Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa ("of a hundred paths") 4.6.9

Now, once on a time, the gods were sitting in a sacrificial session, thinking, 'May we attain excellence; may we be glorious, may we be eaters of food!' That same food, gained by them, wished to go away from them,--and, food being cattle, it was the cattle that wished to go away from them, thinking, 'It is to be feared lest they, being exhausted, may hurt us: how, indeed, will they deal with us?'

They offered these two oblations in the Gârhapatya; and--the Gârhapatya being a house (griha), and a house being a resting-place--they thereby secured them in the house, and thus that food, gained by them, did not go away from them.

And in like manner do these Sattrins now sit through a sacrificial session, thinking, 'May we attain excellence, may we be glorious, may we be eaters of food!' That food, gained by them, wishes to go away from them,--and, food being cattle, it is the cattle that wish to go away from them, thinking, 'It is to be feared lest they, being exhausted, may hurt us: how, indeed, will they deal with us?'

They offer these two oblations in the Gârhapatya; and--the Gârhapatya being a house, and the house being a resting-place--they thereby secure them in the house, and thus that food, gained by them, does not go away from them.

And in like manner that offered food wishes to go away from him, thinking, 'It is to be feared lest this one will hurt me: how, indeed, will he deal with me?'

He first eats a very little from the further (back) end of it;--thereby he encourages it: it knows, 'It was not so as I thought: he has in no wise hurt me.' Thus it becomes attached to him, and, indeed, whosoever, knowing this, is able to observe the vow thereof, he becomes an eater of food, dear to food.

This, then, is done at the Sattrotthâna (rising from the session) on the tenth day. Each of them sits speechless, strengthening his voice: with that (voice) strengthened and reinvigorated they perform the last day. Then the others are dismissed, either (for) fetching fuel or to their day's reading of the scriptures. Now also they take food.

In the afternoon, having come together and touched water, they enter the ladies' hall, and while the others hold on to him from behind, he offers (on the Sâlâdvârya fire) those two oblations; (the first) with (Vâg. S. VIII, 51), 'Here is joy: here rejoice ye! here is stability, here is (your) own stability,--Hail!' He thereby addresses the cattle; they thereby secure cattle for themselves.

And the second he offers with, 'Letting the sucking calf to the mother,'--he means to say by this, 'letting the fire go to the earth;'--'a sucking calf drinking from the mother,'--he thereby means the fire sucking the (moisture of the) earth;--'may he maintain increase of wealth among us,--Hail!' increase of wealth is cattle: they thus secure cattle for themselves.

They go out eastward, and enter the (shed of the) Havirdhâna carts from behind towards the front; for from the front towards the back (they enter) when about to perform the sacrifice, but thus (it is done) at the rising from the session.

On the hinder shaft of the northern cart they sing the Sâman (Vâg. S. VIII, 52), called 'the completion of the session,'--there it is that they reach completeness; or on the northern hip of the high altar; but the other is the more usual,

That is, on the hinder shaft of the northern cart. 'We have gone to the light, we have become immortal,'--for they who sit through a sacrificial session become indeed the light, they become immortal;--'to the sky have we ascended from the earth,'--for they who sit through a sacrificial session indeed ascend from the earth to the sky;--'we have attained to the gods,'--for they indeed attain to the gods;--'to heaven, to the light!' thrice they repeat the finale; for they indeed become (partakers of) heaven and bliss. Thus, whatever the nature of his Sâman is, that they come to be who sit through a sacrificial session.

They creep along right under the axle of the southern cart: even as a snake frees itself from its skin, so do they free themselves from all evil. They creep along with an atikhandas verse; for that, the atikhandas (redundant metre), is all the metres;--thus evil does not overtake them: therefore they creep along with an atikhandas verse.

They creep along with (Vâg. S. VIII, 53; Rig-veda I, 132, 6), 'O Indra and Parvata, leaders in battle, smite ye every one that wars against us, smite him with the thunderbolt! him that is hidden may it please in the far retreat which he hath reached: our foes, O hero, on all sides may the tearer tear to pieces,--on all sides!'

