yandina and the Kâṇva-, with Mahîdhara's Commentary, the Vedadipa, or Lamp of Knowledge, written towards the close of the sixteenth century, published under the patronage of the Honourable Court of Directors of the East India Company in 1849 at Berlin by Dr. Albrecht Weber, at that time Docent of the Sanskrit language at that University. This excellent edition consisting of three Parts the latter two of which contain the Satapatha-Brâhmaņa in the Mâdhyandina recension with extracts from the Commentaries of Sâyana, Harisvâmin, and Dvivedaganga, and the Srautra-Sûtra of Kâtyâyana with extracts from the Commentaries of Karka and Yâjñikadeva, has not been reprinted and is now practically unobtainable. In India the text of the Mâdhyandina recension with Mahidhara's Commentary has been issued in a cheap form at Calcutta by Pandit Jîbânanda Vidyâsâgara, B. A., Superintendent of the Free Sanskrit College, of which a second edition appeared in 1892; and a lithographed edition of the text with a Hindi translation of Mahidhara's Commentary was published in 1874, at Besma in the North-Western Provinces, by Râjâ Giriprasâdavarman of that place. A cheap edition of the text, in unbound MS. form, has been published at Bombay. No separate translation of the whole Samhitâ or Collection. of Texts and Formulas has appeared in any European language. It was Professor Weber's intention, as signified in his History of Indian Literature, to bring out a translation giving the ceremonial belonging to each verse, together with a full glossary, but this promise has not been fulfilled, owing to the pressure of other labours.' This scholar had previously published a Latin translation, with annotations in the same language, of Books IX. and X. in his Vâjasaneya-Sanhitae Specimen (Breslau, 1846), and more recently a German version of Book XVI. in Indische Studien II. pp. 14 ff., and of the list of men and women to be dedicated at the Purushamedha in his treatise on Human Sacrifice among Indians of the Vedic Age reprinted in his Indische Streifen I. pp. 76-84. Of Book XL. as an Upanishad there are several translations into English. Moreover, nearly the whole of the first eighteen Books has been incorporated-dissected and explained clause by clause-in the first nine Books of the Satapatha-Brâhmaņa; and an admirable translation of this vast work by Professor Julius Eggeling is now nearly completed in the Sacred Books of the East, four volumes (XII, XXVI., XLI., XLIII. of that series) having already appeared, and the concluding volume (XLV) being in the press. From this translation-which, but for its bulk and costliness would make half of my work superfluous-and from Professor Eggeling's annotations, I have derived the greatest assistance, and most gratefully record my obligations. All that I have attempted to do is to give a faithful translation, to the best of my ability, of the texts and sacrificial formulas of the Veda, with just sufficient commentary, chiefly from Mahîdhara, to make them intelligible. Much additional information may be found in Professor A. Hillebrandt's RitualLitteratur, Vedische Opfer und Zauber (Grundriss der IndoArischen Philologie und Altertumskunde), Strassburg: 1897; and further minute details of the various sacrifices, rites and ceremonies are given in the Satapatha-Brâhmaņa as already mentioned, and in various articles, referred to in my notes, by Professor A. Weber, the great authority on the Yajurveda and all that is connected with it. R. T. H. GRIFFITH. KOTAGIRI, NILGIRIS: May, 1899. THE TEXTS OF THE WHITE YAJURVEDA OR VÂJASANEYA-SAMHITÂ. BOOK THE FIRST. THEE for food. Thee for vigour. Ye are breezes. No thief, no evil-minded man shall master you rich in off- Be constant, numerous to this lord of cattle. Guard thou the cattle of the Sacrificer. Books I. and II. contain the texts and formulas required at the New and Full Moon sacrifices, the regular performance of which is obligatory on the Brahmanical householder during thirty years from his Agnyâdhâna or ceremonial establishment of his own sacrificial fires; or, according to some authorities, during his whole remaining life. Each of these sacrifices usually requires two days for its performance, the work of the first day consisting in introductory ceremonies such as the preparation of the Âhavanîya and Dakshinâgni, or Eastern and Southern fire-places, for the reception of fire from the Western fire-place, the Gârhapatya or Householder's hearth; the solemn taking of the vrata or vow of fasting and abstention during the sacrifice; and the performance by the sacrificer of the evening Agnihotra or burnt oblation of milk. On this day also, the day before the appearance of the New or the Full Moon, the Adhvaryu priest, who performs the practical part of the sacrifice, cuts a branch from a Parna or Palâșa tree (Butea Frondosa), or from a Sami tree (Acacia Suma), trims it and uses it as a switch to drive the calves away from the cows whose milk is to form part of the offerings of the next day's special ceremony. 1 Thee: 'I cut' understood. The Palâșa branch is addressed by the Adhvaryu. For food: as instrumental in obtaining the seasonable rain and the good harvest which will result from the sacrifice. Thee for vigour : 'I cut or trim,' in order to obtain the bodily strength which a sufficiency of food may be expected to bring. Ye: the Adhvaryu touches and addresses the calves. Breezes: as the winds purify the ground, so do ye with your droppings which are used for smearing, and so cleansing, the floors of houses; or, perhaps, meaning 'intruders,' preventing the milking of the cows; or, free to wander where you will, and then to return home, The following lines contain a benediction on the cows. Noblest work: the sacrifice, in which their milk is the most important element. Savitar: the Sun-God as the great vivifier and stimulator. No thief, etc: cf. R. V. VI. 28.7. Guard thou: the Adhvaryu addresses the sacred branch which he hides on the eastern side of the Âhavanîya or of the Gârhapatya house. 