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132
SATAPATHA-BRÂHMANA.
the sacrifice: 'having bespoke the sacrifice, I will choose the Hotri,' thus (he thinks, and for this reason he utters his call for the Pravara.
2. He utters his call after taking the fuel-band; for if the Adhvaryu were to utter his call without taking hold of the sacrifice, he would either be unsteady or meet with some other ailment.
3. Here now some utter the call after taking . sacrificial grass (barhis) from the covered altar, or they utter the call after cutting off and taking a chip of fire-wood, arguing, 'this, surely, is something belonging to the sacrifice; after taking hold of this, the sacrifice, we will utter the call.' Let him, however, not do this; for that also wherewith the firewood was tied together and wherewith they sweep the fire? is, doubtless, something belonging to the sacrifice; and thus indeed he utters his call after taking hold of the sacrifice : for this reason let him utter the call after taking the fuel-band.
4. Having uttered the call, he in the first place chooses him who is the Hotri of the gods, that is, Agni. Thereby he propitiates both Agni and the gods : for by first choosing Agni, he propitiates Agni;
Agni, the god, the deity; with the threefold chant, with the râthantara-sâman, with the gâyatri metre, with the agnishtoma sacrifice, with the vashat-call, the thunderbolt, - I here kill him who hates us, and whom we hate !' The Adhvaryu having thereupon walked round the Hotri from left to right, steps behind the utkara (heap of rubbish) with his face to the east and the fuel-band in his hand, and calls on (â srâvayati) the Âgnîdhra, with o srâvaya (or Om srâvaya, i. e. â srâvaya; or simply srâvaya;' cf. Sâyana on Taitt. S. I, 6, 11). The Âgnîdhra (whilst standing north of the Adhvaryu, with his face to the south, and taking the wooden sword and the fuel-band from the Adhvaryu) responds (pratyâsrâvayati) by 'astu sraushati'
See p. 127, note 1.
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| SR No. | 007670 |
| Book Title | Upnishad |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Max Muller |
| Publisher | Oxford |
| Publication Year | 1879 |
| Total Pages | 1835 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 35 MB |