3. [Vag. S. XII, 35] ‘O divine waters, receive ye these ashes, and put them in a soft and fragrant place!’—that, being consumed (matter), has run its course (is useless): regarding that he says, ‘Put it in the most fragrant place!’—' May
1 The ashes removed from the ‘ ukh4’ or fire-pan are put in a bag made of leaves of some sacred tree, and are then thrown into the water in two portions. As they are floating on the water, a small portion is taken from them again with the little finger and put in the pan.
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the wives, wedded to a good lord, bow down to him, —the wives, doubtless, are the waters, for from the waters this universe is produced; and in Agni the waters have indeed a good lord ;—‘bear it on the waters, even as a mother (bears) her son!’ —that is, ‘as a mother would bear her son on her lap, so bear ye this!’
4. [Vag. S. XII, 36; Ak S. VIII, 43,9] ‘In the waters, O Agni, is thy seat,—that is, ‘in the waters, O Agni, is thy womb;’—‘as such thou clingest to the plants,—for he does indeed cling to (love) the plants,— being in (their) womb thou art born again,—when he is in the womb he is indeed born again.—[Vag. S. XII, 37] ‘Thou art the child of the herbs, the child of the trees, the child of all that is, O Agni, thou art the child of the waters ;’—he thus makes him (Agni) the child of this entire (universe).
5. With three (verses) he throws (the ashes into the water),—threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much he thus throws them down. First with one (prayer), and then with two; or first with two, and then with one,—but at two separate times he throws them down : he thus throws them down by means of the two-footed animals.
6. He then takes some (of the ashes) therefrom : he thereby reproduces from the waters what there is of Agni’s nature in that (heap of ashes). [He takes it] with that (nameless or little finger), for with that (finger) medicine is prepared: it is with that one he thus puts him (Agni) together. [V4g. S. XII, 38-41] ‘Having settled? in the womb, as
1 «Pra-sad’ (=pra-fp, Mahidhara) seems here really to have the vi KANDA, 8 ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMANA, 8. 295 | ashes, in the waters, and the earth, O Agni,’ — by his ashes he is, indeed, settled in the womb, that is, both in the waters and in the earth ;—‘ having united with the mothers, thou hast again, brightly shining, seated thee ;'’—that is, ‘Having joined thy mothers, thou, the shining one, hast again seated thyself (in thy home).’—‘Having again seated thee in thy seat, the waters and the earth, O Agni, thou liest in her (the earth, or pan) most happy, as in a mother’s lap.’ —Return again with sustenance, again, O Agni, with food and life; guard us again from trouble!—With wealth return, O Agni, overflow with the all-feeding stream on every side !’—that is, ‘ With all this return thou to me!’
7. With four (verses) he takes (some of the ashes) ;—he thereby supplies him (Agni) with fourfooted animals; and animals being food, it is with food he thus supplies him. With three (verses) he takes (the ashes) down (to the water),—that makes seven, for of seven layers consists the fire-altar’, seven seasons are a year, and the year is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, so great does this become.
8. Having taken some of the ashes, and returned, he throws it into the fire-pan, and stands by (the fire) worshipping it; for when he throws Agni into the water he does what is improper; he now makes amends to him so that he may not injure him. With two (verses) relating to Agni (he worships),— for it is to Agni that he makes amends,—and with such meaning of ‘abhiprasad’ or ‘anuprasad,’ as the accusative can scarcely be taken along with ‘ fsada/.’ 1 See p. 249, note 3.
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as contain (the verb) ‘ budh’ (to attend to, awake), in order that Agni may attend to this speech of his.
g. (Vag. S. XII, 42-3; Azk S. I, 147, 2; II, 6, 4] ‘Attend thou to this word of mine, O youngest!’ —that is, ‘attend to this word of mine, O youngest !’—‘put forth most plentifully, O faithful one!’—that is, ‘put forth most abundantly, O faithful one!’—‘this one revileth thee, and that one singeth thy praises,—that is, ‘one (man) reviles thee, and another sings thy praises ;’"—‘reverently I revere thy body, O Agni!’—that is, ‘I, thy reverer, revere thy body, O Agni!’—‘Be thou a munificent patron of offerings, O lord of wealth, the bestower of wealth, keep off from us the haters!’ this he says in order that he may keep off haters from him. With two (verses) he worships the fire, a Gayatrt and a Trish¢ubh verse: the significance of this has been explained.
10. These make. nine (verses),—there are nine regions!, and Agni is the regions; nine vital airs, and Agni is the vital airs: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, so great does this become.
11. He then performs two expiations ; for itis for (the obtainment of) all his desires that he sets up that (fire) ;—thus whatever part of his desires is here cut off when the fire is thrown into the water, that he thereby joins together and restores. He performs both expiations which (are performed) when the fyre has gone out?; the significance of this has been explained.
1 Viz. the four cardinal points, and the four intermediate points, of the compass, and the upper region. To these paragraph 12 adds, as a tenth, the lower region.
* VI, 6, 4, 10 seq.
vi KAwpaA, 8 ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMANA, 12. 297
12. This makes ten (performances),—the Virdg consists of ten syllables, and Agni is the Virag?; there are ten regions, and Agni is the regions; ten vital airs, and Agni is the vital airs: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, so great does this become.
* That is, the wide-shining, or wide-ruling one.
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SEVENTH KANDA.
THE GARHAPATYA HEARTH.
* That is, the wide-shining, or wide-ruling one.
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SEVENTH KANDA.
THE GARHAPATYA HEARTH.
First ApuyAya. First BRAHMANA.
1. Being about to build the Garhapatya (fire-place), he sweeps (its site) with a Paldsa (butea frondosa) branch. For when he builds the G4rhapatya! he settles on that place; and whatsoever builders of fire-altars (there have been), they are indeed settled on this earth ; and when he sweeps (that place) he thereby sweeps away those settled (there before him), thinking, ‘ Lest I should settle on those already settled (here).’
2. [He sweeps, with Vag. S. XII, 45] ‘Off with you! away with you! crawl away from here? !’— that is, ‘Go off, go away, and crawl away from here!’ he says this to those that crawl on their belly ;—‘Ye that are here of old and of late!’ that is, ‘ both ye who were here of yore, and ye of the present day.’
3. ‘Yama hath given the settlement on earth (to this Sacrificer) ;"—for Yama indeed rules over the settling on this earth, and it is he who grants to this (Sacrificer) a settlement on this earth.
' That is, ‘the householder’s fire,’ which represents the Sacrificer’s domestic hearth.
