Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 8.5

8.5.1

anavānam abhiṣṭuyāt prāṇānām saṃtatyai /

He should praise without drawing breath, for the continuity of the vital breaths.

8.5.2

saṃtatā iva hi ime prāṇāḥ /

For continuous, as it were, are these vital breaths.

8.5.3

uccair niruktam abhiṣṭuyāt / (soma: pravargya)

He should praise aloud, explicitly.

8.5.4

prāṇā vai stubhaḥ /

The chants are indeed the vital breaths.

8.5.5

nirukto hy eṣaḥ /

For this [sun] is explicit.

8.5.6

vāg devatyo hy eṣaḥ /

For he has speech as his deity.

8.5.7

sāvitrīḥ prathamā abhiṣṭauti / (soma: pravargya)

He praises first with verses to Savitṛ,

8.5.8

savitṛ prasūtatāyai /

for impulsion by Savitṛ.

8.5.9

savitṛ prasūtasya ha vai na kācana riṣṭir bhavaty ariṣṭyai / (soma: pravargya)

No harm indeed comes to him who is impelled by Savitṛ, for safety from harm.

8.5.10

brahma jajñānam prathamam purastād iti /

'Brahman born first in the east' [is the verse].

viii. 4. ‘The holy power born first in the east’ (he says); the holy power born first in the east is yonder where yonder (sun) gives heat; verily thus here he places the sacrificer. He utters in praise two appropriate verses containing the words ‘anoint’ and ‘sit’, ‘Whom extending as it were the sages anoint’ and ‘Sit down; great art thou.’ He utters in praise three appropriate (verses ), containing the word ‘burn’, ‘Be thou well disposed to us, O Agni, at our approach,’ ‘Burn thou well, O Agni, the foes that are near,’ and ‘The foe who secretly may attack us, O Agni’; what in the sacrifice is appropriate, that is perfect; verily (it serves) for the perfection of the sacrifice. He utters in praise (verses ) referring to the slaying of Rakṣases, ‘Make thou thy brilliance, like a broad net,’ for the smiting away of the Rakṣases; Agni is the smiter away of the Rakṣases; they are five; by the symbol of the quarters from the quarters he smites them off. Moreover, the number of spans the Adhvaryu measures, those he accompanies with these (verses). He utters in praise two appropriate (verses ) addressed to Indra, ‘Around thee, O singer, the songs,’ and ‘In the two hast thou placed the word of praise’; verily with these two he accompanies the call of Hail! to Indra. Moreover, the number of splinters the Adhvaryu gathers round, those he accompanies with the first, the last which he deposits with the last. He utters in praise two appropriate (verses ) to Pūṣan and to Rudra, ‘Pure is one of them, worthy of sacrifice one,’ and ‘Worthily dost thou bear the missiles and the bow’; verily with these two he accompanies the call of Hail! to Pūṣan and to Rudra. Moreover the two golden chips which the Adhvaryu makes of gold and silver, those two with these two he accompanies. ‘The bird anointed by the craft of the Asura’ (he says ); the bird is breath; breath is Vāyu; verily thus with these (verses) he accompanies the call of Hail! to Vāyu. ‘I beheld thee perceiving with thy mind,’ this he should utter in praise in the house of him who desires offspring. Moreover both (should he utter) when there is something unaccomplished.

8.5.11

ado vai brahma jajñānam prathamam purastād / (soma: pravargya)

Yonder indeed is Brahman born first in the east,

8.5.12

yatra asau tapati /

where yonder one burns.

8.5.13

tad eva tad yajamānam dadhāti /

There he establishes the sacrificer.

8.5.14

añjanti yam prathayanto na viprāḥ saṃsīdasva mahān asi ity aktavatīm ca sannavatīm ca abhirūpe abhiṣṭauti / (soma: pravargya)

With 'Whom the inspired poets anoint as they extend [him]' and 'Sit down, you are great', he praises with two appropriate verses, one containing [the word] 'anointed' and one containing 'seated'.

8.5.15

bhavā no agne sumanā upetau tapo ṣv agne antarām amitrān yo naḥ sanutyo abhidāsad agna iti tisras tapasvatīr abhirūpā abhiṣṭauti / (soma: pravargya)

With 'Be well-disposed to us, O Agni, at our approach', 'Burn away completely, O Agni, the enemies within', [and] 'He who is secret, O Agni, should assault us', he praises with three appropriate verses containing [forms of the root] tap- ('burn').

8.5.16

yad yajñe abhirūpam tat samṛddham yajñasya eva samṛddhyai /

What is appropriate in the sacrifice is successful, for the success of the sacrifice.

8.5.17

kṛṇuṣva pājaḥ prasitim na pṛthvīm iti rākṣoghnīr abhiṣṭauti rākṣasām apahatyai / (soma: pravargya)

With 'Put forth your power as an extensive snare', he praises with verses slaying rakṣases, for the striking down of rakṣases.

8.5.18

agnir vai rakṣasām apahantā /

Agni is indeed the slayer of rakṣases.

8.5.19

tā vai pañca bhavanti diśām rūpeṇa / (soma: pravargya)

They are five in number, in the form of the quarters.

8.5.20

digbhya eva etāni samnirhanti /

From the quarters indeed he drives them away.

8.5.21

atho yān eva adhvaryuḥ prādeśān abhimimīte tān eva etābhir anuvadati / (soma: pravargya)

Moreover, whichever spans the adhvaryu measures out, those he accompanies with these [verses].

8.5.22

pari tvā girvaṇo giro adhi dvayor adadhā ukthyam vaca ity aindryāv abhirūpe abhiṣṭauti / (soma: pravargya)

With 'Around you, lover of song, the songs' [and] 'Upon both you have placed the laudable speech', he praises with two appropriate verses addressed to Indra.

8.5.23

aindram eva svāhā kāram etābhyām anuvadati / (soma: pravargya)

He accompanies the svāhā-call addressed to Indra with these two.