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190
SATAPATHA-BRÂHMANA.
he thus drives away from it the evil spirits, the Rakshas, with a thunderbolt: this is the reason why he covers it over by a vessel with the hollow part upwards and containing water.
21. He covers it over, with the formula (Vag. S. I, 4 e), 'O Vishnu, protect the oblation !' for Vishnu, indeed, is the sacrifice; hence he thereby makes over this sacrificial food to the sacrifice for protection : for this reason he says, 'O Vishnu, protect the oblation !'
SECOND BRAHMANA.
THE CHIEF OFFERINGS. 1. Verily, whoever exists, he, in being born, is born as (owing) a debt to the gods, to the Rishis, to the fathers, and to men?.
2. For, inasmuch as he is bound to sacrifice, for that reason he is born as (owing) a debt to the gods: hence when he sacrifices to them, when he makes
1 The wording of this passage is very ambiguous; so much so indeed, that it could also be taken in the sense that whoever exists, is born as (one to whom) a debt (is owed) from the gods,' &c.; cf. I, 1, 2, 19: Whichever deities are chosen (for the oblations), they consider it as a debt (due from them), that they are bound to fulfil whatever wish he entertains while taking the oblation. But see Taitt. Br. VI, 3, 10, 5: Verily, a Brâhmana who is bom, is born as owing a debt in respect to three things: in the shape of sacred study (brahmakarya) to the Rishis, in the shape of sacrifice to the gods, and in the shape of offspring to the fathers. Free from debt, verily, is he who has a son, who is a sacrificer, who lives (for a time with a guru) as a religious student.' Ath.-veda VI, 117, 3 (Taitt. Br. III, 7, 9, 8): "May we be debtless in this, debtless in the other, debtless in the third, world! What worlds (paths, Taitt. Br.) there are trodden by the gods and trodden by the fathers,—may we abide debtless on all (those) paths l'
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| SR No. | 007674 |
| Book Title | Dhammapada |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Max Muller |
| Publisher | Oxford |
| Publication Year | 1881 |
| Total Pages | 2540 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 45 MB |