Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 8: ADHYĀYA VIII

Rigveda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas of the Rigveda (HOS 25) 8

Language: English

ADHYĀYA VIII

viii. 1. By means of the guest reception (to Agni) the gods obtained both biped and quadruped animals; verily thus also the sacrificer by means of the guest reception obtains both biped and quadruped animals. When the oblation for the guest reception is brought up, they kindle the fire; the guest reception is the head of the sacrifice; Agni is the breath; verily thus he places breath in the head. He recites twelve (verses) for the kindling of the fire; the year has twelve months; verily (it serves) to obtain the year. He recites first (a verse ) to Savitṛ, ‘To thee, O god Savitṛ’, to secure instigation by Savitṛ; to one instigated by Savitṛ no possible injury happens; (verily it serves) to secure freedom from injury. He recites to sky and earth (the verse ), ‘May the two great ones, sky and earth, for us’; sky and earth are supports; verily (it serves) for support. He recites for him as he is kindled the three verses containing (the word) ‘kindle’, ‘Thee, O Agni from the lotus’; for him when born (the verse ) containing (the word) ‘born’, ‘Let men say’; for him when borne in the hand (the verse ) containing (the word) ‘hand’, ‘Whom with the hand like a quoit’; for him when being taken forward (the verse) containing (the word ) ‘forward’, ‘Forward the god to the feast for the gods’; for him

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when being summoned (the verse ) containing (the word) 'hither', 'Hither born in the All-knower'; for him when being lighted, 'Agni is lighted by Agni' and 'For thou, O Agni, by Agni', two (verses ) containing the word 'lighted'. 'They cleanse him with keen insight', he says in conclusion, with (a verse ) ending 'The strong steed in his own abodes'; the abode is the end; the concluding verse is the end; in the end he places the end. (He recites) the first thrice, the last thrice; they make up sixteen; (all this universe) has sixteen parts; verily (it serves) to obtain all this (universe).

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viii. 2. With this (verse he concludes) here and in the four-monthly sacrifices; when an animal is offered, after reciting this first he concludes with a Triṣṭubh, 'By the sacrifice the gods sacrificed the sacrifice'; cattle are connected with the Triṣṭubh; verily (it serves) to obtain cattle. (He recites) the first thrice, the last thrice; they make up seventeen; Prajāpati is seventeenfold; that rite is beneficial which is commensurate with Prajāpati. He recites seventeen kindling verses; Prajāpati is seventeenfold; that rite is beneficial which is commensurate with Prajāpati. The two butter portions contain references to the slaying of Vṛtra; verily (they serve) for the slaying of evil; moreover he does not depart from the model of the full moon sacrifice. Some make them contain the word 'guest'; but the rule is that they should contain references to the slaying of Vṛtra. Some say 'They should have Ṛc verses as the offering verses,' stating 'These deities have Ṛc verses as the offering verses in the Upasads.' But the rule is that they should have offering verses with the word 'delighting'. To him that is Soma he sacrifices as Viṣṇu; in that being bought he enters this (universe) as it were, that is his form as Viṣṇu. In that, further, he offers sacrifice to him that is Soma as Viṣṇu, here what in this name is Viṣṇu is to be eaten in yonder name of Soma. Therefore they offer saying 'Soma'; so do they eat. The invitatory and offering verses of the oblation are Triṣṭubh verses; the Triṣṭubh is might and strength; verily thus he confers might and strength upon the sacrificer. The invitatory and offering verses (of the Sviṣṭakṛt offering) are Triṣṭubh verses, addressed to Agni, containing (the words) 'guest' and 'chariot', 'The Hotṛ of the sacrifice, of brilliant

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chariot’, and ‘Who thee, of good horses, of good gold, O Agni.’ That is like what is fourfold and complete. The chariot comes to him who uses these two. (The sacrifice) ends with the sacrificial food; that is the symbol of approach; it is as if having advanced one should dwell in the vicinity of the world of heaven. The oblations in these sacrifices, that of consecration, the introductory, the guest offering and the Upasads, are performed inaudibly; these sacrifices are a pouring of seed; inaudibly is seed poured. They proceed, ceasing (the various) rites; the consecration sacrifice ends with the joint sacrifice for the wives with (the gods); the introductory sacrifice ends with the Çaṃyuvāka; the guest reception with the sacrificial food; in the Upasads he sacrifices to the gods. Ceasing with these rites Prajāpati went to the world of heaven; verily thus also the sacrificer ceasing with these rites proceeds to the world of heaven.

