Previous HinduContents Next
Aitareya-Âranyaka
i : 4 : 1 First Âranyaka : Fourth Adhyâya : First Khanda.
1.Next comes the Sûdadohas 1 verse. Sûdadohas is breath, and thereby he joins all joints with breath.
2.Next follow the neck verses. They recite them as Ushnih, according to their metre 2.
3.Next comes (again) the Sûdadohas verse. Sûdadohas is breath, and thereby he joins all joints with breath.
4.Next follows the head. That is in Gâyatrî verses. The Gâyatrî is the beginning of all metres 3; the head the first of all members. It is in Arkavat verses (Rv. I, 7, 1-9) 4. Arka is Agni. They are nine verses. The head consists of nine pieces. He recites the tenth verse, and that is the skin and the hairs on the head. It serves for reciting one verse more than (the nine verses contained in) the Stoma 5. These form the Trivrit Stoma and the Gâyatrî metre, and whatever there exists, all this is produced after the production of this Stoma and this metre. Therefore the recitation of these head-hymns 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 1 (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.
1The Nishkevalya-sastra is represented in the shape of a bird, consisting of trunk, neck, head, vertebrae, wings, tail, and stomach. Before describing the hymns which form the neck, another hymn has to be mentioned, called Sûdadohas, which has to be recited at the end of the hymns, described before, which form the trunk. Sûdadohas is explained as 'yielding milk,' and because that word occurs in the verse, the verse is called Sûdadohas. It follows on the Nada verse, Rv. VIII, 69, 3. Cf. Ait. Âr. I, 5, 1, 7.
2They occur in another sâkhâ, and are to be recited such as they are, without any insertions. They are given by Saunaka, Ait. Âr. V, 2, 1.
3It was created from the mouth of Pragâpati.
4They are called so, because the word arka occurs in them.
5The chanters of the Sâma-veda make a Trivrit Stoma of this hymn, without any repetitions, leaving out the tenth verse. The reciters of the Rig-veda excel them therefore by reciting a tenth verse. This is called atisamsanam (or -nâ).
1Vigavas 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 sambâlhatama, 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.
i : 4 : 2 First Âranyaka : Fourth Adhyâya : Second Khanda.
1.Next follows the right wing. It is this world (the earth), it is this Agni, it is speech, it is the Rathantara 1, 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 Paṅkti verse (Rv. I, 80, 1) serves for proper food.
2 Next comes the Sûdadohas verse. Sûdadohas 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 is a hundred 1. These are the six powers (of the left wing). The Sampâta hymn (Rv. IV, 23) serves indeed for obtaining desires and for firmness. The Paṅkti 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.
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 verses 1. 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 twenty first 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.
11.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 woman only. Hence birth takes place in and from the woman. Therefore he recites that Dhayyâ in that place 1.
1Rathantara 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.
2
1. Stotriya, abhi tvâ sûra nonumah (Rv. VII, 32, 22) 2 (3)
2. Anurûpa, abhi tvâ pûrvapîtaye (Rv. VIII, 3, 7) 2 (3)
3. Indrasya nu (Rv. I, 32) 15
4. Tve ha (Rv. VII, 18, 1-15) 15
5. Yas tigma (Rv. VII. 19) 11
6. Ugro gagñe (Rv. VII, 20) 10
7. Ud u (Rv. VII, 23) 6
8. Â te mahah (Rv. VII, 25) 6
9. Na somah (Rv. VII, 26) 5
10. Indram narah (Rv. VII, 27) 5
11. Brahmâ nah (Rv. VII, 28) 5
12. Ayam somah (Rv. VII, 29) 5
13. Â na indrah (Rv. IV, 20) 11
98 (100)
14. Itthâ hi (Rv. I, 80, 1) 1
99 (101)
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 Paṅkti.
3The six powers are earth, Agni, speech, Rathantara, Vasishtha, and a hundred.
1The hundred verses are given Ait. Âr. V, 2, 2, 5.
1. Stotriya, tvâm id dhi (Rv. VI, 46, 1) 2 (3)
2. Anurûpa, tvam hy ehi (Rv. VIII, 61, 7) 2 (3)
3. Tam u shtuhi (Rv. VI, 18) 15
4. Suta it tvam (Rv. VI, 23) 10
5. Vrishâ madah (Rv. VI, 24) 10
6. Yâ ta ûtih (Rv. VI, 25) 9
7. Abhûr ekah (Rv. VI, 31) 5
8. Apûrvyâ (Rv. VI, 32) 5
9. Ya ogishthah (Rv. VI, 33) 5
10. Sam ka tve (Rv. VI, 34) 5
11. Kadâ bhuvan (Rv. VI, 35) 5
12. Satrâ madâsah (Rv. VI, 36) 5
13. Arvâg ratham (Rv. VI, 37) 5
14. Apâd (Rv. VI, 38) 5
15. Kathâ mahân (Rv. IV, 23) 1
99 (101)
16. Indro madâya (Rv. I, 81, 1) 1
100 (102)
Though there are said to be 100 verses before the Paṅkti (No. 16), I can get only 99 or 101. See the following note.
2The 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.
1These verses are given Ait. Âr. V, 2, 2, 9.
1. Imâ nu kam (Rv. X, 157) 5
2. Â yâhi (Rv. X, 172) 4
3. Pra va indrâya &c. (not in the Sâkalya-samhitâ) (Rv. X, 172) 9
4. Esha brahmâ &c. (not in the Sâkalya-samhitâ) (Rv. X, 172) 3
21
2The other Stomas of the Agnishtoma are the Trivrit, Pañkadasa, Saptadasa, the Ekavimsa being the highest. Cf. I, 5, 1, 3.
i : 4 : 3 First Âranyaka : Fourth Adhyâya : Third Khanda.
1.He recites the eighty tristichs of Gâyatrîs 2. Verily, the eighty Gâyatrî tristichs are this world (earth). Whatever there is in this world of glory, greatness, wives, food, and honour, may I obtain it, may I win it, may it be mine.
2.Next comes the Sûdadohas verse. Sûdadohas verily is breath. He joins this world with breath.
3.He recites the eighty tristichs of Brihatîs. Verily, the eighty Brihatî 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.
6.Next comes the Sûdadohas verse. Sûdadohas verily is the breath. He joins that world with breath, yea, with breath.
1Asmin vigavabhâge. Comm.
2These and the following verses form the food of the bird. Comm. The verses themselves are given by Saunaka in the fifth Âranyaka.
Previous HinduContents Next