Philosophy and Religion / Satapatha Brahmana

The Satapatha Brahmana: Eighth Kânda, Seventh Adhyâya

First Brâhmana

1. He lays down two Ritavyâ (seasonal bricks). The seasonal (bricks) are the same as these seasons: it is the seasons he thereby lays down. And, indeed, the seasonal ones are everything here, for the seasonal ones are the year, and the year is everything here: he thus lays down everything here. And generative power they also are,--for the seasonal ones are the year, and the year means generative power: it is generative power he thus lays down (or bestows on Agni and the Sacrificer).

2. And, again, as to why he lays down seasonal (bricks),--the seasonal (ones) are the nobility and these other bricks are the peasantry: he thus places the nobility as the eater among the peasantry. He lays down (some of) them in all the layers: he thus places the nobility as the eater among the whole people¹.

3. And, again, as to why he lays down seasonal (bricks),--this fire-altar is the year, and it is joined together by means of the seasonal (bricks): he thus makes the year continuous, and joins it together, by means of the seasons. These (formulas of the seasonal bricks) begin in a different way, but end in the same way; for the seasons were created, and, when created, they were different.

4. They spake, 'While being thus, we shall not be able to procreate: let us unite with our forms!' They united in each single season with their forms, whence there is in each single season the form of all the seasons. As to their (formulas) beginning in a different way, it is because they were created different (or separately); and as to their ending in the same way, it is because they united with their forms.

5. He lays them down, with (Vâg. S. XV, 57), 'Tapa and Tapasya, the two dewy seasons,'--these are the names of these two: it is thus by their names that he lays them down. Tapa (the burner), doubtless, is yonder sun: from him these two seasons are not separated; and inasmuch as these two seasons are not separated from him, they are called Tapa and Tapasya.

6. 'Agni's coupling-link thou art,'--this fire-altar is the year, and it is joined together by means of the seasonal (bricks): he thus makes the year continuous, and joins it together by means of the seasons;--'May Heaven and earth fit into one another! may the waters and plants fit into each other!'--he thereby makes everything here² to fit in by means of the seasons:--'May the fires fit into one another, each singly, working harmoniously together for my supremacy!'--for these single bricks are the same as those fires: he thus says this so that they may fit in with each other for the supremacy of those two seasons:--'whatever fires there are, at one with each other, within these two, Heaven and Earth;'--as the text is, so is its meaning;--'let them draw together, fitting in with the two dewy seasons, even as the gods draw together unto Indra;'--that is, 'even as the gods are drawing together round Indra, so may they draw together for supremacy round these two seasons.' Two bricks there are, because the season consists of two months. Only once he 'settles' them: he thereby makes the season to be one.

7. And as to why he now lays down these two;--this fire-altar is the year, and the year is these worlds: the fifth layer of this (altar) is the sky, and the dewy season of this (year) is the sky; and when he now lays down these two (bricks), he thereby restores to his (Agni's) body what these two are thereto: this is why he now lays down these two (bricks).

8. And, again, as to why he now lays down these two;--this Agni (the fire-altar) is Pragâpati (the lord of generation), and Pragâpati is the year: the fifth layer is his (Agni's) head, and the dewy season is its (the year's) head; and when he now lays down these two (bricks), he thereby restores to his (or its) body what these two are thereto: this is why he now lays down these two (bricks).

9. He lays down the two seasonal ones prior to the naturally-perforated one and to the Visvagyotis; for the last naturally-perforated one is the sky³, and the last Visvagyotis⁴ (all-light brick) is the sun: he thus places the seasons on this side of the sky and the sun; whence the seasons are on this side thereof. But generative power there also is (in these seasonal bricks)⁵: he thus places generative power on this side of the sky and the sun; whence procreation takes place only on this side of them, but stationary, indeed, is procreation beyond them, for just as many gods as there were of old, so many there are now.

10. Now, the (first) two seasonal (bricks) he lays down subsequently to the first naturally-perforated one, and to the first Visvagyotis; for the first naturally-perforated one is this (earth), and the first Visvagyotis is Agni: thereupon he places the seasons, whence the seasons are upwards from this (earth). But generative power there also is therein: he thus places generative power above this (earth); whence procreation only takes place above (upon, not under) this (earth).

