Voegeli the Vedas(2004)

7/28/2019 Voegeli the Vedas(2004)

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G R O N I N G E N ORIENTAL STUDIES

V O L U M E XX

Published under the auspices of the J. Gonda Foundation,Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences

Editor

H.T. B a k k e ~Groningen

Editorial Board

H.W. Bodewitz . D.D.S. Goodall

H. Isaacson . G.J. Meulenbeld

Advisory Board

C. Caillat, Paris J. Ensink, Groningen

R. F. Gombrich, Oxford. H.C. Heesterman, Leiden

D. Shulman, Jerusalem . Ch. Vaudeville, Paris

J. Williams, Berkeley


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I 'J !'1" I , d }

I "

THE VEDAS

Texts, Language & Ritual

Proceedings of the Third InternationalVedic Workshop, Leiden 2002

Edited by

Arlo Griffiths & Jan E.M. Houben

E G BERT FORSTEN . GRONIN G EN

2004


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VI CONT ENTS

FRAN


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158 FRAN


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ON THE KATHAKA SAlYIH1TA HAPAX PASUYAJNA 159

Brahmar,ta level it resurfaces again in the 2nd and 3rd kiil'y;las of the TB, insome important places I shall discuss below, in the 11th kti.,!r;ia of the SB andin the 3rd prap(l!haka of the T A. The sudden appearance of the compound~ a # h o t ~is odd for we do not find a text of this formula in the KS. The firstevidence of a ~ w r ; l h o t ~mantra comes at the beginning of the 3rd prapa!hakaof the TA. TA III.l-6 gives a series of mantras (the C a t u r h o t ~mantras) whichare used in a special kind of Agnicayana known as Caturhotra-cayana. TheCaturhotra-cayana is one of the special ways of piling the fire altar belongingto the Katha school. These particular Agnicayanas are described in TB III.10-12 and TA I, the so-called 'eight Katha books' (a ,5,tau kii,thakiini) of the TaittirIya tradition. In the Srauta SUtras the detai ls of the procedure f th e a ~ b a k a -cayanas are found in BaudhSS XIX and ApSS XIX. I 1- 15. More spe ifically,the Citurhotra-cayana is dealt with in TB III . 12. 1- 5, BnudlLS IX .7- B andApsS XIX.14.18-27. In T A III. 1- 6 the ~ a r ; i r ; i h o t ~ formula is found in two different versions which are respectively:

a) TA lIlA. 1saryam Ie caksuh, vatam priinah, dyam prsthtim , anttiriksam iilma, aligair

0 " yajiitim, ~ t h i v f , J iarfrai(7(Let) your eye (go to) the sun, (your) breath (to) the wind, (your) back (to)the sky, (your) self (to) the intermediate region. (Go to) the sacrifice with(your) limbs, (go to) the earth with (your) bones. 3

And its corresponding graha portion:

vacaspate 'cchidrayii viica, acchidrayii juhvli, divi deviivtdhadi hOtriim e-rayasva svahao Lord of Speech, with uncut voice, with uncut tongue send in the sky thisgod-gladdening invocation! Hail!

I shall refer below to this version of the ~ a # h o t ~mantra as the ~ a r ; i r ; i h o t ~ ' l '

b) T A III .6.1vdg gh6lti , f k ~ apatnf , vilto 'dhvatYU!7 , ilpo 'bhigara(l, ,wino havill, tapasijuhomi

The H0l!' is speech. The Wife is the consecration. The Adhvaryu is wind.The Abhigara is water. The offering is the mind. I offer in heat.

And its corresponding graha portion :

3 For this translation , cf. below p. J 62 and n. 10.

-1


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160 rRAN(,OIS VOEGELI

/Jluir /JIUil'u(l Sli]l{((7,/Jnihma ,\'\'({YW!lhlUi, brcihmu!le ,\'voyw?l/Jlnive sl'clhaEarth, Atmosphere, Heaven! Self-existing is the Brahman, To the selfexisti ng Brahman hail!

During the Citurhotra-cayana, the Caturhoti' formulae are used to put downa certain number of bricks. According to TB III. 12.5.5 a first series of bricksare placed on the Eastern part of the fire altar using as many bricks as thereare clauses (i.e. the nominal sentences cftti(l Sl'li/';', cittdm /;jYWI1, etc.) in thed({,\:ohot,: formula. The procedure is repeated on the Southern, Western andNorthern sides with sets containing the same number of bricks as there are

clauses in the catur-, jJw/co- and, \ ' ( { ~ / ~ / h ( i t , :

