Satapatha Bramhana Part 02

SR No.: 007678
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Julius Eggeling
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1885
Total Pages: 2521
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 44 MB

Page 161

126
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
protection (of Agni): for it is somewhat long before the next enclosing-sticks will come nigh to him?.
CONSTRUCTION OF SHEDS, AND PREPARATION OF PRESSING-PLACE AND HEARTHS (DHISHNYAS).
THIRD BRAHMANA. 1. The sacrifice is a man; it is a man for the reason that a man spreads (prepares) it. In being spread it is made just as large as a man: this is why the sacrifice is a man.
2. The Soma-cart (shed) is no other than his head, and has Vishnu for its deitys. And because Soma is therein-Soma being havis (material for offering) for the gods—therefore it is called Havirdhana (receptacle of havis).
3. The Åhavantya is no other than his mouth :: hence, when he offers on the Åhavaniya, it is as if he poured (food) into the mouth.
4. The sacrificial stake is no other than his crestlock; and the Agnidhriya and Märgaliya* are his arms.
1 Ordinarily the laying round of the paridhis takes place immediately before the fire is kindled for the offering; but as the next offering is not to come off for some time, the fire would be without a protection, if he were to leave it without the enclosing-sticks. Sayana takes *düre' in the sense of in a long time,' as above; but it might be taken of space far off,' when the passage would refer to the offering about to be performed on the old Âhavanîya (III, 5, 3, 10 seq.); and it may be noticed in reference to this point, that, according to Kâty. VIII, 3, 30, that fire does not become the Garhapatya till immediately after that offering.
9 Yavat-tavat would rather seem to mean here 'of corresponding (or relatively the same) proportions' as a man, viz. as the respective sacrificer. "Sa vai tâyamâno yâvân eva purushas tâvân vidhîyate, purushasyaiva vidhâm anu.' Kanva rec. • Soma himself is Vishnu.
See III, 6, 1, 23; 2, 21.
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