Philosophy and Religion / Satapatha Brahmana

The Satapatha Brahmana: Third Kânda, Sixth Adhyâya

First Brâhmana

1. The Sadas¹ is no other than his (Vishnu, the sacrifice's) belly; therefore they feed (drink) in the Sadas; for whatever food is eaten here on earth, all that settles down in the belly. And because all the gods sat (sad) in it, therefore it is called sadas: and so do these Brâhmans of every family now sit therein. By way of deity it belongs to Indra.

2. In the middle of it he puts up a (post) of udumbara wood (Ficus Glomerata); for the udumbara means strength and food; now the Sadas being his (Vishnu's belly), he thereby puts food therein; this is why he puts up an udumbara (post) in the middle of it.

3. From the peg² which stands in the middle on the hind-part of the altar, he strides six steps eastwards (along the 'spine'); the seventh he strides away from it to the right, for the sake of completeness, and there marks off a pit.

4. He takes the spade with (Vâg. S. V, 26), 'At the impulse of the divine Savitri, I take thee with the arms of the Asvins, with the hands of Pûshan: thou art a woman;' the significance of this formula is the same (as before). That spade, indeed, is a female (feminine): therefore. he says 'thou art a woman.'

5. He then marks off the pit with, 'Herewith I cut off the necks of the Rakshas!' for the spade is the thunderbolt: it is with the thunderbolt that he cuts off the necks of the evil spirits.

6. Thereupon he digs: eastwards he throws up the heap of earth. Having made the udumbara (post) of the same size as the sacrificer³, he cuts it smooth all round, and lays it down, with the top to the east, in front (of the pit). Thereon he lays barhis-grass of the same length.

7. Now the sprinkling-water (used on this occasion) contains barley-corns. For the essence (sap) of plants is water; wherefore plants when eaten alone do not satiate; and the essence of water, on the other hand, are the plants; wherefore water when drunk alone does not satiate; but only when the two are united they satiate; for then they are sapful: 'with the sapful I will sprinkle,' so he thinks.

8. Now, the gods and the Asuras, both of them sprung from Pragâpati, were contending. Then all the plants went away from the gods, but the barley plants alone went not from them.

9. The gods then prevailed: by means of these (barley-grains) they attracted to themselves all the plants of their enemies; and because they attracted (yu) therewith, therefore they are called yava (barley).

10. They said, 'Come, let us put into the barley whatever sap there is of all plants!' And, accordingly, whatever sap there was of all plants, that they put into the barley: therefore the latter thrives lustily where other plants wither, for in such wise did they put the sap into them. And in like manner does this one now by means of those (barley-grains) attract to himself all the plants of his enemies: this is why the sprinkling-water contains barley-corns.

11. He throws the barley-corns into it, with, 'Thou art barley (yava): keep thou (yavaya) from us the haters, keep from us the enemies!' In this there is nothing obscure. He then besprinkles (the post);--the significance of the sprinkling is one and the same: he thereby renders it sacrificially pure.

12. He sprinkles (the top, middle, and bottom parts), with, 'For the sky--thee! for the air--thee! for the earth--thee!' He thereby endows these worlds with strength and sap, bestows strength and sap on these worlds.

13. And the sprinkling-water which remains he pours into the hole, with, 'Be the worlds pure wherein the Fathers reside!' for a pit that is dug is sacred to the Fathers: this he thereby renders sacrificially pure.

14. He now strews barhis-grass therein, both eastward-pointed and northward-pointed with, 'Thou art the seat of the Fathers;' for that part of it (the post) which is dug into the ground is sacred to the Fathers; as though it were (naturally) established⁴ among plants, and not dug in, so does it become established among those plants.

15. He raises it, with the text (Vâg. S. V, 27), 'Prop thou the sky! fill the air! stand firm on the earth!' Thereby he endows these worlds with strength and sap, bestows strength and sap on these worlds.

