[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Vedic Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda) › [Brāhmaṇas (ritual exegesis)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana) › [Shatapatha Brahmana](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.satapatha) › 2.5.4 # Shatapatha Brahmana 2.5.4 Śatapathabrāhmaṇa 2.5.4 - **Language:** Sanskrit ### [2.5.4.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.satapatha.2.5.4.1) mahāhaviṣa ha vai devā vṛtraṃ jaghnuḥ | teno eva vyajayanta yeyameṣāṃ vijitistāṃ tatho evaiṣa etena pāpmānaṃ dviṣantam bhrātṛvyaṃ hanti tatho eva vijayate tasmādvā eṣa etena yajate > Verily, by means of the Great Oblation the gods slew Vritra; by means of it they gained that supreme authority which they now wield; and so does he (the Sacrificer) thereby now slay his wicked, spiteful enemy, and gain the victory: this is why he performs this sacrifice. > — Julius Eggeling 1882, The Satapatha-Brahmana according to the Text of the Mâdhyandina School (SBE 12, 26, 41, 43, 44) ### [2.5.4.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.satapatha.2.5.4.2) tasyāvṛt | upakirantyuttaravediṃ gṛhṇanti pṛṣadājyam manthantyagniṃ navaprayājam bhavati navānuyājaṃ trīṇi samiṣṭayajūṃṣi bhavantyathaitānyeva pañca havīṃṣi bhavanti > The mode of its performance (is as follows): They raise an uttara-vedi; they use clotted butter; and they churn the fire. There are nine fore-offerings and nine after-offerings, and three Samishtayagus. In the first place there are those five oblations. > — Julius Eggeling 1882, The Satapatha-Brahmana according to the Text of the Mâdhyandina School (SBE 12, 26, 41, 43, 44) ### [2.5.4.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.satapatha.2.5.4.3) sa yadāgneyo 'ṣṭākapālaḥ puroḍāśo bhavati | agninā ha vā enaṃ tejasāghnantsa tejo 'gnirnāvyathata tasmādāgneyo bhavati > Now as to why there is a cake on eight potsherds for Agni. With Agni, (shaped into) a sharp point (tegas), indeed, they (the gods) slew him (Vritra); and Agni, that sharp point, swerved not: hence there is (a cake) for Agni. > — Julius Eggeling 1882, The Satapatha-Brahmana according to the Text of the Mâdhyandina School (SBE 12, 26, 41, 43, 44) ### [2.5.4.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.satapatha.2.5.4.4) atha yatsaumyaścarurbhavati | somena ha vā enaṃ rājñāghnantsomarājāna eva tasmātsaumyaścarurbhavati > Then as to why there is a rice-pap for Soma. With the aid of Soma, the king, indeed they slew him, they who have Soma for their king: hence there is a pap for Soma. > — Julius Eggeling 1882, The Satapatha-Brahmana according to the Text of the Mâdhyandina School (SBE 12, 26, 41, 43, 44) ### [2.5.4.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.satapatha.2.5.4.5) atha yatsāvitraḥ | dvādaśakapālo vāṣṭākapālo vā puroḍāśo bhavati savitā vai devānām prasavitā savitṛprasūtā haivainamaghnaṃstasmātsāvitro bhavati > Then as to why there is a cake on twelve, or eight, potsherds for Savitri. Savitri, indeed, is the impeller (prasavitri) of the gods; and impelled by Savitri they slew him: hence there is (a cake) for Savitri. > — Julius Eggeling 1882, The Satapatha-Brahmana according to the Text of the Mâdhyandina School (SBE 12, 26, 41, 43, 44) ### [2.5.4.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.satapatha.2.5.4.6) atha yatsārasvataścarurbhavati | vāgvai sarasvatī vāgu haivānumamāda prahara jahīti tasmātsārasvataścarurbhavati > Then as to why there is a rice-pap for Sarasvatî. Sarasvatî in truth is Speech; and Speech indeed it was that cheered them up, saying, 'Strike! slay!' Hence there is a pap for Sarasvatî. > — Julius Eggeling 1882, The Satapatha-Brahmana according to the Text of the Mâdhyandina School (SBE 12, 26, 41, 43, 44) ### [2.5.4.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.satapatha.2.5.4.7) atha yatpauṣṇaścarurbhavati | iyaṃ vai pṛthivī pūṣeyaṃ haivainam badhāya pratipradadāvanayā haivainam pratiprattaṃ jaghnustasmātpauṣṇaścarurbhavati > Then as to why there is a rice-pap for Pûshan. Pûshan doubtless is this earth, and this earth, indeed, gave him (Vritra) up to slaughter; and they slew him, thus given up by her: hence there is a rice-pap for Pûshan. > — Julius Eggeling 1882, The Satapatha-Brahmana according to the Text of the Mâdhyandina School (SBE 12, 26, 41, 43, 44) ### [2.5.4.