Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa ("of a hundred paths") 4.4

Savitri, forsooth, is his mind: therefore he draws the Sâvitra cup. And, forsooth, Savitri is his breath (vital air);--when he draws the Upâmsu cup, then he puts into him that vital air in front; and when he draws the Sâvitra cup, then he puts into him that vital air behind: thus those two vital airs on both sides are beneficial (or, put into him), both that which is above and that which is below.

And the sacrifice, forsooth, is the seasons, the year. There, at the morning feast, they are overtly attended to, in that he draws the cups for the seasons; and at the midday feast they are covertly attended to, in that he takes the Marutvatîya libations by means of the two Ritu vessels. Now here (at the evening feast) they neither draw any libation expressly for the seasons, nor is any libation taken with the two Ritu vessels.

But Savitri, forsooth, is he that burns yonder (the sun); and he indeed is all the seasons: thus the seasons, the year, are overtly attended to at the evening feast,--for this reason he draws the Sâvitra cup.

He draws it with the Upâmsu vessel. For Savitri is his mind, and the Upâmsu is his breath: therefore he draws it with the Upâmsu vessel; or with the Antaryâma vessel, for that is one and the same, since the Upâmsu and Antaryâma are the out-breathing and in-breathing.

He draws it from the Âgrayana graha; for Savitri is his mind, and the Âgrayana is his body (or self): he thus puts the mind into the body. Savitri is his breath, and the Âgrayana is his body: he thus puts the breath into the body.

He thus draws it therefrom with (Vâg. S. VIII, 6; Rig-veda VI, 71, 6), 'Bring thou forth boons for us this day, O Savitar, boons to-morrow, boons day by day: O God, through this our prayer may we be sharers of boons, of a good and plenteous abode!--Thou art taken with a support!--Thou art Savitri's joy-giver, thou art a joy-giver: give me joy! speed the sacrifice; speed the lord of the sacrifice to (receive) his share!'

Having drawn it, he does not deposit it; for Savitri is his (Yagña's) mind, and hence this mind is restless. And Savitri is his breath: hence this breath passes to and fro unrestingly. He then says (to the Maitrâvaruna), 'Recite (the invitatory prayer) to the god Savitri!' Having called for the Sraushat, he says, 'Prompt (the Hotri to recite the offering prayer) to the god Savitri!' The Vashat having been pronounced, he offers. He (the Hotri) pronounces no Anuvashat,--for Savitri is his mind,--'lest he should consign his mind to the fire;' and Savitri being his breath,--'lest he should consign his breath to the fire.'

Then with the (same) vessel, without drinking therefrom, he draws the Vaisvadeva graha. The reason why he draws the Vaisvadeva graha with the (same) vessel, without drinking therefrom, is this: on the Sâvitra graha he (the Hotri) pronounces no Anuvashat, and it is therefrom that he is about to draw the Vaisvadeva graha,--thus it is by means of the Vaisvadeva that it becomes supplied with the Anuvashat for him.

And further why he draws the Vaisvadeva graha. Savitri, forsooth, is his rind, and the Visve Devâh (All-gods, or all the gods) are everything here: he thus makes everything here subservient and obedient to the mind, and hence everything here is subservient and obedient to the mind.

And again why he draws the Vaisvadeva graha. Savitri, forsooth, is his breath, and the All-gods are everything here: he thereby puts the out-breathing and in-breathing into everything here, and thus the out-breathing and in-breathing become beneficial (or put) in everything here.

And again why he draws the Vaisvadeva graha. The evening feast belongs to the All-gods: thus indeed it is called on the part of the Sâman, in that the evening feast is called Vaisvadeva on the part of the Rik, and in the same way on the part of the Yagus, by way of preparatory rite, when he draws that Mahâ-vaisvadeva graha.

He draws it from the Pûtabhrit; for the Pûtabhrit belongs to the All-gods, because therefrom they draw (Soma juice) for the gods, therefrom for men, therefrom for the Fathers: hence the Pûtabhrit belongs to the All-gods.

He draws it without a puroruk, for he draws it for the All-gods, and the All-gods are everything, the Rik and Yagus and Sâman; and even in that he draws it for the All-gods, thereby it becomes supplied with a puroruk for him: therefore he draws it without a puroruk.

