Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 2: ADHYĀYA II

Rigveda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas of the Rigveda (HOS 25) 2

Language: English

ADHYĀYA II

ii. 1. In that (there is performed) the Agnihotra the cauldron here is heated. Now he who makes heat yonder is yonder cauldron; verily him thus he delights. He offers in the evening and in the morning, to Agni in the evening, to Sūrya in the morning; the day is connected with Sūrya, the night with Agni; verily thus at the beginning he delights day and night. With milk should he offer; milk is the sap of all the plants; verily so with all kinds of sap he delights the fires. As to this they say: ‘He may offer any kind of food; all this is Agni’s food; so with their own food he delights the fires. Having put (it) over the Gārhapatya, he should offer in the Āhavanīya; the Gārhapatya is the fire for cooking, the Āhavanīya that for offering; therefore having put (it) over the Gārhapatya, he should offer in the Āhavanīya. He makes the embers have their ends apart; verily thus he severs these two worlds; therefore these two worlds though being together are as it were separate. Now in that he lights up (the fire) after putting (the milk) over it, thus he makes it cooked. In that he brings up the waters, and the waters are complete, all the oblations become complete; verily (they serve) to complete the oblation. In that a second time he lights up, verily thus he cooks the waters. Thrice he sets down the vessel for the offering and removes it northwards, to make a threefold characteristic, for threefold is the performance for the gods. Without spilling should he take (it); thus the sacrificer is not likely to fall into ruin. Then with the poking-stick he touches the embers

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on the south side (saying) 'Homage to the gods!', for the gods are not above the paying of homage. He should arrange the embers broadly; thus not even the outermost (of his offering) is wasted. Four times should he ladle out; fourfold is all this (universe); verily (it serves) for the obtaining of all this. Five times should he ladle out; the sacrifice is fivefold; verily (it serves) to obtain the sacrifice.

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ii. 2. The settings down in the Agnihotra must be explained. Having ladled out he sets down to the north of the Gārhapatya; thus he obtains this world. In the Āhavanīya (he sets down) for the second time when about to offer; thus he obtains the world of the atmosphere. After offering (he sets down) for the third time; thus he obtains yonder world. He puts on a kindling stick of *Butea frondosa*; the *Butea frondosa* is Soma; this is the first Soma libation. It is a span in measure, for these breaths are a span over the body. Making two finger breadths of the kindling stick jut over and making a knot as it were, he offers over it; in two finger breadths of the mouth here food is placed. When it smokes, in it should he offer for one who desires a village; when it flames, for one who desires radiance; in the embers, for one who desires cattle. But the established practice is after putting it on, for then (they say) all these desires are obtained. Having offered the two libations, he mutters 'May the blessing of the sacrifice as successful be successful for me.' The blessing of the sacrifice as successful belongs to the sacrificer. He should offer the libations over one another; verily thus he obtains the worlds of heaven over one another. He touches the embers with the base of the offering ladle; verily thus he places the sacrificer in the world of heaven. Twice he holds out the offering ladle to the north; verily thus having pleased Rudra in his own quarter he lets (him) go. Therefore one should not stand to the north of the offering as it is made, lest he be in the vicinity of this dread god. In the evening he rubs it on the north side as it points west; thus he makes the sun to set. In the morning (he rubs it) on the south side as it points upwards; thus he leads upwards the sun. That which he rubs the first time he smears on the mat; thereby he delights the plants; in that

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(he rubs) the second time, he lays down his outstretched hand to the south of the mat; thereby he delights the fathers. In that he twice eats by means of his forefinger, with the first he delights foetuses; therefore though not eating, foetuses draw breath; with the second birds; therefore birds eat very multifarious matter as it were, but exude what is white as it were. In that he eats with the offering ladle, thereby he delights what has been and what will be. In that he licks the offering ladle, thereby he delights the serpents, the god folk. In that he cleanses the offering ladle, thereby he delights the Rakṣases, the god folk. In that he pours forth the waters to east and north, thereby he delights the Gandharvas and the Apsarases. In that he directs the offering ladle to east and north, verily thus he places Rudra in his own quarter; thus with the Agnihotra he delights all creatures.

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ii. 3. ‘In the Āhavanīya only should he offer’ some say, but he should offer in all, for they are established for the offering. Four (are offered) in the Gārhapatya, four in the Anvāhāryapacana, two in the Āhavanīya; these make up ten; the Virāj consists of series of ten; the Virāj is prosperity and proper food; (they serve) for obtaining the Virāj as prosperity and proper food. He who offers the Agnihotra with the Virāj thus included obtains all desires.

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ii. 4. In that, after offering, he pays reverence to the fires, verily thus having given pleasure, at the end he declares his purpose among the gods. In that also he touches the calf, therefore there is the hymn of Vātsaprī; thus cattle are not liable to stray away from the sacrificer. In that he releases his vow, after sipping water, verily in the waters he places the vow; they guard his vow until his next offering.

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ii. 5. In that when about to go on a journey or having gone on a journey he pays reverence to the fires, this is an address to the deity, in

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that there is a going out. Verily also thus he confides himself to the fires, and those that follow after him.

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ii. 6. In that he causes the fires to mount on the two Araṇis, and the two Araṇis are a chariot of the gods, verily he causes them to mount on a chariot of the gods, and he with this chariot of the gods attains in safety the world of heaven. In that also he repeatedly churns out (the fire), thereby verily by him is the re-establishment (of the fires) obtained.

