Vedic Mythology c5.s3.t3.3

c5.s3.t3.3

Bṛhaspati is a domestic priest¹ (2, 24⁹; VS. 20, 11; TS. 6, 4, 10; AB. 8, 26⁴), a term almost peculiar to Agni (p. 96). The ancient ṣeers placed him at their head (*puro-dhā*) (4, 50¹). He is Soma's *purohita* (ŚB. 4, 1, 2⁴). He is also a *brahman* or praying priest² (2, 1³; 4, 50⁸), once probably in the technical sense (10, 141³). In later Vedic texts Bṛhaspati is the *brahman* priest (in the technical sense) of the gods³. He is even called the prayer or devotion (*brahma*) of the gods (TS. 2, 2, 9¹ &c.) Bṛhaspati promotes the yoking of devotion, and without him sacrifice does not succeed (1, 18⁷). As a pathmaker he makes good the access to the feast of the gods (2, 23⁶. ⁷). From him even the gods obtained their share of sacrifice (2, 23¹). He awakens the gods with sacrifice (AV. 19, 63¹). He himself pronounces the hymn in which Indra, Varuṇa, Mitra, Aryaman, the gods take pleasure (1, 40⁵). He sings chants (10, 36⁵). His song (*śloka*) goes to heaven (1, 190⁴) and metre (*chandas*) belongs to him (MS. 1, 9²). He is associated with singers (7, 10⁴; 10, 14³). He sings with his ‘friends that cry like Haṁsas’ (10, 67³), by whom the Aṅgirases⁴ (§ 54) mentioned in the preceding verse (10, 67²) seem to be meant. He is also said to be accompanied by a singing (*ṛkvat*)⁵ host (*gaṇa*: 4, 50⁵). This is doubtless the reason why he is called *gaṇapati*, ‘lord of a host’ (2, 23¹), a term once applied to Indra also (10, 112⁹).