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XIII KANDA, 5 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 15. 383 (wild animals) also (the mystic import) has been told 1.
14. Then those (victims) for the twenty-one (stakes). He seizes twenty-one animals for each of the (eleven) deities of the Seasonal offerings 2; for as many as there are gods of the Seasonal offerings so many are all the gods; and all objects of desire are in the Asvamedha: 'by gratifying all the deities I shall gain all my desires,' so he thinks. But let him not proceed in this way.
15. Let him seize seventeen victims for the central stake, in order that he may gain and secure every('cuculus melanoleucus'). With regard to some of the wild animals referred to in the corresponding section of the Vâg. S., the commentator Mahîdhara significantly remarks (Vâg. S. XXIV, 20; cf. Kâty. XX, 6, 6 scholl.) that the meaning of such names as are not understood must be made out with the help of quotations (nigama), Vedic vocabularies (nighantu) and their comments (nirukta), grammar (vyâkarana), the Unâdivritti, and dictionaries.
1 Viz. XIII, 2, 4, 1 seqq. It is not easy to see why the text should break off abruptly with the birds representing the rainy season. For autumn there are to be (three) quails, for winter 'kakara,' and for the dewy season 'vikakara.' Then follow, to the end of the 260 wild animals, a long series of divinities to each of which (or sometimes to allied deities) three animals are consigned. Thirteen of these wild animals are placed on each of the twenty spaces between the twenty-one stakes.
'Or, perhaps, for the (eleven) deities of the Seasonal offerings he seizes twenty-one animals for each (stake); which would certainly simplify the distribution of those animals. Regarding the victims actually consecrated to the deities of the Kâturmâsya offerings, see p. 309, note 2.
* This does not include the twelve 'paryangyas' tied to the horse's limbs, but only the horse and two other victims sacred to Pragâpati, and twelve of a long series of beasts, of which three are dedicated to each successive deity (or allied group of deities). To these are afterwards added Agni's two victims belonging to the two sets of eleven victims (of the other twenty of which one is assigned to each of the other stakes).
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