Aitareyabrahmana 1.2: ADHYĀYA II

Rigveda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas of the Rigveda (HOS 25) 1.2

Language: English

ADHYĀYA II

i. 7 (ii. 1). In that there is the introductory (sacrifice), thereby they advance to the world of heaven; that is why the introductory (sacrifice: Prāyaṇīya) has its name (advancing). The introductory (sacrifice) is expiration, the concluding (sacrifice) is out-breathing, the Hotṛ is common, for expiration and out-breathing are common, for the arrangement of the breaths, for the discrimination of the breaths. The sacrifice went away from the gods; the gods could do nothing, they could not discern it. They said to Aditi, 'Through thee let us discern the sacrifice.' She said, 'So be it, but let me choose a boon from you.' 'Choose' (they replied). This boon she choose, 'Let the sacrifices begin from me and end with me.' 'So be it' (they replied). Therefore there is a pap to Aditi as introductory (offering), (a pap) to Aditi as concluding (offering), for as a boon by her was this chosen. Moreover she chose this boon, 'Through me shall ye know the eastern quarter, through Agni the southern, through Soma the western, through Savitṛ the northern.' He says the offering verse for Pathyā; in that he says the offering verse for Pathyā, therefore does yonder (sun) arise in the east and set in the west, for it follows Pathyā. He says the offering verse for Agni; in that he says the offering verse for Agni, therefore from the south the plants come first ripe, for the plants are connected with Agni. He says the offering verse for Soma; in that he says the

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offering verse for Soma therefore westward flow many rivers, for the waters are connected with Soma. He says the offering verse for Savitṛ; in that he says the offering verse for Savitṛ, therefore on the north-west he that blows blows most, for he blows instigated by Savitṛ. For Aditi last he says the offering verse; in that he says the offering verse for Aditi last, therefore yonder (sky) wets this (earth) with rain and snuffs it up. For five deities does he say the offering verses; the sacrifice is fivefold; all the regions are in order, the sacrifice also is in order, for that people is (all) in order, where there is a Hotṛ knowing thus.

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i. 8 (ii. 2). He who desires brilliance and splendour should turn towards the east with the libations of the fore-offerings; the eastern quarter is brilliance and splendour; brilliant and resplendent does he become who knowing thus goes to the east. He who desires proper food should turn towards the south with the libations of the fore-offerings; Agni is eater of food and lord of food; he becomes an eater of food, a lord of food, with his offspring he attains proper food who knowing thus turns to the south. He who desires cattle should turn west with the libations of the fore-offerings; the waters are cattle; he becomes possessed of cattle who knowing thus turns west. He who desires the drinking of Soma should turn north with the libations of the fore-offerings; Soma the king is in the north; he obtains the drinking of Soma who knowing thus turns north; the upward region is heavenly; in all the quarters he prospers. These worlds are turned towards one another; turned towards him these worlds shine for prosperity for him who knows thus. For Pathyā he says the offering verse; in that he says the offering verse for Pathyā, verily thus at the beginning of the sacrifice he gathers speech together. Agni and Soma are expiration and inspiration, Savitṛ (serves) for instigation, Aditi for support. Verily for Pathyā he says the offering verse; in that he says the offering verse for Pathyā, verily thus with speech he leads the sacrifice to the path. Agni and Soma are the eyes; Savitṛ (serves) for instigation, Aditi for support. By the eye the gods discerned the sacrifice; by the eye that is discerned which cannot be discerned; therefore even after wandering in confusion, when a man perceives with the eye immediately, then he discerns indeed. In that the gods discerned the sacrifice, in this (earth) they discerned, in it they gathered together; from it is the sacrifice extended, from it is it performed, from it is it gathered

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together, for Aditi is this (earth). Thus he says the offering verse for Aditi last; in that he says the offering verse for Aditi last, it is for the discernment of the sacrifice, for the revealing of the world of heaven.

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i. 9 (ii. 3). ‘The subjects of the gods should be brought into order,’ they say; ‘as they are brought into order, the subjects of men come into order.’ All the subjects come into order, the sacrifice comes into order also, (all) is in order for that people where there is a Hotṛ knowing thus. He recites,

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‘Prosperity to us in the ways, in the deserts,
Prosperity in the waters, in the abode which hath the light,
Prosperity to us in the wombs that bear children,
Prosperity for wealth do ye, O Maruts, bestow.’

