Aitareyabrahmana 5.3: ADHYĀYA III

Rigveda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas of the Rigveda (HOS 25) 5.3

Language: English

ADHYĀYA III

v. 16 (xxiii. 1). That which has (the words) 'hither' and 'forward' is a symbol of the seventh day, for the seventh day is a repetition of the first day. That which contains (the word) 'yoke', (the word) 'chariot', (the word) 'swift', (the word) 'drink', (the fact), that the deity is mentioned in the first Pada, (the fact) that this world is referred to, that which contains (the word) 'born', that which has no express mention (of the deity), the future tense, that which is a symbol of the first day; these are the symbols of the seventh day. 'From the ocean the aroma of sweetness hath arisen' is the Ājya of the seventh day; as not containing any express mention of the deity, on the seventh day it is a symbol of the seventh day. The ocean is speech; speech wastes not away, the ocean wastes not away. In that this is the Ājya of the seventh day, verily thus from the sacrifice they extend the sacrifice; verily thus they again approach speech for continuity. With sets of three days, uninterrupted and continuous, they proceed who proceed knowing thus. The Stomas are obtained, the metres are obtained on the seventh day. Just as they smear with butter again the portions cut off to refresh them, so here they perform again the Stomas and the metres to refresh them, in that this is the Ājya of the seventh day. It is in Triṣṭubh; this set of three days has the Triṣṭubh at the morning pressing. 'O Vāyu, drinker of the pure, come hither to us,' 'With which thou dost come forward to the bounteous one,' 'To our sacrifice hither with hundreds of steeds,' 'The lively presser at the sacrifices hath arisen forward,' 'The draughts delighting Indra,' 'Thy hundred steeds, thy thousand,' 'When forward, O Mitra and Varuṇa, for you they struggle,' 'Hither, O Nāsatyas, with chariot rich in cattle,' 'Come hither to us, O god, O impetuous one,' 'Forward to you in the sacrifices the pious have sung,' and 'Forward she hasteneth with her nourishing stream' are the Praüga. (The words) 'hither' and 'forward' on the seventh day are symbols of the seventh day. It is in Triṣṭubh; this set of three days has the Triṣṭubh at the morning pressing. 'Thee like a car for aid,' 'This Soma juice hath been pressed,

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O bright one,’ ‘O Indra come near,’ ‘Let Brahmaṇaspati move forward,’ ‘Agni, the leader,’ ‘Thou, O Soma, with inspiration,’ ‘They swell the waters,’ and ‘Forward to Indra, the great’ are the continuation, being the same as that of the first day; on the seventh day it is a symbol of the seventh day. ‘With what array, of one age, of one home’ is the hymn; as containing (the word) ‘born’ in ‘Neither he that is being born nor he that is born shall attain’ on the seventh day it is a symbol of the seventh day. It is the ‘With what array (hymn); the ‘With what array’ hymn is one producing agreement and continuing (life). By it Indra and Agastya and the Maruts came to agreement; thus, in that he recites the ‘With that array’ (hymn), (it serves) to produce agreement. It is also life-giving; therefore for him who is dear to him he should perform the ‘With what array’ hymn. It is in Triṣṭubh; with it with feet supported he maintains the pressing; thereby it departs not from its place. ‘That ram that winneth the light I glorify’ is the hymn; as containing (the word) ‘chariot’ in ‘Like a strong steed the chariot hastening at the call’ on the seventh day it is a symbol of the seventh day, It is in Jagatī; Jagatī verses support the midday (pressing) of this set of three days; that metre is a support in which a Nivid is inserted; therefore he inserts a Nivid in the Jagatī verses. Pairing hymns are recited, in Triṣṭubh and Jagatī; cattle are a pairing; the Chandomas are cattle; (they serve) to win cattle. ‘Thee we invoke’, and ‘Do thou come to the worshipper’, are the Bṛhat as Pṛṣṭha on the seventh day; that is what belongs to the sixth day; the Rathantara is the Vairūpa, the Bṛhat the Vairāja; the Rathantara the Çākvara, the Bṛhat the Raivata; in that there is the Bṛhat as Pṛṣṭha, verily thus with the Bṛhat they support the Bṛhat, to avoid cleaving the Stomas. If it were to be the Rathantara, there would be a cleavage (of the Stomas). Therefore the Bṛhat only is to be used. ‘What he hath won’ is the normal inserted verse. In ‘Towards thee, O hero, we utter praise’ he makes to follow the basis of the Rathantara, for this day is connected with the Rathantara in place. ‘Drink of the pressed draught rich in sap’ is the Pragātha of the Sāman; as containing (the word) ‘drink’ on the seventh day it is a symbol of the seventh day. ‘This steed, god strengthened’ is the normal Tārkṣya (hymn).