16. He then sinks it (in the hole, with), 'May Dyutâna, the son of the Maruts, plant thee!--' Dyutâna the son of the Maruts, doubtless, is he that blows yonder (the wind): by means of him he thus plants it;--'Mitra and Varuna with firm support!' Mitra and Varuna are the in-breathing and out-breathing: he thus plants it with the in-breathing and out-breathing.

17. He then heaps up (earth) round it, with, 'I enclose thee, winner of the priesthood, winner of the nobility, winner of growth of wealth!' Manifold, verily, is the prayer for blessing in the sacrificial texts: by this one he prays for the priesthood and nobility, those two vital forces⁵. 'Winner of growth of wealth,'--growth of wealth means abundance: he thereby prays for abundance.

18. He then presses it firmly all round, with, 'Uphold thou the priesthood! uphold the nobility, uphold our life, uphold our progeny!' this is the blessing of this rite: that blessing he thereby invokes. He presses it so as to be level with the ground: with an (ordinary) hole (round trees for watering) it is higher than the ground, but in this way it is with the gods;--and thus it is not planted in an (ordinary) hole.

19. He then pours water thereon;--wherever, in digging, they wound or injure this (earth),--water being a means of soothing,--there he soothes it by that means of soothing, water, there he heals it by water: therefore he pours water thereon.

20. He then makes (the sacrificer) say, while touching it thus (Vâg. S. V, 28), 'Thou art firm: may this sacrificer be firm in this homestead through progeny'--or, 'through cattle!' thus whatever wish he entertains that wish is accomplished unto him.

21. Thereupon, having taken clarified butter with the dipping-spoon, he pours it upon the (forked) top⁶, with 'O Heaven and Earth, be ye full of ghee!' whereby he endows the heaven and the earth with strength and sap, bestows strength and sap on them: upon them thus full of sap and affording subsistence, these creatures subsist.

22. He then lays on a mat⁷, with, 'Thou art Indra's mat,'--for the Sadas belongs to Indra,--'a shelter to every one,' for Brâhmans of all families sit therein. He adds two mats, one on each side thereof, and three north of them and three further (to the north): these make nine. For the sacrifice is threefold and nine also is threefold: for this reason there are nine.

23. That Sadas has its tie-beams running (from south) to north, and the cart-shed (from west) to east. For this, the cart-shed, belongs exclusively to the gods: hence neither food nor drink is taken therein, because it belongs exclusively to the gods; and were any one either to eat or to drink therein, his head would verily burst asunder. But those two, the Âgnîdhra and the Sadas, are common (to the gods and men): hence food and drink is taken in these two, because they are common (to the gods and men). Now the north is the quarter of men: therefore the Sadas has its tie-beams running (from south) to north.

24. They enclose it⁸, with the text (Vâg. S. V, 29; Rig-veda I, 10, 12), 'May these songs encompass thee on every side, O thou that delightest in songs! May these favours be favourably received by thee, invigorating the vigorous!' He that delights in songs, forsooth, is Indra, and songs mean the people: he thus surrounds the nobility with the people, and therefore the nobility is here surrounded on both sides by the people.

25. Thereupon he sews (the hurdles to the posts) with a needle and cord⁹, with the text (Vâg. S. V, 30), 'Thou art Indra's sewer.' With, 'Thou art Indra's fixed (point),' he then makes a knot, 'lest it should fall asunder.' He undoes it again, when the work is completed; and thus disease befalls not either the Adhvaryu or the Sacrificer. When completed, he touches it (the Sadas) with, 'Thou art Indra's own!' for the Sadas belongs to Indra.

26. In the north--with regard to the back part of the Soma-carts¹⁰--he then raises the Âgnîdhra (shed). One half of it should be inside the altar, and one half outside; or more than one half may be inside the altar and less outside; or the whole of it may be inside the altar. When completed, he touches it with, 'Thou art the All-gods’ own!' To the All-gods it belongs, because on the day before (the Soma feast) the All-gods abide in it by the Vasatîvarî water.