formulae respectively. A last series of bricks corresponding to the seven clauses of the s O / J t ( { l w t ~ formula areplaced either 'from above' or 'behind' 4 the altar. The textual evidence tellsus that the mantra used in placing the bricks related to the :\'({\I\"lOtl; is the: \ ' ( { \ / \ l / l O t ~ ' 2for Speech is said to be the Hoq' of the 'Six Hotrs' in the precedingTB 111.12.5.1-2 and, correspondingly, BaudhSS XIX.7:427.14-17 quotes thetwo first clauses of the ,\"({\I\lhotI"2 (vag g/7ot{{ and drk,I'C/ p({tn[) when it givesthe formula used for putting down the : I ( { \ / ~ / h ( } t ~ ,bricks. 5 This is slightly oddbecause we find the y ( { ~ L \ L l w t ~ 2at the end of the TA.'s list of Caturhoti' mantrasafter the s ( { j J t ( { l w t~, . If we were to place these special bricks using the mantrasas they are given in TA lTT.I-6, wl1Y not use the , w \ / ~ L h ( } t ' : lformula instead

4 TB 111.12,5 .5 III){il'i,I,/17{ I'I'/iiil 'llill slIl"lilIOlilrlllll . DUMONT ILJSI: 667, hesitates: "Behind('I) (ochind thcse six ol ' icks'?), pmceecling towarcls the cast." CALAND (transi. of ApsSXIX . 14,24-25) takes it as "Oherhalb in iisllichcr Richlung" and has a note (n. J): "NachTrriGv . wil'd zwischcn delll Darbhablischeluncl clen vorher aufzuicgendcn Ziegeln ein Raulll1'01' die Sieoenhot \'I'ol'lnel gelassen."

5 TB 111.12 .5 . 1- 2 1'''(,'',I'I){ilil' IlIill7 l " i , ' i 1 I / ( ! l f ~ / ( I I I I ,l , r l l l i l ' l Illira ('(il II 1lIoli'/1(11II , lIgl/(r lliiraI ) ( i i l ( ' u l / ( ! I i ' ~ / ( I I I I ,I'd g gll l i l" s l i d \ i l l ( ! I i ' ~ / ( I I I I ,1;/(/lIiilllll 'ir IlIil" ,1'III'"illoli'mllll, eliid wii ('{illlr-I , o l i ' ~ / ( I I ! '

clIllIrllolC'l'lilll 'The I-lotI" uf the ten orlicialing 11l'iests is Vacaspati. The HutI' orthe J"uur oriiciatitlg priests is Earth. The Hut [ oJ"the live oflicia ting priests is Agtli. The H o t~

ur the six ofliciating rriests is Speech . The Holl' oj' the seven ofliciating p r iests is the GI 'catOfferitlg . Thus the Catlll'hutl" (formulae, arc callcd) Catul"llotr.'BaudhSS XIX.7:427.14-17 ull/llllllrlllU!IPI'III T!I ,wd\llIolrey!u/;:" / lI ,"d"dlliUi I'ag gllo"l lay"dCl'u/(/\ 'llligimsl'lid dll m I'll sTdll dT/;::I'lI I)(IIIITllIY" dCl'lIllIy",igim,II'ud dflml'cI sTdeti ,I'll! 'Thenhe places the six Ol"iCKs Otl the NUIthem (side of the allal" proceecling) towal"ds the East withthe sadl/llolr (fml11ula which is Illudilied thus) "The Hotr is Speech . Sit linn wilh this deityas Aligil"as! The Wire is the consecratiun. Sit fil'ill wilh this cicily as Aligiras!" (etc.)'. Cr.the textuf the Caturhutl fOl"lllulae in the Appendix, pp. J 72-176 . c r . also ApSS XIX.14.23.


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ON THE KATHAKA SAl'yIHITA HAPAX PASUYAJNA 161

of the ~'( / ( j , t j h ( ) t ~ 2 ?And how did the : m # h ( ) t ~ l 'a formula basically used in theanimal sacrifice according to both commentators of the T A, 6 become part ofthe series of mantras we find in the T A?

A closer look at the wording of the : m t j t j h o t ~ lgives the impression that thisformula is strangely out of line with the rest of the Caturhoq' mantras. Besidesthe fact that six couples of elements can be distinguished in it (sdrYaI!l -c a k ~ u t l ,vatal!l - pra'.lafl, etc.) 7 we do not see clearly what could be its relationship with the rest of the Caturhotr mantras because i t does not mention anypriestly function or instrument of the ritual. The only clear references to sacrificial activity are yajfiam in the first part of the mantra and h6trclm in the grahaportion. This is far from enough to assimilate this formula to six officiatingpriests. The syntax of the ~ a t j t j h o t ~ lis also awkward and differs from the restof the Caturhotr mantras. Whereas the other formulae are made of a series ofnominal sentences, this one is understandable only if we supply a finite verb.What could this verb be?

