Satapatha-brahmana
by Julius Eggeling | 1882 | 730,838 words | ISBN-13: 9788120801134
This is Satapatha Brahmana IV.3.3 English translation of the Sanskrit text, including a glossary of technical terms. This book defines instructions on Vedic rituals and explains the legends behind them. The four Vedas are the highest authortity of the Hindu lifestyle revolving around four castes (viz., Brahmana, Ksatriya, Vaishya and Shudra). Satapatha (also, Śatapatha, shatapatha) translates to “hundred paths”. This page contains the text of the 3rd brahmana of kanda IV, adhyaya 3.
Kanda IV, adhyaya 3, brahmana 3
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
C. THE. MĀDHYANDINA SAVANA, OR MIDDAY SOMA FEAST.
1. He presses out (the Soma juice) with 'Ihā̃! Ihā̃[1]!' (hither), whereby he draws Indra nigh; and with 'Bṛhat! Bṛhat!' (great), whereby he draws Indra[2] nigh.
2. The Śukra and Manthin grahas he draws first, for thereby the Soma feast comes to be supplied with pure Soma (śukra). Thereupon the Āgrayaṇa, for that (cup) is drawn at all (three) feasts. Then the Marutvatīya cup; then the Ukthya, for here also there are songs of praise (Uktha)[3].
3. Now some draw the Marutvatīya after they have drawn the Ukthya; but let him. not do this,--let him rather draw the Ukthya after he has drawn the Marutvatīya.
4. These, then, are five grahas he draws; for that midday Pavamāna chant is a thunderbolt: hence it is a fifteenfold five-hymned chant[4], for the thunderbolt is fifteenfold[5]. He is so by means of these five grahas (cups of Soma[6]): for five are these fingers, and with the fingers he hurls (the thunderbolt).
5. Indra hurled the thunderbolt at Vṛtra; and having smitten Vṛtra, the wicked, and safety and peace being secured[7], he led forth the dakṣiṇās (gifts to priests). Wherefore now also, when they (the Udgātṛs) chant the midday Pavamāna, and safety and peace are secured, the dakṣiṇās are led forth. And so, forsooth, does he now by means of those five cups of Soma hurl the thunderbolt at the wicked, hateful enemy, and having smitten Vṛtra, the wicked, and safety and peace being secured, he leads forth the dakṣiṇās. This is why he draws those five cups.
6. Then as to why he draws the Marutvatīya cups. Now this, the midday pressing feast, is Indra's special (nishkevalya) feast: thereby he strove to smite Vṛtra, thereby he strove to vanquish him. But the Maruts, having on that account[8] withdrawn, were standing on an Aśvattha tree[9] (Ficus Religiosa). Now Indra is the nobility, and the Maruts are the people, and through the people the noble becomes strong: therefore the two Ritu cups (they say)[10] may be of aśvattha wood; but in reality they are of kārshmarya wood.
7. Indra called on them, saying, 'Do ye join me that with you as my force I may smite Vṛtra!' They said, 'What will be our (reward) then?' He drew those two Marutvatīya cups for them.
8. They said, 'Having put aside this one (cup) for our vigour, we will join thee.' Having accordingly put it aside for their vigour[11], they joined him. But Indra sought to obtain it, thinking, 'They have come to me after putting aside their vigour.'
9. He said, 'Do ye join me with vigour!'--'Then draw a third cup for us;' they said. He drew a third cup for them, with, 'Thou art taken with a support,--thee for the vigour of the Maruts!' They then joined him with vigour,--and he conquered with them, and smote Vṛtra with them;--for Indra is the nobility, and the Maruts are the people, and through the people the noble becomes strong. Hence he now bestows that strength on the nobility, and therefore he draws the Marutvatīya cups.
10. Let him draw them for Indra Marutvat (accompanied by the Maruts), and not for the Maruts likewise. For were he also to draw cups for the Maruts, he would make the people refractory to the nobility. He thus assigns to the Maruts a share therein after Indra, whereby he makes the people subservient and obedient to the nobility: therefore let him draw the cups for Indra Marutvat, and not for the Maruts likewise.
