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II KÂNDA, 4 ADHYAYA, 3 BRÂHMANA, 13.
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those two, heaven and earth, so that he thereby manifestly gladdens those two with their own sap or essence: hence he need offer nothing but butter.
11. By performing that same sacrifice, the gods removed the magic spell as well as the poison from both kinds of plants,—those on which men and beasts subsist; and henceforward the men ate food and the cattle grazed.
12. Now when he performs that sacrifice, he does so either for the reason that no one will then defile (the plants) either by magic or poison; or because the gods did so. And whatever share the gods assigned (to themselves), that share he thereby makes over to them. Moreover, he thereby renders wholesome and faultless both kinds of plants, those on which men and beasts subsist; and these creatures subsist on those wholesome and faultless (plants) of his: this is why he performs that sacrifice.
13. The priests' fee for this (sacrifice) consists of the first-born calf (of the season); for that is, as it were, the first-fruits (of the cattle). If he has already performed the new and full-moon offerings, let him first perform those offerings, and thereupon the present (offering of first-fruits). If, on the other hand, he has not yet performed (the new and full-moon offerings), let them cook a kâtushprâsya 2 pap on the southern fire, and let the priests eat it.
1 I do not know how to account for the vâ. Sâyana seems to take the passage thus :- If he be a Soma-sacrificer, or if he be performing the Darsapürnamâsa, [let him first perform that sacrifice, and] let him then perform the present one. The Oxford MS. of the Kânva text has :-Etat tasya karma ya îgâno vâ syâd darsapuramasabhyÂm va yagetatha yo 'ngâno nvdharyapakana evaudanam kâtushprâsyam paket tam brâhmanebhya upanidadhyât.
: See II, 1, 4, 4 seq.
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