Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 25: ADHYĀYA XXV

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

Language: English

ADHYĀYA XXV

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xxv. 1. The waters practised fervour; after practising fervour they

conceived; thence was this sun born on the sixth month; therefore on the sixth month the performers of a session perform the Divākīrtya. It goes north for six months, then for six reversed; therefore the performers go for six months forward, then for six months reversed. Without it are hunger and repeated death; they conquer hunger and repeated death who perform the Viṣuvant day. It has these symbols in its verses: (the word) ‘sun’, (the word) ‘blaze’, (the word) ‘light’, (the word) ‘ornament’, (the word) ‘shine’, (the word) ‘delight’. ‘From the ocean the wave rich in sweetness hath arisen’ is the Ājya; for from the ocean, from the waters he comes out. It contains (the word) ‘sun’ in ‘Indra one, the sun one hath produced’; this is a symbol of this day. These (verses) recited together make up twenty-one Anuṣṭubhs; he who gives heat here is twenty-onefold; thus he makes it successful with its own symbol. The Praüga is in Triṣṭubh; this is the middle of the days; the Triṣṭubh is the middle of metres. Thus he makes it successful with its own metre.

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xxv. 2. ‘Were not they who were made great with homage?’ is (the triplet) to Vāyu, containing (the word) ‘sun’ in ‘They made bright the dawn with the sun’; this is a symbol of this day. The succeeding triplet is addressed to Indra and Vāyu, ‘So far as the power of the body, so far as the might’, with the symbol (of the day) in ‘So far as men with the eye may discern’. ‘Up the eye of you two, O Varuṇa, fair of aspect’ is (the triplet) to Indra and Varuṇa, containing (the word) ‘sun’ in ‘The sun goeth extending of the pious one’; this is a symbol of this day. ‘Hither, O Nāsatyas, with chariot rich in cattle’ is (the triplet) to the Açvins; the third (verse) contains (the word) ‘blaze’ in ‘The god Savitṛ hath raised aloft the blaze’; this is a symbol of this day. ‘Come hither to us, O impetuous god, with might’ is (the triplet) to Indra, containing (the word) ‘sun’ in ‘Heroes for life for the gaining of the sun’; this is a symbol of this day. ‘Let the prayer go forward from the abode of holy order’ is (the triplet) to the All-gods, containing (the word) ‘sun’ in ‘The sun hath created the kine with his rays’; this is a symbol of this day. ‘May Sarasvatī for us rejoicing’ is (the triplet) to Sarasvatī, with the symbol in ‘O happy one, thou hast unbound the doors of holy order.’ This is the Praüga of Vasiṣṭha arranged in triads of Triṣṭubh verses, and containing (the word) ‘sun’. Vasiṣṭha is Prajāpati; verily in Prajāpati they succeed in all their desires.

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xxv. 3. They say ‘The morning pressing should not be in Triṣṭubh; he disturbs the beginning of the sacrifice from its appointed metre; let it be the one-day (form) only’. The one-day (rite) is light; he who here gives heat is light; verily thus they cause light to prosper with light. ‘Forward to the god, to Agni’ and ‘Thou hast glory of rule’, these two are the Ājya. These (verses) recited together make up twenty-one Anuṣṭubhs; the explanation of these has been given. The Praüga is by Madhuchandas; the explanation of this has been given. ‘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 this has been given. ‘With what array, of one age, of one home?’ is the Marutvatīya, with the symbol (of this day) in ‘brightness’ in ‘array’ (_çubhā_). ‘That ram that winneth the light I glorify’ is in Jagatī, containing (the word) ‘sun’ in ‘Thou didst support the sun in the sky to see’; this is a symbol of this day. ‘Thou hast been born dread for impetuous strength,’ in this Triṣṭubh (hymn) he inserts a Nivid. (The hymn has) the symbol (of this day) in ‘Dispel the darkness, fill full our vision’. Two sets, Triṣṭubhs and Jagatīs, are recited, for the sun here gives heat, resting on the Triṣṭubh and the Jagatī; thus openly they obtain it.

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xxv. 4. ‘The Bṛhat should be the Pṛṣṭha of this day’ some hold, saying ‘He who here gives heat is connected with the Bṛhat; the Bṛhat gives heat; moreover, the Mahādivākīrtya is not a Pṛṣṭha, the Bṛhat and Rathantara are openly Pṛṣṭhas; therefore the Bṛhat alone should be the Pṛṣṭha of this day.’ If they should perform the Bṛhat on a Pragātha containing (the word) ‘sun’ and Pragāthas containing ‘sun’, (it is) with the symbol of this day. ‘Indra hath knowledge for the hearing of this’ is the beginning of the litany, containing (the word) ‘sun’ in ‘He is the lively pathmaker for the sun’; this is the symbol of this day. ‘The Mahādivākīrtya alone should be the Pṛṣṭha of this day’ is the rule. The Mahādivākīrtya is openly a Sāman; thus with its own Sāman they make it success-

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ful. Now some perform it on Triṣṭubh verses ; he who here gives heat is connected with the Triṣṭubh; thus it with its own metre they make successful. ‘Let it be performed on Bṛhatī verses’ some say; he who here gives heat is connected with the Bṛhatī; thus with its own metre they make it successful. But the rule is ‘Let it be performed on Jagatī verses’; he who here gives heat is connected with the Jagatī; thus with its own metre they make it successful.

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xxv. 5. ‘May the radiant one drink the great Soma-made mead’ is the strophe triplet, containing in ‘All radiant, brilliant, great, the sun to see’ (the words) ‘apart (vi)’, ‘radiance’, and ‘sun’; this is a symbol of this day. ‘The sun hath loosened apart his car in the middle of the sky’ is the antistrophe, containing (the words) ‘apart’ and ‘sun’; the common metre is Jagatī, but the rule is (the triplet) to Sūrya, ‘For all love thee, of one mind, one countenance’, with the symbol of the sun in ‘Long living may we see, O sun’. ‘Assuredly thou art great, O sun’ is the Pragātha of the Sāman, containing (the word) ‘sun’; this is a symbol of this day. Here he recites the bases of the Bṛhat and the Rathantara; ‘Indra hath knowledge for the hearing of this’ is the beginning of the litany, containing (the word) ‘sun’ in ‘He is the lively pathmaker for the sun’; this is a symbol of this day, but the rule is (a verse ) to Sūrya, ‘Be favourable to us with thine eye, favourable to us with the day’, containing the symbol of the sun in ‘Give us, O sun, this wealth varied.’ ‘Who alone is to be invoked by mortals’ is (a hymn ) in Triṣṭubh, with the symbol ‘The divine atmosphere thou didst make to shine.’ So if they make the Mahādivākīrtya the Pṛṣṭha, but, if they perform the Bṛhat on its own basis, having recited the extension of the Bṛhat, he recites the basis of the Rathantara ; ‘Indra hath knowledge for the hearing of this’ is the beginning of the litany, containing (the word) ‘sun’ in ‘He is the lively pathmaker for the sun’; this is a symbol of this day.

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xxv. 6. ‘As the sky surpasseth the earth, O Indra, that which our foes’ is (the hymn) in Triṣṭubh, containing (the word) ‘sun’ in ‘Indra to Kutsa in the winning of the sun’; this is a symbol of this day. If they do not (perform it) on its own basis, ‘Turning as it were to the sun’ is the

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strophe, containing (the word) 'sun'; this is a symbol of this day. 'If, O Indra, a hundred skies were thine' is the antistrophe, containing (the word) 'sun' in 'a thousand suns'; this is the symbol of this day. 'Who most active, ever slayeth' is the Pragātha of the Sāman, containing (the word) 'sun' in 'In bodies, in the waters, the sun'; this is a symbol of this day. Then he recites the bases of the Bṛhat and the Rathantara. 'Indra hath knowledge for the hearing of this' is the beginning of the litany; the explanation of this has been given. 'Who alone is to be invoked by mortals' is (the hymn) in Triṣṭubh; the explanation of this has been given. So now if they perform the Bṛhat on its own basis or on a different basis. If they perform without the two Sāmans, it is the same up to the beginning of the litany; he should take out the bases of the Bṛhat and the Rathantara. 'Praise him who hath might to overcome' is (the hymn) in Triṣṭubh, with the symbol in 'Increase with praises the bull of mortals.' The next is the same. 'The ram, much invoked, worthy of praise' is (the hymn) in Jagatī, containing (the word) 'sun' in 'Thou didst indeed mount the sun in heaven to see'; this is a symbol of this day. Both sets, Triṣṭubh and Jagatī, are recited; the sun here gives heat, resting established on the Triṣṭubh and the Jagatī; thus it openly they touch.

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xxv. 7. 'I shall proclaim at the great assembly thy two bays', having recited nine verses of this (hymn) and having uttered the call, he inserts a Nivid. It contains (the word) 'sun' in 'Reveal to the bright one, the sun'; this is a symbol of this day. He then recites four verses of the 'All-bay' hymn. 'May the true one come hither, the generous, he of the Soma lees' has twenty-one verses, with the symbol (of this day) in 'What time at the dawn they made to shine the great light.' These make up twenty-five. 'To the all conquering, the booty conquering, the light conquering' is six Jagatī verses, with the symbol (of this day) in 'To Indra the Soma, to him worthy of sacrifice the delightful.' These make up thirty-one. In these Jagatīs he performs the difficult mounting; he who here

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gives heat is connected with the Jagatī, the difficult mounting is the sacrificers; verily thus the sacrificers mount him. By Padas he mounts first; thus they obtain this world; by half verses for the second time; thus they obtain the world of the atmosphere; by three Padas for the third time; thus they obtain yonder world; the entrance is by performance as one unit; then by three Padas, by half verses, by Padas (he descends); thus he rests in this world, on a support immovable. This difficult mounting verse being recited together makes up seven. These are thirty-eight in all. ‘For his full oblations’, (these) are six (verses) in Jagatī, containing (the word) ‘sun’ in ‘Indra it waiteth on as the sun on the dawn’; this is a symbol of this day. These make up forty-four. ‘The bird anointed by the craft of the Asura’, (these) are three (verses), with the symbol (of this day) in ‘This radiant sun-like prayer’. These are forty-seven. With the concluding verse thrice repeated, ‘Lead us to a wide space, wise one’, with the symbol (of this day) in ‘The heaven, the light, freedom from danger’, they make up fifty. Those preceding are fifty-one; they make up a hundred and one verses; man has a hundred (years of life), a hundred forms, a hundred strengths, a hundred powers; the hundred and first verse over is the world of the sacrificer; thus here they make ready the sacrificers; thus here having made ready the sacrificers at the beginning, he propagates them with the Mahāvrata day. So the total as made up by Paiṅgya.

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xxv. 8. Then (the computation) of Kauṣītaki. It is the same up to the beginning of the litany. If one removes the Bṛhat and the Rathantara, the Ṛjujanitrīya (is used); eleven (verses) of it (are used, if the Bṛhat is performed) on its own basis, nine otherwise, with the symbol (of this day) in ‘Now allotting the forms, now the works one goeth.’ ‘O Indra, come hither with thy bays’, (these) are fifteen verses, with the symbol (of this day) in ‘With those of fair form do thou come to us’. Having recited eleven (verses) of (the hymn of) Baru or of the ‘All-bay’ hymn, (he recites) a Nivid in the middle of the hundred and one verses; having recited fifty-one he recites the two (remaining verses) of the Baru (hymn) or of the ‘All-bay’ (hymn). ‘May the true one come hither, the generous, he of the Soma lees’, (these) are twenty-one verses. These make up

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twenty-three. ‘To the all-conquering’, (these) are six verses. These make up twenty-nine. The ‘difficult mounting’ verses are seven. These make up thirty-six. ‘Thou art alone the lord of wealth’ is a Triṣṭubh (hymn) of five verses, containing (the word) ‘sun’ in ‘Thou didst destroy at the rising of the sun’; this is a symbol of this day. These make up forty-one. ‘This strong one, god speeded’, (these) are three (verses), with the symbol (of this day) in ‘As the sun with light, he hath stretched out the waters’. These make up forty-four. The bird (hymn) is three (verses); these make up forty-seven. ‘Lead us to wide space, wise one’, with this concluding verse thrice repeated, they make up fifty; the preceding are fifty-one. They make up a hundred and one verses; the explanation of these has been given.

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xxv. 9. ‘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) ‘sun’ in ‘Thou dost shine forth with the rays of the sun’; this is a symbol of this day. ‘They two, sky and earth, all weal producing’ is (the hymn) to sky and earth, containing (the word) ‘sun’ in ‘The god, the bright sun, between the goddesses in accord with law’; this is a symbol of this day. ‘Why hath the best, the youngest come to us?’ is (the hymn) to the Ṛbhus with the symbol (of the day) in ‘He discerned’ in ‘What time he discerned the four beakers they had made.’ ‘I hail the gods of great fame, for security’ is (the hymn) for the All-gods, containing (the words) ‘sun’ and ‘light’ in ‘Those who obtained a share of the light of the sun’; this is a symbol of this day. ‘To Vaiçvānara, the praise, increasing holy order’ is (the hymn) for Vaiçvānara, containing (the words) ‘shining’, ‘radiance’, and ‘light’ in ‘Shining with radiance, with light in greatness’; this is a symbol of this day. ‘Forward the Maruts, devoted, with gleaming lances’ is (the hymn) to the Maruts, containing (the word) ‘sun’ in ‘The shining rays of the sun’;

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this is a symbol of this day. ‘To him who sitteth on the altar, with a dear abode, of fair radiance’ is (the hymn) to Jātavedas, with the symbol (of this day) in ‘The light, the car, of bright hue destroying the darkness.’ These are the hymns of the Āgnimāruta (Çastra). These are the hymns of this day. It is an Agniṣṭoma. The Agniṣṭoma is light; he who here gives heat is light; verily thus they make light successful with light; immortality they obtain who perform the Viṣuvant day.

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xxv. 10. Before the setting of the sun should they seek to complete (the rite of) this day; the day has its morning litany, to be recited by day. They should seek to complete with this day including its morning litany and the offerings to the wives (with the gods) before the setting of the sun. ‘Agni, I deem father, Agni friend’, with this (verse) the Hotṛ begins the morning litany on this day, with the symbol of the ‘rich waters’ verse in ‘friend (āpim)’. It contains (the word) ‘sun’ in ‘In the sky the bright, worthy of sacrifice, of the sun’; this is a symbol of this day. As to this Kauṣītaki used to say, ‘The morning litany is Prajāpati, and is not connected with the darkness; verily in due order should he commence it; that is its prosperity; so in due order are offered the Upāṅçu and the Antaryāma (cups); that is their prosperity.’ The Āprī hymn is by Vasiṣṭha, containing (the word) ‘sun’ in ‘Overspread thyself with the rays of the sun’; this is a symbol of this day. ‘The Hotṛ for this day should be white, with red eyes’ some say; with this day they seek to obtain him who yonder gives heat; this is as if one should approach a superior with a gift. But the rule is ‘Just as it may happen to be’. With the Çastra alone should he seek to produce the symbol of this day. A victim to the sun should be offered (in addition) to the usual victim for the pressing. It is offered inaudibly; if a man should utter aloud (the recitation) for it, then if one were to say of him, ‘He will become afflicted with skin disease, a leper’ it would be so. Four victims only are offered inaudibly; that to the sun, that to Savitṛ, that to Prajāpati, and that whose divinity is speech; the others are offered aloud. Then they perform three Svarasāman (days) reversed; the explanation of these has been given.

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The Viçvajit.

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xxv. 11. They obtain this thirteenth month in that they perform the Viçvajit; the thirteenth month is as great as the year; here verily the whole year is made up. Of it they say 'The six-day (rite) is the one-day (rite)', for whatever is done each day in the six-day (rite) that is done on the one-day (rite), the Viçvajit. Much and varied is done on the Viçvajit, in that all the Pṛṣṭhas, and all the various Stomas are together put in it. Its Pṛṣṭha is openly the Vairāja, the Rathantara at the midday Pavamāna, the Bṛhat at the third Pavamāna is performed, the Çākvara as the Maitrāvaruṇa's, the Vairūpa as the Brāhmaṇācchaṅsin's, the Raivata as the Achāvāka's. They obtain this thirteenth supernumerary month, for that is thirteenth, as they perform the Pṛṣṭhas; 'Agni men with praise from the fire sticks' is the Ājya of this (day) in Virāj verses; the explanation of this has been given. The Praüga is by Madhuchandas; the explanation of this has been given. '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. 'With what array, of one age, of one home? is the Marutvatīya; the 'What array' hymn contains the word 'who'; the Viçvajit as Prajāpati is 'Who'. The strophe and antistrophe of the Vairāja are the strophe and antistrophe; in them he inserts a repeated *o* just as yonder in the fourth day (rite); for as it is in Virāj it is not the place to omit the repetition of *o*; then there is the inserted verse, then the Pragātha in which Indra is attained; then he recites the bases of the Bṛhat and the Rathantara. 'That was the best in the worlds' is the Niṣkevalya; the sacrifice is the best in the worlds; the Viçvajit as Prajāpati is the sacrifice. Then, if the third pressing of the sixth day is the third pressing, (it is because) the sixth day is connected with Prajāpati, the Viçvajit is Prajāpati. The strophe is from the one-day (rite); the Viçvajit is a one-day (rite); the one-day (rite) is a support; verily (it serves) for support. The antistrophe contains the word 'towards'; the explanation of this has been given.

