Aitareyabrahmana 6.3: ADHYĀYA III

Rigveda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas of the Rigveda (HOS 25) 6.3

Language: English

ADHYĀYA III

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The Çastras and other Recitations of the Hotrakas.

vi.9 (xxviii. 1). ‘Let the bays carry thee hither’ he recites at the morning pressing for the (goblets) being filled, (verses) containing (the words) ‘strong’, ‘drink’, ‘pressed’, and ‘be drunk’ and so perfect in form. They are (verses) to Indra which he recites; the sacrifice is connected with Indra. They are Gāyatrīs which he recites; the morning pressing is connected with the Gāyatrī. Nine small (verses) he recites at the morning pressing; in what is small is seed poured; ten at the midday he recites; seed poured in the small having attained the middle part of the woman becomes most firm; nine small (verses) he recites at the third pressing: from what is small are offspring born. In that he repeats the whole of the hymns, verily thus he propagates the sacrificer as an embryo from the sacrifice as the womb of the gods. Some recite seven verses each, seven at the morning pressing, seven at the midday (pressing), seven at the third pressing; saying ‘The offering verses should be as many as the invitatory verses; seven eastward say the offering verses, seven say the vaṣaṭ call; these are the invitatory verses of those’. That he should not do so; they injure the seed of the sacrifice and moreover the sacrificer himself, for the hymn is the sacrificer. By nine (verses) the Maitrāvaruṇa carries him from this world to the world of the atmosphere, by ten from the world of the atmosphere to yonder world, for the world of the atmosphere is the longest, with nine from

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yonder world to the world of heaven. They cannot bear the sacrificer to the world of heaven who recite sets of seven. Therefore as wholes should he recite the hymns.

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vi. 10 (xxviii. 2). Further he says ‘Seeing that the sacrifice is for Indra, then why do two only at the morning pressing use as offering verses for the Prasthita (libations) verses manifestly addressed to Indra, namely the Hotṛ and the Brāhmaṇācchaṅsin: ‘This Soma drink for thee’ is the offering verse of the Hotṛ, ‘O Indra, thee as a bull we’ is that of the Brāhmaṇācchaṅsin. The others use (verses) to various deities; how are their verses connected with Indra?’ The Maitrāvaruṇa uses as offering verse ‘Mitra we hail’; ‘Varuṇa for the Soma drinking’ (he says); whatever Pada contains (the word) ‘drink’ is a symbol of Indra; thereby he delights Indra. The Potṛ uses as offering verse ‘O Maruts, in whose dwelling’; ‘He is best protected of men’ (he says); the protector is Indra; this is a symbol of Indra; thereby he delights Indra. ‘O Agni, bring hither the wives’ the Neṣṭṛ uses as offering verse; ‘Tvaṣṭṛ to the Soma drinking’ (he says); Tvaṣṭṛ is Indra; this is a symbol of Indra; thereby he delights Indra. ‘To him whose food is the ox, whose food the cow’ the Agnīdh uses as offering verse; ‘Soma-backed, the creator’ (he says); the creator is Indra; this is a symbol of Indra; thereby he delights Indra.

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‘Come hither with those that move at dawn,
The gods, ye that have excellent wealth,
Indra and Agni, to the Soma drinking’;

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is the offering verse of the Achāvāka, being in itself perfect. So are these verses to Indra; in that they are addressed to various deities, thereby he delights the other deities. In that they are in Gāyatrī, thereby they are connected with Agni; these three with them he obtains.

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vi. 11 (xxviii. 3). ‘There hath been pressed the divine Soma juice mingled with milk’ he recites at the midday for (the goblets) being filled, (verses) containing (the words) ‘strong’, ‘drink’, ‘pressed’, and ‘be drunk’ and so perfect a form. (The verses) which he recites are addressed to Indra; the sacrifice is connected with Indra; they are Triṣṭubh verses which he recites;

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the midday pressing is connected with the Triṣṭubh. They say ‘Seeing that (the word) “be drunk” is a symbol of the third pressing, then why does he recite verses containing (the word) “be drunk” and why do they use such verses as offering verses?’ At the midday the gods become drunk as it were; they also at the third pressing become drunk together; therefore at the midday he recites (verses) containing the word ‘be drunk’ and they use such (verses) as offering verses. All of them at the midday use for the Prasthita libations verses manifestly addressed to Indra. Some use verses containing (the words) ‘penetrate towards’. The Hotṛ uses as offering verse ‘Drink the Soma towards which O dread one thou hast penetrated’. The Maitrāvaruṇa uses as offering verse ‘Drink it, thou that art impetuous, penetrating’. The Brāhmaṇācchaṅsin uses as offering verses ‘Do thou drink as of old; let it delight thee’. The Potṛ uses as offering verse ‘Come hither; Soma lover they call thee’. The Neṣṭṛ uses as offering verse ‘Thine is this Soma; do thou come hither’. The Achāvāka uses as offering verse ‘For Indra the Soma draughts found aforetime’. The Agnīdh uses as offering verse ‘Filled is his cup; hail!’ Of these those contain (the words) ‘penetrate towards’; Indra was not victorious at the morning pressing; with these (verses) he penetrated towards the midday pressing; in that he penetrated towards, therefore do these verses contain (the words) ‘penetrate towards’.

