Book VI — Section VIII

Parāçara said:—I have thus explained to you the third kind of worldly dissolution, that which is absolute and final which is liberation and resolution into eternal spirit. I have related unto you the primary and secondary creation, the families of patriarchs, the periods of the Manwantaras and the genealogical histories of the kings. I have described briefly to you, who were desirous of hearing it, the imperishable Vaishnava Purāna which destroys all sins, the most excellent of all sacred writings and the means of attaining the great end of man. If you have any thing else to ask, put the question and I will answer it.

Maitkeya said:—"Holy preceptor, you have indeed said unto me all I wished to know and I listened to it with devoted attention. O great saint, all my doubts have been removed and my heart has been purified. By thy favour, I have been acquainted with the account of creation, preservation and destruction. I have also learnt from you of Vishnu in his collective fourfold form; his three energies; and the three modes of apprehending the object of contemplation. By thy favour I have acquired a thorough knowledge of all this and there is nothing else worthy to be known when it is once understood that Vishnu and his world are not mutually distinct. By your kindness, O great Muni, you have removed all my doubts since you have instructed in the duties of the several tribes and in other deities; the nature of active life and discontinuance of action and derivation of all that exists from works. And I have nothing else to enquire of you, O Venerable Brahmin; and pardon me, if by answering to my questions you have been fatigued in any way. Pardon me for the trouble I have given you through that amiable quality of the virtuous which makes no distinction between a disciple and a child".

Parāçara said:—I have related to you this Purāna which is equally as sacred as the Vedas by hearing which all sins are expatiated. In this, have been described to you the primary and secondary creation, the families of the patriarchs, the Manwantaras, the regal dynasties; the celestials, Daityas, Gandharvas, serpents, Rākshasas, Yakshas, Vidhyidharas, Siddhas, and heavenly nymphs; ascetics, endowed with spiritual wisdom and practisers of devotion, the distinctions of four castes, and the actions of the most eminent amongst men; holy places on the earth, holy rivers and oceans, sacred mountains, and legends of the truly wise, the deities of the different tribes and observances enjoined in the Vedas. By hearing this, all sins are obliterated. In this also the glorious Hari has been revealed the cause of the creation, preservation and destruction of the world; the soul of all things and himself all things; by the repetition of whose name man is freed from all sins which fly to the wolves that are frightened by a lion. The repetition of his name with devout faith is the best remover of all sins, destroying them as fire purifies the metal from the dross. By the mere recollection of the name of Hari all the stains of Kali Yuga are removed and piety is increased. That Hari, who is all existing things, who is Hiranyagarbha, Indra, Rudra, the Adityas, the Aswins, the winds, the Kinnaras, the Vasus, the Sādhyas, Viswadevas the celestials, the Yakshas, serpents, Kikshasas, the Sidhas; Daityas, Gandharyas, Dānavas, nymphs, the stars, asterism, planets, the seven Rishis, the regents and warders of the quarters, men, Brāhmans and the rest, animals tame and wild, insects, birds, ghosts and goblins, trees, mountains, woods, rivers, oceans, legions living underneath the earth, the divisions of the earth and all perceptible object—he who is identical with all things, who knoweth all things, who is the form of all things being himself without form and who is everything from the mount Meru to an atom, he the glorious Vishnu and the destroyer of all sins, is described in this Purāna. The reward, which one obtains by hearing this Purāna, is equal to that obtained by the performance of a horse-sacrifice or by fasting at the holy places of Pryaga, Pushkara, Kurukshetra or Arbuda, Hearing this Purāna once only is as efficacious as offering oblations in a perpetual fire for one year.

The man, who having controlled his passions, bathes at Mathurā on the twelfth day of the month of Jyeshtha and beholds the image of Hari, obtains a great reward and so does he who with his mind devoted to Kesava, recites this Purāna. The man, who bathes in the river Jamunā, on the twelfth lunation of the light fortnight of the month in which the moon is in the mansion Jyeshtha, and who fasts and worships Achyuta in the city of Mathurā, receives the recompense of an uninterrupted horse-sacrifice. Beholding the ancestors of some eminent amongst men, attaining prosperity by the pious observances of their descendants, another man's parents and their parents exclaim, "If any of our descendants, having bathed in the Jamunā and fasted, worships Govinda in Mathurā, in the light fortnight of Jyestha, he will secure for us an elevated position". Having worshipped Janārddana in the light fortnight of Jyeshtha a man of good birth will offer cakes to his fortunate ancestors in the Yamunā. By reading with devotion one section of this Purāna one can acquire the same merit which he will reap by bathing in the Yamunā during the light fortnight of Jyeshtha, by giving gifts to the manes and worshipping Janārddana with a devoted merit. Those who have fallen into the ocean of worldliness and been stricken with terror, may be liberated by reading this Purāna which frees one from bad dreams and imperfections.

