Aitareyabrahmana 3.2: ADHYĀYA II

Rigveda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas of the Rigveda (HOS 25) 3.2

Language: English

ADHYĀYA II

iii. 12 (xii. 1). ‘The subjects of the gods must be brought into order’ they say, ‘The metre must be made to rest on the metre.’ ‘Let us two praise’ is his call of three syllables at the morning pressing; ‘Let us recite, O divine one’ is the Adhvaryu’s response in five syllables; that makes up eight syllables; the Gāyatrī has eight syllables; verily they place the Gāyatrī in front at the morning pressing. ‘The hymn hath been recited’ he says, having recited, in four syllables; ‘Yes, reciter of hymns’ replies the Adhvaryu in four syllables; that makes up eight syllables; the Gāyatrī has eight syllables; verily thus they place the Gāyatrī on both sides at the morning pressing. ‘O Adhvaryu, let us two recite’ is his call of six syllables at midday; ‘Let us recite, O divine one’ the Adhvaryu replies in five syllables; that makes up eleven syllables; the Triṣṭubh has eleven syllables; verily thus they place the Triṣṭubh in front at the midday (pressing). ‘The hymn hath been uttered to Indra’ he says, having recited, in seven syllables; ‘Yes, reciter of hymns’ replies the Adhvaryu in four syllables; that makes up eleven syllables; the Triṣṭubh has eleven syllables; verily thus they place

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the Triṣṭubh on both sides at the midday (pressing). ‘O Adhvaryu, so let us two recite’ is his call of seven syllables at the third pressing; ‘Let us recite, O divine one’ the Adhvaryu replies in five syllables; that makes up twelve syllables; the Jagatī has twelve syllables; verily thus they place the Jagatī in front at the third pressing. ‘The hymn hath been uttered to Indra, to the gods’ he says, having recited, in eleven syllables; ‘Yes’ replies the Adhvaryu in one syllable; that makes up twelve syllables; the Jagatī has twelve syllables; verily thus they place the Jagatī on both sides at the third pressing. Seeing this the seer declares it a verse,

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‘That the Gāyatrī is deposited on the Gāyatrī,
Or that they fashioned the Triṣṭubh from the Triṣṭubh,
Or that the Jagatī Pada is placed on the Jagatī,
They who know this obtain immortality.’

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Verily thus metre on metre he establishes. The subjects of the gods he sets in order who knows thus.

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iii. 13 (xii. 2). Prajāpati assigned to the gods the sacrifice and the metres in portions. He allotted the Gāyatrī at the morning pressing to Agni and the Vasus, the Triṣṭubh to Indra and the Rudras at the midday (pressing), the Jagatī to the All-gods, and the Ādityas at the third pressing. Now, the metre that was his own, the Anuṣṭubh, he pushed out to the end to the office of the Achāvāka; she, the Anuṣṭubh, said to him ‘Assuredly thou art the worst of the gods whose own metre I am and who yet hast pushed me to the end to the office of the Achāvāka.’ This he recognized; he took his own Soma offering; he brought the Anuṣṭubh round to the very beginning in his own Soma offering; therefore the Anuṣṭubh is employed at the very beginning of all the pressings. The very first does he become, pre-eminence doth he attain, who knows thus. He arranged this in his own Soma offering; therefore whenever it falls under the power of the sacrificer the sacrifice is in order; (all) is in order for that people when a sacrificer knowing thus has power.

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iii. 14 (xii. 3). Agni was the Hotṛ of the gods ; for him death waited in the Bahiṣpavamāna (Stotra); he began the Ājya (Çastra) with an Anuṣṭubh; verily thus he evaded death. For him it waited in the Ājya (Stotra); he began with the Praüga; verily thus he evaded death. For him it waited in the Mādhyamdina Pavamāna; he began the Marutvatīya with an Anuṣṭubh; verily thus he evaded death. For him it could not wait in the Bṛhatī verses in the midday (pressing); the Bṛhatī verses are the breaths; verily thus it

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could not penetrate the breaths. Therefore at the midday pressing Hotṛ begins with a strophe in Bṛhatī; the Bṛhatī verses are the breaths; verily thus he begins with reference to the breaths. For him it waited in the third Pavamāna; he began the Vaiçvadeva (Çastra) with an Anuṣṭubh; verily thus he evaded death. For him it waited in the Yajñāyajñīya; he began the Āgnimāruta (Çastra) with (a triplet) for Vaiçvānara; verily thus he evaded death. That for Vaiçvānara is a thunderbolt, the Yajñāyajñīya is a support; verily thus by the thunderbolt he drives away death from the support. He having unloosened all the nets, all the posts, of death, was released in safety; in safety verily is the Hotṛ released with full life, for fullness of life; a full life he lives who knows thus.

