ब्रह्मस्थापनम्Seating the Brahmā of the rite
Verse 34
गोपयामि वदेत् ब्रह्मा ब्रह्माभावे स्वयं वदेत् । तत्र दर्भमयं विप्रं कल्पयेत् यज्ञसिद्धये ॥ ३४ ॥
gōpayāmi vadēt brahmā brahmābhāvē svayaṁ vadēt | tatra darbhamayaṁ vipraṁ kalpayēt yajñasiddhayē || 34 ||
Translation
The Brahmā should answer "gopayāmi", "I protect". If there is no Brahmā, the performer says it himself, and for the success of the rite he should make a vipra of darbha grass to sit there.
Word by word
- gōpayāmi
- I protect
- vadēt
- (vadet) should say
- brahmā
- the Brahmā
- abhāvē
- in the absence
- svayaṁ
- himself
- tatra
- there
- darbha
- of darbha grass
- mayaṁ
- made
- vipraṁ
- a vipra
- kalpayēt
- (kalpayet) he should make
- yajña
- of the sacrifice
- siddhayē
- for the success
Meaning
When no learned brāhmaṇa is available to act as Brahmā, the performer answers "I protect" on his behalf and places in the Brahmā's seat a figure made of darbha grass, which stands in for the absent priest. By tradition kuśa figures are made in other rites too, as when a man missing for twelve years is represented by a grass image for his funeral. The rite is never left without its overseer.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
"Gopayāmi". Prayed to in this way by the sacrificer, Brahmā should say "gopayāmi", "I protect". If there is no Brahmā, he should say "gopayāmi" himself. There, when there is no Brahmā, for the success of the sacrifice he should make a vipra (a brāhmaṇa) of darbha grass.