1229.  The commentator explains that having commenced with the assertion that men should sacrifice from desire of heaven, the speaker fears that the hearer may deny the very existence of heaven.  Hence, he takes a surer ground for justifying slaughter, viz., the ground that is connected with the consideration of food.  Living creatures must eat in order to live.  The very support of life requires the slaughter of life.  Slaughter, therefore, is justified by the highest necessity.

1230. i.e., there are the essential requisites of sacrifice.

1231.  The seven domestic animals are cow, goat, man, horse, sheep, mule, and ass.  The seven wild ones are lion, tiger, boar, buffalo, elephant, bear, and monkey.

1232.  ’Vichinwita is Vivechayet with alamvartham understood:  atmanah is equivalent to jivat.

1233.  All the products of the cow that are named here are not required in all sacrifices.  Some are required in some, others in others.  Those then that are required, when coupled with Ritwijas and Dakshina, complete the respective sacrifices or uphold or sustain them.

1234.  Samhritya means Ekikritya and not ‘destroying’ as the Burdwan translator wrongly takes it.

1235.  The Burdwan translator, notwithstanding the clear language of both the text and commentary, wrongly connects the first line of verse 31 with the last line of 30, and makes nonsense of both verses.

1236.  By taking the two lines of 32 with the last line of 30, the Burdwan translator makes nonsense of the passage.

1237.  ‘Brahmanas’ here means that part of the Vedas which contains the ritual.

1238.  Each constitutes the refuge of the other.

1239.  There are many such expletives, such as hayi, havu, etc.

1240.  For, as the commentator explains, one who has acquired an empire does not seek the dole of charity.  In view of the high end that Renunciation is certain to bring, what need has a person of the domestic mode of life which leads to rewards that are insignificant compared to the other.

1241.  Varhi is grass or straw.  Oshadhi here implies paddy and other grain.  Vahiranya adrija implies ’other kinds of Oshadhi born on mountains,’ i.e., the Soma and other useful hill plants and shrubs.  Teshamapi mulam garhastyam should be supplied after the first line.  Domesticity is the root of these, because these are cultivated or collected by persons leading the domestic mode of life.  The argument in the second line is this:  Oschadhibhyah pranah, pranat vahihna kinchit drisyate, atah viswasyapi mulam garhastyam.

1242.  Literally rendered, the words are,—­’Without doubt, Vedic mantras enter into persons of the regenerate classes in respect of acts whose effects are seen and acts whose effects instead of being seen depend upon the evidence of the scriptures.’  Practically, what is said here is that all the acts of a Brahmana are performed with the aid of Vedic mantras.