Philosophy and Religion / Satapatha Brahmana

The Satapatha Brahmana: Third Kânda, Third Adhyâya

First Brâhmana

1. He follows her, stepping into seven foot-prints of hers¹; he thereby takes possession of her: that is why he steps into seven of her foot-prints. For when the metres were produced from Vâk (speech), the one consisting of seven feet, the Sakvarî, was the last (highest) of them. It is that (metre) he now draws down towards himself from above: this is why he steps into seven of her foot-prints.

2. It is as Vâk² that he steps into them; (with the text, Vâg. S. IV, 21), 'Thou art a Vasvî, thou art Aditi, thou art an Âdityâ, thou art a Rudrâ, thou art Kandrâ; for she is indeed a Vasvî and Aditi, an Âdityâ, a Rudrâ, Kandrâ. 'May Brihaspati make thee rest in happiness!'--Brihaspati being the Brahman, he thereby means to say, 'May Brihaspati lead thee hither by means of the good (work)³!' 'Rudra, together with the Vasus, is well-pleased with thee:' this he says to secure her (the cow's) safety, for cattle cannot pass beyond Rudra.

3. They now sit down⁴ round the seventh footprint; and having laid down the piece of gold in the foot-print, he offers. For offering is made on nothing but fire, and the gold has sprung from Agni's seed: and thus that offering of his is indeed made over the fire. And the clarified butter being a thunderbolt, he now delivers her (the cow) by means of that thunderbolt, the butter; and by delivering her he makes her his own.

4. He (the Adhvaryu) offers (with the text, Vâg. S. IV, 22), 'On Aditi's head I pour thee;' for Aditi being this earth, it is on the head of the latter that he offers;--'on the worshipping-ground of the earth'--for on the worshipping-ground of the earth he indeed offers;--'Thou art Idâ's footprint, filled with butter, Hail!' for Idâ being the cow⁵, he indeed offers on the cow's foot-print; and 'filled with butter, Hail!' he says, because it indeed becomes filled with butter when offered upon.

5. Thereupon he takes the wooden sword and draws lines round (the foot-print): the wooden sword being a thunderbolt, it is with the thunderbolt that he draws round it. Thrice he draws round it, so that he encompasses it on all sides with a threefold thunderbolt, for no one to trespass upon it.

6. He draws the lines (with the texts), 'Rejoice in us!' whereby he means to say, 'Rejoice in the sacrificer!' Having then, by tracing, cut out the foot-print all round⁶, he throws it into the pan, with, 'In us is thy kinship,' whereby he means to say, 'In the sacrificer is thy kinship.'

7. He then pours some water on (the place whence the earth has been removed). Wherever in digging they hurt her (the earth) and knock off anything from her,--water being (a means of) soothing,--that he now soothes by means of water, that he heals by means of water: that is why he pours water thereon.

8. He then hands (the dust of) the foot-print to the sacrificer, with, 'In thee is wealth,'--wealth meaning cattle, he thereby means to say, 'in thee is cattle.' The sacrificer receives it with, 'With me⁷ is wealth,'--wealth meaning cattle, he thereby means to say, 'with me is cattle.'

9. The Adhvaryu then touches himself (near the heart), with, 'May we not be deprived of prosperity!' Thus the Adhvaryu does not exclude himself from (the possession of) cattle.

10. Thereupon they hand (the dust of) the footprint over to the (sacrificer's) wife. The house being the wife's resting-place, he thereby establishes her in that safe resting-place, the house: for this reason he hands over the (earth of the) foot-print to the wife.

11. The Neshtri makes her say, 'Thine, thine⁸ is wealth;' whereupon he causes her to be looked at by the Soma-cow. Now, Soma is a male, and the wife is a female, and that Soma-cow becomes here (exchanged for) Soma: a productive union is thus effected;--this is why he causes her to be looked at by the Soma-cow.

12. He causes her to be looked at (while she pronounces the text, Vâg. S. IV, 23), 'I have seen eye to eye with the divine intelligence, with the far-seeing Dakshinâ: take not my life from me, neither will I take thine; may I obtain a hero⁹ in thy sight!' She thereby asks a blessing: a hero meaning a son, she thereby means to say, 'May I obtain a son in thy sight!'

