Philosophy and Religion / Satapatha Brahmana

The Satapatha Brahmana: Ninth Kânda, First Adhyâya

The building of the sacred fire-altar

(continued).

Satarudriya lustration, instalment and consecration of fire, and Soma-sacrifice.

First Brâhmana

The Satarudriya.

THIS solemn and awful ceremony consists of 425 oblations to Rudra, the representative of the fearful aspects of life and nature, accompanied by appropriate formulas addressed to the various forms of the terrible god, and his associates, with a view to appeasing their wrath. These formulas make up a complete kânda (XVI) of the Vâgasaneyi-samhitâ, and constitute a special Upanishad. Though only a few of the formulas are actually referred to in the text of the Brâhmana, the different portions of which this dismal litany consists are otherwise alluded to, and for this reason, as well as on account of its intrinsic interest, as doubtless reflecting, to a considerable extent, the popular belief in demoniac agencies to which man is constantly exposed, a complete translation of the Satarudriya formulas is here given. For a German translation of the Taittirîya recension of the text, with the various readings of the Kâthaka and Vâgasaneyin versions, see A. Weber, Ind. Stud. II, p. 14 seqq.

I. 1. Reverence, O Rudra, be to thy wrath; and to thine arrow be reverence; and to both thine arms be reverence! 2. What auspicious form there is of thine, free from terror and boding of evil, with that most propitious form look down upon us, O mountain-dweller! 3. The shaft thou bearest in thy hand to hurl, O mountain-dweller, make it harmless, O protector of mountains, injure not man nor beast! 4. With auspicious speech we call upon thee, O mountain-dweller, that all these living beings of ours may be healthy and of good cheer! 5. May he plead for us as our intercessor, the first divine physician: crushing all serpents, turn thou aside all practices of witchcraft! 6. That tawny one, and the ruddy and the brown one, the auspicious--the Rudras that hover around him by thousands in the quarters: their wrath do we deprecate. 7. That one who glideth downwards (the sun) blood-red and blue-necked--the cowherds have seen him and the water-bearers (f. the clouds) have seen him--be he gracious unto us, when seen! 8. Reverence be to the blue-necked, thousand-eyed showerer; and what henchmen there are of his, to them do I render homage. 9. Loose thou the string from the ends of thy bow; and cast away the arrows in thy hand, O holy one! 10. Stringless be the bow of the coil-braided one, and arrowless his quiver! may his arrows be futile, axed empty his scabbard! 11. With that plague-repelling weapon in thy hand, with thy bow, protect us, O best of showerers, on all sides! 12. May the shaft of thy bow spare us on all sides, and far from us lay down that quiver of thine! 13. Unstringing the bow, and breaking off the points of thy shafts, be thou gracious and well-disposed unto us, O thousand-eyed lord of a hundred quivers! 14. Reverence be to thine unstrung weapon, the powerful one; and reverence be to thine arms and to thy bow! 15. Neither our full-grown, nor our little one, neither the virile, nor the unborn, neither our father strike thou, nor our mother: harm not our dear bodies, O Rudra! 16. Neither to our children, and our children's children, nor to our life, neither to our kine nor to our horses do thou injury! smite not our shining warriors: with offering we ever invoke thee, O Rudra!

II. 17. Reverence be to the golden-armed leader of hosts, and to the lord of regions be reverence! reverence be to the green-haired trees, and to the lord of beasts be reverence! reverence be to the grass-hued shining one, and to the lord of roads be reverence! reverence be to the gold-locked wearer of the sacred cord, and to the lord of the strong-bodied be reverence! 18. Reverence be to the dusky smiter, and to the lord of food be reverence! reverence be to Bhava's weapon, and to the lord of moving creatures be reverence! reverence be to the strung-bowed Rudra, and to the lord of field's be reverence! reverence be to the inviolable charioteer, and to the lord of forests be reverence! 19. Reverence be to the ruddy architect, and to the lord of trees be reverence! reverence be to the ubiquitous producer of wealth, and to the lord of plants be reverence! reverence be to the wise merchant, and to the lord of forest retreats be reverence! reverence be to the loud-noised crier, and to the lord of wanderers be reverence! 20. Reverence be to the onward-rushing one with his (weapon) levelled everywhere, and to the lord of beings be reverence! reverence be to the victorious smiter, and to the lord of victorious (hosts) be reverence! reverence be to the matchless swordsman, and to the lord of thieves be reverence! reverence be to the prowling rover, and to the lord of the forest be reverence! 21. Reverence be to the tricking arch-trickster, and to the lord of pilferers be reverence! reverence be to the well-quivered swordsman, and to the lord of robbers be reverence! reverence be to the slaying spearmen, and to the lord of pillagers be reverence! reverence be to the night-walking sword-wielders, and to the lord of cut-throats be reverence!

III. 22. Reverence be to the turbaned mountaineer, and to the lord of spoilers be reverence! reverence be to shooters of arrows, and to ye bowmen be reverence! reverence be to the bow-stretching, and to ye that fix the arrow be reverence! reverence be to ye that pull (the bow), and to ye that hurl be reverence! 23. Reverence be to ye that shoot, and to ye that pierce be reverence! reverence be to ye that sleep, and to ye that wake be reverence! reverence he to ye, the lying, and to ye, the sitting, be reverence! reverence be to ye, the standing, and to ye, the running, be reverence! 24. Reverence be to gatherings, and to ye, lords of the gathering, be reverence! reverence be to horses, and to ye, masters of horses, be reverence! reverence be to the victorious (armies), and to ye that smite be reverence! reverence be to the serried (hosts), and to ye that crush be reverence! 25. Reverence be to the troops, and to ye, chiefs of troops, be reverence! reverence be to the bands, and to ye, chiefs of bands, be reverence! reverence be to sharpers, and to ye, chiefs of sharpers, be reverence! reverence be to the unshapen, and to ye, the all-shaped, be reverence! 26. Reverence be to armies, and to ye, leaders of armies, be reverence! reverence be to chariot-fighters, and to ye, the chariot-less, be reverence! reverence be to car-fighters, and to ye, charioteers, be reverence! reverence be to the adult, and to ye, children, be reverence!

