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

Previous | Next

Page 2572
________________ 298 SATAPATHA-BRÂHMANA. of) the layers, that is the animal sacrifices ?; and the Vishnu-strides ? which are (performed) at these sacrifices are just these Vishnu-strides; and what muttering of formulas there is that is the Vatsapra 3. 3. The first layer is the Soma-sacrifice; the second the Râgasůya as prior to the consecrations *; the third the Vâgapeya; the fourth the Asvamedha (horse-sacrifice); and the fifth the Agnisava 6. Then the sâmans he sings around the built (altar) are the Mahâvrata(-saman); the Udgâtri's preliminary muttering (of the text of his chants) on that occasion is the Satarudriya; the shower of wealth' the Great Litany; and what takes place subsequent to (the singing of the sâmans, and prior to the shower of wealth, that is the Hotri's preliminary muttering on that occasion; and what takes place after the shower of wealth is the Grihamedhas 6 (house-sacrifices). Such are all the sacrifices: these he secures by (building) the fire-altar. · That is, animal sacrifices performed independently of other ceremonies, 2 See VI, 7, 2, 12 seq. See VI, 7, 4, I seq. • That is, the ceremonies connected with the Vágaprasaviya oblations, V, 2, 2, 4 seq.; and the devasa-havînshi, or oblations to the Divine Quickeners (by whom the king is supposed to be first consecrated), V, 3, 3, 1 seq. • See IX, 3, 4, 7. 9. It is strange that the Agnisava should be mentioned here, as it is said to be confined to the Agnikayana. It would seem that some independent ceremony, such as the Brihaspatisava (consecration of Brihaspati, cf. V, 2, 1, 19; and part iii, introd. p. xxiv seq.), may be referred to. . Sâyana identifies these with the offerings of sacrificial sessions (sattra), during which the Sacrificer is indeed called the Grihapati, or master of the house ; see IV, 6, 3, 5 seq.; and part ii, p. 97, note 1. Digitized by Google

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 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