Created by Jijith Nadumuri at 14 Jul 2011 08:04 and updated at 14 Jul 2011 12:41
KRISHNA YAJUR VEDA
KANDA 5
THE EXPLANATION OF THE PILING OF THE FIRE ALTAR
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Table of Contents
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PRAPATHAKA VII (7)
The Piling of the Fire Altar (continued)
v. 7. 1.
a He who piles the fire without regard to the deity falls a victim to the deities; he becomes poorer; he who (piles it) according to the deity does not fall a victim to the deities; he becomes richer.
With a Gayatri (verse) addressed to Agni should he stroke the first layer; with a Tristubh the second; with a Jagati the third; with an Anustubh the fourth; with a Pankti the fifth; verily he piles the fire according to the deity.
He falls not a victim to the deities; he becomes richer.
This is the dividing of the sacrificial food; the food is cattle, and he piles it with cattle [1].
b He who piles the fire after announcing to Prajapati does not go to ruin.
The horses should stand on either side, on the left the black, on the right the white; having offered them he should put down the bricks; that is the form of Prajapati, the horse is connected with Prajapati; verily having announced to Prajapati in real presence he piles the fire, he does not go to ruin; the white horse is the form of day, the black of night; the bricks are the form of day [2], the mortar of night; when about to put down the bricks he should stroke the white horse, when about to put down the mortar he should stroke the black; verily with the days and nights he piles it.
c A golden vessel full of honey he gives, (saying), May I be possessed of honey with (a verse) addressed to Surya, containing the word brilliant he should gaze (on it); verily it becomes brilliant in the midday; he causes the horse to sniff it; Indra is yonder sun, Prajapati is he; the horse is connected with Prajapati; verily he wins him straightway.
v. 7. 2.
a To thee, O Agni, the bull, the wise, I have come, generating thee ever new; Be our household rites not halting; With thy keen holy power sharpen us.
The bricks are cattle, in each layer he puts down a bull (brick); verily in his sacrifice he makes a pairing for propagation; therefore in every herd there is a bull.
b The image of the year Which men revere in thee, O night, Making his offspring rich in heroes, May he obtain all life.
He puts down this Prajapati (brick) [1]; the sole eighth day is this (earth); in that food is made on the sole eighth day, he wins it thereby; this is the wish cow of Prajapati; verily by it the sacrificer in yonder world milks the fire.
c With the light wherewith the gods went upward, Wherewith the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, Wherewith the Angirases attained greatness, With that let the sacrificer go in prosperity.
The fire is piled for the world of heaven [2]; (with the words) With the light wherewith the gods went upwards he lights the fire in the pan; verily he puts down the bricks connected with the trees, to win the world of heaven.
d Homage() to the hundred weaponed, him of a hundred powers, Him of a hundred aids, the overcomer of hostility, To Indra who shall lead us over all obstacles Through autumns without fail.
e The four paths going to the gods Which stretch between sky and earth, To him, O gods, do ye all accord us Who brought to them unfailing power and untirelessness [3].
f Summer, winter, and spring for us, Autumn, the rains be favourable for us; May we enjoy the favour and protection Of these seasons through a hundred autumns.
g To the Idu year, the complete year, the year Pay ye honour great; In their lovingkindness that are worthy of sacrifice May we long be unfailing, unsmitten.
h Better than good have the gods brought together; With thee as aid may we win thee; Do thou, wonder working, O drop [4], enter us, Be propitious and kindly to our children, our descendants.
i He puts down these unfailing (bricks), they are the gods unconquered; verily he enters them; he is not conquered.
k The theologians say, Since the months, the half months, the seasons, the years cook the plants, then why is the offering of first fruits made to other deities? The gods conquered these (plants); if he were to offer to the seasons, he would cause strife with the gods; having offered the offering of first fruits, he offers these libations; verily he delights the half months, the months, the seasons, the year; he does not cause strife with the gods.
Better than good have the gods brought together he says, for the eating of the offering, to prevent the defeat of the sacrificer.
v. 7. 3.
a Thou art the thunderbolt of Indra, slaying foes; Guarding our bodies, lying in wait; He who in east, south, west, In the north, as a foe plots against us, May he strike on this rock.
The gods and the Asuras were in conflict; the Asuras sought to force them from the quarters; the gods repelled them with arrow and thunder bolt; in that he puts down the thunderbolt (bricks), he repels his foes with arrow and thunderbolt; in the quarters [1] he puts down; verily he puts round him those citadels of the gods, which guard the body.
b O Agni and Visnu, May these songs gladden you in unison; Come ye with radiance and strength.
