CHAPTER X
On this, too, they relate an ancient story (showing) of what nature is the institution of the Kâturhotra. The due performance of it in its entirety is now taught. Hear me, O good woman! state this wonderful mystery. The instrument, the action, the agent, and emancipation, these, indeed, O you of a (pure) heart! are the four Hotris by whom this universe is enveloped. Hear also the assignment of causes exhaustively. The nose, and the tongue, and the eye, and the skin, and the ear as the fifth, mind and understanding, these seven should be understood to be the causes of (the knowledge of) qualities. Smell, and taste, and color, sound, and touch as the fifth, the object of the mental operation and the object of the understanding, these seven are causes of action. He who smells, he who eats, he who sees, he who speaks, and he who hears as the fifth, he who thinks, and he who understands, these seven should be understood to be the causes of the agents.
These, being possessed of qualities, enjoy their own qualities, agreeable and disagreeable. And I am here devoid of qualities. Thus these seven are the causes of emancipation. And among the learned who understand (everything), the qualities which are in the position of the deities, each in its own place, always enjoy the offering according to prescribed rules. To him who is not learned, eating various (kinds of) food, the (feeling of this or that being) mine adheres. And cooking food for himself, he, through the (feeling of this or that being) mine, is ruined. The eating of that which should not be eaten, and drinking of intoxicating drinks also destroys him.
He destroys the food, and destroying that food he is destroyed in return. The learned man, being (himself) a ruler, destroying this food again produces it. And not even a trifling obstacle arises to him from that food. Whatever is thought by the mind, whatever is spoken by speech, whatever is heard by the ear, whatever is seen by the eye, whatever is touched by the sense of touch, and whatever is smelt by the nose, absorbing all these offerings from all sides, together with those (senses) which with the mind are six, my fire of (high) qualifications, shines dwelling within the body. My sacrifice of concentration of mind is in progress, the performance of which yields the fire of knowledge; the Stotra in which, is the upward life-wind; the Sastra, the downward life-wind; and which is very beneficial on account of the abandonment of everything; the Brahman priest in which, is the counselor in all action; the Hotri priest, the self the Adhvaryu priest, (the self) whose hymn of praise is the offering; the Sastra of the Prasâstri, truth; and the Dakshinâ, final emancipation. On, this, too, Rik verses are recited by the men who understand Nârâyana—the god Nârâyana to whom they formerly offered animal (offerings). On that Sâman hymns, are sung, of which an illustration is stated. O modest one! understand that god Nârâyana, who is the self of everything.