2 Strainer of Vasu art thou. Thou art heaven. Earth art thou. Thou art Mâtarişvan's caldron. Thou art the All-container. Stand thou firmly, secure by Law Supreme, and do not totter. Nor be thy Lord of Sacrifice unsteady. 3 Thou art the strainer, hundred-streamed, of Vasu. art the strainer, thousand-streamed, of Vasu. Thou May Savitar the God with Vasu's strainer, thousand-streamed, rightly cleansing, purify thee. 4 Which didst thou milk? This is the cow Viṣvâyu. This Visvakarman. This is Visvadhâyas. Thee, Indra's share, with Soma do I curdle. Be thou protec tor of the oblation, Vishnu. 5 I will observe the vow, Lord of Vows, Agni! May I have strength therefor. Success attend me. Now into truth from untruth do I enter. 6 Who is it that unites thee? He unites thee. For what doth he yoke thee? For that he yokes thee. You two for work, you two for its completion. 2 Strainer of Vasu: cleanser, purifier, of the sacrifice; vasu meaning originally good, kind, wealthy. This pavitram or strainer, made of two or three blades of Kusa grass or Darbha (Poa Cynosuroides), used at religious ceremonies, is fastened with this formula on the hidden Palasa or Samt branch (verse 1). Thou art heaven: he puts the sthall or cooking-pot on the Gârhapatya fire, and addresses it. He calls it heaven because as an implement of sacrifice it aids in producing rain. Earth: as being made of clay. Matarişvan's caldron: a fanciful expression for the atmosphere or mid-region of air, Mâtariṣvan being here identified with Vâyu the WindGod. Lord of Sacrifice: the yajamana or householder who institutes and takes part in the sacrifice. The strainer is then put on the cooking-pot, and addressed. 3 Purify thee: the milk which is to be used in the Agnihotra sacrifice. 4 Which didst thou milk?: this is properly part of verse 3. In reply to this question, thrice repeated, of the Adhvaryu, the milker (who may be any one above the rank of a Sûdra) mentions the ordinary name of each of the three cows, and the Adhvaryu gives her a sacrificial name, thereby imparting to her the virtues and powers which the name signifies. Vişvayu: All-life-containing. Visvakarman: All-effecting. Visvadhayas: All-supporting. Thee: the milk which is now removed from the fire. The mixture is then covered over with a vessel not made of earth, and entrusted to the guardianship of Vishnu or the sacrifice. 5 Spoken by the sacrificer who with his wife is about to take the prescribed vrata or vow of abstinence from certain food and enjoyment during the performance of the ceremonies. Lord of Vows: Agni is said to be the Gods' Vratapati, Lord or Keeper of vows. Truth reality, godhead. Untruth: unreality, perishable humanity; that is, I attain to a divine body and am no longer a mere man.' He is thus bound to speak nothing but the truth. 6 Unites thee?: places the vessel containing the water, which has been formally brought forward, by the side of the Ahavaniya fire? The question 7 Scorched are the fiends, scorched the malignant beings. Burnt out are fiends, burnt out malignant beings. Throughout the spacious middle air I travel. 8 Thou art the yoke. Injure thou him who injures. Harm him who harm us. Harm the man we injure. Thou art the Gods' best carrier, bound most firmly, filled fullest, welcomest, Gods' best invoker. 9 Thou art unbent, receiver of oblations. Stand firmly in thy place and do not totter. Nor be thy Lord of sacrifice unsteady. Let Vishnu mount thee. To the wind lie open. The demons are expelled. Let the five grasp it. 10 By impulse of God Savitar I take thee with arms of Aṣvins, with the hands of Pûshan, Thee dear to Agni, dear to Agni-Soma. 11 Thee for abundance, not for evil spirit. May mine eye look upon the light of heaven. is asked by the Adhvaryu. For what? or For whom? For that or For him: kasmai, like Latin cui, being either masculine or neuter. The meaning of the questions is ambiguous, the interrogative pronoun ka, Who?, in all its cases being also regarded as a name of Prajapati, Lord of Creatures. See The Hymns of the Rigveda, X. 121. You two: the ladle used in offering the Agnihotras, and the winnowing-basket with which chaff and grain are separated. Work: the sacrifice. The words 'I take' are understood. 7 Scorched: the ladle and winnowing-basket are heated, to symbolize the expulsion of malignant spirits who infest the air, after which the Adhvaryu is free to move in all directions. 8 The Adhvaryu addresses the yoke (dhur) of the cart which contains the grain and other elements of sacrifice. Injure: dhûrva. The play on the word is lost in translation. Bound most firmly sasnitamam; or, in accordance with the etymology of the word, best provider, most liberal giver. 9 He addresses the cart. Vishnu: the sacrifice. Lie open: he addresses the rice. The five: his fingers, with which, when he has mounted the cart, he touches the rice. 10 By impulse: prasave. Savitar: the Impeller and Vivifier. Aṣvins: twin Light-Gods, heralds of Dawn, who are the Adhvaryus of the Gods. Pûshan: a solar Deity who destributes their respective portions to the Gods. Thee: the rice. Agni and the dual Deity Agni-Soma are mentioned because an unaddressed oblation would cause doubt and contention among the Gods. The offering to Agni at a Full Moon sacrifice is a rice-cake presented on eight potsherds, and that to Agni-Soma one on eleven. 11 Thee: the remainder of the rice; 'I leave' being understood. For abundance: or, according to Mahîdhara, for future oblation. For evil spirit : arataye; or, with Mahidhara, for non-oblation. Light: comprehending, according to Mahîdhara, sacrifice, day, Gods, and Sun. Those with doors: houses, especially the house of the Sacrificer. Throughout, etc. see I. 7. Navel or centre. Aditi's lap: the bosom of infinite Earth. |