Philosophy and Religion / Satapatha Brahmana

The Satapatha Brahmana: Third Kânda, Fourth Adhyâya

The âtithya, or guest-offering (hospitable reception given to king Soma).

First Brâhmana

1. Verily, the guest-offering is the head of the sacrifice, and the Prâyanîya and Udayanîya are its arms. But the arms are on both sides of the head: therefore those two oblations, the Prâyanîya and Udayanîya, are on both sides of the guest-offering.

2. Now as to why it is called 'guest-offering.' He, the purchased Soma, truly comes as his (the sacrificer's) guest,--to him (is offered) that (hospitable reception): even as for a king or a Brâhman one would cook a large ox or a large he-goat--for that is human (fare offered to a guest), and the oblation is that of the gods--so he prepares for him that guest-offering.

3. Here now they say, 'Let him first walk past (Soma) and take out (the material for offering)!' For (they argue) where people do not show respect to a worthy person (arhant) who has come to them, he becomes angry,--and in this way he (Soma) is indeed honoured.

4. Then only one (of the oxen) is to be unyoked, and the other to be left unyoked¹; and thereupon he is to take out (the material for offering): for (they argue) in that one of them is unyoked, thereby he (Soma) has arrived; and in that the other is left unyoked, thereby he is honoured.

5. Let him, however, not do this but let him take out (the material for offering) only after unyoking (both oxen) and after making (Soma) enter (the hall); for the ways of men are in accordance with those of the gods. And accordingly, in human practice, so long as (a guest) has not unyoked, people do not bring water to him and show him no honour, for so long he has not yet arrived; but when he has unyoked, then they bring him water and show him honour, for then he has indeed arrived: let him therefore take out (the material for offering) only after unyoking and after making (Soma) enter (the hall).

6. Let him take it out with all speed, for thus he (Soma) is honoured. The housewife holds on to it from behind²; for the sacrificer holds on to him (Soma), while he is driven around, and here his wife does so. Thus they enclose him on the two sides by a (married) couple: and, indeed, wherever a worthy person comes, there all the inmates of the house bestir themselves, for thus he is honoured.

7. Let him take out (the material) with a different formula from that wherewith (one takes out) any other oblations³, since, when he (Soma) is bought, he is bought for one special destination,--for the sovereignty of the metres, for the supreme sovereignty of the metres. The metres act as attendants about him; even as the non-royal king-makers, the heralds and headmen, (attend upon) the king, so do the metres act as attendants about him (Soma).

8. In no wise, then, is it befitting that he should take out any (material for offering) solely 'for the metres⁴;' for whenever people cook food for some worthy person⁵, then the attendants about him, the non-royal king-makers, the heralds and headmen, have their share (of the food) assigned to them; after (or along with their master): hence, when he takes out that (oblation to Soma), let him assign the metres a share in it along with (the deity).

9. He takes it out, with the text (Vâg. S. V, 1), 'Thou art Agni's body,--thee (I take) for Vishnu!' the Gâyatrî is Agni: to Gâyatrî he thus assigns her share.

10. 'Thou art Soma's body,--thee for Vishnu!' Soma is the nobility, and the Trishtubh is the nobility: to Trishtubh he thus assigns her share.

11. 'Thou art the guest's hospitable entertainment⁶,--thee for Vishnu!' This is his (Soma's) special share: as there is a special share for a chief, so is this his special share apart from the metres.

12. 'Thee for the Soma-bearing falcon! thee for Vishnu!' thereby he assigns to Gâyatrî her share. Because Gâyatrî, in the form of a falcon, carried off Soma from the sky, therefore she is the Soma-bearing falcon: in virtue of that heroic deed he now assigns to her a second share.

13. 'Thee for Agni, the bestower of prosperity! thee for Vishnu!' Prosperity means cattle, and the Gagatî (the moving, living one) means cattle: to Gagatî he thereby assigns her share.

14. Now as to his taking five times;--the sacrifice is of equal measure with the year, and five seasons there are in the year: the latter he gains in five (divisions);--for this reason he takes five times. And as to his taking it with 'For Vishnu (I take) thee! for Vishnu thee!' it is because he who takes out (material) for the sacrifice, takes it for Vishnu.