He thus draws it therefrom with (Vâg. S. VIII, 8), 'Thou art taken with a support: thou art well-guarded, well-established,'--for well-guarded and well-established is the breath,--'homage to the great bull!'--the great bull is Pragâpati (the lord of creatures): 'homage to Pragâpati,' he thereby means to say.--'Thee to the All-gods! this is thy womb,--thee to the All-gods!' Therewith he deposits it; for it is for the All-gods that he draws it. Thereupon he goes (to the Sadas) and sits down (in front of the Hotri) with his face to the east.

And when he (the Hotri) recites this (verse), 'With one and ten for thine own sake, with two and twenty for offering, with three and thirty for up-bearing (the sacrifice to the gods); with thy teams, O Vâyu, do thou here unloose them!'--during (the recitation of) this verse to Vâyu the drinking-vessels are unyoked, for beasts have Vâyu for their leader; and Vâyu (wind) is breath, since it is by means of the breath that beasts move about.

Now once on a time he went away from the gods with the beasts. The gods called after him at the morning pressing,--he returned not. They called after him at the midday pressing,--but he returned not. They called after him at the evening pressing.

Being about to return, he said, 'If I were to return to you, what would be my reward? '--'By thee these vessels would be yoked, and by thee they would be unloosed!'--Hence those vessels are yoked by that (Vâyu), when he (the Adhvaryu) draws the (cups) for Indra and Vâyu and so forth. And now those vessels are unloosed by him, when he says, 'with thy teams, O Vâyu, do thou here unloose them;'--teams mean cattle: thus he unlooses those vessels by means of cattle.

Now, had he returned at the morning pressing--the morning pressing belonging to the Gâyatrî, and the Gâyatrî being the priesthood --then cattle would have come to be with priests only. And had he returned at the midday pressing--the midday pressing belonging to Indra, and Indra being the nobility--cattle would have come to be with nobles only. But in that he returned at the evening pressing--the evening pressing belonging to the All-gods, and the All-gods being everything here--therefore there are cattle everywhere here.

He proceeds with (the offering of) Soma's rice-pap; for Soma is the sacrificial food of the gods; and here now sacrificial food is prepared for Soma on his part; and thus Soma is not excluded therefrom. It is a rice-pap (karu), for rice-pap is food for the gods, since rice-pap is boiled rice, and boiled rice is clearly food: therefore it is a rice-pap.

Neither at the morning feast, nor at the midday feast does he offer it, for those two press-feasts, the morning feast and the midday feast, are the exclusive feasts of the gods; and Soma is sacred to the Fathers.

But were he to offer it at the morning feast, or at the midday feast, he would cause discord between the gods and Fathers. He offers it at the evening feast, because the evening feast belongs to the All-gods: thus he does not cause discord. He recites no invitatory prayer (but only an offering prayer), for the Fathers have passed away once for all: hence he recites no invitatory prayer.

Having, in the first place, taken ghee in four ladlings, and having called (on the Agnîdh) for the Sraushat, he says, 'Recite the offering prayer of the ghee!' and offers as the Vashat is uttered. Whatever oblations have been offered previous to this (karu), therefrom he separates this one (to Soma), and thus he causes no discord.

Having poured (into the spoon) an 'underlayer' of ghee, he makes two cuttings from the rice-pap; and bastes them with ghee above. Having called for the Sraushat, he says, 'Recite the offering prayer of the Saumya (rice-pap)!' and offers as the Vashat is uttered.

He then takes ghee a second time by four ladlings, and having called for the Sraushat, he says, 'Recite the offering prayer of the ghee!' and offers as the Vashat is uttered. From whatever oblations he intends to offer hereafter, he thereby separates this one (to Soma), and thus he causes no discord. If he chooses, he may offer (ghee) on both sides (before and after the Soma's rice-pap); or, if he chooses, he may offer on one side only.

Now there is an offering-spoon called 'prakaranî.' Therein the Adhvaryu takes ghee by four ladlings (with the dipping-spoon) and pours it on the Dhishnya hearths by means of fagots (held over them). The reason why he pours ghee on the hearths by means of fagots is this. Because, on a former occasion, the gods said to those (Gandharva Soma-wardens), 'At the third pressing an offering of ghee shall fall to your share, but not one of Soma, for the Soma-draught has been taken from you, wherefore ye are not worthy of a Soma-offering,' that same offering of ghee now falls to their share at the evening pressing, but not one of Soma, in that he pours ghee on the hearths by means of fagots. One after another, in the order in which they were thrown up, and with the same formulas, he pours ghee upon them; on the Mârgâlîya last of all.

