…
The Part of the Hotr in the New and Full Moon Sacrifice
07
Manu desired what of earth was sacrificial. He found the poured out ghee. He said, ‘Who is able to produce this also at the sacrifice?’ Mitra and Varuna said, ‘We are able to produce the cow.’ Then they set the cow in motion. Wherever she stepped, there ghee was pressed out; therefore she is called ghee-footed; that is her origin. ‘The Rathantara is invoked with the earth’, he says [1]. The Rathantara is this (earth); verily he invokes her with food. ‘The Vamadevya is invoked with the atmosphere’, he says. The Vamadevya, is cattle; verily he invokes cattle with the atmosphere. ‘The Brhat is invoked with the sky’, he says. The Brhat is connected with food; verily he invokes food with the sky. ’ The seven Hotras are invoked’, he says; verily he invokes the Hotras. ‘The cow is invoked with the bull’, he says [2]; verily he invokes a pair. ‘The friend food is invoked’, he says; verily he invokes the Soma drink. ‘It is invoked; ho!’ he says; verily he invokes the self, for the self is the best of those invoked. He invokes food, food is cattle; verily he invokes cattle. He invokes four, for cattle are four-footed. ‘Offspring of Manu’, he says, for Manu first saw her [3]. ‘Ghee footed’, he says. Because ghee was pressed out of her foot, therefore be says thus. ‘Of Mitra and Varuna’, he says, for Mitra and Varuna set her in motion. ‘The Brahman, god made, is invoked’, he says; verily he invokes the Brahman. ‘The divine Adhvaryus are invoked, the human are invoked’, he says; verily he invokes the gods and men. ‘Who shall help this sacrifice and make the lord of the sacrifice prosper’, he says [4]; verily he invokes a blessing for the sacrifice and the sacrificer. ‘Sky and earth are invoked’, he says; verily he invokes sky and earth. ‘Born of yore, the righteous’, he says, for they were born of yore and are righteous. ‘Divine, with gods for children’, he says, for they are divine and have gods for children. ‘Invoked is this sacrificer’, he says; verily he invokes the sacrificer. ‘Invoked in the highest sacrifice, invoked in the greater offering, invoked in the divine abode’ [5], he says. The highest sacrifice is offspring, the greater offering is cattle, the divine abode
is the world of heaven. (With the words), ‘Thou art this; thou art this’, he invokes the dear abode of the sacrifice. ‘All that is dear to it is invoked’, he says; verily not vainly does he invoke.
08
Food is cattle, he takes it himself; verily by himself he fills his desires of cattle, for no one else can grant him his desire of cattle. ‘Thee offered to the lord of speech I eat’, he says; verily he delights speech with a share. ‘Thee offered to the lord of the Sadas I eat’, he says, for completion.’ (The food) is divided. in four; what is divided in four is the offering, what is divided in four is cattle; if the Hotr were to eat it, the Hotr would [1] experience misfortune; if he were to offer it in the fire, he would give the cattle to Rudra, and the sacrificer would be without cattle. ‘Thee offered to the lord of speech I eat’, he says; verily secretly does he offer it. ‘Thee offered to the lord of the Sadas’, he says, for completion. They eat; they eat at a suitable moment; he gives a sacrificial gift; at a suitable moment be gives a gift. They cleave the sacrifice [2], if they eat in the middle. They purify it with water; all the gods are the waters; verily they connect the sacrifice with the gods. The gods excluded Rudra from the sacrifice; he pierced the sacrifice, the gods gathered round it (saying), ‘May it be right for us.’ They said, ‘Well offered will this be for us, if we propitiate him.’ That is why Agni is called the ‘well offerer’ (svistakrt). When it was pierced (by him) [3] they cut off (a piece) of the size of a barleycorn; therefore one should cut off (a piece) the size of a barleycorn. If one were to cut off more, he would confuse that part of the sacrifice. If he were to make a layer and then to sprinkle, lie would make it swell on both sides. He cuts it off and sprinkles it; there are two operations; the sacrificer has two feet, for support. If he were to transfer it (to the Brahman) crosswise, he would pierce the unwounded part of the sacrifice; lie transfers it in front; verily he transfers it in the proper way. They transferred it for Pusan [4]. Pusan having eaten it lost his teeth; therefore Pusan has pounded food for his share, for he has no teeth. The gods said of him, ‘He has lost (his teeth), he is not fit for the offering.’ They transferred it to Brhaspati. Brhaspati was afraid, ‘Thus indeed will this one fall on misfortune.’ He saw this Mantra; ‘With the eye of the sun I gaze on thee’, he said, for the eye of the sun harms no one [5]. He was afraid, ‘It will harm me as I take it.’ ‘On the impulse of the god Savitr, with the arms of the Aśvins, with the hands of Pusan I take thee’, he says; verily, impelled by Savitr, he took it with the holy power (Brahman) and with the gods. He was afraid, ‘It will harm me as I eat.’ ‘Thee with the mouth of Agni I eat’, he said, for nothing harms the mouth of Agni. He was afraid [6], ‘It will harm me when I have eaten.’ ‘With the belly of the Brahman’, he said, for nothing harms the belly of the Brahman. ‘With the holy power (Brahman) of Brhaspati’, (he said), for he is fullest of the holy power (Brahman). The breaths indeed depart from him who eats this offering; by purifying it with water he grasps the breaths; the breaths are ambrosia, the waters ambrosia; verily he summons the breaths according to their places.
