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[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

THE SARVAMEDHA, OR ALL-SACRIFICE.

1. Brahman Svayambhu (the self-existent, n.) was performing austerities^[1]. He said this much,- 'Verily, there is no perpetuity in austerities; well, then, I will offer up mine own self in the creatures, and the creatures in mine own self.' And, accordingly, by offering up his own self in the creatures, and the creatures in his own self, he compassed the supremacy, the sovereignty, and the lordship over all creatures; and in like manner does the Sacrificer, by thus offering all sacrificial essences^[2] in the Sarvamedha, compass all beings, and supremacy, sovereignty, and lordship.

2. Now this Sarvamedha is a ten-days鈥� (Soma-) sacrifice, for the sake of his gaining and winning every kind of food, for the 痴颈谤腻箩 consists of ten syllables, and the 痴颈谤腻箩 is all food. At this (sacrifice) he builds the greatest possible fire-altar, for this--to wit, the Sarvamedha--is supreme amongst all sacrificial performances: by means of the supreme (sacrifice) he thus causes him (the Sacrificer) to attain supremacy.

3. The first day thereof is an 础驳苍颈峁ａ弓耻迟 础驳苍颈峁ａ弓辞尘补^[3], for the sake of his gaining and winning all the gods, for the 础驳苍颈峁ａ弓耻迟 础驳苍颈峁ａ弓辞尘补 is Agni; and all the gods have Agni (the sacrificial fire) for their mouth, The cups of Soma thereat pertain to Agni, and so do the Puroruc^[4] formulas pertain to Agni, in order that everything should pertain to Agni.

4. The second day is an Indrastut Ukthya, for the sake of his gaining and winning all the gods, for Indra is all the gods. The cups of Soma thereat pertain to Indra, and so do the Puroruc formulas pertain to Indra, in order that everything should pertain to Indra.

5. The third day is a 厂奴谤测补stut, Ukthya, for the sake of his gaining and winning all the gods, for 厂奴谤测补 is all the gods. The cups of Soma pertain to 厂奴谤测补, and so do the Puroruc formulas pertain to 厂奴谤测补, in order that everything should pertain to 厂奴谤测补.

6. The fourth day is a 痴补颈艣惫补诲别惫补, for the sake of his gaining and winning all the gods, for the All-gods (Vi艣ve 顿别惫腻岣�) are all the gods. The cups of Soma pertain to the All-gods, and so do the Puroruc formulas pertain to the All-gods, in order that everything should pertain to the All-gods.

7. The fifth day is a central 膧艣vamedhika^[5] one: at this (sacrifice) he seizes a horse meet for sacrifice, for the sake of his gaining the sacrificial essence of the horse.

8. The sixth day is a central Pauru峁�amedhika^[6] one: at this (sacrifice) he seizes men meet for sacrifice, for the sake of his gaining the sacrificial essence of man.

9. The seventh day is an 础辫迟辞谤测腻尘补, for the sake of his gaining all kinds of Soma-sacrifices: at this (sacrifice) he seizes all kinds of (victims) meet for sacrifice, both what is animate and what is inanimate. Of those with omenta he offers the omenta, and of those without omenta they throw down pieces cut out of the skin^[7], and of herbs and trees they do so after cutting them up,--every kind of food of both the dry and the fresh he offers, in order to gain every kind of food. Everything he offers; and, to every one he offers in order to gain and to win everything. The omenta having been offered at the morning-service, and in the same way the oblations at the evening-service,--

10. The eighth day is a Tri峁嘺va one^[8], for the Tri峁嘺va (stoma) is the thunderbolt, and by means of the thunderbolt, indeed, lordship (办峁�a迟谤补) is gained: by means of the thunderbolt he thus gains lordship.

11. The ninth day is a Trayastri峁兣沘 one^[9], for the sake of his gaining a foothold, for the Trayastri峁兣沘 (stoma) is a foothold.

12. The tenth day is a 痴颈艣惫补箩颈迟 础迟颈谤腻迟谤补 with all the P峁涐梗峁環as^[10], for the sake of his gaining and winning everything, for the 痴颈艣惫补箩颈迟 础迟颈谤腻迟谤补 with all the P峁涐梗峁環as is everything, and the Sarvamedha is everything.

13. Now as to the sacrificial fees: whatever there is towards the middle of the kingdom other than the property of the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺, but including land and men, of that the eastern quarter belongs to the 贬辞迟峁�, the southern to the Brahman, the western to the Adhvaryu, and the northern to the 鲍诲驳腻迟峁�; and the 贬辞迟峁沰as share this along with them.

14. 痴颈艣惫补办补谤尘补苍 Bhauvana once performed this sacrifice, and having performed it he overpassed all beings, and became everything here; and verily he who, knowing this, performs the Sarvamedha, or who even knows this, overpasses all beings, and becomes everything here.

15. It was 碍补艣测补辫补 who officiated in his sacrifice, and it was concerning this that the Earth^[11] also sang the stanza;--'No mortal must give me away; thou wast foolish, 痴颈艣惫补办补谤尘补苍 Bhauvana: she (the earth) will sink into the midst of the water; vain is this thy promise unto 碍补艣测补辫补.'

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Cf. J. Muir, Orig. Sanskrit Texts, vol. v, p. 372.

[2]:

Or, all kinds of victims (medha).

[3]:

That is, a one-day's Soma-sacrifice (ek膩ha) of the 础驳苍颈峁ａ弓辞尘补 order, arranged so as specially to promote the praise of Agni, In the same way the next three ek膩has are intended to honour special deities.

[4]:

That is, the formulas preceding the 'upay膩ma' ('Thou art taken with a support, &c.,' cf. part ii, p. 259, note s) or formula with which the cup of Soma is drawn.

[5]:

That is, an Ukthya sacrifice, cf. p. 259, note 2; XIII, 5, 1, 5 seqq.

[6]:

That is, an 础迟颈谤腻迟谤补, cf. XIII, 6, 1, 9.

[7]:

Lit., 'after cutting (pieces) out of the skin they throw down.'

[8]:

That is, one on which the Tri峁嘺va (thrice-nine-versed) Stoma is used in chanting.

[9]:

That is, one on which the thirty-three-versed hymn-form is used.

[10]:

For a Soma-sacrifice with all the P峁涐梗峁環a-s膩mans, see part iii, introd. p. xx seqq. On the two kinds of 痴颈艣惫补箩颈迟 ek膩has, the 础驳苍颈峁ａ弓辞尘补 and the 础迟颈谤腻迟谤补 痴颈艣惫补箩颈迟, see part iv, p. 320, note 2.

[11]:

Or, the ground, which 痴颈艣惫补办补谤尘补苍 Bhauvana gave away as sacrificial fee. On this legend cp. Ait. Br. VIII, 21; J. Muir, Orig. Sanskrit Texts, vol. i, p. 456; vol. iv, p. 369.