The Orion, or Researches into the Antiquity of the Vedas c11.88

c11.88

VERSES 18 & 19.—Indrânî is now conciliated, and says that she has not killed Vrishâkapi but some one else. The verse thus means, "O Indra! let Vrishâkapi get the slain animal—an animal which was quite different from Vrishâkapi's. Let him at once have a knife, a fire-place, a new vessel, and a cart-load of firewood (to cook the killed animal). Indra, &c." Thus by the intercession of Indra, Indrânî was moved, and at last undid or rather explained away her previous act of decapitation. Pischel and Geldner translate the verse very nearly as I have done. They, however, consider it to be addressed by Vrishakapâyî and translate *parasvantam* by 'wild.' This does not explain what dead animal is here referred to. It is, I think, more natural to suppose that the dead animal here spoken of is the same as that described in verse 5, and one whose head Indrânî is there said to be ready to cut off. Indrânî now says that this dead animal should be given to Vrishâkapi, especially as Indra has already got his oblations of bulls. I have already shown that there were several legends about the "antelope's head." It seems that Indrânî, referring to some of them, assures Indra that it was not Vrishâkapi in the form of the antelope which she killed, but some one else (literally *parasvantam* = representing another than Vrishakapi, as Sâyaṇa takes it.) Thereon Indra, having thus saved Vrishâkapi by his intercession, observes, "Thus do I go seeing and discriminating between a *dâsa* and an *ârya*; I take my drink from those that prepare Soma juice and cook the oblations, and thus behold or protect the intelligent sacrificers." In another word, Indra is glad that he has saved an Ârya, and triumphantly declares that he is always careful to distinguish between an Ârya and a Dâsa, the latter of whom he would punish and kill, *e. g.*, Vritra, who is said to be a Dâsa. Vrishâkapi being thus saved Indra, in the following verses, bids him a farewell, wishing for a safe journey and speedy return. These verses are very important for our present purpose, and I shall therefore examine them singly.