१७

ब्राह्मणस्पत्यं प्रगाथं शंसति ।

(Brāhmaṇaspati Pragâtha. To what Stotras the Indra-Nihava and Brāhmaṇaspati Pragâtha belong. The Dhâyyâs.)

He repeats the Pragātha[16] addressed to Brāhmaṇaspati.

[16]A Pragâtha comprises two ṛichas, according to Āśv. Śr. S. 5, 14: तृचा प्रतपदनुचरा द्वृचा प्रगाथाः i.e., the Pratipad (opening of the Marutvatîya Śastra) and its Anuchara (sequel) consist of three ṛichas, the Pragâthas of two ṛichas.

ब्राह्मणस्पत्यं प्रगाथं शंसति ।

बृहस्पतिपुरोहिता वै देवा अजयन्स्वर्गं लोकं व्यस्मिँल्लोके ऽजयन्त ।

Led by Bṛihaspati as Purohita (spirirual guide), the gods conquered the celestial world, and were (also) victorious everywhere in this world.

बृहस्पतिपुरोहिता वै देवा अजयन्स्वर्गं लोकं व्यस्मिँल्लोके ऽजयन्त ।

तथैवैतद्यजमानो बृहस्पतिपुरोहित एव जयति स्वर्गं लोकं व्यस्मिँल्लोके जयते ।

Thus the sacrificer who is led by Bṛihaspati as his Purohita, conquers the celestial world, and is (also) victorious everywhere in this world.

तथैवैतद्यजमानो बृहस्पतिपुरोहित एव जयति स्वर्गं लोकं व्यस्मिँल्लोके जयते ।

तौ वा एतौ प्रगाथावस्तुतौ सन्तौ पुनरादायं शस्येते ।

These two Pragāthas,[17] not being accompanied by a chant, are recited with repetition[18] (of the last pada of each verse).

[17]The Indra-Nihava and Brâhmaṇaspatyaḥ Pragâtha.

[18]The two Pragâtha verses are to be repeated, so as to form a triplet. This is achieved by repeating thrice the fourth pada of each verse, if it be in the Bṛihatî metre. In a similar way, the Sâma singers make of two verses three.

तौ वा एतौ प्रगाथावस्तुतौ सन्तौ पुनरादायं शस्येते ।

तदाहुर्यन्न किञ्चनास्तुतं सत्पुनरादायं शस्यते ऽथ कस्मादेतौ प्रगाथावस्तुतौ सन्तौ पुनरादायं शस्येते इति ।

They ask, “How is it that these two Pragāthas, which are not accompanied by a chant, are recited with repetition (of the last pada of each verse), the rule being that no Śastra verse can be recited with such a repetition, if it be not accompanied by a chant ?”

तदाहुर्यन्न किञ्चनास्तुतं सत्पुनरादायं शस्यते ऽथ कस्मादेतौ प्रगाथावस्तुतौ सन्तौ पुनरादायं शस्येते इति ।

पवमानोक्थं वा एतद्यन्मरुत्वतीयम् ।

(The answer is) The Marutvatīya (Śastra) is the recitation for the Pavamāna Stotra;[19]

[19]The Pavamâna Stotra or the performance of the Sâma singers at the beginning of the midday libation, consists only of three verses in the Gâyatrî (*uchchâ te jâto, Sâmaveda, 2, 22-24), of two in the Bṛihatî (punânaḥ Soma, S. V. 2, 25, 26) and three in the Triṣṭubh metre (pra tu drava pari kośam, S. V. 2, 27-29). The three Gâyatrîs are sung twice, thus six are obtained, and the two Bṛihatis are twice repeated in such a manner as to produce each time three verses (by repeating thrice the last pada of each verse), which makes also six. Sâma prayoya.

पवमानोक्थं वा एतद्यन्मरुत्वतीयम् ।

षट्सु वा अत्र गायत्रीषु स्तुवते षट्सु बृहतीषु तिसृषु त्रिष्टुप्सु ।

they perform this Stotra (in singing), with six verses in the Gāyatrī, with six in the Bṛihatī, and with three in the Triṣṭubh metres.

षट्सु वा अत्र गायत्रीषु स्तुवते षट्सु बृहतीषु तिसृषु त्रिष्टुप्सु ।

स वा एष त्रिच्छन्दाः पञ्चदशो माध्यंदिनः पवमानस्तदाहुः ।

Thus, the Pavamāna (Stoma) of the midday libation comprises three metres, and is fifteen-fold.[20]