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vi. 12 (xxviii. 4). ‘Come hither, O sons of strength’ he recites at the third pressing for (the goblet) being filled, (verses) containing (the words) ‘strong’, ‘drink’, ‘press’, and ‘be drunk’ and so perfect in form. They are addressed to Indra and the Ṛbhus. They say ‘Since they do not chant (verses) to the Ṛbhus, then why do they call it the Ārbhava Pavamāna?’ Prajāpati as father having made immortal the Ṛbhus being mortal gave them a share in the third pressing; therefore they do not chant (verses) to the Ṛbhus, but they call it the Ārbhava Pavamāna. Further he says ‘Seeing that in the two first pressings he recites according to the metre, Gāyatrī verses at the morning pressing, Triṣṭubhs at the midday pressing, then why does he recite Triṣṭubh verses at the third pressing which is connected with the Jagatī?’

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‘The third pressing has the sap sucked out; the Triṣṭubh metre is one with the sap not sucked out but full of pure juice; (therefore it serves) to make it full of sap’ should he reply; ‘Moreover he thus gives Indra a share in the pressing’. Further he says ‘Seeing that the third pressing is connected with Indra and the Ṛbhus, then why does he, the Hotṛ, alone at the third pressing use for the Prasthita libations what is manifestly (a verse ) to Indra and the Ṛbhus “O Indra with the Ṛbhus, full of strength, the well blended”, while the others use (verses) to various deities, and how are these (verses) connected with Indra and the Ṛbhus’. The Maitrāvaruṇa uses as offering verse ‘O Indra and Varuṇa, drinkers of the pressed this pressed (juice)’; in ‘Your chariot the sacrifice for the enjoyment of the gods’ he mentions many; that is a symbol of the Ṛbhus. The Brāhmaṇācchaṅsin uses as offering verse ‘With Indra, O Bṛhaspati, drink the Soma’; in ‘Let the drops well formed enter you’ he mentions many; that is a symbol of the Ṛbhus. The Potṛ uses as offering verse ‘May the steeds, swift speeding, bring you hither’; in ‘Swiftly leaping, come ye forward on their backs’ he mentions many; that is a symbol of the Ṛbhus. The Neṣṭṛ uses as offering verse ‘As at home come ye to us, swift to listen’; in ‘Come ye’ he mentions many; that is a symbol of the Ṛbhus. The Achāvāka uses as offering verse ‘O Indra and Viṣṇu drink of this sweet drink’; in ‘The sweet Soma juices of you two have come’ he mentions many; that is a symbol of the Ṛbhus. The Āgnīdh uses the offering verse ‘This praise to Jātavedas who doth deserve it; in ‘Like a chariot let us magnify with devotion’ he mentions many; that is a symbol of the Ṛbhus. So are these verses addressed to Indra and the Ṛbhus. In that they are addressed to various deities, thereby he delights the other deities. In that they consist mainly of Jagatī verses, and the third pressing is connected with the Jagatī, verily (they serve) to make perfect the pressing.

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vi. 13 (xxviii. 5). Further he says ‘Seeing that some of the Hotṛ's offices have litanies and others have no litanies, how are they all made by him to have litanies, and be equal and perfect?’ In that naming them together they call them Hotṛ's offices, thereby are they equal. In that some of the Hotṛ's offices have litanies and others not, thereby are they different. So they all become for him possessed of litanies, equal and perfect. Further

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he says ‘The Hotrakas recite at the morning pressing and recite at the midday pressing; how do they recite at the third pressing?’ ‘In that at the midday they recite two hymns apiece’, he should reply, ‘for that reason.’ Further he says ‘Seeing that the Hotṛ has two litanies, how have the Hotrakas two litanies?’ ‘In that they use as offering verses (verses) addressed to two deities’, he should reply, ‘for that reason.’

