1 Sayawa, on Taitt. S. IV, 2, 4, takes 'sa^wanam' 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.
2 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.
3 This notion is apparently based on the supposed etymological connection of ' sikata/ sand, with the root ' sik.'
VII KANDA, I ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAiVA, 1 4. 3OI
Garhapatya 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 enclosing-
stones ; — the Garhapatya 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)1, whence the ocean flows round this world
(from the east) southwards ; — by means of a dug out
(hole, or moat)2, whence the ocean flows round this
world in a moat.
14. [Va£*. 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 Stidadohas (verse) on them3.
1 That is, from east to south, &c, following the course of the sun.
2 ?That is, by digging in each stone, the circle consisting of altogether twenty-one stones.
3 The two ceremonies here referred to, viz. the 'sadana' (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 Sudadohas verse (Va^. S. XII, 55, for which
SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
15. For the enclosing-stones are the bones, and
the Sftdadohas 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.
1 7. Thereon he now builds it (the hearth) : he
Garhapatya 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 ' lokamprma ' (or space-filling bricks), for which see p. 153, note.
VII KANDA, I ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAiVA, 21. 303
18. He puts on (the circular site) four (bricks)
running eastwards 1 ; 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 2.
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
hereafter 3 with wings and tail.
20. While being indeed furnished with wings and
tail, people do not see him as one having wings and
tail 4 : 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.
2 See VI, 1, 1, 3-6.
3 Or 'yonder/ that is, as the great fire-altar, soon to be built, which is ultimately to receive the Ahavaniya fire, taken from the G&rhapatya.
4 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 Ahavaniya fire. In the Garhapatya hearth, Agni would seem represented rather as a man lying on his back with the head towards the east.
304 SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
is being produced it is the body (trunk) that is pro-
duced first. Sitting south (of the hearth-site) with
his face to the north he puts on first one (brick) of
the upper (north) part 1 (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 V^*. S. XII, 47 ; Rik S.
Ill, 22, 1, &c] 'This is the Agni wherein Indra
taketh theSoma-juice/ for the Girhapatya 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 Vbg. 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 V$g. 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.
2 ?That is, Thou, being built (as the Garhapatya), art built (once more as the Ahavaniya),
Vii Kanda, I Adhyaya, I Brahma2va, 2 J. 305
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 ap-
proach (thee), they that are beyond the lumi-
nous 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 V&g. S. XII, 50] ' The
Agnis Purishyas/ — that is, the Agnis favourable
to cattle; — ' together with those of the streams
(prava^a) ; ' this is a form of starting * (praya^a),
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 ! '
26. He puts them down separately : what different
desires there are, those he thereby lays into the
self. He 'settles' them once: he thereby makes
the self one. He pronounces the Sudadohas 2 verse
on them ; for the Sudadohas is the vital air : by
means of the vital air he thus makes him (Agni)
continuous, joins him together.
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 ' prava/za ' begins with the preposition ' pra/ forward, Say.
2 See p. 307, note 2.
306 SATAPATHA-BRAHMAiVA.
with (Va£\ 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 off-
spring;— 'let that, O Agni, be thy good-will
unto us ! ' he therewith invokes a blessing.
28. Then the northern one, with (Va£\ S. XII,
52; Ri\i S. Ill, 29, 10), 'This is thy natural
womb, whence born thou shonest forth,' — that
is, * this (householders 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 two are his (Agni's) thighs, — separately
he puts them on, separately he ' settles ' them,
separately he pronounces the Stidadohas 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 a),
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 (Va£\ S. XII, 53),
1 They are joined to each other, according to Saya«a, but this can hardly be the meaning intended, as the stones lie close to each other also at the lower (western) end.
VII KAiVDA, I ADHYAYA, I BRAHMAJVA, 32. 307
'Ranging thou art: by that deity, Angiras-
like, lie thou steady1 !' Then the southern one,
with, ' Ranging round thou art: by that deity,
Angiras-like, lie thou steady1!'
31. These two are his (Agni's) arms, — separately
he puts them on, separately he 'settles' them,
separately he pronounces the Siidadohas 2 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 3, for thus it is with the gods 4.
32. Eight bricks he puts on (the hearth-site), —
the Gayatrt consists of eight syllables, and Agni is
Gayatra 5 : 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,