For the Master of the Winds the first rib; for the Possessor of Speech the second; for the moon the third; for the constellations the fourth; for the Light-giver the fifth; for the Healer the sixth; for the serpents the seventh; for the Upholder of Covenants the eighth; for the Artificer the ninth; for the Sustainer the tenth; for the Mighty's consort-name the eleventh; for the Boundless the twelfth; for sky and earth the side; for the Restrainer the side bone.

v. 7. 23.

The path with the two parts near the kidneys; continuance with the two sinew parts; parrots with bile; jaundice with the liver; the Haliksnas with the evil wind; Kucmas with dung; the worms with the contents of the intestines; dogs with the cutting up; serpents with the smell of the blood, birds with the smell of the cooking; ants with the fragments.

v. 7. 24.

With strides the courser has strode out,

In unison with all the angels, worthy of sacrifice;

Do thou bear us to the world of good deeds;

May we rejoice in thy strength.

v. 7. 25.

a Thy back is the sky; thy place earth; thy breath the atmosphere; thy birthplace the ocean. b Thine eye the sun; thy breath the wind; thine ear the moon; thy joints the months and the half-months; thy limbs the seasons; thy greatness the year.

v. 7. 26.

The light was the animal; with it they sacrificed; it won this world where the light is; this is thy world, thou wilt win it, and so smell it. The wind was the animal; with it they sacrificed; it won this world where the wind is; this is thy world, therefrom will I hold thee back if thou dost not smell it. The sun was the animal; with it they sacrificed; it won this world where the sun is; this is thy world, thou wilt win it if thou dost smell it.

Kanda Vi

The Explanation Of The Soma Sacrifice

Prapathaka I

The Exposition of the Soma Sacrifice

vi. 1. 1.

He makes a hall with beams pointing east. The righteous and men divided the quarters, the righteous obtained the eastern, the forefathers the southern, men the western, the Healers the northern. In that he makes a hall with beams pointing east, the sacrificer approaches the world of the righteous. He covers it over, for the world of the righteous is hidden from the world of men. "It is not easy," they say, "to go from this world; for who knows if he is in yonder world or not." He makes at the corners apertures, for the winning of both worlds. He shaves his hair and beard, he trims his nails. The hair and the beard are dead and impure skin, and by thus removing the dead and impure skin he becomes fit for the sacrifice and approaches the sacrifice. The Angirases going to the world of heaven placed in the waters consecration and penance. He bathes in the waters; thereby visibly he secures consecration and penance. He bathes at a ford, for at a ford did they place consecration and penance; he bathes at a ford; thereby he becomes a ford for his fellows. He sips water; thereby he becomes pure within. He consecrates him with a garment; the linen garment is a provision of God. He who consecrates himself approaches the provision of God. He says, "Thou art the body of the provision; guard my body." He approaches his own blessing; thereby also he invokes this blessing. Of the garment the place where the border is belongs to the Radiant, the wind-guard to the Master of the Winds, the fringe to the forefathers, the foreedge to the plants, the warp to the Boundless Ones, the woof to all the angels, the meshes to the constellations. The garment is thus connected with all the creation; in that he consecrates him with the garment, thereby with all the signs of God he consecrates him. Man has breath without; his eating is his breath, he eats; thereby he consecrates himself with breath. He becomes satiated. As great as is his breath, with it he approaches the sacrifice. Ghee pertains to the righteous, sour cream to the forefathers, well-seasoned butter to men, fresh butter is connected with all; thereby in anointing with fresh butter he satisfies all. The man who is consecrated has fallen from this world and yet not gone to the world of the righteous; fresh butter is as it were midway; therefore he anoints with fresh butter, along the hair, with a Yajus, for removal of evil. The Mighty overcame the Enveloper; his eyeball fell away; it became collyrium. When he anoints, thereby he takes away the eye of his enemy. He anoints his right eye first, for men anoint the left first. He does not rub the ointment on, for men rub the ointment on. Five times he anoints; the Pankti has five syllables, the sacrifice is fivefold; thereby he obtains the sacrifice. He anoints a limited number of times, for men anoint an unlimited number of times. He anoints with a stalk which has a tuft, for men anoint with a stalk which has no tuft; thereby he anoints them for discrimination. If he were to anoint with a stalk having no tuft, he would be as it were a thunderbolt. He anoints with one which has a tuft, for friendship. The Mighty overcame the Enveloper, who died upon the waters. Of the waters what was fit for sacrifice, pure, and sacred, that went out of the waters, and became Darbha grass. In that he purifies the sacrificer with bunches of Darbha grass, thereby he purifies him with the waters which are fit for sacrifice, pure, and sacred. He purifies him with two stalks; thereby he purifies him by days and nights. He purifies him with three stalks; three are these worlds; thereby he purifies him by these worlds. He purifies him with five stalks; the Pankti has five syllables, the sacrifice is fivefold; thereby he purifies him by the sacrifice. He purifies him with six stalks; six are the seasons; thereby he purifies him by the seasons. He purifies him with seven stalks; seven are the metres; thereby he purifies him by the metres. He purifies him with nine stalks; nine are the breaths in man; thereby he purifies him along with his breaths. He purifies him with twenty-one stalks; there are ten fingers and ten toes, and the body is the twenty-first; he thus completely purifies the man. He says, "Let the lord of thought purify thee"; the mind is the lord of thought; thereby by the mind he purifies him. He says, "Let the lord of speech purify thee"; thereby by speech he purifies him. He says, "Let God the Light-giver purify thee"; thereby, being instigated by the Light-giver, he purifies him. He says, "O Lord of the purifier, with thy purifier, for whatsoever I purify myself, that may I have strength to accomplish." Thereby does he invoke this blessing.

