Aitareyabrahmana 2.4: ADHYĀYA IV

Rigveda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas of the Rigveda (HOS 25) 2.4

Language: English

ADHYĀYA IV

ii. 25 (ix. 1). The gods could not agree in the drinking first of Soma, the king; ‘Let me drink first; let me drink first’ they desired. They said seeking agreement, ‘Come, let us run a race; he who of us wins shall drink first of the Soma.’ ‘Be it so’ (they replied). They ran a race; of them running the race when they had started Vāyu first took the lead, then Indra, then Mitra and Varuṇa, then the Açvins. Indra perceived of Vāyu ‘He is winning.’ He ran up after him (saying) ‘Let us share together; then let us win.’ He answered, ‘No; I alone shall win.’ ‘A third for me; then let us win’ (he said). ‘No,’ he answered, ‘I alone shall win.’ ‘A fourth for me; then let us win’ (he said). ‘Be it so’ (he replied); he admitted him to a fourth share; therefore Indra has a quarter as his portion, Vāyu three-quarters. Indra and Vāyu won together, then Mitra and Vāruṇa, then the Açvins. Their feeding is in accord with their winning; first for Indra and Vāyu, then for Mitra and Varuṇa, then for the Açvins. The Indra-Vāyu cup is drawn with a quarter for Indra. Seeing this the seer declares ‘With the teams, with Indra as charioteer.’ Therefore now also (when) the Bharatas attack the property of the Satvants,

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the charioteers claim a fourth (of the booty) by force of the example since then Indra becoming a charioteer as it were conquered.

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ii. 26 (ix. 2). The cups for two deities are the breaths; that for Indra and Vāyu is speech and breath; that for Mitra and Varuṇa eye and mind; that for the Açvins ear and self. Now some make the invitatory verses for that for Indra and Vāyu Anuṣṭubhs, and the offering verses Gāyatrīs (saying), ‘The cup for Indra and Vāyu is speech and breath; thus will the two be in accord with metres also.’ This is not to be regarded. Imperfection is produced in the sacrifice when the invitatory verse is longer than the offering verse; when the offering verse is the longer, that is perfect, and so also when they are equal. For whatever desire in speech or breath he thus acts, that is herein obtained. The first invitatory verse is addressed to Vāyu, the second to Indra and Vāyu and so with the offering verses. With the one addressed to Vāyu, he puts breath in order, for breath is Vāyu; then with the Indra line of (the verse) to Indra and Vāyu he puts speech in order, for speech is connected with Indra. He obtains the desire in breath and speech; he makes no unevenness in the sacrifice.

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ii. 27 (ix. 3). (The cups) for two deities are the breaths; they are drawn in one vessel; therefore the breaths have one name. They are offered in two vessels; therefore the breaths are in pairs. With the Yajus with which the Adhvaryu offers, the Hotṛ accepts. With ‘This the wealthy one, of much wealth; here the wealthy, of much wealth; in me the wealthy, of much wealth; protector of speech, protect my speech’ he partakes of (the cup) for Indra and Vāyu. ‘Invoked is speech together with breath; may speech together with breath invoke me; invoked are the seers, divine, guardians of the body, born of fervour; may the seers, the divine, invoke me, guardians of the body, born of fervour’ (he says); the seers, divine, guardians of the body, born of fervour are the breaths; verily thus he invokes them. With ‘This the wealthy, finding wealth; here the wealthy, finding wealth; in me the wealthy, finding wealth; guardian of the eye, guard mine eye’ he partakes of (the cup) for Mitra and Varuṇa. ‘Invoked is the eye together with mind; may the eye together with mind invoke me; invoked are the seers, divine, guardians of the body; born of fervour’ (he says); the seers, divine, guardians of the body, born of fervour are the

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breaths; verily thus he invokes them. With ‘This the wealthy, collecting wealth; here the wealthy, collecting wealth; in me the wealthy, collecting wealth; guardian of the earth, guard mine ear’ he partakes of (the cup) for the Açvins. ‘Invoked is the ear together with the self; may the ear together with the self invoke me; invoked are the seers, divine, guardians of the body, born of fervour; may the seers, divine, guardians of the body, born of fervour, invoke me’ (he says); the seers divine, guardians of the body, born of fervour, are the breaths; verily thus he invokes them. He partakes of (the cup) for Indra and Vāyu front to front ; therefore expiration and inspiration are in front; he partakes of (the cup) for Mitra and Varuṇa front to front; therefore the eyes are in front; he partakes of (the cup) for the Açvins carrying it all round; therefore both men and beasts hear speech speaking on all sides.

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ii. 28 (ix. 4). (The cups) for two deities are the breaths; without taking in breath he should say the offering verses for (the cups) for the deities, for the continuity of the breath and to avoid splitting the breaths. (The cups) for two deities are the breaths; he should not say the second _vaṣaṭ_ for (the cups) for two deities. If he were to say the second _vaṣaṭ_ for those for two deities, he would bring to rest the unresting breaths; the second _vaṣaṭ_ call is the ending. If one were then to say of him ‘He has brought to rest the unresting breaths; breath will forsake him,’ it would certainly be so. Therefore he should not say the second _vaṣaṭ_ for (the cups) for two deities. They say ‘Having twice expressed approval the Maitrāvaruṇa twice gives directions; having once expressed approval the Hotṛ twice says _vaṣaṭ_; what is the expression of approval of the Hotṛ?’ (The cups) for two deities are the breaths; the expression of approval is the thunderbolt; if the Hotṛ were to express approval between, with the expression as a thunderbolt he would pierce the breaths of the sacrificer. If one were then to say of him, ‘With the expression of approval as a thunderbolt he has pierced the breaths of the sacrificer,’ it would certainly be so. Therefore the Hotṛ should not express approval between (the two offering verses). Moreover the Maitrāvaruṇa is the mind of the sacrifice, the Hotṛ is the voice of the sacrifice. Impelled by mind speech speaks, for the speech which he speaks with mind elsewhere is demoniacal and not welcome to the gods; verily thus in that the Maitrāvaruṇa twice utters the expression of approval, this is the expression of approval of the Hotṛ.

