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Aitareyabrahmana 2

English (machine translation) 2

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2.1

By means of the sacrifice, the gods went upwards to the heavenly world. They feared: 'Seeing this [track] of ours, human beings and ṛṣis will discern it.' They blocked it with the sacrificial post (yūpa); because they blocked it (ayopayan) with the sacrificial post, that is the nature of the sacrificial post (yūpatva). Having erected it with its top pointing downward, they rose upwards. Then human beings and ṛṣis came upon the sacrificial site of the gods: 'We will seek something belonging to the sacrifice for discerning [it].' They found only the sacrificial post erected with its top pointing downward. They knew: 'By this the gods blocked the sacrifice.' Having dug it up, they erected it upright; then they clearly discerned the sacrifice, [and] clearly discerned the heavenly world. Therefore, when the sacrificial post is erected upright, it is for discerning the sacrifice, for revealing the heavenly world. The sacrificial post is a thunderbolt (vajra); it should be made eight-cornered. An eight-cornered weapon is the thunderbolt. He hurls that deadly blow at whichever rival enemy of his is to be struck down, in order to fell him. The sacrificial post is a thunderbolt; raised up, it stands as a deadly blow against an enemy. Therefore, even nowadays, he who hates [another] feels displeasure, having seen: 'This is that one's sacrificial post; this is that one's sacrificial post.' One desiring the heavenly world should make a sacrificial post of khadira wood. By a sacrificial post of khadira wood the gods conquered the heavenly world; in that very way the sacrificer conquers the heavenly world by a sacrificial post of khadira wood. One desiring proper food and desiring nourishment should make a sacrificial post of bilva wood. Year after year the bilva tree is seized [with fruit]; that is the form of proper food. It is covered with branches from the root up; that is [the form] of nourishment. He nourishes both offspring and cattle, who knowing thus makes a sacrificial post of bilva wood. And as to why [it should be made] of bilva wood: bilva is light, so they say; he becomes a light among his own people, he becomes the best among his own people, who knows thus. One desiring splendour and desiring priestly lustre should make a sacrificial post of palāśa wood. Splendour and priestly lustre among trees is the palāśa. He becomes full of splendour and full of priestly lustre, who knowing thus makes a sacrificial post of palāśa wood. And as to why [it should be made] of palāśa wood: the palāśa is the source of all trees; therefore they speak of the leaf (palāśa) of any tree as 'the leaf of this [tree], the leaf of that [tree]'. The desire of all trees is attained for him, who knows thus.

2.2

The Adhvaryu says: 'We anoint the sacrificial post; recite for it.' He recites: 'They anoint you at the rite, desiring the gods'; for desiring the gods, they anoint it at the rite. 'O lord of the forest, with divine honey'; this melted butter is indeed divine honey. 'Whether you stand erect, bestow wealth here, or whether you lie in the lap of this mother'; whether you stand or whether you lie down, 'bestow wealth on us', is just what he says. 'Erect yourself, O lord of the forest', is congruous for [a post] being erected. What in the sacrifice is congruous is successful. 'Upon the height of the earth'; this is the height of the earth, where they raise the sacrificial post. 'Being well measured in the measuring, bestow lustre on the sacrifice-bearers', he says; he thereby utters a blessing. 'Leaning in front of the kindled [fire]'; for it leans at this moment in front of the kindled [fire]. 'Gaining brahman, undecaying, rich in valiant sons'; he thereby utters a blessing. 'Driving away distress far from us'; hunger is indeed evil distress; he drives it away far from the sacrifice and from the sacrificer. 'Rise upright for great good fortune'; he thereby utters a blessing. 'Stand upright for our aid, like the god Savitṛ'; what is 'na' among the gods is 'om' among them; 'Stand like the god Savitṛ', is what he thereby says. 'Upright, giver of wealth'; he thereby wins it as a giver of wealth, a winner of booty. 'When we call upon you with anointing ministrants'; metres are the anointing ministrants; by them the sacrificers call upon the gods: 'Come to my sacrifice, to my sacrifice!' Even if many are sacrificing, as it were, the gods come only to his sacrifice where one who knows thus recites this [verse]. 'Upright, protect us from distress; burn up completely every devourer with your banner'; evil devourers are the rakṣases; 'burn up evil and rakṣases' is what he thereby says. When he says: 'Make us upright for walking, for living', 'Make us upright for movement, for living' is what he thereby says. Even if the sacrificer is, as it were, led away [by death], he thereby hands him over to the year. 'Know our reverence among the gods'; he thereby utters a blessing. 'Born, he is born on a fair day of days'; for he is born at this moment. 'Growing in the gathering, in the assembly'; they make it grow at this moment. 'Wise, active ones purify [him] through thought'; they purify it at this moment. 'The god-seeking sage sends forth his voice'; he announces him to the gods. With the final [verse] he concludes: 'A youth, well clad, girded around, he has arrived'; breath is the youth, well clad, wrapped around with bodies. 'He becomes better as he is born'; better and better he becomes at this moment as he is born. 'The wise seers lead him up, thoughtful, god-seeking with their mind'; those who have recited [the Veda] are the seers; they lead it up at this moment. These seven [verses] he recites, congruous in form. What is congruous in form is successful in the sacrifice, when the verse expresses the action being performed. Of them, he recites the first thrice and the last thrice; they amount to eleven. The triṣṭubh has eleven syllables; the triṣṭubh is Indra's thunderbolt. He succeeds through these [verses] having Indra's abode, who knows thus. He recites the first thrice and the last thrice; he thereby fastens the two borders of the sacrifice for firmness, for strength, for non-loosening.

