Book Title: Upnishad
Author(s): Max Muller
Publisher: Oxford

View full book text
Previous | Next

Page 1693
________________ II KÂNDA, 2 ADHYAYA, 3 BRÂHMANA, 8. 315 beloved abode, and the latter gives up to him both kinds of forms, domestic and wild. In that (fire) those two kinds of forms are seen: such is the ascendancy (which one obtains by the punarâdhyeya),people, indeed, envy him ; thus he thrives, and a conspicuous position (is obtained by him). 6. To Agni belongs this sacrifice. Agni is the light, the burner of evil: he burns away the evil of this (sacrificer); and the latter becomes a light of prosperity and glory in this, and a light of blissin yonder, world. This, then, is the reason why he should establish the fires (a second time). 7. Let him establish the fires (the second time) in the rainy season. The rains are all the seasons, for the rains are indeed all the seasons: hence, in counting over years, people say, 'In such and such a year (or rain, varsha) we did it; in such and such a year (or rain) we did it.' The rains, then, are one of the forms of manifestation (rapa) of all seasons ; and when people say, 'To-day it is as if in summer,' then that is in the rainy season; and when they say, ‘To-day it is as if in spring,' then that, too, is in the rainy season. From the year (or rain, varsha), indeed, (is named) the rainy season (varshah). 8. There is, moreover, an occult form (through which the rains manifest themselves in the seasons) 3. When it blows from the east, then that is the characteristic sign of spring ;—when it thunders, it is that of 1 Gyotir amutra punyalokatvâ, lit. a light by (way of) blissful state.' The Kanva text has the same reading. 3 This speculation is based on the identity of the words for year (varsha; also rain') and the rains, or rainy season (varshân). : The characteristics of the seasons here selected are supposed to have a special connection with the rain and rainy season. Digitized by Google

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 1691 1692 1693 1694 1695 1696 1697 1698 1699 1700 1701 1702 1703 1704 1705 1706 1707 1708 1709 1710 1711 1712 1713 1714 1715 1716 1717 1718 1719 1720 1721 1722 1723 1724 1725 1726 1727 1728 1729 1730 1731 1732 1733 1734 1735 1736 1737 1738 1739 1740 1741 1742 1743 1744 1745 1746 1747 1748 1749 1750 1751 1752 1753 1754 1755 1756 1757 1758 1759 1760 1761 1762 1763 1764 1765 1766 1767 1768 1769 1770 1771 1772 1773 1774 1775 1776 1777 1778 1779 1780 1781 1782 1783 1784 1785 1786 1787 1788 1789 1790 1791 1792 1793 1794 1795 1796 1797 1798 1799 1800 1801 1802 1803 1804 1805 1806 1807 1808 1809 1810 1811 1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835