From the J.3.V onwards we find verses and prose mantras which seem closeto the ~ a t j t j h o t ~ l 'Its oldest parallel occurs in the hymn dedicated to Agni as thefire which burns the cadaver on the funeral pyre:

J.3.V X.16.3sdryaf!l e a k ~ u rgachatu vatam iitma dyaf.n ea gaeha ~ t h i v t f ! lea dhdnna'.lii,ap6 va gaeha yddi tatra te hitam 6 ~ a d h f : ~ uprati t i ~ ! h asarfraibLet the eye go to the sun, the vital breath to the wind. Go to the sky and tothe earth according to the law of things. Or go to the waters if it is suitedfor you there. Establish (yourself) firmly in the plants with your bones.

6 Saya(la and Bhaqa Bh aska ra ad TA IIIA, 1 (cf. VASUD EVA et ai, 1967: 204-205, SASTRI& RANGACARYA 1985: 262)

7 There are actually five nominal clauses in the , W I ~ / ~ i I / O I ~' 2 becau se its concluding sentenceflipasi juhnmi ha s a finite verb an d tapas is not explicitly equated with something else.S a y a ~ atries to circumvent thi s difficulty by identifying tapas as the fire (aglli) into whichthe preceding havis, made s imilar to the mind according to Imillo haviil, is done. This wouldgive us a sixth couple tapas - agl1i and thus th e mantra would follow the structure of therest of the Caturhotr formulae (cf. S a y a ~ aad TA II1.6, VASUD EVA et ai, 1967: 208, 1. 1-2), Th e solution is ingenious, but the saddhntr 2 still remains the only Caturhotr formulathat oddly has a finite verb, ManSS 1.8. i 'J an d the corresponding VarSS 1.6,1.2 know avariant of the ~ a ~ I ( l I l O l \2 which is: V(lg ghota d f k ~ { /palny apo 'dhvaryllr vcltn 'bhigarailpri'i!lO havir 1Il{/11O hrahlllcl tapasi jl/hmni. Th e addition of 11/(/1/0 brahlllc7 gives si x nominalclauses to this variation of the , m ( / (l h o l ~ ' 2an d it might thus mo r e appropriately be called~ ' a ( l ( l I w l ( .This mantra is used in the ManSS an d VarSS for the ' a ~ I ( l l z o t ~ " l i b a t i o nthat startsthe Niru9hapasubandha , in stead of the usuaJ siirYW!l Ie cok,\ "1I1' found ill other Srauta SiHras(on this libation , cf. p" 165) .


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16 2 FRANC;:OIS VOEGELI

Variants of this verse are found in th e AV, SB, TB, KS 8 and it notic e ably foundits way into the Pitrmedha section of the TA with the small but interestingvariant sdrYa/!1. Ie c 6 k ~ ~ u rfor sdryaf!! c 6 k ~ \ ' u r ,But the most significant parallelto the ~ ' G { ; l r ! h o t ~ )is a passage of the Adhrigu litany:

MS IV 13.4:203. 10-1 1suryw.n c a k ~ u rgamayatild, vlita,!! praf}wn anva vasljattid, a n t a r i k~w n

a SUl.n, p ~ t h i v t d ifarfram (= KS XVI.2l:244 .12-13)Make the eye go to the sun! Let the breath go along the wind , the vital air(along) the intermediate space, the body (along) the earth!

Variants of this passage are also found in TB, AB , KB , Ass and SailkhSS .9The Adhrigu litany is recited by the Hotr during an animal sacrifice when

the victim is led to the Samitrafire-hall where it is to be executed soon after

the end of his recitation.These parallel verses and prose passages give us a clue as to which verbal

form ought to be supplied to understand correctly the ~ ' a r ! r ! J l O t ~ ' I 'namely : animperative active 3d and 2d sg. of the root GAM- . 10 They also suggest twolinks with the animal sacrifice. The first one, which would be the Adhrigulitany, is of a technical nature. The Adhrigu is recited only during an animalsacrifice. Its purpose is to call the divine Samitrs for assistance in dissectingthe victim. The Samitr officiates only at an animal sacrifice and is appointedto the killing and cutting up of the beast and the cooking of its parts in a pot

S Fo r a co mplete lis t or r I'ere ru.:es . cr. G l!l.DNER 195 1: 147. 11. 3 .9 r.TB rn .6.6.2 ; AB 1 l.6 ~7 ; KB X.7.7- 8.4 ; As [11.3. 1; u il k h ~ V. 17. 'J.