Now some make a second pouring on the Âgnîdhrîya hearth, thinking, 'In the North (or upwards) shall this sacred work of ours be accomplished!' but let him not do it in this way, but rather the Mârgâlîya last.

Now, while the Adhvaryu pours ghee on the hearths by means of fagots, the Pratiprasthâtri draws the Pâtnîvata cup. For from the sacrifice creatures are produced; and being produced from the sacrifice, they are produced from union; and being produced from union, they are produced from the hind part of the sacrifice;--hence he thereby produces them from a productive union, from the hind part of the sacrifice: therefore he draws the Pâtnîvata cup.

He draws it with the Upâmsu vessel. If he draws the Sâvitra libation with the Upâmsu vessel, (he draws) this one with the Antaryâma vessel; and if he draws the Sâvitra with the Antaryâma vessel (he draws) this one with the Upâmsu vessel;--for one and the same indeed are the Upâmsu and Antaryâma, being breath, and that which is the out-breathing is also the in-breathing. Now the breath (prâna, masc.) is male, and the wife is female: a productive union is thus brought about.

He draws it without a puroruk,---the puroruk being manhood,--lest he should bestow manhood on women: therefore he draws it without a puroruk.

He thus draws it from that (Âgrayana graha) with (Vâg. S. VIII, 9), 'Thou art taken with a support: Of thee, divine Soma, begotten by Brihaspati'--Brihaspati is the priesthood: of thee, divine Soma, the priest-begotten' he thereby means to say--'Of thee, the potent juice of the powerful (manly) juice' he means to say when he says 'of thee, the potent juice'--'May I prosper the draughts of thee, the mated one!' he does not now draw it for the wives, lest he should bestow manhood on women: therefore he does not now draw it for the wives.

He (the Adhvaryu) then mixes it with the residue (of ghee) which is left in the prakaranî spoon. Now other libations he completes by mixing, but this one he diminishes; for ghee is a thunderbolt, and by that thunderbolt, the ghee, the gods smote the wives and unmanned them, and thus smitten and unmanned they neither owned any self nor did they own any heritage. And in like manner does he now, by that thunderbolt, the ghee, smite the wives and unman them; and thus smitten and unmanned, they neither own any self nor do they own any heritage.

He mixes it, with (Vâg. S. VIII, 9), 'I am above, I am below; and what space there is between, that was my father;--I saw the sun on both sides: I am what is highest to the gods in secret.' In that he mixes with 'I--I,' thereby he bestows manhood on men.

He then says, 'Agnîdh, pronounce the offering prayer of the Pâtnîvata!' The Agnîdh is male, and the wife is female: thus a productive union is brought about. He offers with (Vâg. S. VIII, 10), 'O Agni, wife-leader!'--Agni is male, and the wife is female: thus a productive union is brought about.

'Together with the divine Tvashtri'--for Tvashtri transforms the cast seed: thus he thereby transforms the cast seed;--'drink the Soma, Hail!' therewith he offers on the north (left) part (of the fire); what other offerings there are, they are the gods, and these are the wives: thus alone it is a proper union, since the woman lies on the left (north) side of the man. The Adhvaryu takes a draught of Soma to the Agnîdh, and the latter says, 'Adhvaryu, invite me!' [It might be said that] he should not invite him, since how can there be an invitation of one smitten and unmanned? He should nevertheless invite him: they offer in his fire, and utter the Vashat,--therefore he should invite him.

He then gives orders, 'Agnîdh, sit in the Neshtri's lap! Neshtri, lead up the lady, and make her exchange looks with the Udgâtri! Unnetri, fill up the Hotri's cup, and let no Soma-juice remain!' Thus, if it be an Agnishtoma sacrifice.