27. Now, once on a time, the gods, while performing sacrifice, were afraid of an attack on the part of the Asura-Rakshas. The Asura-Rakshas attacked them from the south and forced them out of the Sadas, and overturned those hearths (dhishnya) of theirs which are within the Sadas.

28. For, indeed, all of those (hearths) at one time burnt as brightly as this Âhavanîya and the Gârhapatya and the Âgnîdhrîya; but ever since that time when they (the Asuras) overturned them they do not burn. They forced them (the gods) back to the Âgnîdhra (fire) and even won from them one half of the Âgnîdhra. From there the All-gods gained immortality¹¹,--whence it (the Âgnîdhra fire) is sacred to the All-gods.

29. The gods kindled them again, as one would (light the fire where he is going to) stay. Therefore they are kindled at every Soma feast. Wherefore the duties of the Agnîdh should be discharged by one who is accomplished. Now he who is known and learned in sacred lore¹² is truly accomplished: hence they take to the Agnîdh his Dakshinâ first¹³, since it is from thence (from the Agnîdh's fire) that the gods gained immortality. And if weakness were to come upon one of those that are consecrated, let (the Adhvaryu) say, 'Lead him to the Âgnîdhra!'--thinking 'that is unscathed, there he will not meet with affliction¹⁴.' And because the All-gods gained immortality from there, therefore it is sacred to the All-gods.

Second Brâhmana

1. The Dhishnya-hearths¹⁵, forsooth, are no other than its (the sacrifice's) congeners¹⁶. They have the same marks, and those which have the same marks are congeners; and these, then, are those (corresponding limbs) of its trunk.

2. Now Soma was in heaven, and the gods were here on earth. The gods desired, 'Would that Soma might come to us; we might sacrifice with him, when come.' They produced those two illusions, Suparnî and Kadrû¹⁷; Suparnî, forsooth, was Vâk (speech)¹⁸, and Kadrû was this (earth). They caused discord between them.

3. They then disputed and said, 'Which of us shall spy furthest, shall win the other¹⁹.'--'So be it!' Kadrû then said, 'Espy thou!'

4. Suparnî said, 'On yonder shore of this ocean there stands a white horse at a post, that I see; doest thou also see it?'--'I verily do!' Then said Kadrû 'Its tail was just now hanging down; there, now the wind tosses it, that I see.'

5. Now when Suparnî said, 'On yonder shore of this ocean,' the ocean, forsooth, is the altar, she thereby meant the altar; 'there stands a white horse at a post,' the white horse, forsooth, is Agni, and the post means the sacrificial stake. And when Kadrû said, 'Its tail was just now hanging down; there, now the wind tosses it, that I see;' this is nothing else than the rope.

6. Suparnî then said, 'Come, let us now fly thither to know which of us is the winner.' Kadrû said, 'Fly thou thither; thou wilt tell us, which of us is the winner.'

7. Suparnî then flew thither; and it was even as Kadrû had said. When she had returned, she (Kadrû) said to her, 'Hast thou won, or I?'--'Thou!' she replied. Such is the story called Suparnî-Kâdrava²⁰.'

8. Then said Kadrû, 'Verily I have won thine own self; yonder is Soma in the heaven: fetch him hither for the gods, and thereby redeem thyself from the gods²¹!'--'So be it!' She brought forth the metres; and that Gâyatrî fetched Soma from heaven.

9. He was enclosed between two golden cups²²; sharp-edged they closed together at every twinkling of the eye; and these two, forsooth, were Consecration and Penance. Those Gandharva Soma-wardens watched over him; they are these hearths, these fire-priests.

10. She tore off one of the two cups, and gave it to the gods,--this was Consecration: therewith the gods consecrated themselves,

11. She then tore off the second cup, and gave it to the gods,--this was Penance: therewith the gods underwent penance, to wit the Upasads, for the Upasads are penance.