11. Let him not derange these (seasonal bricks)⁶ lest he should derange the seasons, for deranged are the seasons for him who dies: hence, in whatever place he lays down the first two, there let him lay down all.

12. But the seasonal (bricks), indeed, are also these (three) worlds: by the (different) layers he thus builds up these worlds one above the other. And the seasonal (bricks), indeed, are also the nobility: by the (different) layers he thus builds up the nobility above (the peasantry). And the seasonal ones, indeed, are also the year: by the (different) layers he thus builds up the year. Let him not thereafter place over them any other brick with a sacrificial formula, lest he should place the peasantry above the nobility.

13. Now these same (bricks) are indeed steppingstones, for by means of the seasonal (bricks) the gods then stepped over these worlds, hath from hence upwards and from above downwards: and in like manner does the Sacrificer now, by means of the seasonal (bricks), step over these worlds, both from hence upwards and from above downwards.

14. Now, the Karakâdhvaryus lay down here yet other 'stepping-stones'; but let him not do so, for they do what is redundant, and these are indeed (all) the stepping-stones.

15. He then lays down a Visvagyotis (all-light brick);--the last Visvagyotis, doubtless, is the sun, for in yonder (celestial) world the sun, indeed, is 'all the light': it is the sun he thereby sets up.

16. And, again, as to why he lays down a Visvagyotis:--the Visvagyotis, doubtless, means progeny, for progeny indeed is all the light:--he thus lays generative power into it (or into him, Agni and the Sacrificer).

17. He lays down the Visvagyotis prior to the naturally-perforated one;--for the last naturally-perforated one is the sky, and the last Visvagyotis is the sun: he thus places the sun on this side (below) the sky, whence he burns only on this side thereof. But there also is generative power therein: he thus places generative power on this side of the sky, whence procreation takes place only on this side thereof.

18. Now the (first) Visvagyotis he lays down subsequent to the first naturally-perforated one; for the first naturally-perforated one is this (earth), and the first Visvagyotis is Agni: he thus sets up Agni upwards from this (earth), whence the fire blazes upwards from here. But there also is generative power therein: he thus places generative power above this (earth), whence procreation only takes place above this (earth).

19. And the (second) Visvagyotis he lays down subsequent to the second naturally-perforated one (in the third, or central) layer; for the second naturally-perforated one is the air, and the second Visvagyotis is Vâyu (the wind): he thus places the wind in the air, whence that wind (has his abode) in the air.

20. These (three) then are the lights;--and when he lays down these (three Visvagyotis bricks) in this way, he thereby sets up those same lights so as to face each other; and hence the fire blazes upwards from this (earth), and yonder sun shines downwards, and that wind blows sideways in the air.

21. [He 'settles' the Visvagyotis, with, Vâg. S. XV, 58], 'May Parameshthin settle thee'--for Parameshthin saw this fifth layer;--'on the back of the sky, thee, the luminous one!'--for on the back of the sky is yonder luminous sun.

22. 'For all out-breathing, and off-breathing, and through-breathing,'--for the Visvagyotis is the breath, and breath, indeed, is (necessary) for everything here;--'bestow thou all the light!'--that is, 'bestow thou the whole (or every) light;'--'Sûrya is thine overlord,'--he thereby makes Sûrya (the sun) its overlord. Having 'settled' it, he pronounces the Sûdadohas on it: its (symbolical) meaning has been told⁷.

23. Now, these (bricks) are indeed stepping-stones, for by means of the Visvagyotis (bricks) the gods then stepped over these worlds, both from hence upwards, and from above downwards: and in like manner does the Sacrificer now, by means of the Visvagyotis, step over these worlds, both from hence upwards, and from above downwards.

24. Now, the Karakâdhvaryus lay down here yet other 'stepping-stones'; but let him not do so, for they do what is redundant, and these are indeed the stepping-stones.

Second Brâhmana

1. He then lays down a Lokamprinâ⁸ (space-filling brick); the Lokamprinâ, doubtless, is yonder sun, for he fills these worlds: it is thus yonder sun he thereby sets up. He lays down this (Lokamprinâ) in all the (five) layers, for those layers are these (three) worlds⁹: he thus places the sun in (all) these worlds, whence he shines for all these worlds.

