The Horse Sacrifice (continued)

v. 2. 11.

a May the Gayatri, the Tristubh, the Jagati,

The Anustubh, with the Pankti,

The Brhati, the Usnih, and the Kakubh,

Be woven finely for thee.

b May the two-footed, the four-footed,

The three-footed, the six-footed,

The metrical, the unmetrical,

Be woven finely for thee.

c May the Mahanamnis, the Revatis,

All the regions that are rich in fruits,

The lightnings of the clouds, the voices,

Be woven finely for thee.

d The silver, the gold, the leaden,

Are yoked as workers with the works,

On the skin of the strong horse,

May they be set in order for thee.

e May the ladies, the wives,

With skill part thy hair,

The wives of the people, the quarters,

Set thee in order.

f What then? As men who have barley

Reap the barley in order, removing it,

Hither bring the food of those

Who have not gone to the reverential cutting of the strew.

v. 2. 12.

a Who cuts thee? Who divides thee?

Who joins thy limbs?

Who, too, is thy wise dissector?

b May the seasons in due season,

The dissectors, divide thy joints,

And with the splendour of the year

May they put thee in order.

c May the pious officiants cut thee,

And divide thee;

May those who join, joining,

Joint thy limbs.

d May the half-months, the months,

Cut thy joints, joining,

May the days and nights, the winds,

Make whole thine injuries.

e May the earth with the atmosphere,

May the wind heal thy rent,

May the sky with the constellations

Arrange thy form aright.

f Healing to thy higher limbs,

Healing to thy lower; Healing to bones, marrow,

Healing too to thy body!

Prapathaka Iii

The Second and Later Layers of Bricks

v. 3. 1.

Now this altar rite is an extensive sacrifice; what part of it is performed and what part not? The part of the sacrifice which is omitted becomes spoiled; he lays down the bricks of the two healers; the two healers are the physicians of the angels; thereby he provides a remedy for it. Five he lays down; the sacrifice is fivefold; thereby he provides a remedy for the whole extent of the sacrifice. He lays down the seasonal bricks, to arrange the seasons. Five he lays down; the seasons are five; thereby he arranges the seasons in their whole number. They begin and end alike; therefore the seasons are alike; they differ in one foot; therefore the seasons differ likewise. He lays down the breath-supporters; thereby he places the breaths in the months; therefore, being alike, the seasons do not grow old; moreover He generates them. The breath is the wind; having laid down the seasonal bricks he lays down the breath-supporters, therefore the wind accompanies all the seasons. He lays down the rain-winners; thereby he seeks rain. If he were to lay them down in one place, rain would fall in one season only; he lays them down after carrying them round in order; therefore it rains in all the seasons. Since having laid down the breath-supporters he lays down the rain-winners, therefore the rain starts from the sky, impelled downwards by the wind. The strengthening bricks are cattle; cattle have various purposes and various customs, but only as regards water are they of one purpose; he lays down the strengthening bricks and then the water bricks, for the care of cattle. He lays down four in front; therefore the eye has four forms, two white, two black. The verses contain the word "head"; therefore the head of the altar is in front. Five he lays down in the right hip, five in the left; therefore the animal is broader behind and receding in front; "The goat in strength," with these words he lays down on the right shoulder; "The ram in strength," on the left; thereby he puts together the shoulders of the altar. "The tiger in strength," with these words he lays down in the right wing, "The lion in strength" on the left; thereby he gives strength to the wings. "The man in strength" he lays down in the middle; therefore man is overlord of animals, by God's appointment.

v. 3. 2.

