Agni is an eater of food:
' May I become an eater of food,' this is what he
thereby says. This is a prayer for blessing, — he
may mutter it, if he choose; or, if he choose, he
may omit it.
29. He stands worshipping by (the fire) while
muttering the (three) J^ik-verses of the queen of
serpents (Va^. S. HI, 6-8) \ — ' Hither has come that
spotted bull and has settled down before the mother;
and before the father on going up to heaven.^ — She
moves along through the luminous spheres, breathing
forth from his breath : the mighty (bull) has illumined
^ These verses form the hymn Rig-veda X, 189, the authorship of which is ascribed to the queen of serpents (either Kadru, or the earth, according to Mahidhara).
302 DATAPATH A-BRAHMAiVA.
the sky. — He rules over the thirty domains ; and
song is bestowed on the winged one, yea, with the
light at the break of day!' Thus he recites; and
whatever (benefit) has not been obtained by him
either through the equipments, or through the as-
terisms, or through the seasons, or through the
laying down of the fire, all that is thereby obtained
by him ; and for this reason he stands worshipping
by (the fire), while muttering the verses of the queen
of serpents.
30. They say, however, that one need not stand
by (the fire) worshipping with the verses of the
queen of serpents. For the queen of serpents, they
argue, is this earth ; and accordingly when he lays
down the fire on her, he thereby obtains all his
desires : hence he need not stand by (the fire) wor-
shipping with the verses of the queen of serpents.
Second Adhyaya. First BRAHMAiVA.
The Oblations.
I. When he has taken out the Ahavaniya fire',
he performs the Full-offering ^ The reason why
' Previously to the performance of the full-offering, the other fires (if there are any more) are laid down. An integral part of the laying down of the Sabhya, or hall-fire, which seems to have been kept up only by Kshatriyas, is a game of dice, played by the priests, with a cow, offered by the sacrificer, for the stake. On an ox-hide, spread north of the sacrificial ground, they place a brass vessel upside down, and on it throw four times five cowries (or, if such are not to be had, five sticks) with ' Even I win, uneven thou art won (or defeated)!'
^ The pCir/zahuli, or 'full-offering,' is an oblation of a spoon- ful of clarified butter. Katy. IV, 10, 5, and comm., supply the fol- lowing particulars, applying to all ordinary ^^u ho ti-offerings : He puts butter into the butter-pot and places it on the Garhapatya to
II KAiVDA, 2 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAiVA, 4. 303
he performs the full-offering is that he thereby causes
that Agni to become an eater of food for his own
self; that he thereby offers food to him. Even as
(a mother or cow) would offer the breast to a
new-born child or calf, so does he thereby offer food
to him.
2. And having been appeased by that food, he
(Agni) waits patiently for the other oblations to be
cooked. If, on the other hand, that oblation were
not to be offered up in him, he would ere long burn
either the Adhvaryu or the sacrificer, for these two
pass nearest by him. This is the reason why he
makes this offering.
3. He offers it (with a) full (spoon) ; for the full
doubtless means the All (universe), so that he
thereby appeases him with the All. He offers it
with ' Svaha ! ' for the Svaha is undefined, and un-
defined also is the All, so that he thereby appeases
him by means of the All.
4. The first offering which Pra^apati made, he
made with ' Svaha ! ' Now that (offering) indeed is
virtually the same as this one ; and hence he (the
sacrificer) also makes it with * Svaha ! ' At this
(offering) he grants a boon (to the priests) ^ ; but
melt. Having then wiped the dipping-spoon (sruva) and offering- spoon (^uhii) with sacrificial grass in the manner described at I, 3, I, 6 seq., and taken the butter-pot off the fire, and strained the butter with the two stalks of darbha serving as strainers, he fills the ^uhu with the sruva. He now takes one stick, steps over to the north side of the Ahavaniya fire, strews grass around it, and puts the stick on the fire. He then sits down with bent right knee, and, while the sacrificer takes hold of him from behind, he pours the spoonful of butter into the fire with ' Svaha 1' the sacrificer pronouncing the dedicatory formula (tyaga), ' This to Agni!'
^ After the full-offering the sacrificer breaks the silence, imposed on him, by the words, 'I give a boon,' Katy. IV, lo, 6; presents,
304 ^ATAPATHA-BRAIIMAiVA.
a boon (may mean) everything, so that he thereby appeases him (Agni) with everything.
5. Here now they say, 'When he has made this
offering, he need not attend to the subsequent obla-
tions; for by this offering he obtains that wish for
which he takes out the subsequent oblations.'