IV. 27. Reverence be to carpenters, and to ye, wheelwrights, be reverence! reverence be to potters, and to ye, blacksmiths, be reverence! reverence be to the jungle tribes, and to ye, fishermen, be reverence! reverence be to dog-keepers, and to ye huntsmen be reverence! 28. Reverence be to dogs, and to ye masters of dogs be reverence! reverence be to Bhava and to Rudra! reverence be to Sarva and to Pasupati (lord of beasts)! reverence be to Nîlagrîva (the blue-necked) and to Sitikantha (the white-throated)! 29. Reverence be to him of the coiled hair and to the shaven-haired one! reverence be to the thousand-eyed and to the hundred-bowed one! reverence be to the mountain-dweller and to the bald one! reverence be to the chief of showerers and to the arrow-shooter! 30. Reverence be to the short and the dwarfish one! reverence be to the tall and the old one! reverence be to the full-grown and the growing one 1 reverence be to the topmost and first one! 31. Reverence be to the swift and agile one! reverence be to the fast and nimble one! reverence be to the surging and roaring one! reverence be to the river-dweller and the isle-dweller!

V. 32. Reverence be to the eldest and to the youngest! reverence be to the firstborn and to the afterborn! reverence be to the middlemost and to the abortive (?) one! reverence be to the hindmost and to the bottommost one! 33. Reverence be to him dwelling in the air-castles, and to him in the magic cord-ring! reverence he to him who is in Yama's (death's) power, and to him who liveth in safety! reverence be to him in (the height of his) fame, and to him who is at his end! reverence be to him on the tilled land, and to him on the threshing-floor! 34. Reverence be to him dwelling in the wood, and to him in the jungle! reverence be to the sound and to the echo! reverence be to him of the swift army, and to him of the swift chariot! reverence be to the hero and the shatterer! 35. Reverence be to the helmeted and the armoured one! reverence be to the mailed and the cuirassed one! reverence be to the famous one, and to the leader of the famous army! reverence be to him dwelling in the drum, and to him in the drumstick! 36. Reverence be to the bold, and the deliberate one! reverence he to the swordsman, and to the quiver-bearer! reverence be to the sharp-shafted and the armed one! reverence be to the well-armed one, and to the wielder of a goodly how

VI. 37. Reverence be to him dwelling in the stream, and to him on the road! reverence be to him in the mere (?), and to him in the pool! reverence be to him in the ditch, and to him in the lake! reverence be to him in the river, and to him in the pond! 38. Reverence be to him dwelling in the well, and to him in the bank! reverence be to him in the clouded sky (?), and to him in the heat of the sun! reverence be to him in the cloud, and to him in the lightning! reverence be to him in the rain, and to him in the drought! 39. Reverence be to him dwelling in the wind, and to him in the storm-cloud (?)! reverence be to him dwelling in the house, and to the guardian of the house! reverence be to Soma and Rudra! reverence be to the dusky and the ruddy one! 40. Reverence be to the propitious one, and to the lord of beasts! reverence be to the terrible and fearful one! reverence be to the near-hitter and the far-hitter! reverence be to the slayer and the slaughterer! reverence be to the gold-haired trees! reverence be to the deliverer!

VII. 41. Reverence be to the gentle and the friendly one! reverence be to the peaceful and pleasing one! reverence be to the kindly and the kindliest!

VIII. 42. Reverence be to him who is on the further shore, and to him on the near shore! reverence be to him who ferrieth over, and to him who bringeth ashore! reverence be to him dwelling in the ford, and to him on the bank! reverence be to him dwelling in the sward, and to him in the foam! 43. Reverence be to him dwelling in the sand, and to him in the current! reverence be to him dwelling in the stony and to him in habitable places! reverence be to the coil-haired and to the straight-haired (?) one! reverence be to him dwelling in barren land, and to him on the beaten track! 44. Reverence be to him dwelling in the cow-pen, and to him in the cattle-shed! reverence be to him dwelling in the couch, and to him in the house! reverence be to him dwelling in the heart, and to him in the whirlpool! reverence be to him dwelling in the well, and to him in the abyss! 45. Reverence be to him dwelling in what is dried up, and to him in what is green! reverence be to him dwelling in the dust, and to him in the mist! reverence be to him dwelling in the copse, and to him in the shrub! reverence be to him in the ground, and to him in the gully! 46. Reverence be to him dwelling in the leaf, and to him in the leaf-fall (sere leaf)! reverence be to the growler, and to the smiter! reverence be to the snatcher, and to the repeller (?)! reverence be to the arrow-makers, and to ye bow-makers!--Reverence be to ye, the sparkling hearts of the gods! reverence be to the discriminating, reverence to the destructive, reverence to the irremovable!

