Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 11
English (machine translation) 11
- Language
- English
Contents
- 11.1 — 20 parts
- 11.2 — 45 parts
- 11.3 — 14 parts
- 11.4 — 15 parts
- 11.5 — 21 parts
- 11.6 — 21 parts
- 11.7 — 26 parts
- 11.8 — 27 parts
- 11.9 — 12 parts
11.1.1
Now then, the morning recitation.
11.1.2
Because he recites it in the morning,
11.1.3
that is why the morning recitation is called the morning recitation.
11.1.4
Now, in that he mutters the introductory formula and offers the oblations,
11.1.5
he thereby creates an auspicious progress.
11.1.6
Having uttered 'hiṃ', he recites the morning recitation.
11.1.7
A thunderbolt indeed is the sound 'hiṃ'.
11.1.8
With that thunderbolt he smites the evil of the sacrificer.
11.1.9
He should recite loudly and distinctly.
11.1.10
This indeed is the one [form] of speech that is untouched by evil: that which is distinct.
11.1.11
Therefore he should recite distinctly,
11.1.12
for the destruction of the evil of the sacrificer.
11.1.13
He should recite half-verse by half-verse.
11.1.14
Commensurate with a verse indeed are these worlds:
11.1.15
this world is the first half-verse;
11.1.16
that world is the second.
11.1.17
Now, that which is between the two half-verses is this intermediate space.
11.1.18
So, in that he recites half-verse by half-verse,
11.1.19
he makes the sacrificer prosper through these very worlds;
11.1.20
in these very worlds he establishes the sacrificer.
11.2.1
Now, the Paṅkti has five quarters; how does it become recited half-verse by half-verse?
11.2.2
The sacred syllable [oṃ] is the third of the latter two [quarters].
11.2.3
Thus it becomes recited half-verse by half-verse.
11.2.4
He recites the section to Agni;
11.2.5
thereby he obtains this world.
11.2.6
He recites the [section] to Uṣas;
11.2.7
thereby he obtains the world of the intermediate space.
11.2.8
He recites the [section] to the Aśvins;
11.2.9
thereby he obtains that world.
11.2.10
He recites in Gāyatrī.
11.2.11
The Gāyatrī is the mouth.
11.2.12
He recites in Anuṣṭubh.
11.2.13
Speech is the Anuṣṭubh.
11.2.14
Thus he places speech in the mouth.
11.2.15
For with the mouth one speaks speech.
11.2.16
He recites in Triṣṭubh.
11.2.17
The Triṣṭubh is strength and virility.
11.2.18
He recites the Bṛhatī.
11.2.19
The Bṛhatī is indeed cattle and horses.
11.2.20
He recites the Uṣṇih.
11.2.21
The Uṣṇih is indeed goats and sheep.
11.2.22
He recites the Jagatī.
11.2.23
The Jagatī is power and virility.
11.2.24
The Triṣṭubh is power and virility in front;
11.2.25
the Jagatī is power and virility behind.
11.2.26
In the middle are the cattle belonging to the Bṛhatī and the Uṣṇih.
11.2.27
Thus, enclosing cattle on both sides with power and virility, he places them in the sacrificer.
11.2.28
So cattle do not run away from the sacrificer.
11.2.29
Now, just as in this world human beings eat cattle,
11.2.30
just as they make use of them,
11.2.31
even so in yonder world cattle eat human beings,
11.2.32
even so they make use of them.
11.2.33
He who secures them here through the morning litany—
11.2.34
secured here, they do not eat him in yonder world,
11.2.35
nor do they make use of him in return.
11.2.36
Just as he eats them in this world,
11.2.37
just as he makes use of them,
11.2.38
even so he eats them in yonder world.
11.2.36_2
Just as he eats them in this world,
11.2.37_2
just as he makes use of them,
11.2.38_2
even so he eats them in yonder world,
11.2.39
even so he makes use of them.
11.2.40
He recites the Paṅkti.
11.2.41
The Paṅkti is a firm foundation.
11.2.42
Thereby he firmly establishes the sacrificer in all beings.
11.3.1
Now, all deities await the hotṛ when he is about to recite the morning litany, hoping, ‘He will begin with me! He will begin with me!’
11.3.2
If he were to specify one deity and begin,
11.3.3
then he would be cut off from the other deities.