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ii. 7. All the joys that are in food, in drink, in union, verily these are made, together, without break, from the night. For them the sieve is the night; whatever joys there are all born of food. The gods said ‘How now shall we accept these joys from one like ourselves?’ They pushed upwards the sap of the waters; it became the plants and the trees. They pushed upwards the sap of the plants and the trees; it became fruit. They pushed upwards the sap of fruit; it became food. They pushed upwards the sap of food; it became seed. They pushed upwards the sap of food; it became man. Man here, in that he breathes out or breathes in, does not say by means of expiration or inspiration, ‘Thus have I breathed out or breathed in’; by speech only does he say this. Thus expiration and inspiration enter into speech, and become composed of speech. Again, in that he sees with the eye, he does not say by means of the eye, ‘Thus have I seen’; by speech only does he say this. Thus the eye enters into speech, and becomes composed of speech. Again, in that he hears with the ear, he does not say by means of the ear, ‘Thus have I heard’; by speech only does he say this. Thus the ear enters into speech, and becomes composed of speech. Again, in that he resolves with the mind, he does not say by means of the mind, ‘Thus have I resolved’; by speech only does he say this. Thus mind enters into speech, and becomes composed of speech. Again, in that he touches with his limbs something pleasant or unpleasant to lie upon, he does not say by means of the limbs, ‘Thus have I touched what is pleasant or unpleasant to lie upon’; by speech only does he say this. Thus the whole self enters into speech, and becomes composed of speech. That is set forth in a Ṛc, ‘Not without Indra is any form made pure’; Indra is speech; for not without speech is any form made pure. He offers in the evening (saying),

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ii. 8. ‘The light is Agni, Agni is the light.’ Him that is light he calls ‘Light’; he speaks the truth; his self here, being composed of speech, becomes composed of truth; the gods also are composed of truth. Again,

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he offers with ‘Hail!’ This offering of him of true offering the gods accept. At the head of night he speaks truth; if indeed even henceforth he speaks falsely, still truth is uttered by him, for at the head of night he speaks truth. He offers in the morning (saying) ‘The light is the sun, the sun is the light.’ Him that is light he calls light; he speaks the truth; his self here, being composed of speech, becomes composed of truth; the gods also are composed of truth. Again, he offers with ‘Hail!’ This offering of him of true offering the gods accept. At the head of day he speaks truth; if indeed even henceforth he speaks falsely, still truth is uttered by him, for at the head of day he speaks truth. The fire here offers itself in the rising sun; yonder sun, when setting, offers itself in the fire at evening; the night also (offers itself) in day, the day in night; the expiration also offers in inspiration, the inspiration in expiration. These six sacrifice themselves, each in the other; he who knows these six in the sacrificer, by him even if he sacrifices not is offering made; and if he does sacrifice twice is offering made by him who knows thus. If indeed even from a very small portion, knowing thus, he offers the Agnihotra, these two offerings of his the gods accept, and he whose (offerings) the gods once eat, from that time he is immortal. Composed of truth and immortality does he become who knows thus. Just as is the offering of a man who has faith as his deity, who speaks the truth, and is full of fervour, such is the offering of him who, knowing thus, offers the Agnihotra. Therefore (they say) one knowing thus should offer the Agnihotra.

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ii. 9. ‘Should the offering be made when the sun has risen, or before it is risen?’ they debate. He who offers when the sun has risen thus offers hospitality to the great god when gone on a journey. He who offers when the sun has not risen, thus offers hospitality to the great god when close at hand. Therefore the offering should be made when the sun has not risen.

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Thus also declared Vṛṣaśuṣma Vātāvata, one of the men of old, when lying worn out, having seen these two offerings being offered at night, ‘At night verily they offer the two offerings.’ ‘For it is at night (they offer)’ he said, ‘and we shall proclaim, having gone to yonder world, to the fathers, and they will believe us in it, that the Agnihotra which used to be performed on successive days is now performed on one day out of two, in the night only.’ That also declared the maiden seized of the Gandharva, ‘In the night verily they offer both offerings’. ‘For it is at night (they offer)’ she declared. At the twilight should he offer. Night and day are the flood that takes all; the two twilights are the fordable crossings of it; just as a man may cross the flood by the two fordable crossings, so is it in that he offers at the twilight. Again night and day are the missile of the god that goes on its way eager to kill; the two twilights are the two wings; just as with wings it may swiftly perform a journey, so is it in that he offers at the twilight. Again, night and day are the encircling arms of death; just as a man, who is about to grasp with encircling arms, may be evaded in the interval (between the arms), so is it in that he offers at the twilight. Kauṣītaki used to declare ‘In the evening, after sunset, before the darkness, at this time should he offer; this is the time of the going to the gods; grasping it he reaches safely the world of heaven. In the morning, before sunrise, when the darkness has been smitten away, at this time should he offer; this is the time of the going to the gods; grasping it he reaches safely the world of heaven. He that at another time offers the Agnihotra, the dark and the dappled rend apart his Agnihotra; the dappled is day,

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the dark night. He who offers in the midnight,[*] the dark rends apart his Agnihotra; he who offers in the afternoon, the dappled rends apart his Agnihotra. Therefore assuredly whenever he may offer he should have regard to the prosperity of the offering.'

Linked texts (1)

Kauṣītakibrāhmaṇa — Kauṣītaki, Sanskrit