Veda

• Abhishekel As an illustration of those passages of the Aitareya-Bralunan'a, which partake more of an incantatory nature, we may quote the description of a rite which occurs in its last chapter, and relates to rites to be per formed, under the direction of a proper Purohita or chaplain, for the destruction of the king's enemies. "Foes, enemies, and rivals," we read there," perish around him who is conversant with these rites. That which (moves) in the atmosphere is air (Brahman), around which perish five deities—lightning, rain, the moon, the sun, and fire. Lightning having flashed, disappears behind rain : it vanishes, and none knows (whither it is gone). When a man dies, he vanishes; and none knows (whither his soul is gone). Therefore, whenever lightning flashes, pronounce this prayer : May my enemy perish : may he disappear, and none know (where he is): Soon, indeed, none will know (whither he is gone). Rain having fallen (evaporates and), dis appears within the moon, &c. When rain ceases, pronounce this (prayer), &e. The moon at the conjunction, disappears within the sun, &c. When the moon is dark, pronounce, &c. The sun when setting, dis appears in fire, &c. When the sun sets, pronounce, &c. Fire, ascend ing, disappears in air, &c. When fire is extinguished, pronounce, &c. These same deities are again produced from this very origin. Fire is born of air ; for, urged with force by the breath, it increases. Viewing it, pronounce (this prayer), May fire be revived : but not my foe be reproduced ; may he depart averted.' Therefore, does the enemy go far away. The aun is born of fire. Viewing it, say, 'May the sun rise, but not my foe be reproduced,' &c The observance (enjoined) to him (who undertakes these rites, is'as follows) : let him not sit down earlier than the foe ; but stand while he thinks him standing. Let him not lie down earlier than the foe; but sit while he thinks him sitting. Let him not sleep earlier than the foe, but wake while he thinks him waking. Though his enemy had a head of stone, soon does he slay him : he does slay him." (Colebrooke, 'Misc. Ess., i. p. 45.) The legends narrated in this, as well as in other Brahman as, intend always, as indicated before, to explain the origin of a rite, or to illus trate its efficacy. Among those met with in the Aitareya-BrAhman'a, we may point particularly to one, as it is remarkable in several respects. It had to be recited by the Hbtei, sitting on a gold-embroidered carpet, to a king whose inauguration had been completed ; and another priest, sitting on a similar carpet, had to repeat the words of the Hotr'i. But a victorious king is likewise recommended to have this legend recited to him, though he may not have performed the sacrifice ; and a man desirous of progeny is promised the birth of a son if it is pro perly read to him. We mean the legend of S'unah's'epa. Its substance is as follows : Once upon a time there lived Haris'chandra, a son of Vedhas, and a descendant of Ikshwaku. Though he had a hundred wives, he did not obtain a son from them. His desire, however, of having one became still stronger than it was, when Parvata and Narada visited him, and when Nftrada explained to him the boons a man derives from being blessed with the birth of a son. Following the advice of Narada, Haris'chandra addressed himself, therefore, to Varun'a, and promised the god to sacrifice him his son, if he granted him one. Varun'a assented to the offer. Now a son, who received the name of Rohita, being born to Harifechandra, Varun's presented himself, and claimed the fulfilment of the compact. But Haris'ehandra said : " Cattle is fit for a sacrifice when it is ten days old ; let him then become ten days old and I shall sacrifice him to thee." Varun'a assented ; but the ten days having passed away, Haris'chandra again said : "Cattle is fit for a sacrifice when it has got teeth ; let him then get teeth, and I shall sacrifice him to thee." Once more Varun'a assented ; but when Rohita had got his teeth, his father said to Varun'a " Cattle is fit for a sacri fice when it loace again his teeth ; let him then lose his teeth, and I shall sacrifice him to thee." Again Varun'a assented; but Rohita having lost his teeth, his father said to Varun'a : " Cattle is fit for a sacrifice when it recovers its teeth ; let him then recover his teeth, and I shall sacrifice him to thee." Vartin'a assented; but Rohita having recovered his teeth, his father said to Varun'a : "A warrior is fit for a sacrifice when he is able to use his weapon ; let him then learn to use his weapon, and I shall sacrifice him to thee." Again Varun'a assented ; and when Itohita knew how to use his weapon, his father said to him : " Varun'a, my son, has given thee to me, and I shall sacrifice thee to him." But Rohita refused, took his bow and went to the forest, where he wandered about during a whole year. Varun'a, however, now

seized Haris'chandra, and made him swell. On hearing this, Rohita went about and met Indra, who encouraged him to wander first for another, then a third, a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth year.

