Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 6
English (machine translation) 6
- Language
- English
Contents
- 6.1 — 18 parts
- 6.2 — 44 parts
- 6.3 — 52 parts
- 6.4 — 21 parts
- 6.5 — 30 parts
- 6.6 — 19 parts
- 6.7 — 12 parts
- 6.8 — 19 parts
- 6.9 — 33 parts
- 6.10 — 12 parts
6.1.1
Prajāpati, desiring offspring, performed austerity.
6.1.2
From him, heated [with austerity], five were born:
6.1.3
Agni, Vāyu, Āditya, Candramas, and Uṣas as the fifth.
6.1.4
He said to them: "Do you also perform austerity."
6.1.5
They consecrated themselves.
6.1.6
To them, consecrated and practicing austerity, Uṣas, daughter of Prajāpati, having assumed the form of an Apsaras, came forward in front.
6.1.7
Their mind fell upon her.
6.1.8
They shed semen.
6.1.9
They went to Prajāpati their father and said:
6.1.10
"We have shed semen; let this not be lost to us!"
6.1.11
Prajāpati made a golden bowl, an arrow's length high and the same across.
6.1.12
In it he poured it together.
6.1.13
From it arose [a being] with a thousand eyes and a thousand feet,
6.1.14
with a thousand [arrows] fitted [to his bow].
6.1.15
He directed himself toward Prajāpati his father.
6.1.16
He said to him: "Why do you direct yourself toward me?"
6.1.17
"Give me a name!" he said.
6.1.18
"For indeed, without a name assigned, I will not eat food here."
6.2.1
He said: "You indeed are Bhava."
6.2.2
In that he is Bhava, by that he is the waters.
6.2.3
Bhava does not harm him,
6.2.4
nor his offspring, nor his cattle, nor even one who calls himself his.
6.2.5
Now whoever hates him,
6.2.6
he alone becomes worse off,
6.2.7
not he who knows thus.
6.2.8
His vow is: he should wear wet clothes, [or] he should not speak ill of the waters.
6.2.9
He directed himself toward him a second time.
6.2.10
He said to him: "Why do you direct yourself toward me?"
6.2.11
"Give me a second name!" he said.
6.2.12
"For indeed, with [only] one name, I will not eat food here."
6.2.13
He said: "You indeed are Śarva."
6.2.14
In that he is Śarva, by that he is Agni.
6.2.15
Śarva does not harm him,
6.2.16
nor his offspring, nor his cattle, nor even one who calls himself his.
6.2.17
Now whoever hates him,
6.2.18
he alone becomes worse off,
6.2.19
not he who knows thus.
6.2.20
His vow is: he should not eat everything.
6.2.21
He directed himself toward him a third time.
6.2.22
He said to him: "Why do you direct yourself toward me?"
6.2.23
"Give me a third name!" he said.
6.2.24
"For indeed, with two names, I will not eat food here."
6.2.25
He said: "You indeed are Paśupati."
6.2.26
In that he is Paśupati, by that he is Vāyu.
6.2.27
Paśupati does not harm him,
6.2.28
nor his offspring, nor his cattle, nor even one who calls himself his.
6.2.29
Now whoever hates him,
6.2.30
he alone becomes worse off,
6.2.31
not he who knows thus.
6.2.32
His vow is: he should not speak ill of a brāhmaṇa.
6.2.33
He directed himself toward him a fourth time.
6.2.34
He said to him: "Why do you direct yourself toward me?"
6.2.35
"Give me a fourth name!" he said.
6.2.36
"For indeed, with three names, I will not eat food here."
6.2.37
He said: "You indeed are Ugradeva."
6.2.38
In that he is Ugradeva, by that he is the plants and the trees.
6.2.39
Ugradeva does not harm him,
6.2.40
nor his offspring, nor his cattle, nor even one who calls himself his.
6.2.41
Now whoever hates him,
6.2.42
he alone becomes worse off.
6.2.43
not he who knows thus.
6.2.44
His observance is: 'One should not gaze at the private part of a woman.'
6.3.1
He reached out to him a fifth time.
6.3.2
He said to him, 'Why do you reach out to me?'
6.3.3
'Make a fifth name for me,' he said,
6.3.4
'for with four names I shall not eat this food.'
6.3.5
He said, 'You indeed are Mahāndeva (the Great God).'
6.3.6
Because he is Mahāndeva, by that he is Āditya.
