Jaiminīya (Talavakāra) Brāhmaṇa 29
English (machine translation) 29
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29.167
When the meters lifted up that Āditya, they were not able to lift him up. They said to the Dvipadā meters, 'Standing firmly on you, let us lift him up.' [The Dvipadās replied:] 'Become my food.' 'We will become your food,' they said. That meter which is the Dvipadā is the Brahmin; these are his food here and in the yonder world. These meters, having stood firmly on the Dvipadā, lift up this Āditya and these sacrificial rites. If they should ask, 'Why are the Dvipadās performed on the sixth day?', he should say, 'For a firm foundation.' Therefore these should not be omitted here. They are these: 'Agni, you are nearest to us…'
29.167.p1
The Gaupāyanas practiced black magic against Asamāti Rāthaprauṣṭha.
29.167.p2
They were sitting at a sacrificial session in Khāṇḍava.
29.167.p3
Now with Asamāti Rāthaprauṣṭha dwelt Kirāta and Ākuli, possessors of Asura sorcery.
29.168
The two used to cook cooked-rice without fire, meat without fire. Sowing in front from here, they would follow behind reaping—such sorcerers they were. Indeed, having eaten the Asura food of those two, the Ikṣvākus were continuously ruined. The oblations of the Gaupāyanas scorched that Asamāti Rāthaprauṣṭha. He said to these two, Kirāta and Ākuli: 'These oblations of the Gaupāyanas are scorching me.' The two said: 'We two are your physicians; we two are the expiation; we two will do it in such a way that these will not scorch you.' The two, going away, taking away the life-breath of Subandhu Gaupāyana as he was sleeping heedless, placed it within the enclosing-sticks. For the fires at that time had enclosing-sticks. When Subandhu did not awaken, they realized: 'The two possessors of Asura sorcery have taken away his life-breath.' They said, 'Come, let us pursue the life-breath of Subandhu.' They went eastward from Khāṇḍava. 'May we not depart from the path, Indra, nor from the sacrifice, we who possess Soma; let not enemies stand between us.' [Saying:] 'From what we go through here and that we sit at a sacrificial session, from both of these may we not depart,' they, with Subandhu possessing a descendant, crossing the Hvṛṇinī eastward at the Subandhu ford itself, went to Asamāti Rāthaprauṣṭha.
29.168.p1
Of him, merely by seeing [it] from afar, they recognized the fire: 'Varūthya indeed is the name of his fire.'
29.168.p2
Now before that, the fire had proclaimed the name Varūthya: 'Varūthya indeed is my name.'
29.169
"Whoever shall propitiate you with this, whatever he says to you, do that." They approached him: "Agni, be our nearest [protector], our savior, benevolent, a shelter!" He said to them: "With what desire have you come?" They said: "We want to win back the life-breath of Subandhu." He said: "Here it is within the enclosing-sticks. Take it!" They called him out: "This mother, this father, this life-giver has arrived; this is your creeping forth, Subandhu; come here, come out!" The life-breath entered back into Subandhu. He became just as before. Then [people] told Kirāta and Ākuli: "These seers have summoned out his life-breath!" Not believing it, they ran out. When [the seers] called them out by name, all their magical arts vanished. And whatever was the vilest among forms, that form they took.
29.170
Before that, however, they had been handsome by their magical art. One of the two, diving into the fire, said: "Thus, indeed, does he fare who seeks to strike truth with untruth!" Then they cut down cows in this way. One of the two, approaching, cutting his own throat, said: "Thus, indeed, does he fare who seeks to strike truth with untruth!" Right there they two died. These are those foe-slaying, demon-slaying verses. He who praises with these verses strikes down his hateful foe, strikes away the demon, evil. Regarding this, they say: "Since they transpose the Vālakhilyas, how do they chant praise with them when transposed?" He should say: "Because these syllables are transposed and the words interwoven; by that."
29.170.p1
On them [is sung] the Gūrda.
29.170.p2
The gods and the Asuras vied for food.
29.170.p3
The gods appropriated the food of the Asuras.
29.170.p4
Among those Asuras, a great food named Gūrda alone remained.
29.170.p5
The gods desired: "Let us appropriate this food of the Asuras, the Gūrda."
29.170.p6
They saw this sāman.
29.170.p7
With it they chanted praise.
29.170.p8
With it they appropriated the food of the Asuras, the Gūrda.
29.170.p9
They exulted over it.
29.170.p10
Because they exulted over it, that is the essence of the Gūrda.
29.170.p11
That is this sāman for the obtainment of food.
29.170.p12
He obtains food, he appropriates the food of his hateful foe, who knows thus.
29.170.p13
Prajāpati created food.
29.171
All the gods laid claim to it, saying: "Mine, mine!" Agni desired: "May I conquer this food." He saw this sāman. With it he enclosed it. He conquered it. Therefore all this food is in Agni alone. That is why to whichever deity they offer, they offer in Agni alone. Over it he exulted. Because he exulted, that indeed is the essence of the Gūrda. That is this sāman for the obtainment of food. He obtains food, he becomes an eater of food, the best of his own people, who knows thus. "May Indra and all the gods now set these worlds in order"—[these verses] belong to the All-Gods. Vṛṣākapi belongs to the All-Gods. This day belongs to the All-Gods. "And may Indra together with the Ādityas set in order our sacrifice, our body, and our offspring"—[this is] for accomplishment. "May Indra, accompanied by the host of Maruts and the Ādityas, make remedies for us"—with this they perform a healing, an expiation.
29.171.p1
On them [is sung] Gotama's Bhadra.
29.171.p2
Gotama, desiring prosperity, practiced ascetic heat.
29.171.p3
He saw this sāman.
