Translator – Arthur Berriedale Keith
KANDA 5
PRAPATHAKA IV
The Piling of the Fire Altar (continued)
v. 4. 1.
The gods and the Asuras were in conflict, they could not decide the issue; Indra saw these bodies, he put them down; with them he conferred upon himself power, strength, and body; then the gods prospered, the Asuras were defeated. In that he puts down Indra’s bodies, the sacrificer with them bestows on himself power, strength, and body; verily also he piles up the fire with Indra and with a body; be prospers himself, his foe is [1] defeated. The sacrifice departed from the gods; they could not recover it; they saw these bodies of the sacrifice, they put them down, and by them they recovered the sacrifice. In that he puts down the bodies of the sacrifice, the sacrificer by them wins the sacrifice. Three and thirty he puts down; the gods are three and thirty; verily he wins the gods; verily also he piles up the fire with itself and with a body; he becomes with his body in yonder world [2], who knows thus. He puts down the lighted (bricks); verily he confers light upon it; the fire blazes piled up with these (bricks); verily with them he kindles it; in both worlds is there light for him. He puts down the constellation bricks; these are the lights of the sky; verily he wins them; the Naksatras are the lights of the doers of good deeds; verily he wins them; verily also he makes these lights into a reflection [3] to light up the world of heaven. If he were to place them in contact, he would obstruct the world of rain, Parjanya would not rain; he puts them down without touching; verily he produces the world of rain, Parjanya is likely to rain; on the east he puts down some pointing west, on the west some pointing east; therefore the constellations move both west and east.
v. 4. 2.
He puts down the seasonal (bricks), to arrange the seasons. He puts down a pair; therefore the seasons are in pairs. This middle layer is as it were unsupported; it is as it were the atmosphere; he puts down a pair on the other layers, but four in the middle one, for support. The seasonal (bricks) are the internal cement of the layers; in that he puts down the seasonal (bricks), (it is) to keep apart the layers. He puts down next an Avaka plant; this is the birthplace of Agni; verily he piles up the fire with its birthplace [1]. Viçvamitra says, ‘He shall eat food with holy power, for whom these shall be put down, and he who shall know them thus’. It is the year which repels from support him who having piled up the fire does not find support; there are five layers preceding, and then he piles up the sixth; the year has six seasons; verily in the seasons the year finds support. These are the bricks [2], called the over-ladies; he for whom they are put down becomes the overlord of his equals; he should think of him whom he hates as he puts (them down); verily he cuts him off for those deities; swiftly he goes to ruin. The Angirases, going to the world of heaven, made over to the seers the accomplishment of the sacrifice; it became gold; in that he anoints with fragments of gold, (it is) for the completion of the sacrifice; verily also he makes healing for it [3]; moreover he unites it with its form, and with golden light he goes to the world of heaven. He anoints with that which contains the word ‘of a thousand’; Prajapati is of a thousand; (verily it serves) to win Prajapati. ‘May these bricks, O Agni, be for me milch cows’, he says; verily he makes them milch cows; they, milking desires, wait upon him yonder in yonder world.
v. 4. 3.
The fire is Rudra; he is born then when he is completely piled up; just as a calf on birth desires the teat, so he here seeks his portion; if he were not to offer a libation to him, he would suck the Adhvaryu and the sacrificer. He offers the Çatarudriya (oblation); verily he appeases him with his own portion; neither Adhvaryu nor sacrificer goes to ruin. If he were to offer with the milk of domesticated animals [1], he would afflict domestic animals with pain; if (with that) of wild (animals), wild (animals); he should offer with groats of wild sesame or with groats of Gavidhuka grass; he harms neither domesticated nor wild animals. Then they say, ‘Wild sesame and Gavidhuka grass are not a proper offering’; he offers with goat’s milk, the female goat is connected with Agni; verily he offers with a proper offering; he harms neither domesticated nor wild animals. The Angirases going to the world of heaven [2] spilled the cauldron on the goat; she in pain dropped a feather (like hair), it became the Arka (plant); that is why the Arka has its name. He offers with a leaf of the Arka, to unite it with its birthplace. He offers standing facing north; this is the quarter of Rudra; verily he propitiates him in his own quarter. He offers on the last brick; verily at the end he propitiates Rudra. He offers dividing it into three; these worlds are three; verily he makes these worlds of even strength; at this height he offers [3], then at this, then at this; these worlds are three; verily he appeases him for these worlds. Three further libations he offers; they make up six, the seasons are six; verily with the seasons he appeases him. If he were to offer while wandering round, he would make Rudra come within (the sacrifice). Or rather they say, ‘In what quarter is Rudra or in what?’ He should offer them while wandering round; verily he appeases him completely [4]. The highest (bricks) are the heavenly deities; over them he makes the sacrificer speak; verily by them he makes him attain the world of heaven; he should throw (the leaf) down in the path of the cattle of him whom he hates; the first beast that steps upon it goes to ruin.
v. 4. 4.
‘The strength on the stone’, (with these words) he moistens (the fire), and so purifies it; verily also he delights it; it delighted attends him, causing him neither hunger nor pain in yonder world; he rejoices in offspring, in cattle who knows thus. ‘That food and strength, do ye, O Maruts, bounteously bestow on us’, he says; strength is food, the Maruts are food; verily he wins food. ‘In the stone is thy hunger; let thy pain reach N.N. [1], whom we hate’, he says; verily he afflicts him whom he hates with its hunger and pain. He goes round thrice, moistening; the fire is threefold; verily he calms the pain of the whole extent of the fire. Thrice again he goes round; they make up six, the seasons are six; verily with the seasons he calms its pain. The reed is the flower of the waters, the Avaka is the cream of the waters [2]; he draws over (it) with a branch of reeds and with Avaka plants; the waters are appeased; verily with them appeased he calms his pain. The beast that first steps over the fire when piled, it is liable to burn it up with its heat. He draws over (it) with a frog; this of animals is the one on which one does not subsist, for neither among the domesticated nor the wild beasts has it a place; verily he afflicts it with pain. With eight (verses) he draws across [3]; the Gayatri has eight syllables, the fire is connected with the Gayatri; verily he calms the pain of the whole extent of the fire. (He draws) with (verses) containing (the word) ‘purifying’, the purifying (one) is food; verily by food he calms its pain. The fire is death; the black antelope skin is the form of holy power; he puts on a pair of black sandals; verily by the holy power he shuts himself away from death. ‘He shuts himself away from death, and away from eating food’, they say; one he puts on, the other not; verily he shuts himself away [4] from death and wins the eating of food. ‘Honour to thy heat, thy blaze’, he says, for paying honour they wait on a richer man; ‘may thy bolts afflict another than us’, he says; verily him whom he hates he afflicts with its pain; ‘be thou purifying and auspicious to us’, he says; the purifying (one) is food; verily he wins food. With two (verses) he strides over (it), for support; (with two) containing (the word) ‘water’, for soothing.
