Sacred Concord

YV 4.6l

Yajur Veda · translated by Arthur Berriedale Keith

'Driven away are Çanda and Marka together with N.N.', he should say of whom he hates; with him whom he hates he thus drives them away. 'This is the first preparer, all maker', (with these words) they offered to themselves, to Indra, these (cups), for Indra kept making these forms. The Çukra is yonder sun, the Manthin is the moon; they depart towards the east, closing their eyes [2]; therefore men do not see them as they go east. Turning back towards the west they sacrifice, therefore men see them going west. The Çukra and the Manthin are the eyes of the sacrifice, the high altar is the nose. They offer having gone round (the altar) on both sides; therefore the eyes are on either side of the nose; therefore the eyes are held apart by the nose; they walk round on all sides, to smite away the Raksases. Now the offerings the gods made on the east, with them they drove away the Asuras who were in front [3]; with those on the west they drove away the Asuras who were behind; other sacrifices are made in the east, the Çukra and Manthin on the west; verily behind and in front the sacrificer drives away his foes; therefore offspring are engendered behind and are brought forth in front. In accordance with the Çukra and Manthin are offspring born, the eaters and the eaten. 'Engendering heroic off spring), come forth, Çukra, with pure radiance' [4], 'Engendering prolific offspring, come forth, Manthin, with mixed radiance', he says; 'the eaters are those who are heroic, the eaten those that are prolific. The offspring of him who knows thus becomes an eater, not eaten. The eye of Prajapati swelled; it fell away, it entered the Vikankata, it did not stay in the Vikankata; it entered barley, it stayed in barley; that is why barley has its name [5]. In that the Manthin vessel is of Vikankata and he mixes with groats, verily thus he gathers together the eye of Prajapati. The theologians say, 'For what reason does the Manthin vessel not go to the Sadas?
YV 4.6l · Yajur Veda

Themes in this passage

ChildrenNatureTruthWorshipCreationSpeech

Children in other traditions

The same theme, as Christianity, Islam and Hellenism address it.

These are the children of Abihail the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz;
1 Chronicles 5:14 · Bible · 1 Chronicles
Or hath He daughters whereas ye have sons?
Quran 52:39 · Quran · The Mountain
they reached the low lying city of Lacedaemon, where they drove straight to the abode of Menelaus36 [and found him in his own house, feasting with his many clansmen in honour of the wedding of his son, and also of his daughter, whom he was marrying to the son of that valiant warrior Achilles. He had given his consent and promised her to him while he was still at Troy, and now the gods were bringing the marriage about; so he was sending her with chariots and horses to the city of the Myrmidons over whom Achilles’ son was reigning. For his only son he had found a bride from Sparta,37 the daughter of Alector. This son, Megapenthes, was born to him of a bondwoman, for heaven vouchsafed Helen no more children after she had borne Hermione, who was fair as golden Venus herself.
Odyssey 4.2 · Odyssey · 4
While thus they strive, Tlepolemus the great,[153] Urged by the force of unresisted fate, Burns with desire Sarpedon’s strength to prove; Alcides’ offspring meets the son of Jove. Sheathed in bright arms each adverse chief came on. Jove’s great descendant, and his greater son. Prepared for combat, ere the lance he toss’d, The daring Rhodian vents his haughty boast:
Iliad 5.66 · Iliad · 5

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