11. But he was afraid of their desertion,--'Lest they should desert me, lest they should take to some other (party)[12],' so thinking, he by that (share in the libation) made them unwilling to desert him. This is why he should draw the grahas for Indra Marutvat.
12. He draws them with the two vessels of the seasons, for the year, the sacrifice, means the seasons. There, at the morning Soma feast, they are overtly attended to, in that he draws the grahas for the seasons[13]; and now they are covertly attended to, in that he draws the Marutvatīya grahas with the two vessels of the seasons.
13. He draws (the first) from that (stream of Soma)[14], with (Vāj. S. VII, 35; Rig-veda III, 51, 7), 'O Indra, leader of the Maruts, drink thou the Soma here, as thou drankest of the liquor at (the sacrifice of) the Son of Saryāti: by thy guidance, in thy protection, O Lord, do the wise serve thee with good offerings!--Thou art taken with a support: thee to Indra Marutvat!--This is thy womb: thee to Indra Marutvat!'
14. [The second he draws[15] with Vāj. S. VII, 36;
Rig-veda III, 47, 5], 'The mighty bull, followed by the Maruts, the bountiful, divine ruler Indra,--him, the all-subduing, the terrible bestower of victory, do we now invoke for new favour.--Thou art taken with a support: thee to Indra Marutvat!--This is thy womb: thee to Indra Marutvat!'--with Thou art taken with a support: thee for the strength of the Maruts!' he draws the third cup.
15. Thereupon he draws the Māhendra cup. For Indra was then bound up with evil, in the shape of the people, the Maruts; as one might, for the sake of victory, eat from the same vessel with the people[16] so it was when they drew a cup for him in common with the Maruts.
16. When all was conquered and free from danger and injury, the gods plucked him from out of all evil--even as one might pluck out a reed from its sheath--when they drew the cup for the Great Indra. And even as the reed becomes leafless, so is he thereby freed from all evil, when one draws the Māhendra cup.
17. And again, why he draws the Māhendra cup. Before the slaughter of Vṛtra, he was indeed Indra; but when he had slain Vṛtra, he became the Great--Indra, even as one who has conquered all around, becomes a Great King (mahārāja): therefore he draws the Māhendra cup. And, moreover, he forsooth make's him great for the slaughter of Vṛtra therefore also he draws the Māhendra cup. He draws it in the Śukra vessel, for bright (śukra) and great indeed is he (the sun) that burns yonder: therefore he draws it in the Śukra vessel.
18. He thus draws it from that (Droṇakalaśa or Pūtabhṛt), with (Vāj. S. VII, 39; Rig-veda VI, 19, 1), 'Great is Indra and hero-like, gladdening the people, of double stature and unimpaired in power. For our sake he waxed strong for heroic deed,--great and broad was he, and well-shapen by the shapers[17].--Thou art taken with a support: thee to Mahendra!'--with 'This is thy womb: thee to Mahendra!' he deposits it; for it is indeed for the Great Indra that he draws it.