12. She took possession (â-kakhâda)²³ of Soma by means of (a stick of) khadira wood (Acacia Catechu), whence (the name) Khadira; and because she thereby took possession of him, therefore the sacrificial stake and the wooden sword (sphya) are of khadira wood.

She then carried him off while he was under the charge of the Akhâvâka, wherefore this Akhâvâka priest was excluded (from drinking Soma).

13. Indra and Agni preserved him for the production of creatures, whence the Akhâvâka priest belongs to Indra and Agni.

14. Therefore the consecrated keep charge of the king (Soma), 'lest (the Gandharvas) should carry him off.' Let him therefore guard him diligently, for verily in whosesoever charge they carry him off, he is excluded (from the Soma).

15. Wherefore the students guard their teacher, his house, and cattle, lest he should be taken from them. Let him therefore guard him (Soma) diligently in that place, for verily in whosesoever charge they carry him off, he is excluded therefrom. By means of him Suparnî redeemed herself from the gods; wherefore they say, 'He who has sacrificed shares in the world of bliss.'

16. Verily, even in being born, man, by his own self, is born as a debt (owing) to death. And in that he sacrifices, thereby he redeems himself from death, even as Suparnî then redeemed herself from the gods.

17. The gods worshipped with him. Those Gandharva Soma-wardens came after him; and having come up they said, 'Do ye let us share in the sacrifice, exclude us not from the sacrifice; let there be for us also a share in the sacrifice!'

18. They said, 'What will there be for us, then?'--'Even as in yonder world we have been his keepers, so also will we be his keepers here on earth!'

19. The gods spake, 'So be it!' By saying, '(Here are) your Soma-wages . . .' he assigns to them the price of the Soma²⁴. They then said unto them, 'At the third pressing an offering of ghee shall fall to your share, but not one of Soma, for the Soma-draught has been taken from you, wherefore ye are not worthy of a Soma-offering!' And accordingly, when he pours ghee on the hearths by means of fagots²⁵, at the evening libation, that same offering of ghee falls to their share, but not one of Soma.

20. 'And what they will offer in the fire that will satiate you;' hence that which they offer in the fire satiates them. 'And when they will move about, holding the Soma over each²⁶, that will satiate you;' hence when they move about, holding the Soma over each (hearth), that satiates them. Wherefore let not the Adhvaryu pass between²⁷ the hearths, for the Adhvaryu carries the Soma, and they sit waiting for him (Soma) with open mouths, and he would enter into their open mouths; and either Agni would burn him, or else that god who rules over beasts (Rudra) would seek after him; hence whenever the Adhvaryu should have business in the hall, let him pass north of the Âgnîdhra shed.

21. Now it is for the protection of Soma that those (hearths) are thrown up, to wit the Âhavanîya in front (on the high altar), the Mârgâlîya in the south, and the Âgnîdhrîya in the north; and those that are in the Sadas (protect him) from behind.

22. They are in part raised²⁸, in part they are assigned²⁹. And, in truth, they themselves insisted thereon, saying, 'They shall in part raise us, and in part they shall assign us; thus we shall know again that heavenly world from which we have come, thus we shall not go astray.'

23. And whichever of them are raised they are thereby visibly in this world; but whichever of them are assigned they are thereby visibly in yonder world.

24. They have two names; for, in truth, they themselves insisted thereon, saying, 'We have not prospered with these names, since Soma has been taken away from us; well, then, let us take each a second name!' They took each a second name, and therewith prospered, inasmuch as they from whom the Soma-draught had been taken had a share in the sacrifice assigned to them; hence they have two names. Wherefore let a Brahman, if he prosper not, take a second name, for verily he prospers, whosoever, knowing this, takes a second name.

25. Now what he offers in the fire, that he offers unto the gods, thereby the gods exist; and what (Soma) is consumed in the Sadas, that he offers unto men, thereby men exist; and in that the Nârâsamsa³⁰ cups of Soma) stand with the Soma-carts, thereby he offers unto the Fathers, thereby the Fathers exist.