13. One that is brown, with red-brown eyes, is (fit to be) a Soma-cow. For when Indra and Vishnu divided a thousand (cows) into three parts, there was one left¹⁰, and her they caused to propagate herself in three kinds; and hence, even now, if any one were to divide a thousand by three, one would remain over.

14. The brown one, with red-brown eyes, is the Soma-cow; and that ruddy one is the Vritra-killer's (India's) own, whom the king here chooses for himself¹¹ after winning the battle; and the ruddy one with reddish-white eyes¹² is the Fathers' own whom they slay here for the Fathers.

15. Let, then, the brown one, with red-brown eyes, be the Soma-cow. And if he be unable to obtain a brown one with red-brown eyes, let it be a dark-red¹³ one. And if he be unable to obtain a dark-red one, let it be a ruddy one, one of the Vritra-killer's own. But let him nowise turn his fancy upon a ruddy one with reddish-white eyes.

16. Let it be one that is not impregnated. For that Soma-cow is in reality Vâk, and this Vâk (speech) is of unimpaired vigour; and of unimpaired vigour is one not (yet) impregnated: let it therefore be one not impregnated. Let it be one that is neither tailless, nor hornless, nor one-eyed, nor ear-less¹⁴, nor specially marked, nor seven-hoofed¹⁵;--for such a one is uniform, and uniform is this speech.

The buying of Soma.

Second Brâhmana

1. Having thrown the (earth of the) foot-print (into the pan), he (the Adhvaryu) washes his hands. Now as to why he washes his hands;--clarified butter being a thunderbolt, and the Soma being seed, he washes his hands lest¹⁶ he should injure the seed, Soma, with the thunderbolt, the ghee.

2. Thereupon he ties the piece of gold to this (finger¹⁷). Now, twofold indeed is this (universe),--there is no third,--the truth and the untruth: the gods are the truth and men are the untruth. And gold having sprung from Agni's seed, he ties the gold to this (finger), in order that he may touch the twigs (of the Soma) with the truth, that he may handle the Soma by means of the truth.

3. He then orders (the sacrificer's men), 'Bring thou the Soma-cloth! bring thou the Soma-wrapper! bring thou the head-band!' Let some shining (cloth) be the Soma-cloth; for this is to be his (king Soma's¹⁸) garment, and shining indeed is his garment: and whosoever serves him with a shining (garment), he truly shines. But he who says, '(Bring) anything whatsoever,' he will indeed be anything whatsoever: let the Soma-cloth, therefore, be some splendid (cloth), and the Soma-wrapper one of any kind.

4. If he can get a head-band, let there be a headband; but if he cannot get a head-band, let him cut off from the Soma-wrapper a piece two or three fingers long, to serve as the head-band. Either the Adhvaryu or the Sacrificer takes the Soma-cloth, and some one or other the Soma-wrapper.

5. Now, in the first place, they pick the king (Soma). A pitcher of water is placed close to him, and a Brâhman sits beside him¹⁹. Thither they (the priests and sacrificer) now proceed eastward.

6. While they go there, he (the Adhvaryu) makes (the sacrificer) say the text (Vâg. S. IV, 24), 'Say thou, for me, unto Soma, "This is thy gâyatrî-part (bhâga)²⁰!" Say thou, for me, unto Soma, "This is thy trishtubh-part!" Say thou, for me, unto Soma, "This is thy gayatî-part!" Say thou, for me, unto Soma, "Obtain thou the supreme sovereignty of the names of metres!"' Now, when he (king Soma) is bought, he is bought for one (destination²¹)--for the sovereignty of the metres, for the supreme sovereignty of the metres; and when they press him, they slay him: hereby now he says to him, 'It is for the sovereignty of the metres, for the supreme sovereignty of the metres that I buy thee, not for slaying thee.' Having gone there, he sits down (behind the Soma) with his face towards the east.

7. He touches (the Soma-plants), with, 'Ours thou art,'--thereby he (Soma), now that he has come (as a guest), becomes as it were one of his (the sacrificer's) own (people): for this reason he says, 'Ours thou art;'--'Thy pure (juice) is meet for the draught,' for he will indeed take therefrom the 'pure draught²².' 'Let the pickers pick thee!' this he says for the sake of completeness.