"O God the Mighty and God the Radiant, the brick that quakes not," with these words he lays down the naturally perforated brick; these worlds are held apart by the power and light of God; it serves to mark apart these worlds. Now the middle layer is, as it were, insecure, it is as it were the atmosphere; "the Mighty and the Radiant," he says; these are the supporters of force among the attributes of God; thereby he builds it with force in the atmosphere, for support. He lays down the naturally perforated brick; the naturally perforated brick is the atmosphere; thereby he lays down the atmosphere. He makes the horse sniff it; thereby he signifies breath in it; now the horse is connected with the Creator; thereby he builds the altar in the name of the Creator. It is a naturally perforated brick, to allow the passage of the breaths, and also for the lighting up of the world of heaven. When the righteous went to the world of heaven, the quarters were in confusion; they saw these regional bricks, they laid them down, and by them they made firm the quarters; in that he lays down the regional bricks, it is to support the quarters. Ten breath-supporters he places in the east; the breaths in man are nine, the navel is the tenth; thereby he places the breaths in front; therefore the breaths are in front. He lays down the last with the word "light"; therefore speech, which is the last, is the light of the breaths. He laid down ten; the Viraj has ten syllables, the light of the metres is the Viraj; thereby he puts the light in the east; therefore we revere the light in the east as a sign of God. The metres ran a race for the cattle; the Brhati won them; therefore cattle are called connected with the Brhati. "Metre of the measure," with these words he lays down on the south; therefore the months turn southwards; "Metre of the earth" he lays down on the west, for support; "Light, the sign of God," he lays down on the north; light is might; thereby on the north he places might; therefore he that advances to the north is victorious. They make up thirty-six; the Brhati has thirty-six syllables, cattle are connected with the Brhati; thereby by the Brhati he wins cattle for him. The Brhati holds the sovereignty of the metres; he for whom these are laid down attains sovereignty. He lays down seven Valakhilya bricks in the east, seven in the west; in the head there are seven breaths, two below; they serve to give the breaths strength. "The head thou art, ruling," with these words he lays down on the east; "Thou art the prop ruling," with these words he lays down on the west; thereby he makes the breaths accordant for him.

v. 3. 3.

Whatever the believers did at the sacrifice the rebellious did. The believers saw these Aksnayastomiya bricks, they laid them down in one place after reciting in another; the rebellious could not follow it; then the believers prospered, the rebellious were defeated. In that he lays down the Aksnayastomiyas in one place after reciting in another, it is to overcome opposition: he prospers himself, his opposition is defeated. "The swift, the threefold," with these words he lays down on the east; the threefold is the beginning of the sacrifice; thereby in the east he establishes the beginning of the sacrifice. "The sky, the seventeenfold," with these words he lays down on the south; the sky is food, the seventeenfold is food; thereby on the south he places food; therefore with the right hand is food eaten. "Support, the twenty-onefold," with these words he lays down on the west; the twenty-onefold is support; it serves for support. "The shining, the fifteenfold," with these words he lays down on the north; the shining is force; thereby he places force on the north; therefore he that advances to the north is victorious. "Speed, the eighteenfold," with these words he lays down on the east; two threefold ones he establishes in the beginning of the sacrifice in order. "Attack, the twentyfold," with these words he lays down on the south; Attack is food, the twentyfold is food; thereby he places food on the south; therefore with the right is food eaten. "Radiance, the twenty-twofold," with these words he lays down on the west; in that there are twenty, thereby there are two Viraj verses; in that there are two there is support; thereby in order he finds support in the Viraj verses and in the eating of food. "Fervour, the nineteenfold," with these words he lays down on the north; therefore the left hand has the greater fervour. "The womb, the twenty-fourfold," with these words he lays down on the east; the Gayatri has twenty-four syllables, the beginning of the sacrifice is the Gayatri; thereby on the east he establishes the beginning of the sacrifice. "The embryo, the twenty-fivefold," with these words he lays down on the south; embryos are food, the twenty-fivefold is food; thereby he places food on the south; therefore with the right is food eaten. "Force, the twenty-sevenfold," with these words he lays down on the west; the twenty-sevenfold is these worlds; thereby he finds support in these worlds. "Maintenance, the twenty-fourfold," with these words he lays down on the north; therefore the left hand is most to be maintained. "Inspiration, the thirty-onefold," with these words he lays down on the east; inspiration is speech, speech is the beginning of the sacrifice; thereby he establishes the beginning of the sacrifice on the east. "The surface of the tawny one, the thirty-fourfold," with these words he lays down on the south; the surface of the tawny one is yonder sun, a sign of God; thereby he places splendour on the south; therefore the right side is the more resplendent. "Support, the thirty-threefold," with these words he lays down on the west, for support. "The vault, the thirty-sixfold," with these words he lays down on the north; the vault is the world of heaven; it serves to attain the world of heaven.

v. 3. 4.

