Philosophy and Religion / Satapatha Brahmana

The Satapatha Brahmana: Sixth Kânda, Eighth Adhyâya

First Brâhmana

1. 'Let him drive Agni about while keeping him up,' so they say. The gods and the Asuras, both of them sprung from Pragâpati, were contending. The gods drove about on wheels (cars), and the Asuras stayed at home. The gods, while driving about on wheels, saw¹ this rite (sacrificial performance), for it was indeed in driving about on wheels that they saw this rite: hence it is to the cart that the formulas relate at the (performance with) sacrificial cakes², and to the cart in the building of the fire-altar³.

2. Now he who drives Agni about goes to the gods by the sacred performance, for divine is the rite performed by him; but he who does not drive him about goes to the Asuras by the sacred performance, for demoniac is the rite performed by him.

3. Here now some say, 'It is by himself that he (Agni) is driven about; for by the Vishnu-strides he drives forward, and by the Vâtsapra he unyokes.' Let him not think this to be so; for divine (to the gods) is that progress of his, to wit, the Vishnu-strides; and divine the unyoking, to wit, the Vâtsapra. But human would be that progress of his, which he makes in this manner, and human the unyoking he makes.

4. This Agni is Pragâpati; and Pragâpati is both the gods and men. Now when the Vishnu-strides and the Vâtsapra are (performed), he thereby makes up that form of his which is divine; and when he drives him about he thereby makes up that form of his which is human. Verily, then, he who, knowing this, drives him about, makes up that whole and entire Pragâpati: let him therefore by all means drive him (Agni) about.

5. Now on any day on which he may intend to drive, he gets the chariot placed north of the fire (with the pole) to the east; and puts a kindling-stick on it (the fire); for at that time the gods first regaled him (Agni) with food, with that kindling-stick, when he was about to start: and in like manner does this one now first regale him with food, with that kindling-stick, when he is about to start.

6. [Vâg. S. XII, 30; Rik S. VIII, 44, 1] 'With fuel serve ye Agni!'--that is, 'with fuel worship ye Agni!'--'with draughts of ghee awake ye the guest, offer ye libations unto him!'--that is, 'with (draughts of) ghee do ye awake the guest, and offer libations unto him!'--with a (verse) containing (the verb) 'awake' he awakens him for the starting.

7. He then lifts him (the fire) up, with (Vâg. S. XII, 31), 'Upwards may the All-gods bear thee, O Agni, by their thoughts!'--at the beginning all the gods did indeed bear him upwards by their thoughts, for that (or, he) was then their thought: in like manner does this (Sacrificer) now bear him upwards by his thoughts, for this now is his thought;--'be thou gracious unto us, of fair look, and rich splendour!'--as the text, so its meaning. From the south he places him (Agni) northwards on (the chariot)--the significance of this has been explained. Having put the Gârhapatya into a pot, he places it on (the chariot) behind (the Âhavanîya, or Ukhya Agni). If he choose, he himself may mount up beside him (Agni), or he may walk by the side (of the chariot).

8. He then yokes two oxen, first the right one, then the left one: so (it is done) with the gods, otherwise in human (practice). And in whatever direction he may intend to drive, let him first drive east, for the east is Agni's region: he (Agni) thus proceeds towards his own region.

9. [Whilst driving thither, he mutters, Vâg. S. XII, 32] 'Go forth, O Agni, brilliant thou with propitious flames!'--that is, 'Brilliant, O Agni, go thou forth with propitious, shining flames!'--'Beaming with great beams injure not my people with thy body!'--that is, 'With great shining flames do not injure my people by thyself!'

10. Whenever the axle creaks, let him mutter that prayer (Vâg. S. XII, 33); for demoniacal is that voice which is in the axle: he thereby appeases that (voice) and makes it as of the gods.

11. And, again, why he mutters that prayer;--with whomsoever, mounted (on a chariot), the axle creaks, this is his own voice: hence when the axle creaks while Agni is mounted, this is the voice of Agni himself. It was Agni indeed whom the gods thereby praised and magnified; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer) thereby praise and magnify him: 'Agni roared like the thundering sky,'--the meaning of this has been explained⁴.

12. If he unyokes before (reaching) his dwelling, let the fire remain on the chariot itself; but when he unyokes for (staying at) his dwelling, he stops the chariot (with the pole) to the east; and north of it he raises and sprinkles (a place) where he takes it (the fire) down. He takes it down from south to north: the meaning of this has been explained.

13. He then puts a kindling-stick thereon; for on that occasion the gods regaled him (Agni) with food, with that kindling-stick, after he had travelled: in like manner does this (Sacrificer) now regale him, after he has travelled, with food, with that kindling-stick.

14. [He puts it on, with Vâg. S. XII, 34; Rik S. VII, 8, 4] 'Far, far famed is this Agni of the Bharata (tribe),'--the Bharata⁵, doubtless, is Pragâpati, for he sustains (bhar) this entire (universe);--'that his great light shineth brightly, as the sun,'--that is, 'that, like the sun, his great light shines brightly;'--'he who overthrew Pûru in battles,'--Pûru, by name, was an Âsura-Rakshas: him Agni overthrew (abhi-sthâ) in battles;--'blazed up hath the divine guest, gracious unto us;'--that is, 'being kindled, the divine guest is gracious to us.' With a (verse) containing (the verb) 'sthâ' (he performs), for he thereby makes him stop (sthâ) for (staying at) his home.

