Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 3
English (machine translation) 3
- Language
- English
Contents
- 3.1 — 14 parts
- 3.2 — 31 parts
- 3.3 — 34 parts
- 3.4 — 28 parts
- 3.5 — 19 parts
- 3.6 — 23 parts
- 3.7 — 19 parts
- 3.8 — 25 parts
- 3.9 — 23 parts
- 3.10 — 35 parts
- 3.11 — 15 parts
- 3.12 — 27 parts
3.1.1
When he observes the fast-day on the New and Full Moon sacrifices,
3.1.2
the gods do not eat the oblation of one who has not observed vows;
3.1.3
therefore he observes the fast-day,
3.1.4
[thinking,] 'May the gods eat my oblation.'
3.1.5
'He should fast on the prior full moon day,' is the Paiṅgya [doctrine];
3.1.6
'on the subsequent,' is the Kauṣītaka.
3.1.7
'The one during which [the moon] rises around sunset'—that is the settled rule.
3.1.8
He should fast on the prior full moon day, not having noticed the moon previously at the new moon.
3.1.9
By fasting, he pleases the prior [day];
3.1.10
by sacrificing, the subsequent.
3.1.11
He should fast on the subsequent [day].
3.1.12
Verily, the ocean swells following the subsequent [day] in accordance with Soma, its deity.
3.1.13
This truth of the gods is indeed the moon;
3.1.14
therefore he should fast on the subsequent [day].
3.2.1
Now, that he mutters before the kindling verses,
3.2.2
thereby he brings about a safe journey.
3.2.3
Having made the sound hiṃ, he recites the kindling verses.
3.2.4
The sound hiṃ is indeed a thunderbolt;
3.2.5
with a thunderbolt he strikes away the evil of the sacrificer.
3.2.6
He makes the sound hiṃ three times.
3.2.7
The thunderbolt is threefold;
3.2.8
thereby he accomplishes the thunderbolt.
3.2.9
By this threefold thunderbolt, the gods drove out the Asuras from these worlds;
3.2.10
in the very same way, the sacrificer, by this threefold thunderbolt, drives out hateful rivals from these worlds.
3.2.11
He recites eleven kindling verses.
3.2.12
The Triṣṭubh has eleven syllables;
3.2.13
Indra belongs to the Triṣṭubh;
3.2.14
thereby he obtains both Indra and Agni.
3.2.15
With three [repetitions] of the first and three of the last, it amounts to fifteen.
3.2.16
Fifteen are the days of the waxing half-month and the waning half-month;
3.2.17
thus through the kindling verses he obtains the waxing and waning half-months.
3.2.18
Moreover, the kindling verses are a thunderbolt;
3.2.19
fifteenfold is the thunderbolt;
3.2.20
with a thunderbolt he strikes away the evil of the sacrificer.
3.2.21
And as to why [he recites] the first three times and the last three times,
3.2.22
thereby he ties the two ends of the sacrifice for firmness, so it does not collapse.
3.2.23
Of them, there are three hundred and sixty syllables.
3.2.24
Three hundred and sixty are the days of the year;
3.2.25
thus through the kindling verses he obtains the days of the year.
3.2.26
They are in the Gāyatrī meter.
3.2.27
Agni belongs to the Gāyatrī, having the Gāyatrī as his meter.
3.2.28
With his own meter he thus praises Agni.
3.2.29
They are conformable.
3.2.30
What in the sacrifice is conformable, that is successful, for the success of the sacrifice.
3.2.31
At the third utterance of the last [verse], he joins the nigada by means of the praṇava:
3.3.1
“Agni, great art thou, O priestly Bhārata!”
3.3.2
Agni is indeed Bharata;
3.3.3
for he bears (bharati) the oblation to the gods.
3.3.4
Now, when he pronounces the ancestral lineage (ārṣeya) of the sacrificer:
3.3.5
the gods do not eat the oblation of one whose ancestral lineage is not declared.
3.3.6
Therefore he pronounces his ancestral lineage.
3.3.9
Then he joins this fifteen-word nigada.
3.3.8
This indeed is the nivad of the kindling verses.
3.3.9_2
Therefore it consists of fifteen words,
3.3.10
for the kindling verses are fifteen.
3.3.11
It is composed without meter.
3.3.12
Twofold indeed is all this: composed with meter and composed without meter;
3.3.13
[thinking,] “With all that let me praise Agni.”
3.3.14
Combining seven words of it, he should pause.
3.3.15
Seven indeed are the meters,
3.3.16
for the attainment of all the meters.
3.3.17
Then four, then four.
3.3.18
Fourfold indeed is all this,
3.3.19
for the attainment of this whole [world].
3.3.20
Now, that he invokes the deities separately:
3.3.21
for the oblations are taken separately for them;
3.3.22
therefore he invokes the deities separately.
