The (Sanskrit , meaning 'Brāhmaṇa of the school of Tittri', abbreviated to 'TB') is a commentary on the Krishna Yajurveda. Considered by academics to be an appendix or extension of the Taittirīya Samhita, the first two books (ashṭakas) largely consist of hymns and Mantras to the Vedic-era Devas, as well as Mythology, astronomy, and astrology (i.e. the Nakshatras); the third book contains commentaries and instructions on Vedic sacrificial rites such as the Purushamedha, Kaukili-Sutramani, Ashvamedha, and Agnicayana.
Recorded around 300–400 BCE, it is prevalent in southern India in areas such in Andhra Pradesh, south and east of Narmada (Gujarat), and areas on the banks of the Godavari river down to the sea.
Nomenclature The (Sanskrit ) can be loosely translated as 'explanations of the sacred knowledge of the school of Tittiri'.
(ब्राह्मण) means 'explanations of sacred knowledge or doctrine'. (तैत्तिरीय) is derived from the name of the sage Tittiri, (). It is pronounced as 'tai-ti-ree-yah'.
Tittiri According to the Monier-Williams Sanskrit Dictionary, the sage Tittiri (or Taittiri) was a pupil of Yaska (estimated 300-400 BCE). According to the Vishnu Purana, Yaska was, in turn, a pupil of Vaiśampáyana (estimated 500 BCE). Tittiri is also stated in the Mahabharata to have attended 'the Yaga [Vedic ritual sacrifice] conducted by Uparicaravasu' (Dvapara Yuga, before 3000 BCE).
H.H. Wilson states that 'the term Taittiríya is more rationally accounted for in the Anukramańí or index of the Krishna Yajurveda. It is there said that Vaiśampáyana taught it to Yaska, who taught it to Tittiri, who also became a teacher; whence the term Taittiríya, for a grammatical rule, explains it to mean, 'The Taittiríyas are those who read what was said or repeated by Tittiri'.'
Summary
Relation to the YajurVeda The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) states that the Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa 'belongs to Krishna Yajurveda and [is] divided into three khandas [or ashṭakas, i.e. books]... It has both [a mixture] of Mantras and Brahmans [instructions or explanations] and [is] composed in poetic and prose manner'.
A.B Keith states that 'at a comparatively early period the formulae [i.e. mantras from the Samhitas of the YajurVeda] were accompanied by explanations, called Brahmanas, texts pertaining to the Brahman or sacred lore, in which the different acts of the ritual were given Symbolical interpretations, the words of the texts commented on, and stories told to illustrate the sacrificial performance... a mass of old material, partly formulae, partly Brahmana, which had not been incorporated in the Taittiriya Samhita was collected together in the Taittiriya Brahmana, which in part contains matter more recent than the Samhita, but in part has matter as old as, at any rate, the later portions of that text'.
M. Winternitz adds that the 'Taittiriya-Brahmana of the Krishna Yajurveda is nothing but a continuation of the Taittiriya-Samhita [hymns and mantras], for the Brahmanas were already included in the Samhitas of the Krishna YajurVeda. The Taittiriya-Brahmana, therefore, contains only later additions to the Samhita'. S. Shrava concurs, elaborating that 'This brahmana is an appendix to the Taittirīya saṁhitā. The main purpose of expounding the brahmana was to complete the incomplete portions of the main saṁhitā. It abounds with hymns... a subtle form of the story of Yama and Nachiketā is available in the brahmana [see Katha Upanishad of the Katha Shakha, also related to the Krishna YajurVeda]’.
Structure Shrava states that the 'Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa has three ashṭakas [books]. The first two ashṭakas are named as pārakshudra and agnihotra. Portions of the third ashṭaka are individually named [i.e. after the sacrificial rites expounded, etc.]. These three ashṭakas have 28 prapāṭhakas [chapters]. Bhaṭṭa Bhāskara, in his commentary names these as praśnas. [His] edition published from Mysore enumerated 78 anuvākas [sections] in the first [ashṭaka], 96 in the second and 179 in the third ashṭaka, i.e. 353 anuvākas in all’.
R.L. Kashyap further elaborates while differing from Sharva slightly, stating that each ashṭaka of the Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa 'is divided into Prapāṭhakas which are divided into anuvāka-s. Each anuvāka is a long rhythmic prose passage without any punctuation. Ashṭaka 1 has 8 Prapāṭhakas, Ashṭaka 2 has 8 Prapāṭhakas, [and] Ashṭaka 3 has 12 Prapāṭhakas. All these 28 Prapāṭhakas (8+8+12) have 338 anuvākas [15 less than stated by Shrava]. The name Ashṭaka is given because each main part has 8 main parts or '.
