BENGALI WRITINGS

III. 3. The Rigveda45attainment of goal, etc. The meaning ‘radiance’ is alsoquite just but it does not apply here.1-1-4agne yaÌ yajÜamadhvaraÌ viÙvataÕ paribhÓrasisa id deveØu gacchati“O Flame! the pilgrim sacrifice on every side of which thouart with the envisioning being, that truly goes among theGods.”adhvaram — the root ‘dhvÐ’ means to kill. Sayana translatesit as ahiÌsita yajÜa, a sacrifice with no killings.But the word adhvara itself has come to denotesacrifice; such a development is impossible for theword. The word adhvan means the path, so adhvaramust signify the voyager or one having the form ofthe path. The sacrifice was the path that led to the abodeof the gods; at the same time, the sacrifice was wellknowneverywhere as the pilgrim in the abode of thegods. This meaning is right. The word adhvara likethe word adhvan derives from the root adÕ; as proof,we find that both the words adhva and adhvara wereused in the sense of sky.paribhÓh-parito jÀtaÕdeveØu — the locative case indicates the destination.it-eva, truly.The Spiritual Significance.The Universal SacrificeThe universal life is like an immense sacrifice.God himself is the lord of the sacrifice. God is Shiva,and Nature is Uma. Though she carries the image of Shivain her heart, still she misses his visible form; she yearnsfor his tangible body. This yearning is the deep significanceof the universal life.But by what means can her intention be fulfilled? Bywhich appointed path can Nature attain the Supreme? How