2.3

"Should the sacrificial post stand, or should one throw it after?" they ask. It should stand for one who desires cattle. Cattle did not stand still for the gods to be seized for food. Moving away, they stood continually crying out: "You shall not seize us! Not us!" Then the gods saw this sacrificial post as a vajra [and] raised it up against them. Fearing it, they turned back; even today they turn toward it. Then cattle stood still for the gods to be seized for food. Cattle stand still to be seized for food for him who knows thus and for whom, knowing thus, the sacrificial post stands. One should throw it after for one who desires the heavenly world. The ancients indeed used to throw it after, thinking: "The sacrificer is the sacrificial post; the sacrificer is the prastara grass; Agni is the womb of the gods. Arising from Agni, the womb of the gods, through the oblations, golden-bodied, he will go upwards to the heavenly world." Now those who came after them saw this svaru, the chip of the sacrificial post. One should throw that after at that time. Thereby that desire is obtained which lies in throwing after, and that desire is obtained which lies in [letting it] stand. He who is consecrated offers himself up to all deities. Agni is all deities; Soma is all deities. In that he offers the animal victim for Agni and Soma, the sacrificer redeems himself from all the deities. They say regarding this: "The [victim] for Agni and Soma should be of two colours, for it belongs to two deities." That is not to be respected. It should be made plump, as it were. Cattle are plump in form, while the sacrificer indeed becomes lean, as it were. In that the animal victim is plump, he thereby enriches the sacrificer with its own fatness. They say regarding this: "One should not eat of the animal victim for Agni and Soma; he who eats of the animal victim for Agni and Soma eats of man, for the sacrificer redeems himself by it." That is not to be respected. The victim for Agni and Soma is a Vṛtra-slaying sacrificial offering. With Agni and Soma Indra slew Vṛtra; the two said to him: "With us two you have slain Vṛtra; let us choose a boon from you." [Indra said:] "Choose!" They chose this very boon: the animal victim on the day of the Soma extraction. This is their unchanging share, for it was chosen by them as a boon. Therefore, one must indeed eat of it and desire to obtain it.

2.4

With the Āprī hymns they propitiate [the deities]. The Āprī verses are splendour and priestly lustre; thereby he enriches him with splendour and priestly lustre. He offers to the kindling sticks. The kindling sticks are the breath-channels, for the breath-channels kindle all this whatever exists; thereby he propitiates the breath-channels and places the breath-channels in the sacrificer. He offers to Tanūnapāt. Tanūnapāt is the breath, for it protects the bodies; thereby he propitiates the breath and places the breath in the sacrificer. He offers to Narāśaṃsa. Men are offspring, praise is speech; thereby he propitiates offspring and speech, and places offspring and speech in the sacrificer. He offers to the sacred refreshments. The refreshments are food; thereby he propitiates food and places food in the sacrificer. He offers to the sacrificial grass. The sacrificial grass is cattle; thereby he propitiates cattle and places cattle in the sacrificer. He offers to the doors. The doors are rain; thereby he propitiates rain and places rain and food in the sacrificer. He offers to Dawn and Night. Dawn and Night are day and night; thereby he propitiates day and night and places the sacrificer in day and night. He offers to the two divine hotṛ priests. The two divine hotṛ priests are out-breath and in-breath; thereby he propitiates out-breath and in-breath and places out-breath and in-breath in the sacrificer. He offers to the three goddesses. The three goddesses are out-breath, in-breath, and diffused breath; thereby he propitiates them and places them in the sacrificer. He offers to Tvaṣṭṛ. Tvaṣṭṛ is speech, for speech fashions, as it were, all this; thereby he propitiates speech and places speech in the sacrificer. He offers to the lord of the forest. The lord of the forest is the breath; thereby he propitiates the breath and places the breath in the sacrificer. He offers to the svāhā-utterances. The svāhā-utterances are foundation; thereby in the end he establishes the sacrifice upon a foundation. With them he should propitiate according to the seer [of the sacrificer's family]. In that he propitiates according to the seer, he does not separate the sacrificer from his kinship.

2.5

The adhvaryu priest says: "Recite for the one around whom fire is being carried." "Agni, the hotṛ priest of our sacrifice..." — he recites a triplet to Agni in the gāyatrī metre as the fire is being carried around; thereby he enriches him with his own deity and his own metre. "Being a courser, he is led around..." For they lead him around as if he were a courser. "Agni goes three times around the sacrifice, like a charioteer..." For he goes around the sacrifice like a charioteer. "The sage, the lord of prize..." For he is the lord of prizes. "From here, summon [the deities] for the offerings to the gods, O hotṛ!" says the adhvaryu. "Agni has won, he has gained the prize..." — the maitrāvaruṇa priest takes up the supplementary summons. Regarding this they say: "Since the adhvaryu summons the hotṛ, why then does the maitrāvaruṇa take up the supplementary summons?" The maitrāvaruṇa is the mind of the sacrifice, while the hotṛ is the speech of the sacrifice. Impelled by the mind, speech speaks. The speech that one speaks with an distracted mind belongs to the asuras and is not pleasing to the gods. In that the maitrāvaruṇa takes up the supplementary summons, he thereby stirs speech with the mind; with speech stirred by the mind, he prepares the oblation for the gods.

