58 E. IF. Hopkins, 



of the sons of Kusitaka (the Kausltakis) amounts to much, for the}' 

 are sacrificially impure," 17. 4. 3. On the other hand the 

 Bhallavis (below) and Sakalas, 13. 3. 10 (Sakala and his Sakala Saman) 

 are mentioned with approval. 



Two rather good stories illustrative of priestly jealous}^ are told. 

 The first, 13. 3. 24, is well known from its being- repeated in the 

 Code of Manu : " Sisu Ailgirasa was a mantra-maker of mantra-makers. 

 He addressed the Fathers as " little sons." The fathers said to him, 

 " You do wrong in addressing us, who are your Fathers, as little 

 sons. " He said, " Verily I am your father, since I am the maker 

 of mantras." They asked among the gods, and the gods said, 

 " Verily he is }'Our father, since he is the maker of mantras.'' So 

 he truly won out; and he who lauds with the (Saman called) 

 .Saisava, wins out (in Manu, 2. 151, f., he is called "giver of man- 

 tras).'' Compare Mbh. 9. 51. 46, f., where this stor}' has been trans- 

 ferred to Sarasvata, balas tvam asi putraka, etc. 



The other tale has to do with a talking Saman. For even the 

 metres are personified. They marry and have children, in the form 

 of horse, goat, and sheep. This is suprising, even to a Hindu, and 

 not every one knows it. But " he who does know it understands 

 the voice of animals, " 10. 2. 4—7. This is because the metres are 

 a form of the divine Word, 18. 8. 3. The Word itself was revealed to 

 (swam up to, upaplavat) the Niskiri3^as as the}' were holding a session, 

 without recognizing the third da}^ and showed them the proper 

 way to hold the sacrifice, by singing in person the suitable Saman 

 12. 5. 14 (S. says that Niskirtya is either a sect, mk/in, name, or a 

 family name). 



So it occasions no wonder to hear at 13. 10. 8 that " the Saman 

 (tune) called Varavantlya became revealed ^ to Kesin Drilbh3'a and 

 said to him; "Unskilled singers, agdfarali, sing me. Let them not 

 (as chaunters) sing with me as their Sranan. '" He said : " Sir, how 

 shall your melod}' be ? " "I am to be just (softly) sung ; as if one 

 sang (softly), so, to give support, let one sing. " It recognized 

 Alamma Parijanata lying behind the axle and (softly) singing this 

 melody {agn) and said to him : " Thee will I set before " (the other 

 priests). They said to him: "Who forsooth is this man ? For what 

 is he fit {alam) ? " " Fit for me " {alani lua, iti). said the Saman. 

 and that is the etymology of Alamma. " ^ 



^ Here Civir ahhavat. Usually the saint '' sees '" tlie cliauut. rite, verse, etc 



^ Literally, alam mi riii mahyam iti. somewliat injuring the pun. but 



so preserved in JUB. 3. 31. 10. Compare the use of ahim in 21. 3. 3. 



