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XII KANDA, 7 ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMANA, 18. 221
wood: the palâsa (butea frondosa) is the Brahman (holy writ, holiness, the priesthood): it is by the Brahman that he gains the heavenly world. There are two feathers of a talon-slaying (bird): courage, the sway of birds, he thereby secures. There are thirty-six of these (objects), for the Brihatt consists of thirty-six syllables, and cattle are related to the Brihati: by means of the Brihatt he thus secures cattle for him.
16. As to this they say, 'The victims have one set of deities, and the cakes another set of deities: this is an improper performance'; how does it become right and proper?' To Indra belongs the last of the victims, and to Indra the first of the cakes; and Indra, indeed, is energy (indriya), or vital power: through (Indra's) energy he thus confers on him energy, or vital power; and through (Indra's) energy he secures energy, or vital power.
17. There is a cake to Savitri for him to become impelled by Savitri; and one to Varuna, for it is Varuna that seizes him who is seized by evil: through Varuna he thus delivers him from Varuna's power; it is the final (cake): he thus delivers him finally from Varuna's noose.
18. Indra's (cake) is one on eleven potsherds, in order that he may secure (Indra's) energy, or vital
1 For the use of the two feathers of an eagle, see XII, 7, 3, 22. The rule (as laid down in III, 8, 3, 1) is that the Pasu-purodâsa, or animal cakes, offered after the animal portions, should belong to the same deities to whom the victims are sacred. On the present occasion this is, however, not the case; for while the three sacrificial animals of the main performance belong to the Asvins, to Sarasvati and Indra, the three cakes are offered to Indra, Savitri, and Varuna respectively.
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