Dhammapada

SR No.: 007674
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

Page 1066

234
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
Now, Narâsamsa is the air. Man (nara), namely, means (human) being; and these same beings move about in the air speaking aloud. And when he (man) speaks, they say 'he chants (sams);' and therefore Narâsamsa is the air? But the trishtubh also is the air ?, and for this reason they have placed the trishtubh second.
13. Then Agni is the last (to whom offering is made). Agni assuredly is the gayatri; and therefore they placed the gâyatri last. In this way they established the metres in complete and proper order; and hence no confusion here takes place.
14. The Adhvaryu S says (to the Hotri), Pronounce the offering-prayer (yâgyâ) to the gods!' and the Hotri (begins his prayer) at all (the three offerings) with The divine... For the metres assuredly are the gods of the gods, since they are their cattle, and cattle means a home, and a home is a safe resting-place. The after-offerings, doubtless, are the metres: therefore the Adhvaryu says, ' Pronounce the offering-prayer to the gods!' and at all of them the Hotri begins with ‘The divine...!!
That is, because man (nara) speaks, chants (sam sati) in it. . Either because both are in the middle (viz. the trishtubh of the three chief metres, and the air between heaven and earth), or because they consist of eleven parts (viz. the trishtubh of eleven syllables, and the air having ten directions, Sat. Br. VI, 2, 2, 34; VIII, 4, 2, 13, with itself as the eleventh), or because they are both connected with Rudra. Comm.
* As on previous occasions, the Adhvaryu first calls on the Âgnîdhra, Bid (Agni) hear (o sråvaya)!' and the latter responds by Yea, may (he) hear (astu srausha)!' This is repeated before each of the two other after-offerings. See I, 5, 2, 16.
The drift of the argument of this paragraph is not quite clear to me. The after-offerings have for their deities the metres, and hence the latter are apparently called the deities of the deities, that is, of the
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