Satapatha Brahmana Part II (SBE26), Julius Eggeling tr. [1885], at sacred-texts.com
4:2:3:11. That Ukthya (graha), forsooth, is his undefined breath (vital air) 2, and as such it is that self of his; for the undefined breath is the self; it is his
vital energy. Hence he draws it by means of this (earth), because of her is the bowl, and he draws it with a bowl;--for undecaying and immortal is this (earth), and undecaying and immortal is the vital energy; therefore he draws it by means of this (earth or bowl).
4:2:3:22. He draws it full; for full means all, and the vital energy means all: therefore he draws it full.
4:2:3:33. That Dhruva (graha) 1, forsooth, (also) is his vital energy; by it his body is held together, and the joints are knit together. For (when) the last cup has not yet been drawn from that (Soma juice in the Ukthya vessel) for the Akhâvâka priest,
4:2:3:44. Then he takes the king (Soma) down (from the cart) 2, and pours one third of the Vasatîvarîs (into the Âdhavanîya trough). Thus the joint unites; for, indeed, he makes (the Ukthya cup) the first of the second pressing (Soma feast), and the last of the first: that which belongs to the second pressing he makes first, and that which belongs to the first he makes last. Thus he interlocks them; whence these joints are interlocked: this one overlapping thus, and this one thus.
4:2:3:55. In like manner at the midday pressing: (when)
the last cup has not yet been drawn therefrom for the Akhâvâka priest, he pours (the remaining) one-third of the Vasatîvarî (into the Âdhavanîya). Thus the joint unites; for, indeed, he makes it the first of the second pressing, and the last of the first pressing 1: that which belongs to the second pressing he makes first, and that which belongs to the first he makes last. Thus he interlocks them; whence these joints are interlocked: this one overlapping thus, and this one thus. And because his body is thereby held together, therefore this (graha) is his vital energy.
4:2:3:66. This (Ukthya graha) is the cow of plenty, Indra's special portion. At the morning feast he (the Adhvaryu) divides it for three songs of praise 2, and at the midday feast for three,--this makes six times, for there are six seasons, and the seasons mature all wishes here on earth: for this reason, then, this (libation) is the cow of plenty, Indra's special portion.
4:2:3:77. He draws it without (reciting) a puroruk; for the puroruk is a song of praise, since the puroruk is a Rik, and the song of praise is Rik; and the libation is Sâman; and what other (formula) he mutters, that is Yagus. Formerly these same (puroruk verses) were apart 3 from the Riks, apart from the Yagus, and apart from the Sâmans.
4:2:3:88. The gods said, 'Come, let us place them among the Yagus: thus this science will be still more manifold.' Accordingly they placed them among the Yagus, and thenceforward this science was still more manifold.
4:2:3:99. And the reason why he draws this (graha) without a puroruk, is that the puroruk is praise, (being) a Rik, and the song of praise is Rik; and in that he divides it for recitations, thereby indeed it becomes possessed of a puroruk: hence he draws it without a puroruk.
4:2:3:1010. Now he draws it from that (stream of Soma 1), with (Vâg. S. VII, 22), 'Thou art taken with a support: thee for Indra, possessed of the great (chant), possessed of vigour,'--for Indra is the deity of the sacrifice; wherefore he says 'thee for Indra;' and by 'possessed of the great (chant), possessed of vigour,' he means to say 'for him, the strong;'--'I take (thee) the song-pleasing,' for he indeed takes it for songs of praise;--'what great vigour is thine, O Indra'--whereby he means to say, 'what strength is thine, O Indra'--'for that (I take) thee! for Vishnu--thee!' for he takes it for the life of the sacrifice: hence he says, 'for that--thee! for Vishnu--thee!' With, 'This is thy womb: thee for the songs of praise!' he deposits it; for he indeed takes it for songs of praise.
4:2:3:1111. He distributes it 2 with, 'Thee, the
god-pleasing 1, I take for the gods, for the life of the sacrifice.' He who would perform it in this manner would assume the command 2; but let him rather distribute it to the respective deities.
4:2:3:1212. With, 'Thee, the god-pleasing, I take for Mitra and Varuna, for the life of the sacrifice!' (he takes the portion) for the Maitrâvaruna priest;--for in verses to Mitra and Varuna they (the Udgâtris) chant praises for this (libation); and he (the Hotri) afterwards recites verses to Mitra and Varuna for the sastra, and offers with a verse to Mitra and Varuna.
4:2:3:1313. With, 'Thee, the god-pleasing, I take for Indra, for the life of the sacrifice!' (he takes the portion) for the Brâhmanâkhamsin; for in verses to Indra praises are chanted for this (libation); and verses to Indra are afterwards recited as a sastra, and offering is made with a verse to Indra.
