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150
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
NINTH KÅNDA.
THE BUILDING OF THE SACRED FIRE-ALTAR
(continued).
SATARUDRIYA LUSTRATION, INSTALMENT AND CONSECRATION OF FIRE, AND SOMA-SACRIFICE.
FIRST ADHYAYA. FIRST BRÂHMANA,
THE SATARUDRIYA. This solemn and awful ceremony consists of 425 oblations to Rudra, the representative of the fearful aspects of life and nature, accompanied by appropriate formulas addressed to the various forms of the terrible god, and his associates, with a view to appeasing their wrath. These formulas make up a complete kânda (XVI) of the Vagasaneyi-samhita, and constitute a special Upanishad. Though only a few of the formulas are actually referred to in the text of the Brâhmana, the different portions of which this dismal litany consists are otherwise alluded to, and for this reason, as well as on account of its intrinsic interest, as doubtless reflecting, to a considerable extent, the popular belief in demoniac agencies to which man is constantly exposed, a complete translation of the Satarudriya formulas is here given. For a German translation of the Taittirîya recension of the text, with the various readings of the Kathaka and Vagasaneyin versions, see A. Weber, Ind. Stud. II, p. 14 seqq.
I. 1. Reverence, O Rudra, be to thy wrath; and to thine arrow be reverence; and to both thine arms be reverence! 2. What auspicious form there is of thine, free from terror and boding of evil, with that most propitious form look down upon us, O mountain-dweller! 3. The shaft thou bearest in thy hand to hurl, O mountain-dweller, make it harmless, O protector of mountains, injure not man nor beast! 4. With auspicious speech we call upon thee, O mountain-dweller, that all these living beings of ours may
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