^ The Ka«va text has : He said, ' Speak ye not thus ; be thou a restrainer of speech !' — ' Speak ye not,' so (he said) ; for, having established the two fires, one should not speak untruthfully (mr^sha), nor should he who utters speech speak untruthfully. He should, therefore, strive to speak nothing but the truth.
^ If the householder who has set up his fires, finds, after a year or more, that he does not prosper in his undertakings, or if he has otherwise met with misfortunes, and thus his adheya has not proved successful, he should set up his fires a second time. The old fires have to be put out, either early in the day on which the perform- ance is to take place, or from three nights to a whole year previous to the ceremony. With the exceptions noticed in the sequel, the performance is the same as that of the adhana.
3 T 4 DATAPATH A-BRAHMAJVA.
one does not, they both obtain (glory), — for it is
glory that people thereby get to see. Glorious
therefore he becomes, and sovereignty he obtains,
whosoever, knowing this, establishes a sacrificial
fire of his own.
2. Now once upon a time the gods deposited with
Agni all forms (r{ipa)\ both domestic and wild;
either because they were about to engage in battle,
or from a desire of free scope, or because they
thought that he (Agni) would protect them as the
best protector,
3. But Agni coveted them, and seizing them he
entered the seasons with them. ' Let us go back
thither,' said the gods, and betook themselves to
(the place where) Agni (was) concealed. They were
disheartened and said, ' What is here to be done ?
what counsel is there ?'
4. Then Tvash/rz beheld that re-consecrated fire
(Punar-adheya). He established it and thereby
gained an entrance to Agni's beloved abode. He
(Agni) gave up to him both kinds of forms, domestic
and wild : hence they call them Tvash/r/'s forms ;
since it is from Tvash/rz that all form proceeds^; but
all other creatures of whatever kind undergo it.
5. It is for him (Tvash/'r/), then, that one must re-establish the fire : for thus he enters Agni's
^ Compare the corresponding legend Taitt. S. I, 5, i ; according to which the gods deposited their precious goods (vamawz vasu) with Agni; and Pushan and Tvash/zv", on performing sacrifice to Agni exclusively (the punaradhyeya), became possessed of the cattle, whence the latter are said to belong to Pushan (paush;/a) and to Tvash/r/ (tvash/ra). Afterwards IManu and Dhat// (here identified with the year) also performed the ceremony. See also Sd.t. Br. II, 3, 4, I seq.
^ Or, since it is to Tvash/r/ that all form belongs.
II KAA^DA, 2 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMAiVA, 8. 315
beloved abode, and the latter gives up to him both
kinds of forms, domestic and wild. In that (fire)
those two kinds of forms are seen : such is the ascen-
dancy (which one obtains by the punaradhyeya), —
people, indeed, envy him ; thus he thrives, and a
conspicuous position (is obtained by him).
6. To Agni belongs this sacrifice. Agni is the
light, the burner of evil : he burns away the evil of
this (sacrificer) ; and the latter becomes a light of
prosperity and glory in this, and a light of bliss ^ in
yonder, world. This, then, is the reason why he
should establish the fires (a second time).
7. Let him establish the fires (the second time)
in the rainy season. The rains are all the seasons,
for the rains are indeed all the seasons : hence, in
counting over years, people say, ' In such and such a
year (or rain, varsha)we did it; in such and such
a year (or rain) we did it.' The rains, then, are one
of the forms of manifestation (rupa) of all seasons- ;
and when people say, ' To-day it is as if in summer,'
then that is in the rainy season ; and when they
say, 'To-day it is as if in spring,' then that, too, is in
the rainy season. From the year (or rain, varsha),
indeed, (is named) the rainy season (varsha//).
8. There is, moreover, an occult form (through
which the rains manifest themselves in the seasons) ^
When it blows from the east, then that is the charac-
teristic sign of spring ; — when it thunders, it is that of
* G^yotir amutra puwyalokatva, lit. ' a light by (way of) blissful state.' The Ka«va text has the same reading.