They go out eastward, and enter the Sadas from the front towards the back; for from the back towards the front (they do so) when about to perform the sacrifice; but thus (they do) at the rising from the session.

They sit down by their several dhishnya-hearths. Now, once on a time, the pith of Vâk (speech) wished to desert the gods who had won it; it tried to creep away along this earth, for Vâk is this earth: her pith are these plants and trees. By means of this Sâman they overtook it, and, thus overtaken, it returned to them. Hence upwards on this earth grow the plants, and upwards the trees. And in like manner does the pith of Vâk wish to desert these (sacrificers) who have won it, and tries to creep away along this earth,--for Vâk is this earth: her pith are these plants and trees. By means of this Sâman they overtake it, and, thus overtaken, it returns to them. Hence upwards on this earth grow the plants, and upwards the trees.

They chant verses of the queen of serpents; for the queen of serpents is this earth: through her they thus obtain everything. The prelude is performed by (the Udgâtri) himself, and the chant is not joined in (by the choristers), lest some one else overhear it. For he would cause (the performance) to be in excess were another to chant; he would cause an excess, were another to join in it; he would cause an excess, were another to overhear it: therefore the prelude is performed by (the Udgâtri) himself, and the chant is not joined in.

The Hotri recites the Four-Hotri formulas, whereby he follows up that chant by a Sastra. If the Hotri does not know them, let the Grihapati recite them; but it is the Hotri's recitation.

Then the Adhvaryu's response is, 'These sacrificers have prospered: happiness hath accrued unto them!' whereby he bespeaks success to human speech.

Thereupon they utter the Brahmodya in (the form of a) dialogue. For everything, indeed, is obtained, everything gained by them that sit through a sacrificial session,--they have performed with Yagus prayers: these have obtained so much, have acquired so much; they have recited Rik verses: these have obtained so much, have acquired so much; they have chanted Sâmans: these have obtained so much, have acquired so much. But this has not been obtained, this has not been acquired by them, namely, the (theological) discussion, the sacred discourse: this is what they thereby obtain, what they acquire.

Having 'crept' up to the Udumbara post, they restrain their speech. Now, they who perform the sacrifice with speech, milk and suck out the sacrifice; for sacrifice is speech. And previously to this, each of them sits speechless, strengthening his speech, and with their speech thus strengthened and reinvigorated they perform the last day. But at this (disputation) the entire speech, thus obtained, becomes exhausted: that speech they all strengthen (by remaining) speechless, and with it thus strengthened and reinvigorated they perform the Atirâtra.

They sit touching the Udumbara post, for strength is food, and the Udumbara tree is strength: with strength he thus invigorates speech.

When the sun has set, they go out (of the Sadas) eastward, and sit down behind the Âhavanîya, in front of the Havirdhâna shed. Round them, sitting speechless, the Pratiprasthâtri carries the Vasatîvarî water. For whatever object they perform the session, therewith let them release their speech. For in olden times the Rishis were wont to hold sacrificial sessions for certain objects,--'such is our wish: may that be fulfilled!' And if they be desirous of different objects, desirous of subjects, desirous of offspring, desirous of cattle,--

Let them release their speech with this (Vâg. S. VIII, 53), 'Earth! Air! Sky!' Thus they render their speech auspicious by means of the truth, and with that auspicious (speech) they pray for blessings,--'May we be abundantly supplied with offspring!'--thereby they pray for offspring;--'May we be abundantly supplied with men!'--thereby they pray for men;--'May we be abundantly supplied with food!' thereby they pray for prosperity.

Thereupon the Grihapati, or whomsoever the Grihapati may call upon, recites the Subrahmanyâ litany. Some, indeed, recite the Subrahmanyâ each separately; but rather let the Grihapati, or whomsoever the Grihapati may call upon, recite the Subrahmanyâ. Having desired an invitation to that (Atirâtra feast), they put kindling-sticks on the fire.