Aitareyabrahmana 3.1: ADHYĀYA I

Rigveda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas of the Rigveda (HOS 25) 3.1

Language: English

ADHYĀYA I

iii. 1 (xi. 1). The Praüga is a litany of the cups; nine cups are drawn in the morning; with nine (verses) do they sing in the Bahiṣpavamāna (Stotra); when the Stoma has been performed, he draws the tenth; the sound *hiṅ* of the other (verses) is the tenth; thus is there equality. (A triplet ) to Vāyu he recites; thereby has the Vāyu (cup) its litany. (A triplet ) to Indra and Vāyu he recites; thereby has (the cup) for Indra and Vāyu its litany. (A triplet ) for Mitra and Varuṇa he recites; thereby has (the cup) for Mitra and Varuṇa its litany. (A triplet ) for the Açvins he recites; thereby has (the cup) for the Açvins its litany. (A triplet ) for Indra he recites; thereby have (the cups) Çukra and Manthin litanies. (A triplet ) for the All-gods he recites; thereby has Āgrayaṇa cup its litany. (A triplet ) for Sarasvatī he recites; there is no cup for Sarasvatī, but Sarasvatī is speech; whatever cups are drawn with speech, they have all litanies recited for him, they become possessed of litanies for him, who knows thus.

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iii. 2 (xi. 2). By the Praüga he wins proper food; now various deities are celebrated in the Praüga, different litanies are performed in the Praüga, different kinds of food are placed in the cups of him who knows thus. Now the Praüga is the most related to the self of the litanies for the sacrificer as it were; ‘therefore it is most to be perfected as it were by him, they say, ‘for by it the Hotṛ makes him perfect.’ (A triplet ) to Vāyu he recites; therefore they say ‘The breath is Vāyu, seed is the

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breath; seed comes into existence first when man comes into existence.’ In that he recites (a triplet) to Viṣṇu, verily thus he makes his breath perfect. (A triplet) to Indra and Vāyu he recites; where there is expiration, there is inspiration; in that he recites (a triplet) to Indra and Vāyu, verily thus his expiration and inspiration he makes perfect. (A triplet) to Mitra and Varuṇa he recites; therefore they say ‘The eye comes into existence first when man comes into existence.’ In that he recites (a triplet) to Mitra and Varuṇa, verily thus he makes his eye perfect. (A triplet) to the Açvins he recites; therefore they talk of a child born ‘He is trying to listen; he is taking notice.’ In that he recites (a triplet) to the Açvins, verily thus he makes his ear perfect. (A triplet) to Indra he recites; therefore they talk of a child born, ‘He is holding erect his neck, and also his head’; in that he recites (a triplet) to Indra, verily thus he makes his strength perfect. (A triplet) to the All-gods he recites; therefore a child born crawls on all fours, for the limbs are connected with the All-gods; in that he recites (a triplet) to the All-gods, verily thus he makes his limbs perfect. He recites (a triplet) to Sarasvatī; therefore to a child born speech comes last, for Sarasvatī is speech; in that he recites (a triplet) to Sarasvatī, verily thus he makes his speech perfect. He being born is born from all these deities, from all the litanies, from all metres, from all Praügas, from all pressings, who knows thus and for whom knowing thus they recite thus.

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iii. 3 (xi. 3). The Praüga is a litany of the breaths; seven deities he celebrates; seven are the breaths in the head; verily thus he places the breaths in the head. ‘Should he consider the good or evil of the sacrificer’ he used to say, ‘whose Hotṛ he is?’ He should do to him at this point as he may desire. If he desire of a man ‘Let me deprive him of expiration’, he should recite (the triplet) to Vāyu for him in confusion; a verse or a line he should pass over; thereby is it confused; verily thus does he deprive him of expiration. If he desire of a man ‘Let me deprive him of expiration and inspiration, he should recite for him (the triplet) to Indra and Vāyu in confusion; he should pass over a verse or a line; thereby is it confused; verily thus he deprives him of expiration and inspiration. If he desire of a man ‘Let me deprive him of the eye’, he should recite for him (the triplet) to Mitra and Varuṇa in confusion; he should pass over a verse or a line; thereby is it confused; verily thus