29.171.p4
With it he chanted praise.
29.171.p5
Thence indeed he attained prosperity.
29.171.p6
Prosperity is indeed good fortune.
29.171.p7
Offspring is indeed good fortune.
29.171.p8
The offspring of one's offspring, that is greater good fortune.
29.171.p9
He even beholds the offspring of his offspring, who knows thus.
29.171.p10
Because Gotama saw it, therefore it is called Gotama's Bhadra.
29.171.p11
"Forth to your Indra, most slaying of Vṛtra..."
29.171.p12
—these verses are related to the slaying of Vṛtra, for victory at the end.
29.171.p13
The gods, having conquered through the six-day rite, said: "What now would there be for us at its end, so that the Asuras do not reconquer this that we have won?"
29.171.p14
They tore out the saps of the pṛṣṭhas.
29.171.p15
They chanted over them.
29.172
It rose upward just like a bamboo pole. That became the Udveśīya. That is the essence of the Udveśīya. It exceeded the sacrifice. Therefore they tore out this son of Udveśa. From the very sap they made that sap, the Udveśīya of the chandomas, at the end of the pṛṣṭhya six-day rite. These two raised vajras stand at the end, for the guarding of cattle, for the non-scattering of cattle. His property is not scattered, who knows thus. All the form, sap, and fiery brilliance of the pṛṣṭhas are gathered here. In the very whole form of the pṛṣṭhas, in the sap, in the fiery brilliance, in the unconquered meter, they firmly stand at the end of the sacrifice. Before its finale, they take up the pratihāra. By the prastāva and the pratihāra, indeed, the sacrificer is held up. They are as if passed by at this point; as they take up the pratihāra before the finale, it is just for not overstepping. It has an independent tone. It sounds toward the seventh day. It becomes one with an independent tone. With the independent tone they proceed on the next day. It is as if one would step across from level ground to level ground, as if one would connect breath with breath: like that it is.
29.173
Prajāpati created this sacrifice, which is the twelve-day rite. He reached it entirely with the pṛṣṭhya six-day rite alone. He considered: "How now may I connect these four days?" Out of the Gāyatrī he fashioned the twenty-fourth day; out of the Triṣṭubh, the forty-fourth; out of the Jagatī, the forty-eighth; out of the Anuṣṭubh alone he fashioned the tenth day. Because he fashioned them out of all meters for all days, that is the essence of the chandomas. Concerning this, they say: "These stomas are attained, the meters are attained, the deities are attained, the seasons and soma cups are attained, when this pṛṣṭhya six-day rite is attained." As the Bahiṣpavamāna of the seventh day consists of twenty-four [verses]—the year has twenty-four half-months; the sacrifice is the year—it is the sacrifice itself that they take hold of at the beginning of the sacrifice. Moreover, the Gāyatrī has twenty-four syllables. It is the Gāyatrīs that extend again the attained sacrificial rite. For none other than the Gāyatrī is worthy to take up the attained sacrificial rite.
29.173.p1
These [verses] are [used]:
29.173.p2
"Pronouncing poetic wisdom like Uśanas..."
29.173.p3
—thus [verses] containing the word "pra" on the introductory day.
29.173.p4
This day is to be led forward.
29.173.p5
"Pra" is the form of the Gāyatrī.
29.173.p6
They go forth with the very form of the Gāyatrī.
29.173.p7
"The god proclaiming the birth of the gods..."
29.173.p8
—Soma is indeed the god proclaiming the birth of the gods.
29.173.p9
They thereby engender Soma himself.
29.173.p10
"Of great resolve, friend of the pure, purifying..."
29.173.p11
—the gods call food "of pure resolve."
29.173.p12
And Soma is the food of the gods.
29.173.p13
It is that which they generate here.
29.173.p14
"The boar approaches chanting with foot..."
29.173.p15
Having indeed become a boar, Prajāpati stepped across from the sixth day to the seventh day.
29.174
This is indeed a stepping across.
"Forward, the swans, eager to drink, toward the sound..."—
the swans eager to drink are indeed the Brahmins.
"From home, the troops of bulls have gone to their abode..."—
the six-day rite is 'from home'; the Chandomas are the 'abode';
the meters are the 'troops of bulls.'
It is the meters that they thus lead forward over to the Chandomas in order to cross over to the subsequent three-day period.
"Friends proclaim together the singing Pavamāna, the irresistibly sound..."—
it is the Bṛhat and Rathantara [sāmans] that are thus harnessed at the morning pressing;
being harnessed, they ascend to the midday pressing.
"He yokes the speed of the wide-striding one; playfully frolicking, the cows bellow..."—
[verses] containing 'cow' and cattle are used, for securing cattle;
for the Chandomas are cattle.
"The sharp-horned one creates abundance..."—
when he says, "abundance": food is abundance, indeed for securing food.
"By day the golden-hued was seen, by night the swift..."—
thus the Atirātra is performed in form.
29.174.p1
These are Triṣṭubh [verses] with the characteristic of Gāyatrī, perfected in the form of the day.
Where they perfect the days by form, there success is attained;
success is attained for him who knows thus.
Concerning this they say: "The seventh day belongs to Gāyatrī, the eighth to Triṣṭubh, the ninth to Jagatī. Then why do they begin this Gāyatrī day with Triṣṭubh verses?"
He should reply: "Because all these Chandomas have Triṣṭubh verses as opening strophes."
"Forward, sounding like chariots..."—
these are [verses] containing 'forward' (pra);
it is the form of the introductory rite that they approach thus;
for this day is introductory.
The Chandomas are cattle, for the securing of cattle;
and moreover, cattle are abundance.
Linked texts (1)
- Jaiminīyabrāhmaṇa — Sanskrit