vi. 1. 2.

All the righteous who purified themselves for the sacrifice waxed great. He who knowing thus purifies himself for the sacrifice waxes great. Having purified him without he makes him go within. Thereby having purified him in the world of men, he leads him forward purified to the world of the righteous. "He is not consecrated by one oblation," they say; thereby he offers four with the dipping-ladle for consecration; the fifth he offers with the offering-ladle; the Pankti has five syllables, the sacrifice is fivefold; thereby he wins the sacrifice. "To the purpose, to the impulse, to the Radiant, hail!" he says, for with purpose does a man employ the sacrifice, planning to sacrifice. "To wisdom, to thought, to the Radiant, hail!" he says, for by wisdom and thought man approaches the sacrifice. "To the Giver of Speech, to the Nourisher, to the Radiant, hail!" he says. Speech is the Giver of Speech's gift, the Nourisher the earth; thereby with speech and the earth he performs the sacrifice. "O ye divine, vast, all-soothing waters," he says. The waters of the rain are the divine, vast, all-soothing waters; if he said not that praise, the divine waters would descend in anger on this world. He says, "O ye divine, vast, all-soothing waters." Thereby he makes them soothing for this world; accordingly being soothed they approach this world. "Heaven and earth," he says, for the sacrifice is in heaven and earth. "Wide atmosphere," he says, for the sacrifice is in the atmosphere. "May the Lord of Prayer rejoice in our oblation," he says. The Lord of Prayer is the holy power of the righteous; thereby by the holy power he wins this sacrifice for him. If he were to say Vidanu then he would stumble on the sacrificial post; he says Vidanatu; thereby he avoids the sacrificial post. The Creator created the sacrifice. Being created it went away. It crushed the Yajus, it crushed the Saman; the Re raised it; in that the Re raised it, hence the elevating offering has the name. With a Re he sacrifices, to support the sacrifice. "It was the Anustubh among the metres which supported it," they say. Therefore he sacrifices with an Anustubh, to support the sacrifice. "It was the twelve calf-binders which supported it," they say. Therefore with twelve those who know the calf-binders consecrate. This Re is an Anustubh; the Anustubh is speech; in that he consecrates him with this Re, he consecrates him with the whole of speech. "Let every man of the God who leads," he says. By that the Re is connected with the Light-giver. "Let man choose the companionship," he says. By that the Re has the forefathers for its sign. "Every man prays for wealth," he says. By that the Re is connected with all the angels. "Let him choose glory that he may prosper," he says. By that the Re is connected with the Nourisher. This Re indeed is connected with all the blessings. In that he consecrates with this Re, he consecrates him with all. The first quarter-verse is of seven syllables; the other three are of eight syllables. The three approach the eight; the four the eight. Because it has eight syllables it is a Gayatri. Because it has eleven syllables it is a Tristubh. Because it has twelve syllables, it is a Jagati. This Re indeed is all the metres. In that he consecrates him with this Re, he consecrates him with all the metres. The first quarter-verse is of seven syllables; the Sakvari is of seven syllables, the Sakvari is cattle; thereby he wins cattle. The first quarter-verse is defective by one syllable. Therefore men live on what of speech is defective. He offers with a full verse to win the Creator's favour; full as it were is the Creator's bounty. He offers with a defective verse, for the creation of offspring, for from what is defective the Creator created offspring.