09
He takes a portion for the Agnidh; verily he delights the seasons whose mouth is Agni. He takes a kindling-stick, for the support of the subsequent offerings; verily he pours on that which has a kindling stick. He rubs the enclosing-sticks; verily he purifies them. He rubs each once, for the sacrifice there is as it were turned away. It makes up four, cattle are four-footed; verily he wins cattle. ‘O Brahman, will we set out?’ he says; there indeed is the sacrifice placed [1], where the Brahman is; where the sacrifice is placed, thence does he commence it. If he were to instigate him with his hand, he would shiver; if with his head, he would have a headache; if he were to sit in silence, the sacrifice would not proceed; he should say, ‘Set out! In speech the sacrifice is placed; where the sacrifice is placed, thence does he bestow it. ‘O god Savitr, that he [2] hath proclaimed to thee’, he says, for impelling. ‘Brhaspati is the (priest) Brahman’, he says, for he is fullest of the holy power (Brahman). ‘Do thou guard the sacrifice, guard the lord of the sacrifice, guard me’, he says; for the sacrifice, the sacrificer, and himself, for these he thus invokes a blessing, to prevent misfortune, Having caused (him) to call out, he says, ‘Utter the verse for sacrifice to the gods.’ The theologians say, ‘The gods have been sacrificed to; what gods are they?’ ‘The metres’, he should reply, ‘Gayatri Tristubh [3], and Jagati.’ Then they say, ‘The metres are the Brahmans’; verily he sacrifices to them. The deities were sacrificed to by the gods; then Agni did not burn forth; the gods
10
The gods could not find any one to utter the call Svaga at the sacrifice. They spoke to Śamyu Barhaspatya, ‘Perform the Svaga call at this sacrifice for us.’ He said, ‘Let me choose a boon; if a faithless man sacrifice, or a man sacrifices without prescription, let the blessing of such a sacrificer be mine.’ Therefore if a faithless man sacrifices, or a man sacrifices without prescription, the blessing of such a sacrifice goes to Śamyu Barhaspatya. ‘That is mine’, he said, ‘What is to belong to my offspring? [1].’ ‘Him, who reviles him, he shall fine with a hundred; him, who strikes him, he shall fine with a thousand; he, who draws blood from him, shall not behold the world of the Pitrs for as many years as are the grains of dust which the blood in its fall seizes upon’, (they replied). Therefore one should not revile a Brahman, nor strike him, nor draw blood from him; for so great is his sin. ‘That health and wealth we choose’, he says; verily he utters the call Svaga, over the sacrifice. ‘That [2] health and wealth we choose’, he says; verily he gives Śamyu Barhaspatya his portion. ‘Success to the sacrifice, success to the sacrificer’, he says; verily he invokes this blessing. He sacrifices to Soma; verily he places seed; he sacrifices to Tvastr; seed is placed and Tvastr moulds forms; he sacrifices to the wives of the gods, to make a pair; he sacrifices to Agni, lord of the house, for support. There is sameness in the sacrifice [3] in that the fore-sacrifices are offered with butter, and the sacrifices to the wives (are offered) with butter. Having repeated the Rc, of the sacrifices to the wives he offers with a Rc, to prevent sameness, and to make a pairing. The sacrifice has a fivefold prelude and a fivefold end; there are offered five fore-sacrifices; there are four sacrifices to the wives, the fifth is the Samistayajus by they make up five as a prelude, and five as an end.
11
a. Yoke like a charioteer, Agni,
The steeds that best invite the gods
Set down as ancient Hotr.
b
And, O god, for us do thou the gods,
Most wise one, call hither;
Make all our wishes true;
c
Since thou, O most young,
O son of strength, who art sacrificed to,
Art righteous and worthy of sacrifice.
d
This Agni is lord of a thousandfold,.
