88 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Turning to the Brahmanas. The stories of creation contained in the Satapatha Brahmanas are set out below :
S.B., [1] i.8.1. 1.—In the morning they brought to Manu water for washing, as men are in the habit of bringing it to wash with the hands. As he was thus washing, a fish came into his hands (which spake to him) ‘preserve me; I shall save thee.’ (Manu enquired) ‘From what wilt thou save me?’ (The fish replied) ‘A flood shall sweep away all these creatures; from it will I rescue thee.’ (Manu asked) ‘How (shall) thy preservation (be effected)?’ The fish said : ‘So long as we are small, we are in great peril, for fish devours fish; thou shalt preserve me first in a jar. When I grow too large for the jar, then thou shalt dig a trench, and preserve me in that. When I grow too large for the trench, then thou shalt carry me away to the ocean. I shall then be beyond the reach of danger. Straight, away he became a large fish; for he waxes to the utmost. (He said) ‘Now in such and such a year, then the flood will come; thou shalt embark in the ship when the flood rises, and I shall deliver thee from it.’ Having thus preserved the fish, Manu carried him away to the sea. Then in the same year which the fish had enjoined, he constructed a ship and resorted to him. When the flood rose, Manu embarked in the ship. The fish swam towards him. He fastened the cable of the ship to the fish’s horn. By this means he passed over this northern mountain. The fish said, ‘I have delivered thee; fasten the ship to a tree. But lest the water should cut thee off whilst thou art on the mountain, as much as the water subsides so much shalt thou descend after it.’ He accordingly descended after it as much (as it subsided). Wherefore also this, viz., ‘Manu’s descent’ is (the name) of the northern mountain. Now the flood had swept away all these creatures, so Manu alone was left here. Desirous of offspring, he lived worshipping and toiling in arduous religious rites. Among these he also sacrificed with the paka offering. He cast clarified butter, thickened milk, whey and curds as an oblation into the waters. Thence in a year a woman was produced. She rose up as it were unctuous. Clarified butter adheres to her steps. Mitra and Varuna met her. They said to her ‘who art thou?’ ‘Manu’s daughter’ (she replied). Say (thou art) ours’ (they rejoined). ‘No’, she said, ‘I am his who begot me.’ They desired a share in her. She promised that, or she did not promise that; but passed onward. She came to Manu. Manu said to her, ‘who art thou?’ ‘Thy daughter’ she replied. ‘How, glorious one ‘asked Manu,’ (art thou) my daughter?’ ‘Thou hast generated me,’ she said,’ from those oblations, butter, thick milk, whey and curds, which thou didst cast into the waters. I am a benediction. Apply me in the sacrifice. If thou wilt employ me in the sacrifice, thou shalt abound in offspring and cattle. Whatever benediction thou will ask through me, shall accrue to thee.’ He (accordingly) introduced her (as) that (which comes in) the middle of the sacrifice; for that is the middle of the sacrifice which (comes) between the introductory and concluding forms. With her he lived worshipping and toiling in arduous religious rites, desirous of offspring. With her he begot this offspring which is this offspring of Manu. Whatever benediction he asked with her, was all vouchsafed to him. This is essentially that which is Ida. Whosoever, knowing this, lives with Ida, begets
1 Muir, Vol. I, pp. 181-184.