2. And, again, as to why he lays down a Lokamprinâ,--the Lokamprinâ, doubtless, is the nobility (or chieftaincy)¹⁰, and these other bricks are the peasants (or clansmen): he thus places the nobility (or chieftain), as the eater, among the peasantry. He lays it down in all the layers: he thus places the nobility, as the eater, among the whole peasantry (or in every clan).

3. Now this is only a single (brick): he thus makes the nobility (or the chieftaincy) and (social) distinction to attach to a single (person). And what second (such brick there is) that is its mate,--a mate, doubtless, is one half of one's own self, for when one is with a mate then he is whole and complete: (thus it is laid down) for the sake of completeness. With a single formula he lays down many bricks¹¹: he thereby endows the nobility preeminently with power¹², and makes the nobility more powerful than the peasantry. And the other (bricks) he lays down singly, with separate formulas: he thereby makes the peasantry less powerful than the nobility, differing in speech, and of different thoughts (from one another).

4. The first two (Lokamprinâs) he lays down in that (south-east) corner: he thereby places yonder sun in that quarter: from this (earth) he follows him (the sun) from that (place) there¹³; from this (earth) he follows him from that (place) there; from this (earth) he follows hire from that (place) there; from this (earth) he follows him from that (place) there.

5. And in whatever place he lays down the first two (bricks), let him there lay down alongside of them the last two (bricks): for (otherwise) having once revolved round these worlds, that sun would not pass by them. Let him lay down the two last alongside the two first by reaching over them: he thus causes that sun to pass by these worlds; and hence that sun revolves incessantly round these worlds again and again (from left) to right.

6. [He lays them down, with, Vâg. S. XV, 59], 'Fill the space! fill the gap!'--that is, 'fill up the space! fill up the gap;'--'and lie thou steady!'--that is, 'and lie thou firm, settled!'--'Indra and Agni, and Brihaspati, have settled thee in this womb;' that is, 'Indra and Agni, and Brihaspati, have established thee in this womb.' Thus (he establishes them) by an anushtubh verse; for the Anushtubh is speech, and Indra is speech, and the space-filler is Indra. He does not settle them, for that (sun) is unsettled. He pronounces the Sûdadohas on them, for the Sûdadohas is vital air: he thus makes him (Agni) continuous and joins him together by means of the vital air.

7. Here now they say, 'How does that Lokamprinâ become of unimpaired strength?' Well, the Lokamprinâ is yonder sun, and he assuredly is of unimpaired strength. And the Lokamprinâ also is speech, and of unimpaired strength assuredly is speech.

8. Having laid down those (bricks) possessed of (special) sacrificial formulas, he covers (the altar) with the Lokamprinâ; for the bricks possessed of formulas mean food, and the Lokamprinâ means the body: he thus encloses the food in the body, whence food enclosed in the body is the body itself.

9. Those (bricks) possessed of formulas he places on the body (of the altar) itself, not on the wings and tail: he thus puts food into the body; and whatever food is put into the body that benefits both the body and the wings and tail; but that which he puts on the wings and tail benefits neither the body, nor the wings and tail.

10. On the body (of the altar) he places both (bricks) possessed of formulas and Lokamprinâs; whence that body (of a bird) is, as it were, twice as thick. On the wings and tail (he places) only Lokamprinâs, whence the wings and tail are, as it were, thinner. On the body (of the altar) he places them both lengthwise and crosswise, for the bricks are bones: hence these bones in the body run both lengthwise and crosswise. On the wings and tail (he places them so as to be) turned away (from the body), for in the wings and tail there is not a single transverse bone. And this, indeed, is the difference between a built and an unbuilt (altar): suchlike is the built one, different therefrom the unbuilt one¹⁴.

11. The Svayamâtrinnâ (naturally-perforated brick) he encloses with Lokamprinâ (bricks); for the naturally-perforated one is the breath, and the 'space-filler' is the sun: he thus kindles the breath by means of the sun, whence this breath (of ours) is warm. With that (kind of brick) he fills up the whole body: he thereby kindles the whole body by means of the sun, whence this whole body (of ours) is warm. And this, indeed, is the difference between one that will live and one that will die: he that will live is warm, and he that will die is cold.

