Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 22: ADHYĀYA XXII

Rigveda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas of the Rigveda (HOS 25) 22

Language: English

ADHYĀYA XXII

xxii. 1. The first day is this world in abode, Agni, the Gāyatrī, the Trivṛt Stoma, the Rathantara Sāman, the base by Tanva. It has the following symbols in its verses: the future tense with the god mentioned in the first Pada—that which is to be is the future tense—(the word) 'hither', (the

22.p4

word) ‘forward’, (the word) ‘this’, (the word) ‘go’, (the word) ‘adorn’, (the word) ‘yoked’, (the word) ‘yoking’, (the word) ‘light’, (the word) ‘bright’. ‘Advancing forward up to the sacrifice’ is the Ājya, containing (the word) ‘forward’; that which contains ‘forward’ is a symbol of the first day; it is in Gāyatrī, for this set of three days has the Gāyatrī at the morning pressing. So in the transposed form. Taking out that, ‘Forward to the god, Agni’ is used in the conjunct form; the explanation of this has been given. The Praüga is by Madhuchandas; the explanation of this has been given. ‘Let Indra come hither to aid us’ is the Marutvatīya, containing (the word) ‘hither’; that which contains (the word) ‘hither’ is a symbol of the first day; there is a reference to the Maruts in it in ‘From the realm of light, with the Maruts, to aid us’. ‘Hither to us, Indra, hither to us from afar, from near’ is the Niṣkevalya, containing (the word) ‘hither’; that which contains ‘hither’ is a symbol of the first day. The Niṣkevalya and the Marutvatīya are contiguous (hymns) on the first day; by the contiguous (hymns) the gods flew up to the world of heaven together; therefore these two are recited first as being heavenly. In that the Niṣkevalya and the Marutvatīya are contiguous (hymns) on the first day, verily (they serve) to obtain the world of heaven. ‘They yoke their minds, they also yoke their thoughts’, ‘Forward sky and earth, increasing holy order, with the sacrifices’, and ‘Here, here in mind is your relationship, O heroes’; (the last) is (the hymn) to the Ṛbhus; with it he restrains; on the first day are recited hymns containing (the word) ‘yoked’ as well as (the word) ‘forward’; in that he uses as (the hymn) to the Ṛbhus, ‘Here, here is your,’ it is a symbol of restraint, of preventing falling away. ‘Like a skilled steed, he hath yoked himself to the pole’ is (the hymn) to the All-gods, containing (the word) ‘yoked’; that which contains (the word) ‘yoked’ is a symbol of the first day. The last two (verses) of it he omits. (Now they ask) ‘Shall these two prescribed be recited in the Āgnimāruta?’ Kauṣītaki used to say ‘He should recite (them), to avoid breaking up the hymn; the Ṛc is not exhausted by the litany nor by the supplementary repetition; it is by the vaṣaṭ call alone that it becomes exhausted on one day.’ ‘To Vaiçvānara with broad radiance bards’ is (the hymn) to Vaiçvā-

22.p5

nara, containing (the word) ‘forward’; that which contains (the word) ‘forward’ is a symbol of the first day. ‘Forward to the horde of the Maruts, self-radiant’ is (the hymn) to the Maruts, containing (the word) ‘forward’; that which contains (the word) ‘forward’ is a symbol of the first day. ‘Forward the strong, new, hymn to Agni’ is (the hymn) to Jātavedas, containing (the word) ‘forward’; that which contains (the word) ‘forward’ is a symbol of the first day. This world with the first day they obtain, the Gāyatrī metre, the Trivṛt Stoma, the Rathantara Sāman, the eastern quarter, the spring of seasons, the Vasus the gods, Agni, born of the gods, the overlord.