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v. 17 (xxiii. 2). ‘I shall proclaim the mighty deeds of Indra’ is the hymn; the word ‘forward’ (in ‘proclaim’) on the seventh day is a symbol of the seventh day. It is in Triṣṭubh; with it with feet supported he maintains the pressing; thereby it departs not from its place. ‘Towards the ram, much invoked, worthy of praise’ is the hymn; ‘towards’ is equivalent to ‘forward’; on the seventh day it is a symbol of the seventh day. It is in Jagatī; Jagatī verses support the midday (pressing) of the set of three days; that metre is a support in which a Nivid is inserted; therefore he inserts a Nivid in the Jagatī verses. Pairing hymns are recited in Triṣṭubh and in Jagatī; cattle are a pairing, the Chandomas cattle; (they serve) to win cattle. ‘That of Savitṛ we choose,’ and ‘To-day, for us, O god Savitṛ’ are the strophe and antistrophe of the Vaiçvadeva; on the Rathantara day, the seventh day, it is a symbol of the seventh day. ‘Towards thee, O god Savitṛ’ is (the triplet) to Savitṛ. ‘Towards’ is equivalent to ‘forward’; on the seventh day it is a symbol of the seventh day. ‘Let them come forward with weal for the sacrifice’ is (the triplet) to sky and earth; ‘forward’ on the seventh day is a symbol of the seventh day. ‘This to the race divine’ is (the triplet) to the Ṛbhus; as containing (the word) ‘born’ on the seventh day it is a symbol of the seventh day. He recites (the verses) of two Padas, ‘Come hither with thy beauty’; man has two feet, cattle four feet; the Chandomas are cattle; (verily they serve) to win cattle; in that he recites (verses) of two Padas, verily thus he makes the sacrificer with two feet find support in four-footed cattle. ‘Hither to our service, the songs, O Agni’ is the (hymn) to the All-gods; ‘hither’ on the seventh day is a symbol of the seventh day. These are Gāyatrī verses; this set of three days has the Gāyatrī at the third pressing. ‘Vaiçvānara hath produced’ is the beginning of the Āgnimāruta; as having (the word) ‘born’ on the seventh day it is a symbol of the seventh day. ‘Forward to you, the Triṣṭubh, food’ is (the hymn) to the Maruts; ‘forward’ on the seventh day is a symbol of the seventh day. ‘To Jātavedas let us pour the Soma’ is the normal (verse) to Jātavedas. ‘Your envoy, with all knowledge’ is (the hymn) to Jātavedas; as not having the deity mentioned on the seventh day it is a symbol of the seventh day. These are Gāyatrī verses; this set of three days has the Gāyatrī at the third pressing.

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v. 18 (xxiii. 3). That which has not (the words) ‘hither’ and ‘forward’, that which has (the word) ‘stand’, is the symbol of the eighth day, for the eighth day is a repetition of the second day. That which contains (the word) ‘upright’, (the word) ‘to’, (the word) ‘between’, (the word) ‘strong’, (the word) ‘grow’, (the fact) that the deity is mentioned in the middle Pada, (the fact) that the atmosphere is referred to, that which has Agni twice, that which contains (the word) ‘great’, that which contains a double invocation, that which contains (the word) ‘again’, the present tense, that which is a symbol of the second day; these are the symbols of the eighth day. ‘Agni for you the god in union with the flames’ is the Ājya of the eighth day; as containing Agni twice, on the eighth day it is a symbol of the eighth day. It is in Triṣṭubh; this set of three days has the Triṣṭubh at the morning pressing. ‘Were not they who were made great with homage?’, ‘Those rich of food, wealth gathering, the wise one,’ ‘The dawns with fair days, spotless have dawned,’ ‘Guardians infallible, eager envoys,’ ‘So far as the power of the body, so far as the might,’ ‘To you two at the rising of the sun with hymns,’ ‘The cow milking the desire of the ancient one,’ ‘To our prayers come, O Indra, knowing,’ ‘Agni, upright, hath established the favour of the bright one’ and ‘May Sarasvatī for us rejoicing’ are the Praüga; as containing (the words) ‘to’, ‘between’, an invocation of two deities and ‘upright’ on the eighth day it is a symbol of the eighth day. It is in Triṣṭubh; this set of three days has the Triṣṭubh metre at the morning pressing. ‘Lord of every man,’ ‘Indra is the Soma drinker only,’ ‘O Indra, come near,’ ‘Rise up, O Brahmaṇaspati,’ ‘Agni, the leader,’ ‘Thou, O Soma, with inspiration,’ ‘They swell the waters,’ and ‘Sing aloud to Indra’ are the continuation being the same as that of the second day; on the eighth day it is a symbol of the eighth day. ‘I praise great Indra in whom all’ is the hymn; as containing (the word) ‘great’ on the eighth day it is a symbol of the eighth day. ‘Even from great, O Indra, these that approach’ is the hymn; as containing (the word) ‘great’ on the eighth day it is a symbol of the eighth day. ‘Drink the Soma, towards which, O dread one, thou hast penetrated’ is the hymn; as containing (the word) ‘great’, in ‘The cattle stall, being greatly lauded, O Indra’ on the eighth day, it is a symbol of the eighth day. ‘Great is