2.6

He says: 'Divine slaughterers, begin, and [you] human [slaughterers]!'
Thereby he instructs both the slaughterers of the gods and those of humans.
'Bring forward the sacrificial victim to the doors, praying for sacrifice for the two masters of sacrifice.'
The victim is the sacrifice; the sacrificer is the master of sacrifice;
thereby he provides the sacrificer with his own sacrifice.
Now they also say:
'To whatever deity the victim is offered, that deity alone is the master of sacrifice.'
If the victim belongs to one deity, he should say 'for the master of sacrifice';
if to two deities, 'for the two masters of sacrifice'; if to many deities, 'for the masters of sacrifice.'
This indeed is settled.
'Bring fire forward for it.'
When being led, the victim saw death; it did not desire to go after the gods.
The gods said to it:
'Come, we will cause you to go to the heavenly world.'
It said: 'So be it; let one of you go before me.'
'So be it.' Agni went before it; it followed after Agni.
Therefore they say: 'Every victim belongs to Agni, for it followed after Agni.'
Therefore also they carry fire in front of it.
'Spread the sacrificial grass.'
A victim consists of plants; thereby he makes the victim complete in its self.
'May its mother agree, its father, its brother
from the same womb, its friend from the same herd.'
Thereby they slaughter it with the assent of its kin.
'Lay down its feet toward the north; make its eye go to the sun,
its breath release to the wind, its life-spirit to the intermediate space,
its hearing to the quarters, its body to the earth.'
Thereby he places it in these worlds.
'Cut open its skin in one piece; before the navel, cut off the omentum and draw it out;
keep the warmth inside.' Thereby he places the vital breaths in the cattle.
'Make its chest an eagle, its two forelegs two ladles, its two arms two skewers,
its two shoulder-blades like two tortoises, its two hips unpierced, its two thighs door-posts, its two knee-caps oleander leaves.
Its ribs are twenty-six; lift them up in due order;
make each of its limbs complete.' Thereby he gratifies its parts and limbs.
'Dig a hole in the earth to hide the entrails,' he says. The contents of the entrails are indeed plants;
this [earth] is the foundation of plants;
thus in the end he establishes it in its own foundation.

2.7

'Unite the demon with the blood,' he says.
With husks and chaff the gods excluded the demons from the oblational sacrifices,
and with blood from the great sacrifice. When he says, 'Unite the demon with the blood,'
he thereby expels the demons from the sacrifice with their own share.
Concerning this they say: 'One should not mention the demons at the sacrifice.
What demons? For the sacrifice is free of demons.'
Yet on the other hand they say: 'One should indeed mention them.
Whoever drives away a shareholder from his share, [the shareholder] avenges himself on him;
and if he does not avenge himself on him, then on his son or on his grandson; but he certainly avenges himself on him.'
If he mentions [them], he should mention [them] in a whisper.
What is in a whisper is concealed, as it were, and the demons are concealed, as it were.
Now if he mentions [them] aloud, he would be liable to produce demon-speech in his voice—
that speech which one speaks as demonic speech.
What an arrogant man speaks, what a madman speaks, that is demonic speech.
He does not become arrogant in himself, nor is an arrogant [descendant] born in his offspring, who knows this.
'Do not tear its entrails, thinking them an owl,
lest a shrieker shriek among your children and descendants, O slaughterers.'
To the slaughterers of the gods and to those of humans,
he thereby entrusts it.
'O Adhrigu, slaughter! Slaughter well! Slaughter, O Adhrigu!'
Three times he should say this, and 'O Apāpa.' Adhrigu is the slaughterer of the gods, and Apāpa is the restrainer;
he delivers it over to the slaughterers and to the restrainers.
'O slaughterers, what well-done deed you do here, that is for us;
what ill-done deed, that is elsewhere,' he says. Agni was the hotṛ priest of the gods;
he carved it with speech; with speech the hotṛ priest carves it.
Therefore, what they cut short, what they cut too far, what is defective, what is ruined,
he assigns that to the slaughterers and the restrainers;
the hotṛ priest frees himself safely, [obtaining] the full lifespan for living out the full lifespan.
He goes to his full lifespan who knows this.

2.8

The gods slaughtered man as a victim. From him, when slaughtered, the sacrificial essence went out;
it entered the horse; therefore the horse became fit for sacrifice.
Then they dismissed him whose sacrificial essence had gone out; he became a kimpuruṣa.
They slaughtered the horse. From the horse, when slaughtered, it went out; it entered the cow;
therefore the cow became fit for sacrifice. Then they dismissed it whose sacrificial essence had gone out;
it became a wild ox.
They slaughtered the cow. From the cow, when slaughtered, it went out; it entered the sheep;
therefore the sheep became fit for sacrifice. Then they dismissed it whose sacrificial essence had gone out;
it became a gayal. They slaughtered the sheep. From the sheep, when slaughtered, it went out;
it entered the goat; therefore the goat became fit for sacrifice.
Then they dismissed it whose sacrificial essence had gone out; it became a camel.
It rested longest, as it were, in the goat;
therefore of these animals the goat is the most commonly employed.
They slaughtered the goat. From the goat, when slaughtered, it went out; it entered this [earth];
therefore this [earth] became fit for sacrifice. Then they dismissed it whose sacrificial essence had gone out;
it became a śarabha.
These are the animals whose sacrificial essence has departed; they are unfit for sacrifice; therefore one should not eat of them.
They followed it into this [earth]; followed after, it became rice.
Hence they offer a sacrificial cake after the victim, saying: 'May our sacrifice be performed with a victim possessing the sacrificial essence;
may our sacrifice be performed with a whole victim.'
With a victim possessing the sacrificial essence his sacrifice is performed,
with a whole victim his sacrifice is performed, who knows this.

