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A NOTE ON "SATAMANAM BHAVATI"
C. L. Prabhakar
Satamanam bhavati satayuḥ puruṭaḥ śatendriya ayusyevendriye pratitisthati.
"It (gold) is a hundred (Krisnalas) in weight; man has a hundred years of life, a hundred powers; verily he finds support in life, in power"
I
Veda prescribed hundred years as the span of life of man on earth. That number hundred seems to be derived on the basis of many aspects and ultimately construing the word to mean fullness and thus completeness. Man's life is deemed as precious1 on earth and therefore activity of that man is supposed to extend to that length of years. In a year a season is standard. So the Veda seems to incline to elect2 hemantaṛtu or vasantaṛtu and they to be hundred as wittnessed by man on earth. Alternately Veda suggests life of Man on earth should be long (dirgha)3 endowed with active powers and proper support.
-Keith
In order to support and establish a standard of life to man, Veda prescribed sacrifices wherein certain deities like Agni and Indra are involved to assure such a wish of a sacrificer. As a quick measure, Yajurveda, especially Krishna Yajurveda laid down certain optional rites that aimed to bring forth longevity to yajamāna. Longevity is a sure measure only if a sound health persists in Man. Therefore, Veda particularly, YV and AV have marked out rites that helped cure of illness and promotion of longevity. In view of this, Veda and its religion becomes very important in the life of Man, Rigveda suggested optimism and total fulfilment in life. The other Vedas worked out the means to establish such a mission for Man.
Jain Education International
The expression cited above is from Krsna Yajurveda (KYV (TS). It is a prose passage. It is part of a Brahmana that explained the mantras of the optional rite. KYV is unique. Therein Brahmana (explanatory text) follows the mantra, thereby a classification regarding the propriety is made and also suggestion is made that the act was not twaddle or such. That advantage of having mantra and Brahmana at one place is not to be found in the SYV. The other samhitas viz. Kap. S, Mai. S of the KYV contain parallels to this passage. It is interesting that SYV is independent of such expression although SYV emphasises the idea of hundred years of life for Man, but in different words,
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