Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 22.3

22.3.1

dvitīyam ahar antarikṣa loka āyatanena /

The second day is the world of the atmosphere in its abode.

xxii. 2. The second day is the world of the atmosphere in its abode, Indra, the Triṣṭubh, the Pañcadaça Stoma, the Bṛhat Sāman, the basis by Tanva. It has the following symbols in its verses: the present tense with the god mentioned in the middle Pada—the present is what is before the eyes, but not tangible—(the word) ‘deities’, (the word) ‘thunderbolt’, (the word) ‘slaying Vṛtra’, (the word) ‘strong’, (the word) ‘apart’, (the words) ‘stand’, ‘him’, and ‘thou’. ‘Agni we choose as envoy’ is the Ājya, containing the word ‘apart’ in ‘The Hotṛ of all knowledge’; the explanation of this has been given. It is in Gāyatrī, for this set of three days has the Gāyatrī at the morning pressing. So in the transposed form. Taking out that, ‘For thou hast a glory of rule’ is used in the conjunct form; the explanation of this has been given. The Praüga is by Gṛtsamada; the explanation of this has been given. ‘O Indra, drink this Soma, O lord of the Soma’ is the Marutvatīya, containing (the word) ‘thunderbolt’ in ‘At the midday pressing, O thou with the thunderbolt in thy hand’; this is a symbol of this day. ‘Thy nearest, farthest, help’ is the Niṣkevalya, containing (the word) ‘slaying Vṛtra’ in ‘With these thou hast helped us in slaying Vṛtra’; this is a symbol of this day. ‘That desirable greatness of Savitṛ, the god’ is (the hymn) to Savitṛ, containing ‘Three times the atmosphere Savitṛ with his greatness’; this is openly the symbol of the atmosphere. ‘They two, sky and earth, all weal producing’ is (the hymn) to sky and earth, containing (the word) ‘apart’; the explanation of this has been given. ‘They have wrought the car well covered, skilled workers’ is (the hymn) to the Ṛbhus, containing (the word) ‘strong’ in ‘They have wrought the two steeds, that bear Indra, strong in riches’; the explanation of this has been given. ‘The

22.3.2

indras triṣṭup pañcadaśaḥ stoma /

Indra, the Triṣṭubh, the fifteenfold stoma,

22.3.3

tan nv asya nidānam /

that is its primary basis.

22.3.4

tasya etāni chando rūpāṇi /

These are its metrical characteristics:

22.3.5

kurvan madhye pade sadevam /

an active participle (kurvan), [a characteristic] in the middle verse-quarter, accompanied by "eva" (sadevam);

22.3.6

yad vai pratyakṣam āsprakṣaṃs tat kurvat / (soma: pṛṣṭhya sadaha)

what is directly perceptible, grasping forward, that is "acting" (kurvat);

22.3.7

hatavad vajravad vṛtrahavad vṛṣaṇvad udvad vivat sthitam tanvām iti / (soma: pṛṣṭhya sadaha)

containing "slain" (hatavat), containing "vajra" (vajravat), containing "Vṛtra-slayer" (vṛtrahavat), containing "bull" (vṛṣaṇvat), containing "up" (udvat), containing "vi-" (vivat), containing "stood" (sthitam), [and] "in the body" (tanvām).

22.3.8

agnim dūtam vṛṇīmaha ity ājyam /

"Agni as messenger we choose" is the ājya [recitation].

22.3.9

hotāram viśvavedasam iti vivat tasya uktam brāhmaṇam /

"The hotṛ of all-wealth" contains "vi-" (vivat); its brāhmaṇa explanation has been told.

22.3.10

gāyatram gāyatra prātaḥ savano hy eṣa tryahaḥ / (soma: pṛṣṭhya sadaha)

It is in Gāyatrī, for this three-day period has a Gāyatrī morning pressing.

22.3.11

iti nu vyūḍhe /

This is in the shifted (vyūḍha) [order].

22.3.12

uddhṛtya etat tvam hi kṣaitavad yaśa iti samūḍhe tasya uktam brāhmaṇam /

Removing this, [the hymn] "For you [have attained] fame like Kṣetravat" is in the continuous (samūḍha) [order]; its brāhmaṇa explanation has been told.

22.3.13

ārtsamadaḥ praugas tasya uktam brāhmaṇam / (soma: pṛṣṭhya sadaha)

The prauga [recitation] belongs to Gṛtsamada; its brāhmaṇa explanation has been told.

22.3.16

tad etasya ahno rūpam /

That is the characteristic feature of this day.

22.3.17

yā ta ūtir avamā yā paramā iti niṣkevalyam / (soma: pṛṣṭhya sadaha)

"Whatever aid of yours is lowest, whatever highest" is the niṣkevalya [recitation].

22.3.18

tābhir ū ṣu vṛtrahatye avīr na iti vṛtrahavat /

"With those very [aids] help us in the slaying of Vṛtra" contains the word "Vṛtra-slaying" (vṛtrahavat).

22.3.19

tad etasya ahno rūpam / (soma: pṛṣṭhya sadaha)

That is the characteristic feature of this day.

22.3.20

viśvo devasya netur ā viśva devam satpatim iti pratipad anucarau tayor uktam brāhmaṇam / (soma: pṛṣṭhya sadaha)

"Everyone [longs for the grace] of the god who leads" and "Unto the all-god, the lord of the good" are the stotriya and anurūpa; their brāhmaṇa explanation has been told.