Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 17: ADHYĀYA XVII

Rigveda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas of the Rigveda (HOS 25) 17

Language: English

ADHYĀYA XVII

xvii. 1. The Ṣoḍaçin is a thunderbolt composed of the Anuṣṭubh; in that they undertake the Ṣoḍaçin, they smite away the evil of the sacrificer with the thunderbolt composed of the Anuṣṭubh. It refers to the 'bay steeds'; the bay is breath, for it draws; therefore it refers to the 'bay steeds'. The Ṣoḍaçin is he yonder that gives heat; verily thus they delight him. There is a sixteenth Stotra, a sixteenth Çastra; therefore is it called the Ṣoḍaçin. In that they undertake the Ṣoḍaçin, and all this (universe) is of sixteen parts, verily (it serves) to obtain all this. Moreover, the Ṣoḍaçin is Indra; therefore it refers to the 'bay steeds', for Indra's bay steeds are praised. 'O Indra rejoice, bring forward, come hither, O hero,

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of the bay steeds’ these (verses) have twenty-five syllables and one by one have nine syllables added. The self is twenty-fivefold, what is added is offspring and cattle; verily thus he adds to himself in offspring, cattle, servants, and proper food. These make up thirty-four; whatever is of thirty-four syllables, that metre is the Svarāj; verily thereby he obtains self rule. Repeated together they make up five Anuṣṭubh verses and a ten-syllable quarter verse is left over, two syllables for each verse. ‘Of such a one as thou, O thou of much light’, this Gāyatrī verse he recites next, for the completion of these syllables; moreover along with it they make up a strophe of six Anuṣṭubh verses; therefore he recites it, for completion. To match it some make an antistrophe; but as to this they say ‘The Ṣoḍaçin is he yonder that gives heat; there is none other to be a counterpart of him; if he were to make a counterpart and one were to say of him, “The rival who is hateful will reject him”, so would it be. Therefore he should not trouble about a counterpart.’

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xvii. 2. Thereafter he transposes the metres which follow; the metres are the breaths; verily thus in the body he interweaves the breaths, to prevent separation; therefore these breaths, though breathing in different directions, do not blow out. Moreover the Ṣoḍaçin is connected with the Anuṣṭubh; verily thus he brings all the metres into relation with the Anuṣṭubh. He transposes Gāyatrī and Paṅkti verses; the Paṅkti is the metre of the sacrificer; the Gāyatrī is brilliance and splendour; verily thus he places brilliance and splendour in the sacrificer. He transposes Uṣṇih and Bṛhatī verses; the Uṣṇih is the metre of the sacrificer; the Bṛhatī is cattle; verily thus he confers cattle as connected with the Bṛhatī upon the sacrificer. He transposes a verse of two Padas containing twenty syllables and a Triṣṭubh; the verse of two Padas

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is the metre of the sacrificer; the Triṣṭubh is might and strength; verily thus he confers might and strength upon the sacrificer. He transposes verses of two Padas containing sixteen syllables and Jagatī verses; verses of two Padas are the metre of the sacrificer; the Jagatī is cattle; verily thus he confers cattle as connected with the Jagatī on the sacrificer. He recites Gāyatrī verses; Gāyatrī verses are breath; verily thus he places breath in himself. He recites a verse of seven Padas; the metres are seven; verily (it serves) to obtain all the metres; moreover, with it the Gāyatrī verses make up four Anuṣṭubh verses; therefore he recites it, for completion.

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xvii. 3. Then he recites Anuṣṭubhs of normal type; the Ṣoḍaçin is connected with the Anuṣṭubh; thus he causes it to prosper by its own symbol. They make up eight; by these (verses) the gods attained all attainments; verily thus also with these the sacrificer attains all attainments. With the last verse thrice repeated they make up ten; the Virāj consists of tens; the Virāj is prosperity and proper food; (they serve) to obtain the Virāj as prosperity and proper food. He concludes with ‘When up to the place of the bright one’; yonder is the place of the bright one where he yonder gives heat; verily thus he places the sacrificer there. Three times he utters the call for the Ṣoḍaçin, in the strophe, for the Nivid, for the concluding verse; the Ṣoḍaçin is threefold; verily thus with a threefold thunderbolt he smites the evil of the sacrificer. These are the fame, the sounds, the strengths of the litanies. Famous, resounding, strong, renowned does he become who knows thus the strengths of the litanies. They recited together make up forty Anuṣṭubhs; the Paṅkti has forty syllables; the Paṅkti is a support; verily thus in all creatures he establishes the sacrificer.

