Kanda X, adhyaya 5, brahmana 4

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

1. Verily, this (brick-)built Fire-altar (Agni) is this (terrestrial) world:--the waters (of the encircling ocean) are its (circle of) enclosing-stones; the men its Yajushmatīs (bricks with special formulas); the cattle its Sūdadohas^[1]; the plants and trees its earth-fillings (between the layers of bricks), its oblations and fire-logs^[2]; Agni (the terrestrial fire) its Lokampṛṇā (space-filling brick);--thus this comes to make up the whole Agni, and the whole Agni comes to be the space-filler^[3]; and, verily, whosoever knows this, thus comes to be that whole (Agni) who is the space-filler^[4].

2. But, indeed, that Fire-altar also is the air:--the function of heaven and earth (the horizon) is its (circle of) enclosing-stones, for it is beyond the air that heaven and earth meet, and that (junction) is the (circle of) enclosing-stones; the birds are its Yajushmatī bricks, the rain its Sūdadohas, the rays of light its earth-fillings, oblations and fire-logs; Vāyu (the wind) is its space-filler; thus this comes to make up the whole Agni, and the whole Agni comes to be the space-filler; and, verily, whosoever knows this, thus comes to be that whole (Agni) who is the space-filler.

3. But, indeed, that Fire-altar also is the sky:--the (heavenly) waters are its enclosing-stones, for even as a case^[5] here is closed up so are these worlds (enclosed) within the waters; and the waters beyond these worlds are the enclosing-stones;--the gods are the Yajushmatī bricks; what food there is in that world is its Sūdadohas; the Nakṣatras (lunar mansions) are the earth-fillings, the oblations and the fire-logs; and Āditya (the sun) is the space-filler;--thus this comes to make up the whole Agni; and the whole Agni comes to be the space-filler; and, verily, whosoever knows this, thus comes to be that whole (Agni) who is the space-filler.

4. But, indeed, that Fire-altar also is the sun:--the regions are its enclosing-stones, and there are three hundred and sixty of these^[6], because three hundred and sixty regions encircle the sun on all sides;--the rays are its Yajushmatī bricks, for there are three hundred and sixty of these^[7], and three hundred and sixty rays of the sun; and in that he establishes the Yajushmatīs within the enclosing-stones thereby he establishes the rays in the regions. And what is between the regions and the rays, is its Sūdadohas; and what food there is in the regions and rays that is the earth-fillings, the oblations and the fire-logs; and that which is called both 'regions' and 'rays' is the space-filling (brick):--thus this comes to make up the whole Agni; and the whole Agni comes to be the space-filler; and, verily, whosoever knows this, thus comes to be that whole (Agni) who is the space-filler.

5. But, indeed, that Fire-altar also is the Nakṣatras:--for there are twenty-seven of these Nakṣatras, and twenty-seven secondary stars accompany each Nakṣatra,--this makes seven hundred and twenty^[8], and thirty-six in addition thereto. Now what seven hundred and twenty bricks^[9] there are of these, they are the three hundred and sixty enclosing-stones and the three hundred and sixty Yajushmatī bricks; and what thirty-six there are in addition, they are the thirteenth (intercalary) month, the body (of the altar); the trunk^[10] (consisting of) thirty, the feet of two, the (channels of the) vital airs of two^[11], and the head itself being the (thirty-fifth and) thirty-sixth,--and as to there being two of these, it is because 'śiras' (head) consists of two syllables;--and what (space) there is between (each) two

Nakṣatras that is the Sūdadohas; and what food there is in the Nakṣatras that is the earth-fillings (between the layers of bricks), the oblations and the fire-logs; and what is called 'nakṣatras' that is the space-filling (brick):--thus this comes to make up the whole Agni, and the whole Agni comes to be the space-filler; and, verily, whosoever knows this, thus comes to be that whole (Agni) who is the space-filler.

6. Now, these (amount to) twenty-one Bṛhatīs^[12]; and--the heavenly world being the twenty-one-fold one^[13] and the Bṛhatī (the great one)--this (altar) thus comes to be equal to the heavenly world, and to the twenty-one-fold Stoma (hymn-form) and the Bṛhatī metre.

