Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa ("of a hundred paths") 9.1.1

He then performs the Satarudriya offering! This whole Agni has now been completed: he now is the deity Rudra. Upon him the gods bestowed that highest form, immortality. Flaming he there stood longing for food. The gods were afraid of him lest he should hurt them.

They spake, 'Let us gather together food for him: therewith we will appease him!' They gathered for him that food, the Sântadevatya, and thereby appeased him; and inasmuch as they thereby appeased (sam) the god (deva), it is called Sântadevatya;--Sântadevatya, doubtless, is here called mystically 'Satarudriya,' for the gods love the mystic. And in like manner does this Sacrificer now bestow upon him that highest form, immortality. Flaming he there stands, longing for food. He gathers for him that food, the Sântadevatya, and thereby appeases him.

He offers wild sesamum seeds. He (Agni) grows when he is being built up: he grows for (the consumption) of every kind of food. And wild sesamum seeds represent both kinds of food, the cultivated as well as the wild-growing: inasmuch as they are sesamum seeds they are a cultivated (kind of food), and inasmuch as they ripen on unploughed land they are wild-growing; he thus satisfies him with both kinds of food, the cultivated as well as the wild-growing.

He offers by means of an arka-leaf,--the Arka-tree (Calotropis gigantea) is food: he thus gratifies him with food.

He offers on (three) enclosing-stones:--these enclosing-stones are the (three) Agnis; and thus it is over Agni himself that these oblations of his become offered.

And as to why he performs the Satarudriya offering. When Pragâpati had become disjointed, the deities departed from him. Only one god did not leave him, to wit, Manyu (wrath): extended he remained within. He (Pragâpati) cried, and the tears of him that fell down settled on Manyu. He became the hundred-headed, thousand-eyed, hundred-quivered Rudra. And the other drops that fell down, spread over these worlds in countless numbers, by thousands; and inasmuch as they originated from crying (rud), they were called Rudras (roarers). That hundred-headed, thousand-eyed, hundred-quivered Rudra, with his bow strung, and his arrow fitted to the string, was inspiring fear, being in quest of food. The gods were afraid of him.

They spake unto Pragâpati 'We are afraid of this one, lest he should hurt us!' He spake, 'Gather food for him, and appease him therewith!' They gathered for him that food, the Satarudriya (offering), and thereby appeased him; and inasmuch as they thereby appeased (sam) the hundred-headed (satasîrsha) Rudra, it is called Satasîrsharudrasamanîya,--and satasîrsharudrasamanîya, doubtless, is what they mystically call Satarudriya, for the gods love the mystic. And in like manner does this (Sacrificer) now gather for him that food, the Satarudriya, and appease him thereby.

He offers gavedhukâ flour; for from the place where that deity lay disjointed, gavedhukâ plants (coix barbata) sprang forth: he thus gratifies him by his own portion, by his own life-sap.

He offers by means of an arka-leaf; for that tree sprang from the resting-place of that god: he thus gratifies him by his own portion, by his own life-sap.

He offers on (three) enclosing-stones, for the enclosing-stones are the hair, and neither poison nor anything else injures one at the hair. He offers whilst standing on the left (north) side of Agni (the altar), with his face to the north; for in that region lies the house of that god: it is thus in his own region that he gratifies him, in his own region he contents him with offering.

The first Svâhâ ('hail') he utters on the knee-high one,---what is knee-high is, as it were, below, and below, as it were, is this (terrestrial) world: he thus gratifies those Rudras who entered this world.

Then on the navel-high one,--what is navel-high is, as it were, the middle; and the middle, as it were, is the air-world: he thus gratifies those Rudras who entered the air-world.

Then on the one reaching up to the mouth,--what reaches up to the mouth is, as it were, above, and above, as it were, is yonder world: he thus gratifies those Rudras who entered yonder world. [He does so] with Svâhâ,--the Svâhâ is food: with food he thus gratifies them.

[He offers, with, Vâg. S. XVI, 1], 'Reverence, O Rudra, be to thy wrath!' he thereby does reverence to that wrath which remained extended within him;--'And to thine arrow be reverence, and to both thine arms be reverence!' for it was by his arrow and his arms that he was inspiring fear.

That god who became the hundred-headed (Rudra) is the chief (kshatra), and those others who originated from the drops are the peasants (clansmen): those peasants in the first place assigned to that chief this as his special share, to wit, this first chapter of formulas, and gratified him thereby. And in like manner does this (Sacrificer) now assign this to him as his special fore-share, and gratify him thereby. Hence this (section) is addressed to a single deity, to Rudra; for it is him he thereby gratifies.