6.3.7
Mahāndeva does not harm him,
6.3.8
nor his offspring, nor his cattle, nor anyone who speaks for him.
6.3.9
Moreover, he who hates him
6.3.10
becomes more evil,
6.3.11
not he who knows thus.
6.3.12
His observance is: 'One should not look at him as he rises, nor as he sets.'
6.3.13
He reached out to him a sixth time.
6.3.14
He said to him, 'Why do you reach out to me?'
6.3.15
'Make a sixth name for me,' he said,
6.3.16
'for with five names I shall not eat this food.'
6.3.17
He said, 'You indeed are Rudra.'
6.3.18
Because he is Rudra, by that he is Candramas (the Moon).
6.3.19
Rudra does not harm him,
6.3.20
nor his offspring, nor his cattle, nor anyone who speaks for him.
6.3.21
Moreover, he who hates him
6.3.22
becomes more evil,
6.3.23
not he who knows thus.
6.3.24
His observance is: 'One should not eat curdled matter or marrow.'
6.3.25
He reached out to him a seventh time.
6.3.26
He said to him, 'Why do you reach out to me?'
6.3.27
'Make a seventh name for me,' he said,
6.3.28
'for with six names I shall not eat this food.'
6.3.29
He said, 'You indeed are Īśāna.'
6.3.30
Because he is Īśāna, by that he is food.
6.3.31
Īśāna does not harm him,
6.3.32
nor his offspring, nor his cattle, nor anyone who speaks for him.
6.3.33
Moreover, he who hates him
6.3.34
becomes more evil,
6.3.35
not he who knows thus.
6.3.36
His observance is: 'One should not turn away someone seeking food.'
6.3.37
He reached out to him an eighth time.
6.3.38
He said to him, 'Why do you reach out to me?'
6.3.39
'Make an eighth name for me,' he said,
6.3.40
'for with seven names I shall not eat this food.'
6.3.41
He said, 'You indeed are Aśani (the Thunderbolt).'
6.3.42
Because he is Aśani, by that he is Indra.
6.3.43
Aśani does not harm him,
6.3.44
nor his offspring, nor his cattle, nor anyone who speaks for him.
6.3.45
Moreover, he who hates him
6.3.46
becomes more evil,
6.3.47
not he who knows thus.
6.3.48
His observance is: 'One should speak only truth and wear gold.'
6.3.49
He is this one with eight names,
6.3.50
Mahāndeva disposed eightfold.
6.3.51
Up to the eighth generation, his offspring eats food;
6.3.52
ever wealthier is born among his offspring, who knows thus.
6.4.1
Prajāpati practiced austerity.
6.4.2
Having practiced austerity, from out-breath he pulled forth this world;
6.4.3
from in-breath, the atmosphere-world;
6.4.4
from diffused breath, that world.
6.4.5
He heated these three worlds.
6.4.6
From this world he created Agni.
6.4.7
Vāyu from the intermediate space, [and] Āditya from the sky.
6.4.8
He heated these three luminaries.
6.4.9
From Agni he produced the verses (ṛc),
6.4.10
[from] Vāyu the sacrificial formulas (yajus), [and] from Āditya the chants (sāman).
6.4.11
He heated this threefold knowledge (trayī vidyā).
6.4.12
He spread the sacrifice.
6.4.13
With the verse he recited;
6.4.14
with the formula he performed; with the chant he sang.
6.4.15
Then from this very threefold knowledge he drew out the bright sap,
6.4.16
for the healing of these Vedas.
6.4.17
He drew out 'bhūḥ' from the verses;
6.4.18
'bhuvaḥ' from the formulas, [and] 'svaḥ' from the chants.
6.4.19
By means of it the brahman sat to the south.
6.4.20
His sacrifice was established higher on the south, sloping toward the north.
6.4.21
Higher on the south, sloping toward the north indeed is established the sacrifice of him
6.5.1
who has a brahman knowing thus.
6.5.2
On this they say: 'Since by the verse the hotṛ becomes the hotṛ, by the formula the adhvaryu becomes the adhvaryu, [and] by the chant the udgātṛ becomes the udgātṛ, by what does the brahman become the brahman?'
6.5.3
That very bright sap which he drew out from the threefold knowledge—
6.5.4
by that does the brahman become the brahman.
6.5.5
On this they say: 'What kind of knower, of what metre, should one choose as the brahman?'
