Aitareyabrahmana 3.4: ADHYĀYA IV

Rigveda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas of the Rigveda (HOS 25) 3.4

Language: English

ADHYĀYA IV

3.4.p2

iii. 39 (xiv. 1). The gods undertook battle with the Asuras, for conquest; them Agni was not willing to accompany. To him the gods said

'Do thou come too; thou art one of us.' He replied 'I shall not follow you if I am not sung to; sing now to me.' They, having risen, and having returned, praised him; them praised he followed. Becoming in three rows, he went to battle for conquest with the Asuras in three columns; 'in three rows' (he says); verily he made the metres rows; 'in three columns' (he says); the pressings (he made) the columns. Them he defeated invincibly; then indeed the gods prospered, the Asuras were defeated. He prospers himself, the evil rival who hates him is defeated, who knows thus. The Agniṣṭoma is the Gāyatrī; the Gāyatrī has twenty-four syllables; there are twenty-four Stotras and Çastras in the Agniṣṭoma. This is why they say 'A horse well loaded gives (its rider) comfort. This is the Gāyatrī; the Gāyatrī is not content with the earth; taking with it the sacrificer it goes aloft to the sky.' This is the Agniṣṭoma; the Agniṣṭoma is not content with the earth; taking with it the sacrificer it goes aloft to the sky. The Agniṣṭoma is the year; the year has twenty-four half-months; there are twenty-four Stotras and Çastras in the Agniṣṭoma. As in the ocean all streams, so in it all the sacrificial rites are resolved.

3.4.p4

iii. 40 (xiv. 2). The consecration offering is performed; all those offerings after it verily are resolved in the Agniṣṭoma. He invokes the sacrificial food; the sacrifices of cooked (food) have the form of the sacrificial food; all the sacrifices of cooked (food) are resolved in the Agniṣṭoma. At evening and morning they offer the Agnihotra; evening and morning they gave the fast (milk); with the call of Hail! they offer the Agnihotra; with the call of Hail! they gave the fast (milk). Through the call of Hail! the Agnihotra is resolved in the Agniṣṭoma. Fifteen kindling verses he recites at the introductory (offering), fifteen in the new and full moon sacrifices; through the introductory (offering) the new and full moon sacrifices are resolved in the Agniṣṭoma. They buy Soma, the king; Soma, the king, is connected with plants; with plants they heal whom they heal; therefore through the purchase of Soma, the king, whatever medicines there are, all these are resolved in the Agniṣṭoma. They kindle Agni by friction at the guest reception, Agni at the four-monthly sacrifices; through the guest reception the four-monthly sacrifices are resolved in the Agniṣṭoma. With milk they proceed at the Pravargya, with milk at the Dākṣāyaṇa sacrifice; verily through the Pravargya the Dākṣāyaṇa sacrifice is resolved in the Agniṣṭoma. There is a victim on the fast day; verily

3.4.p5

through it all animal sacrifices are resolved in the Agniṣṭoma. There is a sacrificial rite called the Iḍādadha; it they perform with curds; with curds they perform the pot of curds; verily through the pot of curds the Iḍādadha is resolved in the Agniṣṭoma.

3.4.p6

iii. 41 (xiv. 3). So now as to previous (rites) and next as to subsequent (rites). There are fifteen Stotras in the Ukthya, fifteen Çastras; that makes up a month; by months is the year arranged; Agni Vaiçvānara is the year; the Agniṣṭoma is Agni; verily through the year the Ukthya is resolved into the Agniṣṭoma. Through the resolution of the Ukthya the Vājapeya is resolved, for it is an Ukthya. There are twelve night rounds, all in the Pañcadaça Stoma; taking these by two they make up thirty. The Ṣoḍaçin Sāman is the Ekaviṅça, the Sandhi (Sāman) is the Trivṛt; these are thirty, the month; the nights of the month are thirty; the year is arranged by months; Agni Vaiçvānara is the year; the Agniṣṭoma is Agni; verily through the year the Atirātra is resolved in the Agniṣṭoma; through the resolution of the Atirātra the Aptoryāma is resolved, for it is Atirātra. Thus all the sacrificial rites previous to and subsequent to (the Agniṣṭoma) are resolved into the Agniṣṭoma. Of it, taking the Stotras together, in all there are a hundred and ninety Stotriya verses. The ninety corresponds to ten Trivṛt (Stomas); then the (next) ninety to ten more; of the ten (that remain) one Stotriya verse is in excess, a Trivṛt is left over; it yonder gives heat as the twenty-first placed over (the rest). It is the midmost of the Stomas; before it are ten Trivṛts, after it ten; in the middle this twenty-first gives heat placed over on both sides. The Stotriya verse over is incorporated in this; it is the sacrificer; it is the divine lordly power, might and strength; he attains the divine lordly power, might and strength, he attains union and identity of form and world with it, who knows thus.

