Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 17.5

17.5.1

gāyatrānt stotriya anurūpān śaṃsanti /

They recite stotriya and anurūpa verses in the Gāyatrī meter.

xvii. 6. They recite strophes and antistrophes in Gāyatrī; the Gāyatrī is light; night is the evil, the darkness; thus thereby they smite away the evil, the darkness. They recite with repetitions, for so do the Sāman chanters sing; (they say) 'According as it is sung, is it recited.' Then they say 'Why after the final Pratihāra do they call and link the Çastra with the Sāman?'

17.5.2

jyotir vai gāyatrī /

The Gāyatrī is indeed light.

xvii. 6. They recite strophes and antistrophes in Gāyatrī; the Gāyatrī is light; night is the evil, the darkness; thus thereby they smite away the evil, the darkness. They recite with repetitions, for so do the Sāman chanters sing; (they say) 'According as it is sung, is it recited.' Then they say 'Why after the final Pratihāra do they call and link the Çastra with the Sāman?'

17.5.3

tamaḥ pāpmā rātriḥ / (soma: sodaśin & atiratra)

Night is darkness and evil.

xvii. 6. They recite strophes and antistrophes in Gāyatrī; the Gāyatrī is light; night is the evil, the darkness; thus thereby they smite away the evil, the darkness. They recite with repetitions, for so do the Sāman chanters sing; (they say) 'According as it is sung, is it recited.' Then they say 'Why after the final Pratihāra do they call and link the Çastra with the Sāman?'

17.5.4

tena taj jyotiṣā tamaḥ pāpmānam taranti /

By means of that light, they overcome darkness and evil.

xvii. 6. They recite strophes and antistrophes in Gāyatrī; the Gāyatrī is light; night is the evil, the darkness; thus thereby they smite away the evil, the darkness. They recite with repetitions, for so do the Sāman chanters sing; (they say) 'According as it is sung, is it recited.' Then they say 'Why after the final Pratihāra do they call and link the Çastra with the Sāman?'

17.5.5

punar ādāyam śaṃsanti / (soma: sodaśin & atiratra)

They recite taking up [the chant] again.

xvii. 6. They recite strophes and antistrophes in Gāyatrī; the Gāyatrī is light; night is the evil, the darkness; thus thereby they smite away the evil, the darkness. They recite with repetitions, for so do the Sāman chanters sing; (they say) 'According as it is sung, is it recited.' Then they say 'Why after the final Pratihāra do they call and link the Çastra with the Sāman?'

17.5.6

evam hi sāmagāḥ stuvate /

For thus the chant-singers praise,

xvii. 6. They recite strophes and antistrophes in Gāyatrī; the Gāyatrī is light; night is the evil, the darkness; thus thereby they smite away the evil, the darkness. They recite with repetitions, for so do the Sāman chanters sing; (they say) 'According as it is sung, is it recited.' Then they say 'Why after the final Pratihāra do they call and link the Çastra with the Sāman?'

17.5.7

yathā stutam v anuśastam bhavati iti /

and the recitation follows the chant as praised.

xvii. 6. They recite strophes and antistrophes in Gāyatrī; the Gāyatrī is light; night is the evil, the darkness; thus thereby they smite away the evil, the darkness. They recite with repetitions, for so do the Sāman chanters sing; (they say) 'According as it is sung, is it recited.' Then they say 'Why after the final Pratihāra do they call and link the Çastra with the Sāman?'

17.5.8

tad āhur ataḥ kasmād uttamāt pratīhārād ūrdhvam āhūya sāmnā śastram upasaṃtanvanti iti / (soma: sodaśin & atiratra)

Regarding this, they say: 'Why, calling after the last response (pratīhāra), do they connect the recitation with the chant?'

xvii. 6. They recite strophes and antistrophes in Gāyatrī; the Gāyatrī is light; night is the evil, the darkness; thus thereby they smite away the evil, the darkness. They recite with repetitions, for so do the Sāman chanters sing; (they say) 'According as it is sung, is it recited.' Then they say 'Why after the final Pratihāra do they call and link the Çastra with the Sāman?'

