Philosophy and Religion / Satapatha Brahmana

The Satapatha Brahmana: Ninth Kânda, Third Adhyâya

First Brâhmana

Installation and consecration of Agni.

1. He then offers the Vaisvânara (cake). That Agni has now been completely restored; he now is that deity, (Agni) Vaisvânara (belonging to all men): to him he offers this oblation, and by the oblation he makes him a deity, for whatever deity an oblation is prepared that is a deity, but not one for whom no (oblation) is prepared. It is one of twelve potsherds: twelve months are a year, and Vaisvânara is the year.

2. And, again, as to why he offers the Vaisvânara (cake),--it is as the Vaisvânara that he is about to produce that Agni: on that former occasion, at the initiation-offering¹, he pours him out in the form of seed: and what the seed is like that is poured into the womb, such like (is the child that) is born; and inasmuch as there he pours out Vaisvânara in the form of seed, therefore he now is born as Vaisvânara. Silently² it is (performed) there, for there seed (is implied) in the sacrifice, and silently seed is infused; but distinctly on the present occasion, for distinct (manifest) is the seed when born.

3. Now, that Vaisvânara is all these worlds: this earth is the All (visva), and Agni is its man (nara); the air is the All, and Vâyu (the wind) is its man (ruler); the sky is the All, and Âditya (the sun) is its man.

4. And these worlds are the same as this head,--this (lower part of the head) is the earth, the plants (being) the hair of its beard: this is the All, and Agni is Speech, he is the man. That (speech) is at the top thereof, for Agni is on the top of this (earth).

5. This (central part of the face) is the air, whence it is hairless, for hairless, as it were, is the air; it is this All, and Vâyu (the wind) is the breath, he is the man; he is in the middle thereof, for the wind is in the middle of the air.

6. The sky is the (upper part of the) head, and the stars are the hair; it is the All, and Âditya (the sun) is the eye, he is the man: it is in the lower part of the (upper) head, for the sun is below the sky. Vaisvânara is the head thereof, and this built-up Agni (the altar) is the body: thus, having completed his body, he restores the head thereto.

7. He then offers the (cakes) to the Maruts;-- the Maruts’ (cakes) are the vital airs: he thus puts the vital airs into him (Agni). [He does so] after offering the Vaisvânara; for the Vaisvânara is the head: he thus puts vital airs into the head.

8. That (Vaisvânara oblation) is a single one, for single, as it were, is the head; the others (viz. the Mârutas) are seven in number, of seven potsherds each; and though 'seven-seven' means 'many times,' here it is only seven³: he thus places seven vital airs in the head.

9. That (Vaisvânara oblation) is (performed in a) distinct (voice), for the head is distinct; but indistinct the other (oblations), for indistinct, as it were, are the vital airs. Standing he offers the former, for the head stands, so to speak; sitting the others, for the vital airs are, so to speak, seated.

10. Now, the first two Mâruta (oblations) he offers are these two vital airs (in the ears): he offers them in the middle⁴ of the Vaisvânara (oblations), for these two vital airs are in the middle of the head.

11. And the second pair are these two (vital airs in the eyes); he offers them closer together, for closer together, as it were, are these two vital airs.

12. And the third pair are these two (vital airs in the nostrils). He offers them closer together, for closer together, as it were, are these two vital airs. The one to be recited in the forest⁵ is speech: it is to be recited in the forest, for by speech one gets into much terrible (trouble).

13. And, again, as to why he offers the Vaisvânara and Mârutas,--the Vaisvânara is the ruling power (chieftaincy), and the Mârutas are the clan: he thus sets up both the chief and the clan. The Vaisvânara he offers first: thus, having set up the chief, he sets up the clan.

14. The former is a single (oblation): he thus makes the ruling power (chieftaincy) to attach to a single (person), and (social) distinction to attach to a single (person). The others are numerous: he thus bestows multiplicity on the clan.

15. The former is (offered in a) distinct (voice), for the ruling power is something distinct, so to speak; and the others are indistinct, for indistinct, so to speak, is the clan. Standing he offers the former, for the ruling power (the chief) stands, so to speak; and sitting (he offers) the others, for the clan sits, so to speak.

