०१

देवा ह वै सर्वचरौ सत्रं निषेदुस्ते ह पाप्मानं नापजघ्निरे ।

(On the Offices of the Grâvastut and Subrahmaṇyâ.)

(On the Origin of the Office of the Grâvastut[1]. The Serpent Riṣi Arbuda.)

The gods held (once upon a time) a sacrificial session in Sarvacharu. They did not succeed in destroying the consequences of guilt.

[1]See also him about Āśv, Śr. S. 5, 12. His services are only required at the midday libation. He performs his function of repeating mantras over the Soma, squeezing stones before the so-called Dadhi Gharma ceremony. He enters through the eastern gate, and passes on to the two Havirdhânas (the two carts, on which the sacrificial offerings are put, and the two covered places, in which these two carts are). Having arrived north-east of the exterior front of the axe (akṣaśiras) of the southern Havirdhâna, he throws off a stalk of grass held in his hand, which ceremony is called nirasanam (it is performed often by other priests also). He then faces the Soma shoots, assuming a peculiar posture. The Adhvaryu gives him a band (uṣṇīṣa), which he ties round his face. As soon as the Adhvaryu and his assistants take the Soma sprouts from below, the adhiṣavaṇa board (see the note to 7, 32), he ought to repeat the mantras over the Grâvâṇas, which are now being employed for extracting the Soma juice. He commences with verses containing the term su, to squeeze, or derivatives of it. The first is: abhi tvâ deva savitar (1, 24, 3). After some more single verses follow, the three principal Grâvâṇa hymns, viz., praite vadantu (10, 94), â va ṛiṁjase (10, 76), and pra vo grâvāṇaḥ (10, 175). The first and the last are said to have been seen by Arbuda, the Serpent Riṣi, the second by Jarat karna, one of the Serpent tribe also. These hymns very likely formed part of the so-called Sarpaveda or Serpent Veda (see the Gopatha Brâhmaṇam 1, 10, according to whose statement this Veda came from the east), and were originally foreign to the Rigveda. They may be, nevertheless, very ancient. The two latter hymns are to be repeated before the last verse of the first, and are thus treated like a Nivid at the evening libation. Either in the midst, or before, or, after these two hymns, the Grâvastut must repeat the so-called Pâvamânî verses (Rigveda 9.) He has to continue his recitation as long as the squeezing of the juice lasts, or he may go on till it is filled in the Grahas (â vâ graha grahaṇât); he then must conclude with the last verse of the first Grâvâṇa hymn. Besides this ritual for the Grâvastut, another one is given by Aśvalâyana, which he traces to Gâṇagâri.

देवा ह वै सर्वचरौ सत्रं निषेदुस्ते ह पाप्मानं नापजघ्निरे ।

तान्होवाचार्बुदः काद्रवेयः सर्पऋषिर्मन्त्रकृदेका वै वो होत्राकृता तां वो ऽहं करवाण्यथ पाप्मानमपहनिष्यध्व इति ।

Arbuda, the son of Kadru, the Serpent Riṣi, the framer of mantras, said to them, “You have overlooked one ceremony which is to be performed by the Hotar. I will perform it for you, then you will destroy the consequences of guilt.”

तान्होवाचार्बुदः काद्रवेयः सर्पऋषिर्मन्त्रकृदेका वै वो होत्राकृता तां वो ऽहं करवाण्यथ पाप्मानमपहनिष्यध्व इति ।

ते ह तथेत्यूचुस्तेषां ह स्म स मध्यंदिने-मध्यंदिन एवोपोदासर्पन्ग्राव्णो ऽभिष्टौति ।

They said, “Well, let it be done.” At every midday libation, he then came forth (from his hole), approached them, and repeated spells over the Soma, squeezing stones.

ते ह तथेत्यूचुस्तेषां ह स्म स मध्यंदिने-मध्यंदिन एवोपोदासर्पन्ग्राव्णो ऽभिष्टौति ।

तस्मान्मध्यंदिनेमध्यंदिन एव ग्राव्णो ऽभिष्टुवन्ति तदनुकृति ।

Thence they repeat spells at every midday libation over the Soma squeezing stones, in imitation of him (the Serpent Riṣi).