* This first pada is taken from Azk S. X, 14, 9. The four padas of the verse are muttered by the Adhvaryu while sweeping the four sides of the site respectively, beginning in the east and ending in the north. On this place when swept the circular site of the Garhapatya is then marked off by saline soil being scattered over it (cf. Taitt. S. V, 2, 3, 2-3).
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4. ‘The Fathers have prepared this place for him!’ for Yama is the Kshatra (nobility, or ruling power), and the Fathers (deceased ancestors) are the clansmen; and to whomsoever the chief (kshatriya), with the approval of the clan, grants a settlement, that (settlement) is properly given: and in like manner does Yama, the ruling power, with the consent of the Fathers, the clan, now grant to this (Sacrificer) a settlement on this earth.
5. With a palasa branch he sweeps; for the Palasa tree is the Brahman’: it is by the Brahman he thus sweeps away those already settled ;—with a prayer (he does so), for the prayer is the Brahman: it is by the Brahman he thus sweeps away those already settled. He throws it (the branch) out towards the north *.
6. He then scatters saline soil (over the hearthsite); for the G4rhapatya is this world, and salt means cattle: he thus bestows cattle on this world,— hence those cattle here in this world.
He throws it (the branch) out towards the north *.
6. He then scatters saline soil (over the hearthsite); for the G4rhapatya is this world, and salt means cattle: he thus bestows cattle on this world,— hence those cattle here in this world.
7. And again why he scatters saline soil. Pragapati created creatures ; he created them with different kinds of amnions: they did not agree together. He desired, ‘May they agree together!’ He made them to be of the same (kind of) amnion: hence éven to this day, being of equal amnions, they agree together. And he who offers, offers thinking, ‘May I be (born) with the same (kind of) amnion as the gods!’ and when he scatters saline salt (in the hearth- | site) he thereby becomes of equal amnion with the gods.
1 For the identification of the Pal&sa with the Brahman (sacred writ, or the holy spirit embodied therein), see part i, p. 90, note 1. 2 ‘He throws it upwards,’ Delbriick, Synt. F. V, 79.
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8. [He does so, with Vag. S. XII, 46] ‘Concord thou art!’ for thereby they agreed together! ;—‘fulfilment of desire ;’ for salt is cattle, and fulfilment of desire means cattle ;—‘In me may there be the fulfilment of thy desire!’ that is, ‘May there be on me cattle for thee !’—He covers with it the whole (circular) Garhapatya; for the Garhapatya altar is the womb, and the saline soil is the amnion: he thus covers the whole womb with the amnion.
9. He then scatters sand to keep (the saline soil, or amnion) from being scorched*;—for sand is nothing else than the ashes of Agni Vaisvanara, and him, Agni VaisvAnara, he is indeed about to build up; and Agni does not scorch his own self.
10, And again why he scatters sand,—sand is nothing else than the seed of Agni Vaisvanara °, and him, Agni Vaisvanara, he is about to build up; but nothing is fashioned from out of the seedless: ‘ May he (Agni) be fashioned from out of this seed!’ so he thinks.
11. [He scatters it, with Vag. S. XII, 46] ‘Agni’s ashes thou art! Agni’s soil thou art!’ for Agni’s ashes are useless, and the sand is not useless: he thus makes it (the Garhapatya hearth) to be useful. He covers with it the whole Garhapatya; for the
1 Sayana, on Taitt. S. IV, 2, 4, takes ‘samg#4nam’ in the sense of ‘knowledge, recognition;’ explaining it from the fact that cattle by their smell recognise the places of saline soil and lick them.
* Or, to keep (the fire) from burning over (or through the sand, and injuring the saline soil or amnion). For the construction, see p. 198, note 2.
* This notion is apparently based on the supposed etymological connection of ‘sikat4&,’ sand, with the root ‘sié.’
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G4rhapatya altar is the womb, and the sand is seed: he thus fills the whole womb with seed.
12. He then encloses it with enclosing-stones ; for the enclosing-stones are the womb: he thus encloses the seed here cast in the womb; and hence the seed which is cast is enclosed in the womb.
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G4rhapatya altar is the womb, and the sand is seed: he thus fills the whole womb with seed.
12. He then encloses it with enclosing-stones ; for the enclosing-stones are the womb: he thus encloses the seed here cast in the womb; and hence the seed which is cast is enclosed in the womb.
13. And, again, why he encloses it with enclosingstones ;—the G4rhapatya hearth is this (terrestrial) world, and the enclosing-stones are the waters: he thus surrounds this world with water,—it is with the ocean that he thus surrounds it on all sides, and hence the ocean flows round this world on all sides. (He puts up the stones) by turning to the right (or south)!, whence the ocean flows round this world (from the east) southwards ;—by means of a dug out (hole, or moat)*, whence the ocean flows round this world in a moat.
14. [Vag. S. XII, 46] ‘Ranging ye are!’ for he does range them ;—‘ ranging around ye are!’ for he does range them all round ;—‘ upwards ranging get ye fixed!’ thus he says, placing them upright : hence the ocean surges upwards; but were he to place them sideways, the ocean surely would all at once overflow all this (earth). He does not settle them, for unsettled are the waters; nor does he pronounce the Sadadohas (verse) on them’.
1 That is, from east to south, &c., following the course of the sun.
* ? That is, by digging in each stone, the circle consisting of altogether twenty-one stones.
* The two ceremonies here referred to, viz. the ‘sédana’ (settling, setting, steadying, viz. by means of the formula, XII, 53, ‘ with the help of that deity lie thou steady, like Angiras,’ see VII, 1, 1, 30) and the muttering of the Sfidadohas verse (Vag. S. XII, 55, for which
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15. For the enclosing-stones are the bones, and the Sidadohas is the breath; and there is no breath in the bones. With one and the same formula he lays down many bricks', for of one and the same form are the waters; and as to there being many enclosing-stones, it is because there are many waters.
16. The enclosing-stones, then, are the womb; the saline earth is the amnion, and the sand is the seed. The enclosing-stones are outside, and the saline earth is inside ; for the womb is outside, and the amnion inside. The saline earth is outside, and the sand inside ; for the amnion is outside, and the seed inside. He who is born is born from these : it is from them that he thus causes him (Agni) to be born.
17. Thereon he now builds it (the hearth): he id él
Iz id sl a ul Ll i
GArRHAPATYA HEARTH.
thereby fashions that infused seed ; and hence the infused seed is fashioned in the womb.
see note to paragraph 31), are the so-called ‘necessary’ rites, because they have as a rule to be performed on each (special) brick, when it has been laid down in building up the fire-altar.
