VIII, 7, 4. Fourth Brâhma<I>n</I>a

Satapatha Brahmana Part IV (SBE43), Julius Eggeling tr. [1897], at sacred-texts.com

8:7:4

FOURTH BRÂHMANA.

8:7:4:11. On the (three) naturally-perforated (bricks) he (the Sacrificer) sings sâmans; for the naturally-perforated ones are these (three) worlds; and they

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are just these (ordinary) stones. The gods, having laid them down, saw them as such: that they were dry stones.

8:7:4:22. They spake, 'Think ye upon this, how we may lay sap, the means of subsistence, into these worlds!' They spake, 'Meditate ye!' whereby, doubtless, they meant to say, 'Seek ye a layer! seek ye how we may lay sap, the means of subsistence, into these worlds!'

8:7:4:33. Whilst meditating, they saw these sâmans (hymn-tunes), and sang them; and by means of them they laid sap, the means of subsistence, into these worlds; and in like manner does the Sacrificer now, when he sings these sâmans, lay sap, the means of subsistence, into these worlds.

8:7:4:44. Over the naturally-perforated ones he sings them: the naturally-perforated ones being these worlds, it is into these worlds that he thereby lays sap, the means of subsistence.

8:7:4:55. He sings (the tunes) on the (mystic) words 'Bhûs, Bhuvas, Svar';--bhûs (earth), doubtless, is this world, bhuvas is the air-world, and svar (light) is yonder world: into these worlds he thereby lays sap, the means of subsistence.

8:7:4:66. They have different preludes, and the same finale ¹; and as to their having different preludes, it

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is because they (the gods) saw them separately; and as to their having the same finale (nidhana), it is because there is only one foundation, only one finale to the sacrifice--even heaven: therefore they have 'svar-gyotis (heaven-light)' for their finale.

8:7:4:77. He then bestrews him (Agni, the fire-altar and Agni's body) with chips of gold. Now that whole Agni had been completed, and the gods bestowed on him immortality, that highest form; and in like manner does this one now bestow upon him that highest, immortal form ¹.

8:7:4:88. And, again, as to why he bestrews him with chips of gold. Now on that former occasion he first lays into him that pleasing form, the gold plate and the (gold) man ²; and he now decks him all over with a pleasing form.

8:7:4:99. With two hundred (chips he bestrews him) each time,--two-footed is the Sacrificer, and Agni

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is the sacrificer: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus bestows upon him immortality, that highest form. Five times (he strews),--five-layered is the altar, five seasons make a year, and Agni is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus bestows upon him immortality, that highest form. With a thousand (chips he bestrews him),--a thousand means everything: with everything he thus confers upon him immortality, that highest form.

8:7:4:1010. First (he scatters them) at the back whilst standing with his face towards the east; then on the left (north) side towards the south; then in front whilst facing the west; then, having gone round the back, from the south whilst facing the north: this is from left to right (sunwise), for that is (the way) with the gods. Then, having gone round, (he scatters chips) at the back whilst standing with his face to the east, for in this way that former performance of him ¹ took place.

8:7:4:1111. [He scatters, with, Vâg. S. XV, 65], 'The fore-measure of a thousand thou art,--The counter-measure of a thousand thou art,--The up-measure of a thousand thou art,--The thousandfold thou art,--For a thousand thee!'--a thousand, doubtless, means everything: thus, 'Everything thou art,--thee for everything!'

8:7:4:1212. Now, then, the consideration of the layer-fillings. The first layer is this (terrestrial) world; and the filling of soil means cattle: thus, in

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covering the first layer with a filling of soil he covers this (terrestrial) world with cattle.

8:7:4:1313. The second layer is the air, and the filling of soil means birds: thus, in covering the second layer with a filling of soil, he covers (fills) the air with birds.

8:7:4:1414. The third layer is the sky, and the filling of soil means stars; thus, in covering the third layer with a filling of soil, he covers the sky with stars.

8:7:4:1515. The fourth layer is the sacrifice, and the filling of soil means sacrificial gifts: thus, in covering the fourth layer with a filling of soil, he covers the sacrifice with sacrificial gifts (to the priests).

