^ Literally, ' from the very mouth,' which refers both to the mouth or hollow part of the two vessels (from which the enemies are, as it were, burnt out), and to the opening of the sacrifice. The same symbolical explanation is met with on the occasion of the heating of the sacrificial spoon, I, 3, i, 5.
"^ The cart containing the rice or barley, or whatever material may be used instead, stands behind (i. e. west of) the Garhapatya, fitted with all its appliances (except the oxen). Katy. ^r. II, 3, 12. Rice-grains, as the most common material, will be assumed to con- stitute the chief havis (sacrificial food) at the present sacrifice.
I KANDA, I ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMAiVA, 8. 1 3
and because he thinks 'what was at first (in the
cart, and hence still unimpaired by entering the
householder's abode), that I will operate upon ; ' for
that reason let him take (rice) from the cart.
6. Moreover, the cart represents an abundance ;
for the cart does indeed represent an abundance :
hence, when there is much of anything, people say
that there are ' cart-loads ' of it. Thus he thereby
approaches an abundance, and for this reason he
should take from the cart.
7. The cart further is (one of the means of) the
sacrifice ; for the cart is indeed (one of the means
of) sacrifice. To the cart, therefore, refer the (fol-
lowing) Ya^s-texts, and not to a store-room, nor to
a jar. The i?/shis, it is true, once took (the rice)
from a leathern bag, and hence, in the case of the
7?/shis, the Ya^s-texts applied to a leathern bag.
Here, however, they are taken in their natural
application. Because he thinks 'from (or, by means
of) the sacrifice I will perform the sacrifice/ let him,
therefore, take (rice) from the cart.
8. Some do indeed take it from a (wooden) jar.
In that case also he should mutter the Ya^us-texts
without omitting any ; and let him in that case take
(the rice) after inserting the wooden sword ^ under
^ The sphya is a straight sword (kha</ga) or knife, a cubit long, carved out of khadira wood (Mimosa Catechu). Katy. Sr. I> 3j 33 } 39- It is used for various purposes calculated to sym- bolically insure the safe and undisturbed performance of the sacri- fice. On the present occasion it represents the yoke, by touching which (par. 10) the cart is connected with the sacrifice. At the close of the sacrifice also the oftering spoons are, as it were, un- yoked (or relieved of their duties), by being placed on the yoke, if the rice was taken from the cart ; or on the wooden sword lying on the jar, if it was taken from the latter. See I, 8, 3, 26.
14 SATAPATIIA-BRAHMAiVA.
(the jar). He does so, thinking 'where we want
to yoke, there we unyoke;' for from the same place
where they yoke, they also unyoke.
9. (Like) fire, verily, is the yoke of that very cart;
for the yoke is indeed (like) fire: hence the shoulder
of those (oxen) that draw this (cart) becomes as if
burnt by fire. The middle part of the pole behind
the prop represents, as it were, its (the cart's) altar^ ;
and the enclosed space of the cart (which contains
the rice) constitutes its havirdhanam (receptacle
of the sacrificial food) ^.
10. He now touches the yoke, with the text
(Va^. S. I, 8 a) : ' Thou art the yoke (dhur) ; injure
(dhtirv) thou the injurer ! injure him that injures
us ! injure him whom we injure !' For there being
a fire in the yoke by which he will have to pass
when he fetches the material for the oblation, he
thereby propitiates it, and thus that fire in the yoke
does not injure him when he passes by.
11. Here now Aru;^i said: 'Every half-moon^
I destroy the enemies.' This he said with reference
to this point.
^ The pole of an Indian cart consists of two pieces of wood, joined together in its forepart and diverging towards the axle. Hence, as Saya«a remarks, it resembles the altar in shape, being narrower in front and broader at the back, the altar measuring twenty-four cubits in front and thirty cubits at the back. At the extreme end of the pole a piece of wood is fastened on, or the pole itself is turned downwards, so as to serve as a prop or rest (popularly called ' sipoy ' in Western India, and ' horse ' in English).
