28 HOPKINS— MAGIC OBSERVANCES IN HINDU EPIC. [April 21, 



session equal to the Rajasuya." Out of the gold collected as tribute 

 is made a golden plough and with it is ploughed the earth for the 

 altar, yajnavdtasya hhumih, and a great ceremony called Vaisnava, 

 " very well prepared," susainskrta, is performed, rivalling the 

 Rajasuya. No one except Visnu ever performed this sacrifice, and 

 the priest says it seems to him even better than the Rajasuya: etena 

 ne'stavdn kascid rte Visnum piiratanam, rdjasuyam kratusrestham 

 spardhaty esa mahakratuh; asmdkam rocate cdi 'va srcyas ca tava, 

 etc., 3. 255. 13-21. This rite closes with scattering corn and anoint- 

 ing with sandal-paste ; but " some said it was not equal to one six- 

 teenth of the other" (the Rajasuya).* 



Sacrifice. 



" Sacrifice arose in the eastern country," says the epic, 5.108.5 

 and 9. This is more important as showing that the eastern country 

 (district) was no longer as of old regarded as foreign. 



Like other things, sacrifice is personified. The Great Father 

 lives in the north with Sacrifice, 5.111.15. The Great Father, by 

 the way, brings a sacrifice, as much as do the other gods, tstikrtam 

 ndma (satram varsasahasrikam) , 3.1 29.1. 



" A sacrifice without gifts (to the priest) is dead," is another 

 saying of the epic, mrto yajnas tv adaksinah, 3.313.84. Cf. 5.106.22, 

 etc. 



The merit of a sacrifice pertains to the giver; but he may give 

 that merit away to another, 5. 122. 13, etc. 



Most of the gods sacrifice as they accept sacrifice. They are 

 " perfectors of the sacrifice," svistakrtah, 5.42.40 (rare epithet of 

 gods in general; usually of the Fire-god alone). The gods are 

 established through sacrifices, and sacrifices are produced through 



*This is a standing expression of depreciation, as in 3.34.22; 39.23; 

 174.3; 254.27; (above) 257.4; 4-39-I4; 549-34; 7-2(>-7; iii.30 (31, nalam 

 Parthasya!) ; 7.197.17; 8.15.28. Compare 12.174.46=177.51=277.6. The 

 fraction is scarcely used otherwise save in the late geographical section of 

 Bhisma, where it is said that Kubera gives to man only one sixteenth of the 

 quarter of Meru's wealth, which (quarter) he in turn receives (from Siva). 

 6.6.23. In 10.12.17, "one hundredth part" and in 12.155.6, "one eighteenth 

 part" are used in the same way as one sixteenth. But "one and one-half 

 times" (better) is found in 7.72.34 and 11. 20.1. 