8. Now some, on noticing any straw or (piece of) wood (among the Soma-plants), throw it away. But let him not do this; for--the Soma being the nobility and the other plants the common people, and the people being the nobleman's food--it would be just as if one were to take hold of and pull out some (food) he has put in his mouth, and throw it away. Hence let him merely touch it, with, 'Let the pickers pick thee!' Those pickers of his do indeed pick it.

9. He then spreads the cloth (over the ox-hide), either twofold or fourfold, with the fringe towards the east or north. Thereon he metes out the king (Soma); and because he metes out the king, therefore there is a measure,--both the measure among men and whatever other measure there is.

10. He metes out, with a verse to Savitri; for Savitri is the impeller of the gods, and so that (Soma) becomes for him impelled by Savitri to the purchase.

11. He metes out with an atikhandas-verse; for that one, viz. the atikhandas²³, embraces all metres; and so that (Soma) is meted out for him by means of all the metres: therefore he metes out with an atikhandas-verse.

12. He metes out, with the text (Vâg. S. IV, 25), 'Unto that divine Savitri within the two bowls²⁴, the sage, I sing praises, to him of true impulse, the bestower of treasures, the wise and thoughtful friend;--he at whose impulse the resplendent light shone high, the golden-handed sage hath measured the ether with his form.'

13. Therewith²⁵ he metes out (the Soma) with all (five fingers), therewith with four, therewith with three, therewith with two, therewith with one; therewith with one, therewith with two, therewith with three, therewith with four, therewith with all (fingers); having laid (the two hands) together²⁶ he throws (Soma) thereon with the joined open hands.

14. He metes out while bending up and bending down (the fingers). The reason why he metes out in bending (the fingers) up and down is that he thereby makes those fingers of separate existence, and therefore they are born separate (from each other); and as to his meting out with all (fingers) together, these (fingers) are to be born, as it were, united. This is why he metes out in bending (the fingers) up and down.

15. And, again, as to his meting out in bending them up and down,--he thereby renders them of varied power, and hence these (fingers) are of varied power. That is why he metes out in bending them up and down.

16. And, again, as to his meting out in bending them up and down,--he thereby harnesses a virâg²⁷ (to ply) thitherwards and hitherwards: going thither-wards, namely, it conveys the sacrifice to the gods, and coming hitherwards it assists men. This is why he metes out in bending (the fingers) up and down.

17. And as to his meting out ten times,--the virâg is of ten syllables, and the Soma is of virâg nature: for this reason he metes out ten times.

18. Having gathered up the ends of the Soma-cloth, he (the Adhvaryu) ties them together by means of the head-band, with, 'For descendants (I tie) thee;'--for it is indeed for (the purpose of obtaining) descendants that he buys it (Soma): what (part of man) here is, as it were, compressed between the head and the shoulders, that he thereby makes it to be for him (the sacrificer)²⁸.

19. He then makes a finger-hole in the middle (of the knot), with the text, 'Let the descendants breathe after thee!' For, in compressing (the cloth), he, as it were, strangles him (Soma and the sacrificer) and renders him breathless; hereby now he emits his breath from inside, and after him breathing the descendants also breathe: for this reason he says, 'Let the descendants breathe after thee.' Thereupon he hands him (Soma) to the Soma-seller. Now, then, of the bargain.

Third Brâhmana

1. He bargains for the king (Soma); and because he bargains for the king, therefore any and everything is vendible here. He says, 'Soma-seller, is thy king Soma for sale?'--'He is for sale,' says the Soma-seller.--'I will buy him of thee!'--'Buy him!' says the Soma-seller.--'I will buy him of thee for one-sixteenth (of the cow).'--'King Soma, surely, is worth more than that!' says the Soma-seller.--'Yea, King Soma is worth more than that; but great, surely, is the greatness of the cow,' says the Adhvaryu.

2. 'From the cow (comes) fresh milk, from her boiled milk, from her cream, from her sour curds, from her sour cream, from her curdled milk, from her butter, from her ghee, from her clotted curds, from her whey:

3. 'I will buy him of thee for one hoof²⁹!'--'King Soma, surely, is worth more than that!' says the Soma-seller.--'Yea, King Soma is worth more than that, but great, surely, is the greatness of the cow,' replies the Adhvaryu; and, having (each time) enumerated the same ten virtues, he says, 'I will buy him of thee for one foot,'--'for half (the cow),'--'for the cow!'--'King Soma has been bought!' says the Soma-seller, 'name the kinds!'

