Sâṅkhâyana-Grihya-Sûtra: Adhyâya VI

Khanda 1

1¹. Now, after having paid reverence to Brahman, to the Brahmarishi, to (those who descend from) Brahman's womb, to Indra, Pragâpati, Vasishtha, Vâmadeva, Kahola Kaushîtaki, Mahâkaushîtaki, Suyagña Sâṅkhâyana, Âsvalâyana, Aitareya, Mahaitareya, Kâtyâyana, Sâtyâyana, Sâkalya, Babhru, Bâbhravya, Mandu, Mândavya, and to all the teachers of the past, we will henceforth explain the rules for the Âranyaka as forming the subject of Svâdhyâya (private recitation of a text).

2². The teacher abstains through one day and one night from sexual intercourse and from eating flesh.

3³. Raw flesh, a Kandâla, a woman that has lately been confined, or that has her courses, seeing blood or persons whose hands have been cut off: (these persons and things he shall know form) impediments for the study.

4. And of the corpse-like (animals?).

5. Those which enter (their dens?) with the mouth first (?).

6⁴. When he has vomited, or when his beard has been shaved,

7⁵. When he has eaten flesh or partaken of a Srâddha or birth dinner,

8. During the days that immediately follow on (days of) study in the village,

9. Three nights (and days), if (he has been) put out of order,

10. (Or has been violently) seized by others,

11. And during the second half of the days that precede (?) the Parvan days,

12. And if fire-flames, lightning, thunder, (heavy) rains, and great clouds appear,

13. And if a storm (blows) that carries away pebbles, as long as that lasts.

Khanda 2

1. During four months after the full moon of Âshâdha let him not study.

2⁶. Especially the Sakvarî verses (are concerned by what has been declared). Such are the rules.

3⁷. Let them go to a clean spot in the north-eastern direction, that receives its light from the east.

4. The drawing of water (should be done) before sunrise,

5⁸. And the entering into the circle with this verse, 'She who smells of salve' (Rig-veda X, 146, 6).

6⁹. The circle should have its entrance to the east or to the north; it should be (praised as) excellent among the people, not too spacious, not too narrow.

7¹⁰. The final expiation (should extend) to the Vâmadevya.

8. And the invitation to resume the recitation (is done in the following way)

9. After they have sipped water that stands outside the circle,

10. Let them resume the recitation, having performed the expiation.

11. If the vessel used in the expiation is damaged, sprinkling (with water forms) the expiatory act (to be performed for it).

12. (That) sprinkling, however, (one should perform) holding gold or a bunch of Darbha grass in his hand.

13. So far what pertains to the general rules.

Khanda 3

1. Now after they have entered the circle—

2¹¹. The teacher sits down with his face to the east, the others, according to their rank, (sit down) towards the south, with their faces to the north.

3. If that is impossible, with their faces to all directions.

4. Let them expect the rising of the sun,

5. And when they behold it in its splendour,

6¹². Let them with (the words), 'Recite, sir!' seize with their hands, holding the right hand uppermost, the feet of the teacher, which have been washed, with the right (hand) the right (foot), with the left the left,

7¹³. And having then put (the hands) into the vessel used for the expiation, into water in which pieces of Dûrvâ stalks are, let them begin their study, when their hands have ceased to drip.

8. This is the rite. But when they are tired, let one of them bring it about that the vessel used for the expiation be not empty.

9. And all (should do so) at the beginning and the end of (each) Adhyâya.

10¹⁴. (All) that is done continuously, without interruption.

11. Now the expiation.

12¹⁵. The syllable OM, the Mahâvyâhritis, the Sâvitrî, the Rathantara, the Brihat, the Vâmadevya; Brihat and Rathantara with repetition and Kakubh-forming.

13¹⁶. These (holy words and verses) are (thus) made to attain (the number of) ten.

14¹⁷. 'Of decades consists the Virâg'—thus says the Brâhmana.

Khanda 4

1¹⁸. 'Unerring mind, vigorous eye (is) the sun, the noblest of the stars. Inauguration, do no harm to me!'—with (these words) they look at Savitri (I.e. the sun).

2. One (verse), 'You both the gladdening one' (Rig-veda X, 131, 4), and the three (verses), 'Blessing to us on the paths' (Rig-veda X, 63, 15-17) (are to be repeated before the recitation) of the Mahâvrata (chapter).

3. But (at that) of the Sakvarî (verses) before (the formula mentioned in the first Sara):

4¹⁹. The three Trikas, 'To him, the thirsty one' (Rig-veda VI, 42, 1-3), 'The wealthiest (Soma), O wealthy one' (VI, 44, 1-3), 'Him who does no harm to you' (VI, 44, 4-6), (the verse), 'To him, to him the sap of the herb' (VI, 42, 4), (and the verse), "Verily thou art a hero' (VIII, 81, 28)—thus for the Sakvarî (verses) before and afterwards.