2 This speculation is based on the identity of the words for year (varsha; also 'rain') and the rains, or rainy season (varsha/z).
^ The characteristics of the seasons here selected are supposed to have a special connection with the rain and rainy season.
3 1 6 S-ATAPATHA-BRAIIMAJV^A.
summer ; — when it rains, it is that of the rainy season ;
when it hghtens, it is that of autumn ^ ; — when it
ceases to rain, it is that of winter. The rains are
all the seasons. The seasons he (Agni) entered : from
out of the seasons, therefore, he now produces him.
9. But the sun also is all the seasons : w^hen he
rises, then it is spring ; — when the cows are driven
together (for milking), then it is summer; — when it
is mid-day, then is the rainy season ; — when it is
afternoon, then it is autumn ; — when he sets, then it
is winter. At mid-day (madhyandina), therefore,
he should establish his fires, for then that (sun) is
nearest to this world, and hence he produces that
(fire) from the nearest centre (madhya).
10. Verily, this man is affected with evil, as with
a shadow. But then (at mid-day) that (evil) of his
(like his shadow) is smallest, and shrinks, as it were,
beneath his foot: hence he thereby crushes that evil,
when it is smallest. For this reason also he should
establish his fires (the second time) at mid-day.
11. He takes it out (from the Garhapatya) by
means of sacrificial grass. By means of fire-wood,
indeed, he takes it out the first time ; and (were he
to take it out) with fire-wood the first time, and with
fire-wood the second time, he would commit a repe-
tition, and raise a conflict. Now sacrificial grass means
water, and the rainy season also means water. He
(Agni) entered the seasons : with water he accordingly
produces him from out of the waters ; this is why he
takes it (the fire) out by means of sacrificial grass.
12. Having prepared an (ordinary) rice cake on
1 During the autumn, or sultry season succeeding the rains, there are frequent displays of sheet-lightning along the horizon at night.
Ii Kanda, 2 Adhyaya, 3 Braumana, 1 5. 317
two arka^ leaves, he puts it in the place where he is
about to establish the Garhapatya fire, and thereon
lays down the Garhapatya.
13. Having prepared a (second) barley cake on
two arka leaves, he puts it in the place where he is
about to establish the Ahavaniya fire, and thereon
lays down the Ahavaniya. [Some do so] arguing,
* Thereby we cover them with the first two fires;'
but let him not do so, for it is by the nights that
they come to be covered.
14. He then offers to Agni a sacrificial cake (pu-
rodasa) on five potsherds^. Its offering prayers and
invitatory prayers consist of pankti strophes of five
padas each ^ ; for there are five seasons, and the
seasons he (Agni) entered : from the seasons he
accordingly produces him.
15. The whole (sacrifice) belongs to Agni; for
it was thereby that Tvash/rz entered Agni's beloved
abode, and therefore the whole (sacrifice) belongs
to Aorni^
^ Calotropis Gigantea. These cakes (apupa, not Tpurodasa) have first to be cooked either on the Avasathya,or on a secular fire. Before the cakes are then put on the Garhapatya and Ahavaniya fire-places, the latter have to be consecrated in the usual way (cf. p. 2) ; and, after the putting on of the cakes, the fire-places are sprinkled by the Adhvaryu, while the sacrificer holds on to him from behind. Katy. IV, II, 8, Schol.
^ Viz. he performs an ish/i with such a rice-cake for the havis, as a substitute for the tanuhavir-ish/is, offered after the full- offering, at the adhana. See II, 2, i, 6, and note.
^ The pankti consists of five octosyllabic padas. The anuva- kya and ya^ya at the chief offering are Rig-veda IV, 10, 2 and 4; those of the svish/akr/t, ib., verses 4 and i. — Asv. II, 8, 14.
