1. And when the Hotri recites this (verse), 'Let Brahmanaspati go forward, let the goddess Sûnritâ go forward,'--the Adhvaryu, stepping forward, makes offering (by muttering) the wind-names. For at this time the gods were afraid lest the Rakshas, the fiends, might injure that (Pravargya) of theirs in the middle (of the sacrifice): they offered it with the Svâhâ-call before (its being taken to) the Âhavanîya, being thus offered they offered it (again) in the fire; and in like manner does this one now offer it with the Svâhâ-call before
3. 'To the wind Flood--thee, hail!'--the flood (sarira) indeed is he who blows here, for from out of that flood all the gods and all the creatures come forth together (saha irate): it is to him he thus offers it, and therefore he says, 'To the wind Flood--thee, hail!'
4. 'To the wind Unassailable--thee, hail! To the wind Irresistible--thee, hail!'--unassailable and irresistible indeed is he who blows here: it is to him he thus offers it, and therefore he says, 'To the wind Unassailable--thee, hail! To the wind Irresistible--thee, hail!'
5. 'To the wind Favourable--thee, hail! To the wind Ogress-ridder--thee, hail!'--favourable and an ogress-ridder indeed is he who blows here: it is to him he thus offers it, and therefore he says, 'To the wind Favourable--thee, hail! To the wind Ogress-ridder--thee, hail!'
6. [Vâg. S. XXXVIII, 8,] 'To Indra, accompanied by the Vasus and Rudras, (I offer) thee, hail!'--Indra indeed is he who blows here: it is to him he thus offers it, and therefore he says, 'To Indra--thee;' and when he says, 'accompanied by the Vasus and Rudras,' thereby he allows a share to the Vasus and Rudras along with Indra; and,
7. 'To Indra, accompanied by the Âdityas,--thee, hail!'--Indra indeed is he who blows here: it is to him he thus offers it, and therefore he says, 'To Indra--thee;' and when he says, 'accompanied by the Âdityas,' thereby he allows a share to the Âdityas along with Indra; and, moreover, it is made like the evening-pressing 1.
8. 'To Indra, the slayer of the evil-minded,--thee, hail!'--Indra indeed is he who blows here: it is to him he thus offers it, and therefore he says, 'To Indra--thee;' and as to his saying, 'to the slayer of the evil-minded,' the evil-minded one being an enemy, he thereby means to say, 'To Indra, the slayer of enemies,--thee!' This is his (Indra's) special share: even as there is a share for a chief 2, so is this his (share) apart from the (other) gods.
9. 'To Savitri, accompanied by the Ribhus, the Vibhus (lords), and the Vâgas (powers),--thee, hail!'--Savitri (the sun) indeed is he who blows here: it is to him he thus offers it, and therefore he says, 'To Savitri, accompanied by the Ribhus, the Vibhus, and the Vâgas,--thee!' He thus allows a share therein to all the gods along (with Savitri).
10. 'To Brihaspati, accompanied by the All-gods,--thee, hail!'--Brihaspati indeed is he who blows here: it is to him he thus offers
12. These are twelve names,--twelve months are in a year, and the year is he that shines yonder, and the Pravargya also is that (sun): thus it is him he thereby pleases, and therefore there are twelve (names).
13. He then pours (the spilt milk and ghee) from the tray into the Mahâvîra (pot) with, 'Hail to the Gharma!'--the Gharma (hot draught) is he who shines yonder, and the Pravargya also is that (sun): thus it is him he thereby pleases, and therefore he says, 'Hail to the Gharma!'--the call of 'hail!' he places first, and the deity last: the significance of this is the same as before 2.
14. When it has been poured in, he mutters, 'Hail, the Gharma to the Fathers!' When the sacrifice had its head cut off, its life-sap flowed
16. With (Vâg. S. XXXVIII, 10), 'All regions (hath he worshipped), seated in the south,'--that is to say, 'every region (has he worshipped), seated on the south;'--'all gods hath he worshipped here,'--that is, 'every god has he worshipped here;'--'of the sweet Gharma, consecrated by Svâhâ (hail!), drink ye, O Asvins!'--with regard to the Asvins he says this; for the Asvins restored the head of the sacrifice: it is them he thus pleases. The call of 'hail!' he places first, and the deity last: the significance of this is the same as before.
17. And, having offered, he (thrice) shakes (the Mahâvîra) upwards, with (Vâg. S. XXXVIII, 11), 'In heaven place thou this sacrifice! this sacrifice place thou in heaven!'--for the Gharma (hot milk-draught), the sacrifice, is yonder sun, and he indeed is 'placed' in the heavens, is
19. The Brahman (priest) pronounces the anumantrana (formula of consecration); for the Brahman is the best physician among the officiating priests: thus he heals this sacrifice by means of him who is the best physician among the priests.
