Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 20: ADHYĀYA XX

Rigveda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas of the Rigveda (HOS 25) 20

Language: English

ADHYĀYA XX

xx. 1. The year is a revolving wheel of the gods; that is immortality; in it is the there sixfold proper food, wild animals, domesticated animals, plants, trees, that which goes in the waters and that which swims. Mounted on this the gods move round all the worlds, the world of the gods, the world of the fathers, the world of the living, the world of Agni without water, the world of Vāyu, established in moral order, the world of Indra, unconquerable, the world of Varuṇa over the sky, the world of death the highest sky, the world of Brahman the welkin, the most real of worlds the vault. In that they perform the Abhiplava, verily thus the sacrificers mount on the year; in it they obtain this sixfold proper food, wild animals, domesticated animals, plants, trees, that which goes in the waters and that which swims. Twice they perform the Jyotis (Stoma); thereby they obtain a double portion of proper food, wild animals and domesticated animals. Twice they perform the Go; thereby they obtain a double portion of proper food, plants and trees. Twice they perform the Āyus; thereby they obtain a double portion of proper food, that which goes in the waters and that which swims.

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xx. 2. They perform the Jyotis as the first day; it has the same symbols in its verses as the first day. ‘Forward to the god Agni’ is the Ājya, containing (the word) ‘forward’; what contains ‘forward’ is a symbol of the first day. The Praüga is by Madhuchandas; when the Rathantara Sāman was created, the Praüga by Madhuchandas was created after it; thus he makes the rite successful with its symbol; that rite is likely to cause success which is successful with its symbol. ‘Thee like a car for aid’ is the strophe of the Marutvatīya; ‘This drink, O bright one, is pressed’ is the antistrophe; this is the normal one-day form; the explanation of it has been given. ‘Indra maketh for the car a way forward’ is the Marutvatīya, containing (the word) ‘forward’; what contains forward is a symbol of the first day. ‘Come hither, standing on thy chariot seat’ is the Niṣkevalya, containing (the word) ‘hither’; what contains ‘hither’ is a symbol of the first day. ‘That of Savitṛ we choose’ and ‘To-day for us, O god Savitṛ’ are the normal strophe and antistrophe of the Vaiçvadeva; the explanation of these two has been given. ‘They yoke their minds, they also yoke their thoughts’ is (the hymn) to Savitṛ, containing (the word) ‘yoke’; what contains ‘yoke’ is a symbol of the first day. ‘Forward sky and earth, increasing holy order, with the sacrifices’ is (the hymn) to sky and earth, containing (the word) ‘forward’; what contains ‘forward’ is a symbol of the first day. ‘Here, here in mind is your relationship, O heroes’ is (the hymn) to the Ṛbhus, containing (the word) ‘to’ in ‘Desiring they came to these with wealth’; that is the symbol of the Rathantara. ‘How, of what one of the gods, in this service?’ is (the hymn) to the All-gods, containing the word ‘hither’ in ‘Which one with aid will come hitherward?’; what contains ‘hither’ is a symbol of the first day. ‘To Vaiçvānara with broad radiance bards’ is (the hymn) to Vaiçvānara, containing (the word) ‘forward’; what contains ‘forward’ is a symbol of the first day. ‘Forward pressing, mighty and resounding’ is (the hymn) to the Maruts, containing (the word) ‘forward’; what contains ‘forward’ is the symbol of the first day. ‘The Hotṛ goeth forward to the sacrifice with the power of him’ is (the hymn) to Jātavedas, containing (the word) ‘forward’; what contains ‘forward’ is the symbol of

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the first day. This world they move up to with the first day, Agni the god, the name the supreme essence of the deities; they confer speech upon themselves.

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xx. 3. They perform the Go as the second day; the symbols in its verses are those of the second day. 'Thou hast a glory of rule' is the Ājya containing (the word) 'apart' in 'Thou, O active one (vicarṣaṇe), fame'; this is the symbol of this atmosphere; for this atmosphere is wide apart as it were. The Praüga is by Gṛtsamada; when the Bṛhat Sāman was created, the Praüga by Gṛtsamada was created after it; thus he makes the rite successful with its symbol; that rite is likely to cause success which is successful with its symbol. 'Lord of every man' is the strophe of the Marutvatīya, containing the word 'apart'; the explanation of this has been given. 'Indra alone is the drinker of Soma' is the antistrophe, containing (the word) 'apart' in 'Indra, drinker of the pressed juice, of all life'; the explanation of this has been given. 'Rise up, O Brahmaṇaspati' is addressed to Brahmaṇaspati, and contains (the word) 'up'; there is 'up' in 'Rise up'; the second day has 'up'. 'These thee of many a poet' is the Marutvatīya, containing (the word) 'up'; the explanation of this has been given. 'Thou art mingled with the pressed drink, O Indra' is the Niṣkevalya, containing (the word) 'up' in 'The Stoma, the prayer, the hymn being recited'; the explanation of this has been given. 'Every man of the god that leadeth' is the strophe of the Vaiçvadeva, containing (the word) 'apart'; the explanation of this has been given. 'The god of all, lord of the good' is the antistrophe, containing (the word) 'apart'; the explanation of this has been given. There are two strophes for the Vaiçvadevas, two antistrophes; the year has six seasons and is sixfold; sky and earth are two; these supports are two; this body has six members; day and night are two: these, expiration and inspiration, are two; thus they depart not from the completion of the year, nor from the perfection of the body, nor the perfection of the breaths. 'The god Savitṛ hath appeared, to be praised by us now' is (the hymn) to Savitṛ, containing (the word) 'up'; the explanation of this has been given. 'They two, sky and earth, all weal producing' is (the hymn) to sky and earth, containing (the word) 'apart'; the explanation of this has