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Indra, man-like, spreading over mortals’ is the hymn; as containing (the word) ‘great’ on the eighth day it is a symbol of the eighth day. It is in Triṣṭubh; with it with feet supported he maintains the pressing; thereby it departs not from its place. ‘Him sky and earth of one mind’ is the hymn; as containing (the word) ‘great’ in ‘When he went displaying his greatness, his power’ on the eighth day it is a symbol of the eighth day. It is in Jagatī; Jagatī verses support the midday (pressing) of this set of three days; that metre is a support in which a Nivid is inserted; therefore he inserts a Nivid in the Jagatī verses. Pairing hymns are recited in Triṣṭubh and Jagatī; cattle are a pairing, the Chandomas are cattle; (verily they serve) to win cattle. Hymns containing (the word) ‘great’ are recited; the atmosphere is great; (verily they serve) to obtain the atmosphere. Five hymns are recited; the Paṅkti has five Padas; the sacrifice is fivefold; cattle are fivefold; the Chandomas are cattle; (verily they serve) to win cattle. ‘Towards thee, O hero, we utter praise’ and ‘Towards thee for the first drink’ are the Rathantara as Pṛṣṭha on the eighth day. ‘What he hath won’ is the normal inserted verse. In ‘Thee we invoke’ he makes to follow the basis of the Bṛhat, for this day is connected with the Bṛhat in place. ‘Both may he hear for us’ is the Pragātha of the Sāman; ‘that which is lasting and that which was yesterday’ (he means); on the Bṛhat day, the eighth day, it is a symbol of the eighth day. ‘This steed, god strengthened’ is the normal Tārkṣya (hymn).

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v. 19 (xxiii. 4). ‘Many not of old to him’ is the hymn; as containing (the word) ‘great’ in ‘To the great, the hero, impetuous, eager’ on the eighth day it is a symbol of the eighth day. ‘This fame for thee, O bounteous one, though thy greatness’ is the hymn; as containing (the word) ‘great’ on the eighth day it is the symbol of the eighth day. ‘Thou art great, O Indra, who by thy might’ is the hymn; as containing (the word) ‘great’ on the eighth day it is a symbol of the eighth day. ‘Thou art great, O Indra; to thee the earth’ is the hymn; as containing (the word) ‘great’ on the eighth day it is a symbol of the eighth day. It is in Triṣṭubh; with it with feet supported he maintains the pressing; thereby it departs not from its place. ‘Though the width of the sky is outspread’ is the hymn; as containing (the word) ‘great’ in ‘Not Indra in greatness’

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on the eighth day it is a symbol of the eighth day'. It is in Jagatī; Jagatī verses support the midday (pressing) of this set of three days; that metre is a support in which a Nivid is inserted; therefore he inserts a Nivid in the Jagatī verses. Pairing hymns are recited, in Triṣṭubh and in Jagatī; cattle are a pairing, the Chandomas cattle; (verily they serve) to win cattle. Hymns containing (the word) 'great' are recited; the atmosphere is great; (verily they serve) to obtain the atmosphere. Two sets of five hymns are recited; the Paṅkti has five Padas; the sacrifice is fivefold; cattle are fivefold; the Chandomas are cattle; (verily they serve) to win cattle. They are separate, five in one set, five in the other; they make up ten; the Virāj is a set of ten; the Virāj is food; cattle are food, the Chandomas cattle; (verily they serve) to win cattle. 'Let each man of the god that leadeth,' 'That desirable of Savitṛ' and 'God of all, lord of the good' are the strophe and antistrophe of the Vaiçvadeva. On the Bṛhat day, the eighth day, it is a symbol of the eighth day. 'The golden-handed to aid' is (the triplet) to Savitṛ; as containing (the word) 'upright' on the eighth day it is a symbol of the eighth day. 'May the two great ones, sky and earth, for us' is (the triplet) to sky and earth; as containing (the word) 'great' on the eighth day it is a symbol of the eighth day. 'Youthful the parents again' is (the triplet) to the Ṛbhus; as containing (the word) 'again' on the eighth day it is a symbol of the eighth day. He recites (verses) of two Padas, 'These worlds let us subject'; man has two feet, cattle four feet; the Chandomas are cattle; (verily they serve) to win cattle. In that he recites (verses) of two Padas, verily thus he makes the sacrificer with two feet to find support among four-footed cattle. 'The great aid of the gods' is (the hymn) to the All-gods; as containing (the word) 'great' on the eighth day it is a symbol of the eighth day. These are Gāyatrī verses; this set of three days has the Gāyatrī at the third pressing. 'The righteous, belonging to all men' is the beginning of the Āgnimāruta; as containing (the word) 'great' in 'Agni, of all men, the great' on the eighth day it is a symbol of the eighth day. 'The sporting troop of the Maruts' is (the hymn) to the Maruts; as containing (the word) 'grow' in 'With the taste of the sap it grew great' on the eighth day it is a symbol of the eighth day. 'To Jātavedas let us pour the Soma' is the normal (verse) to Jātavedas.

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‘O Agni, be kind; thou art great’ is (the hymn) to Jātavedas; as containing (the word) ‘great’ on the eighth day it is a symbol of the eighth day. These are Gāyatrī verses; this set of three days has the Gāyatrī metre at the third pressing.

Linked texts (1)

Aitareyabrāhmaṇa — Mahidāsa Aitareya, Sanskrit