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

quenched, blazed forth again, Brhaspati came into being.
The names of both gods are also found together in the mantra mentioned
in PB. 1, 2, 4 and 6, 5, 3 (cf. 5 f.): when the droQ.akalasa containing the
pure (sukra) soma is pushed forward in the easterly direction, those concerned
should take hold of it with "Of Vanaspati ("Lord of the Forest", a
great tree, i. e. "of wood") art thou, of Brhaspati art thou, of Prajäpati
art thou, the head of Prajäpati art thou ... " (PB. 1, 2, 4; 6, 5, 3 where
the udgätar pronounces the formula; LS. 19,20; DS. 3,1,18). In PB. 6, 5,
5 Rrhaspati is said to be the udgätar 86 of the gods; in 6 Prajäpati is declared
to be the deity of the implement 87. This is an instance of an object
that, according to its material , its origin and its function , can belong to
more than one deity. Here and in the following passage both gods constitute,
together with another one, a triad.
In the formulae accompanying the placing of the visvajyotis bricks (agnicayana),
which are to make the threefold world (for one's own benefit)
full of light (TS. 5,3,9,2), Brhaspati is associated with the earth and
its presiding deity Agni, Visvakarman with the intermediate region and
its deity Väyu, Prajäpati with the sky and its presiding deity Parame!?thin
(the One who resides in the Highest) , see TS. 4, 4, 6, 1. Notice that Visvakarman
makes his appearance as an independent figure and that Prajäpati
occupies the highest position.
Not infrequently both names occur in the same series of formulae or
statements or in the same enumeration of names. In four parallel and otherwise
identical formulae the names of the gods invoked are successively
the Asvins, Mitra-and-Varul}.a, Brhaspati and Prajäpati Parame!?thin.
They are requested to give breath to the person addressed (cf. T S. 2, 3,
10, 1) who it is hoped will remain alive by it (MS. 2, 3, 7: 31, 17). Remember
that breath or vital air is elsewhere stated to belong to, or to be characteristic
of, Prajäpati (see e. g. SB. 6, 3, 1, 9; 7, 4, 1, 18).
At the end of KS. 9, 11 (: 113, 10) the author enumerates a number of
animals and objects brought to some deities : a horse to Yama, gold to
Agni, a bovine animal to Rudra, a garment to Brhaspati, something inanimate
to Uttäna the Ängirasa, a man to Prajäpati. Mention of these is
also made in the preceding formulae accompanying the offering of dak~i­
Q.äs (9, 9: 111, 3 ff.): "... with the hand of l'ü!?an I accept ... , the divine
women have cut thee, the skilful (goddesses) have spun thee out,
the guardian goddesses have woven thee ... Varul}.a must bring thee, 0
goddess dak~iQ.ä •.• a garment to Brhaspati, may I obtain by means of it
continuanee of life; may, there be vigour (energy, vayas) for the giver,
enjoyment (mayas, cf. SB, 4, 3, 4, 28) for me the receiver". (Compare
also KapS. 8, 12: 88, 16; MS. 1, 9, 4: 134,7). As to the garm,ent, this is
also one of the objects offered to a teacher or officiant (e. g. SB. 13, 4, 1,
15) 88.
The beginning of a long series of parallel and otherwise identical sentences
reads as follows: "He praised with one (Vedic stanza); creatures
were produced (adhïyanta) , Prajäpati was the ruler (adhipati1). He
praised with three (stanzas), Bráhman was emitted (created, asrjata),
86 As to the udgätar see above, p. 27.
87 W. C~land and V. Henry, L'agnililtoma, Paris 1906-1907, p. 159 f. A. Parpola,
The Srautasütras of Lätyäyana and Drähyäyana, Helsinki Acad. 1969, p. 133 f.
88 See also Gonda, Vedic ritual, p. 152.
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