1 Viz. the so-called ‘lokamprin4’ (or space-filling bricks), for which see p. 153, note.
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1 Viz. the so-called ‘lokamprin4’ (or space-filling bricks), for which see p. 153, note.
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18. He puts on (the circular site) four (bricks) running eastwards’; two behind running crosswise (from south to north), and two (such) in front. Now the four which he puts on running eastwards are the body ; and as to there being four of these, it is because this body (of ours) consists of four parts %. The two at the back then are the thighs; and the two in front the arms; and where the body is that (includes) the head.
19. Now he here fashions him (Agni) with wings and tail; for whatlike the seed is fashioned in the womb suchlike (offspring) is born: thus inasmuch as he now fashions him with wings and tail, he is born héreafter ® with wings and tail.
20. While being indeed furnished with wings and tail, people do not see him as one having wings and tail+: hence one does not see the child in the womb in its proper shape ; but hereafter they (will) see him as one having wings and tail, and hence one sees the child after it is born in its proper shape.
21. Four (bricks) he puts on first, for of him that
1 That is, with the lines by which they are marked running from west to east. Whilst these four bricks are oblong ones, measuring two feet by one, the four placed at the back and in front of them measure each a foot square, as do also those placed in the corners of the square pile, except the south-east corner, where two bricks are to be placed measuring one foot by half a foot each.
* See VI, 1, 1, 3-6.
* Or ‘yonder,’ that is, as the great fire-altar, soon to be built, which is ultimately to receive the Ahavantya fire, taken from the GArhapatya.
‘ While in the form of the Garhapatya the wings and tail are not represented at all, these appendages form an important part of the great altar of the Ahavanfya fire. In the Garhapatya hearth, Agni would seem represented rather as a man lying on his back with the head towards the east.
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is being produced it is the body (trunk) that is produced first. Sitting south (of the hearth-site) with his face to the north he puts on first one (brick) of the upper (north) part! (of the trunk) ; and in this manner that Agni of his comes to be built up towards (or for the Sacrificer) himself.
22. [He puts it on, with Vag. S. XII, 47; Azk S. III, 22, 1, &c.] ‘This is the Agni wherein Indra taketh the Soma-juice,’ for the Garhapatya hearth is this (terrestrial) world, and the Soma-juice is the waters : Indra thus took up the waters in this world ; —‘into his belly, craving it,—for the belly is the centre ;—‘ thousandfold strength, like a swift racer, —the thousandfold strength, doubtless, is the waters,—‘ thou, having gained, art exalted, O knower of beings!’ that is, ‘thou, being built, art built 2, O knower of beings!’
23. [The second brick, with Vag. S. XII, 48]‘O Agni, what splendour is thine in the heaven, —his splendour in the heaven doubtless is the sun ;— ‘on earth,’ that on earth is this fire ;—‘and that which is in the plants, in the waters, O holy one!’ he thereby means the fire that is both in the plants, and in the waters ;—‘ wherewith thou hast overspread the wide air,—that is, the wind ;— ‘brilliant is that light, surging, man-viewing ;’ that is, ‘ great is that light, surging, man-viewing.’
24. [The third, with Vag. S. XII, 49] ‘O Agni,
1 In laying down the bricks he again follows the course of the sun, that is, he lays down the four large or central ones from north to south, then the two back ones from south to north, and finally the two front ones from north to south.
* ?That is, Thou, being built (as the Garhapatya), art built (once more as the Ahavanfya).
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thou goest up to the flood of the heaven;’ the flood of that heaven doubtless is the waters (of the atmosphere) : to them he goes by his smoke; —hither callest thou the divine inspirers,— the divine inspirers doubtless are the vital airs, for these inspire all thoughts ;—‘the waters approach (thee), they that are beyond the luminous sphere of the sun, and they that are below here;’—the luminous sphere doubtless is that world yonder where that (sun) is burning: he thereby means both the waters which are beyond, and those which are below that (sun).
25. [The fourth one, with Vag. S. XII, 50] ‘The Agnis Purtshyas,—that is, the Agnis favourable to cattle ;—‘ together with those of the streams (pravama) ;’ this is a form of starting! (prayaza), for the Garhapatya is indeed a starting of the fire ;— ‘may they, benevolent, accept the sacrifice, the copious, salutary draughts!’ that is, ‘may they benevolently accept the sacrifice, the copious, innocuous draughts !’
27. Thereupon going round behind, he sits down on the north side with his face to the south, and puts on first the southern one of the two behind,
1 Viz. inasmuch as ‘ prévaza’ begins with the preposition ‘pra,’ forward, Say. * See p. 307, note 2.
[41] xp. 306 with (Vag. S. XII, 51), ‘Potent nourishment, O Agni, the possession of kine,—nourishment means cattle : he thus invokes for him the blessing of cattle;—‘Grant thou perpetually unto him that calleth!’—he that calls doubtless is the Sacrificer ;—‘ May there be to us a son, the perpetuator of the race,—a son means offspring ;—‘let that, O Agni, be thy good-will unto us!’ he therewith invokes a blessing.
28. Then the northern one, with (V4g. S. XII, 52; Azk S. III, 29, 10), ‘This is thy natural womb, whence born thou shonest forth, —that is, ‘this (householder’s hearth) is thy ‘primeval, perennial womb (birth-place), whence born thou wert enkindled ;’—‘ knowing it, ascend, O Agni, and increase our substance!’ as the text, so its meaning.
29. These twoare his (Agni’s) thighs,—separately he puts them on, separately he ‘settles’ them, separately he pronounces the Sfidadohas verse upon them, for separate are these two thighs. There are two of them, for there are two thighs. Behind he puts them on, for behind are those thighs. At their upper ends they are joined (to the central ones’), for so are these thighs joined (to the body) at their upper ends.
30. Thereupon, going round again by the same way, he sits down on the south side, with his face to the north, and puts on first the northern one of the two (bricks) in front, with (Vag. S. XII, 53),
? They are joined to each other, according to Sayana, but this can hardly be the meaning intended, as the stones lie close to each other also at the lower (western) end.
vil KAWDA, I ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 32. 307
‘Ranging thou art: by that deity, Angiraslike, lie thou steady?!’ Then the southern one, with, ‘Ranging round thou art: by that deity, - Angiras-like, lie thou steady?!’
31. These two are his (Agni’s) arms,—separately he puts them on, separately he ‘settles’ them, separately he pronounces the Sfidadohas ? verse on them; for separate are these two arms. There are two of them, for there are two arms. He puts them on in the forepart, for these arms are here in front. At their upper ends they are joined (to the central ones), for so are these two arms joined (to the body) at the upper ends. Those two (arms) he puts on thus (from north to south), and those two (thighs) thus (from south to north): that is (from east to) southward %, for thus it is with the gods *.
