FIRST CHAPTER. (On the Offices of the Grāvastut and Subrahmanya.)
(On the Origin of the Office of the Grāvastut. The Serpent
Riṣi Arbuda.) The gods held (once upon a time) a sacrificial session in Sarvacbaru. They did not succeed in [880] destroying the consequences of guilt. Arbuda, the son of Kadru, the Serpent Riṣi, the framer of mantras, said to them, “You have overlooked one ceremony which is to be performed by the Hotar. I will perform it for you, then you will destroy the consequences of guilt." They said, “Well, let it be done." At every midday libation, he then came forth (from his hole), approached them, and repeated spells over the Soma, squeezing stones. Thence they repeat spells at every midday libation over the Soma squeezing stones, in imitation of him (the Serpent Riṣi). The way on which this Serpent Riṣi used to go when coming from his holo) is now known by the name Arbudoda Sarpant (at the sacrificial compound).
1 See also him about Asv, Sr. 8.5, 12. His services are only required at the midday libation. He performs his function of repeating mantras over the Soma, squeezing stones before the so-called Dadhi Gharma ceremony. He enters through the eastern gate, and passes on to the two Havirdhanas (the two carts, on which the sacrificial offerings are put, and the two covered places, in which these two carts are). Having arrived north-east of the exterior front of the axe (akṣaśiras) of the southern Havirdhana, he throws off a stalk of grass held in his hand, which ceremony is called nirasanam (it is performed often by other priests also). He then faces the Soma shoots, assuming a peculiar posture. The Adhvaryu gives him a band (uṣmiṣa), which he ties round his face. As soon as the Adhyaryu and his assistants take the Soma sprouts from below, the adhisavana board (see the note to 7, 32), he ought to repeat the mantras over the Gravanas, which are now being employed for extracting the Soma jaice. He commences with verses containing the term su, to squeeze, or derivatives of it. The first is: abhi tvā deva savitar (1, 24, 3). After some more single Terses follow, the three principal Grā vāṇa hymns, viz., pruite vadantu (10, 94), á va rimjase (10,76), and pra vo grāvánah (10, 175). The first and the last are said to have been seen by Arbuda, the Serpent Riṣi, the second by Jarat karna, one of the Serpent tribe also. These hymns very likely formed part of the so-called Sarpaveda or Serpent Veda (see the Gopatha Brahmapam 1, 10, according to whose statement this Veda came from the east), and were originally foreign to the Rigveda. They may be, nevertheless, very ancient. The two lattor hymns are to be repeated before the last verse of the first, and are thus treated like a Nivid at the evaning libation. Either in the midst, or before, or, after these two hymns, the Grā vastut must repeat the
The King (Soma) made the gods drunk. They then said, “A poison ous serpent (asiviṣa) looks at our King! Well, let us tie a band round his eyes." They then tied a band round his eyes. Therefore they recito the spells over the Soma squeezing stones, when having tied (round the eyes) a band in imitation of what the gods did). The King (Soma) made them drunk. They said, “He (the Serpent Riṣi) repeats his own mantra over the Soma squeezing stones. Well, let us mix with his mantra other verses." They then mixed with his mantra other verses, in consequence of which he (Soma) did not make them drunk.: By mixing his mantra with other verses for effecting propitiation, they succeeded in destroying the consequences of guilt. [381] In imitation of this feat achieved by the gods, the Serpents destroyed all consequences of their own guilt. Having in this state (being quite free from guilt and sin) left off the old skin torn, they obtain a new one. Who knows this, destroys the consequences of his own guilt.
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(How Many Verses are to be Repeated over the Grdvanas. How they ought to be Repeated. They are Required only at the Midday Libation. No Order for Repeating them Necessary.)
They say, With how many mantras should he (the Grāvastut) pray over the Soma squeezing stones? The answer is, with a hundred; for the life of a man is a hundred years, he has a hundred powers, and a hundred bodily organs; by doing so, he makes man participate in age, strength, and bodily organs. (Others) say, He ought to repeat thirty-three verses, for he (the Serpent Rishi) destroyed the sins of thirty-three gods, for there are thirty-three gods. (Others) say, He ought to recite an unlimited number of such mantras. For Prajāpati is unlimited; and this recital of the mantras referring to the Soma squeezing stones belongs to Prajapati, and in it all desires are comprised. Who does so, obtains all he desires. Thence he ought to repeat an unlimited number of such mantras.
Now they ask, In what way should he repeat these mantras (over the Soma squeezing stones) ? Syllable by syllable, or should he take four syllables together, or pāda by pāda, or half verse by half verse, or 80-called Pāvamāní verses (Rigveda 9.) He has to continue his recitation as long as the squeezing of the juice lasts, or he may go on till it is filled in the Grahas fā vd graha grahanāt); he then must conclude with the last verse of the first Grāvāna hymn. Besides this ritual for the Grāvastut, another one is given by Aspaldyana, which he traces to Gā nagāri.