15. It is a sacrificial cake on nine potsherds;--for the guest-offering is the head of the sacrifice, and the Gâyatrî consists of nine syllables⁷: eight (syllables) are those he recites and the sacred syllable⁸ is the ninth; and the Gâyatrî is the fore-part of the sacrifice⁹, and so is that (cake) the fore-part of the sacrifice: therefore it is a cake on nine potsherds.

16. The enclosing-sticks are of kârshmarya wood (Gmelina Arborea¹⁰), for the gods, once upon a time, perceived that one, the kârshmarya, to be the Rakshas-killer among trees. Now, the guest-offering being the head of the sacrifice, the enclosing-sticks are of kârshmarya wood, in order that the evil spirits may not injure the head of the sacrifice.

17. The prastara-bunch¹¹ is of asvavâla-grass (Saccharum Spontaneum). For, once upon a time, the sacrifice escaped from the gods. It became a horse (asva) and sped away from them. The gods, rushing after it, took hold of its tail (vâla) and tore it out; and having torn it out, they threw it down in a lump, and what had been the hairs of the horse's tail then grew up as those plants (of asvavâla-grass). Now the guest-offering is the head of the sacrifice, and the tail is the hind-part (of animals): hence by the prastara being of asvavâla-grass he encompasses the sacrifice on both sides.

18. There are two vidhritis¹² of sugar-cane, lest the barhis and the prastara should become mixed up together. Having then purified the ghee¹³, he takes all the butter-portions in four ladlings¹⁴, for at this (sacrifice) there are no after-offerings.

19. When he has placed the sacrificial dishes (on the altar)¹⁵, he churns the fire. For the guest-offering is the head of the sacrifice; and in churning (the fire) they produce that (sacrifice); and one who is born is born with the head first: hence he thereby makes the sacrifice to be produced with the head first. Further, Agni means all the gods, since offering is made in the fire to all gods; and the guest-offering is the head of the sacrifice: hence, through all the deities, he secures success to the sacrifice from the very head (beginning). This is why he churns the fire¹⁶.

20. He takes the bottom piece of wood¹⁷, with the text (Vâg. S. V, 2), 'Thou art the birth-place of Agni;' for it is thereon that Agni is produced: hence he says, 'Thou art the birth-place of Agni.'

21. Thereon he lays two sprouts of a kusa stalk (with the tops towards the east), with, 'Ye are males¹⁸;' thereby these two are as two (sons) born together here from a woman.

22. Thereon he lays the lower churning-stick (with the top to the north), with, 'Thou art Urvasî!' He then touches the (ghee in the) ghee-pan with the upper churning-stick, with, 'Thou art Âyu,' he puts it down (on the lower arani) with, 'Thou art Purûravas.' For Urvasî was a nymph, and Purûravas was her husband; and the (child) which sprung from that union was Âyu¹⁹: in like manner does he now produce the sacrifice from that union. Thereupon he says (to the Hotri), 'Recite to Agni, as he is churned²⁰!'

23. He churns, with the texts, 'With the Gâyatrî metre I churn thee!--With the Trishtubh metre I churn thee!--With the Gagatî metre I churn thee!' For it is with the metres that he churns him (Agni, the fire); the metres he recites to him when he is churned, whereby he attaches the metres to the sacrifice, even as the rays (are attached) to yonder sun.--'Recite to the born one!' he says, when he (Agni) is produced²¹; and 'To him who is thrown²²!' when he throws him (on the old Âhavanîya fire).

24. He throws (the fire on the hearth), with the text (Vâg. S. V, 3), 'For our sake be ye two (fires) friendly to one another, of one mind, unblemished! Injure not the sacrifice, nor the lord of the sacrifice! be gracious unto us this day, ye knowers of beings!' He thus bespeaks peacefulness between them, that they may not injure each other.

25. He then takes out some clarified butter with the dipping-spoon, and pours it on the fire, with the text (Vâg. S. V, 4), 'Agni resorteth to Agni, he the son of the seers that shieldeth us from curses: graciously offer thou for us now with good offering, never withholding the oblation from the gods, Hail!' For the purpose of offering they have produced him, and by this offering he has now gratified him: that is why he thus makes offering unto him.