12. From the corner in which he lays down the first two (Lokamprinâs) he goes on filling up (the altar) by tens up to the Svayamâtrinnâ. In the same way he goes on filling it up from left to right behind the naturally-perforated one up to (the brick on) the cross-spine¹⁵. He then fills it up whilst returning to that limit¹⁶.

13. The body (of the altar) he fills up first, for of (a bird) that is produced, the body is produced first, then the right wing, then the tail, then the left (wing): that is in the rightward (sunwise) way, for this is (the way) with the gods, and thus, indeed, yonder sun moves along these worlds from left to right.

14. The Lokamprinâ, doubtless, is the same as the vital air; he therewith fills up the whole body (of the altar): he thus puts vital air into the whole body. If he were not to reach any member thereof, then the vital air would not reach that member of him (Agni); and whatever member the vital air does not reach, that, assuredly, either dries up or withers away: let him therefore fill up therewith the whole of it.

15. The wings and tail he builds on to the body, for the wings and tail grow on to the body; but were he first to lay down those (bricks) turned away (from the body), it would be as if he were to take a limb from elsewhere and put it on again.

16. Let him not lay down either a broken (brick) or a black one; for one that is broken causes failure, and sickly is that form which is black: 'Lest I should make up a sickly body,' he thinks¹⁷. Let him not throw aside an unbroken (brick), lest he should put what is not sickly outside the body. Whatever (bricks), in counting from the dhishnya hearths, should exceed a Virâg¹⁸, and not make up another, such (bricks) indeed cause failure: let him break them and throw them¹⁹ (ut-kir) on the heap of rubbish (utkara), for the heap of rubbish is the seat of what is redundant: thus he thereby settles them where there is. the seat of that which is redundant.

17. Now, then, of the measures of the bricks. In the first and last layers let him lay down (bricks) of a foot (square), for the foot is a support; and the hand is the same as the foot. The largest (bricks) should be of the measure of the thigh-bone, for there is no bone larger than the thigh-bone. Three layers should have (their bricks) marked with three lines, for threefold are these worlds; and two (layers may consist) of (bricks) marked with an indefinite number of lines, for these two layers are the flavour, and the flavour is indefinite; but all (the layers) should rather have (bricks) marked with three lines, for threefold are all these worlds.

18. Now, then, of the location²⁰ of (special) bricks. Any (special) brick he knows, provided with a formula, let him place in the middle (third) layer; for the middle layer is the air, and the air, doubtless, is the location of all beings. Moreover, bricks with (special) formulas are food, and the middle layer is the belly: he thus puts food into the belly.

19. Here, now, they say, 'Let him not lay down (such special bricks) lest he should do what is excessive.' But he may, nevertheless, lay them down; for such bricks are laid down for (the fulfilment of special) wishes, and in wishes there is nothing excessive. But let him rather not lay them down, for just that much the gods then did.

Third Brâhmana

1. He now throws loose soil (on the layer); for the loose soil means flesh: he thus covers him (Agni) with flesh. [He does so] after having laid down the bricks;--the bricks are the bone: he thus covers the bone with flesh.

2. He also strews it on (the place where lies) the naturally-perforated (brick), for the naturally-perforated one means vital air, and the loose soil means food: he thus puts food into (the channels of) the vital air. In that manner²¹ he covers the whole body (of the altar); whence the food which is put into (the channels of) the vital air benefits the whole body, extends over the whole body.

3. 'Let him not strew it on (the place of) the naturally-perforated one,' say some, 'lest he should stop up (the channels of) the vital airs, for the naturally-perforated one is the vital air.' Let him, nevertheless, strew it, for the vital airs are sustained by food, and whoever eats no food his (channels of the) vital airs grow up (and close): hence he for whom they act thus, comes to exist in yonder world even like a dry, hollow tube. Let him, therefore, by all means strew (loose soil) on (the place of) the naturally-perforated one.

4. Having strewed it on the svayamâtrinnâ (place) he goes on covering (the altar) from the (brick) on the cross-spine up to the enclosing-stones. In the same way he goes on covering it from left to right behind the naturally-perforated one up to the one on the cross-spine again.

