Shatapatha Brahmana 11.7

He performs the animal sacrifice. Now the animal sacrifice means cattle: thus, when he performs the animal sacrifice (pasubandha, the binding of the animal), it is in order that he may be possessed of cattle. Let him perform it at his home, thinking, 'I will bind (attach) cattle to my home.' Let him perform it in the season of abundant fodder, thinking, 'I will bind to myself cattle in a season of abundant fodder.' For, whilst he is offering, the Sacrificer's fires become worn out, and so does the Sacrificer, along with the worn-out fires, and along with the Sacrificer his house and cattle.

And when he performs the animal sacrifice, he renews his fires, and so, along with the renewal of his fires, does the Sacrificer (renew himself), and along with the Sacrificer his house and cattle. And beneficial to life, indeed, is that redemption of his own self; for whilst he is offering the Sacrificer's fires long for flesh; they set their minds on the Sacrificer and harbour designs on him. In other fires people do indeed cook any kind of meat, but these (sacrificial fires) have no desire for any other flesh but this (sacrificial animal), and for him to whom they belong.

Now, when he performs the animal offering. he thereby redeems himself--male by male, for the victim is a male, and the Sacrificer is a male. And this, indeed, to wit, flesh, is the best kind of food: he thus becomes an eater of the best kind of food. Let not a year pass by for him without his offering; for the year means life: it is thus immortal life he thereby confers upon himself.

Now there is one animal sacrifice of the Haviryagña order, and another of the order of the Soma-sacrifice. Of the Haviryagña order is that at which he (the Adhvaryu) brings him fast-food, leads water forward, and pours out a jarful of water, and at which (the Sacrificer) strides the Vishnu-strides; and of the order of the Soma-sacrifice is that (animal sacrifice) at which these (rites) are not performed.

Concerning this they ask, 'Is the animal sacrifice an ishti or a great (Soma-) sacrifice?'--'A great sacrifice,' let him say; 'for in that (other) case thou hast made the animal sacrifice an ishti, and shattered it.' Thus he should say to him.

Its fore-offerings are the morning-service, its after-offerings the evening-service, and its sacrificial cake the midday-service.

Now, some bring up the Dakshinâs (presents to the priests) when the omentum has been offered; but let him not do so, for if, in that case, any one were to say of him, 'Surely, this (Sacrificer) has brought the Dakshinâs outside of the vital airs (or, of life), he has not strengthened his vital airs: he will become either blind, or lame, or deaf, or paralyzed on one side;' then that would indeed he likely to come to pass.

Let him perform it in this way:--when the Idâ of the cake-offering has been invoked, he should bring up the Dakshinâs; for to Indra belongs this vital air in the centre (of the body): by means of the Dakshinâs he thus strengthens this vital air in the centre (of the body); and to Indra also belongs the midday Soma-service, and at the midday-service the Dakshinâs are brought up: therefore. he should bring up the Dakshinâs after the invocation of the Idâ of the cake-offering.

Here now they say, 'Seeing that the want of the purificatory bath in the case of the initiated is improper, Adhvaryu, when didst thou initiate him?' Well, let them sustain him till the purificatory bath,--to wit, the Adhvaryu, the Pratiprasthâtri, the Hotri, the Maitrâvaruna, the Brahman, and the Âgnîdhra, for it is through these that this (formula) is called 'shaddhotri ': having rapidly muttered that 'shaddhotri,' he offers, performing either one or five oblations of ghee,--'The heaven is his back, the air his body, O Vâkaspati, by his limbs he gave rise to the sacrifice, by his forms to the earth; by his flawless voice and his flawless tongue to the god-gladdening invocation, Hail!' This, indeed, is his initiation.

As to this they say, 'Seeing that the want of the purificatory bath in the case of the initiated is improper, Adhvaryu, when didst thou take him down to the purificatory bath?' Well, when they perform with the heart-spit, that is his purificatory bath.

Madhuka Paiṅgya once said, 'Some perform the animal sacrifice without Soma, and others do so with Soma. Now, Soma was in the heavens, and Gâyatrî, having become a bird, fetched him; and inasmuch as one of his leaves (parna) was cut off, that was how the Parna-tree arose:' such, indeed, is (the passage in) the Brâhmana that is told. And some, it is true, perform the animal sacrifice without Soma, and others with Soma; for he who makes the sacrificial stake other than of Palâsa wood, performs the animal sacrifice without Soma; and he who makes the sacrificial stake of Palâsa performs the animal sacrifice with Soma: therefore let him make his sacrificial stake of Palâsa wood.

Such a (sacrificial stake) as has much substance is not auspicious to cattle, whence he who desires to have cattle should not make such a one his sacrificial stake: but such a one as is of little hardness is auspicious to cattle, whence he who desires to have cattle should make such a one his sacrificial stake.

And such a one as, while being crooked, has a top like a spit, is called 'kapotî '; and whoever makes such a one his sacrificial stake certainly goes to yonder world before his full measure of life: therefore let no one wishing for long life make such a one his sacrificial stake.

And such a one as is bent at the top, and bent outwards in the middle, is a type of hunger (poverty); and if any one makes such a one his sacrificial stake, his dependants will certainly be hungry; therefore let no one wishing for food make such a one his sacrificial stake. But such a one as is bent at the top and bent inwards in the middle, is a type of food (prosperity): therefore let him who wishes for food make such a one his sacrificial stake.

Now, when he who is about to perform an animal sacrifice makes a stake one cubit long, he thereby gains this (terrestrial) world; and when (he makes) one two cubits long, he thereby gains the air-world; and when be makes one three cubits long, he thereby gains the heavens; and when he makes one four cubits long, he thereby gains the regions. But, indeed, that sacrificial stake of the (ordinary) animal sacrifice is either three or four cubits long, and one that is above that belongs to the Soma-sacrifice.

As to this they say, 'Should he offer the butter-portions or not?'--'Let him offer them,' they say; 'for the two butter-portions are the eyes of the sacrifice, and what were man without eyes?' For as long as a co-sharer is not bought off by (receiving) a share of his own, so long does he consider himself not bought off; but when he is bought off by a share of his own, then, indeed, he considers himself bought off: when the Hotri, on that occasion, recites, 'Endow the Rakshas with blood!' he buys him off by (assigning to him) a share of his own.

For on that occasion the anguish of the victim, in being slaughtered, becomes concentrated in the heart, and from the heart (it flows) into the spit. Thus, if they (were to) cook the animal together with the heart, the anguish would again spread all over the animal: let him therefore cook it (the heart) after spitting it from the side on a stick.

He makes an underlayer of ghee (in the offering-ladle): this he makes a type of the earth; he then puts a chip of gold thereon: this he makes a type of fire; he then puts the omentum thereon: this he makes a type of the air; he then puts a chip of gold thereon: this he makes a type of the sun; and what (ghee) he pours upon it, that he makes a type of the heavens. This, then, is that five-portioned omentum,--fivefold is the sacrifice, fivefold the sacrificial animal, and five seasons there are in the year: this is why the omentum consists of five portions.