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370
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
does not do so) a vigorous son is born, and she in whose presence (the husband) does not eat food bears a vigorous (son) :
10. Such, indeed, is the divine ordinance;-amongst men princes keep most aloof, and for that reason a vigorous (son) is born to them; and of birds the Amritavâkâ (đoes so, and she) produces the Kshiprasyena 2.
II. Those two (persons in the eyes) descend to the cavity of the hearts, and enter into union with each other; and when they reach the end of their union, then the man sleeps, even as here on reaching the end of a human union he becomes, as it were, insensible *, so does he then become, as it were,
food)--as against asniyât in our passage-is not meant disi espectfully, but as the regular desiderative of 'ad' (Pân. II, 4, 37), for which no doubt 'asisishantı' (Sat. Br. III, 1, 2, 1) might have been used.
1 Or, 'act most in secrecy.' Sâyana explains it: manushyânâm madhye råganyabandhavo - nutamam gopayanti atyai tham rahasyatvena kurvanti tasmât teshu vîryavân putro gâyate. The St Petersb. Dict., on the other hand, takes it in the sense of they protect most of all;' though it is difficult to see how the protection' afforded by princes or rulers could have any bearing on men taking their food apart from their wives. If the above interpretation is right we may compare anu-gup' in the sense of 'to conceal.' See, however, the next note, where Sâyana takes 'gopâyati' in the sense of observes that law),' which might also have suited here. Princes, having their seraglio, would naturally have less occasion for coming into contact with their wives at mealtime than men of lower stations of life. On the superlative of the preposition, see p. 287, note I.
? The swift eagle ---vayasam pakshinam madhye amritavaka nâma pakshigâtir etad vratam gopâyatı, atah så kshipram síghragâminam syenan nama pakshinan ganayati. Sây.
8 Hridayasyâkâsam daharam prapya. Sây.
• That is, unconscious,' with something of 'indifferent, apathetic, implied:-Loke mânushasya maithunasyântam gatva s sam