4. He (the Adhvaryu) says, 'Gold is thine, a cloth is thine, a goat is thine, a milch cow is thine, a pair of kine is thine, three other (cows) are thine!' And because they first bargain and afterwards come to terms, therefore about any and everything that is for sale here, people first bargain and afterwards come to terms. And the reason why only the Adhvaryu enumerates the virtues of the cow, and not the Soma-seller those of the Soma, is that Soma is already glorified, since Soma is a god. And the Adhvaryu thereby glorifies the cow, thinking, 'Seeing her virtues he shall buy her!' This is why only the Adhvaryu enumerates the virtues of the cow, and not the Soma-seller those of the Soma.

5. And as to his bargaining five times:--the sacrifice being of equal measure with the year, and there being five seasons in the year, he thus obtains it (the sacrifice, Soma) in five (divisions), and therefore he bargains five times.

6. He then makes (the sacrificer) say on the gold³⁰ (Vâg. S. IV, 26), 'Thee, the pure, I buy with the pure,' for he indeed buys the pure with the pure, when (he buys) Soma with gold;--'the brilliant with the brilliant,' for he indeed buys the brilliant with the brilliant, when (he buys) Soma with gold;--'the immortal with the immortal,' for he indeed buys the immortal with the immortal, when (he buys) Soma with gold.

7. He then tempts³¹ the Soma-seller (with the gold): 'In compensation³² for thy cow,' whereby he means to say, 'With the sacrificer (be) thy cow!' He then draws it (the gold) back towards the sacrificer, and throws it down, with, 'Ours be thy gold!' whereby he (the sacrificer) takes unto himself the vital energy, and the Soma-seller gets only the body. Thereupon the Soma-seller takes it³³.

8. He then makes him (the sacrificer) say on the she-goat, which stands facing the west, 'Thou art the bodily form of fervour,'--that she-goat was indeed produced as the bodily form of fervour, of Pragâpati; hence he says, 'Thou art the bodily form of fervour,'--'Pragâpati's kind,' because she brings forth three times in the year, therefore she is Pragâpati's kind. 'Thou art bought with the most excellent animal,' because she brings forth three times in the year, she is the most excellent of animals. 'May I increase with a thousandfold increase!' Thereby he implores a blessing: a thousand meaning abundance, he thereby means to say, 'May I obtain abundance!'

9. With that (text) he gives the she-goat, with that he takes the king³⁴; for agâ (goat) doubtless means the same as âgâ (driving thither³⁵), since it is through her (the she-goat) that he finally drives him (Soma) thither. It is thus in a mystic sense that they call her 'agâ.'

10. He takes the king, with the text (Vâg. S. IV, 27), 'Come to us, a friend, bestowing good friends!' whereby he means to say, 'Come to us, as a kind and propitious one!' Having pushed back the garment on the sacrificer's right thigh, he lays him (Soma) down thereon, with the text, 'Seat thee on Indra's right thigh,'--for he, the sacrificer, is at present Indra³⁶: therefore he says, 'Seat thee on Indra's right thigh;'--'willing on the willing,' whereby he means to say, 'beloved on the beloved one;'--'tender on the tender!' whereby he means to say, 'propitious on the propitious one.'

11. Thereupon he (the sacrificer) assigns (to the Gandharvas) the objects constituting the purchase price for the Soma, with the text, 'O Svâna, Bhrâga, Aṅghâri, Bambhâri, Hasta, Suhasta, Krisânu! these are your wages for Soma: keep them! may they not fail you!' Now those (Gandharvas) are instead of the hearth-mounds--these being the names of the hearth-mounds--it is these very (names) that he thereby has assigned to them³⁷.

12. He now uncovers (his head³⁸); for he who is consecrated becomes an embryo, and embryos are enveloped both in the amnion and the outer membrane: him (the sacrificer or sacrifice) he has now brought forth, and therefore he uncovers himself. Now it is he (Soma³⁹) that becomes an embryo, and therefore he is enveloped, since embryos are, as it were, enveloped both in the amnion and the outer membrane.

