1 For particulars regarding the meat portions, see part ii, p. 204 seq.
2 Or, black and white (jukla-kn'sh^a-vanza), as ' jyama ' is ex- plained by Sayawa.
V KANDA, I ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMAiVA, 12. 1 5
Soma : he thus wins the visible Pra^apati. There
are seventeen (victims), because Pra^apati is seven-
teenfold : he thus wins Pra^apati.
8. Now, they are all hornless ; — for man is nearest
to Pra^apati, and he is hornless, unhorned ; and
Pra^apati also is hornless, unhorned ; and these
(victims) belong to Pra^apati : therefore they are
all hornless.
9. They are all dark-grey. Now, the dark-grey
has two forms, the light hair and the black ; and a
couple means a productive pair, and Pra^apati (the
lord of generation) represents productiveness, and
those (victims) belong to Pra^apati : therefore they
are all dark-grey.
10. They are all males; — for the male means
productiveness, and Pra^apati represents productive-
ness : hence they are all males. Difficult to obtain
are victims with these perfections : if he cannot
obtain them (all) with these perfections, even some
with these perfections will do ; for verily Pra^apati
is everything here.
11. Now, some seize the last (victim) for V&k
(Speech), thinking, ' If there be anything beyond
Pra^apati, that is Speech : we thus win Speech/
But let him not do it in this wise ; for Pra^apati is
everything here, — these worlds and everything there
is ; — whatever speech speaks in these worlds, that
speech he wins : therefore he need not heed this.
12. The course of procedure regarding these
(victims is as follows). When the Maitravaru^a
recites after the V&madevya 1, let them then proceed
1 The Vamadevya-saman (Samav. II, 32-34) is the second Przsh//5a-stotra, after the chanting of which, at the midday feast,
1 6 SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
with their omenta ; for the Vamadevya means pro-
ductiveness, and Pra^apati means productiveness,
and these (victims) belong to Pra^apati : therefore
let them proceed with their omenta at that time.
13. And (when) the after-offerings have been per-
formed, and the spoons have not yet been shifted
(separated)1, then they proceed with the (chief) obla-
tions of those (victims). That (point in the per-
formance) is the end, and Pra^apati is the end :
thus he wins Pra^apati at the very end. But were
he to proceed therewith sooner, it would be just as
if a man had already gone the way he still intends
to go, — and where would he be after that 2 ? — there-
the first assistant of the Hotr/, the Maitravaruwa, has to recite his (the second) Nishkevalya-^astra ; see part ii, p. 325, note 2; p. 339, note 2. — As regards the Hotn's Pr/sh/^a-stotra, the Rathantara- saman (S. V. II, 30, 31) is used for it; while the Abhlvarta tune (S. V. ed. Bibl. Ind. Ill, p. 9.3) is employed in the chanting of the Brahma-saman (S. V. II, 35, 36 ; see part ii, p. 434, note 1) instead of the ordinary Naudhasa tune. Pa#/£. Br. 18, 6, 11-14.
1 On this ceremony with which the concluding rites of the ish/i commence, see I, 8, 3, 1 seq.
• 2 Or possibly, what would then become of him ? The author's reasoning seems to be that, if the sacrificer were to offer any of the chief oblations at an earlier point in the performance, he would thereby anticipate the results he wants to obtain from the whole performance, — or, so to speak, he would then already reach the goal for the attainment of which the subsequent oblations are likewise intended. For the same reason the offering of the omentum of the sterile cow, previously to and independently of the omenta of the other victims, was discountenanced in paragraph 6. Our present passage is interpreted rather differently by Professor Delbriick in his Altindische Syntax, p. 550 : — Wenn er vorher damit vorginge, so ware das so, als ob er, nach Betretung des Pfades, den er zu betreten beabsichtigt, wo ? ware (d. h. in s Ungluck geriethe) : ' Were he to proceed therewith sooner, it would be just as if, after entering on the path he intends to enter upon, he would be where ? (i. e. would get into trouble)/
V KANDA, I ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMAiVA, 2. I 7
fore they proceed with their (chief) oblations at that time.