3.3.23
Now, that he invokes Agni through Agni:
3.3.24
that indeed is Agni's sacrificial form which is his oblation-bearer;
3.3.25
it is that yonder which shines above this sun, as if in the sky, like a light.
3.3.26
So, when he says, “Bring hither Agni, O Agni!”
3.3.27
he means just this: “Bring that [form] hither!”
3.3.28
Now, that he invokes the gods who drink melted butter:
3.3.29
he thereby invokes the fore-offerings and after-offerings.
3.3.30
Now, that he invokes Agni for the hotṛ's office:
3.3.31
he thereby invokes [Agni] Sviṣṭakṛt.
3.3.32
Now, that he invokes his own greatness:
3.3.33
he thereby invokes Vāyu;
3.3.34
for Vāyu is Agni's own greatness;
3.4.1
for by uniting with him he attains greatness.
3.4.2
Moreover, because he recites with speech, he sacrifices with speech;
3.4.3
thereby indeed his own greatness is sacrificed to.
3.4.4
He says: “Bring hither, O Jātavedas, and sacrifice with well-yoked [steeds]!”
3.4.5
He thereby says to him: “Bring hither the gods, O Jātavedas, and sacrifice to the deities with [thy] companions!”
3.4.6
Now, that he mutters after the kindling verses:
3.4.7
the kindling verses are a vajra;
3.4.8
that [vajra] he thus appeases both beforehand and afterward.
3.4.9
Now, that he causes the two ladles to be taken up by the call to take up the ladles:
3.4.10
he thereby yokes a chariot of the gods, being about to offer the oblation to the gods.
3.4.11
By this chariot of the gods, he safely reaches the heavenly world.
3.4.12
He offers the fore-offerings.
3.4.13
The fore-offerings are the seasons;
3.4.14
he thereby pleases the seasons.
3.4.15
They are five;
3.4.16
through them he obtains whatever is fivefold with respect to the deities and with respect to the self.
3.4.17
He sacrifices to the kindling sticks: [that is] the spring;
3.4.18
for in the spring all this is kindled.
3.4.19
He sacrifices to Tanūnapāt: [that is] the summer;
3.4.20
for in the summer he burns the body (tanū).
3.4.21
He sacrifices to the Iḍās: [that is] the rains;
3.4.22
for through the rains lauded food arises.
3.4.23
He sacrifices to the sacrificial grass: [that is] autumn.
3.4.24
For in autumn plants are abundant like sacrificial grass.
3.4.25
He sacrifices to the svāhā-call at the end: [that is] winter.
3.4.26
For in winter all this is offered with 'svāhā'.
3.4.27
As to this they say: 'Since there are five fore-offerings and six seasons, where does he sacrifice to this sixth season?'
3.4.28
In that he combines [the butter] at the fourth fore-offering, he thereby distributes it among the others.
3.5.1
Now, in that he includes the deities at the last fore-offering,
3.5.2
he thereby makes them share in the fore-offering.
3.5.3
Just as Agni is a sharer in all oblations,
3.5.4
so he makes the deities sharers in Agni's share.
3.5.5
Here he does not say, 'Agni from the hotṛ's office'.
3.5.6
The fore-offerings are cattle;
3.5.7
Rudra is Sviṣṭakṛt;
3.5.8
[thinking,] 'Lest I attach the sacrificer's cattle to Rudra.'
3.5.9
Some indeed say: 'May the gods, butter-drinkers, being pleased, partake of the butter, O Agni!'
3.5.10
He should not do so.
3.5.11
Half of the sacrifice is butter, half is the oblation.
3.5.12
If he were to say only one of the two,
3.5.13
half of the sacrifice would be offered and half unoffered.
3.5.14
Therefore he should say only: 'May the gods, butter-drinkers, being pleased, partake of the butter, of the oblation, O Agni!'
3.5.15
Now, as for the two butter portions being 'slayer of Vṛtra' at the full moon:
3.5.16
Indra slew Vṛtra by means of the full moon [rite].
3.5.17
Then, as for the two possessing 'increase' at the new moon:
3.5.18
the moon goes to wane at this time;
3.5.19
he thus makes it swell, he makes it increase.
3.6.1
Both [verses] have the juṣāṇa offering verse.
3.6.2
For they share the same oblation with the fore-offerings.
3.6.3
Moreover, the juṣāṇa is the priesthood.
3.6.4
He thus presents the oblation to the gods through the priesthood.
3.6.5
The two are threefold:
3.6.6
the 'ye yajāmahe' [formula], the nigada formula, and the vaṣaṭ-call.
3.6.7
The two butter portions are the two eyes.
3.6.8
Threefold indeed is the eye: the white, the black, and the red.
3.6.9
He does not perform the two at the animal sacrifice, nor at the Soma sacrifice.