2.9

This [offering] which is the sacrificial cake is indeed an animal sacrifice. Its chaff-needles are the hairs, its husks are the skin, its polished grains are the blood, the ground meal and coarse flour are the flesh, and whatever is hard [in it] is the bone. He who sacrifices with a sacrificial cake sacrifices with the sacrificial essence of all animals. Therefore they say: 'The session of sacrificial cakes is world-winning.' With [the verse], 'You two, O Agni and Soma, of one accord, have set these luminaries in heaven; you two, O Agni and Soma, have freed the captured streams from blameworthy reproach,' he offers the offering verse for the omentum. He who is consecrated is seized by all the deities. Therefore they say: 'One should not eat from a consecrated person.' In that he offers the offering verse for the omentum with, 'You two, O Agni and Soma, have freed the captured,' he thereby frees the sacrificer from all the deities. Therefore they say: 'One may eat when the omentum has been offered, for then he becomes a sacrificer.' With [the verse], 'One Mātariśvan brought from heaven,' he offers the offering verse for the sacrificial cake; with 'the eagle churned out the other from the rock,' for this sacrificial essence has been brought together from here, as it were, and from there, as it were. With [the verse], 'Sweeten the offerings, kindle the food!' he offers the offering verse for the Sviṣṭakṛt of the sacrificial cake. He thereby sweetens the sacrificial offering for him, [and] places food and vigor in himself. He invokes the iḷā. The iḷā is indeed cattle; he thereby invokes cattle, and places cattle in the sacrificer.

2.10

The adhvaryu says: 'Recite for the Manotā over the sacrificial offering that is being portioned out!' He recites the hymn: 'You, O Agni, are the first Manotā.' Concerning this they say: 'When the animal belongs to another deity as well, then why does he recite [verses] addressed to Agni alone for the Manotā over the sacrificial offering that is being portioned out?' The gods indeed have three Manotās, for in them their minds are woven. Speech is indeed the Manotā of the gods, for in it their minds are woven; the cow is indeed the Manotā of the gods, for in it their minds are woven; Agni is indeed the Manotā of the gods, for in him their minds are woven. Agni is all the Manotās; in Agni the Manotās unite. Therefore he recites [verses] addressed to Agni alone for the Manotā over the sacrificial offering that is being portioned out. With, 'O Agni and Soma, of the sacrificial offering set forth,' he offers the offering verse for the sacrificial offering. With 'of the sacrificial offering,' it is congruous in form; with 'set forth,' it is congruous in form. His sacrificial offering reaches the gods endowed with all prosperities, whoever knows thus. He offers to Vanaspati. Vanaspati is the breath; his sacrificial offering reaches the gods living, where, knowing thus, he offers to Vanaspati. He offers to Sviṣṭakṛt. Sviṣṭakṛt is the foundation; in the foundation he thereby finally establishes the sacrifice. He invokes the iḷā. The iḷā is cattle; he thereby invokes cattle, and places cattle in the sacrificer—places [them].

2.11

The gods performed the sacrifice. As they were performing it, the Asuras came against them, [thinking:] 'We will make an end of their sacrifice.' When the animal was appeased, they approached in front towards the post, as if before the carrying of fire around [the animal]. The gods, waking up to [this], cast around [themselves] fortresses of fire, a triple fort, for the protection of the sacrifice and of themselves. These fortresses of fire of theirs stood blazing and radiant. Not daring to attack them, the Asuras fled away. With fire they smote away the Asuras and the demons from the east, with fire from the west. In the very same way, when the sacrificers carry fire around, they cast around [themselves] fortresses of fire, a triple fort, for the protection of the sacrifice and of themselves. Therefore they carry fire around; therefore he recites for [the god] around whom fire is carried. That very animal, having been appeased and having had fire carried around it, they lead to the north. They carry a firebrand before it. In its true nature, the animal is the sacrificer, [so that he thinks,] 'With this light, the sacrificer, having a light in front, will go to the heavenly world.' With that light, the sacrificer, having a light in front, goes to the heavenly world. Where they are going to slaughter it, there the adhvaryu throws down sacrificial grass underneath. In that they lead it outside the sacrificial altar, being appeased and having had fire carried around it, they thereby make it sit on sacrificial grass. They dig a burial pit for its belly contents. The belly contents are plants; this [earth] is the foundation of plants; so they finally establish it in its own foundation. Concerning this they say: 'Since this animal is itself the sacrificial offering, yet much of it departs—hairs, skin, blood, hooves, claws, horns, and flesh is dropped—with what is that filled up for it?' In that they offer a sacrificial cake after the animal, with that it is filled up for it. The sacrificial essences went forth from the animals; they became rice and barley, and were born. In that they offer a sacrificial cake after the animal, [they think:] 'May our sacrifice be performed with an animal possessed of sacrificial essence; may our sacrifice be performed with a complete animal.' His sacrifice is performed with an animal possessed of sacrificial essence, his sacrifice is performed with a complete animal, whoever knows thus.

2.12

They cut out its omentum and bring it forward.
Pouring melted butter over it with the ladle, the Adhvaryu says:
'Recite for the drops.'
As for the drops dripping down: the drops truly belong to all the gods;
[he does so] lest these, not properly dedicated, should go to the gods.
'Enjoy the most extensive…,' he recites,
'…speech, most delightful to the gods, offering oblations in thy mouth.'
He thus offers them into the very mouth of Agni.
'Place this our sacrifice among the immortals,' he recites as a hymn.
'Enjoy these offerings, O Jātavedas,'—thereby he prays for the acceptance of the offerings.
'Of the drops, O Agni, of fat, of clarified butter,'—for they consist of both fat and clarified butter.
'O Hotṛ, seated first, eat,'—
Agni is indeed the Hotṛ of the gods; 'O Agni, seated first, eat,' is what he says thereby.
'Rich in clarified butter, O purifier, thy drops drip of fat,'—
for they indeed consist of both fat and clarified butter.
'True to thy nature, for the feast of the gods, place for us the best desirable boon,'—thereby he prays for a blessing.
'To thee, O Agni, the drops dripping with clarified butter belong, for the wise one,'—for they do drip with clarified butter.
'The best sage, thou art kindled; become the protector of the sacrifice,'—thereby he prays for the prosperity of the sacrifice.
'To thee they drip, O Adhrigu, O mighty one, drops, O Agni, of fat, of clarified butter,'—
for they indeed consist of both fat and clarified butter.
'Praised by the sage, thou hast come with thy great light; enjoy the offerings, O wise one,'—thereby he prays for the acceptance of the offerings.
'Thy most powerful fat is taken out from the middle; we give it to thee.
Thy drops drip on the skin, O Vasu; partake of them god by god.'
With this he utters the vaṣaṭ-call over them, as in: 'O Agni, partake of the Soma!'
As for the drops dripping down: the drops truly belong to all the gods;
therefore this rain falls distributed drop by drop.

