Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 3.3

3.3.1

agne mahān asi brāhmaṇa bhārata iti /

“Agni, great art thou, O priestly Bhārata!”

3.3.2

agnir vai bharataḥ /

Agni is indeed Bharata;

3.3.3

sa vai devebhyo havyam bharati / (DpM)

for he bears (bharati) the oblation to the gods.

3.3.4

atha yad yajamānasya ārṣeyam āha /

Now, when he pronounces the ancestral lineage (ārṣeya) of the sacrificer:

3.3.5

na ha vā anārṣeyasya devā havir aśnanti / (DpM)

the gods do not eat the oblation of one whose ancestral lineage is not declared.

ficer, it is because the gods do not eat the oblation of one who has not descent from a Ṛṣi. Therefore he utters his descent from a Ṛṣi. He connects the address of fifteen elements; it is the Nivid of the kindling verses; therefore has it fifteen elements; for the kindling verses are fifteen. It is not in metre; all this is twofold, metrical and not in metre; (he says it thinking), ‘With all this let me praise Agni.’ Having connected seven elements he should stop; the metres are seven; verily (they serve) to obtain all the metres. Then (come) four, then four; all this is fourfold; verily (they serve) to obtain all this.

3.3.6

tasmād asya ārṣeyam āha /

Therefore he pronounces his ancestral lineage.

ficer, it is because the gods do not eat the oblation of one who has not descent from a Ṛṣi. Therefore he utters his descent from a Ṛṣi. He connects the address of fifteen elements; it is the Nivid of the kindling verses; therefore has it fifteen elements; for the kindling verses are fifteen. It is not in metre; all this is twofold, metrical and not in metre; (he says it thinking), ‘With all this let me praise Agni.’ Having connected seven elements he should stop; the metres are seven; verily (they serve) to obtain all the metres. Then (come) four, then four; all this is fourfold; verily (they serve) to obtain all this.

3.3.9

atha etam pañcadaśa padam nigadam upasaṃdadhāti / (DpM)

Then he joins this fifteen-word nigada.

ficer, it is because the gods do not eat the oblation of one who has not descent from a Ṛṣi. Therefore he utters his descent from a Ṛṣi. He connects the address of fifteen elements; it is the Nivid of the kindling verses; therefore has it fifteen elements; for the kindling verses are fifteen. It is not in metre; all this is twofold, metrical and not in metre; (he says it thinking), ‘With all this let me praise Agni.’ Having connected seven elements he should stop; the metres are seven; verily (they serve) to obtain all the metres. Then (come) four, then four; all this is fourfold; verily (they serve) to obtain all this.

3.3.8

eṣā ha vai sāmidhenīnām nivit /

This indeed is the nivad of the kindling verses.

ficer, it is because the gods do not eat the oblation of one who has not descent from a Ṛṣi. Therefore he utters his descent from a Ṛṣi. He connects the address of fifteen elements; it is the Nivid of the kindling verses; therefore has it fifteen elements; for the kindling verses are fifteen. It is not in metre; all this is twofold, metrical and not in metre; (he says it thinking), ‘With all this let me praise Agni.’ Having connected seven elements he should stop; the metres are seven; verily (they serve) to obtain all the metres. Then (come) four, then four; all this is fourfold; verily (they serve) to obtain all this.

3.3.9_2

tasmāt pañcadaśa pado bhavati /

Therefore it consists of fifteen words,

3.3.10

pañcadaśa hi sāmidhenyaḥ /

for the kindling verses are fifteen.

ficer, it is because the gods do not eat the oblation of one who has not descent from a Ṛṣi. Therefore he utters his descent from a Ṛṣi. He connects the address of fifteen elements; it is the Nivid of the kindling verses; therefore has it fifteen elements; for the kindling verses are fifteen. It is not in metre; all this is twofold, metrical and not in metre; (he says it thinking), ‘With all this let me praise Agni.’ Having connected seven elements he should stop; the metres are seven; verily (they serve) to obtain all the metres. Then (come) four, then four; all this is fourfold; verily (they serve) to obtain all this.

3.3.11

sa vā acchandas kṛto bhavati / (DpM)

It is composed without meter.

ficer, it is because the gods do not eat the oblation of one who has not descent from a Ṛṣi. Therefore he utters his descent from a Ṛṣi. He connects the address of fifteen elements; it is the Nivid of the kindling verses; therefore has it fifteen elements; for the kindling verses are fifteen. It is not in metre; all this is twofold, metrical and not in metre; (he says it thinking), ‘With all this let me praise Agni.’ Having connected seven elements he should stop; the metres are seven; verily (they serve) to obtain all the metres. Then (come) four, then four; all this is fourfold; verily (they serve) to obtain all this.

