Aitareya Brahmana
Encyclopedia
The Aitareya Brahmana is the Brahmana
of the Shakala shakha
of the Rigveda
, an ancient Indian collection of sacred hymns. This work, according to the tradition is ascribed to Mahidasa Aitareya.
Brahmana
The Brāhmaṇas are part of the Hindu śruti literature. They are commentaries on the four Vedas, detailing the proper performance of rituals....
of the Shakala shakha
Shakha
A shakha , is a Hindu theological school that specializes in learning certain Vedic texts, or else the traditional texts followed by such a school. An individual follower of a particular school or recension is called a ...
of the Rigveda
Rigveda
The Rigveda is an ancient Indian sacred collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns...
, an ancient Indian collection of sacred hymns. This work, according to the tradition is ascribed to Mahidasa Aitareya.
Contents
Forty adhyayas (chapters) of this work are grouped under eight pañcikās (group of five). The following is an overview of its contents:- Pañcikā I
- Adhyāya I: The consecration rites
- Adhyāya II: The introductory sacrifice
- Adhyāya III: The buying and bringing of the SomaSomaSoma , or Haoma , from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sauma-, was a ritual drink of importance among the early Indo-Iranians, and the subsequent Vedic and greater Persian cultures. It is frequently mentioned in the Rigveda, whose Soma Mandala contains 114 hymns, many praising its energizing qualities...
- Adhyāya IV: The PravargyaPravargyaIn the historical Vedic religion, Pravargya was a ceremony introductory to the Agnishtoma , at which fresh milk is poured into a heated vessel called mahavira or gharma and offered to the Ashvins...
- Adhyāya V: The carrying forward of fire, Soma, and the offerings to the High Altar
- Pañcikā II
- Adhyāya I: The animal sacrifice
- Adhyāya II: The animal sacrifice and morning litany
- Adhyāya III: The Aponaptriya and other ceremonies
- Adhyāya IV: The cups of IndraIndra' or is the King of the demi-gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology. He is also the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall.Indra is one of the chief deities in the Rigveda...
and VayuVayuVāyu is a primary Hindu deity, the Lord of the winds, the father of Bhima and the spiritual father of Lord Hanuman...
, MitraMitra*Mitra was an important Indo-Iranian divinity. Following the prehistoric cultural split of Indo-Aryan and Iranian cultures, names descended from *mitra were used for the following religious entities:...
and VarunaVarunaIn Vedic religion, Varuna is a god of the sky, of water and of the celestial ocean, as well as a god of law and of the underworld...
and the AshvinsAshvinsThe Ashvins , in Hindu mythology, are divine twin horsemen in the Rigveda, sons of Saranya , a goddess of the clouds and wife of Surya in his form as Vivasvat. The Ashvins are Vedic gods symbolising the shining of sunrise and sunset, appearing in the sky before the dawn in a golden chariot,... - Adhyāya V: The Ajya Shastra
- Pañcikā III
- Adhyāya I: The Prauga Shastra, the Vashat call and the Nivids
- Adhyāya II: The Marutvatiya and the Nishkevalya Shastra
- Adhyāya III: The Vaishvadeva and the Agnimaruta
- Adhyāya IV: General considerations regarding the Agnishtoma
- Adhyāya V: Certain details regarding the sacrifice
- Pañcikā IV
- Adhyāya I: The Shodashin and the Atiratra sacrifices
- Adhyāya II: The Ashvina Shastra and Gavam Ayana
- Adhyāya III: The Shadahas and the Vishuvant
- Adhyāya IV: The Dvadashaha rite
- Adhyāya V: The first two days of the Dvadashaha
- Pañcikā V
- Adhyāya I: The third and fourth days of the Dvadashaha
- Adhyāya II: The fifth and sixth days of the Dvadashaha
- Adhyāya III: The seventh and eighth days of the Dvadashaha
- Adhyāya IV: The ninth and tenth days of the Dvadashaha
- Adhyāya V: The Agnihotra and the Brahmana priest
- Pañcikā VI
- Adhyāya I: The office of the Gravastut and Subrahmanya
- Adhyāya II: The Shastras of the Hotrakas at Satras and Ahinas
- Adhyāya III: Miscellaneous points as to the Hotrakas
- Adhyāya IV: The Sampata hymns, the Valakhilyas and the Durohana
- Adhyāya V: The Shilpa Shastras of the third pressing
- Pañcikā VII
- Adhyāya I: The distribution of the portions of the victim of the sacrifice
- Adhyāya II: Expiations of the errors in the sacrifice
- Adhyāya III: The narrative of Shunahshepa
- Adhyāya IV: The preparations for the royal consecretation
- Adhyāya V: The sacrificial drink of the king
- Pañcikā VIII
- Adhyāya I: The Stotras and Shastras of the Soma day
- Adhyāya II: The anointing of the king
- Adhyāya III: The great anointing of IndraIndra' or is the King of the demi-gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology. He is also the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall.Indra is one of the chief deities in the Rigveda...
- Adhyāya IV: The great anointing of the king
- Adhyāya V: The office of Purohita