26. But those creatures which are not admitted to the sacrifice are forlorn; wherefore he now admits to the sacrifice those creatures here on earth that are not forlorn; behind³¹ the men are the beasts; and behind the gods are the birds, the plants, and the trees; and thus whatsoever exists here on earth all that is admitted to the sacrifice. And verily both the gods and men, and the Fathers drink together³², and this is their symposium; of old they drank together visibly, but now they do so unseen.

The Vaisargina offerings and leading forward of Agni and Soma.

Third Brâhmana

1. Verily he who consecrates himself, consecrates himself for the sake of this All; for he consecrates himself for the sacrifice, and this All indeed results from³³ the sacrifice; having prepared the sacrifice for which he consecrates himself, he now sets free (or produces) this All.

2. The reason why he performs the Vaisargina offerings is this. They are called Vaisargina, because he sets free (vi-sarg) this All; wherefore let him who takes part in the rite³⁴ touch (the sacrificer) from behind; but if he have to go elsewhere (on business) he need not heed this. When he sacrifices, he sets free this All.

3. And again why he performs the Vaisargina offerings. Vishnu, forsooth, is the sacrifice; by his strides he obtained (vi-kram) for the gods that all-pervading power (vikrânti) which now belongs to them; by his first step he gained this same (earth); by the second, the region of air; and by the last, the heaven. And that same pervading power Vishnu, the sacrifice, obtains by his strides for this (sacrificer) when he sacrifices: this is why he performs the Vaisargina offerings.

4. In the afternoon, having covered the altar (with sacrificial grass), and handed (to the sacrificer and his wife) one half of the fast-milk, they enter (the hall), put fire-wood on³⁵, and prepare the under-layer (of gravel). He (the Adhvaryu) puts the butter on (the old Gârhapatya), and cleans the spoons. The sacrificer takes the king (Soma) on his lap. He (the Adhvaryu) scatters about the (dust of the) foot-print of the Soma-cow behind the (new) Gârhapatya for the sake of a firm standing, for it is with the foot that one stands firmly.

5. Now some divide it (the dust) into four parts³⁶: one fourth part (they put) into the under-layer whereon they take up the Âhavanîya (for transferring it to the high altar); with one fourth part they anoint the axle; one fourth part (they put) into this underlayer (for taking out the Âgnîdhrîya fire); and one fourth part he scatters about behind the Gârhapatya.

6. But let him not do this; let him rather scatter it about entirely behind the Gârhapatya. Having then purified the ghee, he takes thereof four ladlings (with the sruva), both in the guhû and in the upabhrit; and clotted ghee³⁷ in five ladlings, with (Vâg. S. V, 35), 'Thou art a light endowed with all forms, the flame of the All-gods;' for the clotted ghee belongs to the All-gods. When the wood is well kindled, they hold the spoons for him.

7. He then offers³⁸, with, 'Thou, O Soma, wilt widely withhold thy protection from the life-injuring³⁹ hatreds put forth by others, Hail!' Thereby he takes a firm stand on this resting-place, the earth, and gains this world.

8. He then offers the second oblation to (Soma) the Nimble, with, 'May the Nimble graciously accept the butter, Hail!' For he (Soma) spake upon that time, 'Verily I am afraid of the Rakshas: do ye make me to be too small for their deadly shaft, so that the evil spirits (the Rakshas) shall not injure me on the way; and take me across in the form of a drop, for the drop is nimble.' And accordingly, having made him too small for the deadly shaft, they lead him safely across in the form of a drop, from fear of the Rakshas, for the drop is nimble: this is why he offers the second oblation to (Soma) the Nimble.

9. They lift the (burning) fire-wood, and place it on the support. He then says (to the Hotri), 'Recite for Agni, taken forward!' or (say some), '--for Soma, led forward.' But let him say, 'Recite for Agni, taken forward⁴⁰!'

