These form the Trivrit Stoma and the Gâyatri metre, and whatever there exists, all this is produced after the production of this Stoma and this metre. Therefore the recitation of these headhymns serves for production. 5. He who knows this, gets offspring and cattle. 6. Next comes the Sûdadohas verse. Verily, Sûdadohas is breath, and thereby he joins all joints with breath. 7. Next follow the vertebrae (of the bird). These verses are Virâg (shining). Therefore man says to man, 'Thou shinest above us;' or to a stiff and proud man, 'Thou carriest thy neck stiff.' Or because the (vertebrae of the neck) run close together, they are taken to be the best food. For Virâg is food, and food is strength. 8. Next comes the Sûdadohas verse. Sûdadohas is breath, and thereby he joins all joints with breath. 1 Vigavas may be a singular, and the commentator seems to take it as such in his first explanation. The text, tâ virâgo bhavanti, proves nothing, because it could not be sa virâgo bhavanti, nor even sa virâd bhavati. Possibly the word may occur in both forms, vigu, plural vigavah, and vigavah. In a somewhat similar way we find grîvâ and grîvâh, folia and la feuille. On p. 109, the commentator speaks of vigavabhâga, and again, p. 110, pakshamûlarûpâ vigavâ abhihitâh. He, however, explains its meaning rightly, as the root of the wings, or rather the lower bones of the neck. Grîvâh, plural, were originally the vertebrae of the neck. The paragraph, though very empty, contains at least some interesting forms of language. First vigu, vertebrae, then the participles duta and sambâ/hatama, and lastly the verb pratyak, the last probably used in the sense of to bring near, to represent, with the superlative adverb annatamâm (Pân. V, 4, 11), i. e. they are represented as if they brought the best food. SECOND KHANDA. It is this 1. Next follows the right wing. world (the earth), it is this Agni, it is speech, it is the Rathantara1, it is Vasishtha, it is a hundred 2. These are the six powers (of the right wing) 3. The Sampâta hymn (Rv. IV, 20) serves indeed for obtaining desires and for firmness. The Pankti verse (Rv. I, 80, 1) serves for proper food. Sûdadohas 2. Next comes the Sûdadohas verse. is breath, thereby he joins all joints with breath. 3. Next follows the left wing. It is that world (heaven), it is that sun, it is mind, it is the Brihat, it 1 Rathantara is the name of the whole number of hymns to be recited at this part of the sacrifice. It was made by Vasishtha, and consists of one hundred verses. 21. Stotriya, abhi tvâ sûra nonumah (Rv. VII, 32, 22) 2. Anurûpa, abhi tvâ pûrvapîtaye (Rv. VIII, 3, 7) 3. Indrasya nu (Rv. I, 32) 4. Tve ha (Rv. VII, 18, 1-15) 14. Itthâ hi (Rv. I, 80, 1) 2 (3) 2 (3) 15 15 II IO 6 5 5 5 5 These hymns and verses are given Ait. Âr. V, 2, 2, 1. Here we also learn that hymn Rv. IV, 20, is called Sampâta, and that the last verse is a Pankti. The six powers are earth, Agni, speech, Rathantara, Vasishtha, and a hundred. is Bharadvâga, it is a hundred1. These are the six powers (of the left wing). The Sampâta hymn (Rv. IV, 23) serves indeed for obtaining desires and for firmness. The Pankti verse (Rv. I, 81, 1) serves for proper food. 4. These two (the right and the left wings) are deficient and excessive 2. The Brihat (the left wing) is man, the Rathantara (the right wing) is woman. The excess belongs to the man, the deficiency to the woman. Therefore they are deficient and excessive. 5. Now the left wing of a bird is verily by one feather better, therefore the left wing is larger by one verse. 1 The hundred verses are given Ait. Âr. V, 2, 2, 5. 1. Stotriya, tvâm id dhi (Rv. VI, 46, 1) 15. Kathâ mahân (Rv. IV, 23) . 16. Indro madâya (Rv. I, 81, 1) 5 5 II 99 (101) I 100 (102) Though there are said to be 100 verses before the Pankti (No. 16), I can get only 99 or 101. See the following note. 2 The right wing is deficient by one verse, the left wing exceeds by one verse. I count 99 or 101 verses in the right, and 100 or 102 in the left wing. 6. Next comes the Sûdadohas verse. Sûdadohas is breath, and thereby he joins all joints with breath. 7. Next follows the tail. They are twenty-one Dvipadâ verses1. For there are twenty-one backward feathers in a bird. 8. Then the Ekavimsa is the support of all Stomas, and the tail the support of all birds 2. 9. He recites a twenty-second verse. This is made the form of two supports. Therefore all birds support themselves on their tail, and having supported themselves on their tail, they fly up. For the tail is a support. 10. He (the bird and the hymn) is supported by two decades which are Virâg. The man (the sacrificer) is supported by the two Dvipadâs, the twentyfirst and twenty-second. That which forms the bird serves for the attainment of all desires; that which forms the man, serves for his happiness, glory, proper food, and honour. II. Next comes a Sûdadohas verse, then a Dhayyâ, then a Sûdadohas verse. The Sûdadohas is a man, the Dhayyâ a woman, therefore he recites the Dhayyâ as embraced on both sides by the Sûdadohas. Therefore does the seed of both, when it is effused, obtain oneness, and this with regard to the 1 These verses are given Ait. Âr. V, 2, 2, 9. 1. Imâ nu kam (Rv. X, 157) 2. Â yâhi (Rv. X, 172) 3. Pra va indrâya &c. (not in the Sâkalya-samhitâ) 5 4 9 3 2 I 2 The other Stomas of the Agnishtoma are the Trivrit, Pañikadasa, Saptadasa, the Ekavimsa being the highest. Cf. I, 5, 1, 3. woman only. the woman. that place 1. Hence birth takes place in and from Therefore he recites that Dhayyâ in THIRD KHANDA, 1. He recites the eighty tristichs of Gâyatris 2. Verily, the eighty Gâyatri tristichs are this world (earth). Whatever there is in this world of glory, greatness, wives, food, and honour, may I obtain it, I win it, may it be mine. may 2. Next comes the Sûdadohas verse. Sûdadohas verily is breath. He joins this world with breath. 3. He recites the eighty tristichs of Brihatis. Verily, the eighty Brihati tristichs are the world of the sky. Whatever there is in the world of the sky of glory, greatness, wives, food, and honour, may I obtain it, may I win it, may it be mine. 4. Next comes the Sûdadohas verse. Sûdadohas verily is breath. He joins the world of the sky with breath. 5. He recites the eighty tristichs of Ushnih. Verily, the eighty Ushnih tristichs are that world, the heaven. Whatever there is in that world of glory, greatness, wives, food, and honour, also the divine being of the Devas (Brahman), may I obtain it, may I win it, may it be mine. Sûdadohas 6. Next comes the Sûdadohas verse. verily is the breath. He joins that world with breath, yea, with breath. 1 Asmin vigavabhâge. Comm. 2 These and the following verses form the food of the bird. Comm. The verses themselves are given by Saunaka in the fifth Âranyaka. |