These mantras were the antidote,
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verse by verse? With whole verses (repeated without stopping) one does not perform any ceremony, nor with stopping at every pāda. If the verses are repeated with stopping at every syllable, or every four syllables, then the metres become mutilated, for [382] many syllables (sounds) would thus be lost. Thence he ought to (repeat) these mantras one half verse by another. For man has two legs, and cattle are four-footed: By doing so, he places the two-legged sacrificer among the four-legged cattle. Thence he ought to repeat these mantras by half verses.
Since the Grāvastut repeats only at every midday libation mantras over the Soma squeezing stones, how do mantras become repeated over them at the two other (morning and evening) libations ? By repeating verses in the Gayatri metre, he provides for the morning libation; for the Gāyatri metre is appropriate to the morning libation; and by repeat ing verses in the Jagati metre, he provides for the evening libation ; for the Jagatī metre is appropriate to the evening libation. In this way he who, with this knowledge, repeats the mantras over the Soma squeezing stones only at the midday libation, supplies these praises for the morning and eveving libations.
They say, What is the reason, that, whilst the Adhvaryu calls upon the other priests to do their respective duties, the Grāvastut repeats this mantra without being called upon (without receiving a prāiṣa)? The ceremony of repeating mantras over the Soma squeezing stones is of the same nature as the mind which is not called upon. Therefore the Grāvastut repeats his mantra without being called upon.
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(The Subrahmanya Fomula. On its Nature. By whom it is to be Repeated. The Oblation from the Pātnivata Graha. The Yājyā of the Agnidhra.)
The Subrahmanya is Vāch. Her son is the [383] king Soma. At the time of buying Soma, they call the Subrahmanyā (thither), just as one calls a cow.
z The Subrahmanya formula is contained in the Katyāyána srauta Satras (1, 3), the Apnistoma Sima Prayoga, the Satapatha Brahm. (3, 3, 4, 17-20), and the Taittirīya Aranyaka (1, 12, 3-4). The peculiar pronunciation of this formula is noted by Paṣini (1,2, 37-38). The most complete information on its use being only to be found in the gamaveda satras, I here give the passages from Katyayana referring to it, along with the formalà itself:
श्रातिथ्यायों सेस्थितायां दक्षिणस्य द्वारबाहोः पुरस्तात्तिष्ठन्नन्तवदिदेशेऽन्वारब्धे यजमाने पल्ल्यांचं सुब्रह्मण्योमिति निरुक्त्वा निगदं ब्रूयात् । इन्द्रागच्छ हरिव आगच्छ मेधातिथेमेष वृषणध्वस्य मेने गौरावस्कन्दिबहल्यायै जार कौशिक ब्राह्मण गौतम अवातावदहे स्तुल्यामिति याचदहे स्यात् ।
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(884) Through this son, the Subrahmanyā priest milks’ (obtains) all desires for the sacrificer. For Vāch grants all desires of him who has this knowledge. They ask, What is the nature of this Subrahmaṇya ?
After the Atithya Isti has been finished, he (the Subrahmanya) shonld stand in the front part of the enclosure made for the wife of the sacrificer inside the Vedi, and when touching the sacrificer and his wife, after having called thrice " subrahmanyom,*recite the following formula, “ Oome, Indra! come owner of the yellow horses ! ram of Me
dhatithi ! Menā of Vrisagašval thou buffalo (gaura) who ascendest the female ** (avaskardin), lover of Abalya! son of Kubika ! Brahmana ! son of Gotama ! (come) & thou who art called " (to appear) at the Soma feast in so and so many days how many there might intervene (between the day on which the Subrahmanya calls him, and that of the Soma festival at which his presence is requested). The Subrah, manya is required on the second, third, fourth and fifth day of the Agnistoma, and almost on every day of the other Soma sacrifices. On the second day, the terms, trua ke sutyám, " three days hence," i.e., on the fifth); on the third day, duyane sutyam. i.e. two days konce; on the fourth, svas, i. e., to-morrow; and on the fifth (the day of the soma feast) adya, i. e, to-day, are used to mark the time when the Soma banquet, to which Indra is by this formula solemnly invited, is to come off. As far as satur which is followed by the mentioning of the time appointed me, z , &c., there is no difference anywhere observable. But the few sentences which follow, and which conclude the formula, differ according to: different schools. Some were (according to Katyayana) of opinion, that only tres * come hithet " is to follow; others recommended TTUSO
9991." come hither, O Maghavan." Others, such as Gautama, were of opinion, that either is to be omitted, and the concluding formula, a SETU T ETITA rega si come, ye divine Brahmá priests, come, come." has to follow immediately upon rat,
The name of the tune (Saman), according to which it is chanted (or rather recited) is Brahmasri, the metre is called Sampát, the Riṣi is Aditya, and Indra is the deity.