10. They take the pressing-stones, the Soma-trough (drona-kalasa); Vâyu's cups⁴¹, the (twenty pieces of) fire-wood, the enclosing-sticks of kârshmarya wood (Gmelina Arborea), one prastara of asvavâla grass⁴², and the two Vidhritis of sugarcane; that barhis (which was used before⁴³) is tied up therewith. Further, the two spits for (roasting) the omenta⁴⁴, the two ropes (for binding the stake and victims), the two churning-sticks (for producing fire), the adhimanthana chip, and the two vrishana⁴⁵,--having taken up all these they go forward (to the Âgnîdhra): thus the sacrifice goes upwards⁴⁶.

11. While they proceed thither, he makes (the sacrificer) say the text (Vâg. S. V, 36; Rig-veda I, 189, 1), 'O Agni, lead us on a good path unto wealth, thou, O God, that knowest all works! keep thou from us the sin that leadeth astray, and we will offer unto thee most ample adoration!' He thereby places Agni in front, and Agni marches in front repelling the evil spirits; and they take him thither on a (way) free from danger and injury. They proceed, and reach the Âgnîdhra; and he (the Adhvaryu) puts (the fire) down on the Âgnîdhra hearth.

12. Thereon, when laid down, he offers with the text (Vas. S. V, 37), 'May this Agni make wide room for us; may he march in front smiting the haters! May he gain riches in the winning of riches: may he, fiercely rushing, conquer the enemies, Hail!' By means of him (Agni) he thus takes a firm stand in that resting-place, the aerial region, and gains that world.

13. In the same place they deposit the pressing-stones, the Soma-trough, and Vâyu's cups⁴⁷. Having then taken up the other (objects), they proceed and deposit them north of the Âhavanîya.

14. The Adhvaryu takes the sprinkling-water, and sprinkles first the fire-wood, and then the altar. They then hand to him the altar-grass. He puts it down with the knot towards the east, and sprinkles it. Having poured (the remaining sprinkling-water) upon (the root ends of the altar-grass), and untied the knot,--the Prastara-hunch of asvavâla grass is tied together (with the altar-grass),--he takes that; and having taken the Prastara, he spreads the altar-grass in a single layer. Having spread the altar-grass, he lays the enclosing-sticks of kârshmarya-wood round (the fire). Having laid the enclosing-sticks around, he puts two kindling-sticks (on the fire); and having put on the two kindling-sticks,

15. He offers with the text (Vâg. S. V., 38), 'Stride thou widely, O Vishnu, make wide room for our abode! drink the ghee, thou born of ghee, and speed the lord of the sacrifice ever onwards, Hail!' Thereby he takes a firm stand in that resting-place, the sky: he thus gains that world by offering with that (verse).

16. And as to his offering with a verse addressed to Vishnu, it was thus that they made him (Soma) to be too small for the deadly shaft and led him safely across in the form of a drop, for the drop is nimble. And having attained to safety, he now makes him the one he really is, namely, the sacrifice, for Vishnu is the sacrifice: therefore he offers with a verse addressed to Vishnu.

17. After depositing the spoons⁴⁸ and touching water, he makes the king (Soma) enter (the Havirdhâna shed). The reason why he makes the king enter, after depositing the spoons and touching water, is this. The ghee is the thunderbolt, and Soma is seed: hence it is after depositing the spoons and touching water that he makes the king enter, lest he should injure the seed Soma with the thunderbolt, the ghee.

18. He spreads the black deer-skin on the enclosed part of the southern Soma-cart, and sets him down thereon with (Vâg. S. V, 39), 'O divine Savitri, this is thy Soma: shield him; may they not injure thee!' whereby he makes him over to the God Savitri for protection.

19. Having quitted his hold of him, he (the sacrificer) renders homage to him with, 'Now, O divine Soma, hast thou, a god, joined the gods, and here I the men with increase of wealth.' Now Agni and Soma have seized him who consecrates himself between their jaws⁴⁹, for that consecration-offering belongs to Agni and Vishnu, and Vishnu forsooth is no other than Soma; and he himself that consecrates himself is the food of the gods: thus they have seized him between their jaws, and he now expressly redeems himself from Soma, when he says, 'Now, O divine Soma, hast thou, a god, joined the gods, and here (have I joined) the men with increase of wealth;'--increase of wealth means abundance: 'with abundance' he thereby means to say.

