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SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
S. II, 24), We have united with lustre, with vigour, with the bodies ?, with the happy spirit. May Tvashtri, the dispenser of boons, grant us riches, and make even what was injured in our body!' What was torn, that he thereby heals.
7. He then touches his face (with the water in his hands). The reason why he thus touches his face is twofold: water means ambrosia, and with ambrosia he accordingly touches himself; also he thereby transfers to himself that sacred work (the sacrifice): for these reasons he touches his face.
8. He now strides the (three) Vishnu-strides. He who sacrifices assuredly gratifies the gods. In gratifying the gods by that sacrifice-partly by riks, partly by yagus, partly by oblations he acquires a share among them; and having acquired a share among them, he goes to them.
9. And again why he strides the Vishnustrides, is: Vishnu, truly, is the sacrifice, by striding (vi-kram) he obtained for the gods that all-pervading power (vikrânti) which now belongs to them. By his first step he gained this same (earth), by the second this aërial expanse, and by his last (step) the sky. And this same pervading power Vishnu, as the sacrifice, obtains by his strides for him (the sacrificer): for this reason he strides
1 That is, with the departed persons, the fathers; or, more probably, with new bodies(?), cf. the funereal hymns, Rig-veda X, 14-18; especially X, 15, 14; 16, 5; 14, 8. Perhaps, however, it would be better to construe, 'by (our) bodies we have united with lustre and vigour; by (our) mind with bliss.' In IV, 6, 1, 1 it is said, that the sacrificer is born in the next world with his entire body; similarly XI, 1, 8, 6; XII, 8, 3, 31. For further quotations regarding the views on future existence, see A. Weber, Ind. Streifen, I, p. 20 seq.; J. Muir, Original Sanskrit Texts, V, p. 314 seq.
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