But if it be an Ukthya, let him say, 'Lengthen out the Soma!'--Holding the same vessel (from which the Pâtnîvata libation was made, the Agnîdh) sits down in the Neshtri's lap,--for he, the Agnîdh, is in reality Agni, and the Neshtri is female: the Agnîdh is male, and the Neshtri female,--a productive union is thus brought about. The Neshtri leads up the lady and makes her exchange looks with the Udgâtri, with 'Thou art Pragâpati, the male, the bestower of seed: lay thou seed into me!' The Udgâtri is Pragâpati, and the lady is a woman: a productive union is thus brought about.

The metres, forsooth, are the (draught) cattle of the gods. Even as harnessed cattle here on earth draw for men, so do the harnessed metres draw the sacrifice for the gods. And whenever the metres gratified the gods, then the gods gratified the metres. Now it has been previous to this, that the harnessed metres have drawn the sacrifice to the gods, that they have gratified them:

He now draws the Hâriyogana graha--the Hâriyogana being the metres--it is the metres he thereby gratifies: this is why he draws the Hâriyogana graha.

He draws it as an additional (libation); since he draws it when he (the Hotri) pronounces the 'All-hail and blessing.' For there are here the gods, and the metres in addition to them; and there are men, and beasts in addition to them: therefore he draws it as an additional one.

He draws it in the Dronakalasa. Now Soma was Vritra. When the gods slew him, his head rolled off: it became the Dronakalasa. Thereinto flowed together so much of the juice as it could hold; that was in excess; and so is this graha in excess: he thus puts the excess. to the excess,--therefore he draws it in the Dronakalasa.

He draws it without a puroruk-formula, for he draws it for the metres; and in that he draws it for the metres, even thereby that (graha) of his becomes supplied with a puroruk: therefore he draws it without a puroruk.

He now draws it from that (Âgrayana graha) with (Vâg. S. VIII, it), 'Thou art taken with a support: of bay colour art thou, meet for the team of bay steeds,--thee to the pair of bay steeds!' Now, the two bay horses are the Rik and Sâman: it is for the Rik and Sâman that he draws it.

He then pours parched grain into it with, 'Ye are the bays’ grains, united with the Soma for Indra!' Whatever metres there are, both measured and unmeasured, they all thereby drink (of the Soma).

For this (libation) the Unnetri calls for the Sraushat;--for the Unnetri is in excess (additional), since he does not call for the Sraushat for any other (libation); and this libation also is in excess: thus he puts the excess to the excess,--therefore the Unnetri calls for the Sraushat.

Placing (the Dronakalasa) on his head, he calls for the Sraushat,--for this (vessel) is his (Soma's) head. He first says (to the Maitrâvaruna), 'Recite (the invitatory prayer) for the Soma-draughts with grains!' Having called for the Sraushat, he says, 'Prompt (the Hotri to pronounce the offering prayer on) the Soma-draughts with grain brought forward!' and offers as the Vashat and Anuvashat are uttered. They then divide the grain between them for the sake of the Soma-draught.

Now some take the Dronakalasa over to the Hotri, on the ground that 'the draught belongs to the utterer of the Vashat.' But let him not do it thus; for the other draughts are (taken by the respective priests) according to the kamasa cups, but this one is in excess: therefore there is a draught in it for all of them,--for this reason they divide the grain between them for the sake of the Soma-draught.

They must not bite them with their teeth,--for these (grains) mean cattle,--thinking 'lest we should do aught to crush our cattle!' They only drink it in with their breath, with (Vâ,;. S. VIII, 12), 'What horse-winning, what cow-winning draught is thine;' for they are cattle: therefore he says, 'what horse-winning, what cow-winning draught is thine;'--'Of that draught, offered with Yagus, praised by chants,'--for Yagus-prayers have indeed been offered, and chants have been chanted;--'sung by hymns,'--for songs (sastras) have been sung;--'Of the invited do I drink, invited,'--for invited, he now drinks of the invited.

They must not throw them into the fire, lest they offer remains (of offerings) in the fire. They rather throw them on the high altar: thus they are not excluded from the sacrifice.

Thereupon they touch the vessels filled (with water) which some call Apsushomâh (Soma-draughts in water). For even as a yoked (animal) draws, so do they who perform the priestly duties. But the yoked (animal) galls or scratches itself; and water is a means of soothing, a medicine: thus wherever in this (sacrifice) they gall or scratch themselves--water being a means of soothing--they soothe by that means of soothing, water; they heal it by water. This is why they touch the vessels filled (with water).

