Philosophy and Religion / Satapatha Brahmana

The Satapatha Brahmana: Ninth Kânda, Second Adhyâya

First Brâhmana

Day of preparation for Soma-sacrifice.

1. On the day of preparation, early in the morning, when the sun has risen, he releases his speech. Having released his speech, he takes clarified butter, in five ladlings, and throws five chips of gold thereon. Then these three (materials), sour curds, honey and ghee, are poured together, either into a dish, or a pot with a wide mouth; and he puts a handful of sacrificial grass thereon.

2. He then mounts the fire-altar, with (Vâg. S. XVII, II), 'Homage be to thy heat, thy fire¹! homage be to thy flame!'--for that Agni has now been completely restored, and he now is equal to injuring whomever he might wish to injure; and whomever he injures, he injures either by his heat, or by his fire, or by his flame; in this way he does not injure him thereby (etaih);--'Let thy darts burn others than us! unto us be thou bright and propitious!' as the text, so the sense.

3. Having mounted the altar, he makes the libation of fivefold-taken ghee on the naturally-perforated (brick): the significance of this has been explained².

4. On the naturally-perforated (brick) he makes the libation--the naturally-perforated one is the breath: into (the channel of) the breath he thus puts food.

5. And, again, as to why he offers on the naturally-perforated one;--this (brick) is an uttara-vedi (high-altar) of Agni (the fire-altar); and that former libation which he makes³ belongs to the Soma-sacrifice, but this one belongs to the fire-altar; this he now offers.

6. On that (former) occasion he makes the libation whilst looking at the gold; for distinct is what one sees, and distinct was that high-altar; and thrown down⁴, indeed, are (the gold chips) on this occasion, and indistinct is what is thrown down, and indistinct is this high-altar.

7. With the Svâhâ-call he makes the libation on that (high-altar), for distinct (manifest) is the Svâhâ, and distinct is that high-altar; but with the Vet-call (he offers) on this (brick), for indistinct is the Vet-call, and indistinct is this high-altar. With ghee (they offer), for with ghee they offer on the high-altar;--with fivefold-taken (ghee), for with fivefold-taken (ghee) they offer on the high-altar:--by turns (he makes the libations), for by turns⁵ they make the libations on the high-altar.

8. [He offers, with, Vâg. S. XVII, 12, a-c resp.], 'To the man-seated, vet!'--the man-seated one, doubtless, is the breath, and men mean human beings: he thereby gratifies that fire (or Agni), the breath, which is in human beings;--'To the water-seated, vet!--he thereby gratifies the fire which is in the waters;--'To the barhis-seated, vet!' he thereby gratifies the fire which is in plants⁶;--'To the wood-seated, vet!'--he thereby gratifies the fire which is in trees;--'To the heaven-winning, vet!'--the heaven-winning one is this Agni (kitya): it is this Agni he thereby gratifies.

9. And as to why he says, 'To the man-seated, vet! To the water-seated, vet!' &c., these are names of this Agni: these names he thereby pleases. By means of the oblation he makes them a deity: for whatever deity the oblation is prepared, that deity (they are), not that deity for whom it is not prepared. And, in calling them by their names, he also thereby places those fires along with this fire.

10. These are five oblations he offers,--the fire-altar consists of five layers, the year of five seasons, and Agni is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus gratifies him.

11. He then sprinkles him (Agni, the fire-altar) with the sour curds, honey and ghee; when he is built up, he is born, and he is born for every (kind of) food; and these, to wit, sour curds, honey and ghee, are every (kind of) food: with every (kind of) food he thus gratifies him. Everywhere (he sprinkles the altar): everywhere he thus gratifies him with every (kind of) food.

12. And, again, as to why he sprinkles him;--here that Agni has been built up complete: on him the gods now bestowed the highest (or last) form; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer) now bestow on him the highest (or last) form; but form means food, and these, to wit, sour curds, honey and ghee, are the most excellent kind of food: this, the most excellent form he thus bestows upon him as his highest (property). Everywhere he sprinkles, even outside the enclosing-stones; everywhere he thus bestows on him the highest form;--by means of sacrificial grass-stalks (he sprinkles), for they are pure and meet for sacrifice; by means of their tops (he sprinkles), for the top (is sacred) to the gods.