32. Eight bricks he puts on (the hearth-site),— the G4yatri consists of eight syllables, and Agni is Gayatra®: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, so great he thus builds him. Five times he ‘settles’ (the bricks)—the fire-altar consists of five layers; five seasons are a year, and Agni is the year ; as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure,
1 This common portion of the two formulas forms the so-called ‘settling’ (or ‘setting’) formula (sddana); Katy. Sr. XVI, 7, 14; cf. VI, 1, 2, 28, and p. 301, note 3. ‘ Angiras-like’ apparently means, ‘as (thou didst) in the case of, or with, Angiras.’
2 Vag. S. XII, 55; zk S. VIII, 69; 3. ‘At his birth ‘the welllike milking, speckled ones mix the Soma (draught), the clans of the gods in the three spheres of the heavens.’ This difficult verse has been differently translated by different translators. The Brahmana itself also gives a very different, doubtless quite fanciful, interpretation of it at VIII, 7, 3, 21.
3 That is, in accordance with the course of the sun.
The Brahmana itself also gives a very different, doubtless quite fanciful, interpretation of it at VIII, 7, 3, 21.
3 That is, in accordance with the course of the sun.
* Or, ‘thus (it goes,—or, Agni, as a bird, flies) to the gods.’
5 See VI, 1, 1, 15.
X 2
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so great he thus builds him. Eight bricks he ‘settles’ five times, that makes thirteen,—thirteen months are a year, and there are thirteen layers of earth in the fire-altar: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, so great does this become. .
33. He then puts on a space-filling one: the significance of that one (will be explained) further on’. Three there are in front *~—threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, so great he thus builds him;—and ten those that follow *,—the significance of these (will be explained) further on. Or first two, then ten, and then one, for in this way they build up the pile——these amount to thirteen : the significance of this has been told.
34. Both these kinds (of bricks) amount to twentyone ;—there are twelve months, five seasons, these three worlds, and yonder sun as the twenty-first: that sun he thus establishes in this fire-altar.
35. Moreover, there are twenty-one enclosingstones,—twelve months, five seasons, these three worlds, and that Agni from yonder (sun)* as the twenty-first : this Agni he thus establishes in yonder sun. And inasmuch as he puts on those (bricks) in this way, he thereby establishes those two (the sun and the fire) in each other, and (accordingly) those two are established in each other; for both of them he now makes out to be the twenty-first, and both
1 VIII, 7, 2, 1 seq.
* Viz. one in the north-east, and two (of half the size) in the south-east corner,
% Viz. one in the south-west, and one in the north-west corner ; and further, eight more filling up the four segments of the circle. See the outline of the Garhapatya altar at p. 302.
“ Or, perhaps that Agni on yonder sky (or fire-altar?). In any case it is the sun that is referred to.
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of them are then here’, as the Ahavantya and the Garhapatya.
36. He.then throws thereon a layer of earth,—the significance of this (will be told) further on% He takes it from the edge of the pit (KAtv4la) ; for the A~Atvala is the same as Agni %, and in this way does that which is of Agni’s nature become his. It (the GArhapatya altar) should be even with the mouth (of the fire-pan) : the significance of this has been told 4,
37. It (the Garhapatya hearth) measures a fathom (in diameter‘), for man is a fathom high, and man is Pragapati (the lord of generation), and Pragdpati is Agni: he thus makes the womb of equal size to his (Agni’s) body. It is circular, for the womb is circular; and moreover the G§4rhapatya is this (terrestrial) world, and this world doubtless is circular.
It is circular, for the womb is circular; and moreover the G§4rhapatya is this (terrestrial) world, and this world doubtless is circular.
+ That is to say, they will be here after the completion of the two altars,—the Garhapatya fire being the Agni proper, and the Ahavantya fire the sun. :
* For this, and the formula (Vag. S. XII, 56) used therewith, see VIII, 7, 3, 1 seq.
® See part ii, p. 116, note 3, ‘The earth taken from the pit being used for constructing the high altar, both are of the same size or cubic extent.’
4 See VI, 3, 3, 26.
5 Or rather, it is a circle corresponding in area to a square of one fathom; which gives a diameter somewhat exceeding in length a fathom (that is, the space between the tips of the middle fingers when the arms are extended). The measurement is (at least theoretically) a relative one, being adapted to the Sacrificer’s size ; but practically the fathom (vy4ma, or purusha, man) may be taken to be ‘of about 6 feet, the vyima being equal to 4 aratnis (cubits) of 2 prédesas (spans of some 18 inches each). This allows for a central square of 4 feet, and about 1 foot (in reality somewhat less) for each of the two bisectors of the segments.
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38. He then pours those two (fires) together ?,— he thereby establishes concord between them—with (Vag. S. XII, 57-60), ‘Unite ye two, and get ye on together, loving, radiant, well-disposed, dwelling together for food and drink!—Together have I brought your minds, together your rites, together your thoughts: O Agni Purtshya?, be thou the overlord, and bestow thou food and drink upon our Sacrificer!—O Agni, thou art the Purishya, wealthy, prosperous: having made happy all the regions, seat thee here in thine own seat!—Be ye two unto us of one mind, of one thought, without guile! Injure ye not the sacrifice, nor the lord of the sacrifice, and be ye propitious unto us this day, ye knowers of beings!’ He therewith pacifies them for (mutual) safety, so that they shall do no injury to one another.
39. With four (verses) he pours them together,— he thereby establishes concord between them by whatever four-footed cattle there are; and cattle being food, it is by means of food that he establishes concord between them.
40. Let him not look at that (pan) while empty : ‘I must not look at the empty one!’ so he thinks. Were he to look at the empty (pan), it would certainly devour him.
41, He then pours sand into it 8, for sand (sikat4) is
* That is, he pours the fire of the pan (ukhy4gni) on the Garhapatya (hearth).
* ‘Purfshya’ seems here to have the sense of ‘rich, plentiful.’ See p. 201, note.
® ‘Ukha,’ the pan, is feminine, and represents the womb from which Agni is born. :
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the seed of Agni Vaisvanara: he thus pours (sic) Agni Vaisvanara as seed into it. It should be even with the brim: the significance of this has been explained.
201, note.
® ‘Ukha,’ the pan, is feminine, and represents the womb from which Agni is born. :
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the seed of Agni Vaisvanara: he thus pours (sic) Agni Vaisvanara as seed into it. It should be even with the brim: the significance of this has been explained.
