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370
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
in summer, offerings of first-fruits are also made to Soma in the form of a potful of boiled syâmâka or bamboo grains respectively.
1. Now Kahoda Kaushitaki spake, 'This sap (of the plants) truly belongs to those two, heaven and earth : having offered of this sap to the gods, we will eat it.' "That is why the offering of firstfruits is performed.'
2. And Yagña valkya also spake :—The gods and the Asuras, both of them sprung from Pragàpati, once contended for superiority. The Asuras then defiled, partly by magic, partly with poison, both kinds of plants—those on which men and beasts subsist-hoping that in this way they might overcome the gods. In consequence of this neither did men eat food, nor did beasts graze; and from want of food these creatures well-nigh perished'.
3. Now the gods heard as to how these creatures were perishing from want of food. They spake unto one another, 'Come, let us rid them of this !'—'By what means?'—' By means of the sacrifice.' By means of the sacrifice the gods then accomplished all that they wanted to accomplish*; and so did the Rishis.
4. They then said, 'To which of us shall this belong?' They did not agree (each of them exclaiming), ‘Mine (it shall be)!' Not having come to an agreement, they said, 'Let us run a race for this (sacrifice): whichever of us beats (the others), his it shall be !'So be it!' they said, and they ran a race.
1 The Kânva text has: Tå età ubhayyah pragå anasarena not parậbabharuh.
· Viz. the plants, according to the reading of the Kânva text : Hantasâm oshadhínấm krityẩm tvad visham tead apahanấmeti.
3 The Kânva text reads kalpyam instead of kalpam.
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