Aitareya-Âranyaka

1.He (the sun), who shines, honoured this world (the body of the worshipper, by entering into it), in the form of man 2 (the worshipper who meditates on breath). For he who shines (the sun) is (the same as) the breath. He honoured this (body of the worshipper) during a hundred years, therefore there are a hundred years in the life of a man. Because he honoured him during a hundred years, therefore there are (the poets of the first Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) the Satarkin, (having honour for a hundred years.) Therefore people call him who is really Prâna (breath), the Satarkin poets 1.

2.He (breath) placed himself in the midst of all whatsoever exists. Because he placed himself in the midst of all whatsoever exists, therefore there are (the poets of the second to the ninth Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) the Mâdhyamas. Therefore people call him who is really Prâna (breath), the Mâdhyama poets.

3.He as up-breathing is the swallower (gritsa), as down-breathing he is delight (mada). Because as up-breathing he is swallower (gritsa) and as down-breathing delight (mada), therefore there is (the poet of the second Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) Gritsamada. Therefore people call him who is really Prâna (breath), Gritsamada.

4.Of him, (breath) all this whatsoever was a friend. Because of him all (visvam) this whatsoever was a friend (mitram), therefore there is (the poet of the third Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) Visvâmitra. Therefore people call him who is really Prâna (breath), Visvâmitra.

5.The Devas (speech, &c.) said to him (the breath): 'He is to be loved by all of us.' Because the Devas said of him, that he was to be loved (vâma) by all of them, therefore there is (the poet of the fourth Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) Vâmadeva. Therefore people call him who is really Prâna (breath), Vâmadeva.

6.He (breath) guarded all this whatsoever from evil. Because he guarded (atrâyata) all this whatsoever from evil, therefore there are (the poets of the fifth Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) Atrayah. Therefore people call him who is really Prâna (breath), Atrayah.

1In the first adhyâya various forms of meditating on Uktha, conceived as Prâna (life), have been declared. In the second some other forms of meditation, all extremely fanciful, are added. They are of interest, however, as showing the existence of the hymns of the Rig-veda, divided and arranged as we now possess them, at the time when this Âranyaka was composed.

2The identity of the sun and of breath as living in man has been established before. It is the same power in both, conceived either adhidaivatam (mythological) or adhyâtmam (physiological).

1The real ground for the name is that the poets of the first Mandala composed on an average each about a hundred Rik verses.

1.He (breath) is likewise a Bibhradvâga (bringer of offspring). Offspring is vâga, and he (breath) supports offspring. Because he supports it, therefore there is (the poet of the sixth Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) Bharadvâga. Therefore people call him who is really Prâna (breath), Bharadvâga.

2.The Devas (speech, &c.) said to him: 'He it is who chiefly causes us to dwell on earth.' Because the Devas said of him, that he chiefly caused them to dwell on earth, therefore there is (the poet of the seventh Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) Vasishtha. Therefore people call him who is really Prâna (breath), Vasishtha 1.

3.He (breath) went forth towards 2 all this whatsoever. Because he went forth toward all this whatsoever, therefore there are (the poets of the eighth Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) the Pragâthas. Therefore people call him who is really Prâna (breath), the Pragâthas.

4.He (breath) purified all this whatsoever. Because he purified all this whatsoever, therefore there are (the hymns and also the poets 1 of the ninth Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) the Pavamânîs. Therefore people called him who is really Prâna (breath), the Pavamânîs.

5.He (breath) said: 'Let me be everything whatsoever, small (kshudra) and great (mahat), and this became the Kshudrasûktas and Mahâsûktas.' Therefore there were (the hymns and also the poets of the tenth Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) the Kshudrasûktas (and Mahâsûktas). Therefore people call him who is really Prâna (breath), the Kshudrasûktas (and Mahâsûktas).

7.He (breath) is a Rik (verse), for he did honour 3 to all beings (by entering into them). Because he did honour to all beings, therefore there was the Rik verse. Therefore people call him who is really Prâna (breath), Rik.

8.He (breath) is an Ardharka (half-verse), for he did honour to all places (ardha) 4. Because he did honour to all places, therefore there was the Ardharka. Therefore people call him who is really Prâna (breath), Ardharka.

10.He (breath) is an Akshara (syllable), for he pours out (ksharati) gifts to all these beings, and without him no one can pour out (atiksharati) gifts. Therefore there was the Akshara (syllable). Therefore people call him who is really Prâna (breath), Akshara 2.