20. He then walks out (of the cart-shed), with, 'Hail! I am freed from Varuna's noose!' For he, truly, is in Varuna's noose who is in another's mouth: he now frees himself from Varuna's noose, when he says, 'Hail! I am freed from Varuna's noose.'

21. He then puts a kindling-stick on the Âhavanîya in this way⁵⁰, '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 form of thine hath been on me, (may) that (be) on thee; what bodily form of mine has been on thee, (may) that (be) here on me! Our vows, O lord of vows, (have been performed) rightly: the lord of consecration hath approved my consecration; the lord of penance hath approved my penance.' Thereby he frees himself visibly from Agni, and sacrifices with a self (body) now his own: hence they now partake of his food, for he is a man (again); hence they now use his (real) name, for he is a man. And as to their not eating (of his food) heretofore, it is as one would not eat of sacrificial food, before offering has been made thereof: therefore let no one partake of the food of one consecrated. He now loosens his fingers.

The animal sacrifice⁵¹ to Agni and Soma.

Fourth Brâhmana

A. The setting up of the sacrificial stake.

1. Being about to cut the sacrificial stake, he offers⁵² with a verse addressed to Vishnu. For the stake belongs to Vishnu; therefore he offers with a verse addressed to Vishnu.

2. And again, why he offers with a verse addressed to Vishnu--Vishnu being the sacrifice, he thus approaches the stake by means of the sacrifice: therefore he offers with a verse addressed to Vishnu.

3. If he offers with the offering-spoon, he offers after taking ghee by four ladlings; and if he offers with the dipping-spoon, he offers after 'cutting out' (some ghee from the pot) with the dipping-spoon,--with the text (Vâg. S. V, 41), 'Stride thou widely, O Vishnu, make wide room for our abode! drink the ghee, thou born of ghee, and speed the lord of the sacrifice ever onwards! Hail!'

4. He takes the ghee which is left (in the melting-pot). Whatever chopping-knife the carpenter uses, that the carpenter now takes. They then proceed (to the wood). Whatever (tree) they select for the stake,

5. That he touches while muttering (Vâg. S. V, 42),--or he salutes it while standing behind it with his face towards the east,--'I have passed over the others, I have not gone nigh the others--' he does indeed pass over others and does not go near to others: wherefore he says, 'I have passed over the others, I have not gone nigh the others.'

6. 'Thee have I found on the nearer side of the farther, and on the farther side of the nearer;' he does indeed fell it on the nearer side of the farther, of those that are farther away from it; and 'on the farther side of the nearer,' he says, because he does fell it on the farther side of the nearer, of those that are on this side of it. This is why he says, 'Thee have I found on the nearer side of the farther, and on the farther side of the nearer.'

7. 'Thee do we favour, O divine lord of the forest⁵³, for the worship of the gods.' As for the good work, he would favour (select) one from amidst many (men) and he (the chosen) would be well-disposed to that work, even so does he now, for the good work, favour that (tree) from amidst many, and it becomes well-disposed to the felling.

8. 'Thee may the gods favour for the worship of the gods!' for that is truly successful which the gods favour for the good work: therefore he says, 'Thee may the gods favour for the worship of the gods!'

9. He then touches it with the dipping-spoon, with, 'For Vishnu, thee!' for the stake belongs to Vishnu, since Vishnu is the sacrifice, and he fells this (tree) for the sacrifice: therefore he says, 'For Vishnu, thee!'

10. He then places a blade of darbha-grass between⁵⁴, with, 'O plant, shield it!' for the axe is a thunderbolt; but thus that thunderbolt, the axe, does not hurt it (the tree). He then strikes with the axe, with, 'O axe, hurt it not!' for the axe is a thunderbolt, but thus that thunderbolt, the axe, does not hurt it.