6. He takes out (material for an oblation)^ to
Agni Pavamana (the Blowing)^. Now the blow-
ing one is the breath, so that he thereby puts breath
into him (the sacrificer). And this he puts into him
by means of this (offering) ; for breath means food,
and this offering also is food.
according to the commentary, being then made to the Adhvaryu and the Brahman. This ceremony is succeeded by the silent per- formance of the Agnihotra.
' The purz/dhuti, which marks the close of the Agnyadheya prcfper, is followed by the Agnihotra, performed with the texts pro- nounced in a low voice. Not less than twelve days after the Agnya- dheya (if at all) — the three fires being kept up during the interval — the young householder has to get performed for him (on the model of the new and full-moon offering, mutatis mutandis, there being neither the uddharawa, or taking out of fire from the Garhapatya, nor the choosing of a Brahman, &c.) the three ish/is mentioned above. At the first ish/i, the special havis (sacrificial dish) con- sists of a rice-cake on eight potsherds for Agni Pavamana; — at the second of two such cakes for Agni Pavaka and Agni SuX'i respectively; — at the third of a potful of boiled rice for Aditi. The three havis of the first two ish/is being (according to Taitt. Br. I, I, 6, 3) considered as representing the three bodies (tanu) of i\.gni ; these offerings are called tanuhavir-ish/is. They are, however, also called Pavamanesh/is. At these the name of the recipient (Agni Pavamana, &c.) has to be pronounced in a low voice in the formulas used at the chief offering. The Taitt. Br. mentions, be- sides, the usual Indragni cake (of the new-moon sacrifice) which is to be offered before the oflering to Aditi.
"^ Sayawa, on Taitt. Br. I, i, 5, 10, takes pavamana as 'pure' or 'purified by himself (svayaw jriddha); pavaka as 'purifying (others);' and s\xk'\ as 'shining.'
II KANDA, 2 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAiVA, 12, 305
7. He then makes offering toAgni Pavaka (the
Purifying). Now the purifying one means food, so
that he thereby puts food into him (Agni, or the
sacrificer). And this he puts into him by means of
this (offering), for this offering is indeed food.
8. He then makes offering to Agni Suk'i (the
Bright). Now brightness means vigour, so that he
thereby puts vigour into him. And this he puts
into him by means of this (offering) ; for when he
offers up that oblation in him (Agni), then that
vigour, that brightness of his blazes up.
9. For this reason they say, ' When he has made
that (full) offering, he need not attend to any further
oblations ; for by this offering he obtains that wish
for which he takes out the subsequent oblations.'
But let him nevertheless take out the subsequent
oblations ; for what invisible (blessing, or meaning)
there was in that (full-offering) that now becomes
thus (visible).
10. Now the reason why he makes offering to Agni
Pavamana, is that the blowing one is the breath.
When (the child) is born, then there is breath. And
as long as it is not born, it breathes in accord with
the mother's breath ; but when it is born, then he
thereby puts breath into it.
1 1 . And the reason why he makes offering to Agni
Pavaka, is that the purifying one means food: hence
he thereby puts food into (the child) when it is born.
12. And the reason why he makes offering to
Agni Su^'i, is that brightness means vigour. Now
when it (the child) grows by means of food, then
there is vigour; and hence, when he has made it grow
by means of food, he thereby puts into it that vigour,
that brightness. This is why (he offers) to Agni Su^'u
306 .SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
13. That other (practice) then is altogether erro-
neous ^ For when Agni passed over from the gods
to men, he bethought him, 'I must not pass over to
men with my whole body !'
14. He then laid down in these (three) worlds
those three bodies of his. That 'blowing (pava-
mana)' form of his he laid down on this earth, that
'purifying (pavaka)' one in the ether, and that
'bright (i"u/C'i)' one in the sky. Now the 7?/shis
then existing became aware of this : 'Agni has not
come to us with his whole body,' they said. They
then prepared those oblations for him.
15. Now when he makes offering to Agni Pava-
mana, he thereby obtains that form of his (Agni's)
which he laid down on this earth ; and when he
makes offering to Agni Pavaka, he thereby obtains
that form of his which he laid down in the ether ;
and when he makes offering to Agni 6'u/('i,he thereby
obtains that form of his which he laid down in the sky:
and thus he lays down the entire Agni unmutilated.
For this reason also he should take out the oblations
subsequent (to the full-offering).
16. The first oblation has a barhis (altar-covering
of sacrificial grass) to itself; the two following ones
have one barhis in common. Now the first oblation
represents this world, the second one that ether, and
the third one the sky. But this earth is compact ;
and the ether and yonder sky are, as it were, trem-
bling : and in order that these two may counter-
balance that (earth), the (last) two (oblations) have
one barhis in common.