Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 11.8

11.8.1

sahasram anubrūyāt /

He should recite a thousand.

11.8.2

sarvam vai tad yat sahasram /

For whatever is a thousand is everything.

11.8.3

sarvam prātar anuvākaḥ / (soma: prātar anuvāka)

The morning recitation is everything.

11.8.4

tat sarveṇa sarvam āpnoti ya evam veda /

Thereby he obtains everything through everything, who knows thus.

11.8.5

tad u ha sma āha kauṣītakiḥ /

And Kauṣītaki used to say regarding this:

11.8.6

prajāpatir vai prātar anuvākaḥ /

'Prajāpati is the morning recitation;

11.8.7

aparimita u vai prajāpatiḥ /

and Prajāpati is unlimited;

11.8.8

kas tam mātum arhed iti / (soma: prātar anuvāka)

who could measure him?'

11.8.9

eṣā ha eva sthitiḥ /

This indeed is the established rule.

11.8.10

tad āhur yat sadasy ukthāni śasyante atha kasmādd havir dhānayoḥ prātar anuvākam anvāha iti / (soma: prātar anuvāka)

Regarding this they say: 'Since the ukthas are recited in the sadas, then why does he recite the morning recitation between the two Havirdhāna carts?'

xi. 8. They say 'Since the hymns are recited in the Sadas, then why does he recite the morning litany at the two oblation holders?' The two

11.8.11

śiro vai yajñasya yadd havir dhāne /

The two Havirdhāna carts are the head of the sacrifice.

oblation holders are the head of the sacrifice; the metres are the breaths; thus he places breath in the head. In the Sadas the hymns are recited; the Sadas is the stomach; the hymns are food; proper food is suited for the stomach. As is a cart, so is the sacrifice in counterfeit; as the corn, so the morning litany; as the vessels, so the hymns. If a man recites a little just as vessels come together (in a cart) with a little corn only, so his hymns come together, and on account of the coming together of the hymns tottering is liable to befall the sacrificer; therefore should he repeat many; thus he makes strong the hymns. (He says) 'Let the benediction of the sacrifice as successful be obtained for me'; the benediction of the sacrifice as successful is the sacrificer's. Three are these sets of a thousand in the sacrifice, the morning litany, the Açvins' litany, and the great litany. He should begin when night is far advanced, before the emission of speech, before the time when cattle, men, and birds take up speech; speech these creatures make to swell, in that they lie silent (thinking) 'Let us first prosper on speech, swollen, not dissipated.' Between the morning litany and the Upāñçu and Antaryāma cups he should not set free his speech (thinking) 'The Upāñçu and Antaryāma cups are expiration and inspiration; the morning litany is speech; let me not separate expiration and inspiration and speech by any other thing.' Some begin with 'O waters, ye wealthy ones', after muttering (thinking) 'This is a yoking of the metres'; but the rule is 'He should not insert anything before the words 'O waters, ye wealthy ones', to prevent him being laid low.

xi. 8. They say 'Since the hymns are recited in the Sadas, then why does he recite the morning litany at the two oblation holders?' The two

11.8.12

vāk prātar anuvākaḥ /

Speech is the morning recitation.

11.8.13

vācā eva tat śiraḥ samardhayati / (soma: prātar anuvāka)

Thus he completes the head with speech.

11.8.14

udaram vai sadaḥ /

The sadas is the belly.

11.8.15

annam ukthāni /

The ukthas are food.

11.8.16

udara saceyam u vā anna adyam / (soma: prātar anuvāka)

And food belongs to the belly.

11.8.17

tad yathā ha vā ana evam yajñaḥ pratimayā /

Just as a cart is [filled], so is the sacrifice in correspondence [to it].

11.8.18

yathā dhānyam evam prātar anuvākaḥ / (soma: prātar anuvāka)

As grain is, so is the morning recitation.

11.8.19

yathā pātrāṇy evam ukthāni /

As dishes are, so are the ukthas.

11.8.20

sa yo alpakam anvāha / (soma: prātar anuvāka)

If he recites too little,

11.8.21

yathā alpa dhānye pātrāṇi samṛccheran /

just as dishes would collide when grain is scarce,

11.8.22

evam tasya ukthāi samṛcchante / (soma: prātar anuvāka)

so his ukthas collide.

11.8.23

ukhānām anu samaram īśvaro yajamānam bhreṣonvetoḥ /

Following the collision of the ukthas, misfortune is liable to overtake the sacrificer.

11.8.24

tad u vā āhur bahum eva anubrūyāt / (soma: prātar anuvāka)

Therefore indeed they say: 'He should recite much.'

11.8.25

ukthāni tat parivṛṃhati.(paribṛnhati) /

Thereby he strengthens the ukthas,

11.8.26

yā yajñasya samṛddhasya āśīḥ sā me samṛdhyatām iti /

[thinking,] 'May the blessing of the successful sacrifice be fulfilled for me.'

11.8.27

yā vai yajñasya samṛddhasya āśīḥ sā yajamānasya / (soma: prātar anuvāka)

The blessing of the successful sacrifice belongs to the sacrificer.