Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 14
English (machine translation) 14
- Language
- English
Contents
- 14.1 — 26 parts
- 14.2 — 28 parts
- 14.3 — 35 parts
- 14.4 — 32 parts
- 14.5 — 29 parts
- 14.6 — 25 parts
- 14.7 — 23 parts
14.1.1
Now next [follows] the Ājya [recitation].
14.1.2
By means of the Ājya the gods obtained all desires, all immortality.
14.1.3
In the very same way the sacrificer, by means of the Ājya, obtains all desires, all immortality.
14.1.4
This Ājya is sixfold:
14.1.5
the silent muttering, the silent recitation, the puroruk, the hymn, the virility of the uktha, [and] the offering verse.
14.1.6
The year has six seasons, is sixfold.
14.1.7
By means of this sixfold Ājya the gods attained the six-seasoned year, the sixfold.
14.1.8
Through the year [they attained] all desires, all immortality.
14.1.9
In the very same way the sacrificer, by means of this sixfold Ājya, attains the six-seasoned year, the sixfold.
14.1.10
Through the year [he attains] all desires, all immortality.
14.1.11
Now, that he mutters the silent muttering at the beginning:
14.1.12
the heavenly world is the sacrifice.
14.1.13
That he mutters the silent muttering at the beginning,
14.1.14
he thereby creates safe passage for the attainment of the heavenly world.
14.1.15
Then he recites this silent recitation in a whisper,
14.1.16
for the attainment of all desires.
14.1.17
[Saying:] 'Agni is light, light is Agni'—
14.1.18
thereby he attains this world among the worlds,
14.1.19
[and] the morning pressing of the sacrifice.
14.1.20
[Saying:] 'Indra is light, light is Indra'—
14.1.21
thereby he attains the atmosphere-world among the worlds,
14.1.22
[and] the midday pressing of the sacrifice.
14.1.23
[Saying:] 'Sūrya is light, light is Sūrya'—
14.1.24
thereby he attains that yonder world among the worlds,
14.1.25
[and] the third pressing of the sacrifice.
14.1.26
Now indeed, the nivid is he that shines yonder [the sun],
14.2.1
for he goes making known this all.
14.2.2
It is placed before the hymn at the morning pressing,
14.2.3
for in front is he at that time.
14.2.4
In the middle of the hymn at the midday pressing,
14.2.5
for in the middle is he at that time.
14.2.6
having left the final [verses], at the third pressing.
14.2.7
For at that time it has moved over to the west.
14.2.8
Thus, in accordance with the form of this [sun], he goes on inserting the nivid.
14.2.9
Now, on this they say: ‘Bay steeds indeed draw the morning pressing;
14.2.10
white-backed ones, the midday pressing;
14.2.11
white-shining ones, the third pressing’—[that is,] with the sun itself.
14.2.12
He recites alongside a puroruc of twelve padas.
14.2.13
The year indeed consists of twelve months,
14.2.14
for the obtaining of the year.
14.2.15
Then he recites the ājya [śastra] of seven verses.
14.2.16
Seven indeed are the metres,
14.2.17
for the obtaining of all the metres.
14.2.18
It is composed in the anuṣṭubh metre.
14.2.19
The anuṣṭubh is speech.
14.2.20
Thereby, whatever has been uttered with speech, with the anuṣṭubh, all that he obtains.
14.2.21
He separates the two padas.
14.2.22
That is the form of procreation.
14.2.23
A male indeed, as it were, opens [the thighs of] the female.
14.2.24
Moreover, in that he separates them,
14.2.25
that is the form of the two firm standings.
14.2.26
And furthermore, that which is between these two padas is indeed the mouth of death.
14.2.27
If he were to say of someone who takes a breath here:
14.2.28
‘He has fallen into the mouth of death; he will not live,’ it would indeed be so.
14.3.1
Therefore he should pass over without breathing in.
14.3.2
Breath indeed is immortality.
14.3.3
By means of immortality he crosses over death.
14.3.4
With the subsequent half-verse recited continuously, he sounds the praṇava.
14.3.5
Thereby he hurls a thunderbolt at his evil rival.
14.3.6
These amount to ten gāyatrīs.
14.3.7
For the tenth pada has eight syllables.
14.3.8
That which is the anuṣṭubh is indeed a gāyatrī.
14.3.9
The gāyatrī is the metre of Agni.
14.3.10
At the morning pressing, the adhvaryu draws ten draughts.
14.3.11
They praise with nine [verses] in the bahiṣpavamāna [stotra].
14.3.12
The hiṃ-sound is the tenth.
14.3.13
These [recited verses] are ten.
14.3.14
Doing this variously, they produce the virāj.
14.3.15
That virāj is indeed complete food and nourishment.