The theologians say, Since they do not offer to any deity, then what deity has the stream of wealth? Wealth is Agni, this stream is his; wealth is Visnu, this stream is his; with a verse addressed to Agni and Visnu he offers the stream of wealth; verily he unites them with their proper portions; verily also [2] he makes this libation to have an abode; he wins that for desire of which he makes this offering.
The fire is Rudra; now two are his bodies, the dread the one, the auspicious the other; in that he offers the Satarudriya, he soothes with it his dread form; in that he offers the stream of wealth, he delights with it his auspicious form.
He, who knows the support of the stream of wealth [3], finds support.
If there is any butter left over, in it he should cook a mess for the Brahmans, four Brahmans should eat it; the Brahman is Agni Vaisvanara, Vaisvanara, is the form dear to Agni; verily he establishes it in his dear form.
He should give four cows; verily with them the sacrificer in yonder world milks the fire.
v. 7. 4.
a To thought I offer with mind, with ghee he says; the oblation to Visvakarman is called the undeceivable; the foe cannot deceive him who has piled; verily also he wins the gods.
b O Agni, to day (with these words) he offers with a Pankti verse, and by the Pankti and the libation he grasps the beginning of the sacrifice.
C Seven are thy kindling sticks, O Agni; seven thy tongues he says; verily he wins the Hotr s offices.
Agni went away from the gods, desiring a portion [1]; to him they assigned this as a portion; that is the Agnihotra, of Agni; then is he born indeed when he is completely piled.
Verily to him on birth he gives food; he delighted delights him, he becomes richer.
d The theologians say, Since it is as the Garhapatya that (the fire) is piled, then where is its Ahavaniya? Yonder sun he should reply, for in it they offer to all the gods [2].
He who knowing thus piles the fire straightway makes pleased the gods.
e O Agni, the glorious, lead him to glory; Bring hither the fame that is Indra s; May he be head, overlord, resplendent, Most famed of his equals.
With look auspicious first they underwent Fervour and consecration, the seers who found the heavenly light; Thence was born the kingly power, might and force; May the gods in unison accord that to us.
Disposer, ordainer, and highest [3] onlooker, Prajapati, supreme lord, the ruler; The Stomas, the metres, the Nivids, mine they call; To him may we secure the kingdom.
Turn towards me, come to me; May he be your ruler, your overlord; On his discernment do ye depend; Upon him henceforth do ye all serve.
He puts down these supporters of the realm; this is the realm supporting piling of the fire; verily with it he bestows on him the kingly power, he becomes the kingly power, the kingly power does not fall away from him.
v. 7. 5.
a Just as a son born dies, so dies he whose fire in the pan is extinguished.
If he were to make it by friction, he would divide (the fire), he would produce a foe for him.
It must again be kindled (with wood) around; verily he produces it from its own birthplace, he does not produce a foe for him.
Darkness seizes on him whose fire in the pan is extinguished, darkness is death; a black garment, a black heifer are the sacrificial fees; verily with darkness [1] he smites away the darkness which is death.
Gold he gives, gold is light; verily with the light he smites away the darkness; moreover gold is brilliance; verily he confers brilliance upon himself.
b Like heavenly light, the heat; hail! Like heavenly light, the Arka hail! Like heavenly light, the bright; hail! Like heavenly light, the light; hail! Like heavenly light, the sun; hail!
The fire is Arka, the horse sacrifice is yonder sun [2]; in that he offers these libations he unites the lights of the Arka and the horse sacrifice; he indeed is an offerer of the Arka and the horse sacrifice, for whom this is done in the fire.
c The waters were first this world, the moving; Prajapati saw this first layer, it he put down, it became this (earth).
To him Visvakarman said, Let me come to thee There is no space here he answered [3].
He saw this second layer, he put it down, it became the atmosphere.
The sacrifice said to Prajapati, Let me come to thee There is no space here he answered.
He said to Visvakarman, Let me come to thee.
In what way wilt thou come to me? By the regional (bricks) he replied.
He came with the regional (bricks), he put them down, they became the regions [4].
The supreme lord said to Prajapati, Let me come to thee There is no space here he answered.
He said to Visvakarman and the sacrifice, Let me come to you two There is no space here they answered.
He saw this third layer, he put it down, it became yonder (world).
Aditya said to Prajapati, Let me come to thee [5]; There is no space here he answered.