IX. 47. Chaser, lord of the (Soma) plant! blue-red cleaver! fright and hurt not these people and these cattle: let none of us sicken! 48. These prayers we bring before the mighty Rudra, the coil-braided miter of heroes, that there may be safety for the two-footed and the four-footed, and that everything in this village may be healthy and thriving. 49. That friendly form of thine, O Rudra, friendly and ever healing, friendly and healing to the stricken: therewith be gracious unto us that we may live! 50. May the shaft of Rudra spare us, and the ill-will of the violent and malevolent one: unstring the strong (bow) from (hurting) our patrons, O showerer (of gifts), and be gracious unto our children and our children's children! 51. Be thou kindly and well-disposed towards us, O kindliest chief of showerers, lay down thy weapon on the highest tree, and putting on the hide come and join us, bearing the spear! 52. O blood-red scatterer, reverence be unto thee, holy one, let those thousand shafts of thine lay low another than us! 53. The thousandfold thousand shafts of thine arms--turn thou away their heads from us, O holy lord! 54. What countless thousands of Rudras there are upon earth, their bows do we unstring (and cast away) at a thousand leagues. 55. The Bhavas in this great sea, the air: their bows do we unstring at a thousand leagues. 56. The blue-necked, white-throated Rudras seated in the sky: their bows do we unstring at a thousand leagues. 57. The blue-necked, white-throated Sarvas dwelling below the earth: their bows do we unstring at a thousand leagues. 58. The grass-green in the trees, the blue-necked, blood-red ones: their bows do we unstring at a thousand leagues. 59. They who are the chiefs of spirits, hairless and coil-braided: their bows do we unstring at a thousand leagues. 60. They who are the guardians of roads, food-bearers, life-fighters (?): their bows do we unstring at a thousand leagues. 61. They who haunt the bathing-places, wielders of spear and sword: their bows do we unstring at a thousand leagues. 62. They who strike men at their meals, and in their cups those that drink: their bows do we unstring at a thousand leagues. 63. What Rudras are scattered over the regions, so many and more: their bows do we unstring at a thousand leagues.--64. Reverence be to the Rudras dwelling in the sky, whose arrows the rain is! to them (I stretch) ten (fingers) eastward, ten southward, ten westward, ten northward, ten upward: to them be reverence! may they be gracious unto us and help us: whomsoever we hate, and whosoever hateth us, him we cast into their jaws! 65. Reverence be to the Rudras dwelling in the air, whose arrows the wind is! to them (I stretch) ten (fingers) eastward, ten southward, ten westward, ten northward, ten upward: to them be reverence! may they be gracious unto us and help us: whomsoever we hate, and whosoever hateth us, him we cast into their jaws! 66. Reverence be to the Rudras dwelling upon earth, whose arrows food is! to them (I stretch) ten (fingers) eastward, ten southward, ten westward, ten northward, ten upward: to them be reverence! may they be gracious unto us and help us: whomsoever we hate, and whosoever hateth us, him we cast into their jaws!

1. He then performs the Satarudriya offering! This whole Agni has now¹ been completed: he now is the deity Rudra. Upon him the gods bestowed that highest form, immortality. Flaming he there stood longing for food. The gods were afraid of him lest he should hurt them.

2. They spake, 'Let us gather together food for him: therewith we will appease him!' They gathered for him that food, the Sântadevatya², and thereby appeased him; and inasmuch as they thereby appeased (sam) the god (deva), it is called Sântadevatya;--Sântadevatya, doubtless, is here called mystically 'Satarudriya³,' for the gods love the mystic. And in like manner does this Sacrificer now bestow upon him that highest form, immortality. Flaming he there stands, longing for food. He gathers for him that food, the Sântadevatya, and thereby appeases him.

3. He offers wild sesamum seeds. He (Agni) grows when he is being built up: he grows for (the consumption) of every kind of food. And wild sesamum seeds represent both kinds of food, the cultivated as well as the wild-growing: inasmuch as they are sesamum seeds they are a cultivated (kind of food), and inasmuch as they ripen on unploughed land they are wild-growing; he thus satisfies him with both kinds of food, the cultivated as well as the wild-growing.

4. He offers by means of an arka-leaf⁴,--the Arka-tree (Calotropis gigantea) is food: he thus gratifies him with food.

5. He offers on (three) enclosing-stones:--these enclosing-stones are the (three) Agnis; and thus it is over Agni himself that these oblations of his become offered.

6. And as to why he performs the Satarudriya offering. When Pragâpati had become disjointed, the deities departed from him. Only one god did not leave him, to wit, Manyu (wrath): extended he remained within. He (Pragâpati) cried, and the tears of him that fell down settled on Manyu. He became the hundred-headed, thousand-eyed, hundred-quivered Rudra. And the other drops that fell down, spread over these worlds in countless numbers, by thousands; and inasmuch as they originated from crying (rud), they were called Rudras (roarers). That hundred-headed, thousand-eyed, hundred-quivered Rudra, with his bow strung, and his arrow fitted to the string, was inspiring fear, being in quest of food. The gods were afraid of him.

7. They spake unto Pragâpati 'We are afraid of this one, lest he should hurt us!' He spake, 'Gather food for him, and appease him therewith!' They gathered for him that food, the Satarudriya (offering), and thereby appeased him; and inasmuch as they thereby appeased (sam) the hundred-headed (satasîrsha) Rudra, it is called Satasîrsharudrasamanîya,--and satasîrsharudrasamanîya, doubtless, is what they mystically call Satarudriya, for the gods love the mystic. And in like manner does this (Sacrificer) now gather for him that food, the Satarudriya, and appease him thereby.

