PRAPATHAKA III
The Special Sacrifices (continued)
ii. 3. 1.
He who desires prosperity should offer to the Adityas, giving prosperity; it is the Adityas who repel from prosperity him who being fit for prosperity does not obtain prosperity; verily he has recourse to the Adityas, giving prosperity, with their own share; verily they make him attain prosperity; he becomes prosperous. He who has been expelled or is being expelled should offer an oblation to the Adityas, the sustainers; the Adityas are the expellers, the Adityas are the procurers; verily he has recourse to the Adityas, the sustainers [1] with their own share; verily they support him in the people; he is unexpellable. ‘O Aditi, do thou confirm’, (with these words) be who is being expelled should take the foot (dust) of him (who is expelling him); Aditi is this (earth); verily she confirms the kingdom for him; ‘Be the blessing fulfilled’, he says; verily he makes the blessing come true; ‘Mind here’, he says; verily he makes the people of one mind with him; ‘Come hither, O ye Maruts [2] rich in dew, with this lord of the people against yon king’, he says; the people are connected with the Maruts, the lord of the people is the highest; verily he unites him with the people and the realm. From the house of a village judge further on he should take rice; he should separate out the white and the black; of the white he should offer an oblation to the Adityas; the people have the Adityas for their deity; verily he attains the people [3]; ‘The people he has attained, the realm he has not attained’, they say; of the dark ones he should offer an oblation to Varuna; the realm is connected with Varuna; verily he attains both the people and the realm. Should he not attain (them), he should offer (saying), ‘To the Adityas this portion I offer to attain the people N. N. for N. N.’; verily the Adityas desiring the portion make him attain the people [4]. Should he not attain (them), he should knock in seven pegs of Açvattha wood in the middle shaft, (saying), ‘Here do I bind the Adityas to attain the people N. N. from N. N.’; verily the Adityas, their heroes bound, make him attain the people. Should he not attain (them), he should offer this oblation to the Adityas and attach pegs to the kindling-wood; verily he attains what cannot be taken away. (The pegs) are of Açvattha wood; the Açvattha is the might of the Maruts; verily with might he attains the people; seven are they, the Maruts are in seven troops; verily in troops he attains the people.
ii. 3. 2.
The gods were afraid of death; they had recourse to Prajapati for them he offered this (offering) to Prajapati of a hundred Krsnalas in weight verily by it he bestowed upon them immortality; for him who fears death he should offer to Prajapati this (offering) of a hundred Krsnalas: verily he has recourse to Prajapati with his own share; verily he bestows life upon him; he lives all his days. It is of a hundred Krsnalas in weight; man has a hundred (years of) life, and a hundred powers; verily in life, in power [1] he finds support. (The offering) is in ghee; ghee is life, gold is immortality; verily he unites him with life and immortality; four Krsnalas weight on each occasion he cuts off to obtain the four cuttings-off; one by one he brings to the Brahman priest, and one by one he bestows life upon the sacrificer. Yonder sun did not shine, the gods sought an atonement for it, for it they offered this oblation to Surya; verily thereby they bestowed upon it [2] radiance. For him who desires splendour he should offer this oblation to Surya; verily he has recourse to yonder sun with his own share; verily he bestows upon him splendour; he becomes resplendent. On both sides are ornaments (of gold); verily on both sides he bestows radiance upon him. At each fore-offering he offers a Krsnala weight; verily from the quarters he wins splendour for him, He should offer on eight potsherds to Agni, on twelve potsherds to Savitr, and an oblation to earth [3] who desires, ‘May I gain gold; may gold resort to me.’ In that it is (offered) to Agni, gold is connected with Agni; verily by him whose is gold he gains it; it is (offered) to Savitr; verily instigated by Savitr he gains it; to earth an oblation is offered; verily on it he gains it; gold resorts to him. He who gains gold is deprived of power and strength; the same offering should he make who gains gold; he is not deprived of power and strength. The same [4] offering he should make whose gold is lost; in that it is (offered) to Agni, and gold is connected with Agni, by him whose is gold he gains it; it is (offered) to Savitr; verily instigated by Savitr he gains it; to earth an oblation is offered; in this what is lost is lost; verily in it he gains it. Indra [5] by force drunk the Soma of Tvastr, he went apart on all sides, he was deprived of power, of Soma drinking; what he vomited up, that became panic seeds; he had recourse to Prajapati; for him he offered this oblation of panic seeds to Soma and Indra; verily thereby he bestowed upon him power and Soma drinking; he who vomits Soma is deprived of power, of Soma drinking; for him who vomits Soma [6], he should offer this oblation of panic seeds; verily he has recourse to Soma and Indra; verily they bestow upon him power and Soma drinking; he is not deprived of power and of Soma drinking. In that it is (offered) to Soma, he wins Soma drinking; in that it is (offered) to Indra, and Soma drinking is power, verily he wins power and Soma drinking; it is of panic seeds, Soma is it [7]; verily straightway he wins Soma drinking. He who desires cattle should offer a cake on eight potsherds to Agni, the giver, and a cake on eleven potsherds to Indra, the bestower; verily Agni produces cattle for him, Indra makes them grow up. These are curds, honey, ghee, waters, and parched grain; that is the form of cattle; verily by their form he wins cattle; there are five takings, for cattle are fivefold; I it is of many forms, for cattle are of many forms [8], (verily it serves) for completion; it is offered to Prajapati; cattle are connected with Prajapati; verily Prajapati produces cattle for him; honey is the body of man; in that he offers honey on the fire, verily thus the sacrificer places his body in the fire; the Yajya and the Anuvakya are in the Pañkti metre, man is fivefold, cattle are fivefold; verily ransoming his body from death he wins cattle.
ii. 3. 3.
The gods desiring glory performed a sacrificial session bounded by success; to Soma the king among them glory came, he went to the hill, Agni followed him; Agni and Soma, those two, united; Indra, being parted from the sacrifice followed after them; to them be said, ‘Make me to sacrifice.’ For him they offered this sacrifice, to Agni on eight potsherds, to Indra on eleven potsherds, to Soma an oblation; verily thereby they conferred upon him brilliance [1], power, and splendour. For him who is parted from the sacrifice he should offer this sacrifice, to Agni on eight potsherds, to Indra on eleven potsherds, to Soma an oblation; in that it is (offered) to Agni, thereby he bestows brilliance upon him; in that it is (offered) to Indra, thereby (he bestows) power upon him; in that it is (offered) to Soma, thereby (he bestows) splendour; part of the offerings to Agni and Soma he should unite with that to Indra; verily he unites him with brilliance and splendour [2]. He whose desire is not fulfilled should offer on eleven potsherds to Agni and Soma; the Brahman is connected with Agni, he drinks Soma; verily he has recourse to his own deity with his own share; verily he unites him with his desire; his desire is fulfilled. He who desires splendour should offer on eight potsherds to Agni and Soma; verily he has recourse to Agni and Soma with their own share; verily they bestow upon him splendour; he becomes resplendent [3]. In that it is on eight potsherds, it is connected with Agni; in that it is of panic seeds, it is connected with Soma; (verily it serves) for prosperity. He who is afraid of impotence should offer ,an oblation of panic seeds to Soma, the strong. For the seed, the strength, departs from him, then he fears impotence; verily he has recourse to Soma, the strong; verily he bestows upon him seed and strength; he does not become impotent. He who desires a village should offer on eleven potsherds to Brahmanaspati [4]; verily he has recourse to Brahmanaspati with his own share; verily he subjects his fellows to him; he becomes possessed of a village. The Yajya and the Anuvakya have the word ‘troop’; verily he makes him possess troops of his fellows. The same sacrifice should he offer who desires, ‘May I bring the people to ruin with respect to the Brahman’; he should use as the Yajya and the Anuvakya verses referring to the Maruts; verily he brings the people to ruin with respect to the Brahman.
ii. 3. 4.