III In thi s order . As we have f !n i ~ 16 {1 in th e 'eco nd c lause of lh : f a ~l t , l h( )t ! , anJ ii llllO inlhe fourt h cluuse we ClUlflOl follow slr ictly Ibe melllel of Ihe Adhrig u litan y in sup plying 3J1 im pera tive IIclive 2J sg. uf I1nv -6va -SI.U , for the se.c()nd ~n f'c)urlh c iullses . UII Vrilln .Slp - requ ires [l double [lc..:usalive co nst l'uclion l n the Tniltlr iya tt:xtli ( d . TS VLS.6 .S.VI.S.8.S) . T he case is l e ~ sclelu' in Ibe M where w e have o llce llIIv-livu -SZU- co nstru edwilh il l 1 A ~ e. :lnd R L. pI. i n MS IV. 6 .7 :89 . 16 17.. HROI3DER" cd . olso reports that IheP ad a p a ~ h aof t he M g ive. tlIflt6 r; k: I! I6 ;III!' 1'0 1' Ol tt1ri kf w lI i,I'W!1 il l the Ailll ri gu li tan y,cf. M IV 13.4:203. I I, n. 20. UIJply ing IIIIV-tlVa .S'!J- to the ,ftb and sixl h cluuses of the~ 1 I( #' / I I l rl seen ls questio nab le beca u. e of the I. plurals ollgo;/I M d . l ' t ir r / ' ( /i ~ 1 .Further more

sup ply ing n ) nu ~ H li v e2d sg . a Iive of CAM- to the fi r l clausc of the ,'ll(/{lh DI!', is slig htlyawk ward bec. lUsc o f the posscssive Ie. It is lhen not possi ble to l11l lkc n Iricl puru lle l bclwee nlhc m ! L ~' " ( ) l~ 1 und rbe Adhri gu. It seem ' thm Ihe nes t 1:00Teiate fo r . llpp ly ing ver bs tothe :w {lrI" OI!'1 s ~ V X. 16 .3 wi th its d sg. imperati ve lIclive or CMIII ill the lirsl piida nndit 2d sg . inlpe rnri ve act ivellf the Sllmc root to wh ich is ad ded lt11 1. com pl e. ment in Ihe . C om.! p fldo . ' nl e ,W/{ift/WI/', expa nded by analogy to I~ V X. 16.3 \>,Iould b e: .n1rY{l/!l le cak ;'II{1LIt" ccilnIIlJ. VlIIIIIIIlte ] p rell/a !1 [gt/CdW IIIJ. dyflr!1 [wi p t ; ~! M I I IIJI{lcchofli}, 0 /1111,.;/\,\'(/1/1IleJii lm it .~ ( 1 '(:1101 11. rlIlgair Iwl l{ljiiellI Igtl('clllIl, I ~' l h iv { , i iI e I . irrm i!1 Iga ce/IIII.


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ON TH E KA.THAKA SAHITA. HAPAX PASUYAJNA 163

placed on a special fire laid to the North-East of the vedi, the Samitra fire. TheAdhrigu litany gives some indications on how the victim should be dissectedand it is one of the oldest testimonies of the procedure of dismemberment of

an animal in Vedic literature. I t is no wonder that Sayal)a in his commentary toTA IlIA recognized some affinity between the : j a t j h o t ~ 1and this passage ofthe Adhrigu. I I

The second connection with the animal sacrifice is of a more symbolicalnature. The verses and prose passages quoted above revolve around death. Thekilling of the victim is a very critical moment of the animal sacrifice and itgives rise to many kinds of evasive maneuvers. It is then not surprising that thecreators of a formula specifically designed for the animal sacrifice found someinspiration in sections of Vedic literature related to death, funerals or butchery.

This twofold relationship of the :jatjhotrl with the animal sacrifice doesnot explain why this mantra has been shoved into a set of formulae basicallyused in a special kind of Agnicayana. I t does also not give us a reason for theassociation of a :jatjhotr formula with a pasuyajiia in the KS. One obviousanswer to the latter question is the term :jarjrjhotr itself. An animal sacrificerequires six priests: the five priests officiating at the Caturmasyani (Adhvaryu,Pratiprasthat{, H o t ~ ,Brahman and AgnIdhra) to whom the Maitravarul)a isadded in the pasubandha. The presence of the :jatjhotrl in the T A's list couldbe the result of a compilation mishap. As there already existed a :jatjhotr2 inthis list one can speculate that the : j a r j r j h o t ~ 1was put there by mere affinity ofdesignation, albeit in a questionable place of the series. This would howevernot fully account for the difference that exists between KS IX.13: 115.9-11and MS 1.9.5:135.14-15. Why would the K a ~ h a k a sassociate a pasuyajiia witha :jatjhotr and not the Maitrayal)lyas, especially if both did apparently notpossess at that time a :jarjrjhotrl mantra? The answer I am about to give to thisquestion has to do with a feature of the i:jri and Soma rituals which is firstreferred to in a mythological account found in the KS. This narrative is laterexpanded in the TB and it is finally echoed in the practice of all the SrautaSiUras of the Black Yajur Veda.

In KS IX.16: 118.14 (beginning of section IX.16) to IX.l6: 119.7, a passage

of the KS which has no equivalent in the MS, one finds a myth on the creationof various types of sacrificial performances.

