184 H. Oerid, 



2. Translation. 



153. 1. Three-headed, verily, was Tvastr's son, yea, he had three 

 mouths, one to drink soma, one to drink sura (brandyj, one to eat 

 food. He used to sing the prekide^ with one, to chant the main 

 part of the saman'- with one, to chant the pratihara^ with one, to 

 summon (as adhvaryu)* with one, to respond (as agnldhraj^ with 

 one, to recite the gastra^ (as hotr) with one. He, quite alone, used 

 to complete a sacrifice by walking successively around ; so power- 

 ful was he, and he was, indeed, the son of an Asuri. 3. Now 

 openly he used to promise [their share] to the gods, [but] secretly 

 to the Asuras ; and for whom one has the higher regard to him, 

 indeed, one secretly promises [his share]. And therefore Indra was 

 frightened, because he was the son of an Asurl and because he 

 was so powerful. 4. He considered : ' This one belongs to the 

 Asuras, an Asurl's son [is he]. Openly he promises [our share | to 

 us, [but] secretly to the Asuras. Come now, I will slay him.' 



154. 1. With the thunderbolt he cut off his heads. They became 

 birds. 2. That with which he drank soma became a hazel-cock ; 

 therefore it is brownish, for the soma is brownish. 3. That with 

 which he drank sura (brandy) became a sparrow ; therefore it noi- 

 sily cries down as if dnmk. 4. That with which he ate food became 

 a partridge ; therefore it is variegated, for food is variegated. And 

 therefore^ .... that is food. 5. Tvastr, havinp; his son slain, brought 

 soma from which Indra was exclvided. Indra considered : ' If he 

 excludes me [now] from this sacrifice, excluded from the sacrifice I 

 shall then truly be [hereafter]. Come, I will slay him.' 



^ ' prastiiva, Tintrodxiction du saman, chantee par Fofiiciant dit prastotr,' 

 Caland-Henry, V AgnMoma^ i, p. xxxvii. 



^ ' udg'itha. the principal part of the saman. preceded by cun, to be 

 chanted by the udgatr,' Hang, translation of tlie AB. vol. ii, p. 120, 

 note 13. 



^ Eggeling, SBE. xxvi, p. 310 note 1 suggests ■ check ' or • stop " for 

 this term on the basis of CB. iv. 3. 4. 22. 



* ' The adhvarj^u . . . calls on (ii^ravayati) the agnidhra with 6 cravaya 

 or oiii cravaya,' Eggeling, SBE. xii, p. 132 note. The rendering ' summon ' 

 is Whitney's (Atharva-veda Translation, AV. ix. 6. 49). 



* • The agnidlrra responds (pratya9ravayati) by astu crausat," Eggeling, 

 SBE. xii, p. 1.32, note. 



^ ' Every chant or hymn (stotra) of the udgatrs is followed hy a song 

 of praise (castra) recited by the hotr or one of his three assistants." Egge- 

 ling, SBE., xxvi, p. 325, note 2. 



■^ The next words are unintelligible. 



