History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c95.216

v7.c95.216

The Chān. Up. V. 10. 1-2 are almost in the same words as Br. Up. VI. 2 15 with a few slight changes viz. Chān. Up. reads ‘Śraddhā tapa ityupāsate’ and ‘from months in the north to the year, from year to the Sun, from the Sun to the Moon, from the Moon to lightning; there is a person who is not human (amānavah’ for ‘mānasah’ of Br. Up.) who leads him to *brahman* &c.; then Chān. Up. V. 10. 3-4 are again the same as Br Up VI. 2. 16 except that Chān. Up. reads ‘those who living in a village practise (a life of) sacrifices, works of public utility (called *pūrta*) and almsgiving, go to smoke’, but adds ‘these do not reach the year,’ and proceeds ‘from the months to the world of fathers, from that world to ether, from ether to the moon, this is king Soma that is the food of Gods (i. e the gods like or love them). Having dwelt there (in the moon) till their works are exhausted, they return by the same way by which they came i. e. to ether, from ether to Vāyu, smoke, mist, cloud. (The persons that had performed sacrifices &c) having become clouds come down as rain, are then born as rice and barley, herbs and trees, sesame and māsa beans. Escape from that state (to that of human beings) is beset with extreme difficulties. Whoever the beings (cattle or other animals or man) may be that eat the food (into which one has been transformed) and beget offspring he (the transmigrating entity) becomes most like them.’