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 420

VII KÂNDA, 5 ADHYÂYA, I BRÂHMANA, 8.
391
looking thitherwards (or moving westward); and hence yonder sun is placed in the east looking thitherwards. On the right (south) of the Ashâdha (he places it), for the tortoise (karma, masc.) is a male, and the Ashadhâ a female, and the male lies on the right side of the female ;-at a cubit's distance ?, for at a cubit's distance the male lies by the female. That Ashadha is the consecrated queen (mahishi) of all the bricks, hence being on the right (south) side of her, it (the tortoise) is on the right side of all the bricks.
7. And, again, why he puts down a tortoise ;-the: tortoise (kůrma) is the breath, for the breath makes (kar) all these creatures : it is breath he thus puts into him (Agni). He puts it down in front looking towards the back : he thus puts in the breath in front tending towards the back; whence the breath is taken in from the front backwards. [He puts it down so as to be] turned towards the (gold) man: he thus puts breath into the Sacrificer. South of the Ashâdhå (he puts it), for the tortoise is breath, and the Ashådhå speech; and the breath (prâna, masc.) is the male, the mate, of speech (våk, fem.).
8. [He sets it down, with Vâg. S. XIII, 30–32] 'Seat thee in the depth of the waters!' for that indeed is the deepest (place) of the (heavenly) waters where yonder (sun) burns ; —lest the sun, lest Agni Vaisvânara should scorch thee!' that is, lest the Sun, lest Agni Vaisvânara injure thee ;-'Overlook the creatures with unbroken wings,' that is, overlook all these uninjured, unharmed creatures, that is, these bricks ;—'may
While the bricks generally measure a pâda or foot square, the cubit measures about two feet.
Digitized by Google