Śāṅkhāyana (Kauṣītaki) Āraṇyaka 2

English (machine translation) 2

Language: English

2.1

ŚĀ 2.1
With the hiṃkāra he begins this uktha. Breath indeed is the hiṃkāra; with breath alone he begins this uktha. Moreover, strength and sap indeed are the hiṃkāra; he thus places strength and sap in this uktha. Moreover, immortality indeed is the hiṃkāra; he thus places immortality in himself. The Rājana is the pṛṣṭha stoma chant. This indeed is the manifest sāman, namely the Rājana. Thus he makes it thrive with its own sāman. It is [chanted] on undefined verses. Prajāpati indeed is undefined. That is a form connected with Prajāpati. 'It should be on verses containing "ka",' some say. Prajāpati indeed is Ka. That is a form connected with Prajāpati. Then he recites this silent recitation (tūṣṇīṃśaṃsa) in a whisper. Speech indeed is this day; the silent recitation is the mind. With the mind alone he thus makes speech thrive. 'That indeed was the eldest among the worlds' is the stotriya triplet. 'Growing through might, of abundant power' contains the root vṛdh (grow) and contains mahat (great). For this day has the character of mahat.
This self consists of twenty-five [parts]. He recites it joined with the Nada hymn. The self indeed consists of twenty-five [parts]; offspring and cattle are the adjunction. Thus with offspring, with cattle, with servants, with food, he unites the self. 'Nada, of you who stream...'—he makes the Triṣṭubh pādas the former and the pādas of Nada the latter. Having joined the first pāda of the Nada to the first Triṣṭubh pāda, he pauses. Having joined the second to the second Triṣṭubh, he utters the praṇava (oṃ). Having joined the third to the third Triṣṭubh, he pauses. Having joined the fourth to the fourth Triṣṭubh, he utters the praṇava. Having thus transposed the first [verse], he recites it three times; the subsequent [verses] he recites straight on, transposed in the same way. That which is the third [verse] of the hymn: he leaves out its second half-verse and the second [half-verse] of the Nada. That is this aperture of the mouth; with it he speaks speech, for with the mouth one speaks speech. He recites those two before the Dvipadās; thus his stotriya is not separated, after having recited the self.
Then [by reciting] the sūdadohas [verse] the joints become united. Moreover, water indeed is the sūdadohas; with water indeed these joints are united. Moreover, immortality indeed is the sūdadohas; he thus places immortality in himself. And this is the form of this sūdadohas: just as there might be a glue or a leather strap as a fastener of wood, even so the sūdadohas is the fastener of the eighty triplets of all the Vedas.

2.2

ŚĀ 2.2
Then he recites these head verses. They are three triplets. Three indeed are the skull-bones of this head. He unites them with these [verses]. Those three again [become] three times three individually; they are nine verses. Nine indeed are the breaths in the head. They contain the word arka. That is the form of this day.

2.3

ŚĀ 2.3
Then he recites this neck hymn. It consists of three verses. Three indeed are the joints of this neck. He unites them with these [verses]. The last is an Uṣṇih. That is this collarbone, split, not disjointed.

2.4

ŚĀ 2.4
Then he recites this axle verse. It is a Triṣṭubh. Therefore the axle is the thickest. 'Lofty are the arms of you, the old one, O Indra' is appropriate to the arms. Then he recites the stotriya and anurūpa verses of the Rathantara. The Brāhmaṇa concerning them has been stated. Then he recites the insertion verse (dhāyyā). This [earth] indeed is the dhāyyā, for this [earth] is placed (hitā) among all beings. It is placed on the right side. Therefore a woman lies on the right side of a man. Then he recites the pragātha of the Rathantara. The Brāhmaṇa concerning it has been stated. 'He alone is to be invoked among the peoples' is the hymn, [recited] pāda by pāda. Having taken out the second [verse] of it, [he inserts] 'For every other enemy has approached.' That which is the second [verse] of that [other hymn], that he makes the second here. Thus he intertwines these two wings so that they do not break off.

2.5

ŚĀ 2.5
Then he recites this hand verse. It consists of three verses. Three indeed are the joints of this hand. He unites them with these [verses]. The first is an Atichandas; that is this thumb. Therefore this thumb goes against all the fingers. The right wing belongs to the Rathantara. Then the left wing belongs to the Bṛhat. By this the Brāhmaṇa is stated. Those two wings, belonging to the Bṛhat and Rathantara, consist of twenty-four [verses]. Twenty-four indeed are the half-months of the year, for the attainment of the year.

2.6

ŚĀ 2.6
Then he recites these [verses] increasing by four: that is the backbone. They are twenty-one verses. Twenty-one indeed are the joints of this backbone. He unites them with these [verses]. They are seven triplets. Seven indeed are the metres, for the attainment of all the metres. They contain the word arka. That is the form of this day.