42. He then unlooses it, to keep it from chafing ; for if that which is yoked is not unloosed it is chafed. Now when yoked there, it (the fire-pan) bore this Agni within it as seed, and him it has now brought forth. It now conceives a second time; for the ‘Ukh&’ is a female, and hence when a female has brought forth the seed the first time, it conceives a second time.
43. [He unlooses it from the netting, with Vag. S. XII, 61] ‘Even asa mother her son, so hath the Earth borne Agni Purtshya,—that is, Agni, favourable to cattle ;—‘ she, the Ukh4, in her own womb;’ that is, the Ukh4 has borne Agni in her own womb ;—‘' May Prag4pati, the all-former, release her, in concert with the All-gods, the seasons!’ the All-gods doubtless are the seasons: thus Prag4pati, the all-former, releases it, in concert with the All-gods, the seasons. He deposits it north of the fire, at a cubit’s distance: the significance of this has been explained '.
44. He then pours milk into it,—it first receives seed, and now it receives milk ; for the fire-pan is a female : hence when a female receives seed, then it receives milk. The sand is below, and the milk above, for the seed is below, and the milk above. He pours it into the middle, so that thereon he may place the human head *.
1 VI, 3, 1, 30. 2 See VII, 5, 2, 14.
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Sreconp BRAHMAWA.
1. Pragdpati produced creatures. Having produced creatures, and run the whole race, he became relaxed', From him, when relaxed, the vital air went out from within: then his vigour went out of him. That having gone out, he fell down. From him, thus fallen, food flowed forth : it was from that eye on which he lay that his food flowed. And, verily, there was then no firm foundation whatever here.
2. The gods spake, ‘Verily, there is no other foundation than this: let us restore even him, our father PragApati; he shall be our foundation.’
3. They said unto Agni, ‘Verily, there is no foundation other than this: in thee we will restore this our father Pragdpati; he shall be our foundation.’—‘ What will then be my reward ?’ said he.
4. They spake, ‘This Pragdpati is food : with thee for our mouth we will eat that food, and he (Pragapati) shall be the food of us, having thee for our mouth.’ He said, ‘So be it!’ Therefore the gods eat food with Agni as their mouth ; for to whatsoever deity men offer, it is into Agni that they offer, since it is with Agni for their mouth that the gods thus took in the food.
5. Now the vital air which went out from within him is no other than the wind that blows yonder; and the vigour which went out of him is yonder sun ; and the food which flowed from him is all the food which there is within the year.
6. The gods heated him in the fire ; and when the
* Literally, fallen asunder, i.e. broken to pieces, or disjointed (‘ opened,’ Delbriick, Synt. F. V, p. 385).
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fire rose over him thus heated, that same vital air which had gone out from within him came back to him, and they put it into him; and the vigour which had gone out of him they put into him; and the food which had flowed from him they put into him. Having made him up entire and complete, they raised him (so as to stand) upright; and inasmuch as they thus raised him upright he is these worlds.
7. This (terrestrial) world truly is his foundation ; and what fire there is in this world that is his (Pragapati’s) downward vital air. And the air is his body, and what wind there is in the air, that is that vital air of his in the body. And the sky is his head; the sun and the moon are his eyes. The eye on which he lay is the moon: whence that one is much closed up, for the food flowed therefrom.
8. Now that same foundation which the gods thus restored is the foundation here even to this day, and will be so even hereafter. .
9. And the Pragdpati who became relaxed is this same Agni who is now being built up. And when _ that fire-pan lies there empty before being heated, it is just like Pragapati, as he lay there with the vital air and the vigour gone out of him, and the food having flowed out.
10. He heats it on the fire, even as the gods then heated him (PragApati). And when the fire rises over it thus heated, then that same vital air which went out from within him comes back to him, and he puts it into him. And when, putting on the gold plate, he wears it, he puts into him that very vigour which had gone out of him. And when he puts on kindling-sticks, he puts into him that very food which had flowed from him.
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11. He puts them on in the evening and morning, for the food both of the day and the night was flowing out. These same (ceremonies) should be (performed) during a whole year, for that Pragdpati whence those (substances) went out is the year: into that whole (Pragapati) he thus puts all that (which belongs to him). And in whatever part of this (year) he should therefore? not do so, into that part of him (Pragdpati) he would not put that (which belongs therein). ‘One must not even be a looker-on at the (building up of a fire) not carried about for a year, Vamakakshdyaza was wont to say, ‘lest he should see this our father Pragdpati being torn to pieces *.’ He restores him so as to be whole and complete, and raises him to stand upright, even as the gods then raised him.
12. This (terrestrial) world in truth is his (Pragépati’s) Garhapatya (hearth); and what fire there is in this world that to him is the fire on the Garhapatya. And what space there is between the Ahavantya and the Garhapatya, that is the air*; and that wind in
* Or, in whatever part of this (year) from henceforward he should not do so.
* It is very doubtful whether this second clause of the oratio directa is really meant to belong to Vamakaksh4yana’s argument, or whether it is the author’s own, in which case it has to be taken with what follows. ‘Lest he should. . . pieces, he (first) restores him,’ &c. That is, he is not to place him (Pragapati) in an upright position, until he has been completely restored. The particular form of the participle qualifying Prag&pati (viésidyam4na) might seem to favour the former alternative ; see, however, paragraph 23, antayo samskriyamanayor, ‘after the two ends have been perfected.’
* In this and the following paragraphs the ordinary position of subject and predicate seems often reversed: in the present case one would expect—that air is to him the space between the two fires,
Vil KANDA, I ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMANA, 15. 315 the air is for him the fire on the Agnidhrtya. The sky is his Ahavantya (hearth), and those two, the sun and the moon, are the fire on the Ahavantya. This then is indeed his own self}.
13. The Ahavantya truly is his head; and the fire which is on the Ahavantya is that vital air of his in the head. And as to why it (the Ahavantya) has wings and tail, it is because that vital air in the head has wings and tail*;—the eye is its head, the right ear its right wing, the left ear its left wing, the vital air its central body °, and the voice is the tail (and) the foundation (the feet): inasmuch as the vital airs subsist by eating food with speech (voice)*, the voice is the tail, the foundation.
14. And what space there is between the Ahavaniya and G4arhapatya, that is the body (trunk); and the fire on the Agntdhrtya is to him that vital air inside the body. The G§rhapatya is his foundation ; and the fire on the Garhapatya is his downward vital air.