8. He offers gavedhukâ flour; for from the place where that deity lay disjointed, gavedhukâ plants (coix barbata) sprang forth: he thus gratifies him by his own portion, by his own life-sap.

9. He offers by means of an arka-leaf; for that tree sprang from the resting-place of that god: he thus gratifies him by his own portion, by his own life-sap.

10. He offers on (three) enclosing-stones⁵, for the enclosing-stones are the hair, and neither poison nor anything else injures one at the hair. He offers whilst standing on the left (north) side of Agni (the altar), with his face to the north; for in that region lies the house of that god⁶: it is thus in his own region that he gratifies him, in his own region he contents him with offering.

11. The first Svâhâ ('hail') he utters on the knee-high one,---what is knee-high is, as it were, below, and below, as it were, is this (terrestrial) world: he thus gratifies those Rudras who entered this world.

12. Then on the navel-high one,--what is navel-high is, as it were, the middle; and the middle, as it were, is the air-world: he thus gratifies those Rudras who entered the air-world.

13. Then on the one reaching up to the mouth,--what reaches up to the mouth is, as it were, above, and above, as it were, is yonder world: he thus gratifies those Rudras who entered yonder world. [He does so] with Svâhâ,--the Svâhâ is food: with food he thus gratifies them.

14. [He offers, with, Vâg. S. XVI, 1], 'Reverence, O Rudra, be to thy wrath!' he thereby does reverence to that wrath which remained extended within him;--'And to thine arrow be reverence, and to both thine arms be reverence!' for it was by his arrow and his arms that he was inspiring fear.

15. That god who became the hundred-headed (Rudra) is the chief (kshatra⁷), and those others who originated from the drops are the peasants (clansmen): those peasants in the first place assigned to that chief this as his special share, to wit, this first chapter of formulas⁸, and gratified him thereby. And in like manner does this (Sacrificer) now assign this to him as his special fore-share, and gratify him thereby. Hence this (section) is addressed to a single deity, to Rudra; for it is him he thereby gratifies.

16. There are here fourteen formulas,--thirteen months are a year, and Pragâpati is the fourteenth; and Pragâpati is Agni: as great as Agni is as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus gratifies him. 'Reverence! reverence!' he says;--reverence being sacrifice, it is by sacrifice, by reverence, that he thus reveres him. Therefore he must not mention any one unworthy of sacrifice, for it would be just as if he were to say to him, 'Sacrifice be to thee!'

17. He then makes offering to those forming pairs⁹: 'Reverence to so and so! reverence to so and so!' It is as if he were to say, 'Thou, N. N., and this one, do not ye two injure us!' for in no wise does a man who is known and appealed to¹⁰ injure us.

18. [Vâg. S. XVI, 17], 'Reverence be to the golden-armed leader of hosts, and to the lord of regions be reverence!' for he (Rudra-Agni) is indeed the golden-armed¹¹ leader of hosts, and the lord of regions. And in that everything in this second chapter of formulas applies to one and the same deity, thereby he gratifies that (god Rudra), and makes the chief to have a share in the people (or the clan): hence whatever belongs to the people¹², in that the chieftain has a share. And those (Rudras) that spread over these worlds, countless, by thousands¹³, they are the deities to whom he now offers.

19. He thus makes offering to the tribes (of Rudras), for it was those tribes, those Rudras, that spread, and wheresoever they are there he thereby gratifies them. And thus, indeed, (he gratifies) those tribes of Rudras; and, men being after the manner of the gods, therefore also these tribes of men: tribe after tribe he thus gratifies them.

20. Now some of these (formulas) have 'reverence' on both sides, and others on one side only;--more terrible and more unappeased, indeed, are those (Rudras) that have 'reverence' on both sides: on both sides he thereby appeases them by sacrifice, by reverence.

21. With (each set of) eighty (formulas) he utters the Svâhâ¹⁴,--on the first anuvâka, and on eighty, and on eighty; and the formulas which follow as far as the 'unstringing'-formulas (Vâg. S. XVI, 54-63),--eighties¹⁵ mean food: by means of food he thus gratifies them.

22. He thus mutters these formulas (the last four of Vâg. S. XVI, 46), 'Reverence be to you, the sparkling (hearts of the gods)!' for this is his favourite resort, either as a dear son or the heart: hence whenever he should be in fear of that god (Rudra), let him offer with those mystic utterances, for he draws nigh unto the favourite resort of that god, and so that god does not injure him.

23. 'Reverence be to you, the sparkling¹⁶,' for those (Rudras) produce (kar) everything here,--'hearts of the gods!'--Agni, Vâyu and Âditya (fire, wind and sun), these truly are the hearts of the gods;--'Reverence to the discriminating!'--for those (gods) discriminate everything here;--'Reverence to the destructive!'--for those (gods) destroy whom they wish to destroy;--'Reverence to the irremovable!'--for those (gods) are not (to be) removed from these worlds.

24. He then mutters those that follow (Vâg. S. XVI, 47 seq.), 'Chaser! lord of the (Soma) plant!'--that (god) is indeed a repeller, for he chases away whom he wishes to chase away;--'lord of the plant'--that is, 'lord of the Soma-plant;'--'O blue-red cleaver¹⁷;'--these are names and forms of him: he thus gratifies him by calling him by his names;--'frighten and hurt not these people and these cattle! let none of us sicken!' as the text, so the sense.

