the conclusion of the Agni-^ayana, consists of 3 x 80 trika.s (strophes of three verses each), or together 720 verses. On the frequent use of number 80 in the fire-ritual, see Weber, Ind. Stud. XIII, p. 167.
34^ ^ATAPATIIA-BRAHMAJVA.
at this importunity, the gods then disappeared.
Hence (it may be argued) one should not approach
(the fires), fearing lest he should offend them, lest
he should become hateful to them.
5. Then as to why he should nevertheless ap-
proach (the fires). The sacrifice, assuredly, belongs
to the gods, and the prayer for blessing to the
sacrificer. Now the (Agnihotra) libation, doubtless,
is the same as the sacrifice; and what he does ^
in now approaching (the fires), that indeed is the
sacrificer's prayer for blessing.
6. And again, why he should not approach (the
fires). Whosoever follows either a Brahman or
Kshatriya, praising him, thinking, ' He will give
me gifts, he will build me a house,' to him, if he
strives to please him both in speech and deed, that
(master of his) will think himself bound to give
gifts. Whosoever, on the other hand, says, 'What
art thou to me, that givest me nothing?' him that
(master) is likely to hate, to become disgusted with.
Hence one should not approach (the fire) ; for by
kindling and offering in it, he already supplicates it,
and he should not therefore approach (and importune
it again).
7. And again, why he should nevertheless ap-
proach (the fires). He alone that asks finds a giver;
and the master, moreover, knows nothing of his
dependent. But when the latter says, ' I am thy
dependent: support me!' then he does know him,
and feels himself bound to support him. Let him
therefore approach (the fires). This then is the
' The Ka«va text has : ' And when he approaches (the fires), that (represents) the sacrificer's wish for blessing : what there is here for him, that indeed he thereby makes his own (atmani kurute).'
II KAiVJDA, 3 ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMAiVA, II. 349
whole (argument) as to why one should approach (the fires).
8. Now that (fire) being Pra^apati, — when the
Agnlhotra is offered, he casts the seed of all that
he rules over, of all that is after his manner : and
by approaching (the fire) one imitates (him in) all
this, one reproduces all this ^
9. He begins to pray ^ with the verse (Va^. S.
Ill, 11) containing the word 'upon (upa).' Now
the word ' upon ' means this (earth), and that in
a twofold way : for whatever is produced here,
that is produced upon (upa-^an) this (earth); and
whatever decays, that is buried (upa-vap^) in this
(earth) : hence there is here imperishable, ever-
increasing abundance, and with that imperishable
abundance he begins.
10. He prays, 'Entering upon the worship — ,'
worship (adhvara) doubtless means sacrifice : ' en-
tering upon the sacrifice ' is what he means to say.
*-^Let us offer prayer to Agni — ,' for he is indeed
about to offer prayer to him ; ' — to him who hears
us even from afar!' thereby he means to say, 'Al-
though thou art afar from us, yet do thou hear this
our (prayer), do thou so far think well of it !'
11. [He continues, Vi^. S. HI, 12], 'Agni, the head,
^ Or, 'this Air {idsLm sarvam). The Ka?/va text has bhii- manam, ' abundance,' instead.
^ The mode of approaching and worshipping the fires (agny- upasthana) detailed in pars. 9-41 is ascribed to Vatsapri (author of Rig-vedalX, 68; X, 45 and 46), and therefore termed vatsapra- upasthana. It is, however, also called mahopasthana (or dir- ghopasthana), or great (long) worship, as distinguished from the so-called kshullakopasthana (or laghfipasthana), or little (short) worship, described in II, 4, i, and ascribed to Asuri.
* Or ' upa-kiryate,' according to the Ka7/va text.
350 ^atapatha-brAhmaa^a.
the summit of the sky ; he, the lord of the earth,
animates the seeds of the waters.' He thereby fol-
lows (and praises) him : — even as a supplicant would
speak politely, ' Surely thou art the descendant of
so and so ! surely thou art able to do this ! ' so (he
does) by this (verse).
