१०

तदाहुः सूर्यो नातिशस्यो बृहती नातिशस्या ।

(The Verses which Follow those Addressed to Sūrya in the Aśvina Śastra Must Bear some Relation to Sūrya and the Bṛihatī Metre. The Pragâthas to Indra. The Text of the Rathantara Sāman. The Pragâtha to Mitrâvaruṇa. the Two Verses to Heaven and Earth. The Dvipadâ for Nirṛiti.)

Regarding this (the recitations for Sūrya), they say, Sūrya is not to be passed over in the recitation; nor is the Bṛihatī metre (of the Aśvina Śāstra) to be passed over.

तदाहुः सूर्यो नातिशस्यो बृहती नातिशस्या ।

यत्सूर्यमतिशंसेद्ब्रह्मवर्चसमतिपद्येत ।

Should the Hotar pass over Sūrya, he would fall beyond (the sphere of) Brahma splendour (and consequently lose it).

यत्सूर्यमतिशंसेद्ब्रह्मवर्चसमतिपद्येत ।

यद्बृहतीमतिशंसेत्प्राणानतिपद्येतेति ।

Should he pass over the Bṛihatī, he would fall beyond the (sphere of the) vital airs (and consequently die).

यद्बृहतीमतिशंसेत्प्राणानतिपद्येतेति ।

इन्द्र क्रतुं न आभरेत्यैन्द्रं प्रगाथं शंसति ।

He repeats the Pragātha, addressed to Indra, viz., indra kratum na (7, 32, 26), i.e.,

इन्द्र क्रतुं न आभरेत्यैन्द्रं प्रगाथं शंसति ।

शिक्षा णो अस्मिन्पुरुहूत यामनि जीवा ज्योतिरशीमहीति असौ वाव ज्योतिस्तेन सूर्यं नातिशंसति ।

“Carry, O Indra! our (sacrificial) performance through, just as a father does to his sons (by assisting them). Teach us, O thou who art invoked by many, that we may, in this turn (of the night) reach alive the (sphere of) light.”[5] The word “light” (jyotis) in this verse, is that one (the sun). In this way, he does not pass over the sun.

[5]This verse evidently refers to the Atirâtra feast, for which occasion it was in all likelihood composed by Vasiṣṭha. Sây., in his commentary on this passage in the Ait. Br. takes the same view of it. It forms part of the Aśvina Śastra which is repeated at the end of the night. Kratu means the Atirâtra feast; for Atirâtra is actually called a kratu; yâman is the last watch of the night. That Atirâtra was well-known to the great Ṛiṣis, we may learn from the well-known “praise of the frogs” (7, 103), which is by no means one of the latest hymns, as some scholars have supposed.

शिक्षा णो अस्मिन्पुरुहूत यामनि जीवा ज्योतिरशीमहीति असौ वाव ज्योतिस्तेन सूर्यं नातिशंसति ।

यदु बार्हतः प्रगाथस्तेन बृहतीं नातिशंसति ।

By repeating a Bārhata Pragātha he does not pass over the Bṛihatī.

यदु बार्हतः प्रगाथस्तेन बृहतीं नातिशंसति ।

अभि त्वा शूर नोनुम इति राथंतरीं योनिं शंसति ।

By repeating the principal text of the Rathantara Sāman (which is in the Bṛihatī metre, viz., abhi tvā śūra, 7, 32, 22-23), according to whose tune the Sāma singers chant the Sandhi Stotra for the Aśvīna Śāstra, he does not overpraise the Bṛihatī.

अभि त्वा शूर नोनुम इति राथंतरीं योनिं शंसति ।

राथंतरेण वै संधिना ऽऽश्विनाय स्तुवते ।

This is done in order to have provided (for the Sandhi Stotra) its principal text (lit., its womb).

राथंतरेण वै संधिना ऽऽश्विनाय स्तुवते ।

तद्यद्राथंतरीं योनिं शंसति रथंतरस्यैव सयोनित्वाय ।

This is done in order to have provided (for the Sandhi Stotra) its principal text (lit., its womb).