16. The former he offers with the offering-ladle, when the Vashat is uttered, with both an invitatory formula (anuvâkyâ) and an offering-formula (yâgyâ); with the hand the others sitting, with the Svâhâ-call: he thus makes the clan subservient and obedient to the chieftain.

17. As to this they say, 'How do these (Mâruta oblations) also come to be offered for him by the offering-ladle, at the Vashat-call, and with invitatory and offering formulas?' Well, the first three feet of those seven-footed Mâruta (verses), being a three-footed Gâyatrî, are the invitatory formula, and the last four, being a four-footed Trishtubh, are the offering-formula. The one is the bowl, and the other the handle (of the offering-ladle), and the Svâhâ-call is the Vashat-call: in this way, then, these (Mâruta oblations) also become offered for him by the offering-ladle, at the Vashat-call, and with invitatory and offering-formulas.

18. And the first Mâruta (cake) which he offers on the right (south) side, is the seven (rivers) which flow eastwards. It is one of seven potsherds, for there are seven of. those (rivers) which flow eastwards.

19. And the first (cake) which he offers on the left (north) side, is the seasons; it is one of seven potsherds, for there are seven seasons.

20. And the second (cake) which he offers on the right side, is animals; it is one of seven potsherds, for there are seven domestic animals. He offers it close to the preceding one (representing the rivers): he thus settles animals near water.

21. And the second (cake) which he offers on the left side, is the seven Rishis; it is one of seven potsherds, for the seven Rishis are seven in number. He offers it close to the preceding one: he thus establishes the seven Rishis in the seasons.

22. And the third (cake) which he offers on the right side, is the vital airs; it is one of seven potsherds, for there are seven vital airs in the head. He offers it close to the preceding one: he thus puts the vital airs so as to be close to (not separated from) the head.

23. And the third (cake) which he offers on the left side, is the metres; it is one of seven potsherds, for there are seven metres increasing by four (syllables respectively). He offers it close to the preceding one: he thus places the metres close to the Rishis.

24. And the Aranyeऽnûkya is the seven (rivers) which flow westwards; it is one of seven potsherds, for there are seven of those (rivers) which flow westwards. It is that downward vital air of his. That Aranyeऽnûkya belongs to this Pragâpati; for the forest (aranya) is, as it were, concealed, and concealed, as it were, is that downward vital air; whence those who drink of these (downward flowing) rivers become most vile, most blasphemous, most lascivious in their speech. Whenever he here speaks of them as belonging to the Maruts, he makes them food for him (Agni)⁶ and offers it to him, and gratifies him thereby.

25. That Vaisvânara (cake), doubtless, is yonder sun, and the Mâruta (cakes) are those rays. They are of seven potsherds each, for the troops of the Maruts consist of seven each.

26. He offers (the first Mâruta cake), with (Vâg. S. XVII, 80), 'The clear-lighted, and the bright- lighted, and the true-lighted, and the light, and the clear, and the law-observing, and the sinless one!'--these are their names: having completed that disk (of the sun, in the shape of the Vaisvânara), he bestows those rays on it by calling them by their names.

Second Brâhmana

The shower of wealth and other oblations.

1. Thereupon⁷ he (the Sacrificer⁸) offers the Vasor dhârâ. That whole Agni has now been completed, and he is here the Vasu (good one): to that Vasu the gods offered this shower (dhârâ), whence it is called 'Vasor dhârâ⁹;' and in like manner this (Sacrificer) offers to him this shower, and gratifies him thereby.

2. And, again, as to why he offers the 'Vasor dhârâ;'--this is his (Agni's) Abhisheka¹⁰; for the gods, having now completed him wholly and entirely, showered upon him those wishes (or, objects of desire), this 'Vasor dhârâ;' and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), now that he has completed him wholly and entirely, shower upon him those wishes, this 'Vasor dhârâ.' With ghee taken in five ladlings, and an offering-ladle of udumbara wood (he offers): the significance of this has been explained.

