Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 1: ADHYĀYA I

Rigveda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas of the Rigveda (HOS 25) 1

Language: English

ADHYĀYA I

i. 1. In this world both the gods and men were. The gods going to the world of heaven said to Agni ‘Be thou for us the overseer of this world.’ To them replied Agni ‘But, since I am he among you whose contact is most dangerous, and men do not pay honour (to me), how will that become yours which is among men?’ The gods said ‘The dread forms of thee as such we will deposit apart, and then wilt thou be here for man with that form of thine which is auspicious, helpful, and worthy of sacrifice.’ Then in the waters they placed (his form as) blowing, in the wind (his form as) purifying, in the sun (his form as) bright. Then with his auspicious, helpful, and sacrificial form he burned here for men. These indeed are the forms of Agni. In that he offers to these deities, then Agni becomes delighted with his limbs and with his forms. These are three; three indeed are these worlds; verily thus he obtains these worlds. The full-moon offering is the model of the first (sacrifice), the new-moon offering of the second; thereby does he commence the newand full-moon (offerings). The invitatory and offering verses of the first contain (the words) ‘praise’ and ‘bearer of the oblation’; that is the form of the invitatory and invoking verses. Those of the second have (the word) ‘Agni’ twice, for he offers to two Agnis. The third has seventeen Sāmidhenī verses; the Iṣṭi and

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Paçubandha offerings have seventeen Sāmidhenī verses; therefore he obtains the Iṣṭi and Paçubandha offerings. The offerings of the butter portions have (the word) 'be'; (with the desire) 'Let me be', he establishes the fires; 'May I be' he desires. He, even if being very contemptible as it were he establishes the fires, quickly prospers; he attains enjoyableness, who makes them possessed of (the word) 'be'. The invitatory and offering verses are Virāj verses; prosperity and proper food are the Virāj, (and so they serve) for the winning of the Virāj as prosperity and proper food. These are Gāyatrī verses; Agni is connected with the Gāyatrī and has the Gāyatrī for his metre; verily thus with his own metre he establishes the fires. They are uttered inaudibly; the establishing of the fires is an outpouring of seed; inaudibly is seed outpoured. They are appropriate what in the sacrifice is appropriate, that is perfect; (so they serve) for the perfection of the sacrifice. Twelve (cows) should he give; the year has twelve months; verily (they serve) to make up the year. He gives a horse as thirteenth, to make up the thirteenth month.

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i. 2. The gods and the Asuras were in conflict over these worlds. From them Agni departed, and entered the seasons. The gods, having been victorious and having slain the Asuras, sought for him; Yama and Varuṇa discerned him. Him (the gods) invited, him they instructed, to him they offered a boon. He chose this as a boon, '(Give) me the fore-offerings and the after-offerings for my own, and the ghee of the waters and the male of plants.' Therefore they say 'Agni's are the fore-offerings and the after-offerings; Agni's is the butter.' Then indeed did the gods prosper, the Asuras were defeated. He prospers himself, his foe is defeated, who knows thus.

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i. 3. They say, 'In which season should he re-establish (the fires)?' 'In

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the rains' some say; in the rains are all desires; verily (it serves) to obtain all desires. In the middle of the rains, with regard to the Nakṣatra, the Punarvasūs, he should re-establish (the fires) (saying) 'May riches and wealth again come to me.' Thus (it serves) for the winning of a repeated desire. In this period (the new moon) does not in the first half (of the month) come into conjunction with the Punarvasūs. On the new moon which follows after (full moon) in the Aṣāḍhās should he re-establish; it is in conjunction with the Punarvasūs. The desire is obtained that is in the new moon, there is obtained that in the rains, there is obtained that in the Punarvasūs; therefore on that day should he re-establish. The cake is offered on five potsherds; the Paṅkti has five feet; the sacrifice is fivefold; (so it serves) to obtain the sacrifice.

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i. 4. With discriminations he offers the fore-offerings and the after-offerings; the fore-offerings and the after-offerings are the seasons; thus does he gather him from the seasons. The discriminations are the head words of these Ṛcs, 'O Agni, come for enjoyment'; 'Agni we choose as messenger'; 'By Agni Agni is kindled'; 'May Agni smite the foes'; 'Of Agni the praise we meditate'; 'To Agni that mortal who doth service.' They are six; the seasons are six; verily from the seasons for a second time he gathers him. The last fore-offering and after-offering are unaltered. Thus he does not depart from the fore-offerings and the after-offerings. The first butter-portion is connected with the slaying of Vṛtra; verily (it serves) for the destroying of the evil one. Thus he does not depart from the model of the full-moon sacrifice. 'He should make the first (butter-portion) for Agni, the wise, (saying) "Agni do ye awaken with the praise",' some say, 'the

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fire of him who removes the fire is asleep as it were, verily so does he again awaken it.’ But that connected with the slaying of Vṛtra is the approved one. ‘O Agni, thou purifiest lives’ is the invitatory verse of the second (butter-portion). ‘Thou purifiest’ is the symbol of Soma, for the sacrificial offering is wholly for Agni; in that he makes mention of the purifying, so he departs not from the butter-portion for Soma. The offering and the invitatory verses are Padapaṅktis; the Paṅkti has five feet; the sacrifice is fivefold; verily (they serve) to obtain the sacrifice.

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i. 5. (The verses) are intertwined (on the ground that) ‘Intertwined as it were these breaths support the self.’ The whole (offering) is performed including the kindling verses in a low tone up to the first two after-offerings. After the (word) butter the discriminations are interwoven; further all desires are in the discriminations; therefore they are uttered in a low tone, for the obtaining of all desires. Aloud he sacrifices with the last after-offering, aloud he utters the Sūktavāka and the Çaṃyorvāka. Just as a man makes to appear what is lost (saying) ‘I have found’, so he makes to appear his desires (saying) ‘I have obtained.’ Some, however, perform three (parts) in a low tone, the discriminations, the second butter-portion, and the oblation (on the ground that), ‘So much is there which is adventitious.’ The (offering) is both uttered in a low tone and uttered aloud; Agni has two forms, the expressly declared and that which is not expressly declared; thereby he obtains that (characteristic) of him. Some make it with Agni all through, but that he should not do. The sacrificial fee is a bad chariot, resown, with an old wrapper, renewed, a draft ox, or gold, for this is a renewed ceremony. The second (offering) is for Aditi; Aditi is a support; verily (it serves) for support.

Linked texts (1)

Kauṣītakibrāhmaṇa — Kauṣītaki, Sanskrit