There are here fourteen formulas,--thirteen months are a year, and Pragâpati is the fourteenth; and Pragâpati is Agni: as great as Agni is as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus gratifies him. 'Reverence! reverence!' he says;--reverence being sacrifice, it is by sacrifice, by reverence, that he thus reveres him. Therefore he must not mention any one unworthy of sacrifice, for it would be just as if he were to say to him, 'Sacrifice be to thee!'

He then makes offering to those forming pairs: 'Reverence to so and so! reverence to so and so!' It is as if he were to say, 'Thou, N. N., and this one, do not ye two injure us!' for in no wise does a man who is known and appealed to injure us.

[Vâg. S. XVI, 17], 'Reverence be to the golden-armed leader of hosts, and to the lord of regions be reverence!' for he (Rudra-Agni) is indeed the golden-armed leader of hosts, and the lord of regions. And in that everything in this second chapter of formulas applies to one and the same deity, thereby he gratifies that (god Rudra), and makes the chief to have a share in the people (or the clan): hence whatever belongs to the people, in that the chieftain has a share. And those (Rudras) that spread over these worlds, countless, by thousands, they are the deities to whom he now offers.

He thus makes offering to the tribes (of Rudras), for it was those tribes, those Rudras, that spread, and wheresoever they are there he thereby gratifies them. And thus, indeed, (he gratifies) those tribes of Rudras; and, men being after the manner of the gods, therefore also these tribes of men: tribe after tribe he thus gratifies them.

Now some of these (formulas) have 'reverence' on both sides, and others on one side only;--more terrible and more unappeased, indeed, are those (Rudras) that have 'reverence' on both sides: on both sides he thereby appeases them by sacrifice, by reverence.

With (each set of) eighty (formulas) he utters the Svâhâ,--on the first anuvâka, and on eighty, and on eighty; and the formulas which follow as far as the 'unstringing'-formulas (Vâg. S. XVI, 54-63),--eighties mean food: by means of food he thus gratifies them.

He thus mutters these formulas (the last four of Vâg. S. XVI, 46), 'Reverence be to you, the sparkling (hearts of the gods)!' for this is his favourite resort, either as a dear son or the heart: hence whenever he should be in fear of that god (Rudra), let him offer with those mystic utterances, for he draws nigh unto the favourite resort of that god, and so that god does not injure him.

'Reverence be to you, the sparkling,' for those (Rudras) produce (kar) everything here,--'hearts of the gods!'--Agni, Vâyu and Âditya (fire, wind and sun), these truly are the hearts of the gods;--'Reverence to the discriminating!'--for those (gods) discriminate everything here;--'Reverence to the destructive!'--for those (gods) destroy whom they wish to destroy;--'Reverence to the irremovable!'--for those (gods) are not (to be) removed from these worlds.

He then mutters those that follow (Vâg. S. XVI, 47 seq.), 'Chaser! lord of the (Soma) plant!'--that (god) is indeed a repeller, for he chases away whom he wishes to chase away;--'lord of the plant'--that is, 'lord of the Soma-plant;'--'O blue-red cleaver;'--these are names and forms of him: he thus gratifies him by calling him by his names;--'frighten and hurt not these people and these cattle! let none of us sicken!' as the text, so the sense.

That god (Rudra) is the kshatra (ruling power; chieftainship or chief); and for that chief these peasants set apart this special fore-share, to wit, that first section (of formulas); and now he (the Sacrificer) sets apart for him that after-share, and thereby gratifies him; and hence this (section) also belongs to a single deity, to wit, to Rudra; for it is him he thereby gratifies.

These are seven formulas,--of seven layers the fire-altar consists, and the year consists of seven months, and Agni is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much food he thus gratifies him. These two kinds (of formulas) amount to twenty-one,--the twelve months, the five seasons, these three worlds, and yonder sun as the twenty-first (make up) this amount.

He then offers (the libations of the) 'unstringing'-formulas. For at that time the gods, having gratified those (Rudras) by that food, unstrung their bows by means of these 'unstringing'-formulas; and in like manner this (Sacrificer), having gratified them by that food, now unstrings their bows by means of these 'unstringing'-formulas; for with an unstrung bow one injures no one.

Here now he says 'at a thousand leagues,' for a thousand leagues is the farthest distance; and he thus unstrings their bows at what is the farthest distance.

And, again, as to why he says 'at a thousand leagues,'--a thousand leagues means this Agni (fire-altar), for neither this way nor that way is there any other thing greater than he; and it is when he makes offering in the fire that he unstrings their bows at a thousand leagues.

'Countless thousands,--in this great sea,'--thus, wheresover they are, there he unstrings their bows.

There are ten of these 'unstringing'-offerings he makes,--the Virâg consists of ten syllables, and Agni is Virâg (widely-shining or ruling); there are ten regions, and Agni is the regions; there are ten vital airs, and Agni is the vital airs: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much he thus unstrings their bows.

