Philosophy and Religion / Satapatha Brahmana

The Satapatha Brahmana: Eleventh Kânda, Sixth Adhyâya

First Brâhmana

1. Now, Bhrigu, the son of Varuna, deemed himself superior to his father Varuna in knowledge¹. Varuna became aware of this: 'He deems himself superior to me in knowledge,' he thought.

2. He said, 'Go thou eastward, my boy; and having seen there what thou shalt see, go thou southwards; and having seen there what thou shalt see, go thou westward; and having seen there what thou shalt see, go thou northward; and having seen there what thou shalt see, go thou toward the northern of those two intermediate quarters in front², and tell me then what thou shalt see there.'

3. He then went forth from thence eastward, and lo, men were dismembering men³, hewing off their limbs one by one, and saying, 'This to thee, this to me!' He said, 'Horrible! woe is me! men here have dismembered men, hewing off their limbs one by one!' They replied, 'Thus, indeed, these dealt with us in yonder world, and so we now deal with them in return.' He said, 'Is there no atonement for this?'--'Yes, there is,' they replied.--'What is it?'--'Thy father knows.'

4. He went forth from thence southward, and lo, men were dismembering men, cutting up their limbs one by one, and saying, 'This to thee, this to me!' He said, 'Horrible! woe is me! men here have dismembered men, cutting up their limbs one by one!' They replied, 'Thus, indeed, these dealt with us in yonder world, and so we now deal with them in return.' He said, 'Is there no atonement for this?'--'Yes, there is,' they replied.--'What is it?'--'Thy father knows.'

5. He went forth from thence westward, and lo, men, sitting still, were being eaten by men, sitting still! He said, 'Horrible! woe is me! men, sitting still, are eating men, sitting still!' They replied, 'Thus, indeed, these have dealt with us in yonder world, and so we now deal with them in return.' He said, 'Is there no atonement for this? Yes, there is,' they replied.--'What is it? Thy father knows.'

6. He went forth from thence northward, and lo, men, crying aloud, were being eaten by men, crying aloud! He said, 'Horrible! woe is me! men, crying aloud, here are eating men, crying aloud!' They replied, 'Thus, indeed, these dealt with us in yonder world, and so we now deal with them in return.' He said, 'Is there no atonement for this?'--'Yes, there is,' they replied.--'What is it? Thy father knows.'

7. He went forth from thence toward the northern of those two intermediate quarters in front, and lo, there were two women, one beautiful, one over-beautiful⁴: between them stood a man, black, with yellow eyes, and a staff in his hand. On seeing him, terror seized him, and he went home, and sat down. His father said to him, 'Study thy day's lesson (of scripture): why dost thou not, study thy lesson?' He said, What am I to study? there is nothing whatever.' Then Varuna knew, 'He has indeed seen it!

8. He spake, ‘As to those men whom thou sawest in the eastern region being dismembered by men hewing off their limbs one by one, and saying, "This to thee, this to me!" they were the trees: when one puts fire-wood from trees on (the fire) he subdues the trees, and conquers the world of trees.

9. ‘And as to those men whom thou sawest in the southern region being dismembered by men cutting up their limbs one by one, and saying, "This to thee, this to me!" they were the cattle; when one makes offering with milk he subdues the cattle, and conquers the world of cattle.

10. ‘And as to those men thou sawest in the western region who, whilst sitting still, were being eaten by men sitting still, they were the herbs: when one illumines (the Agnihotra milk) with a straw⁵, he subdues the herbs, and conquers the world of herbs.

11. ‘And as to those men thou sawest in the northern region who, whilst crying aloud, were being eaten by men crying aloud, they were the waters: when one pours water to (the Agnihotra milk), he subdues the waters, and conquers the world of waters.

12. ‘And as to those two women whom thou sawest, one beautiful and one over-beautiful,--the beautiful one is Belief: when one offers the first libation (of the Agnihotra) he subdues Belief, and conquers Belief; and the over-beautiful one is Unbelief: when one offers the second libation, he subdues Unbelief, and conquers Unbelief.

13. 'And as to the black man with yellow eyes, who was standing between them with a staff in his hand, he was Wrath: when, having poured water into the spoon, one pours (the libation into the fire), he subdues Wrath, and conquers Wrath; and, verily, whosoever, knowing this, offers the Agnihotra, thereby conquers everything, and subdues everything.'

Second Brâhmana

1. Now, Ganaka of Videha once met some Brâhmanas who were travelling about⁶, to wit, Svetaketu Âruneya, Somasushma Sâtyayagñi, and Yâgñavalkya. He said to them, 'How do ye each of you perform the Agnihotra?'

2. Svetaketu Âruneya replied, 'O great king, I make offering, in one another, to two heats, never-failing and overflowing with glory.'--'How is that?' asked the king.--'Well, Âditya (the sun) is heat: to him I make offering in Agni in the evening; and Agni, indeed, is heat: to him I make offering in the morning in Âditya⁷.'--'What becomes of him who offers in this way?' asked the king.--'He verily becomes never-failing in prosperity and glory, and attains to 'the fellowship of those two deities, and to an abode in their world.'

3. Then Somasushma Sâtyayagñi said, 'I, O king, make offering to light in light.'--'How is that?' asked the king.--'Well, Âditya is light: to him I make offering in Agni in the evening; and Agni, indeed, is light: to him I make offering in Âditya in the morning.'--'What becomes of him who offers in this way? He verily becomes lightsome, and glorious, and prosperous; and attains to the fellowship of those two deities, and to an abode in their world.'