11. The first chip⁵⁵ which he cuts off, he takes (and lays aside). Let him cut (the tree) so as to cause no obstruction to the axle⁵⁶. For, indeed, it is on a cart that they convey it, and in this way he does not obstruct the cart.

12. Let him cut it so as to fall towards the east, for the east is the quarter of the gods; or towards the north, for the north is the quarter of men; or towards the west. But let him take care to keep it from (falling towards) the southern quarter, for that is the quarter of the Fathers: therefore he must take care to keep it from the southern quarter.

13. The falling (tree) he addresses with the text (Vâg. S. V; 43), 'Graze not the sky! hurt not the air! unite with the earth!' for verily that (tree) which they cut for the stake is a thunderbolt, and these worlds tremble for fear of that falling thunderbolt; but he thereby propitiates it for these worlds, and thus propitiated it injures not these worlds.

14. Now when he says, 'Graze not the sky,' he means to say, 'Injure not the sky!' In the words 'hurt not the air' there is nothing obscure. By 'Unite with the earth,' he means to say, 'Be thou in harmony with the earth!' 'For this sharp-edged axe hath led thee forward unto great bliss,' for this sharp axe indeed leads it forward.

15. Upon the stump he then offers ghee, 'lest the evil spirits should rise therefrom after (the tree):' ghee being a thunderbolt, he thus repels the evil spirits by means of the thunderbolt, and thus the evil spirits do not rise therefrom after it. And ghee being seed, he thus endows the trees with that seed; and from that seed (in) the stump trees are afterwards produced⁵⁷.

16. He sacrifices with, 'Grow thou out of this, O lord of the forest, with a hundred shoots! May we grow out with a thousand shoots!' There is nothing obscure in this.

17. Thereupon he cuts it (the stake of the proper length): of whatever length he cuts it the first time, so long let it remain.

18. He may cut it five cubits long; for fivefold is the sacrifice and fivefold is the animal (victim), and five seasons there are in the year: therefore he may cut it five cubits long.

19. He may cut it six cubits long; for six seasons there are in the year; and the year is a thunderbolt, as the sacrificial stake is a thunderbolt: therefore he may cut it six cubits long.

20. He may cut it eight cubits long, (for eight syllables has the Gâyatrî, and the Gâyatrî is the fore-part of the sacrifice, as the sacrificial stake is the fore-part of the sacrifice: therefore he may cut it eight cubits long.

21. He may cut it nine cubits long, for threefold is the sacrifice, and 'nine' is threefold: therefore he may cut it nine cubits long.

22. He may cut it eleven cubits long, for eleven syllables has the Trishtubh, and the Trishtubh is a thunderbolt, as the sacrificial stake is a thunderbolt: therefore he may cut it eleven cubits long.

23. He may cut it twelve cubits long, for twelve months there are in the year, and the year is a thunderbolt, as the sacrificial stake is a thunderbolt: therefore he may cut it twelve cubits long.

24. He may cut it thirteen cubits long, for thirteen months there are in a year, and the year is a thunderbolt, as the sacrificial stake is a thunderbolt: therefore he may cut it thirteen cubits long.

25. He may cut it fifteen cubits long, for the fifteen-versed chant is a thunderbolt⁵⁸, as the sacrificial stake is a thunderbolt: therefore he may cut it fifteen cubits long.

26. The sacrificial stake of the Vâgapeya sacrifice is seventeen cubits long. Indeed, it may be unmeasured⁵⁹, for with that same unmeasured thunderbolt did the gods conquer the unmeasured; and in like manner does he now conquer the unmeasured with that unmeasured thunderbolt: therefore it may even be unmeasured.

27. It is (made to be) eight-cornered, for eight syllables has the Gâyatrî, and the Gâyatrî is the fore-part of the sacrifice, as this (stake) is the forepart of the sacrifice: therefore it is eight-cornered.

Footnotes

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