^ The Kawva text has, ' The reason why he moves thrice round, sprinkling from left to right, is that, after going after those three ancestors of his, he thereby leaves them, and returns to this, his own, world.' See II, 6, i, 15.
' On the ntvi, or unwoven end of the waist-cloth (Hindi dhoti, Mahr. dhotar), which had to be passed under and tucked up be- hind, at the beginning of the present ceremony, see p. 368, note 2. Cf. Apast. Dharmas. I, 2, 6, 19.
^ For the six formulas used for this purpose, see p. 368, note 2.
F f 2
4 36 i-ATAPATIIA-BRAIlMAiVA.
unto US, O Fathers !' he (further) says, because the
Fathers are the guardians of houses ; — and this is
the prayer for blessing at this sacred performance.
43. Being now about to proceed with the after-
offerings, they all invest themselves sacrificially (by
shifting the cord over to the left shoulder); and thus
(invested) the Sacrificer and Brahman walk round to
the west, and the Agnidhra to the east, side ; and
the Hotrz sits doAvn on the Hot/Vs seat.
44. He (the Adhvaryu) then says, ' Brahman, I
shall step forward.' Thereupon he puts the stick
(reserved at the time of kindling) on (the fire), and
says, * Agnidh, trim the fire!' He then takes the
two spoons and crosses over to the west side. After
crossing over and calling for the '^'rausha/,' he says
(to the Hotrz), 'Pronounce the offering-prayer to
the gods!' He performs two after-offerings, omit-
ting the one to the Barhis ; for the Barhis means
offspring : hence he performs two after-offerings,
omitting the one to the Barhis, lest he should
consign his offspring to the Fathers.
45. He then separates the two spoons \ after
laying them down (in their respective places on the
altar); and having separated them, and anointed the
enclosing-sticks, he takes one enclosing-stick, calls
for the '.S"rausha/,' and says, ' The divine Hotrt's are
summoned for the proclamation of success, the
human is called upon for the song of praise ! ' The
Ylotri intones the ' song of praise (suktavaka).'
The Adhvaryu, on the other hand, does not seize
the prastara-bunch, but watches while the Hotrl
recites the song of praise.
^ See I, 8, 3, I seq.
II KAiVDA, 6 ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMAiYA, 2. 437
46. Thereupon the Agnidhra says, ' Throw it
after M' He (the Adhvaryu) throws nothing after,
but silently touches himself.
47. He (the Agnidhra) then says, ' Discourse
together!' [The Adhvaryu asks], ' Has he gone (to
the gods), Agnidh?' — 'He has gone!' — 'Bid (the
gods) hear!' — 'May one (or, they) hear!' — 'Good-
speed to the divine Hotr/s ! Success to the human! —
Pronounce the All-hail and blessing!' Thus saying,
he merely touches the enclosing-sticks, but does
not (now) throw them (into the fire). The Barhis
and enclosinor-sticks he throws in afterwards ^.
48. And here some throw also the remaining
sacrificial food into the fire ; but let him not do so ;
for that (remaining havis) is the residue of an offer-
ing ; and lest he should offer the residue of an
offering, let them (the priests) rather throw it into
the water or eat it.
Second Brahmajva.
gods slew Vr/tra ; by it they gained that supreme
authority which they now wield. Now whichever of
them were hit by (the Asuras') arrows in that battle,
those same darts they extracted, those they pulled
out, by performing the Tryambaka-offerings.
2. And, accordingly, when he performs those offer- ings, he either does so hoping that thus no arrow
^ See I, 8, 3, 19 seq.
2 Viz. after the strewing of the Veda, — see I, 9, 2, 24, the formulas being pronounced by the Hotn'on this occasion, — at the time when the Samish/aya^us, which is here omitted, would have to be per- formed in an ordinary ish/i.
438 ^ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
(misfortune) will hit any of his, or because the gods
did so. And thereby he delivers from Rudra's
power both the descendants that are born unto him
and those that are unborn; and his offspring is
brought forth without disease and blemish. This is
why he performs these offerings.