14.3.16
Having produced that, he establishes it in the sacrificer.
14.3.17
With three times the first and three times the final, they amount to eleven.
14.3.18
The offering verse is the twelfth.
14.3.19
The year indeed consists of twelve months,
14.3.20
for the obtaining of the year.
14.3.21
When recited, they amount to sixteen gāyatrīs.
14.3.22
Thus the ājya [recitation] attains the gāyatrī.
14.3.23
He sacrifices with a verse to Agni and Indra.
14.3.24
Thereby he makes Indra share half of the pressing.
14.3.25
‘In it he causes the deities to share,’ Kauṣītaki used to say.
14.3.26
The virāj indeed consists of thirty-three syllables.
14.3.27
The deities are thirty-three.
14.3.28
He makes the deities share in the syllables.
14.3.29
Leaving the pada: ‘O Agni and Indra, in the house of the giver’ [RV 1.108.7], he breathes in at the half-verse of the virāj.
14.3.30
The virāj is prosperity, food and nourishment.
14.3.31
Thus he firmly stands in prosperity, in the virāj, in food and nourishment.
14.3.32
With the subsequent half-verse of the virāj he utters the vaṣaṭ-call.
14.3.33
Thereby he establishes the sacrificer in the heavenly world.
14.3.34
He utters the secondary vaṣaṭ-call for the pacification of the offerings,
14.3.35
for the firm standing of the offerings.
14.4.1
‘Let the two of us recite,’ he calls at the morning pressing.
14.4.2
‘Let us recite, divine [one],’ says the adhvaryu.
14.4.3
Those make eight syllables.
14.4.4
"The uktha has been spoken," the hotṛ should say in a whisper at the morning pressing.
14.4.5
"O reciter of the uktha," [responds] the adhvaryu.
14.4.6
Those make eight [syllables].
14.4.7
Having begun the pressing with the Gāyatrī, they established themselves upon the Gāyatrī.
14.4.8
"O adhvaryu, let the two of us recite!" he calls at the midday pressing.
14.4.9
"Let us recite, divine [one]!" [responds] the adhvaryu.
14.4.10
Those make eleven syllables.
14.4.11
"The uktha has been spoken for Indra," the hotṛ should say in a whisper at the midday pressing.
14.4.12
The adhvaryu [replies]: 'ukthaśā'.
14.4.13
These are eleven [syllables].
14.4.14
Having reached the pressing with the Triṣṭubh, the two have become established in the Triṣṭubh.
14.4.15
At the third pressing, he calls with repetition: 'adhvaryo śo śoṃsāvo'.
14.4.16
The adhvaryu responds with repetition: 'śo śoṃsāmo daiva'.
14.4.17
These are twelve syllables.
14.4.18
With the pluti it is thirteen.
14.4.19
At the third pressing, the hotṛ should say in a whisper: 'vāci indrāya ukthaṃ devebhyaḥ'.
14.4.20
The adhvaryu [replies]: 'ukthaśā'.
14.4.21
These are twelve [syllables].
14.4.22
Having rightly reached the pressing with the Jagatī, the two have become established in the Jagatī.
14.4.23
This indeed is what is inserted in the middle.
14.4.24
Now, even if he happens to have displaced metres,
14.4.25
the metres carry the sacrifice properly arranged for him who knows thus.
14.4.26
Moreover, regarding this, he used to say that this verse has been recited:
14.4.27
'When the Gāyatra is placed upon the Gāyatra, or they fashion the Traiṣṭubha from the Traiṣṭubha, /'
14.4.28
'Or when the Jagat-foot is placed upon the Jagatī—those who know this attain immortality.'
14.4.29
Moreover, as these deities are placed upon these worlds:
14.4.30
this Agni, belonging to the Gāyatrī, is placed upon this world, which belongs to the Gāyatrī;
14.4.31
Vāyu, belonging to the Triṣṭubh, is placed upon the atmosphere world, which belongs to the Triṣṭubh;
14.4.32
yonder sun, belonging to the Jagatī, is placed upon yonder world, which belongs to the Jagatī.
14.5.1
Having recited the Ājya recitation, he recites the Prauga recitation.
14.5.2
The Ājya recitation is the self of the sacrificer;
14.5.3
the Prauga recitation is the vital breaths.
14.5.4
in that having recited the Ājya [śastra] he recites the Prauga [śastra],
14.5.5
thus indeed the sacrificer, having attained a full lifespan in this world, attains immortality and imperishability in the heavenly world.
14.5.6
When the Pavamāna chant has been sung, he recites the Ājya recitation;
14.5.7
when the Ājya chant has been sung, [he recites] the Prauga recitation.