11 Sayal)a ad TA III.4.1 wtha ca p o s u v ; ~ a y e' d h r i g l l p r a i ~ esamal11nayate siirYa/!1 c a k ~ l I rgamayotc/t, vatW!1 prc/I}Q11l anvavasdatad iti 'And so in the field of the animal (sacrifice) itis handed down in the Adhrigu p r a i ~ a :"Let the eye go to the sun! Let the breath go alongthe wind!".'


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ON THE KA'rHAKA SAtytHITA HAPAX PASUYAJNA 165

formula and its graha portion. TB 11.2.1.7-2.5 also starts by describing thespell done with the d a s a h o t ~ formula 14 and then moves on to the myth of thecreation of the various types of sacrifices. The TB version of this myth starts

with the DP and ends with the soma ceremony, but as it includes the creationof the pasubandha between that of the Caturmasyani and the A g n i ~ ! o m a ,thewhole TB account actually follows the order in which the Caturhotr mantrasare found in T A. III. 1- 5 (from d a s a h o t ~ to saptahot':" including :mhot':,). It isvery important to notice the insertion of the pa.subandha and its corresponding:mhot':, formula into this narrative. Unfortunately the text of the TB does notgive us any clue as to which ~ a h o t ~ mantra is used for the creation of theanimal sacrifice but we may assume, on the basis of the Srauta Sutras, that the:mhot':,l was meant.

This creation myth has left some traces in the ritual practice of the laterSutras. Most of the Srauta Sutras of the Black Yajur Veda describe an oblation of clarified butter made by the Adhvaryu into the A.havanlya fire afterhe has 'mentally recited' one of the Caturhotr formulae. This libation usually takes place at the beginning of a particular sacrifice or at the first performance of a ritual belonging to a cycle of sacrifices like the DP or theCaturmasyani. Not surprisingly this offering always consists of four ladlingsof clarified butter (caturg':,hftam), by analogy with the term c a t u r h o t ~ .Thecorrespondence between the type of sacrifice during which it is done and theCaturhotr mantra used for performing it follows what we find in TB 11.2.2.1-5 .In the case of the DP, a libation of clarified butter is done after a mental recitation of the c a t u r h o t ~ at the beginning of the A n v a r a m b h a J ) . I y a - i ~ ! i(cf. KRICK1982: 453--460), the first performance of the DP after the completion of theAgnyadheya. 15 In the Caturmasyani a libation is done at the beginning of theVaisvadeva-parvan, the first sacrifice of the Four-Monthly cycle of sacrifices,after a mental recitation of the paiicahot':,. 16 For the Niru


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ON TH E KATHAKA SAHITA HAPAX PASUYAJNA 167

The i ~ ! iform of the animal sacrifice

The appearance of the pasubandha and its corresponding ~ a c j c j h o t ~ libation inTB 11.2.1.7-2.5 is an important clue on our way to a solution of the problemposed by the hapax pasuyajiia in the KS.

I t is well known that the classical vedic ritual distinguishes between twoforms of animal sacrifices: those of the haviryajiia order and those of the somayajiia order. The animal sacrifice belonging to the haviryajiia order is technically called nirucjhapasubandha, a compound attested only in the late Sutralevel and not found in any known Sal11hita or r a h m a ~ a .As an i ~ ! itype of sacrifice it follows the structural norm of the DP but its model is actually foundin the animal sacrifice performed on the aupavasathya day of the A g n i ~ t o m a .

The ritualists have in the course of time extracted 21 the procedure of the animal sacrifice offered on this day of the A g n i ~ t o m aand supplied it with theelements that were required to turn it into a haviryajiia. The Sal11hitas andB r a h m a ~ a snever treat the animal sacrifice apart from the A g n i ~ t o m awith fewbut remarkable exceptions, among them:

SB XI.7.2.1haviryajiiavidho ha va 'nyab pasubandhdb, savavidho 'nyab sa h a i ~ ahaviryajiiavidho yasmin vratdm upanayati ydsminn apab prQ1:zayati ydsminpun:zapatraf!! nimiyati yasmin v i ~ , ! u k r a m a nkramayaty atha h a i ~ asavavi

dho ydsminn et{mi na kriydnteThere is one animal sacrifice of the Haviryajiia order, and another of theorder of the Soma( -sacrifice). Of the Haviryajiia order is that (animal sacrifice) at which he (the Adhvaryu) brings (him, the Sacrificer) the fast (meal),(at which he) leads water forward (and) pours out a jarful of water (and) atwhich he makes (the Sacrificer) stride the V i ~ ~ u - s t r i d e s ;and of the orderof the Soma(-sacrifice) is that (animal sacrifice) at which these (rites) arenot performed. 22

21 Thus its name nirilcjhapasubandha. nin7c,lha can be understood either as the participle ofnir-VAH 't o carry off, to lead out' or as the participle of nir-UH- 'to push out, to putaside'. In my opinion the first option would better reflect the historical development thatsurrounded the creation of the nin7cjhapaubandha (cf. the quotation of SB XI.7.2.2 belowp. 171).