11.3.4
He begins with an unexpressed [verse];
11.3.5
thereby he is not cut off from any deity.
11.3.6
He begins with: ‘O wealthy waters, for you possess wealth.’
11.3.7
The waters are indeed all deities;
11.3.8
he thus begins with all deities.
11.3.9
He subjoins: ‘Coming near to the rite.’
11.3.10
‘Near’ (upa)—that is the form of this world.
11.3.11
‘Going’ (prayantaḥ)—that is [the form] of yonder [world].
11.3.12
‘Near’ (upa)—that is the form of Agni.
11.3.13
‘Going’ (prayantaḥ)—that is [the form] of yonder Āditya.
11.3.14
So it is with all beginnings, with all seasons:
11.4.1
in the [sections] addressed to Agni, to Uṣas, and to the Aśvins, the first exclamation is the form of Agni,
11.4.2
and the following one is [the form] of yonder Āditya.
11.4.3
Now, between these two different metres there is, as it were, a pit.
11.4.4
These two deities are the strongest, unhurt, and uninjured;
11.4.5
he begins with them.
11.4.6
He should ascend with the same hymn;
11.4.7
that […] is the form of copper, leading to heaven.
11.4.8
Or where [the verses] belong to the same seer,
11.4.9
he should transition there without taking breath.
11.4.10
Breath is immortality;
11.4.11
by immortality he crosses over that death.
11.4.12
Just as one would cross a pit by means of a bamboo pole or a bridge, even so is that.
11.4.13
He transitions with the praṇava.
11.4.14
The praṇava is the Brahman;
11.4.15
with the Brahman he thus connects the Brahman.
11.5.1
The praṇava should be pure for those who desire offspring;
11.5.2
ending in the sound m for those who desire a firm foundation.
11.5.3
Now some say: 'The praṇava should end in the sound m.'
11.5.4
However, it is settled that [it is] pure.
11.5.5
The praṇava has been investigated [thus]:
11.5.6
now then, here [it is] pure, here complete.
11.5.7
Kauṣītaki used to say: 'The praṇava should be pure between the recitation and the repeated recitation.'
11.5.8
Thus it becomes continuous.
11.5.9
Ending in 'm' is for the purpose of a pause.
11.5.10
For a pause is a firm foundation, for the sake of a firm foundation indeed,
11.5.11
and also for the attainment of both desires.
11.5.12
These indeed are metre-currents: they carry a lower metre across to a higher metre.
11.5.13
There is no distress for him who is carried across from metre to metre by a metre.
11.5.14
Passing beyond indeed, whomsoever he might hate,
11.5.15
him he should, as it were, pierce with his mind in the clefts of the metres.
11.5.16
He used to say: 'He either flees or goes to ruin.'
11.5.17
He recites the last [verses] of the rites, having identical endings, composed in Paṅkti.
11.5.18
The end is sap.
11.5.19
Metres are cattle.
11.5.20
Thereby the metres return toward the sap.
11.5.21
Indeed, cattle return, as it were;
11.6.1
they delight in good pasture.
11.6.2
When recited twice, that [Virāj] lacks one [syllable];
11.6.3
when recited thrice, it is precisely a Virāj;
11.6.4
by one [syllable], it exceeds the Virāj.
11.6.5
Three, indeed, are the desires in the sacrifice:
11.6.6
that which is in the exact, that which is in the deficient, that which is in the excessive.
11.6.7
What in the sacrifice is exact leads to heaven;
11.6.8
what is deficient is food and eating of food;
11.6.9
what is excessive is for the generation of offspring.
11.6.10
Thereby the sacrificer obtains all desires right here.
11.6.11
With [a verse] containing a blessing—'This bright animal has appeared'—he concludes.
11.6.12
Thereby he expresses a blessing for cattle.
11.6.13
Thus cattle do not depart from the sacrificer.
11.6.14
At it, he releases speech.
11.6.15
Thereby he announces him to the gods, [saying,] 'He has been born.'
11.6.16
For he is born here.
11.6.17
He repeats the two-verse hymn: 'Through this, may we win the god-given prize.'
11.6.18
These metres increasing by four are cattle;
11.6.19
the two-verse hymn has the sacrificer as its metre.
11.6.20
Thereby he places the sacrificer in dominion over cattle.
11.6.21
For man stands, as it were, over cattle.
