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278
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
again the ground, does stroke the plants;—‘scarce born, the kindled shone forth,'-for scarce born he indeed lights up everything here;-'with his light he shineth between the two worlds,'the two worlds, doubtless, are the heaven and the earth, and these two he indeed illumes by his light. He holds it (the fire in the pan) up so as to be beyond the reach of his arms, for Parganya is beyond the reach of (our) arms.
3. He then lowers it; for whatever sap, whatever sustenance there is in this world, that rises upwards with it through these worlds, for Agni is the sap, Agni is the substance in this world: thus were that always to be so, then there would be no sap, no sustenance in this world; but when he lowers (the fire), he bestows sap and sustenance on this world.
4. And, again, why he lowers it, he then indeed rises upwards from here through these worlds: that is, as it were, a rising away from here. But this earth is the resting-place; and were that always to be so, the Sacrificer would be removed from this world. But when he lowers (the fire), he thereby comes back to this resting-place, and stands firmly on this resting-place.
5. And, again, why he lowers it,—there, indeed, in rising upwards, he conquers these worlds from here: that is, as it were, a conquering in a forward direction. Now the conquest of him who conquers only in a forward direction is completed by others; but for him who conquers both ways there is free scope: thus, when he lowers (the fire) he conquers
1 Literally, were that to be so much only (i. e. were the fire always to be held up there).
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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 |