Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 15.5

15.5.1

atha niṣkevalyam /

Now follows the Niṣkevalya recitation.

xv. 4. (Next) the Niṣkevalya. Both before and after are many gods mentioned in recitation; but the Niṣkevalya is Indra's only; that is why the Niṣkevalya has its name. In that he begins with a Bṛhatī, and he who gives heat here is connected with the Bṛhatī, thus he makes him to prosper with his own symbol. He makes two into three by repetition; that is the symbol of generation; two as it were are there at first, then they are propagated. Having recited the strophe, he recites the antistrophe; the strophe is the self; the antistrophe the offspring; therefore he should make the antistrophe to be corresponding in form; a corresponding one is born in his offspring, not one who does not correspond. He recites a supplementary verse; the supplementary verse is breath; verily thus in himself he places breath. He recites a Pragātha; the Pragātha is cattle; verily (it serves) to obtain cattle. Moreover the Bṛhatī Pragātha is expiration and inspiration; verily thus he places expiration and inspiration in himself. ‘I shall proclaim the manly deeds of Indra’ is the Niṣkevalya of fifteen verses; the thunderbolt is fifteenfold; verily thus with the thunderbolt he smites the evil of the sacrificer. In the middle of it he places a Nivid; in the middle of the body is food placed; then he recites Nivids; the Nivids are the breaths; verily thus he places the breaths in himself. Each quarter verse of these he recites, taking it separately; verily thus each breath he places in himself; with the last he utters the Praṇava; thus he lets go this breath; therefore all the breaths breathe along this breath. Now they say ‘The Nivids are food’; therefore should he recite them quietly, for not hastening as it were he eats unpleasant food. He should recite the concluding verse in a lower tone; so is his wife unlikely to fall away. (He should recite) in still lower a tone; so does his wife become as it were not uplifted in her mind. In that he gives a horse, and the horse is Indra, for the hymn is connected with Indra, verily thus he delights Indra. The strophe is the self; the antistrophe offspring; the supplementary verse the wife; cattle the Pragātha; the hymn the body; the Nivid what is within the body; the concluding verse a support; the offering verse food.

15.5.2

bahvyo devatāḥ prācyaḥ śasyante bahvya ūrdhvāḥ / (soma: mādhyaṃdina savana)

Many deities are recited before; many after.

15.5.3

atha etad indrasya eva niṣkevalyam /

Then this [recitation] belongs exclusively to Indra.

15.5.4

tan niṣkevalyasya niṣkevalyatvam / (soma: mādhyaṃdina savana)

That is the exclusivity of the Niṣkevalya.

15.5.5

atha yad bṛhatyā pratipadyate /

Now as to the fact that he begins with a Bṛhatī:

15.5.6

bārhato vā eṣa ya eṣa tapati /

he who shines yonder is connected with the Bṛhatī.

15.5.7

tad enam svena rūpeṇa samardhayati / (soma: mādhyaṃdina savana)

Thereby he furnishes him with his own form.

15.5.8

dve tisraḥ karoti punar ādāyam /

He makes two verses into three by taking up [verses] repeatedly.

15.5.9

tat prajātyai rūpam /

That is a symbol of procreation.

15.5.10

dvāv iva vā agre bhavataḥ / (soma: mādhyaṃdina savana)

For there are two, as it were, at the beginning;

15.5.11

tata upaprajāyate /

then offspring is produced.

15.5.14

pratirūpam anurūpam kurvīta /

He should make an anurūpa verse corresponding to it.

15.5.15

pratirūpo ha eva asya prayājām ājāyate na apratirūpaḥ / (soma: mādhyaṃdina savana)

Indeed, offspring corresponding to him is born, not one unsuited.

15.5.16

dhāyyām śaṃsati /

He recites the inserted verse.

15.5.17

prāṇo vai dhāyyāḥ /

The inserted verse is the vital breath.

15.5.18

prāṇam eva tad ātman dhatte / (soma: mādhyaṃdina savana)

Thereby he places the vital breath in himself.

15.5.19

pragātham śaṃsati /

He recites the pragātha.

15.5.20

paśavo vai pragāthaḥ /

The pragātha is cattle.

15.5.21

paśūnām eva āptyai / (soma: mādhyaṃdina savana)

[It is] for the attainment of cattle.

15.5.22

atho prāṇa apānau vai bārhataḥ pragāthaḥ /

Moreover, the Bṛhatī pragātha is the out-breath and the in-breath.

15.5.23

prāṇa apānāv eva tad ātman dhatte / (soma: mādhyaṃdina savana)

Thereby he places the out-breath and the in-breath in himself.

15.5.24

indrasya nu vīryāṇi pra vocam iti pañcadaśarcam niṣkevalyam /

The Niṣkevalya recitation consists of fifteen verses, [beginning]: 'Now I shall proclaim the heroic deeds of Indra.'

15.5.25

pañcadaśo vai vajraḥ / (soma: mādhyaṃdina savana)

The thunderbolt has fifteen parts.

15.5.26

vajreṇa eva tad yajamānasya pāpmānam hanti /

With the thunderbolt he thereby smites the evil of the sacrificer.

15.5.27

tasya madhye nividam dadhāti /

He inserts the nivid in the middle of it.

15.5.28

madhye vā idam ātmano annam dhīyate / (soma: mādhyaṃdina savana)

For food is placed in the middle of this body.

15.5.29

atha nividaḥ śaṃsati /

Then he recites the nivids.

15.5.30

prāṇā vai nividaḥ /

The nivids are the vital breaths.

15.5.31

prāṇān eva tad ātman dhatte /

Thereby he places the vital breaths in himself.

15.5.32

tāsām eka ekam padam avagrāham śaṃsati / (soma: mādhyaṃdina savana)

He recites them word by word, pausing [after each].

15.5.33

eka ekam eva tat prāṇam ātman dhatte /

One by one, indeed, he thereby places the vital breaths in himself.

15.5.34

uttamena praṇauti /

With the last [word], he pronounces the syllable oṃ.

15.5.35

idam eva tat prāṇam utsṛjate / (soma: mādhyaṃdina savana)

Thereby he releases this breath.

15.5.36

tasmādd hi imam prāṇam sarve prāṇā anuprāṇanti /

Therefore all vital breaths breathe along after this breath.

15.5.37

atho annam nivida ity apy āhuḥ / (soma: mādhyaṃdina savana)

Moreover, they also say: 'The nivids are food.'

15.5.38

tasmād enā āratam śaṃset /

Therefore he should recite them with pauses.

15.5.39

atvaramāṇa iva hi pratikāminam anna adyam atti / (soma: mādhyaṃdina savana)

For without haste, as it were, one eats food according to desire.