They touch them with (Vâg. S. VIII, 14), 'With lustre, with sap, with bodies have we united,--with the happy spirit: may Tvashtri, the dispenser of boons, grant us riches, and may he smooth what was injured in our body!' thus they heal what was torn.

They then touch their faces. There is a twofold reason why they touch their faces;--water, forsooth, is the elixir of immortality: it is with the elixir of immortality that they thus touch themselves. And, moreover, they thus deposit that holy work into their own self: therefore they touch their faces.

Now, it is nine Samishtayagus he offers on this occasion. The reason why he offers nine Samishtayagus is that those stotra-verses at the Bahishpavamâna chant amount to nine. Thus there is at both ends an inferior (incomplete) virâg, for the sake of production: it was from that same inferior (lower) source of production on both sides that Pragâpati produced the creatures,--from the one (he created) the upright, and from the other those tending to the ground. And in like manner does he (the Adhvaryu) now create creatures from that lower source of production on both sides,--from the one the upright, and from the other those tending to the ground.

The call 'Him' is the tenth of stotra-verses, and the 'Svâhâ' (the tenth) of these (Samishtayagus): and thus does this incomplete virâg come to consist of tens and tens.

And as to why they are called Samishtayagus. Whatever deities he invites at this sacrifice, and for whatever deities this sacrifice is performed, they all are thereby 'sacrificed-to together' (sam-ishta); and because, after all those (deities) have been 'sacrificed-to together,' he now offers those (libations), therefore they are called Samishtayagus.

And as to why he offers the Samishtayagus. Now, the self of him who has sacrificed has, as it were, become emptied, since he gives away of whatever is his: it is him he fills again by three out of these (oblations).

And as to the three following which he offers,--whatever deities he invites at this sacrifice, and for whatever deities this sacrifice is performed, they continue waiting till the Samishtayagus are performed, thinking, 'These, forsooth, he must offer unto us!' It is these same deities he thereby dismisses in due form whithersoever their course lies.

And as to the three last which he offers,--in performing the sacrifice he has produced it, and, having produced it, he firmly establishes it where there is a safe resting-place for it: this is why he performs the Samishtayagus.

He offers (the first) with (Vâg. S. VIII, 15; Rig-veda V, 42, 4), 'With thought lead us, O Indra, to meet with kine,'--'with thought him who was emptied he thereby fills with thought; with kine;' him who was emptied he thereby fills with kine;--'with patrons, O mighty Lord, with well-being; with prayer which is divinely inspired,'--'with prayer:' him who was emptied he thereby fills with prayer;--'with the favour of the adorable gods! Hail!'

[The second with Vâg. S. VIII, 16], 'With lustre, with sap, with bodies,'--'with lustre him who was emptied he thereby fills with lustre; with sap,'--sap is vigour--him who was emptied he thus fills with sap;--'We have united, with the happy spirit: may Tvashtri, the dispenser of boons, grant us riches, and may he smooth what was injured in our body!' Thus they heal what was torn.

[The third with Vâg. S. VIII, I7; Atharva-veda VII, 17, 4], 'May the gracious Dhâtri, Savitri, Pragâpati, the guardian of treasures, and the divine Agni accept this (offering); and Tvashtri and Vishnu: grant ye willingly to the sacrificer wealth together with children! Hail!' Him who was emptied he fills again, when he says, 'grant ye wealth to the sacrificer, Hail!'

[The fourth with Vâg. S. VIII, 18 ], 'Accessible homes have we prepared for you, O gods, who graciously came to this Soma feast;'--whereby he means to say, 'seats easy of access we have prepared for you, O gods, who have graciously come to this Soma feast;'--'Carrying and driving the offerings,' thereby he dismisses the several deities; 'Those forsooth who are without cars may go away carrying; and those who have cars may go away driving,' this is what he means to say; therefore he says, 'Carrying and driving the offerings;'--'bestow goods on him, ye good! Hail!'

[The fifth with Vâg. S. VIII, 19; Atharva-veda VII, 97, 3], 'The willing gods whom thou, O God, broughtest hither, speed them each to his own abode, O Agni!' For to Agni he said, 'Bring hither such and such gods! bring hither such and such gods!' and to him he now says, 'Whatever gods thou hast brought hither, make them go whithersoever their course lies!'--'Ye have all eaten and drunk,'--for they have eaten the cakes of the animal offering, and they have drunk the king Soma: therefore he says, 'ye have all eaten and drunk;'--'Draw ye nigh to the air, to the heat, to the light! H ail!' Hereby, then, he dismisses the deities.

