Satapatha Bramhana Part 05

SR No.: 007680
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Julius Eggeling
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1900
Total Pages: 2017
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 44 MB

Page 208

154
SATAPATHA-BRÂHMANA.
16. But how many are there really ?'—' Eight;' he replied.—'Eight, indeed,' he said ; 'for the Gayatri consists of eight syllables, and the sacrifice is of Gayatri nature;
17. But how many are there really ?'—'Seven,' he replied.—'Seven, indeed,' he said ; 'for there are seven metres (successively) increasing by four (syllables), and by means of the metres the sacrifice is performed ;
18. But how many are there really ? '_ Six,' he replied.—Six, indeed,' he said ; 'six seasons make up a year, and the sacrifice is the year; and one and the same day are those two, the opening and concluding (Atirâtra ");
19. But how many are there really?!:— Five,' he replied. — Five, indeed,' he said ; 'the sacrifice is fivefold; the sacrificial animal is fivefold *; there are five seasons in the year, and the sacrifice is the year;
1 In the scheme of the Gavâm ayanam, given above (p. 139, note 1), there is one day in excess of the year, viz. either the central Vishuvat day (XII, 2, 3, 6) or the final Atiratra ; but by making this latter day identical with the opening Atirâtra, Uddalaka would seem to bring the whole within the compass of one year of six seasons. In the next paragraph, on the other hand, the same result is obtained by the identification of the second and the last but one days of the session. Another, and perhaps more probable, explanation of Uddalaka's calculation would, however, be this. In the scheme of the sacrificial session there occur, as not included in the different sacrificial groups or periods (the shadabas, svarasamans, &c.), seven special days--the opening and final Atirâtras, the Katurvimsa and Mabâvrata days, and the Abhigit, Vishuvat, and Visvagit days. These seven days he here successively reduces to six and five days. The further reduction of this number by the identification of the Prishthya and Abbiplava, as well as of the Svarasaman days, requires no explanation. Cf., however, the Addenda.
* For the parkta' nature of the sacrifice, see III, 1, 4, 19. 20; XIII, 2, 5, 1, for the five kinds of sacrificial animals, VI, 1, 2, 32 seqq.
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