3. [He offers it] after offering the Vaisvânara (cake)--for the Vaisvânara is the head, and food is taken in from the head. (downwards); and, besides, it is from the head (downwards) that he who is anointed is anointed;--and after offering the Mâruta (cakes), for the Mârutas are the vital airs, and through (the channels of) the vital airs food is eaten; and, besides, it is at (the openings of) the vital airs that he who is anointed is anointed¹¹.

4. And, furthermore, (it is offered) upon the Aranyeऽnûkya¹²; for the Aranyeऽnûkya is speech, and it is through (the channel of) speech that food is eaten; and, besides, it is with speech that he who is anointed is anointed. And everything here is wealth (vasu), for all these (cake-offerings) are (connected with special) wishes¹³; and in order that this shower, be it of milk or of ghee, (may be) fraught with wealth, this oblation of ghee is thus offered for the beginning; and inasmuch as this shower is fraught with wealth, it is called 'shower of wealth.'

5. He (as it were) says, 'This is mine, and that is mine;'--that is, 'Herewith I gratify thee, and therewith;--herewith I anoint thee, and therewith;' or, 'Give me this, and that!' And as soon as that shower reaches the fire, that prayer is fulfilled.

6. Now the gods, having gratified him (Agni) by this food, or by these objects of desire¹⁴, and having anointed him by this shower of wealth, solicited from him these objects of desire¹⁵; and having received offering, and being gratified and anointed, he granted them these objects of desire; and in like manner this (Sacrificer), having gratified him by this food, and by these offerings of desire, and anointed him with this shower of wealth, now solicits from him these objects of desire; and having received offering, and being gratified and anointed, he (Agni) grants him these objects of desire. In order to avoid discontinuance, he each time embraces two wishes,--even as one would connect those living away from one another,--thinking, 'In this way shall they prosper by sacrifice!'

7. The gods now spake, 'Through whom shall we receive these objects of desire? By our own self,' they said; for the sacrifice is the self of the gods, and so is the sacrifice that of the Sacrificer; and when he says, 'By the sacrifice they shall prosper!' he means to say, 'By my own self they shall prosper!'

8. In twelve (things) he causes them to prosper¹⁶, the year consists of twelve 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, and by so much food he thus consecrates him. In fourteen he causes them to prosper; in eight he causes them to prosper; in ten he causes them to prosper; in thirteen he causes them to prosper.

9. He then offers the Ardhendra (libations)¹⁷; the ardhendras are everything here¹⁸: he thus gratifies him (Agni) with everything, and with everything he thus consecrates him.

10. He then offers (the libations relating to) the Grahas¹⁹;--the grahas (cups of soma, offered to the deities), doubtless, are sacrifice: by sacrifice, by food, he thus gratifies him; and by sacrifice he thus consecrates him.

Third Brâhmana

1. He then offers these Yagñakratus²⁰ (sacrificial rites), with,' May the Agni and the Gharma (prosper) for me!'--by these sacrificial rites he thus gratifies him, and by these sacrificial rites he thus consecrates him.

2. He then offers (the libations relating to) the Uneven Stomas²¹;--for the gods, having now obtained their desires, by means of the uneven Stomas went up to heaven; and in like manner does the Sacrificer, now that he has obtained all his desires, by means of the uneven Stomas go up to heaven.

3. Now this (set runs) up to the thirty-three-versed (hymn-form), for the Trayastrimsa is the last of the uneven Stomas: at the last the gods thus went up to heaven; and in like manner does the Sacrificer thereby at the last go up to heaven.

4. He then offers (those relating to) the Even (Stomas)²²;--for the metres then said, 'The uneven stomas are worn out, by means of the even ones we will go up to heaven!' By means of the even stomas they went up to heaven; and in like manner does the Sacrificer thus, by means of the even stomas, go up to heaven.

5. This (set runs) up to the forty-eight-versed (hymn-form), for the Ashtâkatvârimsa is the last of the even stomas: at the last the metres thus went up to heaven; and in like manner does the Sacrificer thereby at the last go up to heaven.

6. He says, 'May the One and the Three (prosper) for me!'--'May the Four and the Eight (prosper) for me!'--even as one climbing a tree would climb up by taking hold of an ever higher branch, so is this. And as to why he offers the Stomas,--the stomas are food: it is with food he thus consecrates him.

