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294
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA. SATAPATHA-BRAHM
be a mistake, just as if one were to do one thing, while intending to do another; or if one were to say one thing, while intending to say another; or if one were to go one way, while intending to go another. And, indeed, it is not proper that they should either carry to the south, or extinguish, that fire on which a kindling-stick is put, or an oblation made, with a rik or a sâman or a yagus. Now they do indeed either take it to the south with the view of its becoming the Anvâhâryapakana (or Dakshinâgni), or (if there is to be no Dakshinagni) they extinguish it?
7. Thereupon they: remain awake (during that night). The gods are awake: so that he thereby draws nigh to the gods, and sets up his fires as one more godly, more subdued, more endowed with holy fervour (tapas). He may, however, sleep, if he choose, since the observance of the vow is not necessary for him who has not performed Agnyadheya. For so long as he has not set up a (sacrificial) fire of his own, he is a mere man; and he may, therefore, sleep, if he choose.
8. Now some churn (the fire)s before sunrise and
1 His argument seems to be that, since the cooking of the ricepap involves the putting on of consecrated sticks with sacrificial formulas, one is not to cook the pap because that same fire will afterwards have to be extinguished or to be taken to the Dakshinâgni hearth. The passage is, however, far from clear to me.
• Viz. the ritualists referred to; that is to say, they make the sacrificer and his wife remain awake all night. Sayana takes gågrati to stand for gâgarti, he, the sacrificer, remains awake.' The Kanva text, however, has, 'Here now they say, he should remain awake that night.'
$ The production of the sacred fire by means of two sticks (arani) of the asvattha (Ficus Religiosa) is thus described by Stevenson, 'Translation of the Sama Veda,' pref. p. vii: "The process by which fire is obtained from wood is called churning, as it resembles
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