15. Now, then, the (symbolic) correspondence,--with the first (formula) he puts on a kindling-stick, with one he lifts him up, with one he starts, with one he addresses the axle, with the fifth he puts on a kindling-stick, that makes five,--of five layers consists the fire-altar, five seasons are a year, and the year is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, so great does this become.

Second Brâhmana

1. Now, then, as to the taking down of the ashes (to the water⁶). Now, the gods at that time threw out the ashes (from the pan). They said, 'If we make this, such as it is, part of our own self, we shall become mortal carcases, not freed from sin; and if we cast it away, we shall put outside of Agni what therein is of Agni's nature: find ye out in what manner we shall do this!'--They said, 'Meditate ye (kit)!' whereby, indeed, they said, 'Seek ye a layer (or altar, kiti). Seek ye in what manner we shall do this!'

2. While meditating, they saw this,--'Let us take it down to the water; for the water is the foundation of this universe: having settled it on that wherein is the foundation of this universe, we shall reproduce from out of the water what there is of Agni's nature in this (heap of ashes).' They then took it down to (and threw it into) the water; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer) now take it down to the water.

3. [Vâg. S. XII, 35] 'O divine waters, receive ye these ashes, and put them in a soft and fragrant place!'--that, being consumed (matter), has run its course (is useless): regarding that he says, 'Put it in, the most fragrant place!'--'May the wives, wedded to a good lord, bow down to him,'--the wives, doubtless, are the waters, for from the waters this universe is produced; and in Agni the waters have indeed a good lord;--'bear it on the waters, even as a mother (bears) her son!'--that is, 'as a mother would bear her son on her lap, so bear ye this!'

4. [Vâg. S. XII, 36; Rik S. VIII, 43, 9] 'In the waters, O Agni, is thy seat,'--that is, 'in the waters, O Agni, is thy womb; as such thou clingest to the plants,'--for he does indeed cling to (love) the plants,--'being in (their) womb thou art born again,'--when he is in the womb he is indeed born again,--[Vâg. S. XII, 37] 'Thou art the child of the herbs, the child of the trees, the child of all that is, O Agni, thou art the child of the waters;'--he thus makes him (Agni) the child of this entire (universe).

5. With three (verses) he throws (the ashes into the water),--threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much he thus throws them down. First with one (prayer), and then with two; or first with two, and then with one,--but at two separate times he throws them down: he thus throws them down by means of the two-footed animals.

6. He then takes some (of the ashes) therefrom: he thereby reproduces from the waters what there is of Agni's nature in that (heap of ashes). [He takes it] with that (nameless or little finger), for with that (finger) medicine is prepared: it is with that one he thus puts him (Agni) together. [Vâg. S. XII, 38-41] 'Having settled⁷ in the womb, as ashes, in the waters, and the earth, O Agni,'--by his ashes he is, indeed, settled in the womb, that is, both in the waters and in the earth;--'having united with the mothers, thou hast again, brightly shining, seated thee;'--that is, 'Having joined thy mothers, thou, the shining one, hast again seated thyself (in thy home).'--'Having again seated thee in thy seat, the waters and the earth, O Agni, thou liest in her (the earth, or pan) most happy, as in a mother's lap.'--'Return again with sustenance, again, O Agni, with food and life; guard us again from trouble!--With wealth return, O Agni, overflow with the all-feeding stream on every side!'--that is, 'With all this return thou to me!'

7. With four (verses) he takes (some of the ashes);--he thereby supplies him (Agni) with four-footed animals; and animals being food, it is with food he thus supplies him. With three (verses) he takes (the ashes) down (to the water),--that makes seven, for of seven layers consists the fire-altar⁸, seven seasons are a year, and the year is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, so great does this become.

8. Having taken some of the ashes, and returned, he throws it into the fire-pan, and stands by (the fire) worshipping it; for when he throws Agni into the water he does what is improper; he now makes amends to him so that he may not injure him. With two (verses) relating to Agni (he worships),--for it is to Agni that he makes amends,--and with such as contain (the verb) 'budh' (to attend to, awake), in order that Agni may attend to this speech of his.

9. [Vâg. S. XII, 42-3; Rik S. I, 147, 2; II, 6, 4] 'Attend thou to this word of mine, O youngest!'--that is, 'attend to this word of mine, O youngest!'--'put forth most plentifully, O faithful one!'--that is, 'put forth most abundantly, O faithful one!'--'this one revileth thee, and that one singeth thy praises,'--that is, 'one (man) reviles thee, and another sings thy praises;'--'reverently I revere thy body, O Agni!'--that is, 'I, thy reverer, revere thy body, O Agni!'--'Be thou a munificent patron of offerings, O lord of wealth, the bestower of wealth, keep off from us the haters!' this he says in order that he may keep off haters from him. With two (verses) he worships the fire, a Gâyatrî and a Trishtubh verse: the significance of this has been explained.

10. These make nine (verses),--there are nine regions⁹, and Agni is the regions; nine vital airs, and Agni is the vital airs: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, so great does this become.

11. He then performs two expiations; for it is for (the obtainment of) all his desires that he sets up that (fire);--thus whatever part of his desires is here cut off when the fire is thrown into the water, that he thereby joins together and restores. He performs both expiations which (are performed) when the fire has gone out¹⁰: the significance of this has been explained.

12. This makes ten (performances),--the Virâg consists of ten syllables, and Agni is the Virâg¹¹; there are ten regions, and Agni is the regions; ten vital airs, and Agni is the vital airs: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, so great does this become.

Footnotes

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