Jaiminīya (Talavakāra) Brāhmaṇa 50

English (machine translation) 50

Language: English

50.269 — 15 parts
50.271 — 2 parts
50.272 — 1 part

50.p2

Indra indeed stepped out, shrinking in disgust from the third pressing.

50.p4

The All-Gods called after him with this sāman: "Come! Come!"

Then indeed Indra turned toward the third pressing. Thence he became unyielding to departure from him. This is that sāman accompanied by Indra. Accompanied by Indra indeed, accompanied by the gods, becomes the sacrifice of him, Indra turns toward his sacrifice, Indra does not depart from the sacrifice of one who knows thus. They also call it the "Invocation of Vasiṣṭha". Vasiṣṭha, indeed, defeated and with his sons slain, desired: "May I invoke offspring and cattle." He saw this sāman. He praised with it. With it, saying: "Come here, come here!", he invoked offspring and cattle. That indeed is the quality of invocation. He invokes offspring and cattle, who knows thus. And it is unobstructed by stobhas. From what is unobstructed, indeed, offspring and cattle are born. The chandomas are cattle. By that indeed it is rich in form. And because Vasiṣṭha saw it, therefore it is called "Vasiṣṭha's Invocation".

50.269

Now, as to the Yādvāhiṣṭhīya: Agni did not desire to carry the sacrificial offering for the gods across from the ninth day over to the tenth day. The gods desired: "May Agni carry this sacrificial offering across for us." They saw this sāman. With it they praised him: "Sing high to Agni, O bright one, [what is] most conveyable; like a queen, from you wealth, from you victories surge forth. Your gleaming rays are called high, like a pressing-stone; and your thunder is heard like a roar from heaven by itself. Thus have we, seeking goods, worshipped the mighty Agni; may he, skillful, take us across all enmities like a boat." Just as one would ferry across by boat, even so did Agni ferry across this sacrificial offering of theirs from the ninth day to the tenth day. He indeed is able to ferry this across. That the Yādvāhiṣṭhīya is [used] here is solely for the continuity of the sacrifice. For him the sacrifice is extended continuously, Agni ferries across his sacrificial offering, who knows thus. It has the raised iḷā, the form of the Bṛhat on a Bṛhat-day. By that indeed it is rich in form.

50.269.p1

Now, the Āsita.

50.269.p2

The seers said: "Come, let us win that heavenly world above the falcon,

50.269.p3

in which these Atharvans dwell."

50.269.p4

Preṇi Saubhāhita, Madhucchandas Vaiśvāmitra, Asita Devala, and whichever others

50.269.p5

consecrated themselves near him. While they were sacrificing for a long time indeed, no one heard of them for many

50.269.p6

years.

50.269.p7

Then people heard of them: "He is calling for the call to listen, or he is pronouncing the vaṣaṭ-call."

50.269.p8

A certain one among the Atharvans, named Udvant, descended cup in hand.

50.269.p9

He said to them: "With what desire are you sitting?"

50.269.p10

"We wish to win that heavenly world above the falcon, in which these Atharvans dwell."

50.269.p11

He said to them: "Do you walk behind a settlement?"

50.269.p12

"We do indeed," [they said].

50.269.p13

"For what desire?"

50.269.p14

"For the road."

50.269.p15

"Yes," he said. "That is not at all leading to the heavenly world for you."

50.270

Then he looked into the cup. He said: "Do you eat meat?" "We do indeed," [they said]. "For what desire?" "For the eye and for the breaths." "Yes," he said. "That is indeed not leading to the heavenly world for you." Then he looked again into the cup. He said: "Do you approach women?" "We do indeed," [they said]. "For what desire?" "For offspring, for continuity, for non-interruption." "Yes," he said. "That is indeed not leading to the heavenly world for you." Then he looked again into the cup. He said: "Do you speak untruth?" "We do indeed," [they said]. "For what desire?" "Either out of desire for women, or desire for fun, or desire for a friend." "Yes," he said.

50.271

"Arise! State your desires! You have indeed no hope that you would conquer that world." Then Preṇi Saumāhita was wicked. He said: "He chooses the unassailable virility of seven he-goats. Whichever [woman] I speak to, may she desire me!" Then Madhucchandas Vaiśvāmitra said: "I choose the mouth of a Brahmin." Then Asita Devala said: "May I look into this very cup!" He said: "This one alone among them observes the vow." Looking into it divinely, he saw this sāman. He praised with it: "For wealth, O Agni, for great giving we would kindle you; invoke the bull, heaven and earth, for the great priestly office!" Heaven and earth are all these worlds. Thence indeed he wandered through all these worlds. In the morning he was in the assembly of the gods; at midday among humans, in that of Drupada Vārddhraviṣṇa; in the afternoon among the ancestors. This is that heavenly sāman. He wanders through all these worlds, he attains the heavenly world, who knows thus. And because Asita Devala saw it, therefore it is called "Āsita".

50.271.p1

Now the Sādhra, for success.

50.271.p2

It has its finale in the middle, for support.

50.272

Those who undertake the Ārbhava Pavamāna sail out onto an ocean without support. That it has its finale in the middle is solely for support. The gods desired: "May whatever we do succeed for us." They saw this sāman. With it they praised. Thence whatever they did succeeded for them. People sit at a sacrificial session thinking: "May whatever we do succeed for us." Whatever they do succeeds for them. And because by this sāman whatever they did succeeded for them, therefore it is called Sādhra. Sadhri Vairūpa, desiring cattle, performed ascetic toil. He saw this sāman. With it he praised. He attained this iḷā. Cattle, indeed, are iḷā. Thence he obtained cattle. This is that sāman procuring cattle. He obtains cattle, he becomes rich in cattle, who knows thus. And because Sadhri Vairūpa saw it, therefore it is called Sādhra.

50.272.p1

Now the Ākūpāra [sāman]. / Kaśyapa Ākūpāra wished to descend into the ocean together with the Kalis. / In it he sought a firm standing. / He saw this sāman. / With it he praised. / Thereupon he found a firm standing in the ocean, namely this very earth. / Then indeed his Kalis sat upon [his] back. / That is this sāman of firm standing. / He who knows this attains a firm standing. / The ocean indeed is the Chandomas. / Kaśyapa indeed is capable of taking [one] across the ocean. / So when the Ākūpāra is [used] here, it is just for crossing over the ocean. / And because Kaśyapa Ākūpāra saw it, therefore it is called Ākūpāra. / Now there are these two-footed [verses] whose Brāhmaṇa has been explained. / They are these: / 'Clarify yourself, O Soma, for great ability,' / for this day, which is forty-eightfold, is great.

Linked texts (1)

Jaiminīyabrāhmaṇa — Sanskrit