________________
394
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
came again to him, with fuel in their hands ', saying, We want to become thy pupils.'
3. He said, 'How is this, venerable sirs, when ye are learned in the scriptures, and sons of men learned in the scriptures ?' They replied, “Venerable sir, thou knowest Vaisvânara thoroughly : teach us him!' He said, 'I do indeed know Vaisvanara thoroughly : put your fuel on (the fire), ye are become my pupils 2.'
4. He then said to Aruna Aupavesi, 'O Gautama, as whom knowest thou Vaisvânara 3?'-'As Earth only, O king;' he replied.— Yea,' he said, 'that indeed is Vaisvânara, the foundation; and because thou knowest the Vaisvânara Foundation (pratishtha) therefore thou art firmly established (pratishthita) with offspring and cattle ; and, verily, he who knows that Vaisvânara Foundation, repels Death and attains all life. But, in truth, these are only the feet * of Vaisyânara, and thy feet would have withered away, hadst thou not come hither; or the feet would be unknown to thee, hadst thou not come hither.'
5. He then said to Satyayagña Paulushi, 'O Prakinayogya, as whom knowest thou Vaisvânara ?'
"That is, in the way in which pupils approach their teacher.
? Literally, 'Ye have entered (my tuition);' upetâ stha upasina bhavatha. Sây. s Or, perhaps, what Vaisvânara knowest thou?'
Pratishtha' (rest, foundation) also commonly means "the feet.'
It is not quite clear whether the words or the feet, &c.' really (as Sâyana takes them) form part of the king's speech, or whether they are merely meant as explanatory of the latter part of the king's remarks. If Sayana be right, the words the feet would be unknown by thee,' seem to admit of a double meaning, viz. 'thou wouldst
Digitized by Google
