XI, 7, 3. Third Brâhma<I>n</I>a

Satapatha Brahmana Part V (SBE44), Julius Eggeling tr. [1900], at sacred-texts.com

11:7:3

THIRD BRÂHMANA.

11:7:3:11. Such a (sacrificial stake) as has much substance ¹ is not auspicious to cattle, whence he who desires to have cattle should not make such a one his sacrificial stake: but such a one as is of little hardness is auspicious to cattle, whence he who desires to have cattle should make such a one his sacrificial stake.

11:7:3:22. And such a one as, while being crooked, has a top like a spit, is called 'kapotî ²'; and whoever makes such a one his sacrificial stake certainly goes to yonder world before his full measure of life: therefore let no one wishing for long life make such a one his sacrificial stake.

p. 124

11:7:3:33. And such a one as is bent at the top, and bent outwards ¹ in the middle, is a type of hunger (poverty); and if any one makes such a one his sacrificial stake, his dependants will certainly be hungry; therefore let no one wishing for food make such a one his sacrificial stake. But such a one as is bent at the top and bent inwards in the middle, is a type of food (prosperity): therefore let him who wishes for food make such a one his sacrificial stake.

Footnotes

123:1 That is, as would seem, made of very hard wood. It cannot mean 'pithy,' because at XIII, 4, 4, 9, the Khadira (acacia catechu), a tree of very hard, solid wood, is mentioned as 'bahusâra.'

123:2 Either 'that which has a pigeon (sitting) on it' (kapotin, viz. yûpa), or, as Sâyana takes it, fem. of 'kapota,'--a female pigeon; i.e. a tree too much pointed at the top.

124:1 That is, as would seem, bent to the opposite side from that towards which the top tends.