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vi. 14 (xxviii. 6). Further he says ‘Seeing that these three Hotṛ’s offices are possessed of litanies, how have the others litanies?’ The Ājya is the litany of the Agnīdh’s office, the Marutvatīya of the Potṛ’s, the Vaiçvadeva of the Neṣṭr’s; these Hotṛ’s offices contain the characteristics accordingly. Further he says ‘Seeing that some Hotrakas have one direction only given to them, then why has the Potṛ two directions given, and the Neṣṭṛ two?’ When the Gāyatrī yonder having become an eagle brought the Soma, Indra having cut off the litanies of these Hotṛ’s offices gave them to the Hotṛ (saying) ‘You have called to me; you have known this’. The gods said ‘With speech let us strengthen these two Hotṛ’s offices’. Therefore have they two directions. By speech they strengthened the Agnīdh’s office; therefore his offering verses are one verse larger. Further he says ‘Seeing that the Maitrāvaruṇa gives directions to the Hotṛ with ‘Let the Hotṛ say the offering verse; let the Hotṛ say the offering verse’, then why does he give directions with ‘Let the Hotṛ say the offering verse; let the Hotṛ say the offering verse’ to the Hotrāçaṅsins who are not Hotṛs?’ The Hotṛ is the breath; all the priests are the breath; verily thus he says in effect ‘Let breath say the offering verse; let breath say the offering verse’. Then he says ‘Is there a direction for the Udgātṛs, or is there not?’ ‘There is’ he should reply. In that the Praçāstṛ, after muttering, says ‘Do ye chant’, this is their direction. Further he says ‘Is there a choosing of the Achāvāka? Or not?’ ‘There is’ he should reply. In that the Adhvaryu says to him, ‘O Achāvāka, say what is to be said by you’, this is the choice of him. Further he says ‘Seeing that at the third pressing the Maitrāvaruṇa recites (a litany) to Indra and Varuṇa, then why are the strophe and antistrophe addressed to Agni?’ With Agni as their head the gods smote away the Asuras from the litanies; therefore its strophe and antistrophe are addressed to Agni. Further he says ‘Seeing that the Brāhmaṇācchaṅsin recites (a litany) to Indra and Bṛhaspati at the third pressing,

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and the Achāvāka one to Indra and Viṣṇu, how are their strophes and antistrophes addressed to Indra?' Indra drove away the Asuras from the litanies; he said 'With me who?' With 'I' and 'I' the deities followed after; in that Indra was the first to drive away, therefore their strophes and antistrophes are addressed to Indra; in that with 'I' and 'I' the deities followed after, therefore do they recite to various deities.

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vi. 15 (xxviii. 7). Further he says 'Seeing that the third pressing is connected with the All-gods, then why are these hymns to Indra in Jagatī recited as the commencement at the third pressing?' 'Verily laying hold of Indra by them they proceed' he should reply. Moreover in that the third pressing is connected with the Jagatī, it is for desire of the Jagatī. Whatever metre is recited thereafter, it is all in the Jagatī if these hymns to Indra in Jagatī are recited as the commencement at the third pressing. Then at the end the Achāvāka recites a hymn in Triṣṭubh 'With the rite'; the rite which is to be praised he refers to. 'With sap' (he says); sap is food; (verily it serves) to win proper food. 'With safe paths furthering us' (he says); verily thus he recites for safety day by day. Further he says 'Since the third pressing is connected with the Jagatī, then why have they concluding verses in Triṣṭubh?' The Triṣṭubh is strength; verily thus at the end they keep finding support in strength. 'This speech of mine hath reached Indra, Varuṇa' is that of the Maitrāvaruṇa; 'May Bṛhaspati protect us around behind' that of the Brāhmaṇācchaṅsin; 'Both have conquered' is that of the Achāvāka, for they two are victorious; 'They are not conquered, he is not conquered' (he says), for neither of them has conquered.

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'What time, O Viṣṇu, with Indra ye did strive
Then did ye two divide in three the thousand'

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(he says). Indra and Viṣṇu fought with the Asuras; having conquered, them they said 'Let us make an arrangement'. The Asuras said 'Be it so'. Indra said 'So much as Viṣṇu three times traverses, so much be ours; let the rest be yours'. He traversed these worlds, then the Vedas, then speech.

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They say ‘What is the thousand?’ ‘These worlds, these Vedas, moreover speech’ he should reply. ‘Did ye divide’ the Achāvāka repeats in the Ukthya, for he is then the last; the Hotṛ at the Agniṣṭoma and the Atirātra, for he is then the last. ‘Should he repeat at the Ṣoḍaçin? Or should he not repeat?’ ‘He should repeat’ they say; ‘Why should he repeat in the other days and not at this?’ Therefore he should repeat.

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vi. 16 (xxviii. 8). Further he says ‘Seeing that the third pressing is connected with the Nārāçaṅsa, then why does the Achāvāka at the end recite in the Çilpas verses without reference to the Nārāçaṅsa. The Nārāçaṅsa (hymn) is a development; some seed is developed as it were; this is already developed and so propagated. Again the Nārāçaṅsa hymn is soft and slipping; but the Achāvāka is the last; (they think) ‘We shall establish it in something firm for the sake of firmness’. Therefore the Achāvāka at the end in the Çilpas recites (verses) without reference to the Nārāçaṅsa (thinking) ‘We shall establish it in something firm, for the sake of firmness’.

Linked texts (1)

Aitareyabrāhmaṇa — Mahidāsa Aitareya, Sanskrit