25. That god (Rudra) is the kshatra (ruling power; chieftainship or chief); and for that chief these peasants set apart this special fore-share, to wit, that first section (of formulas); and now he (the Sacrificer) sets apart for him that after-share, and thereby gratifies him; and hence this (section) also belongs to a single deity, to wit, to Rudra; for it is him he thereby gratifies.

26. These are seven formulas,--of seven layers the fire-altar consists, and the year consists of seven months, and Agni is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much food he thus gratifies him. These two kinds (of formulas) amount to twenty-one,--the twelve months, the five seasons, these three worlds, and yonder sun as the twenty-first (make up) this amount.

27. He then offers (the libations of the) 'unstringing'-formulas¹⁸. For at that time the gods, having gratified those (Rudras) by that food, unstrung their bows by means of these 'unstringing'-formulas; and in like manner this (Sacrificer), having gratified them by that food, now unstrings their bows by means of these 'unstringing'-formulas; for with an unstrung bow one injures no one.

28. Here now he says 'at a thousand leagues,' for a thousand leagues is the farthest distance; and he thus unstrings their bows at what is the farthest distance.

29. And, again, as to why he says 'at a thousand leagues,'--a thousand leagues means this Agni (fire-altar), for neither this way nor that way is there any other thing greater than he; and it is when he makes offering in the fire that he unstrings their bows at a thousand leagues.

30. 'Countless thousands,--in this great sea,'--thus, wheresover they are, there he unstrings their bows.

31. There are ten of these 'unstringing'-offerings he makes,--the Virâg consists of ten syllables, and Agni is Virâg (widely-shining or ruling); there are ten regions, and Agni is the regions; there are ten vital airs, and Agni is the vital airs: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much he thus unstrings their bows.

32. He then offers the descending¹⁹ (series of oblations). For then (in the preceding oblations) he ascends these worlds upwards from hence: this is, as it were, an ascent away from here. But this (earth) is a firm resting-place: the gods returned to this resting-place; and in like manner does the Sacrificer now return to this resting-place.

33. And, again, as to why he descends. Then (in the preceding oblations) he goes after those (gods), gratifying (propitiating) them. From thence he now recovers his own self unto life; and so does he by that self of his attain all vital power.

34. And., again, as to why he descends. He then (in the preceding oblations) gratifies those Rudras from hence upwards; he now does so again from thence hitherwards.

35. [Vâg. S. XVI 64], 'Reverence be to the Rudras dwelling in the sky,'--he thereby does reverence to those Rudras who are in yonder world;--'whose arrows the rain is,' for the rain is indeed their arrows, and by the rain they injure whom they wish to injure.

36. [Vâg. S. XVI, 65], 'Reverence be to the Rudras dwelling in the air,'--he thereby does reverence to those Rudras who are in the air;--'whose arrows the wind is,' for the wind is indeed their arrows, and by the wind they injure whom they wish to injure.

37. [Vâg. S. XVI, 66], 'Reverence be to the Rudras dwelling upon earth,'--he thereby does reverence to those Rudras who are in this (terrestrial) world;--'whose arrows food is,' for food is indeed their arrows, and by means of food they injure whom they wish to injure.

38. 'To them (I stretch) ten (fingers) forwards, ten to the right, ten backwards, ten to the left, ten upwards²⁰,'--of ten syllables consists the Virâg, and Agni is Virâg; there are ten seasons, and Agni is the seasons; there are ten vital airs, and Agni is the vital airs: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus gratifies them.

39. And as to why he says 'ten-ten,'--there are ten fingers in the joined hands²¹: he thus makes reverence to them in each direction; and hence he who is frightened places his hands together;--'To them be reverence!'--he thus does reverence to them;--'May they be gracious unto us!'--they thus are gracious unto him;--'whomsoever we hate, and whosoever hateth us, him we cast into their jaws!'--thus he casts into their jaws whomsoever he hates, and whosoever hates him. He may say, 'So-and-so I cast into their jaws!' naming him whom he hates, and then he has no longer any hold upon him. But let him take no notice of this (injunction), for indicated of himself is he whom he who knows this hates.

40. In three turns he descends,--Agni is threefold: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much food he thus gratifies them. With 'Svâhâ' (he makes offering), for the Svâhâ is food: with food he thus gratifies them. Thrice (in three turns) he ascends from hence upwards,--that makes six: the significance of this has been explained²².

41. And as to why he descends in three turns,--it is because he ascends in three turns: thus in as many turns as he ascends, in so many turns does he descend.

42. He then throws that arka-leaf²³ into the pit; for it is therewith that he performs that sacrificial work sacred to Rudra, and that same (leaf) is inauspicious; he now puts it away, lest any one should tread on this inauspicious (leaf), and suffer injury thereby: hence (he throws it) into the pit. And, again, as to why (he throws it) into the pit,--the pit, doubtless, means the fire, and thus that fire consumes it. Now as to the (symbolic) correspondence.

43. As to this they say, 'How does this Satarudriya of his attain to (conformity with) the year, and Agni? how does it correspond to the year, to Agni?' Well, this Satarudriya includes three hundred and sixty (formulas); and (other) thirty, and thirty-five. Now, as to the three hundred and sixty which there are, so many are there days in the year: thereby it obtains the days of the year. And as to the thirty (formulas) which there are, they are the thirty nights of the month: thereby it obtains the nights of the month: thus it obtains both the days and nights of the year. And as to the thirty-five (formulas) there are, they are the thirteenth month²⁴, (Agni's) self,--the body (consists of) thirty (limbs²⁵), the feet of two, the breath of two (in-breathing and off-breathing), and the head is the thirty-fifth: so much is the year. And in this way this Satarudriya of his attains to (conformity with) the year, Agni, and corresponds to the year, Agni. And, indeed, in the Sândila fire-altar as many bricks with formulas attached to them are placed in the middle, for these bricks are indeed the same as these different Agnis (invoked in the Satarudriya); and thus these Agnis of his come to have oblations offered to them separately by means of the Satarudriya.

