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392
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
heaven's rain favour thee!' this he says in order that the rain of heaven may favour him.
9. He then makes it move!, with, 'Over the heaven-reaching three oceans he crept,' the three heaven-reaching oceans doubtless are these worlds, and over them he crept in the shape of a tortoise ;—the lord of waters, the bull of the bricks,' for he (the tortoise) indeed is the lord of waters, and the bull of the bricks ;—'induing the covering of him, the well-made, in the world,' the covering (purisha) means the cattle : thus, entering the form of the) cattle of the well-made (Agni) in the world ;-'go thither whither the former have passed away!' that is, go thither whither by this performance former (tortoises) went.
10. “The mighty sky and the earth,' that is, the great sky and the earth;—'shall mix (prepare) this our sacrifice!' that is, shall favour this sacrifice ;-'they shall fill us with nourishments!' that is, they shall nourish us with nourishments ! With the last (verse) relating to heaven and earth he puts it down, for the tortoise represents heaven and earth.
II. With three (formulas) he puts it on the altar);—three are these worlds, and threefold is Agni : as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much he thus puts it on. With three (formulas) he anoints it; that makes six : the significance of this (number) has been explained. There are avaka-plants? below and avaka-plants above (the
1 He sets the tortoise down with three verses; and in muttering the second verse he makes it move while he still holds it in his hand.
* Blyxa octandra, a grassy plant growing in marshy land ( lotusflower,' Weber, Ind. Stud. XIII, p. 250).
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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 |