ब्रह्मस्थापनम्Seating the Brahmā of the rite
Verse 29
अग्निं दक्षिणतः कृत्वा गत्वा ब्रह्मासनान्तिकम् । वामाङ्गुष्ठकनिष्ठाभ्यां ब्रह्मणः कल्पितासनात् ॥ २९ ॥
agniṁ dakṣiṇataḥ kṛtvā gatvā brahmāsanāntikam | vāmāṅguṣṭhakaniṣṭhābhyāṁ brahmaṇaḥ kalpitāsanāt || 29 ||
Translation
Keeping the fire on his right, he goes up to the seat of Brahmā, and with the thumb and little finger of his left hand
Word by word
- agniṁ
- the fire
- dakṣiṇataḥ
- on the right
- kṛtvā
- having kept
- gatvā
- having gone
- brahma
- of Brahmā
- āsana
- the seat
- antikam
- (antikam) near
- vāma
- left
- aṅguṣṭha
- thumb
- kaniṣṭhābhyāṁ
- and little finger
- brahmaṇaḥ
- of Brahmā
- kalpita
- prepared
- āsanāt
- (āsanāt) from the seat
Meaning
Every homa has a "Brahmā", a priest who sits apart as the overseer and witness of the rite, correcting errors and averting harm (in Vedic sacrifice the fourth of the priests). The performer walks round to the seat prepared for him. This verse runs on into the next.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
"Agnim" and the rest. Then, keeping the fire to his south and going near the seat of Brahmā, with the thumb and little finger of the left hand he takes from the seat prepared for Brahmā one kuśa leaf, says the mantra "hrīṁ nirastaḥ parāvasuḥ" ("hrīṁ, Parāvasu is driven out"), and throws that kuśa leaf, together with the refuse (utkara) and the rest, to the south of the fire.