Aitareyabrahmana 7.4: ADHYĀYA IV

Rigveda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas of the Rigveda (HOS 25) 7.4

Language: English

ADHYĀYA IV

vii. 19 (xxxiv. 1). Prajāpati created the sacrifice; after the creation of the sacrifice the holy power and the lordly power were created; after the holy power and the lordly power both kinds of offspring were created, those who eat the oblations and those who do not eat the oblations; after the holy power those that eat the oblations, after the lordly power those that do not eat the oblations. The Brahmans are the offspring that eat the oblations; the Rājanya, Vaiçya, and Çūdras those that do not eat the oblations. From them the sacrifice departed; it the holy power and the lordly power pursued; the holy power pursued with the weapons of the holy power; the lordly power with those of the lordly power. The weapons of the holy power are the weapons of the sacrifice; the weapons of the lordly

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power are the horse chariot, the corslet, the bow and arrow. The lordly power returned without attaining it; from its weapons it turns away trembling. The holy power followed it and obtained it; having obtained it it kept blocking it from above; it being obtained and blocked from above standing, recognising its own weapons, went up to the holy power. Therefore even now the sacrifice finds support in the holy power and in the Brahmans. The lordly power then followed it; it said 'Do thou call upon me in this sacrifice'. 'Be it so' it replied; 'Lay aside thine own weapons, and with the weapons of the holy power, the form of the holy power, becoming the holy power, do thou come to the sacrifice'. 'Be it so' (it said). Thus the lordly power, having laid aside its own weapons, with the weapons of the holy power, with the form of the holy power, becoming the holy power, went to the sacrifice. Therefore now also the Kṣatriya, as sacrificer, having laid aside his own weapons, with the weapons of the holy power, with the form of the holy power, becoming the holy power, goes to the sacrifice.

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vii. 20 (xxxiv. 2). Then comes the begging of a place of sacrifice. They say 'Seeing that a Brahman, a Rājanya, a Vaiçya, when about to consecrate himself asks a Kṣatriya for a place of sacrifice, whom is the Kṣatriya to ask?' 'He should ask the divine lordly power' they say. The divine lordly power is the sun; the sun is the overlord of these beings. On the day on which he is going to consecrate himself, on that day in the forenoon he should revere the rising sun; with

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'This is the best of lights, the highest light.'

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With 'O god Savitṛ, give me a place of sacrifice for sacrifice to the gods' he asks for a place of sacrifice. In that being asked here he goes on his upward course, 'Yes, I give it' he says in effect. No harm befalls him instigated by the god Savitṛ; ever increasing prosperity he attains; he attains lordship over offspring and supremacy, who having thus paid reverence, having asked for, having settled on a place of sacrifice, consecrates himself, being a Kṣatriya.

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vii. 21 (xxxiv. 3). Then comes the prevention of decay of the sacrifice and the gifts (to the priests) for a Kṣatriya as sacrificer. Before the consecration he should offer a libation of butter in four portions, in the Āhavanīya to prevent the decay of the sacrifice and the gifts, with

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'Let Indra, the bounteous, restore to us
The holy power; let him give again the sacrifice, the gifts; hail!'

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Then after the concluding formulas of the final offering of a cow ‘Let Agni, all knower, restore to us The lordly power; let him give again the sacrifice, the gifts; hail!’ These two libations are the prevention of decay of the sacrifice and the gifts for a Kṣatriya as sacrificer; therefore should they be offered.

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vii. 22 (xxxiv. 4). As to this Saujāta Ārālhi used to say ‘These two libations are not a winning again of what has decayed’. ‘As he desires he may perform these two, who takes his instruction hence’ (he said ); but the following he should certainly offer with ‘I have recourse to the holy power; may the holy power guard me from the lordly power; to the holy power hail!’ ‘Thus, thus’ (he said). He who has recourse to the sacrifice has recourse to the holy power; the sacrifice is the holy power; moreover from the sacrifice is he who consecrates himself born again. Him who has recourse to the holy power the lordly power does not oppress. ‘May the holy power guard me from the lordly power’ he says, in order that the holy power may guard him from the lordly power; ‘To the holy power hail’ (he says); thus he delights it. Thus it delighted guards him from the lordly power. Then after the concluding formulas of the final offering of a cow (he says) ‘I have recourse to the lordly power; may the lordly power guard me from the holy power; to the lordly power hail!’ ‘Thus, thus’ (he said). He who has recourse to the kingship has recourse to the lordly power, for the kingship is the lordly power. Him who has recourse to the lordly power the holy power does not oppress, ‘May the lordly power guard me from the holy power’ he says, in order that the lordly power may guard him from the holy power; ‘To the lordly power hail!’ (he says); thus he delights it. Thus it delighted guards him from the holy power. These two libations are the prevention of decay of the sacrifice and the gifts; therefore they must be offered.

