१३

सोमाय क्रीताय प्रोह्यमाणायानुब्रूहीत्याहाध्वर्युः ।

The Adhvaryu then says (to the Hotar) : repeat a mantra for the Soma who is bought and being brought (to the sacrificial compound).

सोमाय क्रीताय प्रोह्यमाणायानुब्रूहीत्याहाध्वर्युः ।

भद्रादभि श्रेयः प्रेहीत्यन्वाह ।

The Hotar repeats : Bhadrād abhi śreyaḥ prehi,[2] i.e., go from happiness to still greater bliss. By the word bhadra, i.e., happy, this world (the earth) is meant.

The mantra is from the Taittiriya Saṁhitâ. We find it also in the Atharvaveda Saṁhitâ (7, 8, 1.) with some deviations, which are found alike in the printed edition and in an old manuscript which is in my possession. The verse reads in the Aitarey, Brahm, and Taittir. Samh. as follows:-

भद्रादभि श्रेयः प्रेहि बृहस्पतिः पुर एता ते अस्तु । अथेमवस्य वर आ पृथिव्या आरे शचन् कृणुहि सर्ववीरः ॥

Instead of अ there is अधि in the A. V., and instead of अथेमवस्य (अथ । ईम् । अवस्य ) there is अथेममस्या (अथ । इमं अस्या); instead of the plur. शत्रून् we have the sing. शत्रुं, and instead of सर्ववीरा there is सर्ववीरं. There is no doubt that the readings of the Atharva Veda look like corrections of the less intelligible parts of the original mantra, which is correct only in the form in which we find it in the Ait. Br. and the Taitt. S. अभि is less correct than अधि. The redactor of the A. V. chose it on account of the so extremely frequent combination of अधि with an ablative which generally precedes (see the large number of instances quoted in B. and R.’s Saṁskrit Dictionary I. pp. 142, 143), whilst अभि never governs an ablative, but rather an accusative, and is in this passage to be connected with श्रेयः. The words : अथेममस्या are a bad substitute for अथेममस्य. The term avasya “make an end, do away with him" (the enemy) was entirely misunderstood by the redactor. Asya he makes asya and refers it to पृथिव्या ! The nominative सर्ववीरः which refers only to the deity invoked is made an accusative and referred to शत्रूम्, which then became a singular, शत्रुं.

भद्रादभि श्रेयः प्रेहीत्यन्वाह ।

अयं वाव लोको भद्रस्तस्मादसावेव लोकः श्रेयान् ।

That world is better (śreyān) than this world.

अयं वाव लोको भद्रस्तस्मादसावेव लोकः श्रेयान् ।

स्वर्गमेव तल्लोकं यजमानं गमयति ।

Thus the Hotar makes the sacrificer go to the celestial world (which is to be understood by śreyas, i.e., better).

स्वर्गमेव तल्लोकं यजमानं गमयति ।

बृहस्पतिः पुरएता ते अस्त्विति ।

(The second pada of the verse is): bṛihaspatiḥ pura etā astu, i.e., the (thy) guide be Bṛihaspati!

बृहस्पतिः पुरएता ते अस्त्विति ।

ब्रह्म वै बृहस्पतिर्ब्रह्मैवास्मा एतत्पुरोगवमकः ।

If the Hotar has made (by repeating this pada) the Brahma.his (the sacrificer’s) guide, (the sacrifice) being thus provided with the Brahma will not be damaged.

ब्रह्म वै बृहस्पतिर्ब्रह्मैवास्मा एतत्पुरोगवमकः ।

न वै ब्रह्मण्वद्रिष्यति ।

(The third pada of the verse is :) atha īm avasya vara ā pṛithivyā, i.e., stop him (Soma) on the surface of the earth.

न वै ब्रह्मण्वद्रिष्यति ।

अथेमव स्य वर आ पृथिव्या इति ।

Vara means the place for sacrificing to the gods (devayajana).

अथेमव स्य वर आ पृथिव्या इति ।

देवयजनं वै वरम्पृथिव्यै देवयजन एवैनं तदवसाययति ।

(By these words) the Hotar makes him (the Soma) stop (and remain in that place).