4. Then Yâgñavalkya said, 'When I take out the fire (from the Gârhapatya), it is the Agnihotra itself, I thereby raise⁸ Now when Âditya (the sun) sets, all the gods follow him; and when they see that fire taken out by me, they turn back. Having then cleansed the (sacrificial) vessels, and deposited them (on the Vedi), and having milked the Agnihotra cow, I gladden them, when I see them, and when they see me.'--'Thou, O Yâgñavalkya, hast inquired most closely into the nature of the Agnihotra,' said the king; 'I bestow a hundred cows on thee. But not even thou (knowest) either the uprising, or the progress, or the support, or the contentment, or the return, or the renascent world of those two (libations of the Agnihotra).' Thus saying, he mounted his car and drove away.

5. They said, 'Surely, this fellow of a Râganya has outtalked us: come, let us challenge him to a theological disputation!' Yâgñavalkya said, 'We are Brâhmanas, and he is a Râganya: if we were to vanquish him, whom should we say we had vanquished? But if he were to vanquish us, people would say of us that a Râganya had vanquished Brâhmanas: do not think of this!' They approved of his words. But Yâgñavalkya, mounting his car, drove after (the king). He overtook him, and he (the king) said, 'Is it to know the Agnihotra, Yâgñavalkya?'--'The Agnihotra, O king!' he replied.

6. ‘Well, those two libations, when offered, rise upwards: they enter the air, and make the air their offering-fire, the wind their fuel, the sun-motes their pure libation: they satiate the air, and rise upwards therefrom.

7. ‘They enter the sky, and make the sky their offering-fire, the sun their fuel, and the moon their pure libation: they satiate the sky, and return from there.

8. ‘They enter this (earth), and make this (earth) their offering-fire, the fire their fuel, and the herbs their pure libation: they satiate this (earth), and rise upwards therefrom.

9. ‘They enter man, and make his mouth their offering-fire, his tongue their fuel, and food their pure libation: they satiate man; and, verily, for him who, knowing this, eats food the Agnihotra comes to be offered. They rise upwards from there.

10. 'They enter woman, and make her lap their offering-fire, her womb the fuel,--for that (womb) is called the bearer, because by it Pragâpati bore creatures,--and the seed their pure libation: they satiate woman; and, verily, for him who, knowing this, approaches his mate, the Agnihotra comes to be offered. The son who is born therefrom is the renascent world: this is the Agnihotra, Yâgñavalkya, there is nothing higher than this.' Thus he spoke; and Yâgñavalkya granted him a boon. He said, 'Let mine be the (privilege of) asking questions of thee when I list, Yâgñavalkya!' Thenceforth Ganaka was a Brahman.

Third Brâhmana

1. Ganaka of Videha performed a sacrifice accompanied with numerous gifts to the priests. Setting apart a thousand cows, he said, 'He who is the most learned in sacred writ amongst you, O Brâhmanas, shall drive away these (cows)⁹!'

2. Yâgñavalkya then said, 'This way (drive) them!' They said, 'Art thou really the most learned in sacred writ amongst us, Yâgñavalkya?' He replied, 'Reverence be to him who is most learned in sacred writ! We are but hankering after cows¹⁰!'

3. They then said (to one another), 'Which of us shall question him?' The shrewd Sâkalya said, 'I!' When he (Yâgñavalkya) saw him, he said, 'Have the Brâhmanas made of thee a thing for quenching the firebrand, Sâkalya?'

4. He said¹¹, 'How many gods are there, Yâgñavalkya?'--'Three hundred and three, and three thousand and three,' he replied.--'Yea, so it is!' he said. 'How many gods are there really, Yâgñavalkya?'--'Thirty-three.'--'Yea, so it is!' he said. 'How many gods are there really, Yâgñavalkya?'--'Three.'--'Yea, so it is!' he said. 'How many gods are there really, Yâgñavalkya?'--'Two.'--'Yea, so it is!' he said. 'How many gods are there really, Yâgñavalkya?'--'One and a half.'--'Yea, so it is!' he said. 'How many gods are there really, Yâgñavalkya?'--'One.'--'Yea, so it is!' he said. 'Who are those three hundred and three, and three thousand and three?'

5. He replied, 'These are their powers, but thirty-three gods indeed there are.'--'Who are those thirty-three? Eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, and twelve Âdityas,--that makes thirty-one; and Indra and Pragâpati make up the thirty-three.'

6. 'Who are the Vasus?'--'Agni, the Earth, Vâyu (the wind), the Air, Âditya (the sun), Heaven, the Moon, and the Stars:--these are the Vasus, for these cause all this (universe) to abide (vas), and hence they are the Vasus.'

7. 'Who are the Rudras?'--'These ten vital airs in man, and the self (spirit) is the eleventh: when these depart from this mortal body, they cause wailing (rud), and hence they are the Rudras.'

8. 'Who are the Âdityas?'--'The twelve months of the year: these are the Âdityas, for they pass whilst laying hold on everything here; and inasmuch as they pass whilst laying hold (â-dâ) on everything here, they are the Âdityas.'

9. 'Who is Indra, and who Pragâpati?'--'Indra, indeed, is thunder¹², and Pragâpati the sacrifice.'--'What is thunder?'--'The thunderbolt.'--'What is the sacrifice?'--'Cattle.'

10. 'Who are those three gods?'--'These three worlds, for therein all the gods are contained.'--'Who are those two gods?'--'Food and breath. (life).'--'Who is the one and a half?'--'He who is blowing here¹³ (Vâyu, the wind).'--'Who is the one god?'--'Breath.'

11. He (Yâgñavalkya) said, 'Thou hast gone on questioning me beyond the deity¹⁴, beyond which there must be no questioning: thou shalt die ere such and such a day, and not even thy bones shall reach thy home!' And so, indeed, did he (Sâkalya) die; and robbers carried off his bones¹⁵, taking them for something else¹⁶. Wherefore let no man decry¹⁷ any one, for even (by) knowing this, he gets the better of him¹⁸.

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