Satapatha Bramhana Part 03

SR No.: 007679
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Julius Eggeling
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1894
Total Pages: 2382
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 45 MB

Page 1799

22
SATAPATHA-BRÂHMANA.
the entrance on the fast, offering is always made by himself
EIGHTH BRÂHMANA. 1. Now, the gods and the Asuras, both of them sprung from Pragàpati, once strove together. Then the Asuras, even through arrogance, thinking, ‘Unto whom, forsooth, should we make offering ?' went on offering into their own mouths. They came to naught, even through arrogance : wherefore let no one be arrogant, for verily arrogance is the cause of ruin
2. But the gods went on offering unto one another. Pragàpati gave himself up to them, and the sacrifice became theirs; for, indeed, the sacrifice is the food of the gods.
3. Having given himself up to the gods, he created that counterpart of himself, to wit, the sacrifice: whence people say, 'The sacrifice is Pragàpati;' for he created it as a counterpart of himself.
4. By this (Full and New-moon) sacrifice he redeemed himself from the gods. Now when he (the Sacrificer) enters on the fast, he thereby gives himself up to the gods, even as Pragâ pati thereby gave himself up to the gods. Let him therefore endeavour to pass that night (with his mind) completely restrained s, in the same way as he would
That is to say, even though on other nights the Agnihotra were performed for him by a priest, it would always count as being per. formed by himself.
• See V, 1, 1, 1. 2.
• Professor Delbrück, Altind. Syntax, p. 350, takes this injunction, and apparently also the illustration, to refer to sexual intercourse. Cf. I, I, I, II.
· Digitized by Google