Kanda VIII, adhyaya 4, brahmana 1

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

1. He lays down the fourth layer. For the gods having laid down the third layer, now ascended; but, the third layer being the air; it was the air which, having completed it, they ascended.

2. They spake, 'Meditate ye!' whereby, indeed, they meant to say, 'Seek ye a layer! Seek ye (to build) from hence upwards!' Whilst meditating, they saw that fourth layer, (to wit) what is above the air and below the heavens; that world was to their minds, as it were, unstable and unsettled.

3. They said to the Brahman, 'We will lay thee down (or, set thee up) here!'--'What will therefrom accrue to me?'--'Thou shalt be the highest of us!'--'So be it!' They accordingly laid the Brahman down here, whence people say that the Brahman is the highest of gods. Now, by this fourth layer these two, heaven and earth, are upheld, and the fourth layer is the Brahman, whence people say that heaven and earth are upheld by the Brahman. He lays down the Stomas (hymn-forms)^[1]: the stomas being the vital airs, and the Brahman also being the vital airs, it is the Brahman he thereby lays down.

4. And, again, as to why he lays down the Stomas. The gods, at that time, said to Prajāpati, 'We will lay thee down here! So be it!' He did not say, 'What will therefrom accrue unto me?' but whenever Prajāpati wished to obtain anything from the gods, they said, 'What will therefrom accrue to us?' And hence even now if a father wishes to obtain anything from his sons, they say, 'What will therefrom accrue unto us?' and when the sons (wish to obtain anything) from the father, he says, 'So be it!' for in this way Prajāpati and the gods used of old to converse together. He lays down the Stomas: the stomas being the vital airs, and Prajāpati also being the vital airs, it is Prajāpati he thus lays down.

5. And, again, as to why he lays down the Stomas. Those vital airs, the Ṛṣis^[2], that saw this fourth layer^[3], and who stepped nigh with that essential element (of the altar), are these (vital airs): it is them he now lays down. He lays down the Stomas:--the stomas being the vital airs, and the Ṛṣis also being the vital airs, it is the Ṛṣis he thus lays down.

6. And, again, as to why he lays down the Stomas. When Prajāpati had become relaxed (disjointed), the gods took him and went away. Vāyu, taking that (part) of him which was above the waist and below the head, kept going away from him, having become the deities and the forms of the year.

7. He spake to him, 'Come to me and restore to me that wherewith thou hast gone from me!'--'What will therefrom accrue unto me?'--'That part of my self shall be sacred unto thee!'--'So be it!' thus Vāyu restored that unto him.

8. Those eighteen (bricks^[4]) which there are at first, are that very (part) of his (Prajāpati's) body; and when he places them in this (layer), he thereby restores to him that (part) of his body which these (form): therefore he places them in this (layer). He lays down the Stomas: the stomas being the vital airs, and Vāyu (the wind) also being the vital airs, it is Vāyu he thus lays down.

9. In front he lays down one, with (Vāj. S. XIV, 23), 'The swift one, the Trivṛt!' he therewith lays down that hymn-form which is trivṛt (threefold, or thrice-three-versed). And as to why he calls it 'the swift one,' it is because this, indeed, is the swiftest of stomas. But the swift threefold one, doubtless, is Vāyu: he exists in these three worlds. And as to why he calls him 'the swift one,' it is because he is the swiftest of all beings: being (or, in the form of) Vāyu it remained in front,--it is that form he now lays down,

10. [The back one^[5], with], 'The bright one^[6], the Pañcadaśa!' he therewith lays down that hymn-form which is fifteenfold (fifteen-versed). And when he calls it 'the bright one,' it is that the bright one is the thunderbolt, and the thunderbolt is fifteenfold. But the bright, fifteenfold one, doubtless, also is the Moon: he waxes during fifteen days, and wanes during fifteen days. And as to his calling him 'the bright one,' the Moon indeed shines: being the Moon it remained on the right side,--it is that form he now lays down.

11. [The left (north) one, with], 'The (aerial) space, the Saptadaśa!' he therewith lays down that hymn-form which is seventeenfold. And as to his calling it 'the space,'--the (aerial) space is Prajāpati, and the seventeenfold one is Prajāpati. But indeed the seventeenfold space also is the year: in it there are twelve months and five seasons. And as to his calling it space, the year indeed is space: being space, it remained on the left side,--it is that form he now lays down.