^ The havirdhana (-ma«</apa) is a temporary shed or tent erected on the sacrificial ground for the performance of the Soma- sacrifice, in which the two carts containing the Soma-plants are placed. These carts themselves, however, are also called havir- dhana. Cf. IV, 6, 9, loseq. ; III, 5, 3, 7.
' I, e. at the time of the new and the full moon. Schol.
I KANDAy I ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMAiVA, 1 4. I 5
1 2. Thereupon, whilst touching the pole behind
the prop, he mutters (Va^. S. I, 8 b-9 a) : ' To the
gods thou belongest, thou the best carrying one,
the most firmly joined ^, the most richly filled ^,
the most agreeable (to the gods), the best caller
of the gods ! ' ' Thou art unbent, the receptacle of
oblations; be thou firm, waver not!' Thus he
eulogises the cart, hoping that he may obtain the
oblation from the one thus eulogised and pleased.
He adds (Va^. S. I, 9 b), ' May thy Lord of Sacri-
fice not waver ! ' for Lord of Sacrifice is the sacri-
ficer, and it is for the sacrificer, therefore, that he
thus prays for firmness.
13. He now ascends (the cart by the southern
wheel), with the text (Va^. S. I, 9 c): 'May Vish;^u
ascend thee ! ' For Vishwu is the sacrifice ; by
striding (vi-kram) he obtained for the gods this
all-pervading power (vikranti) which now belongs
to them. By his first step he gained this very
(earth), by the second the aerial expanse, and by
the last step the sky. And this very same per-
vading power Vish;m, as sacrifice, by his strides
obtains for him (the sacrificer).
14. He then looks (at the rice) and (addressing the cart) mutters (Vd^. S. I, 9 d) : * Wide open (be
^ Sasni-tama (? ' the most bountiful'); sasni is explained by Mahidhara (in accordance with Yaska, Nir. V, i) by sa/«snata, from sna, 'to purify, cleanse,' or from sna (snai), 'to envelop, wrap round ; ' hence ' cleanest or purest,' or ' most firmly secured by being tied (with thongs, &c.) ' The latter was probably the meaning connected with the word in this sacrificial formula ; though the correct derivation is no doubt from san, 'to acquire, gain,' and 'to bestow' (Roth, Nirukta notes, p. 52). In modern Indian carts the yoke is fastened on to the pole by a string.
2 Papritama,' most filled with rice,' &c. Schol.
1 6 S-ATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
thou) to the wind ! ' For wind means breath ; so
that by this prayer he effects free scope for the
air of the (sacrificer's) breath.
15. With the text (Vaf. S. I, 9 e), 'Repelled is
the Rakshas!' he then throws away whatever (grass,
&c.) may have fallen on it. But if nothing (have
fallen on it), let him merely touch it. He thereby
drives away from it the evil spirits, the Rakshas.
16. He touches (the rice), with the text (Va^. S.
I, 9 f), 'Let the five take!' for five are these
fingers, and fivefold also is the sacrifice ^ ; so that
he thereby puts the sacrifice on it (the cart).
1 7. He then takes (the rice), with the text (Va^. S. I,
10 a, b): 'At the impulse (prasavana) of the divine
Savitr/, I take thee with the arms of the Ai^vins,
with the hands of P^ishan, thee, agreeable to Agni!'
For Savitrz is the impeller (prasavitrz) of the
gods : therefore he takes this as one impelled by
SsLVitrz. 'With the arms of the Ai"vins,' he says,
because the two A-Jvins are the Adhvaryu priests (of
the gods). 'With the hands of Pdshan,' he says,
because Pushan is distributer of portions (to the
gods), who with his own hands places the food
before them. The gods are the truth, and men are
the untruth : thus he thereby takes (the rice) by
means of the truth.