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iii. 15 (xii. 4). Indra having slain Vṛtra, thinking 'I have not laid (him) low', went to the further distances; to the very furthest distance he went; the very furthest distance is the Anuṣṭubh; the Anuṣṭubh is speech. He, having entered speech, lay there; him all creatures severally searched for. Him on the previous day the fathers found, on the second day the gods. Therefore on the previous day is offering made to the fathers, on the second day they sacrifice to the gods. They said, 'Let us press; so assuredly most quickly will he come to us.' They pressed; with 'Thee like a car for aid' they turned him towards (them); at (the verse ) praising the pressed (drink), 'This drink, O bright one, is pressed' he became revealed to them. With 'O Indra, come nearer' they brought him into the midst; with a sacrifice to which Indra has come he sacrifices, with a sacrifice possessing Indra he prospers, who knows thus.

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iii. 16 (xii. 5). When Indra had slain Vṛtra all the deities left him, thinking 'He has not laid (him) low'; the Maruts only, his true comrades, did not leave; the Maruts, true comrades, are the breaths; the breaths did not then leave him. Therefore this unchanging Pragātha containing (the word) 'true friend' is recited, 'Hither, O true friend, with true friends.' Even if here onwards a recitation to Indra is recited, the whole is the Marutvatīya, if this unchanging Pragātha is recited, containing (the word) 'true friend', 'Hither, O true friend, with true friends.'

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iii. 17 (xii. 6). He recites a Pragātha to Brahmaṇaspati; with Bṛhaspati as Purohita the gods conquered the world of heaven, and conquered in the

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world. Verily so also the sacrificer with Bṛhaspati as Purohita conquers the world of heaven and conquers in the world. These two Pragāthas, though not being chanted, are recited with repetitions. They say ‘Seeing that nothing which is not chanted is recited with a repetition, then how are these two Pragāthas, which are not chanted, recited with repetitions?’ The Marutvatīya is the litany of the Pavamāna (Stotra); there they chant to six Gāyatrī verses, six Bṛhatī verses, and three Triṣṭubh verses; this is the midday Pavamāna, in the Pañcadaça (Stoma), with three metres. They say ‘How is this midday Pavamāna, in the Pañcadaça, with three metres followed in recitation?’ The two last verses of the strophe are in Gāyatrī, the antistrophe is in Gāyatrī ; by these the Gāyatrī verses are followed in recitation; by the two Pragāthas the Bṛhatī verses are followed in recitation. In these Bṛhatī verses the Sāman singers chant with repetitions with the Raurava and Yaudhājaya (Sāmans); therefore these two Pragāthas, though not chanted, are recited with repetitions; thus with the Çastra he follows the Stotra. By the inserted verses in Triṣṭubh and the Triṣṭubh Nivid insertion the Triṣṭubh verses by him are followed in recitation. Thus indeed is the midday Pavamāna in the Pañcadaça with three metres followed in recitation by him who knows thus.

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iii. 18 (xii. 7). He recites the inserted verses; by the inserted verses Prajāpati milked from these worlds whatever desire he desired; by means of the inserted verses he milks from these worlds whatever he desires, who knows thus. Now as to these inserted verses, whenever the gods observed a breach in the sacrifice that they closed up by the inserted verses; that is why the inserted verses have their name. With a sacrifice without breach does he sacrifice who knows thus. Now as to these inserted verses, the inserted verses are the sewing of the sacrifice; just as one continues putting together a garment with a needle, so does he continue with these putting together the breach in the sacrifice who knows thus. Further as to the inserted verses, the inserted verses are the recitations for the Upasads; ‘Agni is the leader’ (he says ); the first Upasad is connected with Agni; of that this is the recitation. ‘Thou with insight, O Soma’ (he says ); the second Upasad is connected with Soma; of that this is the recitation. ‘They swell the waters’ (he says ); the third Upasad is connected with Viṣṇu; of that this is the recitation. So much space as by sacrifice with the Soma sacrifice he

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conquers, that he conquers with each Upasad who knows thus and who knowing thus recites the inserted verses. As to this some hold ‘You the great’ should he recite; saying ‘We know that this (verse) is recited among the Bharatas.’ That is not to be regarded. If he were to recite it, Parjanya would be liable not to rain. ‘They swell the waters’ only he should recite; that line has rain in it; it mentions the Maruts in ‘Maruts’, and contains (the word) ‘lead’ in ‘Like a steed to make rain they lead about’; that which has (the word) ‘lead’ has the word ‘stride’; that which has ‘stride’ is connected with Viṣṇu; ‘The strong one’ (he says); the strong one is Indra. In this (verse) there are four clauses, referring respectively to rain, the Maruts, Viṣṇu, and Indra. This verse which has its place in the third pressing is recited at the midday (pressing); therefore the cattle of the Bharatas now spend the evening in the cattle-ground, and at the midday come up to the cattle-shed. It is in Jagatī, for cattle are connected with the Jagatī; the midday is the self of the sacrificer; thus he confers cattle on the sacrificer.