44. As to this they say, 'How does this Satarudriya of his attain to (conformity with) the Great Litany²⁶?--how does it correspond to the Great Litany?' Well, those twenty-five formulas which there are on both sides of the eighties²⁷, they are the twenty-five-fold body²⁸; and where the body (of the altar-bird) is, that (includes) the head, and the wings and tail. And what eighties (of formulas) there are (in the Satarudriya), thereby indeed the (corresponding) eighties (of the Mahad uktham) are obtained, for by eighties the Great Litany is recited. And what there is (in the Satarudriya) after the eighties that is for him the same as what there, in the Great Litany, is after the eighties²⁹; and in this way this Satarudriya of his attains to (conformity with) the Great Litany; in this way it corresponds to the Great Litany.

Second Brâhmana

1. He then sprinkles him (Agni-Rudra, the fire-altar). For the gods, having now appeased him by the Satarudriya, thereby appeased him still further; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), now that he has appeased him by the Satarudriya, still further appease him thereby.

2. With water he sprinkles him³⁰,--water is a means of appeasing (soothing): he thus appeases him thereby. He sprinkles him all over; he thus appeases him all over. Thrice he sprinkles,--threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus appeases him.

3. And, again, as to why he sprinkles him,--that Agni (the fire-altar), doubtless, is these worlds: by water he thus encompasses these worlds, by the ocean, indeed, he encompasses them. On every side (he sprinkles the altar): hence the ocean flows round these worlds on every side. From left to right (he sprinkles): hence the ocean flows round these worlds from left to right.

4. For safety from injury it is the Agnîdh who sprinkles, for the Agnîdh is the same as Agni, and no one injures his own self. From a stone (he sprinkles), for from the rock water springs forth;--from the arm-pit, for from the arm-pit water springs forth; from the right arm-pit³¹, for from the right arm-pit water springs forth.

5. [He sprinkles the stone, with, Vâg. S. XVII, 1], 'The food that is lying in the rock, in the mountain,'--for that food, water, is indeed contained in the rock, in the mountains;--'the drink that is gathered from waters, plants and trees,'--for from all that that drink is indeed gathered;--'that sap and food bring ye unto us, O Maruts, as bountiful givers!'--for the Maruts are the rulers of the rain. With 'In the rock is thy hunger,' he (after watering the altar) sets down (the pitcher on the stone): he thus lays hunger into the stone, whence the stone is not fit for eating. But hard also is the stone, and hard is hunger: he thus puts the hard along with the hard. With, 'In me thy food!' he takes up (the pitcher): he thereby takes up the food into his own self. Thus (he does) a second and a third time.

6. Having (finally) set down the pitcher, he perambulates thrice (the altar); for when (in sprinkling) he walks all round it, he, as it were, makes light of him (Agni-Rudra). He now makes amends to him, for (his own) safety.

7. And, again, as to why he perambulates it,--he then (in sprinkling the altar) goes after him³² (Agni-Rudra): thereupon he now recovers his own self unto life, and so does he by that self of his obtain all vital power.

8. Thrice he perambulates it, for thrice he walks round it (whilst sprinkling): thus as many times as he walks round it, so many times does he perambulate it.

9. Having thereupon put that stone into the water-pitcher, they throw it in that (south-western) direction, for that is Nirriti's region: he thus consigns pain³³ to Nirriti's region.

10. For at that time, the gods, having appeased him by the Satarudriya and the water, thereby drove out his pain, his evil; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer) now, after appeasing him by the Satarudriya and the water, cast away his pain, his evil.

11. Outside the fire-altar he throws it; for this fire-altar indeed is the same as these (three) worlds: he thus puts pain outside these worlds;--outside the sacrificial ground (vedi); for the Vedi is this (earth): he thus puts pain outside this earth.

12. Whilst standing at the right thigh of the Vedi, with his face to the east, he throws it southwards, with, 'Let thy pain enter him whom we hate!' and thus its pain enters whomsoever he hates. He may say, 'Let thy pain enter so-and-so!' naming him whom he hates, and then he has no longer any hold upon him; but let him take no notice of this, for indicated of himself is he whom he who knows this hates. If it³⁴ should remain unbroken, let him bid (the Pratiprasthâtri) to break it; for only when it is broken, the pain enters him whom he hates. They return (to the altar) without looking back: they thus leave pain and evil behind without looking back to them.

13. Having returned, he makes the bricks his own milch cows; for the gods, having now appeased him (Agni-Rudra) by the Satarudriya and the water, and having driven out his pain and evil, returned (to the altar) and made the bricks their own milch cows; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer) now, after appeasing him by the Satarudriya and the water, and casting off his pain and evil, return and make the bricks his own milch cows.

14. And some say, 'Let him make them his own whilst sitting, for sitting one milks the cow.' But let him rather make them his own standing; for that fire-altar is these worlds, and these worlds are, as it were, standing. And, moreover, one is stronger whilst standing.

15. [He does so], whilst standing (near the right thigh of the altar) with his face towards the north-east; in front stands that cow by the Sacrificer with her face towards the west (back), for from the right side they approach the cow which stands with its face towards the back (west).