3.3.12

dvayam vā idam sarvam chandas kṛtam ca acchandas kṛtam ca /

Twofold indeed is all this: composed with meter and composed without meter;

ficer, it is because the gods do not eat the oblation of one who has not descent from a Ṛṣi. Therefore he utters his descent from a Ṛṣi. He connects the address of fifteen elements; it is the Nivid of the kindling verses; therefore has it fifteen elements; for the kindling verses are fifteen. It is not in metre; all this is twofold, metrical and not in metre; (he says it thinking), ‘With all this let me praise Agni.’ Having connected seven elements he should stop; the metres are seven; verily (they serve) to obtain all the metres. Then (come) four, then four; all this is fourfold; verily (they serve) to obtain all this.

3.3.13

tena sarveṇa agnim stavāni iti / (DpM)

[thinking,] “With all that let me praise Agni.”

ficer, it is because the gods do not eat the oblation of one who has not descent from a Ṛṣi. Therefore he utters his descent from a Ṛṣi. He connects the address of fifteen elements; it is the Nivid of the kindling verses; therefore has it fifteen elements; for the kindling verses are fifteen. It is not in metre; all this is twofold, metrical and not in metre; (he says it thinking), ‘With all this let me praise Agni.’ Having connected seven elements he should stop; the metres are seven; verily (they serve) to obtain all the metres. Then (come) four, then four; all this is fourfold; verily (they serve) to obtain all this.

3.3.14

tasya sapta padāni samasya avasyet /

Combining seven words of it, he should pause.

ficer, it is because the gods do not eat the oblation of one who has not descent from a Ṛṣi. Therefore he utters his descent from a Ṛṣi. He connects the address of fifteen elements; it is the Nivid of the kindling verses; therefore has it fifteen elements; for the kindling verses are fifteen. It is not in metre; all this is twofold, metrical and not in metre; (he says it thinking), ‘With all this let me praise Agni.’ Having connected seven elements he should stop; the metres are seven; verily (they serve) to obtain all the metres. Then (come) four, then four; all this is fourfold; verily (they serve) to obtain all this.

3.3.15

sapta vai chandāṃsi /

Seven indeed are the meters,

ficer, it is because the gods do not eat the oblation of one who has not descent from a Ṛṣi. Therefore he utters his descent from a Ṛṣi. He connects the address of fifteen elements; it is the Nivid of the kindling verses; therefore has it fifteen elements; for the kindling verses are fifteen. It is not in metre; all this is twofold, metrical and not in metre; (he says it thinking), ‘With all this let me praise Agni.’ Having connected seven elements he should stop; the metres are seven; verily (they serve) to obtain all the metres. Then (come) four, then four; all this is fourfold; verily (they serve) to obtain all this.

3.3.16

sarveṣām eva chandasām āptyai / (DpM)

for the attainment of all the meters.

ficer, it is because the gods do not eat the oblation of one who has not descent from a Ṛṣi. Therefore he utters his descent from a Ṛṣi. He connects the address of fifteen elements; it is the Nivid of the kindling verses; therefore has it fifteen elements; for the kindling verses are fifteen. It is not in metre; all this is twofold, metrical and not in metre; (he says it thinking), ‘With all this let me praise Agni.’ Having connected seven elements he should stop; the metres are seven; verily (they serve) to obtain all the metres. Then (come) four, then four; all this is fourfold; verily (they serve) to obtain all this.

3.3.17

atha catvāry atha catvāri /

Then four, then four.

ficer, it is because the gods do not eat the oblation of one who has not descent from a Ṛṣi. Therefore he utters his descent from a Ṛṣi. He connects the address of fifteen elements; it is the Nivid of the kindling verses; therefore has it fifteen elements; for the kindling verses are fifteen. It is not in metre; all this is twofold, metrical and not in metre; (he says it thinking), ‘With all this let me praise Agni.’ Having connected seven elements he should stop; the metres are seven; verily (they serve) to obtain all the metres. Then (come) four, then four; all this is fourfold; verily (they serve) to obtain all this.

