Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 3.2

3.2.1

atha yat purastāt sāmidhenīnām japati /

Now, that he mutters before the kindling verses,

iii. 2. In that before the kindling verses he mutters, verily thus he makes a benediction. After uttering the sound _hiṅ_ he repeats the kindling verses; the sound _hiṅ_ is a thunderbolt; verily thus with a thunderbolt he smites the misfortune of the sacrificer. Three times he utters the sound _hiṅ_; the thunderbolt is threefold; verily thus he produces a thunderbolt. By this threefold thunderbolt the gods drove away the Asuras from these worlds, and verily so the sacrificer with this threefold thunderbolt drives away the enemies who hate him from these worlds. He repeats eleven kindling verses; the Triṣṭubh has eleven syllables; Indra is connected with the Triṣṭubh; thus both Indra and Agni he obtains. The first he thrice repeats, the last thrice; they make up fifteen; the days of the first and the second halves of the month are fifteen; thus by the kindling verses he obtains the first and the second halves of the month. Again, the kindling verses are a thunderbolt; the thunderbolt is fifteenfold; verily thus by a thunderbolt he smites the misfortune of the sacrificer. In that (he repeats) the first thrice and the last thrice, verily thus he ties the two ends of the sacrifice for firmness and to avoid slipping. There are three hundred and sixty syllables in these (verses); three hundred and sixty are the days of the year; thus by the kindling verses he obtains the days of the year. They are Gāyatrī verses; Agni is connected with the Gāyatrī, and has the Gāyatrī as his metre; verily thus he praises Agni with his own metre. They are appropriate; what in the sacrifice is appropriate is perfect; verily (they serve) for the perfection of the sacrifice. With the _om_ in the third uttering of the last (verse) he connects the address, 'O Agni, thou art great, O Brāhmaṇa, O Bhārata .' Agni is Bhārata; he bears (_bharati_) the oblation to the gods. In that he utters the Ṛṣi descent of the sacri-

3.2.2

svastyayanam eva tat kurute /

thereby he brings about a safe journey.

3.2.3

hiṃkṛtya sāmidhenīr anvāha / (DpM)

Having made the sound hiṃ, he recites the kindling verses.

3.2.4

vajro vai hiṃkāraḥ /

The sound hiṃ is indeed a thunderbolt;

3.2.5

vajreṇa eva tad yajamānasya pāpmānam hanti /

with a thunderbolt he strikes away the evil of the sacrificer.

3.2.6

trir him karoti / (DpM)

He makes the sound hiṃ three times.

3.2.7

trivṛd vai vajraḥ /

The thunderbolt is threefold;

3.2.8

vajram eva tad abhisampādayati /

thereby he accomplishes the thunderbolt.

3.2.9

etena vai devās trivṛtā vajreṇa ebhyo lokebhyo asurān anudanta / (DpM)

By this threefold thunderbolt, the gods drove out the Asuras from these worlds;

3.2.10

tatho eva etad yajamāna etena eva trivṛtā vajreṇa ebhyo lokebhyo dviṣato bhrātṛvyān nudati / (DpM)

in the very same way, the sacrificer, by this threefold thunderbolt, drives out hateful rivals from these worlds.

3.2.11

ekādaśa sāmidhenīr anvāha /

He recites eleven kindling verses.

3.2.12

ekādaśa akṣarā vai triṣṭup /

The Triṣṭubh has eleven syllables;

3.2.13

traiṣṭubha indraḥ /

Indra belongs to the Triṣṭubh;

3.2.14

tad ubhā indrāgnī āpnoti / (DpM)

thereby he obtains both Indra and Agni.

3.2.15

triḥ prathamayā trir uttamayā pañcadaśa sampadyate /

With three [repetitions] of the first and three of the last, it amounts to fifteen.

3.2.16

pañcadaśa vai pūrva pakṣa apara pakṣayor ahāni / (DpM)

Fifteen are the days of the waxing half-month and the waning half-month;

3.2.17

tat sāmidhenībhiḥ pūrva pakṣa apara pakṣāv āpnoti /

thus through the kindling verses he obtains the waxing and waning half-months.

3.2.18

atho vajro vai sāmidhenyaḥ /

Moreover, the kindling verses are a thunderbolt;

3.2.19

pañcadaśo vai vajraḥ / (DpM)

fifteenfold is the thunderbolt;

3.2.20

vajreṇa eva tad yajamānasya pāpmānam hanti /

with a thunderbolt he strikes away the evil of the sacrificer.

3.2.21

yad v eva triḥ prathamām triru uttamām / (DpM)

And as to why [he recites] the first three times and the last three times,

3.2.22

yajñasya eva tad barsau nahyati sthemne avisraṃsāya /

thereby he ties the two ends of the sacrifice for firmness, so it does not collapse.

3.2.23

tāsām vai trīṇi ṣaṣṭi śatāny akṣarāṇām bhavanti / (DpM)

Of them, there are three hundred and sixty syllables.

3.2.24

trīṇi vai ṣaṣṭi śatāni saṃvatsarasya ahnām /

Three hundred and sixty are the days of the year;

3.2.25

tat sāmidhenībhiḥ saṃvatsarasya ahāny āpnoti / (DpM)

thus through the kindling verses he obtains the days of the year.

3.2.26

tā vai gāyatryo bhavanti /

They are in the Gāyatrī meter.

3.2.27

gāyatro vā agnir gāyatrac chandāḥ / (DpM)

Agni belongs to the Gāyatrī, having the Gāyatrī as his meter.

3.2.28

svena eva tat chandasā agnim stauti /

With his own meter he thus praises Agni.

3.2.29

abhirūpā bhavanti /

They are conformable.

3.2.30

yad yajñe abhirūpam tat samṛddham yajñasya eva samṛddhyai / (DpM)

What in the sacrifice is conformable, that is successful, for the success of the sacrifice.

3.2.31

uttamāyai tṛtīye vacane praṇavena nigadam upasaṃdadhāti / (DpM)

At the third utterance of the last [verse], he joins the nigada by means of the praṇava: