Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 6: ADHYĀYA VI

Rigveda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas of the Rigveda (HOS 25) 6

Language: English

ADHYĀYA VI

vi. 1. Prajāpati, being desirous of propagation, underwent penance; from him when heated were born five, Agni, Vāyu, Āditya, Candramas, and Uṣas as fifth. He said to them, ‘Do ye also practise fervour.’ They consecrated themselves; then when they had consecrated themselves and had acquired fervour, Uṣas, offspring of Prajāpati, taking the form of an Apsaras, came out in front of them; to her their minds inclined; they poured out seed; they went to Prajāpati, their father, and said, ‘We have poured out seed; let it not remain here ’. Prajāpati made a golden bowl, an arrow breadth in height and similar in breadth; in it he poured the seed; then arose he of a thousand eyes, of a thousand feet, with a thousand fitted (arrows).

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vi. 2. He grasped his father Prajāpati; he said to him, ‘Why dost thou grasp me?’ He replied, ‘Give me a name, for without a name assigned I shall not eat food here.’ He answered, ‘Thou art Bhava.’ Since the waters are Bhava, thereby Bhava harms him not, nor his offspring, nor his cattle, nor any one claiming to be his. He who hates him becomes worse, not he who knows thus; his vow is ‘A wet garment should one wear.’

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vi. 3. A second time he grasped him; he said to him, ‘Why dost thou grasp me?’ He replied, ‘Give me a second name, for with one name only I shall not eat food here.’ He answered, ‘Thou art Çarva.’ Since the fire is Çarva, thereby Çarva harms him not, nor his offspring, nor his cattle nor any one claiming to be his. He who hates him becomes worse, not he who knows thus. His vow is ‘All (sarva ) one should not eat .’

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vi. 4. A third time he grasped him; he said to him, ‘Why dost thou grasp me?’ He replied, ‘Give me a third name, for with two names only I shall not eat food here. He answered, ‘Thou art the lord of cattle.’ Since Vāyu is the lord of cattle, the lord of cattle harms him not, nor his offspring, nor his cattle, nor any one claiming to be his. He who hates him becomes worse, not he who knows thus. His vow is ‘One should not speak ill of a Brahman.’

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vi. 5. A fourth time he grasped him; he said to him, ‘Why dost thou grasp me?’ He replied, ‘Give me a fourth name, for with three names only I shall not eat food here.’ He answered, ‘Thou art the dread god.’ Since the plants and trees are the dread god, thereby the dread god harms him not, nor his offspring, nor his cattle, nor any one claiming to be his. He who hates him becomes worse, not he who knows thus. His vow is ‘One should not look at the cavity of a woman.’

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vi. 6. A fifth time he grasped him; he said to him, ‘Why dost thou grasp me?’ He replied, ‘Give me a fifth name, for with four names only I shall not eat food here.’ He answered, ‘Thou art the great god.’ Since the sun is the great god, thereby the great god harms him not, nor his offspring, nor his cattle, nor any one claiming to be his. He who hates him becomes worse, not he who knows thus. His vow is ‘One should not look at him on his rising or on his setting.’

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vi. 7. A sixth time he grasped him; he said to him, ‘Why doest thou grasp me?’ He replied, ‘Give me a sixth name, for with five names only I shall not eat food here.’ He answered, ‘Thou art Rudra.’ Since the moon is Rudra, thereby Rudra harms him not, nor his offspring, nor his cattle, nor any one claiming to be his. He who hates him becomes worse, not he who knows thus. His vow is ‘What is deformed one should not eat, nor the narrow.’

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vi. 8. A seventh time he grasped him; he said to him, ‘Why dost thou grasp me?’ He replied, ‘Give me a seventh name, for with six names only I shall not eat food here.’ He answered, ‘Thou art Īçāna.’ Since food is Īçāna, thereby Īçāna harms him not, nor his offspring, nor his cattle, nor any one claiming to be his. He who hates him becomes worse, not he who knows thus. His vow is ‘One should not repulse one who desires food only.’

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vi. 9. An eighth time he grasped him; he said to him, ‘Why dost thou grasp me?’ He replied, ‘Give me an eighth name, for with seven names only I shall not eat food here.’ He answered, ‘Thou art the thunderbolt.’ Since Indra is the thunderbolt, thereby the thunderbolt harms him not, nor his offspring, nor his cattle, nor any one claiming to be his. He who hates

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him becomes worse, not he who knows thus. His vow is ‘Let him speak truth only, and let him bear gold.’ This is the great god of eight names, distributed eightfold; up to the eighth generation his offspring eats food; ever more brilliant is a son born in the offspring of him who knows thus.

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The Function of the Brahman Priest.

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vi. 10. Prajāpati practised fervour; he, having practised fervour, developed from his expiration this world, from his inspiration the world of the atmosphere, from his cross-breathing yonder world. He practised fervour over these three worlds; from this world he created Agni, from the world of the atmosphere Vāyu, from the sky Āditya. He practised fervour over these three lights; from Agni he created the Ṛc verses, from Vāyu the Yajus formulae, from Āditya the Sāmans. He practised fervour over the threefold lore; he stretched out the sacrifice; he recited with the Ṛc, he proceeded with the Yajus, he sang with the Sāman. He developed the sap of the brilliance of this threefold lore, for the healing of these Vedas; he developed *bhūḥ* of the Ṛcs, *bhuvaḥ* of the Yajuses, and *svar* of the Sāmans. On the south side of Ka was the Brahman, the sacrifice of Ka ended as broader to the south and sloping to the north; his sacrifice ends as broader to the south and sloping to the north, whose is a Brahman who knows thus.

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vi. 11. They say ‘Since it is by the Ṛc that the Hotṛ becomes Hotṛ, by the Yajus that the Adhvaryu becomes Adhvaryu, by the Sāman that the Udgātṛ becomes Udgātṛ, by what does the Brahman become Brahman?’ That sap of brilliance which he developed from the threefold lore, by that the Brahman becomes Brahman. They say ‘What should he know and what his metre whom he should choose as Brahman?’ ‘An Adhvaryu’, some say, ‘he knows the places for moving about.’ ‘A Chandoga,’ some say, ‘so are his Haviryajñas performed with the three Vedas.’ ‘A Bahvṛca’ is however the rule, ‘The other two Vedas are attendants of that (the

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Ṛgveda), and on it very many Hotṛ's functions depend.' With Ṛcs the cups are drawn, to Ṛcs the Sāmans are sung; therefore should he be a Bahvṛca. They say, 'How much of the sacrifice does the Brahman perform? How much the other priests?' 'A half' should he reply. There are two tracks of the sacrifice; one is performed with speech, the other with the mind; that which is performed with speech the other priests do; that which (is performed) with the mind, the Brahman does; therefore so long as they perform with the Ṛc, the Yajus, the Sāman, so long should the Brahman sit, for he performs a half of the sacrifice.

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vi. 12. When they say to him, 'O Brahman, shall we bring forward?' 'O Brahman, shall we proceed?' 'O Brahman, shall we set forth?' 'O Brahman, shall we praise?' he should instigate (them) with the word _om_ only; that one syllable is a counterpart for the threefold lore; thus by him with the threefold lore is instigation given. In the Brahman the sacrifice finds support. Whatever blunder or flaw there is in the sacrifice, that they report to the Brahman; that he remedies with the threefold lore. If there be any flaw in the Ṛc, having taken the butter in four portions, he should offer in the Gārhapatya the expiatory libation, with _bhūḥ svāhā_; thus he places the Ṛc in the Ṛc; with the Ṛc in the Ṛc he makes expiation. If there be any flaw in the Yajus, having taken the butter in four portions, he should offer in the Anvāhāryapacana the expiatory libation with _bhuvaḥ svāhā_ in the case of the Haviryajña; in the Agnīdh's fire at the Soma sacrifice; thus he places the Yajus in the Yajus; with the Yajus in the Yajus he makes expiation. If there be a flaw in the Sāman, having taken the butter in four portions, he should offer in the Āhavanīya the expiatory libation with _svaḥ svāhā_; thus he places the Sāman in the Sāman; with the Sāman in the Sāman he makes expiation. If there be a flaw which cannot be identified, having taken the butter in four portions, he should offer in the Āhavanīya only the expiatory libation with _bhūr bhuvaḥ svar_. He completes the imperfect part of the sacrifice who makes expiation with these exclamations. He should not say, when appealed to, 'I know not this,' when he knows these exclama-

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tions. All indeed does he know who knows these exclamations. Just as there may be a string or leather fastening of wood, so these exclamations are the fasteners of the threefold lore.

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vi. 13. In that he casts away a blade of grass from the seat of the Brahman, verily thus he purifies it. Then he takes his place (saying) ‘Here I sit down on the seat of Arvāvasu; Arvāvasu is the Brahman of the gods; verily thus he makes him sit down first (saying) ‘May he continue uninjured the sacrifice.’ Then, having taken his place, he mutters ‘Bṛhaspati the Brahman’; Bṛhaspati is the Brahman of the gods; verily thus from him he seeks approval. When the Praṇītā waters are being brought forward, he keeps silence until the uttering aloud of (the word) *haviṣkṛt*. That is the door of the sacrifice; thus he makes it not vacant. (He keeps silence) after the Sviṣṭakṛt sacrifice has been offered until the instigation of the after-offerings. That is the second door of the sacrifice; thus he makes it not vacant. When the gods performed the sacrifice they kept the Brahman's portion for Savitṛ; it cleft his two hands; to him they gave instead two golden ones; therefore is he celebrated as ‘Golden handed’. They kept it for Bhaga; it destroyed his eyes; therefore they say ‘Bhaga is blind’. They kept it for Pūṣan; it knocked out his teeth; therefore they say ‘Pūṣan is toothless and an eater of gruel.’ The gods said,

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vi. 14. ‘Indra is the most forcible, most mighty, of the gods; for him keep it.’ They kept it for him; he appeased it with the holy power; therefore he says ‘Indra the Brahman.’ He gazes on it (saying), ‘With the eye of Mitra I gaze on thee’; verily thus with the eye of Mitra he appeases it; he accepts it (saying) ‘On the instigation of the god Savitṛ, with the arms of the Açvins, with the hands of Pūṣan I take thee’; verily with these deities he appeases it. Then separating the blades of grass he places (the vessel containing the Brahman's portion) with handle pointing east on the bare earth (saying) ‘On the navel of earth I set thee, in the lap of Aditi’; the earth is the appeaser of foods; verily thus he appeases it. Taking thence he eats (saying) ‘With the mouth of Agni I eat thee’; Agni is the appeaser of foods; verily thus he appeases it. Then he sips water (saying) ‘Thou art healing’; the waters are healing and medicine; verily

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thus at the end in the sacrifice are healing and medicine produced. He touches his vital airs; whatever of the breaths has been ill used or injured, verily thus he makes it to fill up, he heals it. At the end he touches his navel (saying), ‘In the belly of Indra I place thee’, for Indra thus appeased it. In that he instigates with a muttered prayer for Savitṛ, and Savitṛ is the instigator, verily (it serves) to instigate the rite.

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The Characteristics of the Haviryajñas.

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vi. 15. Prajāpati is the creator of the sacrifice; by the establishment of the fire he created seed, gods, men, and Asuras by the Agnihotra, by the new and full moon offerings Indra he created. For them he has created food and drink in the Haviryajñas and the Soma sacrifice. Moreover, whatever desire they had, that they obtained by these proceedings (*ayana*), and proper food by the Āgrayaṇa. They say, ‘Why are they proceedings?’ They are goings to every desire and to the world of heaven; by the four-monthly sacrifices they obtained the worlds of heaven, all desires, all attainments, all immortality. The four-monthly sacrifices are Prajāpati here, the twentyfour-fold year; the Vaiçvadeva is, as it were, his mouth; the new and full moon sacrifices his joints; the days and nights his bones and marrow; the Varuṇapraghāsas his two arms; the three Iṣṭis his expiration, inspiration, and cross-breathing; the great oblation his body; the other Iṣṭis the deities within him, and the Çunāsīrīya sacrifice his support. The four-monthly rites are Prajāpati here, the twentyfour-fold year; Prajāpati is all; the four-monthly sacrifices are all; thus by all all he obtains who knows this.

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ADYĀYA VII

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THE SOMA SACRIFICE.

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The Consecration.

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vii. 1. The consecration is speech, for by speech is he consecrated. The consecrated is breath; by the consecration as speech, by the consecrated as breath, the gods, having encompassed all desires on both sides, conferred them upon themselves. So verily also the sacrificer, by the consecration as speech, by the consecrated as breath, having encompassed all desires on both sides, confers them upon himself. He offers a cake on eleven potsherds to Agni and Viṣṇu; Agni is of the lower end of the gods, Viṣṇu of the upper end; verily through the two who are of the lower end and the upper end of the gods having encompassed the gods, he obtains identity of world with them. Therefore he who first has consecrated himself will attain his desire, for by him first are the gods encompassed. He consecrates himself with incorporeal breath consecrations; the fore-offerings are expirations, the after-offerings inspirations. In that they proceed with the fore-offerings and the after-offerings, thus expirations and inspirations are consecrated; in that (they proceed) with an oblation, thus the body (is consecrated). He with the body being consecrated obtains all desires; with expirations and inspirations being consecrated, identity of world and union with all the deities.

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vii. 2. He recites fifteen kindling verses; the kindling verses are a thunderbolt and the thunderbolt is fifteenfold. The butter portions refer to the slaying of Vṛtra; the butter portions referring to the slaying of Vṛtra are a thunderbolt. The invitatory and offering verses of the oblation are Triṣṭubh verses; the Triṣṭubh is a thunderbolt; by this thrice-formed thunderbolt the gods pushed away the Asuras from these worlds. Verily thus also the sacrificer with this thrice-formed thunderbolt pushes away the rivals who hate him from these worlds. The butter portions refer to the slaying of Vṛtra; they have been described. Next as to the invitatory and offering verses of the oblation, the former contains (the word) ‘to’, ‘Let your tongue move up to the ghee’; that is the symbol of the invitatory

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verse. The latter contains the word ‘out’, ‘Let your tongue move out towards the ghee’; that is the symbol of the offering verse. The invitatory and offering verses are Triṣṭubh verses; the Triṣṭubh is might and strength; verily thus he confers upon the sacrificer might and strength. ‘The conclusion of the approving formula’ he says at the sacrificial food offering and at the Sūktavāka; when the cake for Agni and Viṣṇu is offered then he says ‘Consecrated’; therefore he should say only ‘The conclusion of the approving formula.’ Just as in the case of the consecrated, he does not utter the name of the sacrificer in the Sūktavāka; the consecrated is a divine embryo; they give no name to an embryo unborn; therefore he does not utter his name.

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vii. 3. He does not make the wife (of the sacrificer) speak on the grass bundle; he does not strew it (thinking) ‘In that it is a Soma sacrifice, this sacrifice is not here complete as it were; let me not conclude the Soma sacrifice before its time.’ They say ‘Why do others not utter the name of the consecrated?’ He who is consecrating himself consecrates himself as Agni; in that others do not utter his name, (it is because they think), ‘Let us not sit down in Agni.’ Again, in that he does not utter the name of another, (it is because he thinks) ‘Let me not, having become Agni, burn him.’ If he hate a man, he should mumble his name when consecrated; verily thus, having become Agni, he burns him. If he desire a man, he should utter his name with a clear voice; that is the expiation here; the clear is the eye; for with the eye he sees clearly. But this exclamation is the speech of the consecrated, and it is verily truth. ‘He who speaks truth, he is consecrated,’ so used he to say. They say ‘Why do they not eat the food of the consecrated?’ In that he consecrates himself, he becomes an oblation; it would be as one might eat of the undivided oblation. He may eat at pleasure when there is continuous pressing; that would be as one might eat of the oblation when fresh. They say ‘Why does the consecrated not offer the Agnihotra?’ The Asuras offered (it) in themselves without fire which was blown out; they were defeated, when they sacrificed in what had no fire; then the gods appropriated this breath, Agni. In that in the evening and in the morning the fast drink is bestowed, the Agnihotra is offered continuously and without a break in this breath, Agni.

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This is the continuity of the Agnihotra in the consecrations. They proceed (with the ceremony) on the Upasads. What is there to discuss as to the day of pressing?

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vii. 4. Next the consecration of Keçin. Keçin Dārbhya, not being consecrated, sat down. To him flew up a golden bird and said 'Thou hast not been consecrated; I know the consecration; let me tell it to thee; I have sacrificed once; I am afraid of it perishing; thou dost know the imperishableness of that which once has been offered; it do thou (tell) to me.' He said 'Yes'; they two discussed together. It was he, or Ula Vārṣṇivṛddha or Iṭant Kāvya or Çikhaṇḍin Yājñasena or whoever it was, it was he. He said 'The bodies are consecrated by that sacrifice; but the man is consecrated indeed whose gods within are consecrated', so he used to say. Where the Adhvaryu offers the uplifting offerings, then the sacrificer should offer five libations, the first with 'May mind for me with mind be consecrated; hail!'; the second with 'May speech for me with speech be consecrated; hail!'; the third with 'May breath for me with breath be consecrated; hail!' The breath (he mentions) in the middle, for breath is in the middle. The fourth (he offers) with 'May the eye for me with the eye be consecrated; hail!'; the fifth with 'May the ear for me with the ear be consecrated; hail!' But Kauṣītaki used to say 'These offerings should not be made; if they were made the libations would be superabundant; he should merely take hold of the Adhvaryu as he offers and pronounce as accompaniment the commencement (of the verses), first 'May mind for me with mind be consecrated'; second, 'May speech for me with speech be consecrated'; third, 'May breath for me with breath be consecrated'; fourth, 'May the eye for me with the eye be consecrated'; fifth, 'May the ear for me with the ear be consecrated.' Verily also he consecrates the deities in man, and the libations which are superfluous are not offered. Now the imperishableness of what has once been offered is faith; he who sacrifices with faith, his sacrifice perishes not. Imperishableness is the waters, both those which are in these worlds, and those which are about the self. He who knowing 'In me there is imperishableness,' sacrifices, his

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sacrifice perishes not. This imperishableness of what has once been offered Keçin Dārbhya proclaimed to the golden bird. In the afternoon he consecrates himself; in the afternoon he commingles all creatures; further the beams go over him ; therefore making red as it were he goes to his setting. He who consecrates himself consecrates himself as him who yonder gives heat; therefore on the afternoon he consecrates himself, to obtain all desires.

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The Introductory Sacrifice.

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vii. 5. The gods obtained expiration by the introductory sacrifice , breathing out by the concluding sacrifice; verily thus also the sacrificer by the introductory sacrifice obtains expiration and by the concluding sacrifice breathing out; the introductory and concluding sacrifices are expiration and breathing out; therefore those who are priests for the introductory sacrifice should also act for the concluding sacrifice, for expiration and breathing out are alike.

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vii. 6. The gods having reached the world of heaven by means of the introductory sacrifice could not discern the quarters. To them said Agni, 'Do you offer to me one libation of butter; then shall I discern one quarter.' To him they offered; he discerned the eastern quarter; therefore they lead Agni forward to the east; the sacrifice is extended eastwards, sitting eastwards they offer in it (the fire), for this was the quarter discerned by him. Then said Soma, 'Do you offer to me one libation of butter; then shall I discern one quarter'. To him they offered; he discerned the southern quarter; therefore they carry round in the south the Soma when purchased; standing in the south he praises; standing in the south he concludes; sitting in the south they press it, for this was the quarter discerned by him. Then said Savitṛ, 'Do ye offer to me one libation of butter; then shall I discern one quarter'. To him they offered; he discerned the western quarter; Savitṛ is he yonder who gives heat; therefore him men see day by day going westwards, not eastwards, for this was the quarter discerned by him. Then said Pathyā Svasti, 'Do ye offer to me one libation of butter; then shall I discern one quarter'. To him they offered; he discerned the northern quarter; therefore by the north path men go prosperously to the northern quarter; therefore to Pathyā Svasti belongs the northern quarter. Then said Aditi, 'Do ye offer to me one libation of butter; then shall I discern one quarter'. To her they offered; she discerned this (earthly) quarter; therefore do men live in it, do men cultivate it, for this was the quarter discerned by her. Then said they, 'Let us offer to each other a shared libation.' They said to Agni, 'Let us offer to thee together with Soma.' They offered to him. Therefore is Agni a sharer of the libation together with Soma; Soma a sharer together with Agni.

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butter; then shall I discern one quarter.’ To her they offered; she discerned the northern quarter; Pathyā Svasti is speech; therefore in the northern quarter is speech uttered with more discernment, and northwards go men to learn speech; he who comes thence, to him men hearken, so he used to say, for this was the quarter discerned by speech. Then said Aditi, ‘Do ye offer to me one libation of food; then shall I discern one quarter.’ To her they offered; she discerned the zenith; Aditi is this (earth); therefore on this (earth) plants grow upright, trees upright, men upright, Agni is kindled upright, whatever there is on this (earth) that stretches upright, for this was the quarter discerned by her.

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vii. 7. Thus did the gods discern by means of the introductory sacrifice the world of heaven; verily thus also does the sacrificer by the introductory rite discern the world of heaven. The introductory and concluding sacrifice should be alike. The sacrifice is a chariot of the gods; the introductory and concluding sacrifices are the two sides of it; he who makes them alike, just as one can perform a journey as desired by driving on in a chariot with two sides, so safely he attains the world of heaven. He who makes them unlike, just as one cannot perform a journey as desired by driving on in a chariot with one side only, so he does not safely attain the world of heaven. Therefore the introductory and the concluding sacrifices should be alike, the introductory ending with the Çaṃyuvāka, and the concluding sacrifice ending with the Çaṃyuvāka.

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vii. 8. He sacrifices first at the introductory sacrifice to Pathyā Svasti, then to Agni, then to Soma, then to Savitṛ, then to Aditi; he advances with the introductory sacrifice to the world of heaven. In that he sacrifices to Pathyā Svasti in front, verily thus he produces a benediction, for the attainment of the world of heaven. To Agni first he sacrifices in the concluding sacrifice, then to Soma, then to Savitṛ, then to Pathyā Svasti, then to Aditi; he goes with the concluding sacrifice to this world. In that behind he offers sacrifices to Pathyā Svasti, verily thus he produces a benediction, for the attainment of this world. To those five deities he sacrifices; with these

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deities he obtains all that is fivefold regarding the deities and regarding the self. Of these the invitatory and offering verses contain (the words), ‘safe’, ‘path’, ‘bring across’, ‘forward’, and ‘lead’. The Maruts, the subjects of the gods, enjoying the atmosphere, have the power to confound the sacrifice of the sacrificer as he goes to the world of heaven. In that they contain (the words) ‘safe’, ‘path’, ‘bring across’, ‘forward’, and ‘lead’, verily the Maruts, the subjects of the gods, harm him not; safely he attains the world of heaven. Them he inverts; the invitatory verses in the introductory sacrifice he makes the offering verses in the concluding sacrifice, the offering verses (he makes) the invitatory verses.

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vii. 9. He falls away as it were from this world who advances with the introductory sacrifice; in that he inverts (the verses), thus he finds support in this world on a support which cannot be moved. Moreover the metres are the breaths; verily thus in the self he intertwines the breaths, to prevent severance; therefore these breaths though blowing in diverse directions do not blow out. ‘Thee, O thou of most varied fame,’ ‘What is best, that to Agni,’ are the Anuṣṭubh invitatory and offering verses (of the Sviṣṭakṛt offering). The introductory sacrifice is the continuance of the sacrifice, the concluding sacrifice is speech; the Anuṣṭubh is speech; with speech the sacrifice is continued. These two he does not invert, (thinking) ‘The invitatory and offering verses are supports; let me not intertwine two supports.’ (The sacrifice) ends with the Çamyuvāka; that is the symbol of approach. It is as if having advanced one should dwell in the vicinity of the world of heaven. Again, as to (the sacrifice) ending with the Çamyuvāka, all the deities unite in the introductory sacrifice; he who would here cause joint offering to be made to the wives with (the gods), it would be as if he were to bring the wives of the gods to the place of their assembling; then it would be as if a man there were to say of him, ‘This (fellow) has brought the wives of the gods to the place of their assembly; his wife will be following him to the assembly’. Therefore it ends with the Çamyuvāka, to prevent the coming together of the deities.

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The Purchase of the Soma.

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vii. 10. The Asuras in this quarter obstructed the gods. Being in the north-east quarter they anointed Soma in the kingship, they with Soma as king pushed away the Asuras from these worlds. Verily thus also the sacrificer with Soma the king pushes away his rivals who hate him from these worlds. Him he buys with four things, a cow, gold, a garment, a female goat; up to four (degrees) are pairing, union, propagation; (they serve) for generation. The moon yonder is Soma the king, the discerning; it enters into him when bought; in that he buys Soma the king, (it is because he thinks) ‘The moon yonder as Soma, the king, the discerning, be it pressed out.’ Nine verses he recites for him when bought; these vital airs are nine; verily thus he confers vital airs on the sacrificer, for completeness of life in this world and for immortality in yonder world. ‘From good to better do thou advance forward,’ (this verse ) containing the word ‘forward’ he recites for him being brought forward, ‘Let Bṛhaspati be thy harbinger’; Bṛhaspati is the holy power; (thus it serves) for the winning of the glory of holiness. He recites two Triṣṭubh verses to Varuṇa, ‘This prayer of the seeker, O god,’ ‘Within the woods he hath extended the atmosphere’; the Triṣṭubh is the lordly power; Varuṇa is the Triṣṭubh; (thus it serves) for the winning of the glory of lordliness. He recites four Gāyatrī verses to Soma, ‘O Soma, thy wondrous’; the Gāyatrī is the holy power; Soma is the lordly power; (thus it serves) for the winning of the glory of holiness and the glory of lordliness. He pauses after uttering the half of the last verse; the verse is immortality; thus he enters immortality. Moreover the verse is the holy power; verily thus he makes a defence on both sides in the holy power and the half verses. Wherever he stops at a half verse or a quarter verse, this is the explanation. He recites the verse, ‘Thine abodes which they worship with oblation,’ containing (the word) ‘forward’, for him as he starts forward. He concludes with (the verse ), ‘He hath come, the god, with the seasons, let him prosper the house,’ containing the words ‘come’ and ‘season’; ‘Soma, the king, is the year,’ used to say Kauṣītaki, ‘He, coming, with the seasons approaches.’ He repeats (verses) which are appropriate; what in the sacrifice is appropriate, that is perfect; verily (it serves) for the

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perfection of the sacrifice. Nine he recites; the explanation of them has been given; thrice (he repeats) the first, thrice the last; they make up thirteen; the year has twelve months; verily (it serves) to win the year. In that he recites a thirteenth, (it is because) there is a thirteenth month, supplementary and distinct as it were; (thus it serves) for its obtainment.

Linked texts (1)

Kauṣītakibrāhmaṇa — Kauṣītaki, Sanskrit