देवयजनं वै वरम्पृथिव्यै देवयजन एवैनं तदवसाययति ।

आरे शत्रून्कृणुहि सर्ववीर इति ।

आरे शत्रून्कृणुहि सर्ववीर इति ।

द्विषन्तमेवास्मै तत्पाप्मानम्भ्रातृव्यमपबाधते ऽधरम्पादयति ।

(By reading these words) the Hotar turns out the enemy who does injury to the sacrificer, and his adversary, (and) consigns him to the lowest condition.

द्विषन्तमेवास्मै तत्पाप्मानम्भ्रातृव्यमपबाधते ऽधरम्पादयति ।

सोम यास्ते मयोभुव इति तृचं सौम्यं गायत्रमन्वाह ।

The Hotar then repeats the triplet : soma yās te mayobhuvaḥ (1, 91, 9-11), which is addressed to Soma, and is in the Gāyatrī metre.

सोम यास्ते मयोभुव इति तृचं सौम्यं गायत्रमन्वाह ।

सोमे राजनि प्रोह्यमाणे स्वयैवैनं तद्देवतया स्वेन छन्दसा समर्धयति ।

In this way the Hotar makes the king Soma flourishing when he is being brought (to the sacrificial compound) by means of his own deity (the verse being addressed to Soma himself), and his own metre (his favourite metre being the Gāyatrī.[3])

[3]The Gâyatrî is said to have assumed the shape of a bird, and brought the Soma from heaven. Thence this metre is sacred to him.

सोमे राजनि प्रोह्यमाणे स्वयैवैनं तद्देवतया स्वेन छन्दसा समर्धयति ।

सर्वे नन्दन्ति यशसागतेनेत्यन्वाह ।

(The Hotar repeats :) sarve[4] nandanti yaśasā (10, 71, 10), i.e., “all friends rejoice at the arrival of the friend crowned with fame for having remained victor in the learned discussion (sabhā); for as their (of his friends) protector from defects, and giver of food, he is fit and ready for providing them with strength.”[5]

[4]Sây. understands by “the friend,” Soma, and by “the friends, who rejoice at the friend’s arrival,” the priests and the sacrificer. About the same meaning he gives to the verse in his commentary on the Ṛigveda Saṁhitâ. There he explains सखायः, friends, by सामान्यज्ञानाः being equal in knowledge. सर्वे he refers to “all men of the assembly.” यशसा he takes in the sense of an adjective यशस्विना. But it is very doubtful whether this verse had originally any reference to Soma. In the whole hymn (बृहस्पते प्रथमं वाचो अग्रे०) of which it forms the eleventh verse, there is nowhere any allusion made to Soma. According to the Anukramaṇî, the hymn is “seen” (composed) by Bṛihaspati, the son of Aṅgiras. But this appears to be very unlikely; for Bṛihaspati himself is addressed in the vocative. Sây. gets over the difficulty by asserting that Bṛihaspati (the teacher of the Gods and the receptacle of all sacred knowledge) is addressing these words to himself, after having had revealed the meaning and bearing of the Veda, before he ventured upon communicating the revelation (to the Gods). To judge from the contents of the hymn, the author prays to Brihaspati who is the same with Váchaspati, the god of eloquence and speech, to endow him with the power of giving utterance in the proper words to his feelings, of which only the best ones should be revealed (v. 1). There is an interesting simile to be met with in the 2nd verse: “when the wise made the speech through their mind, purifying it (through their thoughts), just as they purify barley juice (saktu) through a filterer (titau).” Saktu is a kind of beer prepared by pouring water over barley, and by filtering it after having allowed it to remain for some time in this state. The whole hymn, in which the name “brâhmaṇa” (as that of a caste) is several times mentioned, appears to refer to the might of speech and the great success to be derived from it when engaged in sacrificing.

[5]The priests live on the presents which are given to them by the sacrificers. Hence the Soma, who is indispensable for the sacrificer, and who is to be administered in the proper way by priests only, is ’their giver of food'

सर्वे नन्दन्ति यशसागतेनेत्यन्वाह ।

यशो वै सोमो राजा ।

(Now follows the explanation) : Yaśaḥ, i.e., fame, glory, is the king Soma.