22.p6

xxii. 2. The second day is the world of the atmosphere in its abode, Indra, the Triṣṭubh, the Pañcadaça Stoma, the Bṛhat Sāman, the basis by Tanva. It has the following symbols in its verses: the present tense with the god mentioned in the middle Pada—the present is what is before the eyes, but not tangible—(the word) ‘deities’, (the word) ‘thunderbolt’, (the word) ‘slaying Vṛtra’, (the word) ‘strong’, (the word) ‘apart’, (the words) ‘stand’, ‘him’, and ‘thou’. ‘Agni we choose as envoy’ is the Ājya, containing the word ‘apart’ in ‘The Hotṛ of all knowledge’; the explanation of this has been given. It is in Gāyatrī, for this set of three days has the Gāyatrī at the morning pressing. So in the transposed form. Taking out that, ‘For thou hast a glory of rule’ is used in the conjunct form; the explanation of this has been given. The Praüga is by Gṛtsamada; the explanation of this has been given. ‘O Indra, drink this Soma, O lord of the Soma’ is the Marutvatīya, containing (the word) ‘thunderbolt’ in ‘At the midday pressing, O thou with the thunderbolt in thy hand’; this is a symbol of this day. ‘Thy nearest, farthest, help’ is the Niṣkevalya, containing (the word) ‘slaying Vṛtra’ in ‘With these thou hast helped us in slaying Vṛtra’; this is a symbol of this day. ‘That desirable greatness of Savitṛ, the god’ is (the hymn) to Savitṛ, containing ‘Three times the atmosphere Savitṛ with his greatness’; this is openly the symbol of the atmosphere. ‘They two, sky and earth, all weal producing’ is (the hymn) to sky and earth, containing (the word) ‘apart’; the explanation of this has been given. ‘They have wrought the car well covered, skilled workers’ is (the hymn) to the Ṛbhus, containing (the word) ‘strong’ in ‘They have wrought the two steeds, that bear Indra, strong in riches’; the explanation of this has been given. ‘The

22.p7

charioteer of the sacrifice, the lord of the folk' is (the hymn) to the All-gods by Çaryāta, containing (the word) 'strong' in 'The strong banner, the holy one, hath attained the sky'; the explanation of this has been given. 'The might of the swift, strong, ruddy one' and 'To the strong host, majestic, pious' are (two hymns) containing (the word) 'strong'; the explanation of them has been given. 'The immortal, born of strength, doth penetrate' is (the hymn) to Jātavedas, containing (the word) 'apart' in 'What time he became a messenger of Vivasvant'; the explanation of this has been given. The last verse of it is 'Early and soon at the prayer may the bright one come'; verily thus he refers to the next day; 'Verily thus they keep taking hold of the next day' Kauṣītaki used to say. The world of the atmosphere with the second day they obtain, the Triṣṭubh metre, the Pañcadaça Stoma, the Bṛhat Sāman, the southern quarter, the summer of the seasons, the Maruts the gods, Indra, born of the gods, the overlord.

22.p8

xxii. 3. The third day is yonder world in its abode, Varuṇa, the Jagatī, the Saptadaça Stoma, the Vairūpa Sāman, the basis by Tanva; it has the following symbols in its verses: the past tense with the mention of the god in the last Pada—the past is what refers to what has happened—(the word) 'horse', (the word) 'cow', (the word) 'chariot', (the word) 'go', (the word) 'stand', (the word) 'end', the same ending, the lack of definite mention (of the deity), the same beginning. 'Yoke thou those best fit to invoke the gods' is the Ājya. They say 'Seeing that the third day is the end, then why does the Ājya contain (the word) "yoke"?' 'By this day the gods went to the world of heaven; yoked thither they went; therefore (it contains "yoke")' should he reply. It contains (the word) 'chariot' in 'The steeds, O Agni, like a charioteer'; this is a symbol of this day. It is in Gāyatrī, for this set of three days has the Gāyatrī at the morning pressing. So in the transposed form. Taking out that, 'Thou, O Agni, the Vasus here' is used in the conjunct form. The explanation of this has been given. The Praüga is in Uṣṇih verses by Atri; the third day is connected with the Jagatī; in that the Praüga is in Uṣṇih verses by Atri for the third day, thus the Jagatī enjoys the third pressing.

22.p9

xxii. 4. 'Three friendships hath man's worship' is the Marutvatīya; (the word) 'three' is a symbol of the third day. 'If a hundred skies, O Indra, were thine' is the strophe of the Vairūpa; there is repetition in 'and

22.p10

a hundred earths also'; the third day is the end; having gone to the end, he repeats (as it were); for hence whitherward should he go? 'O Indra, as many as thou' is the antistrophe; there is repetition in 'Day by day would I obey the mighty'; the third day is the end; having gone to the end, he repeats as it were, for hence whitherward should he go? 'O Indra, threefold protection' is the Pragātha of the Sāman, containing in 'three-fold' (the word) 'three'; this is a symbol of the third day. 'I was the first lord of wealth' is (the hymn) to Indra; in 'I' and 'I' it has the same beginning; just as that which has the same ending, so that which has the same beginning is a symbol of the end. In the Triṣṭubh (hymn), 'He who is born the first, the wise,' he inserts a Nivid. That hymn is the body of Indra. 'Placing in it a Nivid, Gṛtsamada Bhārgava went to the dear abode of Indra' (they say). He goes to the dear abode of Indra, he conquers the other world, who places a Nivid in this hymn. It contains a symbol of ending in the reference to what has been; 'He who in secret hath depressed the hostile colour' is about what has been as it were. It has the same ending; this is a second symbol of the end.