He said to Visvakarman and the sacrifice, Let me come to you two There is no space here they answered.
He said to the supreme lord, Let me come to thee.
In what way wilt thou come to me? By the space filler he replied.
He came to him by the space filler; therefore the space filler is unexhausted, for yonder Aditya is unexhausted [6].
To them the seers said, Let us come to you.
In what way will ye come? By greatness they replied.
To them they came with two (more) layers; (the fire) became one of five layers.
He who knowing thu piles the fire becomes greater, he conquers these worlds, the gods know him; moreover he attains community with these deities.
v. 7. 6.
a The fire is a bird; if the piler of the fire were to eat of a bird, he would be eating the fire, he would go to ruin.
For a year should he observe the vow, for a vow goes not beyond a year.
b The fire is an animal; now an animal destroys him who moves up to it face to face; therefore he should go up to it from behind while it is looking towards the front, to prevent injury to himself.
c Brilliance art thou, grant me brilliance, restrain earth [1], guard me from the earth.
Light art thou, grant me light, restrain the atmosphere, guard me from the atmosphere.
Heavenly light art thou, grant me heavenly light, restrain the heavenly light, guard me from the sky he says; by these are these worlds supported; in that he puts them down, (it is) for the support of these worlds.
Having put down the naturally perforated (bricks) he puts down the gold bricks; the naturally perforated are these worlds, gold is light; in that having put down the naturally perforated [2] he puts down the gold bricks; verily he makes these worlds full of light by means of them; verily also by them these worlds shine forth for him.
d Those flames of thine, O Agni, which rising in the sun, With rays envelop the sky, With all of them bring us to brilliance, to man.
Those flames of yours in the sun, O gods, Those flames in cattle, in horses, O Indra and Agni, with all of these Grant us brilliance, O Brhaspati.
Grant us brilliance [3] in our Brahmans, Place brilliance in our princes, Brilliance in Visyas and Sudras; With thy flame grant me brilliance.
The glory and power of him who has piled the fire go apart twofold, or to the fire which he has piled or to the man who has sacrificed.
In that he offers these libations, he places in himself power and fame.
e He who having piled the fire steps on it is liable to go to ruin.
To thee I come praising with holy power with this verse addressed to Varuna [4] should he offer; that is the soothing of the fire and the protection of himself.
f He who piles the fire is made into an offering; just as an offering spills, so he spills who having piled the fire approaches a woman; with clotted curds for Mitra and Varuna he should sacrifice; verily he approaches unity with Mitra and Varuna, to avoid his spilling.
g He who knows the fire to rest on the seasons, for him the seasons go in order; he finds support.
The fire resting on the seasons is the year [5]; the head is the spring, the right side summer, the tail the rains, the left side autumn, the middle winter, the layers the first half months, the mortar the second half months, the bricks the days and nights; this is the fire resting on the seasons; he who knows thus, for him the seasons go in order; he finds support.
h Prajapati, desirous of supremacy, put down the fire; then did he attain supremacy; he who knowing thus piles the fire attains thus supremacy.
v. 7. 7.
a What has flowed from purpose, or heart, Or what is gathered from mind or sight, Follow to the world of good deed, Where are the seers, the first born, the ancient ones.
b This I place around thee, O abode, the treasure Whom the all knower hath brought here; After you the lord of the sacrifice will follow; Know ye him in the highest firmament.
c Know ye him in the highest firmament, O gods associates, ye know his form; When he shall come [1] by the paths, god travelled, Do ye reveal to him what is sacrificed and bestowed.
d Move ye forward; go ye along together, Make ye the paths, god travelled, O Agni In this highest abode, O All gods, sit ye with the sacrificer.
e With the strew, the encircling stick, The offering ladle, the altar, the grass (barhis), With the Rc, bear this sacrifice for us To go to the heaven to the gods.
f What is offered, what is handed over, What is given, the sacrificial fee, That [2] may Agni Vaisvanara Place in the sky among the gods for us.
g That by which thou bearest a thousand, Thou, O Agni, all wealth, By that (path) do thou bear the sacrifice of ours, To go to the gods in heaven.
h By that (path) by which, O Agni, the priests, busy, Bear the fees, the sacrifice, By that do thou bear this sacrifice of ours, To go to the gods in heaven.
i By that (path) by which, O Agni, the doers of good deeds, Obtain the streams of honey, By that do thou bear this sacrifice of ours, To go to the gods in heaven.
k Where are the streams that fail not Of honey and of ghee, May Agni Vaisvanara place us In heaven among the gods.
v. 7. 8.
a Thy kindling sticks, O Agni, thine abodes, Thy tongues, O all knower, thy light, Thy cracklings, thy drops, With these pile thyself, well knowing.