26. It (the guest-offering) ends with the Idâ; no after-offerings are performed. For the guest-offering is the head of the sacrifice, and the head is the fore-part: he thus fits him up as the head of the sacrifice. But were he to perform the after-offerings, it would be as if, by reversing, he were to put the feet in the place of the head. Hence it ends with the Idâ, and no after-offerings are performed.

The Tânûnaptra, or covenant of Tanûnapât.²³

Second Brâhmana

1. When the gods had performed the guest-offering, discord befell them. They separated into four different parties, unwilling to yield to each other's excellence,--Agni, with the Vasus, Soma with the Rudras, Varuna with the Âdityas, and Indra with the Maruts. Brihaspati with the All-gods, say some²⁴, but, indeed, those who separated into four parties were 'all the gods.' When they were separated, the Asura-Rakshas came after them and entered between them.

2. They became aware of it,--'Forsooth, we are in an evil plight, the Asura-Rakshas have come in between us: we shall fall a prey to our enemies. Let us come to an agreement and yield to the excellence of one of us!' They yielded to the excellence of Indra; wherefore it is said, 'Indra is all the deities, the gods have Indra for their chief.'

3. For this reason let not kinsmen fall out, for any (enemy) of theirs, be he ever so far away, steps in between them; they do what pleases their enemies and fall a prey to their enemies: therefore let them not fall out. For he who, knowing this, quarrels not, does what displeases his enemies and falls not a prey to his enemies: let him therefore not quarrel.

4. They said, 'Well then, let us contrive so that this (concord) of ours shall be for ever imperishable!'

5. The gods laid down together²⁵ their favourite forms and desirable powers²⁶, one after another, and said, 'Thereby he shall be away from us, he shall be scattered to the winds, whosoever shall transgress this (covenant) of ours!'--'Whose (is it) as witness²⁷?'--'Tanûnapât, the mighty!'--Now the mighty Tanûnapât indeed is yonder blowing (wind), he is the witness of living beings, entering thus as the in-breathing and out-breathing.

6. Wherefore they say, 'The gods know the mind of man.' In his mind he proposes; it passes on to the breath, and the breath to the wind, and the wind tells the gods what the mind of man is.

7. Hence it was in regard to this what was said by the Rishi, 'In his mind he proposeth, and it goeth on to the wind²⁸; and the wind telleth the gods what thy mind is, O man.'

8. The gods laid down together their favourite forms and desirable powers, and said, 'Thereby he shall be away from us, he shall be scattered to the winds, whosoever shall transgress this (covenant) of ours!' And even now the gods do not transgress that (covenant), for how would they fare, were they to transgress it?--they would speak untruth, and verily there is one law which the gods do keep, namely, the truth. It is through this that their conquest, their glory is unassailable: and so, forsooth, is his conquest, his glory unassailable whosoever, knowing this, speaks the truth. Now, the Tânûnaptra is really that same (covenant of the gods).

9. The gods laid down together their favourite forms and desirable powers. Now it is by taking portions of butter that they (the priests) lay down together the desirable forms and favourite powers. Let him, then, not covenant with any one and every one, lest his favourite forms and desirable powers should be mixed up (with those of others). But let him not deceive one with whom he makes a covenant; for thus it is said, 'Let there be no deceiving of him with whom one has made the covenant of Tanûnapât.'

10. In the first place he takes (butter) therefrom²⁹, with the text (Vâg. S. V, 5), 'For him that rushes onward, for him that rushes about, I take thee.' He that blows yonder (the wind) does indeed rush onward and rush about; and it is for him that he takes (the butter): therefore he says, 'for him that rushes onward, for him that rushes about, I take thee.'

11. 'For Tanûnapât, the mighty.' The mighty Tanûnapât truly is yonder blowing (wind), and it is for him that he takes (the butter): therefore he says, 'For Tanûnapât, the mighty.'

12. 'For the powerful, the most strong!' He is indeed powerful and most strong; and for him he takes it: therefore he says, 'For the powerful, the most strong.'

13. They then touch it at the same time. Now the gods were fully agreed on this point, 'Verily, so and thus shall he of us fare who shall transgress this (covenant) of ours!' And so are these (priests and sacrificer) now agreed on this,--'Verily, so and thus shall he of us fare who shall transgress this (covenant) of ours!'