2.13

Concerning this they say:
'What is the introductory verse, what the direction, what the offering verse for the svāhākṛti offerings?'
Those which he recites here are the introductory verses,
the direction is the direction, and the offering verse is the offering verse.
Concerning this they say:
'What is the deity of the svāhākṛti offerings?'
'The All-gods,' he should say.
Therefore they offer saying: 'May the gods eat the offering made with svāhā!'
By sacrifice, by exertion, by ascetic heat, by oblations, the gods won the heavenly world.
When only the omentum had been offered, the heavenly world was revealed to them.
Having offered only the omentum, disregarding the other rites, they went upwards to the heavenly world.
Then human beings and the ṛṣis came to the sacrificial site of the gods, [thinking:]
'We shall search for something of the sacrifice by way of recognition.'
Moving around, they saw this victim lying with its entrails removed.
They understood: 'The victim is just as large as the omentum.'
The victim is indeed just as large as the omentum.
Now when they cook it and offer it at the third pressing, [they think:]
'May our sacrifice be made with more oblations; may our sacrifice be made with the whole victim.'
His sacrifice is made with more oblations,
and his sacrifice is made with the whole victim, who knows this.

2.14

This oblation of the omentum is truly an oblation of immortality;
an oblation to Agni is an oblation of immortality; an oblation of melted butter is an oblation of immortality; an oblation of Soma is an oblation of immortality.
These indeed are bodiless oblations. Whatever bodiless oblations there are,
by them the sacrificer wins immortality.
The omentum is truly semen. Semen, as it were, melts away; the omentum, as it were, melts away.
Semen is white; the omentum is white. Semen is bodiless; the omentum is bodiless.
What is red, what is meat, that is the body.
Therefore he should say: 'Trim it off as long as it is free from blood.'
It is cut into five portions. Even if the sacrificer is one who takes four portions,
the omentum is strictly taken in five portions: he spreads an underlayer of melted butter,
[places] a piece of gold,
the omentum, a piece of gold, and pours melted butter over the top.
Concerning this they say: 'If gold is not found, how should it be?'
Having spread twice an underlayer of melted butter, he cuts out the omentum and pours melted butter twice over the top.
Melted butter is immortality; gold is immortality. The desire that is in melted butter is obtained there;
the desire that is in gold is obtained there. Thus they amount to five.
Man is fivefold, five-fold constituted: hair, skin, flesh, bone, marrow.
Having prepared the sacrificer to the full extent of a man, he offers him into Agni, the womb of the gods.
Agni is indeed the womb of the gods. He, being born from Agni, the womb of the gods, through the oblations,
goes upwards with a golden body to the heavenly world.

2.15

The Adhvaryu says: 'Hotṛ priest, recite for the morning-traveling gods.'
These indeed are the morning-traveling gods: Agni, Uṣas, and the two Aśvins.
They come with seven metres each.
The morning-traveling gods come to the call of him who knows this.
When Prajāpati himself was the Hotṛ priest about to recite the morning litany,
both the gods and the Asuras came to the sacrifice, [thinking:]
'He will recite for us; he will recite for us.'
He recited only for the gods.
Thence the gods flourished, and the Asuras perished.
He flourishes in himself, and his hateful, evil rival perishes, who knows this.
He recited it for the gods in the morning. In that he recited it in the morning,
that is the morning-litany-ness of the morning litany.
It should be recited in the deep night, for the grasping of all speech, of all brahman.
Whoever flourishes, whoever attains superiority, after his speech, when uttered, others speak.
Therefore it should be recited in the deep night.
It should be recited before speech is uttered.
If he were to recite it when speech had already been uttered, he would make him merely repeat what another has uttered.
Therefore it should be recited in the deep night.
He should recite it before the crying of birds.
The birds, the fowls, are indeed the mouth of Nirṛti.
In that he recites before the crying of birds, [he thinks:]
'May we not speak after unholy speech has been uttered.' Therefore it should be recited in the deep night.
On the other hand, he should recite only when the Adhvaryu gives the impulse.
When the Adhvaryu gives the impulse, he gives it with speech, and with speech the Hotṛ recites;
for speech is brahman. The desire that is in speech and in brahman is obtained there.

2.16

When Prajāpati himself, being the hotṛ priest, was about to recite the morning litany, all the deities thought: 'He will commence facing me, facing me!' Prajāpati reflected: 'If I commence addressed to one specific deity, how will the other deities be reached by me?' He saw this verse: 'The waters are wealthy...' All deities indeed are the waters; all deities are the wealthy ones. With this verse he commenced the morning litany. All those deities rejoiced, thinking: 'He has commenced facing me, facing me!' All deities rejoice when the one who knows this recites the morning litany; for him, the morning litany is commenced with all deities. The gods were afraid: 'The Asuras, being stronger and mightier, will take away this morning sacrifice from us.' Indra said to them: 'Do not fear; I will hurl a threefold perfected thunderbolt at them in the morning.' He referred indeed to that verse. It was a thunderbolt in that it is addressed to Apāṁ Napāt; it was a thunderbolt in that it is a triṣṭubh; it was a thunderbolt in that it is speech. He hurled it at them; with it he struck them. Thereupon the gods prospered, the Asuras were defeated. He prospers himself, and his hateful, evil rival is defeated, who knows this. They say regarding this: 'He would indeed be a hotṛ priest who could generate all metres in this verse.' This [verse], recited thrice, becomes all the metres; this is the generation of the metres.

