१०

तदाहुर्वाचापत्नीको ऽग्निहोत्रं कथमेव जुहोति ।

(How the Agnihotram of Him Who has no Wife becomes Performed.)[16]

They ask, In what way does an Agnihotri who has no wife, bring his oblations with Speech (i. e., by repeating the mantras required with his voice)?

[16]This paragraph offers considerable difficulties to the translator. Its style is not plain and perspicuous, and it appears that it is an interpolation as well as the following (11th) paragraph. But, whether it is an interpolation of later times is very doubtful. The piece may (to judge from its uncouth language) even be older than the bulk of the Aitareya Brâhmaṇam. Sây., who inverts their order, says, that they are found in some countries, whereas they are wanting in others. In his Commentary on the 10th paragraph, Sây. does several times violence to grammar. He asserts, for instance, that : आहुः after पुत्रान्० is to be taken in the sense of the third person singular of the potential, standing for ब्रूयात्. The same sense of a potential he gives to the perfect tense, âruroha. Both these explanations are inadmissible. The purport of this paragraph is to show, in what way an Agnihotri may continue his sacrificial career, though it be interrupted by the death of his wife. For the rule is, that the sacrificer must always have his wife with him (their hands are tied together on such an occasion) when he is sacrificing.

तदाहुर्वाचापत्नीको ऽग्निहोत्रं कथमेव जुहोति ।

निविष्टे मृता पत्नी नष्टा वाग्निहोत्रं कथमग्निहोत्रं जुहोति ।

In what way does he offer his (daily) burnt offering, when his wife dies, after he has already entered on the state of an Agnihotri, his wife having (by her death) destroyed the qualification for the performance of (the daily) burnt offering ?[17]

[17]This is the translation of the term, naṣṭâv âgnihotram, which I take as a kind of compound. Sây. explains it, naṣṭam eva bhavati pûrvasiddhair agnibhiḥ patnidahapakṣe punaragnihotrahetânâm agninâm abhâvat. Naṣṭâ is to be taken in the sense of an active past participle, “having destroyed,” vâ appears to have the sense of ava, as Sây. explains. That vâ can form part of a compound as the word, abhivânyavatsâ proves (7, 2).

निविष्टे मृता पत्नी नष्टा वाग्निहोत्रं कथमग्निहोत्रं जुहोति ।

पुत्रान्पौत्रान्नप्तॄनित्याहुः ।

They say, That one has children, grand-children, and relations in this world, and in that world.

पुत्रान्पौत्रान्नप्तॄनित्याहुः ।

अस्मिंश्च लोके ऽमुष्मिंश्चास्मिँल्लोके ऽयं स्वर्गः ।

In this world, there is heaven (i. e., heaven is to be gained in this world by sacrificing).

अस्मिंश्च लोके ऽमुष्मिंश्चास्मिँल्लोके ऽयं स्वर्गः ।

अस्वर्गेण स्वर्गं लोकमारुरोहेति ।

(The Agnihotri who has no wife, says to his children, &c. :) “I have ascended to heaven by means of what was no heaven (i. e., by the sacrifice performed in this world).”

अस्वर्गेण स्वर्गं लोकमारुरोहेति ।

अमुष्यैव लोकस्य संततिं धारयति यस्यैषाम्पत्नीं नैछेत् ।

He who does not wish for a (second) wife (for having his sacrificial ceremonies continuously performed), keeps thus (by speaking to his children, &c., in the way indicated) his connection with the other world up.

अमुष्यैव लोकस्य संततिं धारयति यस्यैषाम्पत्नीं नैछेत् ।

तस्मादपत्नीकस्याधानं कुर्वन्ति ।

Thence they (his children) establish new fires, for him who has lost his wife.

तस्मादपत्नीकस्याधानं कुर्वन्ति ।

अपत्नीको ऽग्निहोत्रं कथमग्निहोत्रं जुहोति ।

How does he who has no wife, bring his oblations (with his mind)?

अपत्नीको ऽग्निहोत्रं कथमग्निहोत्रं जुहोति ।

श्रद्धा पत्नी सत्यं यजमानः ।

(The answer is) Faith is his wife, and Truth the sacrificer.

श्राद्ध पत्नी सत्यं यजमानः ।

श्रद्धा सत्यं तदिति उत्तमम्मिथुनम् ।

The marriage of Faith and Truth is a most happy one.

श्रद्धा सत्यं तदिति उत्तमम्मिथुनम् ।

श्रद्धया सत्येन मिथुनेन स्वर्गाँल्लोकाञ्जयतीति ।

For by Faith and Truth joined, they conquer the celestial world.

श्रद्धया सत्येन मिथुनेन स्वर्गाँल्लोकाञ्जयतीति ।