Aitareyabrahmana 6.4: ADHYĀYA IV

Rigveda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas of the Rigveda (HOS 25) 6.4

Language: English

ADHYĀYA IV

vi. 17 (xxix. 1). The strophe of the next day they make the antistrophe, at the morning pressing for the continuity of the Ahīna (sacrifice). Just as the one day (rite) pressing, so the Ahīna; just as the pressings of the one day (rite) as a pressing keep united, so the days of the Ahīna keep united. In that they make the strophe of the next day the antistrophe at the morning pressing for the continuity of the Ahīna, verily thus they continue the Ahīna. The gods and the seers planned ‘With what is the same, let us continue the sacrifice; they saw this similarity in the sacrifice,

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the Pragāthas the same, the beginnings the same, the hymns the same. Indra is a house frequenter; where Indra goes first, then he returns again; verily (it serves) to secure Indra in the sacrifice.

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vi. 18 (xxix. 2). These Sampātas Viçvāmitra first saw; them seen by Viçvāmitra Vāmadeva created, ‘Thee, O Indra with the thunderbolt’; ‘That which of ours Indra rejoiceth in and desireth’, and ‘How? of what Hotṛ hath he made great?’ To them he swiftly moved; in that he swiftly moved (*samapatat*), that is why the Sampātas have their name. Viçvāmitra considered ‘The Sampātas which I saw Vāmadeva has created; what hymns now can I create as counter Sampātas?’ He created these hymns as Sampātas their counterparts. ‘Straightway on birth, the bull, the youngling,’ ‘Indra, breaker of citadels, overcame the Dāsa with his beams,’ ‘This offering do thou make attain,’ ‘Thy comrades, Soma-loving, desire thee,’ ‘Ordering the bearer hath gone to the grandson of the daughter’, and ‘Like a carpenter, have I fashioned a thought.’ ‘Who alone is to be invoked by mortals’ Bharadvāja (saw). ‘With sharp horns, like a terrible wild beast’, and ‘Praises have been offered in desire of glory’ Vasiṣṭha (saw). ‘To him the eager, the impetuous’ Nodhas (saw). Having recited at the morning pressing the strophes of the six-day (rite), at the midday they recite the Ahīna hymns. These are the Ahīna hymns; ‘Let the true one come hither, the bounteous, he of the Soma lees’ the Maitrāvaruṇa (recites) containing (the word) ‘true’. ‘To him the eager, the impetuous’ (this hymn) containing (the word) ‘prayer’ in ‘To Indra the prayers most truly given’ and ‘O Indra, these prayers have the Gotamas made’ the Brāhmaṇācchaṅsin recites. ‘Ordering the bearer’ (this hymn) containing (the word) ‘bearer’ in ‘They have produced the bearer’ the Achāvāka recites. They say ‘Why does the Achāvāka recite this hymn containing (the word) “bearer” both in the days that go away and those that come up again?’

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The knower of many Ṛcs is powerful; the hymn contains (the word) ‘bearer’; the bearer bears the yoke to which it is yoked. Therefore the Achāvāka recites in both cases this hymn containing (the word) ‘bearer’, both in the days that go away and in those that come up again. These are on five days, the Caturviñça, Abhijit, Viṣuvant, Viçvajit and Mahāvrata; these days are Ahīnas, for nothing in them is left out; these days go away without recurring; therefore they recite them on these days. In that they recite them, (they hope) ‘Let us obtain the worlds of heaven without defect, with all forms, with all perfection. In that they recite them, they invite Indra with them, like a bull to a cow. In that moreover they recite them, it is for the continuity of the Ahīna; verily thus they continue the Ahīna.

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vi. 19 (xxix. 3). These three Saṃpāta (hymns) the Maitrāvaruṇa recites one by one day by day, alternating their order; on the first day (he recites) ‘Thee O Indra, with the thunderbolt’, on the second ‘That which of ours Indra rejoiceth in and desireth’, on the third ‘How? of what Hotṛ hath he made great?’ Three Saṃpātas the Brāhmaṇācchaṅsin recites one by one day by day, alternating their order, on the first day ‘Indra, breaker of citadels, overcame the Dāsa with his beams’, on the second ‘Who alone is to be invited by mortals’, on the third ‘With sharp horns, like a terrible wild beast’. Three Saṃpātas the Achāvāka recites one by one, day by day, alternating their order, on the first day ‘This offering do thou make attain’, on the second ‘Thy comrades, Soma-loving, desire thee’, on the third ‘Ordering the bearer hath gone to the grandson of the daughter’. These number nine; there are three to be recited every day; these make up twelve; the year has twelve months; Prajāpati is the year; the sacrifice is Prajāpati; thus they obtain the year and Prajāpati; thus they continue day by day to find support in the year, in Prajāpati, in the sacrifice. Between them they should insert an insertion, Virāj verses and verses by Vimada without repetition of *o* on the fourth day, Paṅkti verses on the fifth,

