1. Whilst this (offering to Pûshan) is being performed, the horse, having been cleansed, is led up--being one which is marked with all colours, or which is perfect in speed, worth a thousand (cows), in its prime, and without its match under the right-side yoke 2.
3. As to this, Bhâllaveya, however, said, 'That horse should be of two colours, black-spotted 1, for that (horse) was produced from Pragâpati's eye, and this eye is of two colours, white and black: he thus endows it with its own colour.'
4. But Sâtyayagñi said, 'That horse should be of three colours, its forepart black, its hindpart white, with a wain for its mark in front;--when its forepart is black it is the same as this black of the eye; and when its hindpart is white it is the same as this white of the eye; and when it has a wain for its mark in front, that is the pupil: such
5. In front (of the sacrificial ground) there are those keepers of it ready at hand,--to wit, a hundred royal princes, clad in armour; a hundred warriors armed with swords; a hundred sons of heralds and headmen, bearing quivers filled with arrows 2; and a hundred sons of attendants 3 and charioteers, bearing staves;--and a hundred exhausted, worn out horses 4 amongst which, having let loose that (sacrificial horse), they guard it.
6. He then prepares an (ishti) offering to Savitri 5--a cake on twelve potsherds to Savitri Prasavitri--thinking, May Savitri impel this my sacrifice!' for Savitri (the sun), indeed, is the impeller (prasavitri).
7. For this (offering) there are fifteen kindling-verses;
8. Whilst the fore-offerings of this (ishti) are being performed, a Brâhman lute-player, striking up the uttaramandrâ (tune 3), sings three strophes composed by himself (on topics 4 such as), 'Such a sacrifice he offered,--Such gifts he gave:' the meaning of this has been explained 5.
9. He then prepares a second (offering)--a cake on twelve potsherds to Savitri Âsavitri--thinking, 'May Savitri propel this my sacrifice!' for Savitri, indeed, is the propeller (âsavitri).
11. Whilst the fore-offerings of this (ishti) are being performed, a Brâhman lute-player, striking up the uttaramandrâ (tune), sings three strophes composed by himself (on topics such as), 'Such a sacrifice he offered,--Such gifts he gave:' the meaning of this has been explained.
12. He then prepares a third (offering)--a cake
14. Whilst the fore-offerings of this (ishti) are
16. He says, 'O ye gods, guardians of the regions, guard ye this horse, consecrated for offering unto the gods!' The (four kinds of) human guardians of the (four) regions have been told, and these now are the divine ones, to wit, the Âpyas, Sâdhyas, Anvâdhyas 2 and Maruts; and both of these, gods and men, of one mind, guard it for a year without turning (driving) it back. The reason why they do not turn it back, is that it is he that shines yonder,--and who, forsooth, is able to turn him back? But were they to turn it back, everything here assuredly would go backward (go to ruin): therefore they guard it without turning it back.
17. He says, 'Ye guardians of the quarters, those who go on to the end of this (horse-sacrifice) will
353:1 Viz. according to Âsv. Sr. X, 6, 7,--Rig-veda I, 45, 6 (tvâm kitrasravastama) and V, 25, 7 (yad vâsishtham yad agnaye).
353:2 Thus Harisvâmin,--'anyebhyo dakshinadhuryebhya utkrishtah;'
355:1 One would expect an 'iti' here.
355:2 Or, furnished with bundles of arrows,--ishuparshinah, for which Kâty. XX, 2, 11, has 'kalâpinah' (=sarâvapanabhastrâvantah schol.). Harisvâmin explains it as if it were equivalent to 'ishuvarshinah,' 'showering arrows.'
355:3 Harisvâmin takes 'kshâttra' as the body of revenue-officers (tax-gatherers, &c.), 'âyavyayâdhyakshasamûhah.'
355:4 That is, according to Harisvâmin, over twenty-four years old; his explanation being based on the etymology of 'nirashtam' as 'outside the eight' (viz. characteristics of age in horses, each of which is supposed to hold good for three years).
355:5 The three ishtis to Savitri, treated of in paragraphs 6-17, as well as the proceedings subsequent thereto, are repeated every day during the twelvemonth during which the sacred horse is allowed to roam about.
356:3 Or, touching the uttaramandrâ lute,--literally, the 'upper deep' one, i.e. perhaps one the chords of which are pitched in the upper notes of the lower key. Cf. Scholl. on Katy. XX, 2, 8 uttaramandrâ ka gâyanaprasiddhâ;--uttaramandrâ-samgñâyâm vînâyâm. Harisvâmin does not explain the term.
356:4 Taitt. Br. III, 9, 14, 3 mentions three topics--one for each stanza,--viz. 'thus (such and such gifts) thou gavest, thus (by such and such sacrifices) thou didst sacrifice, thus thou didst cook (i.e. with such and such food thou didst regale the priests).'
356:5 See XIII, 1, 5, 6.
357:1 That is, their anuvâkyâs contain forms of the root 'as' (or 'bhû'), to be; cf. p. 352, note 2.
357:2 See XIII, 4, 1, 15, p. 353, note 1.
357:3 Viz. going outside the sacrificial ground, and yet not running away from its keepers,--this, according to the text, would be symbolically expressed by the gold (which was given as the priests’ fee for the first offering) giving place to silver at the second offering, but coming in again at the third.
358:1 That is, their invitatory formulas contain the word 'rayi' (wealth). What particular verses are intended here, I do not know.
358:2 Viz. the trishtubh-verses Rig-veda X, 2, 1; VI, 15, 14; see p. 351, note .
359:1 See XIII, 1, 6, 1 seqq., 3, 7. 1-2 seqq.
359:2 On these divine beings see Weber, Ind. Stud. IX, p. 6, note.
360:1 Thus Harisvâmin,--teshâm ka yagamânânâm madhye rathakâro yas tasya grihe yushmâkam vasatah. The plural is probably meant as including the subjects of the king (cf. XI, 8, 4, 1), and the villages within reach of which the horse will roam.
