३८

स्वादुष्किलायं मधुमाँ उतायमितीन्द्रस्यैन्द्रीरनुपानीयाः शंसति ।

(On Indra’s Share in the Evening Libation. On the Verses Addressed to Viṣṇu and Varuṇa, to Viṣṇu alone, and to Prajâpati. The Concluding Verse and the Yâjyâ of the Agnimâruta Śastra.)

The Hotar repeats the anu-pânîya verses addressed to Indra and his drinking of the Soma juice after (the other deities have been satisfied), svâduṣ kilâyam madhuman (6, 47, 1-4).

स्वादुष्किलायं मधुमाँ उतायमितीन्द्रस्यैन्द्रीरनुपानीयाः शंसति ।

एताभिर्वा इन्द्रस्तृतीयसवनमन्वपिबत्तदनुपानीयानामनुपानीयात्वम् ।

By their means, Indra drank from the Soma after the third libation (anupibat). Thence the verses are called anu-pânîyât, “referring to drinking after.”

एताभिर्वा इन्द्रस्तृतीयसवनमन्वपिबत्तदनुपानीयानामनुपानीयात्वम् ।

माद्यन्तीव वै तर्हि देवता यदेता होता शंसति तस्मादेतासु मद्वत्प्रतिगीर्यम् ।

The deities are drunk, as it were, at this (third libation) when the Hotar repeats those verses. Thence has the Adhvaryu, when they are repeated, to respond to the Hotar (when calling śoṁsâvom) with a word derived from the root mad, “to be drunk.”[49]

[49]This refers to the two phrases, madâmo deva, “we are drunk, O God!” and modâmo daivom, " we rejoice, O divine ! Om!" which are the responses of the Adhvaryu to the Hotar’s call śoṃsâvom in the midst of the four Anu-pânîya verses abovementioned. See Āśv. Śr. S. 5, 20. The usual response of the Adhvaryu to the Hotar’s âhâva, śoṃsâvom, is śoṃsâmo daivom, see Āśv. Śr. S. 5, 9.

माद्यन्तीव वै तर्हि देवता यदेता होता शंसति तस्मादेतासु मद्वत्प्रतिगीर्यम् ।

ययोरोजसा स्कभिता रजांसीति वैष्णुवारुणीमृचं शंसति ।

He repeats a verse referring to Viṣṇu and Varuṇa, yayor ojasâ.[50]

[50]It is not found in the Saṁhitâ of the Ṛigveda, but in the Āśv. Śr. S. 5, 20, and in the Atharvaveda, S. 7, 25, 1. Both texts differ a little. Āśvalayana reads:

ययोरोमसा स्कभिता रजांसि वीर्येभिर्वीरतमा शविष्ठथा पत्येते अप्रतीता सहोभि र्विष्णू अगन्य[[??]] पूर्व[[??]] i.e., “The two, through whose power the atmosphere was framed, the two who are the strongest in power and most vigorous, who rule unconquerable through their strength; may these two, Viṣṇu and Varuṇa, come on being called first.” There is a grammatical difficulty in this translation: agan, which can be only explained as a third person plural of the aorist in the conjunctive, is here joined to nouns in the dual. The Atharvaveda shows the same form. Here is an evident incorrectness, which perhaps was the reason for its being excluded from the Saṁhitâ.

ययोरोजसा स्कभिता रजांसीति वैष्णुवारुणीमृचं शंसति ।

विष्णुर्वै यज्ञस्य दुरिष्टं पाति वरुणः स्विष्टं तयोरुभयोरेव शान्त्यै ।

Viṣṇu protects the defects in the sacrifices (from producing any evil consequences) and Varuṇa protects the fruits arising from its successful performance. (This verse is repeated) to propitiate both of them.

विष्णुर्वै यज्ञस्य दुरिष्टं पाति वरुणः स्विष्टं तयोरुभयोरेव शान्त्यै ।

विष्णोर्नु कं वीर्याणि प्रवोचमिति वैष्णवीं शंसति ।

He repeats a verse addressed to Viṣṇu: viṣṇor nu kam vîryâṇi (1, 154, 1).

विष्णोर्नु कं वीर्याणि प्रवोचमिति वैष्णवीं शंसति ।

यथा वै मत्यमेवं यज्ञस्य विष्णुः ।

Viṣṇu is in the sacrifice the same as deliberation in (worldly things).

यथा वै मत्यमेवं यज्ञस्य विष्णुः ।

तद्यथा दुष्कृष्टं दुर्मतीकृतं सुकृष्टं सुमतीकृतं कुर्वन्नियादेवमेवैतद्यज्ञस्य दुष्टुतं दुःशस्तं सुष्टुतं सुशस्तं कुर्वन्नेति यदेतां होता शंसति ।

Just (as an agriculturist) is going to make good the mistakes in ploughing, (and a king) in making good a bad judgment by devising a good one, so the Hotar is going to make well recited what was badly recited, and well chanted what was badly chanted, by repeating this verse addressed to Viṣṇu.

तद्यथा दुष्कृष्टं दुर्मतीकृतं सुकृष्टं सुमतीकृतं कुर्वन्नियादेवमेवैतद्यज्ञस्य दुष्टुतं दुःशस्तं सुष्टुतं सुशस्तं कुर्वन्नेति यदेतां होता शंसति ।

तन्तुं तन्वन्रजसो भानुमन्विहीति प्राजापत्यां शंसति ।

तन्तुं तन्वन्रजसो भानुमन्विहीति प्राजापत्यां शंसति ।

प्रजा वै तन्तुः प्रजामेवास्म एतत्संतनोति ।

Tantu, i.e., thread, means offspring. By repeating this verse, the Hotar spreads (santanoti) for him (the sacrificer) offspring.

