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India where it was clearly expressed in the Aitareya Brahmana<br />
(VII.14) and later elaborated in the Mahabharata and various other<br />
Smriti works. The cycle of four ages, yugas, manvantara and kalpa,<br />
is the most pervasive statement about the universal eclipse and<br />
renewal. It was surely as a corollary to this thinking that the belief<br />
in reincarnation came to be formulated. If nothing comes to an end,<br />
why should it be so for the individual self? The Upanishads and<br />
Brahmana literature give full evidence of this belief formulated into<br />
yugas and reincarnation. It had been a common belief in Egypt too<br />
at this time. But it seems that Egyptian palingenesis emphasized the<br />
migration of the soul into animal and bird forms rather than rebirth<br />
into the human, whereas in India all the possibilities were accepted.<br />
REFERENCES<br />
1 Ambrosia: Graves, R., The Greek Myths, Vol. 1, Penguin, 1955, pp. 9—10.<br />
2 Ate etc.: Dodds, E. R., The Greeks and the Irrational, California Univ.,<br />
1951, p. 10.<br />
3 As above p. 5.<br />
4 As above p. 8.<br />
5 Divine weapons: “It has been said that Heracles when he set forth on his labours,<br />
Hermes gave him a sword; Apollo a bow and smooth shafted arrows, feathered<br />
with eagle feathers; Hephaestos a golden breast plate; and Athene a robe …<br />
The gift of Poseidon was a team of horses; that of Zeus, a magnificent and unbreakable<br />
shield" (Graves, II, p. 102).<br />
There are many examples of divine or mantra charged weapons in ancient Indian<br />
plays. In 'Uttararamacarita' Act I, while going through the picture gallery<br />
Rama shows to Sita how the painter had depicted the divine 'jambhrika' arrows.<br />
Sita worships them and according to the blessings of Rama her sons inherit them<br />
and as the plot would have it, they also use them.<br />
Rama: Vandasva devi, divyastrani |<br />
Brahmadayo brahmahitaya taptva<br />
parah sahasram sharadam tapasi |<br />
Etanyadarshangukhaha puranaha<br />
svanyeva tejansi tapomayani ||<br />
Sita: Namo edanam (namo etebhyaha) |<br />
Rama: Sarvathedanim tvatprasutimupasthasyanti |<br />
Sita: Anugahidahim (anugrahitasmi) |<br />
6 Daily offerings to Pitris: Yajnavalkya Smriti (Grihasthakarma, 102). They<br />
are svadha, balikarma etc.<br />
Balikarmasvadhahomasavadhyaytithikriyah |<br />
Bhutapitramarabrahmanushyanam mahamaravah ||<br />
Balkarma bhutayajnaha svadhapitriyajnaha, homo devayajnaha,<br />
svadhyayo brahmayajnaha, athithikriya manushyayajnaha | Ete<br />
panchamahayajnaharahaha kartavya, nityatvat | (mitakshari)<br />
164
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