vi. 1. 3.

The Re and the Saman, unwilling to remain with the righteous for the sacrifice, taking the form of a black antelope departed and remained away. The righteous reflected, "He whom they shall resort to will become all this world." They called to them, and they depositing their might in day and night came up to them. This is the colour of the Re, the white of the skin of the black antelope; the black is the colour of the Saman. "Ye are images of the Re and Saman," he says; thereby he wins the Re and the Saman. The white of the black antelope skin is the colour of the day, the black of the night. Whatever is imbued in those two, he wins. He consecrates him with a black antelope skin. The black antelope skin is the form of the holy power; thereby he consecrates him with the holy power. "O Lord, this prayer of him who implores," he says. That is according to the text. The man who is consecrated is a foetus; the clothing is the caul; he covers. Therefore foetuses are born covered with the caul. He should not uncover before the purchasing of the Soma. If he were to uncover before the purchasing of the Soma, the foetuses of offspring would be liable to miscarriage. He uncovers when the Soma has been purchased; thereby he is born. It is also as when one uncovers to a superior. The Angirases going to the world of heaven divided their strength. What was left over became Sara grass; Sara grass is strength. In that the girdle is of Sara grass, he wins strength. He girds it in the middle; thereby he gives him strength in the middle. Therefore in the middle men enjoy strength. The part of man above the navel is pure, that below is impure. In that he girds him in the middle he discriminates between the pure and impure parts. The Mighty hurled his thunderbolt against the Enveloper; it divided into three parts; one-third the wooden sword, one-third the chariot, and one-third the sacrificial post. The internal arrows which were split became Sara grass, and that is why Sara grass is so called. The thunderbolt is Sara grass; hunger indeed is the foe of man. In that the girdle is of Sara grass, he clearly drives away the enemy hunger from the middle of man's body. It is threefold. The breath is threefold; thereby he places the threefold breath in the middle of the sacrificer. It is broad, for the discrimination of the strands. He consecrates the sacrificer with a girdle, with a yoke his wife, for the sake of offspring. He lays down the horn of the black antelope; the sacrificer scratches himself with it and smiles, holding it for the protection of his offspring. He should not let go the horn of the black antelope before the bringing of the gifts to the priests. If he were to let go the horn of the black antelope before the bringing of the gifts, the womb of his offspring will be liable to miscarriage. When the gifts have been brought, he casts away the horn of the black antelope in the pit. "For ploughing thee, for good crops," he says. Therefore plants grow up without ploughing. "For those of good fruits thee, for the plants," he says. Therefore plants bear fruit.

vi. 1. 4.