3.6.10
Possessed of eyes indeed is the rite through the animal;
3.6.11
[thinking,] 'Lest I make the rite four-eyed, monstrous.'
3.6.12
Now, as the invitatory verses contain [the root] hū- ('to call'),
3.6.13
and the offering verses contain pra- ('forth') and contain [the root] dā- ('to give'),
3.6.14
having called upon [them], he presents the oblation to the gods.
3.6.15
They are Gāyatrī and Triṣṭubh.
3.6.16
Gāyatrī is the priesthood;
3.6.19
Triṣṭubh is the nobility.
3.6.20
He thus presents the oblation to the gods through the priesthood and the nobility.
3.6.21
He pronounces the vaṣaṭ-call at the end of the verse;
3.6.22
thus all his offering verses become endowed with proper form.
3.6.23
He utters the vaṣaṭ-call with six syllables.
3.6.24
Six indeed are the seasons;
3.6.25
he thereby gratifies the seasons.
3.7.1
He should make the vaṣaṭ-call Bārhata-Rāthantara: long in front, short behind.
3.7.2
What is short, that is the Rathantara;
3.7.3
what is long, that is the Bṛhat.
3.7.4
Moreover, this [earth] is the Rathantara, yonder [sky] is the Bṛhat;
3.7.5
he thus firmly establishes [the rite] in these two.
3.7.7
Moreover, such is the transformation of speech; by means of the entire transformation of speech he presents the oblation to the gods.
3.7.8
He mutters 'bhūr bhuvaḥ' before the 'ye yajāmahe' [formula].
3.7.9
Having uttered the vaṣaṭ-call, he mutters after it: 'Power, strength, strength, power, light!'
3.7.10
The vaṣaṭ-call is indeed a thunderbolt;
3.7.11
he thus pacifies it both before and behind.
3.7.12
Moreover, these are the two dearest bodies of the vaṣaṭ-call: power and strength;
3.7.13
by means of them he pacifies it.
3.7.14
Now, as to why he sacrifices to Agni first of the deities:
3.7.15
Agni indeed is the mouth of the gods.
3.7.17
From the mouth, therefore, he gratifies the gods. / Now, as to why he sacrifices to Agni and Soma on the full moon day:
3.7.18
Agni and Soma indeed were within Vṛtra.
3.7.19
At him Indra was not able to hurl the thunderbolt.
3.7.22
In that he sacrifices in a whisper, thereby he gratifies Soma;
3.7.23
in that [he sacrifices] distinctly, thereby [he gratifies] Agni.
3.8.1
Now, as to why he sacrifices to Indra and Agni on the new moon day:
3.8.2
Indra and Agni indeed are a firm foundation, for firm establishment.
3.8.3
Now, as to why, when offering the sānnāyya, he sacrifices to Indra or to Mahendra:
3.8.4
this new moon day is indeed light.
3.8.5
For here the moon is not seen.
3.8.6
Now, as to why, when not offering the sānnāyya, he sacrifices with clarified butter in a whisper between the two sacrificial cakes, [it is] to prevent monotony.
3.8.7
Now, as to why, when offering the sānnāyya, he sacrifices with clarified butter in a whisper between [the offerings] of the sānnāyya, the Brāhmaṇa of that has been explained.
3.8.8
Now, as to why he sacrifices to Agni Sviṣṭakṛt at the end:
3.8.9
he indeed distributes the oblation to the gods.
3.8.10
He who distributes food partakes at the end.
3.8.11
Moreover, Sviṣṭakṛt is indeed Rudra.
3.8.12
He is indeed the one who has his portion at the end.
3.8.13
Therefore he sacrifices to him at the end.
3.8.14
His two meters, the offering verse and the invitatory verse, the formula separates.
3.8.15
Thereby it becomes non-monotonous.
3.8.16
Having uttered the vaṣaṭ-call, he touches water.
3.8.17
Water indeed is pacification and medicine.
3.8.18
Pacification indeed, [and] medicine, is thereby performed in the sacrifice.
3.8.19
Now, as to why, with the forefinger, he smears the first anointing of the iḍā on the lower lip,
3.8.20
[and] the second on the upper lip:
3.8.21
the lower lip indeed is this world;
3.8.22
the upper lip is that world.
3.8.23
Now, that which is between the lips is this intermediate space.
3.8.24
In that he consumes it,
3.8.25
he gratifies these worlds, connecting them together.
3.9.1
Now, as to why he invokes the iḍā:
3.9.2
thereby he seeks an invitation among all beings.
3.9.3
Moreover, the iḍā is indeed food.
3.9.4
Food indeed he thus places in himself. / Moreover, the iḍā is cattle;
3.9.6
[it is] for the attainment of cattle.
3.9.9
In it [he pauses] four times.
3.9.11
Thus it becomes five-footed.
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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