TWELFTH KHANDA.

1. Now follows the udgitha of the dogs. Vaka Dalbhya, or, as he was also called, Glava Maitreya, went out to repeat the Veda (in a quiet place).

2. A white (dog) appeared before him, and other dogs gathering round him, said to him: 'Sir, sing and get us food, we are hungry.'

3. The white dog said to them: 'Come to me to-morrow morning.' Vaka Dalbhya, or, as he was also called, Glava Maitreya, watched.

4. The dogs came on, holding together, each dog keeping the tail of the preceding dog in his mouth, as the priests do when they are going to sing praises with the Vahishpavamana hymn . After they had settled down, they began to say Hin.

5. 'Om, let us eat! Om, let us drink! Om, may the divine Varuna, Pragapati, Savitri bring us food! Lord of food, bring hither food, bring it, Om!'

Footnotes

^21:1 There are certain etymological fancies for assigning each deity to a certain portion of the Sama-veda ceremonial. Thus prana is assigned to the prastava, because both words begin with pra. Aditya is assigned to the udgitha, because the sun is ut. Anna, food, is assigned to the pratihara, because food is taken, pratihriyate, &c.

^21:2 This alludes to a ceremony where the priests have to walk in procession, each priest holding the gown of the preceding priest.

^21:3 The commentator explains Varuna and Pragapati as epithets of Savitri, or the sun, meaning rain-giver and man-protector.