तस्मान्मध्यंदिनेमध्यंदिन एव ग्राव्णो ऽभिष्टुवन्ति तदनुकृति ।

स ह स्म येनोपोदासर्पत्तद्धाप्येतर्ह्यर्बुदोदासर्पणी नाम प्रपदस्ति ।

The way on which this Serpent Riṣi used to go when coming from (his hole) is now known by the name Arbudodā Sarpaṇī (at the sacrificial compound).

स ह स्म येनोपोदासर्पत्तद्धाप्येतर्ह्यर्बुदोदासर्पणी नाम प्रपदस्ति ।

तान्ह राजा मदयां चकार ।

The King (Soma) made the gods drunk.

तान्ह राजा मदयां चकार ।

ते होचुराशीविषो वै नो राजानमवेक्षते हन्तास्योष्णीषेणाक्ष्यावपिनह्यामेति ।

They then said, “A poisonous serpent (āśīviṣa) looks at our King! Well, let us tie a band round his eyes.”

ते होचुराशीविषो वै नो राजानमवेक्षते हन्तास्योष्णीषेणाक्ष्यावपिनह्यामेति ।

तथेति तस्य होष्णीषेणक्ष्यावपिनेहुस्तस्मादुष्णीषमेव पर्यस्य ग्राव्णो ऽभिष्टुवन्ति तदनुकृति ।

They then tied a band round his eyes. Therefore they recite the spells over the Soma squeezing stones, when having tied (round the eyes) a band in imitation (of what the gods did).

तथेति तस्य होष्णीषेणक्ष्यावपिनेहुस्तस्मादुष्णीषमेव पर्यस्य ग्राव्णो ऽभिष्टुवन्ति तदनुकृति ।

तान्ह राजा मदयामेव चकार ।

The King (Soma) made them drunk.

तान्ह राजा मदयामेव चकार ।

ते होचुः स्वेन वै नो मन्त्रेण ग्राव्णो ऽभिष्टौतीति हन्तास्यान्याभिरृग्भिर्मन्त्रमापृनचामेति ।

They said, “He (the Serpent Riṣi) repeats his own mantra over the Soma squeezing stones. Well, let us mix with his mantra other verses.”

ते होचुः स्वेन वै नो मन्त्रेण ग्राव्णो ऽभिष्टौतीति हन्तास्यान्याभिरृग्भिर्मन्त्रमापृनचामेति ।

तथेति तस्य हान्याभिरृग्भिर्मन्त्रमापपृचुस्ततो हैनान्न मदयां चकार ।

They then mixed with his mantra other verses, in consequence of which he (Soma) did not make them drunk.[2]

[2]These mantras were the antidote.

तथेति तस्य हान्याभिरृग्भिर्मन्त्रमापपृचुस्ततो हैनान्न मदयां चकार ।

तद्यदस्यान्याभिरृग्भिर्मन्त्रमापृञ्चन्ति शान्त्या एव ते ह पाप्मानमपजघ्निरे ।

By mixing his mantra with other verses for effecting propitiation, they succeeded in destroying the consequences of guilt.

तद्यदस्यान्याभिरृग्भिर्मन्त्रमापृञ्चन्ति शान्त्या एव ते ह पाप्मानमपजघ्निरे ।

तेषामन्वपहतिं सर्पाः पाप्मानमपजघ्निरे ।

In imitation of this feat achieved by the gods, the Serpents destroyed all consequences of their own guilt.

तेषामन्वपहतिं सर्पाः पाप्मानमपजघ्निरे ।

त एते ऽपहतपाप्मानो हित्वा पूर्वां जीर्णां त्वचं नवयैव प्रयन्ति ।

Having in this state (being quite free from guilt and sin) left off the old skin torn, they obtain a new one.

त एते ऽपहतपाप्मानो हित्वा पूर्वां जीर्णां त्वचं नवयैव प्रयन्ति ।

अप पाप्मानं हते य एवं वेद ।

Who knows this, destroys the consequences of his own guilt.

अप पाप्मानं हते य एवं वेद ।