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

and requesting these gods to give (of that) breath to that person so that he
may remaim alive (cf. also K S. 11, 8: 155, 8). As also observed in TS. 2, 3,
11, 2 f. the Asvins are the physicians of the gods, so that the officiant cures
the patient by means of them; of the breath of Indra he bestows indriya (faculties
of sen se et,c.) upon him; Mitra and VaruI)a represent expiration and
inspiration (cf. SB. 12, 9, 2, 12) 82 which he gives him. Breat? is explicitly
'identified' with Prajäpati who is not mentioned in TS. , l. c. (SB. 6, 3, 1, 9;
cf. 7, 4,1,18; 11, 1, 6, 17). But why does Brhaspati's name occur here?
Because, I would suppose, Brhaspati is identical with Bráhman which is
identified with prä1)a1) , the vital airs (SB. 8, 4, 1, 3; BÄU. 5, 12, 1; ChU.
4,10,5; Taittu. 3, 3, 1; Kaul?U. 2,1 etc.; cf. alsoKS. 37, 15: 95,14 tvayi
me marma brhaspatau prä1)a1). . ,
According to TS. 2, 4, 4, 1 (cf. BS. 13, 36) the creatures (prajä1)
created
by Prajäpati went away from him. He followed them with Brhaspati
who said: "With this (wild bean which had sprung where the creatures
had stayed) 1 will go before thee; then shall offspring resort to thee.
Thus it came to pass. He who desires offspring should offer wild beans
to Prajäpati 83 ". Brhaspati's function is clear: he goes before Prajäpati in
order to prevent un wished for events. In the variant of this story at MS.
2, 2, 4: 17, 15 (cf. also KS. 10, 11: 137, 22) it is the cattle created by
Prajäpati that went away and returned to him af ter Brhaspati had, at the
request of Prajäpati, offered a bean for his benefit : here Brhaspati officiates
as a priest 8". .
Prajäpati is more than once described as driving off evil (SB. 8, 5, 1,
6), delivering the creatures from VaruI)a's noos,~ (5, 2,4,2), saving human
beings from harm and premature death (AVS. 6, 68, 2), or being their
protector (TB. 3, 7, 7, 2), and protecting them from distress (ibid. )85.
Brhaspati is supposed to fulfil similar functions : in VS. 27, 9; MS. 3, 4,
6: 51, 16 he is besought to deliver those speaking from imprecation (damnation),
"from dwelling yonder in the realm of Yama"; VS. 6, 8; KS. 3, 4:
24,21; 26, 7: 130,20 (cf. TB. 2, 8, 2, 8) to save their possessions, to
give them rest and comfort (4, 21). Indra, Brhaspati and Soma are expected
to protect man against distress (see also RV. 2, 23, 5) and to be
the guides or leaders of a group of gods, going in front of them (~V. 10,
103, 8; VS. 17, 40). Brhaspati's assistance is implored against the demons
(TS. 1, 8,7,2; KS. 18,5: 269,15; 22,11: 67,9) or antagonists (TB. 2,
8,2,8; 3,1,1,6), for instance in case a riyal shows enmity (MS. 4, 5,
8: 76, 13). In short, he is requested to protect those speaking against
the malicious from behind, from above, from below (RV. 10,42,11; KS.
10,13: 142,9 etc.; cf. also 37,15: 95,18; and RV. 2, 23,17), to save
them from misfortune (TS. 4, 7, 14, 3) and death (KS. 37, 15: 95, 14).
In AiB. 3, 33 f. both Prajäpati and Brhaspati belong to the divine persons
whose actions and adventures are told. When the former was pierced
(by Rudra) his semen flowed away and became a pond, the gods surrounded
it with Agni and the Maruts blew upon it. The first part of the semen became
Äditya, the sun, the second Bhrgu, the third the Ädityas. The
charcoal (arigärä1) became the Angirases; in that these, after being
82 See a1so J. Gonda, The Vedie god Mitra, Leiden 1972, p. 26 f.
83 See Meyer, Trilogie, I, p. 119 ff.
84 For another (different) variant with Pü!?an and Soma (TS. 2, 4, 4, 2 f.) see
Gonda, Pü!?an and Sarasvatï, p. 140.
85 See Gonda, Prajäpati's rise, eh. lIl.
28