At the so-called Agnishtut sacrifices, which open the Chaturdasarātra Sattras (sacrifi cial sessions lasting for a fortnight), (Ašv. Sr. 8, 11, 2), the Subrahmanya calls Agni instead of Indra (Kātydy. 1, 4), according to Gautama, by the following formula :
अन प्रागच्छ रोहिताभ्यां बहदु माना धूमकेतो जातवेदो विचर्षण आंगिरस ब्राह्मणांगिरस ब्रवाण। że, « Come, O Agni, with (thy) two red ones (horses), thou brightly shining, thou blaz ing in smoke, Jātavedās, thou wise . Angiras. Brahmana, (come) called, " &c, In the concluding formula at may ires, is used instead of Car According to Dhānaõjay the Subrahmanyā formula for Agni runs as follows: * *g Fara 1145
#TETSTFITS : FEIT artrat
area, (the remainder as above), i. e., & Come, Agnil master of the red horses, goat of Bhardvāja, son of power, thou who ascendest (the female); lover of Usas," &c. The latter formula is just like that one addrossed to Indra. Ágni, as well as Indra, are in both these formālas, which must be very ancient, invoked as family deities, the first pre-eminently worshipped by the Angirasa, the latter by the Kušikas. Both gods are here called s Brāhmans." In later books, Indra appears as a Kṣattriya, and as a model of a king.
On the so-called Agnistomiya day, of all sacrifices (in the Agnistoma, it is the fourth and precedes the Soma day), on which day the animal for Ågni and Soma is slain and sacrificed, an extension of the Subrahmanyā formula takes place. The Subrahmanyā priest has on this day to announce to the gods, that such and such one (the name of the sacrificer must be mentioned), the son of such and such one, the grandson of such and such one, offers, as a Diksita, (as initiated into the sacrifi cial rites) a sacrifice (rar 780) The term, “Diksita, forms then henceforth part of the name of the sacrificer, and his descendants down to the seventh degree. In this part of India, there are many Brahmans distinguished by this honorary epithet, which always indicates that, either the bearer of it or his immediate ancestors have performed a Soma sacrifice, and have been proclaimed dikṣita by the Subrahmanya in all due form,
3 Duhe must be a 3rd person singulur, as Sáy, explains it.262
- One should answer, She is Vach. For Vāch is Brahma, and Sub rahma (good Brahma).
They ask, Why does one call him (the Subrahmanyā priest) who is a male, a female ? (They answer) Subrahmanyā represents Vāch (which is in the feminine gender).
They further ask, When all the other priests are to perform their respective duties within the Vedi, and the Subrahmanya outside the Vedi, how is it that the duty of the Subrahmanyà (in this particular case) becomes performed inside the Vedi) ? One should answer, The Vedi has an outlet where things (which are no more required) are thrown; if the Subrahmanyā priest calls (the Subrahmanya) when stand ing in this outlet, then, in this way (his duty is performed within the bounds of the Vedi). They ask, Why does he, standing in the outlet repeat the Subrahmanya ? On this, they tell the following story.)
The Risis held once a sacrificial session. They said to the most aged man among them,“ Call the Subrahmanya. Thou shalt call the gods standing among us (on account of thy age), as it were, nearest to them.” In consequence of this, the gods make him (the Subrahmanya) very aged. In this way, he pleases the whole Vedi.
They ask, Why do they present to him (the Subrahmanya) a bull as a reward for his services ? (The answer is) The bull is a male (vriga), the Subrahmanyā is a female, both making thus a couple. This is done for producing offspring from this pair.
The Agnidhra repeats the Yājyā mantra for the Pātnivata Gralia (a Soma vessel), with a low voice. For the Pātnivata is the semen virile, and the effusion of the semen virile passing on without noise, as it were, he does not make the Anuvaṣatkára. For (886) the Anuvasatkāra is a stop. Thinking, I will not stop the effusion of the semen, he does not make the Anuvaṣatkāra, for the semen which is not disturbed in its effusion, bears fruit. Sitting near the Nestar, he then eats, for the Nestar is in the room of women. Agni (Agnidhra) pours semen in wo men, to produce children. He who has this knowledge, provides through Agni his females with semen, and is blessed with children and cattle.
The Subrahmanyā ends after the distribution of the Dakṣiṇa, for she is Vāch. The Dakṣiṇā is food ; thus they place finally the sacrifice in food, which is Speech.
- He represents Agni. * The Dakshina is distributed at the midday libation.
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