यशो वै सोमो राजा ।

सर्वो ह वा एतेन क्रीयमाणेन नन्दति यश्च यज्ञे लप्स्यमानो भवति यश्च न ।

At his being bought, every one rejoices, he who has to gain something (in the shape of Dakṣiṇā, the sacrificial reward), as well as he who has not.

सर्वो ह वा एतेन क्रीयमाणेन नन्दति यश्च यज्ञे लप्स्यमानो भवति यश्च न ।

सभासाहेन सख्या सखाय इत्येष वै ब्राह्मणानां सभासाहः सखा यत्सोमो राजा ।

The king Soma “is the friend who remains victor at the learned discussions of the Brāhmaṇs.”

सभासाहेन सख्या सखाय इत्येष वै ब्राह्मणानां सभासाहः सखा यत्सोमो राजा ।

किल्बिषस्पृदित्येष उ एव किल्बिषस्पृद्यो वै भवति ।

He is kilbiṣaspṛit, “the protector from defects.” For he protects him from defects who becomes liable to them.

किल्बिषस्पृदित्येष उ एव किल्बिषस्पृद्यो वै भवति ।

यः श्रेष्ठतामश्नुते स किल्बिषम्भवति ।

He (that priest) who excels all others (regarding the power of speech and recitation) becomes liable to defects (voice becoming hoarse or the hands flag).

यः श्रेष्ठतामश्नुते स किल्बिषम्भवति ।

तस्मादाहुर्मानुवोचो मा प्रचारीः किल्बिषं नु मा यातयन्निति ।

Thence they (the sacrificers) say (to the Hotar) : “do not repeat (if thy intention is only to excel a rival in skill) the mantra (wrong), and likewise (to the Adhvaryu :) do not (in a state of confusion) perform the ceremony (wrong); may they now not do anything wrong, in too great a hurry !”

तस्मादाहुर्मानुवोचो मा प्रचारीः किल्बिषं नु मा यातयन्निति ।

पितुषणिरित्यन्नं वै पितु दक्षिणा वै पितु ।

He is “pituṣaṇir,” i. e., giver of food; pitu is food, and pitu is the sacrificial reward (dakṣiṇā).

पितुषणिरित्यन्नं वै पितु दक्षिणा वै पितु ।

तामेनेन सनोत्यन्नसनिमेवैनं तत्करोति ।

The sacrificer gives, on account of a Soma sacrifice having been performed for him (to the priests), a reward. Thus he makes him (the Soma) “the giver of food” (for the priests).

तामेनेन सनोत्यन्नसनिमेवैनं तत्करोति ।

अरं हितो भवति वाजिनायेतीन्द्रियं वै वीर्यं वाजिनम् ।

The word vājinam means sharpness of senses and (bodily) strength.

अरं हितो भवति वाजिनायेतीन्द्रियं वै वीर्यं वाजिनम् ।

आजरसं हास्मै वाजिनं नापछिद्यते य एवं वेद ।

He who has this knowledge will preserve up to the end of his life the unimpaired use of his senses and strength.

आजरसं हास्मै वाजिनं नापछिद्यते य एवं वेद ।

अगन्देव इत्यन्वाहागतो हि स तर्हि भवति ।

The Hotar repeats : âgan deva (4, 53, 7.), i.e., May the divine mover Savitar come[6] with the Ṛitus (i.e, seasons)! May he make propserous our household, and bless us with children and nourishment! May he favour us (with gifts) at day and night (always)! May he let us obtain children and wealth! “âgan means : he (the Soma) has come and is here by that time (after having been bought).

[6]The Brâhmaṇa as well as Sâyaṇa refer the conjunctive âgan to Soma which is certainly not the case. In his commentary on the Saṁhitâ, he refers it justly to Savitar (see vol. III, page 236, ed. M. Müller). No doubt the verse was originally intended for Savitar and not for Soma. The whole hymn whence the verse is taken is devoted to Savitar.

अगन्देव इत्यन्वाहागतो हि स तर्हि भवति ।

ऋतुभिर्वर्धतु क्षयमित्यृतवो वै सोमस्य राज्ञो राजभ्रातरो यथा मनुष्यस्य तैरेवैनं तत्सहागमयति ।

The Ṛitus (seasons) are the royal brothers·of the king Soma, just as men have brothers. (By repeating this first pada) the Hotar makes him (the Soma) come with them (his brothers, the Ṛitus).