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.satapatha.2.5.4.8) athaindrāgnau dvādaśakapālaḥ puroḍāśo bhavati | etena haivainamaghnaṃstejo vā agnirindriyaṃ vīryamindra etābhyāmenamubhābhyāṃ vīryābhyāmaghnanbrahma vā agniḥ kṣatramindraste ubhe saṃrabhya brahma ca kṣatraṃ ca sayujau kṛtvā tābhyāmenamubhābhyāṃ vīryābhyāmaghnaṃstasmādaindrāgno dvādaśakapālaḥ puroḍāśo bhavati > Then follows a cake on twelve, potsherds for Indra and Agni; for by means of that they slew him, since Agni means fiery glow (tegas), and Indra means manly power, and by means of these two powers they did indeed slay him. Moreover, Agni is the priesthood, and Indra is the nobility; having allied these two, having closely united the priesthood with the nobility, they (the gods) slew him by means of these two powers: hence there is a cake on twelve potsherds for Indra and Agni. > — Julius Eggeling 1882, The Satapatha-Brahmana according to the Text of the Mâdhyandina School (SBE 12, 26, 41, 43, 44) ### [2.5.4.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.satapatha.2.5.4.9) atha māhendraścarurbhavati | indro vā eṣa purā vṛtrasya badhādatha vṛtraṃ hatvā yathā mahārājo vijigyāna evaṃ mahendro 'bhavattasmānmāhendraścarurbhavati mahāntamu caivainametatkhalu karoti vṛtrasya badhāya tasmādveva māhendraścarurbhavati > Then follows a rice-part for Mahendra. For before the slaying of Vritra he was indeed Indra; but after slaying Vritra he became Mahendra (the great Indra), even as (a king becomes) a mahârâga, after obtaining the victory: hence there is a rice-pap for Mahendra. And thereby indeed he renders him great (strong), for the slaying of Vritra: for this reason also there is a rice-pap for Mahendra. > — Julius Eggeling 1882, The Satapatha-Brahmana according to the Text of the Mâdhyandina School (SBE 12, 26, 41, 43, 44) ### [2.5.4.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.satapatha.2.5.4.10) atha vaiśvakarmaṇa ekakapālaḥ puroḍāśo bhavati | viśvaṃ vā etatkarma kṛtaṃ sarvaṃ jitaṃ devānāmāsītsākamedhairījānānāṃ vijigyānānāṃ viśvamvevaitasyaitatkarma kṛtaṃ sarvaṃ jitam bhavati sākamedhairījānasya vijigyānasya tasmādvaiśvakarmaṇa ekakapālaḥ puroḍāśo bhavati > Then follows a cake on one potsherd for Visvakarman. To the gods, indeed, on performing the Sâkamedha-sacrifice and obtaining the victory (over Vritra), that sacred work (karman) was made complete (visva), and all was conquered; and so is that sacred work made complete, and all is conquered, by him who has performed the Sâkamedha-sacrifice and obtained the victory: hence there is a cake on one potsherd for Visvakarman. > — Julius Eggeling 1882, The Satapatha-Brahmana according to the Text of the Mâdhyandina School (SBE 12, 26, 41, 43, 44) ### [2.5.4.11](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.satapatha.2.5.4.11) etena vai devāḥ | yajñeneṣṭvā yeyaṃ devānām prajātiryā śrīretadbabhūvuretāṃ ha vai prajātim prajāyata etāṃ śriyaṃ gacati ya evaṃ vidvānetena yajñena yajate tasmādvā etena yajeta > And, verily, by performing this sacrifice the gods became what race, what prosperity of the gods there now is; and that same race he propagates, that same prosperity he attains, whosoever, knowing this, performs this sacrifice. Let him therefore perform this sacrifice. > — Julius Eggeling 1882, The Satapatha-Brahmana according to the Text of the Mâdhyandina School (SBE 12, 26, 41, 43, 44) ## Translations (1) - [The Satapatha-Brahmana according to the Text of the Mâdhyandina School (SBE 12, 26, 41, 43, 44)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.satapatha*madhyandina~en-eggeling.2.5.4.1) — Julius Eggeling 1882, English ## Commentaries (2) - [Śatapathabrāhmaṇabhāṣya (Sāyaṇa)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.satapatha*madhyandina!sayana.110.2) — Sāyaṇa, Sanskrit - [Śatapathabrāhmaṇabhāṣya (Harisvāmin)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.satapatha*madhyandina!harisvamin) — Harisvāmin, Sanskrit ## Linked texts (1) - [Śrautakośa](https://indike.org/pramana/in.vedanga.kalpa.srauta.prakirnaka.patra-padartha.srautakosa.4.p70) — Sanskrit ## Discussed in (5) - [Altindische Grammatik](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.literature.wackernagel-1896.v3.c9.4079) — Wackernagel & Debrunner 1896, German - [The Religions of India](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.religion.hopkins-1895.c15.22) — Hopkins 1895, English - [Hindu Administrative Institutions](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.dikshitar-1929.c7.s3.11) — Dikshitar 1929, English - [Shakti and Shâkta: Essays and Addresses on the Shâkta Tantrashâstra](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.religion.woodroffe-1918.c7.s1.17) — Woodroffe 1918, English - [The History of Indian Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.literature.weber-1878.c8.390) — Weber 1852, English --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.satapatha.2.5.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.satapatha.2.5.4) · Pramāṇa