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64
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
him then cover it (the altar) over with (fresh) rubbish: for rubbish means cattle, and well-stocked with cattle he thereby makes it
18. He (the Âgnidhra) smooths it down (from east to west). The gods, namely, when they were preparing for the contest, said to one another : Come, let us remove to the moon for safety what imperishable place of worship there is on this earth; so that if the Asuras, on vanquishing us, should drive us away from here, we may afterwards, by praising and mortifying, prevail again!' They accordingly removed to the moon what imperishable place of worship there was on this earth. That now is the black (spots) in the moon : hence they say, 'In the moon is the place of worship for this earth.' It is in this place of worship also that his sacrifice is performed: for that reason he smooths (the altar) down 2
19. He smooths it down, with the text (Vâg. S. I, 28): 'Before the bloody (battle) with its rushings hither and thither!, O mighty one!' the bloody one no doubt is the battle, for in battle
Purisha, rubbish ; 'sandy or gravel-like soil,' Sây. on Taitt. Br. III, 2, 9, 12; purîsha also means 'fæces, manure,' in which sense it is probably taken symbolically for 'cattle.' The Taitt. Br. better: 'well supplied with cattle he thereby makes him (the sacrificer).'
* ? By stroking along the altar he shifts it to the moon.
. The interpretation of purâ krûrasya visripah here given by the author, and also by Mahîdhara on Vâg. S. I, 28, is more than doubtful. Sayana on Taitt. S. I, 1, 9 is probably more correct in taking purâ visripah (abl. or gerund) krûrasya to mean 'before the sneaking away of the cruel enemy (Araru, lying fettered on the heap of rubbish)'-he supplies : 'thou, O altar, containest merely the divine oblations, but since his removal thou containest everything.' Cf. also Weber, Ind. Streifen, II, p. 463.
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