22.p11

xxii. 5. 'Towards thee, O god Savitṛ' is the antistrophe, containing the word 'towards'. They say 'In that the third day is the end, then why has the antistrophe (the word) "towards"?' 'By this day the gods went to the world of heaven; desiring towards it they went; therefore (it has "towards")' he should reply. 'Hitherward the god Savitṛ with the golden' and 'Rich in ghee, encompassing the worlds' are (two triplets ) containing (the word) 'ghee'; the explanation of these has been given. 'Born, without steed, without reins, worthy of praise' is (the hymn) to the Ṛbhus; there is the word 'with three wheels' in 'The chariot of three wheels circleth round the atmosphere'; this is a symbol of the third day. 'Those who from afar would assume kinship' is (the hymn) to the All-gods; (it contains the word) 'from afar'; from afar is the end; the third day is the end; in the end he places the end. These hymns end in half-verses, some in Padas, some in half-Padas; this ends with a third of a Pada; this is a symbol of the third day. 'To Vaiçvānara the praise, increasing holy order' is (the

22.p12

hymn) to Vaiçvānara, containing (the word) ‘ghee’ in ‘Like pure ghee to Agni we accord’; the explanation of this has been given. ‘Rich in showers, the Maruts, of daring might’ is (the hymn) to the Maruts; in ‘Rich in showers’ there is repetition; the third day is the end; having gone to the end, he repeats as it were, for hence whitherward should he go? ‘Thou O Agni, the first Aṅgiras, the Ṛṣi,’ is (the hymn) to Jātavedas; it has the same beginning in ‘thou’ and ‘thou’; just as that which has the same ending, so that which has the same beginning is a symbol of the end. Yonder world with the third day they obtain, the Jagatī metre, the Saptadaça Stoma, the Vairūpa Sāman, the western quarter, the rains of the seasons, the Ādityas the gods, Varuṇa, born of the gods, the overlord.

22.p13

xxii. 6. The third day is the end; the gods having gone to the end desired the fourth day; therefore it contains (the word) ‘desire’; having sacrificed they found it; therefore it contains (the word) ‘yoke’. They say ‘Since the third day is the end, then why on the fourth day does he insert the sound *o*?’ The fourth day is the abode of speech; the Virāj is food; the sound *o* is food; verily thus he places food in the sacrifice and in the sacrificers. Moreover by the third day is speech obtained; verily thus on the fourth day he expands it; this is as when one expands heated metal; this (serves) to expand speech. It has the following symbols in its verses, (the word) ‘ruling’, (the word) ‘self-ruling’, (the word) ‘Virāj’, (the word) ‘born’, (the word) ‘aid’, (the word) ‘delight’, (the word) ‘around’, (the word) ‘towards’, (the word) ‘up to’. ‘With offerings for ourselves Agni’ is the Ājya by Vimada. By means of Vimada(’s hymn) the gods confused the Asuras; in that (the hymn of) Vimada is recited both in the middle and in the recitations of the Hotrakas, from each limb the sacrificers expel in confusion evil. It contains (the word) ‘born’ in ‘Agni brought to birth by Atharvan’; this is a symbol of this day.

22.p14

xxii. 7. They make up ten Jagatī verses, for this set of three days has the Jagatī at the morning pressing. They are twenty Gāyatrīs, the Gāyatrī bears the morning pressing; thus he departs not from the symbol of the morning pressing. So in the transposed form. Taking out that, ‘Agni men with praise from the fire sticks’ is used in the conjunct form. The Ājya is in Virāj metre; the Pṛṣṭha is in Virāj; that is accordant.

22.p15

The Ājya is by Vasiṣṭha; the Pṛṣṭha is by Vasiṣṭha; that is accordant. It contains (the word) 'born' in 'By the movements of the hands they have made the famed one to be born'; this is a symbol of this day. The Praüga is in Anuṣṭubh verses; the fourth day is connected with the Anuṣṭubh; verily thus he makes it to succeed with its own metre. With 'Thee with the sacrifices we invoke', which contains the word 'sacrifice', he begins the Marutvatīya; the sacrifice has to be taken up again on the fourth day; verily thus he takes up again the sacrifice. 'Hear our call, O Indra, harm us not' is the Marutvatīya. These Triṣṭubh verses have a Virāj tinge; they are employed here, for they are endowed with the symbol of the day. 'O Indra, with the Maruts here drink the Soma' is (a triplet) in normal Triṣṭubh and supports the pressing; these in normal Triṣṭubh that support the pressing do not depart from the midday (pressing). Indra is connected with the Triṣṭubh and Indra has his abode in the midday pressing; in that these in normal Triṣṭubh which support the pressing do not depart from the midday (pressing) even with transposed metres, (it is because he thinks) 'Indra is connected with the Triṣṭubh; let me not cause Indra to depart from his own abode.' 'When born the gods did adorn thee' contains (the word) 'born'; this is a symbol of this day. 'Him the cunning I invoke' is the Marutvatīya; it is in Gāyatrī, for this set of three days has the Gāyatrī at the midday pressing.

