9. And on the following day he goes to the house
1 Savyash/^ri (otherwise savyesh/^rz', savyesh/^a; — savyastha, Kawva rec.) is explained by the commentaries as a synonym of sarathi, charioteer (with which it is compounded in savyesh/^a- sarathi, Taitt. Br. I, 7, 9, 1, where Saya^a makes them the two charioteers standing on the left and right side of the warrior), but it seems more probable that the former terms refer to the warrior (napa- pdrr)s) himself (as savyash/M, Atharva-veda VIII, 8, 23, undoubtedly does), who stands on the left side of the driver (sarathi, r}vloXos) ; the change of meaning being perhaps due to caste scruples about so close an association between the Kshatriya warrior and his *Sudra servant, as is implied in this and other passages. (Cf. V, 3, 2, 2 with note.) — On Taitt. S.I, 8, 9, Sayawa explains saz/zgrahitr/as the treasurer (dhanasa/rcgrahakarta ko^adhyaksha^), but on I, 8, 16 optionally as treasurer or charioteer; while the Suta is I, 8, 9 identified by him with the charioteer (sarathi). It is more probable, however, that at the time of the Brahmaraa the Suta occupied much the same position as that assigned to him in the epics, viz. that of court-bard and chronicler. The connection of the sa^grahitr/' with the A^vins can also scarcely be said to favour the interpretation of the term proposed by Sayawa (who, moreover, is himself compelled, on Taitt. S. I, 8, 15; Taitt. Br. I, 7, io, 6, to take it in the sense of charioteer).
V KANDA, 3 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAiVA, IO. 63
of the Carver (bhagadugha1), and prepares a pap for Pushan, for Pushan is carver to the gods; and that (officer) is carver to that (king) : therefore it is for Pushan. And he, the carver, assuredly is one of his (the kings) jewels : it is for him that he is thereby consecrated, and him he makes his own faithful follower. The sacrificial fee for this (jewel) is a dark-grey bullock : the significance of such a one being the same as at the Trishawyukta 2.
10. And on the following day, having brought
together gavedhuka (seeds) from the houses of the
Keeper of the dice (akshavapa3) and the Hunts-
man (govikartana 4), he prepares a gavedhuka pap
for Rudra at the house of him who is consecrated.
These two, while being two jewels (of the king), he
makes one for the purpose of completeness. And as
to why he performs this offering, — Rudra is hanker-
ing after that (cow) which is killed here in this hall ;
1 The meaning 'tax-gatherer, collector of tithes (or rather, of the sixth part of produce) ' assigned to the term by Saya«a, both here, and on Taitt. S. I, 8, 9, might seem the more natural one, considering the etymology of the term. See, however, the expla- nation given of it in our Brahma»a I, 1, 2, 17 : — ' Pushan is bha- gadugha (distributor of portions) to the gods, who places with his hands the food before them/ This clearly is Homer's Sairpdr, — Od. I, 141-2 :
dairpos be Kpeico lrivaKas TrapeBrjKev ati'pas TravToiav, irapa bi <r<pi rWet xpucreta KvireXka.
2 See V, 2, 5, 8.
3 ' The thrower, or keeper, of the dice/ according to Saya/za. At V, 4, 4, 6 the verb a-vap is used of the throwing the dice into the hand of the player ; and it is perhaps that function of the keeper of the dice which is meant to be expressed by the term ('der Zuwerfer der Wtirfel ')•
4 Literally, the cutter up of cows, the (beef-) butcher. But according to Sayarca, this official was the constant companion of his master in the chase.
