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

also RV. 4, 50, 7: the king who privileges Brhaspati will be victorious and
2, 24: 9; 4, 50, 1; the brahmán mentioned in 4, 50, 8 seems to be the human
equivalent of Brhaspati 22. - Or the brahmán is said to be 'identical' with
Brhaspati: TS. 3, 2, 7, 1 (or the noun is an, apposition to the proper noun,
cf. TB. 1, 8, 1, 1 and VS. 2,12, quoted at SB. 4, 6, 6, 6; but VS. 10,30
... Savitar the impeller, Sarasvatï Väc, Tval?tar (created) forms, Pü~an
cattle ... , Brhaspati Bráhman 23 ; see also TB. 1, 8,1,1 f. 21t ; TÄ. 5, 4, 1).
Elsewhere the brahmán is said to be of Brhaspati's nature or to belong to
him (bärhaspatya1): KS. 38, 5: 159,8; cf. TB. 2, 7,3,1; 3,9,5,1. -
When on the occasion of the räjasüya sacrifice (the royal consecration)
offerings are to be made in the houses of the dignitaries of the king, one
has to offer to Brhaspati in the house of the brphmán (e.g. TS. 1, 8, 9,
1; cf. also MS. 4, 3, 8: 47,6; of the purohita: SB. 5,3,1,2).
"Brhaspati is (rep~esents, is equivalent to) Bráhman 25 , and the brähman
a is Bráhman" (SB. 5, 1, 1, 11; 5,1,5,2; 4). One should noe 6 conclu'de
from these places that "bráhman denotes the brähmm;w priest when
used of Brhaspati". As to his deity, a brahmin belongs to Brhaspati (bärhaspatyo
brähmalJo devatayä, MS. 2, 2, 3: 16, 20). "Brhaspati is (represents
) Bráhman; Bráhman is the father of the brahmin; the father is the
lord of the son" (KS. 11, 4: 147, 15). The above identifications are as a
rule followed by the statement of a result or consequence, e. g. KS. 37, 2:
85, 19 brahma vai brhaspati1); this is the mastery of speech (väkpatyam)
of a brahmin. For a brahmin (brahmán) who is anujävara (i.e. "posthumous
", and probably placed at a disadvantage) one should, on a particular
occasion, offer to Brhaspati (TS. 2, 3, 4, 4; KS. 11, 4: 147,13).
In the mantra VS. 21, 16; MS. 3, 11, 11: 158,6 etc. Brahmä (the god)
and Brhaspati are clearly distinct divine figures.
The above 'identifications' - some of which are very frequent - and
Brhaspati's functions as brahmán and purohita do not unequivocally lead
us to the conclusion that it was he who in the course of time gave rise to,
or was transformed into, the figure of Brahmä or was the god who contributed
most to the development of that great divine personality. Since,
on the other hand, both -pati gods, Prajäpati and Brhaspati, are, in a
variety of contexts, more or less closely associated with one another, it
seems worthwhile to study the relevant Vedic texts and to try to find an
answer to the question as to how far this association and the community
or similarity of functions or interests of both gods may have contributed
to. the fusion of the figure of Prajäpati with Brahmä. That is why I now
purpose collecting the main texts dealing with those activities of.Brhaspati
which are identical with, or similar to, functions usually fulfilled by Prajäpati,
irrespective as to whether or not both gods are mentioned in the
same context.
22 See Renou, E. V . P . , XV, p. 65.
23 Not to be translated by "Devotion" (Griffith).
24
25
I refer to Gonda, Püsan and Sarasvatï, p. 31.
Here Eggeling, Sat. ar. lIl, p. 23 explains "priesthood, or sanctity", but - as
already observed - these are only aspects or representations of bráhman.
26 As Bailey, op. cit., p. 77 does, who in this connexion also quotes J!,V. 2, 23, 2.
14