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Satapatha Brahmana Part V (SBE44), Julius Eggeling tr. [1900], at sacred-texts.com


12:3:3

THIRD BRÂHMANA.

12:3:3:11. The gods were once performing the initiation ceremony for a (sacrificial session) of a thousand years. When five hundred years had passed with them, everything here was worn out--to wit, Stomas, and Prishthas, and metres (texts).

12:3:3:22. The gods then perceived that unexhausted element of the sacrifice, and by means of that unexhausted element they obtained what success there was in the Veda; and, verily, for him who thus knows this, the Vedas are unexhausted, and the work of the officiating priests is pet-formed with the unexhausted threefold science.

12:3:3:33. Now, this is that unexhausted element of the sacrifice:--o-srâvaya, astu sraushat, yaga, ye yagâmahe, and vaushat 2. In these five utterances there are seventeen syllables:--o-srâvaya consists of four syllables, astu sraushat of four syllables, yaga of two syllables, ye yagâmahe of five syllables;

12:3:3:44. And the Vashat-call consists of two syllables. This is the seventeenfold Pragâpati, as established in the deity and in the body, and, verily, whosoever thus knows that seventeenfold Pragâpati, as established in the deity and in the body, establishes himself by offspring and cattle in this, and by immortality in the other, world.

p. 171

12:3:3:55. The gods then spake, 'Find ye out that sacrificial performance which shall be a substitute for one of a thousand years; for what man is equal thereto that he could get through with (a performance of) a thousand years?'

12:3:3:66. They saw the Visvagit with all the Prishthas 1 to be an accelerated Soma-feast in lien of the Prishthya-shadaha, for there are those (same) Stomas, those Prishthas, and those metres.

12:3:3:77. They saw the Prishthya-shadaha to be an accelerated Soma-feast in lieu of the Dvâdasâha, for there are those (same) Stomas, those Prishthas, and those metres 2.

12:3:3:88. They saw the Dvâdasâha to be an accelerated Soma-feast in lieu of (a session of) a year 3, for there are those (same) Stomas, those Prishthas, and those metres.

12:3:3:99. They saw the (session of a) year to be an accelerated Soma-feast in lieu of the Tâpaskita 4, for there are those (same) Stomas, those Prishthas, and those metres.

12:3:3:1010. They saw the Tâpaskita to be an accelerated Soma-feast in lieu of the thousand years’ performance, for there are those (same) Stomas, those Prishthas, and those metres.

12:3:3:1111. He passes a year with the rites of initiation,

p. 172

a year with the Upasads, and a year with the pressings of Soma.

12:3:3:1212. When he passes a year with the rites of initiation he thereby secures for himself the first part of the performance of a thousand years; and when he passes a year with the Upasads he thereby secures for himself the central part of the performance of a thousand years; and when he passes a year with the pressings he thereby secures for himself the last part of the performance of a thousand years.

12:3:3:1313. Twelve months he passes with the rites of initiation, twelve with the Upasads, and twelve with the pressings,--that makes thirty-six. Now the Brihatî (metre) consists of thirty-six syllables, and by means of the Brihatî the gods strove to reach heaven, and by means of the Brihatî they indeed attained heaven; and in like manner does this one, by means of the Brihatî, now strive to reach heaven, and by means of the Brihatî he indeed attains heaven; and whatever object of desire there is in the Brihatî, that he thereby secures for himself.

12:3:3:1414. But, indeed, there is that triad that is performed together,--the Agni (fire-altar), the Arkya, and the Mahad Uktham (great litany). When he passes a year with the rites of initiation, and a year with the Upasads, thereby the Agni and the Arka are secured by him; and when he passes a year with the pressings, thereby the Mahad Uktham is secured by him: this, then, to wit, the Tâpaskita, is the substitute for the performance of a thousand years, and this, to wit, the Tâpaskita, conduces to the procreation of creatures.


Footnotes

170:2 For these sacrificial calls, see part i, p. 142, note 2.

171:1 For such a day's performance with all the Prishtha-sâmans, see part iii, introd., p. xx seq.

171:2 The Dvâdasâha, or twelve-days’ performance, includes a Prishthya-shadaha as its second to seventh days.

171:3 The one year's session includes a Dasarâtra, or ten-days’ performance, forming the central part of the Dvâdasâha; and the first and last days of the latter being, like those of the Gavâm ayanam, a prâyanîya and udayanîya Atiratra.

171:4 See part iv, p. 317, note 2.


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