13. And, again, as to why he sprinkles them;--of old, when the Rishis, the vital airs, joined him together, they made that 'sagûrabdîya' (oblation)⁷ his special fore-share, and, when he had been built up, they made this (sprinkling) his after-share: thus, in sprinkling him, he gratifies those Rishis, the vital airs, who, when he (Agni) had been built up, made this his after-share. With sour curds, honey and ghee (he sprinkles): the significance of this has been explained.

14. [He sprinkles, with, Vâg. S. XVII, 13, 14], 'The gods of the gods, the worshipful of the worshipful,'--'for they (the vital airs) are indeed the gods of (among) the gods, and the worshipful of the worshipful';--'who draw nigh unto the yearlong share,' for they do indeed draw near to this their year-long share;--'not eaters of oblations,--at this offering of sacrificial food,'--for the vital airs, indeed, are not eaters of oblations;--'may themselves drink of the honey and the ghee!' that is, 'should themselves drink of this honey and ghee.'

15. 'The gods who attained godhead over the gods,'--for these gods have indeed attained a divine state over the gods; 'who are the forerunners of this holy work,'--the holy work is this fire-altar (and sacrifice), and they are the forerunners thereof;--'without whom no dwelling-place becometh pure;' for without the vital airs no dwelling-place becomes pure⁸;--'they are not on the backs of the sky and the earth,'--that is, 'they are neither in the sky nor on earth: whatever breathes therein they are.'

16. With two (verses) he sprinkles, two-footed is the Sacrificer, and the Sacrificer is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus sprinkles him.

17. He then descends again (from the altar), with (Vâg. S. XVII, 15), 'Givers of in-breathing, givers of off-breathing,'--for this Agni who has been built up is all these breathings; were he not to utter at this time this (declaration of) self-surrender, then that (Agni) would possess himself of those breathings of his (the Sacrificer's); but now that he gives utterance to this self-surrender, that (Agni) does not possess himself of those breathings of his;--'Givers of in-breathing, givers of off-breathing, givers of through-breathing, givers of lustre, givers of room,'--he thereby says, 'A giver of this thou art to me,'--'let thy darts burn others than us! unto us be thou bright and propitious!'--as the text, so the meaning.

18. Having returned (to the hall-fire) he proceeds with the (forenoon performance of the) Pravargya⁹ and Upasad¹⁰; and having performed the Pravargya and Upasad, he hands to him (the Sacrificer) the fast-food or semi-fast-food. He then (proceeds) with the (afternoon performance of the) Pravargya and Upasad, and having obtained the object for which he puts the (Pravargya-) cauldron on the fire, he sets out (the apparatus of) the Pravargya.

19. Let him set it out on an island; for, when heated, that (cauldron) is suffering pain; and were he to set it out on this (earth) its pain would enter this (earth); and were he to set it out on water, its pain would enter the water; but when he sets it out on an island, then it does not injure either the water or this (earth): in that he does not throw it into the water, it does not injure the water; and in that the water goes all round it--water being a means of soothing--it does not injure this earth;--let him therefore set it out on an island.

20. But let him rather set it out on the fire-altar;--for that fire-altar is these worlds, and the enclosing-stones are the waters;--so that when he sets it out on the fire-altar, he indeed sets it out on an island.

21. And, again, as to why he sets it out on the fire-altar;--that fire-altar is these worlds, and those Pravargya (vessels) are Agni (fire), Vâyu (wind), and Âditya (sun): hence, were he to set them out in any other place than the fire-altar, he would place those gods outside these worlds; but in that he sets them out on the fire-altar, he places those gods in these worlds.

22. And, again, as to why he sets it out on the fire-altar,--the Pravargya is the head of the sacrifice, and this built-up fire-altar is the body: hence were he to set it out in any other place than the fire-altar, he would place that head away from that (body), but in that he sets it out on the fire-altar, he, having put together that body of him (Agni), restores the head to it.