Speech went away from the righteous, not being willing to serve for the sacrifice. She entered the trees. It is the voice of the trees, the voice that is heard in the drum, the lute, and the flute. In that he offers the staff of the initiated, he wins speech. The staff is of Udumbara wood; the Udumbara is strength; thereby he wins strength. It is level with his mouth; thereby from the mouth downwards he wins strength for him. Therefore from the mouth they enjoy strength. After the buying of the Soma he hands the staff to the Maitravaruna priest. For the Maitravaruna first assigns to the priests their utterance, and the priests plant it in the sacrificer. "Hail! with my mind the sacrifice," he says; for man approaches the sacrifice with his mind. "Hail! from heaven and earth," he says; for the sacrifice is in heaven and earth. "Hail! from the broad atmosphere," he says; for the sacrifice is in the atmosphere. "Hail! from the wind the sacrifice I grasp," he says. The sacrifice is he who blows here; thereby he clearly wins him. He clenches his fist; he restrains his speech, for the support of the sacrifice. "This scholar has consecrated himself," he says thrice in a whisper; thereby he proclaims him to the righteous. Thrice aloud he says it; thereby he proclaims him to both the righteous and men. He should not utter speech until the constellations appear. If he were to utter speech before the constellations appear, he would divide the sacrifice. When the constellations have arisen, he utters speech, "Prepare the fast food." The consecrated is bound by a vow of sacrifice; thereby with regard to the sacrifice does he utter speech. Should he utter speech, he should then repeat a Re addressed to the All-Pervading. The All-Pervading is the sacrifice's aim; thereby he unites the sacrifice with the sacrifice. "The thought divine we meditate," he says. Thus he makes smooth the sacrifice. "May it guide us safely according as we will," he says. Thereby he wins the dawn. The theologians say, "Should an offering be made in the house of one who is consecrated, or should an offering not be made?" The man who is consecrated is the oblation, and if he were to sacrifice he would offer a part of the sacrificer; if he were not to sacrifice, then he would omit a joint of the sacrifice. "The righteous, mind-born, mind-using," he says. The righteous, mind-born, mind-using, are the breaths; thereby in them he sacrifices secretly, and the sacrifice is both offered as it were and yet not offered. Now evil beings are fain to hurt him who is consecrated while he sleeps. The Radiant One indeed is the slayer of evil. "O Radiant One, be thou wakeful. Let us be glad," he says; thereby having made light his guardian, for the smiting away of evil, he sleeps. Now, if a man who is consecrated sleeps, he does something that as it were is contrary to his vow. "Thou, O Radiant One, art the guardian of vows," he says. The Radiant One indeed is among the names of God the guardian of vows; thereby he causes him to take up his vow again. "Among the righteous and men," he says. "Thou art to be invoked at our sacrifices," he says; for Him they invoke at the sacrifices. Now power and the righteous depart from the man who is consecrated when he is asleep. "All the angels have surrounded me," he says; thereby he unites him with both power and the righteous. If he were not to utter that formula, so many cattle would be as he might consecrate himself for. "O gift of God, give so much and bear more hither," he says; thereby he obtains innumerable cattle. "Thou art gold; be for my enjoyment," he says; thereby he takes each according to its sign. He says, "To the Master of the Winds thee, to the All-Seeing thee!" If he did not so specify them, he would put the gifts out of correspondence with the blessings. Because he thus specifies them, he puts the gifts in correspondence, and is not brought low. "O divine waters, offspring of the waters," he says. "That divine part of yours, which is pure and fit for the sacrifice, may I not step upon," that he says in effect. "The unbroken web of earth may I follow," he says; thereby making a bridge he crosses over.

vi. 1. 5.