[The sixth with Vâg. S. VIII, 20], 'Thee, O Agni, have we chosen here for our Hotri at the opening of this sacrifice: severally hast thou offered to them, and severally hast thou toiled; well-knowing the sacrifice, draw thou nigh, thou the wise! Hail!' by this (verse) he releases Agni, dismisses Agni.

[The seventh with Vâg. S. VIII, 21], 'Ye path-finding gods,'--for the gods are, indeed, the finders of the path;--'having found the path,'--'having found the sacrifice,' he thereby means to say;--'go ye in the path!' therewith he dismisses them in due form;--'O divine Lord of mind, this sacrifice--Svâhâ!--give thou to the wind!' for the sacrifice, indeed, is yonder blowing (wind): having thus completed this sacrifice, he establishes it in that sacrifice, and thus unites sacrifice with sacrifice,--hence he says, 'Svâhâ! give (it) to the wind!'

[The eighth with Vâg. S. VIII, 22], 'O sacrifice, go to the sacrifice, go to the lord of the sacrifice, go to thine own womb, Hail!'--the sacrifice, thus established, he thereby establishes in its own womb. [The ninth he offers with], 'This is thy sacrifice, O lord of the sacrifice, bestowing numerous heroes, together with the song of praise: do thou accept it, Hail!' the sacrifice, thus established, bestowing numerous heroes, together with the song of praise he thereby finally establishes in the sacrificer.

He now betakes himself to the expiatory bath (avabhritha). The reason why he betakes himself to the expiatory bath is this. What vital sap there has been in him (Soma and the sacrificer), that (sap) of his he (the priest) has produced (extracted) for the offerings. Now that body (of Soma, i.e. the Soma-husks),--there is no sap in it; (yet) it is not to be cast away: they take it down to the water and--water being sap--he puts that sap into it. Thus he unites him with that sap, and thus he produces him from it,--he (Soma), even when produced, produces him (the sacrificer): and because they take it down (ava-hri) to the water, therefore (the bath is called) avabhritha.

In the first place he performs the Samishtayagus offerings, for the Samishtayagus are the extreme end of the sacrifice. As soon as he has performed the Samishtayagus, they go together to the kâtvâla (pit) with whatever he (the sacrificer) has about him: both the black-deer's horn and the girdle he throws into the pit,--

With (Vâg. S. VIII, 23), 'Be thou nor adder nor viper!' Now when they take the Soma-husks down to the water, that forsooth is the wishing of 'good-speed!' to it, and this now is the 'good-speed!' to him (the sacrificer); for snakes are like rope, and snakes' haunts are like wells (pits), and there is as it were a feud between men and snakes: 'Lest that should spring therefrom,' he thinks, and therefore he says, 'Be thou nor adder nor viper!'

He then makes (the sacrificer) say (Rig-veda I, 24, 8), 'Broad forsooth is the path which king Varuna hath made for the sun to walk along,'--whereby he means to say, 'even as there is for the sun that broad path, free from danger and injury, so may there be for me here a broad path, free from danger and injury.'

'For the footless hath he made feet to put down,' for, although he (the sun) is footless, yet he is able to walk;--'And the forbidder is he of all that woundeth the heart,'--thus he frees him from every guilt and evil of the heart.

He then says, 'Sing the Sâman!' or 'Speak the Sâman!' but let him rather say 'Sing,' for they do sing the Sâman. The reason why he sings the Sâman is that the evil spirits may not injure that body of his outside the sacrifice, for the Sâman is a repeller of the evil spirits.

He (the Prastotri) sings a (verse) to Agni, for Agni is a repeller of the evil spirits. He sings in the Atikhandas; for this, the Atikhandas, is all the metres: therefore he sings in the Atikhandas.

He sings, 'Agni burneth, Agni encountereth with flames,--Ahâvah! Ahâvah!' Thus he drives the evil spirits away from here.

They walk out (from the sacrificial ground) northwards, along the back of the pit and the front side of the Âgnîdhra: then they proceed in whatever direction the water is.

