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VI KANDA, 5 ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMANA, 9. 235
men, fashion thee, Angiras-like, by the Anushubh metre!'-this prayer, doubtless, is the (four) quarters, and the All-gods, the friends of all men, did then, by means of this prayer, put the quarters into these worlds, (that is) into the fire-pan; and in like manner does the Sacrificer, by means of this prayer, now put the quarters into these worlds, into the fire-pan ;- Angiras-like,' he says, because Angiras is the breath;-'Thou art steadfast!' -that is, 'thou art firm,' or 'thou art fixed;''Thou art the quarters!' for this prayer indeed is the quarters;-'Establish in me offspring, increase of wealth, lordship of cattle, manhood, clansmen for the Sacrificer!' For the All-gods, the friends of all men, having fashioned the quarters, invoked this blessing on them; and in like manner the Sacrificer, having fashioned the quarters, now invokes this blessing on them.
7. With that same formula he fashions it both inside and outside, whence the quarters are both inside and outside these worlds. He therewith fashions it without restriction (to any part of the pan), for unrestricted are the quarters.
8. He makes it just a span high, and a span sideways; for Vishnu, when an embryo, was a span long, and this (fire-pan) is the womb: he thus makes the womb of equal size with the embryo1.
9. Were it larger than a span, he would make it smaller by that prayer; and were it smaller, (he would make it) larger thereby 2.
1 Vishnu is identical with Agni, inasmuch as both are the sacrifice.
That is to say, if the pan, thus fashioned, is not quite of the exact measure, the formula is supposed to set this right..
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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 |