22 Cpo Apss VII.2S.1 i ~ ! i v i d l l OWI anya!, paubandha!, samavidha 'nyaft, sa ya traitad apa!,p r a ~ z a y a t iplir(wpturmJl nillayati v i ~ ~ l l I k r a l l l t i nkriilllati sa i ~ ! i v i d h a'ta 'nya!, samavidha ii iviijasmwyakam 'The Vajasaneyins say: "One animal sacrifice is of the i ~ ! iorder, the otherof the order of the SamaC-sacrifice). When he (i.e. the Adhvaryu) leads water forward,pours out a jarful of water (and when the Sacrificer) strides the V i ~ J . l U - s t r i d e sit is of the i ~ ! i


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This k ( / ! 1 ~ l i k c lof the SB shows that the havis and soma types of animal sacrificeswere clearly distinguished from each other at the time of the compilation ofthe XIth book of the SB , which we now know to be a late Eastern addition to

the text. 23 Were the two types of animal sacrifices always well differentiatedearlier in the Black Yajurvedic schools? I have reasons to doubt it. The mainmotives behind my suspicion are the association made in the KS between apa,(uyajiia and a : w h o t ~formula and the fact that this equation is not foundin the corresponding passage of the MS but has become part of the TB's versionof an elaborate mythological scheme.

The Srauta Sutras express recognition of the fact that a preliminary libationwith the : \ ' ( / ( l I w t ~formula has become emblematic of the haviryc!iiia form ofanimal sacrifice. The following excerpt of the Apss, taken from its A g n i ~ t o m a

section, makes this point quite clear :

Apss XJ.l6.l-3(1) a ! . : n f : w m ~ y a s y aI J ( ( . ~ ( ) Stantral!' prakramayati (2) tasya niriihapalubandhavar kalpa(l (3) : \ ' C l < ! ~ / h ( ) t dpavi:\,.ti cclli!.:abhiUe:\u n(l vidyate(I ) He undertakes the ritual of the animal (sacrifice dedicated) toAgni and Soma. (2) Its ritual (procedure) is (the same) as (that of) thelIiralwpaubandlw. (3) In the (animal sacrifices that are) auxiliary parts(of larger sacrifices) the : w( l ( l h o t ~ (libation) and the (preliminary) i : ~! i ofthe animal (sacrifice)24 do not occur.

Apastamba's assertion on the ~'( H ! 4 I w t ~ ,libation is easily verified in the ritualpractice of the older ViidhSS. The text of the ViidhSS has a unique characteristic: it expounds the animal sacrifice in two different chapters. The Vth chaptertreats of the nirfl


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ON THE KATHAKA SAlylHlTA HAPAX PASUYAJNA 169

is the case with the above-mentioned passage of ApSs . When we come tothe question of the ~a ~ l h ( ) t ~ libation in the VadhSS the contrast between theNiru9hapasubandha section and the corresponding A g n i ~ ~ o m asection is strik

ing:Vth prapa.thaka (= Niru9hapasubandha)VadhSS V1.2.2-5 v (= V2.2-3 c )25(2) adfpta idhm e c a t u r g~' h f t ( l / ! 1g ~ ' h ~ ! f t e(3) taj juhot i a h o t a r a mmanasaI!udrutya (4) aparafi caturgrhftam grhnfte (5) taj juho ty any agnir usasamagram akhyad ity anukhyati"m a n ~a l ; a ~ iprathamo ja='atatana 26 sV6heti(2) Wh en the faggot (for carrying the tire to the Uttaravedi) has been lithe takes four ladlings (of clarified butter into the juhuladle). (3) He offersit after having mentally recited the saddhotr (formula). (4) He takes another four ladlings (of clarified b u t t ~ ri'n'to t h ~juhilladle). 27 (5) He offersit (with) the anukhyati (verse , 28 namely) "Agni gazed along the edge ofthe dawns. The first [knower of (all) created beings gazed] along the days.[He gazed many times along the rays of the sun.] He has spread [Sky andEarth.] Hail!"

Vlth prapa-,thaka (= A g n i ~ ! o m a )VadhSS VI.3.3.4 - 51 (= VI.l4.6-S c )(4) adfpta idhme c a t u r g ~ h f t ( l / ! l g ~ ' h ~ f te taj juhoty (5) anv agnir u ~ a s a m

agram akhyad ity al!ukh yiltim any ahani=cltatana svah eti

(4) When the faggot (for carrying the fire to the Uttaravedi) has been lithe takes four ladlings (of clarified butter into the julut ladle and) offers it(with) (5) the anukhyati (verse, namely) "Agni gazed along the edge ofthe dawns. [The first knower of (all) created beings gazed] along the days.[He gazed many times along the rays of the sun .] He has spread [Sky andEarth.] Hail!"

