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Adoration to the Highest Self (Paramâtman)!
1. Ganaka Vaideha (the king of the Videhas) sacrificed with a sacrifice at which many presents were offered to the priests of (the Asvamedha). Brâhmanas of the Kurus and the Pâñkâlas had come thither, and Ganaka Vaideha wished to know, which of those Brâhmanas was the best read. So he enclosed a thousand cows, and ten pâdas (of gold) 2 were fastened to each pair of horns.
2. And Ganaka spoke to them: 'Ye venerable Brâhmanas, he who among you is the wisest, let him drive away these cows.'
Then those Brâhmanas durst not, but Yâgñavalkya said to his pupil: 'Drive them away, my dear.'
He replied: 'O glory of the Sâman 3' and drove them away.
The Brâhmanas became angry and said: 'How could he call himself the wisest among us?'
Now there was Asvala, the Hotri priest of Ganaka Vaideha. He asked him: 'Are you indeed the
wisest among us, O Yâgñavalkya?' He replied: 'I bow before the wisest (the best knower of Brahman), but I wish indeed to have these cows.'
Then Asvala, the Hotri priest, undertook to question him.
1. 'Yâgñavalkya, he said, 'everything here (connected with the sacrifice) is reached by death, everything is overcome by death. By what means then is the sacrificer freed beyond the reach of death?'
Yâgñavalkya said: 'By the Hotri priest, who is Agni (fire), who is speech. For speech is the Hotri of the sacrifice (or the sacrificer), and speech is Agni, and he is the Hotri. This constitutes freedom, and perfect freedom (from death).'
4. 'Yâgñavalkya,' he said, 'everything here is reached by day and night, everything is overcome by day and night. By what means then is the sacrificer freed beyond the reach of day and night?'
Yâgñavalkya said: 'By the Adhvaryu priest, who is the eye, who is Âditya (the sun) 1. For the eye is the Adhvaryu of the sacrifice, and the eye is the sun, and he is the Adhvaryu. This constitutes freedom, and perfect freedom.'
5. 'Yâgñavalkya,' he said, 'everything here is reached by the waxing and waning of the moon, everything is overcome by the waxing and waning of the moon. By what means then is the sacrificer freed beyond the reach of the waxing and waning of the moon?'
Yâgñavalkya said: 'By the Udgâtri priest, who is Vâyu (the wind), who is the breath. For the
breath is the Udgâtri of the sacrifice, and the breath is the wind, and he is the Udgâtri. This constitutes freedom, and perfect freedom.'
6. 'Yâgñavalkya,' he said, 'this sky is, as it were, without an ascent (staircase.) By what approach does the sacrificer approach the Svarga world?'
Yâgñavalkya said: 'By the Brahman priest, who is the mind (manas), who is the moon. For the mind is the Brahman of the sacrifice, and the mind is the moon, and he is the Brahman. This constitutes freedom, and perfect freedom. These are the complete deliverances (from death).'
Next follow the achievements.
7. 'Yâgñavalkya,' he said, 'how many Rik verses will the Hotri priest employ to-day at this sacrifice?'
'Three,' replied Yâgñavalkya.
'And what are these three?'
'Those which are called Puronuvâkyâ, Yâgyâ, and, thirdly, Sasyâ 1.'
'What does he gain by them?'
'All whatsoever has breath.'
8. 'Yâgñavalkya,' he said, 'how many oblations (âhuti) will the Adhvaryu priest employ to-day at this sacrifice?'
'Three,' replied Yâgñavalkya.
'And what are these three?'
'Those which, when offered, flame up; those which, when offered, make an excessive noise; and those which, when offered, sink down 2.'
'What does he gain by them?'
'By those which, when offered, flame up, he gains the Deva (god) world, for the Deva world flames up, as it were. By those which, when offered, make an excessive noise, he gains the Pitri (father) world, for the Pitri world is excessively (noisy) 1. By those which, when offered, sink down, he gains the Manushya (man) world, for the Manushya world is, as it were, down below.'
9. 'Yâgñavalkya,' he said, 'with how many deities does the Brahman priest on the right protect to-day this sacrifice?'
'By one,' replied Yâgñavalkya.
'And which is it?'
'The mind alone; for the mind is endless, and the Visvedevas are endless, and he thereby gains the endless world.'
10. 'Yâgñavalkya,' he said, 'how many Stotriyâ hymns will the Udgâtri priest employ to-day at this sacrifice?'
'Three,' replied Yâgñavalkya.
'And what are these three?'
'Those which are called Puronuvâkyâ, Yâgyâ, and, thirdly, Sasyâ.'
'And what are these with regard to the body (adhyâtmam)?'
'The Puronuvâkyâ is Prâna (up-breathing), the Yâgyâ the Apâna (down-breathing), the Sasyâ the Vyâna (back-breathing).'
'What does he gain by them?'
'He gains the earth by the Puronuvâkyâ, the sky by the Yâgyâ, heaven by the Sasyâ.'
After that Asvala held his peace.
121:1 Mâdhyandina text, p. 1067.
121:2 Palakaturbhâgah pâdah suvarnasya. Comm.
121:3 One expects iti after udaga, but Sâmasravas is applied to Yâgñavalkya, and not to the pupil. Yâgñavalkya, as the commentator observes, was properly a teacher of the Yagur-veda, but as the pupil calls him Sâmasravas, he shows that Yâgñavalkya knew all the four Vedas, because the Sâmans are taken from the Rig-veda, and the Atharva-veda is contained in the other three Vedas. Regnaud, however, refers it to the pupil, and translates, 'Ô toi qui apprends le Sâma-veda.'
122:1 One expects âdityena kakshushâ, instead of kakshushâdityena, but see § 6.
123:1 The Puronuvâkyâs are hymns employed before the actual sacrifice, the Yâgyâs accompany the sacrifice, the Sasyâs are used for the Sastra. All three are called Stotriyâs.
123:2 These oblations are explained as consisting of wood and oil, of flesh, and of milk and Soma. The first, when thrown on the p. 124 fire, flame up. The second, when thrown on the fire, make a loud hissing noise. The third, consisting of milk, Soma, &c., sink down into the earth.
124:1 On account of the cries of those who wish to be delivered out of it. Comm.