________________
408
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
means vigour; the Trishtubh is vigour : with vigour he thus lays vigour into it.
25. Having run through the (first) half-verse, he pronounces the Svâhâ ;—the rik (verse) is a bone : having cleft asunder that skull-bone which is here inside the head, he there lays vigour into it.
26. Having then run through the (second) halfverse, he pronounces the Svaha, -having joined together that skull-bone which is here on the top of the head, he there lays vigour into it.
27. [Vâg. S. XIII, 46; Rik S. I, 115, 1] 'The brilliant front of the gods hath risen,' for that man is yonder sun, and he indeed rises as the brilliant front (face) of the gods ;-'the eye of Mitra, Varuna, and Agni, for that (sun) is the eye of both gods and men ;' he hath filled heaven, and earth, and the air,' for when he rises he indeed fills these worlds ;-'Sarya, the soul of the movable and immovable;' for that (sun) is indeed the soul of everything here that moves and stands.
28. He then stands by (the heads, revering them) with the Utsargas 2. For at that time when Pragapati wanted to slaughter the victims, they, being about to be slaughtered, were distressed (or pained); and by these Utsargas he drove out their distress 3, their evil. In like manner does this one, by these Utsargas, now drive out their distress, their evil.
29. Now some remove the distress of whichever (head of a) victim they put down, thinking lest they might put distress, evil, thereon ; but it is they that
That is, having rapidly muttered it. · That is, (means of deliverance or removal, a term applied to the next five mantras.
Lit. their burning heat (suk); cf. par. 32 seq.
Digitized by Google