23. The first Pravargya (vessel) he sets out close to the naturally-perforated (brick);--the naturally-perforated one is the breath, and the Pravargya is the head, and this built-up Agni is the body: he thus connects and puts together the head and the body by means of (the channel of) the breath. Having set out the Pravargya as is the way of its setting out,--

Second Brâhmana

Leading forward of Agni to the fire-altar.

1. Having returned to the (Gârhapatya¹¹) in order to take forward the fire, he offers oblations, and puts on pieces of firewood. For now that Agni was about to go forward (to the fire-altar), the gods regaled him with food, both with oblations and pieces of firewood; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), now that he (Agni) is about to go forward, regale him with food, both with oblations and pieces of firewood. He takes (ghee) in five ladlings: the meaning of this has been explained.

2. He then takes (ghee) in sixteen ladlings¹²,--Pragâpati consists of sixteen parts, and Pragâpati is Agni: he thus regales him with food proportionate to his body; and the food which is proportionate to the body satisfies and does no injury; but that which is excessive does injury, and that which is too little does not satisfy. He takes (the oblations) in the same offering-ladle, for one and the same (Agni) is he whom he regales therewith. With two (verses) addressed to Visvakarman he offers; for this Agni is Visvakarman (the all-worker): it is him he thereby gratifies. Three oblations he offers,--threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus regales him.

3. He then puts on the pieces of firewood: this is as if, after regaling some one, one were to attend upon him. They are of udumbara (ficus glomerata) wood; for the Udumbara is food and sap: with food and sap he thus regales him. They are fresh (green), for that part of trees which is fresh is uninjured and living: he thus regales him with what is uninjured and living in trees. They are soaked in ghee; for ghee is sacred to Agni: with his own portion, with his own sap he thus regales him. They remain the whole night in it, for there they become imbued with sap. Three pieces of wood he puts on,--threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus regales him.

4. And; again, as to why he offers those oblations;--now that he (Agni) was about to go forward, the gods restored (recruited) him beforehand with food, with these oblations; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), now that he (Agni) is about to go forward, restore him beforehand with food, with these oblations.

5. He takes (ghee) in five ladlings, for fivefold divided is that vital air in the head,--the mind, speech, the breath, the eye, and the ear,--he thus lays that fivefold divided vital air into this head. [He offers it, with, Vâg. S. XVII, 16], 'Agni, with sharp flame, (may destroy every demon! Agni gaineth wealth for us)' thus with a (verse) containing (the word) 'sharp': he therewith sharpens his head so as to become sharp.

6. He then takes (ghee) in sixteen ladlings: eight vital airs, and eight limbs¹³,--this (the symbolical) amount. He takes it in the same spoon, for, indeed, the vital airs and the limbs are in the same body. Separately¹⁴ he offers: he thereby makes a distinction between the vital airs and the limbs. With two (verses) addressed to Visvakarman he offers: Visvakarman is this Agni, it is him he thus puts together. Three oblations he offers,--threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus restores him. With seventeen verses (he offers)¹⁵,--Pragâpati is seventeenfold, and Pragâpati is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus restores him. With (ghee) taken in twenty-one ladlings (he offers the two oblations),--there are twelve months, five seasons, these three worlds, and yonder sun as the twenty-first: this is the (symbolical) amount (or, correspondence).

7. And, again, as to why he puts the pieces of firewood on; the gods having set him up wholly and completely, now regaled him with this food, these pieces of firewood; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), now that he has set him up wholly and completely, regale him with this food, these pieces of firewood. They are of udumbara wood, and fresh, and remain for a whole night (being) soaked in ghee: the significance of this has been explained. [He puts them on, with, Vâg. S. XVII, 50-52], 'Upwards lead thou him, O Agni! . . . Forward lead thou him, O Indra! . . . In whose house we make offering . . .,' as the text, so the meaning. Three pieces of firewood he puts on,--threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus regales him. Three oblations he offers,--that makes six: the significance of this has been explained.

Third Brâhmana

1. He (the Adhvaryu) then gives orders (to his assistant, the Pratiprasthâtri); 'Lift the log¹⁶! hold up the underlayer!'--[To the Hotri], 'Recite for Agni as he is taken forward!'--'Agnîdh, follow up with the single sword (-line)!'--'Brahman, mutter the Apratiratha (hymn)!'