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xvii. 4. Some say ‘He should use an interpolated Triṣṭubh as offering verse’. ‘For indeed the courser.—Thou hast drunk of the ancient draughts, O lord of the bays.—For the courser is a courser.—Now let this pressing be thine only.—The courser is a bearer.—Drink the Soma rich in honey, O Indra.—For the courser is active.—Do thou ever, O strong one, pour into thy belly.’ But the rule is not to interpolate. The offering verses are duly prepared dishes for the gods; verily thus with a duly

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prepared dish for the gods he tenders the oblation to the gods. He should not undertake it at night; the Ṣoḍaçin is Indra; there is nothing above Indra; much is accomplished at night, the rounds as it were, and the Āçvina (Çastra); therefore he should undertake it on the fourth day; that is the abode of the Ṣoḍaçin; that day concludes with the Ṣoḍaçin as its end. But they say 'Let him undertake it'; the Ṣoḍaçin is the day and night complete; in that they undertake the Ṣoḍaçin it is to make day and night complete.

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The Atirātra.

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xvii. 5. In that they undertake the Atirātra, (it is because) the year is as great as day and night; in that they undertake the Atirātra, (it serves) to obtain the year. Moreover, all this (universe) is twofold, unguent and brilliance; both of these are obtained by day and night. In that they undertake the Atirātra, (it is) for the obtaining of unguent and brilliance.

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xvii. 6. They recite strophes and antistrophes in Gāyatrī; the Gāyatrī is light; night is the evil, the darkness; thus thereby they smite away the evil, the darkness. They recite with repetitions, for so do the Sāman chanters sing; (they say) 'According as it is sung, is it recited.' Then they say 'Why after the final Pratihāra do they call and link the Çastra with the Sāman?'

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xvii. 7. The sacrifice is a man; of him the oblation holders are the head, the Āhavanīya the face, the Sadas the stomach, the litanies the food, the Mārjālīya and the Āgnīdhriya the arms, the altars within the Sadas the internal divinities; the Gārhapatya and (the fire) for cooking the fast milk the support. Again, of him the Brahman priest is the mind, the Udgātṛ the expiration, the Prastotṛ the inspiration, the Pratihartṛ the cross-breathing, the Hotṛ the speech, the Adhvaryu the eye, the Sadasya

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generation, the sacrificer the body, the Hotrāçaṅsins the limbs. In that the Adhvaryu starts the Stotra, verily thus he unites the eye with the breaths; moreover, verily thus he connects inspiration with the mind. In that the Prastotṛ addresses the Brahman with ‘O Brahman, shall we begin the praise, O Praçāstṛ?’ (it is because they think), ‘Mind is the leader of these breaths; impelled by mind let us sing the Stoma’; moreover, verily thus he connects inspiration with the mind. In that the Brahman approves the Stotra, verily thus he unites the mind with the breaths; moreover, verily thus he connects inspiration with the mind. In that the Prastotṛ begins the praise, verily thus he places inspiration in expiration. In that the Udgātṛ sings, verily thus he places expiration in cross-breathing. In that the Pratihartṛ utters his part, verily thus he places cross-breathing in expiration. So all these deities find support in expiration. In that the Hotṛ connects the Çastra with the Sāman, and the Hotṛ is speech, verily thus he unites speech with the breaths; moreover, verily thus he connects inspiration with mind. In that the Hotrāçaṅsins make a continuity with the Sāman, verily thus they connect the limbs with the breaths. In that the sacrificer sings in accompaniment to the Stotra, and the singers are the breaths, verily thus he places the breaths in himself. Therefore the sun should not set on him outside the altar place, nor should it rise on him, nor should he make preparations, nor utter the invitation, nor say the vaṣaṭ, nor should (the sun) heat (him) when in what is not an altar, (thinking) ‘Let me not sever the body from the breaths.’

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xvii. 8. In that in the first rounds they repeat in the first Padas, verily thus from the first night they smite away the Asuras; in that in the middle rounds they repeat in the middle Padas, verily thus from the middle night they smite away the Asuras; in that in the last rounds they repeat in the last Padas, verily thus from the last night they smite away the Asuras. Just as one can by separate repetition and by repeating severally smite away evil again and again, so with these strophes and antistrophes from day and night they smite away the Asuras.

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xvii. 9. They recite the beginnings of the litanies in Gāyatrī verses; the Gāyatrī is brilliance and splendour; verily thereby they place brilliance

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and splendour in the sacrificer. Having recited Gāyatrī verses, they recite Jagatī verses; between the Gāyatrī and Jagatī verses they insert the calls; verily thus they make the metres of varied strength. Having recited Jagatī verses, they conclude with Triṣṭubh verses. The Triṣṭubh is might and strength, the Jagatī cattle; verily thus in might and strength at the end and in cattle they find support. The offering verses are in Triṣṭubh, and contain (the words) 'Soma juice', 'be drunk', and 'drink' as their characteristics and are perfect; that is the symbol of night. They should keep awake through the night; keeping awake is the light; the night is the dark, the evil; thereby by the light they cross the dark, the evil. So long as there is no singing or reciting, so long are the Rakṣases able to drink after; therefore 'Do ye lighten up the kindled Āhavanīya, the Āgnīdhriya, the Gārhapatya and the altars' they should say aloud; they should lighten up, it should be light as it were, they should lie snoring; them the evil does not attack (perceiving) 'They are in motion'; they smite away the evil.

Linked texts (1)

Kauṣītakibrāhmaṇa — Kauṣītaki, Sanskrit