7. He then offers (the libations relating to) the Age-grades²³ (of cattle),--age-grades mean cattle: it is by cattle, for his food, that he thus gratifies him; and by cattle, for his food, he thus consecrates him.

8. He then offers whilst mentioning names²⁴;--for the gods, having obtained all their wishes, now gratified him directly; and in like manner does the Sacrificer, having obtained all his wishes, now gratify him directly. 'To Strength, hail! to Gain, hail!'--these are his (Agni's) names: it is by mentioning his names that he thus gratifies him.

9. There are thirteen of these names,--a year consists of thirteen months, and the layers and fillings of the fire-altar amount to thirteen: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus gratifies him. And as to why he offers while mentioning names,--it is thus in mentioning his (Agni's) names that he consecrates him.

10. He then says, 'This is thy realm; a supporter and sustainer art thou for the friend: for sustenance, for rain, for the lordship of creatures (do I consecrate) thee;'--sustenance, doubtless, means food, and rain means food: by food he thus gratifies him.

11. And when he says, 'This is thy realm; a supporter and sustainer art thou for the friend: for sustenance, for rain, for the lordship of creatures--thee!' this is to say, 'This is thy kingdom; thou art consecrated (anointed)! thou art thy friend's supporter and sustainer: for our sustenance art thou, for rain unto us art thou, for our lordship of creatures art thou!' They thereby entreat him, 'For all this art thou unto us: for all this have we consecrated thee!' And therefore people thus entreat a human king who has been consecrated.

12. He then offers the Prospering²⁵ (libations);--the prospering (libations) are the vital airs: it is the vital airs he thus puts into him.--'May the vital strength prosper by sacrifice! may the vital air prosper by sacrifice! . . .' He thus puts proper vital airs into him.

13. Twelve prospering (libations) he offers,--a year consists of twelve months, and Agni is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much he thus puts proper vital airs into him. And as to why he offers the prospering (libations),--the prospering (libations) are vital airs, and the vital airs are the immortal element: with the immortal element he thus consecrates him.

14. He then says, 'The Stoma, and the Yagus, and the Rik, and the Sâman, and the Brihat, and the Rathantara,'--this, doubtless, is the triple science, and the triple science is food: it is with food he thus gratifies him, and with food he thus consecrates him;--'to the heavenly light we gods have gone, we have become immortal,'--for he indeed goes to the heavenly light, and becomes immortal;--'Pragâpati's children have we become!'--for he indeed becomes Pragâpati's child,--'vet! svâhâ!'--the Vet-call, doubtless, is esoterically the same as the Vashat-call, and either with the Vashat-call, or the Svâhâ-call is food offered to the gods: he thus gratifies him by both the Vashat and the Svâhâ, and also consecrates him by both of them. He now throws the offering-ladle after (the ghee into the fire) lest what there is anointed with ghee should remain outside of the fire.

15. Now as to this same shower of wealth, the body (from which it flows) is the sky, the udder the cloud, the teat the lightning, and the shower (of ghee) is the (rain-) shower: from the sky it comes to the cow.

16. Its body is the cow, its udder the (cow's) udder, its teat the (cow's) teat, its shower the shower (of milk): from the cow (it comes) to the Sacrificer.

17. Its body is the Sacrificer, its udder his arm, its teat the offering-ladle, its shower (of milk) the shower of (ghee): from the Sacrificer (it goes) to the gods; from the gods to the cow, from the cow to the Sacrificer: thus circulates this perpetual, never-ending food of the gods. And, verily, for whosoever knows this, there will thus be perpetual, never-ending food. Now as to the (mystic) correspondence.