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and verses by Parucchepa on the sixth. Moreover on those days which have great Stomas the Maitrāvaruṇa should insert ‘What friend of man to-day, god-loving?’, the Brāhmaṇācchaṅsin, ‘He who hath been placed as it were in the forest delighting,’ and the Achāvāka ‘Come hither, standing on thy chariot seat’. These are the insertions; by means of these insertions the gods, the seers, conquered the world of heaven. Verily thus also the sacrificers by these insertions conquer the world of heaven.

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vi. 20 (xxviii. 4) ‘Straightway on birth the bull, the youngling’ the Maitrāvaruṇa recites day by day before the hymns. That hymn is heavenly; by this hymn the gods conquered the world of heaven, by this the seers. Verily thus also the sacrificers by this hymn conquer the world of heaven. It is by Viçvāmitra; Viçvāmitra was the friend of all; all becomes friendly to him who knows thus and to those for whom a Maitrāvaruṇa, knowing thus, recites this before the hymns day by day. It contains (the words) ‘bull’ and ‘cattle’; (it serves) to win cattle. It is of five verses; the Paṅkti has five Padas; food is the Paṅkti; (it serves) to win proper food. ‘Praises have been offered in desire of glory’ the Brāhmaṇācchaṅsin recites day by day the hymn containing (the word) ‘praise’ and so perfect. This hymn is heavenly; by this hymn the gods conquered the world of heaven, by this the seers. Verily thus also the sacrificers by this hymn conquer the world of heaven. It is by Vasiṣṭha; by it Vasiṣṭha went to the dear abode of Indra, he conquered the highest world. He goes to the dear abode of Indra, he conquers the highest world who knows thus. It has six verses; the seasons are six; (it serves) to win the seasons. He recites it after the Saṃpātas. Having obtained thus the world of heaven the sacrificers find support in this world. ‘Like a carpenter have I fashioned a thought’, the Achāvāka recites day by day, containing (the word) ‘towards’ and a symbol of continuity. ‘Pondering on the dear (days) to come’ (he says); the days to come are dear; verily thus they proceed pondering on, laying hold of, them. The world of heaven is to come as compared with this world; verily thus he alludes to it. ‘I long to see the sages, with wisdom’ (he says), our seers who are departed are the sages; verily thus he refers to them. It is by Viçvāmitra; Viçvāmitra was the friend of all; all becomes friendly to him who knows thus. That which he recites has no deity mentioned and is connected with

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Prajāpati. Prajāpati is he whose name is not mentioned; (it serves) to obtain Prajāpati. Once he mentions Indra; thereby he departs not from the Indra form. It is in ten verses; the Virāj has ten syllables; the Virāj is food; (it serves) to win food. As to its being of ten verses, the breaths are ten; verily thus they obtain the breaths, they place breaths in the body. He recites it after the Saṃpātas; verily thus having obtained the world of heaven, the sacrificers find support in this world.

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vi. 21 (xxix. 5). ‘Who, O Indra, him that hath thee as his wealth’, ‘What newest of praises’, and ‘What hath not been wrought by him’ are the Pragāthas containing the word ‘who’ which are recited day by day at the beginning. Prajāpati is Who; (verily they serve) to obtain Prajāpati. Moreover in that they contain (the word) ‘who’ and who is food, (they serve) to win food. Moreover as to their containing (the word) ‘who’, day by day they praise employing the Ahīna hymn, duly appeased, and it is by the Pragāthas containing (the word) ‘who’ that they appease them. Appeased they bring them prosperity (ka); appeased they carry them towards the world of heaven. The beginnings of the hymns which they recite should be in Triṣṭubh; these some recite before the Pragāthas, calling them inserted verses. That he should not do so. The Hotṛ is lordly power, the Hotrāçaṅsins are the people; verily thus they would make the people refractory to the lordly power which is a confusion. He should know ‘These my hymn beginnings are Triṣṭubhs’. Just as men set sail on an ocean so set they sail who perform the year or a twelve day (rite); just as men desiring to reach the other shore mount a ship well found, so do they mount the Triṣṭubhs. That metre having made them go to the world of heaven does not fail, for it is the strongest of all. He should not utter the call for these (verses) (thinking) ‘The metre is the same; moreover let me not make them inserted verses.’ In that they recite these (verses), (they think) ‘Let us mount the hymns with the recognized beginnings of the hymns.’ In that they recite these (verses), verily with them they summon Indra, like a bull to the cow. Moreover in that they recite them, (it serves) for the continuity of the Ahīna; verily thus they continue the Ahīna.