64 SATAPATHA-BRAHMA2VA.
now Rudra is Agni (fire), and the gaming-board
being fire, and the dice being its coals, it is him
(Rudra) he thereby pleases. And verily whosoever,
that knows this thus, performs the Ra^asuya, in his
house that approved (cow) is killed. And he, the
keeper of dice, and the huntsman, are (each of them)
assuredly one of his (the kings) jewels : it is for
these two that he is thereby consecrated, and these
two he makes his own faithful followers. The sacri-
ficial fee for this (jewel) is a bicoloured bullock —
either one with white fore-feet, or a white-tailed one,
— a claw-shaped knife, and a dice-board1 with a horse-
hair band2 ; for that is what belongs to those two 3.
ii. And on the following day he goes to the
house of the Courier, and having taken ghee in four
ladlings, he offers the ghee to the way, with, ' May the
way graciously accept of the ghee, hail !' For
the courier is to be dispatched, and when dispatched
goes on his way: therefore he offers the ghee to the
way. And he, the courier, assuredly is one of his
(the king's) jewels ; it is for him that he is thereby
consecrated, and him he makes his own faithful fol-
lower. The sacrificial fee for this (jewel) consists
in a skin-covered bow, leathern quivers, and a red
turban, for that is what belongs to him.
12. These are the eleven jewels (ratna) he com-
pletes ; for of eleven syllables consists the Trish-
Aibh, and the TrishAibh is vigour : it is for the sake
1 Or, a dice-box, as ' akshavapanam ' is explained by some com- mentaries,— aksha upyante*sminn ity akshavapanam aksha(?aksha- dyuta-)sthanavapanapatram, Say.
2 Or, fastened with a hair-chain (romasra^a prabaddham, Say.).
3 That is to say, the knife and the dice-board are the objects those two officials have chiefly to do with.
V KANDA, 3 ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMAiVA, 2. 65
of vigour that he completes the (eleven) jewels.
Then as to why he performs the oblations of the
Ratnins : it is their king he becomes; it is for
them that he thereby is consecrated, and it is them
he makes his own faithful followers.
13. And on the following day he goes to the
house of a discarded (wife), and prepares a pap for
Nirrzti; — a discarded wife is one who has no son.
He cooks the pap for Nirrzti of black rice, after
splitting the grains with his nails. He offers it with
(Va£\ S. IX, 35), ' This, O Nirrzti, is thy share :
accept it graciously, hail!' For a wife that is
without a son, is possessed with Nirrzti (destruction,
calamity); and whatever of Nirr/ti's nature there is in
her, that he thereby propitiates, and thus Nirrzti does
not take possession of him while he is consecrated.
The fee for this (oblation) consists of a black, de-
crepit, diseased cow ; for such a one also is possessed
with Nlrrztu He says to hef (the wife), ' Let her
not dwell this day In my dominion l ! ' thus he re-
moves evil from himself.
Second Brahma^a.
1. After the 'jewels' he offers (a pap) to Soma
and Rudra. It is cooked in milk from a white (cow)
which has a white calf. And as to why, after the
' jewels/ he offers (a pap) to Soma and Rudra.
2. Now, once upon a time, Svarbhanu, the
A sura, struck the sun with darkness, and stricken
with darkness he did not shine 2. Soma and Rudra
1 According to the commentary on Katy. Sr. XV, 3, 35 she has to betake herself to a Brahman's house, where the king has no power.
2 According to Rig-veda V, 40, 5-9 (cf. £at. Br. IV, 3, 4, 23
66 SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
removed that darkness of his ; and freed from evil he
burns yonder. And in like manner does that (king)
thereby enter darkness, — or darkness enters him, —
when he puts those unworthy of sacrifice1 in con-
tact with the sacrifice ; and he does indeed now put
those unworthy of sacrifice — either .5udras or whom-
ever else — in contact with the sacrifice. It is Soma
and Rudra who remove that darkness of his ; and
freed from evil he becomes consecrated. And as to
why it is cooked in milk from a white (cow) which
has a white calf, — darkness is black : that darkness
he removes. The sacrificial fee for this (oblation) is
a white (cow) which has a white calf.