17.5.9

puruṣo vai yajñaḥ /

The sacrifice is the Cosmic Person.

xvii. 7. The sacrifice is a man; of him the oblation holders are the head, the Āhavanīya the face, the Sadas the stomach, the litanies the food, the Mārjālīya and the Āgnīdhriya the arms, the altars within the Sadas the internal divinities; the Gārhapatya and (the fire) for cooking the fast milk the support. Again, of him the Brahman priest is the mind, the Udgātṛ the expiration, the Prastotṛ the inspiration, the Pratihartṛ the cross-breathing, the Hotṛ the speech, the Adhvaryu the eye, the Sadasya

17.5.10

tasya śira eva havir dhāne mukham āhavanīya udaram sado annam ukthāni /

His head is the two oblation-holders, his mouth the Āhavanīya, his belly the Sadas, and food the recitations.

xvii. 7. The sacrifice is a man; of him the oblation holders are the head, the Āhavanīya the face, the Sadas the stomach, the litanies the food, the Mārjālīya and the Āgnīdhriya the arms, the altars within the Sadas the internal divinities; the Gārhapatya and (the fire) for cooking the fast milk the support. Again, of him the Brahman priest is the mind, the Udgātṛ the expiration, the Prastotṛ the inspiration, the Pratihartṛ the cross-breathing, the Hotṛ the speech, the Adhvaryu the eye, the Sadasya

17.5.11

bāhū mārjālīyaś ca agnīdhriyaś ca / (soma: sodaśin & atiratra)

His two arms are the Mārjālīya and the Āgnīdhra.

xvii. 7. The sacrifice is a man; of him the oblation holders are the head, the Āhavanīya the face, the Sadas the stomach, the litanies the food, the Mārjālīya and the Āgnīdhriya the arms, the altars within the Sadas the internal divinities; the Gārhapatya and (the fire) for cooking the fast milk the support. Again, of him the Brahman priest is the mind, the Udgātṛ the expiration, the Prastotṛ the inspiration, the Pratihartṛ the cross-breathing, the Hotṛ the speech, the Adhvaryu the eye, the Sadasya

17.5.12

yā imā antar devatās te antaḥ sadanam dhiṣṇyāḥ /

The deities that are within are the hearths within the Sadas.

xvii. 7. The sacrifice is a man; of him the oblation holders are the head, the Āhavanīya the face, the Sadas the stomach, the litanies the food, the Mārjālīya and the Āgnīdhriya the arms, the altars within the Sadas the internal divinities; the Gārhapatya and (the fire) for cooking the fast milk the support. Again, of him the Brahman priest is the mind, the Udgātṛ the expiration, the Prastotṛ the inspiration, the Pratihartṛ the cross-breathing, the Hotṛ the speech, the Adhvaryu the eye, the Sadasya

17.5.13

pratiṣṭhā gārhapatya vrata śrapaṇāv iti / (soma: sodaśin & atiratra)

His support is the Gārhapatya and the cooking-hearth for the fast-milk.

xvii. 7. The sacrifice is a man; of him the oblation holders are the head, the Āhavanīya the face, the Sadas the stomach, the litanies the food, the Mārjālīya and the Āgnīdhriya the arms, the altars within the Sadas the internal divinities; the Gārhapatya and (the fire) for cooking the fast milk the support. Again, of him the Brahman priest is the mind, the Udgātṛ the expiration, the Prastotṛ the inspiration, the Pratihartṛ the cross-breathing, the Hotṛ the speech, the Adhvaryu the eye, the Sadasya

