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I KANDA, 8 ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMANA, 12. 233
convey the sacrifice to the gods. Now the occasion on which the metres gratified the gods, and for which the gods, in their turn, then gratified the metres, was when before this the metres, on being harnessed, conveyed the sacrifice to the gods and thereby gratified them.
9. And this again is why he makes the afterofferings. The after-offerings are the metres : hence he thereby gratifies the metres, and for this reason also he makes the after-offerings. By whatever team, therefore, he has himself drawn, that (team) he would thereby unyoke, saying, 'Give it to drink, feed it well!' and thus his team is propitiated.
10. In the first place he makes offering to the Barhis (sacrificial-grass covering). Though the smallest metre, the gâyatri is yoked first of the metres1; and this on account of its strength, since, having become a falcon, it carried off the Soma from heaven. They consider it unseemly, however, that the gâyatri, being the smallest metre, should be yoked first of the metres; and the gods accordingly arranged the metres here, at the after-offerings, so as it ought to be, 'lest there should be a confusion.'
II. In the first place, then, he offers to the Barhis. The Barhis indeed is this world; the Barhis is the plants: hence he thereby bestows plants on this world, and these plants are firmly rooted in this world. Now this entire universe gagat) is contained in this (metre), and therefore the latter is (called) gagati: this is why they have placed the gagati metre first.
12. In the second place he offers to Narâsamsa.
1 See, for instance, I, 3, 4, 6.
2 For this myth, see I, 7, 1, 1.
Digitized by Google
| 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 |