2. For at that time, as the gods were about to come up in order to perform this sacrifice, the Asuras, the mischievous fiends, tried to smite them from the south, saying, 'Ye shall not sacrifice! ye shall not perform the sacrifice!'

3. The gods said to Indra, 'Thou art the highest and mightiest, and strongest of us: do thou hold those fiends in check!'--'Let the Brahman (n.) be my ally!' he said.--'So be it!' They made Brihaspati his ally, for Brihaspati is the Brahman (the priesthood); and having had the Asuras, the mischievous fiends, chased away in the south by Brihaspati and Indra, they spread this sacrifice in a place free from danger and devilry.

4. Now what the gods did then, that is done on this occasion. Those fiends, it is true, have now been chased away by the gods themselves, but when he does this, he does so thinking, 'I will do what the gods did;' and having had the Asuras, the mischievous fiends, chased away in the south by Indra and Brihaspati, he performs this sacrifice in a place free from danger and devilry.

5. As to that Indra, he is that Apratiratha (irresistible hymn); and as to that Brihaspati, he is the Brahman (priest) thus, when the Brahman mutters the Apratiratha (hymn) he (the Sacrificer), having the Asuras, the mischievous fiends, chased away in the south, by Indra and Brihaspati, performs this sacrifice in a place free from danger and devilry. This is why the Brahman mutters the Apratiratha (hymn, Vâg. S. XVII, 33-44; Rig v. S. X, 103,1-12).

6. 'The swift (Indra), sharpening (his weapon), like a terrible bull,'--these are twelve suitable (verses) relating to Indra,--a year consists of twelve months, and Agni (the fire-altar) is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much he drives off the Asuras, the mischievous fiends, in the south. With trishtubh¹⁷ (verses he does so),--the Trishtubh is the thunderbolt: by the thunderbolt he thus drives off the Asuras, the mischievous fiends, in the south. They amount to twenty-two Gâyatrîs¹⁸, and thus they relate to Agni, for this is Agni's performance.

7. He then takes him up (in the form of a burning piece of firewood), with [Vâg. S. XVII, 53], 'Upwards may the All-gods bear thee, O Agni, by their thoughts! . . .' the meaning of this has been explained 2.

8. They then go forward, with (Vâg. S. XVII, 54-58), 'May the divine regions, the goddesses, protect the sacrifice!'--The gods and the Asuras, both of them sprung from Pragâpati, were contending for the regions, and the gods wrested the regions from the Asuras; and in like manner does the Sacrificer now wrest the regions from his hateful rival. 'Divine' he says, and thereby makes them divine for himself;--'may the goddesses protect the sacrifice,' that is, 'may the goddesses protect this sacrifice!'--'keeping off want and ill-will,'--want is hunger: thus, 'keeping off hunger;'--'granting to the lord of the sacrifice a share in wealth-affluence,' that is, 'granting to the lord of the sacrifice a share in wealth and in affluence;' 'may the sacrifice be founded on wealth-affluence!'--that is, 'may the sacrifice be founded on wealth and affluence!'

9. 'Glorifying on the kindled fire,'--the glorifying one is the Sacrificer;--'the hymn-winged,'--for hymns are his wings;--'taken,'--that is, 'held;'--'praiseworthy,'--that is, 'worthy of worship;'--'(when) they sacrificed, encircling the heated cauldron,'--for they did sacrifice, whilst encircling the heated (Pravargya) cauldron; 'when the gods offered the sacrifice with food,'--for the gods did offer this sacrifice with food.

10. 'To the divine, fostering upholder,'--for he, Agni, is the divine upholder, the most fostering;--'he, the approacher of gods, the well-disposed, of a hundred draughts,'--for he is indeed an approacher of the gods, and well-disposed, and possessed of a hundred draughts;--'encircling, the gods drew nigh unto the sacrifice,'--for encircling him (Agni), the gods drew nigh to the sacrifice;--'the gods stood ready to perform the cult unto the gods,'--the cult, doubtless, is the sacrifice, thus, 'the gods stood ready to perform the sacrifice to the gods.'