15. Now some build it (the Garhapatya) in three layers, saying, ‘ There are here three downward vital airs. Let him not do so: they who do so do what is excessive,—one amounting to twenty-one, one amounting to the Anush¢ubh, and one amounting to the Bvzhatt ; for this (altar) is of one single form—a
1 Viz. the sacrificial ground thus becomes identical with the universe, i.e. with Pragdpati.
2 That is, it is (like) a bird. The word ‘préina’ might almost be rendered here by ‘the living being.’
3 In the text this is reversed, the head is the eye, the right wing the right ear, the left wing the left ear, the central body the vital air, which can scarcely be the construction intended by the author.
‘ Or, with the mouth. In VIII, 5, 4,1; X, 5, 2, 15, ‘vak’ is identified with the tongue.
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‘ Or, with the mouth. In VIII, 5, 4,1; X, 5, 2, 15, ‘vak’ is identified with the tongue.
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womb. And as to those downward vital airs, they are indeed a bringing forth, for even the urine and faeces he voids are ‘ brought forth.’
16. Now then the (mystic) correspondence,— twenty-one bricks, nine formulas 3, that makes thirty ; —and the ‘settling’ and Sddadohas verse, that makes thirty-two,—the anush/ubh verse consists of thirtytwo syllables : this is an anushéubh °.
17. And, again, there are twenty-one enclosingstones ; the formula the twenty-second ; the formula for the sweeping, the saline earth and its formula, the sand and its formula, the ‘filling’ (soil) and its formula; with four (formulas) he pours (the two fires) together; with a fifth he unties (the pan); then this (Nirvzti) with three the anush¢ubh verse consists of thirty-two syllables: this then is an anushfubh.
18, Then there are these two formulas‘, and they are indeed an anush¢ubh—the Anushéubh is speech: thus what twofold form of speech there is, the divine and the human, loud and low, that is those two.
19. The G§&rhapatya pile thus is those three
1 Viz. XII, 47-54 (XII, 53, consisting of two formulas).
* That is to say, these thirty-two items form, as it were, an Anush/ubh verse consisting of thirty-two syllables.
® See VII, 2, 1, 1 seq.
‘ I do not see what other formulas can be intended here except those addressed to the enclosing stones, concluding with the ‘sAdana,’ or ‘settling’ formula, viz. Vag. S. XII, 53; see above, VII, 1, 1, 30; though these do not exactly yield thirty-two syllables, but thirty-four (see, however, paragraph 22). Our available MSS. of the commentary are unfortunately defective at this place.—On the artificial manipulation of making up imaginary metres by the mere number of syllables, irrespective of their real prosodic value, see Professor Weber, Ind. Stud.,VIII, p. 23 seq.
vir KAWDA, I ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMANA, 21. 317 anush¢ubh verses. And as to why they make up three anush/ubhs in this (G4rhapatya), it is because all these (three) worlds then come to be (contained) therein. From it they take one of the two (first) anushéubhs of thirty-two syllables (to be) the Ahavantya,—that Ahavantya is that sky, that head (of Prag4pati). Then one of the two (anushéubhs) is left here (to be) this Garhapatya, this foundation, this very (terrestrial) world.
20. And as to those two formulas, they are that space between the Ahavantya and the GArhapatya, that air (-world), that body (of Pragdpati). And because there are two of them (making up one anush¢ubh), therefore that space (and hearth) between the Ahavantya and the Garhapatya (viz. the Agntdhriya hearth’) is smaller; and therefore the airworld is the smallest of these worlds.
And because there are two of them (making up one anush¢ubh), therefore that space (and hearth) between the Ahavantya and the Garhapatya (viz. the Agntdhriya hearth’) is smaller; and therefore the airworld is the smallest of these worlds.
21. That same Anush¢ubh, speech, is threefold. That fire, taking the form of the vital air, goes along with it (speech),—the fire which is on the Ahavantya (altar) is the out-breathing, and yonder sun ; and the fire which is on the Agntdhrtya is the throughbreathing, and the wind which blows yonder; and the fire which is on the Garhapatya is the in-breathing, and what fire there is here in this (earth-) world. And verily he who knows this makes up for himself the whole V4é (speech), the whole vital air, the whole body (of Prag4pati).
* Or, the Dhishnya hearths (see paragraph 23), which are more properly situated between the Garhapatya and the Ahavaniya fireplaces. See the plan of the sacrificial ground in part ii; where, however, the Ahavantya of the Pra#inavamsa (hall), or the so-called sladvarya (hall-door fire), would represent the Garhapatya for the Ahavantya of the Mah4vedi.
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22. Then that Brzhatt (metre),—the two (verses) of thirty-two syllables : that makes thirty-two ; then those two formulas: that makes thirty-four; Agni the thirty-fifth ;—a metre does not vanish by a syllable (too much or too little), neither by one nor by two? ;—moreover, that (Agni) consists of two syllables: that makes thirty-six. The Brzhati consists of thirty-six syllables,—it is the Bvzhatt that that (Ahavantya) pile thus amounts to; for whatlike the seed which is infused into the womb, suchlike (offspring) is born therefrom: thus in that he makes up that Brzhatt (metre) in this (Gdrhapatya hearth), thereby that (Ahavantya) fire-altar amounts to the Brzhatt.
23. As to this they say, ‘As the Garhapatya is this (terrestrial) world, the Dhishvya hearths the air, and the Ahavantya the sky, and the air-world is not separated from this (earth-) world, why then, after building the Garhapatya, does he build the Ahavantya, and (only) then the Dhishzyas ?’ Well, at first these two worlds (heaven and earth) were together ; and when they parted asunder, the space which was between (antar) them became that air (antariksha) ; for ‘ tksha *’ indeed it was theretofore, and ‘Now this “itksha” has come between (antar4),’ they said, whence ‘antariksha’ (air). And as to why, after building the Garhapatya, he builds the Ahavantya, it is because these two worlds were created first. Then, going back, he throws up the Dhishzya hearths, just to prevent discontinuity of
1 The same latitude in the computation of the number of syllables constituting a metre is conceded, Ait. Br. I, 6. * ? That is, ‘ visible,’ or, ‘capable of being seen through.’
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the sacred work; and thus indeed the middle is completed, after the two ends have been completed.
THE ALTAR OF NIRAJTI.
Br. I, 6. * ? That is, ‘ visible,’ or, ‘capable of being seen through.’
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the sacred work; and thus indeed the middle is completed, after the two ends have been completed.
THE ALTAR OF NIRAJTI.
Seconp ApuyAya, First BRAHMANA.