12. Thereupon the verse to Indra and Agni (Va^.
S. Ill, 13), 'You two, O Indra and Agni, I will
invoke ; you two I will delight together with kindly
office ; you two, the givers of strength and wealth,
— you two I invoke for the obtainment of strength!'
Indra, doubtless, is the same as that burning (sun);
when he sets, then he enters the Ahavaniya; — hence
he now approaches these two that are thus united,
thinking, ' May the two, united, grant me favours :'
this is why the Indra- Agni (verse is muttered).
13. [He continues, ib. 14 seq.], * This is thy natural
womb, whence born thou shonest forth : knowing
this, arise, O Agni, and increase our substance!' —
substance, doubtless, means affluence: 'grant to us
ever-increasing affluence!' is what he thereby says.
14. * First was he founded by the founders here,
the best offering priest, worthy of praise at the
sacrifices ; he whom Apnavana and the Bh?7gus
kindled S shining brightly in the wood, and spreading
from house to house :' — even as a supplicant would
speak politely, ' Surely thou art the descendant of so
and so! surely thou art able to do this!' so in this
(verse). And what he (Agni) really is, as such he
speaks of him when he says ' spreading from house
to house,' for he does indeed spread from house
to house.
^ Or, as Grassmann, in his translation of the Jiiksamhiia., takes it, ' he whom the active Bhr/gus kindled.'
II KANDA, 3 ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMAiVA, 20. 35 1
15. 'In accordance with his old (pratna) splen-
dour, the dauntless have milked the shining juice
from the wise one that oriveth a hundredfold.' The
richest of gifts, indeed, is the hundredfold gift ; and
in order to obtain that (giver) he says, ' the wise
one that giveth a hundredfold.'
16. This is a hymn of six verses collected (from
the 7?/k) ; the first of them containing (the word)
'upon,' and the last containing (the word) 'old'
(pratna). And this we recited, because she (the
earth) is the one that contains the (word) ' upon ;'
and that which is ' old ' doubtless is yonder (sky), for
as many gods as there were ' of old,' in the beginning,
so many gods there are now, and hence the ' old '
means yonder (sky). Now within these two (worlds)
all desires are contained; and these two are in accord
with each other for his (the sacrificer's) benefit, and
concede all his wishes.
1 7. Thrice he mutters the first (verse) and thrice
the last ; for of threefold beginning are sacrifices,
and of threefold termination : therefore he mutters
thrice the first and the last (verses).
18. Now, in offering the Agnihotra, whatever mis-
take one commits, either in word or deed, thereby
he injures either his own body, or his life, or his
vigour, or his offspring.
19. Accordingly (he mutters the texts, Vaf. S.
Ill, 17),' Thou, O Agni, art the protector of bodies :
protect my body ! Thou, O Agni, art the giver of
life : give me life ! Thou, O Agni, art the giver of
vigour : give me vigour ! O Agni, what defect
there is in my body, supply that for me ! '
20. And whatever mistake he commits, in offering the Ao-nihotra, either in word or deed, thereby he
352 DATAPATH A-BRAHMAiVA.
injures either his own body, or his Hfe, or his vigour,
or his offspring: *make that up for me!' he thereby
says ; and accordingly that (defect) is again made
up for him.
2 1. [He continues, Va^. S. Ill, i8], ' Kindled, we
enkindle thee, the brilliant one, a hundred winters — ;'
he thereby says, 'may we live a hundred years;'
and ' so long we enkindle thee, the great one,' he
says, when he says ' we enkindle thee, the brilliant
one.' ' — We, the vigorous — thee, the invigorating;
we, the strong — thee, the giver of strength — ;*
whereby he says, * may we be vigorous, mayest thou
be invigorating ! may we be strong, mayest thou be
a giver of strength!' ' — We, the uninjured — thee,
the uninjurable injurer of enemies !' whereby he says,
* by thine aid may we render our enemies utterly
miserable!'
