________________
III ADHYÂYA, 4 PÂDA, 46.
321
is the agent in those meditations which have a fruit; this is the opinion of the teacher Atreya.
45. (They are) the work of the priest, this is the view of Audulomi; since for that i.e. the entire sacrificial work) he is feed.
The assertion that the meditations on subordinate members of the sacrifice are the work of the sacrificer is unfounded. They rather are the work of the priest, as the teacher Audulomi thinks. For the priest is rewarded for the work together with its subordinate members; and the meditations on the udgitha and so on fall within the performance of the work since they belong to the sphere of that to which the person entitled (viz. the lord of the sacrifice) is entitled. Hence they are to be carried out by the priests only, the case being analogous to that of the restrictive rule as to the work to be performed by means of the godohana vessel. In agreement herewith scripture declares the udgåtri to be the agent in knowledge, in the following passage, 'Him Vaka Dalbhya knew. He was the udgâtri of the Naimishîya-sacrificers' (Kh. Up. I, 2, 13). With reference to the circumstance noted by the purvapakshin that scripture states the fruit to belong to the agent, we remark that this makes no difference; for with the exception of cases expressly stated the priest cannot be connected with the sacrifice since he subserves the purposes (acts for) another (viz. the lord of the sacrifice).
46. And on account of scriptural statement.
Whatever blessing the priests pray for at the sacrifice, they pray for the good of the sacrificer; thus he said' (Sat. Brà. I, 3, 1, 26); Therefore an udgåtri who knows this may say: what wish shall I obtain for you by my singing ?' (Kh. Up. I, 7, 8). These scriptural passages also declare that the fruit of meditations in which the priest is the agent goes to the sacrificer.-All this establishes the conclusion that the meditations on subordinate parts of the sacrifice are the work of the priest.
[38]
Digitized by
Digitized by Google