3. They are (offered) to Rudra : Rudra's, indeed,
is the dart ; and hence (these offerings) belong to
Rudra. They consist of (cakes) on one potsherd:
' To one deity they shall belong!' so (he thinks, and)
therefore they consist of (cakes) on one potsherd.
4. There is one for each individual, — as many as
he has descendants, — exceeded by one. (There
being) one for each individual, he thereby delivers
from Rudra's power the descendants that are born
unto him ; and there being an additional one, he
thereby delivers from Rudra's power the descen-
dants that are not yet born to him : this is why
there are (as many cakes as there are descendants)
exceeded by one.
5. He takes out (the rice for) those (cakes), while
seated behind the Garhapatya, sacrificially invested
and facing the north. From thence he rises and
threshes (the rice), while standing with his face
towards the north. He places the two mill-stones on
(the black antelope skin, so as to incline) towards
the north ; and puts the potsherds on the north
side of the Garhapatya hearth. As to why they
keep the northern quarter, — that indeed is the
quarter of that god (Rudra), and hence they keep
the northern quarter.
6. They (the cakes) maybe anointed (with ghee), — for the havis is anointed^; — but let them rather be
^ This refers to the so-called pra/;adana, or 'bestowal of life
II KANDA, 6 ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMAiVA, 8. 439
unanointed ; for, Indeed, Rudra would be hankerincr
after the (sacrificer's) cattle, if he were to anoint (the
cakes): let them therefore be unanointed.
7. Having removed all (the cakes from the pot-
sherds) into one dish, and taken a fire-brand from
the Dakshi;^a-fire, he walks aside towards the north
— for that is the region of that god — and offers.
He offers on a road, — for on roads that god roves ;
he offers on a cross-road, — for the cross-road, indeed,
is known to be his (Rudra's) favourite haunts
This is why he offers on a cross-road.
8. He offers with the central leaflet of a palai-a-
leaf. The palai-a-leaf, truly, is the Brahman (priest-
hood) -: with the Brahman, therefore, he offers. He
takes a cutting from (the northern part of) all the
cakes ; from the additional one alone he takes no
cutting.
(or soul),' that is, the anointing of the sacrificial dishes with ghee, previously to their being placed on the altar. The anointing takes place with the text (Va^. S. ed. p. 35), 'That life(or soul,pra«a) of thine which has entered into the cattle, and becomes diffused through the various forms of the gods, — endowed with (that) life (atman- van) — for thou art laden with ghee — go to Agni, O Soma ! and ob- tain bliss (svar) for the Sacrificer!' Katy. II, 8, 14. At the new and full-moon sacrifice, this ceremony is not even alluded to in our Brahmawa, either in this or the Ka«va recension. See I, 3, 4, 16. The Kawva text reads, ' They may be anointed,' so they say, .fee.
^ ' He offers on a cross-road, for such is the halting-place (par/- hisa.) of the Agnis,' Taitt. Br. I, 6, 10, 3.
'^ ' The central leaflet of the palaj-a-leaf is the Brahman,' Ka;/va text. The leaf of the pala^a (Butea Frondosa) consists of three leaf- lets,— leathery, above shining and pretty smooth, and below slightly hoary ; the central (or terminal) one being obovate and consider- ably larger than the lateral ones (which, according to Roxburgh, Flora Ind., Ill, p. 244, are from 4 to 6 inches long, and from 3 to 4I broad). ' Pala^aj-akhayam yani triwi parwani tatra madhyamam par/mm pra^astaya srugrupam,' Say. on Taitt. S. I, 8, 6.
440 .SATAPATHA-BRAHMAA'A.
9. He offers \ with the text (Va^. S. Ill, 57 a),
' This is thy share, O Rudra! graciously accept it to-
gether with thy sister Ambika ! Svaha ! ' Ambika ^,
indeed, is the name of his (Rudra's) sister ; and this
share belongs to him conjointly with her ; and be-
cause that share belongs to him conjointly with a
woman (stri), therefore (these oblations) are called
Tryambaka//. Thereby, then, he delivers from
Rudra's power the descendants that have been born
unto him.