AshṭakasPrapāṭhakasAnuvākas (Kashyap)Anuvākas (Sharva)Anuvākas (Rajendralala)Khanḍikas (Kashyap)1Pārakshudra878 78 - -2Agnihotra8869696about 11503(Various)12174179 164 –Total28338353 (+15)
Ashṭakas and Prapāṭhakas Based on information provided by Kashyap and R. Mitra, the chapters (prapāṭhakas) for each of the books (ashṭakas or sometimes referred to as kandas) are as follows:
Ashṭaka 1: Pārakshudra Prapāṭhaka 1: Explanation for the establishment of Agni Prapāṭhaka 2: (Devas, chants, Vishuvat, Solstices, Mahavrata, and the bird-shaped altar) Prapāṭhaka 3: Vajapeya Yajna Prapāṭhaka 4: Explanation of Soma offerings Prapāṭhaka 5: The powers of stars or Nakshatras, rites and Rigveda Mantras Prapāṭhaka 6: (Unknown) Prapāṭhaka 7: (Unknown) Prapāṭhaka 8: (Unknown) Ashṭaka 2: Agnihotra Prapāṭhaka 1: The Agnihotra Sacrifice Prapāṭhaka 2: Dasahotra Sacrifice Prapāṭhaka 3: Dasahotra Sacrifices concluded Prapāṭhaka 4: Mantras for Subsidiary Sacrifices or Upahomas Prapāṭhaka 5: Mantras for Subsidiary Sacrifices or Upahomas (Concluded) Prapāṭhaka 6: Kaukila Sautramani or the Sacrifice with Spirituous Liquor Prapāṭhaka 7: Ephemeral Sacrifices or Savas Prapāṭhaka 8: Sacrifices with especial prayers (Kamya) Ashṭaka 3: (Various) Prapāṭhaka 1: Sacrifices to the Constellations – Nakshatra Ishti Prapāṭhaka 2: Dars'a Ya'ga or Sacrifices meet on the wane of the Moon Prapāṭhaka 3: Paurnamasa Ishti or Ceremonies to be performed on the full moon Prapāṭhaka 4: On Human sacrifices Prapāṭhaka 5: Ishti Sacrifices Prapāṭhaka 6: Pa'Shuka Hotra Prapāṭhaka 7: Expiations for defects in the performance of ceremonies Prapāṭhaka 8: On the operations of the first day of the Asvamedha sacrifice Prapāṭhaka 9: On the operations of the second and third days of the horse sacrifice Prapāṭhaka 10: Sa'vitra-Chayana or collection of fire for the adoration of the sun Prapāṭhaka 11: Nachiketa-Chayana, or collection of Nachiketa Fire Prapāṭhaka 12: Cha-tur-hotra and Vaisvasrij ceremonies
Ashṭaka 1: Pārakshudra
The Nakshatras
D.M. Harness states that the ''stars of the Zodiacal belt had a particular importance as reflecting and projecting heavenly influences that the Planets travelling through them energised... The Vedic Nakshatras arose from a spiritual perception of the cosmos. Nakshatras are the mansions of the Gods or cosmic powers and of the Rishis or sages. They can also project negative or anti-divine forces, just as certain planets like Saturn have well known malefic effects. The term Nakshatra refers to a means (tra) of worship (naksha) or approach... The Nakshatras dispense the fruits of karma... For this reason Vedic rituals and Meditations to the present day follow the timing of the Nakshatras... [which] are of prime [importance] in muhurta or electional astrology for determining favorable times for actions, particularly sacramental or sacred actions like marriage... A system of 28 lunar mansions [i.e. Nakshatras] was used in the Middle East and in China as well. But in the West it was all but forgotten by a greater emphasis on the twelve signs of the Zodiac... Indeed, it could be argued that the signs arose from the Nakshatras'.