Where there is a standing pool of flowing water, there let him (the sacrificer) descend into the water--for whatsoever parts of flowing water flow not, these are holden by Varuna; and the expiatory bath belongs to Varuna--to free himself from Varuna. But if he does not find such, he may descend into any water.

While he makes him descend into the water, he bids him say, 'Homage be to Varuna: downtrodden is Varuna's snare!' thus he delivers him from every snare of Varuna, from every (infliction) of Varuna.

Thereupon, taking ghee in four ladlings, and throwing down a kindling-stick (on the water), he offers thereon, with (Vâg. S. VIII, 24), 'The face of Agni, the waters, have I entered, escaping from the power of demons, O son of the waters! In every homestead offer thou the log, O Agni! let thy tongue dart forth towards the ghee,--Hail!'

Now, once on a time, the gods made so much of Agni, as would go in, enter the water, in order that the evil spirits should not rise therefrom; for Agni is the repeller of evil spirits. It is him he kindles by this kindling-stick and by this oblation, thinking 'On the kindled (fire) will I offer to the gods!'

Then, having taken ghee a second time in four ladlings, and having called for the (Âgnîdhra's) Sraushat, he says, 'Pronounce the offering prayer to the Kindling-sticks!' He offers four fore-offerings, omitting that to the Barhis --the Barhis being offspring, and the expiatory bath belonging to Varuna--lest Varuna should seize upon his offspring. This is why he offers four fore-offerings, omitting that to the Barhis.

Then follows a cake on one potsherd for Varuna. For whatever sap there had been in him (Soma), that sap of his he has produced (extracted) for the offerings. Now that body: there is no sap in it. But the cake is sap: that sap he puts into it. Thus he unites him with that sap, and so produces him from it,--he (Soma), even when produced, produces him (the sacrificer): hence there is a cake on -one potsherd for Varuna.

Having made an 'underlayer' of ghee (in the offering-spoon), he says, while making the cuttings from the cake, 'Recite (the invitatory prayer) to Varuna!' Here now some make two cuttings from the Soma-husks, but let him not do so; for that (heap of husks) is an empty body, unfit for offering. He makes two cuttings (from the cake) and bastes them once with ghee, and anoints (replenishes the places whence) the cuttings (have been made). Having called for the Sraushat, he says, 'Recite the offering prayer to Varuna!' and offers as the Vashat is uttered.

Then, having made an underlayer of ghee, he says, while putting the (remainder of the) cake (into the spoon), 'Recite the invitatory prayer to Agni and Varuna!' This is for (Agni) Svishtakrit; and as to why he does not say 'To Agni,' it is lest Varuna might seize upon Agni. If before he has cut twice from the Soma-husks, he now does so once, but if (he did) not, he need not heed it. He then bastes it twice with butter on the upper side; and having called for the Sraushat, he says, 'Recite the offering prayer to Agni and Varuna!' and offers as the Vashat is uttered.

Now these are six oblations; for there are six seasons in the year, and Varuna is the year: hence there are six oblations.

This is the course of the Âdityas; and these Yagus, they say, belong to the Âdityas. Let (the Adhvaryu) endeavour to perform as much of it as is his (the sacrificer's) wish. And if the sacrificer tell him to do otherwise, then he should do otherwise. He may also perform those same four fore-offerings,--omitting that to the Barhis--two butter-portions, (the oblations of cake) to Varuna and Agni-Varuna, and two after-offerings,--omitting the one to the Barhis;--this makes ten. Now the virâg consists of ten syllables, and the sacrifice is virâg: thus he makes the sacrifice to be like the virâg.

This is the course of the Aṅgiras. Having performed the offerings either way, (the Adhvaryu) makes the pot, in which the husks are, float with (Vâg. S. VIII, 25), 'In the ocean, in the waters, is thy heart (O Soma)'--for the ocean is the waters, and water is sap: that sap he now puts into him (Soma), and thus he unites him with that sap, and produces him therefrom; and he (Soma), even when produced, produces him (the sacrificer);--'May the plants and the waters unite with thee!'--thereby he puts two kinds of sap into him, that which is in plants, and that which is in water,--'that we may serve thee, O lord of the sacrifice, in the singing of praises and the utterance of worship, with Svâhâ!' Whatever is good in the sacrifice, that he thereby puts into him.