12. [The right (south) one, with], 'The upholder, the Ekaviṃśa!' he therewith lays down that hymn-form which is twenty-one-fold. And as to his calling it 'the upholder,'--the upholder means a foothold, and the Ekaviṃśa is a foothold. But indeed the twenty-one-fold upholder also is yonder sun: to him belong the twelve months, the five seasons, these three worlds, and yonder sun himself is the upholder, the twenty-one-fold. And as to his calling him 'the upholder,'--when he sets everything here holds its peace: being the sun, it remained at the back,--it is that form he now lays down; and the forms of the year he lays down.

13. 'Speed, the Aṣṭādaśa!' he therewith lays down that hymn-form which is eighteenfold. Now, speed, the eighteenfold one, doubtless, is the year: in it there are twelve months, five seasons, and the year itself is speed, the eighteenfold. And as to his calling it 'speed,' the year indeed speeds all beings: it is that form he now lays down.

14. 'Heat, the Navadaśa!' he therewith lays down that hymn-form which is nineteenfold. But heat, the nineteenfold one, doubtless, is the year: in it there are twelve months, six seasons, and the year itself is heat, the nineteenfold. And as to his calling it 'heat,' the year indeed burns all beings: it is that form he now lays down.

15. 'Victorious assault, the Saviṃśa!' he therewith lays down that hymn-form which is twentyfold. But victorious assault, the twentyfold one, doubtless, is the year: in it there are twelve months, seven seasons, and the year itself is victorious assault, the twentyfold. And as to why he calls it 'victorious assault,' the year indeed assails all beings: it is that form he now lays down.

16. 'Vigour, the Dvāviṃśa!' he therewith lays down that hymn-form which is twenty-two-fold. But vigour, the twenty-two-fold one, doubtless is the year: in it there are twelve months, seven seasons, the two, day and night, and the year itself is vigour, the twenty-two-fold. And as to why he calls it 'vigour,' the year is indeed the most vigorous of all existing things: it is that form he now lays down.

17. 'The array, the Trayoviṃśa!' he therewith lays down that hymn-form which is twenty-three-fold. But array, the twenty-three-fold one, doubtless, means the year: in it there are thirteen months, seven seasons, the two, day and night, and the year itself is the array, the twenty-three-fold.

And as to his calling it 'array,' the year is indeed arrayed over all beings: it is that form he now lays down.

18. 'The womb, the Caturviṃśa!' he therewith lays down that hymn-form which is twenty-four-fold. But the womb, the twenty-four-fold one, doubtless, is the year: in it there are twenty-four half-months. And as to his calling it 'the womb,' the year is indeed the womb of all beings: it is that form he now lays down.

19. 'The embryos, the Pañcaviṃśa!' he therewith lays down that hymn-form which is twenty-five-fold. But the embryos, the twenty-five-fold one, doubtless; is the year: in it there are twenty-four half-months, and the year itself is the embryos, the twenty-five-fold. And as to his calling it 'the embryos,'--the year, as an embryo, in the shape of the thirteenth month, enters the seasons: it is that form he now lays down.

20. 'Strength, the Triṇava!' he therewith lays down that hymn-form which is thrice ninefold. And as to his calling it 'strength,'--strength (ojas) means the thunderbolt (vajra), and the Triṇava is a thunderbolt. But strength also means the year: in it there are twenty-four half-months, the two, day and night, and the year itself is strength, the thrice-ninefold. And as to his calling it 'strength,' the year indeed is the strength of all beings: it is that form he now lays down.

21. 'Design, the Ekatriṃśa!' he therewith lays down that hymn-form which is thirty-one-fold. But design, the thirty-one-fold, doubtless, means the year: in it there are twenty-four half-months, six seasons, and the year itself is design, the thirty-one-fold. And as to his calling it 'design,' the year indeed designs (makes, forms) all beings: it is that form he now lays down.

22. 'The foundation, the Trayastriṃśa!' he therewith lays down that hymn-form which is thirty-three-fold. And as to why he calls it 'the foundation,' the thirty-three-fold is indeed a foundation. But indeed the foundation, the thirty-three-fold, also is the year: in it there are twenty-four half-months, six seasons, the two, day and night, and the year itself is the foundation, the thirty-three-fold. And as to his calling it 'the foundation,' the year is indeed the foundation of all beings: it is that form he now lays down.