1. They now take the Nirvzti (bricks) from there. For, having built the Garhapatya, the gods then ascended it,—the G4arhapatya being this (earth-) world, it is this world they ascended after completing it. They saw nothing but darkness not to be seen through.
2. They said, ‘Think ye upon this, how we may dispel that darkness, evil!’ They said, ‘ Meditate ye (4etay) !’—whereby indeed they said, ‘Seek ye to build an altar (Aitim) !’—‘ Seek ye so that we may dispel that darkness, evil!’
3. Whilst meditating, they saw those Nirvzti bricks; they piled them up, and by them dispelled that darkness, evil; for Nirvzti (corruption, or destruction) is evil; and inasmuch as by them they dispelled Nirvzti, evil, these are Nirvcti’s (bricks).
4. Now that same thing which the gods did, is done here: even now that darkness, that evil, has indeed been dispelled by the gods themselves; but when he now does this, it is because he thinks, ‘I must do what the gods did.’ And, besides, he removes, by means of these (bricks), whatever evil, whatever corruption there is; and because he removes by them evil, corruption (nirvzti), therefore these are Nirvzti’s (bricks).
5. And, again, why they take these (bricks) of Nirvzti ;—when the gods restored the relaxed Pragépati, they cast him as seed into the fire-pan, thep. 320 womb ; the fire-pan being indeed a womb. In the course of a year they prepared for him this foundation, even this (terrestrial) world; the Garhapatya (hearth) being this world: therein they generated him. And whatever evil there was in him, whatever mucus, whatever inner and outer membrane, that they removed from him by means of these (bricks) ; and inasmuch as thereby they removed his evil, his corruption, these are Nirvtti’s (bricks).
6. In like manner the Sacrificer now casts his own self, as seed, into the fire-pan, the womb ; the fire-pan being indeed a womb. In the course of a year he prepares for that (self of his) this foundation, even this (terrestrial) world; the Garhapatya being this world: therein he generates it. And whatever evil there is of it, whatever mucus, whatever inner and outer membrane, that he removes therefrom by these (bricks); and inasmuch as he thereby removes its evil, its corruption, these are Nirvzti’s (bricks).
7. They measure a foot (square): he thus treads evil, corruption, under foot. They are unmarked ; for whatever is not, that is unmarked (by characteristics): he thus makes evil, corruption to be non-existent. They get baked by (rice) husks, for husks belong to Nirvzti: by Nirvzti’s own (objects) he thus performs Nirvzti’s rite. They are black, for black was that darkness; and black in truth is Nirvzti (corruption).
They get baked by (rice) husks, for husks belong to Nirvzti: by Nirvzti’s own (objects) he thus performs Nirvzti’s rite. They are black, for black was that darkness; and black in truth is Nirvzti (corruption).
8. With them they proceed towards that (southwestern) quarter, for that is Nirvzti’s quarter: he thus places Nirvzti (corruption) in Nirvzti’s quarter.
Or (Pragpati’s), Agni’s self, or body.
vil KAWDA, 2 ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 10. 321
And anywhere where there is a self-produced hollow! or cleft in the ground, he lays down those (bricks) ; for on whatever part of this (earth) there is a cleaving, or in whatever part of it plants are not produced, verily that part of it Nirvzti seizes upon: he thus places corruption in a (part) of the earth set aside for Nirvzti. Having put them in their places in a direction away from himself ?, he lays them down °.
9. [He lays them down, with Vag. S, XII, 62-64] ‘Seek thou him that offereth not Soma, nor other offering!’ him who neither presses Soma nor makes offering Nirvzti indeed visits ;—‘ Of the thief do thou follow the way, of the robber!’ that is, ‘follow the way both of the thief and the robber, and even as a thief or a robber remains concealed, so do thou remain concealed !’—‘ Seek thou some one other than us: this is thy way;’ that is, ‘seek him who is ignorant of this (sacred work) ;"—‘ Homage be to thee, O divine Nirrtti!’ he thus turns Nirvzti aside by rendering homage to her.
10. ‘Homage be unto thee full well, O sharpedged Nirvzti!’ for Nirvzti is indeed sharp-edged : to her he thereby renders homage ;—‘loose thou
1 Or probably, a barren spot, see p. 43, note 2.
2 That is, whilst himself remaining north of the place, and facing the south, he puts them down in the direction from north to south.
5 That is, he performs the formal ceremony of ‘laying down (upadhana)’ whilst muttering the respective verses. In the present case the ‘laying down’ of the bricks is to be performed by him whilst muttering the formulas, but without touching the bricks themselves. The direction that the bricks are to be deposited in a direction ‘away from him’ perhaps refers to the ‘laying down’ instead of to the actual placing them.
Ur) ¥
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this iron bond!’ for it is indeed with an iron bond that Nirvzti binds him whom she binds ;— ‘being of one mind with Yama and Yamt,— Yama doubtless is Agni, and Yamt is this (earth), and by these two everything here is kept in check: thus, ‘being of one mind with those two,—‘raise him unto the highest firmament!’ the firmament is the heavenly world: thus, ‘ raise the Sacrificer up to the heavenly world!’
11. ‘Thee, O awful (goddess), into whose mouth I offer— Nirvzti is indeed awful, and into her mouth he now offers when he performs this divine rite;—‘for the unloosing of these bonds;’ that is, of those bonds with which he has been bound ;—‘ Thee whom people rejoice in calling Earth,—the Earth is this (world), and he who exists, exists thereon,—‘ but I know thee to be Nirvzti everywhere!’ that is, in every respect I know that thou art Nirvzti. Now Nirvzti is this earth, and this earth makes him decay who becomes corrupted: in speaking thus, it is as if he were to say, ‘Thou art So and So, the son of So and So, I know thee, do not injure me!’ for in no wise does he who is known injure one when spoken to.
12. He does not touch (the bricks),— Nirvzti being evil,—lest he put himself in contact with evil. He does not ‘settle’ them,—settlement being a firm footing—lest he give a firm footing to evil. He does not pronounce the Sidadohas verse upon them, —the Sfdadohas being the vital air,—lest he should join Nirvzti (corruption) together, and restore her.
13. Now some lay (the bricks) down from the farther end towards themselves,—Nirvtti (corruption) being evil,—lest they themselves should go the wayp. 323 to corruption. Let him not do so, but let him lay them down in the direction away from him: he thus drives evil, corruption, away from him.
14. Three bricks he lays down,—threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much he thus repels evil, corruption.
