________________
52
SATAPATHA-BRÂHMANA.
became a bos gaurus and a gayal (bos gavaeus) respectively. The sheep which they had sacrificed, became a camel. The goat which they had sacrificed, became a sarabha! For this reason one should not eat (the flesh) of these animals, for these animals are deprived of the sacrificial essence (are impure).
Fourth BRÂHMANA. 1. When Indra hurled the thunderbolt at Vritra, that hurled one became fourfold. Of (three parts of) it the wooden sword (sphya) represents one-third or thereabouts, the sacrificial post one-third or thereabouts, and the chariot one-third or thereabouts. That piece, moreover, with which he struck him, was broken off (sri); and on falling down it became an arrow (sara): hence the designation arrow, because it was broken off. And in this way the thunderbolt became fourfold.
2. In consequence of this, the priests make use of two (of these pieces) at the sacrifice, and men of the military caste (râganyabandhu) also make use of two of them in battle: viz. the priests make use of the sacrificial post and the wooden sword, and the men of the military caste of the chariot and the arrow.
3. Now when he takes up the wooden sword, he raises that thunderbolt against the wicked, spiteful enemy, even as Indra at that time raised the thunderbolt against Vritra : that is the reason why he takes the wooden sword.
4. He takes it, with the text (Vâg. S. I, 24): 'At the impulse of the divine Savitri, I take thee with
1 A fabulous kind of deer with eight legs, which was supposed to kill elephants and lions.
See note on I, 1, 2, 8.
Digitized by Google
