Satapatha-brahmana
by Julius Eggeling | 1882 | 730,838 words | ISBN-13: 9788120801134
This is Satapatha Brahmana IV.6.3 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 6.
Kanda IV, adhyaya 6, brahmana 3
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
1. Now as to the manner of animal offerings. One may perform with the (ordinary) set of eleven victims. He seizes one for Agni as the first victim, and one for Varuṇa (as the last); then again one for Agni.: in this way let him perform with the set of eleven victims[1].
2. Or one may day after day seize a victim for Indra and Agni; for all the gods are Agni, since in Agni offering is made to all the deities; and Indra is the deity of the sacrifice: thus he neither offends any of the deities, nor does he offend him who is the deity of the sacrifice.
3. Then as to the manner (of animal offering) in accordance with the Stoma[2]. At the Agniṣṭoma let him seize a (victim) for Agni; for it is befitting that at the Agniṣṭoma ('Agni's praise') he should seize a victim for Agni. If it be an Ukthya sacrifice, let him seize as the second (victim) one for Indra and Agni, for the hymns (uktha)[3] belong to Indra and Agni. If it be a Ṣoḍaśin sacrifice, let him seize as the third (victim) one for Indra; for the Ṣoḍaśin (graha) is Indra. If it be an Atirātra, let him seize as the fourth (victim) one for Sarasvatī; for Sarasvatī is Vāc (speech), and Vāc is a female, and so is rātri (fem., 'night') female. Thus he duly distinguishes between the sacrificial performances. Such are the three manners (of animal offering): he may perform in whichever manner he pleases. Two victims must needs be seized,--for Sūrya he seizes the second en the Vishuvant day, and for Prajāpati at the Mahāvrata.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
See III, 9, 1, 5 seq. He is to sacrifice one victim each day, and if after the eleventh day, the performance is to go on (as at the Dvādaśāha), he is to begin anew with the first victim of the ekādaśinī. According to the Kāṇva text and Kāty. XII, 6, 17 he is on such an odd day to immolate all the remaining victims of the set of eleven. Thus on the last (twelfth) day of the Dvādaśāha--the Udayanīya Atirātra--he would have to sacrifice the entire set of eleven victims.
[2]:
I.e. the particular form of the Jyotiṣṭoma, which is being performed.
[3]:
That is, the hymns of the Rig-veda, the single collections of which begin with the hymns to Agni, followed by those to Indra. The 'ukthāni' here can scarcely refer to the three additional śastras of the Ukthya sacrifice, as they are composed of hymns to Indra-Varuṇa, Indra-Bṛhaspati, and Indra-Viṣṇu respectively. Āśv. Śr. VI, 1; Ait. Br. III, 50. Cp. IV, 2, 5, 14.