तद्यद्राथंतरीं योनिं शंसति रथंतरस्यैव सयोनित्वाय ।

ईशानमस्य जगतः स्वर्दृशमित्यसौ वाव स्वर्दृक्तेन सूर्यं नातिशंसति ।

In the words of the Rathantara Sāman, īśāṇam asya jagataḥ svardṛiśam, i.e., the ruler of this world who sees the sky, there is an allusion made to Sūrya by “svardṛiśam,” i.e., who sees the sky. By repeating it, he does not pass the sun.

ईशानमस्य जगतः स्वर्दृशमित्यसौ वाव स्वर्दृक्तेन सूर्यं नातिशंसति ।

यदु बार्हतः प्रगाथस्तेन बृहतीं नातिशंसति ।

Nor does he by its (the Rathantaram) being a Bārhata Pragātha pass over the Bṛihatī.

यदु बार्हतः प्रगाथस्तेन बृहतीं नातिशंसति ।

बहवः सूरचक्षस इति मैत्रावरुणं प्रगाथं शंसति ।

He repeats a Maitrāvaruṇa Pragātha, viz., bahavaḥ śūrachakṣase (7, 66, 10).

बहवः सूरचक्षस इति मैत्रावरुणं प्रगाथं शंसति ।

अहर्वै मित्रो रात्रिर्वरुणः ।

For Mitra is the day, and Varuṇa the night.

अहर्वै मित्रो रात्रिर्वरुणः ।

उभे वा एषो ऽहोरात्रे आरभते यो ऽतिरात्रमुपैति ।

He who performs the Atirātra, commences (his sacrifice) with both day and night.

उभे वा एषो ऽहोरात्रे आरभते यो ऽतिरात्रमुपैति ।

तद्यन्मैत्रावरुणं प्रगाथं शंसत्यहोरात्रयोरेवैनं तत्प्रतिष्ठापयति ।

By repeating a Maitrāvaruṇa Pragātha, the Hotar places the sacrificer in day and night.

तद्यन्मैत्रावरुणं प्रगाथं शंसत्यहोरात्रयोरेवैनं तत्प्रतिष्ठापयति ।

सूरचक्षस इति तेन सूर्यं नातिशंसति ।

By the words sūrachakṣase he does not overpraise Sūrya.

सूरचक्षस इति तेन सूर्यं नातिशंसति ।

यदु बार्हतः प्रगाथस्तेन बृहतीं नातिशंसति ।

The verse being a Brihatī Pragātha, he does not pass over the Bṛihatī.

यदु बार्हतः प्रगाथस्तेन बृहतीं नातिशंसति ।

मही द्यौः पृथिवी च नस्ते हि द्यावापृथिवि विश्वशम्भुवेति द्यावापृथिवीये शंसति ।

He repeats two verses addressed to Heaven and Earth, viz., mahī dyáuḥ pṛithivī (1, 22, 13), and te hi dyāvā pṛithivī viśvaś ambhuva (1, 160, 1).

मही द्यौः पृथिवी च नस्ते हि द्यावापृथिवि विश्वशम्भुवेति द्यावापृथिवीये शंसति ।

द्यावापृथिवी वै प्रतिष्ठे ।

Heaven and Earth are two places for a firm footing;

द्यावापृथिवी वै प्रतिष्ठे ।

इयमेवेह प्रतिष्ठा ऽऽसावमुत्र ।

Earth being the firm footing here, and Heaven there (in the other world).

इयमेवेह प्रतिष्ठा ऽऽसावमुत्र ।

तद्यद्द्यावापृथिवीये शंसति प्रतिष्ठयोरेवैनं तत्प्रतिष्ठापयति ।

By thus repeating two verses addressed to Heaven and Earth, he puts the sacrificer in two places on a firm footing.

तद्यद्द्यावापृथिवीये शंसति प्रतिष्ठयोरेवैनं तत्प्रतिष्ठापयति ।

देवो देवी धर्मणा सूर्यः शुचिरिति तेन सूर्यं नातिशंसति ।

By the words, devo devī dharmaṇā sūryaḥ śuchiḥ (in the last pada of 1, 160, 1), i.e., “the divine brilliant Sūrya passes regularly between the two goddesses (i.e., Heaven and Earth),” he does not pass over Sūrya.

देवो देवी धर्मणा सूर्यः शुचिरिति तेन सूर्यं नातिशंसति ।

यदु गायत्री च जगती च ते द्वे बृहत्यौ तेन बृहतीं नातिशंसति ।

One of these verses being in the Gāyatrī, the other in the Jagatī, metre, which make two Bṛihatīs,[6] he does not pass over the Bṛihatī.