14. But let him not do it in this wise ; for he who
departs from the path of the sacrifice stumbles ; and
he who does it in this wise certainly departs from
the path of the sacrifice. Hence whenever they
proceed with the omenta of the other victims, let
them at the same time proceed with the omenta of
these ; and whenever they proceed with the (chief)
oblations of the other victims, let them at the same
time proceed with the oblations of these. There is
but one invitatory prayer, and one offering prayer ;
for (these offerings) belong to one deity. He says
(to the Maitravanma), ' To Pra^apati ' — saying this
(name) in a low voice — ' recite the invitatory prayer
for the offering of the bucks ! ' — ' To Pra^apati ' —
saying this in a low voice — ' urge the ready-standing
offering of the bucks ! ' and as the Vasha^f is uttered,
he makes the offering.
Fourth Brahmawa.
1. At the midday Soma-feast he consecrates (the
Sacrificer) by sprinkling ; and at the midday Soma-
feast they run a race ; for, verily, Pra^apati is
that sacrifice x which is here performed, and from
which these creatures have been produced, — and
indeed, they are even now produced after this
one: thus he thereby wins Pra^apati in the very
centre (of the sacrifice).
2. The Mahendra cup being not yet drawn, — for
1 In the original, ' pra^apati/^ ' is the predicate, not the subject, of the sentence ; but considerations of construction seem to render the change desirable in English. [41] c
1 8 SATAPATHA-BRAHMA2VA.
that, the Mahendra, is Indra's special (nishkevalya)
cup, and so also are his that Nishkevalya-stotra and
Nishkevalya -^astra ; and the Sacrificer is Indra :
thus he consecrates him at his own dwelling-place.
Hence, the Mahendra cup being not yet drawn, —
3. He takes down the chariot1, with (Vaf. S. IX, 5),
'Thou art Indra's thunderbolt;' for the chariot
is indeed a thunderbolt, and the sacrificer is Indra :
therefore he says, 'Thou art Indra's thunderbolt ;' —
' a winner of wealth,' for the chariot is indeed a
winner of wealth ; — ' May this one win wealth
by thee ! ' — wealth means food : ' may this one gain
food by thee/ is what he thereby says.
4. That chariot, seized by the pole, he turns
(from left to right) so as to make it stand inside the
vedi 2, with, 'In the winning of wealth, the
great Mother' — wealth means food: 'in the
winning of food, the great Mother' — is what he
thereby says; — ' Aditi by name, we praise with
speech ; ' now Aditi is this earth : therefore he says,
'Aditi by name, we praise with speech/ — ' whereon
all this being hath settled;' for indeed thereon
all being here is settled; — 'thereon may the
divine Savitrz prosper our stay!' whereby he
means to say, ' thereon may the divine Savitrz
prosper our Sacrificer ! '
5. He then sprinkles the horses with water, either when being led down to be watered, or when brought
1 The Adhvaryu takes it down from the vahana, or car-stand.
2 It is to be placed in the north-eastern part of the vedi, so as to be ready to start on the race northwards along the space between the &itvala (or pit) and the utkara (heap of rubbish); the horses thus being close to where the Brahman will have to mount a cart- wheel put up on the utkara (V, 1, 5, 2).
V KAiVZ>A, I ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMAtfA, 8. 1 9
up after being watered. Now in the beginning the
horse was produced from the water; while being
produced from the water, it was produced incom-
plete, for it was indeed produced incomplete : hence
it does not stand on all its feet, but it stands lifting
one foot on each side. Thus what then was left
behind of it in the water, therewith he now com-
pletes it, and makes it whole : therefore he sprinkles
the horses with water, either when being led down
to be watered, or when brought up after being
watered.
6. He sprinkles them, with (Va§\ S. IX, 6),
' Within the waters is ambrosia, in the waters
is medicine: at the praises of the waters may
ye wax strong, ye horses ! ' And with this also,
' O divine waters, what rushing, high-peaked,
wealth-winning wave ye have, therewith may
this one win wealth!' wealth is food: he thus
says, ' May he thereby gain food ! '
7. He then yokes (the team of) the chariot. The
right horse he yokes (puts to) first ; for in human
(practice) they indeed put to the left horse first, but
with the gods in this way.