17.5.14

atha aparam /

Now further:

xvii. 7. The sacrifice is a man; of him the oblation holders are the head, the Āhavanīya the face, the Sadas the stomach, the litanies the food, the Mārjālīya and the Āgnīdhriya the arms, the altars within the Sadas the internal divinities; the Gārhapatya and (the fire) for cooking the fast milk the support. Again, of him the Brahman priest is the mind, the Udgātṛ the expiration, the Prastotṛ the inspiration, the Pratihartṛ the cross-breathing, the Hotṛ the speech, the Adhvaryu the eye, the Sadasya

17.5.15

tasya mana eva brahmā prāṇa udgātā apānaḥ prastotā vyānaḥ pratihartā vāg ghotā.(.hotā.).cakṣur adhvaryuḥ prajātiḥ sadasya ātmā yajamānaḥ / (soma: sodaśin & atiratra)

His mind is the Brahman, his out-breath the Udgātṛ, his in-breath the Prastotṛ, his diffused breath the Pratihartṛ, his speech the Hotṛ, his eye the Adhvaryu, his procreative organ the Sadasya, and his self the sacrificer.

generation, the sacrificer the body, the Hotrāçaṅsins the limbs. In that the Adhvaryu starts the Stotra, verily thus he unites the eye with the breaths; moreover, verily thus he connects inspiration with the mind. In that the Prastotṛ addresses the Brahman with ‘O Brahman, shall we begin the praise, O Praçāstṛ?’ (it is because they think), ‘Mind is the leader of these breaths; impelled by mind let us sing the Stoma’; moreover, verily thus he connects inspiration with the mind. In that the Brahman approves the Stotra, verily thus he unites the mind with the breaths; moreover, verily thus he connects inspiration with the mind. In that the Prastotṛ begins the praise, verily thus he places inspiration in expiration. In that the Udgātṛ sings, verily thus he places expiration in cross-breathing. In that the Pratihartṛ utters his part, verily thus he places cross-breathing in expiration. So all these deities find support in expiration. In that the Hotṛ connects the Çastra with the Sāman, and the Hotṛ is speech, verily thus he unites speech with the breaths; moreover, verily thus he connects inspiration with mind. In that the Hotrāçaṅsins make a continuity with the Sāman, verily thus they connect the limbs with the breaths. In that the sacrificer sings in accompaniment to the Stotra, and the singers are the breaths, verily thus he places the breaths in himself. Therefore the sun should not set on him outside the altar place, nor should it rise on him, nor should he make preparations, nor utter the invitation, nor say the vaṣaṭ, nor should (the sun) heat (him) when in what is not an altar, (thinking) ‘Let me not sever the body from the breaths.’

xvii. 7. The sacrifice is a man; of him the oblation holders are the head, the Āhavanīya the face, the Sadas the stomach, the litanies the food, the Mārjālīya and the Āgnīdhriya the arms, the altars within the Sadas the internal divinities; the Gārhapatya and (the fire) for cooking the fast milk the support. Again, of him the Brahman priest is the mind, the Udgātṛ the expiration, the Prastotṛ the inspiration, the Pratihartṛ the cross-breathing, the Hotṛ the speech, the Adhvaryu the eye, the Sadasya

17.5.16

aṅgāni hotrāśaṃsinaḥ /
tad yad adhvaryuḥ stotram upākaroti /

His limbs are the Hotra reciters. When the Adhvaryu brings forward the chant,

17.5.18

cakṣur eva tat prāṇaiḥ saṃdadhāti /

he unites the eye with the vital breaths.

17.5.19

atha yat prastotā brāhmaṇam āmantrayate brahmant stoṣyāma iti / (soma: sodaśin & atiratra)

Then, when the Prastotṛ addresses the Brahman priest: 'O Brahman, we shall praise,'

17.5.20

mano vā agraṇīr bhavaty eṣām prāṇānām /

the mind is the leader of these vital breaths;

17.5.21

manasā eva prasūtāḥ stomena stuyāma iti /

'Impelled by the mind, we shall praise with the chant.'

17.5.22

atho apānam eva tan manasā saṃtanoti / (soma: sodaśin & atiratra) ṇṇṇ

Thus he connects the in-breath with the mind.