2.17

A hundred [verses] should be recited for one who desires a full lifespan. A man has a lifespan of a hundred [years], a hundredfold virility, a hundredfold sensory power; he thus establishes him in life, virility, and sensory power. Three hundred and sixty [verses] should be recited for one who desires sacrifice. Three hundred and sixty are the days of the year; of such extent is the year; the year is Prajāpati; Prajāpati is the sacrifice. Sacrifice inclines to him for whom, knowing this, [the hotṛ] recites three hundred and sixty. Seven hundred and twenty [verses] should be recited for one who desires offspring and cattle. Seven hundred and twenty are the days and nights of the year; of such extent is the year; the year is Prajāpati, in whose procreation this entire manifold form is reproduced. Along with Prajāpati thus procreating, he is procreated with offspring and cattle; for procreation, he is procreated with offspring and cattle, who knows this. Eight hundred [verses] should be recited for one spoken ill of as a non-brāhmaṇa, or who sacrifices having been spoken of with evil speech and seized by defilement. The gāyatrī has eight syllables; by means of the gāyatrī the gods struck off evil and defilement. By means of the gāyatrī he strikes off his evil and defilement; he strikes off evil, who knows this. A thousand [verses] should be recited for one who desires the heavenly world. The heavenly world is a thousand days' journey on horseback from here; [it is] for the attainment, achievement, and reaching of the heavenly world. An unlimited number should be recited. Prajāpati is unlimited. This morning litany is Prajāpati's uktha; in it all desires are secured. That he recites an unlimited number is for securing all desires; he secures all desires, who knows this. Therefore an unlimited number should indeed be recited. He recites seven metres sacred to Agni. There are seven worlds of the gods; he succeeds in all the worlds of the gods, who knows this. He recites seven metres sacred to the Dawn. There are seven domestic animals; he secures domestic animals, who knows this. He recites seven metres sacred to the Aśvins. In seven ways speech spoke; so far did speech speak; [it is] for grasping all speech, all brahman. He recites [verses addressed to] three deities. These are three threefold worlds; [it is] for the conquering of these very worlds.

2.18

On this they say: 'How is the morning litany to be recited?' The morning litany is to be recited metre by metre. The metres are the limbs of Prajāpati, and he who sacrifices is Prajāpati himself. That is beneficial for the sacrificer. The morning litany is to be recited verse-foot by verse-foot. Cattle are four-footed; [it is] for securing cattle. It should be recited only half-verse by half-verse, as he recites it now; [it is] for a firm foundation. Man has a twofold foundation, cattle are four-footed; he thus establishes the sacrificer having a twofold foundation upon four-footed cattle. Therefore it should be recited only half-verse by half-verse. On this they say: 'When the morning litany is transposed, how does it become untransposed?' In that its bṛhatī does not depart from the middle, by that [it becomes untransposed], one should say. Some deities have oblations as their portion, others have stomas as their portion, [others] metres as their portion. With those oblations which are offered into the fire, he pleases those having oblations as their portion; and in that they chant praises and recite, thereby [he pleases] those having stomas and metres as their portion. Both these [groups of] deities become pleased and propitiated for him, who knows this. Thirty-three gods are soma-drinkers, thirty-three non-soma-drinkers. Eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, twelve Ādityas, and Prajāpati and the Vaṣaṭ-call: these gods are soma-drinkers. Eleven fore-offerings, eleven after-offerings, eleven supplementary offerings: these are the non-soma-drinkers, whose portion is the animal victim. With soma he pleases the soma-drinkers, with the animal victim the non-soma-drinkers. Both these [groups of] deities become pleased and propitiated for him, who knows this. 'The Dawn has appeared with shining herds'—with this final [verse] he concludes. Regarding this they say: 'Since he recites three ceremonies—the one belonging to Agni, the one belonging to the Dawn, and the one belonging to the Aśvins—how, when he concludes with a single verse, are all three ceremonies concluded?' 'The Dawn has appeared with shining herds' is the form of the Dawn; 'Agni has been placed, suitable for the season' is of Agni; 'Your chariot, yielding wealth, has been yoked, O wondrous, immortal ones; listen to my call, O sweet ones' is of the Aśvins. Thus, when he concludes with a single verse, all three ceremonies are indeed concluded.

2.19

The seers performed a sacrificial session on the Sarasvatī. They drove Kavaṣa Ailūṣa away from the Soma: 'Son of a slave girl, cheat, non-brāhmin, how did he receive consecration among us?' They carried him away out into the wilderness: 'Let thirst kill him here; let him not drink the water of the Sarasvatī.' Carried away into the wilderness, seized by thirst, he saw this hymn to the Waters' Grandson: 'Forward to the gods let the path go for brahman…' With it he reached the beloved abode of the waters. The waters welled up following him; the Sarasvatī flowed all around him. Therefore even nowadays they call it Parisāraka, because the Sarasvatī flowed all around him. Then the seers said: 'The gods know this man. Let us call him near.' 'So be it.' They called him near. Having called him near, they performed this hymn to the Waters' Grandson: 'Forward to the gods let the path go for brahman…' With it they reached the beloved abode of the waters, [and] of the gods. He reaches the beloved abode of the waters, [and] of the gods, [and] wins the highest world, who knows this and who, knowing this, performs this hymn to the Waters' Grandson. He should recite it continuously. Parjanya rains continuously for the subjects wherever one knowing this recites it continuously. If he were to recite it with stops, Parjanya would rain cloud-bursts for the subjects. Therefore it is to be recited continuously. He recites its first [verse] three times continuously; thereby all of it becomes recited continuously.