14. They touch it simultaneously, with the text, 'Thou art the strength of the gods, unassailed and unassailable; for the gods were indeed unassailed and unassailable while being together, and speaking with one accord and holding together.' 'The strength of the gods' doubtless means the favourite forms and desirable powers of the gods, 'uncursed, curse-averting, uncursable,' for the gods have overcome every curse;--'May I straightway go to the truth!' whereby he means to say, 'May I speak the truth, may I not transgress this (covenant);'--'Establish me in welfare!' for in welfare the gods indeed established themselves by speaking the truth, by performing the truth: therefore he says, 'Establish me in welfare!'

15. Now those favourite forms and desirable powers which the gods put together, they then deposited in Indra³⁰;--Indra verily is he that burns yonder (the sun); but he indeed did not burn in the beginning, but as now everything else is dark, so was he then; and it is by that very energy (derived from those divine objects) that he burns. Hence, if many persons perform the consecration³¹, let it (the Tânûnaptra butter), after pouring the fast-milk to it, be handed only to the master of the house, since he, among them, is the representative of Indra. And if he perform the consecration by means of an (offering) with a dakshinâ, let them hand it (the butter) to the sacrificer, after pouring the fast-milk to it, for thus it is said,--'The Sacrificer is Indra.'

16. Now what favourite forms and desirable powers the gods then laid together, all that was wrought together and became the Sâman: wherefore they say, 'The Sâman is the truth, the Sâman is born of the gods.'

The Avântaradîkshâ, or intermediary consecration.

Third Brâhmana

1. When the gods had performed the guest-offering, discord arose between them. They allayed it by means of the Tânûnaptra (oaths). They desired an atonement for having spoken evil to one another; for they had appointed no other consecration-ceremony till the expiatory bath. They perceived this intermediate consecration³².

2. By means of fire they enveloped (the body) with a skin. Now, fire being fervour, and the consecration being fervour, they thereby underwent an intermediate consecration; and because they underwent that intermediate consecration, therefore this intermediary consecration (avântaradîkshâ, is performed). They turned in their fingers more tightly and drew³³ their zone tighter, whereby they (again) put round them what had been put round them before³⁴;--and so does he thereby make atonement for what heretofore he has done injurious to the vow, for what he has spoken injurious to the vow.

3. By means of the fire they (the priests) envelop him with a skin. Now, fire being fervour, and the consecration being fervour, he thereby undergoes an intermediate consecration. He turns in his fingers more tightly and draws the zone tighter, whereby he (again) puts round himself what was put round him before. Moreover, it was offspring the gods thereby obtained.

4. By means of Agni (fire) they enveloped (the body) with a skin. Now, Agni being the causer of sexual union, the progenitor, they thereby obtained offspring. They turned in their fingers more tightly and drew their zone tighter, whereby they produced offspring for themselves. And in like manner does he (the sacrificer) thereby obtain offspring.

5. By means of Agni he envelops himself with a skin. Now, Agni being the causer of sexual union, the progenitor, he thereby³⁵ obtains offspring. He turns in his fingers more tightly and draws his zone tighter, whereby he produces offspring for himself.

6. Now, while the gods were consecrated, whichever of them fetched fire-wood or uttered his appointed texts, him the Asura-Rakshas endeavoured to strike--the one by (assuming) the form of this one, and the other by that of another. They came together, upbraiding one another, saying, 'See, what thou hast clone to me! see, how thou hast struck me!' But Agni alone did not speak thus to any one, nor did any one speak thus to Agni.

7. They said, 'Have they spoken thus to thee also, Agni?' He said, 'Verily, I have not spoken to any one, nor has any one spoken to me.'

8. They became aware,--'He verily is the greatest repeller of the Rakshas among us; let us be like him: thereby we shall escape from the Rakshas, thereby we shall attain to the heavenly world.' They accordingly became like Agni, and thereby escaped from the Rakshas and attained to the heavenly world. And in like manner does this one now become like Agni, and thereby escape from the Rakshas and attain to the heavenly world. It is in putting a kindling-stick on (the Âhavanîya fire³⁶) that he enters upon the Avântaradîkshâ.