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iii. 19 (xii. 8). He recites a Pragātha to the Maruts; the Maruts are cattle; the Pragātha is cattle; (it serves) to win cattle. ‘Thou hast been born dread, for impetuous strength’, this hymn he recites. This hymn is a propagation of the sacrificer; the sacrificer by it he propagates from the sacrifice as the birthplace of the gods. It is a bringer of victory; he gains victory and is victorious. It is by Gaurivīti. Gaurivīti Çāktya went nearest to the world of heaven; he saw this hymn; with it he conquered the world of heaven. Verily so also the sacrificer with this hymn conquers the world of heaven. Having recited half its (verses), leaving half over, he places a Nivid in the middle; the Nivid is a mounting to the world of heaven; the Nivid is a ladder to the world of heaven. It he should recite climbing up as it were; and he should take hold of the sacrificer who is dear to him. So for one desiring the heaven. Now for one practising witchcraft. If he desire ‘May I smite the people by the lordly power’ thrice should he here separate with the Nivid the recitation of the hymn; the Nivid is the lordly power, the hymn the people; verily thus by the lordly power he smites the people. If he desire ‘May I smite the lordly power by the people’, thrice should he here divide the Nivid in recitation by the hymn; the Nivid is the lordly power, the hymn the people; verily thus he smites the lordly power by the people. But if he desire ‘On both sides let me

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sever him from the people', he should here on both sides of the Nivid utter the call; on both sides thus he cuts him off from the people. So for one practising witchcraft, but the other way for one desiring heaven. ‘The birds, fair winged, have approached Indra’, with this last (verse ) he concludes; ‘the Priyamedhas, the seers, seeking aid; do thou unroll the darkness’ (he says). The darkness by which he deems himself surrounded that should he approach in mind; that from him is removed. ‘Fill the eye’, with this he should rub his eyes; possessed of sight until old age becomes he who knows thus. ‘Release us that are bound as it were with a net’ (he says); a net is snares; verily thus he says ‘Release us being bound from a snare as it were’.

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iii. 20 (xii. 9). Indra , being about to slay Vṛtra, said to all the deities ‘Do ye support me; do ye call to me.’ ‘Be it so’ (they replied). They ran forward to slay. He perceived ‘They are running hither to slay me; well, let me terrify them.’ Against them he breathed forth; before his snorting in haste all the gods ran away, but the Maruts did not abandon him; saying ‘Smite, O blessed one; strike, show thy strength’ they supported him. Seeing this the seer declares

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‘Before the snorting of Vṛtra in haste,
All the gods, thy comrades, abandoned thee:
With the Maruts, O Indra, be there friendship for thee;
Then shalt thou conquer every foe.’

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He perceived ‘These indeed are my friends; they showed me love; well, let me give them a share in this litany.’ He gave them a share in this litany; to that time both litanies were his only. He draws the cup for the Maruts, he recites the Pragātha to the Maruts, he recites the hymn to the Maruts, he inserts the Nivid to the Maruts; this is the portion of the Maruts. Having recited the litany to the Maruts, he uses (a verse) to the Maruts as offering verse; thus in due portion he delights the deities.

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‘Those who magnified thee, O bounteous one, at the slaying of the serpent,
Those who, O lord of the bays, at the affair with Çambara, the cattle foray,
Those who now, the sages, rejoice with thee,
In union with the Maruts, drink, O Indra, the Soma’

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(he says ). Wherever with them he conquered, wherever he showed his strength, thus by mentioning that also he makes them share the Soma drink with Indra.

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iii. 21 (xii. 10) Indra, having slain Vṛtra, having won all victories, said to Prajāpati ‘Let me be what thou art; let me be great.’ Prajāpati replied, ‘Then who am I?’ ‘Even that which thou hast said’ he answered; then indeed did Prajāpati become Who by name; Prajāpati is Who by name. In that Indra became great, that is why Mahendra has his name. He having become great said to the deities ‘Assign me a choice portion’, just as one desires here, who prospers, who attains pre-eminence, who becomes great. The gods said to him ‘Claim thyself what is to be for thee.’ He claimed this cup for Mahendra, the midday of pressings, the Niṣkevalya of litanies, the Triṣṭubh of metres, the Pṛṣṭha of Sāmans; this choice portion they assigned to him. They assign a choice portion to him who knows thus. To him the gods said ‘All hast thou asked; let us have a share here also.’ ‘No’, he replied, ‘how can you have a share also?’ They answered ‘Let us have a share also, O bounteous one.’ He merely looked at them.

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The Niṣkevalya Çastra.

