Book Title: Questions of King Milinda Part 01
Author(s): T W Rhys Davids
Publisher: Oxford

Previous | Next

Page 2565
________________ X KÂnda, I ADHYÂYA, 3 BRÂHMANA, 10. 291 7. And having laid down the fifth layer (of bricks), he (the Adhvaryu) scatters earth on it; thereon he lays the Vikarni and the Svayamâtrinna, scatters chips of gold, and places the fire : that is the seventh layer, and that (part) is immortal; and in this way, having encompassed that mortal form of his by those two immortal forms, they made it immortal, — the layer of earth by means of two layers of bricks. Thereby, then, Pragâpati became immortal ; and in like manner does the Sacrificer become immortal by making that body (of the altar) immortal. 8. But the gods knew not whether they had made him complete, or not; whether they had made him too large, or left him defective. They saw this verse (Vâg. S. XVIII, 76), “The seat-hiding Agni, Indra, god Brahman, Brihaspati, and the wise All-gods may speed our sacrifice unto bliss!' 9. Of this (verse) one part is Agnis, one part Indra's, and one part the All-gods' ;—with that part thereof which is Agni's they made up that part of him (Pragâpati) which is Agni's, and with Indra's (part) that which is Indra's, and with the All-gods' (part) that which is the All-gods': in this very (firealtar) they thus made him up wholly and completely. 10. And when he stands by (the altar, worshipping it) with this (verse), he thereby secures (makes good) all that part of him (Pragâpati) which, whether he knows it or not, he either does in excess or insufficiently in this (fire-altar),—whatever has not been secured for him. The'seat-hiding' (verse) is an Anushtubh, for the Anushtubh is speech, and the seat-hider is speech : it is by speech that he U 2 Digitized by Google

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 2563 2564 2565 2566 2567 2568 2569 2570 2571 2572 2573 2574 2575 2576 2577 2578 2579 2580 2581 2582 2583 2584 2585 2586 2587 2588 2589 2590 2591 2592 2593 2594 2595 2596 2597 2598 2599 2600 2601 2602 2603 2604 2605 2606 2607 2608 2609 2610 2611 2612 2613 2614 2615 2616 2617 2618 2619 2620 2621 2622 2623 2624 2625 2626 2627 2628 2629 2630 2631 2632 2633 2634 2635 2636 2637 2638 2639 2640 2641 2642 2643 2644 2645 2646 2647 2648 2649 2650 2651 2652 2653 2654 2655 2656 2657 2658 2659 2660 2661 2662 2663 2664 2665 2666 2667 2668 2669 2670 2671 2672 2673 2674 2675 2676 2677 2678 2679 2680 2681 2682 2683 2684 2685 2686 2687 2688 2689 2690 2691 2692 2693 2694 2695