At the end of this period he saw in the forest a Inahi of the name of Ajlgarta, the son of Sityavasa, who lived there in great poverty with his three sons, S' unaspuchcitha, S'unales'epa, and S'unoldmigula. Itohita offered him a hundred cows if he gave up one of his sons to be sacrificed instead of him to Varun'a. Ajigarta accepted the offer, but retained his oldest son ; and his wife claiming the youngest, both agreed to give up S'unaligepa. Rohita then took him to his father, Hariichandra, and Varun'a also having confirmed the barter, since, he thought, a Brahman'a is of greater value than a Kshatriya, Haris' chandra in celebrating the rite of the Rajasftya substituted S'unah's'epa for the victim to be immolated at this sacrifice. The Hotr'i priest who officiated at It was Vidwimitra, Jamadagni fulfilled the functions of the Adhwaryu, Vasiaht'ha those of the Brahman, and Ayasya those of the Udgatr'i. Yet the preliminary rites having being fulfilled, no one could be found who would tie S'unah's'epa to the sacrificial post. Upon which Ajlgarta offered to do this if ,they gave him another hundred of cows. They did so ; but though S'unah's'epa now was tied to the post, no one would immolate him. Again Ajigarta came forward and promised to immolate his son if they would give him a third hundred of cows. They did so, and Ajigarta sharpened his knife and approached his son. Now S'unah's'epa resolved to implore the gods to release him. He addresed himself first to Prajapati with an appropriate R'igveda hymn, but the god told him to pray to Agni. Agni, invoked with another hymn, told him to pray to Savitr ; and Savitei told him to address Varun'a; but Varun'a sent him once more to Agni, who now recommended him to praise all the gods with an appropriate hymn. S'unah's'epa obeyed ; his ties were released, and Haris'chandra was restored to health. S'unah's'epa, on his part, now instituted a new sacrifice. But when he placed himself at the side of Vis'wamitra, and Ajigarta claimed him back, Vis'wamitra replied : "No, the gods (deals) have given him (ar iisata) to me ;" and from that time (he was no longer S'unah'a'epa, that is, Dogstail), but Devarata (ecoScros), the son of Vis'wamitra. (For a literal and excellent translation of this legend by Professor Roth, see Weber's Indische Studien,' i. p. 458, ff. ; and for some additional remarks, ibid., ii. p. 112, ff.) After these instances, which will convey an idea of the contents of the BrIthman'a in general, we must content ourselves with giving the names of the other principal works of this category. For, the differ ence which exists between them, however great, would be intelligible only if we could enter into the detail of the Vaidik rites, and into the growth of the legendary life which pervades this portion of the ancient literature of India.

Suffice it therefore to state that the Brahman'a literature has found its greatest development in the train of that Veda which, as we might expect, would require more than any other Veda au explanation of the purposes for which it was formed—the Yajurveda. On the other hand, since the SaithitA of the Black Yajurveda is already a combination, as we have seen, of hymns and Brahman'a, it is intelligible that we find in connection with the White Yajurveda that Brithman'a which, though probably the most recent, still is the most systematic and the most complete of all the Brahman'a. It is called the Satapatha-Brdltman'a, and is ascribed, like the Sanhita of the White Yajurveda, to Yajnaval kya. It is, like the Sanhita, preserved in the edition of the Mddhyandina and in that of the K chum school. The former is divided into fourteen Kdn'd a or books, which contain one hundred A dhydya or lectures; or into sixty-eight Prapde hakd (sections) with four hundred and thirty-eight Brdhman'a, and seven thousand six hundred and twenty-four Ka n'd'ikd (portions). In the Kdrura edition it com prises seventeen Edn'd'a, with a hundred and four A dhydga, four hundred and forty-six Breihman'a, and five thousand eight hundred and sixty-six Kan'dik (I. The first nine Kan'd'a of this Brahinan'a follow the first eighteen books of the Sanhita almost step for step, in quoting their verses and explaining their application at the sacrifices. The last five Kan'd'as, however, refer only partially—some even not at all —to the contents of the Sanhita, and may therefore be a later increase of this extensive Brahman a, which is extremely rich in antiquarian and mythological contents; but, on account of its purely ritual character, cannot be understood without the complete and excellent commentary of Sayan's.