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The Maruts are the subjects of the gods; verily thus at the beginning of the sacrifice he brings them into order. ‘With all the metres should he say the offering verse,’ they say; having sacrificed with all the metres, the gods conquered the world of heaven; verily thus the sacrificer having sacrificed with all the metres conquers the world of heaven. ‘Prosperity to us in the ways, in the deserts’ and ‘The highest safety in the way’ are the Triṣṭubh verses for Pathyā Svasti. ‘O Agni, lead us by a fair path to wealth’ and ‘We have come to the path of the gods’ are the Triṣṭubh verses for Agni. ‘Thou, O Soma, skilled in thought’ and ‘Thine abodes in the sky, on the earth’ are the Triṣṭubh verses for Soma. ‘The god of all, the lord of the good’ and ‘Who all these beings’ are the Gāyatrī verses for Savitṛ. ‘The good protector, the earth, sky unequalled’ and ‘The great one, the mother of those of good vows’ are the Jagatī verses for Aditi. These are all the metres, Gāyatrī, Triṣṭubh, and Jagatī, the others are dependent (on them), for these are used most prominently in the sacrifice. By means of these metres the sacrificer has sacrificed with all metres, who knows thus.

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i. 10 (ii. 4). The invitatory and offering verses of this oblation contain the words ‘forward’, ‘lead’, ‘path’, and ‘prosperity’; having sacrificed with them the gods won the world of heaven; verily thus also the sacrificer having sacrificed with them wins the world of heaven. In them there is the line, ‘Prosperity for wealth do ye, O Maruts, bestow’; the Maruts, as subjects of the gods, occupy the atmosphere; whoever without notification to them goes to the world of heaven they are likely to obstruct him or to crush him. In that he says, ‘Prosperity for wealth do ye, O Maruts, bestow,’ he announces the sacrificer to the Maruts the subjects of the gods;

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the Maruts, the subjects of the gods, do not obstruct him as he goes to the world of heaven, nor do they crush him. Prosperously they speed him to the world of heaven who knows thus. The invitatory and offering verses of the oblation for Sviṣṭakṛt should be the two Virāj verses of thirty-three syllables, ‘May Agni here be above the other Agnis’ and ‘The Agni who guardeth from the foe’. Having sacrificed with the two Virāj verses, the gods won the world of heaven; verily thus also the sacrificer having sacrificed with two Virāj verses wins the world of heaven. They are of thirty-three syllables; the gods are thirty-three, eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, twelve Ādityas, Prajāpati, and the vaṣaṭ call. Thus at the very beginning of the sacrifice he makes the deities sharers in the syllables; verily thus syllable by syllable he delights a deity; verily thus by a vessel for the gods he gladdens the deities.

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i. 11 (ii. 5). ‘The introductory (sacrifice) should be performed with the fore-offerings but without the after-offerings’ they say; ‘in that there are after-offerings in the introductory (sacrifice), there is deficiency as it were, and delay as it were.’ That is not to be regarded. It should be performed with the fore-offerings and also with the after-offerings; the fore-offerings are the breaths, the after-offerings offspring; if he were to omit the fore-offerings he would omit the breaths of the sacrificer; if he were to omit the after-offerings, he would omit the offspring of the sacrificer; therefore should it be performed with the fore-offerings and also with the after-offerings. He should not perform the joint sacrifices for the wives (with the gods), nor should he offer with the concluding Yajus. By so much is the sacrifice incomplete. He should preserve the scrapings of the introductory (sacrifice) and mingle them with the concluding (sacrifice), for the continuity of the sacrifice, to prevent a breach in the sacrifice. Or rather in the pot in which he throws the introductory (sacrifice) into that he should throw the concluding (sacrifice). By so much the sacrifice becomes continuous and without a breach. ‘Thereby they prosper in yonder world, not in this,’ they say, ‘in that it is introductory (advancing); as introductory they offer, as introductory they proceed; verily the sacrificers advance away from this world.’ In ignorance verily they say thus. He should intertwine the invitatory and the offering verses; the invitatory verses of the introductory (sacrifice) he should make the offering verses of the concluding (sacrifice); the invitatory verses of the concluding (sacrifice) he should make the offering verses of the introductory (sacrifice). Thus he intertwines for success in both worlds, for support in both worlds; in both worlds is he successful, in

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both worlds he finds support. He finds support who knows thus. There is a pap for Aditi at the introductory, and one for Aditi at the concluding (sacrifice), for the support of the sacrifice, for the tying of the knots of the sacrifice, to prevent the slipping of the sacrifice. Just as then, he used to say, one ties the knots at both ends of a rope to prevent slipping, so at both ends of the sacrifice he ties knots to prevent slipping, in that there is a pap for Aditi at the introductory and also one for Aditi at the concluding sacrifice. With Pathyā Svasti hence they advance, in Pathyā Svasti they end; prosperously hence they advance, prosperously they end.

Linked texts (1)

Aitareyabrāhmaṇa — Mahidāsa Aitareya, Sanskrit