1. Verily, in the beginning this (universe) was water, nothing but a sea of water. The waters desired, 'How can we be reproduced?' They toiled and performed fervid devotions 1, when they were becoming heated, a golden egg was produced. The year, indeed, was not then in existence: this golden egg floated about for as long as the space of a year.
2. In a year's time a man, this Pragâpati, was produced therefrom; and hence a woman, a cow, or a mare brings forth within the space of a year; for Pragâpati was born in a year. He broke open this golden egg. There was then, indeed, no resting-place: only this golden egg, bearing him, floated about for as long as the space of a year.
3. At the end of a year he tried to speak. He said 'bhûh': this (word) became this earth;--'bhuvah': this became this air;--'svah': this became yonder sky. Therefore a child tries to
5. These (three words consist of), five syllables: he made them to be the five seasons, and thus there are these five seasons. At the end of the (first) year, Pragâpati rose to stand on these worlds thus produced; whence a child tries to stand up at the end of a year, for at the end of a year Pragâpati stood up.
6. He was born with a life of a thousand years: even as one might see in the distance the opposite shore, so did he behold the opposite shore (the end) of his own life.
7. Desirous of offspring, he went on singing praises and toiling. He laid the power of reproduction into his own self. By (the breath of) his mouth he created the gods: the gods were created on entering the sky; and this is the godhead of the gods (deva) that they were created on entering the sky (div). Having created them, there was, as it were, daylight for him; and this also is the godhead of the gods that, after creating them, there was, as it were, daylight (diva) for him.
8. And by the downward breathing he created the Asuras: they were created on entering this earth. Having created them there was, as it were, darkness for him.
9. He knew, 'Verily, I have created evil for myself since, after creating, there has come to be, as it were, darkness for me.' Even then he smote
11. Now what daylight, as it were, there was for him, on creating the gods, of that he made the day; and what darkness, as it were, there was for him, on creating the Asuras, of that he made the night: they are these two, day and night.
12. Pragâpati bethought himself, 'Everything (sarva), indeed, I have obtained by stealth (tsar) who have created these deities:' this became the 'sarvatsara,' for 'sarvatsara,' doubtless, is the same as 'samvatsara (year).' And, verily, whosoever thus knows 'samvatsara' to be the same as 'sarvatsara 1,' is not overcome by any evil which, by magic art, steals upon him (tsar); and whosoever thus knows 'samvatsara' to be the same as 'sarvatsara,' overcomes against whomsoever he practises magic art.
13. Pragâpati bethought himself, 'Verily, I have created here a counterpart of myself, to wit, the year;' whence they say, 'Pragâpati is the year;' for he created it to be a counterpart of himself:
15. They were born with a life of a thousand years: even as one would see in the distance the opposite shore, so did they behold the opposite shore of their own life.
16. They went on singing praises and toiling. Then Parameshthin, son of Pragâpati, saw that sacrifice, the New and Full-moon offerings, and performed these offerings. Having performed them, he desired, 'Would I were everything here!' He became the waters, for the waters are everything here, inasmuch as they abide in the furthest place; for he who digs here on earth finds indeed water; and, in truth, it is from that furthest place, to wit, from yonder sky that he 1 rains, whence the name Parameshthin (abiding in the furthest, highest place).
17. Parameshthin spake unto his father Pragâpati, 'I have discovered a sacrifice which fulfils wishes: let me perform this for thee!'--'So be it!' he said. He accordingly performed it 2 for him. Having sacrificed, he (Pragâpati) desired, 'Would I were everything here!' He became the breath (vital air), for breath is everything here: Pragâpati is that breath which blows here (the wind); and whatsoever knows that it is thus he blows is his (Pragâpati's) eyesight; and whatsoever is endowed
19. Indra spake unto his brothers Agni and Soma, 'Let me perform for you this wish-fulfilling sacrifice which our father Pragâpati has just performed for me.'--'So be it!' they said. He accordingly performed it for them. Having sacrificed, those two desired, 'Would that we were everything here!' One of them became the eater of food, and the other became food: Agni became the eater of food, and Soma food; and the eater of food, and food, indeed, are everything here.
20. These five deities, then, performed that wish-fulfilling sacrifice; and for whatever wish they sacrificed, that wish of theirs was fulfilled; and, verily, for whatever wish one performs that sacrifice, that wish of his is fulfilled.
21. When they had sacrificed they beheld (discovered) the eastern quarter, and made it the eastern (front) quarter; as it now is that eastern (front) quarter: therefore creatures here move in a forward direction, for they (the gods) made that the front quarter. 'Let us improve it 1 from here!'