A hundredfold, strength;
The sage, the head of wealth.
e
Bring him hither with common call
Lower to our sacrifice, O Angiras.
As the Rbhus bend the felly (of the chariot) [I]
f
To him, the heavenly,
Now with constant voice, O Virupa,
To the strong one urge the hymn of praise.
g
What Pani shall we lay low among the kine With the missile of this Agni
Who seeth from afar?
h
May not the clans of the gods forsake us,
Like the dawns entering the waters,
As cows a poor man.
i
Let not the assault
Of any ill-minded foe smite us,
As a wave a ship.
k
Homage to thee, O Agni, for might,
The people sing, O god;
With strength [2] trouble thou the foe.
l
Wilt thou not, O Agni,
Bring us wealth for our quest for cattle?
O room maker, make room for us.
m
Cast us not aside in this great contest,
Like a bearer his burden;
Gather wealth and conquer it.
n
May this terror, this misfortune,
O Agni, fasten on another than us;
Increase our impetuous strength.
o
The reverent or generous man
In whose offering he hath delighted,
Agni aideth indeed with furtherance.
p
From a far [3] region
Come hither to these lower ones,
Favour those in the region where I am.
q
Since we have known of old
Of thy help, O Agni, as a father’s,
Now we seek thy favour.
r
Thou, who art like a mighty man who slayeth with the dart Or a sharp-horned bull,
O Agni, hast rent the forts.
s
O friends, together (offer) fit
Food and praise to Agni,
Highest over the folk,
The son of strength, the mighty.
t
Thou gatherest, O strong one,
All that belongeth, O Agni, to the niggard;
Thou art kindled in the place of offering;
Do thou bear us good things.
u
O Prajapati.
v
He knoweth.
w
O Soma and Pusan.
x
These gods.
12
a
Eagerly we hail thee,
Eagerly would we kindle thee;
Eager bring the eager,
The fathers, to eat the offering.
b
Thou, O Soma, art pre-eminent in wisdom;
Thou movest along the straightest path;
Through thy guidance, O drop, our fathers wisely divided
The treasure among the gods.
By thee, O Soma Pavamana, our ancient fathers
Wisely ordained the offerings;
Conquering, untroubled, do thou open the barriers;
Be generous to us in heroes and horses [1].
d
Thou, O Soma, in accord with the fathers,
Hast stretched over sky and earth;
To thee, O drop, let us make sacrifice with offering;
Let us be lords of wealth.
e
O fathers, made ready by Agni, come hither;
With good leadership sit ye on each seat;
Eat ye the offerings set out on the strew;
And give us wealth with many heroes.
f
O fathers that sit on the sacrificial strew, come hither with your aid; We have made these offerings for you; accept them,
And then come to us with your most healing aid,
Give us [2] health, wealth, and safety!
g
I have found the kindly fathers,
The scion and the step of Visnu;
They that sit on the sacrificial strew and enjoy the drink
That is pressed for them with the Svadha call are most eager to come hither.
h
Invoked are the fathers who love the Soma
To their dear homes on the sacrificial strew;
May they come hither; may they hear us here
May they speak for us; and may they aid us.
i
Let them arise, the lower and the higher
And the middle fathers who love the Soma;
They who lived their lives [3] in goodness and without sin;
May these fathers help us when we call.
k
Be this homage to-day to the fathers,
Who went before and who went after;
Who are seated in the earthly region
Or who are now in abodes with fair dwellings.
l
As our fathers before,
Of old, O Agni, furthering right,
Sought the pure, the devotion, singing hymns
Cleaving the earth they disclosed the red ones.
m
When, O Agni [4], bearer of oblations,
Thou sacrificest to the righteous fathers,
Thou shalt bear the oblations
To the gods and to the fathers.
n
Thou, O Agni, praised, all-knower,
Didst carry the offerings making them fragrant;
Thou didst give them to the fathers who ate them at the Svadha call;
Eat thou, O god, the offerings set before thee.
o
Matali with the Kavyas, Yama with the Angirases, Brhaspati rejoicing with the Rkvans,
Those whom the gods magnified and those who magnified the gods; Some in the Svaha call, some in the Svadha rejoice [5].
p
Sit on this strew, O Yama,
In accordance with the Angirases, the fathers
Let the verses made by the poets bring thee hither
Rejoice, O king, in this offering.
Come with the Angirases who deserve the sacrifice Yama, rejoice here with the Vairupas;
I summon Virasvant who is thy father,
Sitting down on the strew at this sacrifice.
r
The Angirases, our fathers, the Navagvas,
Atharvans, Bhrgus, who love the Soma;
May we be in the favour of those ones worthy of sacrifice, May we have their kindly good will.