Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 23.8

23.8.1

nityān pūrvān ṛtu yājān kṛtvā gārtsamadībhir yajanti /

Having performed the regular first season-offerings, they sacrifice with the Gārtsamada verses.

23.8.2

tad yad ebhis tad ahar na vaṣaṭ kurvanti / (soma: pṛṣṭhya sadaha)

In that they do not utter the vaṣaṭ-call with them on that day,

23.8.3

tena utsṛṣṭāḥ /

thereby they are left aside.

23.8.4

yad v eva enān na antarayanti /

and also in that they do not omit them,

23.8.5

na id acyutam yajñasya priyam devānām antarayāma iti / (soma: pṛṣṭhya sadaha)

'Lest we omit what is firm in the sacrifice, dear to the gods,' [they think].

23.8.6

tena te aticchandaso bhavati /

Thereby they belong to the aticchandas.

23.8.7

tathā eṣām sapta padābhir vaṣaṭ kṛtam bhavati / (soma: pṛṣṭhya sadaha)

Thus their vaṣaṭ-call is made with [verses] of seven pādas.

23.8.8

tad u ha sma āha kauṣītakiḥ /

Now Kauṣītaki used to say regarding this:

23.8.9

virāḍ aṣṭamāni ha vā etam chandāṃsi gopāyanti yo asau tapati / (soma: pṛṣṭhya sadaha)

'The metres with Virāj as eighth indeed protect him who burns yonder.

Virāj as the eighth guard him who yonder gives heat. That concord they disturb who use (verses) over the normal metre as offering verses.

23.8.10

tām te sampadam mohayanti ye aticchandobhir yajanti /

They confuse that proportion, who sacrifice with aticchandas [verses].

Virāj as the eighth guard him who yonder gives heat. That concord they disturb who use (verses) over the normal metre as offering verses.

23.8.11

tasmād v aikāhikībhir eva yajeyuḥ /

Therefore they should sacrifice with the [verses] of the one-day rite only,

xxiii. 5. Therefore assuredly they should use (the verses) of the one-day rite as offering verses, to prevent disturbance of the path that leads to the gods.’ As to this Aṇīcin Mauna asked the Jābāla householders, having glided up to them when they were performing a sacrificial session, ‘Have ye departed from the day, are ye Parucchepas?’ Then were they silent; then from the north half of the Sadas Citra Gauçrāyaṇi, or Gauçra, made reply, ‘We have not indeed left the day; we are not Parucchepas; in our litany the Parucchepa has already been added in the day (rite); with (the verses) for the one-day (rite) have we sacrificed; therefore we have not departed from the day.’ One after another should they say the offering verses; the sixth day is an abode of the gods; if on that day the Hotṛ alone should say *vaṣaṭ*, the Hotṛ would commingle the abode of the gods of the Adhvaryu and the householder. A race they run for the world of heaven by the sixth day; he who completes it without drawing in breath wins the world of heaven; but, if he should draw in breath, let him ever and again pushing forward try (to complete it).

23.8.12

deva yānasya eva patho asammugdhyā iti / (soma: pṛṣṭhya sadaha)

so as not to confuse the path of the gods.'

23.8.13

tadd ha apy aṇīcī mauno jābāla gṛhapatīnt satram āsīnām upāsādya papraccha / (soma: pṛṣṭhya sadaha)

On this point Aṇīcīmauna Jābāla approached the householders sitting at the sacrificial session and asked:

23.8.14

ahno gāta parucchepād iti /

'Did you depart from the day, or from Parucchepa?'

23.8.15

ta u ha tūṣṇīm āsuḥ /

They remained silent.

23.8.16

tatra u ha uttara ardhāt sadasaś citro gauśrāyaṇir abhiparovāca / (soma: pṛṣṭhya sadaha)

Thereupon, from the northern half of the sadas, Citra Gauśrāyaṇi replied:

23.8.17

gauśro vā /

or Gauśra:

23.8.18

na āha eva ahno agāma na parucchepāt /

'We did not indeed depart from the day, nor from Parucchepa.

23.8.19

śastreṇa āha naḥ parucchepo ahar anvāyatiṣṭa /

By the recitation Parucchepa followed our day.

23.8.20

aikāhikībhir ayākṣma / (soma: pṛṣṭhya sadaha)

We sacrificed with the [verses] of the one-day rite;

23.8.21

tena u ahno na agāma iti /

thereby we did not depart from the day.'

23.8.22

yathā yatham yajeyuḥ /

They should sacrifice properly according to rule.

23.8.23

deva āyatanam vai ṣaṣṭham ahaḥ / (soma: pṛṣṭhya sadaha)

The sixth day is indeed the domain of the gods.