11. 'The welcome oblation slaughtered by the slaughterer¹⁹ to sacrifice;'--that is, 'wished-for, much wished-for;'--'where the fourth sacrifice goeth to the offering,'--the Adhvaryu first mutters the formulas, the Hotri afterwards recites the verses, the Brahman mutters the Apratiratha (hymn) on the south side; this (set of verses), then, is the fourth sacrifice;--'may the prayers, the blessings favour us²⁰!'--that is, 'may both prayers and blessings favour us!'

12. 'The sun-rayed, golden-haired Savitri ever lifted up²¹ the light in front,'--this Agni, doubtless, is yonder sun, and that sun-rayed, golden-haired Savitri in front ever lifts up that light;--'at his behest Pûshan goeth, the wise,'--Pûshan, doubtless, means cattle, and they indeed start forth at his (Agni-Sûrya's) behest;--'viewing all beings as their guardian,'--for he indeed views everything here, and he is the protector of all this world.

13. Now, the gods thereby (viz. by these five verses) wrested from the Asuras the five regions which are on this side of yonder sun, and then ascended them; and so does the Sacrificer now wrest them from his hateful rival, and then ascend them. And by means of them the gods reached this place, and in like manner does this (Sacrificer) by means of them reach this place²².

14. He then sets up a variegated stone;--the variegated stone, doubtless, is yonder sun: it is thus yonder sun that is set up. It is variegated, for by means of its rays that disk is variegated. He sets it up between the Âhavanîya and the Gârhapatya; for the Gârhapatya is this (terrestrial) world, and the Âhavanîya is the sky: he thus places him (the sun) between these two worlds, whence he shines between these two worlds.

15. On the Âgnîdhra range²³ (he places it), for the Âgnîdhra's fire-shed is the air; he thus places it in the air, whence that (sun) has the air for his seat. Halfway (between the two fires he places it); for that (sun) is halfway from this (earth).

16. This (stone) is the breath,--he thus puts the breath into the body; and it is the vital power,--he thus puts vital power into the body; it is food, for it is vital power, and vital power is indeed food. It is a stone, for a stone is firm: he thus makes the vital power firm. It is variegated, for food is variegated (varied).

17. He sets it up (with, Vâg. S. XVII, 59, 60), 'Measuring he keeps in the middle of the sky,'--for that (sun) indeed keeps measuring in the middle of the sky;--'filling the two worlds and the air,' for even in rising he fills these (three) worlds, 'he scans the all-reaching, the butter-reaching,'--he thereby means the offering-ladles and the offering-grounds;--'between the front and back lights,'--that is, between this world and that one; or that (fire-altar) which is here at this moment being built, and that which was there built at first.

18. 'The showering ocean, the ruddy bird,'--for he (the sun) is indeed a showering ocean, and a ruddy bird,--'hath entered the seat of his easterly father,'--for he indeed enters that seat of his easterly²⁴ father;--'the many-hued rock set up in the middle of the sky,'--for that variegated stone is indeed set up in the middle of the sky;--'hath traversed and guardeth the two ends of the atmosphere;'--for in traversing he guards the ends of these worlds.

19. With two (verses) he sets it up;--two-footed is the Sacrificer, and the Sacrificer is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus sets him (the sun, Agni) up. With trishtubh (verses he sets him up),--for that (sun) is related to the Trishtubh. He does not 'settle' (the stone), for unsettled is that (sun); nor does he pronounce the Sûdadohas over it;--the Sûdadohas means the breath, and that (sun) is the breath, and why should he put breath into (or on) the breath? Having deposited it in such a way that it is not lost;--

20. They now approach (the fire-altar, with, Vâg. S. XVII, 61-64), They all have magnified Indra,'--the meaning of this has been explained²⁵. 'Let the god-invoking sacrifice lead hither, let the favour-invoking sacrifice lead hither (the gods)!'--both god-invoking and favour-invoking indeed is the sacrifice; 'let Agni, the god, make offering and lead hither the gods!' that is, 'may Agni, the god, both make offering and bring hither the gods!'

21. 'The creation of strength hath upheaved me with upheaval, and Indra hath laid low mine enemies by subdual,'--as the text, so the meaning.

