BRAHMANAS, the ancient theological writings appended to the original four Vedas by the Brahmans, or priests, for the purpose of very greatly magnifying their own office as a caste entrusted with the conduct of sacrifices of every kind. There are some 13 of them, with attachments to different parts of the origi nal four Vedas. The Satapatha-Brahmana is the most important and valuable. It is called Satapatha, or °of the hundred paths," because it consists of 100 lectures. It has a very minute and full account of sacrificial ceremonies in Vedic times, and many legends and historical allusions. Nothing could be more wearisome reading; yet the information which can be gleaned in regard to sacrifices, the priestly caste, and many features of the social and mental development of India, is very valuable. A devout belief in the efficacy of invocation and sacrifice appears in the Vedic hymns. This was taken advantage of by the Brahmans to arrange a regular use of these hymns in the two liturgical Vedas, and to establish a proper offering of sacrifices conducted by themselves. The Brahmanas are their endlessly repeated explanations and dictions about sacrifice and prayer.
The third, fourth and fifth books of the great work presented in these five volumes deal very particularly with the Soma-sacrifice, the most sacred of all the Vedic sacrificial rites. It concerns the nature and use of °a spirituous liquor extracted from a certain plant, descrilted as growing on the mountains." °The potent juice of the Soma plant, which endowed the feeble mortal with godlike powers and for a time freed him from earthly cares and troubles, seemed a veritable God — bestower of health, long life, and even immortality." The moon was regarded as the celestial Soma, and source of the virtue of the plant. Another branch of the story of sacrifices relates to the worship of Agni, the Fire. It fills five out of 14 books, and the ideas reflected in it are very important for knowledge of Brahman theosophy and cos mogony. The ritual of the Fire-altar was brought into close connection with that of the Sonia "fiery" liquor.