9. He puts on the kindling-stick, with the text (Vâg. S. V, 6), 'O Agni, protector of vows; on thee, O protector of vows--' for Agni is lord of vows to the gods; wherefore he says, 'O Agni, protector of vows, on thee, O protector of vows--' 'what bodily form³⁷ there is of thine, (may that be) here on me; and what bodily form there is of mine, (may that be) on thee! May my vows be bound up with thine, O lord of vows!' whereby he envelops himself with the skin by means of Agni, 'May the lord of consecration approve my consecration, and the lord of penance my penance!' Thereby he enters upon the intermediary consecration. More closely he turns in his fingers, and closer he draws the zone; whereby he (again) puts round himself what was put round him before.

10. They then attend on him with the boiling lustral water (madantî);--fire is heat, and the lustral water is heat: that is why they attend on him with the lustral water.

11. Having touched the lustral water, they (the priests and sacrificer) therewith strengthen³⁸ the king (Soma). The reason why, after touching the lustral water, they strengthen the king is this;--ghee is a thunderbolt, and Soma is seed: hence they strengthen the king after touching the lustral water, lest they should injure the seed, Soma, by the thunderbolt, the ghee.

12. Here now they say, 'Him, Soma, for whom that strengthening (meal), the guest-offering, is prepared, they ought first to strengthen, and then (ought to be performed) the Avântaradîkshâ, and thereupon the Tânûnaptra.' But let him not do this. For such indeed was the course of the sacrificial performance: discord arose between them (the gods) thereat; they attained to their former tranquillity; then the Avântaradîkshâ and finally the strengthening.

13. Then as to why they strengthen (Soma). Soma is a god, since Soma (the moon) is in the sky. 'Soma, forsooth, was Vritra; his body is the same as the mountains and rocks: thereon grows that plant called Usânâ,'--so said Svetaketu Auddâlaki; 'they fetch it hither and press it; and by means of the consecration and the Upasads, by the Tânûnaptra and the strengthening they make it into Soma.' And in like manner does he now make it into Soma by means of the consecration and the Upasads, by the Tânûnaptra and the strengthening.

14. 'It is bees’ honey,' they say; for bees’ honey means the sacrifice, and the bees that make the honey are no other than the officiating priests; and in like manner as the working-bees make the honey increase, so do they (the priests) thereby strengthen the sacrifice.

15. By means of the sacrifice the gods gained that supreme authority which they now wield. They spake, 'How can this (world) of ours be made unattainable to men?' Having sipped the sap of the sacrifice, as bees would suck out honey, and having drained the sacrifice and scattered it by means of the sacrificial post, they disappeared; and because they scattered (yopaya) therewith, therefore it is called yûpa (post).

16. Now this was heard by the Rishis. They collected the sacrifice; and as that sacrifice was collected, so does he collect the sacrifice who is consecrated. The sacrifice is speech: hence he thereby again supplies what part of the sacrifice here has been sucked out and drained.

17. They strengthen (the Soma), being six³⁹:--there are six seasons: having become the seasons, they strengthen it⁴⁰.

18. They strengthen him with (Vâg. S. V, 7), 'Let stalk after stalk of thine wax strong, O divine Soma!' whereby they strengthen (increase) stalk after stalk of his;--'for Indra, the winner of the ekadhanas⁴¹;' Indra indeed is the deity of the sacrifice: therefore he says, 'For Indra, the winner (or bestower) of the ekadhanas.' For verily every one of those stalks swells to fill a hundred or ten⁴² ekadhana cups for the several gods. 'May Indra wax strong for thee, and wax thou strong for Indra!' for Indra is the deity of the sacrifice: he thus strengthens him who is the deity of the sacrifice. By saying, 'Wax thou strong for Indra,' he instils that invigorating draught into him. 'Strengthen us friends with gain and understanding!' 'With gain' he says with reference to what he gains; and 'with understanding' he says with reference to what he recites. 'Mayest thou thrive, O divine Soma, and may I attain to the Soma-feast!' They, the priests and sacrificer, have one prayer in common, 'May we reach the end of the sacrifice!' hence he thereby means to say, 'May I reach the end of the sacrifice!'