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xxv. 12. They say 'Why in the Viçvajit with all the Stomas as a one-

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day rite are the Çilpas recited at the third pressing? Why (in it) as an Agniṣṭoma at the midday pressing?' The Çilpas are the lower breaths; the sacrifice is man; the morning pressing is the upper breaths; the midday is the body; the third pressing the lower; these are the Çilpas; therefore the Çilpas are performed at the third pressing, for this is their abode. Then why are the Çilpas recited at the midday pressing in the Viçvajit as an Agniṣṭoma in a year-long sacrificial session? The Pṛṣṭhas are the body; the Çilpas are the breaths; the breaths are not known without the body, nor without the breaths the body; assuredly the two are not severable. Therefore are the Çilpas recited at the midday pressing in the Viçvajit as an Agniṣṭoma, (for they think) 'Let me not separate the body from the breaths.' Moreover, the Viçvajit is Prajāpati; as Prajāpati the Viçvajit is all; therefore all the Pṛṣṭhas are performed, all the Çilpas; the Viçvajit as Prajāpati is all; with all he obtains all he who knows thus.

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xxv. 13. In the Āgnimāruta (Çastra) the Hotṛ having recited the Rudra verse, recites the Evayāmarut hymn in Paṅkti form; the sacrifice is fivefold; verily (it serves) to obtain the sacrifice. 'Let me not,' (he thinks), 'obstract the Çilpa of the Achāvāka.' Moreover Rudra is the oldest and best of the gods, the Atichandas of metres, the Viçvajit of one-day rites. Thus he makes it successful with its own symbol. At three verses of it should he repeat *o*; if he desire to repeat *o* he should do it at all. The repetition of *o* is food; the breaths are food; the Çilpas are the breaths; verily thus he places the breath in the breaths. Moreover by the Viçvajit Prajāpati propagated all offspring, and conquered all. Thus is it the Viçvajit. Now is he born who sacrifices with the Viçvajit; therefore does he repeat *o*. Stumbling as it were does he move as he seeks to walk for the first time. Thus him from the immortal metre he propagates to immortality. They obtain immortality who perform the Viçvajit.

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xxv. 14. The Viçvajit of the year-long session is composed as an Agniṣṭoma with all the Stomas and all the Pṛṣṭhas; the Agniṣṭoma is a support; verily (it serves) for support. If the Viçvajit is a one-day (rite), or the middle day of a night session, it should be an Atirātra. The Atirātra is the complete Viçvajit; half of the Viçvajit is performed by day, half by night. The (Viçvajit), which is performed apart from a case

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when all one's property is given or a session, is one which brings all ruin. It is a loss of all if a man gives all without a Viçvajit. If there is a Viçvajit (he should give) all; if (he gives) all, it (should be) a Viçvajit. 'If a man does not give all, saying "Let me give all," he prepares for himself a pitfall, he comes to ruin,' he used to say. 'Or a thousand makes this up,' Kauṣītaki used to say, 'The thousand is all; the Viçvajit is all; by all may I obtain all,' (so thinking he gives a thousand).

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xxv. 15. He should put round a calfskin; bare as it were becomes the body of him who gives all. (He puts round thinking) 'Cattle desire a calf; let cattle again desire me.' He should dwell in an Udumbara wood; the Udumbara is strength and proper food; (verily it serves) to obtain strength and proper food. He should dwell with a Naiṣāda; the Naiṣāda is the minimum of proper food; (verily it serves) to obtain the minimum of proper food. He should dwell with a Vaiçya; the Vaiçya prospers; (verily it serves) to obtain the proper food which is with a Vaiçya. He should dwell with a Kṣatriya; the Kṣatriya is the maximum of proper food; (verily it serves) to obtain the maximum of proper food. He should dwell with a Brahman of the same family, to obtain the proper food which is with a Brahman of the same family. For a year should he wander, lying on the ground, accepting only uncultivated (fruits), not asking for food, clothed in what is given. With that he clothes himself. 'Having done this for twelve nights he may devote himself to another desire,' Kauṣītaki used to say, 'the year has twelve months, this is an image of the year.' The Ājya (Çastras) of the Hotrakas are addressed to Prajāpati, as having no deity mentioned. The strophes of this day (of these priests) are 'Do ye two aid us to terrestrial,' 'They yoke the tawny ruddy one,' and 'Them they ever praise' or 'Praise him who with his light.' The strophes of the sixth day they should make the antistrophes; the sixth day is connected with Prajāpati; the other five are Prajāpati as the Viçvajit the litanies they conclude with the ending sets of verses; the ending verses are a support; verily (they serve) for support.

Linked texts (1)

Kauṣītakibrāhmaṇa — Kauṣītaki, Sanskrit