"Thou art the portion of the Radiant," with these words he lays down on the east; the Radiant is the beginning of the sacrifice, consecration is the beginning of the sacrifice, holy power is the beginning of the sacrifice, the threefold is the beginning of the sacrifice; thereby on the east he establishes the beginning of the sacrifice. "Thou art the portion of them that gaze on men," with these words he lays down on the south; those that gaze on men are the learned, the Sustainer is food; thereby on birth he gives him food; therefore on birth he eats food. "The birthplace saved, the seventeenfold Stoma," he says; the birthplace is food, the seventeenfold is food; thereby he places food on the south; therefore with the right food is eaten. "Thou art the portion of the Friend," with these words he lays down on the west; the Friend is expiration, the All-Seeing is inspiration; thereby he confers on him expiration and inspiration. "The rain from the sky, the winds saved, the twenty-onefold Stoma," he says; the twenty-onefold is support, it serves for support. "Thou art the portion of the Mighty," with these words he lays down on the north; the Mighty is force, the All-Pervading is force, the lordly power is force, the fifteenfold is force; thereby on the north he places force; therefore he that advances to the north is victorious. "Thou art the portion of the Bountiful," with these words he lays down on the east; the Bountiful are the beginning of the sacrifice, the Healers are the beginning of the sacrifice, the twenty-fourfold is the beginning of the sacrifice; thereby on the east he establishes the beginning of the sacrifice. "Thou art the portion of the Boundless Ones," with these words he lays down on the south; the Boundless Ones are food, the winds are food, embryos are food, the twenty-fivefold is food; thereby he places food on the south; therefore with the right food is eaten. "Thou art the portion of the Infinite," with these words he lays down on the west; the Infinite is support, the Nourisher is support, the twenty-sevenfold is support; it serves for support. "Thou art the portion of God the Light-giver," with these words he lays down on the north; God the Light-giver is holy power, the Lord of Prayer is holy power, the fourfold Stoma is holy power; thereby he places splendour on the north; therefore the northern half is more resplendent. The verse contains a word connected with the Light-giver; it serves for instigation; therefore is their gain produced in the north for scholars. "The support, the fourfold Stoma," with these words he lays down on the east; the support is the beginning of the sacrifice, the fourfold Stoma is the beginning of the sacrifice; thereby he establishes on the east the beginning of the sacrifice. "Thou art the portion of the Yavas," with these words he lays down on the south; the Yavas are the months, the Ayavas are the half-months; therefore the months turn to the south; the Yavas are food, offspring is food; thereby he places food on the south; therefore with the right food is eaten. "Thou art the portion of the Skilled Ones," with these words he lays down on the west, for support. "The revolving, the forty-eightfold," with these words he lays down on the north, to confer strength on these two worlds; therefore these two worlds are of even strength. He becomes first for whom these are placed on the east as the beginning of the sacrifice, and his son is born to be first; he eats food for whom on the south these are placed rich in food, and a son is born to him to eat food; he finds support for whom these are placed on the west, full of support; he becomes forcible for whom these are placed on the north, full of force, and a forcible son is born to him. The altar is a hymn; in that this arrangement is made are its Stotra and Sastra produced; thereby in the hymn the Arkya Saman and Sastra is produced; he eats food, and his son is born to eat food, for whom this arrangement is made, and he too who knows it thus. He lays down the creating bricks; thereby he wins things as created. Now there was neither day nor night in the world, but it was undiscriminated; the believers saw these dawn bricks, they laid them down; then did this shine forth; for him for whom these are laid down the dawn breaks; thereby he drives away the dark.

v. 3. 5.