* The offering prayers of all libations and offerings at this ish/i must therefore contain Agni's name. At each of the fore-offerings and after-offerings a different case-form of agni is added after the respective objects of those offerings, — thus, '. . . samidho agne
31 8 5ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
1 6. They perform it (with the formulas pro-
nounced) in a low voice ; for if one wishes to pre-
pare anything specially for a relative or friend,
one must take care to keep it secret. Now the
other sacrifice belongs to all the deities, but this
belongs specially to Agni ; and what is (kept) secret,
that is (spoken of) in a low voice : this is why
they perform it in a low voice.
17. The last after-offering he performs aloud;
for then he has completed his work, and every one
becomes aware of what has been done.
18. Having uttered his call (and having been
responded to by the Agnidhra)^ he says (to the
Hotrz), * Pronounce the offering-prayer to the
Samidhs (kindling-sticks) !' — the latter being one of
Agni's mystic forms of manifestation (rCipa); but
he may also say, 'Pronounce the offering-prayer to
the fires!' — that being Agni's real (exoteric) form^.
'gna a^asya vyantu,' ' tanunapad agnim agna . . .,' 'ido agninagne . . . ,' &c. See par. 19 ; also p. 148, n. 2 ; I, 5, 4, i seq. ; I, 8, 2, I seq. The two butter-portions otherwise offered to Agni or Soma respectively (cf. I, 6, i, 20 seq.) are in this case offered to Agni; the anuvakyas, according to Asv. II, 8, 7, being Rig-veda VIII, 44, i, and VI, 16, 16 respectively. See, however, paragraphs 21 seq.
* Viz. the Adhvaryu calls, O .rravaya, 'cause (him or one) to hear!' and the Agnidhra responds by Astu jrausha/, 'yea, may he (or one) hear 1 '
^ Here, at the first fore-offering, an option is apparently left between the former, regular summons (see I, 5, 3, 8), and the latter, modified so as to make it apply directly to Agni. Katy. IV, II, II allows the same option for the first praya^a and anuya^^a. For the latter, however, see further on, par. 24. The Ka«va re- cension has as follows: — Now when the Adhvaryu, on stepping over (to the south side) and uttering his call (for the Agnidhra) to bid attention, says, ' Pronounce the offering-prayer to the Samidhs I ' then that, indeed, is one of Agni's forms of manifesta- tion (agneyam eva tad rupam) ; but here let him say, as it were,
II KAiVDA, 2 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMAiVA, 2 1. 319
19. He (the Hotrz) recites^ ' . . . They (the
Samidhs), O Agni, may accept of the butter!
Vau^/^akM' '. . . He (Taniinapat) may accept the
fire of the butter! Vau^/^ak!' '. . . They (the I^^s)
may, through Agni, accept of the butter ! Vau^/^ak !'
* . . . It (the barhis), the fire, may accept of the
butter! Vau^/^ak!'
20. He then says 3, ' Svaha Agnim!' with refer-
ence to Agni's butter - portion ; — ' Svaha Agnim
Pavamanam!' if they determine upon (offering to)
Agni, the blowing* ; or 'Svaha Agnim Indumantam !'
if they determine upon Agni, the drop-abounding^ ; —
* Svaha Agnim!' — 'Svaha, the butter-drinking Agnis!
May Agni graciously accept of the butter!' — this is
the offering-prayer he (the Hotrz) pronounces.
21. He (the Adhvaryu) then says, with regard to
Agni's (first) butter-portion, 'Pronounce the invitatory
prayer to Agni!' He (the Hotrz) recites*', 'Awake
Agni with praise, enkindling the immortal, that he
may take our offerings to the gods !' For, indeed,
when Agni is removed (from the hearth)'^, he, as it
were, sleeps : he (the priest) now awakens, rouses
in a mystic way, ' Pronounce the offering-prayer to the Agnis!' (paroksham iva tv agnin ya^eti haiva tatra briayat.)
^ See p. 317, note 4.
^ A modification of the ordinary vans ha/. The Kinva. text has here and in par. 25, as usual, vaushal.
^ At the fifth fore-offering; see I, 5, 3, 22 seq.
* See II, 2, I, 6, and note; also II, 2, i, 22.