2 2. *0 thou, rich in lights, may I safely reach
thine end!' this he mutters thrice. She that is
rich in lights (/^itravasu) doubtless is the night,
since the latter, as it were, rests (vas) after gathering
together the lights (/C-itra) : hence (at night) one
does not see clearly (/C- it ram) from afar.
23. Now it was by means of this same (text) that
the y?/shis reached safely the end of the night ; and
because of it the evil spirits, the Rakshas, did not
find them : by it, therefore, he also now reaches
safely the end of the night ; and because of it the
evil spirits, the Rakshas, find him not. — This much
he mutters while standing.
24. Thereupon, while seated, (he mutters, Va^.
S. Ill, 19 seq.), 'Thou, O Agni, hast attained to
Starya's lustre — ;' this he says, because, in setting,
the sun enters the Ahavaniya ; ' — to the praise
II KANDA, 3 ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMAiVA, 27. 353
of the i^zshis — ;' this he says, because he him-
self now approaches (and worships, praises, the
fire); ' — to the favourite abode (or dainty);' his
(Agni's) favourite abode doubtless are the offerings :
' to offerings ' he thereby says. ' — May I attain to
long life, to lustre, to offspring, to increase of wealth !'
whereby he says, 'Even as thou didst attain to
those (qualities), so may I attain to long life,
lustre, offspring, affluence, — that is to say, to
prosperity.'
25. He then approaches the cow\ with the text
(Vaf. S. Ill, 20), 'Food ye are: may I enjoy your
food! wealth ye are: may I enjoy your wealth!' —
whereby he means to say, 'whatever energies are
yours, whatever riches are yours, may I enjoy them.'
— 'Strength ye are: may I enjoy your strength!'
whereby he says, ' sap ye are : may I enjoy your
sap!' — 'Affluence ye are: may I enjoy your
affluence !' whereby he says, 'abundance ye are : may
I enjoy your abundance !'
26. 'Ye prosperous ones, disport yourselves — ;'
cattle are prosperous : therefore he says, ' ye pros-
perous ones, disport yourselves — ;' ' — in this seat,
in this fold, in this place, in this homestead : remain
here, go not from hence !' this he says with reference
to himself, — ' go not away from me ! '
27. He then touches the cow, with the text (Va^.
S. HI, 22 a), ' Motley thou art, of all shapes;' —
for cattle are indeed of all shapes : therefore he calls
her all-shaped; ' — come to me with sap and pos-
session of cattle !' when he says ' with sap,' he means
^ Viz. the Agnihotra cow, which has suppHed the milk for the morning and evening Ubation ; or any cow, if other material than milk be used.
[12] A a
354 S-ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
to say 'with juice;' and when he says 'with posses- sion of cattle,' he means to say ' with abundance.'
28. He then steps up to the Girhapatya, and
renders homage to it, with the text (ib. 22 b),
' Thee, O Agni, illuminer of the nighty we ap-
proach day by day with prayer, paying homage
unto thee.' He thus renders homage to it in order
that it may not injure him.
29. [He continues, ib. 23 seq.], ' Thee that rulest
over the sacrifices, the brilliant guardian of the
sacred rite, thriving in thine own house;' — whereby
he means to say, * thine own house is this (house) of
mine : make it ever more flourishing for us !'
30. ' O Agni, be thou accessible unto us, even as
a father is to his son! lead us unto well-being!' —
whereby he says, * As a father is easy of access to
his son, and the latter in no wise injures him, so
be thou easy of access to us, and may we in no
wise injure thee!'
31. Then the dvipada verses (V4^. S. HI, 25, 26),
' O Agni, be ever nigh unto us, a kindly guardian
and protector ! as wealthy Agni, famed for wealth,
come hither and bestow on us glorious riches ! Thee,
the most bright and resplendent, we now approach
for happiness to our friends : be with us, hear our
call, and keep us safe from every evil-doer ! '
32. Now when he approaches the Ahavaniya, he
prays for cattle : he therefore approaches it with
metres great and small, since cattle are of great and
small size. And when he approaches the Girha-