18. As to this they say, 'How does this wealth-shower of his obtain (conformity with) the year, and Agni? how does it correspond to the year, to Agni?' Well, this shower of wealth consists of three hundred and sixty (libations), and of (other) six, and of thirty-five. Now, the three hundred and sixty which there are,--so many being the days in the year,--thereby it obtains the days of the year. And what six there are,--the seasons being six in number,--thereby it obtains the nights of the seasons: thus it obtains both the days and nights of the year. And what thirty-five there are, they are the (intercalary) thirteenth month²⁶, and that is the body,--the body (consists) of thirty (limbs), the feet of two, the breath of two (in-breathing and up-breathing), and the head is the thirty-fifth: so much is the year; and thus that shower of wealth of his obtains (conformity with) the year, and Agni; and thus it corresponds to the year, to Agni. And so many are the bricks with special formulas which are placed in the centre of a Sândila fire-altar; for these bricks indeed are the same as these different Agnis²⁷; and thus these Agnis of his come to have oblations offered to them separately by means of the shower of wealth.

19. As to this they say, 'How does this shower of wealth of his attain to (conformity with) the Great Litany, how does it correspond to the Great Litany?' Well, the first nine formulas of this shower of wealth are the threefold²⁸ head; and the forty-eight which follow are the twenty-four-fold wings²⁹; and the twenty-five which follow are the twenty-five-fold body³⁰; and the twenty-one which follow are the tail, as the twenty-first³¹; and the thirty-five which follow are the Vasa (hymn); and by the eighties (of verses) which follow those eighties (Of the mahad uktham) are obtained, for by eighties the Great Litany is counted; and what there is after the eighties, that to him (corresponds to) what, in the Great Litany, there is after the eighties³²; and thus this shower of wealth of his attains to (conformity with) the Great Litany, and corresponds to the Great Litany.

Fourth Brâhmana

1. He then offers the Vâgaprasavîya³³ (set of fourteen libations),--'vâga' (strength, sustenance) means food (anna): it thus is an 'anna-prasavîya' for him, and it is food he thereby raises (pra-sû) for him (Agni).

2. For the gods, now that they had gratified him by that food, and consecrated him by those objects of desire, (to wit) by that stream of wealth³⁴, hereby gratified him once more; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), now that he has gratified him by that food, and consecrated him by those objects of desire, that shower of wealth, hereby gratify him once more.

3. And, again, as to why he offers the Vâgaprasavîya. This, to be sure, is his (Agni's) Abhisheka. For, the gods, having gratified him by that food, and consecrated him by those objects of desire, (to wit) by that shower of wealth, then by this (offering) consecrated him once more; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), having gratified him by that food, and consecrated him by those objects of desire, that shower of wealth, hereby consecrate him once more.

4. It consists of (seeds of) all (kinds of) plants,--that which consists of all plants is all food: he thus gratifies him with all food, and with all food he thus consecrates him. Let him set aside one of these kinds of food, and not eat thereof as long as he lives. With an udumbara (ficus glomerata) cup³⁵ and an udumbara dipping-spoon (he offers): the significance of these two has been explained. They are both four-cornered,--there are four quarters: he thus gratifies him with food from every quarter, and by means of food from every quarter he thus consecrates him.

5. And, again, as to why he performs the Vâgaprasavîya;--he thereby gratifies those same deities who have been consecrated by this very rite of consecration by which he is now about to be consecrated, and, thus gratified by offering, they grant him permission (to perform) this rite of consecration, and, permitted by them, he becomes consecrated; for only he becomes king whom the (other) kings allow to assume the royal dignity, but not he whom they do not (allow to do so). Thus when he offers in the fire he consecrates Agni, and when he offers to these deities, he gratifies those gods who rule over this consecration ceremony.

6. And, indeed, he offers here also the Pârtha³⁶ (oblations);--for the gods now desired, 'May we be consecrated even on this occasion by all the rites of consecration!' They were indeed consecrated on this occasion by all the rites of consecration; and in like manner is the Sacrificer on this occasion consecrated by all the rites of consecration.

7. Now these Pârtha (oblations) are the Vâgaprasavîya of the Râgasûya; and by offering these (oblations) he is consecrated by the Râgasûya; and the first seven of the succeeding fourteen (Vâgaprasavîya oblations) are the Vâgaprasavîya ceremony of the Vâgapeya³⁷: thus, by offering these he is consecrated by the Vâgapeya. And what other seven there are, they belong to Agni (or, the Agnikayana): by offering these, he is consecrated by the Agni-consecration.