3.4.p7

iii. 42 (xiv. 4). The gods having defeated the Asuras went aloft to the world of heaven. Agni arose aloft touching the sky: he opened the door of

3.4.p8

the world of heaven; Agni is the overlord of the world of heaven. To him first came the Vasus; they said to him ‘Let us through; make room for us.’ He replied ‘Unless I am praised, I shall not let you through; praise me now.’ ‘Be it so’ (they said); they praised him with the Trivṛt Stoma; being praised he let them through; they went to their due place. To him came the Rudras; they said to him ‘Let us through; make room for us.’ He replied ‘Unless I am praised, I shall not let you through; praise me now.’ ‘Be it so’ (they said); they praised him with the Pañcadaça Stoma; being praised, he let them through; they went to their due place. To him came the Ādityas; they said to him ‘Let us through; make room for us.’ He replied ‘Unless I am praised, I shall not let you through; praise me now.’ ‘Be it so’ (they said); they praised him with the Saptadaça Stoma; being praised, he let them through; they went to their due place. To him came the All-gods; they said to him ‘Let us through; make room for us.’ He replied ‘Unless I am praised, I shall not let you through; praise me now.’ ‘Be it so’ (they said); they praised him with the Ekaviṅça Stoma; being praised, he let them through; they went to their due place. With each Stoma the gods praised him; them praised he let through; they went to their due places. So he who sacrifices praises him with all these Stomas, and he who knows thus him will he let pass; him he lets pass to the world of heaven who knows thus.

3.4.p9

iii. 43 (xiv. 5). The Agniṣṭoma is Agni; in that they praised him, therefore is it the praise of Agni (*agniṣṭoma*); it, being the praise of Agni, they call Agniṣṭoma mystically, for the gods love mystery as it were. In that four sets of gods praised him with four Stomas, therefore is it of four Stomas (*catu-stoma*); it being of four Stomas they call it Catuṣṭoma mystically, for the gods love mystery as it were. Again in that they praised him when aloft and having become light (*jyotis*), therefore is it the Jyotiṣṭoma; it being the Stoma of light, they call it the Jyotiṣṭoma mystically, for the gods love mystery as it were. This is the sacrificial rite without beginning or end; the Agniṣṭoma is like a chariot wheel endless; as is its beginning so is its end; as to this a sacrificial verse is sung:

3.4.p10

‘That which is its beginning is also its end,
That again which is its end is also its beginning,
Like the creeping of a snake is the movement of the Çākala (ritual),
They discern not which of the two is the subsequent’;

3.4.p11

for (they say) 'As the beginning, so should be the end.' As to this they say 'Seeing that the beginning has the Trivṛt, the end the Ekaviṅça, how are the two alike?' 'For the reason', he should reply, 'that the Ekaviṅça is threefold and moreover that both consist of repeated triplets.

3.4.p12

iii. 44. (xiv. 6). The Agniṣṭoma is he who gives heat here; it is one to be finished in the day; with the day should they complete it; its name is what is finished with the day. They should proceed with it without haste; as at the morning pressing, so at the midday, so at the third pressing. So the sacrificer is not likely to perish. In that they proceed without hastening at the two former pressings, therefore here the villages of the east are densely populated; in that they proceed hastening at the third pressing, therefore here to the west there are long forests. Thus the sacrificer is likely to perish. Therefore without hastening they should proceed; as at the morning pressing, so at the midday, so at the third pressing. So the sacrificer is not likely to perish. He should follow in recitation the movement of this (sun); when he rises in the morning, then he gives a gentle heat; therefore he should recite in a gentle tone at the morning pressing. Then when he comes forward, he gives stronger heat; therefore at the midday should he recite with a stronger tone. Then when he comes still further forward, he gives his strongest heat; therefore he should recite at the third pressing with the strongest tone. So should he recite if he be lord of speech, for the Çastra is speech. He should begin in the tone in which he can complete, increasing in height; that is the best way of reciting. The (sun) never really sets or rises. In that they think of him 'He is setting', verily having reached the end of the day, he inverts himself; thus he makes evening below, day above. Again in that they think of him 'He is rising in the morning', verily having reached the end of night he inverts himself; thus he makes day below, night above. He never sets; indeed he never sets, union with him and identity of form and world he attains who knows thus.

Linked texts (1)

Aitareyabrāhmaṇa — Mahidāsa Aitareya, Sanskrit