________________
464
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
.
19. [Vâg. S. XXXVII, 12,] Unmolested thou art in front (in the east),'--for unmolested by the Rakshas, the fiends, indeed, this earth) is in front;-'in Agni's over-lordship,'-he thus makes Agni her over-lord for the warding off of the fiends, the Rakshas ;-'grant thou life unto me!'-he thus secures life for himself, and accordingly he attains the full (term of) life.
20. Possessed of sons towards the south,'in this there is nothing hidden, so to speak ;-'in Indra's over-lordship,'-he thus makes Indra her over-lord for the warding off of the fiends, the Rakshas ;-'grant thou offspring unto me!'he thus secures offspring and cattle for himself, and accordingly he becomes possessed of sons and of cattle.
21. 'Well to live on behind (towards the western region),'-in this there is nothing hidden, so to speak ;-'in god Savitri's over-lordship;' -the god Savitri he thus makes her over-lord for the warding off of the fiends, the Rakshas ;'grant thou eyesight unto me!'-he thus secures eyesight for himself, and accordingly he becomes possessed of eyesight.
22. 'A sphere of hearing towards the north,'—'causing (sacrificial calls) to be heard ?,' is what he thereby means to say ;-'in the creator's over-lordship,'--the creator he thus
· Or, calling for the 'sraushat'; cf. part i, p. 131, note 2. The masculine form of the participle is somewhat peculiar as the term it is meant to explain refers to the earth. It has probably to be understood in the sense of, where he (viz. the Adhvaryu) calls for the sraushat.' Mahîdhara explains the term '&sruti' by 'where they, the priests, utter the sacrificial calls,' i.e. 'meet for sacrifice.'
Digitized by Google