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vi. 22 (xxix. 6). ‘O Indra drive away all our enemies in front’ the Maitrāvaruṇa recites day by day before the hymns:

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‘Drive away those behind, O overpowering one, Drive away those to the north, O hero, those below to the south That we may delight in thy wide protection’

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(he says); it is a symbol of freedom from fear; for he desires as he proceeds freedom from fear. ‘Those yoked with prayer, I yoke with prayer’ the Brāhmaṇācchaṅsin recites day by day; in ‘I yoke’ it contains (the word) yoke, since the Ahīna is yoked as it were; (therefore) it is a symbol of the Ahīna. ‘To wide space thou leadest us after knowing’ the Achāvāka recites day by day; since the Ahīna goes as it were, (the words) ‘Thou leadest after’ are a symbol of the Ahīna; (the words) ‘Thou leadest’ are a symbol of the proceeding of the sacrificial session. These are recited day by day. They should conclude with the same verses; Indra is a home-goer as regards their sacrifice; as a bull to the cow, or as a cow to its well-known place of pasture, so does Indra come to their sacrifice. He should not conclude with the ‘Prosperity let us invoke’ verse the Ahīna (hymn); the Kṣatriya departs from his kingdom; his rival he then summons.

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vi. 23 (xxix. 7). Then follows the yoking and releasing of the Ahīna (rite), with ‘He traversed the atmosphere’ he yokes; with ‘So Indra’ he releases; with ‘I of the two connected with Sarasvatī’ and ‘Surely this of thee’ he yokes the Ahīna; with ‘Let us be thine, O god Varuṇa’ and ‘Chant ye’ he releases. He is worthy to weave the Ahīna who knows how to yoke and to release it. In that they are yoked on the Caturviṅça day is the yoking; in that they are released before the concluding Atirātra is the releasing. If on the Caturviṅça day they were to conclude with (the verses) of the one day (rite), they would conclude the sacrifice, and would not make it an Ahīna; if they were again to conclude with the concluding verses of the Ahīna, the sacrifice would perish, just as one wearied and not being released perishes. With both sets should they conclude. That is as if one were to go a long journey unyoking from time to time; the sacrifice becomes continuous, and yet they release (it). He should not over-recite the Soma by

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more than one or two verses at the two pressings; when a Stoma is over-recited by many verses then come into existence long stretches of wild; he may use an unlimited number at the third pressing; the world of heaven is unlimited; (it serves) to obtain the world of heaven. He grasps the Ahīna continuous and firm who knowing thus performs the Ahma.

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vi. 24 (xxix. 8). The gods saw the cows in a cave; they sought to win them with the sacrifice; they obtained them with the sixth day. At the morning pressing with Nabhāka's (hymn) they tore open (nabh) the cave; in that they tore it open, verily thus they loosened it. On the third pressing having destroyed the cave with the Vālakhilyās as the thunderbolt and (the verse) of one Pada as the hammer of speech, they drove out the cows. Verily thus also the sacrificers tear open the cave at the morning pressing with Nabhāka's (hymn); in that they tear it open, verily thus they loosen it. Therefore the Hotrakas at the morning pressing recite triplets by Nabhāka. 'When supporting the summits', the Maitrāvaruṇa, 'O Indra, ancient are thine addresses', the Brāhmaṇācchaṅsin; 'The middle of conflicts', the Achāvāka. At the third pressing having destroyed the cave with the Vālakhilyās as the thunderbolt and (the verse) of one Pada as the hammer of speech they obtain the cows. First he transposes by Padas the six hymns of the Vālakhilyās, by half verses the second time, by verses the third time. When transposing by Padas he should place (a verse) of one Pada in each Pragātha; that is the hammer of speech. There are five (verses) of one Pada; four from the tenth day, one from the Mahāvrata. There are the Mahānāmnī Padas of eight syllables; he should recite as many of these as he requires to complete; he should disregard the others. When transposing by half verses he should recite these (verses) of one Pada, and these eight-syllable Padas of the Mahānāmnīs. When trans-