3. Even he who, while being qualified for fame,
is not yet famous, may perform that offering. Now
he who is learned (in the Veda), while being quali-
fied for fame, is not famous ; and he who is not
famous, is covered with darkness : that darkness of
his Soma and Rudra thereby remove ; and freed
from evil he becomes a very light by his prosperity
and renown.
4. Thereupon he prepares a pap for Mitra and Brzhaspati 2. For verily he who departs from the
with note) it was Atri who restored the light of the sun. Pro- fessor Ludwig (Bohemian Academy of Sciences, Sitzungsber., May, 1885) nas tried to prove that solar eclipses (partly available for chronological purposes) are referred to in this and some other passages of the hymns. Compare also Professor Whitney's re- marks thereon, Proceedings of Am. Or. Soc, Oct. 1885, p. xvii.
1 That is, some of those officials of his to whom the ratna- havis were offered; Saya/za specifying 'the Commander of the army and others ' as £udras ; and the ' Huntsman and others ' as of whatsoever (low) caste..
2 According to the Taittiriya ritualists this double oblation forms part of the diksha, or initiation ceremony (V, 3, 3, 1). See Taitt. S., vol. ii, p. 108.
V KANDA, 3 ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMAiVA, 7. 67
path of the sacrifice stumbles ; and he does indeed
depart from the path of the sacrifice, when he puts
those unworthy of sacrifice in contact with the sacri-
fice, and he does indeed now put those unworthy of
sacrifice — either .Sudras or whomever else — in con-
tact with the sacrifice. And the path of the sacrifice
is Mitra and BWhaspati ; for Mitra is the Brahman,
and the Brahman is the sacrifice ; and Brzhaspati is
the Brahman, and the Brahman is the sacrifice.
Thus he returns again to the path of the sacrifice ;
and as soon as he has returned to the path of the
sacrifice he is consecrated : therefore he prepares a
pap for Mitra and Brzhaspati.
5. The course of this (is as follows). Any asvat-
tha branch broken off by itself, either on the eastern
or on the northern side (of the tree), from that he
makes a vessel (to hold the pap) for Mitra; for
that which is hewn by the axe belongs to Varu^a ;
but that which is broken off by itself belongs to
Mitra : therefore he makes the vessel for Mitra from
a branch broken off by itself.
6. Thereupon having curdled the (milk into)
curds, and poured it into a leathern bag ; and
having put (the horses) to the cart, and fastened
(the bag on the cart), he tells it to ' fly away/ This
is that (kind of) fresh butter which is self-pro-
duced1; for that which is churned belongs to
Varu^a, and that which is self-produced belongs to
Mitra : therefore it is self-produced butter.
7. They divide the rice-grains into two parts : the smaller and broken ones belong to Brzhaspati,
1 That is, produced in the leathern bottle without further direct human agency, and by the mere motion of the cart.
68 DATAPATH A-BRAHMAiVA.
and the larger and unbroken ones to Mitra. For
Mitra injures no one, nor does any one injure Mitra ;
neither a kiua stalk nor a thorn pricks him, nor has
he any scar ; for Mitra is every one's friend (mitram).
8. He then puts the pap for Brzhaspati on (the
fire), covers it with the vessel for Mitra's (pap), pours
the butter (into the latter), and throws in the (larger)
rice-grains. It is cooked merely by the hot steam1 ;
for what is cooked by fire belongs to Varima, and
what is cooked by hot steam belongs to Mitra :
therefore it is cooked by hot steam. Making cut-
tings from both these sacrificial dishes, he says,
1 Pronounce the invitatory prayer to Mitra and
Brzhaspati ! ' Having called for the .5rausha^, he
says, f Pronounce the offering-prayer to Mitra and
Brzhaspati ! ' and offers as the Vasha/ is uttered.
THE ABHISHE^ANlYA2, or CONSECRATION CEREMONY.
Third Brahma^a.
i. He performs the initiation ceremony. On the day of preparation he seizes the victim for Agni
1 That is, by the steam rising from the Bnriaspati pap in the bottom vessel.