1801. The Hotri has to pour libations on the sacrificial fire, reciting mantras the while. Sadasyas are persons that watch the sacrifice, i.e., take care that the ordinances of the scriptures are duly complied with. They are, what is called, Vidhidarsinas.
1802. Clarified butter offered in sacrifices, with cakes of powdered barley steeped in it.
1803. Professor Weber supposes that in this narrative of the three Rishis Ekata, Dwita, and Trita, the poet is giving a description of either Italy or some island in the Mediterranean, and of a Christian worship that certain Hindu pilgrims might have witnessed. Indeed, a writer in the Calcutta Review has gone so far as to say that from what follows, the conjecture would not be a bold one that the whole passage refers to the impression made on certain Hindu pilgrims upon witnessing the celebration of the Eucharist according to the ordinances of the Roman Catholic Church. The Honble K. P. Telang supposes that the whole passage is based on the poets imagination. Ekantabhavepagatah is taken by some to mean worshippers of the divine Unity. I do not think that such a rendering would be correct.
1804. The Bombay reading is tadapratihato abhavat. This seems to be better than the Bengal reading tato-apratihata. If the Bengal reading be adhered to, apratihatah should be taken in the sense of nasti pratihatoyasmat. The meaning, of course, would remain the same.
1805. Yapa means the silent recitation of certain sacred mantras or of the name of some deity. In the case of the inhabitants of White Island, the silent recitation was no recitation of mantras or words, but was a meditation on incorporeal Brahma. The next verse makes this clear.
1806. This would seem to show that it was the Roman Republic which the pilgrims saw.
1807. Professor Weber thinks that this has reference to the absence of idols or images. The pilgrims saw no deities there such as they had in their own temples.
1808. Professor Weber wrongly renders the words Purvaja and sikshaksharaiamanwitah. The first word does not, as he renders it, imply, eldest son of God, but simply first-born. It is seen in almost every hymn in the Mahabharata to the Supreme Deity. It is synonymous with Adipurusha. Then siksha etc. does not, as he thinks, mean ‘accompanied by teaching, but it is the science of Orthoepy and is one of the Angas (limbs) of the Vedas. The Vedas were always chanted melodiously, the science of Orthoepy was cultivated by the Rishis with great care.
1809. The Pancha-kala, or Pancha-ratra, or Sattwatas vidhi, means certain ordinances laid down by Narada and other Rishis in respect of the worship of Narayana.
1810. The sense is this; as all of them were practising that frame of mind which resembles Brahma, they did not regard us, I.e., neither honoured nor dishonoured us.
1811. Both the vernacular translators have erred in rendering this simple verse.
1812. The construction seems to be this: Parangatimanuprapta iti Brahmanah samanantaram naishthikam sthanam, etc. It does not mean, as K. P. Singha puts it, that he proceeded to Brahman’s region, nor, as the Burdwan translator puts it, that having gone to Brahman’s region he attained to the highest end. The sense, on the other hand, is that as his was the very highest end, he, therefore, ascended to a spot that is higher than Brahman’s region. The simple meaning is that king Uparichara attained to identification with Brahma.
1813. i.e., when they have cursed thee, their curse should fructify. Thou shouldst not do anything that may have the effect of nullifying that curse.
1814. To this day, in many religious rites, these streaks of ghee are poured with mantras recited the while. They are called Vasudhara and are poured along the surface of a wall. First, a waving line of red is drawn horizontally on the wall. Then seven spots are made under that line. Then with the sacrificial ladle, Ghee is poured from each of the spots in such a way that a thick streak is poured along the wall. The length of those streaks is generally 3 to 4 feet and their breadth about half an inch.
1815. The mantras recited by Vasu were Vedic mantras.
1816. The Burdwan translator, as also K. P. Singha, both err in translating the first line of this verse. It does not mean that Narada worshipped them with a bend of his head and that they in return worshipped him mentally.
1817. In the sense of His being unmodified, even as space is an entity
that cannot be modified in any way.
1818. i.e., as the commentator expands, who is displayed without any modification, all else being modifications of Thyself.
1819. i.e., from whom speech has flowed, or who is Vrihaspati the celestial priest, so famous for his learning and intelligence.
1820. i.e., the original home of the universe. The idea is that when the universal dissolution comes, all things take refuge in thee. I follow the commentator in all the interpretations he gives.
1821. i.e., who has performed the avabhrita or final bath upon the completion of all vows and observances and sacrifices.
1822. i.e., thou hast performed sacrifices.
1823. The Vedas have six limbs or divisions.
1824. Pragjyotish is the name of a particular Saman. The Rich beginning with Murdhanam etc. when sung, comes to be called by the name of jeshtha Saman. What is said hare, therefore, is that thou art both the foremost of Samanas and he that sings that Saman.
1825. In the Bombay text, the reading for Vainagarbha is Vaikhanasa which means a class or sect of ascetics.
1826. The commentator explains that by Mahayajna–great sacrifice–is meant Yoga. The Jiva-Soul is like the libation poured in the sacrifice, for by Yoga the Jiva-Soul is annihilated and merged into the Supreme Soul.
1827. In treatises on the Smriti, the indications of these three kinds or degrees of modifications are given.
1828. By this word is meant a particular conjunction of heavenly bodies. This con-junction is represented as having a peculiar form.
1829. The word Upanaha used here in the dual number, has puzzled many persons. It is difficult to conceive why the great God should appear with a pair of shoes in one of his hands. Probably, the Upanaha, in ancient times, was a wooden sandal, and what the poet means to say is that Narayana, appeared with all the requisites of a Brahmacharin on his person.
1830. i.e., merges into.
1831. This cosmogony is agreeable to the Vaishnava scriptures. Above all, without beginning is Vasudeva. From Vasudeva is Sankarshana. From Sankarashana is Pradyumna. From Pradyumna is Aniruddha. Some persons find in this quadruple creation the distinct trace of the Christian Trinity. It is very difficult, however, to say which doctrine, the Hindu or the Christian, is the original and which is derived from which.