22.p16

xxii. 8. Then (they ask) 'Should he utter the sound *o* here or here?' The sound *o* is intended for the strophe and the antistrophe and for (the verses) commencing litanies. That he should not trouble about; the strophe is the body, the antistrophe offspring, the Virāj food, the sound *o* food; verily he places food in the body and in offspring. 'The sound *o* as connected with the Anuṣṭubh should he utter' some say; the fourth day is connected with the Anuṣṭubh; verily thus he makes it successful with its own metre. 'The sound *o* as connected with the Virāj should he utter' is the rule; the Virāj is food, the sound *o* food; verily thus he places food in the body and in offspring. At the middle Pada should he utter *o*; the first Pada is the body, the last offspring, the middle Pada the middle, in the middle of the body is food placed; it is as when one eats food, swallowing it piece by piece. 'Indra to the divine service' is the Pragātha of the Sāman, by which Indra is attained; by it the gods

22.p17

attained all attainments; verily thus also the sacrificers by it attain all attainments. 'Where is Indra famed, in what to-day?' are the 'Where famed' verses; they are Virāj or Anuṣṭubh; they are employed here, for they are endowed with the symbol of the day. 'Of thee, the warrior, the bull, self-ruling' is in normal Triṣṭubh and supports the pressing; the explanation of this has been given; it contains in 'self-ruling' (the word) 'self-ruling'; containing 'self-ruling' is a symbol of this (day). 'Him of you, ever enduring' is the Niṣkevalya, containing (the word) 'hither' in 'In all speech outstretched hither'; that which contains (the word) 'hither' is a symbol of the fourth day as introductory, for the fourth day is a second introduction; it is in Gāyatrī, for this set of three days has the Gāyatrī at the midday pressing.

22.p18

xxii. 9. 'The golden handed for aid' is the antistrophe, containing (the word) 'aid'; it has (the word) 'aid' in 'for aid'; containing (the word) 'aid' is a symbol of this (day). 'Let the god Savitṛ with fair jewels come hither', 'Forward the sky and earth with sacrifices, with homage', 'Forward to the Ṛbhus like a messenger shall I speed my speech', and 'Forward the bright, the divine, hymn' (are used); either 'hither' or 'forward' is a symbol of introduction; therefore on the fourth day the hymns are recited containing (the words) 'hither' and 'forward', for the fourth day is a second introduction. Verses of two Padas are recited; by having two feet one is able to ascend; this is a symbol of ascent; it is as if one having advanced should rest in the vicinity of the world of heaven. 'Praise of the ruling, the Asura' is (the hymn) to Vaiçvānara containing (the word) 'ruling' in 'of the ruling'; containing (the word) 'ruling' is a symbol of this (day). 'Who are these men revealed together?' is (the hymn) to the Maruts; the explanation of this is that of the (hymn) 'Forward the bright.' 'For you I hail the glorious, the effulgent' is (the hymn) to Jātavedas; the explanation of this is that of the Marutvatīya. 'Let the strong go forward, the flames with might' are three additional verses in the conjunct form. 'Hither for aid we come to the brilliant, the dread' contains (the word) 'hither'; that which contains (the word) 'hither' is a symbol of this fourth day as introductory, for the fourth day is a second introduction. 'I praise him of valiant might like the bright one' is (the hymn) to Jātavedas; containing (the word)

22.p19

‘hither’ in ‘Clothed in ghee further the way for the prayer hither’; that which contains (the word) ‘hither’ is a symbol of the fourth day as introductory, for the fourth day is a second introduction. Having performed the litanies, having crept along, they perform the Ṣoḍaçin; all this (universe) is sixteenfold; verily (it serves) to obtain all this. Food with the fourth day they obtain, the Anuṣṭubh metre, the Ekaviṅça Stoma, the Vairāja Sāman, the northern quarter, the autumn of seasons, the Sādhya and the Ājya gods, Bṛhaspati and the moon, born of the gods, the overlords.

Linked texts (1)

Kauṣītakibrāhmaṇa — Kauṣītaki, Sanskrit