Satapatha Bramhana Part 03

SR No.: 007679
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Julius Eggeling
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1894
Total Pages: 2382
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 45 MB

Page 352

VII KÂNDA, 2 ADHYAYA, I BRÂHMANA, 16.
323
to corruption. Let him not do so, but let him lay them down in the direction away from him: he thus drives evil, corruption, away from him.
14. Three bricks he lays down-threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much he thus repels evil, corruption.
15. The seat, the netting, the sling of the gold plate, and the two pads he throws down on the farther side (of the bricks),--the sling - is sacred to Nirriti: from Nirriti's sling he is thus freed. [He throws them down, with Vâg. S. XII, 65] 'The indissoluble bond which the divine Nirriti hath fastened upon thy neck,'—indissoluble indeed for him who does not know this ;—'that (bond) of thine I unloose, as from the middle of Ayus,'—Âyus ? doubtless is Agni, and his middle (body) is that Gârhapatya which has been built ;not yet built is the Åhavaniya: hence whether a youth builds the altar, or an old man, he says 'as from the middle of Ayus; '--'now, being urged forward, eat thou this nourishment!' nourishment means food : thus, 'now, set free, eat thou this food.' With Trishtubh verses (he performs this rite), for the Trishtubh is a thunderbolt: it is thus with a thunderbolt that he repels evil, corruption.
16. There are three bricks, the seat, the netting, the sling of the gold plate, and the two pads; that makes eight ;—the Gayatri consists of eight syllables,
According to Sâyana the sling of the gold plate is here singled out, because the other objects have necessarily been damaged by the hot fire-pan and are consequently thrown away as a matter of course.
I See III, 4, 1, 22. In the formula "âyus' may rather have to be taken in the sense of life,' or vital power.' Mahîdhara takes 'na' in the sense of now (samprati),' instead of as.'
Y 2
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