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The Seasonal Cups.

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ii. 29 (ix. 5). The offerings to the seasons are the breaths; in that they proceed with the offerings to the seasons, verily thus they place the breaths in the sacrificer. Six (priests) offer (saying) ‘With the season’; verily thus they place expiration in the sacrifice; four with ‘With the seasons’ offer; verily thus they place inspiration in the sacrifice; twice with ‘With the season’ later; verily thus they place cross-breathing in the sacrificer. This breath is divided in three ways, expiration, inspiration, and cross-breathing. In that they offer (saying) ‘With the season,’ ‘with the seasons,’ ‘with the season,’ (it is) for the continuity of the breaths, to avoid splitting the breaths. The offerings to the seasons are the breaths; he should not say the second vaṣaṭ for the offerings to the seasons; the seasons are unresting; each (follows) each. If he were to say the second vaṣaṭ for the offerings to the seasons he would bring to rest the unresting seasons; the second vaṣaṭ is an ending. If one were then to say of him ‘He has brought to rest the unresting seasons; it will be an ill season’, it would certainly be so. Therefore he should not say the second vaṣaṭ for the offerings to the seasons.

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The Cups for two Deities (continued).

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ii. 30 (ix. 6). (The cups ) for two deities are the breaths; the sacrificial food is cattle. Having partaken of (the cups) for two deities he invokes the sacrificial food; the sacrificial food is cattle; verily thus he invokes cattle; he confers cattle upon the sacrificer. They say ‘Should he eat first the subdivided sacrificial food? (Or) should he partake of the Hotṛ’s goblet?’ First should he eat the subdivided sacrificial food, and then should he partake of the Hotṛ’s goblet. In that he partakes first of (the cups) for two deities, thereby is the Soma drink first partaken of by him; therefore should he first eat the subdivided sacrificial food, and then partake of the Hotṛ’s goblet; then on both sides he envelopes food with Soma drinkings, to envelope food. (The cups) for two deities are the breaths; the Hotṛ’s

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goblet is the body; the remains of (the cups) for two deities he pours down into the Hotṛ's goblet; verily thus the Hotṛ places the breaths in the body, with full life for fullness of life; a full life lives he who knows thus.

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The Silent Praise.

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ii. 31 (ix. 7). What the gods did at the sacrifice, that the Asuras did; they were of even strength and were not discriminated. Then indeed the gods saw this silent praise; that of them the Asuras could not follow. The silent praise is a silent essence. Whatever weapon the gods raised against the Asuras that the Asuras perceived and countered; then the gods saw this silent praise as a thunderbolt; they raised it against them; it the Asuras did not counter; it they hurled at them; with it not countered they smote them; then indeed the gods prospered, the Asuras were defeated. He prospers himself, the wicked rival who hates him is defeated, who knows thus. The gods, regarding themselves as victors, were performing the sacrifice; to it the Asuras came (thinking) 'We will make a confusion of the sacrifice.' They saw them ranged round on all sides, daring; they said, 'Let us conclude this sacrifice; let not the Asuras injure our sacrifice.' 'Be it so' (they replied). They concluded it in the silent praise. With 'Bhūḥ, Agni, light, light, Agni' they concluded the Ājya and Praüga (Çastras). With 'Indra, light, bhuvaḥ, light, Indra' they concluded the Niṣkevalya and Marutvatīya (Çastras). With 'Sūrya, light, light, svar, Sūrya' they concluded the Vaiçvadeva and Āgnimāruta (Çastras). So they concluded it in the silent praise; having thus concluded it in the silent praise they attained the end with it uninjured. Then indeed does the sacrifice come to a conclusion, when the Hotṛ recites the silent praise. If any person should after the recitation of the silent praise reproach him or curse him, he should say of him, 'He will fall into this misfortune (he invokes). Early to-day we complete this when the silent praise is recited. Just as one may attend upon one come to his house with due performance, even so now do we attend upon this.' He falls into this misfortune who knowing thus, after the silent praise is recited, either reproaches or curses. Therefore one who knows thus should not reproach or curse when the silent praise has been recited.

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ii. 32 (ix. 8). The silent praise is the eyes of the pressings. 'Bhūḥ, Agni, light, light, Agni' is the eyes of the morning pressing. 'Indra, light,

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bhuvaḥ, light, Indra' is the eyes of the midday pressing. 'Sūrya, light, light, svar, Sūrya' is the eyes of the third pressing. He prospers with pressings possessed of eyes; with pressings possessed of eyes he goes to the world of heaven who knows thus. The silent praise is the eye of the sacrifice. The exclamation being one is said twice; therefore the eye being one is (manifested) twice. The silent praise is the root of the sacrifice: if he desire of a man 'May he be homeless', he should not recite the silent praise at his sacrifice; verily thus he comes to ruin along with the sacrifice which being without a root falls to ruin. They say 'He should certainly recite; it is not good for the priest, if the Hotṛ does not recite the silent praise, for on the priest rests the whole sacrifice, on the sacrifice the sacrificer; therefore must it be recited.'

Linked texts (1)

Aitareyabrāhmaṇa — Mahidāsa Aitareya, Sanskrit