25 Reference s to th e VadhSS s uperscripted with " I" com e from th e Agnyadheya and Agnihotm critical eds. from IKARI (1995) and IKARI (1996), and al so from an unpublisheddraft of th e critical edition of VadhSS II-IV and VI-VII which was kindly lent to m e byProf. IKARI. Tho se supersc ripted with "C " come frum the ed. of CHAUBEY (1993 ). Those

superscripted with "V " come from my critical ed. of the Vth pmpd!/wka which shall bepublished in the near future as part of my doctoral dissertation.

26 This " =" s ign is a way of abbr eviating m a ntr as peculiar to the VadhSS. In the tran s lation Iput the abbreviated part of th e mantra between square brackets.

27 To perform an oblation which is otherwise known as ltdyata/lOlIlCl in younger Sutras(cf. BharSS VIl.4.?; ApsS VIL6 .5 ; HirSS IV2.4:405 ; VaikhSS X.5:L05.11-15 ; ManSS1.7.3.40; S CHWAB 1886: 31). This libation do es not tak e place in the BaudhSS.

28 TS rV1.2.lk , thus called in th e VadhSS because of its use of the verb anuKHyA-.


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ON THE KATHAKA SAl\1HITA HAPAX PASUYAJNA 171

:jar/r/hot,: = pasuyajiia in KS IX.13:115.9-11 whereas the Maitrayal)Iyas didnot in the corresponding passage of the MS it is because something hadchanged in the conception and practice of the animal sacrifice at that time. In

my opinion, what we are witnessing in this passage of the KS is not simply anallusion to a new mantra tied to a new oblation in the procedure of the animalsacrifice but it is the first testimony of a fully grown niriir/hapasubandha. Theprocess of extraction of the animal sacrifice out of the A g n i ~ ! o m acontextmust not have been an easy one, as the SB vividly testifies in the following:

SB XI.7.2.2tad ilhuf:t, {:jri?1pasubandhG3 mahilyajiia3 {ti mahilyajiia {ti ha briiyild {:jri'!1vai tarhi pasubandhdm akar vy enam ak,:k:jathil (ty ena1!1 briiyiltConcerning this they ask "Is the animal sacrifice an i:jri or a great (Soma-)

sacrifice?" - "A great sacrifice", let him say; "for in that (other) case thouhast made the animal sacrifice an i:jri, and shattered it." Thus he should say.(EGGELING'S translation, 1900, vol. 5: 120)

The embarrassment conveyed by this kalJr/ikil of the Xlth book of the SB raisesanother disturbing question, namely: was a haviryajiia form of animal sacrificepart of the vedic system of rituals from the beginning onwards or is it a latecreation? In other terms: were animals always considered worthy of being anoffering in themselves or were they initially only subsidiary oblations of largersacrifices such as the A g n i ~ ! o m a ?This question may seem bold, but the data

collected here certainly call for further investigation into the matter.


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ON T HE KATHAKA SAl'ylHITA HAPAX PASUYAJNA 173

graha portion

TA 1I1.2.1

vacaspate vaco vfryerw, S d l ! l b h ~ t a t a l l l e n ay a k ~ y a s e ,ydjamanaya va/yam, a suvas kdrasmdi, v a c d s p d t i ~soma/II pibati, jajdnad indram indriyaya svahao Lord of speech, with most concentrated power of speech you will offer a precious(gift) to the Sacrificer. May you bring him heaven. The Lord of Speech drinks soma.He shall beget Indra for (Indra-like) power. Hail!

MS 1.9.1: 131.4-7vacaspate vac6 vfrye!lCI SGI!lbhrtatalllena yak,wse, yajiiapataye varyam il svas kar,vacdspdtib s6mam apaj, jajdnad indralll indriyaya, S611la(1 s611lasya pibatu, sukra!1sukrdsya pibatu, srmas ta illdra s6ma vatapayo havanaS/'L1-w(1o Lord of speech, with most concentrated power of speech you shall offer to the Lord

of the Sacrifice a precious (gift). May you bring heaven. The Lord of Speech has drunksoma, (so) he shall beget Indra for (Indra-like) power. Let Soma drink soma! Let SUkradrink the pure (soma)! Your soma (drops), 0 Indra, are seasoned, (they) have the windfor friend, (they are) hearing the call.