This Purāna was originally composed by the Rishi Nārāyana and was communicated by Brahmā to Ribhu; he described it to Pryabrata who again related it to Bhāguri. Bhāguri recited it to Tambamitra, and he to Dadicha, who gave it to Sāraswata. Bhrigu received it, who imparted it to Purukutsa and he taught it to Narmadā, The goddess gave it to the Nāga King, Dhritarashtra and to Purāna of the same race, by whom it was given to their king Vāsuki. He imparted it to Vatsa and he to Ashawtara from whom it successively proceeded the Kambala and Elapatra. When the ascetic Vedasiras descended to Pātāla, he there received the whole Purāna from the Nāgas and communicated it to Pramati. Pramati imparted it to the wise Jātukarna and he taught it to many other holy persons. By the blessing of Vasistha I have been acquainted with it and I have faithfully related it to you. O Maitreya, you will teach it at the end of the Kali age to Samika. Whoever hears this great mystery which removes the stain of Kali shall be freed from his sins. He who hears this every day acquits himself of his obligations to his manes, celestials and men. Hearing ten chapters of this Purāna one obtains the rare and great merit that a man acquires by the gift of a brown cow. He who hears the whole of this Purāna meditating on his mind, Achyuta, who is all things and of whom all things are made, who is the stay of the whole universe—the asylum of spirit; who is knowledge and that which is to be known; who is without beginning or end and the benefactor of the celestials—certainly obtains the reward which can be acquired by the uninterrupted celebration of the horse-sacrifice. He who recites and retains with faith this Purāna in the beginning, middle and end of which is described the glorious Achyuta, the lord of the universe in every stage—the master of all that is stationary or movable composed of spiritual knowledge acquires such purity as exists not in any world the eternal state of perfection which is Hari. The man who fixes his mind on Achyuta does not go to hell; he who meditates upon him considers even celestial bliss as an impediment; he, in whose mind he abides, thinks little of the region of Brahmā; for when present in the minds of those who are pure, he bestows upon them eternal freedom. What wonder is there that all sins shall be removed by chanting the name of this Vishnu? What else should be heard of but that Hari, whom, those devoted to acts worship with sacrifices continually as the god of sacrifice; whom those devoted to meditation contemplate as primary and secondary; composed of spirit; by obtaining whom man is not born, nor nourished nor subjected to death; who is both cause and effect; who as the progenitors receives the libations made to them; who, as the gods, accepts the offerings addressed to them, the glorious being who is without beginning or end; whose name is both Swāhā and Swadhā; who is the asylum of all spiritual power; in whom the limits of finite, things cannot be measured, and who, when he enters the ear destroys all sin.

Salutation unto the first of gods, Purusottama who is without end and beginning, without growth and decay and death, who is substance that knows no change. Salutation unto that undecaying Purusha, Vishnu who assumed sensible qualities, who though pure became as if impure, assuming various shapes, who is gifted with divine wisdom and who is the lord of the preservation of all creatures. Salutation unto him who is the instrument of meditative wisdom and active virtue, who confers enjoyments upon human beings; who is identical with three-fold qualities; who is without any change and is the cause of the evolution of the world and who is without any birth or decay. Salutations unto him who is called heaven, air, fire, water, earth and who confers all objects that satisfy sense, who benefits mankind, and who is perceptible, subtle, and imperceptible. May that unborn eternal Hari, who is seen in manifold forms, whose essence consists of both nature and spirit, confer humanity that blessed condition which is without birth or decay.

FINIS.

[1] This mystic monosyllable plays a prominent part in Sanskrit scriptural literature. Composed, according to some, of the letters a, u, and ma. signifying Brahmā, Creator; Vishnu, Preserver; and Siva, Destroyer;—it expresses the three in One; and is said to possess great power spiritually.—T.

[2] In this translation, such epithets as, although compounded of general terms, have through usage come to mean some particular individual, have been retained untranslated, their renderings being only appended in footnotes.—Vasudeva is Vasudeva's son, an appellation of Krishna; which, again, although the name of the most celebrated incarnation of Vishnu, means—dark blue or brown.—T.