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The Pravargya.

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viii. 3. The Mahāvīra is the head of the sacrifice; he should not at the first sacrifice place it on the fire; the second sacrifice condescends to him who does not place it on the fire in the first sacrifice. Nevertheless for him who is a learned Brahman he may place it in the fire. It is the self of the sacrifice; verily thus with the self he completes the sacrifice. The Mahāvīra is he yonder that gives heat; verily thus he delights him. Him should he praise with a hundred and one (verses); at a hundred leagues hence he gives heat; with a hundred he attains the journey of a hundred leagues; the hundred and first is the world of the sacrificer; of this self the sacrificer becomes master. The man of whom men speak in the sun is Indra, is Prajāpati, is the holy power; thus herein the sacrificer attains identity of world and union with all the deities. Without taking in breath, should he praise, for the continuity of the breaths, for these breaths are continuous as it were. Both aloud and audibly should he praise; the praise is the breaths, for it is expressed, for it has speech as its deity. He utters in praise verses to Savitṛ first, to secure instigation by Savitṛ; to one instigated by Savitṛ no possible injury happens; (verily thus it serves) to secure freedom from injury.

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viii. 4. ‘The holy power born first in the east’ (he says); the holy power born first in the east is yonder where yonder (sun) gives heat; verily thus here he places the sacrificer. He utters in praise two appropriate verses containing the words ‘anoint’ and ‘sit’, ‘Whom extending as it were the sages anoint’ and ‘Sit down; great art thou.’ He utters in praise three appropriate (verses ), containing the word ‘burn’, ‘Be thou well disposed to us, O Agni, at our approach,’ ‘Burn thou well, O Agni, the foes that are near,’ and ‘The foe who secretly may attack us, O Agni’; what in the sacrifice is appropriate, that is perfect; verily (it serves) for the perfection of the sacrifice. He utters in praise (verses ) referring to the slaying of Rakṣases, ‘Make thou thy brilliance, like a broad net,’ for the smiting away of the Rakṣases; Agni is the smiter away of the Rakṣases; they are five; by the symbol of the quarters from the quarters he smites them off. Moreover, the number of spans the Adhvaryu measures, those he accompanies with these (verses). He utters in praise two appropriate (verses ) addressed to Indra, ‘Around thee, O singer, the songs,’ and ‘In the two hast thou placed the word of praise’; verily with these two he accompanies the call of Hail! to Indra. Moreover, the number of splinters the Adhvaryu gathers round, those he accompanies with the first, the last which he deposits with the last. He utters in praise two appropriate (verses ) to Pūṣan and to Rudra, ‘Pure is one of them, worthy of sacrifice one,’ and ‘Worthily dost thou bear the missiles and the bow’; verily with these two he accompanies the call of Hail! to Pūṣan and to Rudra. Moreover the two golden chips which the Adhvaryu makes of gold and silver, those two with these two he accompanies. ‘The bird anointed by the craft of the Asura’ (he says ); the bird is breath; breath is Vāyu; verily thus with these (verses) he accompanies the call of Hail! to Vāyu. ‘I beheld thee perceiving with thy mind,’ this he should utter in praise in the house of him who desires offspring. Moreover both (should he utter) when there is something unaccomplished.

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viii. 5. ‘They of the sounding drop have sounded at the rim’ is a whole (hymn) and ‘The strainer for thee is outspread, O Brahmaṇaspati’ are two verses. ‘What time the Dhiṣaṇās spread out the strainer’ is one