23. 'The range of the ruddy one, the Catustriṃśa!' he therewith lays down that hymn-form which is thirty-four-fold. But the range of the ruddy one (the sun), the thirty-four-fold one, doubtless, is the year: in it there are twenty-four half-months, seven seasons, the two, day and night, and the year itself is the range of the ruddy one, the thirty-four-fold. And as to his calling it 'the range of the ruddy one,' the range of the ruddy one, doubtless, means supreme sway, and the thirty-four-fold one means supreme sway: it is that form he now lays down.

24. 'The firmament, the Ṣaṭtriṃśa!' he therewith lays down that hymn-form which is thirty-six-fold. But the firmament, the thirty-six-fold one, doubtless, is the year: in it there are twenty-four half-moons, and twelve months. And as to why he calls it 'the firmament' (nākam), it is because there is no pain (na akam) for whosoever goes there. And the firmament indeed is the year, the heavenly world is the year: it is that form he now lays down.

25. 'The revolving sphere, the Aṣṭācatvāriṃśa!' he therewith lays down that hymn-form which is forty-eight-fold. But the revolving sphere, the forty-eight-fold, doubtless, is the year: in it there are twenty-six half-months, thirteen months, seven seasons, and the two, day and night. And as to his calling it 'the revolving sphere,' from the year all creatures indeed are evolved: it is that form he now lays down.

26. 'The stay, the Catuṣṭoma!' he therewith lays down the chant of praise consisting of four stomas^[7]. And as to his calling it 'the stay,'--stay means support, and the Catuṣṭoma is a support. But the stay, the Catuṣṭoma, doubtless, is Vāyu (the wind), for he sings from all those four quarters. And as to his calling him 'the stay,'--stay means support; and the wind indeed is the support of all beings: it is that form he now lays down. The wind he places first and last: by the wind he thus encloses all these beings on both sides.

27. These, then, are eighteen bricks he lays down; this makes two Trivṛts,--the Trivṛt being breath, and breath being wind, this layer is Vāyu.

28. And as to why there are eighteen,--the year is eighteenfold: twelve months and six seasons. And Prajāpati indeed is the year, Prajāpati is eighteenfold: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, so great he makes it when he lays it down.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

This refers to the first eighteen bricks of the fourth layer; but as the names of the bricks (iṣṭakā, f.) are invariably of the feminine gender, it is doubtful whether stoma (m.), in this case, is meant as the designation of these bricks, or merely as their symbolical analogon. In the former case, one would rather, from the analogy of other bricks, expect some such term as 'stomyā.' To the first four of them Mahīdhara, on Vāj. S. XIV, 23, applies the epithet mṛtyumohinī, or 'confounders of death.'

[2]:

See VI, 1, 1, 1; VII, 2, 3, 5.

[3]:

See VI, 2, 3, 7. 8.

[4]:

These eighteen bricks, representing the Stomas, or hymn-forms, are laid down in the following order. At each end of the spine (running from west to east) one brick, of the size of the shank (from knee to ankle), is placed, with its line-marks running from west to east; the eastern one being placed north, and the western one south, of the spine. Thereupon an ordinary brick, a foot square, is placed p. 61 at the southern end of the 'cross-spine,' so as to lie on the spine (though not apparently exactly in the middle, but so that only one-fourth of the brick lies on one side of the spine) with its line-marks running from south to north; and a second brick of the same size is placed on the north, but so as to leave the full space of another such brick between it and the northern edge of the altar. Behind (west of) the front brick, fourteen half-foot bricks are then laid down, in a row from north to south, seven on each side of the spine.

[5]:

The formulas of the first four of these (stoma) bricks are not given here (in paragraphs 9-12) in the order in which the bricks are actually laid down, viz. E. W. S. N., but in the order E. S. N. W.; cp. Kātyāy. Śrautas. XVII, 10, 6-9. For a symbolic explanation of this change of order see VIII, 4, 4, 1 seq.

[6]:

Or, perhaps, 'the angry one.' The author of the Brāhmaṇa, however, evidently connects 'bhānta' with the root 'bhā,' to shine.

[7]:

For particulars on the Catuṣṭoma, see note on XIII, 1, 3, 4.