India: What can it teach us?: A Course of Lectures Delivered before the University Of CambridgeMüller, F. Max (Friedrich Max)
Philosophy
India: What can it teach us?: A Course of Lectures Delivered before the University Of Cambridge
Müller, F. Max (Friedrich Max)
India; Sanskrit literature -- History and criticism; Vedas
"3. The fish said: 'So long as we are small, there is much
destruction for us, for fish swallows fish. Keep me therefore
first in a jar. When I outgrow that, dig a hole and keep me
in it. When I outgrow that, take me to the sea, and I shall
then be beyond the reach of destruction.'
"4. He became soon a large fish (_gh_asha), for such a fish
grows largest. The fish said: 'In such and such a year the
flood will come. Therefore when thou hast built a ship, thou
shalt meditate on me. And when the flood has risen, thou
shalt enter into the ship, and I will save thee from the
flood.'
"5. Having thus kept the fish, Manu took him to the sea. Then
in the same year which the fish had pointed out, Manu, having
built the ship, meditated on the fish. And when the flood had
risen, Manu entered into the ship. Then the fish swam toward
him, and Manu fastened the rope of the ship to the fish's
horn, and he thus hastened toward[140] the Northern Mountain.
"6. The fish said: 'I have saved thee; bind the ship to a
tree. May the water not cut thee off, while thou art on the
mountain. As the water subsides, do thou gradually slide down
with it.' Manu then slid down gradually with the water, and
therefore this is called 'the Slope of Manu' on the Northern
Mountain. Now the flood had carried away all these creatures,
and thus Manu was left there alone.
"7. Then Manu went about singing praises and toiling, wishing
for offspring. And he sacrificed there also with a
Pâka-sacrifice. He poured clarified butter, thickened milk,
whey, and curds in the water as a libation. In one year a
woman arose from it. She came forth as if dripping, and
clarified butter gathered on her step. Mitra and Varu_n_a
came to meet her.
"8. They said to her: 'Who art thou?' She said: 'The daughter
of Manu.' They rejoined: 'Say that thou art ours.' 'No,' she
said, 'he who has begotten me, his I am.'
"Then they wished her to be their sister, and she half agreed
and half did not agree, but went away, and came to Manu.
"9. Manu said to her: 'Who art thou?' She said: 'I am thy
daughter.' 'How, lady, art thou my daughter?' he asked.
"She replied: 'The libations which thou hast poured into the
water, clarified butter, thickened milk, whey and curds, by
them thou hast begotten me. I am a benediction--perform (me)
this benediction at the sacrifices. If thou perform (me) it
at the sacrifice, thou wilt be rich in offspring and cattle.
And whatever blessing thou wilt ask by me, will always accrue
to thee.' He therefore performed that benediction in the
middle of the sacrifice, for the middle of the sacrifice is
that which comes between the introductory and the final
offerings.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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