Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 13: ADHYĀYA XIII

Rigveda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas of the Rigveda (HOS 25) 13

Language: English

ADHYĀYA XIII

xiii. 1. The sacrifice is Prajāpati; in it are all desires, all immortality; the altars are the protectors; to them as he creeps to the Sadas he pays homage, 'Homage, homage', for the gods are not above receiving homage. They, having homage paid, let the Hotṛ pass on. He proceeds to this Prajāpati, the sacrifice; thus herein the sacrificer obtains all desires.

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The Set of Five Oblations.

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xiii. 2. Then they proceed with the set of five oblations. The set of five oblations is cattle; verily (they serve) to obtain cattle. There are five oblations, curds, fried grains, groats, the cake, the milk mess. The Paṅkti has five Padas; the sacrifice is fivefold; cattle are fivefold; man is fivefold; for obtaining the sacrifice and cattle this is offered, also for the encircling of cattle and the making firm of the pressings. Breath is the set of five

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oblations; therefore the Hotṛ utters as the offering verse the same formulae as the Maitrāvaruṇa for his directions; for breath is the same. They say ‘The Ṛc which he uses in the morning as offering verse is wearied for that day; then how is it fresh in all the pressings?’ In that he continues to carry on with the pressings, (saying) ‘In the morning, (the cakes) of the morning pressing’, at the morning pressing, ‘Those of the midday pressing’, at the midday pressing, ‘Those of the third pressing’, at the third pressing, thereby is it fresh . They say ‘Why in the morning only is there a milk mess, and not in the midday or at the third pressing?’ ‘The Maitrāvaruṇa is the sacrifice; the sacrifice is born at the morning pressing; a young boy’s portion is milk; this is as if one should give the breast to a child on birth; it is old at the other two pressings; when one grows one is past the breast then. Therefore in the morning only is there a milk mess, and not in the midday nor at the third pressing’ (is the answer).

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The Cakes.

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xiii. 3. ‘O Agni, enjoy the oblation,’ he says at each pressing as the offering verse of the Sviṣṭakṛt offering of the cake. Avatsāra Prāsravaṇa was the Hotṛ of the gods. To him in that glory death attached itself; death is Agni; having delighted Agni by the oblation (saying), ‘O Agni, enjoy the oblation,’ he was set free. Verily thus also a Hotṛ, who knowing thus delights Agni by the oblation (saying) ‘O Agni, enjoy the oblation, is set free. Through these intermediate spaces the gods went to the world of heaven; to them in that glory death attached itself; death is Agni; they having delighted Agni by the oblation (saying) ‘O Agni, enjoy the oblation,’ were set free. Verily thus also a Hotṛ who knowing thus delights Agni by the oblation (saying) ‘O Agni, enjoy the oblation,’ is set free. (The words), ‘O Agni, enjoy the oblation,’ have six syllables; this body has six members and is sixfold; thus ransoming the self by the self, having become free of debt, he sacrifices. This is the Mantra of Avatsāra Prāsravaṇa; he should not think ‘By which now, by which shall I sacrifice?’; he should know ‘Let me sacrifice by the Mantra made by a Ṛṣi, the Ṛc.’

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xiii. 4. Now we have called the victim Soma; and so the cakes. Ten are they, shoots of Soma; the old shoot, which they press here; the glad shoot, the waters; the sap shoot, rice; the male shoot, barley; the bright shoot, milk; the living shoot, the victim; the immortal shoot, gold; the Ṛc shoot; the Yajus shoot; the Sāman shoot; these are the ten Soma shoots; when all these unite, then is there Soma, then the pressed (Soma).

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The Cups for two Deities.

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xiii. 5. Having proceeded with the cakes, they proceed with (the cups) for two deities. The cakes are the body of the sacrificer, (the cups) for two deities the breaths; in that having proceeded with the cakes, they proceed with (the cups) for two deities, verily thus they place the breaths in the sacrificer, to secure fullness of life in this world and immortality in yonder world. So the sacrificer lives his full life in this world, he obtains immortality, imperishableness in the world of heaven. The first is for Indra and Vāyu; Indra is speech, Vāyu is breath; that for Mitra and Varuṇa is the eye; that for the Açvins is the ear; those for two deities are these breaths. Therefore without taking breath he utters the offering verse, for the continuity of the breaths, for these breaths are continuous as it were; he does not utter the second vaṣaṭ (thinking) 'Those for two deities are the breaths, the second vaṣaṭ call marks the completion; let me not before the time make the breaths completed', for these breaths are yoked as it were. He places that for Indra and Vāyu on the front side, for it of these breaths is designated as of the front side; closer together as it were around the other two behind he deposits, for the eye and the ear are around this as it were. Them he continues to hold (thinking) 'Let them not start forward.' He does not cover (thinking) '(The cups) for two deities are the breaths; let me not cover the breaths.'