20. [He does so, with Vâg. S. XXXVIII, 12.] 'O Asvins, drink ye the Gharma!'--with regard to the Asvins he says this, for the Asvins restored the head of the sacrifice: it is them he thus pleases.
21. 'The hearty 1 one with daily 2 favours,'--
23. 'To Heaven and Earth be reverence!' he thus propitiates heaven and earth, within which everything here is contained.
24. Thereupon the Sacrificer (mutters),--the Sacrificer being the sacrifice, he thus heals the sacrifice by means of the sacrifice;--
25. [Vâg. S. XXXVIII, 13,] 'The Asvins drank the Gharma,'--he says this with regard to the Asvins, for the Asvins restored the head of the sacrifice: it is them he thus pleases.
26. 'Heaven and Earth have approved of it 1'--he says this with regard to heaven and earth, within which everything here is contained;--'may gifts accrue here!'--whereby he means to say, 'may there be riches for us here.'
27. The rising (milk) he then consecrates by the anumantrana 2, 'For freshness swell thou!'
29. He steps out towards the north-east with, 'A well-supporting support thou art,'--he who shines yonder is indeed a support, for he supports everything here, and by him everything here is supported; and the Pravargya also is that (sun): thus it is him he thereby, pleases, and therefore he says, 'A well-supporting support thou art.'
30. He then places (the Mahâvîra) on the mound with, 'Incapable of injuring, preserve thou our powers!'--'Not angry 1, preserve our wealth,'
32. With (Vâg. S. XXXVIII, 15), 'Hail to Pûshan, to the cream!'--Pûshan, doubtless, is he who blows here, for he (the wind) supports (push) everything here; and the breath also is that (wind): it is breath he thus bestows upon him, whence he says, 'Hail to Pûshan, to the cream!' The call of 'hail!' he places first, and the deity last: the significance of this is the same as before. Having offered (by means of the first piece) he leans it against the middle enclosing-stick 2 (paridhi).
33. 'Hail to the pressing-stones!'--the pressing-stones being the vital airs, it is the vital airs he thus bestows upon him. Having offered (with the second stick) he leans it against the middle enclosing-stick.
34. 'Hail to the sounding-holes 3!'--the
37. 'Hail to the All-gods!'--the Visve Devâh being the vital airs, it is the vital airs he thus bestows upon him. Having offered (with the sixth stick) he leans it against the middle enclosing-stick.
38. [Vâg. S. XXXVIII, 16,] 'Hail to Rudra, praised by the Rudras 1!'--even without offering (with this, the seventh stick), he, looking southwards, hands it to the Pratiprasthâtri, and the latter throws it outside (the offering-ground) northwards to the north of the hall, for this is the region of that god: he thus gratifies him in his own region. And as to why he does not look at it, he does so thinking, 'Lest Rudra should do me harm.'
39. There are seven of these oblations, for seven in number are these (channels of the) vital airs in the head: it is these he thus bestows upon him.
40. He then pours (the remaining milk and ghee) from the Mahâvîra into the supporting-tray with, 'Hail, light with light!'--for light indeed the milk was in the one (vessel), and light it is in the other, and these two lights thus unite with each other. The call of 'hail!' he places first, and the deity last: the mystic import of this is the same as before.
42. He then hands to the Sacrificer the remainder of the Gharma. He, having solicited an invitation 2 (to the meal), drinks it with, 'Offered is the honey unto Agni, the greatest of Indras,'--'Offered is the honey unto Agni, the most powerful,' he thereby means to say; 'let us eat of thee, god Gharma: reverence be unto thee, injure us not!'--a blessing he thereby invokes.
43. Now, on the south side sand has been strewn; there they cleanse themselves 3: in this there is the
45. And were he to perform the Pravargya at the first Soma-sacrifice, that (Mahâvîra) of his, when heated and ablaze, would burn up his family and cattle, and also his life, and the Sacrificer would be liable to perish: therefore (let him perform it) at the second or third (sacrifice).
46. Let him not perform the Pravargya for any and every one, lest he should do everything for every one, for the Pravargya is everything; but let him only perform it for him who is known, or to whoever may be dear to him, or who has studied sacred writ: by means of the study of sacred writ he would thus gain it.
47. One may perform the Pravargya for a thousand (head of cattle) 1, for a thousand means everything, and that (Pravargya) is everything. One may
48. Here now they say, 'Seeing that the Pravargya is headless, whereby, then, does the Agnihotra become possessed of a head for him?' Let him say, 'By the Âhavanîya.'--'How the New and Full-moon sacrifices?' Let him say, 'By the ghee and the cake.'--'How the Seasonal sacrifices?' Let him say, 'By the oblation of clotted curds 2.'--'How the animal sacrifice?' Let him say, 'By the victim and the cake.'--'How the Soma-sacrifice?' Let him say, 'By the Havirdhâna 3.'
