Kanda XIII, adhyaya 8, brahmana 2

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

1. Now, some bank up (the sepulchral mound) after covering up (the site). The gods and the Asuras, both of them sprung from Prajāpati, were contending for (the possession of) this (terrestrial) world. The gods drove out the Asuras, their rivals and enemies, from this world; whence those who are godly people make their sepulchres so as not to be separate (from the earth), whilst those (people) who are of the Asura nature, the Easterns and others, (make their sepulchral mounds) so as to be separated (from the earth), either on a basin^[1] or on some such thing.

2. He then encloses it by means of enclosing-stones: what those enclosing-stones (round the fire-hearths) are, that they are here^[2]. With a formula he sets up those, silently these: he thus keeps separate what refers to the gods and what refers to the Fathers. With (an) undefined (number of stones he encloses it), for undefined is yonder world.

3. He then sweeps that (site) with a palāśa (Butea frondosa) branch--what the sweeping (signified) on that occasion^[3], that (it does) here--with (Vāj. S. XXXV, I), 'Let the niggards avaunt from hence, the perverse scorners of the gods!'--he thereby expels from this world the niggards, the perverse haters of the gods, the Asura-Rakṣas;--'it is the place of this Soma-offerer,' for he who has performed a Soma-sacrifice is a Soma-offerer;--'(an abode) distinguished by lights, by days, by nights,'--he thereby makes him to be of the world of the seasons, the days and nights;--

4. 'May Yama grant him an abode;'--for Yama has power over the abode in this (earth), and it is him he solicits for an abode therein for this (dead man). He throws out this (branch) to the right (south), the other^[4] to the left (north) side: he thus keeps the divine separate from what belongs to the Fathers.

5. He (the Adhvaryu) then yokes (the team) to the plough on the south side,--some say on the north side: he may do as he chooses. Having given the order, saying, 'Yoke!' he (the Sacrificer) utters the formula (Vāj. S. XXXV, 2), 'May Savitṛ vouchsafe for thy bones a place in the earth!'--Savitṛ now indeed vouchsafes a place in the earth for his (the deceased man's) bones;--'Let the oxen be yoked therefore!' for it is indeed for this work that the oxen are yoked.

6. It is (a team) of six oxen,--six seasons are a year: on the seasons, on the year, as a firm foundation, he thus establishes him. Having turned round (the plough) from right to left^[5], he ploughs the first furrow with (Vāj. S. XXXV, 3), 'May Vāyu purify!' along the north side (along the cord) towards the west^[6]; with, 'May

Savitṛ purify!' along the west side towards the south; with, 'With Agni's lustre!' along the south side towards the east; with, 'With Sūrya's brilliance!' along the front side towards the north.

7. Four furrows he ploughs with a formula: he thereby establishes him in whatever food there is in the four quarters. And (as to why it is done) with a formula,--certain, assuredly, is the sacrificial formula (yajus), and certain are these quarters.

8. He then ploughs across the body (of the sepulchral site)--he thereby establishes him in whatever food there is in the year^[7]--silently with (an) undefined (number of furrows), for undefined is yonder world.

9. Having performed the work for which he has put the team to that (plough), he now unfastens it: 'Let the oxen be unyoked!' he says, for it is for that work that the oxen were yoked. To the right (south) side^[8] he removes this (plough and team), to the left (side) arty other: he thus keeps the divine separate from what' belongs to the Fathers.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

I take the 'camū' to be a shallow stone basin or trough, either solid or consisting of masonry (bricks) in the manner of our stone-lined graves.

[2]:

Cf. VII, 1, 1, 12 seq. 'The enclosing-stones are the womb: he thus encloses the seed here sown in a womb. . . And, again, the Gārhapatya hearth is this (terrestrial) world, and the enclosing-stones are the waters: he thus surrounds this world with water.'

[3]:

Viz. in building the Gārhapatya hearth (VII, 1, 1, 11 seqq.); no such sweeping taking place in preparing the site for the Āhavanīya (VII, 3, 1, 7).

[4]:

Viz. that used in sweeping the Gārhapatya, VII, 7, 1, 5.

[5]:

That is, having driven the plough round from the south side to the north, in the non-sunwise direction (i.e. keeping the sepulchral site on the left hand side).

[6]:

In ploughing the site of the fire-altar, the first furrow was drawn along the south side from west to east; and then, in sunwise fashion, from the south-west corner round along the west, north, and east sides; see VII, 2, 2, 9 seqq.

[7]:

The Sacrificer's body (trunk) or self, like that of Prajāpati, is as usual identified with the year (Father Time).

[8]:

Or rather to the south-west side, whilst at the Agnicayana (VII, 2, 2, 21) it was done towards the north-east.