10. Now as to that additional (cake), — he buries
it in a mole-hill =*, with the text (Vaf. S. Ill, 57 b),
' This is thy share, O Rudra ! the mole is thy
animal (victim).' He thus assigns to him the
mole as the only animal ^, and he (Rudra) does
not therefore injure any other animal. Then
as to why he buries (the cake): concealed, indeed,
are embryos, and concealed also is what is buried, —
that is why he buries it. By this (offering) he
delivers from the power of Rudra those descendants
of his, that are not yet born.
^ He consecrates, by the usual fivefold lustration, some spot on a cross-way, to the north of the sacrificial ground, and after laying down the fire-brand taken from the Dakshi;mgni, he offers thereon, using the central leaflet of a pahifa-leaf as the offering-spoon.
^ In Taitt. Br. I, 6, 10, 4, this sister of Rudra is identified with the autumn, wherewith the god is wont to kill (viz. by means of catarrh, fever, &c.. Say.). See also Weber, Ind. Stud. I, 183 ; Muir, Original Sanskrit Texts, vol. iv. p. 321.
^ ' Akhutkara;' ' akhukarisha,' Ka«va text. Possibly a mouse- hole, or the earth thrown up by a mouse, is meant. See p. 278, note 3. Cf. Taitt. Br. I, 6, 10, 2 ; ' N. N. is thy victim,' thus saying, let him indicate the one he (the Sacrificer) hates ; thereby he delivers over to him (Rudra) the one he hates. If he hate no one, let him say, ' the mole (mouse) is thy victim.'
* ' Thus he makes over to him only the mole as victim, and puts it into his mouth,' Kawva text.
II KAA'DA, 6 ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMAA^V, 1 4. 44 1
11. Thereupon they return (to the fire) and mut-
ter (Va^.S. Ill, 58, 59), 'We have satisfied the claims
of Rudra, satisfied the divine Tryambaka, that he
may make us richer, that he may make us more pros-
perous, that he may render us steady in our purpose,
— Thou (O Rudra) art a remedy for the cow, a
remedy for the horse, a remedy for man ; a blessing
for the ram and the ewe.' This is the prayer for
blessing at this performance.
1 2. They then walk thrice round the altar not sun-
wise, beating their left thighs (with the right hand),
w^ith the text (Va^. S. Ill, 60 a), 'We worship Tryam-
baka, the fragrant increaser of prosperity. Even as a
gourd (is severed) from its stem, so may I be severed
from death, not from immortality!' This is the
prayer for blessing at this performance : thereby they
invoke a blessing (upon the Sacrificer), for verily
blessed is he who shall be severed from death, not
from immortality. That is why he says, ' May I be
severed from death, not from immortality.'
13. Let the maidens then also walk round,
thinking, 'May we enjoy prosperity!' That sister
of Rudra, named Ambika, indeed is the dispenser of
happiness : hence the maidens also should walk
round, thinking, 'May we enjoy prosperity!'
14. The text (prescribed) for them is (Va^. S. Ill,
60 b), ' We worship Tryambaka, the fragrant be-
stower of husbands. Even as a gourd (is severed)
from its stem, so may I be severed from this (world),
not from thence (yonder world)!' By saying 'from
this,' she means to say ' from my relatives ;' and by
saying ' not from thence,' she means to say ' not
from husbands.' Husbands, doubtless, are the sup-
port of woman : hence she says ' not from thence.'
442 .SATAPATIIA-BRAHMAiVA.
15. Then they (the Sacrificer and priests) again
walk round thrice sunwise, beating their right thighs,
with the same text. As to why they again walk
round thrice sunwise, — they think, 'Sunwise this
sacred work of ours shall be accomplished,' and
therefore they again walk thrice round sunwise.
16. The Sacrificer now takes those (remains of
the cakes) into his joined palms and throws them
upwards higher than a cow can reach \ Thereby
they cut out his (Rudra's) darts from their
bodies. If they fail to catch them -, they touch
(those that have fallen to the ground). Thereby
they make them medicine, and hence, if they fail to
catch them, they touch them.
17. Having then packed them into two net-work
baskets and tied them to the two ends of either a
bamboo staff or the beam of a balance, he steps