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II KANDA, I ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 14.
13. Now, as to this, they say, 'Six seasons there are in the year.' And in that case the very deficiency (nyûna) itself is rendered a productive union1, since it is from the lower part (nyûna, i. e. of the body) that offspring is here brought forth. Thus also a progressive improvement (is assured to the sacrificer): for this reason there are five equipments. And when (it is nevertheless insisted on that) there are six seasons in the year, then Agni is the sixth of them, and thus there is no deficiency.
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14. Here also they say, 'He should not equip it even with a single equipment!' For (they argue) all those (objects) are on this earth, and hence, when he establishes the fire on this earth, the latter of itself obtains all those equipments: he need not, therefore, equip it with a single equipment. But let him nevertheless bring (those objects) together; for when he establishes the fire on this (earth), then it obtains all the equipments; and what (benefit) accrues from the equipments being brought together, that also accrues to it. Let him for that reason bring (the objects) together.
1 Or, a deficient pairing is effected (on account of the uneven number). I do not quite understand Sâyana's interpretation of the passage, the published text of the commentary being apparently corrupt in one or two places. The Kânva text reads: Tad âhuh shad vâ ritavah samvatsarasyeti yadi vai shal ritavah samvatsarasya nyûnam u vai pragananam nyûnâd vâ imâh pragâh pragâyante, &c.
' Literally, 'a prevailing (or advancing) better-to-morrow,' svahSreyasam uttarâvat.
The drift of the author's reasoning evidently is that it is safer, by putting those objects on the fire-place, to make sure of the magic benefits of those symbols being really secured to the fire, and thereby to the sacrificer. The Kânva text of this paragraph, though differently worded, yields the same sense; except that it refers to
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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 |