"O God the Radiant, drive away those hostile to us that are born," with these words he lays down on the east; thereby he drives away hostility on birth. "That are born with force," with these words he lays down on the west; thereby he repels hostility that is yet to be born. "The forty-fourfold Stoma," with these words he lays down on the south; the forty-fourfold is splendour; thereby he places splendour on the south; therefore the right side is the more resplendent. "The sixteenfold Stoma," with these words he lays down on the north; the sixteenfold is force; thereby he places force on the north; therefore he that advances to the north is victorious. The forty-fourfold is a thunderbolt, the sixteenfold is a thunderbolt; in that he lays down these two bricks, he hurls the bolt after the opposition, born and to be born, which he has repelled, to lay it low. He lays down in the middle a brick full of dust, the middle of the body is dust; thereby he builds the altar with its own body, and with his own body he is in yonder world who knows thus. These bricks are called the unrivalled; no rival is his for whom they are laid down. The altar is an animal; he lays down the Viraj bricks in the highest layer; thereby he confers upon cattle the highest Viraj; therefore he that is possessed of cattle speaks the highest speech. Ten by ten he lays them down, to confer power on them. Transversely he lays them down; therefore cattle move their limbs transversely, for support. By those metres which were heavenly, the righteous went to the world of heaven; for that the seers toiled; they practised devotion, these they saw by devotion, and from them they fashioned these bricks. "The course metre; the space metre," with these words they laid them down; with these they went to the world of heaven; in that he lays down these bricks, the sacrifice goes to the world of heaven with the metres that are heavenly. By the sacrifice the Creator created creatures; He created them by the Stomabhagas; in that he lays down the Stomabhagas, the sacrificer seeks offspring. In the Stomabhagas the Lord of Prayer gathered the brilliance of the sacrifice; in that he lays down the Stomabhaga bricks he builds the altar with its brilliance. In the Stomabhagas the Lord of Prayer saw the support of the sacrifice; in that he lays down the Stomabhagas, it is for the support of the sacrifice. Seven by seven he lays down, to confer strength, three in the middle, for support.

v. 3. 6.

With the word "ray," He created the sun; with "advance," right; with "following," the sky; with "union," the atmosphere; with "propping," the earth; with "prop," the rain; with "blowing forward," the day; with "blowing after," the night; with "eager," the Bountiful; with "intelligence," the Healers; with "brilliant," the Boundless Ones; with "force," the forefathers; with "thread," offspring; with "enduring the battle," cattle; with "wealthy," plants. "Thou art the victorious, with ready stone; for the Mighty thee; quicken the Mighty," with these words he fastened the thunderbolt on his right side, for victory. He created offspring, and on them He bestowed expiration with the words "Thou art the overlord"; inspiration with the word "Restrainer"; the eye with "the gliding"; the ear with "the bestower of strength." Now these offspring, though having expiration and inspiration, hearing and seeing, did not pair; upon them He bestowed union with the words "Thou art the Trivrt." These offspring though paired were not propagated; He made them propagate with the words "Thou art the mounter, thou art the descender." These offspring being propagated did not find support; He made them find support in these worlds with the words "Thou art the wealthy, thou art the brilliant, thou art the gainer of good"; thereby he makes offspring when propagated find support in these worlds; he with his body mounts the atmosphere, with his expiration he finds support in yonder world, of expiration and inspiration he is not liable to be deprived who knows thus.

v. 3. 7.

By the "sitters on the vault" the righteous went to the world of heaven; that is why the "sitters on the vault" have their name. In that he lays down the "sitters on the vault," the sacrificer thus goes by the "sitters on the vault" to the world of heaven; the vault is the world of heaven; for him for whom these are laid down there is no misfortune (naakam); the "sitters on the vault" are the home of the sacrificer; in that he lays down the "sitters on the vault," the sacrificer thus makes himself a home. The "sitters on the vault" are the collected brilliance of the Prstha Stotras; in that he lays down the "sitters on the vault," thereby he wins the brilliance of the Prsthas. He lays down the five crested; thereby, becoming maidens of the Garden, they wait on him in yonder world; they are also the bodyguards of the sacrificer. He puts them above the "sitters on the vault"; that is as when having taken a wife one seats her in the house; he puts the highest on the west, pointing east; therefore the wife attends on the west, facing east. He puts as the highest the naturally perforated and the earless bricks; the naturally perforated is breath, the earless is life; thereby he places breath and life as the highest of the breaths; therefore are breath and life the highest of the breaths. No brick higher than these should he lay down; if he were to lay another brick higher, he would obstruct the breath and life of cattle and of the sacrificer; therefore no other brick should be laid down higher. He lays down the naturally perforated brick; the naturally perforated brick is yonder sky; thereby he lays down yonder sky. He makes the horse sniff it; thereby he places breath in it; again the horse is connected with the Creator; thereby he builds the altar in the name of the Creator. It is naturally perforated, to let out the breaths, and also to light up the world of heaven. The earless is the triumph of the righteous; in that he lays down the earless, he triumphs with the triumph of the righteous; to the north he lays it down; therefore to the north of the altar is action carried on; the verse has the word "wind," for kindling.