The righteous, having fixed up a place of sacrifice, could not distinguish the quarters. They ran up to one another, saying, "By thee shall we distinguish them, by thee." They fixed upon the Boundless, saying, "By thee shall we distinguish them." She said, "Let me choose a boon. Let the opening oblation in the sacrifice be mine, and the concluding oblation be mine." Therefore the opening oblation of the sacrifice belongs to the Boundless, and the concluding oblation belongs to the Boundless. He offers in five names; there are five quarters, and so it serves for the distinction of the quarters. Now the Pankti is of five elements, the sacrifice is fivefold; thereby he wins the sacrifice. They made sacrifice to Pathya Svasti, the blessing of the path. The eastern quarter they distinguished by her, by the Radiant the southern, by the gift of God the western, by the Light-giver the northern, by the Boundless the zenith. He offers to Pathya Svasti; thereby he distinguishes the eastern quarter. Having offered to Pathya Svasti, he offers in the names of the Radiant and the gift of God. The Radiant and the gift of God indeed are the eyes of the sacrificer; thereby he sees with them. Having offered, he offers in the name of the Light-giver; thereby on the instigation of the Light-giver he sees. Having offered, he offers in the name of the Boundless; the Boundless indeed is this earth; thereby taking his stand on it he sees. Having offered, he repeats the verse to the winds. The winds are subjects of the Lord. As the subjects of the Lord are in harmony, so he brings the human subjects into harmony. In that he repeats the verse to the winds, it is to bring subjects into harmony. The theologians say, "The opening oblation should be performed with a fore-offering, but without an after-offering; the concluding oblation should be performed with an after-offering, but without a fore-offering." These are the fore-offerings, and these the after-offerings, and this is the course of the sacrifice. This is not to be followed. The fore-offerings are the self; the after-offerings the offspring. If he were to omit the fore-offerings, he would omit the self; if he were to omit the after-offerings, he would omit offspring. In so far as the whole of the sacrifice is not performed, in so far does the sacrifice come to ruin, and the sacrificer comes to ruin along with the sacrifice. Therefore the opening oblation should be performed with both fore- and after-offerings, and the concluding oblation should be performed both with fore- and after-offerings. He does not omit the self, nor offspring; the sacrifice does not come to ruin, nor the sacrificer. He offers the concluding oblation in the scrapings of the opening oblation; this is the course of the sacrifice. Now if he were to make the Yajya verses of the opening libation the Yajya verses of the concluding libation, he would mount to the other world away from this, and would be liable to die. The Puronuvakya verses of the opening libation should be made the Yajya verses of the concluding libation; thereby he finds support in this world.

vi. 1. 6.

Kadru and Suparni had a dispute for the stake of each other's form. Kadru defeated Suparni. She said, "In the third heaven from here is the Soma; fetch it, and by it buy your release." Kadru is this earth, Suparni yonder heaven, the descendants of Suparni the metres. She said, "For this do parents rear children; 'in the third heaven from here is the Soma; fetch it, and by it buy your release,' so has Kadru said to me." The Jagati flew up, of fourteen syllables, but returned without obtaining it; it lost two syllables, but returned with the sacrificial animals and consecration. Therefore the Jagati is the richest in cattle of the metres, and consecration waits upon a man who is rich in cattle. The Tristubh flew up, of thirteen syllables, but returned without obtaining it; it lost two syllables, but returned with the sacrificial gifts and penance. Therefore in the world of the Tristubh, the midday oblation, the gifts are brought. "That in truth is penance," they say, "if a man gives his wealth." The Gayatri flew up, of four syllables, together with a female goat with light. Then the goat won the Soma for her, and so the goat has the name. The Gayatri brought back the Soma and the four syllables, and so became of eight syllables. The theologians say, "For what reason is it that the Gayatri, the smallest of the metres, holds the forefront of the sacrifice?" Because it brought down the Soma, it held the forefront of the sacrifice; therefore it is the most glorious of the metres. By the feet it grasped two of the oblations, and by the mouth one. The one it grasped by the mouth it sucked; therefore two oblations are made of the pure Soma, the morning and midday oblations; therefore at the third oblation they pour out the dregs of the Soma; for they regard it as sucked as it were. He removes any admixture so that it may be pure; thereby also he makes it ready. He buys Soma with a cow one year old; thereby he buys it with the whole of speech. Therefore men utter speech when one year old. He buys with a cow which has no horns, small ears, is not one-eyed or lame, and has not seven hooves; thereby he buys it with all. If he were to buy it with a white cow, the sacrificer would become leprous. If he were to buy with a black one, it would be a funeral cow, and the sacrificer would be likely to die. If with one of both colours, it would be one sacred to the Overcomer, and he would either overcome his foe or his foe him. He buys with a ruddy, yellow-eyed one. This is the form of the Soma; thereby he buys it with its own sign.

vi. 1. 7.