ऋतुभिर्वर्धतु क्षयमित्यृतवो वै सोमस्य राज्ञो राजभ्रातरो यथा मनुष्यस्य तैरेवैनं तत्सहागमयति ।

दधातु नः सविता सुप्रजामिषमित्याशिषमाशास्ते ।

By the words : “may he make prosperous,” &c., he asks for a blessing.

दधातु नः सविता सुप्रजामिषमित्याशिषमाशास्ते ।

स नः क्षपाभिरहभिश्च जिन्वत्वित्यहानि वा अहानि रात्रयः क्षपा अहोरात्रैरेवास्मा एतामाशिषमाशास्ते ।

(By repeating the third pada) “may he favour us at day and night,” he asks for a blessing for him (the sacrificer) at day and night.

स नः क्षपाभिरहभिश्च जिन्वत्वित्यहानि वा अहानि रात्रयः क्षपा अहोरात्रैरेवास्मा एतामाशिषमाशास्ते ।

प्रजावन्तं रयिमस्मे समिन्वत्वित्याशिषमेवाशास्ते ।

(By the fourth pada :) “may he let us,” &c., he (also) asks for a blessing.

प्रजावन्तं रयिमस्मे समिन्वत्वित्याशिषमेवाशास्ते ।

The Hotar repeats : yā te dhāmāni haviṣā (1, 91, 19), i. e., “may all thy qualities which they honour (with prayers and with oblations) become manifest at (this) sacrifice everywhere !

या ते धामानि हविषा यजन्तीत्यन्वाह ।

ता ते विश्वा परिभूरस्तु यज्ञं गयस्फानः प्रतरणः सुवीर इति ।

Enter, O Soma ! (our) houses (the sacrificial hall) as an increaser of property (of cows), as a protector (from evil), as one who gives good children and does not hurt them (in any way).”

ता ते विश्वा परिभूरस्तु यज्ञं गयस्फानः प्रतरणः सुवीर इति ।

गवां नः स्फावयिता प्रतारयितैधीत्येव तदाह ।

The words gayasphāna, prataraṇa, suvīraḥ mean : be an increaser and protector of our cattle.

गवां नः स्फावयिता प्रतारयितैधीत्येव तदाह ।

अवीरहा प्र चरा सोम दुर्यानिति गृहा वै दुर्या बिभ्यति वै सोमाद्राज्ञ आयतो यजमानस्य गृहाः ।

Duryāḥ means the premises (of the sacrificer) which are afraid of the king Soma having arrived.

अवीरहा प्र चरा सोम दुर्यानिति गृहा वै दुर्या बिभ्यति वै सोमाद्राज्ञ आयतो यजमानस्य गृहाः ।

स यदेतामन्वाह शान्त्यैवैनं तच्छमयति ।

When the Hotar repeats this (last pada of the verse), he does it with a view to propitiate him (Soma).

स यदेतामन्वाह शान्त्यैवैनं तच्छमयति ।

सो ऽस्य शान्तो न प्रजां न पशून्हिनस्ति ।

If the Hotar has thus propitiated him (the Soma), he neither kills the children nor the cattle of the sacrificer.

सो ऽस्य शान्तो न प्रजां न पशून्हिनस्ति ।

इमां धियं शिक्षमाणस्य देवेति वारुण्य परिदधाति ।

The Hotar concludes with the verse, addressed to Varuṇa : imāṁ dhiyaṁ śikṣamāṇasya deva (8, 42, 3), i.e., “(O) divine Varuṇa, instruct the pupil in understanding, performance and skill. May we ascend the ship for crossing safely all evil waters and land in safety (on the other shore).”

इमां धियं शिक्षमाणस्य देवेति वारुण्य परिदधाति ।

वरुणदेवत्यो वा एष तावद्यावदुपनद्धो यावत्परिश्रितानि प्रपद्यते ।

Soma is in the power of the god Varuṇa, as long as he is tied up (in the cloth),[7] and goes to the places of the Prāgvaṁśa.

[7]The Soma stalks are to be tied up in a cloth, when they are brought to the sacrificial compound, the front part of which, including the Ahavanîya, Dakṣiņa and Gârhapatya fires is called, Prāgvaṁśa or *Prichāna-vaṁśa.

