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

BrahmaI]aspati was the ruler." When he praised with 17 cattle was created
and Brhaspati was the ruler. The last senten ce is: "He praised with 33,
the beings (bhütäni) came to rest, Prajäpati Parameflthin was the ruler"
(KS. 17,5; KapS. 26, 4; MS. 2, 8, 6; TS. 4, 3, 10; VS. 14, 28ff.). These
mant ras accompany the placing of the so-called sr~ti bricks (agnicayana
ritual). Before, in primaeval antiquity, the gods had beheld these bricks
the world was undiscriminated; there was neither day nor nigpt (TS. 5, 3,
4, 7). Interestingly enough, the creation of prajä1; is here supposed to
have preceded the "emission" (sr~ti) of Bráhman, which was followed by
the creation of "beings" or "spirits" (bhütäni) , the se ven r~is, the Fathers ,
the seasons, the months and so on.
In the series of mantras mentioned in MS. 2, 13, 14 (cf. TS. 4, 3, 7, 1;
VS. 14, 18-20) the gäyatrï metre and the she-goat are associated with
Brhaspati ... and the jagatï and the cow with Prajäpati. For Brhaspati
and the gäyatrï compare VS. 9, 32; for the jagatï, elsewhere (VS. 9, 33)
connected with the Visve Devä1}., and Prajäpati, SB. 10, 3, 1, 1; 8 89 • The
two gods are separated by Indra.
When the sacrificer has chosen a learned brahmán as his brahmán priest
(TB. 3, 7, 6,1; BhS. 3,14,1; ÄpS .. 3, 18,2; KS. 2,1,18; MS. 5, 2,15,1;
VaitS. 1, 17), the latter pronounces a long formula: "... impelled by the
god Savitar, I shall accomplish the duties of an officiant. 0 god Savitar,
thee they choose here as Brhaspati, as the brahmán of the gods 90 • This I
announce to manas (mind, spirit), manas (announces it) to the gäyatrï ...
to the anu~tubh, the anu~tubh to the parikti 91 , the parikti to Prajäpati,
Prajäpati to the Visve Devä1}., the Visve Devä1}. to Brhaspati, Brl}aspati to
Bráhman ... " (TB. 2 etc.). Instead of this Taittirïya version KS. 2, 1, 19
omitting the words " ... impelled ... officiant" reads: "... to the anu~tubh,
the anu~tubh to Prajäpati, Prajäpati to the Visve Devä1}.. Brhaspati is the
brahmán of the gods ... " 92. MS. 2 reads: "... manas to väc (speech), väc
to the gäyatrï ... " and omits the Visve Devä1}.: "Prajäpati to Brhaspati,
Brhaspati is ... " 93. It may be recalled that the anu~tubh is, on the one
hand, associated and even identified with Prajäpati: being the womb of the
metres (PB. 11, 5, 17) ti issaid to have copulated with the 17-versed stoma
9"; Prajäpati had created it out of his feet (6, 1, 11) and that is why it
is called "the end of the metres" (19, 12, 8;. cf. also SB. 11, 5, 9,11); after
having given the other metres to the other gods entitled to soma libations
he made the anu~tubh his own metre (see, e. g. , AiB. 3, 13, 2); Prajäpati
belongs to this metre or is of anu~tubh nature (änu~tubha; PB. 4, 5, 7);
89 Saraswati Bali, Brhaspati, p. 22 quoting SäyaQa's interpretation of Brhaspati's
epithet sap täsya "with seven moutl1s", viz. sap tachandomayamukha~ "whose
mouth consists of the seven main forms of metre" and omitting any references
to other explanations (see, e.g., Geldner, Rig-Veda übersetzt, I, p. 481; Renou,
E. V . P. XV, p. 63 f.) arrives at the bold, but unconvincing conclusion that
Brhaspati was the creator and reciter of the Vedic hymns and the Lord of speech
and "also perhaps Prajäpati or the creator of the world ...".
90 Rather than "as the divine brahman" (da(vyam brahmäl}am); daivyam is omitted
in KS. 2, 1, 19 and MS. 5, 2, 15, 2. - For Brhaspati and Savitar, the impeller,
see, e.g., also SB. 1, 7, 4. 8; 14; 21; 4,6,6, 6f.; 5,1,1,4; 15; 5,1,5,2; 4;
16; 12,8,3,29; PB. 1,9,1 ff.; 1, 10, 1 ff.
91 1 refer to Gonda, The Savayaji'l.as, p. 130 f.
92 For the brahmán priest as' the representative of Brhaspati see below.
93 VaitS. 1, 18 does not mention Savit.ar and Brhaspati.
94 For this number see n. 48 above.
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