________________
202
AITAREYA-ARANYAKA.
3. For the old (sages) did not transgress it, and those who did transgress, became lost.
4. This has been declared by a Rishi (Rv. VIII, 101, 14): Three (classes of) people transgressed, others settled down round about the venerable (Agni, fire); the great (sun) stood in the midst of the worlds, the blowing (Vayu, air) entered the Harits (the dawns, or the ends of the earth).'
5. When he says: 'Three (classes of) people transgressed,' the three (classes of) people who transgressed are what we see here (on earth, born again) as birds, trees, herbs, and serpents ?.
6. When he says: Others settled down round about the venerable,' he means those who now sit down to worship Agni (fire).
7. When he says : The great stood in the midst of the worlds,' the great one in the midst of the world is meant for this Aditya, the sun.
8. When he says: “The blowing entered the Harits,' he means that Vayu, the air, the purifier, entered all the corners of the earth ?.
SECOND KHANDA. 1. People say: 'Uktha, uktha,' hymns, hymns! (without knowing what uktha, hymns, means.) The
1 Vangåh is explained by vanagatâ vrikshåh ; avagadhah is explained by vrîhiyavâdyâ oshadhayah; îrapâdâh is explained by urahpâdâh sarpåh. Possibly they are all old ethnic names, like Vanga, Kera, &c. In Anandatîrtha's commentary vayâmsi are explained by Pisaka, Vangavagadhas by Rakshasa, and Irapâdas by Asuras.
• Three classes of men go to Naraka (hell); the fourth class, full of faith and desirous of reaching the highest world, worships Agni, Vayu, and other gods. Comm.
I The Comm. explains uktha as that from whence the favour of the gods arises, uttishthaty anena devatâ prasada iti vyutpatteh.
Digitized by Google