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verse; they make up twelve (verses) for (Soma) the purifying; verily with these he accompanies the call of Hail! for Soma. ‘May Vena impel those born of Pṛṣni’ (he says); Vena is Indra; verily with these verses he accompanies the call of Hail! for Indra. Of this (hymn) one verse, ‘The eagle flying in the vault,’ he omits; this is the radiance of the self; this (verse) he inserts in the later (verses), thereby it is not removed. For one who is spoken ill of on both sides of the Vena (hymn) he should utter in praise (the verses) for (Soma) the purifying; Vena is the self; (the verses) for (Soma) the purifying are a purifier; verily thus he purifies him. He utters in praise verses for Brahmaṇaspati which are appropriate, ‘Thee, lord of hosts, we invoke’; that is the head; Brahmaṇaspati is the holy power; verily by the holy power he perfects the head. When he approaches (the verse ) ‘May we speak aloud in the assembly with good sons,’ he should think of a son for one desiring a son; he obtains a son. ‘What offering will win your favour, O Açvins?’ these are nine aimless verses. The aimless verses are as it were of the Gāyatrī metre; breath is connected with the Gāyatrī; the aimless verses are breath. (He utters) three Anuṣṭubh verses, ‘Hither with all aids’; that is speech. ‘Let Viṣṇu form the womb,’ that (hymn ) should he utter in praise in the house of him who desires offspring. Moreover both (should he utter) when there is something unaccomplished.

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viii. 6. ‘Make sacrifice to the two who move in the morning first,’ (he utters) in the forenoon this hymn; ‘Agni shineth, the forefront of the dawns’ in the afternoon. They are Triṣṭubh (hymns), of five verses; that is the eye. ‘I praise sky and earth for first inspiration’ is in Jagatī, of twenty-five verses; that is the ear. That is the head; that head is complete in which there is breath, speech, the eye and the ear. Thus them in it he places. When it is said, ‘Glowing is the pot,’ he utters in praise this appropriate (verse ), containing (the word) ‘glow’, ‘The tawny one, the chief, hath made the dawns to glow.’ He concludes with (a verse ) containing (the word) ‘around’, ‘With days and with nights guard us around.’ He utters in praise appropriate (verses); what in the sacrifice is appropriate, that is perfect; verily (it serves) for the perfection of the sacrifice. They make up

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a hundred and one verses; the explanation of these has been given. In that he touches the waters, and the waters are healing and medicine, verily thus at the end in the sacrifice are healing and medicine produced. In that he pays reverence with the ‘opening’ verses, and the openings are the breaths, verily thus he places the breaths in himself. In that he touches the waters, and the waters are healing and medicine, verily thus at the end in the sacrifice are healing and medicine produced. The latter set are thirty-three; all the deities are thirty-three; they should support that; from them is all that taken out.

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viii. 7. He utters in praise appropriate (verses) for the milking; what in the sacrifice is appropriate, that is perfect; verily (it serves) for the perfection of the sacrifice. He utters in praise the two appropriate (verses), containing (the word) ‘pour’, ‘In the pressed pour the admixture’ and ‘Now hath the Ṛṣi for the Açvins.’ He utters in praise the appropriate (verse), ‘Up the god Savitṛ with the golden,’ containing the word ‘lift up’ as (the pot) is being lifted up. He utters in praise an appropriate (verse) addressed to Brahmaṇaspati, containing (the word) ‘forward’ as they move forward, ‘Let Brahmaṇaspati move forward.’ As they go he utters in praise (the verse) appropriate in containing (the word) ‘flying’, ‘The eagle flying in the vault.’ With two (verses) should he utter the offering prayer; strength is a pair; (verily it serves) to win strength; with a Triṣṭubh in the verses on the forenoon, for it, being connected with the Triṣṭubh, keeps supporting the three worlds; with a Jagatī in the verses in the afternoon, for it is connected with the Jagatī, for as it goes to rest all the world (*jagat*) goes to rest with it. ‘Inverting the two verses from the Saṃhitā should he utter the call of *vaṣaṭ*,’ some say, but the rule is to follow the traditional text. He utters in praise subsequent (verses) which are appropriate; what in the sacrifice is appropriate, that is perfect; verily (they serve) for the perfection of the sacrifice. ‘O thou rich in oblation, oblation, the mighty seat of the gods’ (he says) before the accomplishment of the libation; verily thus he makes it with renewed oblation and unexhausted. He concludes with (a verse) containing a benediction, ‘From eating the good pasture mayest thou be of good fortune’; verily thus he pronounces a benediction for cattle; so are cattle not liable to stray from the sacrificer. In that he

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touches the waters, and the waters are healing and medicine, verily thus at the end in the sacrifice are healing and medicine produced. Now they say 'After the pressing should it be put on the fire'; when the Bahiṣpavamāna (Stotra) has been sung, they invoke the two Açvins, the gods; at that moment should they put it on the Agnīdh's fire; just as there in the Upasads, so here on the pressing day the procedure is without taking breath. Then after due performance (the pot) is put on, and the animal sacrifice is undertaken; the Mahāvīra terminates at midday; in that with it they proceed at midday, and the Mahāvīra is he yonder that gives heat, verily thus they delight him; verily thus his symbol is produced.

