________________
X KANDA, 6 ADHYAYA, 5 BRAHMANA, 7. 403
that time he produced him 1. He opened his mouth (to devour) the new-born one, and he (the child) cried bhân'; thus speech was produced.
•
5. He bethought him, 'Surely, if I kill him, I shall gain but little food. By that speech and that soul of his he created all this (universe) whatsoever there is,-Rik (hymn-verses), Yagus (formulas), Sâman (hymn-tunes), metres, sacrifices, men, and beasts. And whatsoever he created he set about devouring; and because he eats (ad) everything, hence the name 'Aditi'; and, verily, he who thus knows the nature of Aditi becomes an eater of everything, and all food becomes his.
6. He desired, 'May I again sacrifice by yet another sacrifice.' He wearied himself and practised austerity. From him, thus wearied and heated, glory and vigour departed; and glory and vigour, indeed, are the vital airs. The vital airs having departed, that body of his began to swell. The mind was yet in the body;
7. He desired, 'May this (body) of mine be sacrificially pure. may I thereby be possessed of a self!' Thereupon the horse (asva) was produced; and because that which was swelling (asvat) became pure (medhya) therefore the name Asvamedha (belongs to that sacrifice). He, indeed, knows the Asvamedha who thus knows him 1.
1 Viz. Pragâpati, the year; Agni, the Purusha, the Self.
2 Or, I shall lessen my food (which would have become more abundant if the child had been allowed to live and grow).
3 The commentaries on the Brihad-âranyakop. take this together with the preceding clause,-and because that (body) was swelling (asvat), therefore the horse (asva) was produced.
Viz. Agni-Pragâpati, or Death, in the form of the horse. Dd 2