13. He then makes (the sacrificer) say the text (Vâg. S. IV, 28), 'Keep me, O Agni, from evil ways! let me share in the right ways.' Now he (Soma) approaches him while he is seated, and when he has come, he rises: thereby he does wrong and breaks the vow. This, then, is his expiation of that (transgression), and thus no wrong is thereby done, and he breaks not the vow: therefore he says, 'Keep me, O Agni, from evil ways! let me share in the right ways!'

14. Having then taken the king, he rises, with the text, 'With new life, with good life, am I risen after the immortals;' for he who rises after the bought Soma, rises indeed after the immortal: therefore he says,' With new life, with good life, am I risen after the immortals.'

15. Thereupon he takes the king and goes towards the car, with the text (Vâg. S. IV, 29), 'We have entered upon the path that leadeth to wellbeing, free from danger; whereon he escheweth all haters, and meeteth with good⁴⁰.'

16. Now, once on a time, the gods, while performing sacrifice, were afraid of an attack from the Asura-Rakshas. They perceived that prayer for a safe journey; and having warded off the evil spirits by means of that prayer, they attained wellbeing in the safe and foeless shelter of that prayer. And so does he now ward off the evil spirits by means of that prayer, and attain wellbeing in the safe and foeless shelter of that prayer. For this reason he says, 'We have entered upon the path that leadeth to well-being, free from danger; whereon he escheweth all haters and meeteth with good.'

17. They carry him thus⁴¹, and (afterwards) drive him about on the cart; whereby they exalt him: for this reason they carry the seed on their head (to the field), and bring in (the corn) on the cart.

18. Now the reason why he buys (the Soma) near water⁴² is that--water meaning sap--he thereby buys Soma sapful; and as to there being gold, he thereby buys him lustrous; and as to there being a cloth, he thereby buys him with his skin; and as to there being a she-goat, he thereby buys him fervid; and as to there being a milch cow, he thereby buys him with the milk to be mixed with him; and as to there being a pair (of kine), he thereby buys him with a mate.--He should buy him with ten (objects), and not with other than ten, for the virâg consists of ten syllables, and Soma is of virâg nature: therefore he should buy him with ten (objects) and not with other than ten.

Procession and entrance of king Soma.

Fourth Brâhmana

1. In the enclosed space (of the cart)⁴³ he (the Adhvaryu) lays down the black deer-skin, with the text (Vâg. S. IV, 30), 'Thou art Aditi's skin;' its significance is the same (as before)⁴⁴. Thereon he places him (Soma), with, 'Seat thee on Aditi's seat!' for Aditi being this (earth), and she being indeed a safe resting-place, he thereby places him on that safe resting-place: therefore he says, 'Seat thee on Aditi's seat!'

2. He then makes (the sacrificer) say, after touching (the Soma), 'The bull hath propped the sky, the welkin⁴⁵.' For, when the gods were spreading the sacrifice, they were afraid of an attack on the part of the Asura-Rakshas. Now by what he says, 'The bull hath propped the sky, the welkin,' thereby they rendered it (the sacrifice or Soma) superior to the deadly shaft⁴⁶.

3. 'He hath measured the breadth of the earth;'--thus he gains through him (Soma) these worlds, for there is no slayer, no deadly shaft for him by whom these worlds have been gained: therefore he says, 'He hath measured the breadth of the earth.'

4. 'As all-ruler hath he taken his seat over all things existing (bhuvana);'--thus he gains through him this All, for there is no slayer, no deadly shaft for him by whom this All has been gained: therefore he says, 'As all-ruler hath he taken his seat over all things existing.'

5. 'Verily, all these are Varuna's ordinances;'--thereby he makes here everything whatsoever obedient to him, and every one that is refractory: therefore he says, 'Verily, all these are Varuna's ordinances.'

6. Thereupon he wraps (the Soma) up in the Soma-wrapper, lest the evil spirits should touch him. For this one doubtless is an embryo, and hidden (tiras), as it were, are embryos, and hidden also is that (which is) wrapped up;--hidden, as it were, are the gods to men, and hidden is that which is wrapped up: therefore he wraps him up.