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vii. 23 (xxxiv. 5). Now the Kṣatriya has Indra as his deity, the Triṣṭubh as his metre, the Pañcadaça as his Stoma, and is Soma in kingship, the Rājanya in relationship. Being consecrated he attains Brahmanhood in that he puts on the black antelope’s skin, in that he performs the vow of one

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consecrated, in that Brahmans come around him. As he is being consecrated Indra takes his power, the Triṣṭubh his strength, the Pañcadaça Stoma his life, the Soma his kingdom, the fathers his fame and renown, saying ‘He is becoming other than we; he is becoming the holy power; he is joining the holy power’. He should offer a libation before the consecration and adore the Āhavanīya (saying)

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‘I depart not from Indra as my deity, nor from the Triṣṭubh metre, nor the Pañcadaça Stoma, nor Soma the king, nor my relationship with the fathers. Let not Indra take my power, nor the Triṣṭubh my strength, nor the Pañcadaça Stoma my life, nor Soma my kingdom, nor the fathers my glory and fame. With my power, strength, life, kingdom, glory, relationship, I approach Agni, the Gāyatrī metre, the Trivṛt Stoma, Soma the king; I have recourse to the holy power; I become a Brahman.’

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Indra does not appropriate the power, nor the Triṣṭubh the strength, nor the Pañcadaça Stoma the life, nor Soma the kingdom, nor the fathers the glory and fame of him who having offered thus this libation and having adored the Āhavanīya consecrates himself, being a Kṣatriya.

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vii. 24 (xxxiv. 6). Now the Kṣatriya has Agni for his deity, when consecrated, the Gāyatrī for his metre, the Trivṛt for his Stoma, and is the Brahman in relationship; when he concludes he assumes his Kṣatriya character; when he concludes Agni takes his brilliance, the Gāyatrī his strength, the Trivṛt Stoma his life, the Brahmans his glory and fame, saying ‘He is becoming other than we; he is becoming the lordly power; he is joining the lordly power’. After the concluding formulas of the final offering of a cow he should offer a libation and adore the Āhavanīya with

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‘I depart not from Agni as my deity, nor from the Gāyatrī metre, nor from the Trivṛt Stoma, nor from the holy power as relation. Let not Agni take my brilliance, nor the Gāyatrī my strength, nor the Trivṛt Stoma my life, nor the Brahmans my holy power, glory, and fame. With brilliance, strength, life, the holy power, glory and fame, I approach Indra the deity, the Triṣṭubh metre, the Pañcadaça Stoma, Soma the king; I have recourse to the lordly power; I become a Kṣatriya.
O gods, O fathers, O fathers, O gods, I offer being he who I am.
This is my sacrifice, my gift, my toil, my offering.
Be Agni here my witness, Vāyu my hearer, Āditya yonder my proclaimer;
I who am I am I.’

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Agni does not appropriate his brilliance, nor the Gāyatrī his strength, nor the Trivṛt Stoma his life, nor the Brahmans his holy power, glory and fame who having offered thus this libation and having adored the Āhavanīya concludes, being a Kṣatriya.

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vii. 25 (xxxiv. 7). Then as to the announcement of the consecration. They say 'Seeing that they announce the consecration of a Brahman when consecrated with "The Brahman hath consecrated himself", how is one to announce (the consecration) of a Kṣatriya?' 'As in the case of a Brahman when consecrated they announce the consecration with "The Brahman hath consecrated himself", so should he announce (the consecration) of a Kṣatriya, with the Ṛṣi descent of his Purohita' (they say); 'Thus, thus' (they say). Having laid aside his own weapons, with the weapons of the holy power, with the form of the holy power, having become the holy power, he resorted to the sacrifice. Therefore should they announce his consecration with the Ṛṣi descent of his Purohita; with the Ṛṣi descent of the Purohita they should perform the ancestral invocation.

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vii. 26 (xxxiv. 8). Then as to the share of the sacrificer. They say 'Should a Kṣatriya eat the sacrificer's share? Or should he not eat?' If he who is not an eater of the oblations were to eat, by eating the oblation he would become worse; if he were not to eat, he would shut himself out from the sacrifice; the share of the sacrificer is the sacrifice. It is to be handed over to the Brahman. The Brahman priest is in the relation of Purohita to the Kṣatriya; the Purohita is half the self of the Kṣatriya. Secretly verily it obtains the appearance of being eaten; it is not openly consumed by him. The Brahman is manifestly the sacrifice, for in the Brahman the whole sacrifice finds support, in the sacrifice the sacrificer. They place the sacrifice in the sacrifice, as water in water, fire in fire; thus it is not superfluous, thus it harms him not. Therefore should it be handed over to the Brahman. Some make an offering in the fire with

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'Prajāpati's is the world named Vibhāt; in this I place thee with
the sacrificer; hail!'

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That he should not do so. The share of the sacrificer is the sacrificer; he places on the fire the sacrificer. If a man were here to say to him 'Thou hast placed the sacrificer on the fire; Agni will burn his breaths; the sacrificer will die', it would certainly be so. Therefore he should not desire this.

Linked texts (1)

Aitareyabrāhmaṇa — Mahidāsa Aitareya, Sanskrit