A History of Indian Literature v1.c8.s9.68

v1.c8.s9.68

"Three kinds of sons of Prajāpati, the gods, human beings, and the demons, sojourned with their father Prajāpati as pupils. After the gods had sojourned there as pupils, they said: 'Tell us something, O master!' And he uttered the syllable '*da*' and said: 'Did you understand that?' 'We understood it,' they said: 'thou didst say to us *dāmyata* (restrain yourselves).' 'Yes,' said he; 'you understood it.' Then the human beings said to him: 'Tell us something, O master!' And he uttered the same syllable '*da*' and said: 'Did you understand that?' 'We understood it,' they said, 'thou didst say to us: *datta* (give).' 'Yes,' said he, 'you understood it.' Then the demons said to him: 'Tell us something, O master!' And he uttered to them the same syllable '*da*' and said: 'Did you understand that?' 'We understood it,' they said, 'thou didst say to us '*dayadhvam* (have pity).' 'Yes,' said he, 'you understood it.' And it is just this which yonder divine voice, the thunder, proclaims: da-da-da, that means dāmyata, datta, dayadhvam. Therefore shall he learn these three things: self-restraint, generosity and pity."