5. The body (of the altar) he covers first, for of (a bird) that is produced, the body is the first to be produced; then the right wing, then the tail, then the left wing: that is in the rightward (sunwise) way, for this is (the way) with the gods.

6. Now this loose soil, indeed, is the vital air; he therewith covers the whole body: he thus puts vital air into the whole body. And, assuredly, whatsoever member thereof he should not reach, that member of him (Agni) the vital air would not reach; and whatever member the vital air does not reach that either dries up or withers away: let him, therefore, cover it entirely therewith.

7. [He scatters the loose soil²², with, Vâg. S. XV, 56; Rig-veda I, 11, 1], 'They all have magnified Indra,'--for all beings, indeed, magnify Indra;--'the voices, him, of ocean-wide extent,'--he thereby alludes to his greatness;--'the foremost of charioteers,'--for of charioteers he is the greatest charioteer;--'the lordly lord of viands,'--viands mean food: thus, 'the lordly lord of food.' With this anushtubh verse addressed to Indra he scatters it; for the loose soil belongs to Indra: that (layer of) loose soil is one half of Agni (the fire-altar), the (other) half is the collection of bricks.

8. Here, now, they say, 'Whilst he lays down the bricks with all kinds of metres, and with (verses addressed to) all deities, he now scatters (the soil) with a single (verse) addressed to a single deity,--how is this one half of Agni?' Indra, surely, is equal to all the gods; hence in that he scatters it with a (verse) addressed to Indra, this (soil) is one half of Agni. And as to its being (done) with an anushtubh verse,--the Anushtubh is speech, and all metres are speech: thereby also it is one half.

9. He then lays down the Vikarnî and Svayamâtrinnâ (bricks),--the Vikarnî is Vâyu (the wind), and the last naturally-perforated one is the sky: he thus sets up both the wind and the sky. He lays them down as the last (highest), for wind and sky are the highest; and close together, for wind and sky are close together. The Vikarnî he lays down first: he thereby places the wind on this side of the sky; whence that wind blows only on this side (thereof).

10. And, again, as to why he lays down the Vikarnî. When, on that (former) occasion, they make the horse smell (the pile of bricks of) the (first) layer²³, then yonder sun strings these worlds to himself on a thread. Now that thread is the same as the wind; and that wind is the same as this Vikarnî: thus when he lays down the latter, then yonder sun strings to himself these worlds on a thread.

11. And, again, as to why he lays down the Vikarnî and the Svayamâtrinnâ; the Vikarnî, doubtless, is vital power, and the naturally-perforated one is vital air: he thus bestows both vital power and vital air. He lays them down as the two last (highest bricks), because vital power and vital air are the two highest (endowments); and close together, because vital power and vital air are closely (bound) together. The upper (northern) Vikarnî he lays down first²⁴: he thereby encloses the vital air on both sides in vital power.

12. [He lays it down, with, Vâg. S. XV, 62; Rig-veda VII, 3, 2], 'When, like a snorting steed, that longeth for the pasture, he started forth from the great enclosure, then the wind fanned his flame, and black then was thy path;'--for when the wind fans his (Agni's) flame, then his path does become black. With a trishtubh verse he lays it down, because Vâyu (the wind) is of trishtubh nature; with one relating to Agni, because it is Agni's performance; with an undefined one, because Vâyu is undefined. And as to his saying 'the wind,' Vâyu indeed is the wind.

13. He then lays down the Svayamâtrinnâ, with (Vâg. S. XV, 63), 'I seat thee in the seat of the vital power,'--the vital power, doubtless, is yonder (sun), and his seat this is;--'the animating,'--for he (the sun) animates all this universe;--'in the shadow,'--for in his shadow all this universe is;--'in the heart of the sea,'--for this, indeed, is the heart of the (aerial) sea²⁵;--'the radiant, the luminous,'--for radiant and luminous is the sky;--'thou that illumines the sky, the earth and the wide air;'--for thus, indeed, does he (the sun) illumine these worlds.

14. 'May Parameshthin settle thee,'--for Parameshthin saw this fifth layer²⁶.