KS IX.8:110.14-18vacaspate vclc6 vfrye!lCI Sdl!lbhrtatamena y a k ~ a s eyajfllipataye valyam a svas karovacdspdtis s6mm!1 pibatll jajanad fndram indriY(lya svahii s6mas s6masya purogasukras sukrdsya puroga srcllas ta indra s6mcl vatape havClnasrutas SWIM (= KpSVIII. 11 : 103.20-104)o Lord of speech, with most concentrated power of speech you shall offer to the Lordof the Sacrifice a precious (gift). You shall bring heaven. Let the Lord of Speech drinksoma! He shall beget Indra for (Indra-like) power. Hail! Soma is the leader of soma.SUkra is the leader of pure (soma). Your soma (drops), 0 Indra, are seasoned. 0 youwho have the wind for friend, (they) are hearing the call. Hail!

3. Pancahotr

TA III.3.1agnir h6ta, av[nadhvClrYll , t v c i ~ . t a g n t t ,mitrd upavakta 32

(cf. MS 1.9.1:131.7; KS IX .8:11 0.18; KpS VIII.l1:104.4-5)The Hotr is Agni. The two Adhvaryus are the two Asvins. The Agnldhra is T v a ~ t r .

The UpavaktI is Mitra.

32 MS: rudf'{) (/gllrd , h ~ / w s p d l i rupavakfli; KS: rudro 'gllic/, h ~ " a s p d ( i rIlpav{/ktli ; KpS: rudru'glln , h,:;haspalir IIpavakfti


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grulla portion

TA III.3.1ScJ/Il({!z .\'(JI/wsya jJurogaiz , . ~l i k r c i ! z.


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ON THE KATHAKA SAtylHITA HAPAX PASUYAJNA 175

graha portion

TA III.4.1

vilcaspate 'cchidraya vtid, acchidraya juhva, div{ devavtdham hotram erayasvasvilhao Lord of Speech, with uncut voice, with uncut tongue send in the sky thisgod-gladdening invocation! Hail!

TA III.6.1vag ghota, d f k ~ i l p a t n f ,vilta 'dhvaryu!l, ilpo 'hhigaraJ:!., mana havI!l, tapasijuhomiThe Hotr is speech. The Wife is the consecration. The Adhvaryu is wind. The Abhigarais water. The offering is the mind. I offer in heat.

graha portion

TA III.6.!bluir bMvaJ:!. 35 suva!l, bra/llna svaYG/!lbM, brahma(le svayat!lbhUve svahaEarth, Atmosphere, Heaven! Self-existing is the Brahman. To the self-existing Brahman hail!

S. Saptahotr

TA III.S.l

mahiihavir hOw, satyahavir adhvaryuJ:!., acyutapaja agnft, acyutamana upavaktil,36a l l a d h r ~ y a sc a p r a t i d h ~ ' ~ y a sca yajiiasyabhigarau, 37 ayilsya udgatil(cf. MS 1.9.1:131.10-12; KS IX.9:111.21-1l2.2 (without accentuation); KpSVIIl.!2:lOS.1-3)The Hotr has the great offering. The Adhvaryu has the offering of truth. The Agnldhrahas immovable brightness. The Upavaktr has immovable mind . The two Abhigaras ofthe sacrifice are the unassailable (one) and the non-countered (one). The Udgatr is thetireless (one).

graha portion

TA IIl.S.lvilcaspate hr d vidhe !Ulman, vidhema te nilma, vidhes tvam asmilkat!l nilma,vticaspati!l somam apat, mil daivyas tantus chedi mil m a n u ~ y a J : ! . ,namo dive, namaJ:!.

35 SASTRI & RANGACARYA 'S ed.: bill/vas.36 MS : cicitlapaja aglltd, cicittamalla IIpavaktii; KS : acittapaja agllid aciftamalla upavakW

(so KpS with agnfd).37 MS, KS , KpS: cabhigarfi.


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p ~ l h i v y c l isvllllli

o Lord of Speech! 0 H ea rt! 0 Rule! 0 Name! Ma y we worship your name . Ma y youworship our name. The Lord of Speech drank soma. Th e godly thread must no t be

cut, no r the human (one). Homage to the sky! Homage to the earth! Hail!

MS 1.9.1:131.12-14vfdhe IUlma/l vidhell/({ te nc7ma, vidhes tVell/! a . /IIc1kw!1 nc7mCl, lIu7 devilll({l!l tdntlli>' chedimil I I W I W ~ y i l ~ l l l l l 1 ,I/dl/lo I//(Ilr e J ~ t h i v y d i

o Rule! 0 Name i May we worship your name. Ma y you worship our name . Th e threadof the gods must not be cut, no r (that) of the men. Homag e to Mother Earth!

KS IX.9: 112.2-3wlco.l'jJate vidhe I lclI lW./l vidhema te llama vidhes tvam a.I'lIu7!:(//!1 nama lllii deve/Jl(II!1Tantll'" chedi IIU[ l 1 / a / J I I , ~ y ( l l / a / l l .

(= KpS VIII. 12: I 05.3-5)o Lord of Speech! 0 Rule! 0 Name! Ma y we worship your name. May you worshipour name . Th e thread of the gods must no t be cut, no r (that) of the men.

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