5. Now for the Upanishad (texts)—

6. The same (recitation) as for the Mahâvrata.

7²⁰. For the Samhitâs, however, before (the text given in the first Sûtra the formula has to be recited), 'I shall speak right, I shall speak truth (&c.)'—this is the difference (in the case of the Samhitâs).

8²¹. Now for the Mantha the two verses (have to be recited) before (the formula given in the first Sûtra), 'This we entreat of Savitar,' 'That glorious (splendour) of Savitar' (Rig-veda V, 82, 1; III, 62, 10).

9. With (the formula), 'Unerring mind' (see Sûtra 1), then follow the expiatory formulas that belong to the (different) sections.

10. (All) this on one day.

11²². Now if the time for rising has come, they drive away (all) evil,

12. Perform the standing expiation,

13. And look at the sun with (the words), 'From here I take out the brightness (?).'

Khanda 5

1²³. 'That (I place) within myself'—with (these words they turn their thoughts to the universal) Self that is placed (within themselves?)three times repeated (?).

2. With (the formula), 'May happiness rejoice in me and glory; may happiness rejoice with me and glory;—

3. 'Together with Indra, with the hosts, with power, with glory, with strength I will rise'—he rises up.

4. 'May happiness rise to me; may glory rise to me'—when he has risen.

5. 'Hereby I shake off the hater, the rival, the evil one, and the bringer of misfortune'—with (this formula) having shaken the end of the garment,—

6. The hymn, 'Away those to the east' (Rig-veda X, 131), the two (verses), 'And may Indra have mercy upon us' (II, 41, 11. 12), the one (verse), 'Of what we are in fear, O Indra' (VIII, 50, 13)—(when these texts have been murmured), they look with (the verse), 'A ruler indeed, great art thou' (X, 152, 1) to the east; with (the verse), 'The giver of bliss' (X, 152, 2) to the south, turned to the right; with (the verse), 'Away the Rakshas' (X, 152, 3) to the west; with (the verse), 'Destroy, O Indra, our' (X, 152, 4) to the north, turned to the left; with (the verse), 'Away, O Indra' (X, 152, 5) to the sky, turned to the right.

Khanda 6

1. Having worshipped the Sun with (the verses), 'Savitri from the west,' 'This eye' (Rig-veda X, 36, 14; VII, 66, 16),

2²⁴. They turn away, come back, sit down.

3. With (the words), 'As the water is appeased'—they draw water out of the vessel used for the expiation,

4. Pour it out on the ground,

5²⁵. Spread (some) of that (water over the ground) with (the words), 'As the earth (is appeased),'—

6²⁶. He (then) smears it on his right shoulder with (the words), 'Thus may peace dwell in me.'

7. In the same way a second time.

8. In the same way a third time.

9. 'Piece by piece thou art produced; piece by piece thou risest up; bring welfare to us, O house!'—with (this text they) take pieces of Dûrvâ stalks (out of the vessel of water), put them on their heads,

10²⁷. (And make water-offerings with the formulas), 'May Agni satiate himself; may Vâyu satiate himself; may Sûrya satiate himself; may Vishnu satiate himself; may Pragâpati satiate himself; may Virûpâksha satiate himself; may Sahasrâksha satiate himself; may all beings satiate themselves.'

11²⁸. (Then) Sumantu, Gaimini, Vaisampâyana, Paila, and the other teachers (receive their offerings).

12²⁹. (Then) every one (worships in the same way) his fathers.

13. With (the text), 'To the sea you' (Sraut. IV, 11, 11) they pour out the water,

14. Murmur the Vâmadevya,

15. And separate according to their pleasure.

16. (The final benedictory formula runs thus), 'Through the power of wisdom, of Sruti and Smriti, as handed down by tradition, through (that power) which has its measure in (the Vedic texts) that have been gone through(?), and which is possessed of undisputed firmness, may peace be with us in welfare. Adoration be to gods, Rishis, Manes, and men! May they whom we have adored, make happy life, beauty, health, peace, incolumity, imperishableness, vigour, splendour, glory, power, holy lustre, renown, age, offspring, cattle, adoration, increase. From wrongly spoken, wrongly used (prayer), from everything that is deficient or excessive, for the good of gods and Rishis, may the Brahman and Truth protect me; may the Brahman and Truth protect me!'

End of the Sixth Adhyâya.

End of the Sâṅkhâyana-Grihya.

Footnotes

1. Comp. the general remarks on this sixth book in the Introduction, p. 11.

For the names in the opening invocation, comp. above, 1V, 10; on the Vratas and the study of the different Âranyaka sections chiefly treated of in this book, see above, II, 11. 12, and the Introduction, p. 8.

2. Comp. II, 11, 6.

3. Comp. II, 12, 10, and the note of Nârâyana, p. 160 of the German edition.

4. Comp. IV, 7, 42. See also Ait. Âranyaka V, 3, 9.

5. Comp. IV, 7, 5.

6. It seems to me that this Sûtra should be divided into two (after sakvaryah), so that the words iti niyamâh would correspond to iti bhâshikam, chap. 2, 13.

