Prajapati's relations with Brahman, Brhaspati and Brahma - DWC

5, 1, 4, 14 15 ; 5, 1, 5, 2; 8; 5, 3, 5, 7 16 ; 9, 2, 3, 3; 9, 3, 4, 18; 11, 4, 3, 13
("Brhaspati, Bráhman, Brahmapati"); 12,8,3,29; 13,2,6,9; 13,5,4,
25 ; 'cf. also 8, 4, 3, 4. In SB. 5, 3, 2, 4 Mitra and Brhaspati are said to be
the path of the sacrifice, because both are Bráhman, and Bráhman is sacrificial
worship (yajffa)17.
In TS. 3, 4, 5, 1 Brha~pati is said to be the ruler (adhipati) of Bráhman
(cf. ~V. 2, 23, 1 jye~tharO.jam bráhma1)äm 18 ) just as, in the same enumeration
of names and functions , VaruI].a is the ruler of the waters, Soma of plants,
Savitar of instigations and so on. In TB. 3, 11, 4, 2 a similar interpretation of
the meaning of his name and his function in the pantheon is given by means
of his other name: bthaspate brahma1)as pate lip Brhaspati, lord of Brahman 11
(again after rudra pasünä1]l pate etc.). - In AVS. 5, 26,12 BrhaspatUs invited
to come to (the sacrifice of) those who invoke him with Bráhman 19 • In AVS. 15,
10,5 20 Bráhman is said to have entered Brhaspati (cf. 4); for knowing the
earth as Brhaspati and fire as Brahman see st. 9. - The poet of ~V. 2, 23, 2
says that just as the Sun by his light produces the red morning-skies, BrahmaI].aspati
produces (is the generator of) all bráhmä1)i (janitá bráhma1)äm) ,
i. e. "of all manifestations of bráhman ", which in this connexion are mainly the
sacred texts to be recited (in the early morning)21. - See also TS. 2, 6, 8, 7; 2,
6, 9, 3 brhaspatir brahma ... sa hi brahmi~tha1) "Brhaspati is Brahman ... ,
for he is to the highest degree characterized by being, representing, Brahman
". - The connexion between Brhaspati and manifestations of Bráhman appears
also from TB. 3, 1, 4, 6: af ter Soma who desired to be the king of plants
and Rudra who wished to be rich in cattle, Brhaspati desired to be eminent in
brahminical illustriousness (brahmavarcasin) • After Indra associated with
physical power (bala) and the Maruts associated with breath (prä1)a) Brhaspati's
name is in JB. 1, 362; TÄ. 2, 18, 1 coupled with brahmavarcasa. - See
also TB. 3, 9, 5, 1. The adhvaryu sprinkles (consecrates) the patron of the
sacrifice with the hands of Püsan, the sacred word of Sarasvatï ... and the
Brahman of Brhaspati's sover~ignty (JB. 2,130; cf. BS. 10, 5~: 60, 14!). -
For a relation between Brhaspati and the brahmacärin see AVS. 5, 17, 5.
In ~V. 2, 1, 3 BrahmaI].aspati and in 10, 141, 3 (which occurs, e.g., also
as TS. 1, 7, 10 g) Brhaspati is stated to be a brahmán (priest); see also
VS. 9, 26. In TB. 3, 7, 6, 3 he is explicitly declared to be the brahmán of
the gods and requested to protect the sacrifice (cf. 2). - In this capacity
(cf. ~V. 9, 96, 6 also TS. 3, 4,11,1 d etc.) he is the purohita of the
god;:;, e.g. VS. 20, 11; MS. 1, 11, 5: 166,8; KS. 14, 5: 204, 7; AiB. 8, 26,
4; SB. 5, 3, 1, 2. He functions as a priest in MS. 3, 7, 10: 90, 2. See
15 Incorrectly "Brhaspati is brahmä" (also 5, 15,2 and AiB. 1, 19, 1) Bailey, op.
cit., p. 77, .
16 Here Eggeling, lIl, p. 82 translated "priestly dignity"; in 9, 2,3,3 (IV, p. 192)
"priesthood"; in 9, 3, 4,18 (IV, p. 229) "priesthood (or priestly office)"; in 11,
4, 3, 13 (V, p. 64) "priesthood, the lord of the Brahman".
17 For this place see J. Gonda, The Vedic god Mitra, Leiden 1972, p. 83.
18 Which no doubt means "supreme ruler (chief sovereign) of (all) manifestations
of bráhman" rat her than "Oberherr der Segensworte" (Geldner).
19 Here Whitney (Whitney and Lanman, AtharvaVeda Samhitä, p. 269) translates
"with worship ", another contextual meaning, but one· might also prefer "with
that fundamental power without which no sacrifice is effective or which is inherent
in the rite, the officiants etc." or also several other translations .
20 Here Whitney, op. cit., p. 783 preferred "sanctity".
21 Renou, E.V.P., XV, Paris 1966, p. 52 translates "formules-d'énergie".
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