He who desires the heaven should offer an oblation to Aryaman; Aryaman is yonder sun; verily he has recourse to Aryaman with his own share; he makes him attain the world of heaven. He should offer an oblation to Aryaman who desires, ‘May people be fain to give to me’; Aryaman is yonder sun, Aryaman is he who gives; verily he has recourse to Aryaman with his own share; he makes [1] people fain to give to him; people are fain to give to him. He should offer an oblation to Aryaman who desires, ‘May I go prosperously among men’; Aryaman is yonder sun; verily he has recourse to Aryaman with his own share; verily be makes him go whither he is fain to go. Indra was the lowest in rank of the gods, he had recourse to Prajapati; for him he offered this (offering) of the after-shoots of rice to Indra on eleven potsherds [2]; verily he led him to the top of the gods; he made as the Yajya and the Anuvakya (verses) containing the words ‘depth’ and ‘top’; verily from the depths he led him to the top; for the prince who is low in rank he should offer to Indra on eleven potsherds this (offering) of the after-shoots of rice; verily he has recourse to Indra with his own share; verily he leads him to the top of his fellows; the Yajya, and the Anuvakya contain the words ‘depth’ and ‘top’; verily from the depth he leads him to the top [3]; it is of the after-shoots of rice, for it is the deity of him who is low in rank; (verily it serves) for prosperity. For the Brahman who is low in rank he should offer to Brhaspati this oblation of the after-shoots of rice; verily he has recourse to Brhaspati with his own share; verily he leads him to the top of his equals; the Yajya and the Anuvakya contain the words ‘depth’ and ‘top’; verily he leads from the depth to the top; it is of the after-shoots of rice, for it is the deity of him who is low in rank; (verily it serves) for prosperity.
ii. 3. 5.
Prajapati had thirty-three daughters; he gave them to Soma, the king; of them he associated with Rohini; they returned in anger; then he followed and asked for them back; them he would not return; he said, ‘Swear on oath that thou wilt equally associate (with them): then will I return them to you.’ He took the oath, and he returned them. He associated with Rohini alone [1]. Illness seized him; ‘Illness has seized the king’, that (saying) is the origin of the ‘king’s evil’; in that he became worse, that is (the origin) of the ‘bad illness’; because he got it from his wives, that is (the origin) of the ‘wife’s disease’ (Jayenya); him who knows thus the origin of these illnesses, these illnesses do not visit. He approached them respectfully; they said, ‘Let us choose a boon; do thou associate equally with us.’ For him [2] they offered this oblation to the Adityas; they freed him from his evil case. For him who is seized by the bad illness he should offer this oblation to the Adityas; verily he has recourse to the Adityas with their own share; verily they free him from his evil case. He should offer at the new moon; verily with its waxing he makes him wax. The Puronuvakya is, ‘He is born ever new’; verily thereby he bestows life upon him. The Yajya is, ‘The shoot which the Adityas make to wax’; verily thereby he makes him wax.
ii. 3. 6.
Prajapati assigned food to the gods; he said, ‘Whatever shall be left over these worlds, be that mine.’ That was left over these worlds, Indra, the king, Indra, the overlord, Indra, the sovereign; thence he milked these worlds threefold; that is the cause of its having three elements. For him of whom he desires, ‘May he be an eater of food’, let him offer this (offering) of three elements, to Indra, the king, a cake [1] on eleven potsherds, to Indra, the overlord, to Indra, the sovereign. Indra, the king, is this (world of earth), Indra, the overlord, is this (atmosphere), Indra, the sovereign, is yonder (world of heaven); verily he has recourse to these worlds with their own share; verily they bestow food on him; he becomes an eater of food. Even as one milks a cow ready to give milk by reason of its calf, so he milks these worlds, made ready, for desire, for food; he places (the cake) on potsherds face upwards, for variety. There are three cakes, these worlds are three; (verily they serve) to obtain these worlds; each one above the other is larger, for so as it were are these worlds; (verily they serve) for prosperity; he cuts off from all (the cakes) as he sets them up without making a failure; be recites (the verses) alternating, to prevent burning.
ii. 3. 7.