7. He wraps him up, with the text (Vâg. S. IV, 31; Rig-veda V, 85, 2), 'Over the woods he hath stretched the welkin,' for over the woods, over the tops of the trees, that welkin (or air) is indeed stretched;--'strength (hath he laid) into the coursers, milk into the kine,'--strength means manliness and the coursers are the men: he thereby bestows manliness upon men; and 'milk into the kine' he says, because this milk is indeed contained in the kine;--'Into the hearts Varuna (hath laid) wisdom, into the homesteads⁴⁷ fire;' for into the hearts that wisdom, the swiftness of thought, has indeed entered; and 'into the homesteads fire' he says, because that fire is in the homesteads, with the people;--'Into the heaven hath he placed the Sun, and Soma upon the rock;' for that sun is indeed placed in the heaven; and 'Soma on the rock' he says, because Soma is in the mountains. This is why he says, 'In the heaven hath he placed the Sun, and Soma upon the rock.'

8. If there are two deer-skins⁴⁸, he then puts up the other by way of a flag⁴⁹;--and if there is only one, he cuts off the neck of the deer-skin and puts it up by way of a flag;--with the text (Vâg. S. IV, 32), 'Mount thou the eye of Sûrya, the eye-ball of Agni, where thou fliest along with the dappled (horses), shining through the wise (Sûrya).' He thereby places Sûrya (the sun) in front, thinking, 'May Sûrya, in front, ward off the evil spirits!' They now drive (Soma) about on a safe (cart), unmolested by evil spirits.

9. At the fore-part of the shafts two boards have been put up: between them the Subrâhmanyâ⁵⁰ stands and drives. He (Soma), indeed, is too high for (the driver) mounting beside him, for who is worthy of mounting beside him? Therefore he drives while standing between (the boards).

10. He drives with a palâsa branch. Now when Gâyatrî flew towards Soma⁵¹, a footless archer aiming at her while she was carrying him off, severed one of the feathers (or leaves, parna), either of Gâyatrî or of king Soma; and on falling down it became a parna (palâsa) tree; whence its name parna. 'May that which was there of the Soma nature, be here also now!' so he thinks, and for this reason he drives with a palâsa branch.

11. He urges on the two oxen. If they be both black, or if either of them be black, then let him know that it will rain, that Parganya will have abundance of rain that year: such indeed is science.

12. He (the Adhvaryu) first yokes them, with the text (Vâg. S. IV, 33), 'Ye oxen, come hither, patient of the yoke!' for they are indeed oxen, and they are patient of the yoke;--'Let yourselves be yoked, tearless!' for they are now being yoked; and tearless means unscathed;--'not man-slaying,' this means 'not doing wrong;'--'speeding the Brahman,' for they are indeed speeders of the Brahman (worship, or the priests);--'Go ye happily to the sacrificer's dwelling!' this he says in order that the evil spirits may not injure them on the way.

13. Having then gone round to the back (of the cart) and taken hold of the drag⁵², he says (to the Hotri)⁵³, 'Recite to the bought Soma!' or,'--to Soma, now driven about!' whichever way he pleases.

14. He then makes (the sacrificer⁵⁴) say the text (Vâg. S. IV, 34), 'Thou art gracious unto me, go forth, O Lord of the world--,' for he (Soma) is indeed gracious to him, wherefore he heeds no other but him. Even his (Soma's own) kings⁵⁵ come (to him) to attend the assembly, and he is the first to salute the kings, for he is gracious. This is why he says, 'Thou art gracious.' 'Go forth, O Lord of the world,' he says, because he (Soma) is the lord of beings. 'To all dwellings,' 'all dwellings' doubtless means the limbs; with reference to his limbs he says this, 'May no prowling enemies meet thee! may no waylayers meet thee! May no malicious wolves meet thee!' this he says lest the evil spirits should meet him on his way.

15. 'Having become a falcon, fly away!' he thereby makes him fly forward after becoming a falcon; for the evil spirits fly not after what is fearful: now he, the falcon, forsooth is the most fearful, the strongest of birds, and as such a one he makes him (Soma) fly forwards when he says, 'Having become a falcon, fly away!'

16. Now they (can) only hit his body⁵⁶. 'Go to the sacrificer's dwelling,--that is the place prepared for us.' In this there is nothing obscure.

17. Thereupon he recites the Subrahmanyâ litany. Even as one would say to those for whom he intends to prepare a meal, 'On such and such a day I will prepare a meal for you;' so does he thereby announce the sacrifice to the gods. 'Subrahmanyôm! Subrahmanyôm! Subrahmanyôm!' thus he calls, for the Brahman indeed moves the gods onward. Thrice he says it, because the sacrifice is threefold.

