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54
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
that reason he does not touch either himself or the earth with it.
8. The gods and the Asuras, both of them sprung from Pragâpati1, were contending for superiority. The gods vanquished the Asuras; and yet these afterwards harassed them again.
9. The gods then said: 'We do, no doubt, vanquish the Asuras, but nevertheless they afterwards again harass us. How then can we vanquish them so that we need not fight them again?'
10. Agni then said: 'By fleeing northwards they escape from us.' By fleeing northwards they had indeed escaped from them.
11. Agni said: 'I will go round to the northern side, and you will then shut them in from here2; and whilst shutting them in, we will put them down by these (three) worlds; and from what fourth world there is beyond these (three) they will not be able to rise again.'
12. Agni thereupon went round to the northern side; and they (the other gods) shut them in from here; and whilst shutting them in, they put them down with these (three) worlds; and from what fourth world
' Pragâpati is called the father of the gods and Asuras, I, 5, 3, 2; and they are represented as entering on his inheritance, I, 7, 2, 22; IX, 5, 1, 12. Not only the gods and Asuras, but also the men derive their origin from Pragâpati, XIV, 8, 2, 1. He has created all beings, I, 6, 3, 35; Ait. Br. III, 36.
I. e. 'from the sacrificial ground,' Sâyana. It seems doubtful to me whether it does not rather mean 'you will then shut them in, or block them up, within that place,' that is to say, north of the altar, where the utkara, or heap of rubbish, lies. The four worlds by which he puts down the enemies are represented by the loose soil which is dug up by the sphya being flung four separate times at the grass-bush lying on the altar (vedi), and which is then thrown on the utkara.
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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 |