v. 3. 8.

He lays down the metre bricks; the metres are cattle; thereby he seeks cattle; the good thing of the righteous, cattle, are the metres; thereby he seeks the good thing, cattle. Yajnasena Caitriyayana taught this layer; by this he won cattle; in that he lays it down, he wins cattle. He lays down the Gayatris on the east; the Gayatri is brilliance; thereby at the beginning he places brilliance; they contain the word "head"; thereby he makes him the head of his equals. He lays down the Tristubhs; the Tristubh is power; thereby he places power in the middle. He lays down the Jagatis; cattle are connected with the Jagati; thereby he wins cattle. He lays down the Anustubhs; the Anustubh is breath; it serves to let the breaths out. Brhatis, Usnihs, Panktis, Aksarapanktis, these various metres he lays down; cattle are various, the metres are cattle; thereby he wins various cattle; variety is seen in his house for whom these are laid down, and who knows them thus. He lays down an Atichandas; all the metres are the Atichandas; thereby he builds it with all the metres. The Atichandas is the highest of the metres; in that he lays down an Atichandas, he makes him the highest of his equals. He lays down two-footed bricks; the sacrificer has two feet; they serve for support.

v. 3. 9.

For all the righteous is the altar built; if he were not to lay them down in unison, they would divert his altar; in that he lays them down in unison, thereby he builds them in unison with himself; he is not deprived of his altar; moreover, just as man is held together by his sinews, so is the altar held together by these bricks. By the altar the righteous went to the world of heaven; they became the Krttikas above; he for whom these are laid down goes to the world of heaven, attains brilliance, and becomes a resplendent thing. He lays down the circular bricks; the circular bricks are these worlds; the citadels of the righteous are these worlds; thereby he enters the citadels of the righteous; he is not ruined who has built the altar. He lays down the all-light bricks; thereby he makes these worlds full of light; they also support the breaths of the sacrificer; they are the signs of heaven; grasping them he goes to the world of heaven.

v. 3. 10.

He lays down the rain-winning bricks; thereby he seeks the rain. If he were to lay them down in one place, it would rain for one season; he lays them down after carrying them round in order; therefore it rains all the seasons. "Thou art the bringer of the east wind," he says; that is the form of rain; thereby by its form he seeks rain. With the Samyanis the righteous went to these worlds; that is why the Samyanis have their name; in that he lays down the Samyanis, just as one goes on the waters with a ship, so the sacrificer with them goes to these worlds. The Samyanis are the ship of the altar; in that he lays down the Samyanis, thereby he lays down a boat for the altar; moreover, when these have been laid down, if the waters strive to drag away his altar, it remains unmoved. He lays down the bricks of the Boundless Ones; it is the Boundless Ones who repel from prosperity him who being fit for prosperity does not obtain it; thereby the Boundless Ones make him attain prosperity. It is yonder sun, a sign of God, that takes away the brilliance of him who having built an altar does not display splendour; in that he lays down the bricks of the Boundless Ones, yonder sun confers radiance upon him; just as yonder sun is radiant, so he is radiant among men. He lays down ghee bricks; the ghee is the home dear to the Radiant; thereby he unites him with his dear home, and also with brilliance. He places them after carrying them round; thereby he confers upon him brilliance not to be removed. The Creator built the altar, he lost his glory, he saw these bestowers of glory, he laid them down; thereby with them he conferred glory upon himself; five he lays down; man is fivefold; thereby he confers glory on the whole extent of man.

v. 3. 11.