^ According to Sayawa, because there are five kinds of obla- tions (havish-pahkti) at the Soma-sacrifice. Cf. Ait. Er. II, 24, with Haug's translation. Compare also the distinction of five different parts in the victim at animal sacrifices : 6'at. Br. I, 5, 2, 16 ; Ait. Br. II, 14; III, 23; and the five kinds of victims, viz. man, horse, bullock, ram, and he-goat : Ath. V. XI, 2,9; Sat Br. I, 2, 3, 6. 7 ; VI, 2, 1, 6. 18; VII, 5, 2, 10; Taitt. S. IV, 2, 10; A7/and. Up. II, 6, I.
I KANDA, I ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMAiVA, 20. I J
1 8. He now announces (the oblation) to the deity
(for whom it is intended). For when the Adhvaryu
is about to take the oblation, all the gods draw near
to him, thinking, ' My name he will choose ! my
name he will choose !' and among them who are thus
gathered together, he thereby^ establishes concord.
19. Another reason for which he announces (the
oblation) to the deity, is this : whichever deities are
chosen, they consider it as an obligation that they
are bound to fulfil whatever wish he entertains whilst
taking (the oblation) ; and for that reason also he an-
nounces it to the deity. After taking the oblations
(to the other deities) in the same way as before^, —
20. He touches (the rice that is left), with the text
(Va^. S. I, II a): 'For existence (or, abundance, —
I leave) thee, not for non-offering^!' He thereby
causes it to increase again.
^ Viz. by calling out the names, since, without this being done, quarrels would arise among the deities as to whom the offering might be intended for. Mahidh.
^ Viz. as in the case of the oblation to Agni, and substituting the name of the respective deity in the formula used above (par. 17), ' Thee, agreeable to (Agni) ! ' The oblations prescribed for the full-moon sacrifice are a cake on eight potsherds for Agni, and one on eleven potsherds for Agni and Soma : for each of these cakes he takes four handfuls from the cart [and throws them into the Agnihotra ladle lying on the winnowing basket which he holds with his left hand. With each of the first three handfuls of each of the two oblations he repeats the above text, whilst the fourth handful is thrown in silently. After the oblation for Agni is taken, he pours it from the ladle into the winnowing basket so as to lie on the southern side ; and then takes out the oblation for Agni- Soma, which is afterwards poured into the basket so as to lie north of the first heap]. Katy. St. II, 3, 20-21 and Scholl.
^ Thus Mahidhara (i. e. 'to serve for future oblations, or as food for the priests'). Perhaps the meaning is, 'For a (divine or human) being thee, not for the evil spirit!' Cf. St. Petersburg Diet. s. v. bhuta.
1 8 ^atapatha-brAhmaata.
21. He now (whilst seated on the cart) looks towards east, with the text (Va^. S. I, ii b) : * May
I perceive the light!' For that cart being covered
up, its eye is thereby, as it were, affected with evil.
Light, moreover, represents the sacrifice, the day,
the gods, and the sun ; so that he thereby perceives
this same (fourfold) light.
2 2. He then descends (from the cart), with the
text (Vi^. S. I, 1 1 c) : ' May those provided with doors
stand firm on the earth ! ' Those provided with doors
are the houses : for the houses of the sacrificer
might indeed be capable of breaking down behind
the back of his Adhvaryu, when he walks forward
(from the cart) with the sacrifice, and might crush
his (the sacrificer' s) family. By this (text), however,
he causes them to stand firmly on this earth, so that
they do not break down and crush (his family) ; for
this reason he says : ' May those provided with doors
stand firm on the earth ! ' He then walks forward
(north of the Garhapatya fire), with the text(Va^. S. I,
I I d), * I move along the wide aerial realm ;' the appli- cation of which is the same (as before ; see par. 4).
23. In the case of one (viz. householder) whose
Garhapatya fire they (the priests) use for cooking
oblations, they place the utensils in the Garhapatya
(house) ; and let him (the Adhvaryu) in that case put
(the winnowing basket with the rice) down at the
back (or west) side of the Garhapatya. But in the
case of one whose Ahavaniya they use for cooking
oblations, they place the utensils together in the
Ahavaniya; and let him in that case put it (the
rice) down at the back of the Ahavaniya. He
should (in either case) do so, with the text (Va^. S. I,
lie),' On the navel of the earth I place thee!' for