49. And they also say,--when the sacrifice had its head cut off, the gods on that occasion restored it as the hospitable reception 4 (of King Soma), and verily for him who so knows this offering is not made with any headless sacrifice whatever.
51. And, again, they say, 'Seeing that elsewhere there are fore-offerings and after-offerings, wherefore are there not any on this occasion?' Well, the fore-offerings and after-offerings being the vital airs, and so also the Avakâsas 2, and the pieces of wood, (it is so) lest he should cause the vital airs to be overtopped by vital airs.
52. And, again, they say, 'Seeing that elsewhere they offer two butter-portions, wherefore does he not offer them on this occasion?' Well, those two--to wit, the butter-portions--being the eyes of the sacrifice, and so also the two Rauhina (cakes)--(it is so) lest he should overtop eye by eye.
53. And, again, they say, 'Seeing that they make offering to the gods by means of wooden (vessels), wherefore does he offer this (Gharma) by means of one made of clay?' When the Sacrifice had its head cut off, its life-sap flowed away and entered the heaven and the earth. Now this (earth) is clay, and yonder (sky) is water; and the Mahâvîra (vessels) are made of clay and water: thus he supplies and completes it (the Pravargya) with that life-sap.
54. But if it were made of wood, it would be
480:1 See III, 4, 5, 1, where it is stated that the morning-pressing belongs to the Vasus, the midday-pressing to the Rudras, and the third pressing to the Âdityas.
480:2 Or, for the best (or eldest brother). Cf. III, 9, 4, 9.
481:2 See XIV, 1, 3, 26.
482:1 Viz. past the Âhavanîya, along its back (or western) side, to the south side of the fire.
482:2 See part i, p. 132, note; III, 4, 4, 11 seqq.
483:1 The exact meaning of 'hârdvânam' is doubtful. Mahîdhara analyses it by 'hârd' = 'hrid', + 'vâna,' blowing, going, hence 'heart-wafting, going to the heart = dear to the heart.' The St. Petersb. Dict. takes the word to be 'hârd-van,' in the sense of 'herzstärkend' (heart-sustaining, invigorating--? literally, 'possessed of heartiness'). The Taitt. Âr. has 'hârdivânam' instead. The author of the Brâhmana apparently considers the term as obscure, and uses this circumstance for his own symbolic purposes.
483:2 Perhaps the author means to characterise also the epithet
484:2 That is, as would seem, he speaks the anumantrana in order to consecrate whatever milk might have been spilled in bubbling over. Possibly, however, he is to do so at the time when the pot bubbles over (though the 'atha' would rather be out of place in that case). The Taittirîyas differ somewhat on this point of the performance.
486:2 That is, that one of the three fresh sticks enclosing the fire which is laid down first, along the back, or west side, and forms the base of a triangle the apex of which points eastwards. Cf. I, 3, 4, 1 seqq.
486:3 This meaning is, by the St. Petersb. Dict., assigned to 'prati-rava'
487:2 The comm. on Kâty. XXVI, 6, 14 calls this part of the barhis 'âtithyâbarhis' (?).
487:3 And accordingly, without looking at it.
488:1 Or, 'having his praises sung by the chanters,' as Mahîdhara takes 'rudrahûti.'
489:1 Viz. XIV, 2, 1, 1.
489:2 Viz. at the hands of the officiating priests, by saying to each, Invite me, N.N. whereupon each of them replies, "Thou art invited.' Cf. XII, 8, 3, 30. According to Âpast. Sr. XV, 11, 12, the priests and the Sacrificer partake of the residue in the order--Hotri, Adhvaryu, Brahman, Pratiprasthâtri, Agnîdh, and Sacrificer; or, optionally (ib. 14), only the Sacrificer drinks of it, whilst the priests merely smell it. Cf. the eating of the whey (of clotted curds), II, 4, 4, 25, to which the present eating of the remains is stated, by Kâty. XXVI, 6, 20, to be analogous; whilst the offering is said to be on the model of the Agnihotra.
489:3 The usual place to do so is over the pit (kâtrâla), cf. III, 8, 2, 30; XII, 8, 1, 22; whilst the utensils are cleaned in the Mârgâlîya. On the present occasion a mound of sand (or covered with sand)--the so-called 'ukkhishta-khara' (mound of remains)--is raised in the south part of the sâlâ, close to the mat or hurdle forming its wall, just east of the southern door. According to Kâty. XXVI, 6, 21 seqq., Âpast. XV, 12, 1 seqq., the Mahâvîra and the remaining
491:1 See p. 139, note 1; and XII, 3, 3, 6.
491:2 For the 'payasyâ' see part i, p. 178, note 4; p. 381, note 2.
491:3 That is, the cart or carts on which the offering-material (including the Soma-plants) is contained, as also the shed in which they are placed.
491:4 See III, 2, 3, 20; 4, 1, 1.
492:1 See part i, p. 9, note.