[3] Pundarika-aksha—having eyes resembling the pale lotus.—T.

[4] Hrishika—organ of sense, and ica—lord. Hirshikesha—sovereign of the senses,—i.e. the cause of their action and abstention.—T.

[5] Vishnu means all-pervading.—T.

[6] The three cardinal qualities—goodness, passion and darkness.—T.

[7] Unformed Nature is designated by several epithets—Pradhana, Prakriti, Avyakta (unmanifested), etc.—T.

[8] Wealth is of eight kinds, viz., animā, laghimā, prāpti, prākamya, mahimā, içitwa, vaçitwa, and kāmāvaçāyitā.—Animā is the power of reducing one's self to the minutest proportions; laghimā is that of rendering one's self exceedingly light,—prāpti is the power of obtaining anything that is wished; prākamya is irresistibility of the Will; içitwa is supremacy; vaçitwa is the power of bringing all under sway; and Kāmāvaçāyitā is the power of suppressing desire.—T.

[9] A Purāna treats of these five subjects, viz., (1) the creation, (2) destruction and renovation of the world, (3) royal dynasties, (4) reigns of the Manus, and (5) geneologies.—T.

[10] The reigns of Manus.

[11] A kalpa is a day and night of Brahmā, consisting of 4,320,000,000 solar sidereal years, or years of mortals, measuring the duration of the world.—T.

[12] An order of saints.

[13] The text has puman—male beings.—T.

[14] An oblation of various ingredients offered by way of respect.—T.

[15] An arrangement of the text of the Vedas into short sentences; or a compilation.—T.

[16] Vasudeva is named from his residing in all objects and his endowing them with splendour. Moksha Dharma.—T.

[17] Vyakta and Avyakta—the names respectively of formed and unformed matter.—T.

[18] According to the Sankhya system, which the author follows in his cosmogony, prior to creation, the Universe existed in Nature like a mangoe tree existing latent in a mangoe-stone; and in the fullness of time, favored by the Primeval male and Time, the evolution of all was brought about.—T.

[19] Male being.—T.

[20] Followers of the Sankhya Philosophy hold that the equilibrium of the three principles or modes, is Prakriti—Primal nature.—T.

[21] "Here let us remind our readers of the argument by which we are led to conclude that the visible system (vyakta) is not the whole universe, and that there must be an invisible order of things (Avyakta) which will remain and possess energy when the present system has passed away. It is, moreover, very closely connected with the present system, inasmuch as this may be looked upon as come into being through its means". The italics are mine. Unseen Universe, p. 157.

[22] Emanation of Divinity.

[23] Or Buddhi—the Intellect. This is also called Mahat—the Great one. It is the substance or essence by which the soul obtains a knowledge of external things.—T.

[24] Ahankara is the substance or ens connected with thought Buddhi, in which consciousness inheres. It is the Mid-stuff of Prof. Clifford, assumed as the original ground of our being i.e. of all formal being.—T.

[25] Connected successively with goodness, passion and foulness.—T.

[26] Ahankara relating to foulness.

[27] Cardinal Point, Wind, Sun, Pracheta [regent of water], Acwini Kumara, Fire, Indra, Upendra, Krishna, Mitra, and Prajāpati.—T.

[28] "Mind" says Maudesley in Physiology of mind "used in the sense of substance or essence, and brain used in the sense of organ of mental function, are, at bottom, names of the same substance". In the system of Kapila, which the author follows, everything connected in function with sensuous objects, is as material as the objects themselves, being equally an emanation from Prakriti—T.

[29] As Hiranyagarbha.—T.

[30] Lit. the Great one—so consciousness or egoism is styled.—T.

[31] Vide ante.—T.

[32] The three gunas—generally translated qualities,—but more properly modes or principles—have a physical as well as a moral significance in the sacred literature of the Hindus. "They are not mere accidents of nature, but are of its essence and enter into its composition". Davis' Hindu Philosophy.—T.

[33] Vide ante.—T.

[34] This is an appellation of Vishnu, meaning, he who is worshipped. This Purana as the locus classicus of the Vaishnavas, recognises Vishnu as in one the Greater and the Destroyer, without assigning the function of destruction to Siva.—T.

[35] The hundred-hooded serpent, Sesha or Ananta, also conceived as a form of Vishnu himself.—T.

[36] The acts of human beings, etc., are also his property.

[37] A nimesha is the twinkling of an eye.

[38] Dwāpara and Kali.

[39] The division of the Yugas.

[40] A generic name of the Progenitors of mankind.

