Satapatha Brahmana

SR No.: 011120
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Max Muller, Julius Eggeling
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1987
Total Pages: 433
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 36 MB

Page 63

VIII KÂNDA, 2 ADHYÂYA, 4 BRAHMANA, I.
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fined that is pleasure-giving; and Pragâpati is undefined, and Pragâpati indeed became a metre.
12. 'Support is vigour,'—the support, doubtless, is Pragâpati : it is he that became vigour;-'the over-lord the metre,'—the over-lord, doubtless, is Pragâpati, and Pragâpati indeed became a metre.
13. The All-worker is vigour,'—the Allworker, doubtless, is Pragâpati: it is he that became vigour;-'the highest lord the metre,'--Pragâpati, the highest lord, doubtless, is the waters, for they (the waters of heaven) are in the highest place: Pragâpati, the highest lord, indeed became a metre.
14. These then are four kinds of vigour, and four metres; this (makes) eight,—the Gâyatri consists of eight syllables: this, assuredly, is that same Gâyatri in the form of which Pragâpati then, by his vigour, overtook those cattle; whence they say of worn-out cattle that they are overtaken by vigour (or, age), and hence (the word) 'vigour' recurs with all (these bricks). And those cattle which went away from him (Pragâpati) are these fifteen other (formulas) : the cattle are a thunderbolt, and the thunderbolt is fifteenfold: whence he who possesses cattle, drives off the evildoer, for the thunderbolt drives off the evildoer for him. And in whatever direction, therefore, the possessor of cattle goes, that he finds torn up by the thunderbolt.
Fourth BRAHMANA. 1. 'The he-goat is vigouri,'—the he-goat he overtook by his vigour ;-'gapless the metre,' —
1 Mahîdhara, in accordance with the explanation added by the Brâhmana to this and the corresponding formulas in the succeeding paragraphs, takes 'vayas' as a defective instrumental (vayasa). It is, however, very doubtful whether such an interpretation of the formula was intended by the author of the Brahmana.