19. Thereupon they make amends on the prastara. For the sacrifice requires a northward attendance; but now they strengthen (Soma) after going, as it were, towards the right (south)⁴³; and, the sacrifice being the fire, they thereby turn their back on the sacrifice and thus do wrong and are cut off from the gods. Now the prastara also is (part of) the sacrifice, and by (touching) it they again get hold of the sacrifice. And this is his expiation of that (transgression); and so no wrong is committed by them and they are not cut off from the gods: for this reason they make amends on the prastara.

20. Here now they say, 'On the anointed?--let them rather make amends on the unanointed⁴⁴!' They should indeed make amends on the un-anointed (prastara), since anointed it is thrown into the fire.

21. They make amends⁴⁵ with, 'Desirable treasures (may come) forth for strength and well-being--the right for the right-saying'--whereby he means to say, 'the truth for the truth-speaking;'--'Homage be to Heaven and to the Earth!' whereby they make amends to these two, heaven and earth, on whom this All is founded.

22. Having then picked up the prastara, he says, 'Agnîdh, does the water boil? It boils,' replies the Agnîdh⁴⁶. 'Come hither with it!' He holds (the prastara) quite close over the fire. The reason why he does not throw it into the fire is that he (the sacrificer) is to perform therewith⁴⁷ during the days that follow; and in that he holds it quite close over the fire, thereby it is for him as if it were really thrown into the fire. He hands it to the Agnîdh, and the Agnîdh puts it aside (in a safe place).

The Upasads, or homages.

Fourth Brâhmana

1. Verily the Upasads (homages or sieges) are the neck of the sacrifice, and the Pravargya is its head. Hence when it is performed with the Pravargya⁴⁸, they perform the Upasads⁴⁹ after performing the Pravargya, and thereby they put the neck in its place.

2. The anuvâkyâs (invitatory prayers) in the forenoon are the yâgyâs (offering prayers) in the afternoon; and the yâgyâs are the anuvâkyâs⁵⁰. He thus interlinks them, whence those joints and those bones of the neck are interlinked.

3. Now the gods and the Asuras, both of them sprung from Pragâpati, were contending against each other⁵¹. The Asuras then built themselves castles in these worlds,--an iron one in this world, a silver one in the air, and a golden one in the sky.

4. The gods then prevailed. They besieged them by these sieges (upasad); and because they besieged (upa-sad) them, therefore the name Upasads. They clove the castles and conquered these worlds. Hence they say, 'A castle is conquered by siege;' for it is indeed by beleaguering that one of these human castles is taken.

5. By means of these sieges, then, the gods clove the castles and conquered these worlds. And so does this one (the sacrificer) now,--no one, it is true, builds for himself castles against him in this world; he cleaves these same worlds, he conquers these worlds: therefore he offers with the Upasads.

6. They have clarified butter for their offering material. For ghee is a thunderbolt, and by that thunderbolt, the ghee, the gods clove the strongholds and conquered these worlds. And so does he cleave these worlds by that thunderbolt, the ghee, and conquer these worlds; therefore they (the Upasads) have ghee for their offering material.

7. He takes eight times (ghee) in the guhû, and four times in the upabhrit; or conversely, they say, he is to take of it only four times in the guhû and eight times in the upabhrit⁵².

8. He takes eight times in the guhû, and four times in the upabhrit. He thereby makes the thunderbolt heavy in front, and with that thunderbolt heavy in front he cleaves these worlds, and conquers these worlds.

9. Agni and Soma verily are yoke-fellows among the gods: for these two he takes (ghee) in common⁵³. For Vishnu (he takes) singly. He makes only the one libation (âghâra) which (he makes) with the dipping-spoon (sruva)⁵⁴. For when he has made the northern (higher) libation he retires⁵⁵: 'May I conquer for conquest' so he thinks, and therefore he makes only the one libation, that with the dipping-spoon.

10. When he has called on the Âgnîdhra) for the Sraushat,-- he does not elect the Hotri⁵⁶. 'Seat thee, O Hotri!' he says. The Hotri sits down on the Hotri's seat. Having sat down he urges the Adhvaryu; and he, thus urged, takes the two offering-spoons⁵⁷.

