IV, 6, 6. Sixth Brâhma<I>n</I>a

Satapatha Brahmana Part II (SBE26), Julius Eggeling tr. [1885], at sacred-texts.com

4:6:6

SIXTH BRÂHMANA.

4:6:6:11. Now once on a time the gods, while performing sacrifice, were afraid of an attack from the Asura-Rakshas. They said, 'Who of us shall sit on the south side; we will then enter upon the sacrifice on the north side in a place free from danger and injury.'

4:6:6:22. They said, 'He who is the strongest of us, let him sit on the south side; we will then enter upon the sacrifice on the north side in a place free from danger and injury.'

4:6:6:33. They said, 'Verily, Indra is the strongest of us: let Indra sit on the south side; we will then enter upon the sacrifice on the north side in a place free from danger and injury.'

4:6:6:44. They said to Indra, 'Verily, thou art the strongest of us: sit thou on the south side; we will then enter upon the sacrifice on the north side in a place free from danger and injury.'

4:6:6:55. He said, 'What will be my reward then?'--'The office of Brâhmanâkhamsin shall be thine, the

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[paragraph continues] Brahmasâman ¹ shall be thine!'--Hence one elects the Brâhmanâkhamsin with, 'Indra is the Brahman, by virtue of the Brahmaship!' for to Indra belongs this (office). Indra sat on the south side, and they entered upon the sacrifice on the north side in a place free from danger and injury. Therefore let him who is the strongest sit on the south side, and let them then enter upon the sacrifice on the north side in a place free from danger and injury. Now he, forsooth, who is the most learned of Brâhmans, is the strongest of them; and as now any one is (able to become) a (superintendent) Brahman ²--nay, does he not sit still?--therefore whosoever is the strongest

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of them, let him sit on the south side, and let them then enter upon the sacrifice on the north side in a place free from danger and injury. Hence Brâhmans sit on the south side (of the vedi), and they enter upon the sacrifice on the north side in a place free from danger and injury.

4:6:6:66. When (the Prastotri) says, 'Brahman, we will chant, O Prasâstar!' then the Brahman mutters (Vâg.. S. II, 12), 'This thy sacrifice, O divine Savitar, have they announced unto Brihaspati (the lord of prayer), the Brahman ¹: therefore speed the sacrifice, speed the lord of the sacrifice, speed me ²!--Praise ye at the impulse (prasava) of Savitri!' The significance is the same (as before) ³. With this (text) must probably enter upon (the chant).

4:6:6:77. But one may also enter upon it with, 'O divine Savitar; this, O Brihaspati, forwards!' Therewith he hastes to Savitri for his impulsion, for he is the impeller (prasavitri) of the gods; and 'O Brihaspati, forwards!' he says, because Brihaspati is the Brahman of the gods,--thus he announces it to him who is the Brahman of the gods: therefore he says, 'O Brihaspati, forwards ⁴!'

4:6:6:88. The Maitrâvaruna then mutters, 'Impelled

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by the divine Savitri, acceptable to Mitra and Varuna!' Therewith he hastes to Savitri for his impulsion, for he is the impeller of the gods; and 'acceptable to Mitra and Varuna' he says, because Mitra and Varuna are the deities of the Maitrâvaruna (Prasâstri),--thus he announces it to those who are the deities of the Maitrâvaruna: therefore he says, 'acceptable to Mitra and Varuna.'

Footnotes

434:1 That is, the Sâman which supplies the text for the Stotra chanted in connection with the Brâhmanâkhamsin's Sastra, and forming the Stotriya verse of the latter. Thus, at the midday savana, the (Prishtha) Stotra of that priest usually consists of the Naudhasa-sâman (Sâma-veda II, 35-36), if the Rathantara-sâman (Sâma-vela II, 30-31) is used for the Hotri's Stotra; but, if the Brihat-sâman (ib. II, 159-160) is used for the latter, then the Syaita-sâman (II, 161-2) is used as the Brahma-sâman. See p. 339, note 2. The reason, however, why special mention is made of the Brâhmanâkhamsin in this place, probably is that at the Gavâm ayana the Brahma-sâman is treated in a peculiar way. For, while on 142 days of the first half of the year,--viz. on the Katurvimsa, on all (6 × 23) Âbhiplavika days and on the three Svara-sâman days,--one and the same tune, the Abhîvarta-sâman, is to be used day by day, but each time with a different pragâtha stanza (thus the pragâtha S. V. II, 35-36, usually chanted to the Naudhasa tune, being on this occasion chanted to the Abhîvarta tune); on the corresponding days of the second half of the year, one and the same stanza, 'Indra kratum na â bhara' (S. V. II, 806-7), is to be used day by day, but with different tunes (six such being given in the Calc. ed. vol. iv, pp. 529-34). Tândya Br. IV, 3, 1 seq.

434:2 According to XII, 6, I, 40 only priests of the Vasishtha family could become Brahmans, or superintendent priests, in olden times; because they alone knew the Somabhâga mantras; but now every one learns them, and can therefore become a Brahman.

435:1 Mahîdhara interprets, 'This sacrifice, O divine Savitar, they announce to thee and to Brihaspati, the Brahman.' Perhaps the correct meaning (though not that assumed by the Brâhmana) is, 'This sacrifice they announce to thee as the Brihaspati, the Brahman!' and similarly the mantra in the next paragraph.

435:2 The Kânva text adds here the verse Vâg. S. II, 13; see Sat. Br. I, 7, 4, 22, with the same various reading 'gyotir.'

435:3 See I, 7, 4, 21. Asau nvaivaitasya yagusho bandhur ya evâsau darsapûrnamâsayoh; Kânva text.

435:4 On 'pra' see part i, p. 301 note.