8. He first offers those of the Râgasûya, then those of the Vâgapeya; for by performing the Râgasûya one becomes king (râgâ) and by the Vâgapeya emperor (samrâg), and the position of king is (obtained) first, and thereafter that of emperor³⁸: hence after performing the Vâgapeya, one could not perform the Râgasûya,--it would be a descent, just as if one who is emperor were to become king.

9. Those (seven Vâgaprasavîya oblations) of the fire-altar he offers last, for the Agni-consecration indeed is (equal to) all those rites of consecration, and he who is consecrated by the Agni-consecration rite becomes everything, king and emperor: therefore he offers those of the fire-altar last of all.

10. He then anoints him on a black antelope skin,--for the black antelope skin is (a symbol of) the sacrifice: it is thus at the sacrifice that he anoints him. On the hairy side (of the skin),--for the hairs are the metres: on the metres he thus anoints him. On the left (north) side (of the fire-altar he anoints him): the significance of this (will be explained) further on. On (the skin laid down) with the neck-part towards the front, for that (tends) godwards.

11. Some, however, anoint him on the right (south) side of the fire-altar, on the ground that it is from the right side that food is served, and that they thus anoint him from the food-side. But let him not do so, for that (southern) region belongs to the Fathers, and quickly he goes to that region whom they anoint in that way.

12. And some, indeed, anoint him on the Âhavanîya, on the ground that the Âhavanîya is the world of heaven, and that they thus anoint him in the world of heaven. But let him not do so, for that (Âhavanîya, the fire-altar,) is his (the Sacrificer's) divine body, and this (Sacrificer, or Sacrificer's real body) is his human one: they thus attach that divine body of his to this his mortal body, if they anoint him in this way.

13. Let him anoint him on the left (north) side and nowhere else, for that north-eastern region belongs to both gods and men: they thus anoint him whilst seated and established in his own region, for he who is established in his own seat suffers no injury.

14. One who has gained a position in the world should be anointed sitting, for one who has gained a position is seated, so to speak;--and one who is striving to gain one standing, for one who wishes to gain a position, stands, so to speak. On a he-goat's skin should be anointed one desirous of prosperity, on a black-antelope skin one desirous of spiritual lustre, on both (kinds of skins) one desirous of both: that (skin) he spreads north of the tail (of the fire-altar) with its hair uppermost and its neck-part towards the east.

15. Close to the enclosing-stones³⁹: inasmuch as the black-antelope skin is close to the enclosing-stones, so that divine body of his is consecrated on the black-antelope skin; and inasmuch as he is consecrated whilst keeping hold of the fire-altar he is not cut off from that divine consecration (of the Fire).

16. He anoints him after making offering on the fire-altar, for that (altar) is his divine body, and this (Sacrificer himself) is his human one; and the gods indeed were first, and thereafter the men: therefore, after making offering, he anoints him with what remains over of that same (offering-material)⁴⁰. He then throws the dipping-spoon after (the oblations into the fire).

17. Placing himself near the (Sacrificer's) right arm, he then anoints him⁴¹, with (Vâg. S. XVIII, 3-7), 'At the impulse of the divine Savitri, I anoint thee, by the arms of the Asvins, by the hands of Pûshan, by the support of Sarasvatî Vâk, the supporter, by the universal sovereignty of Agni!'--for Sarasvatî is Vâk (speech), and hers is all this support. Impelled by Savitri, he thus anoints him by all this support of Sarasvatî Vâk, the supporter, and by the universal sovereignty of Agni. Here he throws the cup (into the fire), lest what is anointed (with offering material) should remain outside the fire.

18. He anoints him h the middle of the Pârtha oblations, for the Pârtha oblations are the year: he thus places him in the middle of the year. Six he offers before, and six after (the consecration ceremony), for there are six seasons: by the seasons he thus encloses (guards) him who is consecrated on both sides. Brihaspati is the last of the first (six⁴²), and Indra the first of the last (six),--Brihaspati is the priesthood (or priestly office), and Indra is the nobility (or political power): by the priesthood and the nobility he thus encloses him who is consecrated on both sides.

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