7. But, indeed, that Fire-altar also is the Metres; for there are seven of these metres, increasing by four syllables^[14]; and the triplets of these make seven hundred and twenty syllables, and thirty-six in addition thereto. Now what seven hundred and twenty bricks there are of these, they are the three hundred and sixty enclosing-stones and the three hundred and sixty Yajushmatīs; and what thirty-six there are in addition, they are the thirteenth month, and the body (of this altar),--the trunk (consisting of) thirty, the feet of two, the vital airs of two, and the head itself being the (thirty-fifth and) thirty-sixth; and as to there being two of these, it is because 'śiras' consists of two syllables.

8. Now the first ten syllables of this Bṛhatī, consisting of thirty-six syllables, make an Ekapadā^[15] of ten syllables; and the (first) twenty make a Dvipadā of twenty syllables; and the (first) thirty a Virāj^[16] of thirty syllables; and the (first) thirty-three a (Virāj) of thirty-three syllables; and the (first) thirty-four a Svarāj^[17] of thirty-four syllables; and in that this fire-altar is built with all metres thereby it is an Atichandas^[18], and (so) indeed are all these bricks^[19]. And the three syllables 'iṣṭakā (brick)' are a Gāyatrī tripadā, whence this Agni is Gāyatra; and the three syllables 'mṛd' (clay) and 'āpaḥ' (water)^[20] also are a Gāyatrī tripadā: thereby also he is Gāyatra. And what is between (each two) metres is the

Sūdadohas; and the food which is in the metres is the earth-fillings, the oblations, and the fire-logs; and what is called 'metres,' that is the space-filling (brick):--thus this comes to make up the whole Agni; and the whole Agni comes to be the space-filler; and, verily, whosoever knows this, comes to be that whole (Agni) who is the space-filler.

9. Now, these (amount to) twenty-one Bṛhatīs; and--the heavenly world being the twenty-one-fold and the Bṛhatī--this (altar) thus comes to be equal to the heavenly world, and to the twenty-one-fold Stoma and the Bṛhatī metre.

10. But, indeed, that Fire-altar also is the Year,--the nights are its enclosing-stones, and there are three hundred and sixty of these, because there are three hundred and sixty nights in the year; and the days are its Yajushmatī bricks, for there are three hundred and sixty of these, and three hundred and sixty days in the year; and those thirty-six bricks which are over^[21] are the thirteenth month, the body (of the year and the altar), the half-months and months,--(there being) twenty-four half-months, and twelve months. And what there is between day and night that is the Sūdadohas; and what food there is in the days and nights is the earth-fillings, the oblations, and the fire-logs; and what is called 'days and nights' that constitutes the space-filling (brick):--thus this comes to make up the whole Agni, and the whole Agni comes to be the space-filler; and, verily, whosoever knows this, thus comes to be that whole (Agni) who is the space-filler.

11. Now, these (amount to) twenty-one Bṛhatīs; and--the heavenly world being the twenty-one-fold and the Bṛhatī--this (altar) thus comes to be equal to the heavenly world, and to the twenty-one-fold Stoma and the Bṛhatī metre.

12. But, indeed, that Fire-altar also-is the body,--the bones are its enclosing-stones, and there are three hundred and sixty of these, because there are three hundred and sixty bones in man; the marrow parts are the Yajushmatī bricks, for there are three hundred and sixty of these, and three hundred and sixty parts of marrow in man; and those thirty-six bricks which are over, are the thirteenth month, the trunk, the vital air (of the altar),--in his body there are thirty parts^[22], in his feet two, in his vital airs two, and in his head two,--as to there being two of these, it is because the head consists of two skull-bones. And that whereby these joints are held together is the Sūdadohas; and those three whereby this body is covered--to wit, hair, skin, and flesh--are the earth-fillings; what he drinks is the oblations, and what he eats the fire-logs; and what is called the 'body,' that is the space-filling (brick):--thus this comes to make up the whole Agni, and the whole Agni comes to be the space-filler; and, verily, whosoever knows this, thus comes to be that whole (Agni) who is the space-filler.

13. Now, these (amount to) twenty-one Bṛhatīs; and--the heavenly world being the twenty-one-fold and the Bṛhatī--this (altar) thus comes to be equal to the heavenly world, and to the twenty-one-fold Stoma and the Bṛhatī metre.