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xiii. 6. 'This sweet Soma drink for thee' is the offering verse of the Prasthitas, which distil sweetness, containing (the word) 'sweet'. He utters a second vaṣaṭ, for the appeasing of the libations, for the support of the libations. Then the Hotrakas sacrifice together; verily thus they

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release the sacrificer from indebtedness. The first eating is that of (the cups) for two deities, then the sacrificial food, then the Hotṛ's goblet. The cakes are the body of the sacrificer, (the cups) for two deities are the breaths; the sacrificial food is cattle and food; by food are the breaths and the body combined. Therefore the first eating is of (the cups) for two deities, then sacrificial food, then the Hotṛ's bowl. Them he gives to the Adhvaryu; he does not let go (thinking) ‘(The cups) for two deities are breaths; let me not let go the breaths.’ Twice he eats of (the cup) for Indra and Vāyu, for twice he utters the vaṣaṭ call for it; once of (the cup) for Mitra and Varuṇa, once for that for the Açvins. Turning it round on all sides he eats of that for the Açvins, for by the ear he hears on all sides. The dregs he pours down on the Hotṛ's bowl; verily thus he makes them sharers in the sacrificial food.

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xiii. 7. Then he invokes the sacrificial food; carrying in his right hand the second (portion of the) sacrificial food he in the left holds together, but without allowing to touch, the Hotṛ's bowl and the cup (thinking) ‘The butter is a thunderbolt; Soma is seed; let me not harm seed by the thunderbolt.’ He does not speak the formula of pouring into it, he does not utter benedictions. Having invoked the sacrificial food and having sniffed it he pauses; he eats the second (portion of the) sacrificial food; then having sipped water he eats of the Hotṛ's bowl. The Soma is the highest kind of proper food; verily thus all, having invoked the highest kind of proper food, eat of it.

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xiii. 8. Next the response of the Achāvāka. ‘These dear songs the sacrificer, the pourer, hath seized; the Upavaktṛ is a support, the cows are invited by us (he should say), if he does not desire to invite; ‘He also is invited’ he adds, if he desires to invite. The Achāvāka in response to the invitation should run over as many verses as he can of the hymn, ‘Do ye stay, go not away.’ Or a Hotṛ (may do so) to an unwilling Achāvāka. That is the expiation here.

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The Seasonal Cups.

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xiii. 9. The offerings to the seasons are the breaths; in that they proceed with the offerings to the seasons, verily thus they place the breaths in the sacrificer. Breath is in three ways ordered, expiration, inspiration, cross-breathing. Six (priests) sacrifice (saying) ‘With the season,’ verily thus they place expiration in the sacrificer; four ‘With the seasons’; verily thus they place inspiration in the sacrificer; twice (they sacrifice) afterwards, (saying) ‘With the season’; verily thus they place cross-breathing in the sacrificer, to secure fullness of life in this world and immortality in yonder (world). So the sacrificer lives a full life in this world and obtains immortality and imperishableness in the world of heaven. The offerings to the seasons are these breaths; therefore without taking in breath they utter the offering verses, for the continuity of the breaths, for these breaths are continuous as it were. They do not say the second vaṣaṭ (thinking) ‘The offerings to the seasons are the breaths; the second vaṣaṭ call marks the completion; let me not before the time make the breaths completed’, for these breaths are yoked as it were. They say ‘Why does he give directions to all (the priests) (in the words), ‘Let the Hotṛ utter the offering verse, let the Hotṛ say the offering verse.’ The Hotṛ is speech; he says in effect, ‘Let speech utter the offering verse, let speech utter the offering verse.’ The seven Hotṛs moreover are all these; further it is said in a Ṛc, ‘The seven Hotṛs sacrifice according to due seasons.’ In that he arranges two afterwards, it is to avoid repetition. There are twelve; the year has twelve months; verily (it serves) to obtain the year. If he should eat then, and any one should say of him, ‘Food over which no second vaṣaṭ has been said is unwholesome; it has penetrated through his breaths, he will not live,’ so would it be. If he does not eat, and any one were to say of him, ‘Food is breath; he has separated himself from breath, he will not live,’ so also would it be. He should smear as it were, and sniff it, both here and in the case of (the cups) for two deities; this is the rule which they proclaim. In that these two Adhvaryus cross each other and neither interferes with the other, therefore season interferes not with season.

Linked texts (1)

Kauṣītakibrāhmaṇa — Kauṣītaki, Sanskrit