Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa ("of a hundred paths") 4.2.5

Having drawn the cups of Soma, and gone out (of the cart-shed to the high altar), he offers the oblation of drops. The reason why he offers the oblation of drops is this. Whatever drops of that (Soma) are spilt here, to them he now wishes a safe journey to the Âhavanîya, for the Âhavanîya is the resting-place of offerings: this is why he offers the oblation of drops.

He offers with (Vâg. S. VII, 26; Rig-veda X, 17, 12), 'Whatever drop of thine leapeth away, whatever stalk of thine,'--whatever particle (of Soma) is spilt, that is a drop, that indeed he means; and by 'whatever stalk of thine' he mentions the stalk;--'stone-pressed, from the lap of the press-bowls;' for pressed by the stone it leaps away from the two press-bowls;--'be it from the Adhvaryu or from the strainer,'--for it leaps away either from the Adhvaryu's hands or from the strainer,--'that I offer unto thee in my mind consecrated by Vashat, Hail!' whereby it becomes for him as an offering consecrated by Vashat.

Thereupon the Adhvaryu takes two stalks of grass from the covered altar. The two Adhvaryus proceed first (to the chanting-place beside the pit), as the out-breathing and in-breathing of the sacrifice; then the Prastotri, as the voice of the sacrifice; then the Udgâtri, as the self (or body), the Pragâpati, of the sacrifice; then the Pratihartri, either as the physician or the through-breathing.

The Sacrificer holds on to those five priests from behind, for as much as those five priests are, so much is the whole sacrifice, the sacrifice being fivefold: hence the Sacrificer thereby holds on to the sacrifice.

He (the Adhvaryu) then throws one of the two stalks of grass forward towards the pit, with, 'Thou art the ascent of the gods!' for when the gods through the sacrifice attained to the heavenly world, it was from that pit that they went upwards to the heavenly world: he thus makes the sacrificer look along the road to heaven.

He then throws down the other stalk in front of the chanters, silently, for those chanters represent the hymn of praise (stotra), Pragâpati (the sacrifice),--he (Pragâpati) draws to himself everything here, and takes possession of everything here: it is to him that that stalk is offered, and thus he does not draw the Adhvaryu to himself, and take possession of him. And when they mutter,--for the chanters mutter now,--

Then he bespeaks the chant, saying, 'Soma becometh pure!' He bespeaks the chant right off, and they chant right off; for these chants, the Pavamânâh, are directed towards the gods, since the gods thereby attained to the heavenly world right off (straightway): therefore he bespeaks the chant right off, and right off they chant.

With 'Turn ye back!' (he bespeaks) the other chants (viz. the Dhuryas), and turning back (or repeating) they chant the Dhuryas, for the latter are directed towards these creatures: whence creatures are produced here repeatedly.

And as to why they chant the Bahishpavamâna here (near the kâtvâla). In the beginning, forsooth, yonder sun was here on earth. The seasons embraced him and ascended from hence to the heavenly world: there he burns firmly established in the seasons. And in like manner do the priests thereby embrace the sacrificer and ascend from hence to the heavenly world: this is why they chant the Bahishpavamâna h ere.

The Bahishpavamâna chant truly is a ship bound heavenwards: the priests are its spars and oars, the means of reaching the heavenly world. If there be a blameworthy one, even that one (priest) would make it sink: he makes it sink, even as one who ascends a ship that is full would make it sink. And, indeed, every sacrifice is a ship bound heavenwards: hence one should seek to keep a blameworthy (priest) away from every sacrifice.

Thereupon, when the chanting is over, he utters this speech,--'Agnîdh, spread the fires! strew the barhis! Prepare the cakes! go on with the victim!' The Agnîdh spreads the fires, that is to say, kindles them; he strews that barhis, thinking, 'When the barhis is strewn, I will offer to the gods on the kindled (fire).'--'Prepare the cakes,' he says, because he is about to proceed with the cakes; and, 'Go on with the victim,' because he is about to get ready the victim.

Having again entered (the cart-shed) he draws the Âsvina graha. Having drawn the Âsvina graha he goes out and girds the sacrificial stake; and having girt the stake he gets ready the victim: he thereby puts flavour (juice) into him (Soma--the sacrificer).

Having been slain at the morning feast, it continues being cooked till the evening feast; whereby he puts flavour (juice) into the whole sacrifice, imbues it with flavour.

Let him therefore, at the Agnishtoma, slay a (victim) sacred to Agni, for there is harmony when, at the Agnishtoma, he slays a (victim) for Agni. If it be an Ukthya sacrifice, let him slay one to Indra and Agni in the second place, for songs of praise (uktha) refer to Indra and Agni. If it be a Shodasin sacrifice, let him slay one to Indra in the third place, for the sixteenfold chant (shodasin) means Indra. If it be an Atirâtra, let him slay one to Sarasvatî in the fourth place, for Sarasvatî is speech, and speech (vâk, fem.) is female, as the night (râtri, fem.) is female: he thus duly distinguishes the forms of sacrifice.

Thereupon he proceeds with (the offering of) the cakes of the Soma feast. Now Soma is a god, for Soma was in the heaven;--'Soma, forsooth, was Vritra; the mountains and stones are his body: thereon grows that plant called Usânâ,' said Svetaketu Auddâlaki; that they bring hither and press.'

Now when he slays the victim, he thereby puts flavour into it; and when he proceeds with (the offering of) the Soma feast cakes, he puts sap into it: thus it becomes Soma for him.

They all belong to Indra; for Indra is the deity of the sacrifice: that is why they all belong to Indra.

And as to why there are a cake, parched barley-grain, a porridge, sour curds, and clotted curds,--it is that those who are the deities of the sacrifice shall be well-pleased.

For, when one has eaten cake here, he wishes, 'I should like to take parched grains, I should like to eat porridge, I should like to eat sour curds, I should like to eat clotted curds!' All these (are Objects of one's) wishes: it is in order that those who are the deities of the sacrifice shall be well-pleased. Now as to why that offering of clotted curds (payasyâ) is prepared only at the morning libation, and not at the two other libations (Soma feasts).

The Gâyatrî, forsooth, bears the morning libation (to the gods), the Trishtubh the midday libation, and the Gagatî the evening libation,--but, then, the Trishtubh bears the midday libation, not alone, (but) with both the Gâyatrî and the Brihatî; and the Gagatî (bears) the evening libation, not alone, (but) with the Gâyatrî, the Kakubh, and Ushnih, and the Anushtubh.

The Gâyatrî alone bears singly the morning libation,--with those two sets of five (paṅkti), the set of five chants, and the set of five oblations: there are four Âgya (chants) and the Bahishpavamâna is the fifth,--the Paṅkti metre is five-footed with that paṅkti of chants, not alone, the Gâyatrî bears the morning libation.

To Indra belongs the cake, to the two bay steeds the parched grains (dhânâh), to Pûshan the porridge (karambha), to Sarasvatî the sour curds (dadhi), and to Mitra and Varuna the clotted curds (payasyâ),--the Paṅkti is five-footed--with that paṅkti of oblations, not alone, the Gâyatrî bears the morning libation (to the gods): for the sake of completing that paṅkti, that oblation of clotted curds to Mitra and Varuna is prepared only at the morning libation, and not at the two other libations.