15. And, again, as to why he lays it down by means of Parameshthin. When Pragâpati had become disjointed, the deities took him and went off in different directions. Parameshthin took his head, and kept going away from him.

16. He spake to him, 'Come to me and restore unto me that wherewith thou hast gone from me!'--'What will therefrom accrue to me?'--'That part of my body shall be sacred to thee!'--'So be it!' So Parameshthin restored that to him.

17. Now that last self-perforated (brick) is just that part of him (Pragâpati-Agni); and when he now lays it down in this place, he thereby restores to him what part of his body this is: that is why he lays it down in this place.

18. 'On the back of the sky, thee, the wide and broad one!'--for this (top of the altar) is indeed the back of the sky, and it is both wide and broad²⁷;--'Sustain thou the sky! make firm the sky! injure not the sky!'--that is, 'Sustain thy self, make firm thy self, injure not thy self (body)!'

19. 'For all out-breathing, off-breathing, through-breathing, up-breathing!'--the naturally-perforated (brick) is the vital air, and the vital air truly serves for everything here;--'for a resting-place, for a moving-place!'--the naturally-perforated (bricks) are these worlds, and these worlds are the resting-place and the moving-place;--'May Sûrya guard thee,'--that is, 'May Sûrya protect thee,'--'with mighty well-being,'--that is, 'with great well-being;'--'with the safest roof!'--that is, 'with whatever roof (abode) is the safest.'

20. Separately he lays them down, for separate are wind and sky; and once only he 'settles' them: he thereby makes them the same, for vital power and vital air are the same. They are both of them stones and both of them naturally-perforated; for vital power and vital air are the same. He then pronounces the Sûdadohas over them,--the Sûdadohas means vital air; he thus makes them continuous, joins them together by means of the vital air.

21. 'Those his well-like milking ones²⁸'--a well (sûda) means water, and milking means food;--'the speckled ones mix the Soma,'--the speckled (cow) means food;--'at the birth of the gods,'--the birth of the gods is the year;--'the tribes,' the tribes (vis), doubtless, are the sacrifice, for all beings are ranged (vishta)²⁹ under the sacrifice;--'in the three spheres of the heavens,'--the three spheres of the heavens, doubtless, are the (three) pressings (of Soma): he thus means the pressings. With an anushtubh verse (he performs this rite), for the Anushtubh is speech, and speech (includes) all vital airs; and by means of speech, that is vital air, he thus makes these two (bricks) continuous, and joins them together. This same Sûdadohas, whilst being a single (verse), extends over all the bricks, whence--the Sûdadohas being the vital air--this vital air, whilst being one only, extends over all the limbs, over the whole body.

Fourth Brâhmana

1. On the (three) naturally-perforated (bricks) he (the Sacrificer) sings sâmans; for the naturally-perforated ones are these (three) worlds; and they are just these (ordinary) stones. The gods, having laid them down, saw them as such: that they were dry stones.

2. They spake, 'Think ye upon this, how we may lay sap, the means of subsistence, into these worlds!' They spake, 'Meditate ye!' whereby, doubtless, they meant to say, 'Seek ye a layer! seek ye how we may lay sap, the means of subsistence, into these worlds!'

3. Whilst meditating, they saw these sâmans (hymn-tunes), and sang them; and by means of them they laid sap, the means of subsistence, into these worlds; and in like manner does the Sacrificer now, when he sings these sâmans, lay sap, the means of subsistence, into these worlds.

4. Over the naturally-perforated ones he sings them: the naturally-perforated ones being these worlds, it is into these worlds that he thereby lays sap, the means of subsistence.

5. He sings (the tunes) on the (mystic) words 'Bhûs, Bhuvas, Svar';--bhûs (earth), doubtless, is this world, bhuvas is the air-world, and svar (light) is yonder world: into these worlds he thereby lays sap, the means of subsistence.

6. They have different preludes, and the same finale³⁰; and as to their having different preludes, it is because they (the gods) saw them separately; and as to their having the same finale (nidhana), it is because there is only one foundation, only one finale to the sacrifice--even heaven: therefore they have 'svar-gyotis (heaven-light)' for their finale.

