Satapatha-brahmana
by Julius Eggeling | 1882 | 730,838 words | ISBN-13: 9788120801134
This is Satapatha Brahmana IV.6.3 English translation of the Sanskrit text, including a glossary of technical terms. This book defines instructions on Vedic rituals and explains the legends behind them. The four Vedas are the highest authortity of the Hindu lifestyle revolving around four castes (viz., Brahmana, Ksatriya, Vaishya and Shudra). Satapatha (also, 艢atapatha, shatapatha) translates to 鈥渉undred paths鈥�. This page contains the text of the 3rd brahmana of kanda IV, adhyaya 6.
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Kanda IV, adhyaya 6, brahmana 3
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
1. Now as to the manner of animal offerings. One may perform with the (ordinary) set of eleven victims. He seizes one for Agni as the first victim, and one for 痴补谤耻峁嘺 (as the last); then again one for Agni.: in this way let him perform with the set of eleven victims[1].
2. Or one may day after day seize a victim for Indra and Agni; for all the gods are Agni, since in Agni offering is made to all the deities; and Indra is the deity of the sacrifice: thus he neither offends any of the deities, nor does he offend him who is the deity of the sacrifice.
3. Then as to the manner (of animal offering) in accordance with the Stoma[2]. At the 础驳苍颈峁ａ弓辞尘补 let him seize a (victim) for Agni; for it is befitting that at the 础驳苍颈峁ａ弓辞尘补 ('Agni's praise') he should seize a victim for Agni. If it be an Ukthya sacrifice, let him seize as the second (victim) one for Indra and Agni, for the hymns (uktha)[3] belong to Indra and Agni. If it be a 峁岣峚艣in sacrifice, let him seize as the third (victim) one for Indra; for the 峁岣峚艣in (graha) is Indra. If it be an 础迟颈谤腻迟谤补, let him seize as the fourth (victim) one for 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨; for 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 is V膩c (speech), and V膩c is a female, and so is 谤腻迟谤颈 (fem., 'night') female. Thus he duly distinguishes between the sacrificial performances. Such are the three manners (of animal offering): he may perform in whichever manner he pleases. Two victims must needs be seized,--for 厂奴谤测补 he seizes the second en the Vishuvant day, and for 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈 at the 惭补丑腻惫谤补迟补.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
See III, 9, 1, 5 seq. He is to sacrifice one victim each day, and if after the eleventh day, the performance is to go on (as at the Dv膩da艣膩ha), he is to begin anew with the first victim of the ek膩da艣in墨. According to the K膩峁噕a text and K膩ty. XII, 6, 17 he is on such an odd day to immolate all the remaining victims of the set of eleven. Thus on the last (twelfth) day of the Dv膩da艣膩ha--the Udayan墨ya 础迟颈谤腻迟谤补--he would have to sacrifice the entire set of eleven victims.
[2]:
I.e. the particular form of the Jyoti峁ａ弓oma, which is being performed.
[3]:
That is, the hymns of the Rig-veda, the single collections of which begin with the hymns to Agni, followed by those to Indra. The 'ukth膩ni' here can scarcely refer to the three additional 艣astras of the Ukthya sacrifice, as they are composed of hymns to Indra-痴补谤耻峁嘺, Indra-B峁沨aspati, and Indra-Vi峁ａ箛u respectively. 膧艣v. 艢r. VI, 1; Ait. Br. III, 50. Cp. IV, 2, 5, 14.