6.5.6
'An adhvaryu,' say some,
6.5.7
'for he knows the field of movements.'
6.5.8
'A chanter (chandoga),' say some,
6.5.9
'for in this way his havis-sacrifices are prepared with the three Vedas.'
6.5.10
'A Ṛgvedin (bahvṛca),' however, is the settled rule.
6.5.11
The other two Vedas revolve around this [one].
6.5.12
Here the most numerous priestly functions (hotrā) are situated.
6.5.13
With verses the draughts are drawn;
6.5.14
upon verses the chants are sung;
6.5.15
therefore he should indeed be a Ṛgvedin.
6.5.16
On this they say: 'How much of the sacrifice does the brahman prepare, [and] how much do the other officiating priests?'
6.5.17
'Half,' he should say.
6.5.18
Two indeed are the tracks of the sacrifice:
6.5.19
the one is prepared with speech;
6.5.20
the other with the mind.
6.5.21
That which is prepared with speech,
6.5.22
that the other officiating priests prepare;
6.5.23
now, that which [is prepared] with the mind, that the brahman [prepares].
6.5.24
Therefore, as long as they act with verse, formula, [or] chant,
6.5.25
so long should the brahman sit silent;
6.5.26
for thus he prepares half of the sacrifice.
6.5.27
Then, when they say to him:
6.5.28
'Brahman, we shall proceed,' 'Brahman, we shall lead forward,' 'Brahman, we shall set out,' or 'Brahman, we shall praise,'
6.5.29
he should give the impulse with just this much: 'Om.'
6.5.30
For this one syllable is equivalent to the entire threefold knowledge;
6.6.1
thus it is impelled by him with the threefold knowledge.
6.6.2
The sacrifice is established in the brahman.
6.6.3
Whenever a stumble or an excess occurs in the sacrifice,
6.6.4
they tell that to the brahman alone;
6.6.5
he heals it with the threefold knowledge.
6.6.6
Now, if there should be an excess in a verse,
6.6.7
having taken four portions of ghee, he should offer an expiatory oblation in the gārhapatya fire [with the words]: 'Bhūḥ svāhā.'
6.6.8
Thereby he places verse into verse;
6.6.9
by a verse he makes expiation for a verse.
6.6.10
Now, if there should be an excess in a formula,
6.6.11
having taken four portions of ghee, he should offer an expiatory oblation in the anvāhāryapacana fire at a havis-sacrifice, [or] in the āgnīdhriya fire at a Soma rite, [with the words]: 'Bhuvaḥ svāhā.'
6.6.12
Thereby he places formula into formula;
6.6.13
by a formula he makes expiation for a formula.
6.6.14
Now, if there should be an excess in a chant,
6.6.15
having taken four portions of ghee, he should offer an expiatory oblation in the āhavanīya fire [with the words]: 'Svaḥ svāhā.'
6.6.16
He thus places the sāman in the sāman.
6.6.17
Through the sāman he performs an expiation for the sāman.
6.6.18
Now, if the fault should be unknown,
6.6.19
having taken four ladlings of clarified butter, he should offer an expiatory offering in the āhavanīya [fire], saying, 'Bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ svāhā.'
6.7.1
He indeed makes prosper what has failed in the sacrifice who performs an expiation with these mystical utterances.
6.7.2
When approached, he who knows these mystical utterances should certainly not say, 'I do not know this.'
6.7.3
For indeed he knows all who knows these mystical utterances.
6.7.4
Just as there might be a glue joining wood, or leather-work [joining parts],
6.7.5
in the same way these mystical utterances are joiners for the entire threefold knowledge.
6.7.6
Now, when he throws away a blade of grass from the seat of the brahman,
6.7.7
he thereby purifies it.
6.7.8
Then he sits down, saying, 'Here I sit in the seat of Arvāvasu.'
6.7.9
Arvāvasu indeed was the brahman of the gods.
6.7.10
Him indeed he seats first with the thought, 'Perform the sacrifice uninjured.'
6.7.11
Then, having sat down, he whispers, 'Bṛhaspati is the brahman.'
6.7.12
Bṛhaspati indeed is the brahman of the gods.
6.8.1
From him indeed he thus seeks permission.
6.8.2
While the Praṇītā waters are being carried forward, he restrains his speech until the calling out of the Haviskṛt.
6.8.3
This indeed is the door of the sacrifice.
6.8.4
He thereby makes it not empty.
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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