11.7.1
He recites thrice-seven metres of the rites.
11.7.2
That makes twenty-one.
11.7.3
The twenty-one-fold catuṣṭoma is the highest among the stomas.
11.7.4
Thereby he attains the highest stoma.
11.7.5
And also because there are twenty-one:
11.7.6
twelve months, five seasons, these three worlds,
11.7.7
[and] yonder sun is the twenty-first.
11.7.8
By this he elevates the sacrificer into having the same world with him.
11.7.9
Now they say: 'Whereas these are the kindling verses of the oblation sacrifice or of the animal [sacrifice], which are those of the Soma sacrifice?'
11.7.10
He should say: 'The prātar-anuvāka.'
11.7.11
By syllables indeed one seeks to attain the year in the other [sacrifices];
11.7.12
here, by verses.
11.7.13
He should recite a measure of a hundred.
11.7.14
A hundred years indeed is a man's life.
11.7.15
He thereby places life in him.
11.7.16
He should recite a hundred and twenty.
11.7.17
A hundred and twenty are the days of a season.
11.7.18
Thereby he attains the season,
11.7.19
through the season, the year,
11.7.20
and whatever desires are in the year.
11.7.21
He should recite three hundred and sixty.
11.7.22
Three hundred and sixty are the days of the year.
11.7.23
Thereby he obtains the days of the year.
11.7.24
He should recite seven hundred and twenty [verses].
11.7.25
Seven hundred and twenty are the days and nights of the year.
11.7.26
Thereby he obtains the days and nights of the year.
11.8.1
He should recite a thousand.
11.8.2
For whatever is a thousand is everything.
11.8.3
The morning recitation is everything.
11.8.4
Thereby he obtains everything through everything, who knows thus.
11.8.5
And Kauṣītaki used to say regarding this:
11.8.6
'Prajāpati is the morning recitation;
11.8.7
and Prajāpati is unlimited;
11.8.8
who could measure him?'
11.8.9
This indeed is the established rule.
11.8.10
Regarding this they say: 'Since the ukthas are recited in the sadas, then why does he recite the morning recitation between the two Havirdhāna carts?'
11.8.11
The two Havirdhāna carts are the head of the sacrifice.
11.8.12
Speech is the morning recitation.
11.8.13
Thus he completes the head with speech.
11.8.14
The sadas is the belly.
11.8.15
The ukthas are food.
11.8.16
And food belongs to the belly.
11.8.17
Just as a cart is [filled], so is the sacrifice in correspondence [to it].
11.8.18
As grain is, so is the morning recitation.
11.8.19
As dishes are, so are the ukthas.
11.8.20
If he recites too little,
11.8.21
just as dishes would collide when grain is scarce,
11.8.22
so his ukthas collide.
11.8.23
Following the collision of the ukthas, misfortune is liable to overtake the sacrificer.
11.8.24
Therefore indeed they say: 'He should recite much.'
11.8.25
Thereby he strengthens the ukthas,
11.8.26
[thinking,] 'May the blessing of the successful sacrifice be fulfilled for me.'
11.8.27
The blessing of the successful sacrifice belongs to the sacrificer.
11.9.1
Moreover, these three [recitations] in the sacrifice consist of a thousand [verses]:
11.9.2
the morning recitation, the Āśvina śastra, and the Mahāvrata.
11.9.3
He should begin this recitation deep in the night, before the emission of voice,
11.9.4
before that time when animals, humans, and birds take up their voices,
11.9.6
[thinking,] 'Let me first attain swelling, undivided speech.'
11.9.7
He does not utter [ordinary] speech between the morning recitation and the Upāṃśu and Antaryāma [offerings].
11.9.8
The Upāṃśu and Antaryāma are out-breath and in-breath.
11.9.9
The morning recitation is speech.
11.9.10
[He does so] lest he separate out-breath, in-breath, and speech with anything else.
11.9.11
Now some, having murmured: 'Who is the wise one that knows the conjunction of metres?', begin with: 'O waters, rich in wealth, you possess goods.'
11.9.12
Nothing should be omitted before 'O waters, rich in wealth.'
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Translations (1)
- Rigveda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas of the Rigveda (HOS 25) — Arthur Berriedale Keith 1920, English
Linked texts (1)
- Kauṣītakibrāhmaṇa — Kauṣītaki, Sanskrit