19. And having bespoken (the chant[18]), he says this speech,--'Pressers, press ye! make the mortars resound! Agnīdh, stir the sour milk! be thou mindful of Soma's (pap)!' It is for the evening's press-feast that those pressers press out (the Soma juice), for the evening feast they make the mortars resound, for the evening feast the Agnīdh stirs the sour milk, for the evening feast he boils the pap for Soma. For these two press-feasts, the morning feast and the midday feast, are indeed rich in pure Soma, are rich in juice; but that third press-feast is emptied of the pure Soma. Hence he forms it from out of this midday feast; and thus that third press-feast becomes for him rich in pure Soma, rich in juice: this is why he now speaks that speech.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
'Iha' (here, hither) with the last syllable protracted. The Hotṛ's cup with the Nigrābhyā (vasatīvarī) water having been handed to the sacrificer, and the fillet or band (uṣṇīṣa) with which the Soma-plants are tied together, to the Grāvastut, the pressing is performed in the same way as the 'great pressing,' at p. 332 the Prātaḥsavana (see p. 256, note 1). Meanwhile the Grāvastut takes the band, and winds it thrice round his head and face from left to right. And whenever Soma-stalks are taken out for pressing he extols the stones by chanting the Grāva-stotra or 'praise of the stones.' According to Āśv. Śr. V, 12; Ait. Br. VI, 7, 2, this chant consists of the verses Rig-veda I, 24, 3; V, 81, 1; VIII, 81, 1; VIII, 1, 1, followed by the hymn X, 94, ascribed to the serpent Ṛṣi Arbuda. Before the last verse of this hymn he inserts the hymns X, 76 and X, 175, (ascribed to the serpents Jaratkarṇa and Arbuda respectively); and either before, or between, or after these two hymns he throws in the pāvamānīḥ (Rig-veda IX) according to requirement, till the pressing is completed, or the libations are to be drawn, when having wound up with the last verse of the first Arbuda hymn, he makes over the band to the sacrificer. The five cups mentioned in paragraph 2 are filled from the stream of Soma flowing from the Hotṛ's cup into the Droṇakalaśa; the Āgrayaṇa (p. 294, note 2) however being taken (in the Āgrayaṇa sthālī or bowl) from that and two other streams, poured by the Unnetṛ from the Ādhavanīya, and by the Pratiprasthātṛ from some vessel containing the Soma previously kept in the Āgrayaṇa sthālī.
[2]:
Probably on account of the connection of the Bṛhat-sāman with Indra; see part i, p.196, note 2.
[3]:
See p. 294, note 2. Sāyaṇa here curiously explains the term by 'stotrāṇi.'
[4]:
The Mādhyandina-pavamāna-stotra, Sāmav. II, 22-29, is made up of three hymns (sūkta), consisting of three gāyatrī (22-24), two bṛhatī (and satobṛhatī, 25, 26), and three triṣṭubh verses (27-29) respectively. These are chanted in such a way as to produce five Sāman hymns (i.e. a hymn of three verses), viz. the gāyatrī triplet is chanted twice, in the Gāyatra and Āmahīyava tunes;--the bṛhatī-satobṛhatī couplet is likewise chanted twice, in the Raurava and Yaudhājaya tunes, the two verses being as usual (by the repetition of certain pādas) made into three. These, with the addition of the triṣṭubh hymn, chanted in the Auśana tune, make five Sāman hymns of three verses each, or altogether fifteen verses (pañcadaśastoma).
[5]:
Or consists of the fifteenfold (chant), as Sāyaṇa takes it. Regarding the connection between the pañcadaśa-stoma (the characteristic stoma of the midday pressing) and Indra (the deity of the midday pressing), see part i, introd. p. xviii.
[6]:
Perhaps graha' has here a double meaning, viz. 'that which is taken, a draught, cup of Soma,' and 'the taker, seizer.'
[7]:
See p. 289, note 4.
[8]:
Lit. 'thus;' 'itiśabdenāpakramaṇaprakāro ’bhinayena pradarśyate,' Sāy.
[9]:
This passage would seem to be based on a mistaken interpretation of Rig-veda I, 13 5, 8, where the bard says that 'the victorious (jāyavaḥ) have come nigh to the aśvattha,' the 'jāyavaḥ' here evidently referring (not to the Maruts, as in I, 1 19, 3), but to the powerful draughts of Soma flowing into the aśvattha vessel. The Kāṇva text reads, Sā (i.e. viś, the people or Maruts) hāśvatthe tiṣṭhate.
[10]:
The Kāṇva text inserts 'ity āhuḥ.'
[11]:
The context seems to be purposely ambiguous, as it may also be construed thus: They said, 'After putting aside this (cup), we will come (attain) to strength.' Having accordingly put it aside, they came to strength.
[12]:
For the construction, see p. 33, note 1.
[13]:
See IV, 3, 1, 3 seq.
[14]:
See p. 331, note 2.