That became gold. Therefore they purify gold forth from the waters. The theologians say, "How is it that offspring are produced through that which is boneless, and yet are born with bones?" Because he offers the gold, placing it in the ghee, therefore are offspring produced, through that which is boneless, and yet are born with bones. The ghee is the loved abode of the Radiant, the gold is radiance. "This is thy body, O pure one. This is thy splendour," he says; thereby he unites the light with its radiance and its body; thereby also he makes it ready. If he were to deposit the gold without fastening it on, then the foetuses of offspring would be liable to miscarriage. He deposits it fastening it on, to secure the foetuses. He fastens it so that it cannot be untied, for the production of offspring. The cow with which the Soma is bought is speech. "Thou art the strong," he says; for what he strengthens in his mind, that he expresses in speech. "Grasped by mind," he says; for by mind is speech grasped. "Acceptable to the All-Pervading," he says. The All-Pervading is the sacrifice's aim; thereby he makes her acceptable to the sacrifice. "Through the impulse of thee, of true impulse," he says; thereby he wins speech which is impelled by the Light-giver. As each part is performed, evil beings are fain to injure the sacrifice; the path of light and the sun is one which evil cannot injure. "I have mounted the eye of the sun, the pupil of the eye of the light," he says. He mounts the path which is not injured by evil. The cow with which the Soma is bought is speech. "Thou art thought, thou art mind," he says; thereby he instructs her. Therefore children are born instructed. "Thou art thought," he says, for what one thinks in the mind one expresses in speech. "Thou art mind," he says; for what one grasps by the mind one performs. "Thou art meditation," he says; for what one meditates with the mind one expresses in speech. "Thou art the gift to the priests," he says; for the cow is the gift. "Thou art of the sacrifice," he says; thereby he makes her fit for the sacrifice. "Thou art of kingly power," he says, for she is of kingly power. "Thou art the Boundless, double-headed," he says. In that to the Boundless belong the opening and the concluding oblations of the sacrifices, therefore does he say that. If the cow were not bound, she would be unrestrained; if she were bound by the foot, she would be the funeral cow, and the sacrificer would be likely to perish. If she were held by the ears, she would belong to the Overcomer, and the sacrificer would oppress another, or another would oppress him. "May the Friend bind thee by the foot," he says. The Friend is the auspicious one among the names of God; thereby with His help he binds her by the foot. "May the Nourisher guard the ways," he says. The Nourisher is this earth; thereby he makes her lady of this earth, for the gaining thereof. "For the Mighty the guardian!" he says; thereby he makes the Mighty her guardian. "May thy mother approve, thy father," he says; thereby he buys with her approved. "Go, O bounty, to the Lord," he says; for she is a bounty, and the Soma is a provision of God. "To the Mighty the Soma," he says; for the Soma is borne in the Mighty's name. If he were not to say that text, the cow with which the Soma is bought would go away. "May the Healer guide thee hither," he says. The Healer is the stern one among the names of God; thereby he places him below her, for guiding hither. He does as it were a stern thing when he recites that text. "In the path of the Friend," he says, for soothing. He buys indeed by speech when he buys by the cow with which the Soma is bought. "Hail! Return with the Soma as thy comrade, with wealth," he says, thereby having purchased by means of speech, he restores speech to himself. The speech of him who knows thus is not likely to fail.

vi. 1. 8.

He follows six steps. Speech does not speak beyond the sixth day. He wins speech in the size in which she is found in the path of the year. He offers in the seventh footprint. The Sakvari has seven feet, the Sakvari is cattle; thereby he wins cattle. There are seven domesticated animals, and seven wild; there are seven metres to win both sets of animals. "Thou art a bountiful one, thou art a healing one," he says; thereby by her form he expounds her greatness. "May the Lord of Prayer make thee rejoice in happiness," he says. The Lord of Prayer is the holy power of the righteous; thereby by means of the holy power he wins cattle for him. "May the Healer with the Bountiful be favourable to thee," he says, for the sake of protection. "I pour thee on the head of the earth, on the place of sacrifice," he says; for the place of sacrifice is the head of the earth. "On the abode of the offering," he says; for the foot of the cow by which the Soma is bought is the abode of the offering. "Rich in ghee; hail!" he says. Because it was from her foot that ghee was pressed out, he says thus. If the officiant were to offer a libation where there were no fire, the officiant would become blind, and evil beings would destroy the sacrifice. He offers after laying down the gold; thereby he offers in that which has fire, the officiant does not become blind, and evil does not destroy the sacrifice. As each part is performed, evil beings are fain to injure the sacrifice. "The evil is enclosed, the evil spirits are enclosed," he says, for the smiting away of evil.