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iii. 22 (xii. 11). The gods said ‘Here is the dear wife, the favourite of Indra, Prāsahā by name; from her let us seek (our desire).’ ‘Be it so’ (he said). From her they sought; she said to them ‘In the morning shall I tell you.’ Therefore wives seek from a husband, therefore a wife seeks from her husband in the night. To her they went in the morning; she replied with (the verse):

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‘Since many a time he hath conquered, enduring,
Indra hath made good his name as slayer of Vṛtra;
The mighty lord of strength hath been perceived:’

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the mighty lord of strength is Indra.

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‘What we desire of him to do, let him perform that,’

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verily thus she said to them ‘What we have said, that he has done.’ The gods said ‘Let her have a share also, since she has not yet obtained one in

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this of ours.’ ‘Be it so’ (they said). They gave her a share then; therefore herein is recited (the verse) ‘Since many a time he hath conquered, enduring.’ The dear wife, the favourite, Prāsahā by name, of Indra, is his host; her father-in-law is Prajāpati named Who. Therefore he who desires the victory of a host standing away from it at half distance, should cut a grass blade at both ends, and throw it towards the other host, saying ‘Prāsahā, Ka seeth thee.’ Then, just as in this world, a daughter-in-law keeps hiding in modesty before her father-in-law, so also the host keeps shrinking away in confusion, where one knowing thus, having cut a grass blade at both ends, hurls it against the other host (saying) ‘Prāsahā, Ka seeth thee.’ To them said Indra ‘You may have a share here also.’ The gods replied ‘Let the Virāj of thirty-three syllables be the offering verse of the Niṣkevalya.’ The gods are thirty-three, eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, twelve Ādityas, Prajāpati and the vaṣaṭ call; he makes the gods share the syllables; syllable by syllable the gods drink in turn; verily thus with a vessel of the gods the gods are satisfied. If he desire of a man ‘Let him be without an abode’, let him use for him as offering verse a Gāyatrī, a Triṣṭubh or some other metre, not a Virāj, and say the vaṣaṭ call; verily thus he makes him without an abode. If he desire of a man ‘Let him have an abode’, he should use for him as offering verse a Virāj ‘Drink the Soma, O Indra; let it delight thee’; verily thus with it he makes him have an abode.

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iii. 23 (xii. 12). The Ṛc and the Sāman were here in the beginning. The Ṛc was called ‘she’, the Sāman ‘he’. The Ṛc said to the Sāman ‘Let us be united for generation.’ ‘No’, replied the Sāman, ‘my greatness is above thine.’ She becoming two spoke (to him); he did not at all consent. Having become three she spoke; with three he united. In that with three he united, therefore with three they chant, with three sing, for with three is the Sāman commensurate. Therefore one (husband) has many wives, but not one (woman) at once many husbands. In that thus he and she were united, thus came into being the Sāma (*sā-ama*); that is why the Sāman has its name. He becomes fair who knows thus; he who prospers, who attains pre-eminence, he becomes fair, for as ‘unfair’ men reproach (a man).

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They came into order becoming one five, the other five; (namely) the call and the _hiṅ_ call, the prelude and the first Ṛc, the principal part and the middle Ṛc, the response and the last Ṛc, the finale and the _vaṣaṭ_ call. In that the two came into order becoming one five, the other five, therefore they say 'The sacrifice is fivefold; cattle are fivefold.' In that, further, they made up, as a set of ten, the Virāj, therefore they say 'In the Virāj, as a set of ten, the sacrifice finds support.' The strophe is the self, the antistrophe offspring, the inserted verses the wife, the Pragātha cattle, the hymn the house. He in this and in yonder world abides with offspring and cattle in his home who knows thus.

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iii. 24 (xii. 13). He recites the strophe; the strophe is the self; it he recites with a middle tone; verily thus he makes the self perfect. He recites the antistrophe; the antistrophe is offspring; the antistrophe is to be recited in a louder tone; verily thus he makes his offspring better than himself. He recites the inserted verse; the inserted verse is the wife; the inserted verse must be recited in a lower tone as it were; in his house his wife is not likely to answer back, when one knowing thus recites the inserted verse in a lower tone. He recites the Pragātha; it is to be recited with sonorous voice; sound is cattle, the Pragātha is cattle; (it serves) to win cattle. He recites the hymn 'I shall declare the mighty deeds of Indra.' Thus is the hymn devoted only to and dear to Indra, by Hiraṇyastūpa. By the hymn Hiraṇyastūpa Āṅgirasa went to the dear abode of Indra, he won the highest world. He goes to the dear abode of Indra, he wins the highest world who knows thus. The hymn is a house, a support. Therefore it should be recited in the most firm tone. Therefore even if a man gets cattle at a distance as it were, he desires to bring to his house; for a house is the support of cattle.

Linked texts (1)

Aitareyabrāhmaṇa — Mahidāsa Aitareya, Sanskrit