1I translate in accordance with the commentator, and probably with the intention of the author. The same etymology is repeated in the commentary on II, 2, 4, 2. It would be more natural to take vasishtha in the sense of the richest.

2This is the interpretation of the commentator, and the preposition abhi seems to show that the author too took that view of the etymology of pragâtha.

1It seems, indeed, as if in the technical language of the Brahmans, the poets of the ninth Mandala were sometimes called Pavamânîs, and the hymns of the tenth Mandala Kshudrasûktas and Mahâsûktas (masc.) Cf. Ârsheya-brâhmana, ed. Burnell, p. 42.

2The poet also is called Sûkta, taddrashtâpi sûktanâmako 'bhût. Comm.

3I translate according to the commentator.

4Ardha means both half and place.

1It may also be intended for pâda, foot of a verse.

2The Prâna (breath) is to be meditated on as all hymns, all poets, all words, &c. Comm.

3All aspirated sonant consonants. Comm.

1.While Visvâmitra was going to repeat the hymns of this day (the mahâvrata), Indra sat down near him 4. Visvâmitra (guessing that Indra wanted food) said to him, 'This (the verses of the hymn) is food,' and repeated the thousand Brihatî verses 5. By means of this he went to the delightful home of Indra (Svarga).

2.Indra said to him: 'Rishi, thou hast come to my delightful home. Rishi, repeat a second hymn 1.' Visvâmitra (guessing that Indra wanted food) said to him, 'This (the verses of the hymn) is food,' and repeated the thousand Brihatî verses. By means of this he went to the delightful home of Indra (Svarga).

3.Indra said to him: 'Rishi, thou hast come to my delightful home. Rishi, repeat a third hymn.' Visvâmitra (guessing that Indra wanted food) said to him, 'This (the verses of the hymn) is food,' and repeated the thousand Brihatî verses. By means of this he went to the delightful home of Indra (Svarga).

4.Indra said to him: 'Rishi, thou hast come to my delightful home. I grant thee a boon.' Visvâmitra said: 'May I know thee.' Indra said: 'I am Prâna (breath), O Rishi, thou art Prâna, all things are Prâna. For it is Prâna who shines as the sun, and I here pervade all regions under that form. This food of mine (the hymn) is my friend and my support (dakshina). This is the food prepared by Visvâmitra. I am verily he who shines (the sun).'

4Upanishasasâda, instead of upanishasâda. The mistake is probably due to a correction, sa for sha; the commentator, however, considers it as a Vedic license. Skâro 'dhikas khândasah.

5These are meant for the Nishkevalya hymn recited at the noon-libation of the Mahâvrata. That hymn consists of ten parts, corresponding, as we saw, to ten parts of a bird, viz. its body, neck, head, root of wings, right wing, left wing, tail, belly, chest, and thighs. The verses corresponding to these ten parts, beginning with tad id asa bhuvaneshu gyeshtham, are given in the first Âranyaka, and more fully in the fifth Âranyaka by Saunaka. Though they consist of many metres, yet, when one counts the syllables, they give a thousand Brihatî verses, each consisting of thirty-six syllables.

1Although the Nishkevalya is but one hymn, consisting of eighty trikas, yet as these eighty trikas were represented as three kinds of food (see Ait. Âr. II, 1, 2, 2-4), the hymn is represented as three hymns, first as eighty Gâyatrî trikas, then as eighty Brihatî trikas, lastly as eighty Ushnih trikas.

4.This becomes perfect as a thousand of Brihatî verses 7, and of that hymn perfect with a thousand Brihad verses, there are 36,000 syllables 8. So many are also the thousands of days of a hundred years (36,000). With the consonants they fill the nights, with the vowels the days.

5.This becomes perfect as a thousand of Brihatî verses. He who knows this, after this thousand of Brihatîs thus accomplished, becomes full of knowledge, full of the gods, full of Brahman, full of the immortal, and then goes also to the gods.

1Vyañganâni, explained by kâdini.

2Ghosha, explained by aspirated sonant consonants.

3Âtmâ, explained by madhyasarîram.

4Sashasahâh. Comm.

5He became Prâna, and because Prâna causes all to dwell, or covers all (vâsayati), therefore the Rishi was called Vasishtha. Comm. Cf. Ait. Âr. II, 2, 2, 2.

6At the Subrahmanyâ ceremony in the Soma sacrifices, the invocations are, Indra â gakkha, hariva â gakkha.

7Cf. Ait. Âr. II, 3, 8, 8.

8Each Brihatî has thirty-six syllables.