२३

देवानां वै सवनानि नाध्रियन्त ।

(Purodâśa Offerings for the Libations)

The libations (savanâni) of the gods did not hold (they were about falling down).

देवानां वै सवनानि नाध्रियन्त ।

त एतान्पुरोळाशानपश्यंस्ताननुसवनं निरवपन्सवनानां धृत्यै ।

The gods saw the rice cakes (Pûroḍâśas). They portioned them out for each libation, that they should hold together the libations.

त एतान्पुरोळाशानपश्यंस्ताननुसवनं निरवपन्सवनानां धृत्यै ।

ततो वै तानि तेषामध्रियन्त ।

Thence their libations were held together.

ततो वै तानि तेषामध्रियन्त ।

तद्यदनुसवनम्पुरोळाशा निरुप्यन्ते सवनानामेव धृत्यै ।

When, therefore (at the libations) rice cakes are portioned out for holding together the libations,

तद्यदनुसवनम्पुरोळाशा निरुप्यन्ते सवनानामेव धृत्यै ।

तथा हि तानि तेषामध्रियन्त ।

the libations offered by the sacrificers are then (really) held together.

तथा हि तानि तेषामध्रियन्त ।

पुरो वा एतान्देवा अक्रत यत्पुरोळाशास्तत्पुरोळाशानाम्पुरोळाशत्वम् ।

The gods made these rice cakes before (the Soma offering). Thence it is called puroḍâśa (from puro, before).

पुरो वा एतान्देवा अक्रत यत्पुरोळाशास्तत्पुरोळाशानाम्पुरोळाशत्वम् ।

तदाहुरनुसवनम्पुरोळाशान्निर्वपेदष्टाकपालम्प्रातःसवन एकादशकपालम्माध्यंदिने सवने द्वादशकपालं तृतीयसवने तथा हि सवनानां रूपं तथा छन्दसामिति ।

About this they say : for each libation one ought to portion out rice cakes, one of eight potsherds (a ball put on eight kapâlas) at the morning, one of eleven potsherds at midday, and one of twelve at the evening, libation. For the form of the libations is defined[17] by the metres.

[17]That is to say, at the morning libation Gâyatri, each pada of which consists of eight syllables, is the leading metre, whilst at the midday libation Triṣṭubh (with four padas, each of eleven syllables), and at the evening libation Jagatî (with four padas, each of twelve syllables), are the leading metres. Therefore, some sacrificial priests were of opinion that, in accordance with the number of syllables of the leading metre of each libation, the number of kapâlas (potsherds) should be eight at the morning, eleven at the midday, and twelve at the evening, libation.

तदाहुरनुसवनम्पुरोळाशान्निर्वपेदष्टाकपालम्प्रातःसवन एकादशकपालम्माध्यंदिने सवने द्वादशकपालं तृतीयसवने तथा हि सवनानां रूपं तथा छन्दसामिति ।

तत्तन्नादृत्यम् ।

But this (opinion) is not to be attended to.

तत्तन्नादृत्यम् ।

ऐन्द्रा वा एते सर्वे निरुप्यन्ते यदनुसवनम्पुरोळासास्तस्मात्तानेकादशकपालानेव निर्वपेत् ।

For all the rice cakes, which are portioned out for each libation, are Indra’s. Thence they ought to be put (at all three libations) on eleven potsherds only.[18]

[18]The reason is that Indra’s metre, Triṣṭubh, consists of eleven syllables.

ऐन्द्रा वा एते सर्वे निरुप्यन्ते यदनुसवनम्पुरोळासास्तस्मात्तानेकादशकपालानेव निर्वपेत् ।

तदाहुर्यतो घृतेनानक्तं स्यात्ततः पुरोळाशस्य प्राश्नीयात्सोमपीथस्य गुप्त्यै ।

About this they say : one ought to eat of such a portion of a rice cake which is not besmeared with melted butter, in order to protect the Soma draught.

तदाहुर्यतो घृतेनानक्तं स्यात्ततः पुरोळाशस्य प्राश्नीयात्सोमपीथस्य गुप्त्यै ।

घृतेन हि वज्रेणेन्द्रो वृत्रमहन्निति ।

For Indra slew with melted butter as his thunderbolt Vṛitra.

घृतेन हि वज्रेणेन्द्रो वृत्रमहन्निति ।

तत्तन्नादृत्यम् ।

But this (opinion) is not to be attended to.[19]

[19]The Soma is not to be brought into contact with anything that is supposed to have been an instrument of murder, as in this case the melted butter was.

तत्तन्नादृत्यम् ।

हविर्वा एतद्यदुत्पूतं सोमपीथो वा एष यदुत्पूतम् ।

For the offering (besmeared with butter) is a liquid sprinkled (into the fire), and the Soma draught is such a liquid sprinkled (into the fire).

हविर्वा एतद्यदुत्पूतं सोमपीथो वा एष यदुत्पूतम् ।

तस्मात्तस्य यत एव कुतश्च प्राश्नीयात् ।

(Both—Ghee and Soma— being thus of the same nature) the sacrificer should eat of any part of the offering (whether besmeared with ghee or not).

तस्मात्तस्य यत एव कुतश्च प्राश्नीयात् ।

सर्वतो वा एताः स्वधा यजमानमुपक्षरन्ति यदेतानि हवींष्याज्यं धानाःकरम्भः परिवापः पुरोळाशः पयस्येति ।

These offerings, viz., melted butter, fried grains of barley (dhânâḥ), karambha,[20] parivâpa,[21] puroḍâśa, and payasyâ,[22] come by themselves to the sacrificers from every direction.

[20]This is a kind of pap, prepared of curds and barley juice (saktu) by kneading both together. Instead of curds, slightly melted butter (sarpis) might be taken. See Kâtyâyana Śrâuta Sûtra. 9, 1, 17.

[21]This is another kind of pap, prepared of fried grains and barley juice.

[22]See 2, 22. p. 122.

सर्वतो वा एताः स्वधा यजमानमुपक्षरन्ति यदेतानि हवींष्याज्यं धानाःकरम्भः परिवापः पुरोळाशः पयस्येति ।

सर्वत एवैनं स्वधा उपक्षरन्ति य एवं वेद ।

To him who has such a knowledge come these (offerings) by themselves.

सर्वत एवैनं स्वधा उपक्षरन्ति य एवं वेद ।