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The Satapatha Brahmana: Twelfth Kânda, Fifth Adhyâya
First Brâhmana
Ceremonies in connection with the death of the Agnihotrin.
1. They also say, 'If that performer of a long sacrificial session--to wit, he who (regularly) offers the Agnihotra--were to die whilst staying abroad, are they to sacrifice for him or not?' Now, some indeed think that (his Agnihotra) should be offered till they get home1; but let him not do so, for that (fire) does not submit thereto that they should offer to it, as for the burning of a dead body: it is rather to sacrifice and oblations that it submits, and, unable to endure it, it stays by him with impatience.
2. And some, indeed, say, 'They (the fires) should lie in the very same condition, kept up (with fuel) but without offering being made on them;' but let him not do so, for that (fire) does not submit thereto that they should kindle it as for the burning of a dead body: it is rather to sacrifice and oblations that it submits, and, unable to endure it, it stays by him with impatience.
3. And some, indeed, having lifted the two fires on the churning-sticks, lay them down, and churn it (the new fire) out on his being brought (home); but let him not do so, for that (fire) does not submit thereto that they should churn it out as for the burning of a dead body: it is rather to sacrifice and oblations that it submits, and, unable to endure it, it stays by him with impatience.
4. Let him rather proceed thus:--let him hid them seek for a cow suckling an adopted calf, and let him make offering with milk from her; for tainted is that milk which comes from a cow suckling an adopted calf, and tainted is the Agnihotra of one who is dead: by thus removing the tainted by the tainted, he becomes more glorious.
5. Concerning this there also is a simile:--if two smashed cars were to (be made to) unite there would be at least one (fit) for driving.
6. The procedure of this same Agnihotra (is as follows):--He causes her to be milked whilst eastward invested2; for, sacrificially invested, one gets (the Agnihotra-cow) milked for the gods, but in the case of the Fathers it is done thus.
7. He does not put (the milk) on the (burning) coals3; for were he to put it on coals he would be doing (what is done) for the gods: having shifted some hot cinders from the Gârhapatya towards the right (south) side, he puts it thereon, and thus makes it to be sacred to the Fathers.
8. He does not cause the light (of a burning straw) to fall upon it, nor does he pour water to it; for were he to make the light fall on it, and to pour water to it, he would be doing-(what is done) for the gods. He does not take it off thrice, setting it down each time4; for were he take it off thrice, setting it down each time, he would be doing (what is done) for the gods: only once he takes it off drawing it downwards5, and thus makes it to be sacred to the Fathers.
9. He does not say, 'I will ladle out6!' nor does he ladle out (the milk) four times; for were he to say 'I will ladle out!' and were he to ladle out four times, he would be doing (what is done) for the gods: only once he silently turns it upside down (into the spoon), and thus makes it to be sacred to the Fathers.
10. He does not take it (to the Âhavanîya) whilst holding a kindling-stick over (the handle of the spoon7); for were he to take it (there) whilst holding a kindling-stick over it, he would be doing (what is done) for the gods: he takes it whilst holding (a billet) underneath, and thus makes it to be sacred to the Fathers.
11. He does not pass along the north side of the Gârhapatya8, for were he to pass along the north side of the Gârhapatya he would be doing (what is done) for the gods: he passes along the south side of the Gârhapatya, and thus makes it to be sacred to the Fathers.
12. And that sacrificial grass which (ordinarily) is lying with its tops towards the north he lays so as to have its tops towards the south, and thus makes (the offering) to be sacred to the Fathers. And having put a kindling-stick on the Âhavanîya, and bent his left knee, he silently turns (the ladle) once upside down (pouring the milk into the fire) and thus makes it to be sacred to the Fathers. He neither shakes (the spoon) upwards9, nor wipes it, nor does he eat (the milk left in the spoon), nor does he throw it out: he thus makes it to be sacred to the Fathers.
13. They also say, 'If that performer of a long sacrificial session--to wit, he who (regularly) offers the Agnihotra--were to die whilst staying abroad, how would they supply him with his fires?' Well, some, having burnt him, bring (the bones) home and make the fires smell him as he is brought; but let him not do this, for this would be as if he were to seek to cause the seed implanted in one womb to be born forth from another womb. Having brought home the bones, let him throw them on a black antelope skin, and arrange them in accordance with man's form, and having covered them with wool and sprinkled with ghee, let him by burning unite him with his fires: he thus causes him to be born from his own (maternal) womb.
