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V KANDA, 2 ADHYÂYA, I BRÂHMANA, 24. 35
surely has he become now that he has been consecrated: I fear lest he may rend me asunder!' And he himself is afraid of her, thinking, 'I fear lest she may shake me off!' Hence he thereby enters into a friendly relation with her, for a mother does not hurt her son; neither does a son hurt his mother.
20. He then descends (and treads) upon a piece of gold;-gold is immortal life: he thus takes his stand on life immortal.
21. Now (in the first place) he (the Adhvaryu) spreads out the skin of a he-goat, and lays a (small) gold plate thereon: upon that—or indeed upon this (earth) itself-he (the Sacrificer) steps.
22. They then bring a throne-seat for him; for truly he who gains a seat in the air1, gains a seat above (others): thus these subjects of his sit below him who is seated above,-this is why they bring him a throne-seat.
23. It is made of udumbara wood,-the Udumbara tree being sustenance, (that is) food,-for his obtainment of sustenance, food: therefore it is made of udumbara wood. They set it down in front of the Havirdhâna (cart-shed), behind the Âhavaniya (fire).
24. He then spreads the goat-skin thereon; for truly the he-goat is no other than Pragâpati, for they, the goats, are most clearly of Pragâpati (the lord of generation or creatures); whence, bringing forth thrice in a year, they produce two or three2: thus he thereby makes him (the Sacrificer) to be Pragâpati himself, this is why he spreads the goat-skin thereon.
1 The Sacrificer is supposed to have done so by the symbolical act of raising his head above the sacrificial post; see paragraph 14 above.
2 See IV, 5, 5, 6; part ii, p. 407, note 3.
D 2
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| SR No. | 007681 |
| Book Title | Questions of King Milinda Part 01 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | T W Rhys Davids |
| Publisher | Oxford |
| Publication Year | 1890 |
| Total Pages | 2695 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 47 MB |