The fire is an extended sacrifice; what of it is performed, what not? What the Adhvaryu in piling the fire omits, that of himself he omits.
Thy kindling sticks, O Agni, thine [1] abodes he says; this is the self piling of the fire; verily the fire piles the fire, the Adhvaryu omits nothing from himself.
b To the four quarters let the fires advance; May he bear this sacrifice for us, well knowing; Making rich the ghee, immortal, full of heroes, The holy power is the kindling stick of the libations.
The tortoise is put down for the world of heaven; To the four quarters let the fires advance he says [2]; verily by it he recognizes the quarters; May he bear this sacrifice for us, well knowing he says, for guidance to the world of heaven; The holy power is the kindling stick of the libations he says.
By means of the holy power the gods went to the world of heaven; in that he puts down (the tortoise) with (a verse) containing the word holy power by the holy power the sacrificer goes to the world of heaven.
c The fire is Prajapati here; cattle are the offspring; the form the metres; all colours of bricks should he make; verily by the form he wins offspring, cattle, the metres; verily also he piles it winning it for offspring, cattle, the metres.
v. 7. 9.
a In me I take first Agni, For increase of wealth, for good offspring with noble heroes; In me offspring, in me radiance I place; May we be unharmed in our body with good heroes.
b The immortal Agni who hath entered Into us mortals within the heart, O fathers, May we enclose him in ourselves; May he not abandon us and go afar.
If the Adhvaryu without taking the fire in himself were to pile it, he would pile his own fire also [1] for the sacrificer.
Now cattle depend upon the fire; cattle would be likely to depart from him.
In me I take first Agni he says; verily in himself he supports his own fire, cattle depart not from him.
b The theologians say, Since clay and water are not food for Agni, then why is he piled with clay and water? In that he joins with water [2] and all the deities are the waters, verily he unites him with the waters.
In that he piles with clay and Agni Vaisvanara is this earth, verily he piles Agni with Agni.
c The theologians say, Since the fire is piled with clay and water, then why is it called the fire? In that he piles with the metres and the metres are fires, therefore is it called fire.
Moreover Agni Vaisvanara is this (earth); in that [3] he piles with clay, therefore is it called the fire.
d He puts down golden bricks; gold is light; verily be confers light upon him; again gold is brilliance; verily he confers radiance upon himself.
He, who piles (the fire) with faces on all sides, eats food in all his offspring, conquers all the quarters.
In the east he puts down a Gayatri, a Tristubh on the south, a Jagati on the west, an Anustubh on the north, a Pankti in the middle; this is the fire with faces on all sides: he, who knowing thus piles it, eats food in all his offspring, conquers all the quarters; verily also he weaves quarter in quarter; therefore quarter is woven in quarter.
v. 7. 10.
Prajapati created the fire; it created ran away east from him; he cast the horse at it, it turned to the south; he cast the ram at it, it turned to the west; he cast the bull at it, it turned to the north; he cast the goat at it, it ran upwards.
He cast the man at it.
In that he puts down the heads of animals, he piles it [1], winning it on every side.
The heads of animals are bricks, breath supporting, full of sight; in that he puts down the heads of animals, the sacrificer breathes with them in yonder world; verily also these worlds shine forth for him by them.
He puts them down after smearing with mud, for purity.
The fire is an animal, animals are food, the heads of animals are this fire; if he desire of a man, May his food be less [2], he should put down for him the heads of animals more closely together; his food becomes less; if he desire of a man, May his food be similar (to what he has now) he should put them down for him at a mean distance; verily his food becomes the same; if he desire of a man, May his food become more he should put them down separating them at the ends of the pile; verily at the ends also he wins food for him; his food becomes more.
The Horse Sacrifice (continued)
v. 7. 11.
Flies with the teeth, frogs with the grinders; the cater with the gnawer; strength with the digester; the wild with the knee cap; clay with the gums; Avaka grass with pieces of gravel; with the Avakas gravel; with the hump the tongue; with the shouter the palate, Sarasvati with the tongue tip.
v. 7. 12.
Strength with the jaws; the waters with the mouth; the Adityas with the hair; support with the lower lip; the existent with the upper; the clearness with what is between; by the gloss the external (radiance); by the knob the thundering; by the eyes Surya and Agni; by the two pupils the two lightnings; the lightning stroke by the brain; might by the marrow parts.
v. 7. 13.