8. He yokes it, with (V&£*. S. IX, 7), ' Either the
wind, or thought — ' for there is nothing swifter
than the wind, and nothing swifter than thought :
therefore he says, ' Either the wind, or thought ; '
— '(or) the seven and twenty Gandharvas1,
1 Professor Weber (in his essay on the Nakshatras, II, 278; Abhandl. of Berlin Academy, 1861) takes this passage ( = Taitt. S. I, 7, 7, 2; Kanaka 13, 14; Maitr. S. I, 11, 1) to contain the first allusion to the system of Nakshatras, or lunar mansions marking the daily stations occupied by the moon (masc.) during his circuit round the heavens. — In the ritual of the Black Ya^us (Taitt. S.
20 SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
they yoked the horse at first;' for the Gan-
dharvas indeed yoked the horse at first : ' May they
who yoked the horse at first yoke thee ! ' this he
thereby says; — 'they laid speed into him/ — he
thereby says, ' May they who laid speed into it, lay
speed into thee ! '
9. He then yokes the left horse, with (Va£\ S. IX,
8), ' Become thou swift as the wind, O courser,
being yoked ! ' — thereby he says, ' Become quick as
the wind, O courser, being yoked;* — 'be thou as
Indra's right (steed) in beauty! ' — he thereby says,
' Even as Indra's right (steed) for beauty, so be thou
that of the sacrificer for beauty!' — 'May the all-
knowing Maruts yoke thee!' he thereby says,
'may gods yoke thee!' — 'May Tvash/re lay
speed into thy feet!' in this there is nothing
obscure. He then yokes the right side-horse; for
in human (practice) they indeed yoke the left side-
horse first, but with the gods in this way.
10. He yokes it, with (Va£\ S. IX, 9), 'What speed
hath been secretly laid into thee, O courser,
and what (speed), bestowed on the eagle, went
along in the wind ; ' — he thereby says, ' what speed
of thine, O courser, is hidden away even elsewhere,
therewith win this our sacrifice, Pra^apati ! ' — 'with
that strength be thou strong and wealth-win-
ning for us, O courser, and victorious at the
gathering ! ' — wealth means food : he thus means to
say, ' And be thou a food-winner for us at this our
I, 7, 7, 2) this formula runs thus: 'Either Vayu, or Manu, or the Gandharvas, the twenty-seven, harnessed the horse at first, laid speed into him/ — which Saya^a, however, interprets as meaning, ' Vayu, and Manu, and the (twenty-five) Gandharvas, — these seven and twenty &c.'
V KANDA, I ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMAiVA, 1 4. 21
sacrifice, at the gathering of the gods win thou this sacrifice, Pra^apati ! '
11. Now only those three (horses) are yoked, for
what is threefold belongs to the gods, and this
(sacrifice is) with the gods. Alongside the yoke (laid)
on the side-horse * goes a fourth (horse), for that one
is human. When he is about to give that (chariot to
the Adhvaryu), he gives it after yoking the fourth
(horse) thereto. Hence also at any other sacrifice
only those three (horses) are yoked; for what is
threefold belongs to the gods, and this (sacrifice is)
with the gods. Alongside the yoke of the side-horse
goes a fourth (horse), for that one is human. When
he is about to give that (chariot) away, he gives it
after yoking the fourth (horse) thereto.
12. He now takes out material for a wild-rice pap
of seventeen plates for Brzhaspati; for he who
offers the Va^apeya wins food, — va£*a-peya being
doubtless the same as anna-peya (food and drink) :
thus whatever food he has thereby won, that he now
prepares for him.
13. And as to why it belongs to Brzhaspati : —
Brzhaspati won it in the beginning, therefore it
belongs to Brzhaspati.
14. And why it is prepared of wild rice : — Brz'has-
pati is the Brahman (priesthood), and those wild-rice
grains are cooked with the Brahman (prayer), — there-
fore it is of wild rice. It is one of seventeen plates,