Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 2.8

2.8.1

sa ya udite juhoti /

He who offers after sunrise

2.8.2

prasavata eva etan mahate devāya ātithyam karoti /

provides hospitality to the Great God only as he is proceeding.

2.8.3

atha yo anudite juhoti /

Now he who offers before sunrise

2.8.4

samnihitāya eva etan mahate devāya ātithyam karoti / (agnihotra)

provides hospitality to the Great God when he is right at hand.

2.8.5

tasmād anudite hotavyam /

Therefore it should be offered before sunrise.

2.8.6

tadd ha api vṛṣa śuṣmo vātāvataḥ pūrveṣām eko jīrṇiḥ śayāno rātryām eva ubhe āhutī hūyamāne dṛṣṭvā uvāca /

Regarding this, Vṛṣaśuṣma Vātāvata, an old man among the ancients, lying down, having seen both oblations being offered at night, said:

Thus also declared Vṛṣaśuṣma Vātāvata, one of the men of old, when lying worn out, having seen these two offerings being offered at night, ‘At night verily they offer the two offerings.’ ‘For it is at night (they offer)’ he said, ‘and we shall proclaim, having gone to yonder world, to the fathers, and they will believe us in it, that the Agnihotra which used to be performed on successive days is now performed on one day out of two, in the night only.’ That also declared the maiden seized of the Gandharva, ‘In the night verily they offer both offerings’. ‘For it is at night (they offer)’ she declared. At the twilight should he offer. Night and day are the flood that takes all; the two twilights are the fordable crossings of it; just as a man may cross the flood by the two fordable crossings, so is it in that he offers at the twilight. Again night and day are the missile of the god that goes on its way eager to kill; the two twilights are the two wings; just as with wings it may swiftly perform a journey, so is it in that he offers at the twilight. Again, night and day are the encircling arms of death; just as a man, who is about to grasp with encircling arms, may be evaded in the interval (between the arms), so is it in that he offers at the twilight. Kauṣītaki used to declare ‘In the evening, after sunset, before the darkness, at this time should he offer; this is the time of the going to the gods; grasping it he reaches safely the world of heaven. In the morning, before sunrise, when the darkness has been smitten away, at this time should he offer; this is the time of the going to the gods; grasping it he reaches safely the world of heaven. He that at another time offers the Agnihotra, the dark and the dappled rend apart his Agnihotra; the dappled is day,

2.8.7

rātryām eva ubhe āhutī juhvati iti / (agnihotra)

"They offer both oblations in the night!"

2.8.8

rātryā hi iti sa ha uvāca /

"In the night indeed!" he said;

2.8.9

vaktā asmo.(.vaktāsmo).nv eva vayam amuṃl lokam paretya pitṛbhyaḥ / (agnihotra)

"now, when we have departed to yonder world, we shall speak to the fathers,

2.8.10

atho eva enam na śraddhātāraḥ /

and yet they will not believe it:

2.8.11

yad v eva etad ubhaye dyur agnihotram ahūyata / (agnihotra)

'Whereas this Agnihotra used to be offered on both days,

2.8.12

anye dyur vā tad etarhi hūyate /

now it is offered on another [single] day!'"

2.8.13

rātryām eva ity etad eva kumārī gandharva gṛhītā uvāca / (agnihotra)

"In the night alone!"—this very thing a maiden possessed by a Gandharva said:

2.8.14

rātryām eva ubhe āhutī juhvati iti /

"They offer both oblations in the night!"

2.8.15

rātryām hi iti sā ha uvāca /

"In the night indeed!" she said.

2.8.16

saṃdhau juhuyāt / (agnihotra)

One should offer at the junction.

2.8.17

samudro ha vā eṣa sarvam haro yad aho rātre /

Day and night are indeed an ocean that sweeps away everything;

2.8.18

tasya ha ete gādhe tīrthe yat saṃdhye / (agnihotra)

the two twilight junctions are its two shallow fords.

2.8.19

tad yathā gādhābhyām tīrthābhyām samudram atīyāt tādṛk tat /

Just as one would cross an ocean by two shallow fords, such is that,

2.8.20

yat saṃdhau juhoti / (agnihotra)

when one offers at the junction.

2.8.21

atho deva senā ha vā eṣa adhvagā haniṣyantī yad aho rātre / (agnihotra)

Moreover, day and night are an army of the gods on the march, intent on slaying;

2.8.22

tasyā ha ete pakṣasī yat saṃdhye /

the two twilight junctions are its two flanks.

2.8.23

tad yathā pakṣābhyām kṣipram adhvānam anviyāt tādṛk tat / (agnihotra)

Just as one would swiftly traverse a path with two wings, such is that,

2.8.24

yat saṃdhau juhoti /

when one offers at the junction.

2.8.25

atho mṛtyor ha vā etau virāja bāhū yad ahorātre / (agnihotra)

Moreover, day and night are the two extended arms of Death.

2.8.26

tad yathā virāja bāhubhyām parijigrahīṣyann antareṇa atimucyeta tādṛk tat /

It is just as if one, about to be seized by the two arms of Virāj, should escape between them; such is that.

2.8.27

yat saṃdhau juhoti / (agnihotra)

That he offers at the twilight.