22. 'May the gods advance the Brahman both by upheaval and subdual; and may Indra and Agni scatter asunder mine enemies!'--as the text, so the meaning.

23. Now, the gods thereby (viz. by these four verses) wrested from the Asuras the four regions which are above yonder sun, and then ascended them; and in like manner does the Sacrificer thereby wrest them from his hateful enemy, and then ascend them. And by means of them the gods then attained to that place; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer) by means of them attain thither.

24. They then mount the fire-altar, with (Vâg. S. XVII, 65-69), 'By Agni ascend ye to the firmament!'--the firmament, doubtless, is the heavenly world: thus, 'by means of this Agni (fire-altar) ascend ye to that heavenly world!'--'holding the Ukhya in your hands,'--for the Ukhya (the fire in the pan) they do hold in their hands²⁶;--'having gone to the back of the sky, to heaven, keep ye mingling with the gods!'--that is, 'having gone to the back of the sky, to the heavenly world, keep ye mingling with the gods!'

25. 'Go thou forth to the eastern quarter, knowing!'--the eastern quarter, doubtless, is Agni's: thus, 'To thine own quarter go thou forth, knowing!'--'be thou Agni's fore-fire here, O Agni!'--that is, 'Of this Agni (kitya) be thou, O Agni, the fore-fire²⁷!'--'Shine thou, illumining all regions!'--that is, 'shine thou, illuminating every region!'--'Grant thou food to our two-footed and four-footed one!' he thereby invokes a blessing.

26. 'From the earth have I ascended the air; from the air have I ascended the sky;'--for from the Gârhapatya they go to the Âgnîdhrîya, and from the Âgnîdhrîya to the Âhavanîya;--'from the sky, the back of the firmament, have I gone to heaven, to the light;'--that is, 'from the sky, the back of the firmament, have I gone to the heavenly world.'

27. 'The heaven-going look not round, they ascend the heaven, the two worlds,'--those who go to the heavenly world do not indeed look round²⁸; 'the wise who performed the all-sustaining sacrifice,'--for that sacrifice is indeed all-sustaining²⁹, and they who perform it are indeed wise.

28. 'Go forward, Agni, first of the godward-going,'--he thereby says to this Agni (that is carried forward), 'Go thou forward, as the first of these godward-going ones; the eye of the gods and of mortals,'--for this (Agni) is indeed the eye of both gods and men;--'they who love to sacrifice together with the Bhrigus,'--that is, 'sacrificing together with the Bhrigus,'--'let the offerers go unto heaven, hail!'--that is, 'may the offerers go to the heavenly world, hail!'

29. Now, the gods thereby (viz. by these five verses) wrested from the Asuras the five regions which are in yonder world, and then ascended them; and so does the Sacrificer thereby wrest them from his hateful enemy, and then ascend them. And by means of them the gods attained thither, and so also does this (Sacrificer) by means of them attain thither.

30. He then makes offering on that (firebrand);--for now that he (Agni) had arrived the gods thereupon gratified him with food, this oblation; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), now that he (Agni) has arrived, thereupon gratify him with food, this oblation. With milk from a black (cow) which has a white calf (he makes offering); the black (cow) with a white calf is the night, and her calf is yonder sun: he thus regales him with his own share, with his own relish. On it (the firebrand, he offers) while it is held above (the naturally-perforated brick); for above (everything) is he whom he thereby gratifies. By means of the milk-pail (he offers), for with the milk-pail milk is given away.

31. And, again, as to why he makes offering upon it. That (Âhavanîya) fire is the head of the sacrifice, and milk means breath: he thus puts breath into the head. He should make the offering so that it (the milk) flows on the naturally-perforated (brick);--the naturally-perforated one is breath, and this (milk) is vital sap: he thus connects and puts together the head and the breath by means of vital sap. [He pours it out, with, Vâg. S. XVII, 70, 71], 'Night and Dawn, of one mind, unlike in form,'--the meaning of this has been explained³⁰.