He then offers the descending (series of oblations). For then (in the preceding oblations) he ascends these worlds upwards from hence: this is, as it were, an ascent away from here. But this (earth) is a firm resting-place: the gods returned to this resting-place; and in like manner does the Sacrificer now return to this resting-place.

And, again, as to why he descends. Then (in the preceding oblations) he goes after those (gods), gratifying (propitiating) them. From thence he now recovers his own self unto life; and so does he by that self of his attain all vital power.

And., again, as to why he descends. He then (in the preceding oblations) gratifies those Rudras from hence upwards; he now does so again from thence hitherwards.

[Vâg. S. XVI 64], 'Reverence be to the Rudras dwelling in the sky,'--he thereby does reverence to those Rudras who are in yonder world;--'whose arrows the rain is,' for the rain is indeed their arrows, and by the rain they injure whom they wish to injure.

[Vâg. S. XVI, 65], 'Reverence be to the Rudras dwelling in the air,'--he thereby does reverence to those Rudras who are in the air;--'whose arrows the wind is,' for the wind is indeed their arrows, and by the wind they injure whom they wish to injure.

[Vâg. S. XVI, 66], 'Reverence be to the Rudras dwelling upon earth,'--he thereby does reverence to those Rudras who are in this (terrestrial) world;--'whose arrows food is,' for food is indeed their arrows, and by means of food they injure whom they wish to injure.

'To them (I stretch) ten (fingers) forwards, ten to the right, ten backwards, ten to the left, ten upwards,'--of ten syllables consists the Virâg, and Agni is Virâg; there are ten seasons, and Agni is the seasons; there are ten vital airs, and Agni is the vital airs: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus gratifies them.

And as to why he says 'ten-ten,'--there are ten fingers in the joined hands: he thus makes reverence to them in each direction; and hence he who is frightened places his hands together;--'To them be reverence!'--he thus does reverence to them;--'May they be gracious unto us!'--they thus are gracious unto him;--'whomsoever we hate, and whosoever hateth us, him we cast into their jaws!'--thus he casts into their jaws whomsoever he hates, and whosoever hates him. He may say, 'So-and-so I cast into their jaws!' naming him whom he hates, and then he has no longer any hold upon him. But let him take no notice of this (injunction), for indicated of himself is he whom he who knows this hates.

In three turns he descends,--Agni is threefold: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much food he thus gratifies them. With 'Svâhâ' (he makes offering), for the Svâhâ is food: with food he thus gratifies them. Thrice (in three turns) he ascends from hence upwards,--that makes six: the significance of this has been explained.

And as to why he descends in three turns,--it is because he ascends in three turns: thus in as many turns as he ascends, in so many turns does he descend.

He then throws that arka-leaf into the pit; for it is therewith that he performs that sacrificial work sacred to Rudra, and that same (leaf) is inauspicious; he now puts it away, lest any one should tread on this inauspicious (leaf), and suffer injury thereby: hence (he throws it) into the pit. And, again, as to why (he throws it) into the pit,--the pit, doubtless, means the fire, and thus that fire consumes it. Now as to the (symbolic) correspondence.

As to this they say, 'How does this Satarudriya of his attain to (conformity with) the year, and Agni? how does it correspond to the year, to Agni?' Well, this Satarudriya includes three hundred and sixty (formulas); and (other) thirty, and thirty-five. Now, as to the three hundred and sixty which there are, so many are there days in the year: thereby it obtains the days of the year. And as to the thirty (formulas) which there are, they are the thirty nights of the month: thereby it obtains the nights of the month: thus it obtains both the days and nights of the year. And as to the thirty-five (formulas) there are, they are the thirteenth month, (Agni's) self,--the body (consists of) thirty (limbs), the feet of two, the breath of two (in-breathing and off-breathing), and the head is the thirty-fifth: so much is the year. And in this way this Satarudriya of his attains to (conformity with) the year, Agni, and corresponds to the year, Agni. And, indeed, in the Sândila fire-altar as many bricks with formulas attached to them are placed in the middle, for these bricks are indeed the same as these different Agnis (invoked in the Satarudriya); and thus these Agnis of his come to have oblations offered to them separately by means of the Satarudriya.

As to this they say, 'How does this Satarudriya of his attain to (conformity with) the Great Litany?--how does it correspond to the Great Litany?' Well, those twenty-five formulas which there are on both sides of the eighties, they are the twenty-five-fold body; and where the body (of the altar-bird) is, that (includes) the head, and the wings and tail. And what eighties (of formulas) there are (in the Satarudriya), thereby indeed the (corresponding) eighties (of the Mahad uktham) are obtained, for by eighties the Great Litany is recited. And what there is (in the Satarudriya) after the eighties that is for him the same as what there, in the Great Litany, is after the eighties; and in this way this Satarudriya of his attains to (conformity with) the Great Litany; in this way it corresponds to the Great Litany.