The believers and the rebellious were in conflict; the believers were the fewer, the rebellious the more; the believers saw these bricks, they laid them down; "Thou art the furtherer," with these words they became multiplied with the trees, the plants; "Thou art the maker of wide room," they conquered this earth; "Thou art the eastern," they conquered the eastern quarter; "Thou art the zenith," they conquered yonder sky; "Thou art the sitter on the atmosphere; sit on the atmosphere," they conquered the atmosphere; then the believers prospered, the rebellious were defeated. He for whom those are laid down becomes greater, conquers these worlds, and prospers himself; his opposition is defeated. "Thou art the sitter on the waters; thou art the sitter on the hawk," he says; that is the form of the altar; thereby by its form he wins it. "In the wealth of earth I place thee," he says; thereby with these bricks he makes these worlds wealthy. He lays down the life-giving bricks; thereby he bestows life upon him. "O God the Radiant, thy highest name, the heart," he says; that is the home dear to the Radiant; thereby he obtains his dear home. "Come, let us join together," he says; thereby with him to aid he encircles him. "Be thou, O Radiant One, among those of the five races." The altar of the five layers is the altar of the five races; therefore he speaks thus. He lays down the seasonal bricks; the seasonal bricks are the abode dear to the seasons; thereby he wins the abode dear to the seasons. "The firm one," he says; the firm one is the year; thereby he obtains the abode dear to the year.

The Horse Sacrifice (continued)

v. 3. 12.

The eye of the Creator swelled, that fell away, that became a horse; because it swelled (asvayat), that is the reason why the horse (asva) has its name. By the horse sacrifice it was restored. He who sacrifices with the horse sacrifice makes the Creator's gift whole; thereby he becomes whole; this is the atonement for everything, and the cure for everything. All evil by it the righteous overcame; by it also they overcame the sin of slaying a scholar; all evil he overcomes, he overcomes the sin of slaying a scholar who sacrifices with the horse sacrifice, and he who knows it thus. It was the left eye of the Creator that swelled; therefore they cut off from the horse on the left side, on the right from other animals. The mat is of reeds; the horse has its birthplace in the waters, the reed is born in the waters; thereby he establishes it in its own birthplace. The Stoma is the fourfold one; the bee tore the thigh of the horse, the righteous made it whole with the fourfold Stoma; in that there is the fourfold Stoma, it is to make whole the horse.

Prapathaka Iv

The Piling of the Fire Altar (continued)

v. 4. 1.

The believers and the rebellious were in conflict, they could not decide the issue; the Mighty saw these bodies, he laid them down; with them he conferred upon himself power, strength, and body; then the believers prospered, the rebellious were defeated. In that he lays down the bodies of the Mighty, the sacrificer with them bestows on himself power, strength, and body; he also builds the altar with the Mighty and with a body; he prospers himself, his opposition is defeated. The sacrifice departed from the believers; they could not recover it; they saw these bodies of the sacrifice, they laid them down, and by them they recovered the sacrifice. In that he lays down the bodies of the sacrifice, the sacrificer by them wins the sacrifice. Three and thirty he lays down; the angels are three and thirty; thereby he honours the angels; he also builds the altar with itself and with a body; he becomes with his body in yonder world, who knows thus. He lays down the lighted bricks; thereby he confers light upon it; the altar blazes built with these bricks; thereby with them he kindles it; in both worlds is there light for him. He lays down the constellation bricks; these are the lights of the sky; thereby he seeks them; the constellations are the lights of the doers of good deeds; thereby he seeks them; he also makes these lights into a reflection to light up the world of heaven. If he were to place them in contact, he would obstruct the world of rain, the rain-cloud would not rain; he lays them down without touching; thereby he produces the world of rain, the rain-cloud is likely to rain; on the east he lays down some pointing west, on the west some pointing east; therefore the constellations move both west and east.