14.5.8
That Prauga recitation is indeed the recitation for the Pavamāna chant;
14.5.9
the Ājya recitation is the recitation for the Ājya chant.
14.5.10
Thus he transposes the two.
14.5.11
It is just as if one were to intertwine the two inner reins of a chariot.
14.5.12
'He recites in accordance with the draughts,' Kauṣītaki used to say:
14.5.13
that draught of Vāyu, of Indra and Vāyu,
14.5.14
with [the triplet] to Vāyu and [the triplet] to Indra and Vāyu;
14.5.15
[the draught] for Mitra and Varuṇa with [the triplet] to Mitra and Varuṇa;
14.5.16
[the draught] for the Aśvins with [the triplet] to the Aśvins;
14.5.17
when he offers the set of draughts, that is with [the triplet] to Indra;
14.5.18
when the hotrās sacrifice together, that is with [the triplet] to the All-Gods;
14.5.19
speech is Sarasvatī at all the pressings.'
14.5.20
now, the puroruc is indeed yonder one who burns.
14.5.21
for he shines in the east.
14.5.22
Now the puroruc is vital breath, and the hymn is the self;
14.5.23
Now, the puroruc is indeed the self.
14.5.24
and the hymn is offspring and cattle.
14.5.25
Therefore he does not call out between the puroruc and the hymn.
14.5.26
having recited the hymn along with the puroruc,
14.5.27
he calls out only for puroruc after puroruc.
14.5.28
'Vāyur agregāḥ'—that is the form of the in-breath;
14.5.29
'vāyav ā'—that is the form of the out-breath.
14.6.1
He recites the Prauga recitation in Gāyatrī metre;
14.6.2
by it the morning pressing is obtained.
14.6.3
He recites [verses] to Indra;
14.6.4
by that the midday pressing is obtained.
14.6.5
He recites [verses] to the All-Gods;
14.6.6
by that the third pressing is obtained.
14.6.7
Then he recites the puroruc to the All-Gods.
14.6.8
It has six feet.
14.6.9
they call it the seasons.
14.6.10
for the seasons are six.
14.6.11
He recites separating every two pādas of it.
14.6.12
Therefore the seasons, combined in pairs, are declared: summer, the rains, winter.
14.6.13
Here, indeed, some recite a puroruc to Sarasvatī.
14.6.14
He should not do so.
14.6.15
That is superfluous.
14.6.16
Speech is indeed bright.
14.6.17
Speech itself is indeed the puroruc.
14.6.18
'Come, O Vāyu, visible', [and] 'O Aśvins, sacrifice-bearing refreshments'—these both [form] that prauga recitation, consisting of nine verses and twelve verses.
14.6.19
That [makes] twenty-one.
14.6.20
The twenty-one-fold stoma is indeed the highest of the stomas.
14.6.21
Thereby he attains the highest stoma.
14.6.22
Moreover, as to why it is twenty-one:
14.6.23
Twelve months, five seasons, [and] these three worlds;
14.6.24
yonder sun is the twenty-first.
14.6.25
By means of it he mounts the sacrificer into shared worldhood [with the sun].
14.7.1
These indeed are seven triplets.
14.7.2
Seven indeed are the meters.
14.7.3
[It is] for the attainment of all the meters.
14.7.4
Moreover, by these the gods wrested the seven heptads of the asuras.
14.7.5
In the very same way, by these the sacrificer wrests the seven heptads of his spiteful enemy.
14.7.6
In the beginning, the morning pressing belonged to Agni;
14.7.7
the midday pressing belonged to Indra;
14.7.8
the third pressing belonged to the All-Gods.
14.7.9
Agni desired:
14.7.10
'May I have a share in the midday pressing and also in the third pressing.'
14.7.11
Indra desired:
14.7.12
'May I have a share in the morning pressing and also in the third pressing.'
14.7.13
The All-Gods desired:
14.7.14
'May we have a share in the midday pressing and also in the morning pressing.'
14.7.15
These deities, directed hither from yonder, linked up forward from the third pressing to the morning pressing.
14.7.16
Because they linked up forward (abhiprāyuñjata),
14.7.17
that is the nature of the prauga recitation as prauga.
14.7.18
Therefore many deities are recited in the prauga recitation.
14.7.19
Therefore all the pressings belong to all the deities.
14.7.20
Having recited the uktha with 'With the All-Gods, the soma mead...', he makes the offering with [verses] addressed to the All-Gods.
14.7.21
For this uktha belongs to the All-Gods.
14.7.22
With the Gāyatrī [he recites, for] the morning pressing is connected with the Gāyatrī.
14.7.23
He should indeed utter the secondary vaṣaṭ-call, he should indeed utter the secondary vaṣaṭ-call.
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