14. But, indeed, that built Agni (the fire-altar) is all beings, all the gods; for all the gods, all beings are the waters^[23], and that built fire-altar is the same as those waters^[24];--the navigable streams (round the sun) are its enclosing-stones, and there are three hundred and sixty of these, because three hundred and sixty navigable streams encircle the sun on all sides; and the navigable streams, indeed, are also the Yajushmatī bricks, and there are three hundred and sixty of these, because three hundred and sixty navigable streams flow towards^[25] the sun. And what is between (each) two navigable rivers is the Sūdadohas; and those thirty-six bricks which remain over are the same as that thirteenth month, and the body (of this altar, the waters^[26],) is the same as this gold man.

15. His feet are that gold plate and lotus-leaf(that is) the waters and the sun's orb^[27]--are his feet; his arms are the two spoons, and they are Indra and Agni; the two naturally-perforated (bricks) are this earth and the air; and the three Viśvajyotis (all-light) bricks are these deities--Agni, Vāyu, and

Āditya, for these deities, indeed, are all the light; and the twelve seasonal (bricks) are the year, the body (of the altar, and the gold man); and the five Nākasads and five Pañcacūḍās are the sacrifice, the gods; and the Vikarṇī the (third) Svayamātṛṇṇā and the variegated stone 1; and the fire which is deposited (on the altar^[28]) is the thirty-fifth; and the formula of the Lokampṛṇā (brick)^[29] is the thirty-sixth;--that (gold man), indeed, the body (of the altar) is the end of everything here^[30]: he is in the midst of all the waters, endowed with all objects of desire--for all objects of desire are the waters^[31]; whilst possessed of all (objects of) desires he is without desire, for no desire of anything (troubles) him^[32].

16. Regarding this there is this verse--'By knowledge^[33] they ascend that (state) where desires have vanished^[34]: sacrificial gifts go not thither^[35], nor the fervid practisers of rites without knowledge;'--for, indeed, he who does not know this does not attain to that world either by sacrificial gifts or by devout practices, but only to those who know does that world belong.

17. The welkin is the earth-fillings (between the layers of brick); the moon the oblations; the Nakṣatras (lunar mansions) the fire-logs,--because the moon resides in (or with) the Nakṣatra, therefore the oblation resides in the fire-wood: that^[36], indeed, is the food of the oblation, and its support; whence the oblation does not fail (na kṣīyate), for that is its food and its support And what are called 'the gods' they are the space-filling (brick); for by (naming) the gods everything here is named.

18 It is regarding this that it is said by the Ṛc (X, 12, 3), 'The All-gods have gone after this thy Yajus,'--for all beings, all the gods, indeed, become the Yajus here. Thus this whole Agni comes to be the space-filler; and, verily, whosoever knows this, thus comes to be that whole (Agni) who is the space-filler.

19. Now, these (amount to) twenty-one Bṛhatīs; and--the heavenly world being the twenty-one-fold and the Bṛhatī--this (altar) thus comes to be equal to the heavenly world, and to the twenty-one-fold Stoma and the Bṛhatī metre.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

That is, either the food obtained by the milking of the drink of immortality (amṛtadohānnam), or the verse Ṛg-veda VIII, 69, 3 (tā asya sūdadohasaḥ, &c.) pronounced over the 'settled' brick, and supposed to supply vital air to the different parts of Agni-Prajāpati's body (whence it is also repeated in the Bṛhad Uktham between the different parts of the bird-like body; cf. p. 112, note 1). Sāy.

[2]:

Sāyaṇa seems to interpret this in two different ways,--oṣadhivanaspataya eva purīṣāhutisamittrayarūpā etasya purīṣāhutisamittrayarūpatvam uttaratra spaṣṭīkarishyate; atha (vā) yad dikṣu ca raśmishu cānnaṃ tat purīṣaṃ tā ahutayas tāḥ samidhaḥ.

[3]:

See X, 5, 2, 8. Viz. 'inasmuch as all become fit for their work by being provided with fire.' Sāy.

[4]:

Or, the word-filler, the ruler of the world (lokādhiṣṭhātṛ). Sāy.

[5]:

Or, as (the valves, or shells, of) a pod are closed up.

[6]:

See p. 354, note 2.

[7]:

See IX, 4, 3, 6.

[8]:

On this inaccurate calculation (the real product being 729), resorted to in order to get a total amount equal to the number of Yajushmatī bricks (756), see A. Weber, Nakṣatra, II, p. 298.

[9]:

That is, Nakṣatras considered as the bricks of which the fire-altar is constructed. The latter being identical with the year, the 720 bricks represent the days and nights of the year.