[41] I fail to perceive the sense of this, unless it meant as they have been created aforetime.—T.

[42] Lacs.

[43] One million.

[44] Ten millions.

[45] Manwantaras.

[46] Extending over as many Manwantaras.

[47] Persons practising a certain process entitled Yoga.

[48] The time of creation.

[49] A divine personage sprung from Brahmā.—T.

[50] A name of Vishnu.—T.

[51] This term, a common appellation of Krishna, is derived variously. Go—language [the language of the Vedas] and vinda—who knows; or go—heaven or a cow, and vid—to obtain,—by whom heaven is obtained, or who obtains felicity by protecting kine.—T.

[52] Madhava being one of the names of Krishna, Madhavi means related to Madhava.—T

[53] Oblation into fire with the utterence of Vashata.—T.

[54] The utterence of Om.—T,

[55] Another appellation of Krishna, from the root, hri—to take or seize. Hari possibly means he that takes men's hearts.—T.

[56] i.e. belonging to the Sama Veda, which used to be sung.—T.

[57] An appellation of Krishna, derived from Ka—Brahmā, and ica—Siva and va—who goes—i.e. one that goes before Brahmā and Siva, or from Kesa—hair, and va—who possesses—fair-haired.—T.

[58] Sacrificial stake.

[59] Hymns of the Rig Veda.—T.

[60] Hindu scriptures are broadly divided into (1) Sruti—audition; and (2) Smriti—reminiscence. The former corresponds to the Christian Revelation, and the other is tradition.—T.

[61] This approaches wonderfully the theory of Spontaneous creation, which is accepted by the out-and-out apostles of Modern Science—The most uncompromising advocates of Evolution could not outdo the Hindu sage of yore, in formulating their faith in (to give a Spencerian turn to the expression) the unknowable force, which, unintelligent itself, brings about this wonderful system of things instinct with infinite wisdom and love! Queer, however, would the classification read,—Parāçara, Darwin, Spencer, Huxley, Heckel, Tyndall, etc.—T.

[62] Ancestral manes.

[63] Tamas brings about love of one's own person, etc., moha produces a sense of authority over offspring, etc. mahamoha generates desire of sensual gratification, tamisra causes anger on any impediment coming in the way of enjoyment, and through andhatamisra one is led to conserve health and the good things of life.—T.

[64] Lit. the stream of beings living according to nature.—T.

[65] Some of these are physical, such as leprosy, deafness, blindness, inertia, dumbness, smellessness, impotence; some are mental and moral. It is, however, difficult for us of these times to see how beasts, &c. are more subject to these evils than human beings. The author may possibly have a meaning of his own, which, in the absence of adequate commentary, we fail to arrive at.—T.

[66] The stream of being, tending upwards.—T.

[67] Lit. soul-satisfying.—T.

[68] The first circumstance, remarks the commentator, is owing to the presence, the next, to that of passion.—T.

[69] Lit. the creation of the elements.

[70] i.e. pertaining to Indriyas—the organ of sense.

[71] From Prakriti—nature.

[72] Creation of the gods.

[73] An order of deities.

[74] i.e. relating to the excited condition of anything.

[75] This passage is very obscure. It is not clear how acts, whether fair or foul or indifferent, can apply to immobile objects, the very statement of whose name carries with it a negation of movement.—T.

[76] In Sanskrit tamas means darkness, along with the principle of foulness.

[77] Meaning, going before twilight.

[78] From Raksha—protect.

[79] From the verb ha leave.

[80] Serpents.

[81] Serpents.

[82] A fabulous animal, having eight legs, inhabiting the snowy mountainous regions.—T.

[83] Bos Gavus.

[84] A species of deer.

[85] i.e. belonging to village.—T.

[86] The most sacred hymn in all the Vedas, in praise of the Sun, as representing the Supreme Sun of the spiritual Universe.—T.

[87] Hymns of the Rig-Veda.

[88] A kind of sacrifice.

[89] A division of the Sama Veda, so named.

[90] A sacrifice.

[91] A division of the Vedas.

[92] Song of the Sama Veda.

[93] A part of the Sama Ved. Vrihat means great.

[94] A metre of the Sama Veda.

[95] Songs of the Sama Veda.

[96] A kind of Sacrifice.

[97] A kind of Sacrifice.

[98] Inferior spectres reveling in the morally foul and the physically filthy.—T.

[99] Horse-hipped beings.

[100] Horse-faced beings.