2.20

He recites these nine [verses] without interval; [then] the tenth: 'Speed our sacrifice with god-worship.' When the ekadhanā waters have not turned, [he recites:] 'Turning hither now two-streamed…' When they appear in sight: 'When the waters were seen coming…' When they draw near: 'The cows with milk, eager to attain their goal…' When they come together: 'Some go together, others approach…' The waters indeed vied: 'We shall convey the sacrifice first! We!'—both these vasatīvarī waters that are drawn on the previous day and the ekadhanā waters in the morning. Bhṛgu saw them: 'The waters are vying.' He appeased them with this verse: 'Some go together, others approach…' They agreed. The waters, being in agreement, carry his sacrifice, who knows this. When the vasatīvarī and the ekadhanā waters are being poured together into the hotṛ's cup, he recites: 'Waters, divine, go not away from the hotṛ's post…' 'Adhvaryu, have you obtained the waters?' the hotṛ asks the adhvaryu. The sacrifice is the waters; 'Have you obtained the sacrifice?' is what he means. 'Yes, they have bowed,' the adhvaryu replies; 'Look at them,' is what he means. When [the hotṛ says]: 'In them, O adhvaryu, press for Indra the soma rich in honey, winning rain, of sharp edge, vast in the middle, for [him who is] accompanied by the Vasus, accompanied by the Rudras, accompanied by the Ādityas, accompanied by the Ṛbhus, accompanied by the Vibhus, accompanied by Vāja, accompanied by Bṛhaspati, accompanied by the Viśvedevas, drinking of which Indra may slay the Vṛtras; do cross beyond the enemy clans, om,' he rises to meet them. For the waters are to be risen to meet; one rises to meet an arriving superior, therefore they are to be risen to meet. One must turn round following them; one turns round following a superior, therefore one must turn round following them. He must enter after [them] reciting. Even if another should sacrifice, glory is liable to come to the hotṛ; therefore he must enter after [them] reciting. Reciting this [verse]: 'The mothers go by the pathways…,' he should enter after [them], 'the sisters of those offering the sacrifice, mixing milk with honey,' if he is one not endowed with sweetness [and] desires to attain glory. One desiring splendour and desiring priestly lustre [should recite]: 'Those waters that are near the sun, or with which the sun [is united]…' One desiring cattle [should recite]: 'I call upon the divine waters where our cattle drink…' He should enter after [them] reciting all of these, to obtain these desires; he obtains these desires who knows this. When the vasatīvarī and the ekadhanā waters are being set down, he recites: 'These rich in wealth, blessing life, have come…' When they are set down, [he recites:] 'The waters desiring [the sacrifice] have come to this sacrificial grass.' With this he concludes.

2.21

The morning recitation is the head of the sacrifice; the upāṃśu and antaryāma [cups] are the out-breath and the in-breath; speech is the thunderbolt. The hotṛ should not release speech when the upāṃśu and antaryāma [cups] have not been offered. If the hotṛ were to release speech when the upāṃśu and antaryāma [cups] have not been offered, he would sever the breaths of the sacrificer with the thunderbolt of speech. If anyone should say of him then: 'He has severed the breaths of the sacrificer with the thunderbolt of speech; breath will abandon him,' it would surely happen so. Therefore the hotṛ should not release speech when the upāṃśu and antaryāma [cups] have not been offered. He should address the upāṃśu [cup]: 'Restrain breath! Hail to you, who are easily invoked, for Sūrya!' He should breathe out towards it: 'O breath, restrain my breath!' He should address the antaryāma [cup]: 'Restrain in-breath! Hail to you, who are easily invoked, for Sūrya!' He should breathe in towards it: 'O in-breath, restrain my in-breath!' Touching the upāṃśusavana pressing-stone with: 'For diffused breath, to you!' he releases speech. The upāṃśusavana [stone] is the self; in the self the hotṛ thereby places the breaths and releases speech, possessing full life, for the attainment of full life. He attains full life who knows thus.

2.22

On this they say: 'Should he creep, or should he not creep?' Some indeed say: 'He should creep,' saying: 'This bahiṣpavamāna is the drink of both gods and men; therefore they gather around it.' / That should not be regarded. / If he were to creep, he would make the verse follow the trail of the saman. If anyone were to say of him there: 'This hotṛ priest has indeed become a follower of the chanter of the saman; he has placed his glory in the udgātṛ priest; he has fallen from his proper seat, he will fall from his seat,' it would surely be so. / Therefore, sitting right there, he should recite the formula: / 'Whatever drinking of Soma belongs here to the gods in the sacrifice, upon the sacrificial grass, upon the altar, of that too we partake.' / Thus indeed his self does not become separated from the drinking of Soma. / Then he should say: 'You are the mouth; may I become the mouth.' / The bahiṣpavamāna is indeed the mouth of the sacrifice. / He becomes the mouth among his own people, he becomes the foremost among his own people, who knows thus. / The Asura woman Dīrghajihvī licked down the morning pressing of the gods; it became muddled. / Those gods sought to understand [how to remedy it]. They said to Mitra and Varuṇa: / 'Do you two set this right.' They two said: 'So be it; let us choose a boon from you.' [The gods said:] 'Choose!' They two chose this very boon: / the curd-mixture at the morning pressing. It is their unalterable [portion], for it was chosen as a boon by them. / What appears slightly muddled in it is its full completeness, / for with it they two set right what was muddled, as it were.