प्रजा वै तन्तुः प्रजामेवास्म एतत्संतनोति ।

ज्योतिष्मतः पथो रक्ष धिया कृतानिति देवयाना वै ज्योतिष्मन्तः पन्थानस्तानेवास्मा एतद्वितनोति ।

By the words of this verse, jyotiṣmataḥ patho rakṣa dhiyâ kṛitaṁ, i.e., “ protect the paths which are provided with lights, and made by absorption in meditation” wherein the term “the paths provided with lights” means the roads of the gods (to heaven), the Hotar paves these roads (for the sacrificer to go on them on his way to heaven).

ज्योतिष्मतः पथो रक्ष धिया कृतानिति देवयाना वै ज्योतिष्मन्तः पन्थानस्तानेवास्मा एतद्वितनोति ।

अनुल्बणं वयत जोगुवामपो मनुर्भव जनया दैव्यं जनमित्येवैनं तन्मनोः प्रजया संतनोति प्रजात्यै ।

By the words anulbanam vayata, i.e., “weave ye the work of the chanters and repeaters[51] so as to rid it from all defects, become a Manu, produce a divine race,” the Hotar propagates him through human offspring.

[51]The word translated by “chanters and repeaters” is jogu. Sây. explains it in his commentary on this passage of the Ait. Br. in the following manner :

कर्मसु गच्छंति प्रवर्त्तंत इति अनुष्ठानशीला जोगुशब्देनोच्यन्ते.

In his commentary on the Ṛigveda Saṁhitâ (10, 53, 6, page 8 of my manuscript copy of the commentary on the 8th Aṣṭaka), he explains it simply by स्तोतृणाम् । But I think the first definition is too comprehensive, the latter too restricted. For, strictly speaking, the term stotar is only applicable to the chanters of the Sâmans. But the recital of the Ṛik mantras by the Hotars, and the formulas of the Yajurveda by the Adhvaryu and his assistants is about as important for the success of the sacrifice. All that is in excess (ulbanam), above what is required, is a hindrance to the sacrifice. Thence all mistakes, by whatever priest they might have been committed, are to be propitiated. The word jogu, being a derivative of the root gu, “to sound,” cannot mean “a sacrificial performer” in general, as Sây. supposes in his commentary on the Ait. Br., but such performers only as require principally the aid of their voice.

अनुल्बणं वयत जोगुवामपो मनुर्भव जनया दैव्यं जनमित्येवैनं तन्मनोः प्रजया संतनोति प्रजात्यै ।

प्रजायते प्रजया पशुभिर्य एवं वेद ।

(That is done) for production. He who has such a knowledge will be blessed with offspring and cattle.

प्रजायते प्रजया पशुभिर्य एवं वेद ।

एवा न इन्द्रो मघवा विरप्शीत्युत्तमया परिदधाति ।

He concludes with the verse evâ na indro maghavâ virapśî (4, 17, 20).

एवा न इन्द्रो मघवा विरप्शीत्युत्तमया परिदधाति ।

इयं वा इन्द्रो मघवा विरप्शी करत्सत्या चर्षणीधृदनर्वा ।

This earth is Indra maghavâ virapśî, i.e., Indra, the strong, of manifold crafts.

इयं वा इन्द्रो मघवा विरप्शी करत्सत्या चर्षणीधृदनर्वा ।

इतीयं वै सत्या चर्षणीधृदनर्वा ।

She is (also) satyâ, the true, charṣaṇîdhṛit, i.e., holding men anarvâ safe.

इतीयं वै सत्या चर्षणीधृदनर्वा ।

त्वं राजा जनुषां धेह्यस्मे इतीयं वै राजा जनुषाम् अधि श्रवो माहिनं यज्जरित्र इतीयं वै माहिनं यज्ञश्रवो यजमानो जरिता ।

She is (also) the râjâ. In the words, śravo mahinâm yaj jaritre, mahinâm means the earth, śravo the sacrifice, and jaritâ the sacrificer.

त्वं राजा जनुषां धेह्यस्मे इतीयं वै राजा जनुषाम् अधि श्रवो माहिनं यज्जरित्र इतीयं वै माहिनं यज्ञश्रवो यजमानो जरिता ।

यजमानायैवैतामाशिषमाशास्ते ।

By repeating them, he asks for a blessing for the sacrificer.

यजमानायैवैतामाशिषमाशास्ते ।

तदुपस्पृशन्भूमिं परिदध्यात् ।

When he thus concludes, he ought to touch the earth on which he employs the sacrificial agency.

तदुपस्पृशन्भूमिं परिदध्यात् ।

तद्यस्यामेव यज्ञं सम्भरति तस्यामेवैनं तदन्ततः प्रतिष्ठापयति ।

On this earth he finally establishes the sacrifice.

तद्यस्यामेव यज्ञं सम्भरति तस्यामेवैनं तदन्ततः प्रतिष्ठापयति ।

अग्ने मरुद्भिः शुभयद्भिर्ऋक्वभिरित्याग्निमारुतमुक्थं शस्त्वा ऽऽग्निमारुत्या यजति ।

After having repeated the Agni-Mâruta Śastra, he recites the Yâjyâ : agne marudbhiḥ (5, 60, 8).

अग्ने मरुद्भिः शुभयद्भिर्ऋक्वभिरित्याग्निमारुतमुक्थं शस्त्वा ऽऽग्निमारुत्या यजति ।

यथाभागं तद्देवताः प्रीणाति प्रीणाति ।

Thus he satisfies (all) the deities, giving to each his due.

यथाभागं तद्देवताः प्रीणाति प्रीणाति ।