11. While passing over (to the south side of the fire and altar) he says⁵⁸ (to the Hotri), 'Recite the invitatory prayer to Agni!' and having called for the Sraushat, he says, 'Pronounce the offering prayer to Agni!' and pours out the oblation when the Vashat is uttered.

12. Thereupon he says, 'Recite the invitatory prayer to Soma!' and having called for the Sraushat, he says, 'Pronounce the offering prayer to Soma!' and pours out the oblation when the Vashat is uttered.

13. Thereupon, while pouring the ghee which is in the upabhrit⁵⁹, together (with what is left in the guhû), he says, 'Recite the invitatory prayer to Vishnu!' and, having called for the Sraushat, he says, 'Pronounce the offering prayer to Vishnu!' and pours out the oblation when the Vashat is uttered.

14. The reason why in offering he remains standing in one and the same place, and does not move about as he is wont to do here in performing, is that he thinks 'I will conquer for conquest⁶⁰!' And the reason why he offers to those deities is that he thereby constructs the thunderbolt: Agni (he makes) the point (anîka), Soma the barb (salya), and Vishnu the connecting piece (kulmala)⁶¹.

15. For the thunderbolt is the year the day is Agni, the night Soma, and what is between the two, that is Vishnu. Thus he makes the revolving year.

16. The thunderbolt is the year: by that year, as a thunderbolt, the gods clove the strongholds and conquered these worlds. And so does he now by that year, as a thunderbolt, cleave these worlds, and conquer these worlds. This is why he offers to those gods.

17. Let him undertake three Upasads; for, there being three seasons in the year, it is thereby made of the form of the year: he thus makes up the year. He performs twice each.

18. These amount to six; for, there being six seasons in the year, it is thereby made of the form of the year: he thus makes up the year.

19. And should he undertake twelve Upasads,--there being twelve months in the year, it is thereby made of the form of the year: he thus makes up the year. He performs twice each.

20. These amount to twenty-four;--there being twenty-four half-moons in the year, it is thereby made of the form of the year: he thus makes up the year.

21. As to his performing in the evening and in the morning,--it is because only thus completeness is obtained. When he performs in the forenoon, then he gains the victory;--and when he performs in the afternoon, he does so that it may be a good (complete) victory;--and when he offers the Homa, (it is as if) people fight here for a stronghold, and having conquered it, they enter it as their own.

22. When he performs (the upasads), he fights; and when (the performance) is completed, he conquers; and when he offers the Homa⁶², he enters that (stronghold) now his own.

23. He offers it (with the verse) with which he will have to perform twice in one day⁶³ (Vâg. S. V, 8), 'What most excellent iron-clad body is thine, O Agni, established in the deep, it hath chased away the cruel word, it hath chased away the fearful word; Hail!' for such-like it was, it was indeed iron.

24. Again he offers (with the verse) with which he will have to perform twice in one day, 'What most excellent silver-clad body is thine, O Agni, established in the deep, it hath chased away the cruel word, it hath chased away the fearful word; Hail!' for such-like it was, it was indeed silver.

25. And again he offers (with the verse) with which he will have to perform twice in one day, 'What most excellent gold-clad body is thine, O Agni, established in the deep, it hath chased away the cruel word, it hath chased away the fearful word; Hail!' for such-like it was, it was indeed golden. If he undertakes twelve Upasads, let him perform each of them for four days.

26. Now then of the fast-homages. Some Upasads get wider and wider, others narrower and narrower: those at which he milks out one (teat)⁶⁴ on the first day, then two, and then three, are those that get wider and wider; and those at which he milks out three on the first day, then two, and then one, are those that get narrower and narrower. Those getting narrower and narrower are (as good as) those getting wider and wider; and those getting wider and wider are (as good as) those getting narrower and narrower.

27. Verily, the world is conquered by austere devotion. Now, his devotion becomes ever and ever wider, he conquers an ever and ever more glorious world and becomes better even in this world, whosoever, knowing this, undertakes the Upasads that get narrower and narrower⁶⁵: let him, therefore, undertake the Upasads that get narrower and narrower. And should he undertake twelve Upasads, let him have three (teats) milked out for four days, two for four days, and one for four days.

Footnotes

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