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he deprives him of the eye. If he desire of a man ‘Let me deprive him of the ear’, he should recite for him (the triplet) to the Açvins in confusion; he should pass over a verse or a line; thereby is it confused; verily thus he deprives him of the ear. If he desire of a man ‘Let me deprive him of strength’, he should recite for him (the triplet) to Indra in confusion; he should pass over a verse or a line; thereby is it confused; verily thus he deprives him of strength. If he desire of a man ‘Let me deprive him of limbs’, he should recite for him (the triplet) to the All-gods in confusion; he should pass over a verse or a line; thereby is it confused; verily thus he deprives him of limbs. If he desire of a man ‘Let me deprive him of speech’, he should recite for him (the triplet) to Sarasvatī in confusion; he should pass over a verse or a line; thereby is it confused; verily thus he deprives him of speech. But if he desire of a man ‘With all his members, with all the self, let me make him to prosper’, verily let him recite for him thus in due and proper order; verily thus he makes him prosper with all his members, with all his self. With all his members, with all his self, he prospers who knows thus.

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iii. 4 (xi. 4). They say ‘As is the Stotra, so the Çastra; the Sāman singers sing to (verses to) Agni; the Hotṛ starts with one to Vāyu; how does he follow in recitation (verses) to Agni?’ These deities are all forms of Agni; in that Agni burns forward as it were that is his form as Vāyu; thereby he follows in recitation that (form) of his. Again in that making two as it were he burns and Indra and Vāyu are two, that is his form as Indra and Vāyu; thereby he follows in recitation that of his. Again in that he leaps up and down, that is his form as Mitra and Varuṇa; thereby he follows in recitation that of his. Again in that Agni is dread of contact, that is his form as Varuṇa; in that him being dread of contact they serve with friendliness, that is his form as Mitra; thereby he follows in recitation that of his. Again in that they kindle him with both arms from the two fire sticks and the Açvins are two, that is his form as the Açvins; thereby he follows in recitation that of his. Again in that with loud noise, thundering, and making the sound *ba ba bā* he burns, whence creatures shudder away, that is his form as Indra; thereby he follows in recitation that of him. Again in that him being one they carry apart in many places, that is his form as the All-gods; thereby he follows in recitation that of him. Again in that he burns, roaring and uttering speech as it were, that is his form as Sarasvatī; thereby he follows in recitation that of his. So though he begins with (a verse) to Vāyu, in

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each triplet through these deities he follows in recitation (the triplet) of the Stotra. Having recited the Vaiçvadeva litany he uses (a verse) to the All-gods as offering verse. ‘With all the sweet Soma drink, O Agni, with Indra, with Vāyu, Do thou drink according to Mitra’s laws.’ According to their portion he thus delights the deities.

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The Vaṣaṭ Call.

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iii. 5 (xi. 5). The vaṣaṭ call is a vessel of the gods; he says the *vaṣaṭ* call; verily thus with a vessel of the gods he delights the deities. He says a second *vaṣaṭ*. Just as in this world men delight horses or cows by renewed attention, verily so they delight the deities by renewed attention in that he says the second *vaṣaṭ*. ‘These fires they worship’ they say, ‘the Dhiṣṇyas; then why do they offer in the former (fire), and say *vaṣaṭ* in the former?’ In that with ‘O Agni, enjoy the Soma’ he says the second *vaṣaṭ* call, thereby he delights the Dhiṣṇyas. ‘They partake of the Soma draughts when incomplete,’ they say ‘for whom he does not say the second *vaṣaṭ* call; what now is the portion for Sviṣṭakṛt of the Soma?’ In that with ‘O Agni, enjoy the Soma’ he says the second *vaṣaṭ* call, thereby they partake of the Soma draughts when complete; this is the Sviṣṭakṛt portion of the Soma. He says the call *vaṣaṭ*.