[10]:

Thus Sāyaṇa (madhyadeha),--the ātman (in that case, however, the whole body) is usually represented as consisting of twenty-five parts. Here the thirty parts would probably be the trunk, the head, the upper and fore-arms, the thighs and shanks, and the fingers and toes.

[11]:

Viz. inasmuch as eyes, ears, and nostrils are in pairs. Sāy.

[12]:

The Bṛhatī verse consisting of 36 syllables, this makes a total of 756 syllables, or the same amount as that of the days and nights of the year, plus the days (36) of the intercalary month.

[13]:

Viz. inasmuch as the sun is 'the twenty-first,' cf. I, 3, 5, 11; VI, 2, 2, 3: svargas tv āditya iti surake(tu)rūpo vā lokaḥ svargaḥ ekaviṃśatisaṃkhyāpūrakaḥ. Sāy

[14]:

The seven metres, increasing by four syllables from 24 up to 48, consist together of 252 syllables, and hence the triplets of them amount to 756 = 720 + 36 syllables.

[15]:

The Ekapadā is a verse consisting of a single pāda, and the Dvipadā one of two pādas, whilst verses in the ordinary metres consist of three or four pādas.

[16]:

The Virāj is a metre consisting of 1 to 4 (usually 3) decasyllabic pādas; the one consisting of four such pādas being, however, commonly called Paṅkti. Besides this, the principal, Virāj, there is, however, another consisting of 3 pādas of 11 syllables each.

[17]:

This name, which is here applied to a verse of 34 syllables, was in VII, 4, 1, 9 used of a verse of 10 + 10 + 11 + 11 = 42 syllables (Vāj. S. XI, 29); cf. Weber, Ind. Stud. VIII, p. 63.

[18]:

That is, an over-metre, excessive metre, consisting of more than 48 syllables. The fire-altar, being built up with all the metres (viz. with the Chandasyā bricks, representing the metres, cf. VIII, 3, 3, 1 seqq.), would thus-far exceed the latter number.

[19]:

? Thus Sāyaṇa: cityāgnir atichandā iti yat tena sarvā iṣṭakā atichandomayya ity uktam.

[20]:

That is, the materials used for making bricks.

[21]:

Viz. those required to make up the 756 Yajushmatīs.

[22]:

See p. 383, note 3.

[23]:

Viz. inasmuch as they are the foundation and ultimate source of the universe; cf. VI, 8, 2, 2. 3; and everything is contained therein, X, 5, 4, 3.

[24]:

Viz. inasmuch as the built Agni is the same as the sun, and the sun is surrounded by water; cf. p. 368, note 1.

[25]:

It is not clear whether these rivers are meant to be different ones from those flowing round the sun, or whether they are the same as 'washing against' the sun.

[26]:

Athokteshu paryāyeshv agnyavayava-trayodaśamāsātmika ātmā agnyātmanā dhyeyānām apām ātmety arthaḥ. Sāy.

[27]:

That is, in regard to the sacrifice, the gold plate and lotus-leaf are his feet, and in regard to the deity, the waters and the sun's disk. Sāy. They are, nevertheless, counted as four.

[28]:

For this stone, which was deposited near the Āgnīdhrīya shed, and afterwards placed in the Āgnīdhra hearth, see p. 243, note 2.

[29]:

See VIII, 7, 2, 6.

[30]:

See X, 5, 2, 6-8.

[31]:

Sa eva . . . ṣaṭtriṃśadiṣṭakāmayo hiraṇmayaḥ puruṣa ātmā sarvabhūtadevātmanām apām agnyātmanā dhyeyānām madhye vartate. Sāy.

[32]:

Sāyaṇa does not explain this last sentence.

[33]:

'Only by knowledge is such a body (self) to be obtained by all, not by hundreds of religious performances.' Sāy.

[34]:

Yatra svarūpe kāmāḥ sarve parāgatā vivṛttāḥ (? nivṛttaḥ) svayam akāmam ity arthaḥ, tad ātmasvarūpaṃ vidyayā svarūpeṇa ārohanti āpnuvanti. Sāy.

[35]:

Sāyaṇa takes 'dakṣiṇā' as instrumental, in accordance with the comment offered by the Brāhmaṇa, which, however, is probably not meant as a close grammatical explanation.

[36]:

Viz. the staying (of the moon) in, or with, the Nakṣatras, whose name is then made use of for a fanciful etymology.