The Sacred Books of the East
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Please do not assume that a book's appearance in 'The Builder' library means it can be used in any manner anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe. The Webmaster lLonbon HENRY FROWDE OXFORD UNIVJJBSITY PRESS W AlUilHOUSlD 7 PATERNOSTER ROW Digitized by GoogIe THE SACRED BOOKS OF THE EAST TR.ANSLATED BY VARIOUS ORIENTAL SCHOLARS AND EDITED BY F. MAX MULLER VOL. XII "f II ( :- I 1 I ! ~ , l.- t' ' ( •I • "-., AT THE CLARENDON PRESS 1882 [ A II rig"ts rtsn'Wd] Digitized by GoogIe THE SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA ACCORDING TO THE TEXT OF THE MADHYANDINA SCHOOL TRANSLATED BY JULIUS EGGELING PART I BOOKS I AND II Ql)~fo rlJ AT THE CLARENDON PRESS 188~ [ All rirlUs nserved] Digitized by GoogIe viii CONTENTS. PAGB Brahman's portions • 208 Idl · 216 Anuy§gas,or after-offerings. • 230 Sftktav4ka,SamyuvAka,andofferingof remains • 236 Patnisamy~ • 256 Concluding ceremonies . • 262 SECOND KANDA. Ag ny i dh 4na, or Establishment of Sacred Fires Sambhiras Asterisms suitablefor Agny4dh4na . Seasons suitable for Agnyidhina Upavasatha . Churning and laying down of fire • Oblations · 302 Punar4dheya, or Re-establishmentof Fire. 313 Agnibotra, or Morning and Evening Milk-offerings . Agnyupasthina, or Worship of Fires Pindapitriyagna, or Oblation of Obsequial Cakes to De- ceased Ancestors • . 361 Agrayanesh/i, or Offering of First-fruits. 369 Diksh:iyana (New and Full-moon) Sacrifice 314 Katurmhy4ni, or Seasonal Sacrifices . 383 Vaisvadeva • 384 VarunapragMsik . 391 Stkamedhik 408 Mah4havih,or great oblation 417 MaM-pitnyagna 420 Oblation to Rudra Tryambaka . 437 Sunastrya • 444 Additions and Corrections. 452 Transliteration of Oriental Alphabets adopted for the Translations of the Sacred Books of the East . 453 Digitized by GoogIe • THE translator of the .Satapatba-brahmaea can be under no illusion as to the reception his production is likely to meet with at the hand of the general reader. In the whole range of literature few works are probably less calculated to excite the interest of any outside the very limited number of specialists, than the ancient theological writings of the Hindus, known by the name of BrAhmanas. For wearisome prolixity of exposition, characterised by dog• matic assertion and a flimsy symbolism rather than by serious reasoning, these works are perhaps not equalled anywhere; unless, indeed, it be by' the speculative vapour• ings of the Gnostics, than which, in the opinion of the learned translators of Irenseus, 'nothing more absurd has probably ever been imagined by rational beings 1.' If I have, never• theless, undertaken, at the request of the Editor of the present Series, what would seem to be a rather thankless task, the reason will be readily understood by those who have taken even the most cursory view of the history of the Hindu mind and institutions. The BrAhmanas, it is well known, form our chief, if not our only, source of information regarding one of the most important periods in the social and mental development of India. They represent the intellectual activity of a sacerdotal caste which, by turning to account the religious instincts of a gifted and naturally devout race, had succeeded in transforming a primitive worship of the powers of nature into a highly artificial system of sacrificial ceremonies, and was ever intent on deepening and extending its hold on the minds of the people, by surrounding its own vocation with the halo of sanctity and divine inspiration. A com• plicated ceremonial, requiring for its proper observance and I A. Roberts and W. A. Rambaut, The Writings of Ireneeus, vol. i. p. xv. Digitized by Goog Ie x SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA. consequent efficacy the ministrations of a highly trained priestly class, has ever been one of the most effective means of promoting hierarchical aspirations. Even practical Rome did not entirely succeed in steering clear of the rock of priestly ascendancy attained by such-like means. There, as elsewhere, "the neglect or faulty performance of the worship of each god revenged itself in the corresponding occurrence; and as it was a laborious and difficult task to gain even a knowledge of one's religious obligations, the priests who were skilled in the law of divine things and pointed out its requirements-the pontijices-could not fail to attain an extraordinary influence I.' The catalogue of the duties and privileges of the priest of Jupiter might well find a place in the Talmud. 'The rule• that no religious service can be acceptable to the gods, unless it be performed without a flaw-was pushed to such an extent, that a single sacrifice had to be repeated thirty times in succession on account of mistakes again and again committed; and the games, which formed part of the divine service, were regarded as undone, if the pre- . siding magistrate had committed any slip in word or deed, or if the music even had paused at a wrong time, and so had to be begun afresh, frequently for several, even as many as seven, times in succession 2.' Great, however, as was the influence acquired by the priestly colleges of Rome, 'it was never .forgotten-least of all in the case of those who held the highest position-that their duty was not to command, but to tender skilled advice 3.' The Roman statesmen submitted to these transparent tricks rather from considerations of political expediency than from religious scruples; and the- Greek Polybius might well say that .'the strange and. ponderous ceremonial of R oman religion was invented solely on account of the multitude which, as reason had no power over it, required to be ruled by signs and wonders'.' The devout belief in the efficacy of invocation and sacri- I Mommsen, History of Rome, translated by W. P. Dickson, vol. i, p.ISI. I Ibid. vol. ii, p. 400. a Ibid. vol. i. p. 179. • Ibid. vol, iii. P.455. Digitized by GoogIe INTRODUCTION. Xl ficial offering which pervades most of the hymns of the Rig-veda, and which may be assumed to reflect pretty faithfully the religious sentiments of those amongst whom they were composed, could not but ensure to the priest, endowed with the gift of sacred utterance, a considerable . amount of respect and reverence on the part of the people. His superior culture and habitual communion with the divine rulers of the destinies of man would naturally entitle him to a place of honour by the side of the chiefs of clans, or the rulers of kingdoms, who would not fail to avail them• selves of his spiritual services, in order to secure the favour of the gods for their warlike expeditions or political under• takings. Nor did the Vedic bard fail to urge his claims on the consideration and generosity of those in the enjoyment of power and wealth. He often dwells on the supernatural virtues of his compositions and their mysterious efficacy in drawing down divine blessings on the pious worshipper. In urging the necessity of frequent and liberal offerings to the gods, and invoking worldly blessings on the offerer, the priestly bard may often be detected pleading his own cause along with that of his employer, as Kanva does when he sings (Rig-veda VIII, 2., 13), 'Let him be rich, let him be foremost, the bard of the rich, of so illustrious a Maghavan 1 as thou, 0 lord of the bay steeds!' Though the Dana• stutis, or verses .extolllng, often in highly exaggerated terms, the munificence of princely patrons, and generally occurring at the end of hymns, are doubtless, as a rule, later additions, they at least show that the sacerdotal office must have been, or must gradually have become during this period, a very lucrative one.