Satapatha-brahmana
by Julius Eggeling | 1882 | 730,838 words | ISBN-13: 9788120801134
This is Satapatha Brahmana XIII.3.5 English translation of the Sanskrit text, including a glossary of technical terms. This book defines instructions on Vedic rituals and explains the legends behind them. The four Vedas are the highest authortity of the Hindu lifestyle revolving around four castes (viz., Brahmana, Ksatriya, Vaishya and Shudra). Satapatha (also, 艢atapatha, shatapatha) translates to 鈥渉undred paths鈥�. This page contains the text of the 5th brahmana of kanda XIII, adhyaya 3.
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Kanda XIII, adhyaya 3, brahmana 5
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
1. Verily, there are deaths[1] connected with all the worlds; and were he not to offer oblations to them, Death would get hold of him in every world:
when he offers oblations to the Deaths[2], he wards off Death in every world.
2. Concerning this they say, 'If, in offering, he were to name them all, saying, "To such[3] (a death) hail! To such (a death) hail!" he would make that manifold death his enemy[4], and would give himself over to Death.' Only one oblation he offers to one of them, with, 'To Death, hail!' for there is indeed but one Death in yonder world, even Hunger[5]: it is him he wards off in yonder world.
3. A second oblation he makes with, 'To Brahman-slaying, hail!' for, doubtless, a murder other than the slaying of a Brahman is no murder; but that--to wit, the slaying of a Brahman--is manifestly murder: he thus manifestly wards off Death[6].
4. Mu峁囜笉ibha Audanya[7] it was who discovered this atonement for the slaying of a Brahman; and when one offers the oblation to the Brahmahaty膩 he prepares a remedy for the slayer of a Brahman by satisfying Death himself with an oblation, and making a protection[8] for him (the slayer). At whosoever's 础艣惫补尘别诲丑补, therefore, this oblation is offered, even if in after-times[9] any one in his family kills a Brahman, he thereby prepares a remedy (expiation) for him.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
That is, according to S膩ya峁嘺, on Taitt. Br. III, 9, 15, 1, causes of death, such as diseases, &c.
[2]:
The oblations referred to in this Br膩hma峁嘺 (§§ 1-4) occur towards the end of the second set of 'ara峁噛e'n奴cya' oblations mentioned above, p. 336, note 2, where the formulas are given. According to Taitt. Br., l.c., however, these final oblations are to be performed--like that to Jumbaka (Varu峁嘺)--at the time of the purificatory bath, which, indeed, may also be intended by our Br膩hma峁嘺, though K膩ty膩yana and Mah墨dhara seem to offer no indications to that effect. It is clear that these final oblations must have formed the subject of considerable discussion among the early ritualists.
[3]:
That is, according to S膩ya峁嘺 (Taitt. Br.), 'To death in the shape of disease, to death in the shape of poverty, &c.' Harisv膩min, on our passage, has merely, 'Amushmai pit峁沴ok膩ya m峁泃yave'--'To death (in the shape of) the world of the Fathers,' which is not very clear.
[4]:
Or, perhaps, he would make himself many a death-enemy (bahu峁� m峁泃yum amitra峁� kurv墨ta), the two nouns being taken as in apposition to each other; cf. p. 146, note 1.
[5]:
See X, 6, 5, 1.
[6]:
Or, he thus wards off what is manifestly Death (Death in person).
[7]:
That is, according to Harisv膩min, the son of Udanya (Odana. St. Petersb. Dict.), Taitt. Br. III, 9, 15, 3, has Mu峁囜笉ibha Audanyava (i.e. the son of Udanyu, S膩y.) instead. The Taitt. Br., besides, makes the crime to be expiated here to be, not 'brahmahaty膩,' but 'bhr奴峁嘺haty膩,' the killing of an embryo. S膩ya峁嘺, however, there allows to 'bhr奴峁嘺' optionally its later meaning of 'a Br膩hma峁嘺 versed in the three Vedas and the sacrificial art (kalpa),' and the Taitt. Br. itself, at all events, takes this oblation to 'bhr奴峁嘺haty膩' to atone likewise for the slaying of a Br膩hma峁嘺.
[8]:
Harisv膩min explains 'parip膩峁嘺m' by 'pari艣i峁ａ弓a峁� v膩nantam p膩nam' (?); whilst S膩ya峁嘺, in Taitt. Br., takes it in the sense of 'sarvata岣� p膩tram,' i.e. having made the Sacrificer 'a thoroughly worthy person.'
[9]:
Harisv膩min here unwarrantably takes 'apar墨峁Ｅ�' in the sense of 'in past times.'