22. They then beheld the southern quarter, and made it the southern quarter; and it now is that southern (right, dakshinâ) quarter: whence the dakshinâ (cows) stand to the south (of the altar) 3, and are driven up from the south, for they made that the southern one (dakshinâ). 'Let us improve it from here!' they said, and made it to be space. 'May we see this space!' they said; and it became this air, for that (air) is space; for even as the resting-place here in this world is clearly the earth, so the resting-place there in yonder world is clearly this air; and because, whilst being here on earth, one does not see that space, therefore people say, 'That space (or, yonder world) is invisible.'
23. They then beheld the western quarter, and made it (to represent) hope,--wherefore it is only when 4, after going forwards (to the east), one
25. These then are eleven deities 1,--there are five fore-offerings, two butter-portions, the Svishtakrit, and three after-offerings:--
26. These are eleven offerings,--it was, indeed, by these offerings that the gods gained these worlds, and these quarters; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), by these offerings, gain these worlds, and these quarters.
27. And the four Patnîsamyâgas are the four intermediate quarters; and, indeed, it was by the four Patnîsamyâgas that the gods gained the intermediate quarters; and by means of them this (Sacrificer) now gains the intermediate quarters.
29. Now as to the body:--there are in man these five breathings, not including the eyes; they are the five fore-offerings, and the two butter-portions are the eyes.
30. The Svishtakrit is the same as this downward breathing; and because he offers that (oblation), as it were, apart from the other oblations 1, therefore all the breathings recoil from that breathing; and because for the Svishtakrit he cuts portions from all the sacrificial dishes, therefore everything that enters these (channels of the other) breathings meets in (the channel of) that breathing.
31. The three after-offerings are the three male organs 2; and that which is the chief after-offering is, as it were, the chief organ. 'He should offer it without drawing breath 3,' they say, 'for thus it becomes unfailing for him.'
32. He may, however, draw breath once, for that (organ) has one joint; but if it were jointless, it
34. The invitatory and offering-formulas are the bone, and the offering-material is the flesh. The invitatory and offering-formulas are (in) measured metre, whence the bones of a fat and a lean person are alike: but inasmuch as he takes now more, now less, offering-material, therefore the flesh of a fat person is fat, and the flesh of a lean person is lean. This sacrifice he performs to any deity he pleases and for whom there is a sacrificial dish.
35. Now, these are offerings from which nothing must be omitted; but were one to omit anything of them, it would be as if he were to break off some limb, or knock out some (channel of the) vital air. Other oblations, indeed, are either added to or omitted.
36. These, then, are sixteen offerings, for man consists of sixteen parts, and the sacrifice is the Man (Purusha): hence there are sixteen offerings.
12:1 Or, they toiled and became heated (with fervid devotion). For this cosmological legend, see J. Muir, Original Sanskrit Texts, iv, p. 24.
14:1 Or, whosoever knows the 'all-stealing' power of the year.
15:1 Viz. Parganya, the rain-god, according to Sâyana.
15:2 Viz. officiating as his, Pragâpati's, priest.
16:1 Or, perhaps, raise it, bring it nearer. The St. Petersb. Dict.
17:2 That is, it was moved up to them.
17:3 See IV, 3, 4, 14.
17:4 It seems hardly possible to take 'yad--tena' here in the usual causal sense,--it is only because (or, inasmuch as) one obtains (one's object) after going forwards that one goes to the western quarter. What is implied, in any case, is that first some hope, or desire, is conceived the accomplishment of which is only brought about by a forward movement, or by action; and that success in attaining the object sought for is followed by the conception of fresh desires. For the same force of 'yad--tena' (when--then) see XI, 3, 3, 4-6.
18:1 Viz. the four quarters and the objects enumerated as represented by them.
19:1 See I, 7, 3, 21, where I would now translate, He offers apart (sideways), as it were, from the other oblations,--the oblation to Agni Svishtakrit being poured out on the north side of the fire, so as not to come in contact with the chief oblations and the butter-portions.
19:2 That is, including the testicles.
19:3 Or, rather,--at the third after-offering (viz. that to Agni Svishtakrit),--the Hotri should (according to some authorities) pronounce the offering-formula, which is considerably longer than those of the two other offerings, without making a pause; whilst others allow him to pause once.
20:1 Bâhudvayam ûrudvayam katvârah patnîsamyâgâh, atas te pratishthâtmakâh; ayam eva madhyamah prâna idâ, Sây.