7. He then bestrews him (Agni, the fire-altar and Agni's body) with chips of gold. Now that whole Agni had been completed, and the gods bestowed on him immortality, that highest form; and in like manner does this one now bestow upon him that highest, immortal form³¹.

8. And, again, as to why he bestrews him with chips of gold. Now on that former occasion he first lays into him that pleasing form, the gold plate and the (gold) man³²; and he now decks him all over with a pleasing form.

9. With two hundred (chips he bestrews him) each time,--two-footed is the Sacrificer, and Agni is the sacrificer: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus bestows upon him immortality, that highest form. Five times (he strews),--five-layered is the altar, five seasons make a year, and Agni is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus bestows upon him immortality, that highest form. With a thousand (chips he bestrews him),--a thousand means everything: with everything he thus confers upon him immortality, that highest form.

10. First (he scatters them) at the back whilst standing with his face towards the east; then on the left (north) side towards the south; then in front whilst facing the west; then, having gone round the back, from the south whilst facing the north: this is from left to right (sunwise), for that is (the way) with the gods. Then, having gone round, (he scatters chips) at the back whilst standing with his face to the east, for in this way that former performance of him³³ took place.

11. [He scatters, with, Vâg. S. XV, 65], 'The fore-measure of a thousand thou art,--The counter-measure of a thousand thou art,--The up-measure of a thousand thou art,--The thousandfold thou art,--For a thousand thee!'--a thousand, doubtless, means everything: thus, 'Everything thou art,--thee for everything!'

12. Now, then, the consideration of the layer-fillings. The first layer is this (terrestrial) world; and the filling of soil means cattle: thus, in covering the first layer with a filling of soil he covers this (terrestrial) world with cattle.

13. The second layer is the air, and the filling of soil means birds: thus, in covering the second layer with a filling of soil, he covers (fills) the air with birds.

14. The third layer is the sky, and the filling of soil means stars; thus, in covering the third layer with a filling of soil, he covers the sky with stars.

15. The fourth layer is the sacrifice, and the filling of soil means sacrificial gifts: thus, in covering the fourth layer with a filling of soil, he covers the sacrifice with sacrificial gifts (to the priests).

16. The fifth layer is the Sacrificer, and the filling of soil means progeny (or subjects) thus, in covering the fifth layer with a filling of soil, he covers (abundantly supplies) the Sacrificer with progeny (or subjects).

17. The sixth layer is the heavenly world, and the filling of soil means the gods: thus in covering the sixth layer with a filling of soil, he fills the heavenly world with gods.

18. The seventh layer is immortality,--that is the last (layer) he lays down, and thus bestows immortality as the highest thing of all this (universe): therefore immortality is the highest thing of all this (universe); therefore the gods are not separated therefrom; and therefore they are immortal. Thus much as to the deity³⁴.

19. Now, as to the Self (body). The first layer is the legs, and the downward flowing vital air; and the filling of soil is the flesh: thus, in covering the first layer with a filling of soil, he covers that (part) of his (Agni's) body with flesh. [He does so] after laying down bricks, and bricks mean bone: he thus covers the bone with flesh. He does not cover (the altar-site) below (the first layer), whence these vital airs are not closed up below; but, he covers it above, and thereby covers that (part) of his body above with flesh; and hence that (part) of his body above, being covered with flesh, is not visible.

20. The second layer is that (part of the body) which is above the legs and below the waist; and the filling of soil is flesh: thus, in covering the second layer with a filling of soil, he covers that (part) of his body with flesh. [He does so] after laying down bricks, and bricks mean bone: he thus covers the bone with flesh. He places them on a filling of soil, and covers them with a filling of soil: he thus covers that (part) of his body on both sides with flesh; whence that part of his body, being on both sides covered with flesh, is not visible.

21. The third layer is the waist itself; the fourth layer is that (part of the body) which is above the waist and below the neck; the fifth layer is the neck, the sixth layer is the head, and the seventh layer is the vital airs. This he lays down as the last (or highest): he thus makes the vital airs the highest of all this (universe), and hence the vital airs are the highest thing of all this (universe). He places it on a filling of soil; and the filling of soil means flesh; he thus covers (the channels of) the vital airs with flesh. He does not cover it above, whence these (channels of the) vital airs are not closed up above.

Footnotes

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