[70] Nilakantha explains this correctly, as I imagine, by
supposing that by 'sacrifice' is meant the spiritual sacrifice
for the acquisition of pure knowledge. In the objective
sacrifice which one celebrates, the Sama, the Yajus, and the Rik
mantras are all necessary. In the subjective sacrifice the
acquisition of true knowledge, life and mind are as necessary as
the mantras from the Sama and the Yajur Vedas in an objective
one. And as no objective sacrifice can do without the Riks,
being principally dependent on them, so the subjective
sacrifices for acquiring true knowledge can never do without
prayerfulness, which, I imagine, is represented as the Riks. To
understand this passage thoroughly would require an intimate
acquaintance with the ritual of a sacrifice like the Agnishtoma
or any other of that kind.
[71] Some texts read apatatam for uvapatam. If the former be the
correct reading, the meaning would be--'What is the best of
things that fall?' Nilakantha explains both avapatam nivapatam
in a spiritual sense. By the first he understands--'They that
offer oblation to the gods,' and by the second, 'They that offer
oblations to the Pitris.' The necessity of a spiritual
interpretation, however, is not very apparent.
[72] Yudhishthira has the authority of the Srutis for saying
that the one pervading element of the universe is air.
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