The gods and the Asuras were in conflict: the Asuras conquered the gods, the gods being defeated became the servants of the Asuras; from them power and strength departed; Indra perceived this; he departed in pursuit of it; he could not win it. Then he departed from it, he had recourse to Prajapati; he made him sacrifice with this (offering) with all the Prstha (Stotras); verily with it he bestowed upon him power and strength. Him who desires power [1], desires strength, he should make him sacrifice with this (offering) with all the Prsthas; verily he has recourse to these deities with their own share; verily they bestow upon him power and strength. In that he offers to Indra of the Rathantara, verily he wins the brilliance of Agni; in that (he offers) to Indra of the Brhat, verily he wins the brilliance of Indra; in that (he offers) to Indra of the Vairupa, verily he wins the brilliance of Savitr [2]; in that (he offers) to Indra of the Vairaja, verily he wins the brilliance of the creator; in that (he offers) to Indra of the Çakvara, verily he wins the brilliance of the Maruts; in that (he offers) to Indra of the Raivata, verily he wins the brilliance of Brhaspati. So many are the brilliances, verily he wins them; he places (the cakes) on potsherds face upwards, for variety; the cake is on twelve potsherds [3], to secure the All-gods. He cuts off all around; verily all around he bestows on the sacrificer power and strength; he recites (the verses) alternating, to prevent burning. A horse, a bull, a ram, a goat, these are the sacrificial fee; for manliness. With this he should sacrifice who is being practised against; if these deities eat his food, men eat his also.
ii. 3. 8.
Rajana Kauneya went to Kratujit Janaki for a cure for eyesight; for him he offered this sacrifice, to Agni, the blazing, a cake on eight potsherds, to Surya an oblation, to Agni, the blazing, a cake on eight potsherds; verily thereby he bestowed sight upon him. For him who desires sight he should offer this sacrifice, to Agni, the blazing, a cake on eight potsherds; to Surya an oblation, to Agni, the blazing, a cake on eight potsherds; by the eye of Agni men see [1], (by the eye) of the sun the gods; verily he has recourse to Agni and Surya with their own share; verily they bestow sight upon him; he becomes possessed of sight. In that there are two for Agni, he restores his eyes for him; in that there is (an oblation) for Surya, (he restores) his nose; the two for Agni are on either side of that for Surya; therefore the two eyes are on either side of the nose, therefore by the nose the eyes are separated. The Yajya, and the Anuvakya, are alike, for the eye is alike; (verily it serves) for prosperity. ‘Up that god that knoweth all’, ‘Seven bays in thy chariot’, ‘The radiant countenance of the gods hath arisen’, (with these words) he offers lumps; verily he gives sight to him; what was his, that (is his again).
ii. 3. 9.
a Thou art secure; may I be secure among my equals, wise, a guardian, a gainer of wealth; thou art secure; may I be secure among my equals, dread, a guardian, a gainer of wealth; thou art secure; may I be secure among my equals, dread, a guardian, a gainer of wealth.
b Thou art affection; O ye gods of affection, those equals, youths, of one mind, them I love with my heart; may they love me with their hearts; make them of one mind with me; hail! Thou [1] art affection; O ye gods of affection, the women of one mind, them I love with my heart; may they love me with their hearts; make them of one mind with me; hail!
He who desires a village should offer to the All-gods (the sacrifice) for taking possession; his equals are connected with the All-gods; verily he has recourse to the All-gods with their own share; verily they subject his equals to him; he becomes possessed of a village. It is (the offering) for taking possession; taking possession is grasping the mind; verily he grasps the mind of his equals [2]. ‘Thou art secure; may I be secure among my equals’, (with these words) he puts the enclosing-sticks round; verily he invokes this blessing. Then all this comes to pass with regard to the equals of him for whom knowing thus these enclosing-sticks are put around. ‘Thou art affection; O ye gods of affection’, (with these words) he offers three oblations; so many are his equals, great, small, and women, them he wins, they being won wait on him.