2.7

ŚĀ 2.7
Then he recites these [sets of] eighty [triplets]. With them he recites after the stotriyas: with the Gāyatrī [set] after the Gāyatra, and with the Auṣṇiha and Bārhata [sets] after the Bṛhat and Rathantara. This Gāyatrī is the right side, the Auṣṇihī the left, the Bārhatī the middle. For this food of the self is placed in the middle. Between two Triṣṭubhs is a Triṣṭubh nivad verse. Belonging to Viśvāmitra, containing the word arka, they are appropriate. For Viśvāmitra saw this. The opening verses contain mahat and contain vṛdh. They contain mahat and contain vṛdh; for this day has the character of mahat, of mahat.

2.8

ŚĀ 2.8
With 'Great is Indra, who by his might...' he begins the Gāyatrī eighty [triplets], and with 'With the stomata of Vatsa he grew...', which contains mahat and contains vṛdh. They contain mahat and contain vṛdh; for this day has the character of mahat, of mahat.

2.9

ŚĀ 2.9
With [the verse], 'Bring us the advantages, O Indra,' he commences the Bārhata eighty [of verses], [with the words], 'and increase the singer here, O Bounteous One,' which contains [a word meaning] 'great' and [a word meaning] 'increase.' It contains 'great' and contains 'increase.' For great—great indeed is this day. 'May this be dear to thee' [and] 'Come, O Indra, with [thy] delightful bay steeds' are the two hymns. Now, as to why he recites these at the end: [he thinks,] 'Let me ascend to the Auṣṇiha eighty with fully completed Bṛhatī [verses].'

2.10

ŚĀ 2.10
With [the verse], 'Indra, when the soma is pressed,' he commences the Auṣṇiha eighty, [with the words], 'I know him of increased strength; for great is he,' which contains [a word meaning] 'increase' and [a word meaning] 'great.' It contains 'increase' and contains 'great.' For great indeed is this day. When recited, these eighties amount to seven hundred and twenty verses. Seven hundred and twenty indeed are the days and nights of a year; thus by means of the eighties he obtains the days and nights of a year. Some indeed make up [the verses into] Uṣṇihs from Gāyatrīs by means of the sāman cadences. Some also take back four-syllable [units]: from the Bārhata eighty, he takes out eighty four-syllable [units]; from the Kākubha Pragāthas, twenty-four four-syllable [units]; these are one hundred and four four-syllable [units]; he places them onto the one hundred and four Gāyatrīs. In this way those Gāyatrīs become Uṣṇihs. One should not heed this. Right here it is accomplished [with]: 'Sing a chant to Indra.' Now, as to why he recites this at the end: [he thinks,] 'Let me ascend to the Vaśa with fully completed Uṣṇih [verses].'

2.11

ŚĀ 2.11
Then he recites the Vaśa. The belly indeed is the Vaśa. With that fully prepared, he should desire to go on without break. Whatever is outside from here, that he cooks precisely from there, which is inside the belly. Therefore many deities and many metres are recited in the Vaśa. Therefore much food of all forms is deposited here in the belly. Then these two separated half-verses. Then the Sūdadohas [verse]. It is discharged from right there. Here it is recited twenty-four times.

2.12

ŚĀ 2.12
Then he recites these Dvipadā [verses]. The Dvipadā [metre] is indeed a metre serving as a firm foundation, precisely for the sake of a firm foundation.

2.13

ŚĀ 2.13
Then he recites this hymn to Indra and Agni, recited in Gāyatrī metre. Indra and Agni are indeed a firm foundation, precisely for the sake of a firm foundation.

2.14

ŚĀ 2.14
Then he recites this insertion. The insertion is indeed a firm foundation, precisely for the sake of a firm foundation. And then, these very ones become directed downwards again.

2.15

ŚĀ 2.15
Then he recites this collection in the Anuṣṭubh metre. Speech indeed is this day; speech is the Anuṣṭubh; thus he establishes speech in speech. With [the hymn beginning], 'They went to heaven,' he reaches the gods by means of this hymn. The triplet, 'He in the ancient manner, the increaser of sages,' contains [the word] 'arka'; thereby it is successful. The final [verse] is in Gāyatrī metre; thereby it is successful. 'Rule in this manner, great art thou' contains [the word] 'great.' For great indeed is this day.

