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44
LAWS OF MANU.
II, 75.
75. Seated on (blades of Kusa grass) with their points to the east, purified by. Pavitras (blades of Kusa grass), and sanctified by three suppressions of the breath (Prânâyâma), he is worthy (to pronounce) the syllable Om.
76. Pragâpati (the lord of creatures) milked out (as it were) from the three Vedas the sounds A, U, and M, and (the Vyâhritis) Bhah, Bhuvah, Svah.
77. Moreover from the three Vedas Pragâpati, who dwells in the highest heaven (Parameshthin), milked out (as it were) that Rik-verse, sacred to Savitri (Sâvitri), which begins with the word tad, one foot from each.
78. A Brâhmana, learned in the Veda, who recites during both twilights that syllable and that (verse), preceded by the Vyâhritis, gains the (whole) merit which (the recitation of) the Vedas confers.
79. A twice-born man who (daily) repeats those three one thousand times outside (the village), will be freed after a month even from great guilt, as a snake from its slough.
80. The Brahmana, the Kshatriya, and the Vaisya who neglect (the recitation of) that Rik-verse and the and that one speaks also of the visarana, i.e. the spoiling of boiled milk.
75. Gaut. I, 48–50; Yâgñ. I, 23. "Purified by Pavitras,' i.e. 'having touched the seat of the vital airs with blades of Kusa grass' (Medh., Gov., Nâr.); see Gaut. I, 48. Medh. mentions another explanation of Pavitra, adopted by Nand. also, according to which it means 'purificatory texts. Regarding the term 'suppression of · the breath,' see Vas. XXV, 13; Vi. LV, 9.
76. Vi. LV, 10. 77. Vi. LV, 11. The Sâvitrî, i.e. the verse tat savitur varenyam,
, Rig-veda III, 62, 10. 78. Vi. LV, 12; Baudh. II, 11, 6. 79. Vi. LV, 13; Baudh. IV, 1, 29; Vas. XXVI, 4. 8o. Vi. LV, 14.
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