[Advaita-l] An instance of malicious interpretation of the Atharvaśirā upaniṣad

[Venkata sriram P]

In Vishnu Sarma’s Panchatantra (vide 2nd story – in काकोलूकीय तृतीय तन्त्र), there is a धर्मोपदेशः as:

एतेऽपि ये याज्ञिका यज्ञकर्मणि पशून व्यापादयन्ति ते मूर्खाः परमार्थं श्रुतेर्न जानन्ति । तत्र किल एतत उक्तं अजैर्यष्टव्यं । 
अजा व्रीहयः तावत सप्तवार्षिकाः कथ्यन्ते न पुनः पशुविशेषाः ॥

Translation:

Those who use animals in yajna are ignorant who have not understood the essence of shruti.  The word “aja” is defined as the rice grain which is stored for 7 years.  Thus, such a grain looses it’s power of germination.  Those rice grains that doesn’t germinate is called a-ja (a = negation ; ja = birth, germination).

Regs,
Sriram