Kashyap adds that the 28 Nakshatras - usually clusters rather than single stars - also determine favourable (and unfavourable) times for birth, elaborating that the 'star which is nearest to the moon at their birth-time is the birth-star... [and] Each star has its own deity'. The Nakshatras are detailed in 1.1.2, 1.5.1 (ashṭaka 1); and 3.1.1 and 3.1.2 (ashṭaka 3, see below). Kashyap lists them with corresponding deities, common names, and names in Astronomy (Volume 1, Appendix 3): NakshatraDeity or DevaCommon nameName in AstronomyNakshatraDeity or DevaCommon nameName in Astronomy1KṛttikaAgniAlcyoneTauri15AnūrādhaMitraDashubbaScorpii2RohiṇiPrajāpatiAldebranTauri16JyeṣhtaIndraAntaresScorpii3MrigashiraSomaMeissaOrionis17MūlaNirṛtiShaulaScorpii4ArdraRudraBetelgeuseOrionis18Purva ĀshāḍhaĀpaḥAlnaslSagittarii5PunarvasuAditiPolluxGeminor19Uttara ĀshāḍhaVisvedevaḥNunkiSagittarii6Tishya / PushyaBṛhaspatiAsellus. Aus.Cancri20AbhijitBrahmaVegaLyrae7Āshresa / AslesaSarpaḥAcubensCancri21Shroṇā / SharvanaVishṇuAltairAquilae8MaghaPitaraḥRegulusLeonis22Sraviṣhṭha / DhaniṣhṭhaVasavaḥRotanevDelphini9Purva PhalguniAryamaṇaZosmaLeonis23ShatabhishajaVaruṇaHydorAquarii10Uttara PhalguniBhagaDanebolaLeonis24Purva ProṣhṭhapadaAja EkapādMarkebPegasi11HastaSavitarAlgorabCorvi25Uttara ProṣhṭhapadaAhirbudhnyaAlgenibPegasi12ChitraTvashtarSpicaVirginis26RevatiPūshanRevatiPiscium13Svāti / NishtyaVāyuArcturusBootis27AshvayujaAshvinauSheratanArietis14VishākhaIndragniZub. el. GeLibra28ApabharaṇīYamarājāBharaniArietis
Avatars of Vishnu
Varaha the Boar Avatar
Varaha is primarily associated with the Puranic legend of lifting the Earth out of the cosmic ocean. A.A. Macdonell states that this 'boar appears in a cosmogonic character in the SB [Shatapatha Brahmana] (14, 1, 2) where under the name of Emũṣa he is stated to have raised up the earth from the waters. In the TS [Taittirīya Samhita] (7, 1, 5) this cosmogonic boar, which raised the earth from the primeval waters, is described as a form of Prajāpati. This modification of the myth is further expanded in the TB [Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa] (1, 1, 3). In the post-Vedic mythology of the Rāmāyana and the Purãṇas, the boar which raises the earth, has become of the Avatar of Vishnu'. Varaha is also mentioned in 1.7.9.56 (yád varāháḥ'), but an English translation has not been found.
Vamana the Dwarf Avatar
Vamana is primarily associated with the Puranic legend of taking back the three worlds from the Asura-king Bali in three steps. Here Vamana is explicitly mentioned in the Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa; the Sanskrit transliteration for this mention is (emphasis added): ' vaiṣṇaváṃ vāmanám ā́labante' (1.2.5.40.4). As illustrated in the section below for ashṭaka 2, there are also several references to 'Vishnu steps' or 'Vishnu strides', associated with the Vamana avatar.
Narasimha the Man-Lion Avatar
Narasimha is primarily associated with the Puranic legend of destroying the Asura-king Hiranyakashipu to protect the king's devotee son, Prahlada. D.A. Soifer states that 'Brahmana literature yields what must be considered as the prototype of that [Narasimha] myth, the Indra-Namuchi myth', adding that other academics such as Devasthali concur that although elements of the Namuchi legend are 'scattered throughout Brahmana literature (cf. VS [Vajaseneyi Samhita] 10.34; PB [Pancavimsa Brahmana] 12.6.8, MS [Maitrayani Samhita] IV.34; [and] TB [Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa] 1.7.1.6)', the fullest version is in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa.
An English translation of TB 1.7.1.6 referred to by Soifer has not been found. The TITUS Sanskrit transliteration for this mention is (emphasis added): 'námucim' āsuráṃ na álabata' (1.7.1.6.3). An indirect reference to the legend via a mention of Namuchi from 1.4.2.1 has been cited instead, as above. Notably, Prahlada, the Vaishnava son of Hiranyakashipu in Puranic literature such as the Bhagavata Purana, is also mentioned (e.g. 1.5.9.1 and 1.5.10.8) where he is explicitly stated to be the son of Kayadhu (wife of Hiranyakashipu).
Kali Yuga