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TWELFI
I PRAPATHAKA, 12 KHANDA, 5. 21 live when they partake of food. This is the deity belonging to the pratihâra. If, without knowing that deity, you had sung your hymns, your head would have fallen off, after you had been warned by me?'
TWELFTH KHANDA. 1. Now follows the udgitha of the dogs. Vaka Dalbhya, or, as he was also called, Glâva Maitreya, went out to repeat the Veda (in a quiet place).
2. A white (dog) appeared before him, and other dogs gathering round him, said to him : 'Sir, sing and get us food, we are hungry.'
3. The white dog said to them : 'Come to me to-morrow morning.' Vaka Dalbhya, or, as he was also called, Glâva Maitreya, watched.
4. The dogs came on, holding together, each dog keeping the tail of the preceding dog in his mouth, as the priests do when they are going to sing praises with the Vahishpavamâna hymn. After they had settled down, they began to say Hin.
5. 'Om, let us eat! Om, let us drink! Om, may the divine Varuna, Pragâpati, Savitri3 bring us food! Lord of food, bring hither food, bring it, Om!'
1 There are certain etymological fancies for assigning each deity to a certain portion of the Sâma-veda ceremonial. Thus prâna is assigned to the prastava, because both words begin with pra. Aditya is assigned to the udgîtha, because the sun is ut. Anna, food, is assigned to the pratihâra, because food is taken, pratihriyate, &c.
This alludes to a ceremony where the priests have to walk in procession, each priest holding the gown of the preceding priest.
• The commentator explains Varuna and Pragậpati as epithets of Savitri, or the sun, meaning rain-giver and man-protector.
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| SR No. | 007670 |
| Book Title | Upnishad |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Max Muller |
| Publisher | Oxford |
| Publication Year | 1879 |
| Total Pages | 1835 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 35 MB |