2.23

The pressings of the gods indeed were not held firm. They saw these sacrificial cakes; / they offered them at each pressing to hold firm the pressings. / Thereupon their pressings were held firm. / Because sacrificial cakes are offered at each pressing, it is solely to hold firm the pressings; / for in that way theirs were held firm. / The gods placed these in front (puraḥ), which is why they are puroḍāśas; that is the puroḍāśa-nature of the puroḍāśas. / On this they say: 'One should offer sacrificial cakes at each pressing: an eight-pot-sherd one at the morning pressing, / an eleven-pot-sherd one at the midday pressing, a twelve-pot-sherd one at the third pressing; / for such is the form of the pressings, such the form of the metres.' / That should not be regarded. / All these sacrificial cakes that are offered at each pressing belong to Indra; / therefore he should offer them only on eleven pot-sherds. / On this they say: / 'One should eat of the sacrificial cake from wherever it is smeared with clarified butter, for the protection of the drinking of Soma, / for with clarified butter as a bolt Indra slew Vṛtra.' / That should not be regarded. What is clarified is the sacrificial offering; / what is clarified is the drinking of Soma. Therefore he should eat of it from wherever he pleases. / From all sides indeed these ancestral offerings flow to the sacrificer, which are these sacrificial offerings: / melted butter, parched grains, barley mush, puffed rice, sacrificial cake, and curd-mixture. / From all sides ancestral offerings flow to him who knows thus.

2.24

He who knows the sacrifice as a fivefold oblation prospers through the sacrifice of fivefold oblation. / Parched grains, barley mush, puffed rice, sacrificial cake, and curd-mixture—this sacrifice is indeed a fivefold oblation; he prospers through the sacrifice of fivefold oblation who knows thus. / He who knows the sacrifice as a fivefold syllable prospers through the sacrifice of fivefold syllable. / 'Su', 'mat', 'pad', 'vag', 'da'—this sacrifice is indeed a fivefold syllable; he prospers through the sacrifice of fivefold syllable who knows thus. / He who knows the sacrifice as fivefold in Narāśaṃsa cups prospers through the sacrifice fivefold in Narāśaṃsa cups. / Twice with Narāśaṃsa cups at the morning pressing, twice with Narāśaṃsa cups at the midday pressing, / once with a Narāśaṃsa cup at the third pressing—this sacrifice is indeed fivefold in Narāśaṃsa cups. / He prospers through the sacrifice fivefold in Narāśaṃsa cups who knows thus. / He who knows the sacrifice as a fivefold pressing prospers through the sacrifice of fivefold pressing. / The victim on the day of preparation, the three pressings, the victim to be bound afterwards— / this sacrifice is indeed a fivefold pressing; / he prospers through the sacrifice of fivefold pressing who knows thus. / 'Let Indra with his bays eat the parched grains, with Pūṣan the barley mush, with Sarasvatī and with Bhāratī / the puffed rice; the cake is Indra's'—thus he sacrifices with the fivefold oblation. / The verse and the saman are Indra's two bays. / Cattle are Pūṣan; food is barley mush. / As for 'with Sarasvatī and with Bhāratī', Sarasvatī is speech, Bharata is breath. / As for 'the puffed rice; the cake is Indra's', puffed rice is food, the cake is faculty. / Thereby he makes the sacrificer attain union, sameness of form, and residence in the same world with these deities. / He attains union with what is better, he attains excellence, who knows thus. / 'Enjoy the sacrificial offering, O Agni,' he recites at each pressing for the sacrificial cake's Sviṣṭakṛt. / By this Avatsāra reached the dear abode of Agni; he won the supreme world. / He reaches the dear abode of Agni, he wins the supreme world, who knows thus / and who, knowing thus, sacrifices with this fivefold oblation—yea, who sacrifices, who sacrifices.

2.25

The gods could not agree on the first drink of King Soma. Each desired: 'May I drink first! May I drink first!' Not agreeing, they said: 'Come, let us run a race; whichever of us shall win, he will drink first of the soma.' 'So be it.' They ran a race. Of them running the race and released, Vāyu reached the front first, then Indra, then Mitra-and-Varuṇa, then the two Aśvins. Indra knew: 'Vāyu is winning.' He flew after him: 'Let us be together, and let us win together.' He said: 'No, I alone will win.' '[Give] me a third, and let us win together.' 'No,' he said, 'I alone will win.' '[Give] me a fourth, and let us win together.' 'So be it.' He admitted him to a fourth; thus Indra became a sharer in a fourth, Vāyu in three parts. Indra-and-Vāyu won together, Mitra-and-Varuṇa together, the two Aśvins together. These are their drinks according to how they won: the first of Indra-and-Vāyu, then of Mitra-and-Varuṇa, then of the two Aśvins. That is the cup with Indra as fourth that is drawn, which is the cup for Indra and Vāyu. Seeing this, the seer recited: 'Possessed of bay teams, having Indra as charioteer…' Therefore even nowadays the Bharatas go forth for the winning of warriors' [booty]; charioteers claim a fourth [part] in accordance with this pattern, because Indra then won having become as it were the charioteer.

2.26

These indeed are the vital breaths, that is, the [cups] to two deities: speech and the vital breath are the cup to Indra and Vāyu; the eye and the mind are that to Mitra and Varuṇa; hearing and the self are that to the Aśvins. Now, regarding this [cup] to Indra and Vāyu, some make two anuṣṭubh verses the introductory verses and two gāyatrī verses the offering verses, [saying]: 'This cup to Indra and Vāyu is speech and the vital breaths; thus they will be properly arranged in accordance with the metres.' That is not to be respected. Defective indeed is that performed in the sacrifice where the introductory verse is greater than the offering verse. Where indeed the offering verse is greater, that is prosperous, or where they are equal. And if one should do so for the sake of a desire for breath and speech, right here that is obtained: the previous introductory verse is addressed to Vāyu, the subsequent one to Indra and Vāyu; likewise for the two offering verses. That which is addressed to Vāyu, by that he arranges breath, for Vāyu is breath. Then that which is addressed to Indra and Vāyu, by the verse-quarter belonging to Indra in it, by that he arranges speech, for speech belongs to Indra. He attains that desire which is in breath and speech; he makes no disparity in the sacrifice.

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