15. The seat, the netting, the sling of the gold plate, and the two pads he throws down on the farther side (of the bricks),—the sling} is sacred to Nirrzti: from Nirvzti’s sling he is thus freed. [He throws them down, with Vag. S. XII, 65] ‘The indissoluble bond which the divine Nirvzti hath fastened upon thy neck, —indissoluble indeed for him who does not know this ;—‘that (bond) of thine I unloose, as from the middle of Ayus,—Ayus * doubtless is Agni, and his middle (body) is that G4rhapatya which has been built ;— not yet built is the Ahavantya: hence whether a youth builds the altar, or an old man, he says ‘as from the middle of Ayus ;’—‘now, being urged forward, eat thou this nourishment!’ nourishment means food : thus, ‘now, set free, eat thou this food.’ With Trish¢ubh verses (he performs this rite), for the Trishéubh is a thunderbolt: it is thus with a thunderbolt that he repels evil, corruption.
16. There are three bricks, the seat, the netting, the sling of the gold plate, and the two pads; that makes eight ;—the Gayatrt consists of eight syllables,
1 According to Sayaza the sling of the gold plate is here singled out, because the other objects have necessarily been damaged by the hot fire-pan and are consequently thrown away as a matter of course.
® See III, 4, 1, 22. In the formula ‘4yus’ may rather have to be taken in the sense of ‘life,’ or ‘vital power.’ Mahidhara takes ‘na’ in the sense of ‘now (samprati),’ instead of ‘as.’
Y2
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and Agni is Gayatra: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much he thus repels evil, corruption.
17. On the space between (the Sacrificer and the bricks) he pours out a jarful of water,—water is a thunderbolt : with a thunderbolt he thus separates from himself evil, corruption. With ‘Homage to (the goddess of) Prosperity who hath done this!’ they rise, for it was with a view to prosperity that the gods at first performed this rite, and to that (goddess) they then rendered homage; and for prosperity indeed this (Sacrificer) now performs this rite, and to that (goddess) he now renders homage. They go back (to the sacrificial ground) without looking back: they thus abandon evil, corruption, even without looking back to it.
18. Having returned, he stands worshipping by the fire; for when he goes into that (south-western) direction whilst Agni is only half built up, he does what is improper: he now makes amends to him to prevent his doing any harm.
19. And again, why he stands by (the fire). The Gdrhapatya (hearth) is this (terrestrial) world; for the Garhapatya is a foundation, and the foundation doubtless is this (earth). Now when he goes into that direction, he goes where there is no path; and when he stands by (the fire), he thereby returns to this (earth), the foundation, and establishes himself upon this foundation.
20. [He worships, with Vag. S. XII, 66] ‘The harbourer and gatherer of riches,’ for a harbourer this world indeed is, a gatherer of riches ;— ‘all form he watches over with his favours, — that is, ‘all forms (of being) he watches over with
Vil KANDA, 2 ADHYAYA, 2-BRAHMANA, 2. 325 his favours ;’—‘ like the god Savitvz, like Indra, he of true covenant stood at the meeting of ways!;’ as the text, so its meaning.
PREPARATION OF THE SITE OF THE GREAT (AHAVANIYA) ALTAR.
Sreconp BRAHMANA.
1. He then prepares the Prayasitya? (opening sacrifice). With the Havishkrzt of that (oblation) he releases (the Sacrificer’s) speech*. Having released his speech, he throws away the grass-bush (stambayagus *). Having thrown away the grassbush, and drawn the first line of enclosure®, and the lines (across the maha-vedi), he says, ‘ Throw thrice !’ and the Agntdhra throws thrice (the wooden sword) *. ,
2. Having returned (to the offering, or hall-door
1 Mahidhara takes ‘samare pathindm’ in the sense of ‘in the battle of (i.e. with) the waylayers (paripanthibhi’ saha).’
? See part ii, p. 47 seq.
* Viz. by calling out three times ‘Havishkrit, come hither, whereby the Adhvaryu summons one of the priests, or maidservants, to assist in preparing the material for offering. See part i, p. 27 seq.
‘ Part i, p. 55 seq.
® Part i, p. 59 seq.
See part ii, p. 47 seq.
* Viz. by calling out three times ‘Havishkrit, come hither, whereby the Adhvaryu summons one of the priests, or maidservants, to assist in preparing the material for offering. See part i, p. 27 seq.
‘ Part i, p. 55 seq.
® Part i, p. 59 seq.
® See part i, p. 55. It must, however, be borne in mind that the passage here referred to relates to the construction of the Vedi of an ordinary ish, whilst in the present instance we have to do with a Mahavedi, as prescribed for Soma-sacrifices (cf. part ii, p. 111 seq., where, however, only a few distinctive points are adverted to). The plan of the Mahavedi, given at the end of part ii, shows at the eastern end a square mound, the so-called uttara-vedi, or higher, upper altar, on which the Ahavantya, or offering, fire is maintained. On a similar earth mound, but raised in the centre of the square site (see VII, 3, 1, 27), the Agnifayana requires the erection of the large brick fire-altar, the preparation of the site of which is explained from the next paragraph.
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fire) he proceeds with the opening sacrifice. Having performed the opening sacrifice, he yokes a plough. For the gods at that time, being about to heal him (Agni-Prag4pati), first supplied him with food, and in like manner does this (Sacrificer) now that he is about to heal him, first supply him with food. It (the food) is the plough (stra), for ‘stra’ is the same as ‘sera!:’ he thus puts food into him.
3. It is made of udumbara (ficus glomerata) wood,—the Udumbara tree being sustenance, lifesap: he thus supplies him with sustenance, with life-sap. The cordage of the plough consists of muviga grass, triply twisted: the significance of this has been explained.
4. Standing behind the right (southern) hip of Agni (the site of the fire-altar) he (the Pratiprasthatyz) addresses it (the plough) while being yoked (by the Adhvaryu) in front of the left (northern) shoulder, with (Vag. S. XII, 67, 68; Azk S. X, ror, 4, 3), ‘The skilful yoke* the ploughs, and stretch across the yokes,—the skilful are those who know, and they do yoke the plough and stretch the yokes across ;—‘the wise, with mind devoted to the gods,—devotion means sacrifice: thus, ‘the wise, performing sacrifice to the gods.’
5. ‘Yoke ye the ploughs, and stretch across the yokes!’—they indeed yoke the plough, and stretch the yokes across ;—‘into the ready womb here cast ye the seed!’ it is for the seed that that womb, the furrow, is made; and if one casts
? That is ‘sa+ ira, with draught or food.
* Or rather, put (the oxen) to the ploughs. Professor Ludwig takes ‘sira’ in the sense of ‘straps, traces,’—the skilful fasten the traces.