[101] A profound view, in imaginative vesture, of Heredity. The Author imparts a comprehensiveness and sublimity to the doctrine which is unsurpassed—T.

[102] A little liberty has been indulged in translating this sentence, at the construction of the original is involved and complicated.—T.

[103] subject to duality, i.e. came under the Law of Relativity, in the sense of Professor Bain. See Senses and Intellect.

[104] Rice of various kinds; of which eight only are enumerated by the authorities.

[105] A medicinal plant, and perfume, Panicum Italicum.

[106] A species of grain eaten by the lower people Paspalum Kora.

[107] A sort of panic, P. miliaceum.

[108] A sort of kidney bean:—phaseolus radiatus.

[109] Phaseolus mungo.

[110] A sort of pulse or lentil—Eroum Hirsutum; cassia alata.

[111] Dalichos biflorus.

[112] Cytius cajan.

[113] From grāma—village.

[114] From aranya—wood.

[115] Panicum mantacium. Also P. coloumn.

[116] Wild sessamum.

[117] Coix barbata.

[118] A fruit.

[119] i.e. the Wind-god.

[120] Ambrosia.

[121] A formula, embodying the name of Vāsudeva.

[122] viz. the upper, middle, and nether regions.

[123] Mildness

[124] Insolence

[125] Meek.

[126] Wild.

[127] White.

[128] Dark.

[129] Having an hundred forms.

[130] Sacrifice.

[131] Gift in sacrifice to Brahmanas.

[132] Veneration

[133] The goddess of wealth.

[134] Patience.

[135] Satisfaction.

[136] Nourishment.

[137] Intelligence.

[138] Act.

[139] Intellect.

[140] Bashfulness.

[141] Body.

[142] Success.

[143] Fame.

[144] Righteousness.

[145] Renown.

[146] Chaste.

[147] Birth.

[148] Memory.

[149] Gratification.

[150] Forgiveness.

[151] Reverence.

[152] Good-natured.

[153] Energy.

[154] This and the last are words uttered while one is offering oblations.

[155] Sexual desire.

[156] Lakshmi.

[157] Pride.

[158] Restraint.

[159] Satisfaction.

[160] Contentment.

[161] Nourishment.

[162] Greed.

[163] Intellect.

[164] Knowledge.

[165] Action.

[166] Punishment.

[167] Justice.

[168] Humility.

[169] Intellect.

[170] Apprehension.

[171] Body.

[172] Exertion.

[173] Felicity.

[174] Fame.

[175] Cheerfulness.

[176] Malice.

[177] Unrighteousness.

[178] Falsehood

[179] Wickedness.

[180] Fear.

[181] Hell.

[182] Illusion.

[183] Pain.

[184] Death.

[185] Tapa—lit. heat—here means the three kinds of pain,—natural, supernatural and that coming from spirits. The word tapa for pain refers to the physical phenomenon accompanying all pain—namely, heat in the part affected. And physical pain in any part of the body is invariably found to be accompanied with heat at that locality.—T

[186] Misery.

[187] Disease.

[188] Decrepitude.

[189] Grief.

[190] Thirst.

[191] Anger.

[192] The reader will readily perceive that all this is allegorical, although the allegory is by no means on all fours. The entire fabric, it may truly be said, of Hinduism is upreared upon an allegorical foundation; but the allegory having been missed, it has degenerated itself into a system of degrading superstition.—T.

[193] Clarified butter as offered in oblations to fire with cakes of ground barley meal that have been well steeped in it.—T.

[194] The room opposite to that which contains the materials for an oblation and in which the family and friends of the sacrifice assemble.—T.

[195] An oblong with quadrangular sides.

[196] A sacrificial stake.

[197] The hymns of the Sama Veda.

[198] A division of time.

[199] Wife of Yama.

[200] Time taken up by the twinkling of an eye.

[201] A kind of celestial tree.

[202] Ten thousand.

[203] A designation of Om, for which see before.

[204] Lit.—celestial saints—an order of saints.

[205] The preceptor of the deities.

[206] Lit three-eyed—a name of Siva.

[207] Suns keeping company with the Sun proper, who presides over them.

[208] The bow, or the Trident of Siva.

[209] The Wind-god.

[210] Himansu—name of the Moon.

[211] The Esculapius of the Hindus.

[212] A vessel so named.

[213] A hymn of the Rig Veda.

[214] A scimitar—a sacrificial knife.

[215] Lit.—the performer of an hundred sacrifices. It is a name of Indra.

[216] Another name of Vishnu.