16. And wherever he reaches (whilst stretching his arms over the altar), there he touches it and mutters this formula (Vâg. S. XVII, 2), 'Let these bricks be mine own milch cows, O Agni!' for Agni rules over this making of cows, whence he addresses Agni out of so many deities;--'One, and ten³⁵ . . . . and a hundred thousand millions, and a billion;'--for the one, to wit, one and ten, is the lowest quantity, and the other, to wit, a hundred thousand millions, and a billion, is the highest quantity; thus, having comprehended them by the lowest and the highest quantity, the gods made them their own milch cows; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), having thus comprehended them by the lowest and the highest quantity, make them his own milch cows. Hence also he need not care to make many (cows) his own³⁶, for in yonder world that (Sacrificer), by means of the Brahman (holy writ), the Yagus, will make many (cows) his own. And in that he carries on (the numbers) uninterruptedly, thereby he carries on, without interruption, his objects of desire.

17. And as to why he makes the bricks his own milch cows,--this fire-altar is speech, for with speech it is built up; and when he says, 'One, and ten, . . . and a hundred thousand millions, and a billion,'--'one' is speech, and a hundred thousand millions is speech, and a billion is speech: it is Speech herself that the gods thereby made their own milch cow; and in like manner does the Sacrificer thereby make Speech herself his own milch cow. And in that he carries on (the numbers) uninterruptedly, thereby it is Speech herself that he carries on:--'Let these bricks be mine own milch cows, O Agni, hereafter in yonder world!' He thereby makes them his own milch cows in this world, and he also makes them his own milch cows in yonder world; and thus they are profitable to him in both worlds, in this one and in the other.

18. [Vâg. S. XVII, 3], 'The seasons ye are,'--for these (bricks) are indeed the seasons;--'law-sustaining,' that is, 'truth-sustaining;'--'be ye season-abiding, law-sustaining!--for the bricks are the days and nights, and the days and nights indeed abide in the seasons;--'fat-showering, honey-showering,'--he thereby makes them fat-showering and honey-showering for himself.

19. 'The widely-shining by name,'--for the gods then called those bricks to them by their names, and in the same way in which they called them, they turned unto them; but the 'space-fillers' alone stood with averted faces discharging water, having no names applied to them. They called them by the name 'the widely-shining,' and they turned unto them. Hence, each time he has laid down ten bricks, he addresses them with the 'space-filling³⁷ (verse)': he thereby makes them widely-shining (virâg), for the Virâg (metre) consists of ten syllables:--'wish-milking, never-failing,'--he thereby makes them wish-milking and never-failing.

20. He then draws a frog, a lotus-flower, and a bamboo-shoot across (the central part of the altar). For the gods having now appeased him by the Satarudriya and the water, and having driven out his pain and evil, thereby still further appeased him; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), now that he has appeased him by the Satarudriya and the water, and driven out his pain and evil, still further appease him thereby. In every direction he draws them: he thus appeases him everywhere.

21. And, again, as to why he draws them across. Now, in the beginning, when the Rishis, the vital airs, made up that Agni³⁸, they sprinkled him with water: that water dripped off and became the frogs.

22. They (the waters) said to Pragâpati, 'Whatever moisture³⁹ we had, has gone down.' He said, 'This tree shall know it!'--he shall know (vettu), he shall taste it (sam vettu)--that one, indeed, they mystically call 'vetasa' (bamboo), for the gods love the mystic. And because they said, 'Down (avâk) has gone our moisture (ka),' they became avâkkâs;--'avâkkâs,' they mystically call 'avakâs (lotuses),' for the gods love the mystic. These, then, are those three kinds of water, to wit, the frog, the lotus-flower, and the bamboo-shoot: by means of these three kinds of water he appeases him.

23. And, again, why he draws them across it;--when he (Agni, the fire-altar) is built up, he is being born, and he is born for every kind of food; and these are every kind of food, to wit, the frog, the lotus-flower, and the bamboo-shoot, for these, indeed, are animals, water, and trees: with all this food he gratifies him.

24. With the frog, on the part of animals, whence, of animals, the frog is the one affording least subsistence, for he is used up;--with the lotus-flower, on the part of water, whence of the kinds of water (plants), lotus-flowers are those affording least subsistence, for they are used up;--and with the bamboo-shoot, on the part of trees; whence, of trees, the bamboo is the one affording least subsistence, for it is used up.

25. Having tied them to a cane, he, in the first place, draws them eastwards along the right (south) part of the (body of the) altar inside the enclosing-stones, with (Vâg. S. XVII, 4), 'With the lotus-flower of the ocean we encompass thee, O Agni: be thou bright and propitious unto us!' that is, 'With the waters of the ocean we appease thee.'

26. Then northwards along the hind part (of the altar), with (Vâg. S. XVII, 5), 'With an outer vesture of cold we encompass thee, O Agni: be thou bright and propitious unto us!'--that part of the cold which is frozen hard is an outer vesture of cold: thus, 'By the frozen part of cold we appease thee!'

27. Then eastwards along the left (north) part, with (Vâg. S. XVII, 6), 'Upon the earth, into the reed, into the rivers descend thou, O Agni, thou art the bile⁴⁰ of waters: with them, come thou, O she-frog, and make the sacrifice bright-coloured and propitious for us!' as the text, so the meaning.