32. 'O Agni, thousand-eyed!--through the chips of gold³¹ Agni is indeed thousand-eyed;--hundred-headed,'--inasmuch as, at that time³², he was created as the hundred-headed Rudra;--'thine are a hundred out-breathings, and a thousand through-breathings,'--his indeed are a hundred out-breathings and a thousand through-breathings who is hundred-headed and thousand-eyed;--'thou art the master of wealth,'--that is, 'thou art the master of all wealth;'--'to thee, our strength, do we give honour!'--he (Agni) is indeed the strength³³: it is him he thereby gratifies.

33. With two (verses) he makes offering thereon,--two-footed is the Sacrificer, and the Sacrificer is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus makes offering to him.

34. He then lays it (the firebrand) down, with (Vâg. S. XVII, 72, 73), 'A well-winged bird thou art,'--for on that former occasion he, by means of the fashioning-formula, fashions him into a well-winged bird³⁴; that well-winged bird he builds up, and having fashioned that well-winged bird, he finally sets him down;--'seat thee on the back of the earth, fill the air with thy shine, prop the sky with thy light, and uphold the quarters by thy lustre!'--for that one (Agni) indeed does all this.

35. 'Receiving offering, kind-faced, in front,'--that is, 'receiving offering, kind-faced for us, in front;'--'seat thee, O Agni, aright in thine own seat!'--for this (fire-altar) is his (Agni's) own seat: thus, 'do thou rightly seat thee in it!'--'in this higher abode,'--the higher abode, doubtless, is the sky;--'sit ye down, the All-gods and the Sacrificer!'--he thus establishes the Sacrificer together with the All-gods. With two (verses) he deposits it: the significance of this has been explained,--with the Vashat-call: the significance of this (will be explained) farther on.

36. He then puts pieces of firewood thereon; for now that he (Agni) had arrived, the gods thereupon gratified him with food, both pieces of firewood and oblations; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), now that he has arrived, thereupon gratify him with food, both pieces of wood and oblations.

37. He first puts on one of samî-wood (acacia suma). For at that time, when this oblation had been offered, he (Agni) was enkindled and blazed up. The gods were afraid of him, lest he might injure them. They saw this samî tree, and therewith appeased him; and inasmuch as they appeased (sam) him by that samî, it is (called) Samî; and in like manner this (Sacrificer) now appeases him by means of that samî (wood),--just with a view to appeasement, not for food.

38. [He puts it on, with, Vâg. S. XVII, 74], 'I desire the manifest favour of the admirable Savitri, enjoyed by all men; that great cow of his, the thousand-streamed, teeming with milk, which Kanva was wont to milk;'--for Kanva indeed saw her, and she, the thousand-streamed, milked him all his wishes (objects of desire); and in like manner does the thousand-streamed one now milk to the Sacrificer all his objects of desire.

39. He then puts on one of vikaṅkata (flacourtia sapida) wood--the significance whereof has been explained--with (Vâg. S. XVII, 75), 'To thee give we honour, O Agni, in the highest home;'--his highest home, doubtless, is the sky;--'to thee give we honour, in hymns of praise, in the lower abode;'--the lower abode, doubtless, is the air;--'the birth-place whence thou hast arisen do I worship,'--that is, 'this is his (Agni's) own birth-place: that I worship;'--'on thee, when kindled, offerings are poured forth;'--for when he (the fire) is kindled, they make offerings on him.

40. He then puts on one of udumbara (ficus glomerata) wood;--the Udumbara means strength and sap: with strength and sap he thus gratifies him. It has forking branches³⁵,--forking branches mean cattle: with cattle, as food, he thus gratifies him. If he cannot get one with bifurcate branches, let him take up a globule of sour curds and put it on (the wood): that globule of sour curds which supervenes is a form of cattle. With the virâg (verse, Vâg. S. XVII, 76; Rig-veda VII, I, 3), 'Kindled, blaze forth, O Agni, before us, (with inexhaustible flame, O youngest! perpetual viands accrue unto thee!)'--he puts it on;--the Virâg means food: with food he thus gratifies him. Three pieces of wood he puts on,--threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus gratifies him.