[15]:
Here the author again anticipates, important parts of the performance being not even referred to. On the present occasion only one Marutvatīya cup is drawn and deposited on the mound (khara). The Ukthya cup having then been drawn and deposited, the priests leave the Havirdhāna in the same way as at the morning performance (see IV, 2, 5, 1, with note), and perform the Vipruḍ-homas, or drop-offerings. Thereupon the priests 'creep' (sarp), with their upper bodies bent parallel to the ground, to the Sadas, where, near the Udumbara post, the chanting of the midday Pavamāna-stotra now takes place after the necessary preliminaries. If the Pravargya has been performed on the preceding day (see III, 4, 4, 1, with note), the Dadhi-gharma, or libation of hot milk mixed with sour milk, is now made. Then follow the oblations from the Savanīya-puroḍāśa (see IV, 2, 5, 15 seq., and p. 323, note ). Thereupon filling of the cups of the ten Camasins, and the libations from (and drinking of) the Śukra and Manthin cups. After the eating of the Iḍā of the puroḍāśas, the Dākṣiṇa-homas and distribution of the sacrificial fees take place, as set forth in the next Brāhmaṇa. Thereupon the Adhvaryu calls on the Maitrāvaruṇa to pronounce the invitatory prayer to Indra Marutvat (viz. Rig-veda III, 51, 7), 'O Indra, attended by the Maruts, here drink the Soma,' &c., followed by the order (praiṣa), 'Let the Hotṛ pronounce the offering prayer to Indra Marutvat!' p. 337 The Pratiprasthātṛ now draws a second Marutvatīya cup in the other Ritu-pātra. The offering prayer (Rig-veda III, 47, 2, 'United with the host of Maruts, O Indra, drink the Soma, O wise hero!' &c.) having meanwhile been pronounced by the Hotṛ, the Adhvaryu makes libations from the first cup at the Vaṣaṭ and Anuvaṣaṭ. Then pouring the remains of the juice into some other vessel, to be taken to the Sadas, he enters the Havirdhāna and draws the third Marutvatīya graha with the cup just emptied. Having deposited it, he betakes himself to. the Sadas to drink with the Hotṛ the remains of the first libation. Thereupon the Hotṛ recites the Marutvatīya Śastra.
[16]:
That is, as a chief, or lord, might do so with a clansman (vaiśyena, Kāṇva text); or as the master of a house with his servants.
[17]:
Or, according to Ludwig, 'rendered favourable by the performers (priests).'
[18]:
That is, the (first) Pṛṣṭha-stotra, consisting of the Rathantara-sām an, Sāmav. II, 30-31. For the way in which the two verses are manipulated (by repetition of the last pāda of the first, and of the second pāda of the second verse), so as to yield a three-versed choral, see Haug, Ait. Br. II, p. 198; Weber, Ind. Stud. VIII, p. 25. These chants derive their name from the circumstance that the Sāmans employed in them are capable of being used as 'pṛṣṭhas,' that is, of being chanted twice with another Sāman inserted between them,--or, to speak symbolically, to serve as the womb for the reception of an embryo. For this purpose the Rathantara and Bṛhat Sāmans are chiefly used. See note on IV, 5, 4, 13. Whenever the Pṛṣṭhas are chanted in this way (which they are not at the ordinary Agniṣṭoma), it is chiefly at this very place in the Soma performance, at the midday libation. The chant is succeeded by the recitation, by the Hotṛ, of the Nishkevalya Śastra, consisting of the following parts. The Āhāva (and pratigara) is followed by the Stotriya (Rig-veda VII, 32, 22-23, identical with the Rathantara) and Anurūpa (VIII, 3, 7-8) pragāthas; then a dhāyyā, X, 74,.6; the Sāma-pragātha, VIII, 3, 1, and the hymn (to Indra) I, 32, with the Nivid inserted in the middle (after the eighth verse). Finally the Hotṛ pronounces the Ukthavīrya, and the offering prayer, VII, 22, 1, after which the Māhendra libation is poured into the fire.