18. 'Come, O Indra!' Indra is the deity of the sacrifice: therefore he says, 'Come, O Indra!' 'Come, O lord of the bay steeds! Ram of Medhâtithi⁵⁷! Wife of Vrishanasva⁵⁸! Bestriding buffalo! Lover of Ahalyâ⁵⁹!' Thereby he wishes him joy in those affairs of his.

19. 'O Kausika⁶⁰, Brahman, thou who callest thee Gautama⁶¹.' Just so has this (formula) been devised in these days by Âruni, to wit, 'thou who callest thee Gautama:' he may say it, if he choose, and if he does not choose, he need not attend to it⁶². 'In so and so many days, to the Soma-feast,' (stating) in how many days from hence the pressing is to be.

20. 'Ye gods and priests, come hither⁶³!' This he says to the gods and Brâhmans, because it is of these two, the gods and Brâhmans, that he has need.

21. Thereupon the Pratiprasthâtri steps up to the front of the hall with the victim for Agni and Soma. Now Agni and Soma have seized him, who consecrates himself, between their jaws, for that consecration-offering above⁶⁴ belongs to Agni and Vishnu, and Vishnu, forsooth, is no other than Soma, and the offering is he himself who is consecrated: thus they have seized him between their jaws; and by this victim he now redeems himself⁶⁵.

22. Now, some take a firebrand from the Âhavanîya, saying, 'Here is Agni, and here is Soma: with these two thus being together we will redeem ourselves.' But let him not do this; for wheresoever these two are, there they are indeed together.

23. It (the victim) is two-coloured, because it belongs to two deities: 'For the sake of concord between the two deities let it be a black-spotted (buck)!' they say; 'for that is most like those two (gods).' If he be unable to obtain a black-spotted buck, it may be a red-spotted one.

24. Thereon he makes (the sacrificer) say (Vâg. S. IV, 35; Rig-veda X; 37, 1); 'Homage be to the eye of Mitra and Varuna! perform ye diligently this holy service to the god! sing ye unto the far-seeing, god-born light, to Sûrya, the son of the sky!' Thereby he renders homage to it (the victim) and makes it a token of the covenant.

25. The Adhvaryu then removes the Soma-wrapper. With (Vâg. S. IV, 36) 'Thou art Varuna's stay,' he props (the cart) with the prop. With 'Ye two are the rest of Varuna's stay,' he pulls out the two wedges. The reason why he says, 'Ye two are the rest of Varuna's stay⁶⁶,' is that he, the bought Soma, now indeed is of Varuna⁶⁷.

26. Thereupon four men take up the king's throne; two men, it is true, take it up for the human king, but four take up this for him who rules over everything here.

27. It is of udumbara wood--udumbara meaning sap and food--for (the sacrificer's) obtainment of sap and food: therefore it is of udumbara wood.

28. It reaches up to his navel, for it is there that the food settles, and Soma is food: therefore it reaches up to his navel. Moreover, there is the seat of the seed, and Soma is seed: therefore it reaches up to his navel.

29. He (the Adhvaryu) touches it with, 'Thou art the rightful seat (ritasadanî) of Varuna!' He then spreads on it the black deerskin with, 'Thou art the rightful seat (ritasadanam) of Varuna!' and places him (Soma) thereon with, 'Seat thee on the rightful seat of Varuna!' The reason why he says, 'Seat thee on the rightful seat of Varuna,' is that he (Soma) is now of Varuna's nature.

30. Thereupon he makes him (king Soma) enter the hall; and in making him enter, he causes (the sacrificer) to say (Vâg. S. IV, 37; Rig-veda I, 91, 19), 'Whatsoever powers of thine they worship with offering, may they all encompass the sacrifice⁶⁸! Go forth to our dwellings, O Soma, prospering our homes, ever helpful, bestowing abundance of men, not slaying our men!' dwellings meaning houses, he thereby means to say, 'Go forth to our houses, kind, propitious, not doing evil.'

31. Some now pour out a vessel of water beside him, saying that this would be as. one would bring water for a king that has come to him. But let him not do this, for they (who do this) do at the sacrifice what is human, and inauspicious for the sacrifice forsooth is that which is human: let him therefore not pour out water, lest he should do at the sacrifice what is inauspicious.

Footnotes

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