History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c95.150.3

v7.c95.150.3

in another passage refers to a strange legend ²⁴⁹² Bhṛgu, who had become vain on account of his learning and thought himself more learned than his father Varuṇa, was asked by his father to go to the four quarters from east to north and report what he would see there. Horrible sights met him in all directions e. g. in the east he saw men dismembering men, hewing off their limbs one by one and saying 'this to you, this to me'. He said 'this is horrible'. They replied 'these indeed dealt with us in yonder world and so we now deal with them in return'. Then in the north he saw that men crying aloud were being eaten by men crying aloud. When he said 'horrible &c'; they replied 'these indeed dealt with us...in return'. This is a long story and it is not necessary to set out the whole. This story probably gives expression to the popular notion of 'tit for tat'. But one thing is clear that the Śat. Br. indicates by this story that a belief had then arisen that one who does evil in one life has to suffer for it in a later life from that being whom he treated badly. The Śat. Br and the Tai. Br. both several times speak of conquering or casting off '*punarmṛtyu*' (renewed death, liability to be born and die again and again). Two passages from the Śat. Br. and Tai Br. may be quoted. In X. 4. 4 the Śat. Br.