वरुणदेवत्यो वा एष तावद्यावदुपनद्धो यावत्परिश्रितानि प्रपद्यते ।

स्वयैवैनं तद्देवतया स्वेन छन्दसा समर्धयति ।

When reciting this verse, he thus makes the Soma prosper by means of his own deity (for as liquor he is Vāruṇī), and his own metre.[8]

[8]This is Triṣṭubh. According to another Śâkhâ, as Sây. says, this metre (very likely in the shape of a bird, as the Gâyatrî is said to have assumed) went to heaven to abstract the Soma, and brought down the Dakṣiṇâ (sacrificial reward), and the internal concentration of the vital powers (the so-called tapas). See Ait. Brah. 3, 25.

स्वयैवैनं तद्देवतया स्वेन छन्दसा समर्धयति ।

शिक्षमाणस्य देवेति शिक्षते वा एष यो यजते ।

The “pupil” (learner), is he who sacrifices, for he is learning.

शिक्षमाणस्य देवेति शिक्षते वा एष यो यजते ।

क्रतुं दक्षं वरुण संशिशाधीति वीर्यम्प्रज्ञानं वरुण सं शिशाधीत्येव तदाह ।

By the words “instruct in understanding, performance, and skill,” he means, teach, O Varuṇa, strength (and) knowledge.

क्रतुं दक्षं वरुण संशिशाधीति वीर्यम्प्रज्ञानं वरुण सं शिशाधीत्येव तदाह ।

ययाति विश्वा दुरितातरेम सुतर्माणमधि नावं रुहेमेति ।

The “ship” is the sacrifice.

ययाति विश्वा दुरितातरेम सुतर्माणमधि नावं रुहेमेति ।

यज्ञो वै सुतर्मा नौः कृष्णाजिनं वै सुतर्मा नौर्वाग्वै सुतर्मा नौः ।

यज्ञो वै सुतर्मा नौः कृष्णाजिनं वै सुतर्मा नौर्वाग्वै सुतर्मा नौः ।

वाचमेव तदारुह्य तया स्वर्गं लोकमभि संतरति ।

By means of this verse the sacrificer thus ascends speech (as his ship) and sails in it up to the celestial world.

वाचमेव तदारुह्य तया स्वर्गं लोकमभि संतरति ।

ता एता अष्टावन्वाह रूपसमृद्धा ।

These eight verses which he repeats, are complete in form.

ता एता अष्टावन्वाह रूपसमृद्धा ।

एतद्वै यज्ञस्य समृद्धं यद्रूपसमृद्धं यत्कर्म क्रियमाणमृगभिवदति ।

What is complete in form, that is successful in the sacrifice, when the verse repeated alludes to the ceremony which is being performed.

एतद्वै यज्ञस्य समृद्धं यद्रूपसमृद्धं यत्कर्म क्रियमाणमृगभिवदति ।

तासां त्रिः प्रथमामन्वाह त्रिरुत्तमाम् ।

Of these verses he repeats the first and last thrice; this makes twelve (in all).

तासां त्रिः प्रथमामन्वाह त्रिरुत्तमाम् ।

ता द्वादश सम्पद्यन्ते द्वादश वै मासाः संवत्सरः संवत्सरः प्रजापतिः प्रजापत्यायतनाभिरेवाभी राध्नोति य एवं वेद ।

The year consists of twelve months, and Prajāpati is the year. He who has this knowledge succeeds by these verses which reside in Prajāpati.

ता द्वादश सम्पद्यन्ते द्वादश वै मासाः संवत्सरः संवत्सरः प्रजापतिः प्रजापत्यायतनाभिरेवाभी राध्नोति य एवं वेद ।

त्रिः प्रथमां त्रिरुत्तमामन्वाह यज्ञस्यैव तद्बर्सौ नह्यति स्थेम्ने बलायाविस्रंसाय ।

By repeating the first and last verses thrice, he ties the two end knots of the sacrifice for fastening and tightening it, in order to prevent it from slipping down.

त्रिः प्रथमां त्रिरुत्तमामन्वाह यज्ञस्यैव तद्बर्सौ नह्यति स्थेम्ने बलायाविस्रंसाय ।