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224
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
hither,' he, in a direct way, calls her, who is thereby called hither, as being what she really was : a cow, assuredly, she was, and a cow is four-footed ; and therefore he calls her four times?
25. But in calling her four times, he calls her in different ways, in order to avoid repetition (of sacrificial performance); for, if he were to call, 'Ida is called hither! Idà is called hither!' or 'Hither is called Ida I hither is called Ida!' he would indeed commit the (fault of) repetition. By saying, 'Idå is called hither l' he calls her hitherwards; and by Hither (or thither, lit. called to somebody) is called Idâ !' he calls her thitherwards. By saying, ' May Idà also call us to her,' he does not omit himself, and, besides, it (the formula) is changed. By (the second), 'Idà is called hither!' he again calls her hitherwards; so that he thereby (and by the second, * Hither is called Ida,' again) calls her hitherwards and thitherwards.
26. •Manu's daughter, the butter-pathed (ghritapadl);' - Manu, indeed, begat her of old: for this reason he says, 'Manu's daughter.' The butterpathed' he says, because butter gathered in her footprint: therefore he calls her 'butter-pathed!
27. And further, 'She who belongs to Mitra and Varuna ;'— this .Maitrå varuna nature' (is hers), because she met Mitra and Varuna ?:-She, the god-fashioned one, is called hither as the Brahman 3;'
! After May I då also call us to her,' he repeats 'Ida is called hither! Called hither (thither) is Idâ l'
* See I, 8, 1, 7-8, with note 3.
• Brahmâ devakritopahätâ; the Black Yagur-veda and Âsval. Sr. read 'brahma devakritam upahatam.' Cf. Taitt. S. I, 7, 1, 5, brahma vai devânâm brihaspatih.
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