14. And some, indeed, burn him in (ordinary) fire (procured) in the village; but let him not do this, for such fire is a promiscuous eater, an eater of raw flesh: it would be capable of devouring him completely, together with his sons and his cattle.
15. And some, indeed, burn him in a forest-fire; but let him not do this; for such fire is unappeased: it would be capable of burning him up together with his sons and his cattle.
16. And some, indeed, burn him in a firebrand; but let him not do this; for such fire belongs to Rudra: it would be capable of destroying him together with his sons and his cattle.
17. And some, indeed, build up a funeral pile in the midst of the (three) fires, and, by burning him, unite him with his fires, thinking, 'There,--to wit, in the midst of his fires,--assuredly is the Sacrificer's abode.' But let him not do this; for if in that case any one were to say of him, 'Verily, this one has caused a cutting up in the middle of the village: the cutting up of him will speedily come about10: he will weep for his dearest;' then that would indeed be likely to come to pass.
Second Brâhmana
1. Now, Nâka Maudgalya once said, 'If he believe the Sacrificer to be about to die, let him take up the two fires in the churning-sticks, and, having churned out (a new fire), let him continue offering (the Agnihotra) at whatever place may have commended itself to him for the immolation11. And if the Sacrificer should then depart this world,--
2. Let him build a pile for him12 in the midst of his fires, and, by burning him, unite him with his fires.' But let him not do this; for, verily, that (fire) does not submit thereto that they should make offering to it as for the burning of a dead body: it is rather to sacrifice and oblations that it submits, and, unable to endure it, it stays by him with impatience.
3. He should rather proceed thus:--let him bid them seek three pots, and, having put therein either (dried) cowdung or straw13, let him place them separately on the (three) fires; and let them then burn him by means of the fires produced from that blaze: in this way he is indeed burned by (these) fires, though not visibly, so to speak.
4. Wherefore, also, it has been said by the Rishi (Vâg. S. XIII, 4514), 'The Agni who was born from Agni, from the pain of the earth or be it of the sky; whereby Visvakarman begat living beings, him, O Agni, may thy wrath spare!' As the verse, so its explanation.
5. Now, in the first place, he cleanses him of all foul matter, and causes the foul matter to settle on this (earth); for this (earth) is indeed foul matter: he thus consigns foul matter to foul matter. For, indeed, from that intestine of his, filled with foul matter, when it is burnt, a jackal is produced: (hence he removes it), 'lest a jackal should be produced.' But let him not do this, or his family will be liable to starve. Having washed him out inside, he anoints him with ghee, and thus makes it (the body) sacrificially pure.
6. He then inserts seven chips of gold in the seven seats of his vital airs; for gold is light and immortality: he thus bestows light and immortality on him.
7. Having then built a pile for him in the midst of his fires, and spread out a black antelope skin with the hairy side upwards, and the neck-part towards the east, he lays him down thereon with the face looking upwards, and puts the guhû-spoon filled with ghee on his right, and the upabhrit on his left hand, the dhruvâ on the breast, the Agnihotra-ladle on the mouth, two dipping-spoons on the nostrils, two prâsitra-haranas15 on the ears, the cup used for carrying forward the lustral water on the head, two winnowing-baskets at the sides, on the belly the vessel used for holding the cuttings (of the idâ), filled with clotted ghee, the wedge (yoke-pin) beside the male organ, two mallets beside the testicles, and behind them the mortar and pestle, the other sacrificial vessels between the thighs; and the wooden sword on the right hand.
8. Thus supplied with the sacrificial weapons (implements), that Sacrificer passes on to that place which has been won by him in heaven, even as if one who fears spoliation were to escape it; and, verily, those fires (which are) to be enkindled (will) lovingly touch him, even as sons lovingly touch their father when he comes home after staying abroad, and make everything ready for him16.
9. If the Gârhapatya were to reach him first, one may know that the permanent fire has reached him first: that he will permanently establish himself, and that those behind him will permanently establish themselves in this world.
10. And if the Âhavanîya were to do so, one may know that the foremost fire has reached him first: that he has been foremost in conquering the (other) world, and that those behind him will be foremost in this world.
11. And if the Anvâhâryapakana were to do so, one may know that the food-eating fire has reached him first: that he will eat food, and that those behind him will eat food (be prosperous) in this world.
12. And if they all (were to reach him) at the same time, one may know that he has conquered a blessed world. Such, then, are the distinctions in this respect.
13. This, then, is that offering of the Sacrificer's body which he performs at the end: front out of that place which has been won by him in heaven he arises immortal in the form of an oblation.