[217] The genius of ill-luck,

[218] According to the commentator this distinction is derived from the Vedas. The first class or Agnishwattas consists of those householders who when alive, did not offer burnt sacrifices; the second of those who presented oblations with fire.

[219] The other wife of the king.

[220] Contact with the universe—meaning who is not restricted by its boundaries.

[221] The material universe.

[222] Brahmā the creator.

[223] Manu.

[224] Receiving oblations Indra pours rains by which harvest grows and upon which the world lives.—T.

[225] Another text reads Vivardhita, meaning—And they were thenceforth piled upon one another.

[226] A class of deities to whom daily offerings are to be made.

[227] Are the personifications of Vedic rites and prayers.

[228] The milky way.

[229] The three kinds of affliction referred to in the Sankhya Philosophy, internal, bodily or mental affliction. External, such as injuries received from men or animals. Superhuman—such as miseries inflicted by gods, or through some supernatural agency.

[230] There is another reading which has been translated by Wilson. "The mighty-armed and Valiant Taraka".

[231] i.e. Those who obtain this highest knowledge regarding the condition of Brahma are freed from future births i.e. they are not required any more to go through the cycle of births.

[232] This lake is still to be seen near Ajmere.

[233] Markandeya and Vayu Puranas have Kamya as the name of the daughter of Kardama. Wilson has adopted this name.

[234] He is the great serpent upon which Vishnu rests during the intervals of divine creations. And the world is supported on his thousand heads.

[235] There is another reading Vastu Vastatmakan kuta: which when translated stands as "Whence they can be considered as essentially the same with the either".

[236] This is Prakriti or supreme nature.

[237] There is another reading Pradhana purushattakam qualifying the universe i.e. universe consisting of inert nature and soul.

[238] The three naves are the three portions of the day namely, morning, noon and night; the five spokes are the five cyclic years and the six peripheries are the six seasons.

[239] It is a vedic verse in the shape of a short prayer to the sun.

[240] (a) The Saura containing the sun's passage through a sign of zodiac; (b) Chandra containing thirty lunations; (c) Savana containing thirty days of sunrise and sunset; (d) Nakshatra or the moon's revolution through the twenty-eight lunar mansions.

[241] That is performing the expiatory rites for their master.

[242] Therein another reading Agnisoma Bhutaya which professor Wilson has adopted i.e., who as fire and the moon.

[243] These are the subsidiary portion of the Vedas—namely (a) Siksha, rules for reciting prayers (b) Kalpa, ritual (c) Vyakarana, (grammar) (d) Nerukta, glossary (e) Chandas, metre (f) Voytish, astronomy.

[244] The third Muhurtta about two hours before sunrise.

[245] The mundane egg floating on the water at creation, of that metal, or similar colour from which the deity issued according to some legends; i.e. he should treat him with all reverence.

[246] The Brāhmans here are classed into Trinachiketa, Trimadhu and Trisuparna. The first is so called from reciting three Anuvakas of the Katha-Ka branch of the Yajur-veda, beginning with the term Trinachiketa &c.; the second from three Anuvakas of the Sama Veda beginning Madhuvata; and the third from a similar portion commencing Brahmavan namami.

[247] There is some difference between veda vit and Srotya—The first studies the Vedas only and the second practises the rites thereof.

[248] Yogi is one who practices strictest penances.

[249] A chanter of the principal Sama-veda. Portions of it contained in the Aranyaka are called the Jyestha ‘elder' or principal Saman.

[250] It is a ceremony which comprehends offerings to both paternal and maternal ancestors or ancestors in general.

[251] Havishya i.e. offerings made of rice or other grains with clarified butter.

[252] The expression Gavya literally means all that is derived from cow. But being associated with flesh readers may mistake it for the flesh of a cow. Though the sacrifice of a cow or calf formed part of the ancient Srāddha it is proscribed in the present age. So it must mean here milk or any preparation of it.

[253] Eunuch.

[254] One ejected from the society.

[255] A woman in her course.

[256] Sagara is still the name of the Bay of Bengal at the mouth of the Ganges which is held in great reverence by the Hindus. There is an island there of the same name where there is a pilgrimage of Kapila where still now takes place an annual fair.

[257] For this the Gangā is called Jāhnavi i.e. issuing from Jahnu.

[258] The word in the text is chakracharina—it means also those ascetics, who make wherever they arrive in the evening, their homes.

[259] The Rāsa dance is danced by men and women holding each other's hands going round in a circle singing the airs to what they dance.