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I KANDA, 9 ADHYAYA, 3 BRAHMANA, 17. 271
realm of light assuredly means the gods: hence he thereby says, 'We have gone to the gods.'-With (ib. g), 'We have united with splendour' (he looks on the Ahavaniya fire): he thereby says, 'We have united with the gods.'
15. He then looks up to the sun, for that is the final goal, that the safe resort. To that final goal, to that resort he thereby goes: for this reason he looks up to the sun.
16. He looks up, with the text (Vâg. S. II, 26 a), 'Self-existent art thou, the best ray of light!' The sun is indeed the best ray of light', and therefore he says, 'Self-existent art thou, the best ray of light.' ""Light-bestowing art thou: give me light (varkas)!" so say I,' said Yagña valkya, 'for at this indeed the Brahmana should strive, that he be brahmavarkasin (illumed by the brahma, or sacred writ).' Aupoditeya, on the other hand, said, ' He indeed will give me cows 3: (therefore I say), "Cow-giving art thou, give me cows!" Thus whatever wish he (the sacrificer) entertains (and expresses), that wish is granted to him.
17. He then turns (from left to right), with the text (Vâg. S. II, 26 b), 'I move along the course of
1 Seven rays of the sun are mentioned, Rig-veda I, 105,9; II, 5, 2; Âth.-veda VII, 107, 1. Mahidhara remarks that four of them lie in, or point to, the four quarters; one pointing upwards and another downwards; and the seventh, and best, being the disc of the sun itself, called Hiranyagarbha. This apparently is the param bhâs, or most excellent light, which in par. 10 is identified with Pragâpati, or the heavenly world.
2 That is, Tuminga Aupoditeya Vaiyâghrapadya, as the Kânva text reads; cf. Taitt. S. I, 7, 2, 1.
The heavenly rays of light are regarded as the heavenly cows, Naigh. I, 5; Nir. II, 6.
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