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 49

14
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
also comes from the cow. He (the Adhvaryu) thus supplies him with his own skin, and for this reason he gets himself anointed.
8. It is fresh butter,—for melted butter (ghee) belongs to the gods, and creamy butter to men. Here, on the other hand, it is neither ghee nor creamy butter; it should rather be both ghee and creamy butter, for the sake of unimpaired vigour : by means of that which is of unimpaired vigour he accordingly makes him of unimpaired vigour.
9. He anoints him from the head down to the feet in accordance with the tendency of the hair, with the text (Vâg. S. IV, 3), 'Thou art the sap of the great ones. The 'great ones,' doubtless, is one of the names of those cows, and their sap indeed it is: therefore he says, 'thou art the sap of the great ones.' 'Thou art life-giving: give me light!' There is nothing obscure in this.
10. Thereupon he anoints the eyes. "Sore, indeed, is the eye of man; mine is sound,' so spake Yagñavalkya. Dim-eyed, indeed, he was (heretofore); and the secretion of his eyes was matter. He now makes his eyes sound by anointing them.
11. Now, when the gods slew the Asura-Rakshas, Sushna', the Dânava, falling backward entered into the eyes of men: he is that pupil of the eye, and
? Phânta, explained as the first particles of butter that appear in churning (?). The Kânva recension, on the other hand, reads
ágyam nishpântam' (1) instead. Cf. Taitt. S. VI, 1, 1, 4, Ghritam devânâm, mastu pitrinâm, nishpak vam (i.e. surabhi ghritam,
well-seasoned butter,' Sây.) manushyânâm; tad vai etat sarvadevatyam yan navanîtam; also Ait. Br. I, 3, ágyam vai devânâm, surabhi ghritam manushyânâm, âyutam pitrinâm, navanitam garbhânâm; with Haug's note, Transl. p. 8.
The Kânva text (MSS. O. W.) reads Sisna.
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