8:7:4:1616. The fifth layer is the Sacrificer, and the filling of soil means progeny (or subjects) thus, in covering the fifth layer with a filling of soil, he covers (abundantly supplies) the Sacrificer with progeny (or subjects).

8:7:4:1717. The sixth layer is the heavenly world, and the filling of soil means the gods: thus in covering the sixth layer with a filling of soil, he fills the heavenly world with gods.

8:7:4:1818. The seventh layer is immortality,--that is the last (layer) he lays down, and thus bestows immortality as the highest thing of all this (universe): therefore immortality is the highest thing of all this (universe); therefore the gods are not separated therefrom; and therefore they are immortal. Thus much as to the deity ¹.

8:7:4:1919. Now, as to the Self (body). The first layer is the legs, and the downward flowing vital air; and

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the filling of soil is the flesh: thus, in covering the first layer with a filling of soil, he covers that (part) of his (Agni's) body with flesh. [He does so] after laying down bricks, and bricks mean bone: he thus covers the bone with flesh. He does not cover (the altar-site) below (the first layer), whence these vital airs are not closed up below; but, he covers it above, and thereby covers that (part) of his body above with flesh; and hence that (part) of his body above, being covered with flesh, is not visible.

8:7:4:2020. The second layer is that (part of the body) which is above the legs and below the waist; and the filling of soil is flesh: thus, in covering the second layer with a filling of soil, he covers that (part) of his body with flesh. [He does so] after laying down bricks, and bricks mean bone: he thus covers the bone with flesh. He places them on a filling of soil, and covers them with a filling of soil: he thus covers that (part) of his body on both sides with flesh; whence that part of his body, being on both sides covered with flesh, is not visible.

8:7:4:2121. The third layer is the waist itself; the fourth layer is that (part of the body) which is above the waist and below the neck; the fifth layer is the neck, the sixth layer is the head, and the seventh layer is the vital airs. This he lays down as the last (or highest): he thus makes the vital airs the highest of all this (universe), and hence the vital airs are the highest thing of all this (universe). He places it on a filling of soil; and the filling of soil means flesh; he thus covers (the channels of) the vital airs with flesh. He does not cover it above, whence these (channels of the) vital airs are not closed up above.

Footnotes

145:1 These hymn-tunes are given, Sam. Ved. V, p. 487, in the way in which they are here to be chanted. They consist entirely of the respective words, separated four times by musical interjections (stobhas) inserted between them, ending with the common finale: thus, (r) bhûh--bhûh--hoyi--bhûh--hoyi--bhûh--hâ~ûvâ~e--suvargyotî~h; (2) bhuvâh--bhuvah--hoyi--bhuvah--hâ~ûvâ~e--suvargyotî~h; (3) suvâh--suvah--hoyi--suvah--hoyi--suvah--hâ~ûvâ~e--suvargyotî~h. Along with these, as to be chanted on the same model, are given, (4) the 'satyam sâman,' beginning 'satyâm--satyam--hoyi' &c., and p. 146 (5) the 'purusha-sâman,' beginning 'purushâh--purusha--hoyi' &c.; which are similarly chanted by the Sacrificer at the beginning of the first layer, when laying down the lotus leaf (part iii, p. 363, where note 1 should be corrected in accordance with the present note), and the gold man (ib. p. 369, where the note requires likewise to be corrected), as the 'kitre gâyati,' 'he sings on the bright one,' of the text cannot refer to the 'Kitra-sâman' there referred to. Cf. Lâty. S. I, 5, 8.--In regard to these sâmans (hymn-verses), the text might lead one to suppose that they only consist of two, instead of the usual four parts (omitting the intermediate Udgîtha and Pratihâra, cf. part ii, p. 310 note). The sâman being, however, sung by the Sacrificer himself, the usual distinction into parts to be performed by different chanters was probably dispensed with.

146:1 That is, the Sacrificer bestows it on Agni; with probably, however, the double entente, 'this Adhvaryu priest bestows it on the Sacrificer.'

146:2 See VII, 4, 1, 10 seq.; 15 seq.

147:1 Viz. of Agni (and the Sacrificer). The ceremony alluded to was the fivefold libation of ghee offered on the gold man (representing Agni and the Sacrificer), see VII, 4, 1, 34-35.

148:1 That is, so much as to the objects to which the different parts of the altar are sacred or dedicated.