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been given. ‘My work hath been stretched, now is it stretched again’ is (the hymn) to the Ṛbhus, containing the word ‘up’; the explanation of this has been given. ‘I hail the gods, of great fame, for security’ is (the hymn) to the All-gods, containing the word ‘up’; the explanation of this has been given. ‘The might of the swift, strong, ruddy one’ is (the hymn) to Vaiçvānara, containing (the word) ‘strong’; Indra is strong, the Triṣṭubh is strong; therefore it contains ‘strong’. ‘To the strong host, majestic, pious’ is (the hymn) to the Maruts; the explanation of this has been given. ‘By the sacrifice make to increase the All-knower’ is (the hymn) to Jātavedas containing ‘up’ in ‘Kindled, well fed, hero of heaven’; the explanation of this has been given. The world of the atmosphere with the second day they obtain, Indra the god, force the supreme essence of the deities; they confer breath upon themselves.

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xx. 4. They perform the Āyus as the third day; the symbols in its verses are those of the third day. ‘Thou, O Agni, the Vasus here’ is the Ājya; self collected is that metre which accords with the symbol of the day; there is (the word) ‘thou’ in ‘O thou of the ruddy steeds, singer, bring hither the three and thirty’; that is the symbol of the third day. The Praüga is in Uṣṇih verses by Viçvamanas; when the Rathantara Sāman was created, the Praüga in Uṣṇih by Viçvamanas was created after it; thus he makes the rite successful with its symbol; that rite is likely to cause success which is successful with its symbol. ‘Him for great gain’ is the strophe of the Marutvatīya; at ‘him’ there is a repetition; the third day is the end; having gone to the end he repeats as it were, for hence whitherward should he go? ‘Three Soma draughts for Indra’ is the antistrophe. This is the symbol of the third day. ‘Let Brahmaṇaspati move forward’, containing (the word) ‘forward’, is addressed to Brahmaṇaspati; there is repetition in ‘Forward let the kindly goddess move’; the third day is the end; having gone to the end he repeats as it were; for hence whitherward should he go? There are three strophes of the Marutvatīyas, three antistrophes, three (Pragāthas) for Brahmaṇaspati;

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these worlds are three; verily thus they obtain these worlds. ‘Stand on the bays being yoked to the car’ is (the hymn ) containing (the word) ‘stand’; it is the symbol of the end; the third day is the end; having gone to the end he stands as it were, for hence whitherward should he go. ‘I shall proclaim the manly deeds of Indra’ is the Niṣkevalya; it contains the symbol of ending in the reference to what has been; ‘He slew the dragon, he penetrated the waters’ is about what has been as it were. ‘Hitherwards the god Savitṛ with the golden’ is (the hymn) to Savitṛ; it contains (the word) ‘ghee’ in ‘With ghee both hands he imbueth, the sacrificer’; the ghee has many deities; the third pressing has many deities; therefore it contains (the word) ‘ghee’. ‘In ghee sky and earth enveloped’ is (the hymn) to sky and earth, containing (the word) ‘ghee’; the explanation of this has been given. ‘They have wrought the car well covered, skilled workers’ is (the hymn) to the Ṛbhus; there is repetition in ‘They have wrought the two steeds, that bear Indra, strong in riches’; the third day is the end; having come to the end he repeats as it were, for hence whitherward should he go? ‘To us from all sides may favouring powers come’ is (the hymn) for the All-gods; there is repetition in ‘Unfailing guardians day by day’; the third day is the end; having gone to the end, he repeats as it were, for hence whitherward should he go? ‘To Vaiçvānara, the praise, increasing holy order’ is (the hymn) to Vaiçvānara; in ‘Like purified ghee to Agni we present’ it contains (the word) ‘ghee’; the explanation of this has been given. ‘The Rudras, with Indra, accordant’ is (the hymn) to the Maruts; it contains the words ‘from the sky’ in ‘Like springs of water from the sky for a thirsty man’; this is the symbol of yonder world. ‘Thee, O Agni, the righteous have kindled’ is (the hymn) to Jātavedas, beginning with the same word ‘Thee’ (in each verse); just as that with the same end, so that with the same beginning is a symbol of the end. They obtain yonder world with the third day, Āditya the god, the form the supreme essence of the deities; they confer sight upon themselves.

Linked texts (1)

Kauṣītakibrāhmaṇa — Kauṣītaki, Sanskrit