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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
60
A DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF
महीदासमवगत्येतरराख्या तन्माता स्वकीयकुलदेवतां भूमिमनुसस्मार ।
सा च भूमिदेवता दिव्यमूर्तिधरा सती यज्ञसभायां समागत्य महीदासस्य दिव्यं सिंहासनं दवा तत्रैनमुपवेश्य सर्वेष्वपि कुमारेषु पाण्डित्याधिक्य मवगमय्यैतद्ब्राह्मणप्रतिभासनरूपं वरं ददौ । तदनुग्रहात्तस्य महीदासस्य मनसाभिर्वे भूतानामबम इत्यादिकं स्तृणुत इत्यनं चत्वारिंशदधायोपेतं बाह्मणं प्रादुरभूत् । तत उर्ध्वम् अथ महाव्रतमित्यादिकम् आचार्या इत्यननम् आरण्यकव्रतरूपं च ब्राह्मणम् आविरभूदिति ॥ Preface to Sāyaṇācārya's com, of the Aitarēya Brāhmaṇa.
There was a sage who had many wives, and one of them was named Itară. She had a son whose name was Mahidāsa. The father neglected him and loved the other sons more than Mahidāsa; and at a sacrifice he allowed all the other sons to sit on his lap, but refused the honor to Mahidāsa. Thereupon Itarā prayed to the Goddess of Earth, who appeared at once and offered a divine throne to Mabidāsa and seated him there. The Goddess thon made him a great scholar. Enlightened by the boon of the Godless of Earth, he composed a Brāhmaṇa and an Aranyaka, which are known by the names of the Aitarēya Brāhmaṇa and the Aitarēya Aranyaka.
The Aitarēya Brāhmaṇa belongs to the Sākalyaśākhā just as the Sāňkyāyana or Kauşītakī Brāhmaṇa docs to the BaşkalaSakha. They treat however of the same subjects, but differ considerably in their views. The Aitaroya Brāhmaṇa is divided into eight Pañchikās or pentads, each of which contains five Adhyāyas; and the whole work is therefore composed of forty chapters. The last ten chapters are supposed to be later additions. The following are the subject matter of the forty Adhyāyās.
Adhyāyås 1 to 13 treat of the duties of the Hots priest in the Agnistoma sacrifice.
Adhyāya 14 explains the meaning of the term Agnistoma, and other matters.
Adhyāyas 15 to 17 describe the Ukthya, şādaśa, Atirātra and other sacrifices.
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