Tortoises with the hooves; with the flesh of the hooves francolin partridges; the Saman with the dewclaws; speed with the legs; health with the two knees; strength with the two Kuhas; fear with the two movers; the secret with the two sides; the Asvins with the two shoulders Aditi with the head; Nirrti with the bald head.
v. 7. 14.
The yoke thong with the pits of the legs; the yoke with the bent part; thought with the neck; sounds with the breaths; with the gloss skin; with the Parakasa the interior; with hair the flies; Indra with the hard working bearing part; Brhaspati with the seat of the birds; the chariot with the cervical vertebrae.
v. 7. 15.
Indra and Varuna with the two buttocks; Indra and Agni with the flesh below the buttocks; Indra and Brhaspati with the two thighs; Indra and Visnu with the knees; Savitr with the tail; the Gandharvas with the penis; the Apsarases with the testicles; the purifying with the anus; the strainer with the two Potras; the going with the two Sthuras; the going to with the two centres of the loins.
v. 7. 16.
For Indra the breast, for Aditi the flanks, for the quarters the cervical cartilages; the clouds with the heart and its covering; atmosphere with the pericardium; the mist with the flesh of the stomach; Indrani with the lungs; ants with the liver, the hills with the intestines; the ocean with the stomach; Vaisvanara with the fundament.
v. 7. 17.
For Pusan the rectum; for the blind serpent the large entrails; serpents with the entrails; seasons with the transverse processes; sky with the back; for the Vasus the first vertebra; for the Rudras the second; for the Adityas the third; for the Angirases the fourth; for the Sadhyas the fifth; for the All gods the sixth.
v. 7. 18.
Force with the neck; Nirrti with the bones; Indra with the hard working bearing part; for Rudra the moving shoulder; for day and night the second (part); for the half months the third; for the months the fourth; for the seasons the fifth; for the year the sixth.
v. 7. 19.
Joy with the delighter; love with the two Pratyasas; fear with the two Sitimans; command with the two Prasasas; sun and moon with the two kidney parts; the dark and the light with the two kidneys; the dawning with the form; the setting with the formless.
v. 7. 20.
Day with the flesh; night with the fat; the waters with the juice; ghee with the sap; ice with the fat (vása); hail with the rheum of the eyes; with tears hoar frost; sky with the form; the Naksatras with the shadow; earth with the hide; the skin with the skin; to it brought up hail! To it slaughtered hail! To it offered hail!
v. 7. 21.
For Agni the first rib; for Sarasvati the second; for Soma the third; for the waters the fourth; for the plants the fifth; for the year the sixth; for the Maruts the seventh; for Brhaspati the eighth; for Mitra the ninth; for Varuna the tenth; for Indra the eleventh for the All gods the twelfth; for sky and earth the side; for Yama the side bone.
v. 7. 22.
For Vayu the first rib; for Sarasvant the second; for the moon the third; for the Naksatras the fourth; for Savitr the fifth; for Rudra the sixth for the serpents the seventh; for Aryaman the eighth; for Tvastr the ninth for Dhatr the tenth; for Indrani the eleventh; for Aditi the twelfth; for sky and earth the side; for Yama the side bone.
v. 7. 23.
The path with the two parts near the kidneys; continuance with the two sinew parts; parrots with bile; jaundice with the liver; the Haliksnas with the evil wind; Kusmas with dung; the worms with the contents of the intestines; dogs with the cutting up; serpents with the smell of the blood, birds with the smell of the cooking; ants with the fragments.
v. 7. 24.
With strides the courser hath strode out, In unison with the All gods worthy of sacrifice;.
Do thou bear us to the world of good deeds; May we rejoice in thy strength.
v. 7. 25.
a Thy back is the sky; thy place earth; thy breath the atmosphere; thy birthplace the ocean.
b Thine eye the sun; thy breath the wind; thine ear the moon; thy joints the months and the half months; thy limbs the seasons; thy greatness the year.
v. 7. 26.
Agni was the animal; with it they sacrificed; it won this world where Agni is; this is thy world, thou wilt win it, and so snuff (it).
Vayu was the animal; with it they sacrificed; it won this world where Vayu is; this is thy world, therefrom will I obstruct thee if thou dost not snuff (it).
Aditya was the animal; with it they sacrificed; it won this world where Aditya is; this is thy world, thou wilt win it if thou dost snuff it.
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