41. He then offers oblations,--this is just as if, after serving food to some one, one gives him something to drink. With the dipping-spoon (sruva) he offers the first two, with the offering-ladle (sruk) the last (oblation); (the first) with (Vâg. S. XVII, 77), 'O Agni, may we, with hymns and thoughts, speed this day this (sacrifice) of thine, even as a steed, as a noble, heart-stirring deed!'--that is, 'whatever heart-stirring hymn is thine, may I speed (perform) that for thee.' With a paṅkti (verse) he offers,--of five feet consists the Paṅkti, of five layers the fire-altar, five seasons are a year, and Agni is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus gratifies him.

42. He then offers (the second oblation), the one for Visvakarman,--Visvakarman (the all-worker) is this Agni: it is him he thereby gratifies,--with (Vâg. S. XVII, 78), 'Thought I offer, with mind and ghee,'--that is, 'The thought of these (priests and Sacrificer) I offer with mind and ghee;'--'that the gods come hither,'--that is, 'that the gods may come hither;'--'enjoying their offering-meal, the holy-minded,'--that is, the true-minded;--'to Visvakarman, the lord of all existence, I offer,'--that is, 'to that Visvakarman who is the lord of all that here exists I offer;'--'every day the unimpaired oblation,'--that is, 'always the uninjured oblation.'

43. He then offers a full (-spoon) oblation,--the full means everything: with everything he thus gratifies him.

44. [He offers, with, Vâg. S. XVII, 79], Thine, O Agni, are seven logs,'--logs mean vital airs, for the vital airs do kindle him;--'seven tongues,'--this he says with regard to those seven persons which they made into one person³⁶;--'seven Rishis,'--for seven Rishis they indeed were;--'seven beloved seats,'--this he says with regard to the metres, for his seven beloved seats are the metres;--'sevenfold the seven priests worship thee,'--for in a sevenfold way the seven priests indeed worship him;--'the seven homes,'--he thereby means the seven layers (of the altar);--'fill thou!'--that is, 'generate thou;'--'with ghee,'--ghee means seed: he thus lays seed into these worlds;--'svâhâ!'--the svâhâ (hail!) is the sacrifice; he thus at once makes everything here fit for sacrifice.

45. 'Seven' he says each time,--of seven layers the fire-altar consists, and of seven seasons the year, and Agni is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus gratifies him. Three oblations he offers,--threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus gratifies him. Three logs he puts on,--that makes six: the significance of this has been explained.

46. Standing he puts on the logs,--the logs are bones, and bones stand, so to speak. Sitting he offers the oblations,--oblations are the flesh, and the flesh sits (lies), so to speak. The logs are inside (the fire), and the oblations outside, for the bones are inside, and the flesh is outside.

47. Now, then, as to the (mystic) correspondence (or, amount). Six he offers before (the leading forward of the fire), and six afterwards; with six (formulas) they proceed up to the variegated stone; with two he lays down the variegated stone; with four they proceed as far as the fire-altar; with five they mount the fire-altar: that makes twenty-nine, and the oblation itself is the thirtieth. With two (verses) he deposits the fire,--that makes thirty-two, and of thirty-two syllables consists the Anushtubh: such, then, is this Anushtubh.

48. And this one (Anushtubh) they bring hither from those three Anushtubhs which they make up on the Gârhapatya³⁷; and inasmuch as they bring this (therefrom) hither, thereby this whole Agni (fire-altar) becomes completed. But now he was not yet fit to eat food³⁸.

49. He said to Agni³⁹, 'By thee I will eat food!'--So be it!' Hence it is only when they bring him hither, that this (kityâgni) becomes fit to eat food, to eat oblations.

50. Moreover, they say, 'It is Pragâpati himself who takes this (Agni) as his dear son to his bosom;' and verily, whosoever so knows this, takes thus a dear son to his bosom.

51. And, again, as to why they bring it here,--the Agni (fire-altar) which is built up here is the same as those seven persons which they made into one person; and that excellence and life-sap of them which they concentrated above, that is the fire which they now bring here,--hence, when they now bring it here, they concentrate above (in the head) that excellence and life-sap which belonged to those seven persons,--that is his (Agni's) head, and this built-up fire-altar is the body: having thus completed his body, he restores the head to it.

Footnotes

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