[20]For the explanation of this and similar terms, Sâyaṇa refers always to the Brâhmaṇas of the Sâmaveda. The explanatory phrase of the panchadas’aḥ stoma of the Sâmaveda theologians is constantly the following : पंचम्यो हिं करोति सः तिसृभिः स एकया स एकया । पंचम्यो हिं करोति स एकया स एकया स तिसृभिः These enigmatical words are utterly unintelligible without oral information, which I was happy enough to obtain. They refer to the number of verses obtained by repetition of the triplet which forms the text of a Sâman. The Sâman consists of two verses only: it is first to be made to consist of three, by repetition of some feet of the two principal verses, before it can be used as a chant at the Soma sacrifices. After a triplet of verses has been thus obtained, it is to be chanted in three turns, each turn containing in three subdivisions a certain number of repetitions. This number of repetitions is indicated by three rows of wooden sticks of the Udumbara tree, called kuśâ, each row comprising five (if the Stoma is the paṅchadaśa, the fifteen-fold), which the three Sâma singers must arrange according to a certain order before they can chant the Sâman. Each row is called a paryâya. The several sticks in each row are placed in the following order: 1st row-3 in a straight, 1 across, 1 in a straight, line; 2nd row-1 in a straight, 3 across, 1 in a straight, line; 3rd row-1 in a straight, 1 across, 3 in a straight, line. As often as the sticks of one row are laid, the Sâma singer utters the sound him. This apparatus is regarded as quite essential for the successful chanting of the Sâman. See more on this subject in the notes to 3, 42.

स वा एष त्रिच्छन्दाः पञ्चदशो माध्यंदिनः पवमानस्तदाहुः ।

कथं त एष त्रिच्छन्दाः पञ्चदशो माध्यंदिनः पवमानो ऽनुशस्तो भवतीति ।

They ask, “How becomes this Pavamāna Stoma celebrated (by a Śastra) ?”

कथं त एष त्रिच्छन्दाः पञ्चदशो माध्यंदिनः पवमानो ऽनुशस्तो भवतीति ।

ये एव गायत्र्या उत्तरे प्रतिपदो यो गायत्रो ऽनुचरस्ताभिरेवास्य गायत्र्यो ऽनुशस्ता भवन्ति ।

The two last verses of the Pratipad triplet (8, 57, 1-3, â tvâ ratham) are in the Gāyatrī metre (the first being Anuṣṭubh), and also the triplet which forms the sequel (of the Pratipad) is in the Gāyatrī metre. Thus the Gāyatrī verses (of the Pavamāna Stotra) become celebrated.

ये एव गायत्र्या उत्तरे प्रतिपदो यो गायत्रो ऽनुचरस्ताभिरेवास्य गायत्र्यो ऽनुशस्ता भवन्ति ।

एताभ्यामेवास्य प्रगाथाभ्यां बृहत्यो ऽनुशस्ता भवन्ति ।

By means of these two Pragāthas (the Indra-Nihava and Brāhmaṇaspati Pragātha, which are in the Bṛihatī metre) the Bṛihatī verses (of the Pavamāna Stotra) become celebrated.

एताभ्यामेवास्य प्रगाथाभ्यां बृहत्यो ऽनुशस्ता भवन्ति ।

तासु वा एतासु बृहतीषु सामगा रौरवयौधाजयाभ्यां पुनरादायं स्तुवते ।

The Sāma singers perform this chant with these verses in the Bṛihatī metre, by means of the Raurava and Yaudhaja Sāmans (tunes[21]), repeating thrice (the last pada of each verse).

[21]These are the names of the two peculiar tunes in which the verses, pumânaḥ soma and duhâna ûdhar (Sâmaveda S. 2, 25-26) are sung.

तासु वा एतासु बृहतीषु सामगा रौरवयौधाजयाभ्यां पुनरादायं स्तुवते ।

तस्मादेतौ प्रगाथावस्तुतौ सन्तौ पुनरादायं शस्येते ।

This is the reason that the two Pragāthas, though they have no Stoma belonging to them, are recited with repeating thrice (the last pada of each verse).

तस्मादेतौ प्रगाथावस्तुतौ सन्तौ पुनरादायं शस्येते ।

तच्छस्त्रेण स्तोत्रमन्वैति ।

Thus the Stotra is in accordance with the Śastra.

तच्छस्त्रेण स्तोत्रमन्वैति ।

ये एव त्रिष्टुभौ धाय्ये यत्त्रैष्टुभं निविद्धानं ताभिरेवास्य त्रिष्टुभो ऽनुशस्ता भवन्ति ।

Two Dhāyyās[22] are in the Triṣṭubh metre, and also the hymn[23] in which the Nivid is inserted. By these verses (in the Triṣṭubh metre), are the Triṣṭubhs of the Stotra celebrated.

[22]See 3, 18: the two first, agnir netâ, and tvam Soma kratubhiḥ are in the Triṣṭubh metre.

[23]The Nivid hymn is janiṣṭha ugra, see 3, 19; it is in the Triṣṭubh metre

ये एव त्रिष्टुभौ धाय्ये यत्त्रैष्टुभं निविद्धानं ताभिरेवास्य त्रिष्टुभो ऽनुशस्ता भवन्ति ।

एवमु हास्यैष त्रिच्छन्दाः पञ्चदशो माध्यंदिनः पवमानो ऽनुशस्तो भवति य एवं वेद ।

In this way, the Pavamāna Stoma, comprising three metres, being fifteen-fold, becomes celebrated for him who has such a knowledge.

एवमु हास्यैष त्रिच्छन्दाः पञ्चदशो माध्यंदिनः पवमानो ऽनुशस्तो भवति य एवं वेद ।