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posing by verses, he should recite these (verses) of one Pada and these eight-syllable Padas of the Mahānāmnīs. In that he transposes for the first time the six hymns of the Vālakhilyās, verily thus he transposes breath and speech; in that for the second time, thus he transposes eye and mind; in that for the third, thus he transposes ear and self. Thus is the desire in the transposition obtained, in the Vālakhilyās as the thunderbolt, in (the verse) of one food as the hammer of speech, in the arrangement of the breaths. For the fourth time he recites the Pragāthas without transposition; the Pragāthas are cattle; (they serve) to win cattle. He should not here insert (the verse) of one Pada; if he were to insert (the verse) of one Pada, by the hammer of speech he would strike off cattle from the sacrificer. If a man were to say to him then ‘You have struck off cattle from the sacrificer, you have made him without cattle’, it would certainly be so. Therefore he should not insert (the verse) of one Pada. He inverts the last two hymns; this is their transposition. This to Saubala Sarpis Vātsi recited; he said ‘I have secured the most abundant cattle in this sacrifice; not the least will come to me.’ To him he gave (fees) as to great priests. That recitation is rich in cattle and heavenly; therefore he recites it.

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vi. 25 (xxix. 9). He mounts the difficult mounting; the explanation of this has been given. In (a hymn) to Indra should he mount for one desiring cattle; cattle are connected with Indra. It should be in Jagatī; cattle are connected with the Jagatī; it should be a great hymn; verily thus he establishes the sacrificer in most numerous cattle. In (a hymn) by Baru should he mount; it is a great hymn and in Jagatī. In (a hymn) to Indra and Varuṇa should he mount for one desiring support. This Hotṛ's office has these as deities, and has support in these; in that (the offering verse is) addressed to Indra and Varuṇa, verily thus he establishes it in its own support as the end. As to (his mounting) in (a hymn) to Indra and Varuṇa, there is here a Nivid; by a Nivid are desires obtained. If he mounts in (a hymn) to Indra and Varuṇa, it should be in (a hymn) by Suparṇa. Thus is obtained the desire in (the hymn) to Indra and Varuṇa, in (the hymn) by Suparṇa.

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vi. 26 (xxix. 10). They say ‘Should he recite together on the sixth day?

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Or should he not recite together?' 'He should recite together' they say; 'Why should he recite together on the other days and why not recite together on this?' Or rather they say 'He should not recite together. The sixth day is the world of heaven; the world of heaven is not a place where all meet; only certain ones meet in the world of heaven'. If he were to recite together, he would make it common; in that he does not recite together, it is a symbol of the world of heaven. Therefore he should not recite together. Again as to his not reciting together, the strophe is the body, the Vālakhilyās the breaths; if he were to recite together, from these deities he would sever the breaths of the sacrificer; if one were to say of him then 'From these two deities he has severed the breaths of the sacrificer; breath will leave him', it would certainly be so. Therefore he should not recite together. If he should reflect 'I have recited the Vālakhilyās; let me recite together before the difficult mounting', he should not on any account so desire. But if pride seizes him, let him recite many hundreds after the difficult mounting; therein is obtained that in desire of which he does so. The Vālakhilyās are addressed to Indra; they have Padas of twelve syllables; therein is there obtained the desire that is in the Jagatī (hymn) to Indra. Moreover there is this hymn to Indra and Varuṇa, and a closing verse for Indra and Varuṇa; therefore he should not recite together. They say 'As is the Stotra, so the Çastra; the Vālakhilyās are recited transposed, is the Stotra transposed or not transposed?' 'Transposed' he should reply, 'A twelve-syllable within eight-syllable (Padas).' They say 'As is the Çastra, so the offering verse; three deities are praised, Agni, Indra, Varuṇa, but he uses (a verse) to Indra and Varuṇa as offering verse; how is it that Agni is not omitted?' Varuṇa is Agni, this also is declared by a seer. 'Since thou, O Agni, art born as Varuṇa'; thus in that he uses (a verse) to Indra and Varuṇa as offering verse, Agni is not omitted.

Linked texts (1)

Aitareyabrāhmaṇa — Mahidāsa Aitareya, Sanskrit