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X KÂNDA, I ADHYAYA, I BRAHMANA, 3. 281
TENTH KÂNDA.
THE MYSTERY OF AGNI, THE FIRE-ALTAR.
FIRST ADHYAYA.
FIRST BRAHMANA.
1. In the first place that Agni (the Fire-altar), the year, is built1; thereafter the Great Litany (mahad uktham) is recited 2. When Pragâpati became relaxed, the vital fluid flowed upwards 3. 2. Now, that Pragâpati who became relaxed is the year; and those joints of his which became relaxed are the days and nights.
3. And that Pragâpati who became relaxed is this very Fire-altar which here is built; and those joints of his, the days and nights, which became relaxed are no other than the bricks ;-thus, when he lays down these (in the layers of the altar), he thereby restores to him those joints of his, the days and nights, which had become relaxed and thus
'Or, possibly, 'that Agni is built in a year,' as paragraph 4 might seem to suggest. Sâyana, however, takes it in the above sense, esho gnih Samvatsarâtmakah purastât pûrvam kîyate. The Agnikayana, when properly performed, requires a full year, whence Agni-Pragâpati is constantly identified with the year and the
seasons.
According to Sâyana, the intermediate Mahâvrata-sâman (see note 1, p. 283), chanted prior to the recitation of the Mahad uktham, is likewise implied here.
Thus-ûrdhvalokam agakkhat-Sâyana takes 'agram.'
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