2.16

ŚĀ 2.16
Then he recites this century of Triṣṭubh [verses]. Triṣṭubh is indeed Indra's own metre; thus he makes him prosper through his own metre. The hymn of Hiraṇyastūpa and the hymn beginning 'With thy aids' are connected with the Bṛhat and Rathantara [sāmans], for the Bṛhat and Rathantara have been made beforehand. The Sajanīya hymn and 'O Adhvaryus, bring soma to Indra'—these are twenty-seven verses. Twenty-seven indeed are the asterisms (nakṣatras). Thus he obtains the asterismal Virāj metre. He should recite [the hymns] of Viśvāmitra, for Viśvāmitra saw this. He should recite [the hymns] of Vāmadeva, for this is dear (vāma) to the gods. He should recite [the hymns] of Vasiṣṭha, for this is best (vasiṣṭha) among the gods. There, beforehand, he recites the verse-line insertions of the Udbrahmīya hymn. All desires are indeed in this inner recitation. Just as, having released cattle into an enclosure, one would bind it around with a cross-bar and peg, even so, with these verse-line insertions, having enclosed all desires on both sides, he places them in himself. And the final [verse] of the Udbrahmīya hymn contains [the word] 'arka.' That is the characteristic of this day. He concludes [the recitation] with [a verse] recited thrice. Having concluded, he mutters the verse-potency of the recitation (okthavīrya). The former belongs to the one-day soma rite. For the day is indeed a firm foundation, precisely for the sake of a firm foundation. The latter belongs to the Mahāvrata rite. 'Great art thou' contains [the word] 'great.' For great indeed is this day.

2.17

ŚĀ 2.17
When that Sūdadohas [verse] is recited once, being counted as an adjunct throughout the whole recitation, excluding the silent recitation, it amounts to a thousand Bṛhatīs. Of this very thousand of Bṛhatīs, there are thirty-six thousand syllables. That many are the days of a hundred-year lifespan. Thus he obtains the days of a hundred-year lifespan. Some indeed say that it is accomplished in the Anuṣṭubh [metre]: 'Speech indeed is this day; speech is the Anuṣṭubh; speech is indeed all beings; and speech is this all.' However, it is settled that it is accomplished in the Bṛhatī metre. He who burns here is indeed of the nature of the Bṛhatī. Thus he makes him prosper through his own metre. He calls upon [the deities] thrice. Three indeed are these worlds. Thus he obtains these worlds. The offering verse (yājyā) is that of the one-day soma rite; the one-day soma rite is indeed a firm foundation, precisely for the sake of a firm foundation. While the second vaṣaṭ-call is not yet made, they untie the swing. Holding the cup, he descends eastward from it, and pushes the board of the swing westward. Touching the cup, he mutters: 'May I follow this victory that I have won, lest I detach myself from this victory.' The supplementary libation (atigrāhya) belongs to Viśvakarman. This day indeed belongs to Prajāpati. Prajāpati is Viśvakarman; thus he makes him prosper through his own form. Indra told this day to Aṅgiras, and Aṅgiras to Dīrghatamas. Thereupon Dīrghatamas lived for ten lifespans of man. As to that, the seer also says: 'Dīrghatamas, son of Mamatā, growing old in the tenth decade of life.' 'This recitation belongs to one who desires a full lifespan,' Kauṣītaki used to say. Therefore, he who, knowing thus, recites this day, attains a full lifespan in this world; he obtains immortality and imperishability in the heavenly world.

2.18

"We choose that [favour] of Savitṛ" is the opening verse of the Vaiśvadeva recitation. "We choose" contains [the word] "great"; for great is this day. "Today for us, divine Savitṛ" is the subsequent verse. "May we meditate on all blessings" contains [the word] "great"; for great is this day. "That great desirable [grace] of the divine Savitṛ" is the hymn to Savitṛ containing [the word] "great"; for great is this day. "Truly they, heaven and earth, all-beneficent" is the hymn to Heaven and Earth; "of broad expanse, great, unfailing" contains [the word] "great"; for great is this day. "Who has come to us, the eldest or the youngest?" is the hymn to the Ṛbhus. "We have not blamed the chalice, which is of great lineage" contains [the word] "great"; for great is this day. "Of this lovely grey Hotṛ" is the watery hymn to the Viśvedevas; for watery is this [aspect] of the gods. He inserts the nivid of the one-day soma rite; for the one-day soma rite is a support, for the sake of support. The hymn to Vaiśvānara belongs to the one-day rite; / for the one-day soma rite is a support, for the sake of support. "The zealous Maruts with shining spears" is the hymn to the Maruts. "Exalted, great, wide do ye reign" contains [the word] "exalted"; for great is this day. "Truly thus was seen, placed upon the omenta" is the hymn to Jātavedas; its final verse is "Agni has been praised with energetic songs", which contains [the word] "song". That is the form of this day. These are the hymns of the Agnimāruta recitation; these are the hymns of this day. Thus the Agniṣṭoma comes to its conclusion. Brahman indeed is the Agniṣṭoma; Brahman is this day. In Brahman alone do they thus establish Brahman. Those who perform this day obtain immortality, those who perform this day.

2.19

Thus ends the second adhyāya in the Śāṅkhāyana Āraṇyaka.

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Śāṅkhāyanāraṇyaka — Sanskrit