28. Then southwards along the forepart, with (Vâg. S. XVII, 7), 'Thou art the receptacle of waters, the abode of the ocean: let thy darts burn others than us! unto us be thou bright and propitious!' as the text, so the meaning. He first draws them thus⁴¹, then thus, then thus, then thus: that is from left to right, for so it is with the gods.

29. Over the body (of the altar) he draws them first, for of (the bird, or Agni) that is born the body is born first, then the right wing, then the tail, then the left wing: that is from left to right, for so it is with the gods.

30. Over the wings and tail he draws them in the direction of the body (self): he thus lays calmness into his own self;--from the further end (he draws) hitherwards: he thus lays calmness into his own self from the further end hitherwards. The right wing, with (Vâg. S. XVII, 8), 'O bright Agni, with thy light, (with thy dainty tongue, O god, bring hither the gods, and worship them)!' The tail, with (Vâg. S. XVII, 9), 'O bright and shining Agni, (bring hither the gods to our sacrifice and our offering)!' The left wing, with (Vâg. S. XVII, 10), 'He who with bright and glittering light (shineth upon the earth, as the dawns with their glow, who, the ever young, speeding, as in the race, in the battle, of the steed, thirsteth not in the heat).' 'Bright,' he says each time, for whatever is kindly and propitious is bright: he thus propitiates him thereby.

31. With seven (formulas) he draws them across,--the altar consists of seven layers, and seven seasons are a year, and Agni is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus crosses him. Having thrown the cane on the heap of rubbish;--

32. [The Adhvaryu] then sings hymns round it (the altar);--for therein that whole Agni is completed; and the gods laid into him that highest form, immortality; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer) thereby lay into him that highest form, immortality. Sâman-hymns are (used), for sâmans are vital airs, and the vital airs are immortality: immortality, that highest form, he thus lays into him. On every side he sings around it: everywhere he thus lays immortality, that highest form, into him.

33. And, again, as to why he sings sâman-hymns round about it;--the gods then desired, 'Let us make this body of ours boneless and immortal.' They spake, 'Think ye upon this, how we may make this body of ours boneless and immortal!' They spake, 'Meditate (kit) ye!' whereby indeed they meant to say, 'Seek ye a layer (kiti)! seek ye how we may make this body of ours boneless and immortal!

34. Whilst meditating, they saw those sâman-hymns, and sang them round about it, and by means of them they made that body of theirs boneless and immortal; and in like manner does the Sacrificer, when he sings the sâman-hymns round about it, make that body of his boneless and immortal. On every side he sings: everywhere he thus makes that body of his boneless and immortal. Standing he sings, for these worlds stand, as it were; and whilst standing one doubtless is stronger. He sings, after uttering (the syllable) 'him,' for therein the sâman-hymn becomes whole and complete.

35. He first sings the Gâyatra hymn⁴², for the Gâyatrî metre is Agni: he thus makes Agni his head, and that head of his (or of him, Agni) he thus makes boneless and immortal.

36. The Rathantara⁴³ (hymn he sings) at the right wing; for the Rathantara is this (earth), and this (earth), doubtless, is the most essential (rasatama) of these worlds, for it is in her that all these essences (rasa) are contained, and 'rasantama,' indeed, they call mystically, 'rathantara,' for the gods love the mystic: he thus makes this (earth) his right wing, and that right wing of his he thus makes boneless and immortal.

37. The Brihat⁴⁴ (hymn he sings) at the left wing; the Brihat (great), doubtless, is the sky, for the sky is the greatest (of worlds): he thus makes the sky his (Agni's) left wing, and that left wing of his he thus makes boneless and immortal.

38. The Vâmadevya⁴⁵ (hymn he sings) on the body (of the altar); for the Vâmadevya is the breath, and the breath is air (vâyu, the wind), and he, Vâyu, doubtless, is the self (body) of all the gods: he thus makes the air (wind) his body, and that body of his he thus makes boneless and immortal.

39. The Yagñâyagñiya⁴⁶ (hymn he sings) near the tail;--the Yagñâyagñiya, doubtless, is the moon; for whenever a sacrifice becomes completed⁴⁷, the essence of its oblations goes up to him (the moon); and inasmuch as sacrifice after sacrifice (yagña) goes up to him, the moon is the Yagñâyagñiya: he thus makes the moon his (Agni's) tail, and that tail of his he thus makes boneless and immortal.

40. He then sings the heart of Pragâpati⁴⁸;--the heart assuredly is yonder sun, for he (the sun) is smooth, and the heart is smooth; he is round, and the heart is round. On the body (of the altar) he sings, for the heart is in the body;--at the armpit⁴⁹, for the heart is in (the vicinity of) the armpit;-- at the right armpit, for the heart is nearer thereto⁵⁰: he thus makes the sun his (Agni's) heart, and that heart of his he thus makes boneless and immortal.

41. He sings about offspring (pragâ) and Pragâpati (the lord of creatures and procreation);--when he sings about offspring, he lays the heart into offspring; and when he sings about Pragâpati, he lays the heart into Agni.

42. And, again, as to why he sings about offspring and Pragâpati;--this Agni, doubtless, is both offspring and the lord of offspring, and hence, when he sings about Agni, he lays the heart both into the offspring and into the lord of offspring.

43. These (hymns) are the immortal bricks; he lays them down last (highest) of all:--he thereby makes immortality the highest thing of all this (universe), and hence immortality is the highest thing of all this (universe). Let none other but the Adhvaryu⁵¹ sing; for these (hymns) are bricks, and he (Agni, the fire-altar) would be built up in the wrong way⁵², were any other than the Adhvaryu to sing.

Footnotes

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