14. Whatever stone and earthen (vessels of the deceased) there are they may be given to a Brâhmana17; but, verily, he who accepts them is regarded as a remover of corpses. Let them rather throw these (vessels) into the water, for the waters are the foundation of all this (universe): he thus establishes him firmly on the waters.
15. Either a son (of the deceased), or a brother, or some other Brâhmana then performs that offering18, with (Vâg. S. XXXV, 22), 'From out of him thou (O Agni) art born: from out of thee let this N.N. be born again into the heavenly world, hail! They then go away without looking back. and touch water.
Footnotes
1. Prof. Delbrück, Altind. Syntax, p. 430, takes 'âgantoh' in the sense,--'(thinking) he may still come;' but cf. Katy. XXV, 8, 9 with comm., according to which, in case of an Agnihotrin dying away from home, his people are--if the place of his death be somewhere near his home--to take the body there; but if it be far from home, they are to kindle a fire by 'churning' and burn the body, and having collected the bones and taken them home, they are there to perform the punardâha, or second cremation; and in either case the Agnihotra is to be performed regularly for the deceased, in the evening and morning, 'till the body or the bones arrive at the house (grihâgamanaparyantam).' The force of 'iti' here evidently is,--(thinking,) 'we will do so until the home-coming.' Harisvâmin rightly resolves 'âgantoh' by 'â âgantoh.'
2. That is, wearing the Brâhmanical cord over the right shoulder, and under the left arm; instead of over the left shoulder, and under the right arm as is done at the sacrifice.
3. For boiling the milk for the Agnihotra burning coals are shifted northwards from the Gârhapatya, and the pot placed thereon; see part i, p. 330, note.
4. When a spoonful of water has been added to the Agnihotra-milk, and the light of a burning straw again thrown on it, the pot is taken up three several times and put down each time further north on the hot ashes; see part i, p. 331, note 1.
5. That is, down from the ashes--towards the south (where the Fathers, or departed ancestors, are supposed to reside),--whilst in the case of the ordinary Agnihotra he would be shifting the pot more and more upwards, or northwards. Cf. Kâty. XXV, 8, 10.
6. See XII, 4, 2, 8.
7. See part i, p. 331, note 4.
8. Possibly we ought to translate,--he does not go to the north side of the Gârhapatya (but to the south side)--that is, if he makes two oblations, not only on the Âhavanîya, but also on the Gârhapatya (as well as on the Dakshinâgni), in which case the Adhvaryu would be standing north (or rather north-west) of the fire. Cf. Kâty. IV, 14, 22-25.
9. Ordinarily, after the second libation, the priest twice jerks the spoon upwards, and then lays it down on a bunch of grass.
10. The burning of the dead body seems to be compared here with the cutting up of the victim which is done outside the sacrificial ground. Harisvâmin, indeed, takes 'grâma' here, not in the sense of 'village,' but in that of 'agnisamûha'--in the midst of the (set of) sacrificial fires--which, if it were possible, would certainly make the comparison even more striking.
11. Literally, at any place at which the cutting up may have commended itself to him (to take place). Whether this 'cutting up' is here to be taken figuratively of the burning of the corpse (dâhasthâne, Harisvâmin), or of the sacrifice of a barren cow, which may be performed in such a case, or of both, is not quite clear.
12. The construction would rather seem to be,--let him build him (i.e. the dead body) up as a pile amidst his fires.
13. The real meaning of 'sumbala' is not known,--acc. to the St. Petersb. Dict., some material which readily takes fire, such as straw or oakum. Harisvâmin takes it in the former sense,--trinâny alpasamsthitâni. Cf. Kâty. XXV, 7, 12 (?dried cotton fibre or pods).
14. Cf. VII, 5, 2, 21.
15. That is, two bowls used for holding the Brahman's 'fore-portions'; see part i, p. 69, note 4.
16. That is, they make everything comfortable for him, make him feel at home:--prakrishtam evainam svarge kalpayanti pratishthitam; nityasthitatvât pratishthâ gârhapatyah; comm.
17. According to Kâty. XXV, 7, 32, 33 the stone and earthen implements are to be thrown into the water; and metal ones may optionally be given to a Brahman (or likewise be thrown into the water).
18. According to Katy. XXV, 7, 34-37 a sterile cow may he offered prior to (or along with) the burning of the body: in which case the victim is to be killed by a blow behind the ear, and its kidneys are to be placed in the deceased's hands, whilst his face is to be covered with the omentum or membrane enclosing the intestines. The final offering referred to in the above passage consists of an oblation of ghee.
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