4:2:3:1414. With, 'Thee, the god-pleasing, I take for Indra and Agni, for the life of the sacrifice!' (he takes the portion) for the Akhâvâka; for in verses to Indra and Agni praises are chanted for this (libation); and verses to Indra and Agni are afterwards recited as a sastra, and offering is made
with a verse to Indra and Agni. With, 'Thee . . . . for Indra,' he performs at the midday feast, for the midday feast is sacred to Indra.
4:2:3:1515. Now the Karakâdhvaryus 1 divide (the Ukthya libation into three portions), with 'Thou art taken with a support: thee, the god-pleasing, I take for the gods; (thee) the praise-pleasing, for praises, agreeable to Mitra and Varuna!'--with 'This is thy womb: thee to Mitra and Varuna!' he (the Karakâdhvaryu) deposits it; and with 'Thou art a re-offering' he touches the sthâlî.
4:2:3:1616. 'Thou art taken with a support: thee, the god-pleasing. I take for the gods; (thee) the praise-pleasing, for praises,--agreeable to Indra!--This is thy womb: thee to Indra!' thus he deposits it; and with 'Thou art a re-offering' he touches the sthâlî.
4:2:3:1717. 'Thou art taken with a support: thee, the god-pleasing, I take for the gods; (thee) the praise-pleasing, for praises,--agreeable to Indra and Agni!--This is thy womb: thee for Indra and Agni!' thus he deposits it. He does not at this (third portion) touch the sthâlî with 'Thou art a re-offering.' '. . . . Thee for Indra!' he says each time at the midday feast, for the midday feast is sacred to Indra.
Twice he touches the sthâlî with 'Thou art a re-offering;' and silently he puts it down the third time.
4:2:3:1818. But, in order to avoid sameness (of performance), let him not take it out with the 'support;' nor let him deposit it in the 'womb;' for this (Ukthya
libation) has at first been taken with the 'support,' and it has at first been deposited in the womb;--and were he now also to take it with the 'support,' and deposit it in the 'womb,' he would assuredly commit (the fault of) sameness. And as to his touching the sthâlî with 'Thou art a re-offering,' he will indeed again take a libation therefrom. Let him not heed this, but let him put down (the vessel) silently.
292:2 We ought doubtless, with the Kânva text, to read 'prânah' instead of 'âtmâ.'
293:1 See IV, 2, 4, 1 seq.
293:2 At the end of the morning feast the Soma in the Ukthya bowl (sthâlî) is poured into the Ukthya cup (pâtra) in three portions; and part of each having been offered, the remaining juice is drunk by the Hotri's assistants, viz. the Prasâstri, Brâhmanâkhamsin, and Akhâvaka. Each of these potations is preceded by the chanting of an âgya-stotra, and the recitation of the âgya-sastra (see next page, note 2). But before the portion of the last-named priest is poured into his cup (kamasa), fresh Soma-plants are taken down from the cart for the midday pressing; one half of the remaining Vasatîvarî water (or one third of the original quantity) being also poured into the Âdhavanîya trough. See III, 9, 2, 3.
294:1 That is to say, the last (thing) of the first of the last two pressings, or of the midday pressing.
294:2 Uktha, lit. 'recitation,' is the old term for 'sastra' (IV, 3, 2, 1 seq.). Regarding the three sastras of the Hotrakas, for the recitation of which the Ukthya graha is divided between those priests, see notes on IV, 3, 1, 25; 3, 3, 19.
294:3 The Kânva text reads thrice 'abhyardhe.' Regarding the puroruk formulas see p. 268, note 1.
295:2 That is, he pours, for each of the three assistant priests, his respective portion into the Ukthya-pâtra. This distribution does not however take place till the end of the morning performance; see note to IV, 2, 2, 4; 3, 1, 25.
296:1 Or, the god-prospering (i.e. the one prospering the gods), devâvî.
296:2 Prasâsanam kuryât. The same phrase occurs I, 9, I, 24, where I translated 'will ensure dominion,'--probably wrongly, though I am by no means sure of the correct meaning. Sâyana there seems to take it in the sense of 'he bids (the gods grant his request), thus having chiefly his own interest in view'--'prasâsyante ’to devâh prârthyamânâ iti prasâsanam parusham syât sâkshât svârthaparatvam kuryâd ity arthah.' The Kânva text reads, 'let him not divide (the libation) with this (formula), for he who divides it thus--prasâsanam kuryât.' Perhaps he means to say, that by using that formula one would put oneself above the gods. At I, 9, 1, 14 'one would give orders (to the gods)' is probably the right translation.
297:1 Such is the rule (sthiti); but the Karakâdhvaryus divide it in this way.' Kânva text. The formulas of the Taitt. S. I, 4, 12, and Maitrây. S. I, 3, 14, differ from the above; perhaps the Kâthaka is referred to; see v. Schroeder, M. S. I, p. 36, note 3.