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The Upasads.

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viii. 8. The Asuras made citadels in these worlds, iron in this, silver in the world of the atmosphere golden yonder in the sky they made; the gods when these worlds were invested saw the fifteenfold thunderbolt; three kindling verses repeated together make up nine, the invitatory and offering verses six; they make up fifteen. By means of this fifteenfold thunderbolt the gods pushed away the Asuras from these worlds; verily thus also the sacrificer with this fifteenfold thunderbolt pushes away the rivals who hate him from these worlds. In the forenoon he should repeat the three verses, 'To the bounteous one, to him to be attended'; for these are the Upasads. That rite is successful over which the first (three verses) are said, (for, they say), 'This day is as it were to be attended on by yonder sun.' 'This kindling-stick of mine, O Agni' (he says) in the afternoon; that is the symbol of night, (for they say) 'In the evening they sit round this fire kindled as it were.' Then on the second day (he says) in the forenoon 'This kindling-stick of mine, O Agni'; that is the symbol of day, (for they say) 'This day is kindled as it were by yonder sun.' (He says) in the afternoon 'To the bounteous one, to him to be attended'; that is the symbol of night, (for they say) 'They sit round in the evening this fire which is to be attended as it were.' Both these symbols are recognized;

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therefore day by day in alternation should he repeat (hoping) ‘Let both symbols, both desires be attained.’ He should repeat without taking breath, for the continuity of the breaths; for continuous as it were are these breaths. Thrice each one should he repeat; these worlds are three; verily thus he obtains these worlds. They repeated together make up nine; the seasons are six; these worlds are three; verily thus they make up that. He should not say this Nigada in the kindling verses; the Nigadas are omitted; it would be repetition if one were to say this Nigada. ‘He should not invite at all,’ some say; ‘But how without inviting can he say the offering verse for a deity?’ (For this reason). After the Ṛc he should invite with (the invitatory verses), ‘Bring Agni, bring Soma, bring Viṣṇu.’ For these three gods he says the offering verses; these worlds are three; verily thus he makes these worlds full of light.

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viii. 9. The two verses for Agni are Gāyatrī verses; this world is connected with the Gāyatrī; thus he obtains this world. Those for Soma are Triṣṭubh verses; the world of the atmosphere is connected with the Triṣṭubh; thus he obtains the world of the atmosphere. Those for Viṣṇu are Jagatī verses; yonder world is connected with the Jagatī; thus he obtains yonder world. These he inverts; those which in the forenoon were invitatory verses he makes offering verses in the afternoon; those which were offering verses he makes invitatory verses, to avoid exhaustion, (thinking) ‘The Ṛc becomes exhausted through the vaṣaṭ call; let me perform the vaṣaṭ call with (verses) unexhausted on the same day’. In that he inverts also, (it is) for the strength of the neck; therefore the joints of the neck are as it were intertwined. The gods have butter as their oblation, the sacrificer has milk as his fast food; that is in accord. He should treat them as broader above; on the first day (he should milk) three teats, then two, then one; verily thus he makes the worlds mutually broader. He should not take out; they advance to the world of heaven who undertake the Upasads; the world of heaven is twelve journeys away; he who takes out once, it is with him as if one should follow after those with one object sent on a single

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night before. If he takes out twice, it is as if the time were two nights; through a third (taking) he loses the world of heaven, he cannot attain it. ‘He may however follow,’ used to say Paiṅgya. ‘But he should not take out; wherever he wishes, there first should he go in the world of heaven and stop: such a completion is better,’ used Kauṣītaki to say. In the case of (need of) eating his compeers may bring curds for him, but not in the time of the fast food; curds is Soma; his food becomes unobstructed; he obtains it. If they purchase (the Soma) together, the others should proceed for two days with the middle Upasad, for it is an insertion, being in position the world of the atmosphere: so without conflict he proceeds.

Linked texts (1)

Kauṣītakibrāhmaṇa — Kauṣītaki, Sanskrit