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iii. 6 (xi. 6). The *vaṣaṭ* call is a thunderbolt; he should think of him whom he hates when about to say the *vaṣaṭ* call; verily in him he places the thunderbolt. In the *vaṣaṭ* call he says (the word) ‘six’; the seasons are six; verily thus he puts in order the seasons; the seasons he establishes; all this whatever there is here finds support through the seasons finding support. He finds support who knows thus. As to this Hiraṇyadant Baida used to say ‘These six thereby he establishes; sky is established on the atmosphere; the atmosphere on the earth; the earth on the waters; the waters on truth; truth on the holy power; the holy

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power on fervour.' All this whatever there is here finds support in these supports finding support. He finds support who knows thus. He says _vauṣaṭ_ as the _vaṣaṭ_ call; _vau_ is yonder (sun), _ṣaṭ_ (six) the seasons; verily thus he places him in the seasons, he establishes him in the seasons; whatever as it were he does to the gods, that as it were the gods do to him.

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iii. 7 (xi. 7). There are three _vaṣaṭ_ calls, the thunderbolt, the hider of his abode, the empty. The _vaṣaṭ_ call which he makes aloud and forcibly is the thunderbolt; it he hurls as a missile at the rival who hates him to lay him low whom he should lay low. Therefore is it the _vaṣaṭ_ to be said by one with rivals. That which is even, continuous, and without loss of (part of) the verse, is the hider of his abode; on it depend offspring and cattle; therefore it is the _vaṣaṭ_ to be said by one desiring offspring and cattle. That one wherein the _ṣaṭ_ fails is the empty; he empties himself, he empties the sacrificer; the sayer of _vaṣaṭ_ becomes worse, he becomes worse for whom he says _vaṣaṭ_. Therefore he should not desire it. 'Should he consider the good and evil of the sacrificer', he used to say, 'whose Hotṛ he is?' He should do to him herein as he may desire. If he desire of a man 'As he has been before sacrificing, so let him be after sacrificing', he should say the _vaṣaṭ_ call for him as he recites the Ṛc for him; verily thus he makes him the same. If he desire of a man 'Let him be worse', having recited the Ṛc for him in a more raised tone he should say the _vaṣaṭ_ call in a more depressed tone; verily thus he makes him worse. If he desire of a man 'May he be better', having recited the Ṛc for him in a more depressed tone, he should say the _vaṣaṭ_ call in a more raised tone; from prosperity he places him in prosperity. The _vaṣaṭ_ is said continuously with the Ṛc, for continuity; he is united with offspring and cattle who knows thus.

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iii. 8 (xi. 8). He should meditate on the deity for whom the oblation is taken when about to say the _vaṣaṭ_; verily thus openly he delights the deities; before all eyes he sacrifices to the deity. The _vaṣaṭ_ call is a thunderbolt; it shines when hurled if not appeased. Of it not every man as it were knows the appeasing nor the support. From it even now there is often as it were death. The appeasing of it, the support is 'Speech'.

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Therefore after each vaṣaṭ call he should recite as accompaniment 'Speech'; appeased it injures him not. With 'O vaṣaṭ call, do not injure me; let me not injure thee; with the great I invoke mind, with cross-breathing body; thou art a support; win support; make me attain support' he should accompany the vaṣaṭ call. As to that he used to say 'That is long, yet it is impotent. With "Force, strength, force" he should accompany the vaṣaṭ call; force and strength are the two dearest forms of the vaṣaṭ call; verily thus he unites it with its abode; with a dear abode does he prosper who knows thus.' The vaṣaṭ call is speech and expiration and inspiration; they depart when each vaṣaṭ call has been said. Them he should accompany with 'Speech, force, strength, force, in me expiration and inspiration'; verily doth the Hotṛ establish speech and expiration and inspiration in the self, with a full life, for fullness of life; a full life he lives who knows thus.