7. Comp. II, 12, 11. Perhaps the Petersburg Dictionary is right in proposing for prâggyotisham the translation, vor Anbruch des Lichtes. Nârâyana says, prâk purastât gyotir yasmin tam . . . pradesam.

8. The Mandala is a circular space marked by a line of water.

9. I am doubtful whether we should read vâ ganâgrîyam and translate as I have done in accordance with the note of Nârâyana, or if the reading should be vâऽganâgrîyam, 'not in the presence of people,' so that ganâgriya would mean ganânâm agre.

10. On the expiation (sânti) comp. chap. 3, 12.

11. Comp. IV, 8, 2-4.

12. Comp. above, II, 5, 10, &c.

13. The translation of apinvamânaih pânibhih is conjectural. Nârâyana's explanation of apinvamâna by asamsrishta is inadmissible.

14. Nârâyana explains this Sûtra in the following way. if it is impossible, for any reason, to recite the whole text, only the beginning and the concluding words of each Adhyâya (see Sûtra 9) are to be repeated; and these should be recited without interruption so as to form one continual text.

15. Comp. above, III, 4, 5.

16. The Gâyatrî is one verse; the Rathantara and the Brihat are Pragâthas which are changed in the usual way into Trikas; the Vâmadevya is one Trika: thus the number of ten is obtained.

17. Kaush. Brâhmana 17, 3; 19, 5.

18. The formula 'Adabdham manah,' &c. has to be recited before each of the single Âranyaka texts (the Sakvarî verses, the Mahâvrata, &c.); to this formula are added, before or after it, as the case may be, other texts specified in the Sûtras 2-8. Of these there can be no doubt about the meaning of Sûtras 7, 8, treating of the introductory formulas of the Samhitâ section (Kaush. Âr. VII-VIII) and of the Mantha section (ibid. IX): before the text adabdham, &c. are to be added, in the first case the formula ritam vadishyâmi, &c., in the second case two Rikas addressed to Savitri. These formulas and verses have been received into the Âranyaka text and are found there in the order here stated, at the beginning of books VII and IX. The meaning of the words samhitânâm tu pûrvam (Sûtra 7) having thus been established, I can see no reason why we should not interpret the words sakvarînâm to pûrvam (Sûtra 3) quite in the same way. Thus the introductory benediction for the recital of the Sakvarî verses would consist, firstly of the verses stated in Sûtra 4, then of the formula adabdham, &c.; those verses would have to be repeated again after the Sakvarî verses (end of Sûtra 4). The recitation of the Mahâvrata (Sûtras 1, 2) and of the Upanishads (Sûtra 5) is preceded by adabdham, &c., and then by the four verses stated in Sûtra 2. The interpretation which Nârâyana gives of this Sûtra is not quite the same as that which I have here proposed; see p. 163 of the German edition.

19. According to the reading of some MSS. we should have to translate, or (the verse), 'Verily,' &c.

20. On the Samhitâs (Kaush. Âr. VII, VIII) see Max Müller, Rig-veda Prâtisâkhya, pp. 4 seq.; Ait. Âranyaka III (pp. 305 seqq., ed. Bibl. Ind.; Sacred Books of the East, I, pp. 247 seq.).

21. Regarding the description of the Mantha sacrifice (Kaush. Âr. IX) which has to be performed by one who wishes to attain greatness, comp. Satap. Brâhmana XIV, 9, 2; Khând. Up. V, 2, 4; Sacred Books of the East, I, p. 75.

22. Nârâyana has the following note: 'The evil which is attached to their body, such as dirt, they drive away, i.e. they remove it by means of their reciting (of the sacred texts), and then they perform the standing expiation which has been declared above, which begins with the syllable Om and with the Mahâvyâhritis' (see chap. 3, 12).

23. Nârâyana says that dadhe is supplied to this Mantra from the preceding Sûtra, and so indeed the Mantra is given in the Aitareya recension. The translation of abhinihitam trir hitam is merely tentative; see Nârâyana's note, p. 165, of the German edition. Perhaps abhinihitam should be taken in its grammatical value, and the Sûtra should be translated, "That (I place) into myself (âtmani)"—with these words (they look) at themselves, pronouncing (the word âtmani) with Abhinidhâna, three times repeated (?).' On abhinidhâna, comp. Professor Max Müller's edition of the Rig-veda Prâtisâkhya, pp. cxvii seqq.

24. Nârâyana explains vyâvartamânâh by parâvartamânadharmayuktâh.

25. Perhaps we should read asyâm (scil. prithivyâm) abhikarshanti, p. 149 and translate, 'they draw (lines of that water) on this (earth).'

26. Nârâyana says that all the students are to do so.

27. Comp. above, IV, 9. On the way in which this Tarpana is to be performed, Nârâyana refers to the Sûtra II, 7, 5.

28. Comp. above, IV, 10.

29. Comp. above, IV, 10, 4-6.