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I KANDA, 2 ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMANA, 7.
the arms of the Asvins, with the hands of Pushan; thee that performs sacred rites to the gods!' Savitri, namely, is the impeller of the gods: thus he thereby takes that (wooden sword) as one impelled by Savitri. 'With the arms of the Asvins,' he says, because the Asvins are the two Adhvaryu priests (of the gods): with their arms he therefore takes it, not with his own. Pushan is distributer of portions (to the gods): with his hands he therefore takes it, not with his own; for it is the thunderbolt, and no man can hold that: he thus takes it with (the assistance of) the gods.
5. 'I take (thee) that performs sacred rites to the gods,' he says, because a sacred rite means a sacrifice: 'that performs sacrifices to the gods,' he thereby says. After taking it in his left hand and touching it with his right, he murmurs-by what he murmurs he makes it sharp,
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6. He murmurs (Vâg. S. I, 24): 'Thou art Indra's right arm!' for Indra's right arm no doubt is the most powerful one, and for that reason he says: 'Thou art Indra's right arm!' 'The thousand-spiked, hundrededged!' he adds, for a thousand spikes and a hundred edges had that thunderbolt which he hurled at Vritra: he thereby makes it to be that (thunderbolt).
7. 'The sharp-edged Vâyu (wind) art thou!' he adds; for that indeed is the sharpest edge, to wit, that (wind) which here blows: for that one sweeps right across these worlds. He thereby makes it sharp. When he (further) says: 'The killer of the enemy!' let him, whether he wishes to exorcise or not, say: 'The killer of so and so!' When it has been sharpened, he must not touch either himself or the earth with it: 'Lest I should hurt either myself or the earth with that sharp thunderbolt,' thus he thinks, and for
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