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iii. 9 (xi. 9). The sacrifice went away from the gods; they sought to start it up with the directions; in that they sought to start it up with the directions, that is why the directions have their name (praiṣa). It they made radiant with the Puroruces; that is why the Puroruces have their name. It they found on the altar; in that they found it on the altar, that is why the altar has its name (vedi). It, when found, they drew off with drawing (cups); in that they drew it off with drawing (cups), that is why the cups have their name (graha). Having found it they made it known by Nivids; in that having found it they made it known (nyavedayan) by Nivids, that is why Nivids have their name. He who seeks what is lost desires something great or small; of the two he who desires the greater has the better desire; he who knows the directions as ever greater, knows them better, for the directions are a seeking for what is lost; therefore standing bent forward he gives directions.

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The Nivids.

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iii. 10 (xi. 10). The Nivids are the embryos of the litanies; in that they are inserted before the litanies at the morning pressing, therefore embryos are deposited at the back and come into being at the back. In that they are inserted in the middle at the midday, therefore embryos are held in the middle. In that they are placed at the end at the third pressing,

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therefore offspring are born downward thence, for generation. He is propagated with offspring and cattle who knows thus. The Nivids are the ornaments of the litanies; in that they are inserted at the morning pressing before the litanies, that is as if one were to make a decoration in the upper part of the warp; in that they are inserted in the middle at the midday, that is as if one were to make a decoration in the middle; in that they are inserted at the end at the third pressing, that is as if one were to make a decoration in the lower part of the warp. On all sides he shines with the decoration of the sacrifice who knows thus.

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iii. 11 (xi. 11). The Nivids are deities connected with the sun; in that they are inserted before the litanies at the morning pressing, in the middle at the midday pressing, at the end at the third pressing, verily thus they follow the course of the sun. By quarters the gods gathered together the sacrifice; thereby by sentences are the Nivids recited. In that the gods gathered together the sacrifice, therefore the horse came into being; therefore they say ‘A horse should he give to the reciter of Nivids’; that boon indeed do they give. He should not pass over a sentence of the Nivid; if he were to pass over a sentence of the Nivid, he would make a break in the sacrifice; as the break in the sacrifice grows the sacrificer becomes worse. Therefore should he not pass over a line of the Nivid. He should not invert two sentences of the Nivid; if he were to invert two sentences of the Nivid, he would confuse the sacrifice; the sacrificer would be confused. Therefore he should not invert two sentences of the Nivid. He should not unite two sentences of the Nivid; if he were to unite two sentences of the Nivid, he would contract the life of the sacrifice, the sacrificer would be likely to die. Therefore he should not unite two sentences of the Nivid. ‘Forward this holy power; forward this lordly power,’ these two only should he unite, to unite the lordly power with the holy power; therefore are the lordly and the holy powers united. He should not go beyond (a hymn) of three or four verses for inserting a Nivid; each single sentence of a Nivid is a counterpart to a verse, (even) to a hymn; therefore one must not go beyond (a hymn) of three or four verses for inserting a Nivid, for by the Nivid in itself the Stotra is exceeded in recitation. Having left one (verse) over should he insert a Nivid at the third pressing; if he were to insert having left two over, he would injure the propagative power; thus he would deprive people of embryos; therefore having left one only over, he should insert a Nivid at the third pressing. He should not go past the Nivid with the

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hymn; if with a hymn he goes past the Nivid, he should not return there; verily that stays in its place; having taken another hymn of the same deity and metre he should insert in it the Nivid. ‘Let us depart not from the way’ he recites before the hymn; he goes from the way who is confused at the sacrifice. ‘Not from the sacrifice with Soma, O Indra’ (he says); verily thus he falls not away from the sacrifice. ‘May not evil spirits stand within us’ (he says); verily thus he smites away those who plot evil. ‘That which accomplisheth the sacrifice The web spread out among the gods, May we accomplish, when offered’ (he says ). The web is offspring; verily thus he secures offspring for him (he says ). ‘Mind we invoke with Soma for Narāçaṅsa’ (he says ); by mind the sacrifice is carried on, by mind it is performed. This here is the expiation.

Linked texts (1)

Aitareyabrāhmaṇa — Mahidāsa Aitareya, Sanskrit