3.3.18

catuṣṭayam vā idam sarvam /

Fourfold indeed is all this,

ficer, it is because the gods do not eat the oblation of one who has not descent from a Ṛṣi. Therefore he utters his descent from a Ṛṣi. He connects the address of fifteen elements; it is the Nivid of the kindling verses; therefore has it fifteen elements; for the kindling verses are fifteen. It is not in metre; all this is twofold, metrical and not in metre; (he says it thinking), ‘With all this let me praise Agni.’ Having connected seven elements he should stop; the metres are seven; verily (they serve) to obtain all the metres. Then (come) four, then four; all this is fourfold; verily (they serve) to obtain all this.

3.3.19

asya eva sarvasya āptyai / (DpM)

for the attainment of this whole [world].

ficer, it is because the gods do not eat the oblation of one who has not descent from a Ṛṣi. Therefore he utters his descent from a Ṛṣi. He connects the address of fifteen elements; it is the Nivid of the kindling verses; therefore has it fifteen elements; for the kindling verses are fifteen. It is not in metre; all this is twofold, metrical and not in metre; (he says it thinking), ‘With all this let me praise Agni.’ Having connected seven elements he should stop; the metres are seven; verily (they serve) to obtain all the metres. Then (come) four, then four; all this is fourfold; verily (they serve) to obtain all this.

3.3.20

atha yad vyavagrāham devatā āvāhayati /

Now, that he invokes the deities separately:

iii. 3. In that he summons the deities severally, it is because the oblations are taken separately for them. In that he summons Agni through Agni, the form of Agni which bears the oblation is his sacrificial form. It is what there over yonder sun shines like light; therefore the sun (appears) to every man. Thus in that he says ‘O Agni bring Agni’, verily thus he says ‘That (form) bring.’ In that he invites the gods that drink the butter, thus he invites the fore-offerings and the after-offerings. In that he invites Agni for the Hotṛ's function, thus he invites the Sviṣṭakṛt (offering). In that he invites his own greatness, thus he invites Vāyu; Agni's own greatness is Vāyu, for by him he acquires and attains greatness. In that he recites by order, and sacrifices by order, thereby verily sacrifice is made to his own greatness. ‘Bring, O All-knower, and offer with good sacrifice’, (with these words) he says to him, ‘Bring the gods, O All-knower, and offer to the gods with good sacrifice.’ In that he mutters before the kindling verses, and the kindling verses are a thunderbolt, verily thus he appeases him both before and after. In that he takes up the two ladles with the verse for taking up the ladles, verily thus he yokes a chariot of the gods, being about to bestow the oblation upon the gods. With this chariot of the gods he attains safely the world of heaven.

3.3.21

nānā hy ābhyo havīṃṣi gṛhītāni bhavanti / (DpM)

for the oblations are taken separately for them;

3.3.22

tasmād vyavagrāham devatā āvāhayati /

therefore he invokes the deities separately.

3.3.23

atha yad agnim agninā āvāhayati / (DpM)

Now, that he invokes Agni through Agni:

3.3.24

eṣā vā agner yajñiyā tanūr yā asya havya vāṭ /

that indeed is Agni's sacrificial form which is his oblation-bearer;

3.3.25

sā vā asau yad ado amuṣyād ity asya upariṣṭād divi iva bhāti jyotir iva / (DpM)

it is that yonder which shines above this sun, as if in the sky, like a light.

3.3.26

tad yad āha agnim agna āvaha iti /

So, when he says, “Bring hither Agni, O Agni!”

3.3.27

tām āvaha ity eva tad āha /

he means just this: “Bring that [form] hither!”

3.3.28

atha yad devān ājyapān āvāhayati / (DpM)

Now, that he invokes the gods who drink melted butter:

3.3.29

prayāja anuyājāṃs tad āvāhayati /

he thereby invokes the fore-offerings and after-offerings.

3.3.30

atha yad agnim hotrāya āvāhayati /

Now, that he invokes Agni for the hotṛ's office:

3.3.31

sviṣṭakṛtam tad āvāhayati / (DpM)

he thereby invokes [Agni] Sviṣṭakṛt.

3.3.32

atha yat svam mahimānam āvāhayati /

Now, that he invokes his own greatness:

3.3.33

vāyum tad āvāhayati /

he thereby invokes Vāyu;

3.3.34

vāyur vā agneḥ svo mahimā / (DpM)

for Vāyu is Agni's own greatness;