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 357

XIII KÂNDA, 2 ADHYÂYA, 2 BRÂHMANA, 17. 303
for the horse is the nobility (chieftain), and the other animals are the peasantry (clan); and those who do this really make the peasantry equal and refractory to the nobility; and they also deprive the Sacrificer of his vital power. Therefore the horse alone belongs to Pragâpati?, and the others are sacred to the gods: he thus, indeed, makes the peasantry obedient and subservient to the nobility; and he also supplies the Sacrificer with vital power.
16. The slaughtering-knife of the horse is made of gold, those of the 'paryangyas' of copper, and those of the others of iron; for gold is (shining) light, and the Asvamedha is the royal office: he thus bestows light upon the royal office. And by means of the golden light (or, by the light of the gold), the Sacrificer also goes to the heavenly world; and he, moreover, makes it a gleam of light shining after him, for him to reach the heavenly world.
17. But, indeed, the horse is also the nobility; and this also—to wit, gold-is a form (symbol) of
be found; whilst in the case of the other twelve victims tied to the central stake (see p. 301, note 3), as well as those of the other stakes—though they, too, are assigned to definite deities--some of their deities (as in the case of three a year and a half old heifers assigned to Gayatri, Vâg. S. XXIV, 21), are such as to make it difficult to find suitable formulas for them :--eteshâm asvâdînâm pragâpatyâdikâyâgyânuvákyâs tâh kim iti na prithak kurmah; itareshâm rohitâdînâm na vindama), tryavayo gayatryâdayo devatás taddevatyás ka durlabhå lakshanopeta yagyanuvâkyå ity abhiprâyah.
The invitatory-formula and offering-formula are, however, pronounced once for the paryangyas' (including the horse) in common, whilst a second pair of formulas are used for the other victims in common.
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