[6]The Bṛihatî contains thirty-six syllables, the Gâyatrî twenty-four, and the Jagatî. forty-eight. Two Bṛihatîs make seventy-two, and one Gâyatrî and Jagatî make together. seventy-two syllables.

यदु गायत्री च जगती च ते द्वे बृहत्यौ तेन बृहतीं नातिशंसति ।

विश्वस्य देवी मृचयस्य जन्मनो न या रोषाति न ग्रभदिति द्विपदां शंसति ।

He repeats the Dvipadā verse : viśvasya devī mṛichayasya (not to be found in the Saṃhitā, but in the Brāhmaṇam), i.e., may she who is the ruler of all that is born and moves (mṛichaya) not be angry (with us), nor visit us (with destruction).

विश्वस्य देवी मृचयस्य जन्मनो न या रोषाति न ग्रभदिति द्विपदां शंसति ।

चितैधमुक्थमिति ह स्म वा एतदाचक्षते यदेतदाश्विनम् ।

They (the theologians) have called the Aśvina Śāstra a funeral pile of wood (chitaidha).

चितैधमुक्थमिति ह स्म वा एतदाचक्षते यदेतदाश्विनम् ।

निर्ऋतिर्ह स्म पाशिन्युपास्ते यदैव होता परिधास्यत्यथ पाशान्प्रतिमोक्ष्यामीति ।

For, when the Hotar is about to conclude (this Śāstra), Nirṛiti (the goddess of destruction) is lurking with her cords, thinking to cast them round (the Hotar).

निर्ऋतिर्ह स्म पाशिन्युपास्ते यदैव होता परिधास्यत्यथ पाशान्प्रतिमोक्ष्यामीति ।

ततो वा एतां बृहस्पतिर्द्विपदामपश्यन्न या रोषाति न ग्रभदिति तया निर्ऋत्याः पाशिन्या अधराचः पाशानपास्यत् ।

(To prevent this) Bṛihaspati saw this Dvipadā verse. By its words, “may she not be angry (with us), nor visit us (with destruction),” he wrested from Nirṛiti’s hands her cords and put them down.

ततो वा एतां बृहस्पतिर्द्विपदामपश्यन्न या रोषाति न ग्रभदिति तया निर्ऋत्याः पाशिन्या अधराचः पाशानपास्यत् ।

तद्यदेतां द्विपदां होता शंसति निर्ऋत्या एव तत्पाशिन्या अधराचः पाशानपास्यति ।

Thus the Hotar wrests also from the hands of Nirṛiti her cords, and puts them down when repeating this Dvipadā verse, by which means he comes off in safety.

तद्यदेतां द्विपदां होता शंसति निर्ऋत्या एव तत्पाशिन्या अधराचः पाशानपास्यति ।

स्वस्त्येव होतोन्मुच्यते सर्वायुः सर्वायुत्वाय सर्वमायुरेति य एवं वेद ।

(He does so) for attaining to his full age. He who has such a knowledge attains to his full age.

स्वस्त्येव होतोन्मुच्यते सर्वायुः सर्वायुत्वाय सर्वमायुरेति य एवं वेद ।

मृचयस्य जन्मन इत्यसौ वाव मर्चयतीव तेन सूर्यं नातिशंसति ।

By the words, mṛichayasya janmanaḥ, i.e., “what is born and moves,” he does not pass over the sun in his recitation, for that one (the sun) moves (marchayati) as it were.

मृचयस्य जन्मन इत्यसौ वाव मर्चयतीव तेन सूर्यं नातिशंसति ।

यदु द्विपदा पुरुषच्छन्दसं सा सर्वाणि च्छन्दांस्यभ्याप्ता तेन बृहतीं नाति शंसति ।

As regards the Dvipadā verse, it is the metre corresponding to man (on account of his two padas, i.e., feet). Thus it comprises all metres (for the two-legged man is using them all). In this way, the Hotar does not (by repeating the Dvipadā) pass over the Bṛihatī.

यदु द्विपदा पुरुषच्छन्दसं सा सर्वाणि च्छन्दांस्यभ्याप्ता तेन बृहतीं नाति शंसति ।