Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa ("of a hundred paths") 4.6.6
Śatapathabrāhmaṇa 4.6.6
- Language
- Sanskrit
4.6.6.1
devā ha vai yajñaṃ tanvānāḥ | te 'surarakṣasebhya āsaṅgādbibhayāṃ cakruste hocuḥ ko no dakṣiṇata āsiṣyate 'thābhaye 'nāṣṭra uttarato yajñamupacariṣyāma iti
Now once on a time the gods, while performing sacrifice, were afraid of an attack from the Asura-Rakshas. They said, 'Who of us shall sit on the south side; we will then enter upon the sacrifice on the north side in a place free from danger and injury.'
4.6.6.2
te hocuḥ | ya eva no vīryavattamaḥ sa dakṣiṇata āstāmathābhaye 'nāṣṭra uttarato yajñamupacariṣyāma iti
They said, 'He who is the strongest of us, let him sit on the south side; we will then enter upon the sacrifice on the north side in a place free from danger and injury.'
4.6.6.3
te hocuḥ | indro vai no vīryavattama indro dakṣiṇata āstāmathābhaye 'nāṣṭra uttarato yajñamupacariṣyāma iti
They said, 'Verily, Indra is the strongest of us: let Indra sit on the south side; we will then enter upon the sacrifice on the north side in a place free from danger and injury.'
4.6.6.4
te hendramūcuḥ | tvaṃ vai no vīryavattamo 'si tvaṃ dakṣiṇata āsvāthābhaye nāṣṭra uttarato yajñamupacariṣyāma iti
They said to Indra, 'Verily, thou art the strongest of us: sit thou on the south side; we will then enter upon the sacrifice on the north side in a place free from danger and injury.'
4.6.6.5
sa hovāca | kim me tataḥ syāditi brāhmaṇācaṃsyā te brahmasāma ta iti tasmādbrāhmaṇācaṃsinam pravṛṇīta indro brahmā brāhmaṇāditīndrasya hyeṣā sa indro dakṣiṇata āstāthābhaye nāṣṭra uttarato yajñamupācaraṃstasmādya eva vīryavattamaḥ syātsa dakṣiṇata āsītātābhaye 'nāṣṭra uttarato yajñamupacareyuryo vai brāhmaṇānāmanūcānatamaḥ sa eṣāṃ vīryavattamo 'tha yadidaṃ ya eva kaśca brahmā bhavati kuvittūṣṇīmāsta iti tasmādya eva vīryavattamaḥ syātsa dakṣiṇata āsītāthābhaye 'nāṣṭra uttarato yajñamupacareyustasmādbrāhmaṇā dakṣiṇata āsate 'thābhaye 'nāṣṭra uttarato yajñamupacaranti
He said, 'What will be my reward then?'--'The office of Brâhmanâkhamsin shall be thine, the Brahmasâman shall be thine!'--Hence one elects the Brâhmanâkhamsin with, 'Indra is the Brahman, by virtue of the Brahmaship!' for to Indra belongs this (office). Indra sat on the south side, and they entered upon the sacrifice on the north side in a place free from danger and injury. Therefore let him who is the strongest sit on the south side, and let them then enter upon the sacrifice on the north side in a place free from danger and injury. Now he, forsooth, who is the most learned of Brâhmans, is the strongest of them; and as now any one is (able to become) a (superintendent) Brahman --nay, does he not sit still?--therefore whosoever is the strongest of them, let him sit on the south side, and let them then enter upon the sacrifice on the north side in a place free from danger and injury. Hence Brâhmans sit on the south side (of the vedi), and they enter upon the sacrifice on the north side in a place free from danger and injury.
4.6.6.6
sa yatrāha | brahmantstoṣyāmaḥ praśāstariti tadbrahmā japatyetaṃ te deva savitaryajñam prāhurbṛhaspataye brahmaṇe tena yajñamava tena yajñapatiṃ tena māmava stuta savituḥ prasava iti so 'sāveva bandhuretena nveva bhūyiṣṭhā ivopacaranti
When (the Prastotri) says, 'Brahman, we will chant, O Prasâstar!' then the Brahman mutters (Vâg.. S. II, 12), 'This thy sacrifice, O divine Savitar, have they announced unto Brihaspati (the lord of prayer), the Brahman: therefore speed the sacrifice, speed the lord of the sacrifice, speed me!--Praise ye at the impulse (prasava) of Savitri!' The significance is the same (as before). With this (text) must probably enter upon (the chant).
4.6.6.7
anena tvevopacaret | deva savitaretadbṛhaspate preti tatsavitāram prasavāyopadhāvati sa hi devānām prasavitā bṛhaspate preti bṛhaspatirvai devānām brahmā tadya eva devānām brahmā tasmā evaitatprāha tasmādāha bṛhaspate preti
But one may also enter upon it with, 'O divine Savitar; this, O Brihaspati, forwards!' Therewith he hastes to Savitri for his impulsion, for he is the impeller (prasavitri) of the gods; and 'O Brihaspati, forwards!' he says, because Brihaspati is the Brahman of the gods,--thus he announces it to him who is the Brahman of the gods: therefore he says, 'O Brihaspati, forwards!'
4.6.6.8
atha maitrāvaruṇo japati | prasūtaṃ devena savitrā juṣṭam mitrāvaruṇābhyāmiti tatsavitāram prasavāyopadhāvati sa hi devānām prasavitā juṣṭam mitrāvaruṇābhyāmiti mitrāvaruṇau vai maitrāvaruṇasya devate tadye eva maitrāvaruṇasya devate tābhyāmevaitatprāha tasmādāha juṣṭam mitrāvaruṇābhyāmiti
The Maitrâvaruna then mutters, 'Impelled by the divine Savitri, acceptable to Mitra and Varuna!' Therewith he hastes to Savitri for his impulsion, for he is the impeller of the gods; and 'acceptable to Mitra and Varuna' he says, because Mitra and Varuna are the deities of the Maitrâvaruna (Prasâstri),--thus he announces it to those who are the deities of the Maitrâvaruna: therefore he says, 'acceptable to Mitra and Varuna.'
Translations (1)
- The Satapatha-Brahmana according to the Text of the Mâdhyandina School (SBE 12, 26, 41, 43, 44) — Julius Eggeling 1882, English
Commentaries (1)
- Śatapathabrāhmaṇabhāṣya (Sāyaṇa) — Sāyaṇa, Sanskrit
Linked texts (5)
- A Vedic Concordance — Maurice Bloomfield, English
- Die Religion des Veda — Hermann Oldenberg, German
- The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads — Arthur Berriedale Keith, English
- The Religions of India — Edward Washburn Hopkins, English
- Spiritual Authority and Temporal Power in the Indian Theory of Government — Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, English